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Tottenham Hotspur will allow Harvey White to depart on loan before the transfer deadline, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: White’s career so far

The 21-year-old has made just one appearance for Spurs in the Premier League this season, appearing off the bench for four minutes, and he is at the stage where he should be starting to push for a place in the first team.

The youngster previously played for Portsmouth on loan during the 2020/21 season, but that is his only prolonged taste of senior football, and Spurs are now eager for him to have another spell somewhere else where he would get regular game-time.

The Latest: White allowed to leave

According to Football Insider, Spurs have told the midfielder that he is free to complete a loan move before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, amid interest from Championship and League One clubs.

Blackpool had made an enquiry about the starlet but they are now believed to be out the race as they are prioritising a defensive signing, so it is unclear where he may end up.

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The Verdict: Right call

If the youngster is ever going to stake a claim for a starting berth at Spurs, Antonio Conte needs to ensure that White has experience in men’s football rather than just youth games, and the aim should be to find him a move as soon as possible.

Hailed as a ‘brilliant player in the making’ by journalist Ben Haines, the left-footed midfielder has been showing some promising signs in Premier League 2, with five goals and six assists in 18 outings at that level last season.

However, he is unlikely to get any game-time in the Tottenham first team at present, considering that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been fantastic this season in boasting the squad’s second-highest Sofascore performance rating, and a loan departure is the right move for White at this stage.

Liverpoolare eyeing a young, exciting talent to return the club to winning ways this January, and could be set to make a move in the coming weeks…

What’s the word?

According toreportsstemming from Spain, Reds bossJurgen Kloppis among the admirers of Valencia’s USMNT starYunus Musah, with the German seemingly wanting Liverpool to bring him back to England.

Indeed, the midfielder has impressed both for club and country since being released from Arsenal’s academy at just 16-years-old.

Having failed to make a senior appearance for the Gunners, the 20-year-old maestro signed for his current Spanish outfit in 2019, since making84appearances, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

With Liverpool registering interest in the American last month, making contact with Valencia over his availability, according to90min, a move might come to fruition in the coming weeks, however, a stumbling block might arise in the player’s reported£86mrelease clause.

Imagine him & Salah

Musah earned acclaim for his exploits at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, dictating the play for USMNT despite his tender years and inexperience at a major international tournament.

As perSofascore, he completed 87% of his passes and made 0.8 key plays per outing, impressing as he exhibited his assurance and ball-playing prowess.

His industrious nature was also on display, highlighted by the 2.0 tackles and 0.5 interceptions made per match, with the ace also winning possession 1.0 times each game.

With Liverpool floundering for form, sitting sixth in thePremier Leaguewith only28points from 17 outings, and lacking stability and vibrancy from head to toe, a young, exciting starlet such as Musah could go a long way towards injecting some life into the depleted Anfield ranks.

His tendency to surge forwards and instigate positive manoeuvres is an arresting element to his game, and one that Klopp will lick his lips over when considering the skills that Musah would wield within his system.

As perFBref, he ranks within the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s best five leagues for dribbles completed, the top 11% for progressive passes received, and the top 21% for touches in the attacking penalty area, indicating his presence on the pitch lingers in dangerous territory for his opponents.

His set of skills could merge wonderfully with that of Mohamed Salah, whose direct, incisive approach from the right flank could run rings around defenders with both phenoms ploughing into the area and firing with a multi-faceted approach.

Salahrankswithin the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and 2% for progressive passes received, when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers over the past year.

Havingscored173 goals for Liverpool and 69 assists since arriving from AS Roma for£34min 2017, Salah has been nothing short of a sensation, and his all-encompassing aura would bounce off Musah’s, with the dynamic duo unearthing goals and assists in abundance.

Musah’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter once lauded his prodigy for his “crazy” abilities and his work as the “connector” for his team, orchestrating the play with aplomb.

With Klopp in dire need of fresh vitality in the team, Musah might be the man to lead from the centre over the coming years.

Wolverhampton Wanderers lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, and sections of the media slammed Nelson Semedo for a ‘terrible’ mistake.

The Lowdown: Wolves defeated

Wolves were unable to follow up their victory against Everton last week with another three points, losing in a closely-contested match against Man United, but there were positive signs for Julen Lopetegui.

The Athletic journalist Steve Madeley praised the Old Gold for a good first half, defending well and creating some ‘good openings’, but a Marcus Rashford strike late into the second period ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The Latest: Semedo criticised

During the first half, Semedo under-hit a back-pass and Alejandro Garnacho raced through one-on-one, and while the full-back was luckily bailed out by goalkeeper Jose Sa, he received plenty of criticism for the blunder.

Journalist and Wanderers fan Nathan Judah labelled the 29-year-old a ‘liability’, while United correspondent Laurie Whitwell lambasted a ‘terrible mistake’ and Wolves reporter Liam Keen praised the efforts of Sa for preventing the ‘very sloppy’ error from leading to a goal.

The Verdict: Must cut out mistakes

Although Semedo’s mistake is not to blame for the defeat, on another day it very easily could’ve been, especially against a team of United’s quality, and so he cannot afford to gift teams such easy opportunities in future.

For the most part, the full-back had a decent game, winning five of the seven duels that he contested, while also making two tackles, but all of that is rendered pointless if you don’t do the basics right, and he was brought off by Lopetegui on the 65 minute mark.

Wolves are next in action against Aston Villa on Wednesday night, and Lopetegui will be hoping that his side can build on some of the positive signs today, while also cutting out some of the silly errors.

Chelsea have ‘registered an interest’ in Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi ahead of January, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Midfield revamp

The Premier League giants are reportedly planning a midfield revamp in the New Year, with Todd Boehly and Graham Potter currently in the process of identifying the right candidates.

The Spaniard still has five years remaining on his contract in La Liga, but after an impressive start to the 2022/23 season, is now being heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge next year.

The Latest: Zubimendi contact made

Taking to Twitter, Phillips revealed that Chelsea have made contact to sign Zubimendi ahead of a potential move in 2023. He wrote:

“Told Chelsea have registered an interest in Real Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi (23).”

The Verdict: Kante successor?

N’Golo Kante’s deal is set to expire at the end of the season, and after recently being linked with an exit next summer, Zubimendi would be the perfect successor should he depart.

The Real star is naturally a defensive midfielder, where he’s currently averaging 2.4 aerial wins and 1.6 tackles per league game, though he has also provided three goal contributions this term, showing he can be a threat in the final third too (WhoScored).

Zubimendi has been hailed a ‘special’ player by Sid Lowe, and at just 23 years of age, he would be a fantastic signing for the future of Chelsea.

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery has hinted at a potential date for West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma to make a return from his latest setback. 

The Lowdown: Zouma’s injury

In the early stages of West Ham’s most recent Premier League game against Leicester City, the Frenchman was forced off the pitch through injury, following some concern about the defender’s knee during the warm-up for that match.

Last month, the east London club revealed that Zouma has undergone surgery on his knee and will now be continuing his rehabilitation.

Some further details about the injury have now emerged, along with a potential recovery timeframe.

The Latest: Potential Zouma return date

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery addressed Zouma and when he could be in line for a return to action.

He said of the West Ham defender: “The fact that he’s been carrying it for a fairly long time suggests that it’s fairly minimal. It’s an issue they’ve been aware of and were treating it conservatively.

“Everything points to a meniscal problem, so a little tidy-up of the cartilage with the arthroscopy, which is minimal invasion surgery. You expect a four to six week return to play timeline on that. It’s a little bit of a tidy up, it’s nothing too serious.

“You can manage it fairly well but on occasion, it does flare up, as we saw in that last game against Leicester during the warm-up and the decision was taken to go under the knife.

“It may call into question a return for that festive fixture period but certainly for the second half of the campaign, there’s no question about that.”

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The Verdict: Good news for West Ham

Judging by what Dinnery had to say about the injury, the surgery and the potential time for which Zouma could be ruled out, it will be good news for everyone at West Ham that the 28-year-old seems unlikely to be sidelined for a considerable period of time.

With only four outfield players at the London Stadium having racked up more league minutes than the Frenchman this season, that shows how important he is to Moyes and the Hammers.

In fact, only Declan Rice (89.1%) has a higher passing accuracy percentage than Zouma (85.9%), who has also made more clearances (68) than any other player at the club, which suggests that Moyes will want him back and fully recovered as soon as possible.

Taking into account how domestic football doesn’t start again for another three weeks, this will give the 28-year-old ample time to recover and reduce the chance of him missing too many games.

It’s unlikely that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will shed many tears over being dumped out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The Gunners were defeated 3-1 by Brighton in what was a laboured display by a team who currently sit at the top of the Premier League.

It’s not a competition that Arsenal will have held high in their list of priorities at the beginning of the campaign but there should be cause for concern after such a loss.

Indeed, it demonstrated again that their squad depth beyond their regular set of starters leaves a lot to be desired.

The north Londoners finished top of their Europa League group but it wasn’t without a scare, as Arteta’s men dropped three points against PSV Eindhoven.

On that night, the likes of Rob Holding, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi-Lokonga found life difficult.

That has been the story of the season so far, particularly for Lokonga, but Vieira’s lack of form is now also becoming a worrying trend.

The Portuguese playmaker was signed from Porto in the summer and looked an underrated addition to the squad.

A fizzing goal against Brentford showed the immense quality in his locker but unfortunately, that’s as good as it’s got for the 22-year-old since arriving in England.

His performance against the Seagulls in midweek was again poor, with the Gunners succumbing to goals from Kaoru Mitoma, Tariq Lamptey and former Gunner Danny Welbeck who scored from the spot after debutant goalkeeper Karl Hein gave away a penalty.

The Estonian stopper, who became the first player from that nation to play for the club since Mart Poom in May 2007, was given a golden opportunity to prove himself but failed to take advantage.

Vieira, however, was equally as bad with the dynamic midfielder now making it nine successive matches without a goal contribution.

The youngster is still learning his trade and adjusting to English football so an element of patience must be applied to his displays.

That said, he needs to up his levels if he is to make an impression after the World Cup.

Vieira’s display was best typified by Goal’s Charles Watts who notably said he was having an “absolute howler” in the first half, with the attacking midfielder struggling to make an impression during his 72 minutes on the pitch.

Indeed, he lost the ball every 4.7 touches while just about seeing the ball more than the aforementioned Hein. Arsenal’s stopper took 40 touches and played 22 accurate passes to Vieira’s 43 and 27.

Considering he is meant to be the heartbeat of the team in his central role, it was a truly uninspiring set of numbers.

Furthermore, he made just one key pass and failed to accurately find a man with any of his three crosses. He made no notable defensive contributions, participating in just seven ground duels throughout the contest.

This was a night for Vieira to really prove himself to the manager but he spurned his opportunity and let his team down.

Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has notably come under fire for his struggles in front of goal in recent times, with the Japanese international having been particularly profligate during the Old Firm outfit’s disappointing Champions League run.

The 25-year-old had enjoyed a prolific spell following his arrival at Parkhead in January, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in just 22 games at the tail end of last term, although has since scored just three times in 18 games in all competitions so far this season.

While few can criticise the nine-cap gem’s tireless work ethic – having been dubbed a “machine” by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton last term – the £3.15m-rated man has showcased a lack of cutting edge of late, particularly in Europe.

The Glasgow side’s group stage run thus far has seen the dynamic speedster miss three big chances, as per SofaScore, notably squandering a guilt-edged opening on matchday one at home to holders Real Madrid – fluffing his attempt at goal just after the break.

With manager Ange Postecoglou admitting that his side had paid the “ultimate price” for their wasteful nature after seeing their hopes of progression ended, there may well be frustration that the likes of Maeda, and others, have failed to provide the goods when it mattered.

In need of a potentially more ruthless presence in the forward line, the 57-year-old could well be better served turning to academy asset, Adam Brooks, with the versatile teenager having showcased his quality for the club’s B team of late.

The highly-rated 18-year-old – who can feature in an attacking midfield role or through the middle – has been in clinical form so far this term, with five goals in just eight games in all competitions, including four goals in just five games in the Lowlands League.

The Scotland youth international has notably been lauded by coach Darren O’Dea in recent times, with the former Celtic defender saying of the emerging talent last season:

“Adam is one at the minute that’s in really good form, he’s scoring goals, he’s created a lot of goals, he’s trained particularly well. But he’s also developing the other side to his game.”

While Postecoglou has thus far been somewhat unwilling to promote from the academy set-up – with Stephen Welsh the only graduate to have forced his way into the first team of late – the former Yokohama boss could well strike gold by bringing young Brooks into the fold sooner rather than later.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is being eyed up by Wolves as a possible replacement for Bruno Lage, according to a report from The Telegraph’s John Percy.

The Lowdown: Lage sacked by Wolves

The 46-year-old was sacked by the Old Gold on Sunday following a 2-0 defeat away to West Ham the previous day which has left them languishing in 18th place in the Premier League.

A thorough search is now underway to find Lage’s successor at Molineux, with a host of names likely to be examined in the coming days.

Postecoglou appears to be one of them, following a report which has emerged.

The Latest: Postecoglou being eyed up by Wolves

According to The Telegraph’s Percy, Wolves view the Celtic manager as a potential appointment, given the Australian’s impressive work in Glasgow.

Postecoglou has been ‘discussed as an option’ by the Premier League club, although it is stated that ‘there are doubts’ regarding whether or not he would leave Parkhead at a crucial juncture in the season.

The Verdict: Worrying for Celtic

Postecoglou is an enormously popular figure at Celtic, so any rumour regarding his exit is always going to be a concern, especially with his current deal only running until next summer.

It would be a bitter blow to lose the 57-year-old at this time of the season, with the Hoops looking a good bet to retain their Premiership title and also hoping to progress to the Champions League knockout stages.

In truth, it would be a shock to the system if Postecoglou leaves for Molineux, despite the obvious lure of the Premier League, and it feels as though Wolves probably know that deep down.

A worrying Newcastle United injury update has emerged regarding Alexander Isak ahead of a return to Premier League action this weekend.

What’s the latest?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has claimed that the Swedish centre-forward is set for a spell on the sidelines after being hit with a setback whilst on international duty.

Magpies reporter Dominic Scurr had claimed that the striker had not suffered a serious blow, but Edwards has now revealed that the 23-year-old will be out of action for a number of games.

He tweeted: “Confidence Bruno will play against Fulham, but record signing Alexander Isak is out for a few weeks, ASM is touch and go but is also unlikely to make London trip Chris Wood has a rib injury and is struggling too. Wilson will return but needs to be wrapped in cotton wool.”

Eddie Howe should be frustrated

The Magpies head coach should be frustrated by this latest setback, as losing Isak for any period of time is a huge blow for the team heading into their upcoming matches.

Newcastle have only won one of their opening seven Premier League games and will need their best players available to rediscover their top form. They have also scored just eight times in those seven outings, which suggests that the manager is not blessed with a plethora of goalscoring threats in his team.

Isak arrived from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad in the summer and has hit the ground running in England. The Swede has found the net twice in his first three appearances for the Toon, scoring against Liverpool and Bournemouth either side of drawing a blank against Crystal Palace.

He has shown that he has the quality to score goals at this level, and that is why his absence in the coming weeks is a huge blow for Newcastle, particularly with fellow strikers Wilson only now returning to fitness and Wood dealing with an injury of his own.

The 23-year-old joined the Magpies after scoring 23 La Liga goals between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, which shows that he has the ability to score on a regular basis in a major European league, indicating that he has the potential to reach great heights at St James’ Park.

Therefore, Howe should be frustrated with this big injury blow, as his team will not benefit from Isak’s goalscoring talents in the next few weeks, which could limit their threat in front of goal against Fulham and any subsequent matches that the Sweden international may miss.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Hwang Hee-chan to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that, after Alan Nixon revealed the Whites could target the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward should Tottenham Hotspur firm up their reported interest in a £20m move for Daniel James, Victor Orta is indeed considering launching a move for the 26-year-old in the coming days.

However, while Sky did reveal that the South Korea international would be keen to link up with his former Red Bull Salzburg manager, Jesse Marsch, once again at Elland Road, it is also claimed that Bruno Lage’s side would demand a figure in the region of £25m in order to part with the attacker – considerably more than the £15m Nixon had initially reported.

Marsch’s final piece of the puzzle

While the vast majority of Leeds supporters would likely claim that Leeds still need a new centre-forward and left-back – something Beren Cross backed up in a recent Q&A – in order for Victor Orta to have completed the perfect summer transfer window, with it now looking as if the club are content with deploying Pascal Struijk on the left of their back line, it would appear the signing of a striker could well be the final target on the club’s shortlist this summer.

And, considering Marsch’s previous relationship with Hwang, in addition to the Wolves forward having impressed following his arrival at Molineux last summer, the 26-year-old attacker may just be the 48-year-old’s final piece of the puzzle at Elland Road heading into the bulk of the 2022/23 campaign.

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Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances – only 20 of which came as starts – last season, the £17m-rated talent scored five goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, a rather impressive feat considering he was playing for a Wolves side who scored just 38 goals last time out – the fourth-worst record in the league.

However, the £19k-per-week winger’s form at RB Salzburg will undoubtedly be the primary reason for Marsch’s interest in the Korean, as Hwang scored a quite astonishing 16 goals and provided 24 assists over his 43 appearances under the American’s management – averaging a simply sensational direct goal involvement every 66 minutes of football played.

Furthermore, with the former RB Leipzig forward being able to operate from attacking midfield, on either flank and as a centre-forward, the 26-year-old’s impressive positional versatility would not only see him be capable of providing the increasingly injury-prone Patrick Bamford with competition for his starting spot up top, he would also give Marsch another wide attacking option.

As such, should Leeds manage to get a £25m deal over the line for Hwang in the coming days, the 47-cap international could well prove to be Marsch’s final piece of the puzzle in the summer transfer window – an outcome that will surely delight the 48-year-old manager.