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An update has emerged on Southampton and their pursuit of a deal to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has claimed that the Saints are hopeful of securing a swoop to bring the forward to St. Mary’s before the end of the month.

However, they will need to beat off competition from their south coast rivals Bournemouth to sign the 21-year-old gem, who is valued at around £18m.

Tanswell Tweeted: “#afcb are interested in signing Nicolas Jackson. No formal offer yet but thought to be able to exceed quoted €20m asking price given to #SaintsFC. Despite a bid rejected, Southampton remain hopeful in staving off south coast neighbours.”

Adam Armstrong upgrade

Southampton are currently rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and scoring goals has been an issue for Nathan Jones’ side, as they have plundered just 17 in their 20 matches.

One player who has struggled badly in the final third is Saints winger Adam Armstrong. The English attacker, who can also play as a centre-forward, has produced one goal, one ‘big chance’ created, and one assist in 12 Premier League starts this season

Armstrong has averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.58, which places him 19th in the squad and this, along with his lack of goal involvements, suggests that the club need an upgrade on him to improve their chances of avoiding relegation down to the Championship at the end of the campaign.

Jackson could come in an immediate upgrade in that position whilst also holding the potential to be a signing for the future at the age of 21, which means that the gem could be a terrific addition for now in the long-term.

The 21-year-old, who was once hailed as “exciting” by journalist Josh Bunting, has scored two goals and provided two assists, from four ‘big chances’ created, in eight La Liga starts for Villarreal this season – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.72.

This comes after the Senegal international scored seven goals and produced eight assists in 27 matches for the Spanish side’s B team in 2021/22.

The talented winger has proven that he can be an attacking threat at the top end of the pitch in a major European league as his statistics are far more impressive than Armstrong’s, given that he has double the number of goal involvements despite the Saints man starting four more matches.

Therefore, Southampton could improve their options out wide by beating Bournemouth to the signing of the £18m magician.

Everton continue to be linked with a move for a new winger, with one in particular receiving a seal of approval…

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke issued his verdict on the rumours suggesting that the Toffees could move to sign Dango Ouattara.

The Lorient speedster, who has reportedly been subject to an £18m bid from Leicester City already, appears to be sought after by Premier League clubs.

O’Rourke explained why, stating: “Ouattara is a talented player who has done really well in Ligue 1 this season with Lorient. I think he’s got five goals and five assists [at the time of interviewing] for the French club so far this season; he’s an attacking winger who can beat a player, can also score goals and provide goals.”

With goals at a premium at Goodison Park – Everton’s tally of 14 is the third worst in the Premier League – this could be exactly what is needed to reignite what has been a miserable season so far for Frank Lampard’s team.

Richarlison replacement

Currently sitting in the relegation zone, it is clear that something needs to change dramatically to avoid another nervy finish to the season like in 2021/22.

Even with a character like Richarlison, who scored ten goals (when his closest competitor within the squad only managed half as many) in that campaign, Lampard’s side avoided the drop by just four points.

Having sold the Brazilian talisman in the summer, there is nobody who is likely to pull them out of the hole into which they keep falling deeper.

Their joint-top scorers this season only boast three goals apiece in the league, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still an unreliable asset due to his appalling injury record, things look bleak for Everton. That makes the prospective Ouattara deal all the more imperative, given how prolific he has been this season.

Having operated from the right flank, the trickster enjoys cutting in onto his left foot to score or set up goals. As such, he has scored six goals and set up another six in the current campaign and is part of an “elite” group of top goal contributors across Europe’s major leagues referenced by OptaJean.

With Everton desperately craving goals from the wide areas, the Burkina Faso international has all the hallmarks of a true replacement for Richarlison. With a penchant for scoring and creating goals, and the ability to embarrass defenders, the 20-year-old starlet could be the catalyst to get the dissenting Goodison Park faithful back onside.

They could well feed off a wildcard winger like Ouattara in the same way that they did with Richarlison, who the Toffees have sorely missed since his departure for north London.

Leeds United have suffered another gutting injury setback to Patrick Bamford after a fresh update emerged ahead of their clash with West Ham United…

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, the Whites now fear that the 29-year-old striker is facing an extended stint on the sidelines as he continues to struggle with recovery from a hernia operation.

The England international underwent surgery during the World Cup break in a bid to be fit for the resumption of the Premier League but he’s yet to fully return to Thorp Arch.

It marks yet another blow to Bamford, who has endured a miserable year-and-a-half with injuries, and manager Jesse Marsch.

Another frustrating blow

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the former Middlesbrough and Chelsea forward has only been able to start 11 matches across all competitions and that comes off the back of a 17-goal campaign in Leeds’ first season back in the big time.

We are yet to see the 6 foot 1 star return to such exploits because of the constant troubles over the last two seasons and that’s rather damaging to Marsch as he would surely be desperate for a fully fit and free-scoring Bamford to feature in the starting XI.

Rodrigo has stepped up to the plate in his absence, bagging nine goals since the start of the season but that’s not enough and his position switch leaves open a gap elsewhere.

Meanwhile, other alternatives – such as summer signing Wilfried Gnonto and academy gem Joe Gelhardt – are perhaps a little too young and inexperienced to be relied on week-in, week-out.

TEAMtalk editor and journalist James Marshment recently claimed that Bamford “has been such a major loss” to Leeds, whilst Marsch himself is hoping that the recent operation will be the “difference-maker” in getting him back to 100%.

Indeed, the American head coach will still be hurting from such a massive miss in Bamford, so the quicker he can get back on the training pitch, the better.

It’s certainly gutting news to receive ahead of a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash with the Hammers tonight.

AND in other news, Marsch must unleash Leeds’ 20 y/o “weapon” tonight, he could cause West Ham nightmares…

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Sacha Boey in the January transfer window and the 22-year-old could be the man to finally replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Selhurst Park.

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg all ‘very interested’ in signing the versatile defender, as contract negotiations with his current club Galatasaray continue to falter.

The youngster joined the Turkish giants from Stade Rennes in the summer of 2021 and has impressed with his performances thus far, both domestically and in Europe, so it is no surprise that he is attracting interest ahead of next month’s window.

This season has seen Boey make 12 appearances in the Super Lig, in which he has contributed no goals and one assist, but averaged a superb 7.23 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Had he reached those performance levels with Palace this season, it would rank him as the top performer in Patrick Vieira’s side so far this campaign, which emphasises just how impressive he has been at Galatasaray.

Boey already has experience on the big stage too, as last season saw him earn a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp in a Europa League knockout game against Barcelona, where he was ranked as the sixth-best performer in the match according to WhoScored, which emphasises that he was not fazed by the big occasion.

WhoScored also suggests that the Frenchman excels at tackling, aerial duels and dribbling, which suggests that he is more of a defensive-minded full-back, and therefore a natural heir to Wan-Bissaka.

Since the Englishman completed a £50m move to Manchester United in 2019, Palace have arguably failed to replace him at right-back, with Vieira rotating between Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne during his time in charge.

They are ranked as the tenth-best and 16th-best performers at Selhurst Park so far this campaign, and are 33 and 31 respectively, which suggests that it is time for the Eagles to bring in a younger, more long-term option in that position, and Boey could be the ideal man.

Rangers could look to use some of their recent revenue to strengthen their squad in the upcoming January and summer transfer windows according to Pete O’Rourke. 

The Lowdown: Rangers’ club-record revenue

Last month it was reported that the Ibrox club are set to announce club-record revenues of over £80m in their next set of financial results, which has since been officially confirmed by Rangers themselves.

This was apparently down to the prize money from having made it to the Europa League final last season, in addition to the supplementary commercial and match-day cash hikes.

Now though, it appears that O’Rourke has shared his thoughts on what this could mean for the club and their plans for the upcoming transfer windows.

The Latest: Financial boost for Rangers

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke had this to say when asked about Rangers’ reported financial boost and what it could mean for them going forward in the transfer market. He said:

“That’s obviously good news for Rangers that the figures are in such a healthy state and their finances are looking good.

“So, obviously, Rangers fans will be hoping that those financial records will enable the club to go out there and spend a bit of money in the January transfer window and also the summer transfer window as well, because it seems like they have fallen behind Celtic right now in the title race, so it’s going to be hard for them to get back into that one right now.”

The Verdict: A positive factor for Rangers

The previous summer transfer window saw the Gers be rather active in terms of the deals they managed to complete, with numerous players joining Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad on permanent, loan and free transfer deals.

This should fill a lot of Rangers fans with confidence that the club will seemingly still be able to strengthen again in January, especially if they have extra financial backing to do so.

Bearing in mind how there are five clubs in the SPFL this season that have racked up a higher percentage of shots on target than Van Bronckhorst’s side this season (31.2%), perhaps signing a player in January that can be a bit more clinical in front of goal could be the best way for the Gers to have a chance of securing the league title.

West Bromwich Albion could be set to ship out one of their youngsters on loan, despite their misfiring front line…

What’s the latest?

As per Birmingham Live, the Baggies are preparing a number of youngsters for development moves in January, with Reyes Cleary mentioned amongst two others – Zac Ashworth and Ethan Ingram – who could leave.

Although Carlos Corberan had reportedly claimed there was no focus on incomings, the recent form will have alleviated some of the pressure to allow him to perhaps look ahead.

This could explain the potential exit for the young striker, who surely could offer something more than what Karlan Grant or Brandon Thomas-Asante have done this season.

Corberan must unleash him

Perhaps instead of shipping Cleary out to an EFL club, the Spaniard should instead choose to unleash the 18-year-old marksman who has proven himself a fine goalscorer at youth level.

Just this season alone he has bagged 11 times in seven Premier League 2 matches, yet this has only earned him 55 minutes of Championship football.

This follows up a campaign where the 6 foot 1 sensation made that step up with ease, after scoring 18 times in 14 U18s matches, before finding the net a further seven times in 15 outings for the U23s.

This clinical excellence in front of goal led Steve Bruce to label him a “natural finisher” who “smashes it in the goal”. This powerful proficiency is exactly what they have been lacking.

It is clear that even despite his youth, academy football seems below him.

However, the main reason why he should be given a chance relates more to the disappointment of his peers than his blistering form.

Their £15m man Grant has just three goals in 17 Championship games so far, whilst the summer signing of Thomas-Asante has only managed the same amount in five fewer games.

Regardless, neither is form worthy of a nailed-on spot in the side.

Therefore, there is little risk for Corberan to perhaps start integrating Cleary when this enforced break is over.

It could save the club millions, potentially unearthing a star striker to lead the line for the foreseeable future.

Glasgow Rangers’ season has gone from bad to worse following their weekend draw against Livingston at Ibrox.

The dropped points mean Celtic now lead by four in the Scottish Premiership and, with a Champions League tie coming up on Wednesday evening against Serie A leaders Napoli, the prognosis isn’t looking good for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his side.

There have been far too many passengers in the current squad who aren’t contributing enough despite their inflated wage packets, with Glen Kamara being one of them.

Kamara must go

Having been an integral part of Rangers’ title win in 2021, as well as during their Europa League final run last season, the £30k-per-week midfielder hasn’t done nearly enough this season to justify this hefty weekly wage.

Former manager Steven Gerrard once dubbed Kamara a “monster” but he has become a shadow of the player the Ibrox faithful have known over the previous three and a half seasons.

Kamara has only started two Premiership games this season, averaging a poor SofaScore rating of a mere 6.45 and taking just 21 touches per match as he struggles to make an impression under the Dutchman.

His Champions League displays have been even worse, boasting an average SofaScore match rating of just 5.63, and from a player who usually relishes the big occasions in Europe – scoring against RB Leipzig in the semi-final last season – it’s a remarkable fall from grace.

The Ibrox side value the player at £10m and they had a host of potential suitors sniffing around during the summer transfer window.

Ligue 1 side Nice arguably came closest to prising him away from Glasgow, as they were reportedly ready to match the asking price, however, a move didn’t materialise.

If the Dutchman thought this interest might reinvigorate his performances then he was sorely mistaken and the club must ruthlessly sell him in January.

It remains to be seen whether or not these woeful displays and lack of game time will have any impact on interest during the winter window, but if a bid near £10m arrives, the Light Blues must accept and make a profit on the midfielder – as Kamara has been anonymous so far this season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday as they look to get themselves out of the relegation places, in what is the first game after Bruno Lage’s sacking.

The Portuguese manager was relieved of his duties at Molineux after the 2-0 defeat against West Ham United, with James Collins and Steve Davis set to be in the dugout as the Old Gold’s interim management duo in London.

Things couldn’t be much tougher for them, as Wolves travel to west London low on confidence and with a multitude of injury and suspension problems, so it will be a huge ask if they want to pick up a result against the Blues.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Wolves to line up against Chelsea for this afternoon’s Premier League clash…

Jose Sa unsurprisingly keeps his place in between the sticks, having kept three clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season.

Changes are needed in defence, as Nathan Collins is still suspended after his red card against Manchester City, while Ruben Neves also misses out due to suspension, so cannot fill in at centre-back as he did against West Ham.

This suggests that Toti is likely to partner Max Kilman in the heart of the defence, with Jonny and Nelson Semedo lining up at full-back.

In the absence of Neves, Boubacar Traore looks likely to make his first start in midfield, alongside Portuguese duo Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes.

There are more injury problems in attack as Pedro Neto, Sasa Kaladjzic and Raul Jimenez all miss out, which suggests that Diego Costa could get the nod to make his full debut up front.

He is flanked by Daniel Podence and Adama Traore, with Goncalo Guedes dropping out after some poor recent performances.

The £27.5m Portugal international was tipped to be “absolutely fantastic” for Wolves but has no goals and just one assist in the Premier League thus far, so Traore starts ahead of him in the fourth and final change from last week as he can definitely cause the Chelsea defence problems with his pace on the counter-attack.

Everton are facing a potential nightmare scenario in the near future, amid reports suggesting that Premier League rivals Manchester United are interested in Toffees number one Jordan Pickford as a possible replacement for David de Gea next summer.

According to the Telegraph, the England ‘keeper is a player in the frame should new United boss Erik ten Hag wish to axe the long-serving Spaniard at the end of the season, with the Red Devils contemplating whether to give the former Atletico Madrid man a contract extension.

That interest in the 28-year-old comes amid concerns over his current deal at Goodison Park, with the 28-year-old having just under two years remaining on his existing contract at the club, having originally arrived on Merseyside on a £30m deal from Sunderland back in 2017.

The £100k-per-week stopper has been the undisputed first-choice between the sticks for the club since then, despite facing criticism from both fans and pundits alike at times, with it set to be a real concern if he is to move on any time soon.

This speculation also comes at a time when the £25.2m-rated man is currently sidelined with injury – as too is Andy Lonergan – with manager Frank Lampard having been forced to bring in veteran Eldin Jakupovic on a short-term deal as a result, while also handing reserve goalkeeper Asmir Begovic the starting berth last time out.

It is far from an ideal situation having a handful of ageing stoppers as understudies to Pickford, but Lampard could potentially unleash a younger alternative if and when the Toffees do decide to ditch the 45-cap gem.

Promoting from within could well be the answer to that issue, with 22-year-old Billy Crellin likely chomping at the bit for a taste of first-team action, having been signed from Fleetwood Town late in the January window.

That move came amid long-standing interest in the highly-rated prospect from those at Goodison, with the top-flight outfit having reportedly seen an offer rejected for the then-teenager back in 2019.

That followed the Blackpool-born star’s involvement in the World Cup triumph for England’s U17 side two years earlier, featuring in a group stage victory over Iraq as part of that glorious route to the showpiece.

The boyhood Everton fan was handed game time by Lampard during pre-season, with the next step now to be handed the trust to feature in a competitive game, having made it onto the bench in the League Cup win over his former club last month.

Should Pickford depart any time soon, it may be time for young Crellin to prove his worth at senior level.

Nottingham Forest have been very active in the summer transfer window with 16 signings made so far, and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s plans over the final weeks of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed what Nottingham Forest are “looking for” ahead of transfer Deadline Day on September 1st.

Romano tweeted:

“Nottingham Forest are currently not in talks to sign Hans Hateboer or Alvaro Odriozola, despite rumours. Work in progress on different targets.

“Willy Boly, in the list as NFFC are looking for a new centre back.”

It’s a boost for Cooper

Steve Cooper will already be delighted with the club’s clear intent to improve and strengthen the team ahead of their Premier League challenge, and their continued support to ensure no position is left without depth is undoubtedly a boost for the Welsh manager.

Forest have been dealt a huge injury blow already this season with newly signed centre-back Moussa Niakhate suffering from a thigh problem and Cooper has confirmed the extent of the setback, saying:

“He is out for a few months. He had a scan in the week and it didn’t come back too good.

“It is a blow for him as he’d settled in well but these things happen. It’ll have to be the next man up and maybe it will change our view of the end of the transfer window, we will see. I don’t think we are finished with ins and outs.”

As a result, Forest are left with Steve Cook, Joe Worrall, Loic Mbe Soh and Scott McKenna to occupy the back three formation Cooper has deployed to win four points from his side’s first three games of the season so far.

Both Worrall and McKenna were two of the lowest rated players on the pitch against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon according to SofaScore, with the pair only winning seven of their 12 duels combined and McKenna, in particular, failed to make a single interception or tackle throughout the game.

It’s already an area of the pitch lacking depth and with a lack of Premier League experience in there too, excusing Cook, they don’t look particularly well prepared at the back.

With that being, there is a clear need to add some quality to the defensive positions following Niakhate’s injury and it is certainly a boost that that is exactly what Forest are aiming to do before the deadline on September 1st.