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Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a move for AFC Bournemouth winger Jaidon Anthony in this window.

The Lowdown: After Trossard…

Arsenal reporter for GOAL Charles Watts shared on Friday morning that Leandro Trossard is at London Colney ahead of his proposed move from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Gunners are looking to finalise everything before the deadline, so that he can feature against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Once Trossard has signed, they may go back into the transfer market if they feel that they need to further strengthen their squad, as they look to chase down the title.

The Latest: Anthony interest

As per The Daily Mail, the North London club are ‘interested’ in signing Anthony, as Mikel Arteta looks to add more wide options to his squad.

Anthony was let go by the Gunners’ academy at a younger age, and is now at the Cherries, where his contract expires in the summer.

The 23-year-old is in ‘talks’ over a new deal at the Vitality Stadium, but they have not been successful so far, and the Premier League leaders are looking at Anthony as a potentially ‘shrewd addition with potential for long-term growth’.

Leicester City are also ‘monitoring’ the Englishman, as well as both Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen from the Bundesliga.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Trossard will already add cover in forward areas for the Gunners with the injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson, but Anthony could also add to their squad depth, and act as a longer-term investment being five years younger than the Belgian.

Hailed as a player with an ‘incredible’ work-rate by his former manager Scott Parker, the winger does his defensive duties well on top of his attacking exploits, ranking in the 91st percentile for tackles of all his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.

Going forward, he scored eight goals and made a further six assists in the Championship last season as he helped Bournemouth win promotion up to the Premier League, where he has netted twice so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, given his contract situation, Anthony could be available for a cut-price, and the North Londoners may sense another good opportunity in the market here.

Everton have reportedly had an offer rejected to sign FC Barcelona right-back Hector Bellerin.

The Lowdown: Danjuma in?

The Daily Telegraph journalist Sam Wallace broke on Thursday night that Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma has chosen to sign for the Goodison Park outfit on loan ahead of their fellow Premier League rivals Southampton, Nottingham Forest and former club AFC Bournemouth.

Frank Lampard will feel like he needs more reinforcements though, with his side currently sitting in the drop zone and in danger of another relegation battle come the end of the season.

The Latest: Bellerin offer rejected

As per Spanish publication Sport, Bellerin has ‘rejected’ an offer from the Merseyside club to sign for them this month, and will now stay at Barca until the end of the campaign.

He is out of contract until the summer, and both parties have decided that he will play through it, despite his ‘bad luck’ with injuries and ‘irregular performances’ at right-back.

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise

It is a blessing in disguise that the Toffees have missed out on Bellerin.

The 27-year-old is too injury-prone, and was criticised for some of his performances for Arsenal at the latter stages of his Gunners career on top of his irregular displays in Spain.

Sure, he also impressed at times in England, as he won the FA Cup no fewer than three times in North London, but with Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson to call upon when he is back fit, the Blues should be looking to prioritise strengthening in other positions in the transfer market.

Arsenal are clearly in the market for a new central midfielder and they may have stumbled upon an ideal ‘plan B’ to Declan Rice…

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, the Gunners could rival Chelsea to more than just the West Ham United skipper as they consider Brighton and Hove Albion machine Moises Caicedo as a viable alternative.

The Blues failed to sign the 21-year-old earlier this month, despite two bids of £55m or more. Some reports suggest that the Seagulls are unwilling to sell for less than £100m.

There is now a growing expectation that the Gunners’ ‘top target’ Rice will leave the east Londoners at the end of the season but as Chelsea are long-term admirers, competition should be rife for his signature, so Caicedo has emerged as another option.

Declan Rice alternative

If sporting director Edu Gaspar is unable to get the England international to the Emirates Stadium, then the Seagulls sensation is one mighty alternative and one that should ultimately be considered in his own right.

Across the whole of the English top-flight, only one player to have played more minutes than Caicedo has averaged more tackles per game (2.9) in Fulham powerhouse Joao Palhinha (4.7), whilst his average of 1.4 interceptions per game also ranks him in the top six of all midfielders.

Rice is in a similar bracket, averaging 2.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions each outing for the Hammers this term, also via WhoScored.

The Ecuadorian’s average of 73.1 touches per game, combined with an 88% passing accuracy, suggests he has a penchant for ball retention and playmaking from a deep-lying role and that ultimately makes him a very nice fit for Mikel Arteta and his system.

Indeed, WhoScored list tackling, concentration and ball intercepting as three of his strongest assets, only further highlighting what an absolute monster he could be in the Gunners’ engine room.

Meanwhile, Caicedo has been likened to N’Golo Kante in the past, perhaps one of the greatest modern-day defensive midfielders that the Premier League has seen.

“A year ago he was saying that Kante of Chelsea is his role model but he is already more than that. He already offers more in the final third,” once claimed South American football expert Tim Vickery. “That kind of box-to-box midfielder that’s very much in the tradition of the England game. Strong, quick, intelligent and cool. He really does look like the genuine article.”

Also lauded as a “machine” and a “revelation” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, it’s evident that the 21-year-old is a phenomenal player and one that would add an abundance to Arteta’s squad.

Edu and co may have to wait until the summer but if they cannot secure a move for Rice, then Caicedo ought to be their priority – given the evidence above, he’d be the perfect Gunners signing.

AND in other news, Edu could find the next Saka in “powering” 23 y/o gem who “Arsenal will be looking at”…

Wolves have made an approach to sign West Ham striker Michail Antonio in January, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Lopetegui backed…

The Premier League relegation-battlers have so far backed new manager Julen Lopetegui in the winter transfer market, completing deals for Matheus Cunha, Craig Dawson, Pablo Sarabia, Mario Lemina and Daniel Bentley.

Wolves are also thought to be chasing a move for Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes, who has starred for the Brazilian top flight across the Atlantic, with reports suggesting he is eager to make a move to Molineux.

The Midlands side remain locked in a dog-fight to avoid the drop and strengthening Lopetegui’s squad this month will be a crucial factor in determining their survival.

The Latest: Wolves make Antonio approach…

According to a reliable source in Jacobs, Wolves have also made an approach to sign Jamaica international forward Antonio.

The West Ham attacker has refused to rule out leaving east London before January 31 and Lopetegui’s side are thought to be interested.

Wolves have apparently ‘enquired’ over Antonio and are joined in their interest by sides in the MLS, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

However, West Ham are thought to be reluctant to do business given after new signing Danny Ings’ fresh injury blow.

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

The nature of the transfer window, especially January, means situations can change very rapidly approaching the deadline.

If West Ham were to bring in another attacker, the club may be inclined to do business over Antonio for a reasonable fee, especially since he has entered the last 18 months of his contract.

While the 32-year-old hasn’t exactly been in great form this season, scoring just two goals, he has seriously impressed for West Ham in seasons prior.

Antonio has hit double figures for goals in his last three full Premier League seasons, scoring 30 with a further 16 assists from the beginning of 2019/2020 to the end of 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

A proven top flight player, the former Nottingham Forest star has been called ‘incredible’ by pundits for his form in the last few years under David Moyes.

For the right price, Antonio could prove to be a real asset for Lopetegui.

Journalist Alasdair Gold revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to allow both Bryan Gil and Lucas Moura leave this winter unless another winger arrives.

What’s the word?

As we enter the final hours of the winter transfer market, it will certainly be interesting to see who comes in and who leaves Spurs this winter – if there is to be any more movement.

One player who certainly looks set for a loan exit is Gil. Indeed, as per Fabrizio Romano, the Spaniard will be sent to Sevilla for the rest of the season though there will be no option to buy.

Lucas, on the other hand, has just six months left on his contract and it seems as though he will be free to leave the club next summer. However, it doesn’t sound as though  Antonio Conte will let him go just yet.

Indeed, in an article written for football.london, Gold explained: “Unless a late deal for a replacement arose, it is difficult to see Conte sanctioning an exit for both Lucas and Gil.”

Hanging around…

Seeing as Spurs have already signed one winger this winter, with Arnaut Danjuma arriving on loan from Villarreal until the end of the current campaign.

With that in mind, the club may have felt they have done sufficient work to bolster that area of the pitch even with Gil heading off to Spain. After all, on top of Lucas, they have Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perisic, Dejan Kulusevski, Heung-min Son and Richarlison who can all play on the wing

Seeing as Lucas has barely played at all this term – seeing just 90 minutes of action in the Premier League – he may well be frustrated if Conte doesn’t let him go. But with barely any time left in the window, and with almost certainly Gil leaving, it sounds as if the Brazilian will be sticking around.

BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand has said that he is “interested” to see how new Everton manager Sean Dyche gets the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

What’s the word?

With Frank Lampard sacked, the club embarked on a new era over the weekend and got off to the best possible start as they beat league leaders Arsenal 1-0 at home.

That performance and display will have no doubt given the Toffees a great boost as they push to turn around their season and avoid Premier League relegation.

Calvert-Lewin played 62 minutes against the Gunners and will hope that he can lead the line for Everton over the coming months as he looks to discover his best form.

While speaking about Dyche’s arrival on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE, the host said: “Sean Dyche probably hasn’t had that profile of player to work with ever in his career… a forward who was as mobile and as athletic as somebody like Dominic Calvert-Lewin when he’s fit.

“To have those tools, he has not worked with that before and I’m interested to see how he gets the best out of that.”

Dream team?

Calvert-Lewin certainly struggled to find his best form under Lampard. Indeed, in 23 appearances for his former boss, he scored just three goals.

Against Arsenal, the striker didn’t get on the scoresheet but he did, however, make a positive impact in the game. For instance, in the 90min player ratings, they noted that he wasn’t at his best in front of goal but  “provided everything else” in a 7/10 performance.

With just 16 league goals in total this season, only Wolves (15) have scored few than Everton and so Dyche will need to fix that if he wants the team to avoid the drop.

In his career, the manager has never worked with a truly prolific goalscorer but the likes of Sam Vokes, Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes all found the net with decent regularity at Burnley.

Calvert-Lewin is arguably a little more athletic than those players and so, under Dyche, he could potentially be moulded into a real weapon for Everton in the near future.

Leeds United bolstered their squad well in the January transfer window but suffered what seemed like a minor setback in their comfortable FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.

Their leading scorer Rodrigo was forced off after 69 minutes with an unknown ailment, and only now that the transfer window is shut has it become known that it was much worse than initially feared.

The Spaniard is set to be out for the next two months, a hammer blow which leaves Jesse Marsch somewhat threadbare up top and possibly regretting his lack of foresight in the transfer market.

Georginio Rutter was their main addition last month, as the Whites shattered their record transfer fee to welcome the Frenchman. However, at just 20 years old, the huge burden placed upon someone so young could prove overwhelming, especially with that £36m price tag hanging over him.

Perhaps Marsch could look to remove him from the limelight and instead promote one of his highly-rated youth prospects who could enter the fray as fearless asset and without the baggage of a club-record transfer outlay.

The outstanding candidate for such a call-up would have to be Mateo Joseph, with the Spaniard having proven himself a consistent goalscorer in the academy.

This season has comfortably been the 19-year-old’s most prolific, as he boasts 11 goals in as many Premier League 2 appearances, alongside four well-earned senior cameos. 

Such is his blistering form that he has deservedly been described by writer Tom Maston as “on fire in front of goal”, and he has the goalscoring prowess to atone for Rodrigo’s enforced absence.

However, the teenage sensation also has the tactical intelligence to fill his elder compatriot’s boots, as journalist Joe Donnohue outlined one of the 20-year-old’s top qualities by tweeting: “Underrated aspect of Mateo Joseph’s centre-forward play is his pressing; doesn’t give opponents a moment’s peace”.

This claim was further supplemented by another writer in Matty Hewitt, who dubbed Joseph a “really bright” young player.

Perhaps he could now translate his electrifying form at youth level into the first-team squad in Leeds’ hour of need, offering an ideal foil for Rutter whilst catapulting his career ever closer to the stardom for which he seems destined.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is set to be back in the dugout for his side’s trip to Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon but he’ll be without several first-team stars.

Is Cristian Romero available against Leicester?

Lilywhites skipper and no.1 Hugo Lloris is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after he was ruled out for six-to-eight weeks with a knee ligament injury, whilst another key defensive piece in Cristian Romero is suspended after his red card in the 1-0 win over Manchester City last weekend.

On the day that Harry Kane surpassed club legend Jimmy Greaves to become Spurs’ all-time goalscorer with his 267th goal, the Argentina centre-back received two yellow cards, the first coming after a crunching tackle on Erling Haaland before he left a trialling leg on Jack Grealish.

He will now serve a one-game ban and will be back available for Tottenham’s clash with AC Milan in the Champions League, as well as their next top-flight encounter, where they welcome West Ham United to north London.

Should Conte start Japhet Tanganga?

Conte is expected to turn to Davinson Sanchez as Romero’s replacement as he came on for the final few minutes against the Citizens following the 24-year-old’s early bath.

However, the Italian should consider a rare Premier League start for Japhet Tanganga as he could prove to be a far more reliable choice on the right-hand side of the back three.

The 23-year-old youth product has struggled for minutes under Conte ever since he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in the dugout back in November 2021 but he has impressed with back-to-back clean sheets in the FA Cup since the turn of the year, helping Spurs to wins over Portsmouth (1-0) and Preston North End (3-0) – he even bagged an assist in the latter outing.

Aside from that, Tanganga has managed just one top-flight appearance this term but given that Sanchez has often been lambasted as a “liability” to the side, it could make sense for the former England U21 international to replace Romero instead.

Albeit against lower-league opposition, the Hotspur Way gem has failed to register a Sofascore rating below 7.2 for either of those cup wins.

In the Preston game, Tanganga started in the right central defensive role and was not just a rock but he also displayed exceptional ball-playing tendencies.

From a joint-second high of 104 touches (22 more than the aforementioned Colombian who was deployed in the Eric Dier role), Tanganga made 92% of his 87 passing attempts, had two of three successful dribbles and made two interceptions, per Sofascore.

It was a display that was hailed as “very composed” by journalist Kat Lucas after the full-time whistle, perhaps a stark contrast to the inconsistencies of his competitor, Sanchez.

Having even been lauded as a “huge talent” by Spurs podcaster and writer Chris Miller in the past, it could be time for Conte to finally unleash Tanganga from the shackles on his return to the sidelines.

If the Tottenham boss wants to build on last weekend’s euphoric success, then he ought to opt for the homegrown ace over Sanchez today.

AND in other news, Paratici could repeat his Perisic trick in Spurs summer swoop for £25m-rated “leader”…

Chelsea find themselves in the enviable position of having two excellent goalkeepers in their first-team squad, a luxury that most teams don’t have.

Both Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy, signed for £71m and £22m respectively, are giving Graham Potter a headache over who should become the Blues’ starting ‘keeper, with the Spaniard seemingly leading the race, having played in every match since the World Cup.

With reports linking Chelsea with a move for David Raya, it’s clear that Potter is earmarking someone else in order to replace Kepa and Mendy as the undisputed starter between the sticks at Stamford Bridge.

There shouldn’t be any real need to delve into the transfer market, though, as the Blues have an excellent talent in their academy who could go on to be a true heir to Kepa in the near future.

Can Gabriel Slonina replace Kepa at Chelsea?

Chelsea managed to lure the highly-rated Slonina to west London last summer in a deal worth £12m, and he was loaned back to Chicago Fire in order to complete the MLS season with them.

During the 2022 MLS campaign, the American played 32 matches, averaging a very respectable Sofascore rating of 6.81/10 as he made 2.6 saves per match (65% success rate), conceded 45 goals and kept 12 clean sheets, clearly showing great maturity at such a young age.

The youngster even made history last month by becoming the youngest-ever goalkeeper to start for the USA in an official match when they faced Serbia. That night, Slonina made four saves and two clearances, took 27 touches and achieved a Sofascore rating of 6.9, the fourth-highest in the Americans’ starting XI.

Writer Gabe Henderson hailed the 18-year-old as a “great young talent”, and having made history for the USA, his next step will be to make a senior competitive appearance for Chelsea.

He has already played one match for the Blues’ U21s, a 2-0 win over Wolves in January, and it’s abundantly clear that Potter has a generational talent ready and waiting to be thrust into action.

Slonina is a rough diamond, but with 43 appearances in the MLS and an international cap to his name already, it might not be long before Potter gives him a senior Chelsea debut.

With the club spending colossal sums on players such as Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk recently, they could save millions in the future by unleashing the American prodigy rather than splurging on another goalkeeper.

David Ornstein has spoken on Sky Sports about how Liverpool’s owners are staying at the club for the foreseeable future.

The Lowdown: Damning takeover blow

It had been reported that the Reds were up for sale, but it appears that Fenway Sports Group has drawn back on that idea and are now just looking for external investment.

John Henry has come out recently and categorically denied that Liverpool are up for sale, though they are looking for someone else to come on board and inject some money into the six-time European champions.

That will have likely been horrendous news for Liverpool fans to hear, especially those who have protested about the owners in recent times, and while some may have hoped that was just a smokescreen from Henry, Ornstein has issued a reality check.

The Latest: FSG are here to stay at Liverpool

Ornstein has insisted that FSG are indeed set to stay at Liverpool for the long haul amid the recent climbdown surrounding a potential takeover at Anfield.

He said: “Depending on which side of the fence you sit on, if you want FSG for longer, that looks like that’s going to happen; if you don’t, you will be a bit disappointed.

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“FSG did put Liverpool up for sale, we never knew how it was going to end and we stated that in reporting at the time, and it seems that there haven’t been the offers that they might have been hoping.

“I’m sure that’s been influenced by Manchester United going on the market, and also results like tonight [against Real Madrid] don’t help their cause.”

The Verdict: Liverpool need external money and voices

The Reds have long had to be performing at their very maximum to compete with the financial powerhouse of Manchester City, but this season looks to have taken its toll and is perhaps a sign of how investment is desperately needed.

However, the fact that FSG put Liverpool up for sale not too long ago may raise questions over their commitment to the club, and if they don’t attract external investment, there may well be another frustrating transfer window to come this summer.

If Liverpool want to keep up with big spenders such as Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle United, they need FSG to showcase why this is the club they need to be investing in to any potentially interested parties, but this season could easily have put some people off.