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Wolverhampton Wanderers reported hopes of signing Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur this month have been handed a significant boost, as Antonio Conte’s side are now willing to send him out on loan.

What’s the word?

It was reported earlier this month by the Daily Mirror [08/01, page 77] that the Old Gold were keen on bringing the former Nottingham Forest loanee to Molineux, while CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs also claimed that Julen Lopetegui was a fan when speaking on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel.

Now, an update has emerged on the 22-year-old’s situation at Spurs, with his game time likely to be limited even further by the incoming signing of Pedro Porro from Sporting CP.

football.london journalist Alasdair Gold tweeted:

“Understand Spurs have now given the green light for Djed Spence to head out on loan for the remainder of the season.”

Hobbs must act

Lopetegui is clearly in the market for a new right-back, as senior options Nelson Semedo and Jonny have both struggled in their appearances so far this season, earning 6.54 and 6.43 ratings from WhoScored respectively.

Spence may not have started a game under Conte his £20m switch from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 but his form in the Championship last season suggests that he could be a superb addition to Lopetegui’s squad.

The Englishman would make 42 appearances for Forest as they earned promotion to the top flight via the playoffs, contributing two goals and four assists, with WhoScored awarding him a superb 7.05 rating for his performances.

He also starred in Forest’s impressive FA Cup win over Arsenal at the City Ground, with Gunners legend Ian Wright full of praise for his display after the game.

He said:

“But let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time.

“If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking Reece James and Trent (Alexander-Arnold).

“But I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”

Wolves’ main issue this season has been finding the back of the net, with the Old Gold currently rock bottom of the goalscoring charts despite an upturn in form since Lopetegui’s arrival.

The current full-back options at Molineux boast just two assists between them in the top flight, which suggests that the wide defenders need to offer a lot more in attack, and Spence’s displays in the second tier suggest that he could offer a lot more going forward.

Therefore, after this update on the young defender emerged, sporting director Matt Hobbs should do everything he can to ensure that Wolves win the race to sign Spence on loan this month.

Burnley are interested in signing Chelsea youngster Xavier Simons during the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer update.

The Lowdown: Simons an exciting young talent

The 19-year-old is a highly-rated young prospect at Stamford Bridge currently, making 30 appearances for the Under-21s, as well as one for the first team, mostly as a defensive midfielder.

Simons was loaned out to Hull City back in September but he has only managed two Championship appearances totalling nine minutes this season, although Liam Rosenior described him as ‘outstanding’ in the recent FA Cup defeat to Fulham.

It could be that a permanent move away from Chelsea eventually comes to fruition, which is where Burnley come into play.

The Latest: Burnley keen on signing

According to The Evening Standard [via Football League World], the Clarets are interested in signing Simons this summer, with Chelsea yet to make a decision over his long-term future and his contract set to expire once this campaign ends (club option – one year).

Hull are also keen on keeping hold of him on a permanent basis, while Millwall and Bristol City are mentioned as potential suitors too.

The Verdict: One for the future

Simons has yet to properly prove himself at senior level but he is someone who would be viewed as an exciting long-term signing by Burnley, as Vincent Kompany builds for the future.

Petr Cech praised his debut for Chelsea, saying it was a ‘special moment’, and he is someone who possesses all-round quality in midfield, as highlighted by three goals and six assists at youth team level.

Patience would be required with Simons if he did join Burnley, as he continues to mature as a player, but it is refreshing to see Kompany looking at emerging talent as well as experienced signings for the present.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has slammed Newcastle United ace Anthony Gordon for the way he forced his move to the club.

The Lowdown: Gordon caused a scene

It’s safe to say that Gordon didn’t leave Everton in the best of ways, having not turned up to training for several days in a row as he sought to push through his move to high-flying Newcastle.

While that did indeed work for the young winger, who got ‘goosebumps’ when taking in his first game as a Newcastle player in midweek, it certainly hasn’t gone down well within the media – particularly pundits on TalkSport.

Martin Keown and Agbonlahor have now both dug out Gordon live on air about the way he acted during his final few days as an Everton player, although considering he ended up getting his big-money move, it’s unlikely he will care much about what people think.

The Latest: Agbonlahor unimpressed with Gordon’s actions

Agbonlahor didn’t hold back in his criticism of Gordon live on TalkSport, claiming he wouldn’t have done that to his boyhood club when he was a young player at Aston Villa.

He said: “I didn’t like it one bit. I feel that he’s been at Everton since he was 11, similar to me being at Aston Villa when I was 11.

“When I was 21, it wouldn’t be in my dreams to force through a move.

“I understand players want to move and better themselves, and win trophies, and go to clubs that are doing better – leave that to your agent to do behind the scenes.

“Turn up to training. Everton have made you what you are through the youth setup, given you your debut – you’ve become who you are because of Everton.

“When the going’s getting tough, don’t not turn up to training. I know you’ve not been playing under Lampard recently, it can be frustrating, and maybe the move is good for Everton and good for Anthony Gordon.

“But to not turn up for training for your club, to me, was unforgivable.”

The Verdict: Gordon just got to focus on Newcastle

The speedy winger now just has to crack on and get down to business with his new teammates, as he could well be in line for a start on Saturday night against West Ham following Bruno Guimaraes’ red card against Southampton.

While Gordon may wish he didn’t need to skip training at Everton to get his transfer to Tyneside, if he believes that was the only way to get it done, people now have to accept his decisions and actions.

It’s safe to say that Gordon won’t likely receive a warm reception when he returns to Goodison Park with Newcastle, but he must park all of that and any other external noise to the side and focus on improving his game, as he’ll know there are no guarantees that he will be a starter anytime soon for the Magpies given the form they’ve been in this season.

One potential priority for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag this summer will seemingly be to find a quality, long-term fit to bolster his midfield ranks, with the Dutchman said to be targeting another ‘leading’ option in that central role.

The recent suggestion is that the 53-year-old could well have found his ideal candidate, with reports in Spain claiming that the Red Devils are willing to fork out around €80m (£72m) in order to sign Real Madrid sensation Federico Valverde.

Although it may prove hard to dislodge the Uruguay international from the Bernabeu any time soon – with more than four years to run on his existing contract – the 24-year-old has certainly proved in recent years just how much of a talent he is.

Something of a midfield “monster” – according to journalist Juan Arango – the former Penarol maestro has been in “unbelievable” form so far this season (as per Joe Cole), with eight goals and four assists in 31 games across all fronts.

The “unsung hero” of last season’s Champions League final victory over Liverpool according to Cole, the 47-cap machine has caught the eye due to his boundless energy and running power in the middle of the park, showcased by his ranking in the top 5% for progressive carries among players in his position in Europe’s big five leagues.

To be able to bolster the Old Trafford squad with the signing of such a dynamic asset – who also ranks in the top 9% in Europe for progressive passes received – would prove a real masterstroke for Ten Hag, with the hope being that Valverde can replicate the impact of former Real Madrid team-mate Casemiro in Manchester.

The experienced Brazilian has swiftly assumed cult hero status as a result of his displays so far this season, with United having moved to bring the 30-year-old to the Theatre of Dreams on a £70m deal in August following the Brentford horror show.

The five-time European champion has showcased a remarkable hunger to take United back to the top of the game, despite having already enjoyed a glittering career in Spain, having revealed that he feels “like a 15-year-old”, such is his enjoyment of playing in the red jersey.

Aside from the recent blip against Crystal Palace, as the ex-Porto ace was sent off following a tussle with Will Hughes, it has largely been plain sailing so far, with the midfield colossus having been the “cement” in Ten Hag’s side according to his manager.

That impact is evidenced by the 6 foot 1 powerhouse ranking fourth in the Premier League for tackles made (56), having also left many “surprised” – such as club legend Paul Scholes – due to his previously underappreciated quality on the ball, scoring four goals and supplying five assists to date.

It would appear that Casemiro has helped to revive the winning mentality in Manchester after previously flourishing in the Spanish capital, with it seemingly wise for Ten Hag to repeat that transfer masterclass by poaching Valverde from Los Blancos this summer.

Everton’s academy is wildly prestigious, having produced some of the country’s greatest footballers and continuing to do so even today.

It was just last month that they saw one of their graduates sell for a mouth-watering £45m, and that was before Anthony Gordon had really done anything of note within the game.

He was part of a fresh crop of youth talent, all of whom are poised to break into the first team sooner or later. Whilst some are thriving for the U23s, others are enjoying loan spells where the experience of senior football will help develop them both physically and technically. 

That is at least the goal with sending Lewis Warrington out to Fleetwood Town, as he seems the most likely to be their next big star.

Who should partner Onana at Everton?

Diminutive in stature but tireless in attitude, the 19-year-old has been mentioned alongside the first team for a couple of years now. His combative midfield displays earned praise, which he would then convert into silkiness that saw Tranmere Rovers fans fall in love with him during his temporary spell there.

His youth coach Paul Tait has been vocal in his adoration for the youngster, who boasts technical prowess to match his defensive steel. He claimed:

“He’s played number 10 for quite a bit of time at the Club and we’ve changed him to a number six this season. He’s got good body strength, he can look after the ball and he can pass and move. He was magnificent against City.”

Having progressed through the U18s and the U23s, his experiences on loan should see him return this summer with vast experience, ready to finally push for a spot in Sean Dyche’s side alongside Amadou Onana.

The Belgian is another who has captured the attention of late, with his domineering yet classy midfield displays drawing praise. As such, he records 2.6 tackles, one interception and an 85% pass accuracy per 90, via Sofascore.

To pair him with the nimble but similarly well-rounded Warrington could provide the perfect partnership to hold down the engine room in the 4-4-2 system.

How is Lewis Warrington performing on loan?

The teenage sensation has fast become a mainstay for the League One outfit, who are fighting to break into the top half of the table.

Across 20 appearances he has recorded a 6.88 average rating, which is underpinned by his two tackles and 0.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

However, what he boasts that Onana somewhat lacks, is the ability to bring the ball out from the back consistently, and beat his man. As such, he records a 79% dribble success rate, albeit facing a lower-standard of opposition.

With both seemingly complementing one another and covering each other’s deficiencies, this could be a perfect midfield pairing to thrive at Goodison Park for the foreseeable future.

Newcastle United target Daichi Kamada is likely to make a decision on his future ‘later this year’, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Magpies in pole position?

The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder will be out of contract in the Bundesliga at the end of the season and looks set to depart having not committed to extending his stay.

Several Premier League and European clubs alongside the Magpies have been credited with an interest in the 26-year-old, who is now able to negotiate a free transfer overseas.

The St. James’ Park outfit are reportedly confident that they are leading the race for the Japan international, with Eddie Howe hoping to get a deal over the line in the summer.

The Latest: Romano’s update

According to Romano (via CaughtOffside), Kamada does have a number of admirers waiting to snap him up, but he won’t rush into choosing his next destination.

“Daichi Kamada’s contract expires in June, this is why there are many clubs linked and interested.

“Nothing is advanced or decided yet, there are clubs in England, Italy and Germany keeping an eye on him. But the feeling is the decision will be made later this year.”

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The Verdict: Shelvey replacement?

Kamada has been dubbed a ‘driving force’ and ‘incredible talent’ by journalist Josh Bunting, and should the chance to sign him arise in the months ahead, Newcastle need to grab the opportunity with both hands.

The Ehime native has recorded 12 goal contributions in 18 Bundesliga appearances so far this term and offers plenty of versatility, with the ability to operate in three different positions (Transfermarkt).

The Magpies will need to enter the market to find a suitable central replacement for Jonjo Shelvey, who recently joined Nottingham Forest, and Kamada would be the perfect candidate having started in the deeper midfield role in the majority of his appearances this season.

Charles Watts believes Mikel Arteta must drop Gabriel Martinelli from the Arsenal starting lineup.

The Lowdown: A slump in form

The Gunners may well be seeing their title aspirations fade away in front of their eyes as they’ve failed to win any of their last three Premier League fixtures including a damning defeat at home to Manchester City.

Arteta will certainly be concerned by this recent run of results and how some of his players have been performing of late with Gabriel lucky to not give away a penalty on Wednesday and for the sixth league game in a row, Martinelli failed to score or assist.

Martinelli has been one of the star performers for Arsenal this season and has been ‘deadly’ alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, but he has started every league fixture this term so could well be desperate for a rest.

The Latest: Martinelli needs to be rotated

Watts was far from impressed by what he saw from Martinelli on Wednesday and has claims on his YouTube channel that Leandro Trossard should start ahead of the Brazilian this weekend.

He said: (11:40) “Martinelli as well, 4/10 I thought he really struggled and definitely needs to be brought out of the starting eleven this weekend. I think Trossard has to start this weekend to give Gabriel Martinelli a bit of a rest because he clearly needs it.”

The Verdict: Arteta could freshen things up

Even if Martinelli had put in a stunning performance against Man City during the week his place could well have been up for debate given how much football he’s played and that the Gunners are the early kick-off on Saturday so rest and recovery will be difficult.

Trossard was signed in January for moments such as this when regular first-team players were looking leggy and out of form as he’s proved this season with Brighton that he can step up and put a team on his back with big performances like the one away to Liverpool.

Arteta must be brave and drop Martinelli this weekend because another stuttering display away to Aston Villa could well bring the curtain down on their title aspirations which looked so promising just a few weeks ago.

While the January transfer window saw Newcastle United move on the likes of Karl Darlow and Jonjo Shelvey, one figure who somewhat surprisingly remained at St James’ Park beyond deadline day was diminutive winger, Ryan Fraser.

The Scotland international has largely endured an underwhelming spell on Tyneside since sealing his free transfer move from Bournemouth back in the summer of 2020, having scored just three goals and provided only six assists in 59 games across all fronts to date.

The expectation had been that the 28-year-old would be one of those to seal a move away from the club during the winter window, with Football Insider reporting back in December that the peripheral figure was one of four first-team assets who had been deemed surplus to requirements by PIF.

Football Transfers then claimed at the turn of the year that the northeast side were looking for a fee of around €8m (£7m) in order to allow the one-time Ipswich Town man to depart, while The Athletic’s Chris Waugh revealed that the 26-cap speedster was deemed the club’s “most-saleable asset” among those who manager Eddie Howe was willing to lose.

As it proved, however, despite that rampant speculation – and with the player himself having previously angled for a move over the summer – Fraser ultimately stayed put, with Newcastle now left to pay a salary for a player who appears to have “no future” at the club, in the words of pundit Tam McManus.

How much has Ryan Fraser cost Newcastle?

While the Magpies were able to avoid having to pay a transfer fee when they initially brought the 5 foot 4 dud to Tyneside, it will still sting that they have potentially wasted money on forking out for the player’s reported £42k-per-week salary in recent seasons.

In fact, by the end of the current campaign, the Aberdeen youth product will have cost the club around £5.8m with regard to wages alone, with it still not a guarantee that the wide man will move on this summer with just over two years left to run on his current deal.

In truth, as McManus stated last month, it could well prove a “grim” few months for Fraser as he finds himself firmly out of the picture under his former Cherries boss Howe, having only made eight league appearances so far this season – the last of which came way back in October.

Having been unable to even earn a place during the club’s Carabao Cup run, it is hard to see the Scotsman being able to force his way back into contention for a regular role any time soon, particularly following the £45m arrival of Anthony Gordon which has provided further competition on the flanks.

While injury has played its part in Fraser’s lack of action over the past few seasons, it has simply proven a rather costly mistake with regard to signing him in the first place.

Journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Arsenal could make a move to bolster three positions in the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Arsenal’s summer plans?

Arsenal look set to build upon what has been an impressive season, as they reached the top of the Premier League with one of the youngest squads in the league, and central midfield looks to be a priority area.

West Ham captain Declan Rice is reportedly the top target, with the England international eyed up for what could be a club-record transfer, and there have also been links with Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda.

However, they could even move for another striker, in what may be a surprising transfer given their current options.

Speaking on NBC Sports, Ornstein claimed that the club look set to spend in the summer, and this was one of the areas they could target.

“Edu as the technical director has a very clear vision of where he wants to take Arsenal, how he goes about it, and it seems to be a pretty popular figure within the club and outside,” he stated.

“Also the Kroenkes, who own Arsenal, they’ve had so much stick over the years but they appear to be moving Arsenal in the right direction, and they will also have targets for the summer: a holding midfielder, maybe strength in depth at fullback, maybe even a centre forward.”

Do Arsenal need another striker?

Gabriel Jesus was Arsenal’s statement signing of the summer and instantly impressed before picking up a long-term injury during the World Cup.

The club also handed a long-term contract to Eddie Nketiah, who has proven to be a valuable understudy to Jesus whilst the Brazilian remains absent, and the January arrival of Leandro Trossard also gives them an additional option to cover through the middle.

Arsenal also have Folarin Balogun out on loan at Reims, where he has been in sensational form as Ligue 1’s joint-top scorer, and he could potentially return to the club next season.

With all of these options available at centre-forward, it would be surprising if Arsenal choose to invest in another striker, particularly if they do manage to spend heavily on the midfield.

Leeds United manager Javi Gracia will be in ‘prime position’ to get the job long-term if he keeps his team up this season, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Gracia doing well early on

The Spaniard was appointed the Whites’ new boss last month, coming in to replace the departed Jesse Marsch, who struggled in the role as the months passed.

Gracia won his first Premier League match in charge of Leeds last weekend – a massive three points in a relegation clash with Southampton – suggesting that he is the right man for the job.

The 52-year-old is only on a rolling contract, however, and there is no guarantee that he will be at Elland Road beyond the end of this season.

The Latest: Journo backs Spaniard for job

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said Gracia will be the front-runner to be Leeds boss after the summer, as long as he steers them away from relegation:

“With Gracia, it’s a flexible contract and you can understand why because Leeds will want to assess at the end of the season. Obviously, if they stay up, then he’s in prime position to get the job.

“But, by the same token, there may be managers out there that Leeds know didn’t want to come mid-season that are prepared to join at the end of the season.

“Because Gracia was not the No.1 choice for Leeds United, there will be a sense that assessing at the end of the season and seeing who is out there in the market might kind of be wise.”

The Verdict: Feels the most likely outcome

Leeds desperately need some stability at this point, especially with ownership rumours ongoing off the pitch, so the hope is that Gracia is the man to take the club forward.

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The early signs are promising, even though not every result has been positive – the Whites were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham in midweek – and he has Premier League experience, managing over 57 times in the competition overall.

Relegation would certainly change the situation, with Gracia unlikely to want to be in the Championship, but the hope is that relegation is avoided and he is deemed the best option, having been hailed as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola in the past.