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Graeme Bailey says that Newcastle United are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Hugo Ekitike in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wood on his way…

Sky Sports reported on Tuesday night that the St. James’ Park faithful activated the £20m release clause of Chris Wood, and he is now set to undergo a medical ahead of a move from Burnley.

However, their striker search may not stop there, as The Athletic journalist Chris Waugh has suggested that could go for another one before the window closes.

Nonetheless, with the injury suffered by Callum Wilson, the North East club need all the help that they can get up top if they are to drag themselves out of the relegation zone come the end of the season.

The Latest: Ekitike to follow?

As per 90min journalist Bailey, the Tyneside outfit are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Ekitike, in what he claims would be a ‘huge signing’ if they can pull a deal off:

“Can reveal that Newcastle United are in advanced talks to sign Reims’ Hugo Ekitike for £30m.

“Outstanding talent – huge signing for Newcastle if they get it done, many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

The Verdict: Worth the risk

With the Wood deal looking all but done, the Magpies have already found a striker with experience in the Premier League.

Thus, they can afford to take more of a punt on a player like Ekitike, and although £30m may be considered excessive considering his current market value, at just 19 years of age, he could easily be worth that in the future.

Any comparison to Kylian Mbappe, who has simply set the world alight since his teenage years at AS Monaco, is obviously welcomed, and highlights just how much potential Ekitike has.

With eight goals and three assists in 18 games in Ligue 1 so far this season (Transfermarkt), he has shown already that he can perform at a high level, and so would certainly be an exciting new addition for the Toon Army.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now set to bid for here!

Antonio Conte will be in the dugout to take charge of his first game as Tottenham Hotspur boss after being appointed on a one-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday afternoon.

The Italian’s work permit has come through just in time to lead out his new side later this evening when they welcome Dutch outfit Vitesse to north London in the Europa Conference League.

He will need to spark an instant reaction with Spurs sat third in Group G, having been defeated 1-0 in the Netherlands two weeks ago.

Conte has barely had time to properly implement his own ideas and philosophy, so it will be interesting to see what sort of formation and lineup he opts for.

With that in mind, here’s the XI we’re predicting tonight…

The 52-year-old will want to kickstart his reign with a bang, so we could see much of his first-team squad feature – there could be just three changes from the side that were thrashed 3-0 by Manchester United on Sunday.

That will also include a change in system as Conte’s famed 3-5-2 gets a run out for the very first time.

Spurs club captain and no.1 Hugo Lloris is set to remain between the sticks despite Pierluigi Gollini often being the choice in the competition, whilst we could see a three-man defence of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez.

On either flank in a new and exciting advanced wing-back role, we’re expecting Sergio Reguilon to come back into the side over Ben Davies, with Emerson Royal continuing on the right.

There are plenty of decisions to be made in the engine room but it’s 21-year-old academy gem Oliver Skipp who is likely to be an unfortunate casualty as Conte may prefer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg occupying a deeper role on his own, allowing Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso freedom further forward.

They will need to get up and down and be industrious in the middle in order to support the two-pronged frontline of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, who should thrive off each other in the final third.

This change in formation means the £18m-rated Lucas Moura is ruthlessly axed as the Italian is unlikely to utilise wingers in their natural form.

AND in other news, Paratici could transform Conte’s Spurs by signing “special” £63m-rated “absolute gem”…

A development has emerged on Rangers defender Nathan Patterson, regarding interest in the Gers’ full-back’s future at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, Manchester United are lining up a swoop for the full-back ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims more than 12 teams across Europe are keen on the youngster, whilst United also hold a tentative interest in Gers captain James Tavernier. Everton are named as one of the other clubs looking at Patterson, whilst United have alternative options in Kieran Trippier and Max Aarons.

Concern

This development on Patterson will surely leave Rangers fans feeling concerned over the possibility of a large blow in January. His potential has clearly caught the attention of a host of teams and that opens the door to the prospect of him leaving Ibrox in one of the upcoming transfer windows.

If more than 12 clubs are interested in the teenager then that could make it difficult for Rangers to keep hold of him. His agent could be fielding enquiries from sides left, right and centre and hearing that teams in the Champions League, such as Manchester United, are looking at him could turn his head.

Having the chance to go and play in the Premier League and Champions League, competing for the top trophies, could convince him to quit Ibrox, if United – or another side in Europe’s premier competition – make a serious move for him. This is precisely why Rangers fans should be worried.

The club’s head of academy Craig Mulholland once heralded the full-back as a great example for young players, saying: “Nathan has been fantastic for us this year.

“If you go and look at Nathan in the last 16 of the Europa League, if you look at him in the Old Firm game, it’s a great example for all the young players in here of what we’re trying to achieve.”

The 19-year-old has lived up to this high praise on the pitch. Last season, he averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.85 in the Europa League, showing that he can compete at a high level despite his young age.

In his only Premiership appearance this term, he provided an assist and recorded a score of 7.6 against Hibernian last weekend.

Patterson has shown that he has the potential to be a big player for Steven Gerrard moving forward and thus, supporters will be gutted to see him go.

He has already proven that he can play to a high standard in the Europa League and the Premiership and at the age of 19, he is James Tavernier’s ideal heir at right-back. With that in mind, it would be a hefty blow to lose him. After all, when Tavernier was missing last season, Patterson came in and performed admirably.

Should the former be missing again and the latter departs, the club would not be in good stead.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: Rangers dynamo sees value soar by 85.7% in one year, he’s exciting…

Leeds United have been boosted in their efforts to sign Ben Brereton Diaz, with Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray admitting that a big offer could be accepted.

The Lowdown: Brereton Diaz on fire

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a magnificent start to the season, scoring 17 goals in the Championship and only trailing Aleksandar Mitrovic (21) in the Golden Boot race in England’s second tier.

Brereton Diaz has also made a promising start to his international career with Chile, netting three times in nine appearances to date.

The Blackburn attacker has been linked with a move to Leeds in recent times, and while his current club are desperate to keep hold of him, their manager may have given the Whites some hope.

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The Latest: Mowbray gives Leeds hope

Speaking to Lancashire Telegraph, Mowbray admitted that a sizeable offer next summer could see Blackburn have to part with the Brereton Diaz. He said:

“He’s not walking away for nothing in the summer. All of those things are really pertinent. How much do you pay Ben Brereton to keep him happy and stay at this club and keep the journey going? Or when does he cut off and say he’s not signing so you decide what you want to do?

“We’ve not reached that stage with him because he’s a brilliant kid, no ego, works really hard for the lads.

“I’d like to think we can give Ben a new contract because I believe the best way to leave the club would be if someone offers an amount of money that would just be stupid to turn down and we could buy three £5m players on the back of it and then give yourselves a real chance and expectation to get promotion.”

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The Verdict: Strong rival for Bamford

Leeds are short on strikers this season, with Patrick Bamford relied upon too often, scoring on his first appearance in almost three months last weekend after coming back from injury.

Marcelo Bielsa could do with signing someone who can rival provide genuine competition for the Englishman, and Brereton Diaz could be that man.

The Chile international may only be shining in the Championship currently but Bamford himself took form with him from that division to the Premier League stage, scoring 16 goals in the second tier in 2019/20 and 17 in the top flight in the following campaign.

In other news, one massive Leeds figure has been linked with a shock January exit. Read more here.

Wolves are set to take on Aston Villa on Saturday evening in what is a crunch clash for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

Lawrenson reacts

The Black Country club are currently 12th in the Premier League table with just two wins from their last five outings and will look to react after their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City last time out.

Villa are three places above them in the standings but have two games in hand – as well as three more wins to their name this season.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Lawrenson believes that their performance at the Etihad will galvanise them into gaining three points against their Midland rivals.

He said: “Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were well beaten in the end by Manchester City in midweek but they were still hard to break down. They didn’t get much of a chance to attack against City but, apart from that game, they have had a bit more bite recently too.”

Lawrenson went on to predict that Wolves would beat Dean Smith’s side 1-0 in a closely-fought contest.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Wolves definitely illustrated glimpses of promises last time out as they went toe-to-toe with the league leaders, which shows why the scoreline was harsh on the visitors.

They can temporarily move into the top 10 with a win as they will have played more than the teams around them, and there is no reason why they can’t do just that.

In other news, Tim Spiers speaks out on future of “outstanding” Wolves gem.

Without a manager, Peter Lawwell departing and a new director of football to come, making plans for the summer will be incredibly hard at Celtic.

Of course, the new faces may prefer a different approach in the transfer market, which makes it hard to predict who will arrive.

What’s the word?

That hasn’t stopped the transfer rumour mill from doing its job of churning out stories, however.

According to The Mirror, Celtic are one of a number of teams interested in signing Romain Perraud from French club Brest.

The race to sign him won’t be very simple, with Premier League side Leeds United in hot pursuit of the left-back. The defender has also now admitted that he’s a fan of Chelsea.

Celtic were keen on signing Perraud in 2019 when the player suggested a move very nearly happened.

He told Goal (via Daily Record) in November of the same year: “Celtic and Dijon made me concrete offers. With Celtic, the discussions started at the beginning of the transfer window, but Nice did not want to hear anything, so they did not come back.

“There remained Dijon and Brest. In the end, I chose Brest. I was seduced by the project and the speech I received.”

Nearly two years on, the Frenchman could have to make a similar decision over his future.

Imagine him and Edouard

Perraud is the definition of a flying full-back. Adept defensively, he’s marauding whenever he goes forward.

The £7.2m-rated defender is very much in the mould of Kieran Tierney, a player who brought great joy to those at Parkhead before departing for Arsenal 19 months ago.

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So far this term, the 23-year-old has been particularly impressive, winning 1.9 tackles per game in Ligue 1. For context, that tally is only bettered by the tough-tackling Ismaila Soro and rarely-seen Anthony Ralston in the Hoops squad.

However, the most frightening aspect of his play is undoubtedly in attack. Perraud has scored three goals from the left flank this term, also providing five assists for his teammates.

Assessing stats provided by Smarterscout, a tool which uses videogame-style ratings out of 99, it demonstrates that the 23-year-old is particularly good going forward.

Adjusted to Premier League standard – via The Athletic – Perraud’s carry and dribble volume ranks at 89 out of 99. On top of that, expected goals from his chance creation are rated at 75 while his shot volume is a staggering 99 for someone in his position.

Celtic have creativity in their squad but just imagine what Edouard could do if he’s granted the service of Perraud.

He’s naturally a defender but, like many modern-day full-backs, has a mean delivery. Similarly to Tierney, Perraud’s crossing ability is sensational. The former, for instance, has made 1.3 key passes per game in England this season.

Edouard already has 20 goals this term in a struggling Celtic side. They are 18 points behind Rangers but could narrow the gap next season by slotting Perraud in on the left.

Give him the freedom of that flank and his chance creation could be incredibly beneficial for Celtic’s star striker. This has the potential to be a mouth-watering partnership.

AND in other news, Celtic could finally axe veteran star by hiring 49 y/o who’s done “phenomenal” things…

Leeds United will make a last-ditch attempt to sign Calvin Ramsay, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Sun’s Alan Nixon claims the Yorkshire giants will “battle” Premier League rivals Liverpool over his signature this summer with the Reds eyeing him as cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, though the Whites could offer a faster track to the first-team.

It’s thought that Aberdeen’s teenage right-back is available for around £3m as interest continues to rise across Europe.

The Dons are understood to have knocked back bids from Leicester City, Bologna and even Leeds in recent times, as per Goal.com.

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Sign him up

If the 18-year-old gem is indeed available for as little as £3m, then his arrival should be an absolute no-brainer for director of Victor Orta and manager Jesse Marsch.

Tapping up a player with big potential like this for a fee as little as that could prove to be a masterclass from the Elland Road hierarchy.

His biggest qualities are those that he can provide in the final third, ranging from his excellent distribution through passes and crosses, his willingness to take on his man and his set-piece ability.

“His quality of delivery from set-pieces and open play has brought him plenty of assists for Aberdeen. For someone so young to come in and make the impact he has is a great credit to him,” former Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes told The Scotsman (via Goal).

Meanwhile, Dons chairman Dave Cormack believes Ramsay is “in the elite upper bracket, right up there, for a young right-back in Europe” – could the young Scot emerge as a major threat down the right flank for many years to come?

You’d imagine so given Marsch’s high-pressing attacking system.

The emerging sensation, recently dubbed a “wonderkid” by Goal on Twitter, has been likened to Man City’s Joao Cancelo in terms of playing style, largely due to his ambidexterity to play on either foot and thus, on either flank and his attacking prowess.

Further lauded as “so special” by scout Jacek Kulig, Ramsay could well become Leeds’ own Cancelo-like presence at right-back, should Orta and co manage to win the £3m race for his signature.

AND in other news, Scouting mission: Leeds eyeing 6 ft 3 titan who “fits the bill”, Marsch would love him…

There are no easy games in the Premier League and West Brom have it all to do if they are to drastically turn around their plight this season.

Sam Allardyce’s men now head to defending champions Liverpool looking for only their second win of the current campaign.

In the 66-year-old’s first game in charge, the Baggies were thrashed 3-0 by arch-rivals Aston Villa, and now they face an almighty task at Anfield.

Albion have suspensions and injuries to deal with, so it will be interesting to see how Big Sam lines up the squad this afternoon.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting as the division’s leaders host second from bottom…

There could be as many as four changes as Allardyce looks to spark a reaction today.

In goal, Sam Johnstone keeps his place as do the majority of the back four barring Dara O’Shea, who makes way for PL veteran Branislav Ivanovic.

Club captain Jake Livermore is suspended for this match after receiving his marching orders for a lunge on Jack Grealish last weekend, so there’s a change afoot in midfield.

Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea loan sensation Conor Gallagher could partner each other with Matheus Pereira returning from his own suspension to take an advanced place in the engine room.

Whilst in the attack, only Matty Phillips keeps his place at right-wing.

It means Karlan Grant is axed for Charlie Austin up top, and Grady Diangana also drops to the bench in favour of the £9m-rated Callum Robinson on the left flank.

The likes of Sam Field, Hal Robson-Kanu, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend are all still out through injury.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign former West Ham star in January swoop…

This season has been one shrouded with negativity and setbacks for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Hopes of securing European football have been left in the dust and they look the shadow of a team that have been crafted so astutely by Nuno Santo in the last few years.

The Portuguese coach has taken them from a middling Championship side to one regularly in the top half of the Premier League.

Thankfully, it feels like Wolves know they’ve got things wrong in the last year. Speaking ahead of their clash with West Brom, Nuno admitted that better planning needed to take place in terms of recruitment.

With that in mind, there is a sense that Wolves will make greater decisions in the upcoming transfer window.

Signing another striker should be near the top of their agenda. After all, it would be a surprise if they brought Willian Jose back to Molineux following one goal in the last four months.

One option is Tammy Abraham. The Chelsea forward isn’tt getting enough game time at Stamford Bridge and is now being chased by the Old Gold and Aston Villa.

Abraham is a vibrant young forward and despite his lack of minutes, has still racked up 30 goals for the Blues throughout his time in West London.

When he’s found regular action, he’s been devastating. He scored 49 goals in two Championship campaigns with Bristol City and Aston Villa while he is Chelsea’s top scorer in the last 18 months.

Pivotal, however, is the way he could act as a replacement for Raul Jimenez. Described as a “phenomenal” player by Alex McLeish, Abraham’s tall frame and ability to bring others into play is perfect for Wolves.

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It could also be game-changing for a certain Pedro Neto. With Jimenez missing since November while he recovers from a fractured skull, the Portugal sensation has missed a focal point and somebody to link the play with.

Neto has still managed a sublime campaign and is Wolves’ top scorer on five goals. He is also their chief creator on six assists.

That said, without a free-scoring striker next to him, his numbers aren’t as impressive as they should be.

You only need to look at the relationship that Jimenez and Diogo Jota had together when they both played for Wolves.

A classic little and large combination, no player has contributed to more of the Mexican’s goals at Molineux. When they played alongside each other, they had a joint goal participation of 17, five more than the next best in Adama Traore.

They worked beautifully in tandem and Nuno could recreate that by signing Abraham and playing him in a two-prong attack with Neto.

It would be perfect for Wolves given how successful Jota and Jimenez were as a pairing.

AND in other news, Move over Podence: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w brute with “breathtaking technique”…

Harvey Elliott’s hopes of featuring for Liverpool next season will hinge on their summer transfer business, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Elliott completes excellent spell at Blackburn

The 18-year-old has spent this season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, enjoying a brilliant campaign for the Championship club. On Saturday, Elliott played his last game for the Lancashire outfit, scoring in their 5-2 win at home to Birmingham City, meaning he finishes the campaign with seven goals and 11 assists.

The key question now is whether or not the teenager will stay at Liverpool this summer or head out on loan again, with Jurgen Klopp set to make that decision in the coming months.

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The Latest: Pearce provides key update

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Southampton on Saturday night, Pearce said he would like to see Elliott remain on Merseyside, but the decision will depend on potential summer arrivals and departures at Anfield:

 “I think it depends what happens this summer in terms of incomings/outgoings. I’d like to see him stay put next season. He’s such an exciting talent.”

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The Verdict: Keep hold of Elliott this summer

It is easy to get carried away about exciting young players – Rhian Brewster is a good example – but Elliott really does look like the real deal. The Championship is a tough league for a young player to make his mark, but he has taken it by storm and shown he can compete physically, also looking technically superior to those around him.

Elliott shouldn’t be a regular starter for Liverpool next season, but he should take up the role which will likely be vacated by Xherdan Shaqiri, if reports of a possible Anfield departure come to fruition.

Another loan move certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the silky attacker is ready to be a squad option, maturing as a player at the same time and eventually becoming a star at Liverpool.

In other news, there has been another update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Ibrahima Konate. Read more here.