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Southampton and sporting director Martin Semmens are eyeing a move for Morocco international Zakaria Aboukhlal, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Saints sign youngsters…

Over the summer window, the Saints’ transfer policy was made quite clear – sign young and develop with the potential of huge sell-on fees.

That saw the Premier League side complete agreements for a plethora of top young talent, perhaps most notably former Man City starlets Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia and Samuel Edozie alongside 20-year-old Germany international Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Sport Republic’s takeover of the St. Mary’s side in January this year has birthed a new era for Southampton and their emphasis very much appears to be on bringing in the stars of tomorrow.

As such, reports may consistently emerge of new and promising targets entering their sights.

The Latest: Southampton ‘set sights’ on Aboukhlal…

As per a new claim, it appears the south coast side and Semmens have shortlisted another dazzling young talent.

Football Insider state Southampton have ‘set sights’ on Toulouse attacker Aboukhlal with club officials ‘impressed’ after scouting him in France.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are believed to be ‘tracking’ the 22-year-old, who has also earned rave reviews for his Ligue 1 performances.

The Verdict: Get it done?

While it is arguably too early in the season to judge him overall, Aboukhlal has certainly made an excellent start to life at Toulouse.

According to WhoScored, the forward has made six goal contributions in 11 top flight starts already whilst also attempting their highest rate of shots at goal and joint-highest rate of completed dribbles per 90.

He may well be suited to the demanding nature of English football too with journalist Hanif Ben Berkane calling Aboukhlal a ‘physical monster’.

The player has been praised for his versatility and ability to play ‘everywhere’, so there appears to be much reason for Southampton to at least consider making a move.

Nottingham Forest are considering a move to sign Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia in 2023, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Dia profiled

The Senegalese star is currently playing his football at the Arechi Stadium on a season-long loan from Villarreal, with an option to buy next summer included.

Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, alongside the Reds, had enquired about a move in the previous window, though an agreement failed to be reached before the deadline.

Following a fresh update, it sounds like both Steve Cooper and David Moyes’ sides are taking a second bite at the cherry and have been joined in their attempts by Leeds.

The Latest: Forest eyeing Dia

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Forest are ‘in the picture’ to land Dia and ‘remain interested’ in completing a deal.

Salernitana are set to pay the €12m (£10m) to make his stay permanent before selling him on for at least €16m (£13m) in a bid to make a profit.

The 25-year-old ‘dreams of playing’ in the top flight, which must surely give the Midlands outfit some hope of securing their target.

The Verdict: Perfect for Cooper

The Tricky Trees have been missing an out-and-out striker up top having only scored eight league goals this season, but Dia would be the perfect person to come in and change that.

Dubbed a ‘handful’ up front by journalist Josh Bunting, the forward already has five goals and two assists to his name in just 11 Serie A appearances.

Evangelos Marinakis is reportedly planning to spend over £100m in January to avoid relegation, so splashing £13m of that to land Dia could be an absolute bargain.

Everton are considering a move to sign AS Monaco defender Caio Henrique, according to reports from Brazil.

The Lowdown: Henrique profiled

The Brazilian signed a new deal with Philippe Clement’s side in August, meaning that his contract isn’t set to expire until 2027, but that hasn’t stopped him from attracting interest.

The 25-year-old has been a standout performer at the Stade Louis II this season, with six goal contributions in just 11 league appearances, and the Toffees have been name-checked as being keen on bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: Everton eyeing Henrique

According to Brazilian outlet IG Esporte (via Sport Witness), Everton are ‘interested’ in Henrique and have ‘probed the situation’ of a potential deal to land him in January.

The left-back is said to have ‘entered the sights’ of the Goodison Park club, although there is ‘no mention’ so far of negotiations being opened, nor what it would cost to prise him away from Monaco.

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The Verdict: Mykolenko alternative

Vitaliy Mykolenko has been brilliant defensively, posting the joint-second most interceptions per game for Everton with 1.7.

However, if Frank Lampard is looking for a more attack-minded full-back, Henrique is an ideal candidate.

The ‘perfect’ ace, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, has clocked up 29 assists over the course of his career, compared to the Ukrainian’s 21, and currently averages 1.9 key passes per Ligue 1 game.

Ruben Vinagre has so far failed to challenge for regular game-time, so the addition of Henrique would add some excellent competition for places as Lampard looks to bolster his ranks in the New Year.

Aston Villa’s decision to sign Wesley has turned into a nightmare and considering the Brazilian’s woeful form on loan, Unai Emery must get rid of him for good in January.

The powerful striker made the move to Villa Park in the summer of 2019, joining in a deal worth £22m from Club Brugge.

He made a fairly promising start to life in the Premier League, hitting four goals and one assist in his opening eight appearances in England’s top flight.

Wesley then endured a cruciate ligament injury.

That goal was the last time the Brazilian forward found the net for Villa and it seems unlikely that he will ever feature for the club again, as his injury seems to have ruined any hopes he had of making it in the Premier League.

Back in December 2019, pundit and former top-flight goalkeeper Paul Robinson questioned the Villans’ decision to sign him, he told Football Insider:

“For a team like Villa, they need a goalscorer and I’m not convinced Wesley is the one at the moment.”

After failing to score or assist in any of his four appearances after returning from injury, Wesley was shipped out on loan to former side Club Brugge, but struggled for regular game time there, making just six substitute appearances for the Belgian side.

The 25-year-old was then sent on loan to Brazilian side Internacional, where he made 19 appearances, finding the net just twice, which suggests that he is never going to make it with Emery’s side in the Premier League.

His loan spell this season has well and truly hammered that home as in over 700 minutes of action for Levante in La Liga 2, Wesley has failed to score a single goal, with any confidence he might have had in front of goal clearly gone.

It has been 178 weeks since the Brazilian flop became an Aston Villa player but the vast majority of that time has been spent either injured or out on loan, and Emery should finally end his time with the Villans in January, otherwise, he risks staying on the books until his contract expires in the summer of 2024.

Manchester City have joined the race to secure a transfer for Las Palmas midfielder Alberto Moleiro. 

The Lowdown: Man City’s transfer track record

City have a track record when it comes to signing players from foreign clubs during previous transfer windows. The likes of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Ruben Dias, among others, have all come to the Etihad Stadium in recent years from foreign clubs.

It now appears that the Premier League champions have their eye on signing another talent who’s making a name for himself abroad, but they face some competition for his signature.

The Latest: Man City eyeing Moleiro

According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, City and Real Madrid have joined Barcelona, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign Moleiro.

The report adds that the player has a release clause in his contract worth €30m (£26m), which will double should Las Palmas find themselves promoted back to La Liga next season.

The Verdict: Long-term investment for City?

At the age of 19, Moleiro has made 53 senior appearances for his current club, scoring three goals and providing four assists in the process. Three of those assists have come in his 14 league appearances for Las Palmas in the Spanish second tier this season.

In addition, only one player at the Canary Islands club has had more shots at goal than the teenager (21), further highlighting how much of an attacking threat he can offer.

Hailed as a “magic” player who has a “very high ceiling” according to Las Palmas coach Garcia Pimienta, Moleiro certainly has something about him to have caught the attention of the five clubs mentioned in the report.

Given how young he is, securing a deal for the midfielder could be a very smart long-term investment for the Manchester club if they can secure his signature.

If the youngster has a strong end to the season in Spain, then City should definitely explore the possibility of signing him and duly deciding what the ideal next step could be for him and his career.

An unnamed US consortium is reportedly ‘very strong’ on a potential takeover of Everton.

The Lowdown: Takeover speculation

There has been plenty of speculation over a potential takeover at Goodison Park, as it was reported in October that a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) fronted by the nephew of famed hedge fund heavyweight George Soros had held preliminary talks over a deal.

Jeff Soros and Simon Horsman, Los Angeles-based film producers, were the men behind the reported talks, done through their LAMF Global Ventures Corp vehicle.

It has also been reported that Maciek Kaminski has launched a new takeover bid on Merseyside, as the American businessman was in talks with Farhad Moshiri over a reported £400m deal.

He was part of the group spearheaded by former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon who reportedly had a ‘phone call’ with Moshiri over a potential takeover in the summer, but that deal never materialised, with the Toffees’ owner thought to be reluctant to sell.

The Latest: Takeover close?

As per Football Insider, a ‘source close to the Everton boardroom’ has claimed that there have been ‘new developments behind the scenes’ with regards to a potential takeover.

It is claimed that a deal to buy the club is ‘closer than what people think’, with an unnamed US consortium ‘very strong’ on a possible deal.

This is thought to be ‘especially significant’ as Moshiri is still yet to secure the funds for the Blues’ 2024 proposed move to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. He is expected to help finance the construction, but ‘cannot commit’ the full £500m it would take to complete it.

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The Verdict: Exciting

The news of a takeover potentially being closer to completion will be music to the ears of Everton supporters.

Since Moshiri increased his stake as the major shareholder back in 2018, they have finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table in three of the last four campaigns, including narrowly avoiding relegation last season (Transfermarkt).

He has also spent nearly £400m in transfers during that time as well, with the Toffees accumulating heavy losses and flirting with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations (Sky Sports).

Frank Lampard’s team are currently just one point and one place above the relegation zone, and so face the realistic chance of going down again.

Nonetheless, the majority of Moshiri’s signings clearly have not worked, and now it is time for him to sell up ahead of the club’s move to the proposed new stadium.

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.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery might not want the club to make a move for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Sarr linked with Villa

Villa agreed a deal to sign the Hornets attacker over the summer but ended up walking away from a move, with Sarr remaining at Vicarage Road.

The 24-year-old is currently away with Senegal at the World Cup, scoring in their 2-1 win over Ecuador on Tuesday, and he will come up against England in the last 16 next Sunday, with speculation continuing over a move to the Midlands.

Journalist Ed Aarons recently backed Villa to be tracking the player in Qatar, and Jones has now given his thoughts on the possibility of such a move.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

He was speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Villa and Sarr, saying that he isn’t sure if the winger will be wanted by Emery in 2023.

Jones said of the Villa boss in relation to Sarr: “I’m not sure that this is the style of winger he actually wants. We have to wait and see.

“But from what I’m hearing, while he does want wide midfield options, the style now might be slightly different to before he arrived.”

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The Verdict: Thuram instead?

Emery is after a new A-list forward at Villa Park, but Sarr – who former Watford team-mate Ben Foster described as a ‘freak’ and a ‘game-winner’ – may not be that man.

He is primarily a winger who can occupy a central role if needed, whereas Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram is a centre-forward who can play out wide.

The latter appears to be a key target for Emery, who is determined to bring the France international to Villa Park, so we could see him being prioritised over Sarr.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are listed as one of the two Premier League sides who “stand out” in the chase to sign Real Madrid defender Nacho, according to reports. 

The Lowdown: Minutes decreasing…

32-year-old Spanish defender Nacho has been a loyal servant to Los Blancos. Having come through the academy ranks, Madrid is all he has ever known. 

However, playing time has now become an issue for the versatile veteran, with the central defender, who can also play both full-back roles, compiling a mere 141 minutes from seven appearances with just one start made in La Liga this term. 

As he nears the 300 game mark for Real Madrid, Nacho may need to evaluate his future with his contract expiring in the summer of next year. 

The Latest: Wolves on high alert

According to Sport Witness, who relayed a report from the Spanish press, there is a possibility for Nacho to switch clubs in the upcoming winter market, which has put Wolves on alert. 

Real Madrid have offered the versatile defender a one-year contract extension, though it is said that the Spaniard has not accepted this proposal due to the concerning lack of minutes.

Wolves are listed as a “stand out” destination alongside Aston Villa, with the Old Gold’s interest “not accidental” due to the arrival of Julen Lopetegui as the new boss at Molineux. 

It is said that Lopetegui knows Nacho well from their shared time at the Bernabeu, with the Spanish boss always liking the player. 

The Verdict: Get it done!

Although Wolves’ back line has hardly been the biggest problem at Molineux this season, improvements can still be made, and there is very little depth behind the first-choice centre-backs.

And besides, an addition like £133k-per-week Nacho at the back – a defender schooled in a possession-based, progressive approach – could slowly but surely help the side in their goalscoring woes too, with the Real Madrid man able to commence attacks from deep due to his ability to play out.

With Wolves bottom of the table, a familiar face could go along way in Lopetegui’s revival mission. 

TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes Jack Harrison is too good for Leeds United but not good enough for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Steady progress

Having been shipped about between Liverpool’s and Manchester United’s respective youth ranks, Harrison ventured across to America in the hopes of forging a professional career. 

He was picked up by Chicago Fire, and did just that, making the switch to City Group owned New York City in a move that fuelled his rise to the top.

He never got a chance at Manchester City, despite signing on a permanent deal back in 2018, but impressed enough for Leeds United, with Agbonlahor feeling that his level now lies somewhere just above the Yorkshire side.

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The Latest: Agbonlahor fuels the fire

With Harrison set to enter the final 18 months of his contract with Leeds, Agbonlahor has chipped in as to where he believes his future lies. 

Speaking to Football Insider in reaction to recent news of talks for a brand new deal, the pundit said: “First of all, I don’t think he’ll want to sign a new deal because I don’t think Leeds will pay him what he wants.

“But then I look at Newcastle and can they be looking at better players than him?

“I do like him but with where Newcastle want to go, I don’t think they should be looking at Harrison anymore.

“They should be looking at better players in Europe, to be honest. They are so close to the top four and staying in there, I don’t think Harrison is the answer.

“I think he’s better than Leeds but I just feel Newcastle are onto bigger things.

“Is Everton the right sort of move for Harrison? That sort of level where you get an extra £20,000-a-week or £30,000-a-week.

“I just don’t think Newcastle is the right place for him.”

The Verdict: A great option

Having delivered a consistent haul of eight goals in each of his two Premier League seasons with Leeds United, Harrison has fully asserted himself as a reliable Premier League asset.

You would think that if the 26-year-old is to switch sides, it would be for a club who are challenging within the top half of the table, rather than fighting with the sole purpose of renewing the club’s Premier League status. 

Newcastle therefore fit that description, and quite frankly, as an inverted left winger, he would offer the side a bout of dependable quality where Allan Saint-Maximin is too often injured. 

At this point, the Magpies should be looking to sign a couple of marquee signings, particularly in the attacking areas, so you can certainly see where Agbonlahor is coming from. 

But, Harrison would represent a solid and dependable option who is yet to enter his prime years.  The £40million man would be a great option for Eddie Howe.