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The January transfer window may still be a month or two away, yet Newcastle United have already acted astutely to wrap up their first piece of business, with highly-rated teenager Garang Kuol having agreed to join the Magpies in the New Year.

That deal – which was confirmed last month – will see the 18-year-old arrive at St James’ Park from A-League side, Central Coast Mariners, once the market re-opens, with the promising talent having enjoyed a stellar start to life at senior level.

The dynamic forward already has six goals and three assists to his name in just 13 league appearances for his current side to date, notably netting a brace off the bench during Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Macarthur FC to act as a perfect send-off ahead of his upcoming World Cup involvement with Australia.

His participation at the upcoming event is a historical one, with the teenager becoming the youngest player ever selected by the Socceroos for a World Cup. Thus, a breakout tournament in Qatar could well see him elevated to stardom before even linking up with his new teammates on Tyneside.

The one-cap sensation was lauded for his performance last weekend, despite ending up on the losing side, with the player’s current boss Nick Montgomery dubbing him a “lethal” presence in attack, while opposition head coach and former Manchester United icon Dwight Yorke dubbed him an “exciting talent” who had “singlehandedly changed the game.”

Such a glowing assessment has likely raised excitement levels in the northeast regarding the potential impact that Kuol can make when he eventually joins up with Eddie Howe and co, with the Egypt-born menace having notably been dubbed the “future of Newcastle” by talent scout, Jacek Kulig.

While it may not be wise to get too carried away just yet as the forward remains in the infancy of his senior career, the hope will be that he can go on to play a key part for the Tynesiders moving forward, even if there is a talk of loan move being on the cards in January in order to gain a work permit.

When Kuol does eventually emerge in Howe’s first-team plans, be it this term or the following campaign, his introduction could well help to bolster a forward line that is currently thriving at present, spearheaded by emerging talisman, Miguel Almiron.

The Paraguay international had scored just nine Premier League goals prior to the start of this season – including just one in 30 appearances last term – although already boasts a haul of eight goals in just 14 league games this time around.

The club’s top scorer – and the sixth-highest scorer in the division – has enjoyed a real resurgence of late, with that remarkable upturn in fortunes having been recently recognised as the 28-year-old was named the Premier League’s Player of the Month for October.

With the former Atlanta United ace thriving on the right flank, in the long-term he could well be joined by young Kuol in the forward line – who can seemingly operate through the middle and on the left wing – with Howe potentially able to form a real mouthwatering attacking partnership.

Leeds United are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to reporter Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Previous McKennie rumours

Leeds were linked with a move for McKennie almost 12 months ago during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure at Elland Road.

Described as a ‘pressing machine’ by MLS expert Chris Smith of 90min, the Whites were thought to be keen on a £20m move for the USA international.

As we know, a transfer failed to materialise, but it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises are still keen on the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Leeds still keen

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Phillips’ Substack account regarding McKennie on Sunday.

The journalist said that up to eight club clubs are ‘interested’ and ‘monitoring’ the midfielder, including Leeds.

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The Verdict: Easy to see why…

The Whites brought in a number of players over the summer, two of which were USA internationals in Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.

McKennie shares the same agent as Aaronson and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high £22.5m Transfermarkt valuation.

Therefore, it’s easy to see why Leeds are still being linked with McKennie, especially with the growing USA association at Elland Road, so this could be a link to keep an eye on heading into 2023, with the adidas-sponsored midfielder a possible rival for Adams and Marc Roca.

Arsenal are looking into the idea of sealing the signing of Juventus and USA midfielder Weston McKennie in January, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

The Lowdown: McKennie allowed to leave Juve

The 24-year-old has been an effective squad player for Juve since arriving from Schalke, but he has also rarely felt like a genuinely key figure, with the midfielder yet to record more than 18 league starts in a season, with injuries not helping his cause.

For that reason, the Serie A giants could look to sell the USA international in the January transfer window, affording him a fresh challenge elsewhere.

There certainly appears to be plenty of interest from Premier League clubs, following a new update.

The Latest: Arsenal keen on move

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs confirmed that Arsenal are one of those in the mix to sign McKennie, even if a genuine bid hasn’t yet been tabled:

“Several Premier League clubs have scouted McKennie, including Newcastle, Leeds, Everton and Arsenal. But none have advanced interest yet. He’s a player who could well move to England in January but right now there is nothing advanced from any potential Premier League suitors.”

The Verdict: Great for squad depth

McKennie is an impressive footballer whose peak years should still be ahead of him, so he could be someone who provides Mikel Arteta with quality and squad depth.

He was once described as ‘extraordinary’ by former Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco, such was his influence at the Bundesliga club – and 89 appearances for Juve is no mean feat.

McKennie’s versatility would further aid Arsenal, too, with his ability to play in defence or various midfield roles providing Arteta with even more options all over the pitch.

There was cause for concern amongst Sheffield Wednesday fans when Lee Gregory was missing from the squad that beat Port Vale on Saturday afternoon.

The former Millwall man had featured in nine of the Owls’ League One fixtures this season, scoring one goal, but was an unexplained absence at the weekend, with Malik Wilks starting ahead of him in attack.

Following the game, Sheffield Star reporter Joe Crann provided an update on the 34-year-old, having asked Darren Moore about his situation in the post-match conference.

Moore said: “He picked up a niggle yesterday in training – we hope it’s not too long, and maybe we’ll get him back for Tuesday. If not then certainly for the weekend… We’ll have a look for Tuesday like I said, but it came late in training yesterday and I didn’t take the risk with him today.

“We’ve left him in the hands of the medical team and the doctor – they treated him yesterday and this morning, so hopefully he’s responded to that. He’s still got time, so we’ll see what he’s like on Monday for the game on Tuesday.”Gregory, who reportedly earns £12k-per-week at Hillsborough, might not have been as prolific as he would have hoped, but he ranks fourth and eighth in terms of shots and key passes per game in Wednesday’s squad, so he is clearly having an impact in the final third.Sheffield Wednesday face one of the toughest games of the season on Tuesday night as they face league leaders Plymouth Argyle away from home.The Pilgrims have won all of their five league games at home this season so the Owls will definitely have to be at their best if they are to take anything from the game, an eventuality that would be boosted by the return of Gregory.Indeed, with the Yorkshire side only scoring once last time out, they will need all the firepower they can get their hands on when they face a team who have shipped just 12 goals in 2022/23.Therefore, it is surely good news that the forward, who has been a regular in Moore’s starting side since joining in the summer, could return in time for the promotion six-pointer.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt yet another significant injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Arsenal.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a recent report by The Athletic, who revealed that Hugo Lloris has now withdrawn from the France squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Austria and Denmark due to a thigh injury.

A further report by the Metro went as far as to suggest that the 35-year-old’s setback could see the shot-stopper miss Tottenham’s short trip across north London to face Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Arsenal side on October 1.

Conte will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Lloris has been between the Spurs sticks so far this season, coupled with the fact that another of Tottenham’s first team regulars, Ben Davies, also looks to be a serious doubt for the north London derby as a result of injury, the further setback regarding the France international is sure to have left Antonio Conte gutted.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £6.3m-rated ‘keeper has been in fine form, keeping two clean sheets and making an average of 2.3 saves per game – with these returns seeing the stopper average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating 6.90, ranking him as Conte’s 12th-best performer in the league.

The £100k-per-week talent has also starred over his two Champions League fixtures this term, keeping one clean sheet and making an average of 2.5 saves per game – with these metrics seeing the veteran average an even more impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Spurs’ joint third-best player in the European competition.

As such, should the Frenchman indeed be absent for the north London derby next month, it is clear that it would come as a huge blow to Conte’s chances of taking all three points back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with a loss against their most fierce of rivals being a result that would most certainly devastate everyone involved with the Lilywhites.

Manchester City have been linked with signing Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta in recent weeks and the Brazilian could prove to be Pep Guardiola’s next £100m talent at the Etihad.

Recent reports have suggested that City are weighing up a move for the talented midfielder, who has played a starring role for Lyon in the last few seasons and could cost around £68m.

In the last campaign, Paqueta contributed nine goals and six assists in 35 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging an impressive 7.24 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

For context, the same level of performance would have ranked him as the joint-sixth best performer in Guardiola’s side last season, with only Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus contributing to more goals.

Considering both Jesus and Sterling are now plying their trade elsewhere, there is definitely an argument to be had that Guardiola could use another goal-scoring midfielder or winger, even with the additions of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

At just 24, the “extraordinary” – in the words of Peter Bosz – Paqueta could also be a long-term heir to the likes of De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, as they are both now 31 and could struggle to maintain their current levels of performance for the significant future.

According to FbRef, the most similar player to Paqueta in terms of play style is RB Leipzig sensation Christopher Nkunku, who has been valued at a staggering £100m after a sensational season with the Bundesliga side that saw him contribute 20 goals and 15 assists in the German top flight.

Last season saw the two register extremely similar scores in terms of pass completion percentages (79.7 vs 80.1), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.9 vs 4.43) and shots on target per 90 (1.1 vs 1.29), numbers that demonstrate they are rather devastating in the final third.

Furthermore, WhoScored suggests that both Paqueta and Nkunku excel at through balls, passing, dribbling and key passes, which emphasises just how similar the players are. It also shows how much the former would suit City’s possession-based style of play.

From a goal-scoring and creative point of view, both players are extremely dangerous in the final third, and if Guardiola could get his hands on the Brazil international, he could well craft him into a £100m talent, just like Nkunku.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the remaining transfer business of Leeds United this summer.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, the Italian journalist revealed that Victor Orta is still exploring a number of options in the summer transfer window, however, the Spanish director of football is acting with caution in the market in order to avoid pursuing a potential target who is not a suitable fit for the club.

Regarding the Whites’ remaining transfer business, the transfer insider said: “For Leeds, they are exploring some options. But they want to make sure that it is the right opportunity. They don’t want to waste money, they trust the players they have, and so they’re looking at the market for some opportunities.”

Great news for Marsch

While it is true that Orta has already secured a great many additions to Jesse Marsch’s first team squad this summer, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Darko Gyabi, Joel Robles and Sonny Perkins all arriving at Elland Road since the end of last season, there are still a couple of areas of the Whites’ squad that very much appear in need of greater depth.

Left-back is one such position, with Junior Firpo struggling for form in his debut season with the club last time out – ranking him as Leeds’ seventh-worst performer in the top flight of English football in 2021/22 – as well as both the former Barcelona defender and Stuart Dallas – Marsch’s only other viable option on the left of his backline – being ruled out due to injury at present.

Centre-forward is another position in which the 48-year-old manager clearly requires greater depth, with Patrick Bamford – who started just seven Premier League games last season as a result of injury, as well as being withdrawn in the first half of the 2-2 draw with Southampton last weekend due to a fresh knock – being the American’s only senior out-and-out striker.

However, while it is true that time is running out for Orta to bring in targets in each respective position prior to September’s transfer deadline, Romano’s suggestion that the Spaniard is taking his time to ensure that a potential new addition is the right fit for Leeds is undoubtedly great news for Marsch – as this will certainly reduce the chance of any new signing becoming a flop.

Indeed, with the Whites having been burned by the likes of Jean-Kevin Augustin, Helder Costa, Ouasim Bouy and Jay-Roy Grot in recent years, the Elland Road faithful and the club’s manager will be delighted to hear that care, thought and patience is being applied by Orta this summer, as the long-term benefits of this approach will certainly benefit them greatly.

Tottenham Hotspur are long-term admirers of James Maddison…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who delivered the exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT this week. He said:

“It would be an amazing player for them to land just as the seasons getting underway.

“There’s no doubt they like him, they’ve liked him for a long time. I think the problem they’ve got is that James Maddison is Leicester’s best player.”

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It’s believed that Spurs will now target a playmaking talent, as per the Evening Standard, after moves for Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence took their total arrivals to six players.

Maddison could be one player that the north Londoners look to target, though he’d come at a hefty cost with his value thought to be in the region of £50m.

Big creative fix

The 25-year-old maestro has emerged as one of Leicester City’s best players over the past 18 to 24 months and he has continued to prove himself in the Premier League with consistent, creative displays.

It should come as no surprise to see Spurs target a new no.10 of sorts as they have long lacked that sort of presence in the engine room – perhaps ever since the departure of Christian Eriksen in January 2020.

Last season, the Englishman delivered a whopping 18 goals and 12 assists across 52 appearances in all competitions, taking his total for the Foxes to 87 goal contributions in 171 games, as per Transfermarkt.

A goal or assist every 141 minutes at the senior level is pretty good going and is why he would indeed be an “amazing” signing for Spurs.

It’s also why the former Norwich City man has received plenty of praise about his talent, ranging from The Times’ Henry Winter dubbing him a “special talent” to BBC Norfolk’s Rob Butler claiming that he is a “genius.”

His set-piece ability, meanwhile, is second to none in the English top-flight, which is another factor that’s surely behind Spurs’ interest.

The likes of Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes and the Lilywhites’ very own Heung-min Son are all comparable players in terms of statistical profile, according to FBref, so that only goes to show the calibre of player that sporting direct Fabio Paratici could land.

As such, he must make Maddison his seventh signing of the summer transfer window as ultimately, it would continue Tottenham’s ambitious spending and hand manager Antonio Conte a much-needed creative talent.

AND in other news, In talks: Paratici closing in on Spurs’ 7th summer signing, it’d be an “unreal” coup…

Pape Matar Sarr will be looking to impress Antonio Conte in what is the first full pre-season for the pair at Tottenham Hotspur.

The 19-year-old midfielder was signed by sporting director Fabio Paratici last summer in a £14.6m deal from then-Ligue 1 outfit Metz, where he remained on loan for the 2021/22 campaign.

Over the course of the season, Sarr registered 34 appearances and appeared to be a regular option for the relegated French side. He is now back at Hotspur Way where he is surely seeking to become a first-team option for the Italian head coach.

According to reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, the eight-time Senegal international will be assessed over pre-season by Conte before a decision is made.

If successful, you’d imagine that he’d replace the presence of Tanguy Ndombele in the engine room.

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Bye-bye Ndombele?

Of course, a case can be made in the fact that Conte is already stacked in midfield, having added former Brighton and Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma to the mix. He joins the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur as key options.

Ndombele also went out on loan in January, having lost his place in the squad, and it’s believed that the club are making it a priority to sell him before the end of the transfer window on September 1st, as per transfer insider Dean Jones.

The emergence of Sarr could certainly push the club-record £55m flop closer to the exit door.

Attitude worries and a lack of consistency on the pitch has pretty much summed up his three years in north London, not even his former club Lyon wants him despite taking him on a short-term stint last term.

Football Insider pundit Alan Hutton dubbed the 25-year-old “very lazy.”

Sarr, however, is a bright prospect and one that has caught the eye of Fabrizio Romano, who believes that Spurs could well have a Paul Pogba-type on their hands.

“I am told this guy is really more than an interesting talent. He has real potential, [he’s a] fantastic talent,” he said. “One of my sources told me he could become one style of [Paul] Pogba player. He has style, he has potential, he has skills, so we will see what happens with this guy.”

The £13.5m-rated dynamo delivered four goal contributions in Ligue 1 last season, which was two more than Ndombele, who was playing for the better team.

Sarr also won 1.9 tackles per 90, and averaged 1.3 dribbles per 90, too, as per WhoScored.

That sort of return begins to somewhat backup Romano’s thoughts surrounding the player and only goes to show the potential Conte could have right under his nose.

Given the fact that he has traveled to South Korea for pre-season, we could well see Ndombele instantly usurped in the pecking order and as such, the £27m-rated dud one step closer to the exit door, at long last.

AND in other news, Paratici given green light for “outstanding” £52m Spurs signing, he’s a Romero clone…

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in capturing the services of a certain Chelsea midfielder.

What’s the word?

The player in question is Conor Gallagher and it is a move that Midlands-based football journalist Josh Holland “could see” happening this summer, as per GIVEMESPORT.

As stated by the media outlet, the 22-year-old is believed to be attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs following his successful loan spell at Crystal Palace in the 2021/22 season, with Villa Park listed as a possible destination for the England international.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT on Villa’s chances of securing a deal for Gallagher, Holland said: “That’d be a move I could see.

“It probably won’t be a permanent deal, they’d have to settle for a loan move, but the logistics of it are whether (Steven) Gerrard and the Villa chiefs would want to loan a rival’s player, making him a better player and then in a year’s time be worse off without him.

“And Chelsea will be benefiting, so that’s one for Gerrard to decide, I’m sure.”

Gerrard surely delighted

Quite simply, the signing of a player like Gallagher could well be one which helps to take the Villans to the next level.

With both Philippe Coutinho and Emi Buendia being primarily attack-minded options, John McGinn is the one senior Villa midfielder who can efficiently cover both phases of the game. Douglas Luiz is much more defensive-minded, which could cost Villa throughout the transitional phase to attack.

With eight goals and three assists in 34 games, Gallagher had a breakout season at Selhurst Park; and amidst uncertainty over the regularity of game-time at Chelsea, he may look to pastures new this summer, with a World Cup dream with England still entirely possible given that three of his four caps have come this year.

A move back to Crystal Palace in some capacity would seem an obvious one, but with recent reports of a tactical change by Patrick Vieira to embed a five-at-the-back setup, that may prove too much of a gamble for the 22-year-old.

Villa represent the perfect level of ambition, judging by their transfer activity in recent months, and would likely be able to offer Gallagher a starting place. It’s a move which could work wonders for both parties, and it needs to happen this summer.

In other news: “Surprised…”: Reliable journalist drops big Villa transfer claim, Gerrard must act