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Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is now back in training after his groin injury, according to a report from The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Injuries mounting up

A whole host of Forest players are set for a spell on the sidelines, with Cheikhou Kouyate, Scott McKenna, Willy Boly and Omar Richards all ruled out due to a variety of different injury issues.

Awoniyi has not been named in the match-day squad for the last eight Premier League matches, having sustained a groin injury in the Tricky Trees’ 1-0 win away at Southampton at the beginning of January.

With winger Brennan Johnson also sustaining a groin issue in the recent defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Steve Cooper is light on numbers in forward areas, and so the latest news about Awoniyi will be a welcome boost for the manager…

The Latest: Awoniyi back in training

According to a report from The Athletic, the striker has recently returned to light training, as he looks to put his injury problem behind him.

The 25-year-old is said to have stepped up his involvement at Wilford Lane over the past week, indicating it may not be too long until he is deemed ready for a return to the first team.

It is detailed that Cooper may also view the Nigerian as a potential replacement for Johnson in the starting XI, despite the fact they are very different types of players, as he can be a real outlet for Forest in attack.

The Verdict: Boost for Cooper

The Ilorin-born marksman was just starting to find his feet in the Premier League prior to his injury blow, netting the winner in the 1-0 victory at Southampton, which remains the Tricky Trees’ only win on their travels in the top flight all season.

Hailed as ‘absolutely sublime’ by the media earlier this season, the forward was also branded a ‘hero’ for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Liverpool at the City Ground, a match in which he again netted the winner, while he also displayed his playmaking ability, creating one big chance.

With Forest sitting just two points clear of the relegation zone, it is absolutely vital they have their best players available for the run-in, as we enter the final third of the Premier League season.

Awoniyi is firmly in that category, having averaged 0.51 goals per 90 so far this season, the highest amount of any player, and so it is a real boost that he could return to first-team action soon.

Newcastle United are on the hunt for Champions League football in the 2023/24 campaign and are currently sitting fifth in the table as it stands.

The Magpies have two games in hand on Tottenham Hotspur, in fourth, and would go above their rivals and into the top four if they won those matches.

Irrespective of whether or not the club are competing in Europe’s premier competition next season, Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe could look to bolster the squad by dipping into the market in the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Newcastle’s interest in Kieran Tierney?

The Sunday Mirror have reported that the Magpies are keen on signing Kieran Tierney from Premier League rivals Arsenal at the end of the season.

He is said to be open to the idea of moving to St. James’ Park as the defender is keen on regular first-team football and that could open the door for Ashworth to swoop in the summer.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently told GIVEMESPORT that the 5 foot 10 full-back would be an “upgrade” on the club’s current left-back options, something backed up by his statistics in recent campaigns.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has usurped the Scotland international this season but the ex-Celtic man did catch the eye with his performances in the top-flight last term.

Tierney averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.93 across 22 starts in the division. The full-back created 0.9 chances per match and won 61% of his ground duels, which shows that he was fairly consistent at both ends of the pitch in creating opportunities for his teammates and winning physical battles for the side.

Dan Burn, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.84 and managed 0.4 key passes per match. The giant defender has also lost 59% of his ground duels in the top flight, although the gem has won 68% of his aerial contests, with these statistics indicating that Tierney would be a big upgrade on the Englishman in terms of his defending on the deck and his attacking quality.

Ray Parlour once hailed the £110k-per-week Arsenal defender as an “exciting” player and his 1.1 key passes per game and five ‘big chances’ created in 26 Premier League starts in 2020/21 backs that up, as the left-back has proven his ability to consistently create chances for his team at the top level.

The 25-year-old, who registered 37 assists in 180 matches for Celtic earlier in his career, is also five years younger than Burn and could, therefore, offer more to the club as a long-term asset.

Tierney was once dubbed a “machine” by journalist Simon Collings and the fact that the enforcer has won at least 61% of his ground duels in three of his four Premier League campaigns suggests that he is a monster in physical battles and could be a strong defender for the Magpies.

Add in his age and the huge attacking boost he would give the side, in comparison to Burn, and that is why Ashworth must sign the Scottish battler.

Liverpool have struggled to retain their dominance in the Premier League so far this season, however, a victory over Everton in the Merseyside derby this week will definitely give the team a huge boost of confidence after a troubling run.

The Reds are currently ninth in the league table with just 32 points collected from a possible 63 so far, something that Jurgen Klopp must drastically improve as soon as possible in order to be in with an outside chance to secure a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four.

Indeed, Liverpool have not had fitness on their side this season with a number of key players suffering injuries including Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara, Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota, compromising the level of quality deployed in the starting line ups which has clearly been a hindrance in their efforts to comfortably compete.

It has been widely reported that Liverpool will look to strengthen their squad in the summer with Jude Bellingham and Matheus Cunha heavily linked with a move to Merseyside at the end of the season as a youth revolution is desperately needed in the centre of the pitch.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all set to be out of contract in the summer, whilst Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s and unlikely to be part of the long-term future at Anfield, paving the way for reinvestment in the midfield personnel.

However, Klopp may have accidentally discovered one of the quality midfield talents who can lead Liverpool back to success without needing to spend a penny, as Stefan Bajcetic continues to display promising signs when given the opportunity to prove himself.

Is Bajcetic the future of Liverpool’s midfield?

The Spanish youngster earned his Premier League debut back in August during one of Liverpool’s better performances when they beat Bournemouth 9-0 and since then has been featured in both the FA Cup and Champions League after taking like a duck to water in the heart of the team.

Over six Premier League appearances, Bajcetic has scored one goal and successfully completed 57% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 18.2 accurate passes, one interception and 3.5 duels won per game, proving that he is both defensively sound and potent in attack.

Although mostly deployed as a defensive midfielder over his short career so far, Klopp has clearly seen enough to determine that the young talent could offer more than just protecting the line in the deepest midfield role, as he put Bajcetic in the famous eight role against Everton in the derby on Monday night.

The 18-year-old took the new role into his stride and gave the German coach even more to consider when he excelled over his 89-minute performance, covering more ground than any other player on the pitch (11.14km), which is an incredible achievement considering Liverpool have been outrun in a number of their league fixtures this season.

Not only that, Bajcetic – dubbed “outstanding” by club icon Jamie Carragher – completed 51 touches, two key passes, one clearance and two interceptions, as well as winning two tackles and six duels to help his team secure their first win in four league games.

Another midfield target for Liverpool is Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo – who has a reported £80m price tag – but now the powerbrokers at Anfield could invest that money into other areas of the pitch if Bajcetic can continue to develop his skills and prove he is more than capable of being part of the next generation of success in midfield.

Manchester United have emphatically rewritten the narrative at Old Trafford this season, having cast the cobwebs of a woeful preceding campaign aside and forged an impressive run under Erik ten Hag, but work must still be done to return the cub to its former glory.

While close to £210m has been spent since Ten Hag assumed the managerial role at the Theatre of Dreams, further incomings are certain to follow this year, with centre-back Axel Disasi among those touted with a move to Manchester.

According to a report from the Daily Mail earlier this month, the Red Devils are among the interested suitors considering a bid for the AS Monaco man, who has emerged as one of the French Ligue 1’s best defenders over the past few years and could cost around  £44m to prise him away from France.

With uncertainty surrounding the Glazer Family’s ownership of the prestigious Premier League outfit this season, a deal might not materialise until the summer, but the club’s technical director John Murtough might indeed be prudent to await an apt opportunity to pounce, with the 6-foot-3 colossus offering all the promise of a defender reaching the very top.

Having made 28 appearances for his outfit this year, the “complete” and “dominant” Disasi – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has scored four goals and assists apiece, immensely impressive numbers for a defensive outlet, and has been a key component for his outfit over the past few years, blossoming into a refined and glistening gem.

As per Sofascore, Disasi has recorded an average rating of 7.04 in the French top flight this term, impressing with 1.2 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.9 clearances, while maintaining an 84% pass success rate, illustrating his dynamic skill set that encapsulates the all-encompassing nature many a first-rate centre-back needs in the modern game.

And with the 24-year-old gem ranking among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for rate of goals, the top 4% for rate of assists, and the top 8% for progressive passes (via FBref), his authority as a ball-playing maestro from the back is indeed affirmed.

Should Ten Hag forge ahead with a move, it could spell the end at the Theatre of Dreams for Harry Maguire, who has fallen heavily out of favour this season after a tumultuous period at the club following his world record £80m transfer from Leicester City.

With reports from earlier this season stating that the 29-year-old could depart at the end of the campaign, the door is indeed wide open for the introduction of a new presence.

While United’s established pairing of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have indeed found unity and resilience in their partnership this term, the inclusion of a young, exciting centre-back such as Disasi could go a long way toward turning the page to a new, prosperous chapter at Manchester United.

Arsenal are interested in a Premier League winger as Mikel Arteta aims to complete another signing during the January transfer window…

What’s the news?

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are interested in signing AFC Bournemouth winger Jaidon Anthony as Arteta looks to add some more depth to his attacking options.

He could face competition for the 23-year-old however, with Leicester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen also keen on Anthony.

His contract expires at the end of the season and Arsenal could be looking to secure a bargain move for him this month and with the club close to completing a move for Leandro Trossard, it could be a strong end to the window for Arteta.

He’s a dream signing

Anthony knows Arsenal well, having spent ten years at the Hale End academy during his formative years, playing alongside Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe, so settling in shouldn’t be a problem for the player.

At just 23 years old, he also fits Arteta’s vision for the future, with the Spaniard looking at bringing the average age of the side down significantly while signing young players who can develop and improve over time.

In the Championship last season, Anthony was excellent, featuring in all but one of Bournemouth’s matches as they gained promotion back to the Premier League. The winger averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.16/10 which ranked him as the club’s best performer during the campaign.

He underlined his attacking qualities by registering 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – while creating an astonishing 18 big chances across his 45 matches, demonstrating just how effective he was from a wide position.

Anthony didn’t shy away from the nitty-gritty work either, chipping in with 1.3 tackles and 0.5 clearances per game while winning 3.6 duels per match, proving that he can also provide solid defensive support when required.

His former manager Scott Parker lauded his performances last season, saying: “What he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times really.” And although he has struggled for game time this season, the Englishman has still scored three times in 18 appearances for the Cherries.

Following the disappointment of missing out on Mykhailo Mudryk, Arteta will be working twice as hard to secure attacking reinforcements and a move for Anthony could be a very shrewd investment indeed.

Phil Hay believes that new Leeds United recruit Maximilian Wober will be a better fit at left back than Pascal Struijk has been.

The Lowdown: Important business completed

It was pretty obvious that Leeds and Jesse Marsch needed a new left-back this month with natural centre-back Struijk playing in that position for the majority of the season thus far.

Therefore, the fact Victor Orta has gone out, identified a target and struck up a sensible deal early on will be pleasing for both Leeds fans and Marsch as it now allows Wober time to integrate into the team.

However, it’s not all great news though as Wober may not be widely regarded as a natural left-back having spent the majority of his career as a centre-back, which could mean he’s just another Struijk and playing out of position.

The Latest: Hay backs Wober to thrive

Hay has made the bold claim on The Phil Hay Show that Wober will turn out to be a better left-back than Struijk, because of his history of playing in that position for RB Salzburg.

He said: (46:35) “I’m totally open to the idea and the philosophy of players being able to play in more than one position and Bielsa was a massive advocate of that in particular.

“I’m going to stick my neck out and say I think they have more of a left back in Wober than they have in Pascal Struijk at the moment.”

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The Verdict: The pressure is on Wober to perform

After not signing a left-back over the summer Leeds have been putting square pegs in round holes so far this season when it comes to Struijk and having to cope with Junior Firpo’s constant injury issues.

Therefore, with Wober having 39 games as a left-back under his belt during his time out in Austria, it would be expected of him to come in and show he’s an accomplished left-sided defender.

However, it may not be as straightforward as Struijk has been able to do a decent job in his makeshift position as he boasts the third-best Sofascore of players to have started a league game but to make Leeds more balanced it would be sensible to get Wober in as soon as possible.

Tottenham have reportedly been in talks with the agent of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram.

The Lowdown: Thuram links

Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici could well be busy over the coming weeks, looking to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad in the winter transfer window.

A new forward is on the agenda, with reports suggesting that a ‘surprise’ move for Thuram could be on the cards. Thuram is out of contract at the end of the season, and it looks as if he is becoming a wanted man heading into 2023.

The Latest: Contact made

According to 90min, Inter Milan are trying to win the race for Thuram ahead of numerous Premier League sides and are readying a contract offer for the Frenchman.

Spurs are one of five top-flight clubs named and have reportedly been in contact with Thuram’s representatives.

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The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Thuram, labelled ‘a little crazy’ by former team-mate Denis Zakaria, can play anywhere across the front three and is primarily a centre-forward.

The 25-year-old impressed on the biggest stage by helping France come from behind to take the World Cup final to extra time, registering an assist for Kylian Mbappe.

He’s contributed to 67 goals in 119 games for his current employers, so a cut-price move could be a shrewd one to rival Harry Kane and Spurs’ plethora of attacking talent.

Wolverhampton Wanderers strengthened their side with some high-quality arrivals in the summer transfer window.

Bruno Lage signed Matheus Nunes, Goncalo Guedes and Boubacar Traore, however, they haven’t had the required impact and the Portuguese manager was sacked in October following a poor run of form.

Julen Lopetegui took charge at the start of the month and will be keeping tabs on players ahead of the January transfer window. However, the Old Gold should have secured a deal to bring Enzo Fernandez to the club in the summer, as he could have made a huge difference to their midfield.

Wolves were heavily linked with the Argentinian player during the summer, but he joined Benfica instead and is currently thriving.

In 13 appearances for the Portuguese side so far this season, he has an average SofaScore rating of 7.51/10, registering four goal contributions, two key passes per match, and adding a further eight big chances as he has settled into life on the continent with apparent ease.

He was selected for Argentina’s World Cup squad on the back of this excellent form and he has been a pure joy to watch in Qatar.

Argentina surprisingly lost their first match against Saudi Arabia, but a 2-o victory over Mexico still gives them a chance of progression to the last 16 ahead of their final group match against Poland.

Fernandez was in top form against the Mexicans in what was a 33-minute cameo appearance. He scored the vital second goal with a stunning strike while taking 35 touches and winning four of his total duels.

Former Liverpool star Maxi Rodriguez dubbed him as “elite” while former Porto manager Jose Peseiro compared him to French icon Zinedine Zidane, saying:

“(It is) absolutely surprising the level at which he plays at, at only 21 years old.

“The best player I worked with was (Zinedine) Zidane, at Real Madrid. Of course, I don’t want to compare. But I’m talking about Enzo’s passing and surprising vision; a bit like Zidane.”

His performances have certainly justified this extreme praise, and any hopes that Wolves may be able to lure him to Molineux in the future seem distant, especially with Benfica now valuing the youngster at €50m (£43m).

Lage made some mistakes in his time as the manager of the club, but not signing Fernandez when he had the chance looks worse after every passing match he plays.

Everton journalist Joe Thomas spotted Dwight McNeil ‘absolutely furious’ at Western Sydney Wanderers’ Gabriel Cleur after his lunge on him in their friendly.

The Lowdown: Comfortable win

The Goodison Park outfit won 5-1 in their friendly in Australia this morning to ease the pressure on Frank Lampard ahead of the league season resuming after the FIFA World Cup.

Anthony Gordon managed to bag himself a hat-trick, while Neal Maupay and young Tom Cannon also managed to get themselves on the scoresheet.

The Latest: McNeil ‘furious’ after challenge

Taking to Twitter, Thomas spotted McNeil ‘absolutely furious’ during the second half, as he ‘had to be pulled away’ after a poor challenge from Cleur, which resulted in a yellow card:

“Dwight McNeil absolutely furious as Gabriel Cleur lunges at him, full on. Cleur gets a booking and that wasn’t great. McNeil had to be pulled away after being left incensed by that.”

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The Verdict: No need

In friendly games, there is really no need for Cleur to be going in for challenges like that on McNeil, and luckily the Toffees winger came out of it unscathed.

The summer signing jumped back on his feet and carried on playing, grabbing himself an assist for Gordon’s last goal in the last minute.

With just two goals and no assists in 17 matches in total for the Merseyside club in the first part of the campaign (Transfermarkt), McNeil’s assist will hopefully give him some confidence going into their first Premier League fixture after the World Cup break, at home to Wolves on Boxing Day.

Chelsea suffered just their second defeat under Graham Potter in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, which further strengthens their position at the top of the Premier League table.

What Potter would do for a talent like Bukayo Saka in his squad, especially with poor performances from Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount yesterday, with the former achieving a rating of just 5.9/10 via SofaScore.

Well, they could unearth a talent as impressive as the Arsenal sensation in January. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea are interested in AC Milan player Rafael Leao and could make a bid over the winter.

They face competition from Manchester City, however, and with a release clause of €150m (£130.5m), the Blues could look to offload a few players as part of the deal. Armando Broja and either Hayem Ziyech or Christian Pulisic have been mentioned and this would significantly bring down the cost of a potential transfer.

Potter’s own Saka

Leao has been on fire since the start of last season for Milan, scoring an impressive 14 goals and registering 12 assists as the Rossoneri won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years. He has continued this fine form into the current campaign, already netting six times and chipping in with nine assists across just 18 outings.

The Portuguese winger is comparable to Saka according to FBref’s similar player model, and the two are certainly alike.

The Arsenal star has begun this campaign incredibly well, already registering ten goal contributions in the league, one more than Leao, and they both offer a prominent threat from wide positions.

In terms of shot-creating actions, both players have registered over four per match (4.58 for Leao and 4.33 for Saka). That said, the Englishman does tend to deliver more crosses into the opposition penalty area, delivering over double the number Leao has this season (52 to 20).

The two wingers also thrive in creating opportunities for others, playing 2.1 and 1.7 key passes on average per match this season.

Furthermore, they are also averaging an identical number of carries (15) with the ball at their feet in their respective leagues this season, showing a crafty ability to navigate opponents and evade a pressing defender.

The £30k-per-week “superstar” as dubbed by Theo Mwangi, would instantly thrive at Chelsea and with Potter witnessing firsthand just how excellent Saka has been since he burst onto the scene, the 47-year-old will aim to replicate that by signing the 23-year-old Leao in January.