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Crystal Palace are believed to be interested in securing a reunion with Conor Gallagher in the near future, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Gallagher’s superb Palace spell

The England international caught the eye during a hugely successful loan spell at Selhurst Park last term, winning the club’s Player of the Season award.

Gallagher scored eight goals and registered three assists in the Premier League, with the Eagles’ official website noting how he ‘played an instrumental part’ in a fine campaign which saw the club reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

The 22-year-old is now back at Chelsea but he has struggled to earn regular minutes this season, managing only nine league starts and one in the Champions League.

The Latest: Gallagher reunion mooted

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs claimed that Palace could look to re-sign Gallagher, with Sky Sports reporting during the week of the club’s interest in bringing him back to Selhurst Park.

The CBS Sports journalist said:

“It’s not unthinkable that an offer comes in for Conor Gallagher. I think Chelsea would be valuing him at around £40million and we know that Palace have always had an interest. Newcastle are there as well.”

The Verdict: Make it happen

This feels like a perfect move for all parties, with Gallagher no doubt keen to nail down a long-term Premier League future and potentially tempted by the thought of being a regular starter at Palace.

The fact that he already knows Vieira and the club so well after last season means that it wouldn’t be a risky move despite the £40m fee being quoted, and at 22, he should only improve even more in the coming years.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter recently described Gallagher as ‘fantastic’, and his average of 1.5 tackles per game this season – bettered by only four Eagles players – shows that he can be effective in his defensive work as well as going forward.

He could add the spark that Palace are perhaps missing in central midfield, providing chances for the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise ahead of him.

Aston Villa have been deemed the perfect location for Borussia Monchengladbach’s want-away talisman Marcus Thuram, who is approaching the final months of his contract with the German Bundesliga outfit and could be available for as little as £10m.

This is according to Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor, who told GIVEMESPORT that the Claret & Blue do indeed hold an “interest” in a lightning-hot striker linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Taylor continued by explaining he “could be really good for Villa” and that’s certainly an assessment we agree with.

Emery’s catalyst

Villa have seen an upswing in form and fluidity since the arrival of Emery in October, with his four victories from six Premier League outings an indication that his blueprint is both a success and being adhered to.

However, in order to ride the trajectory that the 51-year-old Spaniard desires, fresh faces are indeed paramount, and the acquisitions of Alex Moreno from Real Betis and Jhon Duran from Colorado Rapids are moulding the clay to Emery’s shaping; the signing of Thuram, however, would be the gleaming spearhead to lead the ascension.

This season, the nine-cap Frace international has been in blistering offensive form, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists from 17 appearances, and his cutting edge in front of the opposing net could pay dividends for Villa as the key to the outfit’s success.

Hailed as “clinical” by Raj Chohan, the 25-year-old is a fearsome forward boasting both physicality and electric pace, with trademark flicks and enigmatic movement dumbfounding hapless defenders left tasting dust in his wake. 

As per FBref, the “beast”, as once labelled by Atul Kasbekar, ranks within the top 6% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 6% for dribbles completed and the top 9% for total shots – illustrating an innate goalscoring knack that will only enhance the Villa ranks.

And with the statistical site also comparing his attributes to those of Robert Lewandowski and Victor Osimhen, to name a few, it is crystal clear that Villa Park would be rocking with his inclusion.

His arrival could also signal the end for Danny Ings, who signed for the Midlands outfit for £25m in 2021 and has scored only 14 goals across 52 appearances.

Ings is a reliable goalscorer, having netted seven times from 21 outings this season, however, he has not quite reached the heights at previous outfit Southampton and consequently could lose his place in the squad having been linked with a move away already this year.

Amidst Thuram’s potential arrival, the ex-Liverpool man has only started twice in the Premier League since Emery took the reins of the club for the first time in a 3-1 victory over Man United.

With Chelsea and United indeed among the suitors, the “world-class” Thuram’s pedigree is without question, as once lauded by Wolfsburg director Marcel Schafer, and should Villa pull off the monumental signing, it would signify a huge leap in the right direction, a destructive frontal catalyst to ensure the tip of the club’s sword is razor-sharp for seasons to come.

Leeds United have reportedly been in contact with Fiorentina, asking for information on versatile defender Igor Julio, known simply as ‘Igor’.

The Lowdown: Igor profiled

Igor is 24 years of age and is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out on the left-hand side if required. The Brazilian made a permanent move to Fiorentina from SPAL back in 2021 and has made 88 appearances for his current employers.

Sponsored by Adidas, the left-footed defender is into the final 18 months of his current deal, and it looks as if the Whites are keen on his services alongside their interest in Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The Latest: Leeds contact

Sports Witness relayed a claim from Italian outlet Firenze Viola, suggesting that Leeds, along with Brentford and Brighton, have ‘requested information’ about Igor.

It remains to be seen whether Victor Orta and co have spoken to Fiorentina or rather directly to Igor’s representatives, with the report adding that the player is valued at more than €20m and that one of the three English sides could make a move if he continues to impress.

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The Verdict: Avoid?

Igor has actually struggled in Serie A this season, with an average match rating of 6.28/10, as per WhoScored. All of Leeds’ centre-backs have comfortably outperformed the Brazilian in recent months, with Diego Llorente the club’s worst at 6.46/10.

Jesse Marsch is fairly well-stocked at the back, especially after signing Max Wober earlier this month, with the Austrian capable of turning out as a centre-back or left-back.

Yes, the club have leaked goals this season, conceding 33 times in 19 Premier League games, but bringing in Igor, who hasn’t performed as well as Leeds’ current options, might not be a wise move.

Wolves are closing in on the €17million (£14.9m) signing of exciting Flamengo midfield Joao Gomes, according to reliable journalist John Percy.

The Lowdown: Gomes strongly linked with move

In recent weeks, numerous reports have linked the 21-year-old with a move to Molineux, as Julen Lopetegui looks for fresh blood in the middle of the park.

Gomes is a highly-rated young prospect who has been catching the eye for Flamengo, already making 117 appearances and shining in a disciplined role.

There had been concerns a deal may fall short with Ligue 1 outfit Lyon swooping in with a higher bid, but it now looks as though Wolves may have got their man, following a significant update.

The Latest: Signing nearly completed

Taking to Twitter, Percy claimed that the move is set to be announced at some point next week once a medical is completed:

“Wolves are set to complete the €17m signing of Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes. Gomes is expected to fly in for his medical early next week. Big signing for Julen Lopetegui.”

The Verdict: Shrewd midfield addition

This is an exciting piece of transfer business for Wolves, with Gomes someone who can come in and add legs and quality in a crucial area of the pitch.

In 29 Brazilian Serie A appearances this season, the youngster has enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate, which is only bettered by Nathan Collins (89%) at Wolves in 2022/23, of those to have made more than one Premier League start.

Gomes’ average of 3.2 tackles per game also highlights his off-the-ball influence and he could be a great foil for someone like Ruben Neves, freeing the Portuguese maestro to be a little more adventurous in attack, hopefully allowing him to register his first league assist of the season.

At 21, the Flamengo man is also a long-term signing for Wolves, and Lopetegui could see him as an influential piece of his jigsaw for many years to come.

Leeds United have been tipped to seal a late move for Roma midfielder, Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italy international facing an uncertain future at the Stadio Olimpico.

What’s the word?

Reports earlier today claimed that Whites sporting director Victor Orta had made a loan-to-buy offer for the 23-year-old, with the towering playmaker having also been linked with a £31m switch to fellow Premier League side Bournemouth in recent times.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Elland Road outfit could well capitalise on the player’s apparent desire to leave his current side, by making a concrete move before the deadline.

The respected journalist stated: “Leeds could take advantage of a tricky situation but they only wanted a loan and other clubs, including some in Italy, are having a look. We know Zaniolo is stuck between a rock and a hard place because he needs to leave Roma.”

Aaronson upgrade

The addition of Zaniolo could well allow Orta and Jesse Marsch the chance to secure an upgrade on summer signing Brenden Aaronson, with the USA international having been unable to truly make his mark in the playmaking berth so far this season.

Although the 22-year-old’s relentless work ethic has been commendable – as he notably ranks in the top 4% among his European peers for blocks made – he has been unable to offer a greater end product to go with it, having scored just once and laid on only two assists in 22 games in all competitions this season.

For a player that is seemingly meant to be the creative hub of the side, such a limp return is no doubt something of a problem for the Yorkshire outfit, hence the possible desire to provide quality competition in the form of the Roma maestro.

The latter man – who has been described as “such a special player” by journalist Carlo Garganese in the past – has already provided five goal involvements in 17 outings in all competitions, despite a spell out with injury, after previously registering eight goals and nine assists under Jose Mourinho last season.

That difference in attacking threat between the pair is also illustrated by the fact that Zaniolo ranks in the top 4% for total shots and the top 11% for progressive passes received, while Aaronson ranks in just the bottom 14% and the bottom 17% for the same two metrics, respectively.

While Marsch may be inclined to stick by his compatriot – who cost in the region of £24.7m back in May – the evidence would suggest that it is Zaniolo whom the former RB Leipzig coach could really build his team around.

Glasgow Rangers continued their fine start under Michael Beale in midweek, securing a routine 3-0 victory with many claiming the performance to be the best under his leadership so far.

With nine wins from ten matches since replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November, Beale has rejuvenated Rangers and given them an injection of confidence. However, reeling in their Glasgow arch-rivals – who are nine points ahead at the summit of the Premiership table – could prove a bridge too far, but the two domestic cups will certainly be eyed.

With matches coming thick and fast over the next few months, squad rotation will be key, and Beale may well switch up his starting XI ahead of the match against Ross County this afternoon, as he must fully unleash one of his January signings…

Todd Cantwell was one of two additions to the squad during the January transfer window, alongside Nicolas Raskin, and the former Norwich midfielder has already made a solid impression at Rangers. The 24-year-old – who was dubbed “exciting to watch” by journalist David Freezer – started against St Johnstone at Ibrox last weekend in the Light Blue’s straightforward 2-0 victory.

As per Sofascore, he enjoyed a solid if unspectacular debut, taking 55 touches while achieving an 88% pass success rate during his 63 minutes on the pitch, and it was pleasing to see a new midfielder in the team.

Against Hearts in midweek, he came off the bench with just 14 minutes left and left a positive imprint on the team which should convince Beale to unleash him from the start against Ross County today.

The Englishman achieved a Sofascore rating of 7/10 for his cameo against the Jam Tarts while taking 25 touches, completing 90% of his passes, winning 100% of his duels and making one key pass, giving Rangers that add a bit of spark in the final quarter of the match.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell was full of praise for Cantwell afterwards as he took to Twitter to discuss his performance, saying: “Cantwell has been superb since he came on. Nearly every time he has got on the ball he has dribble past someone or produced a lovely pass.”

Rangers are riding on a wave of confidence at the moment, and everyone seems to be buying into Beale’s philosophy.

Cantwell appears to have settled in at Ibrox with ease, and his impressive cameo against Hearts may just have earned him a start this afternoon.

Greg O’Keeffe has claimed Dwight McNeil looked like a player transformed under new Everton boss Sean Dyche last weekend.

The Lowdown: Dyche making an impact

Not many would have given Everton much hope of getting a positive result on Saturday against Arsenal – never mind a win – but Dyche managed to work his magic and got a tune out of a group of players that had been underperforming under Frank Lampard.

Prior to Everton’s win on Saturday, they hadn’t won in 2023 and had only won three games in the Premier League all season, but Dyche appears to be getting a lot more out of players in ways Lampard couldn’t.

This includes McNeil, who will know Dyche very well having worked with him at Burnley and been the manager that moulded him into the player that demanded a £20m transfer from Burnley to the Toffees.

The Latest: McNeil transformed under Dyche

O’Keeffe kept special praise for Everton ace McNeil for his display against the Gunners as he assisted the winning goal to cap a fine performance this past weekend.

Speaking on the All Together Now podcast, he said: “He’ll have players that he recognises and knows and obviously already got a huge rising from Tarkowski; McNeil appeared almost transformed and so on and so forth.”

The Verdict: Everton have to build on this momentum

Having quite a few players that he already knows will be a huge boost and likely something that attracted Dyche to the Everton job despite their perilous position in the league, as those individuals will know what he’s like and help him understand the squad much more.

Especially given that players such as James Tarkowski and McNeil had been playing regularly under Lampard and therefore hardly fringe players, this will have further played into Dyche’s hands.

While this weekend’s Merseyside derby at Anfield will likely be a very difficult test, having just beaten top-of-the-table Arsenal, Everton must now go to their bitter rivals and not hide away from the task and instead, take it head-on and try to pick up another unlikely positive result.

West Ham United have suffered this season after a period of relative success, as their consecutive finishes in European spots are being drowned out by this campaign’s relegation battle.

David Moyes had built a solid foundation with which his workmanlike team could compete with most, and as such, they were good value for their sixth and seventh-placed spots in the last two years.

However, now just one point from safety, it is clear something has gone fundamentally wrong.

Many would trace their failures back to last summer when they oversaw a huge outlay on many players who are yet to pull their weight. The Hammers shattered their club record fee and spent big on a new striker, both of whom have struggled to acclimatise to English football.

Despite all this, one of the more under-the-radar deals from that transfer window was acquiring Alphonse Areola.

Having spent last year on loan, he signed permanently from Paris Saint-Germain for a nominal fee of just £7.75m. Despite not featuring all that much thus far, his move still represents phenomenal value.

How much is Areola worth now?

That is mainly due to how his reported price has since rocketed, which makes the deal even sweeter.

Poised to be their successor to Łukasz Fabiański, the 29-year-old has featured just twice this league campaign but was selected for France’s World Cup squad to back up their captain.

Despite this, as of last month, FootballTransfers mark his expected transfer value at €19.5m (£17.2m), which marks a sensational 122% rise in just seven months.

Whilst his chances have been limited in east London, if his performances at Fulham are anything to go by, the future is bright with him as their number one.

During the 2020/21 campaign in which the Cottagers fell to relegation, he maintained a 6.94 average rating that was underpinned by a 71% save percentage, of which he made 3.2 saves per game, via Sofascore.

This fleet-footedness paired with his immense physicality gives him all the traits to be a success in the Premier League, with former professional goalkeeper Ben Foster dubbing him an “absolute specimen” with regard to his physique.

Should he finally be given a run in the team to recapture that form, he could not only prove instrumental in their relegation fight but increase his growing value even more.

Journalist Damian Spellman believes Newcastle United have to improve their midfield department this summer.

The Lowdown: A lack of depth may be concerning

The Magpies appear to be in something of a slump as they’ve drawn five out of their last six games in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, their sole win in that run came against Fulham, largely thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic double-kicking his penalty before Alexander Isak headed in an added-time winner.

This run of form has also come at a worrying time for Eddie Howe, as his squad is being stretched, with Bruno Guimaraes out for another game, Jonjo Shelvey having left for Nottingham Forest and Joe Willock going off against Bournemouth with a hamstring injury.

It was reported in January that Newcastle’s main priority during the transfer window was to improve the centre of midfield, but despite losing Shelvey, that didn’t end up happening, which has left the Magpies short in the middle of the pitch.

The Latest: Newcastle will look to improve in the summer

Newcastle will have aspirations of playing European football next season and that would require a deeper squad – something Spellman expects them to address this summer as he spoke on the Everything is Black and White podcast.

He said: “There’s no secret that Eddie Howe didn’t want to let Jonjo Shelvey leave, and I suspect when he did okay it, he thought they might get somebody in – and ultimately they didn’t.

“I think it’s glaringly obvious that that is one of the departments in which they need to strengthen and I think it will be somewhere they’ll invest in the summer – and we all know they’ve looked at people for that position or that area of the pitch.”

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The Verdict: PIF to go big next transfer window

While not spending heavily in January will likely put Newcastle in a healthier spot to spend more freely in the summer, if it ends up costing them either the top four or a chance to lift the Carabao Cup, that decision will likely be criticised.

Howe made it very clear during January that Newcastle didn’t want to spend money for the sake of it as they hoped to avoid handcuffing themselves financially for future windows, so it’s a very sensible approach taken by the club’s owners.

However, if Newcastle don’t make the top four, the calibre of players they could attract could drop significantly, so it’s a risky strategy and one that may well come back to bite them if they keep picking up injuries and fail to capitalise on a bizarre season where several of the usual suspects have been left behind in the Champions League race.

Manchester United are lining up a bid for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Impressive Old Trafford display

Erik ten Hag recently watched Meslier twice in the space of four days in back-to-back Premier League fixtures against the Whites earlier this month.

The French shot-stopper impressed in the first meeting at Old Trafford, comfortably outperforming David de Gea in a 2-2 draw, as per SofaScore. The 22-year-old made five saves and completed 11 long balls, and it looks as if he is on the club’s radar as a result.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Sun shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding the Red Devils and Meslier.

They claimed that those at Old Trafford are looking at the Leeds man as De Gea’s long-term replacement and are lining up a bid with the Spaniard yet to agree on a new contract in Manchester.

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The Verdict: One to watch

Meslier is at the top of his game with a career-high €22m Transfermarkt valuation, and has been labelled as a ‘keeper with ‘so much quality’ by Brenden Aaronson.

He has made 353 saves in the Premier League and already ranks in the all-time top 50 in that regard, so a move could be a shrewd one, especially if Leeds suffer relegation to the Championship.

Hugo Lloris has tipped Meslier to become France’s first-choice ‘keeper in the future, and with De Gea now 32, he could also replace the United legend at Old Trafford, making this one to watch.