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Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has given his verdict on the possibility of Djed Spence leaving Tottenham Hotspur on loan this month.

The Lowdown: Spurs willing to loan out Spence

Football.London reported a few days ago that Antonio Conte’s side has given the ‘green light’ for Spence to go out on loan in January.

There are Premier League clubs interested in the player including Leicester City, Brentford and Crystal Palace, as well as European side Bayer Leverkusen.

In all competitions, the 22-year-old has only played six times for Spurs, with four of those appearances coming in the Premier League.

The Latest: Spence loan possible

Romano spoke about the possible loan move on The Last Word On Spurs. He claims that currently nothing is advanced with any club.

He stated (8:39), “I think is a possibility, I was asking today and I’m told there is a possibility but still nothing advanced with any club. So they want to wait for the next two, three days to understand if someone will advance with a concrete proposal.

“I saw many links with Brentford, but I’m told that Brentford are not in negotiations for Djed Spence at this point.

“Let’s see, I think this is another kind of last-minute deal, Monday, Tuesday so this is the possibility, because at the moment seen nothing advanced.”

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The Verdict: Spence needs minutes

We believe that Spence has talent in there and could really benefit from a loan move away from Spurs this month.

The Tottenham man received plenty of plaudits when he was out on loan at Nottingham Forest, as Danny Gabbidon raved about the player at the time. He labelled Spence as ‘a player right on the top of his game’, when speaking about him on Sky Sports (via The Nottingham Post).

Where he excelled last season was with the ball at his feet, ranking in the top 6% for successful dribbles in the 2021/22 campaign.

Of the clubs linked, we believe that Palace would be a good option for Spence to head out on loan in January.

Their recent transfer history shows that manager Patrick Viera loves to bring in young stars, they’re also light on options in the right-back position.

Both Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward are over the age of 30, it would come as no surprise if the Eagles were to bring in Spence to inject some youth into that position.

Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League in the last decade or so, with few having gone on to achieve as much in the game as Luka Modric.

The Croatian was a classy yet combative midfield maestro for the Lilywhites, and yet following his first season at Real Madrid was voted alongside Alex Song as one of the worst La Liga signings for that season.

Fans from the white half of north London were likely the only ones who maintained belief he would come good, having also seen Andre Villas-Boas dub him “one of the greatest talents in the world”.

He would go on to win five Champions League titles, three La Ligas and the Ballon d’Or, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest central midfielders of all time.

Now, Spurs could be hoping to repeat that feat as Fabio Paratici is reportedly eyeing a move for Lovro Majer. The Rennes midfielder has already seen a €60m (£53m) valuation slapped upon his head, which is indicative of the immense quality he clearly possesses.

The 25-year-old may already be drawing comparisons with him and his legendary 37-year-old compatriot, but not just because of their shared nationality.

Not only have they enjoyed similar career paths, passing through Dinamo Zagreb on their way to stardom, but their slight figures both belie the work rate and toughness they possess.

This season the silky operator is recording an 85% pass accuracy, which he converts into one key pass per game. He then blends this with 1.1 tackles per 90 too (via Sofascore), outlining him as an all-around outstanding option.

Obviously comparing these numbers to Modric directly outlines the gulf in quality, but his 90% pass accuracy, 1.5 key passes and 0.8 tackles per game (via Sofascore) this season showcase that he does excel in the right areas to be a direct replacement.

Just over a year ago saw him lauded in particular by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who took to Twitter in November of 2021 to outline his “phenomenal” month where he had been “on fire”.

Perhaps moving to join a higher quality of players could see Majer increase his level as Modric did, which would in effect allow him to emulate his career further.

It may be a lofty goal to follow the path of the Ballon d’Or winner, but they share all the attributes that make it seem a truly attainable possibility.

Wolverhampton Wanderers look set to face a transfer battle over a potential signing with fellow Premier League side Leeds United…

What’s the word?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Leeds have made a bid for Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, something that could spur Wolves into action as they too have been linked with the player following his World Cup performances.

The price for the Moroccan is thought to be hefty, with previous reports suggesting he may cost €45m (£39m). That may well prove a stumbling block on top of the vast competition for his signature.

Alongside Leeds, West Ham United and Southampton have been credited with interest with Julen Lopetegui face a battle.

Lopetegui’s own Gavi

Ounahi came to prominence during the World Cup, with the midfielder playing an integral role in Morocco becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at the tournament.

Across seven appearances in Qatar, the 22-year-old sparkled. He didn’t score during the tournament but he did make 0.9 key passes per game while creating one big chance and proving successful with 83% of his dribble attempts, suggesting he was constantly looking at opportunities to create chances for his teammates.

He was dubbed “sensational” by journalist Zach Lowy and he is also statistically similar to another player who was at the World Cup – Spanish wonderkid Gavi.

According to FBref, the youngster is ninth-most similar to Ounahi across Europe, and considering just how talented the 18-year-old is, plus his success at such a young age, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

This season has seen the two players register similar statistics when it comes to pass success rate (87.6% to 86.2%), shot-creating actions per match (3.80 to 3.52), goal-creating actions (both three), and dribble success rate (52.9% to 50%).

These stats clearly show that both players can provide the central areas with a huge amount of composure, while also having an excellent passing ability that enables their respective sides to circulate the ball well during a match.

As a result, Lopetegui could certainly take Ounahi to the next level if he were to move to Wolves and with Joao Moutinho’s influence in the first team starting to wane, there will be an opportunity to slot straight into the starting XI.

The next few weeks could be very interesting, that’s for sure.

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has slammed Newcastle United striker Chris Wood for his ‘poor’ display in the club’s most recent outing.What’s the latest?In the latest round of Premier League matches, Eddie Howe and his club played host to Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United on a wet and windy afternoon at St James’ Park.In the end, however, neither team could get the breakthrough and so each side had to settle for just a point in the goalless draw. With that being the case, it seems as though the Newcastle forwards were probably not at their best on the day.In the eyes of Hope, Wood was particularly disappointing. On YouTube, he said (2:22): “Chris Wood got a lot of praise down at Leicester on Boxing Day, and rightly so.”I thought he was poor here today for Newcastle.”Wood is no WilsonOf course, Callum Wilson would usually be the first pick up to for Howe in his team – and has six league goals to his name this term – but the England striker has been struggling for fitness and only returned to the bench for this game after missing the prior match against Leicester City.Still, as mentioned by Hope, Wood was pretty good against the Foxes as he netted from the penalty spot to open the scoring in the 3-0 win on the road.However, the Kiwi was far from his best against Leeds. As per SofaScore, he finished the game with a lowly 6.1 match rating and missed two big chances, completed just 70 per cent of his attempted passes, was caught offside twice and lost the ball five times before being hooked after 64 minutes. To put his influence into perspective, he achieved nine less touches than Nick Pope.Seeing as Wilson was the man who came on for Wood, that could suggest the England international will now be back in the starting team next time out when the Magpies face Arsenal.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter will be delighted with the performances of some of his players at the World Cup in Qatar, having welcomed the midseason World Cup break following a strenuous start to his Chelsea tenure.

Indeed, the Blues have not been performing to the standards their proud fanbase demands, having lost four of their past five matches across all competitions in the weeks preceding the international tournament in Qatar.

But with the seasonal pause, comes the chance to rectify wrongs and stabilise the ship, with the likes of USA’s Christian Pulisic and Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic playing vital roles for their respective nation.

But it is the 38-year-old Thiago Silva, still a colossus at the back for the dazzling Brazil, who has perhaps offered the displays throughout the tournament that offer the most promise for Potter.

Still starring

Silva is defying expectations, still a destructive defensive presence after an illustrious and lengthy career, and he is not quite showing signs of slowing down that will deter the likes of Potter and Brazil manager Tito from withdrawing him from contention just yet.

At the World Cup, Silva has started three matches, missing out during the tournament opener, and has contributed effectively as the five-time world champions secured victory in every match, and a place in the quarter-finals after emphatically dispatching South Korea.

During the previous fixture, the round-of-16 tie against the gallant Asian side, the Brazilian squad ripped them to shreds, and Silva played a vital role from the back, rebuffing the few meaningful Korean offences that were mustered and providing a composed presence at the back.

But crucially, the 112-cap international served a gorgeous assist to Richarlison for the second, combining to unravel the opposition backline like a loose ball of string.

As per Sofascore, Silva earned a match rating of 7.6, also making two interceptions and one tackle while completing all three of his duels, both aerial and on the ground.

By completing 94% of his passes too, Silva encapsulated his aura as a supreme modern centre-back, and cemented his unwavering position in the Brazilian starting line-up, as the nation chases World Cup glory for the first time in over 20 years.

And across his first two appearances at the tournament, he received a rating of 7.2 on each occasion, leading to a tournament average of 7.3, continuing to display a quality that belies his twilight years.

He’s also notched a passing accuracy of 93%, despite registering around 76 attempts per game, so forget about Pulisic’s contributions, Silva has arguably stole the show and it’s his team still in the tournament in Qatar.

The “Rolls-Royce“, as described by Joe Cole to BT Sport (via The Sun), is not done yet, and Potter will seek to utilise his unparalleled defensive skills and knowledge to return to the right track at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool have found themselves struggling in the Premier League this season with an inconsistent run of performances leading to a league position of sixth ahead of the World Cup break.

Indeed, there are many contributing factors to the poor form the Reds have displayed over their first 14 league outings so far but one of the key concerns is the lack of reinvestment into the team, particularly midfield.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s and are picking up knocks regularly this season.

Not only that, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all entering the last six months of their contracts meaning that the Merseysiders could fall short in the summer if they don’t start acquiring the services of elite talent in the centre of the pitch.

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Anfield is West Ham United and England midfielder Declan Rice, with journalist Neil Jones revealing what it would take to sign the talented ace.

Speaking on The Redmen TV YouTube channel, Jones claimed:

“I think you would need to lose Fabinho if he [Declan Rice] came. He’s going to be anywhere upwards of £70 million.”

Reports have stated that any fee could actually be in the region of a whopping £150m but it’s hard to suggest he wouldn’t be worth such a price.

Fabinho hasn’t had the best start to the season but he certainly isn’t the only midfielder who has been inconsistent this season and it would be a big risk to sell the Brazilian without certainty that a player can come in and be as effective as he has been in the past.

When you compare the £180k-per-week ace with Rice over this season the West Ham ace has outperformed Fabinho in many attributes, namely in a defensive capacity.

Rice is more assured in possession of the ball, registering a higher pass completion rate (89.1% v 87.9%), while he makes more tackles and interceptions combined (60 v 41), tackles a larger portion of dribblers (75% v 39.1%) and wins more aerial duels (60% v 50%).

It is no secret that FSG has a strict structure when it comes to their recruitment strategy and prefers to sell players before they reinvest in new signings and with Fabinho the only midfielder left who isn’t out of contract and not in the latter stages of his career, he would likely be the most valuable asset to sell.

There is no doubt that the England star – who reporter Tommy Wathen claimed is “unreal” and Bianca Westwood suggested is a “superstar” – would provide Liverpool with not only the youthful energy that the side is in desperate need of but also a significant amount of Premier League experience which would be hugely advantageous should he been signed.

With that being said, the idea of selling Fabinho isn’t the worst but it could be risky if Liverpool don’t execute their recruitment perfectly by potentially signing Rice and building a new midfield around him.

Liverpool face Southampton this afternoon in what is both side’s final match before the World Cup halts the domestic season until after Christmas.

For Jurgen Klopp’s men, the break has arrived at the perfect time especially considering just how badly they have struggled in the Premier League this season.

After 13 matches, the Anfield side have won just five league games all season and are currently sitting a lowly eighth in the table.

Improvement is needed and following a penalty shootout victory over Derby County in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, which saw a raft of youngsters unleashed, Klopp will make sweeping changes.

We at Football FanCast predict the Liverpool starting XI that will take to the field at Anfield today…

Predicted Liverpool XI

Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson will come back into the starting XI in place of Caoimhin Kelleher – dubbed “top-class” by John Pearman following his cup heroics – and the 30-year-old will be hoping to keep just his fifth league clean sheet today.

The back four will comprise Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson at right and left back respectively, while Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate – who Phil Thompson described as an “absolute dream” last season – will form a formidable duo at the heart of the defence.

Klopp is likely to go with three in the midfield as he did against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, meaning Thiago and Fabinho will reprise the same roles in the 2-1 victory, with Jordan Henderson coming into the starting XI in place of Harvey Elliott.

Darwin Nunez will start on the left of a three-pronged attack, with the Uruguayan providing an assist against Spurs and Mohamed Salah will once again be deployed on the right.

Roberto Firmino will be aiming to make up for his World Cup heartbreak and prove to Brazil manager Tite why he should have been on the plane to Qatar by adding to his six league goals already this season by leading the line against the Saints.

With his side back to near full strength, all Klopp will be looking for is three points and a solid performance in front of the Anfield faithful.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, Konate, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold; Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson; Nunez, Firmino, Salah.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) have reportedly given the green light for Newcastle United to sign an ‘A-list’ attacker.

The Lowdown: Big spenders

In terms of summer spending, the St. James’ Park outfit had the fifth-highest net spend in the Premier League, which included bringing in striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a club-record transfer fee.

They were also the biggest spenders by far in the top-flight in last January’s transfer window, flexing their financial muscle after PIF’s takeover in the North East last year.

The Latest: January plans

As per Football Insider, PIF have given the ‘green light’ for the Tynesiders to spend again this January, and they are in the market for an ‘A-list’ attacker.

One target is thought to be Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is reportedly open to joining Eddie Howe’s side after they watched him score a screamer in his team’s 1-1 draw away at Celtic in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

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The Verdict: Mudryk the perfect choice?

If the Magpies are going to recruit a star forward, then Mudryk should be top of their list.

Football presenter and pundit Jack Collins has hailed him as ‘absolutely unreal’ and ‘undefendable’ in explosive bursts, which was evident by the goal he scored at Celtic Park.

That is just one of six strikes that he has managed in all competitions so far this season, and he has also bagged himself seven assists, with five of those goal contributions coming in the Champions League alone (Transfermarkt).

Mudryk is showing the world what he can do on the big stage, and there is no doubt that his signing in January would be a real coup for the Toon.

Tottenham Hotspur, and sporting director Fabio Paratici by extension, are eyeing a move for Bayer Leverkusen ace Piero Hincapie, according to reports from Calciomercato.

The Lowdown: Conte’s ambition…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte has now tasted his first Premier League defeat of the 2022/23 campaign, and an ambitious serial winner like the Italian will want to get back on track immediately.

Their dismal 3-1 loss in the north London derby on Saturday will have left a sour taste in the mouth, but there’s no time to dwell on that result, as a congested autumn campaign presents many upcoming opportunities to bounce back.

Tottenham’s calendar could even prove to be tricky given the Champions League games and minimal rest in between, so it isn’t unfeasible to think that Conte could want more reinforcements mid-season.

The Latest: Spurs eye Hincapie move…

According to a claim from Italy in the last 48 hours, Spurs appear to eyeing a possible left-sided central defensive addition in Hincapie.

The 21-cap Ecuador international is valued at €25m (£22m), and according to Calciomercato, there is ‘interest’ from the Lilywhites (and Paratici by proxy).

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The Verdict: Get it done?

South American football expert Tim Vickery has said that Hincapie is ‘excellent’ for a back three system, an aspect of the player’s game which could be attractive to Conte, who frequently adopts that as his preferred formation.

In terms of overall quality, the 20-year-old ranks in Leverkusen’s top five for tackles, interceptions and successful clearances per 90 in the Bundesliga (WhoScored) – solid numbers for a player who is still very young.

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The player’s reasonable price tag of £22m is also a good reason for Spurs to consider swooping for the defender as Paratici reportedly makes plans ahead of January.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing up a January move for a centre-back…

What’s the news?

At the beginning of the month, French outlet Foot Mercato claimed Wolves were in the hunt for Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku alongside Sevilla and now Ghana Soccernet confirms that the club are set to make another offer for the player in the January transfer window.

After losing Willy Boly and Leander Dendoncker, Bruno Lage will be desperate to add another defensive option to his side but might need to wait a few months.

The 28-year-old only has one year remaining on his current deal and could sign a pre-contract agreement at the start of the year.

Imagine him and Nathan Collins

Lage signed Collins in the summer and he has formed a solid partnership with Max Kilman since joining, keeping three clean sheets in seven matches.

That said, with no Boly or Conor Coady, it’s far from a secret that Wolves need to add another defender or two to their squad. Therefore, signing Djiku, who is entering his peak years, would be a positive move by Lage and judging by his attributes, he could be the perfect tonic for Collins and Kilman.

The Ghanaian has won 17 caps for his country and represented them in the African Cup of Nations back in January, where he was a standout performer despite them failing to advance to the knockout stage. Indeed, only three players averaged a higher average rating with the defender averaging 7.03 for his displays.

His performances were so good that he was crowned the Ghana footballer of the year in July and he has carried this form into the current season with Strasbourg.

In eight Ligue 1 matches, Djiku currently leads the Strasbourg squad for SofaScore rating (7.2), accurate passes per game (46.1), and accurate long balls per game (6.8), displaying an impressive passing ability that proves he can successfully build attacks from the heart of the defence.

The defender has also made an average of two tackles per game (2nd in the squad) and 1.9 interceptions (third). He is clearly one of the team’s most consistent performers this season and this has not gone unnoticed with Wolves’ interest.

A move to Molineux would allow Lage to form a solid backbone with Collins and Djiku operating at the heart of the defence.

Zach Lowy described Djiku as “very underrated” as Sevilla were looking for a defender to replace the departed Diego Carlos, although a move never materialised.

The La Liga side’s loss could very much be Lage’s gain when January comes around. Although if he impresses at the upcoming World Cup, there might be a host of potential suitors lining up to make their move.