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Celtic defender Moritz Jenz could leave Parkhead this month, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Jenz at Celtic on loan

Jenz is currently midway through a season-long loan from Ligue 1 club Lorient. The 23-year-old has made 19 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions but has fallen out of favour in the Premiership under Ange Postecoglou.

His last league start came prior to the break for the World Cup, and it seems as if an early departure could be on the cards.

The Latest: Jenz could be leaving Celtic

Joseph took to Twitter on Friday to share an update he’s heard regarding Jenz’s future at Celtic.

The Sky Sports journalist said that ‘Jenz could leave the club in this window’ and is ‘understood to be exploring his options’ with interest from Germany.

Joseph tweeted: ‘Celtic defender Moritz Jenz could leave the club in this window. The 23-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from Lorient, is understood to be exploring his options. A number of clubs in Germany are interested in Jenz.’

The Verdict: Makes sense?

Jenz began the campaign featuring regularly under Postecoglou, scoring two Premiership goals in August. However, he hasn’t featured in the last seven league games, missing out on a place in the matchday squad in two of those.

He might not be the only defender leaving Parkhead this month, either, with Fabrizio Romano tweeting last night that Josip Juranovic is ‘close to joining’ Union Berlin, with talks at a ‘very advanced’ stage between the relevant parties.

Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers have outperformed Jenz according to WhoScored metrics, with the Hoops also bringing in another centre-back in Yuki Kobayashi.

Therefore, an early exit for Jenz could make sense for all involved, but it would be interesting to see if Postecoglou would want a replacement in for the German before the January 31 deadline, as he would otherwise be left with just four senior centre-back options.

90min journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Newcastle United have ‘prepared a bid’ for Premier League ace Anthony Gordon. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle holding talks

Sky Sports reported that Eddie Howe’s side are holding talks with the Toffees for the player’s services, while it’s believed that Everton could be tempted by a £40 million bid.

It was reported last summer that Chelsea were prepared to pay a fee of £60 million for Gordon, but a move never came to fruition.

In Everton’s last five Premier League matches, Gordon has only featured on two occasions against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, while he has started just once since the start of November.

The Latest: Newcastle have bid ‘prepared’

Bailey said that a bid has been prepared by Newcastle and that Everton will be listening to potential offers when speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, adding that Howe likes the look of him.

He stated: “Newcastle are preparing a bid. We understand that Chelsea are hovering, they’re keeping abreast of this situation, so don’t rule them out.

“Newcastle are at the front of this queue, though, and we’ve got to see how much they bid. Everton are willing, from what we understand, to listen to offers for Gordon now.

“What I’m told, Eddie Howe and his staff have done their homework on Gordon, they’ve liked what they’ve heard, thinking he’d be a good fit.

“He got a lot of stick for the bid from Chelsea etc but he didn’t make the bid, he’s a very talented footballer.”

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The Verdict: Not the finished article

We believe that Newcastle should be cautious with their pursuit of Gordon, as he’s still very young and definitely has room for improvement.

Former Everton boss Rafael Benitez claimed that the player ‘couldn’t run’, but he was ‘keen’ to change his mentality when speaking to Sky Sports. The Spaniard also added that he was ‘pleased’ to see Gordon progressing as a player as he was a likeable person.

The thought to consider is whether he would be an improvement on what the Magpies have. We don’t believe that would be the case in this particular instance.

Gordon, who has been hailed as a ‘superstar’, averages 2.67 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over the last 365 days and 1.5 progressive passes received, however, this wouldn’t be an improvement on Miguel Almiron, who’s played 20 times in the Premier League this season.

Almiron has more shot-creating actions and received progressive passes in the same timeframe as the Everton ace, with the Paraguayan’s numbers clocking in at 2.9 and 2.71 respectively.

Unless Howe is convinced on him and his ability to develop, we think Gordon would be one to avoid. Statistically speaking he wouldn’t offer more on the wing than Almiron currently does and to spend £40m on a bench player would surely be money better spent elsewhere.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in signing Nicolo Zaniolo before deadline day…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky in Italy, who claim that Spurs want to sign the AS Roma midfielder on loan but face competition from Serie A rivals AC Milan, who could offer him a permanent switch.

It’s also thought that the 23-year-old has already rejected a move to fellow Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth as he wants to play in Europe – interestingly, the Lilywhites will face the Rossoneri in a Champions League Round of 16 clash next month.

Roma are asking for around £26m, so it remains to be seen if the north Londoners can get a deal over the line before Tuesday night’s deadline.

Kulusevski repeat

If sporting director Fabio Paratici can secure a late move for Zaniolo, then it could have all the hallmarks of being Dejan Kulusevski 2.0 at Hotspur Way.

This time last year, the Italian supremo secured a deadline day swoop for the then-Juventus outcast – since, he has grown leaps and bounds into a firm fan-favourite around N17, hardly a surprise when you’ve provided 20 goal contributions in 36 appearances. One more than he managed in 74 games for the Old Lady.

Just like Kulusevski, Zaniolo has hit a bit of a career crossroads at the Stadio Olimpico, having been restricted to only 896 minutes of league action, whilst four of his five goal contributions have come in three Europa League appearances.

It’s a stark contrast to his form last season, where he played an integral role in the side clinching the Europa Conference League trophy – across all competitions, he scored eight goals and laid on a further nine assists from 42 outings, via Transfermarkt.

That level of form has seen the Italy international lauded by those around the game and the press. For instance, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs has hailed him as a “frightening talent,” with CEO and Roma fan Nick Mercadante having lauded him as “an absolute monster” too.

Perhaps it is at Tottenham where he can refind that level of quality and consistency, should Paratici manage to secure him in a late deal this window.

He would certainly add another new dimension to Spurs’ attack, having already brought in Arnaut Danjuma, with Pedro Porro on the verge of becoming the next signing, according to reports.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano expects more signings at Tottenham…

TalkSport transfer expert Alex Crook has claimed live on air that Southampton are desperate to recruit a striker on deadline day.

The Lowdown: Sainst need more firepower

It’s no surprise that Southampton would like to add more goals to their side given how poorly they’ve been performing in the final third, with James Ward-Prowse their top scorer with five strikes – two of them came in one game the other week at Goodison Park.

The Saints are set for a Carabao Cup semi-final today in which they find themselves trailing, which could have been avoided had they been more clinical in the final third, with Che Adams missing a glorious chance against Newcastle United.

Southampton are indeed looking to address the striker situation as they are said to be closing in on a move for the Braga striker Vitinha, having reportedly triggered his release clause – although they aren’t alone in their pursuit.

The Latest: New striker set to arrive

Crook has insisted live on air that the Saints are desperate to land a new striker given their woes in front of goal, which will please the Southampton faithful.

He said: “Southampton [are] desperate to get a number nine in between now and the window [closing].”

The Verdict: Southampton need a new attacker

Given that Southampton have only managed to score 17 times in the Premier League, it shows there is and always has been a need to recruit a new striker, so the fact it’s come down to deadline day is a worry.

Nathan Jones has been in place for the entire month, and had Sport Republic handed him a new striker near the beginning of the window, they could have potentially been out of the bottom three and leading their semi-final.

Their failure to recruit a new striker could prove pivotal and leaving it this late always brings about its own problems, as it’s being reported that Brighton are looking to hijack their deal for Vitinha at the last minute.

TalkSport’s Alex Crook has claimed Chelsea’s transfer business will have piled the pressure further on manager Graham Potter. 

The Lowdown: Big money January

Of all the Premier League clubs, the Blues spent the most money on transfers by far. Chelsea paid a whopping £323 million on eight new arrivals last month.

Mykhalio Mudryk, Joao Felix (on loan) and Noni Madueke were just some of the players that made the switch to Stamford Bridge in January.

On deadline day, Chelsea would break the British record for the most money spent on a single transfer when they would sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106.8 million.

The Latest: Crook makes Potter prediction

Speaking on TalkSport’s Twitter account, Crook claimed Potter could be in trouble by the start of next season if he’s not started to get a tune out of his players.

He stated (0:00), “Chelsea’s crazy transfer window has piled even more pressure on Graham Potter. I think when people look at Chelsea’s recruitment, the fact they’re investing in young up-and-coming players, talented players for the future.

“That might be seen as a sign that the board are going to be patient with Graham Potter. They might, but I’m not entirely convinced.

“Chelsea fans have been used to success winning trophies, at least finishing in the top four if they miss out this season.

“I think the fact they’ve spent so much money is going to put Graham Potter right up against it. He’s going to have to hit the new season running, If he doesn’t, he could be gone.

“And then there’s still the question is Graham Potter actually good enough to be the Chelsea manager? I think he proved himself at Brighton and Swansea before that.

“This is a whole different piece. This is a juggernaut of a football club with some massive egos in that dressing room.

“I think the jury is still very much out particularly when you look at how well Roberto De Zerbi has done with Potter’s team at Brighton.”

The Verdict: Potter needs time

We believe that the current situation surrounding Chelsea is one of a huge rebuild, Potter needs time to help piece together this restructure of the club.

The English manager was able to achieve Brighton & Hove Albion’s first-ever top-ten finish in the Premier League last season, so he can definitely achieve a lot with quite limited resources.

Pundit and former Chelsea man Joe Cole claimed a few months ago that Potter has ‘ticked all the boxes’ since taking charge of the Blues when speaking to BT Sport (via The Daily Mail).

In our view, Potter needs time because he has to manage a lot of new faces in his Chelsea dressing room, working out who’s a better fit in each position and which players work better with others is no easy no process to piece together.

Now that Todd Boehly owns the West London outfit, he must avoid being as gung-ho when it comes to sacking Chelsea’s managers.

The last regime certainly gained a reputation for doing it and an argument could be made that the club were reliant on recycled short-term success.

We feel that some fans would like to see a long-term manager in charge at Stamford Bridge, but with the large amount of change at the club, Potter needs time to work things out in our view.

Chelsea are battling Manchester United for the signing of in-form Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer, a new transfer report has claimed.

The Lowdown: Osimhen linked with Chelsea move

The 24-year-old is having a season to treasure for the Serie A giants, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and terrifying defences with his combination of unstoppable power and composure in front of goal.

Chelsea have been linked with completing the signing of Osimhen recently, as Graham Potter and Todd Boehly look to make significant transfer inroads once again when the summer window arrives.

The Nigerian’s head could be turned by a move to the Premier League given that he has just two years left on his deal in Naples, and it doesn’t look as though the Blues’ interest is going away.

The Latest: New update emerges

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Chelsea are ‘ready to invest’ in Osimhen this summer, although he could cost as much as €120million (£107m).

United are also name-checked in the report, while fellow European powerhouses Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are seen as clubs who could afford him, too.

The Verdict: Perfect Aubameyang replacement?

A new centre-forward is definitely needed at Chelsea in the summer, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proving to be a huge disappointment, scoring just three times in 17 appearances.

Osimhen could be the perfect signing, in that respect, considering he is almost ten years younger than the Blues striker and has netted 16 goals in as many Serie A starts this season.

He could spearhead a hugely exciting attack that also features the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and potentially Joao Felix, having been hailed as ‘wonderful’ by Jose Mourinho, who also said the player is ‘of the same level as (Didier) Drogba’.

Chelsea certainly don’t seem to be shy of spending big and offering long contracts at the moment, so coughing up massive money for Osimhen would be no great shock.

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Alan Hutton says the latest injury to John Lundstram will be a ‘worry’ for the player, Michael Beale and the Ibrox outfit.

The Lowdown: Ankle injury

Beale confirmed that Lundstram rolled his ankle on Saturday, which forced him off in the Gers’ 2-1 win over Ross County.

The manager claimed that the injury was a ‘nasty’ one and needed a scan, after the central midfielder was spotted leaving Ibrox in a moon boot.

The Latest: Big ‘worry’

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton says that Lundstram’s injury will be a big ‘worry’, adding that it is a ‘real shame’ for him with the level of competition he has in the middle of the park:

“The biggest worry will be for John Lundstram.

“He will know that there is competition that has come in. It is a real shame for him, it was a poor ball into the midfield and he chased back to try and correct his mistake and he gets caught on the ankle.

“I think he is still a key member of that squad. Raskin coming in and Hagi coming back, there is options there for the manager. Hopefully it is not too bad because you want a fully fit squad.“

The Verdict: Hopefully not serious

Beale will be hoping that Lundstram’s injury is not a serious one, as he has been a revelation under the new boss.

His performance in the 3-0 win against Hearts last week has been praised in particular, while he has also been keeping the likes of Ianis Hagi and new signing Nicolas Raskin out of the starting line-up.

With Partick Thistle coming to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup on Sunday afternoon, it gives Beale an opportunity to take Lundstram out of the team in order to work on his fitness, with the extent of his injury yet to be determined.

The proud and expectant Chelsea faithful may be galvanised by the spending spree under owner Todd Boehly this season, but there have been a few ramifications which have quilted a layer of trepidation over Stamford Bridge.

Having spent more than £280m in January alone, there were some notable omissions from the Blues’ Champions League squad ahead of the knockout phase. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the high-profile exclusion, helping to pave the way for the likes of mid-season arrivals Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez.

Aubameyang’s bitter fortunes, partnered with the fact that he has only scored three goals from 18 outings since his summer arrival from Barcelona, make it hard to believe that he can lead the line for the coming years.

Given that he is now 33, the Gabonese talisman might find that his stay in west London does not stretch beyond next summer, despite Chelsea manager Graham Potter’s need for a reliable centre-forward, a position where goals have been sorely lacking this season.

Who could replace Aubameyang at Chelsea?

While Chelsea have certainly demonstrated that they are willing to part with whatever transfer fee is necessary to sign their prized targets, the prudent route might indeed be the shrewder one when searching for a replacement for Aubameyang, with a ready-made heir already on the club’s books.

Mason Burstow is a dynamic 19-year-old striker with a wealth of potential and all of the desirable attributes for a player who seems destined to ply his trade at one of Europe’s most esteemed clubs.

In Premier League 2 this season, the former Charlton Athletic starlet has scored six goals and supplied four assists from 15 starts, also scoring once in the EFL Trophy against Oxford United, with that strike hailed as “incredible” by Nizaar Kinsella.

When learning his trade for the Addicks in the maiden period of his professional career, Burstow scored six goals and delivered three assists from just 23 appearances, laying the foundation for a potentially successful spell in senior football.

The Athletic’s Liam Twomey waxed lyrical over the rising star, lauding him as “one of the most coveted teenagers” in England; and it seems that with the right guidance, he truly could blossom into a clinical force of nature at Stamford Bridge.

Also with the £160k-per-week Aubameyang recording a modest Sofascore league rating of 6.55 for the Blues, Burstow could hardly do much worse than his established senior peer.

In all likelihood, Potter will look to land a superlative striker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, given Chelsea’s inability to muster a level of offensive potency despite their lavish spending – only one team outside the bottom seven in the Premier League have scored fewer than their 23 goals.

However, with Burstow rising through the ranks, he could be the perfect understudy to whoever is granted the role of marquee centre-forward at Stamford Bridge next season, succeeding the ageing and under-performing Aubameyang in the long run.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has said that being without Ousmane Dembele for their Europa League clash against Manchester United tonight is a ‘huge blow’ for the visitors.

The Lowdown: Pedri and Gavi out

The Red Devils head into tonight’s second leg at Old Trafford with a bigger squad to choose from, with Erik ten Hag able to call upon Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer following their European suspensions.

Barcelona will be without midfield pair Pedri and Gavi due to injury and suspension, while Dembele also looks set to remain sidelined.

The Latest: Xavi’s comments

As reported by The Daily Express, Barcelona manager Xavi touched on the Frenchman’s continued absence in his pre-match press conference, describing it as a ‘huge blow’ for the La Liga giants.

The 43-year-old lamented: “Dembele is also a big blow, a huge blow for us. He can make a difference on the pitch.”

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The Verdict: Boost for Man United

Knowing that Barcelona are without a number of star men tonight will come as a welcome boost at Old Trafford, with the tie finely poised at 2-2.

Dembele has been missing with a hamstring issue but has contributed to 15 goals in 28 games in all competitions this season.

The Frenchman has been one of the club’s top performers this season alongside Pedri according to WhoScored, registering more assists and key passes per 90 than any Barcelona player, so you could argue it is advantage United ahead of kick-off following team news updates from both camps.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey says that Miguel Almiron signing a new contract is a ‘big boost’ for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Almiron signs

As confirmed by Newcastle on Friday, Almiron has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract that will keep him at St. James’ Park until 2026.

They note that the Paraguay international is the club’s leading scorer with 10 goals so far in this campaign, and has won the Premier League Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for October.

The Latest: ‘Big boost’

Taking to Twitter on Friday morning, Bailey says that Almiron’s new deal is a ‘big boost’ for the Magpies ahead of their Carabao Cup final against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon:

“Big boost for Newcastle on the eve of the League Cup final.

“Miguel Almiron, enjoying his best season in England, is rewarded with a new three-and-a-half year deal.”

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The Verdict: Deserved

Almiron’s new contract is thoroughly deserved off the back of the wonderful season that he is having.

His goals have ensured that the Tynesiders are challenging for a UEFA Champions League qualification spot for next season, while he also ranks highly among his team-mates for average tackles, shots, dribbles and pass success rate per game in the top flight (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, announcing his new deal will only give the team and its supporters a lift going into the final on Sunday, where Almiron will be hoping that he can make the difference and bring the silverware back to the North East.