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Chelsea are reportedly finalising a move for AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to a report from Football Insider on Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Fofana in

The Blues have made a head start on their January business by reaching a pre-agreement with Molde FK for young forward David Datro Fofana.

Teenage midfielder Andrey Santos also appears to be on the way with an agreement reached with Vasco da Gama, and it seems as if a third addition may be imminent with Badiashile.

The Latest: Badiashile next?

FI reporter Pete O’Rourke shared an update regarding Badiashile in the last 24 hours, revealing that the Blues are in advanced talks to sign the 21-year-old.

Chelsea are thought to be finalising a transfer for the Adidas-sponsored star and are confident of completing a move as soon as the transfer window opens.

The Verdict: Good news

Stamford Bridge officials aren’t hanging around when it comes to 2023 additions, and it seems as if it could be three signed relatively quickly in the New Year.

You’d say that Badiashile is the marquee name out of the three potential arrivals, with the defender having 135 games of senior experience under his belt for Monaco at the age of 21.

He’ll give Graham Potter another high-quality option at the back and could be the answer both in the short and long run, making it an exciting deal.

Tottenham Hotspur will unlikely be able to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target Kessie

Spurs recently emerged as the most likely party to sign Kessie if his current club decide to sell him this winter, although there are several offers on the table, as per Spanish sources.

However, a fresh claim has come to light which indicates that the 25-year-old could be set to remain with the La Liga club, at least for the remainder of this campaign.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones played down the rumours linking the Ivorian with a Premier League move.

The journalist said in relation to Spurs’ recent transfer links with the player: “I think a cheeky bid for Kessie in January would probably be a waste of time to be honest.

“He’s basically chasing a dream here. And I think he’ll give it the rest of the season before he even contemplates going anywhere else.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Tottenham

Once lauded as ‘fantastic’ by Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti, the £69k-per-week earner would provide depth for Antonio Conte in Tottenham’s midfield engine room, providing a more defensive option to compete for a starting berth with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

His acumen in cutting out opposition attacks is highlighted by an average of 1.62 blocks per game over the past year, placing him in the 86th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

He is not limited to defensive contributions either, as indicated by his match average of 2.85 touches in the attacking penalty area (95th percentile), so he appears to offer a well-rounded package.

While it seems that the Ivorian enforcer currently wants to make a name for himself at Barcelona, Spurs should continue to monitor him over the winter, as his multi-faceted attributes would surely be of great use to the north London club in their push for Champions League football.

Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares is attracting interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by football.london, who claim that the 31-year-old is a target for Fulham, Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen this winter, all three of whom were also believed to be keen on a move for the defender in the summer.

However, with the Portugal international having hardly featured for Mikel Arteta’s side in the current campaign, the interested trio are believed to have reached out to the full-back’s agent regarding the possibility of a January exit from The Emirates.

Cedric must go

While it is true that Arteta views Cedric as a valuable member of his first-team squad – with the Spaniard claiming that the right-back is a “player who deserves to play” last month – considering just how little the 31-year-old has featured this season, coupled with his hefty weekly salary, the argument that Edu should cash in on the defender this winter is an easy one to make.

Indeed, despite the fact that a series of recurring injuries have limited the £75k-per-week full-back’s availability in 2022/23, it is undeniable that the 31-year-old’s 119 minutes of first-team football – made up of 27 in the Premier League, two in the Europa League and 90 in the Carabao Cup – does not represent good value for money for the Gunners.

And, with Ben White having highly impressed when filling in at right-back so far this season, as well as Takehiro Tomiyasu being ahead of the £4.4m-rated defender in Arteta’s pecking order, it would appear as if Cedric’s chances of picking up more first-team minutes at The Emirates upon the turn of the year look extremely slim.

Furthermore, with the north London side also having the likes of 18-year-old Brooke Norton-Cuffy – who is catching the eye on loan at Rotherham United – and 17-year-old Reuell Walters coming through at right-back, both youngsters would also benefit from the 34-cap international’s departure, as his exit would mean one less blockage in the route to the first team.

As such, with it looking likely that the 31-year-old – who Japheth Mutinda dubbed “shocking” and Amara Nwankpa claimed “is just not good enough” – would receive more game time at any of Fulham, Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen, a departure would very much appear to be one that would suit all parties – leading us to believe that Edu simply must bin the full-back this winter.

Ross Wilson was a busy man throughout the summer transfer window as he brought a number of players to Glasgow Rangers to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

He signed Ridvan Yilmaz, John Souttar, Rabbi Matondo, Antonio Colak, Tom Lawrence, Malik Tillman and Ben Davies, whilst also allowing Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun, and Joe Aribo, among others, to depart.

It remains to be seen how their respective Rangers careers will play out in the years to come but Wilson will be hoping to avoid any more transfer nightmares on his CV.

He has had his fair share of gaffes in the market since joining the club and one signing he had a particular shocker on was the decision to sign centre-forward Cedric Itten in 2020.

Rangers reportedly paid £2.7m to sign him from FC St. Gallen 1879, after he scored 36 goals in 63 games for the Swiss club, and it never went to plan for him in Glasgow.

Wilson hailed the gem’s scope for development at the time of the move, saying: “His potential is high and we know he can be developed here at Rangers, working with our staff.”

Then-manager Steven Gerrard added: “Cedric is a goal scorer who will add further strength and depth to our squad.

“The fact we have announced two attacking options in the same day highlights our intent to bolster our squad as we begin the campaign.

“I am pleased that a player of Cedric’s ability and potential has decided to join Rangers as he embarks in the next stage of his career.”

The forward’s potential and quality failed to shine through on the pitch, though, as he struggled badly in front of goal. Itten scored six goals in 37 matches in all competitions in his first season, including four goals in 27 Premiership outings.

His poor form, including no goals in three European outings at the start of 2021/22, led to him being loaned out to Greuther Furth in the Bundesliga, with Josh Bunting claiming that he “struggled” for game time under Gerrard. He only scored twice in 12 appearances for the German side before being recalled by Giovanni van Bronckhorst at the start of 2022.

He was never able to fully convince the Dutch head coach as he scored twice in eight games and he ended up moving on from the club on a permanent basis ahead of 2022/23, joining BSC Young Boys for £1.5m.

Therefore, Wilson had a shocker with the signing of Itten as he paid £2.7m, along with £1.45m in wages across two seasons, to sign a flop who ended his time at Ibrox with eight goals in 49 appearances in all competitions, which shows that he failed to deliver – consistently – in front of goal.

The fee they received for him from Young Boys covered the wages spent on the dud but the initial £2.7m spent to sign him went straight down the drain.

Sunderland are reportedly eyeing up a move to take Morgan Sanson on loan from Aston Villa in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: No game time

Sanson has not played a single minute for Villa so far this season, and in fact has only played 20 times for them over the past three campaigns (Transfermarkt).

Thus, it is likely that Steven Gerrard’s side would let him go in January in order to get more game time, and would probably consider a loan deal simply to get an unwanted player out of the squad.

The Latest: Sunderland interest

As per French news outlet Jeunes Footeux, the Stadium of Light outfit are interested in taking Sanson on loan in January, but face competition from fellow Championship rivals Swansea City for his signature.

LOSC Lille and RC Strasbourg are also monitoring his situation in France, and so the Wearsiders may face a battle to sign him.

The Verdict: Not needed

Tony Mowbray already has an abundance of central midfielders in his squad, and so signing Sanson, even on loan, would seem like a strange move unless others are moved on.

Hailed as a ‘great technician’ by former Villa manager Dean Smith upon arrival, he has of course played at a high level in the Premier League and also in French football, but his lack of match sharpness means that he may struggle initially to adapt to the Championship.

Earning a hefty £45,000-per-week as well, the Black Cats would likely have to have those wages subsidised before being able to take Sanson on.

Aston Villa are likely to start Douglas Luiz in central midfield against Leeds United this weekend.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Matt Maher, with the Express & Star journalist hinting in a recent report that, following confirmation that Boubacar Kamara sustained a knee ligament injury in the 1-0 victory over Southampton before the international break, the Brazil international looks to be the favourite to replace the Frenchman in the middle of the park at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

In his report, Maher said: “Douglas Luiz is favourite to replace him in the starting XI at Elland Road though Marvelous Nakamba and Morgan Sanson, two players yet to feature this season, are likely to come back in contention for an important run of fixtures as Villa look to climb the Premier League table.”

Gerrard must unleash Luiz

While it is true that Luiz’s long-term future at Villa Park appears increasingly uncertain with each passing day, considering just how reliable the 24-year-old has been for Villa in the past, it would appear an extremely wise decision for Steven Gerrard to unleash the Brazilian against the Whites this weekend.

Indeed, the £31.5m-rated talent featured in all but four of Villa’s Premier League fixtures last season, over which the defensively-minded midfielder made an average of 1.7 tackles, one interception, 37.7 passes – at a success rate of 87% – and won 4.4 duels per game.

The £33k-per-week man also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.7 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the 24-year-old average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as Villa’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

Furthermore, despite his limited game time so far this season, the nine-cap international has still impressed when given the chance, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.83 over his six league outings in 2022/23 – a rating that only narrowly sees him rank below Kamara in Villa’s list of top performers this term, who has averaged a match rating of 6.86.

As such, it would indeed appear as if Luiz represents something of a perfect replacement for the injured Frenchman, leading us to believe that Gerrard simply must unleash the 24-year-old against Leeds this weekend.

Wolves could sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos alongside the heavily reported Sasa Kalajdzic deal, reports Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Kalajdzic move close

It was reported on Monday that Wanderers had agreed a £15.4million fee with Stuttgart over the signing of Kalajdzic as Bruno Lage bolsters his attack. On Tuesday, Fabrizio Romano then claimed the player is in England for a medical.

Wolves have been lacking quality in the final third so far this season and were far from prolific in 2021/22, with Kalajdzic expected to fix that with a deal ‘until June 2027 with option for a further season’, as per Romano.

It now looks as though their attacking spending may not be done, however, following a new update.

The Latest: Ramos double swoop

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Talbot claimed that Ramos could even follow Kalajdzic to Molineux given how badly the club need more firepower:

“So, I’d imagine it would be one of Kalajdzic and Ramos, but obviously, saying that, they’re very different players.

“Kalajdzic will cost about €20 million (£17m), and I think Ramos would be about €30 million (£25.6m), so maybe they can both come in. But it seems to be that the striking department is the priority.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

To bring is not one but two talented attacking players could be a game-changer for Wolves this summer, giving them the firepower they have lacked for so long.

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In Kalajdzic, Wanderers are getting someone who has scored 24 goals in 60 appearances for Stuttgart, while Ramos, labelled ‘perfect’ for the Premier League by BBC pundit Andy Sixsmith, has 19 in 66 games for Benfica with five goals and four assists already this season.

The latter has a notable plus point in his durability too – while Kalajdzic missed much of last season, Ramos has missed a mere two games through injury in his entire career from a solitary issue.

The pair could forge a partnership together in attack, with Raul Jimenez relegated to more of a squad role given his loss of form since returning from injury, but Lage could even rotate them in and out, using all three of them in equal measure.

Either way, signing both Kalajdzic and Ramos would have the potential to transform Wolves’ attack from one of the weakest in the league to one of the strongest, especially with the likes of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes providing creativity from midfield.

Aston Villa take on West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday in a game which bears huge significance even this early in the campaign.

The two teams have only one win from six top-flight matches combined this season, losing the other five, leaving both of them firmly in the bottom half.

Improvement is needed, and fast, for both managers as they aim to secure a top-half finish and potential European football next term.

Ahead of the clash at Villa Park, though, Steven Gerrard has been given a massive lift on the injury front, and it could spark an upturn in form for the Midlands club.

Villa have no new injury concerns

The 42-year-old spoke before Sunday’s match about his team and the latest injury news, saying: “Obviously you’re well aware of Diego, and Kortney moving on. We’re fully fit, Luda [Ludwig Augustinsson] has trained today, he missed midweek with a tweak in his knee area, but he’s fine.

“So we should be healthy going into the weekend, we’ve obviously got tomorrow’s session to go prior to the game, so fingers crossed we should be in good health.”

This will be good news for the manager and the Villa faithful, who will be desperate to start winning and climbing the table.

Last week’s performance against Crystal Palace was poor, with only five players averaging a rating of seven or higher on SofaScore, and it marked Villa’s eighth Premier League defeat in their previous 14 fixtures.

Gerrard might shuffle his pack ahead of the fixture, with Douglas Luiz performing well against Palace – completing 100% of his passes, taking 27 touches and making two key passes at Selhurst Park – so he could be drafted in from the start in place of either John McGinn or Jacob Ramsey, their two lowest-rated performers against the Eagles.

It presents an ideal opportunity for the 42-year-old to get Villa’s campaign back on track, especially against a West Ham side who only played on Thursday evening, with fatigue likely to be a factor, so the home side will have to try and take advantage of that.

With a full squad available apart from the aforementioned long-term absentee Diego Carlos, the Villa manager has plenty of options at his disposal, in what is a welcome boost for Gerrard amid reports that he is coming under pressure in the hot seat.

Wolves’ hopes of signing Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez this summer are seemingly over, with the latest reports suggesting that he is on the brink of joining Valencia.

What’s the word?

It was suggested earlier in the week that Bruno Lage’s side were in talks with the Catalan club over a move for the 20-year-old, but it seems as if he will remain in Spain for the 2022/23 season.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Twitter that: “Valencia will complete Nico deal on Thursday, documents signed with Barcelona and medical scheduled.”

Lage will be gutted

Wolves are still looking quite low on squad depth, particularly in midfield and up front, so losing out on another central midfield target will surely cause Lage to be gutted.

While the Old Gold have so far been able to keep hold of Ruben Neves, while Joao Moutinho signed a new contract at the club, the Portuguese boss is arguably still lacking some creativity in the middle of the park.

Neves and Moutinho managed just three assists in the Premier League between them last season, which suggests that Lage is missing someone who can play that killer through ball.

Having graduated from Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Gonzalez could certainly have added some quality on the ball, emphasised by his WhoScored strengths of through balls, dribbling and passing.

Dubbed “spectacular” by Cesc Fabregas, the 20-year-old is clearly a hot talent. As per FbRef, he scored in the 99th percentile for dribbling, 96th percentile for progressive carries and 94th percentile for progressive passes received, which shows that he is exceptionally adept at carrying the ball forward and making an impact in attacking areas.

By comparison, Neves would score in the 51st percentile for progressive carries, and the 18th percentile for progressive passes received, which suggests that he does not get forward nearly as much, and Lage could have definitely benefitted from someone like Gonzalez in his side.

While Connor Ronan and Morgan Gibbs-White could be the answer for Lage, neither have shown much in the Premier League in the past, with the latter scoring just once and supplying one assist in 47 top-flight appearances. Therefore, if that doesn’t work out again this season, then the Portuguese boss may end up feeling that Wolves should have pushed harder to sign Gonzalez.

Everton have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters.

What’s the word?

That’s according to David Ornstein, who writes in The Athletic about Everton’s initial interest.

However, despite what he describes as “firm admiration”, the club’s financial problems seem destined to thwart this move.

Arsenal and Manchester United are both clubs who reportedly also hold an interest. 

Supporters will be gutted

Walker-Peters, whether he is needed at Everton or not, is a wonderful right-back. He provides cover in both full-back positions and does both to a surprisingly high standard.

He is similar to Jonjoe Kenny in this regard but offers much more both offensively and defensively.

However, supporters have every reason to be disappointed that once again the financial mistakes of the past will hamper yet another potential transfer.

Last season for Southampton, Walker-Peters managed 32 appearances and contributed toward three goals. Although unspectacular, he does average 0.8 key passes per 90, suggesting that he can contribute going forward.

This is further supported by his underlying stats. He ranks in the 96th percentile for progressive carries, the 94th percentile for dribbles completed, and the 93rd percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

Although his goal contributions may not suggest it, he clearly loves to bomb forward and cause defenders problems.

His 6.85 average SofaScore rating also is indicative of a player who holds himself to high standards, and for just 25 years old acts as a model professional. In fact, Ralph Hassenhuttl actually dubbed the defender a “role model”, going on to say: “I think you see a player now who is very confident with the ball but also against the ball with clear habits.

“We enjoy having him here because he definitely helps us. The package as a complete one is getting better.”

Frank Lampard will be frustrated to see another of his targets go amiss as the club flounders for cash, and this will, in turn, devastate supporters who are yet to see anything of note happen in the transfer window.

AND, in other news: Everton want to sign “dangerous” £57.8m ace this summer, supporters will be buzzing.