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An update has emerged on Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius and his future at St. James’ Park beyond the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the German shot-stopper is poised to put pen to paper on an extension with the Magpies.

The reporter Tweeted: “Loris Karius is close to signing a deal to extend his Newcastle contract until the end of the season.

“And according to colleague @Plettigoal, further talks have also been taking place over a longer contract for the German goalkeeper #NUFC.”

Can finally ditch Karl Darlow

Extending Karius’ contract with the club could allow Newcastle to finally part ways with long-serving goalkeeper Karl Darlow as the Englishman would be one of four shot-stoppers on Tyneside.

Nick Pope started between the sticks in the recent 1-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League at St. James’ Park and Martin Dubravka, who recently returned from his loan spell with Manchester United, was on the bench as his deputy.

This indicates that they are Eddie Howe’s first-choice options in goal and that would leave Karius and Darlow fighting it out to be third in the pecking order, with the former penning a contract extension potentially showing that he has won that battle.

The German colossus remaining with the Magpies for the rest of this season, and possibly beyond, could then open the door for the Englishman to depart as it seems unlikely that a fourth-choice goalkeeper will get minutes between now and May – as three other players in that position would need to be unavailable.

Darlow was called upon in the 2021/22 campaign after an injury to Dubravka and struggled badly in the Premier League, showing that he was not up to the task of being a number one in the top-flight.

The £30k-per-week shot-stopper averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.47 across eight appearances in the division and conceded 1.9 goals per match between the sticks.

In those games, the former Nottingham Forest ‘keeper let in 4.5 more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to from the post-shot xG that he faced, which essentially means that Darlow underperformed significantly in terms of shot-stopping.

Therefore, the 32-year-old is a liability at Premier League level and is not a goalkeeper who can be relied upon by Howe, which is why he should now be ditched from the squad following the news that Karius is set to stay as back-up behind Pope and Dubravka.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the agent of Nicolas Jackson will be in London next week amid growing links to Southampton.

What’s the word?

The 21-year-old, who currently plays in Spain for La Liga outfit Villarreal, has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League of late. Indeed, HampshireLive reports that “talks” have already taken place over a possible January switch.

As per Transfermarkt, the player is represented by Epic Sports. Incidentally, this is the same agency as Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, who is notably being linked with Arsenal.

According to Romano, the agent of both players is coming to London next week in an attempt to sort out moves for his clients.

When speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained his understanding of the situation, saying: “The agent of Fresneda will be in London next week; he is going to be probably the new agent of Moises Caicedo, who is on [the] Chelsea list.

“He has to speak about [the] Jackson situation for Southampton and other clubs, so there will be meetings in London next week for the agent.”

New striker needed?

Jackson has just two goals and two assists in 14 La Liga outings so far this term for Villarreal, so it’s not as if he’s in the best form in the world right now.

In fact, across the span of his career, he only has three senior goals for the Spanish club in 33 outings. However, he is still just 21 years old, so the Saints may back him to develop into a more prolific striker as he gains a little more experience.Seeing as Southampton are in the midst of a relegation battle and caught inside the bottom three, they may want someone who can make a big impact right away.Even so, just because the present situation is concerning, that doesn’t mean you should stop planning for the future.Of course, the likes of Che Adams, Adam Armstrong,  and Sekou Mara provide options up top. Adding Jackson to that list would certainly do no harm, so it will be interesting to see how the situation develops following the arrival of the striker’s agent in England.

Everton are in a major transition period with Frank Lampard losing his position at the beginning of the week and Sean Dyche expected to replace him imminently, however, the new manager could be set for a blow already as a new update emerges.

What’s the latest?

The Daily Mail’s Northern football correspondent Dominic King has given more insight into Anthony Gordon’s potential departure from Goodison Park this morning.

King tweeted:

“Fair to say, too, these talks are further advanced than is being indicated. Newcastle made their first offer direct to Farhad Moshiri last Thursday during a meeting in London. Amanda Staveley is involved in discussions for Newcastle.”

It’d be a nightmare start for Dyche

There is no doubt that losing Gordon will be a nightmare start for Dyche as the manager will have extremely limited time to replace the Everton winger with the January transfer window set to shut on Tuesday.

Indeed, it would not be the first time a Premier League club has completed late deals but identifying a player who can come in to replace a big presence in the team will be no easy task.

Over 16 Premier League appearances this season so far, the 21-year-old boyhood Evertonian has scored three goals and created one big chance, as well as averaging 1.6 shots on goal, 2.1 tackles and 4.3 duels won per game.

However, ahead of the sacking of Frank Lampard, Gordon has been rarely seen in the matchday squad over their last four league fixtures with only 21 minutes played so it is curious as to why the former Everton boss felt that the player was not worthy of a starting spot.

Everton are currently 19th in the top-flight table and two points deep into the relegation zone with 18 fixtures remaining, so Dyche will have a huge challenge on his hands to get the Toffees back on track and in a comfortable position by the end of the season.

With that in mind, keeping the squad together to have the best possible chance of surviving a drop into the Championship will be imperative ahead of a difficult run of outings ahead including a clash with league leaders Arsenal at Goodison Park next weekend where the new manager could take charge of his first game in front of the home support.

Leeds United are hoping to complete the signing of Servette youngster Diogo Monteiro in the final few days of the January transfer window, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Monteiro

The Whites are still looking to get some business done before next Tuesday’s deadline, with Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie firmly on their radar.

Leeds have also been linked with a move for Monteiro in recent days, with the 18-year-old an exciting prospect with three caps to his name for Portugal’s under-19s.

He is out of contract at Servette at the end of this season, and it looks as though Elland Road could be his next destination.

The Latest: Leeds want Monteiro signed soon

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, Hay said that Leeds are still aiming to get a deal over the line for Monteiro this month, along with hopefully bringing in McKennie.

The reporter tweeted:

“Leeds and Juventus still locked in talks over Weston McKennie. Leeds want this one done but agreeing the structure of a deal with Juve has proved complicated.

“Club still aiming to get Diogo Monteiro over the line before next week’s deadline too.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

Monteiro clearly wouldn’t be coming in as a key player immediately given his age, but he is someone who could be viewed as an important part of the club’s future. Hay wrote for The Athletic that the teenager ‘is highly-rated but would be added to the Under-21 squad at Elland Road initially’.

He has seven appearances to his name for Servette in all competitions this season, showing that he can already perform at a high level, and his aforementioned international experience at youth level suggests that he could be a future senior star for Portugal.

Leeds will be in need of freshening things up defensively in the near future, with captain Liam Cooper now 31, and Monteiro could be viewed as a long-term replacement for the Scotland centre-back.

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Fabrizio Romano says that Arsenal are moving ‘behind the scenes’ to try and sign right-back Ivan Fresneda, although Borussia Dortmund are doing likewise.

The Lowdown: Terms agreed with Fresneda

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein shared last week that both Arsenal and Dortmund have already ‘agreed terms’ with the 18-year-old over a move from Real Valladolid in the January transfer window.

The deal would be expected to cost €15m (£13.1m), and the defender would be loaned back to Valladolid for the rest of the season.

The Latest: Arsenal moving for Fresneda…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Arsenal are moving ‘behind the scenes’ to try and get a deal done for Fresneda after already agreeing terms with him, although Dortmund are doing the same.

The Italian stated: “Let’s see how it will progress. The player has to decide, it’s really important to understand what the player wants to do.

“I’m told the that the German club is also moving behind the scenes on Fresneda, but now Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal are leading the race.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Arsenal’s focus may be on trying to sign midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion after reportedly making a second bid for him, but they must try and get a deal over the line for Fresneda as well.

Lauded by journalist and La Liga presenter Juan Arroita for his ‘beastly‘ ability to maraud forward and put in crosses, the Spaniard averages one key pass and 0.4 crosses per game in La Liga, ranking high among his team-mates in both metrics (WhoScored).

At just 18, he also ranks in the top 11% for tackles, clearances and interceptions per game among full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBref), showing an impressive defensive side to his game which belies his tender years.

With Cedric looking set to join Fulham this week, it makes sense for Mikel Arteta’s side to sign Fresneda now, as he is sure to attract plenty more interest in the summer should they wait until then.

Sunderland defender Aji Alese may feel fortunate not to have given away a penalty on the weekend in their draw against Millwall.

What’s the latest?

Tony Mowbray’s men picked up a big point away to the Londoners on the weekend in a game where the found themselves a goal behind.

Dennis Cirkin was the man to get his head on the ball and provide the Black Cats with a way back into the game for what was just his second goal of the 2022/23 campaign.

However, there was a penalty shout for the hosts with the Sunderland centre-back seemingly holding back Tom Bradshaw inside the penalty area.

And speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has labelled this incident as clumsy from the young defender:

“It’s clumsy and I think whatever the referee does, you back him, because he goes down, together – is there enough to give a penalty? The referee’s close, he has a good view. Difficult call.”

Big let-off?

There does certainly seem to be some contact from the 22-year-old who allowed Bradshaw to turn inside him despite having Danny Batth covering.

So with this in mind, there probably is some scope for a potential penalty to be awarded against the Black Cats with the Millwall forward going down as a result of the contact.

And given the incident occurred after just a few minutes, it is something which could have certainly changed the narrative of the game if Sunderland had found themselves behind so early on.

However, there will likely be some who would feel it would have been a soft penalty had it been awarded by the referee.

Perhaps the contact was minimal but it was enough to potentially give the referee something to think about which is always a dangerous game to play.

Alese has played a big role in the Sunderland side this season since making the move from Millwall’s rivals, West Ham United, over the summer.

However, it does seem Saturday may not have been his best display in a red and white shirt as journalist James Hunter awarded him with just a 6/10 rating.

The youngster clearly has some developing still to do and perhaps this incident is one he will learn from as another referee seemingly could have interpreted it in a different way.

By-and-large, Liverpool have been remarkably precise in their transfer dealings since Jurgen Klopp assumed the managerial reins at the club in 2015, and have reaped the rewards of hitting the mark on so many occasions.

Indeed, since Klopp arrived at Anfield after his dismissal from Borussia Dortmund, the outfit have lifted a plethora of major honours including the Premier League and Champions League, and this is largely due to the manager’s philosophy and his comprehensive restructure of a formerly withered football club.

While much of the attention is fixed onto the incomings during this period, a lot has to be said for the sales for peripheral players that have since failed to prove Klopp and co wrong, with notable departures such as Jordan Ibe to Bournemouth for £15m and Dominic Solanke at £19m to the same side, while deals such as Danny Ings to Southampton for £20m also proved to be a successful deal for a Liverpool side who failed to find a place for the star within the starting line-up.

But one deal that stands out above all others is allowing Rhian Brewster to move to Sheffield United in 2020 in a deal that could rise to £23.5m.

Brewster held an abundance of promise within the Liverpool youth ranks after moving from Chelsea for free, and started to filter into the reckoning within the senior crop, making four appearances for the first team and enjoying an immensely promising loan spell with Swansea City, where he landed 11 goals from just 22 appearances in the Championship.

However, since joining United, who have since plummeted from the Premier League to the second tier, Brewster has scored only five goals and found one assist, and there are serious concerns over his pedigree as a striker at the top level.

This season, Brewster has scored just one goal and served one assist from 17 appearances for his second-tier outfit, entrusted with just five starts in the Championship before agonisingly picking up an injury from which he is yet to recover from.

With the Blades currently second in the league and ten points ahead of third-place Middlesbrough with a game in hand, promotion back to the first division appears a formality, barring a shocking late collapse, but Brewster’s argument for a starting berth back among the best crop of footballers England has to offer is rather tenuous following his recent travails.

The graphic above highlights just how subpar the Champions League winner has been since departing Liverpool, with Brewster costing the Blades roughly £3.91m per direct goal involvement since his pricey arrival, and his average career rating of 6.53, as per WhoScored, illuminates the failure to kickstart a promising career.

The former England U21 international was previously remarked to be “struggling” with his current outfit by Richard Sutcliffe, a term that can still be attached to his name today, and it might be that a move away from Bramall Lane in order to reignite his career is required upon the current campaign’s conclusion.

Brewster has been detrimentally hampered by several serious injuries, and while he has failed to channel the peak of his potential thus far with the Blades, at 22 years old he has plenty of time to harness his skills and forge a successful career for himself.

Regardless, Klopp and co played a blinder in the sale, one of the many direct hits on the transfer front since the distinguished German manager took the reins on Merseyside.

HLTCO presenter Dan Cook has slammed the idea that Crystal Palace could sell defender Marc Guehi for £45m in the summer.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Mail, London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for the Englishman when they look to strengthen their defence next season.

The report claims that Palace want to keep hold of their key central defender, but would be tempted into a sale if offers from £45m come in for Guehi.

Amid these rumours, while talking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook insisted that the club should hold out for more as it would be an “absolute steal” for Spurs to sign the player for the price currently being touted.

He explained: “There has been a report in the Daily Mail to suggest that £45m is around the mark that we would green-light a move for Guehi to leave SE25.

“I’m not going to tell Steve Parish and the people behind the scenes what to do, but I do think that seems a little bit on the low side, to be quite honest with you.

“You’ve got a full England international here, a centre-back, someone that is undeniably a modern centre-back in terms of his comfort in possession.

“He’s young, he has all sorts of room for growth. I think £45m would be an absolute steal if Spurs were able to get him for that.”

Bargain?

This is not the first time in recent months that Guehi has been linked with a move to Spurs. For instance, football.london journalist Alasdair Gold not that Tottenham are ‘big admirers’ of the central defender.

Seeing as the summer market is still a long way away but rumours are beginning to build momentum, some Crystal Palace fans may be concerned that a transfer saga could take place at the end of the season.

What’s more, Spurs may be on the lookout for a new defender shortly as current option Clement Lenglet is only there from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal.

Of course, though, the greater Tottenham’s need, the more desperate they will be to pay whatever it takes. And so if Palace point out that Guehi is a top prospect at 22 years old and a full England international, then may well be able to demand more than £45m for their player.

Leeds United are still in talks with Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola over the vacancy at the Premier League club, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Iraola linked with Leeds manager job

The 40-year-old appeared to be one of the top targets at Elland Road after the club parted ways with Jesse Marsch last week.

Reliable reporter Phil Hay believed that the Spaniard was keen on a move to Yorkshire, but a potential move failed after he decided to remain with the La Liga club. It looks as if Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises haven’t given up just yet, though, following an update on Thursday.

The Latest: Talks continuing with Iraola

Football Insider’s Wayne Veysey shared a managerial ‘twist’ from Elland Road regarding Iraola.

He said that ‘discussions are still continuing’ directly with the 40-year-old, despite Leeds’ recent confirmation that Michael Skubala will continue to lead the first-team for their upcoming fixtures.

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The Verdict: Tricky…

It looks as if Leeds will find it extremely difficult to bring in Iraola before the summer, with the 4-2-3-1 style manager giving his word to Rayo Vallecano until the end of the season.

Therefore, should results not improve in the coming weeks, the Whites could find themselves in a tricky position. If a move for Iraola remains at a standstill, the club could be forced into an interim appointment or an alternative long-term successor, with relegation a real possibility once again this season.

It looks set to be a crucial few weeks both on and off the pitch, but it appears as if Radrizzani and the 49ers are still working on bringing Iraola to England.

West Ham United have fallen off their perch among the forefront of the Premier League ranks this season, currently languishing among the relegation contenders after 22 matches despite clinching European football over the past two seasons.

Indeed, despite awaiting their opponents in the Europa Conference League round of 16 and reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, David Moyes’ side have failed to replicate their recent endeavours domestically and have a tenuous hold on their top-flight status at the moment.

Even though the likes of Gianluca Scamacca (£35.5m), Lucas Paqueta (£51m) and Nayef Aguerd (£30m) have all bolstered the ranks with their respective arrivals last summer, the Hammers remain just two points and two places ahead of 18th-placed Everton.

While the crux of the Irons’ woes lies with the lack of offensive potency (only four teams have scored fewer top-flight goals than their 19), there remain concerns over the defence, with Kurt Zouma and Aguerd both having endured fitness problems this season.

Also, with another defensive stalwart in Angelo Ogbonna turning 35 in May, Moyes will be considering every option when devising a plan to start a timely ascension back towards prominence, and youth prospect Jamal Baptiste could be the catalyst for such change.

Could Baptiste be the perfect Ogbonna heir?

Since signing for West Ham for £10m from Juventus in 2015, Ogbonna has made 219 appearances for the Irons, scoring 13 times, and has been instrumental in maintaining their top-flight status throughout that time.

This season, the Italian colossus has only started five times in the Premier League, receding to become a utility option as he enters the twilight stage of his professional career.

For all his service to the east London club, time waits for no man – certainly not in elite-level football – and it might now be time for Moyes to shift his focus onto talented starlet Jamal Baptiste, who has recently returned from a long-term absence.

Baptiste, who has been hailed as “impressive” by Tom Maston of Goal, is plying his trade for West Ham’s U21s, having made 54 appearances at that level, although he has only featured three times in the current campaign due to his five-month absence.

Highly regarded by Moyes, the 19-year-old started a Europa League fixture against Dinamo Zagreb last season, completing 89% of his passes and making one clearance that night; and if he can rectify the issues which have hampered his progress this year, a prominent position within the senior setup might yet materialise.

Also, with Ogbonna’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, Moyes might be prudent to channel the ability of a talented prospect who’s already on the books, rather than splurging more cash when the likes of Zouma and Aguerd are more than capable of maintaining their starting roles.

Having recently returned to the fold, Baptiste could yet weasel his way into first-team contention, harnessing the abundant potential which lays dormant within and is just waiting to erupt.