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Manchester United have emerged as one of the growing train of club’s with sights set on the signing of Croatian titan Josko Gvardiol, who is starring at the World Cup in Qatar.

With the 20-year-old phenom successfully taking the headlines after a captivating start to the campaign with RB Leipzig, starring despite his tender age, he has transferred his feats to the international stage and played an integral role for Croatia, who have reached the quarter-finals of the tournament for the second successive time. 

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg recently took to Twitter to report on the prospective transfer of the Leipzig ace.

“We’ve been told: NO release clause in his contract until 2027. But lots of top clubs informed about him for 2023. #CFC, #MUFC, Real and Barcelona highly involved. For Tuchel he was the main target. Boehly also focused on him. NO contact with Bayern,” he said.

Despite the intense interest in his signature, United boss Erik ten Hag will be confident of enticing Gvardiol with his proposal, with Old Trafford still one of the most prominent homes in world football. 

Bad news for Maguire

With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar the birth-ground to several stars, Gvardiol might just be the cream of the crop, with his aggressive tackling and ball-playing ability an embodiment of the modern centre-back at the top of the game. 

He would not come cheap, but Manchester United have been known to splash out on defenders in recent years, notably signing Harry Maguire for a fee of £80m – a world record deal for a defender.

With the Theatre of Dreams looking to return to former glory, Gvardiol could be the presence at the bedrock of the pitch to cement status as a top-four team, and aid the club in the pursuit of major honours once again after going over five years without a single trophy. 

In Qatar, as per Sofascore, Gvardiol has recorded an average rating of 7.28 – not dropping below 7.0 throughout the tournament – and has been an assured colossus at the park with a maturity that belies his age.

And FBref points out some of the best defensive statistics in the business from the young ace, ranking him within the top 1% for passes attempted and dribbles completed, and the top 5% for progressive passes.

It is this forward-thinking approach that will aid United greatly, providing a creative stalwart from the very back, while also maintaining the aggressive nature that can differentiate good centre-backs from the great. 

Playing on the left side of the central defence, the position that Maguire has occupied at Manchester United, the “sensational” Gvardiol could be a breath of fresh air into the team, a new star on the biggest stage that can continue his burgeoning rise under the mould of Ten Hag’s clay. 

He might have only cast his teenage years aside earlier this year, but Gvardiol has been an impeccable defender for club and country, and with some of Europe’s top outfits circling like sharks, the Red Devils manager must move with swift precision.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham in 2023 and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Jurgen Klopp is “really keen” to complete a deal to sign the Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder.

Romano claims in a video on his exclusive Sub Stack column for Caught Offside:

“Things are happening behind the scenes – it’s true that Liverpool are pushing for Jude Bellingham. Jurgen Klopp is really keen for this deal after missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni last summer, and now they are working on a deal for Bellingham on the player’s side.”

Imagine him & Enzo

There has been a lot of uncertainty and upheaval at Anfield over the last few months with a poor start in the Premier League that has left Liverpool sixth in the league table, as well as reports surfacing that FSG are now keen to sell the club.

Although there is a lot to be concerned about at the club, there is also a lot to look forward to if the powers at the club remain committed to delivering success and trophies by helping the manager rebuild the team to develop the next generation of talent under Klopp’s reign.

Despite their desire to part ways with the club, FSG could be about to make two monumental midfielder signings that the Anfield faithful have been crying out for over the last 18 months, as Enzo Fernandez could also be joining Bellingham on a move to Merseyside in 2023.

It has been reported that the Argentinian ace and his club Benfica have come to a pre-contract agreement for Fernandez to join Liverpool next summer.

The acquirement of Bellingham and Fernandez would be a major coup for Liverpool – combining their star quality, talent and strengths in the centre of the pitch could be an absolute nightmare for opponents for many years to come.

Both midfielders possess strong central midfield attributes with Fernandez ranking in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, proving that he can be a huge attacking threat from his deeper position.

Whilst Bellingham ranks in the top 10% for non-penalty goals, touches, dribbles completed and progressive passes received, further displaying the similarities in strengths the duo could provide Liverpool next season.

With that being said, FSG must sanction the potential £129m move for Bellingham as soon as possible because the player has several elite clubs interested in securing his signature and Liverpool are in no position to lose out on the talented teenager.

Manchester United pair Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot won’t leave the club on free transfers next summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: United pair find World Cup form

Both Rashford and Dalot suffered the pain of elimination from the 2022 World Cup over the weekend, as England and Portugal both departed at the quarter-final stage.

They were both impressive in their own right during the tournament, however, with the former scoring three goals and the latter starting three times at right-back, jumping above Joao Cancelo in the pecking order.

Rashford and Dalot are both out of contract at United next summer and neither have new signed a new deal at the club yet.

The Latest: Club ready to sign one-year options

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that neither United player will leave on a free transfer. The Red Devils have a one-year extension option on both players and the club are ready to sign on the dotted line:

“Rashford and Dalot will not leave for free.”

The journalist also added in a second tweet that “new long term deal(s) will be discussed soon” as “Erik ten Hag wants” to keep the pair well beyond the one-year option in their deals.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Rashford and Dalot simply must be among the players to sign contract extensions in the coming months, with the duo important figures under ten Hag.

At 25 and 23, respectively, they are still relatively young players, with Rashford overcoming a poor spell of form and Dalot really starting to look like a class act at right-back.

Seeing either player leave for free or on the cheap would be a big blow, considering how much they are worth as they approach their primes, with both players ranking in the manager’s top five players this season (Whoscored).

Emi Buendia is seemingly vacillating between substandard and superlative at Aston Villa, failing to truly live up to the expectations thus far, but one journalist believes that the Argentine is motivated to forge his way into Unai Emery’s long-term vision.

Having signed for Villa from Norwich City in a club-record £38m deal last summer, the 25-year-old has not quite lived up to the hefty tag, and despite impressing his with dribbling and grace on the ball, must improve if he is to earn a regular spot in Emery’s ambitious plans.

Recently speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer specialist Dean Jones shed some light on the ace’s future with the Claret and Blue, stating that despite concerns over his performances, a departure from the club does not imminently lurk around the corner.

He said: “Buendia, he figured pretty strongly, to be fair, for Villa in the month leading into the World Cup. I’m told he’s still very motivated to produce, particularly under Emery, so I don’t think he’ll be heading out the exit door.”

“Magical”

Having made 54 appearances for his side since his switch from the Canaries last year, Buendia has only mustered five goals and seven assists, playing a total of 2,844 minutes – averaging a direct contribution every 237 minutes.

And this term, the one-cap ace, who did not make his nation’s triumphant World Cup squad, scored just one goal and assist apiece from 17 outings, albeit with just seven starts. 

That being said, increments have been made under Emery’s watchful eye, with the maestro earning a starting spot across all four of Villa’s previous league matches, playing a part as the side clinched three victories and just one defeat. 

The signs are there; at Norwich, during the 20/21 Championship season, the “magical” gem, as dubbed by Jack Reeve, recorded an average rating of 7.68, scoring 15 goals and serving 16 assists as his side etched a resounding return to the Premier League into the history books, with Buendia earning the division’s Player of the Year award. 

Should Emery manage to unlock the potential brimming within this deft phenom, Aston Villa might just witness the rebirth of Jack Grealish, a coveted figure at the club.

Grealish, having risen up the Villa ranks to become the side’s captain and talisman, earned a British record £100m transfer to league champions Manchester City last year, and the club have been lacking a figure of his mould ever since. 

Buendia holds the toolkit, can channel the energy that can lift the club to prosperous fortunes, playing a vital role in the ascension; the cogs just need to fall into place. 

While the 27-year-old England international wields superiority in his dribbling skills, Buendia’s natural poise and ball-playing prowess can provide his club with a similar level of success, with FBref ranking him within the top 9% of attacking midfielders for progressive passes across Europe’s major leagues and in the top 18% for fouls drawn, an area Grealish is famous for thriving in.

There was weighted investment on this player, and football has seen, time and time again, that a player sinking below expectations can rise from the chasm that the sport can beset one with and rekindle their ability; Emery would be wise to assist this rebirth.

Everton could be set to tie down one of their young stars, with Frank Lampard particularly keen to get the deal over the line…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to journalist Simon Phillips, who claims that the 44-year-old is imploring the Goodison Park hierarchy to tie down Anthony Gordon.

This comes after The Telegraph reported that the Toffees were closing in on a new deal for the winger earlier this week.

Phillips told GIVEMESPORT: “Lampard is driving this contract extension. I’m sure that it’ll be done now because of Lampard. Gordon sees staying at Everton as probably the best thing for him to do right now. 

“I’m sure Lampard will get that one done and dusted. There’s no recent Chelsea interest to worry about.”

Barkley disaster

Although it may seem like a good deal on the surface to tie down an asset who had plenty of suitors in the summer, eventually the Toffees could end up in a similar position to when they lost Ross Barkley in 2018.

The now 29-year-old had broken through at Goodison Park to devastating effect, reaching a peak during the 2015/16 season where he recorded 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. As such, the club saw fit to slap a £50m price tag on their star player and boyhood blue a few years following.

However, in the summer of 2017, Everton would turn down a £25m offer for Barkley from Stamford Bridge, only for him to then join Chelsea for little more than half that price the following January, much to the dismay of many Evertonians.

The early signs do show a similar path with Gordon, who had a reported £45m bid rejected last summer by Everton.

This offer comes for a player who, despite being hailed as an “absolute beast” by journalist Jeff Walner,  has hardly set the Premier League alight, having had far less impact on his team than Barkley did under David Moyes, Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman.

The 21-year-old scored four goals and set up just two all season, and he only has three goals in the current campaign after 14 matches.

Tying down key assets is often regarded as a smart move, but considering Gordon’s lack of output, it could see him tethered to the club on a lengthy big-money contract.

CIES Football Observatory only values him at €30m (£26m), which suggests that Everton should have taken the money in the summer. Given how it ended with Barkley, they will wish they had done so in that situation too.

Hopefully this doesn’t up being a replica of what happened with the former Toffees gem five years ago.

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential move to sign Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom.

The Lowdown: On fire

Akpom is currently a player on fire, with 11 goals in the Championship since October, and 13 in total in the division (Transfermarkt).

This currently makes him the Championship’s top scorer, and so it is not surprising to see him attract attention from the Premier League in this window.

The Latest: Everton interest

As per The Daily Mail, the Goodison Par outfit, as well as fellow top-flight rivals Crystal Palace and Southampton, are ‘monitoring’ Akpom ahead of a potential move.

His current contract expires in the summer, although Boro have an option to extend it by an additional 12 months.

The Verdict: Firepower needed

The Merseyside club currently have one of the worst records in terms of scoring goals in division, and so are in desperate need of some additional attacking firepower in order to help them climb up the table and away from the dreaded relegation zone.

Hailed as a ‘fantastic’ striker by former Boro caretaker boss Leo Percovich, he is now making strides under new manager Michael Carrick, and is a player full of confidence at the moment.

The Premier League is a different animal to the Championship, but the 27-year-old would surely relish the opportunity to prove his worth in England’s highest division.

Incidentally, Akpom is a player that Alex Iwobi knows very well from their time playing for Arsenal together at youth level, and Iwobi has previously noted the ‘chemistry’ they have enjoyed on the pitch.

Nonetheless, the duo would enjoy playing with each other again, and could form a formidable new partnership at the Toffees.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly seeking a reunion with Ajax sensation Mohammed Kudus, as the Red Devils continue their search for a new attacking addition.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Premier League giants are said to be ‘exploring’ a deal for the 22-year-old in the current window, with talks believed to have taken place regarding a move despite no offer having yet been lodged.

The Old Trafford outfit are said to be figuring out whether the Ghanaian international can be brought in on a loan-to-buy deal this month, with Ten Hag having only recently outlined his desire to get a new forward through the door.

This follows a previous report from The Athletic which claimed that the Dutchman ‘admires the skill and dynamism’ of the youngster, with the 21-cap gem one of the players that the club are seemingly considering to fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s void in attack.

This comes amid rumours that the top-four hopefuls are closing in on the loan signing of Crystal Palace goalkeeper, Jack Butland, having only recently seen Martin Dubravka return to parent club Newcastle United.

Antony 2.0

The addition of Kudus – who could reportedly have an asking price of around £40m – would no doubt spark excitement amongst the United fanbase, with the former Nordsjaelland ace having scored ten goals in just 21 games in all competitions so far this term for the Eredivisie side.

The fleet-footed “star boy” – as described by journalist Lawrence Baidoo – would also provide the benefit of having previously worked under Ten Hag during the latter man’s time in Amsterdam, while also offering the flexibility to feature through the middle, or in an attacking midfield berth if required.

That being said, however, there may well be concerns that Kudus’ arrival could mirror the signing of Brazilian starlet, Antony, with the £86m addition having yet to truly catch fire since his summer switch from Holland.

A young, emerging talent – like Kudus – the 22-year-old has endured something of a difficult transition to life in England, having scored just three goals and failed to provide a single assist in his 14 appearances so far this term.

Despite an initial hot streak, in which the winger scored in his first three Premier League games, the wing wizard has since been unable to maintain that early momentum, having failed to yet justify his hefty transfer fee.

As such, the Red Devils may have to consider the wisdom in recruiting another youthful and mercurial figure like Kudus, particularly with Ten Hag arguably in need of an out-and-out centre-forward who can hit the ground running.

The danger will be that Kudus could follow his former teammate, Antony, in needing a period of adaptation at the Theatre of Dreams, with that something that the club can ill-afford in their quest to secure Champions League qualification.

Manchester City are now willing to outbid their competitors for the signing of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Race for Bellingham

Bellingham is one of the most sought-after young prospects in world football, and a deal to sign him will not come cheap, with the Independent recently reporting that Dortmund’s asking price currently stands at a massive £130m.

The same report claims that Real Madrid are becoming increasingly confident that they can win the race for his signature, however it also names Liverpool, Man City and rivals Manchester United as interested parties.

The Latest: City willing to spend big

According to a report from Marca (via Sport Witness), the Sky Blues have joined the race for the 19-year-old, who has now become the object of Pep Guardiola’s desire.

It is also detailed that City are willing to beat any offer that is presented to Dortmund, using the great financial power at their disposal, and the player himself will now be left with the decision to make.

The Verdict: Get it done

It is absolutely vital that Man City seize the opportunity to sign the starlet, as he is quite simply a generational talent, who has the ability to run their midfield for over a decade to come.

Lauded as ‘sensational’ by Gary Lineker for his exploits with England at the World Cup, the youngster has also impressed at club level, already captaining the club despite his tender years, becoming the youngest player ever to do so.

The central midfielder is composed and confident on the ball, as indicated by the fact that he has completed an average of 1.67 dribbles per 90 over the past year, putting him in the 96th percentile, while an average of 3.93 progressive passes per 90 places him in the 93rd, and would make him a great fit for Guardiola’s possession-based style of play.

Arsenal transfer target Mykhailo Mudryk has now ‘agreed in principle’ to move to the Emirates Stadium, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Ongoing negotiations

The Gunners’ interest in the Shakhtar Donetsk star has been confirmed by the Ukrainian club’s sporting director Carlo Nicolini, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that the two parties held a fresh round of talks on Monday to continue negotiations.

Premier League rivals Chelsea are also believed to have held an interest in the Ukraine forward, but having decided to instead pursue Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be back in pole position.

The Latest: Mudryk breakthrough

Taking to Twitter, Aouna revealed that Arsenal are growing ever closer to completing the signing of Mudryk, who he claims has already said yes to moving to north London.

He tweeted: “Info: Mykhailo Mudryk. Shakhtar and Arsenal are closing in on a full deal for the forward’s transfer. As already mentioned, the Ukrainian has already agreed in principle to join Arsenal.”

The Verdict: Massive coup

Mudryk has been a long-time target of Arsenal, so it will be a massive coup and a huge relief should Edu be able to successfully complete this deal before the end of the January transfer window.

The Ukrainian has had a remarkable first half of the season, racking up 18 goal contributions in the same number of appearances, and he offers great versatility with the ability to play on both the left and right flanks (Transfermarkt).

The Gunners would be getting a hugely creative player in Mudryk and one who could no doubt help the club to maintain their position at the top of the table in a bid to become Premier League champions at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur threw away a two-goal lead in embarrassing fashion as they were beaten by Manchester City in Thursday night’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Antonio Conte’s side looked to be on their way to recording a stunning result, continuing their good run of form against the defending champions, but it all came crashing down in the second half as the Citizens bagged three goals inside a rampant 12 minutes before netting a fourth late on for good measure.

Weirdly, the Italian seemed to have blamed the defeat on a lack of experience but in reality, his veteran players were the worst of the lot – Hugo Lloris made another blunder that gifted the opposition their first goal, Heung-min Son was way off it again, Harry Kane looked lost, and Ivan Perisic, well…

The Croatian was arguably the worst player on the pitch as, time and time again, he was skinned by undoubted ‘Man of the Match’ Riyad Mahrez.

Indeed, it was the 33-year-old wing-back who was on the receiving end of some pretty rough criticism as football.london reporter Alasdair Gold graded him as Spurs’ lowest-rated player on the night, writing:

‘Given a torrid time by Mahrez all night as the City man beat him easily down the left for all three of the hosts’ goals after the break. At the other end, he had a big chance to score but his low show was deflected onto the left-hand post. He was taken off not long after City’s third.’

Perisic had an absolute “nightmare match” – in the words of journalist Rob Guest – as he managed just 14 successful passes from 20 attempts in the 69 minutes he was on the pitch, whilst also registering only 42 touches – the fourth-lowest of any starter – which is poor when you consider the influence he should have on a game.

Also via Sofascore, the Croatian lost 56% of his duels, blundered possession 12 times (once every 3.5 touches) and failed to provide a shot on target, create a key chance or deliver an accurate cross, despite three attempts.

Football writer Andrew Gaffney would go on to suggest that the vastly-experienced Perisic plays “like an over-exuberant teenager at times,” with Sky Sports broadcaster Nubaid Haroon rubbing salt in the wounds, claiming that his defending was “laughable” throughout the game.

In what was also lambasted as a “concerning” display by Independent journalist Miguel Delaney, it’s evident that Perisic had an absolutely torrid time up against the two-goal Mahrez and if there’s anyone that let the manager and the fans down, it’s got to be him.

The former Inter Milan title-winner was given the run around as if he were in the school playground and that has to be a major cause of concern heading into games against Fulham, City again and AC Milan in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, “A wise move…” – Journalist backs out-of-work 50 y/o as “perfect” Conte replacement at Spurs…