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West Ham United are eyeing up a move for a young Premier League full-back as David Moyes looks to strengthen his squad…

What’s the news?

According to TEAMtalk transfer insider Graeme Bailey, West Ham have joined the race to sign Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh, alongside Newcastle United and Crystal Palace. There is also interest from the continent, with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig also keen on signing him.

The 20-year-old has just 18 months remaining on his contract and Bailey confirmed that Leeds had tried to tie down Drameh to a long-term deal, although talks have now stalled and a January exit looks a possibility.

Coufal replacement

West Ham are willing to sell Vladimir Coufal in January, with the right-back starting just seven Premier League matches this season, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.78/10, it appears Moyes is looking at a much younger replacement.

Drameh has only featured twice for Leeds this season, being kept out of the team on a regular basis by Rasmus Kristensen, however, his performances haven’t also been great and with Leeds holding the joint-fourth worst defensive record in the league, the problems at the back need to be solved.

Drameh could be one for the future, although he has impressed in the Premier League 2 this season, grabbing three assists in just five games and he has also been capped for England at U18, U20 and U21 level, showing that he is extremely talented and needs to be given more senior game time to continue his development.

The 20-year-old did spend some time on loan at Cardiff City last season, playing 22 times and registering three assists and he clearly impressed manager Steve Morison, who dubbed the player “phenomenal” following an excellent display against Peterborough United in February.

Moyes might find it tough to lure the right back, who can also play on the left, to the London Stadium, especially considering Leeds would rather avoid selling a promising youngster to a league rival.

With Coufal seemingly approaching his final few weeks at the club, signing Drameh would mean Moyes has a potential replacement for the 30-year-old, whilst also building ahead for the future.

Manchester City have already ‘started talks’ with Borussia Dortmund over the possible signing of England star Jude Bellingham, according to reports.

The Lowdown: City eye Bellingham move…

Alongside the likes of Liverpool and other interested parties, the Premier League champions are thought to be real suitors for the 19-year-old who has emerged as one of Europe’s most in-demand rising stars.

Club captain Ilkay Gundogan’s current Etihad Stadium deal expires at the end of this season, potentially motivating manager Pep Guardiola to contemplate replacements for the German.

After sealing the 2021/2022 title with an heroic brace on the final day, Gundogan’s days in Manchester could be numbered, and it appears the Sky Blues do in fact see Bellingham as someone who could come in.

The Latest: City have ‘started talks’ for Bellingham…

According to recent reports, Guardiola’s side have already ‘started talks’ with Dortmund over the possible signing of Bellingham.

This information comes courtesy of journalist Rudy Galetti, writing for Tribal Football, who claims City have begun negotiations to ‘go deep on the situation’.

It’s added that they ‘could try to get ahead’ of the competition by ‘speeding things up’ to sign the Bundesliga superstar.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The queue for Bellingham will be growing and growing, especially after his brilliant individual performances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Called a ‘monster’ by members of the media, Dortmund’s main man has been their shining light so far this campaign, ranking as their best-performer by average match rating (WhoScored).

If City can beat the likes of Liverpool to his signature, there is little doubting he would be a coup for Guardiola, but it could be difficult.

Karim Benzema, the beloved French striker, is truly an international sensation. After starting his career at Lyon in 2004, the now 35-year-old has cemented his legacy as one of the best strikers of his generation. In 2022, he lifted the UEFA Champions League as captain of Real Madrid, which subsequently led him to the coveted Balon d’Or.

But while the maverick striker is an iconic figure in the history of the most successful football club on the planet, his career for his country is a curious tale. Prior to his nation’s World Cup final showdown with Argentina getting underway on Sunday evening, ‘King Karim’ was in the headlines once again. He tweeted simply “I don’t care.”

Many had speculated that Benzema may have been fit and available for the final and that he may actually appear in the showpiece match. Then it was revealed that the Madrid marksman recovered from the injury which ruled him out of the World Cup in just three days. It was in fact manager Didier Deschamps’ decision to send Benzema home.

And some may say that decision was justified. Deschamps’ number one striker is Olivier Giroud, and he has been during his entire tenure in charge of Les Bleus. The former Arsenal striker led France to a second consecutive FIFA World Cup final, but one couldn’t help but wonder what the result may have been if Benzema started up top, alongside hat trick hero Kylian Mbappe.

Heading into the tournament, the French had been written off by many. A dismal UEFA Nations League campaign saw them lose home and away to Denmark and avoid relegation by just one point. Despite that, however, online sportsbook Bovada, where you can find soccer bet odds and outrights, had made Deschamps’ side one of the favourites to lift the famous gold trophy.

In the end, though, it was Lionel Messi who finally got his crowning moment.

A Strained Relationship

During his long and successful career, Benzema has scored a remarkable 410 club goals as well as 37 for France. His stats speak for themselves. In addition to this, the Frenchman has amassed a collection of impressive honours, the most notable being four La Liga titles and five UEFA Champions Leagues.

Benzema has been part of the French national team since 2007, and he looked like he would be their main man for years to come when he bagged twice at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In recent years, however, his relationship with Didier Deschamps had become strained due to the latter’s decision to not include the striker in the 2018 World Cup squad. As we all remember, France went on to win that tournament while Benzema sat at home in Madrid.

Deschamps made a sensational U-turn last summer when he included the former Lyon man in his squad for the European Championships, his first international call-up in six years. And Benzema rewarded his manager’s decision with two goals in the tournament however, France crashed out in the second round after losing on penalties to Switzerland.

Real Madrid’s number nine continued to receive call-ups though and was crucial to his nation’s success in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final success.

But it appears that Benzema’s international career is now all but over. When comparing himself with Deschamps’ favoured striker Olivier Giroud, he once said that you “don’t compare Formula One with karting.” And maybe a Formula One car was exactly what France needed in the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday night, despite Mbappe’s heroics.

The Greatest World Cup Final of All Time?

While Benzema was once again sat at home – reportedly mulling over an offer from Manchester United – his compatriots were featuring in football’s greatest game. Les Bleus faced off with Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on December 18th, and the game will go down in history as one of the finest matches ever played.

It was La Albiceleste who raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of a Lionel Messi penalty and a brilliant sweeping move finished off by Angel Di Maria. As the game progressed, France simply had nothing to offer. They were outclassed in every department. But when you have the miraculous Kylian Mbappe on the pitch, anything is possible.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward slammed home two goals in 90 seconds to draw the French level when it looked as if they were dead and buried. The game would finish two apiece and head to extra time.

It looked as though Messi finally had his crowning moment when he gave his side the lead in the 108th minute. But back came France once again, with Mbappe netting from the penalty spot with just three minutes remaining to complete his hat trick.

A penalty shootout was required to determine a winner, and it was Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martinez who became the hero. He saved from Kinglsey Coman, while Aurélien Tchouaméni also missed the target, giving Argentina the famous gold trophy for the first time since the days of Maradona and cementing Messi’s legacy as the greatest of all time.

Photo by Unsplash

The January transfer window is only a matter of days away from opening and Aston Villa could be busy throughout the month in order to improve their squad.

It will be Unai Emery’s first chance to shape his side by bringing in his own players and the Spaniard may want to make an addition or two to give his side a lift heading into the second half of the campaign.

The club have already been linked with a number of players and it will be interesting to see which positions the former Villarreal boss deems in need of improvement.

Italian outlet Calciomercato recently reported that Villa are one of the clubs eyeing up a swoop to sign Chicago Fire centre-forward Jhon Duran next month, which indicates that the head coach wants to add to his attacking options.

They claimed that the Villans have submitted an offer to sign the attacker but that they are currently behind Portuguese giants Benfica, who have made a bid of €15m (£13m) for him, in the race for the gem’s signature.

Emery could land the heir to Ollie Watkins’ place in the team by beating the Liga Portugal side to this signing as the talented Colombian is a promising young striker.

The Chicago Fire marksman, who turned 19 earlier this month, has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 14 MLS starts this year, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.91.

He joined the MLS team at the start of 2022 after plundering nine goals in 46 senior appearances for Envigado FC in his home country and has caught the eye with his performances for the Fire.

Earlier this year, talent scout Jacek Kulig described the teenager as a “complete” and “powerful” striker who can be used as a counter-attacking “weapon”, whilst also praising his quality in the air.

Watkins, meanwhile, has been hailed for his well-rounded attacking play, with his pace on the counter and his aerial ability – as evidenced by his recent goal against Liverpool – being two of his biggest strengths.

This suggests that both players are similar in style and, therefore, Duran could be the long-term successor to the Englishman’s place in the team if the club are able to snap him up.

At the age of 19, the Colombian striker could be a signing for the future and a player Emery is able to work with on the training pitch, whilst allowing him to learn from the likes of Danny Ings and Watkins, before making him a key player further down the line.

Duran’s form in the MLS is promising and Villa must now take a punt on the teenager in January in the hope that he is able to fulfil his potential in the Premier League and become their starting number nine for many years to come.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter is searching for a new left-sided centre-back with credentials of the highest class to kickstart his tenure at the club.

What’s the word?

With intense speculation over the future of Croatia’s World Cup star Josko Gvardiol over the past several weeks, it seemed Chelsea were going to unleash the heavy artillery on the precocious ace. 

While that remains in question, The Athletic are now reporting that AS Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile is the frontrunner for a move to Stamford Bridge, with the Blues said to be keen on the defender.

A fee of roughly £30m has been quoted, which is dwarfed by the lucrative €100m (£85m) demands of RB Leipzig for Gvardiol, consequently bolstering Badiashile’s hope of joining the west London giants. 

“Complete”

Since Todd Boehly assumed the ownership role at Chelsea earlier this year, there has been a clear discernible trend to the transfer activity – with the onus on signing talented young prospects and developing them at Stamford Bridge. 

Badiashile, 21 years old, is an imposing 6 foot 4 colossus who exhibits ball-playing prowess and fearsome physicality in abundance, the key attributes for a prosperous modern defender at a top outfit.

Having made 135 appearances for Monaco since rising through the youth ranks, Badiashile has netted six goals and served three assists, distinguishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising youngsters.

With Potter’s desire to play slick, fluid transitional football, it is paramount that the titan’s at the back can contribute toward the offensive drives at the opposing net, and Badiashile, hailed as a “complete defender” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, indeed fits this bill.

As per FBref, the Frenchman ranks within the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 9% for non-penalty goals when compared against positional peers across Europe’s major leagues this past year. 

There is a clear indication that Badiashile boasts the specific set of attributes required to flourish at this current Chelsea side, and the Blues would indeed notch up a gear with his deployment into the starting fold. 

He would be a worthy alternative to Gvardiol; the 20-year-old Leipzig ace is certainly one of the premier defenders in the game right now, but with a transfer fee almost certainly doubling – at least – what Boehly could clinch Badiashile for, it is really a no-brainer in which move Chelsea should forge, consequently leaving ample funds to target other areas of the pitch.

With Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger both departing the Blues on free transfers last summer, moves were made to replace the dynamic duo – Wesley Fofana arrived from Leicester City in a deal worth up to £75m, and Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £33m.

Despite these acquisitions, Chelsea have failed to find the level of defensive resilience that has gone in tandem with the club’s success for many years now, currently languishing in seventh place with just 17 points from 14 matches, in part due to Fofana’s injury problems and the 31-year-old Koulibaly’s inconsistency, and Badiashile could alleviate such concerns with swift conviction.

Liverpool are in desperate need of rejuvenating the ranks following a landslide of a collapse from the imperious standing among Europe’s most prominent outfits this term, and Antonio Silva could bring fresh life to the ranks…

What’s the word?

With Jurgen Klopp’s Reds currently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League, four points off fourth-placed Manchester United – who have a game in hand – and with a clear detrimental dip in cohesion and collective understanding within the squad, someone of Silva’s ilk could stamp the foundation into a new chapter at the club.

According to O Jogo (via the Liverpool Echo), Liverpool have been intrigued by the young star’s skill set for a considerable amount of time and will mull over a lunge at SL Benfica to entice the player into a package on Merseyside.

However, with a €100m (£88m) release clause, the Reds’ technical director Julian Ward might have a strenuous task on his hands in prising him away from his outfit’s clutches this winter.

Klopp’s Van Dijk heir

If Liverpool are indeed unable to make any ground on the phenom over the next several weeks, the interest in his services must be filed and stored in the folder branded urgent within the transfer department.

For a side that have conceded 22 goals already this term after just 17 games in the Premier League, a signing of genuine star quality, capable of cementing their presence into the Anfield fold and dominating in front of the goal would go down a treat.

And he has every bit the calibre required to do just that; plying his trade in the Benfica reserve team last year, Silva has now made 22 senior appearances for his club this season, scoring three goals.

It’s also worth noting that Liverpool’s current options will not be around forever: the established Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both 31-years-old, and with Silva yet to quite cast his formative years aside, he could be a worthy addition for the next decade at the club.

Silva would be wise to attempt to emulate Van Dijk in particular, with the Dutch sensation arriving on Merseyside in a £75m deal from divisional rivals Southampton, going on to make 205 appearances, scoring 18 goals and winning a wealth of major honours, including the Premier League and the Champions League.

Jamie Carragher lauded the 19-year-old as a “superstar”, and he certainly is a diamond in the making, one that will soon flourish on the biggest stage, and Klopp must act swiftly to ensure that his future lies under the lights at Anfield.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Danny Ings to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that David Moyes is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Aston Villa centre-forward ahead of launching a potential move for the 30-year-old this month.

However, the report goes on to state that West Ham are not the only side keen on the former England international, with Everton, AFC Bournemouth and the striker’s former club, Southampton, also thought to be interested in a move.

Insane signing for Moyes

While it is true that Ings has somewhat fallen down the Aston Villa pecking order this season, the 30-year-old has nevertheless proven that he still has what it takes to hit the back of the net on a regular basis so far in 2022/23.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances in the current campaign – only eight of which have come as starts – the £10m-rated talent has scored six goals – outperforming his xG of 4.95 – and created one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots – 0.8 of which have been on target – making 0.5 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the Winchester-born hitman average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.90, currently ranking him as Unai Emery’s fourth-best performer in the league.

However, it was over his 38 top-flight outings during his penultimate season at Southampton that Ings truly proved his ability at the very top level of the English game, scoring 22 goals, registering two assists and creating two big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots – one of which it the target – making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per match.

These metrics saw the £120k-per-week striker who journalist Karl Matchett dubbed a “goal machine” average a spectacular Sofascore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Saints’ second-best performer in the Premier League back in 2019/20.

As such, with West Ham having struggled to hit the back of the net so far this season – with the club’s 15 goals for seeing them rank as the league’s fourth-lowest scorers – it is clear for all to see that Moyes is in rather desperate need of greater firepower in his attacking arsenal at the London Stadium.

And, should the 59-year-old believe he can be the manager to get Ings back to his free-scoring best, the signing of the former England international would indeed appear an “insane” deal – as the player was dubbed in recent seasons – for the Scot to get over the line this winter.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth is believed to be keeping tabs on Mallorca starlet, Kang-in Lee, according to reports in Spain.

What’s the word?

As per Marca (via Sports Witness), the Magpies are said to be one of the clubs who are keen on signing the 21-year-old, although the northeast side will seemingly face competition from both Aston Villa and Burnley in the race for the South Korea international.

The report suggests that the La Liga outfit would require the youngster’s €17m (£15m) release clause to be met if they are to part ways any time soon, with that figure said to be ‘perfectly acceptable’ as far as the Tynesiders are concerned.

Although no offers have yet been lodged for the ten-cap sensation – who arrived on a free transfer from Valencia back in 2021 – the suggestion is that the player’s current side are fearful that he could be snapped up sooner rather than later.

Almiron 2.0

The 5 foot 8 dynamo has alerted the attention of Ashworth and co as a result of his standout form in recent times, having notably provided six goal contributions in his 16 league outings so far this term.

Such impactful displays have seen the devastating prospect rank in the top 17% in Europe among those in his position for assists, as well as in the top 1% for dribbles completed to illustrate his dynamic brilliance in possession.

The “outstanding” talent, as lauded by Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo, would also offer Eddie Howe invaluable versatility due to his ability to feature on the flanks or in an attacking midfield.

That flexibility – combined with the fact that he is a diminutive, left-footed creative asset – ensures that Lee bares more than a passing resemblance to current St James’ Park talisman, Miguel Almiron, with the 5 foot 9 Paraguayan also able to thrive in a central role or in a wide berth.

The 28-year-old menace is currently enjoying a remarkable campaign on both a collective and individual basis thus far, proving simply lethal cutting in off the right flank having scored nine goals in 18 Premier League appearances.

Such a hot streak has ensured that the former Atlanta United man is frankly “unstoppable” at present, as per journalist Chuma Nnoli, with the playmaker proving vital in the club’s push for Champions League qualification.

To be able to find their next version of Almiron in the form of the Mallorca ace would represent a real coup for Newcastle, with the onus now on Ashworth to fork out what appears a relative bargain fee for a player of undoubted quality.

Newcastle United’s club record signing Alexander Isak struck just minutes from time on his return from the treatment table, as Eddie Howe’s side ran out 1-0 winners over Fulham in what was a hard-fought encounter at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon.

Having come into the match off the back of two successive goalless draws against Leeds United and Arsenal in the league, it looked set to be more of the same as the game ebbed towards its climax, only for the aforementioned Isak to emerge as the matchwinner with a simple header at the back post, with former Magpies man Aleksandar Mitrovic having earlier produced a penalty shootout blunder at the other end following a contentious VAR call.

The Sweden international had only entered the fray off the bench for what was just his fourth Premier League appearance of the season so far in what has been a frustrating, injury-stricken campaign to date, albeit with the 23-year-old now boasting a haul of three goals for the club despite his limited game time.

That latest, headline-grabbing effort had, however, been teed up superbly by strike partner Callum Wilson, with the Englishman delicately finding his fellow forward with a neat, dinked pass following some clever footwork inside the area.

That vital assist was just reward for what had been an all-round, heroic performance from the former Bournemouth man on the day, with the 30-year-old having notably won four of his eight ground duels and two of his four aerial duels to illustrate his battling display through the middle.

Although the £46k-per-week man did lose possession on 14 occasions from his 36 touches against Marco Silva’s side, that was a mere as a result of his desire to make things happen in the final third, having also proven a constant menace for the Cottagers after winning three fouls in total.

In truth, all that was missing from the Coventry-born gem’s performance was a goal, having notably come close to breaking the deadlock just before the interval only to see his effort turned over the bar from Bernd Leno on the angle.

That attempt was then followed up with another arguably better opening on the stroke of half-time, with Wilson curling the ball straight into the gloves of that man Leno after having initially created space for himself with a delightful turn inside the penalty area.

For all the frustration of having failed to get on the scoresheet himself, the 5 foot 11 ace showed impressive perseverance to eventually get that decisive touch at the death, with The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder having stated that he ‘deserves as much credit as the scorer for [his] crucial assist’.

That moment could well have helped to not only further enhance Newcastle’s push for Champions League qualification, but also ensure that a potential title charge remains a very real possibility.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has stated that he is sure Tottenham Hotspur will ‘try again’ as talks continue with over a possible Pedro Porro transfer.

What’s the word?

Spurs have been linked with a move for the Sporting CP all winter but unless they are will to pay his £40m release clause, it seems like a fairly complicated deal to complete.

However, that hasn’t stopped those at the club from working on the deal and contacts have been ongoing with the player’s agents and other intermediaries.

The good news for Spurs fans is that Porro is keen on a move to the Premier League side and Romano expects more efforts to be made over the coming weeks to complete a transfer.

When talking on his YouTube channel, the journalist said (17:31): “Top priority is a new right-back for Tottenham, it is Pedro Porro and he remains a top priority for Tottenham.

“Sporting want 45 million euros, the release clause. But Tottenham are in contact with these agents, with his intermediaries. The player wants to move and so I’m sure Tottenham will try again.”

Plenty to consider

If Spurs really want to complete this deal in January, so long as they are certain Porro will sign a contract, they could trigger his extension clause right at the last minute and get the transfer sorted.

This means the club can spend the next few weeks trying to negotiate the best deal possible with Sporting, knowing they can still sign him for £4om if all else fails.

As per WhoScored, when compared with other Tottenham wingbacks Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty, Porro makes and completes more crosses, key passes, and dribbles per 90 and has more assists this season.

With that in mind, it’s not hard to see why he’s being targeted so persistently.