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West Ham United are reportedly weighing up a January move for Australia’s World Cup star Harry Souttar, with his club Stoke City willing to discuss a deal for the right price…

What’s the word?

Souttar recently returned from the sidelines, having been sidelined due to an ACL injury which consequently threw his World Cup hopes into jeopardy.

Making a resounding return, the 24-year-old was the defensive focal point, and is now at the centre of heated interest from a host of Premier League outfits, according to TEAMtalk.

Although, following his successful ventures with his nation in Qatar, The Sun have reported that the Potters have slapped a £25m price tag on their coveted centre-back.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are allegedly frontrunners, with new head coach Julen Lopetgeui searching to inject his essence into the Molineux, but Hammers boss David Moyes is also desperately seeking a remedy to ail their toiling campaign, and instilling a sturdy defensive rock could pave the way for future success.

Can revive the Hammers’ poor season

Many of the Hammers faithful must hold a certain sense of incredulity when staring at their team’s landslide of a decline, despite the lucrative summer spending and star-studded quality littered across every department of the pitch.

Indeed, after two momentous years under Moyes’ sagely wing, West Ham now perch precariously in 16th place after 16 matches, one point above 18th-placed Wolves and currently enduring a four-match losing skid. 

With ten losses already in the league this season, not even at the midpoint – last term, the Irons suffered 14 defeats – a revitalised presence in the mould of Souttar could in turn breathe fresh life into the squad, provide some solidarity in defence and rekindle the resilience that has seemingly evaporated over the past months.

Making just the four appearances this term in the Championship, due to his extensive layoff, the 24-year-old has yet to taste defeat, winning twice and drawing the other two.

Recording an average rating of 6.8, steadily acclimatising back to the relentless life within English football, making 1.5 tackles and forging an incredible 8.5 clearances per outing for the Potters.

As per Sofascore, the 6 foot 6 titan was immense in Qatar, etching a rating of 6.97 into the system as his assurance and physical presence at the back secured second place from the group phase, with the nation losing valiantly to eventual champions Argentina. 

He completed 83% of his passes while making 1.5 interceptions, 1.0 tackles and 5.5 clearances per game – his sweeping approach is evident, and the Irons owners – David Gold and David Sullivan with Karren Brady (GSB), would reap the rewards at the London Stadium in rebuffing the offensive advances of Premier League opposition.

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During the World Cup, Pat Nevin, commentating for BBC 5 Live (via the Stoke Sentinel) lauded the colossus for having “a magnet in his head,” and he will certainly enjoy success as a repelling force in front of the West Ham goal, bolstering the side at both ends of the pitch and thus helping to steer the ship back on its course.

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.

Under Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace have become an exciting, youthful team that will surely be targeting a spot in European football in the not-too-distant future.

The French manager ditched a number of players that had stagnated under the stale ending to Roy Hodgson’s time with the Eagles and brought in fresh-faced talents such as Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Odsonne Edouard.

However, there are still a few players from the Hodgson regime that remain at Selhurst Park, when it would perhaps be better for all parties if they moved on.

One such example is veteran midfielder, James McArthur. The former Scotland international joined the club from Wigan Athletic in 2014 and has been a superb servant in the eight years since, making 249 appearances for the club and contributing 19 goals and 23 assists.

His playing time has understandably dwindled in recent seasons but injury issues have meant that he is yet to play a single minute of the current campaign and it seems unlikely at this point that the 35-year-old will ever be a regular in Vieira’s side again.

The 35-year-old already fell behind in the pecking order with the summer arrival of Cheick Doucoure and if Palace do bring in another midfielder during the January transfer window, it may well be curtains for McArthur at Selhurst Park.

While his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, Vieira should certainly consider the possibility of moving him on sooner, as his £55k-per-week wage is currently going down the drain, and could definitely be spent more wisely.

It would be a ruthless decision to get rid of a player who has been a big part of Palace’s identity for nearly a decade, but football is a ruthless business and the Scottish midfielder no longer offers what he once did for the Eagles.

McArthur may have been described as a “leader” and a “manager’s dream” in the past by the Athletic’s Matt Woosnam but injury problems have meant that his time at the club could end on a sour note, as Vieira cannot afford to have injury-prone veterans in his side if he wants to continue the youthful transformation that Palace have undergone under his tenure.

Everton remain interested in poaching an exciting talent from the Serie A…

What’s the latest?

According to Italian outlet Mondo Udinese (via Sport Witness), the Toffees have not given up in their pursuit of Udinese centre-back Rodrigo Becao.

The Merseyside outfit have maintained an interest since the summer, with the players’ agents still working to push the move through and find a solution to benefit all parties.

Recent reports have also claimed that a fee of around €13m (£11.2m) will be needed to initiate the deal, but that should prove attainable for the Premier League outfit despite their reported financial troubles.

Ditch Keane

It seems like every manager to enter Goodison Park since Ronald Koeman has been searching for a solution to the club’s long-standing defensive issues.

When the Dutchman first unloaded £30m to sign the 29-year-old Michael Keane, it was thought he would provide the foundation with which Farhad Moshiri’s new era could truly begin.

However, what they received was a defender that often struggles for confidence and is prone to clumsy errors that have left Evertonians furious over the years.

This was no better exemplified than in his return to the side as the Toffees travelled to Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.

Making just his second start of the season, he shipped four goals and endured a SofaScore rating of 6.1.

With two years remaining on his £80k-per-week deal, it seems the nightmare is far from over.

However, with Becao, it would offer a fourth quality centre-back for Frank Lampard to rely upon instead of Keane and Yerry Mina.

Already boasting two stalwarts in Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, and the youthful excellence of Ben Godfrey, the Brazilian could offer a fine blend of the two at just 26 years old.

The 6 foot 2 goliath is something of a front-foot defender, enjoying stepping out to receive the ball or make tackles that can set his team away on the counter.

He has averaged 3.0 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game this season in Serie A, earning him a 7.10 average rating (via SofaScore).

His defensive displays even led journalist Bruno Queiroz to dub him “insurmountable”.

Sitting at the heart of the seventh-best defence in his division, he could bring vast experience and yet learn so much from the quality already on Merseyside.

There must be a reason that Everton have held an interest in him for so long, and if it meant the end of Keane’s career at the club, it would surely have the fans rejoicing.

Wolves have been handed a boost in their hopes of appointing a new permanent manager as a big update has emerged regarding Vitor Pereira. 

The Lowdown: A move on the cards?

The Old Gold have been without a permanent manager in the dugout since the decision was made to sack Bruno Lage earlier this month.

Since then, the Midlands club have won one and lost three of the four league games that Steve Davis has had in interim charge, leading to reports that the club could go back on their decision to stick with Davis.

Now, they may have a potential breakthrough on their hands over the possibility of seeing Pereira become their new head coach.

The Latest

According to journalist Jorge Nicola (via Sport Witness), a behind-the-scenes update has emerged regarding Pereira’s current position in charge of Corinthians, with Wolves name-checked in the report.

It was reported earlier this week that Molineux could be a potential next destination for the 54-year-old.

Nicola said: “An important source of mine at Corinthians assured me that Vitor Pereira has already informed the president, Duilio Monteiro Alves, the football coordinator, Alessandro Nunes, and director of football, Roberto de Andrade, that he is not staying for the next season. He has a number of reasons that justify his decision.”

The Brazilian season ends before the World Cup.

The Verdict

Having managed several clubs across a wide variety of countries, the Portuguese manager took charge of Corinthians back in February.

With 58 matches under his belt at the Brazilian club, Pereira, known for an attack-minded set-up loosely translating to a 4-3-3, has seen his side win 26 of them, drawing 15 and losing 17 along the way.

Moving forward, if the Wolves hierarchy feel that Pereira is the right candidate to take over from Davis, then his decision to part ways with the Brazilian club could be the first major step in making it happen.

Newcastle United will reportedly make an offer for Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Goalkeeper conundrum

The St. James’ Park outfit have a bit of a goalkeeper conundrum at the moment, with Martin Dubravka allowed to leave on loan to Manchester United in the summer, while Loris Karius was signed as a free agent and Nick Pope was brought in from Burnley.

Should Dubrvaka return to the North East, it would leave them with four senior goalkeepers in the squad if Karl Darlow is also in the mix, meaning there may need to be a bit of an overhaul behind first-choice Pope.

The Latest: Cakir offer ready

As per Sabah (via Sport Witness), the Tynesiders ‘will make an offer’ for Cakir at the end of the season, after ‘closely following’ his recent performances.

A player that was linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer, Trabzonspor are aiming for a fee of €20m (£17.6m) in order to prize him away.

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The Verdict: Not needed?

As good of a goalkeeper Cakir is, having played 171 times for Trabzonspor and boasting 21 caps for Turkey (Transfermarkt), the Magpies should not be looking to sign the six-foot-three colossus this summer.

They will need to sort out Dubravka’s future first of all, and have already signed Pope to cement himself as Eddie Howe’s number one.

Having played in European competition this season, added to the fact that he is captain of his club, Cakir would likely not want to leave to play second fiddle anyway, and so this is a move that seems unlikely to happen unless at least one of the other goalkeepers are moved on.

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has heaped praise on Rodrigo Bentancur after Saturday’s 6-2 victory over Leicester City.

The Lowdown: Spurs’ win against Leicester

The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes for the Lilywhites at the weekend as they ripped a struggling Foxes side to shreds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Uruguay international bagged his first goal for the north London club since arriving at Hotspur Way in January, also adding an assist to his emphatic performance.

After the game, Spurs teammate Eric Dier showered praise on the 25-year-old, saying the “biggest compliment” he could pay Bentancur was “we play well when he plays well” (via football.london).

The Latest: Robinson full of praise

Robinson, who made 175 appearances for the Lilywhites, has hailed Bentancur for his incredible start to life in a Tottenham shirt, impressed by his recent performance against Leicester.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former goalkeeper said:

“He has been amazing since he has come in. Him and Kulusevski have been fantastic signings.

“Players take different amounts of time to settle into the Premier League. Bentancur was given a birth in the team early and has since made himself undroppable. He is one of the first names on the teamsheet. He has offensive and defensive capabilities.

“The team has improved a lot under Antonio Conte and Bentancur is a big part of that.

“Everyone thought [Yves] Bissouma would come into the team when Spurs signed him in the summer but Bentancur and [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg have been that good.

“Bentancur is a player that goes under the radar, but he’s been sensational. His all-round performance is excellent, it really has.”

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The Verdict: Bentancur flying

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the 88th percentile for pass completion, in the 85th percentile for pressures and in the 82nd percentile for assists.

These wide-spread attributes illustrate why Bentancur has been such a good fit for the Premier League, especially considering he was used to player at a slower pace in Serie A.

With statistical comparisons made to the likes of Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets, Liverpool’s Fabinho and Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, it is little surprise to see such praise for the Uruguayan, who is proving to be a great signing for Tottenham.

Aston Villa were busy in the transfer window until the final hours of deadline day – signing Leander Dendoncker late on – and Steven Gerrard will be hoping that he and the powers at Villa Park have done it enough to adequately strengthen the squad.

The Villains aren’t having the best start to their Premier League campaign, taking just four points from their first six outings this season, but now that the transfer window has shut Gerrard will need to persist with the players he has to find the best solution to recover from their slow start.

One player who the club did miss out on was Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Moura – the Brazilian who had been the subject of interest for several clubs, including Newcastle United.

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed Villa’s interest on Twitter last Friday: “Newcastle wanted Lucas Moura as they approached Tottenham during deadline day, same for Aston Villa. Spurs decided to keep the player, never been advanced. Lucas future remains open as he’s out of contract in June 2023 and there are chances for a free move.”

While Villa could go in for the player in the winter transfer window or get him on a free transfer next summer, Moura could’ve been just what Gerrard needs in the forward line to add elite Premier League experience and a fresh attacking mind to the team in order to help inspire more winners.

The winger who was hailed “unreal” by Dan King has found himself out of favour in Antonio Conte’s side at Spurs after the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, but has been a consistent performer over his four years with the club.

Moura has scored 38 goals and delivered 27 assists to his teammates over 204 appearances in north London – with a goal contribution every 180 minutes of football played, proving that he is a goal threat that can be relied upon.

Not only that, the “incredible” winger’s experience of working with one of the most successful strike partnerships in the league between Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min could have been a huge boost for Villa.

Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings haven’t had the best time in terms of connecting their goal-scoring talents over last season and the current campaign, with the duo now battling it out to be the lead marksman in Gerrard’s starting eleven after failing to work well together.

Together they have scored 20 Premier League goals since Ings joined the team last summer, with Watkins scoring 12 and the former Southampton striker delivering eight, and if Villa want to start picking up three-pointers the pair need to do more.

With that being said, adding Moura into the front three to offer the creativity and service the pair are clearly desperate for could’ve put Gerrard onto a winner in finding the solution to their low goal tally over the season so far, and not signing the Brazilian could be a decision the manager will regret.

Arsenal have opened their Premier League campaign with two successive wins as Mikel Arteta aims to take them back into the promised land of the Champions League next season.

Wins over Crystal Palace and Leicester City have brought the feel-good factor back to the Emirates Stadium, and with the Spaniard adding quality to his team with the summer signings of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Viera, there is a real sense of optimism around N5.

The performance against Leicester showcased Arsenal’s new-found attacking talents, with Jesus netting twice and grabbing two assists as SofaScore gave him a rating of 8.9, the best of anyone on the pitch.

However, they weren’t as rock solid defensively as they had been against Crystal Palace the previous week, with a few poor performers against the Foxes. Playing out of position at right-back, Ben White received a 6.4 rating and was the joint second-worst Arsenal player on the day.

With that in mind, Arteta should unleash Japanese right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu against Bournemouth this evening in place of White. With the Englishman not a natural full-back, the balance of the team wasn’t the most ideal in their win over Leicester.

Tomiyasu came on for White for the final 15 minutes last Saturday and received a 6.5 rating from SofaScore, better than what the ex-Brighton defender managed in his 75 minutes of action.

The Japan international completed 88% of his passes in his cameo appearance and had ten touches. He only lost possession once, whereas White gave up the ball 11 times against Leicester, which suggests that the right-hand side was a weakness for Arsenal.

The 23-year-old impressed in his first season at the Emirates, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.83 (ranking him fifth in the Gunners’ squad) while also winning 2.2 aerial duels per match, more than any of his current team-mates.

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams had nothing but praise for Tomiyasu following one of his first matches for the team, describing him as “excellent” in last September’s win over Tottenham, and the £56k-p/w gem certainly looks like a more logical option at right-back than White.

With that in mind, Arteta must unleash Tomiyasu against Bournemouth this evening as Arsenal aim for three wins on the bounce, which would take them top of the Premier League overnight if they can leave the Vitality Stadium with all three points.

According to recent reports, Newcastle United’s reported interest in Leicester City playmaker James Maddison could see goalkeeper Martin Dubravka head in the other direction.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Mail, the Slovakia international could potentially be used as part of a swap deal to land the Foxes midfielder, with Brendan Rodgers’ side believed to have ‘shown an interest’ in the 33-year-old this summer.

The report outlines how the Magpies had seen a bid in the region of £40m rejected for the England international, with further reports outlining that a subsequent £50m offer has also been rebuffed, with the Midlands side holding out for around £60m for the 25-year-old.

Dubravka’s inclusion could then prove crucial in reaching an agreement between the two clubs – amid Financial Fair Play restrictions for the northeast side – with Leicester seemingly eyeing a replacement for Kasper Schmeichel, following the Dane’s surprise switch to Ligue 1 side Nice.

Howe can rid himself of Dubravka

The use of the Newcastle stopper in the deal could well then be of great use to both parties, with Rodgers and co getting a Premier League-ready solution to help fill their goalkeeping void, while the Tynesiders will be able to rid themselves of a player who could well be surplus to requirements this summer.

The St James’ Park outfit have acted to bring in former Burnley colossus Nick Pope so far this summer, with the indication being that the 30-year-old will be manager Eddie Howe’s first-choice option this season.

With Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie also in reserve, the former Bournemouth boss already has plenty of depth in his goalkeeping ranks, with it set to be no real setback if Dubravka is to be moved on before the September deadline.

While the former Sparta Prague man – who arrived in England on an initial loan deal four and a half years ago – did make 26 top-flight appearances last term, the £44k-per-week dud came in for criticism for his performances on occasion, with pundit Tim Sherwood labelling him “poor” following a mistake against Brighton last season.

His exit will also prove no real loss if it does lead to the arrival of the aforementioned Maddison, with the former Norwich City star undoubtedly set to be a major acquisition for the ambitious club if a deal can be struck.

Once labelled “world-class” by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate for his set-piece quality, the £45m-rated ace has proven himself to be a hugely influential attacking force at the King Power Stadium in recent times, notably enjoying a particularly profitable 2021/22 campaign.

That stellar season on a personal note saw the one-cap gem net 12 goals and provide eight assists in 35 games across all competitions, while further showcasing his creative prowess by averaging 1.4 key passes per game.

That stunning form unsurprisingly saw the Coventry-born superstar record a hugely impressive average match rating of 7.32, as per SofaScore, with that figure higher than every member of the Newcastle squad last season bar Kieran Tripper – albeit with the latter man making just six top-flight appearances due to injury.

That illustrates just what vital figure Maddison can be for Howe’s side for the forthcoming season, with there unlikely to be few tears shed if Dubravka is to be used to get the deal over the line.