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Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was not his usual self in the 0-0 draw against Arsenal on Tuesday and journalist Craig Hope has suggested he looks like he needs a rest.

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe’s men were able to earn themselves a valuable point on the road to the Premier League leaders on Tuesday as they held out the league’s second-highest goalscorers to their first home blank this season.

The point kept the Magpies sitting pretty up in third spot of the table but made it just two points from a possible six in their last two games following their draw at home to Leeds United.

However, Hope did notice during the game at the Emirates Stadium that their star man, Guimaraes, did not exactly appear to be playing to his full potential with the Daily Mail journalist suggesting he could possibly benefit from a rest when speaking on his YouTube channel:

“I thought Bruno in particular at times is just missing that spark that we’d seen earlier in the season and towards the back end of last year.

“And that’s on the back of being away with, with Brazil, really, for the best part of four weeks, he hasn’t really had a break, he came pretty much straight back in it at Newcastle.

“He looks like maybe someone who could do with a little bit of a rest. He’s just lost that little bit of zip about him, hasn’t he, at the moment.”

  Bruno burnout?

It has been an exceptional start to the season for the Toon and that has drawn parallel to the impressive form of the Brazilian maestro who has not even been playing Premier League football for a year yet.

Guimaraes has been a regular feature in Howe’s side with 15 appearances in the Premier League to his name and all of them coming from the starting XI (via Transfermarkt).

And to add to that, the 25-year-old has had too deal with a hamstring issue back in the early stages of the campaign which saw him miss three of Newcastle’s league games.

On average this season, Guimaraes has averaged around 66 touches of the ball per 90, whereas, against the north London side he only managed 47 touches.

It was a game which the home side dominated with 67% possession, but this stat is perhaps evidence of the Brazilian’s lack of influence on the game which he committed three fouls and lost the ball eight times (via SofaScore).

Although Guimaraes did not feature that much for Brazil – just 67 minutes in total – it is also worth remembering the midfielder has not long returned from the World Cup following his country’s disappointing exit.

However, there is no break planned for Newcastle over the coming weeks with games aplenty ahead of Howe’s side who face a further three games before the end of next week.

But this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Sheffield Wednesday could offer Howe the opportunity to rest some of his stars with a trip to the League One side potentially a chance for some of the fringe players to show their worth.

Following the scores of reports preceding the looking January transfer window, there is a clear onus on defensive reinforcements at Chelsea…

In an ideal world, Chelsea boss Graham Potter would secure the signing of Josko Gvardiol, one of the most desired names in world football at present, and be on his merry way with the 20-year-old colossus for years to come.

The seismic transfer tag – €100m (£85m) – however, could prove to be a spanner in the works and as such the Blues have shifted attention to alternative targets, with Milan Skriniar one of the latest high-profile names to enter the rumour mill. 

According to CalcioMercato, Potter is looking to close in on a transfer and secure the player’s services, with a new contract with Inter Milan failing to materialise. 

And now the Premier League could soon be blessed with another stellar defensive addition, a ball-playing titan who could lift the Blues back towards the eminent standing that the devout fanbase demands.

Bye-bye Koulibaly

Following the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger in the summer, Chelsea responded with the acquisition of Wesley Fofana from Leicester City for an initial £70m and Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £33m.

The former has been beset with injury issues, but the latter has failed to transfer his excellent performances in Italy to Stamford Bridge with any real regularity, and now Chelsea’s former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach is looking to instil defensive authority sooner rather than later.

Whether Koulibaly would be ousted from the club following the arrival of the likes of Skriniar remains to be seen, but it would add a sheen of pedigree that could go a long way for a prestigious club currently languishing below expectations in seventh place.

Certainly, though, if Koulibaly’s start to life in London is anything to go by, someone of the £91k-per-week Skriniar’s ilk could signal the end to his short stay in the starting XI.

The Inter centre-back has made 236 appearances for his prominent outfit, scoring 11 goals and winning the Serie A and Coppa Italia, and he could certainly bring his level of excellence to Potter’s team with emphatic effect.

As per FBref, the 27-year-old ranks within the top 3% of centre-backs throughout Europe’s major leagues for pass completion over the last year, with Rudiger coincidentally his sixth most compatible positional peer.

The “monster”, as hailed by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, would be an exemplary signing for Christopher Vivell, someone in the mould of Potter’s pass-centred philosophy, someone who could finally provide the cohesion and stability the club has been lacking.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly identified a score of targets as the January transfer window approaches, with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries at the top of the winter shopping list. 

With the right-back position an area that Ten Hag is actively seeking to replenish, the marauding Netherlands sensation has been highlighted for a move, following his impressive exploits at the World Cup in Qatar.

According to prominent Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona hold an interest in Diogo Dalot, who has recently emerged as the first-choice right-back at Old Trafford. The report adds that United may sanction the departure of the 23-year-old if terms cannot be agreed with the Portuguese defender.

With Dumfries available for around €55m (£48m), Dalot’s prospective departure could set the wheels in motion and provide the Red Devils with an upgrade at right-back. 

An upgrade on Dalot

Dumfries has made 20 appearances for Inter this season, scoring two goals and setting up a further three as the Nerazzurri chase silverware. 

However, it is his endeavours for the Netherlands at the World Cup which have truly reaffirmed his stature as a “deadly” weapon to wield down the right flank. As per Sofascore, the 42-cap ace started all five matches for his nation in Qatar, contributing with a goal and two assists – all clinched in a remarkable 8.6-rated performance in the round of 16 against USA. 

It was the complete package from Dumfries which would have pleased the likes of Ten Hag, with his 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game highlighting his defensive aptitude when called upon, despite thriving as an attacking outlet. 

Hailed for his “breathless” displays by the likes of Micah Richards, the 26-year-old would likely harness his forward-thinking approach and merge with the United manager’s own philosophy to wreak havoc on Premier League defences. 

Dalot, while a promising prospect, simply does not offer the same level of creative flair as Dumfries, with United seeking new dimensions for the forward effort to drive a charge for silverware.

The Portuguese defender has made just seven goal contributions in 85 games for United, just two more than the Dutchman has managed in 20 appearances this term, so Dumfries would certainly offer an attacking upgrade.

With Barcelona lurking around the corner, seemingly intent on forging a deal for the 23-year-old, the Red Devils could look to maximise their profit from the deal and issue a like-for-like switch by placing Dumfries into the fray.

Reportedly earning £55k-per-week at Inter, Dumfries is demonstrating on the biggest stage that he can offer the skill set to fix Man United’s right-back issues; and with the desire for major honours intensifying among the Old Trafford fan base – the club last clinched silverware in 2017 – Dumfries could be the catalyst for change.

Newcastle United may well be wise to step up their reported interest in Juventus goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, with the experienced gem having proven his quality while in action for Poland at the World Cup.

Reports back in October suggested that the Magpies’ sporting director Dan Ashworth had been keeping tabs on the 32-year-old for ‘some time’ – alongside a number of other unnamed Premier League clubs – with an offer of around €18m (£15.5m) seemingly said to be enough to prise the former Arsenal man from Turin.

The piece also claimed that the Warsaw-born colossus is facing an uncertain future with the Old Lady due to his current contract status, with the 6 foot 5 menace having just 18 months left on his existing deal at the Allianz Stadium.

The 70-cap menace – who has racked up 76 clean sheets in 190 games during his five-year stay with Il Bianconeri – will likely have put himself in the shop window as a result of his stunning form in Qatar, having been integral in helping to guide his nation out of the group stage.

The £200k-per-week man recorded two clean sheets and made 23 saves from his four outings in the competition, notably saving a vital penalty on the stroke of half-time in the win over Saudi Arabia in the second group game.

Szczesny was then able to replicate that impact in the subsequent clash against Argentina, brilliantly denying the iconic figure of Lionel Messi from the penalty spot after having been harshly penalised for a foul on the Paris Saint-Germain genius that led to the spot-kick.

That save to deny the former Barcelona talisman was notably lauded by St James’ Park legend, Alan Shearer, with the striker-turned-pundit stating: “It’s a really good save. Poland have got their goalkeeper to thank for getting them through to the next round. He was magnificent tonight.”

Such a contribution ultimately helped to secure his nation’s place in the last-16 despite the eventual defeat to the Copa America holders, although the one-time Gunners ace was then helpless to prevent the loss to a Kylian Mbappe-inspired France in that first knockout round.

Even so, the ‘keeper’s overall performance should well have caught the attention of those on Tyneside, having recorded an average match rating of 7.92, as per Sofascore – the fourth-best in the competition as a whole – while he also ranks top for average saves made (5.3).

While summer signing Nick Pope is currently thriving for the northeast side – having been part of a league-best defensive unit that has shipped just 11 goals this season – the ten-cap Englishman is arguably unable to match that big game experience, having remained on the sidelines for the Three Lions in Qatar thus far.

Equally, Szczesny also has a better record with regards to goals against in comparison to those in his position in Europe as the Pole averages 0.93 goals conceded per 90 and has a 40% clean sheet percentage, while Pope averages 1.00 conceded per 90 and has a 37.8% clean sheet percentage.

For all the former Burnley man’s brilliance this season, Eddie Howe and co could seemingly land a possible upgrade in the form of the World Cup hero, with the latter man also providing the benefit of regular Champions League and major tournament involvement.

Following the one-time Roma loanee’s displays of late, Ashworth would well be wise to consider making a concrete approach in the winter window.

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has been dealt a blow after being left out of Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, according to reports over the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Making the step up

The Premier League veteran only made ten top-flight starts last season but has already matched that number this term, having played a much more significant role since the departure of Sadio Mane over the summer.

Selecao manager Tite was one of the first international coaches to name his squad travelling to Qatar later this month, although there was a noticeable name missing from the list.

The Latest: Firmino omitted by Tite

On Tuesday morning, Sky Sports shared news of Brazil’s final 26-man squad, relaying that Firmino has been ‘left out’ and will not be competing at the World Cup, alongside three other players (Renan Lodi, Roban Ibanez and Matheus Cunha) who were cut from the penultimate squad from September.

The report states that Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, who only has three caps for his country, has been ‘preferred’ to the Reds forward. However, the 31-year-old’s Liverpool team-mates Alisson Becker and Fabinho have made the cut.

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The Verdict: Wrong decision

Firmino obviously isn’t getting any younger, although the decision to stop him from going to the tournament is the wrong one when you look at his form in the current campaign.

Dubbed a ‘stalwart’ by Jamie Carragher, the forward has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, and is currently averaging 2.5 shots per league game, the third-most of any Liverpool player in 2022/23.

The Anfield star is the only straight replacement that Brazil have for Neymar, so Tite is taking a huge risk by not having sufficient squad depth in the top area of the pitch.

Manchester City are ‘ready to submit’ an offer for ‘rising star’ defender Sam Curtis, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Begiristain busy?

Sporting director Txiki Begiristain has arguably just experienced one of the most hectic summer windows of his Etihad Stadium career.

The City chief orchestrated a plethora of major signings with deals to sign marquee big name Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Stefan Ortega, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez.

Begiristain was also locked in exit talks with long-serving mainstays like Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fernandinho, who all left Eastlands – not to mention a few promising youngsters.

On the field, Pep Guardiola’s side are flying high as they seek to retain their third-successive Premier League title, but off it, the Sky Blues remain pretty busy.

The Latest: City ‘ready’ Curtis offer…

According to recent reports, City are lining up one of Ireland’s most promising young stars.

Football Insider claim they are ‘ready to submit an offer’ for St Patrick’s Athletic defender Curtis with the English giants even sending scouts to watch him recently.

The ‘rising star’ has also been looked at by Roma, Bayer Leverkusen and Feyenoord but it’s City who are ‘racing’ to get a deal done for the 16-year-old.

Highly versatile, the Irishman can play at right-back or centre-half, and he is already an ‘established member’ of St Patrick’s senior side despite his very young age.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The fact he is already playing regular first team football at 16 highlights his real potential.

Having been called ‘phenomenal’ by St. Pat’s boss Tim Clancy, Curtis also played a starring role in the League of Ireland side’s chase for European qualification.

The teenager appears to be an exciting talent and a real one to watch, leaving little wonder City scouts have taken note of his real exploits.

West Ham United boast a proud history of developing exciting young prospects into first-team stars, with the Academy of Football’s alumni boasting names such as Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson, Mark Noble and current central midfield sensation Declan Rice.

However, while all of these aforementioned players made their breakthrough into senior football while still at West Ham, the club recently lost the services of a talent who looks as if he could be on course to join this list of illustrious names in the not-too-distant future, all before he had a proper chance to impress in the first-team – Sonny Perkins.

Indeed, despite highly impressing in the Hammers’ youth setup – scoring 21 goals and registering five assists over 55 appearances for the Irons’ U18 and U21 sides – the 18-year-old rejected the club’s offer of a professional contract this summer, instead deciding upon a move to Leeds United on a free transfer.

And, considering the remarkable numbers the centre-forward is already putting up for the Whites, the West Ham board’s decision to not offer the teenager a “first-team wage” in order to keep him at the London Stadium is already looking to be something of a shocker for David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

Indeed, over his five Premier League 2 appearances so far this season, the £1.08m-rated forward has already scored six goals – bagging at least once in every game he has played for Leeds – with these returns seeing the teenager who Leeds Live journalist Will Jackson dubbed “red hot” win the league’s Player of the Month award in August.

However, it has not only been at club level the striker has been catching the eye, as Perkins also bagged five goals in three outings for England’s U19s in the recent international break – including a first-half hat-trick against Georgia – taking his total to 11 goals in eight games this season – registering a goal contribution every 71 minutes of football played since leaving West Ham.

As such, it is clear to see that, in losing the 18-year-old who ExWHUemployee dubbed the “next Declan Rice” and James Marschment said could become a “£30m player”, West Ham have kissed goodbye to an exceptionally talented player – an outcome that could prove to be one of GSB’s biggest shockers of their reign in east London.

West Ham United could re-join the race to sign Torino full-back Ola Aina in January, coming after club owners GSBK had a summer bid rejected. 

The Lowdown: Hammers spending spree…

The last transfer window was arguably West Ham’s most eventful and enjoyable for many years with manager David Moyes receiving real financial backing from the board.

GSBK (Gold, Sullivan, Brady and Kretinsky) and head of recruitment Rob Newman set out to bolster the Hammers squad with eight major Premier League signings in total.

Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson Palmieri and club record signing Lucas Paqueta all arrived at the London Stadium – signalling real intent to the rest of the division.

The Latest: West Ham could re-join Aina race…

However, according to allnigeriasoccer.com, West Ham could have made even more signings.

Aina was apparently on Moyes’ radar and the east Londoners even had a summer bid rejected for the Nigeria international, but that isn’t all she wrote.

ANS go on to state West Ham have been ‘tracking’ the 25-year-old since last season and ‘could revive their interest’ in the coming months.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Vladimir Coufal is entering the twilight phase of his career and Harrison Ashby is being repeatedly linked with an exit from Rush Green, potentially meaning West Ham should contemplate signing a long-term alternative to Ben Johnson at right-back.

Aina could be a brilliant option in this regard with members of the media hailing him as one of the Chelsea academy’s ‘unbelievable’ talents in recent years.

He’s also proved he can cut it in the English top flight during an impressive spell on loan at Fulham over the 2020/2021 season.

Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Atletico Madrid left-back Renan Lodi on loan this summer, reports transfer window expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Fantastic season

The 24-year-old enjoyed a brilliant campaign under Diego Simeone last season after playing a pivotal role in the side’s domestic and continental competition runs.

The Brazil international played in all of Atletico’s Champions League games, helping the team reach the quarter-finals, in which they were knocked out by Premier League winners Manchester City.

In 29 La Liga appearances, Lodi produced two goals and three assists, cementing himself as an important player for Simeone – whether that be as part of the starting XI or coming off the bench as a substitute.

The Latest: Forest’s interest

After news emerged linking Lodi with a move to Forest, Romano has now shared an update on the progress of a potential deal.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed:

“Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Renan Lodi on loan from Atletico Madrid. €5m loan fee offered, also buy option could be included – around €30m. #NFFC

“Talks still ongoing on clubs and player side, but Forest are pushing after Atletico changed their position on LB.”

The Verdict: Huge signing

Given Lodi has been considered by the likes of Man City this summer, his arrival at the City Ground would demonstrate a huge change in Forest’s pulling power in the transfer market, having emerged as a big spender as a new Premier League side.

According to FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the left-back ranks in the 98th percentile for progressive passes received, in the 95th percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 92nd percentile for assists, providing major creative influence from the flank.

The Brazil international, who has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by journalist Sam Leveridge, would make an incredible addition for Steve Cooper’s squad, with Champions League experience an obvious standout on the player’s CV.

There has been an update regarding the future of Rangers striker, Alfredo Morelos, at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

As per El Futbolero, Cruz Azul are believed to be keen on signing the 26-year-old this summer, with the Rangers star facing an uncertain future in Glasgow with just 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Previous reports earlier this summer had suggested that Rangers could be willing to listen to offers for the 11-cap menace, if his contract situation is not resolved.

The former HJK Helsinki man – who joined the Old Firm outfit for just £1m back in 2017 – made his return from injury in the win over Kilmarnock on Saturday, having been absent since the end of March with a thigh issue.

Late summer disaster

‘The Buffalo’ marked his long-awaited comeback with a goal off the bench to help steer Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side to victory, although amid this latest interest the hope will be that it won’t also have been a farewell outing for the prolific Colombian brute.

With a second-leg, Champions League qualifying clash against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise to come on Tuesday evening, the likelihood is that Morelos hasn’t yet played his final game for the Gers, although doubts will continue to creep in the longer his contract remains unsolved.

This latest interest should hopefully spur sporting director Ross Wilson into action to get a new deal on the table, with it set to prove a late summer disaster if the 5 foot 10 marksman is to be snapped up by a potential suitor with just a matter of weeks remaining in the window.

That would leave the Scottish Premiership side with little time to secure an adequate replacement, while the fact he has just under a year left remaining on his existing deal would likely lead to a cut-price sale were he to depart.

Having already seen Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo head to Ajax and Southampton, respectively, it would seemingly be an even greater blow to see the £33k-per-week star join them on the list of outgoings, such has been the striker’s impact at the club over the past five seasons.

In that time, the £11.7m-rated powerhouse has netted 114 goals and provided 51 assists in 225 games in all competitions for the club, with the “unplayable” asset – as dubbed by former boss Steven Gerrard – having emerged as something of a talisman in recent times.

Losing such an influential figure – particularly at this stage in the window – would be a significant and unwanted headache for Van Bronckhorst and co.