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Leeds United continue to hold an interest in Flamengo’s lethal frontman Pedro…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, who supplemented earlier reports that suggested the Whites will reignite their interest in January following a scuppered summer move.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “I think that the other name to keep an eye on from Leeds’ point of view is Pedro, who could obviously be very important for Brazil at this World Cup.”

Imagine him & Rodrigo

With the recent exploits of Rodrigo, to pair him with this clinical forward could be a stroke of genius.

This season the Spaniard has scored nine times in the Premier League, having already surpassed his previous two tallies since his initial move to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Pedro has just enjoyed his best season in front of goal too, with 29 goals and ten assists across all competitions.

He followed up a campaign where he managed 17 goal contributions with huge growth, and should he move to Elland Road he could provide the necessary goals to ensure their safety.

This has added to his already illustrious goalscoring career, of which he has netted 82 goals at the age of 25.

Earning a call-up to the Brazil team, his stock has only been bolstered following the conclusion of the season in his homeland.

Guy Mowbray even highlighted his talents in an article for the BBC, where he claimed: “Let’s face it, to get picked in a squad as loaded with attacking talent as Brazil’s you’ve got to have something special.” He continued: “He’s not quick but is an excellent finisher.”

Jesse Marsch will be keen to add a striker to his squad, especially with the claims of Pete O’Rourke who suggests a centre-forward will be a “top priority for Leeds in the January transfer window.”

With Patrick Bamford suffering once again this season from injuries, the combined efforts of Pedro and Rodrigo could be essential to their survival bid.

Both are in the form of their careers, so combined it could be frightening for the rest of the Premier League.

Celtic have no doubt enjoyed notable success during Ange Postecoglou’s tenure thus far, although one worrying trend that has emerged in recent times has been seeing a handful of the club’s young talents poached by Premier League sides.

The Parkhead giants have seen both Leo Hjelde and Rory Mahady join Leeds United in the space of the last 18 months, while arguably the greatest loss has been that of Scotland U21 international, Ben Doak.

The highly-rated 17-year-old was snapped up by Liverpool earlier this year having risen up through the Hoops’ youth ranks, with the winger quickly making his mark at Anfield with eight goals and six assists at academy level this season, including four goals and four assists in just six UEFA Youth League games.

The Dalry-born sensation has even made his debut at senior level for the Merseysiders after featuring off the bench in the Carabao Cup triumph over Derby County last month, having been lauded as an ‘exciting prospect’ by former Bhoys hero, Kenny Dalglish.

The “fearless” youngster – as described by journalist Barry Anderson – has already left those back at Celtic Park ruing their inability to keep him in Glasgow, with it looking as if the Reds’ starlet will go on to enjoy a bright future in English football.

For Postecoglou and co, the hope will be to avoid seeing another promising talent follow Doak out the door, with the Scottish champions likely already sweating regarding the long-term future of teenage ace, Rocco Vata.

Recent reports have claimed that the 17-year-old has caught the attention of both Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as the likes of AC Milan, Juventus and Roma, as a result of his sparkling form of late.

The Ireland youth international – who is the son of former Celtic and Albania defender Rudi Vata – has arguably been the star attraction for the club’s ‘B’ team this season, with the versatile forward having scored eight goals and recorded one assist in just 14 Lowland League outings.

That impact has come after the playmaker was included as part of the first-team squad for the trip to Austria in pre-season, while he was more recently part of the travelling party for the Sydney Super Cup voyage.

The Hamilton-born menace will again have a chance to impress Postecoglou after earning his place in the squad for the warm-weather training camp in Portugal alongside fellow youngster Bosun Lawal, with the title-winning coach hoping to increase the duo’s “exposure” to life at first-team level.

A player with a “killer attitude” who could go right “to the top”, in the words of ‘B’ team coach Darren O’Dea, Vata will certainly be one who could well make the step up from the youth set-up sooner rather than later.

Alternatively, it would also be no surprise if that interest from the Premier League’s big boys ultimately leads to an exit from Paradise for the player, with Postecoglou and co likely dreading a repeat of the Doak scenario.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has claimed that Villarreal defender Pau Torres ‘remains of interest’ at Villa Park.

The Lowdown: Torres links

Torres was heavily linked with a move to the Midlands shortly after Unai Emery returned to the Premier League.

Reports last month suggested that the Villans’ new manager is ‘keen’ on bringing in the centre-back, although it wasn’t specified if a January or summer move is wanted.

Talk appears to have cooled in recent weeks, though, with Villa centre-back Diego Carlos travelling with the squad to Dubai as he continues to make good progress from a torn Achilles tendon.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece relayed a fans forum for Birmingham Live on Wednesday morning, where he was asked if there will be an upgrade at centre-back by signing Torres or if that will wait until the summer.

The journalist replied, saying that the Villarreal star ‘remains of interest’ while also making a claim on Carlos.

“Emery wants to give Diego Carlos as much time to recover and play some games in the second half of the season. Pau Torres remains of interest.”

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The Verdict: January?

Emery currently has five senior central defenders on the books at Villa Park, although he seemingly wants a new left-sided defender in 2023 to potentially replace Tyrone Mings.

Torres has recently been at the World Cup with Spain and has been hailed as a ‘sensational’ and ‘superb’ defender by Luis Enrique, so Emery may see him as the upgrade he is after.

The pair have worked together in Spain, with the defender making 105 appearances under the Villa boss, so the club may look at a January move – only time will tell.

Chelsea have not made the best of starts to the 2022/23 campaign, and with a recent season-ending injury halting Armando Broja’s promising start to his Blues career, centre-forward reinforcements have now been touted ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The likes of Rafael Leao and Dusan Vlahovic are two high-profile names that have been consistently tethered to the Stamford Bridge rumour post across recent months, but Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha could be a shrewd signing to turn the wheel back on track. 

According to 90min, Cunha – who has been subject to intense interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers – is now at the centre of further attention from a wealth of Premier League suitors, including Chelsea.

The 23-year-old joined Atletico from Hertha Berlin in summer 2021 in a £22.6m deal but has seemingly found boss Diego Simeone’s defensive philosophy a pothole in the road for his personal success.

Diego Costa 2.0

The departure of Cunha from Atletico appears to be a move which would suit all parties, with his current club seeking to offload his reported wages of £65k-per-week and the player himself seemingly unhappy with his development in Spain as he awaits an approach from England.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has only scored seven goals and supplied eight assists from 54 appearances under Simeone, having failed to score in 17 outings this term, albeit only starting on two occasions. 

Last season’s endeavours were far more fruitful, though, as the eight-cap Brazilian plundered seven goals and seven assists from 37 appearances for Atletico, despite only starting nine times.

His utility role in the team does not look to be shifting any time soon, and as such a move away would indeed be welcomed from each angle, should the technicalities be ironed out. 

Chelsea would inject a versatile and robust presence into their forward line, with FBref ranking Cunha within the top 2% of positional peers for rate of assists, and the top 4% for tackles and interceptions throughout Europe’s major leagues over the past year.

With the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling deployed in front of goal, albeit to little effect so far this term, Cunha could provide the creative spark which could get the cogs whirring and roar the Blues’ attacking engine back into life. 

The “extraordinary” marksman could offer echoes of former Blues striker Diego Costa with the magnitude of his impact, with the 24-cap Spaniard signing from Cunha’s current club Atletico in a £32m deal in 2014 and proving a smash hit in west London.

Scoring 59 goals and setting up 23 more across 120 appearances for the Blues, winning two Premier League titles and the League Cup across his three-and-a-half year stay at Stamford Bridge, Costa was a devastating presence in England.

If Cunha comes to Chelsea and can emulate such a resounding start to life in London – Costa scored 11 goals across his first ten Premier League matches – then he would certainly bring that uplifting factor to catapult Graham Potter’s back towards the Champions League places. 

Tottenham Hotspur have been implored to sign Sofyan Amrabat as the January transfer window approaches…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Pete O’Rourke, who gave his thoughts on that potential move after noting Spurs’ interest earlier in December. In fact, Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici were reportedly keen on the Moroccan in the summer.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT once more, the transfer insider issued the following claim: “On paper, he looks like he’s the ideal midfielder for Antonio Conte. A great defensive midfielder, great energy to get around the pitch, likes making tackles and he’s also good on the ball as well, so a good passer.

“I think for someone like Antonio Conte, his work rate is perfect for the type of football that he likes to play.”

Reports have already emerged suggesting that Fiorentina will demand a fee of around €45m (£40m) for the 26-year-old.

He’s “perfect” for Conte

Having starred in a Morocco side which enjoyed sitting deep and hitting teams on the break, there is plenty of proof to support O’Rourke’s statement.

At the World Cup, Amrabat sat as a sole defensive midfielder behind a proper midfield four, sweeping up behind them and then helping them transition into attack. The 6-foot destroyer recorded 2.3 tackles per game and paired this with an 85% pass accuracy.

He was instrumental in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals, with talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham claiming: “He has been my player of the tournament”.

This was supported by the claims of sports writer Carlo Garganese, who tweeted: “Amrabat the best centre midfielder in the tournament. MONSTER”.

His lung-busting runs and relentless work rate also drew praise, although it isn’t just for his country that he has impressed. In European league action, he sits in the top 5% for pass completion and the top 4% for progressive passes among positional peers in 2022, showcasing the technical superiority that he matches with his physical dominance.

However, should Conte swoop for him, he would likely hope to find a similar position to his role for Morocco in which to deploy Amrabat.

The 26-year-old could be integral in perfecting the Spurs manager’s conservative style, acting as the most important player in forging their counterattacks.

It truly could be an ideal move, and one which would certainly catch the eye following the Moroccan’s displays on the world stage over the past month.

Everton journalist Joe Thomas has shared that VAR did not deem the decision to give Erling Haaland a yellow card a ‘clear and obvious error’.

The Lowdown: Bad challenge

Haaland’s challenge on Vitaliy Mykolenko at the end of the first half was a bad one, and one that rightfully saw the referee go into his pocket.

Former referee Peter Walton told BT Sport (via The Liverpool Echo) in an instant reaction that the striker would be ‘very lucky’ to stay on the pitch.

The Latest: Not ‘clear and obvious’

Taking to Twitter, Thomas shared that VAR did check the incident involving Haaland, but did not deem the decision to give him a yellow card a ‘clear and obvious error’:

“Understand the decision over whether Erling Haaland should have been sent off for his late foul on Vitaliy Mykolenko was checked by VAR. No clear and obvious error found in awarding him just a yellow card.”

The Verdict: Point most important

On reflection, Frank Lampard and his team will forget the challenge from Haaland, and will note that gaining a point away at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City was the most important thing.

It stopped the rot of three straight defeats in the division, and moved them a point further away from the relegation zone.

Haaland was clearly fired up after his battles with Ben Godfrey earlier in the game, which saw him fouled twice, and on another day, his challenge may have warranted a red card, but the Toffees will not care too much given that they earned a hard-fought point at the Etihad Stadium.

Wolverhampton Wanderers narrowly missed out on signing Craig Dawson during the summer but it seems as if the Old Gold could return for the West Ham United man in next month’s transfer window.

It was reported on deadline day in September that Wolves had agreed a deal to sign the experienced centre-back but it fell through at the last minute when Jan Bednarek joined Aston Villa rather than West Ham, leaving David Moyes short of cover in defence at the London Stadium.

With Bruno Lage having already lost the likes of Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly over the summer, a lack of centre-back options was perhaps always likely to cost the Midlands club, so it is no surprise that Julen Lopetegui is keen to strengthen in that position in the new year.

According to The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Steve Madeley, a deal could still be done for the 32-year-old in next month’s window, despite him featuring on a regular basis for the Hammers so far this campaign.

Considering the east London outfit are undoubtedly in a relegation fight this season, as they find themselves just one point ahead of Wolves after a loss against Arsenal on Boxing Day, it would be something of a surprise if Moyes was willing to strengthen a rival by allowing Dawson to join Wolves.

However, there is little doubt that the former Rochdale man would offer experience and quality at the back for Wolves, as the current centre-back duo of Nathan Collins and Max Kilman arguably lacks the necessary know-how for a relegation battle.

Dawson has featured 84 times for the Hammers, contributing nine goals and two assists, so could also add a huge threat from set-pieces should he make the move to Molineux.

Last season saw the Englishman named alongside Declan Rice in the Europa League team of the tournament, which emphasises the quality he would add to Lopetegui’s squad for the rest of the season.

Although the Spaniard earned a win in his first game as manager against Everton on Boxing Day, the goal conceded came from shocking set-piece defending, and Dawon’s aerial prowess could help improve the Old Gold drastically from both attacking and defending corners and free-kicks.

Michail Antonio was full of praise for the centre-back last season, saying:

“He’s been unbelievable, he’s been a rock at the back, he’s like an old-school centre-half. He’s tough, he fights, he’s solid, he’s not scared to get down and deep, he’s been quality and he’s been solid for us. He came in not really to play, he’s taken his opportunity he’s taken his shirt and he’s not giving it up.”

This attitude and ability is exactly what Lopetegui needs in a relegation battle so if a move for Dawson can be done next month, then Wolves should be desperately trying to bring in the defender from West Ham.

Declan Rice is said to be happy to wait until the summer to push through his West Ham exit – but it has to be for a Champions League club, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: No imminent exit

Rice has long been linked with a move away from West Ham, however, their recent success in Europe and qualify has seemingly kept him happy for a while but this season has been a struggle.

Amid West Ham only sitting above the bottom three on goal difference ahead of their clash against Leeds United, David Moyes has insisted that Rice won’t be sold this month, although what is in store for the summer appears far from certain.

According to Jacobs, the West Ham midfielder is said to be available for around £70m when the summer transfer window comes around, and that will likely alert several clubs.

The Latest: Rice wants Champions League football

However, speaking about the midfielder’s future on The Done Deal Show, Jacobs has recently insisted that only clubs with Champions League football on offer will be of interest to Rice.

He said: “It’s a wait-and-see, really, because Rice, I think, from talking to sources close to the player – a bit like I’ve said with James Maddison – will in all likelihood wait to see what he’s going to get.

“And therefore, if you qualify for Champions League football, you move ahead in the race; if you win the Premier League, you move ahead in the race.”

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The Verdict: Exit now appears inevitable

The England international leaving West Ham for a bigger club that could constantly challenge for the top four and silverware was pretty inevitable, but it may have been accelerated by the Hammers’ shocking season and ultimately made up Rice’s mind.

It has been reported that clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be interested in the London-based midfielder, but with the Blues some way off the top four, the Gunners could shockingly move into pole position to land a top talent.

What West Ham must now do with Rice looking set for the exit door is maximise how much they receive for someone they paid nothing for, and while it won’t likely be anywhere near the £150m clubs was quoted a few transfer windows ago, if they get north of £50m, that could seriously improve their squad and go at least some way to filling the void he’d leave.

Phil Hay has claimed there is no lack of optimism emerging out of Leeds United when it comes to landing Georginio Rutter.

The Lowdown: Leeds looking to act fast

Leeds moved quickly to hand Jesse Marsch a new left-back in the form of Maximilian Wober, and they certainly don’t appear to be slowing down with links to Rutter currently rife.

Rutter was omitted from his duties with Hoffenheim recently amid interest from Leeds, which would suggest that the player is keen on the move and something is on the cards between the two clubs.

It has been reported that Leeds could have to shell out around £35.3m, which would be a new club-record fee, surpassing the sum they paid for Rodrigo back in the summer of 2020.

The Latest: Rutter could be the next arrival

Hay has been speaking on The Phil Hay Show about what he’s been told about Leeds’ pursuit of Rutter, who has been hailed as a ‘monster’, and how people within the club aren’t short of optimism this month.

He said: “From speaking to people late last night [Sunday], there was work to do on it, but there wasn’t an absence of optimism that it could happen.

“There’s always a difference between deals which seemed fairly unrealistic and deals which you think could be done, and this seems to me to be one that could be done.

“Essentially, if Leeds put up the money, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t happen.”

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The Verdict: Huge deal could push Leeds forward

Despite being just 20, Rutter has a lot of first-team experience under his belt and boasts a reasonable goal involvement record with five to his name this season, so it appears that Leeds are looking to buy Rutter as a prospect for the present as well as the future.

However, given his age, it’s a lot of pressure to put on his shoulders with such a hefty price tag and also the fact that Leeds could be relying on someone so young to help fire them away from the threat of relegation.

What will be encouraging, though, is that their board are looking to move quickly in January to allow Marsch as much time as possible to integrate his new signings and get them to gel with the squad to ensure they have as much of an impact as possible this season.

Glasgow Rangers appear to be in a much better position now than they were before the World Cup hiatus.

Under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the club had slipped nine points behind their Glasgow arch-rivals in the Premiership title race, while losing all six of their Champions League group matches.

The Dutchman was duly sacked and former Ibrox first-team coach Michael Beale was appointed as manager in the 47-year-old’s stead.

Despite winning five matches from six since the resumption of the campaign in December, defensive issues remain, especially considering that Rangers have conceded six goals in those matches.

The Light Blues have been linked with a summer move for Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.

Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin have conceded a staggering 47 goals between them this season, and a move for Begovic would surely make sense during this month’s transfer window rather than in the summer.

McGregor’s contract expires at the end of the season and this will almost certainly be his last campaign at the club as he turns 41 later this month, so Beale will surely be looking at bringing in another shot-stopper.

The Bosnian certainly fits the bill, especially with his experience in the Premier League. The 35-year-old has made 256 appearances in the English top flight, keeping 65 clean sheets while also winning one league title and an FA Cup during his time in England.

While mainly a backup option at Everton, he impressed during a loan spell at Bournemouth in 2020/21, playing 45 league matches for the club while making 2.7 saves per game and keeping 15 clean sheets, but he hasn’t had many chances to shine over the previous 18 months.

In his only Premier League appearance this term, he was in stunning form, saving all four of the shots that he faced while keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against West Ham United. This shows that, even though he is a backup to Jordan Pickford on Merseyside, he can still produce at the highest level.

It’s no wonder that the £45k-per-week veteran was dubbed the “ultimate professional” by his former manager Eddie Howe, and if Beale is looking for an experienced player who will be available for free in the summer, Begovic could be his ideal signing to solve his glaring goalkeeping problem at Rangers.