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Having secured deals for the likes of Chiquinho and Hayao Kawabe during the current January transfer window, it seems as though Wolves are now making moves to try and keep hold of one of their current players.

What’s the news?

Speaking live on The Transfer Show on Sky Sports, journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed that Wolves have rejected an offer of £15m from fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for Adama Traore.

Solhekol then claimed that the Old Gold would be looking at a bid of around £25m in order to consider selling Traore this month.

Having signed the winger for a fee of £18m from Championship club Middlesbrough back in 2018, it’s no surprise that Wolves have rejected an offer which is less than what they paid for him, especially one which would see him join another Premier League team who are only five points ahead of them in the table at this stage of the campaign.

Since joining the Old Gold, Traore has gone on to make 153 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing 18 assists in the process.

Lage will be delighted

Even though Traore only scored one goal in 19 Premier League appearances this season, which came during their recent 3-1 win over Southampton, Wolves manager Bruno Lage will surely be happy that the club have reportedly turned down this offer from Tottenham for the Spain international.

Despite the lack of goal output, the 25-year-old has still been a top performer for his side with an overall season rating of 6.97/10 from WhoScored, making him Wolves’ fourth-highest rated player.

Moving forward, it will be a big boost for Wolves and Lage to have Traore in their squad for the remainder of the season, given the level of performance he has produced for them despite the lack of regular goals and assists.

However, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023 and the reported lack of intent to sign a new deal at Molineux, it could be worth the club selling him in the next summer transfer window so that they can get a suitable transfer fee for him and also have the time to find the right replacement for him.

In other news: Transfer insider drops Wolves transfer claim which will surely have fans gutted

As per Mundo Deportivo, relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle United have an exact bid amount in mind to sign Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier in January.

The Lowdown: Magpies eye moves…

The first transfer window of the new PIF era is dawning, with Newcastle supporters arguably curious to see whether their new owners will back Eddie Howe with major incomings during the month.

Currently in the midst of a relegation battle, their business after the New Year could be crucial in maintaining their hopes of staying in the Premier League and kickstarting an interesting age for the club.

They have already been linked with some major signings, including Trippier, with the latest from Spain detailing just how much Newcastle could be willing to spend on his capture.

The Latest: Newcastle willing to table £25.3m…

As per Mundo Deportivo (relayed by Sport Witness), the Magpies are willing to table an eight-figure bid of £25.3m to sign Trippier for Howe next month.

According to their information, the England international also wants to return to his homeland and the Premier League, as Atletico also contemplate selling to bolster their own transfer kitty.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The right-back, labelled ‘sensational’ by former Celtic and West Ham striker Frank McAvennie (Football Insider), would certainly strengthen Howe’s defensive options and Newcastle’s survival chances.

Trippier would come with a plethora of experience performing on the biggest stages in world football and the 35-cap international’s exploits at the 2018 World Cup with England are well known.

His free kick against Croatia in the semi-finals of the tournament is one indicator of his technical quality, while he has also averaged an impressive 2.7 tackles per 90 over three Champions League starts this season (WhoScored).

That’s more than any Magpies defender has managed in the English top flight by comparison and it will be interesting to see whether PIF will truly back Howe with his addition to the squad.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC are now ‘most likely’ to sign here!

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, via the West Ham Way website, an exciting transfer update has emerged involving Bayern Munich star Niklas Sule.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing emergency defenders…

Since both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have been sidelined due to injury, manager David Moyes has made the signing of an emergency centre-half one of his top priorities for the January transfer window (The Daily Mail).

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Links to Burnley’s James Tarkowski, Liverpool’s Nathaniel Phillips and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake have been prevalent over these last few weeks with the trio thought to be on recruitment chief Rob Newman’s radar (The Evening Standard).

However, that hasn’t stopped links to other central defensive additions, with Irons transfer source ExWHUemployee sharing news on a new name West Ham could now swoop for.

The Latest: Ex makes exciting Sule claim…

According to Ex, it is believed that Moyes and Newman now want Germany international centre-back Sule with West Ham holding a ‘firm interest’.

The insider also says, at this stage, it is ‘likely’ West Ham could ‘make a bid’ to sign the 26-year-old with his contract currently set to expire at the Allianz Arena in 2022.

The Verdict: Big move…

Sule, amassing 37 international caps and becoming a consistent performer for Bayern at club level, would undoubtedly be a terrific signing for West Ham and Moyes.

While Julian Nagelsmann has only started him 10 times out of Bayern’s 17 Bundesliga matches, Sule has arguably proved to be one of their best players in the Champions League this season.

Over his four European outings, the towering 6 foot 5 powerhouse has averaged a higher pass accuracy (94.5%) than any Bayern player with more than one start, with Sule also averaging more clearances per 90 (2.5) than anyone in their squad over the competition thus far (WhoScored).

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by Nagelsmann (Bundesliga), West Ham would do well to land an accomplished central defender who can also even operate as an emergency full-back.

Valued at £31.5 million by Transfermarkt, Moyes and co may feasibly be able to negotiate a lower price tag given Sule’s contract situation and the fact he could leave on a free in the summer.

Taking all of this into account, we would urge the club to prioritise a move for the decorated star.

In other news: ‘Nooooo’, ‘Beyond a joke’, ‘Xmas ruined’…West Ham fans flock to ‘worrying’ player claim, find out more here.

After a decent start to the season with four wins from their opening six Premier League games, Everton have been on a rather rough run of form by losing five and drawing two of their seven previous league outings.

In those seven previous games, Everton have managed to concede 13 goals in the process, highlighting their defensive frailties at the moment.

This could potentially have something to do with the fact that they’ve had centre-back Yerry Mina out injured with a thigh issue since October.

Taking this into account, now could be the best time for Benitez one of Everton’s young defensive talents who has hardly had a look-in so far this season.

19-year-old centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has only played 57 minutes of action for Everton this season which came during their 2-1 win against Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup.

With recent reports suggesting that Everton will look to send the defender out on loan in January after securing him on a long-term contract, it could be the better option for the Toffees to keep him in the squad but give him some regular Premier League minutes instead of loaning him out

Not only would it be a good time to give Branthwaite his first taste of Premier League action this season to try and fix their recent defensive issues, but it would also give the teenager some useful experience of playing in the top-flight alongside his senior teammates after not making an appearance in the league last year and only making four the season before.

Also, given how Branthwaite has already had some experience of playing in the Championship when he joined Blackburn Rovers on a loan deal last season where he made a total of ten appearances

Labelled as a “terrific footballer” by Steven Pressley – Branthwaite’s former coach at Carlisle United – the defender should be given the chance to see if he can have a positive impact on the team and turn their fortunes around in the league.

If Benitez has no intention of playing him in the league anytime soon, it could be in Branthwaite’s best interest in terms of his development if he did go out on loan to another Championship club and got some regular playing minutes under his belt again.

However, it would be good for the Toffees if they were able to seal his signature on a new long-term deal beforehand as he could end up saving them millions of pounds in potential future transfer fees given his young age if they need to replace the likes of Mina and Michael Keane in the next few years.

With the former linked with a move away, the young Everton defender could be a viable successor.

In other news: Brands could solve Rafa’s big Everton issue by signing “intelligent” £19.8m-rated ace – opinion

According to a source close to Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal, speaking to Chilean news outlet La Tercera, some big news has emerged involving Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Inter raid…

Since Antonio Conte’s arrival at Spurs, the Lilywhites have been linked with a host of big Serie A names, especially from the 52-year-old’s former club Inter.

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Indeed, Nerazzurri duo Marcelo Brozovic and Stefan de Vrij have been namedropped as possible targets for Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici in the upcoming transfer window as he aims to back Conte with quality new additions.

Naturally, given the duo’s ties to Italy’s top flight, links of this nature will come out of the woodwork, but news from Chilean newspaper La Tercera concerning Vidal may be of interest to Spurs supporters.

The Latest: Close source makes Vidal to Spurs claim…

A source ‘close’ to the 34-year-old told the outlet that Conte has personally contacted Vidal over a possible move to Tottenham.

Having always wanted to play in England and the Premier League, it is believed that the veteran midfielder is actually open to joining the north London club as he eyes a potential switch.

The source explained to La Tercera:

“His former Inter coach, Antonio Conte, contacted the player to find out his availability to arrive in London.

“Arturo (Vidal) has always wanted to play in England and the option of arriving in London is something that he does not dislike either.”

The Verdict: Wrong move?

The €160,192-per-week ace (£135,000) is a big name, having been playing at the top level for years and even earning rave reviews from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when they worked together at Bayern Munich.

Conte himself has spoke publicly of his admiration for Vidal, calling him ‘fantastic’ back in 2017 during the coach’s spell across London with Chelsea.

However, given his age, lack of sell-on value and the fact that Spurs already have two very capable centre-midfielders in Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, we advise the club to give this one a miss.

Tottenham arguably have bigger priorities in the hunt for a new defender and alternative striker to Harry Kane, with Paratici needing to invest his transfer kitty wisely.

In other news: Conte ready to axe Tottenham player as agents begin January exit behind the scenes, find out more here.

Journalist Tim Spiers has been critical of Francisco Trincao’s performance for Wolves against Everton, despite their eventual 2-1 victory.

The Lowdown: Wolves pick up another win

Bruno Lage’s side are enjoying an excellent run of form at the moment and that continued on Monday night.

Wolves saw off Everton at Molineux in deserved fashion, thanks to first-half goals from Max Kilman and Raul Jimenez, rising to seventh place in the Premier League in the process.

Lage’s men have now picked up 16 points from a possible 21 in their last seven games – only Chelsea (18) and Arsenal (17) have fared better in that time, as revealed by Talking Wolves on Twitter.

The Latest: Spiers criticises Trincao

Despite the win, The Athletic‘s Spiers was disappointed with Trincao’s ‘sloppy’ showing, with the Portuguese losing possession 15 times (Sofascore) overall:

“Trincao almost scored a beauty and should have netted an easy chance…some brilliant touches but also sloppy in possession.”

The Verdict: Needs to improve

Trincao has been a solid enough performer for Wolves so far this season, but more substance is required, with no goals and assists in the league suggesting he lacks end product.

His performance against Everton wasn’t as influential as others – 15 times losing the ball from 54 touches means he surrendered possession about 28 per cent of the times he had it – and Adama Traore could now be pushing for a start away to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

At 21, Trincao is still developing as a footballer, however, so some inconsistency should be expected at this stage in his career.

In other news, three players excelled in the win over Everton. Find out who they are here.

There has been lots to like about Crystal Palace’s start to the current campaign, but one player is perhaps being overlooked for his integral contributions.

Several new signings and existing stars such as Odsonne Edouard and Wilfried Zaha have received plenty of plaudits for their eye-catching displays in the final third of the pitch, yet it’s the solid performances at the back that have arguably been more important.

Joachim Andersen arrived at Selhurst Park over the summer after Palace splashed out £20m to secure his services, raising a few eyebrows after his relegation with Fulham.

However, the Denmark international has soon silenced his doubters after putting in a string of impressive performances alongside Marc Guehi in the heart of defence.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old has won a whopping 27 duels in his 11 Premier League appearances, made 26 clearances, 18 interceptions and 12 tackles, highlighting his domineering displays at the back.

But it’s not just his defensive contributions that have proved so pivotal to the south London outfit’s success.

Andersen’s ability with the ball at his feet is crucial to how Vieira wants to play, allowing the capital club to build from the back, or play more directly when the opportunity presents itself.

He’s regularly been found firing diagonal, crossfield passes to either wing in order to quickly shift play and start attacks, and his underlying numbers are evidence of how effective they’ve been.

According to WhoScored, Andersen has averaged 6.5 long balls per league game this term – the highest tally amongst his teammates – and has averaged 67.8 passes per game, achieving a passing accuracy of 84.2%.

In a recent interview with football.london, Vieira was quizzed over how vital Andersen was in helping the Eagles play his preferred style.

“He is massively important. Joachim played in France, he played in Italy, he was in the Premier League last year. He has this experience of moving around and going to a new club,” Vieira said.

“When you want to have possession, and you have a centre-back who is really comfortable having the ball at his feet, it’s quite important. He will be a massive help for Marc to build his confidence, and he is doing really well.”

While the likes of Zaha deserve huge amounts of credit for putting the ball in the back of the opposition’s net on a regular basis, Andersen and co. deserve just as much for keeping it out of Palace’s, and the Scandinavian gem has been doing a stellar job of that in recent weeks.

And, in other news…Huge boost: Palace handed injury lift ahead of Burnley, Vieira will be delighted

Speaking to West Ham Zone, former Irons striker Frank McAvennie has shared what he’s ‘heard’ about Man United forward and linked star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham attempt Lingard signing…

It is no secret that the Hammers and manager David Moyes wanted to re-sign Lingard after his sensational stint on loan at the London Stadium last season.

The 28-year-old, branded ‘phenomenal’ by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, scored nine goals and assisted four others in just 16 Premier League starts for West Ham last campaign (WhoScored).

Alas, Lingard chose not to relocate down south from Old Trafford but reports post-transfer window have suggested West Ham could still return in January – with the club apparently set to maintain a ‘dialogue’ behind the scenes according to Football Insider.

The Latest: McAvennie makes Lingard claim…

Speaking to WHZ, McAvennie has now shared what he’s ‘heard’ whilst sending a bold West Ham transfer message – avoid bringing him back at all costs.

“They’re [Manchester United] not giving Lingard a new contract I heard,” the former Irons favourite explained.

“Brilliant isn’t it, he’s blown it.

“Listen, I hope West Ham don’t take him back. We knew he wasn’t getting a game. It’s not for me. I liked him, I wanted him, he was a breath of fresh air.

“[But] The bottom line is he’s blown his chance. Did he honestly think he was going to go and get a game with [Cristiano] Ronaldo and all of that lot?

“I saw it coming. It’s going to cost him his England place.”

The Verdict: Correct call?

We believe West Ham should, at the very least, contemplate returning for him in January – especially considering the Red Devils could offload for as little as £15m due to his contract situation – which currently expires in 2022.

Despite the Irons signing Nikola Vlasic in the summer, Moyes will need plenty of options in the attacking areas if he is to maintain West Ham’s excellent 2021/2022 start.

In other news: Contact made: West Ham have already positioned themselves to sign 17-goal ‘real handful’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Marc Overmars could bring Ajax manager Erik ten Hag and some of his star players to Newcastle United if he takes over as sporting director, Dutch journalist Hugo Borst fears.

The lowdown

According to Borst, talks have taken place between Overmars and Newcastle, who are looking to bring in a sporting director to work in tandem with a new manager.

One possible snag is the Dutchman’s contract, which still has two years to run. That would oblige the Magpies to pay a compensation fee.

They do have other targets in mind, and Luis Campos, formerly of AS Monaco and LOSC Lille, is both out of work and keen on the job (via The Chronicle).

The latest

Writing his ed.nl column, Borst expressed grave concern about the repercussions for Ajax if Newcastle manage to lure Overmars away.

He also namechecked a couple of the on-field talents who could potentially follow him, in addition to manager Ten Hag.

“Imagine Marc becoming technical director of that upcoming football superpower,” he wrote.

“Then of course he brings in Erik ten Hag. And [Ryan] Gravenberch. And [Jurrien] Timber, of course.

“Then Ajax has to start all over again.”

19-year-old defensive midfielder Gravenberch is valued at £29.7million by Transfermarkt, while versatile 20-year-old defender Timber is rated at £15.3million.

Notably, both players feature on the shortlist for the 2021 Golden Boy award.

The verdict

This would be a dream scenario for Newcastle fans. Overmars boasts an outstanding track record, Ten Hag has led Ajax to a Champions League semifinal and two Dutch titles, and they have a raft of Europe’s best talent on their books.

Ten Hag says it would take an ‘exceptional’ and ‘extraordinary’ offer for him to leave Ajax, but the opportunity to team up with Overmars at one of the world’s richest clubs might fit the bill.

In other news, another Dutch journalist had a message for Ten Hag.

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