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West Ham United have now reignited their interest in Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s Phillips interest

It was reported at the back end of the last January transfer window that West Ham made a £50m bid for Phillips while he was still with Leeds United, with manager David Moyes said to be keen.

However, the offer was turned down, and the Englishman went on to join Man City in the summer for a reported £45m on a six-year contract, but he has found it difficult to break into the team, appearing just once in the Premier League so far this season.

As such, the Hammers are now sensing a new opportunity to sign the 27-year-old…

The Latest: West Ham reignite interest

According to a report from Football Insider, West Ham have reignited their interest in the midfielder, being alerted that he could be a possible signing due to Pep Guardiola recently going public to criticise him for being overweight.

The report states that he could now be available for less than the £45m Man City paid for him in the summer, with Moyes viewing him as a capable replacement for Declan Rice.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

The former Leeds man has experience playing alongside Rice with England, featuring next to him during Euro 2021, a tournament in which he started every game, proving himself as a solid player at the highest level.

Hailed as a ‘Rolls Royce’ by journalist Paul Brown, the central-midfielder excels in his defensive duties, making an average of 3.82 tackles per 90 over the past year, an amount that places him in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers, while 1.91 blocks puts him in the 96th.

These figures are both higher than what Rice has mustered up in the same timeframe, highlighting that Phillips would be a more than good enough replacement, should he choose to leave, regardless of his limited game time for Man City so far this season.

Tottenham Hotspur may have already signed their wing-back of the future – even if he hasn’t played a single game for the club.

In the summer, sporting director Fabio Paratici sealed a £15m move for Udinese dynamo Destiny Udogie but loaned him back to the Serie A outfit for the season.

The Italy U21 international has continued the form that initially caught the Lilywhites’ eye, so he is surely in line to make his bow for the north Londoners upon his return in the summer.

Standing at a towering 6 foot 2 in stature, Udogie is an absolute animal, combining his brute strength with ‘devastating’ and ‘untouchable’ speed – in the words of Tuttomercatoweb.

That glowing review came from his recent league outing, where the Bianconeri drew 1-1 with Empoli but the 20-year-old was the standout star.

Udogie provided the assist for Roberto Pereyra’s all-important 70th-minute equaliser but on another day, he could’ve had a hat-trick of assists because he registered a whopping six key passes.

Also via FBref, the young talent provided eight progressive passes and was amongst the most influential players on the pitch with his 63 total touches, which highlights his attacking intent and thus would make him an ideal fit for Antonio Conte and his system at Hotspur Way.

That sort of threat in the final third could lend some comparison to Ivan Perisic, who was converted to a wing-back under the Italian tactician at Inter Milan. For his national side Croatia, he remains an attacking winger.

The summer signing, therefore, could be an ideal heir to the veteran’s throne as at 33, he’s not going to be around forever and what makes Udogie even more perfect for the role is the fact that he can defend too, having recorded four tackles at a success rate of 75% in the aforementioned encounter.

In fact, FBref also compare the Udinese loanee to Perisic in terms of statistical profile, whilst other names such Theo Hernandez and Achraf Hakimi are also mentioned, so he’s in glowing company.

Only one other player in the Little Zebras’ squad manages more tackles per game than Udogie, whilst he’s the third most creative member of the squad, via WhoScored, too.

As such, Conte could easily stumble on his left wing-back of the future when the £4.7k-per-week gem – who ex-Sky Sports man Adam Smithy dubbed a “serious talent” who is “tailor-made” for the 53-year-old – makes his permanent switch to north London in the summer.

AND in other news, Levy could match Conte’s lofty ambition with dream Spurs swoop for £44m “phenomenon”…

The January transfer window is now open for business and Liverpool have already made one move in the market to improve their squad.

Jurgen Klopp brought in Netherlands international Cody Gakpo from Dutch side PSV at the start of the month and the German coach may be on the lookout for further reinforcements before February.

One area in which the former Borussia Dortmund manager may want to strengthen is the midfield department as the Reds have been caught out in that position at times this season.

19-year-old midfielder Harvey Elliott has been given an increased role in the team this term and has started 12 of the club’s Premier League matches to date, whilst he featured in all 17 of their games in the division.

The youngster has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 in the Premier League, which places him 16th in the squad, and Liverpool could ditch him from the starting XI by bringing in a new recruit.

A player who could come in to take Elliott’s place in the side is Brighton dynamo Moises Caicedo, who is reported to be of interest to the Reds.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the club are keen on the midfielder. He said:

“They very much admire the player and have done historically. When he was at Independiente del Valle before he joined Brighton, they did explore signing Moisés Caicedo.

“It’s what’s been termed to me as a messy deal because even though Brighton could be persuaded to sell for a high price this January, the representation side of things is problematic. There’s more than one agent and he also changed his agent towards the back end of the summer.”

Caicedo, who is valued at £70m, was once hailed as a “terrific athlete” by South American expert Tim Vickery and a “revelation” in the Premier League by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 in the division for Brighton this season and made a whopping 4.3 tackles and interceptions, whilst also creating 1.1 chances, per game for the Seagulls.

Elliott, meanwhile, has averaged 1.0 tackles and interceptions and 0.9 key passes in the league for Liverpool and this suggests that Caicedo, who is two years older than the Reds gem, would be a huge upgrade on him in the middle of the park.

The Brighton talent offers more at both ends of the pitch and that is reflected in their respective average ratings in the top-flight this season, which is why Klopp could ditch the teenager by signing the Ecuador international.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in raiding Unai Emery’s former club Villarreal during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Spanish head coach is eyeing up a number of his former players with a view to bringing them to Villa Park this month.

The report claims that Villarreal central defender Pau Torres is one of the gems on his radar, alongside the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Arnaut Danjuma, and Samuel Chukwueze.

Football Insider previously claimed that the Spain international is valued at £40m by the La Liga side, whilst it was reported last summer that he has a £55m release clause, but it remains to be seen whether or not Villa are willing to meet their demands.

Ezri Konsa upgrade

Emery could land a big upgrade on current centre-back Ezri Konsa by securing a deal to sign Torres from Villarreal before the end of the window.

The Spaniard has been in fine form in La Liga this season as he has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.06 across 15 appearances in the division.

Torres has completed 87% of his attempted passes and made 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst also winning 63% of his ground duels – as per Sofascore.

Konsa, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.79 and completed 85% of his passes in the Premier League, although he has won an impressive 85% of his ground battles.

These statistics suggest that both players are strong in their physical duels on the deck but the Villarreal man is capable of delivering higher-quality performances on a regular basis.

Torres would also be a big upgrade on the Villa man in terms of the quality he offers in possession. He ranks in the best 17% and top 6% respectively for progressive passes and completed dribbles per 90 amongst his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days.

Konsa, meanwhile, ranks in the worst 95% and worst 67% respectively, indicating that he is well below average when it comes to progressing the ball out from the back. Whereas, the Villarreal dynamo, who was once dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javi Calleja, is well above average in that regard.

This means that Torres, whilst also putting in better defensive performances week-in-week-out, has the potential to be a major upgrade on the ex-Brentford gem in terms of the build-up play he can provide for Emery, which could improve the speed at which Villa get from back to front.

For all the euphoria surrounding Manchester United’s recent derby day triumph, one sour note was that of Anthony Martial, with the Frenchman having been withdrawn at half-time after sustaining yet another injury blow.

The 27-year-old has already had a heavily-disrupted campaign after enduring numerous stints on the treatment table, with there perhaps a growing frustration that the former Monaco man simply cannot stay fit, nor is he seemingly willing to play through the pain barrier, as his teammate Marcus Rashford did on Saturday.

Even without that latest injury setback, however, the £250k-per-week man has still been somewhat uninspiring since the return to action following the World Cup break, with his only goal in that time coming in the win over Nottingham Forest.

Although the 30-cap marksman does boast a respectable haul of five goals in 13 games in all competitions this season, Erik ten Hag’s side are likely to need more from their centre-forward if they are to kick on and truly get back to the top in the coming years.

In truth, Martial has rarely proven a consistent goalscoring presence since his arrival in England back in 2015, having only reached double figures for league goals on three occasions, while scoring just five top-flight goals in the previous two seasons, prior to the start of this term.

After over seven years at Old Trafford, it does appear that the 5 foot 11 hotshot has had more than enough chances to impress at the club, with it no doubt time that the Red Devils hang their hat on someone else to deliver the goods through the middle.

According to ESPN, Ten Hag and co are set to look to the summer transfer window in order to find a new, long-term centre-forward recruit, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen one of those to have been named as a potential target.

That has been followed by more recent reports in Italy that have claimed United are ‘already lining up’ a move for the Nigerian international at the end of the season, with the 24-year-old set to command an eye-watering fee of around €150m (£133m).

That would prove a sizeable outlay as far as those at the Theatre of Dreams are concerned, although Osimhen could well represent the missing piece of the jigsaw for Ten Hag, having emerged as a real “goal machine” in recent years, as per journalist Mimi Fawaz.

The £93k-per-week sensation has been a vital part of Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying outfit in Serie A this term, having scored 12 goals in just 14 league appearances to date, including a recent brace in the thumping 5-1 win over title rivals Juventus.

That has ensured that the forward’s overall tally for the Naples outfit now stands at 41 goals in just 79 games, after previously also netting 18 times in only 38 games at Ligue 1 side Lille, as well as 20 goals in 36 games for Pro League outfit Charleroi.

A player who has seemingly hit the ground running in Italy, France and Belgium, the Lagos-born star has an overall club career record of 79 goals in only 169 games, with that a far better hit rate than that of Martial, who has taken 368 games to reach just 100 goals in his career so far.

It is perhaps unsurprising that the latter man has never proven prolific during his time in the Premier League as he appears to rarely put himself in an ideal position to score, as he ranks in just the bottom 34% in Europe among those in his position for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Osimhen, by contrast, is a true out-and-out centre-forward and a far more proficient poacher, with that evidenced by not only his impressive goal return, but also the fact that he ranks in the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area, when compared to his positional peers.

With Martial currently failing to fire for Ten Hag, the Dutchman could finally ditch the long-serving asset in order to get the Napoli machine through the door this summer.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Newcastle United are ‘ready to fast track’ a ‘really intriguing’ move for Everton forward Anthony Gordon.

The Lowdown: Interest revived

It was recently reported that the North East club are ‘ready to revive’ their interest in Gordon, and are ‘considering a fresh move’ for him before the transfer window closes.

They were reportedly interested in signing him in the summer, and even had a bid rejected for the Englishman, but now they could return for his signature, with the Toffees struggling in the relegation zone.

The Latest: ‘Ready to fast track’ move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that the St. James’ Park outfit are ‘ready to fast track’ their move for Gordon, in what would be a ‘really intriguing’ deal:

“Newcastle are ready to fast track their move for Anthony Gordon this month.

“They don’t know that Everton will sell now but they do know that the club aren’t in a good state financially, so feel it might be worth a try. It will be really intriguing to see if they can pull it off.”

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The Verdict: Help needed

Even though the Tynesiders have done well to keep six clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, they have only managed to score one goal in their last four league games.

After letting Chris Wood go to Nottingham Forest on loan, they could do with some more forward options, and Gordon could help that.

Incidentally, he has recorded the highest top speed of all players in the top flight so far this term, while Toon legend Alan Shearer has lauded his ‘fearless attitude‘ when he drives with the ball.

Gordon does need to work on his end product, with just three goals and no assists in 16 Premier League matches so far this campaign, but the 21-year-old clearly has a lot of potential, and under a different coach in Eddie Howe, he could go to the next level, like Miguel Almiron’s impressive turn in form.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has said that VAR was right to disallow Joelinton’s goal for a handball in Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup clash in midweek.

The Lowdown: Joelinton redeems himself

The Brazilian put the ball in the back of the net against Premier League rivals Southampton, but the goal was disallowed as the referee awarded a handball, with VAR upholding Stuart Attwell’s decision.

Joelinton would then miss an absolute sitter, missing from point-blank range. The 26-year-old would redeem himself, however, when he got on the end of a ball put into the box by Alexander Isak in the second half.

Eddie Howe’s men now have a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg of the semi-final, but there are still another 90 minutes between them and Wembley.

The Latest: VAR got it right

Hope had his say on the decision on his YouTube channel, stating his belief it was the right call to disallow the goal as VAR couldn’t make a conclusive call. However, the journalist did admit that he thought that it probably wasn’t a handball from what he could see.

He stated: “We [the journalists in the press box] couldn’t really decide between us and we had replays all over the place; we couldn’t decide whether Joelinton had handled the ball.

“So to that end, VAR is right to stick with the referee’s decision.

“If you can’t find evidence of Stuart Attwell getting the decision wrong, you’ve probably got to stick with his original decision.

“Do I think it was a handball? I probably don’t, no – looking at the various replays. But because it’s inconclusive, the goal has got to be disallowed.”

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The Verdict: It should’ve stood

We believe that Joelinton didn’t handle the ball and the goal should’ve been given as it doesn’t strike his hand.

From looking at the footage many times from multiple angles, it looks like the ball strikes the midfielder on the stomach and nowhere near his arm or hand.

There won’t be much resentment, however, as Newcastle ended up winning the game.

The decision was called out by many people across social media who firmly believed that VAR got it wrong – even Specsavers chipped in with a tweet making light of the situation.

When it comes to VAR, it’s not the technology that’s the problem, it’s the people who are using it. It doesn’t matter how good it can be as a tool, as if the officials that use it are totally incompetent, it will never be used effectively.

Transfer reporter Michael Bridge has claimed that West Ham United will want to replace Craig Dawson before the January transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Dawson joins Wolves

Wolves signed the defender earlier this month from David Moyes’ side on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 32-year-old Premier League for the Hammers in three seasons with the east London outfit.

Dawson’s last appearance in a West Ham shirt came in their 2-2 draw away at Leeds United, but his departure leaves a space at the back for the Irons.

The Latest: Hammers to replace Dawson

Bridge claimed that West Ham will look to bring in a new centre-back this month to replace Dawson following his exit earlier in the window when speaking to GiveMeSport.

He stated: “I think West Ham were slightly reluctant to sell Dawson due to his history and relationship with the club. Ideally, they’ll want to replace him.

“He had such a great relationship with the club, earning the nickname Ballon d’Awson, and it’s clearly a transfer that has gone so much better than West Ham fans ever imagined.

“I do wonder if West Ham will look to get a replacement in with a few days to go.”

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The Verdict: Experienced replacement needed

In our view, a potential replacement for Dawson should be someone that offers plenty of experience in the centre-back position.

The 32-year-old was someone who wasn’t a consistent starter for West Ham at the time of his departure, but he was a well-travelled and experienced pro who knew the Premier League very well.

David Moyes certainly valued having him in his squad, with the Scot describing the defender as a ‘fantastic professional’ and a player with ‘proven quality’, when speaking about him on West Ham’s club website.

Centre-back Kurt Zouma is currently out with a hamstring injury and Nayef Aguerd has not long returned from his long-term knock, so there is uncertainty about who the Irons should play as their centre-half pairing.

Meanwhile, West Ham currently find themselves in the midst of a relegation battle and only a point above the drop, so we believe adding an experienced defender familiar with the Premier League could help tighten up their backline and make that bit of difference to keep them up.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in adding to their squad before the deadline for the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Liam Twomey has revealed that the Villans are one of the clubs interested in a deal to snap up Chelsea central midfielder Conor Gallagher, who is not set to join Premier League rivals Everton, in the coming hours as Johan Lange attempts to improve the team.

He Tweeted: “Whatever happens with Enzo Fernandez, I wouldn’t expect Conor Gallagher to end up at Everton. He’s expected to have better PL options – Newcastle, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Aston Villa among them.”

This comes after it was reported that the Toffees had submitted an offer to Graham Potter’s side in an attempt to add the England international to Sean Dyche’s squad.

Forget about Matteo Guendouzi

Earlier this month, it was reported that Villa are keen on a deal to sign Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi for a fee in the region of £30m to bolster Unai Emery’s options in the middle of the park.

Lange and Emery must now forget about the French international as Gallagher could be a better option for the club in the midfield position before the deadline.

In two seasons in the Premier League for Arsenal, Guendouzi did not average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.84 and only contributed with one goal and one assist. Although, the gem did produce four goals and six assists in 38 Ligue 1 outings for Marseille, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.00, last term.

Whereas, Gallagher has proven himself in the English top-flight after enjoying a stellar campaign on loan at Crystal Palace in the 2021/22 season.

The £50k-per-week England international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 34 appearances in the division whilst contributing with an eye-catching eight goals and three assists from midfield.

Ex-Sheffield United midfielder Mark Duffy once hailed the gem a “pressing machine” and his 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match for Palace show that the midfielder is willing to put his foot in on a regular basis, which indicates that he is not a defensive liability. 

Therefore, the Englishman offers quality at both ends of the pitch and has proven that he can deliver consistently impressive performances in the Premier League, which is why the dynamo would be a better option than Guendouzi – who did not prove himself during his time at The Emirates.

Crystal Palace managed to sign young forward Franco Umeh from Cork City, according to Matt Woosnam.

The Lowdown: Reid in…

There was a lot of talk in the final days of the window regarding Palace and young St Mirren midfielder Dylan Reid. Reports suggested that the club agreed to sign the 17-year-old and were putting the finishing touches to a transfer.

An announcement was never made by Palace on Reid making the move to London, however, Woosnam confirmed that a deal was completed on Twitter.

The Latest: Umeh as well…

Then, replying to a supporter on Twitter about Reid joining, Palace’s correspondent for The Athletic added that Umeh also made the move from Cork City.

There was speculation on deadline day that Palace activated the 18-year-old’s €75,000 release clause and included several lucrative add-ons.

The Verdict: Future stars?

Umeh, a versatile attacker, and Reid, a midfielder labelled a sensation, could well be stars in the making, and you’d expect they’ll go straight into the club’s academy plans.

Reid was also wanted by Celtic whereas Umeh has impressed for Ireland at U19 level, so they could prove to be two shrewd under-the-radar moves.

Hopefully, both teenagers will continue to develop in London and eventually progress into first-team players at Selhurst Park, following in the footsteps of the likes of Tyrick Mitchell and Wilfried Zaha.