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West Ham United still have a chance of signing Torino right-back Ola Aina, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s Aina interest

West Ham enquired about the availability of Aina back in September, with it being reported that they went as far as launching a £3.4m bid for the right-back, but they were unsuccessful in bringing him to the London Stadium.

However, the Hammers’ current options in his position have struggled this season, with Roshane Thomas slamming Thilo Kehrer after the recent match against Leeds United, while Vladimir Coufal has received online backlash from fans for his performances.

The Latest: Deal still possible

With the position becoming a problem for David Moyes, Jones has now claimed that the Nigerian could still be signed, telling GIVEMESPORT:

“There is still a chance. He is one of the options that they’ve had in mind.

“Honestly, there are three or four teams at the moment with him on a shortlist. It’s not 100% that he moves in this transfer window at all, but given the amount of interest it does seem like it’s feasible.”

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The Verdict: Make it happen

Dubbed ‘Mr Versatile’ by Fulham podcaster Sammy James, the 26-year-old is able to play at right-back, left-back and left-midfield, according to Transfermarkt, meaning that he could also provide back-up for Aaron Cresswell.

The London-born defender has missed the last 11 games through a bicep injury, but when he has had the opportunity to play he has often impressed, particularly in his last outing against Udinese, in which he scored and received the highest SofaScore rating of any player.

West Ham’s priority in January should be a striker, given that they are the joint-third lowest scorers in the league, but if Aina does become available, then it is a deal that they should definitely pursue.

Journalist Craig Hope has claimed that Scott McTominay is keen on a move to Newcastle United and the club will try and sign him if he becomes available.

What’s the word?

While it is certainly good news that key midfielder Bruno Guimaraes looks set to only miss a few weeks out with injury, when it had been feared that he could be sidelined for months, it has served as a reminded of just how badly the Magpies could do with some more depth in that position.

With that in mind, Manchester United midfielder McTominay could be an exciting option for Eddie Howe this winter. However, according to Hope, while the 26-year-old is up for a switch, the Red Devils are less sure about letting him go.

While speaking about it all on the True Faith podcast, the journalist explained his understanding of the situation, saying: “The player is keen, we’re told. And if for whatever reason, Man United turned around and said, ‘Okay, there’s a deal to be done with Scott McTominay’, I 100% would expect Newcastle United to act on it.”

Winter switch on the cards?

While Newcastle are known to be extremely wealthy, they are yet to spend big this winter on any new players. This does mean they should still have the funds to splash out on McTominay if he becomes available.

The Scotland international, who was hailed as “immense” by BBC journalist Bill Rice, has only started six times in the league so far this term for Man United and so it’s not hard to see why he would be happy to leave.

What’s more, with 113 appearances in the English top flight, it probably wouldn’t take him long to adapt to his new environment. Still, Erik ten Hag is probably key here and if the Dutchman doesn’t want to let McTominay go, Newcastle will have to shop elsewhere.

Should that change, however, all the ingredients are there to potentially make this a pretty quick transfer.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale completed his first signing as manager of the Ibrox giants this week by bringing in attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell.

The Light Blues boss has snapped up a deal to sign the dynamo on a permanent transfer from English side Norwich City, with the gem putting pen to paper on a long-term contract.

After the announcement of the Englishman’s arrival, Beale said: “I am extremely happy to welcome Todd to Rangers. He is a player that is fully aligned to our playing style and we believe he will be a key player for the club in the coming seasons.

“I am looking forward to working with him on the pitch this week and integrating him into our fantastic football club.”

Rangers could now build on their start to the window by swooping in to sign Standard Liege central midfielder Nicolas Raskin before the month ends.

Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Gers “are in a pretty good position” to sign the Belgian warrior as his contract with Liege is up at the end of the campaign.

The 21-year-old has been in fine form in the Pro League this season and could form a frightening partnership with Cantwell in midfield during the second half of the season if the club can snap him up alongside the ex-Norwich man.

Raskin has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 in the Belgian top-flight in 2022/23 as he has been an excellent box-to-box machine for his side.

The maestro has averaged 3.7 tackles and interceptions and 1.1 key passes per outing for Liege and this shows that the gem has made an impact at both ends of the pitch – winning possession back on a regular basis and creating opportunities for his teammates when he has the ball.

Raskin, who was once dubbed technically “gifted” by journalist Bob Faesen, has assisted four goals in 14 appearances and he could terrify opposition defences with his creativity from a number eight position, particularly if he is paired alongside Cantwell.

The former Championship midfielder averaged at least 1.0 key pass per match in all four of his seasons in the second tier of English football and exploded onto the scene in 2020/21 when he created 1.6 chances per game and made seven ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

Cantwell and Raskin are both midfielders who have proven that they have the quality to open up defences with regularity and that is why they would be a frightening duo for opposition teams to deal with, which is why Rangers must now sign the Belgian maestro from Liege before the end of the month.

Aston Villa have been urged to make a surprise transfer bid for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who has found himself on the periphery of the Premier League table-toppers’ season this year.

According to CBS Sports reporter James Benge (via talkSPORT) the Gunner hierarchy are considering offloading the 25-year-old Tierney amid recent reports that the outfit are looking to home in on prodigious Real Valladolid talent Ivan Fresneda.

And now, speaking to Caught Offside, Stan Collymore has remarked that Unai Emery’s Villa could offer the perfect platform to rekindle his best form after indeed falling out of favour following the £32m summer signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

Collymore said: “If it is true that the Gunners want to offload him, I really hope Aston Villa go in for him.

“It would make sense as well because I don’t think Lucas Digne is going to be there much longer and although the Frenchman has done alright since he joined, Tierney is definitely an upgrade.”

Bye-bye Digne

While the Villans have recently completed the signing of left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis for £13.2m, the introduction of a further talented option would only fortify the club’s resolve to a new level, with Emery surely devising an ambitious plot to clinch his fifth piece of European silverware with his new Premier League outfit.

While the Claret & Blue currently wield Lucas Digne within the ranks, the Frenchman might not forge a lengthy future in the Midlands with Emery now at the wheel.

Digne has missed several matches due to injury this term and could face an uncertain future following the arrival of Moreno and the recent Aston Villa links to Tierney, alluding to Emery’s desire to further bolster the position.

Signed from Scottish giants Celtic in 2019 for £25m, Tierney initially slotted right into Mikel Arteta’s system and has made 111 appearances for the North London club to date, although his progress has been consistently blighted by recurring knee problems.

Over the course of the high-flying Gunners’ current campaign, Tierney has made 24 appearances across all competitions, although he has only made four starts in the English top-flight despite first-choice option Zinchenko’s injury several months ago that ruled him out of contention for a total of seven matches in the league alone.

And with a regular starting berth unlikely to materialise over the coming seasons at the resurgent Emirates Stadium, Tierney might be prudent to put faith in the Spaniard Emery’s vision and forge ahead with a transfer, likely competing with Moreno for regular minutes with a club showing all of the early promise of an outfit on the up.

As per FBref, the 35-cap Scotsman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive passes and the top 16% for total passes attempted, which highlights the impact he could make on the efficacy of Villa’s transitional play, indeed a major component of Emery’s counter-pressing system, placing the onus on structural discipline and swift progression when the opportunity arises.

Tierney can indeed offer a valuable additional dimension from this regard, with his “unique” skill set, as once remarked by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, leaving Villan technical director Johan Lange to reap the rewards of landing another tool to provide the spark for success.

Liverpool will head to the south coast this weekend to take on Brighton and Hove Albion in their FA Cup fourth-round clash and Jurgen Klopp has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their visit.

What’s the latest?

The Liverpool boss took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that Fabio Carvalho is the latest to join the long injury list accumulating at Anfield.

Klopp told the media:

“Fabio has a little thing, but he will not be ready,” he said. “Maybe he can train today but will not be 100 per cent for the weekend.”

It’s bad news for Klopp

There is no doubt that the blow to Carvalho will be frustrating for Klopp as the manager likes to rotate in the FA Cup as much as he possibly can to ensure his team remain fresh in the busy schedule of fixtures over the second half of the season.

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League, knocked out of the Carabao Cup and have a huge two-leg Champions League tie heading their way in a few weeks time when they face their European rivals Real Madrid, so the German coach will be doing his best to ensure his team are in good condition to take on the challenges ahead.

Liverpool are currently without Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo and Roberto Firmino alongside Carvalho, so the manager’s options will be considerably weakened when they head to Brighton.

Over 11 Premier League appearances so far this season, the 20-year-old attacker has scored two goals and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging one shot on goal and 1.8 duels won per game, despite only averaging 31 minutes per performance and falling even further out of favour since Cody Gakpo’s arrival.

Brighton have put three goals past Liverpool twice this season already with a 3-3 draw in October and a 3-0 victory over the Merseysiders at home earlier this month, so Klopp will certainly feeling the pressure when returning to the Amex Stadium on Sunday and will be hoping to break the trend to progress to the next round comfortably.

With that being said, Klopp will need to deploy his strongest team possible in order to stump an on-form Brighton side tomorrow as crashing out of the FA Cup would be another knock to the confidence of the squad and will be frustrating for the Anfield faithful.

David Moyes has admitted that West Ham could indeed still make some signings on deadline day.

The Lowdown: West Ham yet to kick into gear

The Hammers have indeed backed David Moyes this month by handing him Premier League-proven Danny Ings to try and fix their striker woes, with Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca having scored just five league goals between them.

However, that deal certainly didn’t get off to the best of starts as Ings picked up an injury on his debut which means he will now miss several games – something that will only compound Moyes’ misery after a poor first half of the season.

While West Ham fans may not expect there to be much activity going on this deadline day given how heavily they spent in the summer, Moyes didn’t rule anything out after their FA Cup victory against Derby County.

The Latest: Moyes not ruling anything out

Moyes was asked about signings last night and while he didn’t confirm anything would happen, he also didn’t rule out any potential incoming in the final few hours.

He said: “Maybe. Couldn’t be sure, though. I don’t want to get anybody too excited by that, but I’m just not completely ruling it out because I don’t want you to say I’ve said something and then I change my mind, but I’m just generally saying there’s a chance.”

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The Verdict: Hammers could still move

It would be sensible for West Ham to keep their options open and not shut up shop so early into deadline day as a deal could present itself based on what other clubs do that may well transform their season.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Conor Gallagher, and his future could well be impacted by Chelsea’s ability to land Enzo Fernandez, so that could well be a deal that goes right down to the wire.

However, given that West Ham have won three out of their last four games, Moyes may well be content with no more arrivals this month to ensure he keeps this good momentum going throughout the squad.

Injury expert and Sky Sports contributor Ben Dinnery has given his verdict following a ‘severe’ injury blow to Wolves forward Hwang Hee-Chan.

The Lowdown: Hwang struck by hamstring injury

The South Korean picked up a hamstring injury in their most recent Premier League clash this past weekend.

Hwang claimed the assist for Wolves’ opening strike against Liverpool, which was chalked down as an own goal from Reds centre-back Joel Matip.

Since Julen Lopetegui took charge of the Old Gold, we’ve seen the striker feature a lot more recently, so the recent knock will potentially be a blow to the Spaniard’s setup ahead of their crunch meeting with Southampton on Saturday.

The Latest: Dinnery’s assessment

Speaking on Premier FPL Injuries, Dinnery claimed that the injury was high up on his body, which could make the injury more troublesome for the forward.

He stated: “Unfortunately, he’s another player that’s picked up a hamstring problem. Now, he actually pulled up the mechanism as he was sprinting.

“That’s a good indication that it could be fairly high up, more towards that tendon, and those tend to be a little bit more severe than maybe those problems right down in the belly of the muscle.

“So, like I say, we’re expecting a few weeks at least on the sidelines for Hee-Chan. Assessments are ongoing.”

The Verdict: Opportunity missed

In our view, the injury for Hwang is a big opportunity missed for the striker to lead the line for Wolves for the rest of the season.

The 27-year-old only has one goal to his name this season in the Premier League, but the rest of their forward options have also struggled throughout the campaign.

Hwang has performed well recently and received praise for his FA Cup performance against Liverpool from ex-Reds striker Emile Heskey (via Molineux News).

He labelled the striker as a ‘bright spark’ after coming on and finding the back of the net in their 2-2 draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side, which sealed a replay at Molineux.

Lopetegui had played the South Korean six times in a row in the league which was his longest run of matches this season, and we believe he would’ve continued that streak had he not sustained the blow to his hamstring at the weekend.

West Bromwich Albion continued their fine run at the weekend, as they sought revenge on Coventry City for previously issuing one of just three losses Carlos Corberan has faced in the Championship since his arrival.

It was hardly the most vintage display, but it marked the potential resurgence of Grady Diangana, whose close-range finish was enough to give the hosts all three points.

The winger will now look to kick on, having endured a tough season thus far despite the club’s remarkable turnaround.

Another figure who is one of few not to reap the benefits the Spaniard has brought is Karlan Grant, who was poised to leave the Hawthorns in January had his move to Swansea City not fallen through.

This loan almost indicated an acceptance from both parties that he was not to be revitalised, with Corberan willing to accept the loss on the £15m previously spent by Slaven Bilic.

However, such a failure can often breed a new opportunity, as it now forces the £20k-per-week marksman to stick around and fight for a place in the side.

He could be handed the perfect opportunity tomorrow, with a trip to bottom-half Birmingham City the perfect platform for his return to form.

What makes his inclusion even more viable is the torrid displays of both the starting Daryl Dike and later Brandon Thomas-Asante, who disappointed against the Sky Blues.

The American was handed a 6.1 rating before being dragged off after just 59 minutes, before his replacement would somehow manage to offer even worse output, receiving a 6.0 rating.

Despite having scored just three Championship goals this season, Grant has shown flashes of his goalscoring brilliance in the past that could provide hope of a potential turnaround.

It was only last campaign that he scored 18 times and assisted a further six in a lacklustre year where they could only finish tenth. Should he inject these goals into Corberan’s rock-solid outfit, who have conceded just eight goals in his 13 league matches, it could be the catalyst to pushing them even closer to the elusive automatic playoff spots.

Having been dubbed “lethal” in the past by journalist Ben McKenna, all he needs is to find his confidence once more to get him firing again.

Tomorrow night’s match presents a unique opportunity for him to do that, of which he will likely not have many more. Grant must take his last chance should Corberan grant him it.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s chances of signing a potential upgrade on Allan Saint-Maximin in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Neymar to Newcastle United?

According to a report from 90min, intermediaries have held talks with the Magpies to inform them that Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar could be available and that the Brazilian is interested in playing in England.

The report claims that fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have also been contacted about a possible deal.

It is stated that the 31-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, is open to moving away from the French giants in the summer, and PSG have not ruled out the possibility of a sale this year.

Allan Saint-Maximin upgrade

Dan Ashworth could land a huge upgrade on Newcastle’s French forward by beating their Premier League rivals to the signing of the Ligue 1 star at the end of this season.

If the financial package is right and Eddie Howe believes that the attacker would buy into the project, then it could be a phenomenal deal for the Magpies, as the Brazil international is a sensational player.

Neymar, who was dubbed an “artist” by his manager Christophe Galtier, is his country’s all-time top scorer alongside Pele and has proven his quality at both Barcelona and PSG, scoring 222 goals and providing 152 assists for the two clubs combined.

This season, the 31-year-old has scored 12 goals and set up ten in 19 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.65. He has created 13 ‘big chances’ and produced a whopping 2.5 key passes per game for his team-mates, and these statistics show that the dynamo is an excellent goalscorer and creator.

The 5 foot 9 superstar, whose penalties were once described as “magical” by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, has also racked up two goals and two assists in six Champions League outings for PSG this term.

Meanwhile, Saint-Maximin has managed one goal and three assists in 14 Premier League matches in the current campaign, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.89 for Newcastle.

The 25-year-old has created two ‘big chances’ and provided 0.8 key passes per game for his team-mates, and this comes after the forward racked up seven ‘big chances’ and made 1.4 key passes per match in the 2021/22 campaign.

Both Neymar and Saint-Maximin have also averaged 1.9 dribbles or more per outing in their respective leagues this season and are both left-wingers who want to take on opposition defenders with the ball at their feet.

However, Neymar’s incredible statistics for PSG suggest that Ashworth would land a huge upgrade on Saint-Maximin by signing the Brazilian wizard, due to his superior quality in terms of scoring goals and creating chances on a regular basis.

West Ham United are now interested in signing Flamengo striker Pedro, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s striker issues

West Ham signed Gianluca Scamacca for £35.5m in the summer, but he has hardly been prolific, scoring just three times in 16 Premier League outings, while he has also recently been struggling with a knee injury.

Danny Ings was brought in during the January transfer window, but given that he is now 30, a more long-term option may be desired by David Moyes.

The Latest: Pedro eyed

According to Spanish sources (via Caught Offside), the Hammers are interested in signing Pedro at the end of this season, but he will not come cheap.

It is detailed that the Brazilian club could demand as much as €40m (£35m) to allow the striker to leave, given that he is contracted until 2027, which means they are under no pressure to sell.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed as being an ‘excellent finisher’ by Guy Mowbray, the 25-year-old has been in prolific form for Flamengo so far this season, scoring nine goals in just seven games in all competitions.

The marksman is clearly highly thought of by his national side Brazil, given that former manager Tite chose to take him to the World Cup, even managing to make two appearances in Qatar, despite the wealth of attacking options available for the Selecao.

With Scamacca misfiring, and Michail Antonio failing to reach his previous heights, scoring just two goals in the Premier League this season, it is evident that Moyes needs a new forward, and Pedro’s goal record indicates he would fit the bill perfectly.