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West Bromwich Albion seem to have a fine crop of youth talent just waiting to burst into the first team, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman standing as the benchmark for which they will all hope to follow.

The 20-year-old has recently burst onto the scene marketed as a hard-working midfielder with an eye for goal, outlined in his goal and assist against Reading.

However, in Jamie Andrews, Carlos Corberan could unearth his own goal-scoring midfielder who could even surpass the recent academy graduate.

Before earning his promotion, Garner-Hickman had scored six and assisted four across 34 games for the U21s side.

To compare with the 20-year-old who will soon be vying for his place in the side, just this season has Andrews reached five goal contributions, and in eight fewer games has already surpassed the tally set by his predecessor.

Not only this, but he has spent two loan spells earning him vital senior experience at both Yeovil Town and Leamington FC.

It could stand him in good stead to make an instant impact should he soon be promoted into the first team, rather than the bedding-in period that seems to have occurred with the England U20s international.

Those two goal contributions aforementioned are his first and only across 34 games for the club.

With a system that played to his strengths set up by Richard Beale, who went on to be caretaker manager following Steve Bruce’s sacking, Andrews spoke to West Brom’s official club website to endorse their tactics and his development.

He said: “I want to take the next step now, whatever that may be. At the moment I’m in the U23s and putting my head down doing the best I can to try and push myself on. 

“This year we’ve got more men in midfield which allows me to get outside the box and land on balls further up the pitch. It gives me more of a license to get forward and I like how it gets me more involved in our attacks now.”

The confidence he has in his own ability, plus the eye for goal he clearly boasts, should make him a likely candidate to be the next to step up for Corberan once they are free from danger.

Newcastle United are reportedly set to move on Matt Ritchie in the New Year, with the former Scotland international having become something of a peripheral figure at St James’ Park of late.

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who suggested that the Magpies have informed the 33-year-old that he is surplus to requirements, with a move away seemingly in the pipeline in January.

The respected source stated: “I’ve been told that he is a player that has been told he can go in the New Year. I know there has been some interest from America, there are MLS clubs that like him, so that might be an avenue that opens up to him.”

This follows a recent report from Football Insider that revealed the Tynesiders are willing to listen to offers for the versatile dud when the market re-opens, with manager Eddie Howe said to have given the ‘green light’ to the sale of the experienced asset.

The suggestion is that the Premier League side are open to a cut-price sale in the winter window, with the player’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Howe must ditch Ritchie

While Howe – who previously coached the veteran during his time in charge at Bournemouth – is a notable admirer of the 16-cap machine, having dubbed him an “incredible” asset in the summer, the 44-year-old may well need to be ruthless and ditch Ritchie in the near future.

The latter man has been at the club for over six years since joining from the Cherries on a £12m deal back in 2016, going on to rack up 190 appearances in all competitions in that time, scoring 24 goals and recording 33 assists in total.

While that is a respectable tally, the Gosport-born man arguably enjoyed his best season at the club during his debut campaign with Newcastle then residing in the second tier, scoring 16 times and providing ten assists in all competitions to help fire the club back into the Premier League.

For those promotion heroics alone the £45k-per-week talent is likely to still be a popular figure on Tyneside, although it is hard to ignore his struggles since making the step up to the top flight, with his tally of three league goals in the 2017/18 season his best for the club in a Premier League campaign.

While the winger has largely operated in a wing-back berth in recent years, it is telling that he has failed to score a single league goal since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, while having also featured just twice in all competitions this term.

As pundit Alan Hutton suggested, both Ritchie – and teammate Jamaal Lascelles – could well be better served moving on sooner rather than later, with the former Tottenham Hotspur defender stating:

“It’s brutal, Lascelles is the club captain and I don’t think there will be many fans who have anything to say against Ritchie but this is football.

“They aren’t playing. It’s better for them if they go and play somewhere else every week. We know who is getting a game for Newcastle and these guys can’t get in.”

A solid, yet unspectacular servant for Newcastle over the years, the time has now come for the 5 foot 8 man to seek a new home.

Aston Villa have been linked with Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie recently and the Ivorian could be Unai Emery’s own version of Yaya Toure.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Villa would be willing to offer €14m (£12m) for the 25-year-old in January, a price tag significantly lower than his £52m value courtesy of CIES.

Indeed, the Catalan club might be prepared to accept such a low amount as they are in need of a financial injection after their excessive summer spending failed to result in a spot in the Champions League knockout stages.

Kessie only arrived from AC Milan on a free transfer in the summer but has struggled for regular game time in Xavi’s side so far this campaign, with just two starts in La Liga to his name thus far.

It is something of a surprise that the Ivory Coast international has struggled to win over his new manager, considering his superb form which helped AC Milan to the title last season.

He would make 31 appearances in Serie A, scoring an impressive six goals from his central berth and averaging a strong 6.94 rating from WhoScored, which suggests that he could be an excellent addition at Villa Park if he can rediscover that form under Emery.

His form at the San Siro earned him a lot of praise from Antonio Cassano, with the former Italy striker singing his praises on Bobo TV.

He said: “I want Kessie in my team, he scores goals, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he’s intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, he was devastating against Roma.

“It reminds me of the Yaya Touré of better times. He’s a different player, but in terms of impact. He is holding up the Milan midfield by himself .”

This is certainly a promising comparison, given Toure’s hugely impressive form in the Premier League during his time with Manchester City, who he also joined from Barcelona.

The powerful midfielder would notch an incredible 79 goals and 49 assists in his time at the Etihad, including 20 goals and nine assists in an incredible 2013/14 campaign.

Therefore, the prospect of having a similar player to Toure at Villa Park will surely be an exciting one for fans, and Emery will no doubt be hoping that he can entice the Barcelona man to leave Camp Nou.

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard ahead of the January transfer window but it could be a repeat of their Philippe Coutinho disaster.

According to reports in Spain, the Villans have identified the former Chelsea star as a potential marquee signing in the January window, as Unai Emery looks to build on a promising start to life at Villa Park.

The Spaniard has won both of his league games in charge at his new club to distance the Midlands side from the relegation places but, after so much investment in the summer, a top-half finish should be the minimum aim.

While signing someone of Hazard’s talent would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, the 31-year-old has clearly declined since swapping Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu, and it would surely prove to be another expensive risk by the Villa board.

The Belgium international earns a staggering £525k-per-week with Real Madrid, so while any potential transfer fee for the ageing winger might be cheap, his wages are certain to take a chunk out of Villa’s budget.

During his time with Los Blancos, Hazard has made just 72 appearances in three and a half campaigns, managing seven goals and 11 assists in that time, which included no goals in 18 La Liga appearances last season.

Carlo Ancelotti has utilised the tricky winger just three times in La Liga in the current term, which suggests that he is surplus to requirements and could be on the move in the January window.

Spanish media have certainly not been impressed with Hazard since his eye-watering £150m switch in 2019, with reports labelling him “overweight” after he was spotted laughing with his former teammates after a Champions League defeat against Chelsea in 2021.

There are certainly shades of Villa’s signing of Coutinho with the Hazard rumours, as, like the Belgian, he moved to a Spanish giant for a huge fee before ultimately failing to live up to the high expectations.

While he looked promising at first for his new club, he has failed to register a single goal or assist in any of his appearances this season, with it now likely that he will spend the remainder of his Villa career rotting on the bench.

Therefore, signing Hazard would be a very high-risk transfer given his age and lack of recent game time, so the Villans must avoid the Belgian at all costs.

Sunderland have been linked with Grimsby Town defender Anthony Glennon in recent months and the young defender could be the next Luke O’Nien in Tony Mowbray’s side.

It was reported in November by Football Insider that Sunderland, along with Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, were all keen on signing the former Burnley man in the January transfer window.

The Black Cats have been making ‘regular checks’ on the ex-Liverpool academy graduate ahead of the mid-season transfer window and could look to make an early swoop for his signature as he continues to impress for the Mariners in League Two.

Glennon is ranked as the second-best performer for Grimsby in the fourth tier so far this campaign after averaging a strong 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

For context, only Ross Stewart and Jack Clarke have averaged higher from Sunderland’s squad this season, which emphasises just how impressive Glennon has been.

The 23-year-old mainly operates as a left-back in Paul Hurst’s side but has shown his attacking qualities on a regular basis this term, as no player in Grimsby’s squad has averaged more crosses or key passes per game.

Burnley under-23 boss Steve Stone was full of praise for Glennon in 2019 as he impressed in a number of positions for the Clarets’ youth team. He said:

“He is exceptional wherever he plays. He is exceptional in terms of how he drives and leads this team because he is captain of this team now.

“He drives it from centre half, he is not a big centre half and he has been unbelievable alongside Bobby Thomas and I keep saying to people how brilliant he has been.

“It is the same name that comes out and I think everyone else says the same thing.

“Then to push him to left back and be as good as he was again after not playing there for months is a testament to what he is about.”

Versatility is a hugely valuable asset for a player to have in modern football, as O’Nien has shown during his time at the Stadium of Light, as he has featured as a defensive midfielder, centre-back and right-back on a regular basis.

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Therefore, if Glennon does complete a move to the Black Cats in January, there seems no reason why the versatile defender can’t emulate the 28-year-old at Sunderland and become another Mackems’ fan favourite.

Manchester United have been one of the most heavily represented clubs at the ongoing World Cup, with the Red Devils having seen 16 players called up by their respective countries for the tournament.

One man who has notably made an impact for his nation in Qatar is summer signing, Lisandro Martinez, with the aggressive centre-back having played his part in helping to steer Argentina into the quarter-finals.

Despite only starting one game in the tournament thus far – having been unable to dislodge the first-choice pairing of Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi – the former Ajax man caught the eye during the recent, hard-fought triumph over Australia in the round of 16.

Having been thrust into the fray just after the interval, the 24-year-old’s most notable contribution against the Socceroos came late on as he brilliantly denied what would have been a stunning solo goal for Aziz Behich with a crucial, sliding block.

Such a timely impact has typified the form that the diminutive defender has shown since his arrival at Old Trafford back in August, having even been dubbed the Red Devils’ “player of the season” so far by journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

While Martinez’s displays on the international stage may have been no surprise as far as Erik ten Hag is concerned, the Dutchman may well have been intrigued by the performances of another United asset in the form of Facundo Pellistri.

Bizarrely, the 20-year-old starlet has emerged as a key figure for his native Uruguay in recent times – with ten caps to his name to date – despite having never featured for the Premier League side in a competitive game since joining from Penarol back in the summer of 2020.

Following that deadline day capture – for a reported fee of around £9m – the winger has since been on the periphery at the Theatre of Dreams, albeit while also spending 18 months on loan at La Liga side Alaves.

While the youngster hardly pulled up any trees in Spain having failed to register a single goal or assist in 35 games, he has showcased his quality with his displays on the world stage, with the hope being that Ten Hag has sat up and taken notice.

The pacy forward featured in all three of his nation’s group games in the competition, having looked particularly “lively” off the bench in the defeat to Portugal, in the words of commentator Ally McCoist.

The £20k-per-week gem also played his part in what proved to be an ultimately futile win over Ghana in the final group encounter, notably seeing his whipped cross fall to the feet of Luis Suarez in the build-up to Giorgian De Arrascaeta’s opener.

That performance was notably lauded by the Daily Mail’s Max Matthews, who stated that ‘Manchester United could have a player on their hands’ with Pellistri having been a ‘threatening outlet’ down the right flank.

That role has been something of a problem area back at Old Trafford with arguably only Brazilian ace Antony a comfortable fit on that side of the attack, with the Uruguayan menace seemingly deserving of a chance to prove his worth at first-team level.

On the evidence of his displays over the past few weeks, United could well live to regret it if they allow Pellistri to move on, rather than giving him the opportunity to stake his claim for a more prominent role in the side.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘nothing significant’ between Arsenal and a reported move for Dusan Vlahovic ‘just yet’.

The Lowdown: Return for Vlahovic?

The Gunners did try to sign Vlahovic in the January transfer window, but he moved to Juventus instead, and a recent report has claimed that they are still interested in a move.

This comes after Gabriel Jesus has reportedly been ruled out for up to three months after picking up an injury while with Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, meaning that the Emirates Stadium outfit could now dip into the market for another striker in the January transfer window.

The Latest: ‘Nothing significant’

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘nothing significant’ in the North London club’s links to Vlahovic ‘just yet’, and it ‘remains to be seen’ whether they will try to sign him again, having failed in January:

“It remains to be seen whether Arsenal try again having pushed hard in January to try and sign him from Fiorentina. Gabriel Jesus’ injury will naturally prompt links with strikers (and some concrete enquiries, too). But told nothing significant between Vlahovic and #AFC just yet.”

The Verdict: Short-term fix

If Arsenal do sign Vlahovic, then it would only be a short-term fix until Jesus is back from injury.

Lauded as having ‘unbelievable’ quality and being a ‘bit like Haaland’ by journalist Dean Jones, the Serbia international boasts 16 goals and four assists in 36 matches for Juve (Transfermarkt), and at just 22 years of age, is one of the most promising strikers in Europe.

There is no doubt that he would add another dimension to the Gunners’ attack, as they push for the Premier League title in the second part of the season after finding themselves five points clear at the top.

However, once Jesus returns from injury, Mikel Arteta would have a real dilemma on his hands in terms of who to play, and he may find it difficult to keep both players happy, which could have long-term implications.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘looking again’ at signing PSV winger Cody Gakpo in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: World Cup star

Gakpo was a star for the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals in his opening three games, before his country were knocked out by Argentina at the quarter-final stage.

Lauded as ‘something special‘ by renowned football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano for his heroics, the winger is a player that is likely to attract plenty of interest come January, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United already thinking about moves.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘looking again’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the St. James’ Park outfit will be ‘looking again’ at Gakpo in January, after previously eyeing up a move in the summer:

“#NUFC looked at Cody Gakpo in the summer – and they’ll be looking again next month. Any move for the Dutch international won’t be cheap though….”

Expanding in his article for The Northern Echo, Wilson adds that the North East club have been told that they will have to pay more than £40m for his signature, although PSV would like to keep him until the summer at least.

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The Verdict: Get it done

After recently being linked with the likes of Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic and Leeds United’s Jack Harrison, it is clear that the Tynesiders would like to bring in another winger into the squad.

Aside from his World Cup exploits, Gakpo’s blistering form for PSV speaks for itself, with no fewer than 13 goals and 17 assists in just 24 games in total over all competitions before the break (Transfermarkt).

At just 23 years of age, he has so much potential, and Eddie Howe’s side could really benefit if he comes to the Magpies in January.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Josip Juranovic to London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ignazio Genuardi, who revealed in a recent post on Twitter (via Sport Witness) that David Moyes is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Celtic right-back ahead of launching a potential bid in the winter market.

The journalist went on to state that an unnamed French club have also made an enquiry regarding the availability of the 27-year-old, to whom the Scottish champions are believed to have informed that the Croatia international will cost €20m (£17.5m).

In his tweet, Genuardi said: “A French club inquired about the availability of the Croatian right side Juranovic, but Celtic seem particularly greedy (around €20m). Outside L1, West Ham is notably in the ranks.”

“Unbelievable”

Considering just how impressive Juranovic has been for both club and country so far this season, the argument that the right-back would be an unbelievable signing for Moyes to bring to West Ham this winter is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his eight Scottish Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £5.7m-rated talent has been in fantastic attacking form, having already scored one goal, registered one assist and created one big chance, as well as taking an average of one shot, making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.8 crosses per game.

The defender has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, one clearance and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per match.

These returns have seen the 27-year-old average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Ange Postecoglou’s third-best performer in the league but also as the seventh-best player in the top flight of Scottish football as a whole.

However, it will have undoubtedly been over Juranovic’s six appearances at the World Cup in which the right-back caught the most eyes, with the £42k-per-week flanker helping his country keep two clean sheets and registering one assist, in addition to making an average of 2.0 tackles, 1.2 key passes, 2.0 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 68% – per game.

These metrics saw the 27-cap international average a rather remarkable Sofascore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Zlatko Dalic’s sixth-best performer in the competition – playing a key role in Croatia’s extremely impressive third-place finish in Qatar.

Rather unsurprisingly, Juranovic’s displays – particularly his performance in the quarter-final win over pre-tournament favourites Brazil – earned the 27-year-old a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from William Gallas, who stated:

“What he did against Brazil was just unbelievable. He had to play against Vinicuis Jr, Neymar drifted over to his side, the guy defended very well and, at the same time, he was attacking.

“Can you imagine putting in a performance like that against that level of opponent? Normally when you know that you have to keep players like Neymar and Vinicius quiet, what do you do?

“You think, tonight I’m going to have a nightmare and I will just have to defend, I won’t attack. When he had the opportunity, he was attacking. What he did in that game was unbelievable.”

As such, with Juranovic having more than proven in Qatar that he is capable of turning in extremely impressive performances against some of the best attackers in the world, it would indeed appear a very wise move for Moyes to launch a bid for the Croat this winter, as, for a fee of just £17.5m, the 27-year-old would look to be something of an unbelievable steal for the Hammers.

Everton were expected to return from the World Cup break refreshed after what had been a taxing first half of the season, however, today’s display suggested anything but.

Frank Lampard’s men fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat despite taking the lead early on, with a gut-wrenching winner courtesy of Rayan Air Nouri at the death.

It was a true smash and grab from the Old Gold, who only had 42% of the ball all game. The Toffees boasted more shots, shots on target and expected goals, yet could not kill the game off.

With Yerry Mina nodding in the opener after seven minutes, Goodison Park returned to its fiery best as it roared their side’s press into action.

However, with a well-worked set piece of their own, Daniel Podence silenced them with a neat finish from close range.

Then, frustrated by the lack of options in midfield and out wide, Goodison Park returned to its toxic worst.

There were many points of contention across the ground, with fans questioning who had let Lampard down the most. Whilst the toothless nature of Vitaliy Mykolenko may have frustrated fans, outlined in his two failed crosses and 6.3 rating, it was surely Anthony Gordon who will have drawn the most anger.

The 21-year-old continued his barren run and was deservedly marked down by Sofascore, as he earned the worst rating of anyone on the pitch (6.1).

Although he did make an impressive seven tackles higher up the pitch, in an attempt to aid the press, he often left his full-back out to dry with a lack of positional intelligence.

Competing in 19 duels, he would win only six, meaning he lost 69% of them all game.

Then, expected to spearhead their attack, he would let the fans and team down twofold.

Attempting five dribbles, he would be successful in none of them. This was mirrored in his one failed cross too.

However, with the scores at 1-1, it was his one big chance missed that truly capped off his terrible display, as his left-footed strike from close range went straight into the outstretched Jose Sa.

It is a wonder where the “fearless” youngster that Alan Shearer lauded has gone, with the winger a shell of the electric creator that initially broke into the first team.

With the pressure having cranked up on Lampard before the break, this loss will surely spark the rumour mill once more.

He may only have a string of games now to save his game if this Gordon disasterclass was not enough to see him sacked already.