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Arsenal are in the market for additions across the park as the January transfer window looms close, with the club topping the Premier League table and seeking assurance regarding their bid for the trophy. 

What’s the word?

AFC Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus is one of global football’s biggest rising stars, with his efforts for Ghana at the World Cup attracting interest from some of the sports biggest names. 

However, a recent report from Ghanasoccernet has stated that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is set to use midfield anchor and Kudus’ compatriot Thomas Partey as a mediator in the bid to draw him towards the Emirates Stadium. 

And with the pair both flourishing at the World Cup, with Ghana earning plaudits for their offensive prowess and cohesive aura, the Gunners hierarchy will feel a deal should be swiftly struck this winter. 

Imagine him & Partey in north London

Having both played starring roles for Ghana during the World Cup so far, Kudus and Arsenal engine Thomas Partey already boast a connection that could be knitted closer still, should the former make the move to North London.

And with Arsenal previously utilising Bukayo Saka to lure Aaron Ramsdale to the club, the deal could be replicated once more, with Partey lauding the Gunners in a bid to try and convince Kudus that he is best suited to a move to the Emirates Stadium.

As Arteta will be desperate to bolster the squad with winter arrivals, strengthening a sensational bid to reclaim the Premier League title for the first time since 2004, Kudus fits the bill with aplomb; his dynamism could be pivotal in triumphantly reaching the finish line.

And with a host of Europe’s top outfits interested, adding the 22-year-old to the fold would strike a major blow in the ambitions of rivals, with the Gunners only stronger as a result. 

Everton failed with a £15m bid for the player in the summer, and following the World Cup it’s expected that his value will rise even further,; such is the way for touted stars that soar at football’s premier competition.

The £12.9m-rated ace has been a clinical presence for club and country this season, netting ten times and providing two assists in 21 appearances for Ajax before playing a pivotal role for the Black Stars in Qatar.

With Ghana sliding to defeat in a goal-fest against Portugal in the group opener, a positive response was paramount against South Korea, with Kudus scoring twice as they sank their Asian opposition 3-2. 

With a winner-takes-all group finale now looming against Uruguay, the 22-year-old will know that further positive impact could see his market value rise exponentially. 

And it’s not just the goals that are attracting the interest, with the dynamo ranking in the top 1% for pass completion, dribbles completed, and passes attempted when compared to positional peers across Europe’s ‘next eight’ leagues, as per FBref. 

Should the Gunners pursue a deal for this “special talent” – in the words of Opta analyst Owuraku Ampofo – they would wield an offensive weapon with vibrant talent, offering a melange of skills that can see him play in a variety of positions.

With Arsenal looking to challenge for silverware in the Premier League and Europa League, the acquisition of Kudus could prove to be very shrewd indeed, alongside his compatriot Partey and perhaps would be the difference in the pivotal closing stage of this mammoth campaign.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has already made moves to strengthen ahead of the upcoming transfer window with the signings of Yuki Kobayashi and Alistair Johnston, with the 57-year-old seeing notable merit in bolstering his ranks in the winter market.

While January can be a notoriously difficult month to do business for most clubs, the title-winning coach has shown the benefits of utilising the mid-season window during his stint at Parkhead thus far, having made notable additions earlier this year.

One of those to have arrived mid-way through the 2021/22 campaign was Japan international Reo Hatate, with the diminutive playmaker having swiftly forced his way into the side to help maintain the Old Firm outfit’s surge towards the title.

A brilliant brace on his derby debut against bitter rivals Rangers set the tone for what has been a stunning calendar year for the £12k-per-week man since then, with the 25-year-old having scored six goals and laid on seven assists in 41 games for the Scottish champions to date.

That impact has seen him dubbed the “best signing” that Postecoglou has made in his tenure so far, as per pundit Frank McAvennie, having simply been a “beast” in the centre of the park for the Hoops in recent times, according to journalist Sacha Pisani.

One defining feature of the playmaker’s game is his incredible work ethic, having put in an “enormous shift” prior to the World Cup break, as per his manager (BBC Radio Scotland, 13/11/2022, 17:16), while he is also truly “intense” in his desire to get forward, according to McAvennie.

The Glasgow side could well look to replicate such a transfer masterclass by landing another hard-working and relentless midfield asset in the January window in the form of Aissa Laidouni, with the Tunisia international having been named as a potential target in recent days.

The 25-year-old – who currently plies his trade for his Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros – is set to cost in the region of €4m (£3.5m) if the Bhoys are to make a concrete approach over the coming weeks, albeit with that fee potentially something of a bargain such have been his displays in Qatar of late.

The 28-cap menace – who has just a matter of months left on his existing deal in Budapest – was a standout presence for his country during what was an encouraging group stage showing for the African nation as they picked up four points, having notably won against holders France.

That importance to his national side was evidenced by the fact that he simply “covers every blade of grass” – according to journalist Lorenz Kohler – having enjoyed a “tremendous tournament” in the words of journalist Sam Tighe.

The one-time Angers brute was particularly impressive in the final group game against Didier Deschamps’ men, after registering one assist and recording three key passes as a marker of his creative flair, while also making two interceptions and recording two clearances.

The French-born star also caught the eye for his pumped-up reaction to making a crunching challenge on Denmark’s Christian Eriksen in the opening group game, with that ferocious celebration drawing a notable smile from the Manchester United man.

Such a committed and eye-catching figure will likely quickly emerge as a cult hero at Celtic Park were he to sign, with supporters likely to take to Laidouni much like they have done with Hatate, with the latter man having swiftly won over the home crowd due to his all-action and energetic approach.

Sheffield Wednesday defender Akin Famewo being ready to return to action is ‘good news’, according to journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Spell on the sidelines

The League One promotion contenders signed the centre-back from Norwich City over the summer, but after sustaining a serious injury on his debut against MK Dons, hasn’t featured since.

The 24-year-old, however, recently made his return to action from the sidelines in a behind-closed-doors game vs Huddersfield’s B side last week, with Darren Moore confirming that he is now ready to stage his comeback in the third tier.

The Latest: Crann’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Crann reacted to Wednesday’s positive update on Famewo, whilst revealing that Dennis Adeniran is also nearing a return. He wrote:

“Good news for #SWFC as Akin Famewo is given the all clear to play once again – and Dennis Adeniran is set to feature over the Christmas period.”

The Verdict: Boost for Moore

Famewo is a hugely exciting player and it’ll be a massive boost for Moore to have him available for selection once again to finally unleash him in a Sheffield Wednesday shirt.

The 6 foot 1 defender excelled on loan at Charlton last season, averaging 3.7 clearances and 2.2 successful aerial duels per game, highlighting the rock he can be at the heart of a backline (WhoScored).

The Owls host Oxford United this weekend and there’s a strong chance that Famewo could be set to make his home debut in front of the supporters at the Hillsborough Stadium.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has now revealed that it is ‘virtually impossible’ that Newcastle United could sign Enzo Fernandez in January.

The Lowdown: World Cup winner

Fernandez was a World Cup winner with Argentina, and made a big impression at the tournament in Qatar.

The 21-year-old won the Young Player Award, and was his country’s fourth-best performer overall, scoring one goal and making one assist in his seven appearances (WhoScored).

Magpies legend Alan Shearer recently joked that he would like to see Fernandez play for his old club, to which Eddie Howe admitted that his transfer fee may be ‘quite lumpy’.

The Latest: January move ‘virtually impossible’

Taking to Twitter, Talbot has revealed that a January deal for Fernandez would be ‘virtually impossible’ to do, amid recent links to the St. James’ Park outfit and Liverpool:

“Hear from Portugal that a January move for Enzo Fernandez, the World Cup winner recently linked to Liverpool and Newcastle, would be virtually impossible to do. It’ll be summer transfer – he’ll remain Benfica for the remainder of the season.”

The Verdict: Big blow

The fact the Tynesiders would have to wait until the summer if they wanted to sign Fernandez is a big blow in terms of their ambitions of securing a UEFA Champions League place for next season.

They are currently in third place in the Premier League table, four points clear of fifth, and a marquee signing like the Benfica star would definitely elevate their chances.

Hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by CBS Sports’ Nico Cantor after his World Cup exploits, Fernandez has also been a mainstay in a Benfica team sitting comfortably top of the Portuguese top flight, and in the last-16 of the Champions League after qualifying from their group.

Nonetheless, the central midfielder would surely thrive playing alongside fellow South Americans Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, but a January deal for the North East club now looks highly unlikely.

Wolverhampton Wanderers correspondent Liam Keen was left bemoaning a ‘crazy’ error made by Nathan Collins in the 2-1 win against Everton this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Wolves snatch victory

Wolves’ new manager Julen Lopetegui secured all three points in his first Premier League match at the helm, with a first-half Daniel Podence goal cancelling out an early opener from Yerri Mina, before Rayan Ait-Nouri slammed home a dramatic stoppage-time winner for the visitors at Goodison Park.

The result means that the Old Gold have moved off the bottom of the league table, leapfrogging both Southampton and Nottingham Forest, to now sit in 18th place, just one point behind today’s opponents.

Steve Madeley, who reports on Wolves for The Athletic, described the first half as ‘a frantic game between two poor-looking teams’, and an error from Collins encapsulated that interpretation.

The Irish defender failed to deal with an Alex Iwobi pass and gifted the ball to Neal Maupay, who should have done better with the subsequent shot.

The Latest: Keen reacts to Collins ‘error’

Taking to Twitter after witnessing the mistake from Collins, Keen lamented the mistake, which could have been costly for the Old Gold had Maupay not been thwarted by Jose Sa.

The journalist tweeted: “Crazy error from Collins as he attempts to let the ball roll across his body, but it hits the back of his heel and Maupay races towards goal. Effort saved by Sa.”

The Verdict: Must cut out mistakes

The 21-year-old was dubbed ‘fantastic’ by broadcaster Jacqui Oatley in October, and for the most part he had a good game today, but he cannot afford to make mistakes of that nature against more clinical opponents.

Out of the ten duels that he contested, the former Burnley man won seven, while also making one last-man tackle and recording more clearances (six) than any other player on the pitch, earning himself a 7.2 match rating from Sofascore.

The Old Gold will be delighted that they have managed to move off the bottom of the table, but they will realise that they won’t be able to have a repeat of today’s first-half showing when they take on Manchester United at Molineux on Saturday.

Leeds United should push for a return to Elland Road for Newcastle United striker Chris Wood in the January transfer window, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Wood out of favour at Newcastle

The 31-year-old has found himself increasingly out of favour at St James’ Park this season as Eddie Howe builds a formidable Magpies side.

Wood only has two starts to his name in the Premier League in 2022/23 to date, with just one goal coming his way in 14 appearances prior to this afternoon’s clash against Leicester City.

It seems clear that his long-term future now lies away from Newcastle, and it could be that he departs next month, with Leeds reportedly eyeing up a move for him in January.

The Latest: Leeds could seal Wood reunion

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Leeds would be well advised to pursue a striker like Wood, having scored 44 goals for them in the past and proven his worth in the Premier League.

The transfer insider stated:

“There are players out there like Chris Wood at Newcastle, for example, who might well become available at the end of this transfer window.

“And players like him would take no time to settle, they know the league, they can hit the ground running, and I think that’s probably the way for Leeds to be thinking at the moment.”

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The Verdict: Good stop-gap option

At 31, Wood’s peak footballing years may now be behind him, but he could be a shrewd prospective signing by Leeds between now and the end of the season, having been called ‘exceptional’ by journalist Jordan Cronin earlier this year.

He knows Elland Road well, having scored on average once every two matches during his time in Yorkshire, and he is now a vastly experienced Premier League player, netting 53 times in the division.

Wood has been in relegation battles in the past with the likes of Burnley, and while Leeds will hope that they can pull clear of the bottom three, he is someone who would bolster their attacking options and chip in at key moments, putting his experience to good use.

Celtic’s Croatian right-back Josip Juranovic is a name to watch out for this January in the transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

The 27-year-old is now being linked with a potential move away from Paradise in this month’s winter market as interest comes from the likes of England and Spain for the Croatian. Indeed, speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Romano has claimed his agents have spoken to an Italian club about a potential move:

“I think we have to keep an eye on Josip Juranovic the right-back he had a fantastic game [against] Brazil in the World Cup.

“He’s very good right back, doing very well for Celtic. They already signed his replacement and this is why there is a chance he will leave in this January transfer window.

“So let’s see if some English club looking for a new right-back will explore this possibility. Some Italian club also approached the agents of Juranovic but at the moment it’s still an open one.”

Juranvoic made his return to action in Scottish football following his World Cup campaign with Croatia in the latter stages of last year. The 27-year-old came on in the early stages of the game against Rangers in place of the injured Greg Taylor.

However, despite taking to the field for Ange Postecoglou’s side, Romano believes a move away from Parkhead remains a firm possibility as interest remains from some big clubs in the right-back.

Instant replacement

Juranovic did impress for Croatia during the World Cup having played in all of their games in Qatar bar the third-placed game against Morocco (via Transfermarkt).

Speaking (via Glasgow Times) after Croatia’s victory over Brazil, the former Chelsea defender William Gallas hailed Juranovic for his performance against what was one of the favourites to win the tournament:

“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,” said Gallas.

Although Juranovic showed just how good he can be against some of the best during the World Cup, it seems as if Postecoglou may have already found a gem in the signing of Alistair Johnston.

The Canadian made his debut for the Bhoys in their biggest game of the season away to Rangers on Monday and he certainly held his own for large parts of the game.

Hailed “impressive” by The Scotsman as he was awarded a 7/10 rating, Johnston showed he could well be capable of sufficiently replacing Juranovic who was ironically hit with a mere 5/10 rating for his display at Ibrox.

Johnston did allow Ryan Kent to get the shot off for Rangers’ first of the afternoon, but he more than played his part defensively with more tackles completed (5) than all of the other Celtic defenders combined (4) (via SofaScore).

Although the Bhoys could be set to lose one of their biggest talents, it seems as if Postecoglou may have pulled off another impressive transfer at Celtic.

Arsenal are clearly in the market for attacking reinforcements this month as they look to bolster Mikel Arteta’s playing squad with enough strength in depth to maintain a title challenge in the second half of the season.

Several names have been mooted, the most frequent of which is Shakhtar Donetsk sensation Mykhalo Mudryk, who the BBC claim the Gunners are in talks to sign.

However, other reports suggest that the Ukraine outfit are looking for a €90m (£80m) fee to let him depart this month, a value that has factored in Manchester United’s summer move for Antony.

Now, the north Londoners have been linked with a move for PAOK Thessaloniki sensation Giannis Konstantelias and at just £10m, he could be a viable and bargain alternative to Mudryk.

The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella reported Arsenal’s interest in him recently, claiming they are set to send scouts to watch him in the coming weeks but face tough competition from Manchester City and other Premier League rivals.

A one-time FC Barcelona trialist, the Greek dynamo is capable of playing anywhere across the frontline and in midfield, just like Mudryk. This campaign, he’s managed to provide four assists across 14 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Based on his Sofascore heat map, Konstantelias seems an ideal prototype to the £80m star as the 19-year-old gem features frequently on the left flank, where he has also averaged 1.1 shots and 1.4 key passes per game in the Greek Super League – compared to Mudryk’s 1.5 shots and 0.8 key passes per outing in the Champions League.

The PAOK wonderkid, who has earned lofty comparisons to Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Lionel Messi, has also been described as a “phenomenon” by  Alexandros Malakasiotis, head of Agia Pareskevi’s academy (via GOAL).

Also dubbed as “a Messi clone” by journalist Stavros Kolkas, it could well be very much worth the risk if sporting director Edu Gaspar were to take a bargain punt on Konstantelias at just £10m this month.

It’s a fraction of the price that KSE would need to splash out on for Mudryk, meaning they could help bolster Arteta’s squad in other areas, such as upfront and in deeper midfield.

AND in other news, Alongside Mudryk: Edu could seal Arsenal’s “dream signing” in “ridiculous” £50m dynamo…

West Ham United head into Saturday afternoon’s Premier League meeting against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the back of an encouraging 1-0 away win at Brentford in the FA Cup last weekend, a result which ended a run of seven domestic fixtures without a win for the Hammers.

With a 2-2 draw with Leeds United preceding last Saturday’s victory, David Moyes will certainly be hoping it becomes three games unbeaten at Molineux this afternoon – especially as the Irons have already bested Julen Lopetegui’s side once this season, defeating Wolves 2-0 at the London Stadium in October.

However, with the Old Gold looking to have turned something of a corner since the Spaniard’s appointment at the expense of former manager Bruno Lage, Moyes will be well aware that he must get his team selection absolutely spot-on if he is to give his side the best possible chance of leaving Wolverhampton with all three points in tow.

Will the 59-year-old make any changes to the side which lined up against Brentford last weekend? Here’s how we at Football FanCast think the West Ham starting XI could look, as well as the latest team and injury news.

Predicted West Ham XI: Fabianski; Johnson, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell; Rice, Downes; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Scamacca.

With the Evening Standard revealing in a recent article that West Ham are finally hoping to welcome Kurt Zouma back from injury this afternoon, while also suggesting that Vladimir Coufal is set to miss out once again due to a knock to his knee, we predict Moyes will make five changes to the side that started the 1-0 win over the Bees last time out.

Three of these changes come in defence, where Moyes switches from a back five to a back four, with the aforementioned Zouma coming in alongside Nayef Aguerd at centre-back – marking the first time the pair will have played together – and Aaron Cresswell taking the place of Emerson at left-back, while both Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson also drop out of the XI.

There is another alteration in midfield, with the “abysmal” – in the words of journalist Josh Bunting – Tomas Soucek having to make do with a spot on the bench after yet another disappointing showing against Brentford, while the “incredible” – in the words of Russell Martin – Flynn Downes is handed a chance to impress alongside Declan Rice in the heart of the team.

In the three behind the centre-forward, Said Benrahma is given the nod on the left after his stunning match-winner against his former club last weekend, while Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen start in the number 10 and on the right respectively.

Up top, despite a typically hard-working performance at the Gtech Community Stadium last time out, Michail Antonio is replaced by Gianluca Scamacca in leading the line, with the Italy international having already hit the back of the Wolves’ net once this season.

Leeds United have already added two high-profile signings to their squad this January in a bid to secure their status in the Premier League in a much more comfortable fashion than the last.

Smashing their club-record transfer, they also bolstered a defence that has shipped 33 goals in just 18 games this season.

It is clearly the area of most concern, so Max Wober’s arrival will hope to somewhat offset that.

However, as both Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper have the potential to begin winding down their careers in the near future, there are few options for the Whites to look forward to in central defence.

That could therefore explain Victor Orta’s sudden desire to add an injection of youth into Jesse Marsch’s squad, with Diogo Monteiro the man in question.

As reported by Phil Hay earlier this week in The Athletic, the Yorkshire outfit are seemingly lining up a bid for the 17-year-old starlet who has been starring for Swiss side Servette FC in their top division.

Despite his youth, the Portuguese defender already boasts seven senior appearances and has recorded a 6.70 average rating in his three Super League games this campaign.

Whilst a small sample size, it remains impressive that he is averaging an 83% pass accuracy, outlining himself as a ball-playing defender with slightly poorer defensive numbers. This is likely diminished due to the comfortable role he occupies, with his side sitting second.

This preference to have the ball at his feet plus their shared nationality could see the teenager draw comparisons with Ruben Dias, who has earned fame at Manchester City since his move from Benfica.

Last season the 25-year-old averaged a 7.10 rating in the league, but more importantly, his defensive statistics took a back seat in favour of his 93% pass accuracy.

The Portugal international would only manage 0.8 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 2.2 clearances, which are not too dissimilar from Monteiro’s 0.7 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and one clearance.

The progress of this youngster has been monitored with interest, and PortuGOAL, a website providing information on lesser-known Portuguese footballers, was full of praise for him: “Monteiro is a key player in central defence and his leadership qualities are clear as captain of Portugal’s U17 side.

“He was impressive against Wales, in particular his ability to spot an attacking player in space and execute a long pass which instantly created attacking opportunities for his side.”

This was supplemented by the claims of football scout Ron Dor, who labelled him “a beast in the making”.

With a penchant for long passes and progressing the play, this move would mark the acquisition of a huge talent for the future, with all the qualities that resemble his hulking compatriot who has already dominated the English top flight.