Wolves have been linked with a number of right-back options ahead of the January transfer window, with new manager Julen Lopetegui no doubt eyeing an upgrade on Nelson Semedo in his squad.

The Portuguese defender has proven himself to be a defensive liability on a number of occasions in his Wolves career, most recently when he was sent off in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton.

Jonny Otto’s form has also been disappointing, with the Spaniard ranked as their eighth-best performer with a poor 6.55 rating from WhoScored, so it is no surprise to see the Old Gold linked with several right-backs, including Isaiah Jones and Connor Roberts.

The former is attracting plenty of interest from Premier League sides as he continues to impress with Middlesbrough in the Championship with three goals and three assists to his name so far this season.

Roberts, meanwhile, was linked with Wolves after Burnley’s relegation last season and Lopetegui should consider reigniting that interest in January.

The Wales international has featured in 19 games for Vincent Kompany’s table-toppers so far this campaign and has one goal and two assists to his name.

He also has Premier League experience with the Clarets, having joined them from Swansea City in 2021, which suggests that he could have the edge over the more inexperienced Jones, as Lopetegui looks to turn Wolves’ season around.

The Spanish manager will be able to keep a close eye on the “brilliant” defender as he features for Rob Page’s Wales side in Group B in Qatar.

The 27-year-old started in the 1-1 draw with the USA earlier this week and will likely start again against Iran and England in their upcoming fixtures, so he could become a good option for Wolves in January should he play well.

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His performance against the USA certainly suggests that the £35k-per-week earner could be a solid option for Lopetegui in the Premier League, as he earned a solid 6.9/10 rating from SofaScore after contributing two tackles, two clearances and a 100% ground duel success rate.

While Jones could be an exciting option for the future, he is only 23 and has just 71 senior appearances to his name so Roberts should be the superior option for the Old Gold should they target a new right-back after the World Cup.

Amad Diallo has started to show just what he is capable of in a Sunderland shirt, but the Manchester United loanee won’t be at the Stadium of Light forever.

Fortunately for manager Tony Mowbray, the Black Cats already have an ideal replacement for the Ivorian in Jack Diamond, who is catching the eye on loan with Lincoln City.

After some impressive performances on loan with Harrogate Town in League Two last season, where the 22-year-old would contribute 13 goals and six assists in 39 appearances, there were some calls for Diamond to be a part of Sunderland’s Championship squad for the current campaign.

However, those at the club felt that another loan would be best for the winger’s development, this time at a higher level with Lincoln in the third tier.

He is once again proving to be a big threat, with five goals and one assist to his name in just 12 appearances, which has helped him to a solid 7.00 average rating from WhoScored.

For context, only Ross Stewart and Jack Clarke have more goal contributions and a higher average rating in Sunderland’s squad this season, so there seems no reason why Diamond can’t have an impact with the Black Cats’ first team in the near future.

The young winger is a product of Sunderland’s youth academy and already has 45 senior appearances under his belt, which includes two goals and six assists, which led former manager Lee Johnson to sing his praises in 2020.

He said: “I thought Jack was fantastic tonight in the way he played, and that’s something I really loved to see.

“I enjoyed watching his performance. We wanted plenty of movement and that’s what we got from him.”

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In the five games before the World Cup break, Diallo managed three goals and an assist, so he is clearly becoming an important member of Mowbray’s squad.

[freshpress-quiz id=“659394″]

However, given that Manchester United paid £37.2m to sign the youngster, he seems destined for bigger things, so Mowbray may well consider giving Diamond a chance as his replacement next season.

Manchester United are one of several Premier League clubs eyeing up a move for Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, according to a new transfer report.

The Lowdown: Pulisic on World Cup duty

The 24-year-old is currently on 2022 World Cup duty with the USA, starting both of his country’s group stage games to date and standing out as a key man, winning the Player of the Match award against England.

Pulisic may not have scored yet in the competition but he hit the crossbar in the 0-0 draw against England and was arguably the brightest attacking player on the pitch. Away from the World Cup, speculation regarding the American’s Chelsea future has emerged.

The Latest: United keen on signing

According to The Daily Mail, United have joined Newcastle United and Arsenal in expressing an interest in signing Pulisic during the January transfer window.

The Red Devils want to bring in a replacement for the departed Cristiano Ronaldo and there are also doubts over Jadon Sancho after an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford.

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The Verdict: Exciting attacking option

Pulisic is someone who could be a shrewd signing by United, with the forward someone who is blessed with pace, trickery and versatility across the frontline.

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Granted, it could be argued that he hasn’t hit the heights many expected of him at Chelsea – he has only started three league games this season – but he is still only 24 and has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Jurgen Klinsmann.

Not only is Pulisic a hugely talented player but he could also be a marketing dream for United, with his popularity in America further helping raise the club’s profile across the Atlantic.

Manchester United are believed to be keeping tabs on Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to bolster his attacking options in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano – in his Caught Offside column – the Red Devils are believed to be scouting the 21-year-old amid his sparkling displays for both club and country, with the Premier League side searching for a replacement for the departed, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The transfer guru stated: “Manchester United are considering many options, we know about Cody Gakpo but there are also others. They are still in internal discussions to decide the best option and then they will proceed. They had their scouts watch Gonçalo Ramos with Benfica many times, but the same happened with other clubs.”

Any move for the 6 foot 1 marksman will seemingly not come cheap for the Old Trafford outfit, however, with reports in his native Portugal suggesting that the Lisbon giants will only allow the youngster to depart if his €120m (£103m) release clause is met.

Ideal Ronaldo heir

Ten Hag confirmed earlier this week that the club will be looking to secure a replacement for the aforementioned Ronaldo following the 37-year-old’s somewhat sour exit last month, with the veteran hotshot having sealed an inevitable departure following his recent explosive interview.

The former Ajax boss stated that the legendary figure is now in the “past” with United now looking to the “future” ahead of the return to club action at the end of the month, with it set to be something of a fresh start for all concerned.

As the Dutchman has made clear, however, a new centre-forward addition has now become a pressing priority for the club in the New Year, with it set to be a mistake to solely rely on the injury-prone presence of Anthony Martial for the remainder of the campaign.

The in-form Ramos could then prove to be the ideal heir to Ronaldo in Ten Hag’s side, with the five-cap menace having seemingly already begun to take his compatriot’s place at international level.

The exciting prospect was picked ahead of his captain for the last-16 tie against Switzerland at the World Cup earlier this week, going on to produce a “stunning” display – in the words of The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell – after netting a clinical hat-trick in that 6-1 mauling.

That ruthless and standout treble came on what was just the Olhao-born gem’s first start for his country at senior level, having previously scored 14 times in just 18 games for Portugal’s U21 side in recent years.

Such form has also been replicated at club level with Ramos having scored 14 goals and chipped in with six assists in only 21 games in all competitions so far this term, after previously scoring eight times in a breakout season last term alongside Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez.

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The highly-coveted asset – who was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United over the summer – is clearly a player who is on the up at present, with it looking as if this recent meteoric rise is only set to continue moving forward.

After an era of signing ageing, short-term fixes in attack – with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Ronaldo – United could well buck that trend and secure a more youthful, long-term option such as the Benfica starlet.

Amid what looks to be a changing of the guard in the national team following Ramos’ recent emergence, the devastating asset could now seemingly also step into Ronaldo’s shoes at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jude Bellingham recently, and the England international could prove to be the ideal heir to Kevin De Bruyne in Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to 90min, the Premier League champions are keen on both Bellingham and Bukayo Saka after they impressed for the Three Lions at the World Cup in Qatar recently.

The former Birmingham City gem, who is still just 19, was ranked as the second-best performer for Gareth Southgate’s squad according to WhoScored, as his one goal and one assist helped him to a superb 7.58 rating.

Bellingham has also been in sensational form for Dortmund so far this term, scoring four times in the Champions League group stage, including one at the Etihad Stadium, while he also has three goals and two assists to his name in the Bundesliga.

Although any transfer for the teenage wonderkid would likely set City back around £130m, he appears to have the potential to play at the top level for at least another decade-and-a-bit, so it could be a shrewd investment by the Citizens if they sign him.

De Bruyne is still at the top of his game, with his three goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season ranking him behind only Erling Haaland at the Etihad in terms of goal contributions. However, the Belgium international will turn 32 next summer and City could soon need a replacement if he is to decline in the twilight of his career.

The fact that Bellingham ranks first in Dortmund’s squad for shots and dribbles per game emphasises that he is a midfielder who loves to get forward and contribute in attack, similar to De Bruyne.

Roy Keane was full of praise for the young midfielder after his performance in England’s 3-0 quarter-final win over Senegal at the World Cup.

The former Manchester United captain said: “This is what you want from a midfielder, powerful, strong, anticipation, a little bit of luck but it’s game over.

“He’s going to be a superstar that kid. We keep using the word but maturity, he plays like he’s played 100 times for England.

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“I’ve not seen a young midfielder perform like that for years. His maturity, his decision making, which is huge for a midfielder, the kid has everything.”

WhoScored suggests that both Bellingham and De Bruyne excel at playing through balls and key passes, which suggests that the Englishman could be the ideal heir to the Belgian in terms of creating chances in Guardiola’s side.

Therefore, Txiki Begiristain should do all that he can to ensure that City win the transfer race for the teenager in 2023.

Many Queens Park Rangers fans will be concerned about the future of Lyndon Dykes amid links to Rangers, but Neil Critchley may already have a replacement for the Scotland international in Charlie Kelman.

Recent reports have suggested that Michael Beale is keen to take Dykes with him to Ibrox when the transfer window re-opens next month, which would leave the Hoops extremely low on attacking options in the second half of the campaign.

The former Livingston forward is currently joint-top of QPR’s goalscoring charts alongside Chris Willock and while the Hoops currently sit sixth in the Championship, there is no doubt that finding the back of the net has been a problem for the west London side in the current campaign.

QPR have averaged just 1.12 goals per game in the second tier this season, which is the 12th-best of any side, which suggests that unless things improve in the attacking third, their current position is not particularly sustainable.

Losing Dykes would only make things worse for Critchley as he looks to keep his new side in the promotion hunt, and he might consider recalling Kelman, who is currently impressing with League Two leaders Leyton Orient.

The 21-year-old has hit four goals and two assists in just 19 league appearances for Richie Wellens’ side so far this campaign, averaging a solid 6.72 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Since signing from Southend United in 2020, Kelman has been limited to just 15 first-team appearances for the Hoops but regular football on loan in the fourth tier might just be exactly what he needs to kick-start his career with QPR.

Former Hoops boss Mark Warburton was full of praise for the American forward in 2020, saying:

“Eighteen [years old], 30 appearances for Southend already, he’s a goalscorer. I’ve been very impressed by Charlie in terms of his approach, his technical ability, he’s just got an eye for goal in training. He’s been very impressive for the first team.”

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Although Kelman is yet to replicate the form he showed when first breaking into Southend’s first team, he is still young and there is no reason why he can’t reach his obvious potential with QPR in the future.

If Dykes is to leave in January, then Critchley might consider recalling the 21-year-old in order to give him another chance to impress in the Championship.

Manchester City have reportedly made contact with the father of Rafael Leao over a potential move from AC Milan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Back to winning ways

City got themselves back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory away at Leeds United on Wednesday night.

However, the result still leaves them five points behind league leaders Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola could look for an extra attacking reinforcement in January in order to help close the gap on Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Latest: Leao contact

As per Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb, City are ‘serious’ about signing Leao, and have made ‘important contacts’ with his father over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium.

Milan hope that he will renew his current deal at the San Siro having offered him €7m (£6.2m) a year in salary, but City intend to offer him a significantly better contract worth €12m (£10.6m) a year.

The Verdict: Get it done

With exit rumours regarding both Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva surfacing, City should be looking to get a deal done for Leao not just for this season, but as a long-term purchase.

Hailed as a ‘diamond’ by Milan legend Paolo Maldini, the winger boasts 34 goals and 30 assists in 135 games in total for the Serie A giants, including 16 goal contributions so far this term (Transfermarkt).

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Sharing a similar playing style to Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, the Portugal international would be destined to thrive in the Premier League, but City may have to pay close to his €150m (£132.6m) release clause to sign him.

Nonetheless, at just 23 years of age, Leao could be a mainstay in the side for the next decade.

Glasgow Rangers are set to compete in the Premiership for the first time in 2023 this afternoon as they take on arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox.

The Light Blues have the opportunity to cut the gap between the two sides to six points by picking up a victory against Ange Postecoglou’s outfit.

They are currently nine points off the top of the table, despite Michael Beale winning all four of his league matches in charge so far, and they are in desperate need of a win today to put them back in the title race.

Rangers beat Motherwell 3-0 last time out, as Alfredo Morelos, Connor Goldson, and Malik Tillman all found the back of the net, but their convincing victory may not stop the head coach from making alterations to his starting XI.

One player who must be unleashed into the line-up after sitting on the bench in the last match is Finnish central midfielder Glen Kamara.

Whilst Scott Arfield scored two goals in two games prior to being an unused substitute against Motherwell, the former Arsenal man should be the player to come back into the midfield against Celtic.

The £21k-per-week dynamo, who was once hailed as being “made of iron” by former boss Neil McCann, has won 46% of his individual duels and completed 84% of his passes in the Premiership this term, after winning 51% of his battles and completing 91% of his passes last season.

These statistics indicate that he can hold his own on the physical side of the game, after Steven Gerrard once tipped him to be a “monster” in midfield, and that he is reliable in possession as he rarely misplaced his attempts to find teammates.

Arfield, meanwhile, has lost 67% of his duels and completed 79% of his attempted passes in the Scottish top-flight this season and these statistics suggest that the veteran midfielder does not offer as much as Kamara in general play.

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The former Burnley man could be a liability to Rangers, due to his weak play out of possession and his sloppy passing, and that is why Beale should not consider him for a place in the starting line-up and should, instead, bring the Finland international back in to be a rock in the middle of the park.

Kamara averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across Beale’s first three league matches in charge, which is higher than Steven Davis, James Sands, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack’s respective seasonal scores, and deserves to be in the XI due to his resurgence under the English coach.

Tottenham Hotspur secured safe passage through to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, with Antonio Conte’s side besting League One outfit Portsmouth 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, while it is true that the 53-year-old fielded something of a rotated starting XI against Spurs’ lower-league opposition, the Italian will undoubtedly be slightly disappointed in his team’s failure to put the result to bed, considering just how close the contest remained until the final whistle

Indeed, both Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp had glorious chances to find the net, except the former saw his header come back off the upright, while the latter inexplicably blazed over when unmarked from 12 yards out.

Furthermore, with both of the aforementioned duo having found themselves on the substitutes’ bench more often than not in recent weeks, neither of their overall performances against Pompey will have done much to convince Conte that they would be worthy of a starting berth against Arsenal next week, with Skipp particularly disappointing this afternoon.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £22m-rated talent largely failed to stamp his authority in the middle of the park. He had 54 touches of the ball – four fewer than his opposite number Joe Morrell – completed 39 of his 44 attempted passes (just four more than Morrell) and ceded possession of the ball on nine separate occasions.

The £40k-per-week midfielder was also beaten by an opponent once, lost five of his seven duels – a failure rate of 71% – and was lucky to not receive a red card in the 28th minute after something of a horror tackle on Michael Morrison.

Rather unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old’s display saw him earn a well below-par Sofascore match rating of just 6.5 – the worst of any Spurs player to feature on the day – while Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick also awarded the youngster a five in his own player ratings for the match.

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Furthermore, football writer and Tottenham supporter Andrew Gaffney stated his belief in a post on Twitter that Skipp appeared to be “wearing square boots” against Portsmouth, while Tom Thorogood also dubbed the midfielder’s showing as “terrible” on Twitter.

It is true that Skipp was a last-minute addition to the Italian’s starting XI today, but if this was the academy graduate’s big chance to impress his manager ahead of the north London derby next week, it was one that the England youth international very much failed to grasp.

Broadcaster Kevin Hatchard has been full of praise for Leeds United target Georginio Rutter amid the club’s desire to land the youngster.

The Lowdown: Victor Orta looking to back Jesse Marsch

Leeds have already acted very quickly to address a problem area of their squad by handing Jesse Marsch RB Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober, who can play as either a left-back or left-sided centre-back.

The Austria international becomes the fourth player from a Red Bull side to have been recruited during Marsch’s tenure, but Victor Orta isn’t only working his magic there.

Marsch and Orta appear to have identified the young attacker from Hoffenheim as their next transfer priority and that has seen the star dropped from club duties amid strong Premier League interest.

The Latest: Rutter could be signing number two

Hatchard has been speaking live on Sky Sports about how highly he rates Rutter, although did admit he’s still a very raw talent who wouldn’t arrive at Elland Road as the finished article.

He said: “At Hoffenheim, he’s had some games where he’s been unplayable. Defenders think they’ve got him caged by the touchline and he’ll weave through them and make something happen.

“He’s still raw, he’s not the finished article, but I think he would be a great fit for Leeds.”

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The Verdict: Leeds in need of attacking support

While Rodrigo is having a stunning season in front of goal for Leeds with 10 league goals, beyond him, the club’s next top scorer is Crysencio Summerville with four strikes, which makes for very worrying reading for a side that will need results to stay up.

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If the Spaniard was to pick up an injury, as he did earlier in the season, Marsch will be forced to turn to players such as Joe Gelhardt and Sonny Perkins – potentially putting ridiculous pressure to put on such young shoulders.

Therefore, if Leeds can sign Rutter, who has a lot of first-team games under his belt despite only being 20 himself, it could be just what Leeds need to push away from the threat of relegation, although as always, when signing someone from another league, it’s a big gamble.