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The January transfer window slams shut next week and Kristjaan Speakam is yet to add to Sunderland’s attacking options at the top end of the pitch.

Tony Mowbray currently has one natural, senior, centre-forward in his squad heading into the final days of the month and could bring in another number nine to bolster his side.

Premier League side Everton decided to activate their recall clause on striker Ellis Simms at the start of January but the English marksman could now be on his way back to the Stadium of Light.

Football Insider recently reported that the Black Cats are in talks with the top-flight club over a deal that would see the forward return to Wearside heading into the second half of the season.

The report claims that the Toffees are set to green light a second loan deal for Simms if they are able to finalise the signing of Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Spanish outfit Villarreal.

Speakman could now complete Sunderland’s attack by securing another swoop for the 22-year-old as the gem has already proven that he can be a success at the club.

Mowbray already has one prolific striker in the form of Ross Stewart, who has scored ten goals in 13 Championship appearances so far this season, and Simms could be superb competition for the Scotlamd international.

In the first half of the season, the former Hearts loanee plundered seven goals and two assists in 14 starts in the second tier, which shows that he has the quality to deliver goal contributions on a regular basis at this level.

His form for Sunderland also proved that he can thrive under Mowbray’s management and means that the dynamo can hit the ground running in the coming months, whereas a fresh signing may need time to adjust to new tactics and teammates.

Simms, who was hailed as an “absolute nuisance” for the Black Cats by journalist Phil Smith, created five ‘big chances’ and provided 15 key passes in his 14 Championship starts and this shows that the youngster is an excellent provider as well as a goalscorer in his own right.

The terrific centre-forward, Toffees reporter Chris Smith once dubbed a “clinical finisher”, is a proven performer in the second tier and has shown that he can compete and produce with Stewart for Sunderland, which is why his arrival could complete the club’s attack for the rest of the campaign.

Leeds United are closing in on their second signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, a deal for Hoffenheim striker Georginio Rutter was on course for completion that would break the Whites’ current club record of £27m, which they spent on Rodrigo back in 2020.

The Daily Mail believe this fee to be around £35m plus add-ons and also claim that a medical is scheduled for this week.

Rutter has been excused from the Bundesliga outfit’s recent friendlies ahead of the league’s return in just over a week’s time, meaning the door has opened for Leeds to make their move.

Rutter can take Leeds to new heights

The young forward could be the answer to Jesse Marsch’s woes and one that may well benefit the club for years to come, given he’s just 20.

A pure no.9 to fill Patrick Bamford’s shoes is arguably the no.1 priority right now and will be for the next few seasons should they fail to resolve it. And Rutter is just that, a complete and all-round talisman capable of performing through the middle.

Past targets such as Cody Gakpo and Charles De Ketelaere were never out-and-out strikers but more versatile options that could feature anywhere along the frontline – a bit like summer signing Wilfried Gnonto.

Whilst 10 goals and four assists in 57 league appearances aren’t the eye-catching statistics that Leeds fans will be hoping for in their new forward, it is surely hoped that he can blossom into a well-oiled attacking machine under the stewardship of Marsch, the man who took Erling Haaland to a new dimension early in his career at RB Salzburg.

Rutter, who has been dubbed a “huge talent” by journalist Ronan Murphy, appears to be a surefire fit for the American’s pressing system too, with Hay also highlighting that the Frenchman’s “running on the ball, dribbling and take-ons, is very good.”

As further described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old is also a “complete” and “clinical finisher” with “blistering pace” and these are all attributes that should serve him well in the Premier League, particularly as a natural successor to Bamford, who proved in 2020/21 that when fully fit he’s a talismanic centre-forward with 17 goals and seven assists.

Also dubbed “physical” by journalist Joe Donnohue, it’s more clear as to why Leeds chief Victor Orta is prepared to pay a club-record fee for a relatively inexperienced player with a lack of figures to back it up.

As such, Rutter could genuinely be a big missing piece in the Whites’ puzzle and one that should still serve them well for many seasons from now.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Illan Meslier injury update…

Newcastle United have had a phenomenal start to their Premier League campaign, and Eddie Howe could be set to strengthen his squad even further in the January transfer window with a new potential transfer target emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to TEAMtalk, the Magpies are readying an offer to sign Birmingham City youngster Jobe Bellingham.

As per the report, unlike his brother Jude, the attacking midfielder is set to remain in England to continue his development and hone his craft, with a number of clubs including Middlesbrough and Sunderland named as potential suitors alongside Newcastle.

Imagine him & Bruno

There is no doubt that Howe must be delighted with how his current squad at St James’ Park have been performing since he took over from Steve Bruce just over 12 months ago.

In 44 games in charge of the Magpies, Howe has registered 23 wins, 10 draws and only 11 defeats in all competitions, with a points average of 1.8 per game, and this season in the Premier League, the manager has taken the club to heights not seen in many a year on Tyneside.

Not even the most optimistic Newcastle supporter could have predicted in the summer that their team would be third in the table nearly halfway through the campaign with just one defeat over their first 15 league outings.

Indeed, the project at St James’ Park is a long-term venture for the Public Investment Fund, who bought the club from Mike Ashley last year, and the prospective signing of Jobe Bellingham could be a huge prospect for the future.

The talented 17-year-old – who was dubbed an “exciting talent” by Paul Robinson – has only just broken into the Birmingham City first team but is already following in the footsteps of his Borussia Dortmund based brother with a number of elite clubs linked to the player.

In 11 Championship appearances this season, averaging just 16 minutes per game as he has mainly featured off the bench, Bellingham has tallied an 81% pass accuracy and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles.

The England U18 ace has also made 25 appearances within the Birmingham U18 and U21 teams, scoring five goals and registering one assist, with Lee Bowyer already holding the young talent in high regard.

The Birmingham manager was impressed with Bellingham’s performance when giving the teenager his debut senior start in the FA Cup last January, saying: “Young Jobe coming on looked so comfortable.

“He’s earned that, he’s been training with us for two, three, four weeks now, you can just see him growing and improving every day.”

If Newcastle were to sign Bellingham, it could be a great opportunity to build a midfield partnership for the future between the rising English star and Bruno Guimaraes, as the defensive Brazil midfielder could be the perfect influence to work alongside the attack-minded teenager.

With that in mind, the signing of Bellingham would be a great opportunity for Howe to polish another diamond in the heart of his team and could nail down a midfield partnership at St James’ Park for many years to come.

Everton target Boulaye Dia ‘doesn’t score enough goals’ to make the move to the Premier League, according to journalist Ed Aarons.

The Lowdown: World Cup standout

The Senegalese starlet has recently been at the World Cup having represented Aliou Cisse’s nation, where he grabbed one goal in four starts before getting knocked out in the last 16 by England.

The 26-year-old is currently out on loan at Salernitana from Villarreal but has been linked with a switch to Goodison Park once his spell ends, with a fee in the region of £17m required to secure his services.

The Latest: Aarons’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, however, Aarons claimed that Dia hasn’t been prolific enough in the final third to prove himself as a centre-forward, regardless of other areas of his game being strong.

“Dia has been good at coming deep and linking the play a little bit more. He links it up well, he’s pretty strong.

“He’s a bit of a threat in front of goal but he doesn’t score enough goals. In his career he’s not scored enough, that’s one thing he can improve on. But his link-up play has been very impressive.”

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The Verdict: Bit harsh?

Everton’s target has been dubbed a ‘handful’ for defenders by journalist Dean Jones, and looking at his numbers, claims that he’s not effective in the final third may be a little harsh.

The Oyonnax native already has eight contributions to his name this season (six goals and two assists) in just 14 appearances (Transfermarkt).

The Toffees have collectively only netted 11 times this campaign, which shows the significant impact Dia could have up top, so while he may not have the most prolific career record, he would surely be an upgrade on the struggling Neal Maupay.

Everton are preparing to make an offer to sign Udinese defender Rodrigo Becao, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Exit on the horizon?

The Brazilian has just over 18 months remaining on his deal at the Dacia Arena, but after refusing to sign an extension with the Serie A outfit, an exit could be on the cards in 2023.

The centre-back is currently sidelined due to a flexor injury, and whilst he will be available for selection again after the World Cup break, his contract situation has seen him being linked with a move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Everton eyeing Becao

According to Tutto Udinese (via Sport Witness), Everton are ‘willing to put up’ €15m (£13m) to land Becao in January after registering their interest over the summer.

The Toffees ‘decided not to push forward’ with a move following the arrivals of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, but the report states that they still ‘remain in the picture’.

Udinese owner Gino Pozzo ‘knows that he will have to sanction a sale’ if contract negotiations reach a roadblock, which Frank Lampard’s side will be ‘hoping for’.

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The Verdict: Absolute bargain

The Everton target has been dubbed an ‘insurmountable’ player by journalist Bruno Queiroz, and Becao offers a threat at both ends of the pitch, so being able to secure his services for £13m would be a bargain.

The 6 foot 3 colossus averages three clearances and 2.1 successful aerial duels per game, and also has a goal and assist to his name in just nine appearances this season (WhoScored).

Those returns would see him rank highly among Lampard’s squad for both metrics, which indicates that he could be an upgrade on many players at Everton.

Whether Becao would be a guaranteed starter given the partnership created between Coady and Tarkowski remains to be seen, but he would certainly appear to be a fantastic prospective addition at Goodison Park.

Wolves’ decision to sign Willy Boly on a permanent deal sadly backfired as the centre-back was never able to really reproduce the levels of performance that he showed during his loan spell at Molineux.

The towering 6 foot 6 Ivorian centre-back joined Wolves on loan from Porto for the 2017/18 campaign and was a huge part of their Championship title-winning season. He made 36 appearances in the second tier, contributing three goals and two assists, and he earned a superb 7.52 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the top performer in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side for that season, so it was something of a no-brainer for the Old Gold to sign him on a permanent deal ahead of their return to the Premier League, with Boly joining in a transfer worth £10m.

That fee looked to be something of a bargain when the Ivorian was one of Wolves’ outstanding players in their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, averaging a strong 7.12 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Sadly, an ankle injury proved to be the beginning of the end for Boly the following season, as he was limited to just 22 appearances in the top flight, before making 21 in the subsequent campaign.

Ruben Neves spoke highly of the defender upon his return from injury in March of last season, saying: “He’s a great player, of course. I think we have a great squad. He’s been an important player for us and unfortunately got some injuries, but the players who were playing did a fantastic job as well.”

However, it was clear that, when Bruno Lage arrived at the club, the former Porto man became more of a backup. He made just 11 appearances under Nuno’s successor before he was sold to Nottingham Forest during the summer, with the Reds paying a mere £2.25m for his services.

Given Wolves’ defensive woes this season, which have arguably come about after the exits of important centre-backs such as Boly, Romain Saiss and Conor Coady, the Old Gold would have perhaps been better off keeping the Ivory Coast international at Molineux, especially considering that they made such a significant loss on him.

Leeds United forwards Joe Gelhardt and Wilfried Gnonto will both be involved against Leicester City this evening, Adam Pope reports.

The Lowdown: Gnonto’s absence

Jesse Marsch has selected both Gelhardt and Gnonto in a Premier League matchday squad just once, with the Italy international missing out against Arsenal on the weekend.

Gelhardt came off the bench late on in the 1-0 defeat, with Leeds somehow coming away from Elland Road empty-handed.

The Whites are now preparing for a trip to the King Power Stadium this evening, and it looks as if both exciting young attackers will make the 20-man squad.

The Latest: Pope’s post

Pope was present at Marsch’s pre-match press conference at Thorp Arch on Wednesday.

He relayed updates from the Leeds boss on Twitter, saying that Gnonto and Gelhardt will both be ‘involved’.

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The Verdict: Good to see

Both Gelhardt and Gnonto appear to be future stars, so it’s exciting that the pair will both make the squad this evening.

You’d presume that they’ll get the nod for a place on the bench, and should Leeds’ struggles in the final third continue, they may be called upon earlier than usual.

Gnonto is still awaiting his first-team debut, so tonight could be the perfect time for Marsch to unleash the deadline-day signing as the Whites look for a first away win of the season.

Liverpool’s interest in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is ‘long-standing’, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, with a future move to Anfield possible.

The Lowdown: Caicedo linked with Liverpool

The 20-year-old is already a key performer for the Seagulls, starting each of their Premier League games so far this term and looking like a hugely exciting prospect.

With Liverpool on the lookout for new players in the middle of the park, Caicedo is one player who has been linked with coming in and aiding Jurgen Klopp’s rebuild.

For now, the youngster is content at Brighton, but a move away from the Amex Stadium could easily materialise in the near future.

The Latest: Ben Jacobs on Caicedo’s future

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Jacobs confirmed Liverpool’s interest in Caicedo, adding that a decision will likely be made by the player after the World Cup.

In a succession of tweets, the journalist stated:

“Liverpool’s interest in Moises Caicedo is long-standing dating back to his time at Independiente del Valle. The challenge back then was a complicated representation situation with a number agencies (including Kancha and PSM) claiming to act on his behalf.

“Although the fee Brighton eventually paid was low (£4.5million) the agent fees were high. That put off Liverpool and Manchester United, too. Told Caicedo is now very relaxed about his future and will reassess after the World Cup.

“Offers are expected in January with several Premier League clubs keeping tabs on situation including #LFC and #CFC. Chelsea’s current midfield priority is Ajax’s Edson Alvarez but it remains to seen whether Graham Potter and Kyle Macaulay change that.”

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The Verdict: Superb long-term option

Caicedo could be exactly what Liverpool are seeking in midfield in terms of young legs, great quality and enormous long-term potential.

At just 20 years of age, the Brighton gem already looks such a dominant footballer, not only averaging 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League this season (substantially more than anyone in the Reds’ squad) but also chipping in with one goal.

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With James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago now in their 30s and Fabinho about to turn 29, fresh legs are required in Liverpool’s midfield, and Caicedo should be seen as a primary target.

Jurgen Klopp will have the opportunity to witness the youngster up close next weekend when Brighton visit Anfield, a venue where they have had some joy in recent visits.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, with the Dutchman still facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies and Manchester United have both shown ‘concrete interest’ in signing the 28-year-old, amid the recent collapse of his move to Juventus.

The report suggests that such interest had led the Netherlands international to stick to his €9m (£7.6m) per year wage demands during negotiations with the Serie A giants, with the Old Lady unwilling to finance the deal having failed to offload Adrien Rabiot to the Red Devils.

Further reports from Spain have indicated that the 80-cap sensation has offers on the table from ‘several Premier League clubs’, and it wouldn’t appear too much of a stretch to suggest that Eddie Howe’s side could be among the potential suitors.

Imagine him and Isak

Depay has become one of the most notable victims of the financial turmoil which has engulfed the Catalan giants, with the La Liga club seemingly desperate to move him on in order to free up space on their already sizeable wage bill.

Despite only joining on a free transfer from Lyon last summer, the former PSV Eindhoven gem appears surplus to requirements following the arrival of Bayern Munich marksman Robert Lewandowski, with Xavi already having a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal.

That the £31.5m-rated man is the one who could give way is something of a shock, though, with the versatile forward having impressed in his time at the club thus far, despite struggling with injuries last term.

The £169k-per-week talent recorded a respectable haul of 12 goals in just 28 league games during the 2021/22 campaign – only 20 of which came from the start – while he netted in the recent friendly against Manchester City.

The “terrific” gem – as dubbed by Patrick Vieira – has proven to be a potent threat in the final third throughout his career, scoring 76 goals and providing 56 assists in 178 matches during his time in France.

While his underwhelming previous stint at Old Trafford is a rare black mark on an otherwise impressive CV, the playmaker had recorded 79 goal contributions in just 124 games during his spell in Netherlands prior to joining the Red Devils.

His prospective arrival at St James’ Park could bolster a forward line which has already been strengthened by the signing of Swedish sensation Alexander Isak, with the 22-year-old joining on a £59m deal from Real Sociedad earlier this week.

Having previously walked away from a deal for the 6 foot 4 menace, Howe and co had a late change of heart and opted to splash the cash on the impressive youngster, with fresh injury concerns regarding Callum Wilson no doubt a factor in that decision.

The former Borussia Dortmund man scored 44 goals in 132 appearances during his time in Spain, notably netting 17 top-flight goals in 34 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.

Having his imposing presence in attack flanked by Depay is a hugely mouthwatering prospect, and it’s easy to image the torment that the pair could inflict on Premier League defences, such is their obvious attacking threat.

Arsenal have been tracking Yeremi Pino ahead of a potential move before the summer transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who revealed the exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT this week.

He said:

“They are one of many clubs that have been following him for a long time. He’s doing great with Villarreal. At the moment, there is still no bid or nothing advanced for Pino.”

GOAL recently claimed that the Gunners were interested in signing the 19-year-old sensation but the Yellow Submarines were holding out for a fee in the region of €45m (£38m), despite having an €80m (£67m) release clause in his current €57.7k-per-week (£48.5k-per-week) contract.

Arteta’s own Jarrod Bowen

The Spanish teenager, who has now been capped four times at senior level for his national side, has been a key player for former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at the Yellow Submarines over the past two years as they clinched the Europa League trophy over Manchester United in 2020.

It was a true breakthrough year for Pino last season, though, as he delivered seven goals and four assists across 40 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

That level of form has certainly attracted the interest of technical director Edu Gaspar as he looks to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad with another winger, having missed out on Raphinha to Villarreal’s LaLiga rivals, FC Barcelona.

The 19-year-old, who Romano even lauded as a “special talent” earlier this year, has an interesting profile for a winger with FBref highlighting some likeness to West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen, who too has been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium this window.

Not only is he delivering in the final third but Pino also tracks back to help out his side defensively, which is always a bonus – when compared to fellow wingers across Europe over the last year, the youngster ranks inside the top 1% for blocks (2.62 per 90) and the top 24% for tackles (1.79 per 90), also via FBref.

Meanwhile, last season in LaLiga alone, he was within the top 2% for shots on target, the top 5% for goals per shot and the top 10% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, showing a similar sort of pizzaz to the West Ham star in the final third.

Bowen returned a whopping 12 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League for the Hammers last season and seems unlikely to be sold, particularly this late in the window, so in Pino, they could have a really viable alternative.

£38m may be a sizeable investment for a teenager but it’s some way off the premium fee it would take the Irons to sell. He thought to have an eye-watering £75m price tag.

As such, Edu and his recruitment staff should look to sign Pino before September 1st as Arteta could get his very own Bowen, which is a mouthwatering prospect along that right flank.

AND in other news, Arsenal have “genuine interest” in £25m “phenomenon”, could be a dream Arteta signing…