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Everton have made contact to enquire about signing Mislav Orsic according to reports, but a more recent update indicates that they could be unsuccessful in their pursuit of the Dinamo Zagreb forward.

The Lowdown: Orsic profiled

The Croatian has recently returned from the World Cup, where he was a standout performer after scoring the winner in the third-place play-off which secured his nation the bronze medal.

Premier League clubs have duly been attracted to the 30-year-old, and the Toffees had been hoping that he could be on his way to Goodison Park. According to 90min, Everton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have all ‘been in contact’ with Dinamo Zagreb regarding Orsic in ‘recent weeks’.

However, news which filtered through this afternoon does not make for good reason for Farhad Moshiri and co.

The Latest: Orsic set for Southampton medical

Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor relayed an update via Twitter from Croatian reporter Ižak Ante Sučić which hinted that Southampton have had an offer accepted for the player, who is on his way to the south coast of England for a medical.

Taylor tweeted: “As reported by @IASucic, Dinamo Zagreb have now accepted an improved offer from Southampton for Mislav Oršić. Deal worth in region of £7m including add-ons (Premier League survival). Told Croatian international winger has already travelled for medical.”

The Verdict: Everton have missed out

Everton now find themselves in the relegation zone and are the Premier League’s third-lowest scorers with just 14 goals. Therefore, the need for attacking reinforcements is clear, and Orsic would have been the perfect candidate to come in and make the significant impact that Frank Lampard craves.

The Croatian has posted an outstanding 21 goal contributions in just 27 appearances across all competitions this season and is a versatile player with the ability to operate at centre-forward, as well as out wide (Transfermarkt).

Orsic has been hailed by Sučić for being able to produce moments of ‘magic’, and that is the profile of player that Everton need if they are to enhance their prospects of preserving their top-flight status.

Alas, it now looks like Lampard and co will need to turn their attention elsewhere in the transfer window in that regard.

Loris Karius could reportedly leave Newcastle United by Monday because of a clause in his contract.

The Lowdown: Karius signs

The 29-year-old was signed as a free agent on a short-term contract until January, with Eddie Howe praising him as a ‘very good goalkeeper’ upon his arrival on Tyneside.

However, the German is still played in the 2-1 loss at Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup last weekend after his loan spell at Manchester United ended recently.

The Latest: Could leave soon

As per Football Insider, Newcastle have until Monday 16 January to decide whether to extend or end Karius’ deal on Tyneside, due to a clause in his contract.

His future has been ‘complicated’ by the early return of Dubravka, which has left Howe with five senior goalkeepers in his squad.

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The Verdict: Let him go…

With Dubravka’s return, Newcastle simply have no need to keep Karius at the club, so they should just let him go.

Hailed as a ‘mentality monster’ by his agent Corey Anton for his mental recovery after making two howlers which cost Liverpool the Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2018, the German is still experienced at Premier League level.

However, the Magpies can also call upon the likes of Nick Pope and Karl Darlow alongside Dubravka to play in goal, so the 29-year-old is no longer needed.

He also earns £20,000 per week at St James’ Park, so losing him would also help to free up the wage bill slightly ahead of any potential January incomings.

Leeds United presenter Joe Wainman has been reacting to the club’s reported bid for Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi.

The Lowdown: Rutter move close…

The Whites appear to have accelerated their attempts to sign Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter, with that transfer now thought to be close. The 20-year-old could become the club’s most expensive signing of all time and is expected to have a medical in the next 48 hours.

Rutter may not be the club’s second and final January addition, though, with 17-cap Morocco international Ounahi another player of interest.

The Latest: Wainman reacts

Journalist Santi Aouna took to Twitter in the last 48 hours, sharing what he knows about Rutter and Ounahi.

He claimed that ‘Leeds have also made an offer to Angers for the Moroccan midfielder’ which left Wainman – presenter of the Just Joe football show – to tweet in reply:

‘Surely not a double swoop’

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The Verdict: Unlikely?

It does seem as if Leeds may miss out on Ounahi’s services, with an unnamed club thought to be further down the line in the race to sign the midfielder.

However, the Whites will know that anything can happen in the transfer window, so they may still be hopeful of completing a deal for the Angers ace.

You’d expect that Victor Orta’s main focus will be on finalising a move for Rutter, though, which hopefully will go through without any late hiccups.

Southampton target Viktor Gyokeres won’t be sold by Coventry City for less than their £18m valuation, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

Alongside the Saints, Premier League clubs Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham are also reportedly considering a move for the striker this month having attracted interest following an impressive first half of the season under Mark Robins.

The striker has just 18 months remaining on his contract, and having not yet put pen to paper on a new deal, this has alerted potential suitors to the 24-year-old’s situation.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones confirmed Southampton’s interest in Gyokeres but claimed that Coventry won’t be willing to let him leave for a fee below their asking price.

“I’m told Coventry are going to stick to their guns and won’t sell Gyokeres for less than £18m.

“There is interest here from the likes of Everton and Southampton, but I don’t see Coventry budging on this because if they sell, Mark Robins needs to buy a replacement.”

The Verdict: Splash the cash

Southampton being rock bottom of the table highlights their need for attacking reinforcements, and we feel Sport Republic have to splash the cash for Gyokeres, who would be the perfect candidate.

The Sky Blues forward has netted 12 goals in 26 Championship games this term and currently ranks in the 97th percentile for shot-creating actions amongst his positional peers.

He also sits in the 96th percentile for successful dribbles with 1.99 per 90 minutes, proving he can craft chances for himself out of nothing, a necessary trait in a Saints side struggling to create clear-cut opportunities.

The Saints are reportedly also in talks to sign Villarreal attacker Nicolas Jackson, but should that deal for any reason fall through, Gyokeres should absolutely be the player they approach to solve their issues in the final third.

Manchester United are ‘watching’ Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Randal Kolo Muani ahead of a potential move, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Kolo Muani impressing of late

The 24-year-old is enjoying an impressive season for Frankfurt, scoring five goals and registering 10 assists in the Bundesliga in just 15 appearances.

Kolo Muani came to prominence during the 2022 World Cup, playing three times and scoring once for France, as well as being denied by Emiliano Martinez in the dying seconds of the final against Argentina.

Now, it looks as though the Frenchman could possibly be heading to England, following a new claim.

The Latest: Man United ‘watching’ Kolo Muani

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Falk said that United are eyeing up a move for Kolo Muani, as Erik ten Hag looks to add further attacking options at Old Trafford.

The journalist claimed:

“They’re watching him, of course, but it’s not concrete now. They have a solution now with Weghorst, and then they have to see, but Frankfurt said they won’t sell him in this winter, €100 million won’t be enough. So, you can now see how much they could like in the summer for him.”

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The Verdict: Good for squad depth

There is no doubt that United need to sign a centre-forward for the long-term, even though Wout Weghorst has come in on loan to add depth for the time being.

Kolo Muani could fit the bill excellently, with his all-round game highlighted by his assist tally, showing that he is someone who can link up well with those around him. He has 33 senior club assists in total, along with one in five caps for France.

He has been hailed as a ‘superb’ player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also described his move to Frankfurt as a ‘masterpiece transfer’, such is his ability.

At 24, Kolo Muani should just be coming into his prime years, so the £25k-per-week attacker could be the next piece of the jigsaw for Ten Hag, bringing pace, power and end product to the United forward line.

Chelsea are not in advanced talks to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, although there is still some interest in a deal, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What’s the word?

The Argentina midfielder, who played a starring role at the World Cup, looked set for a move to Stamford Bridge at the start of the window, but Chelsea could not agree a fee and the deal collapsed.

However, talks continued during the window, but the most recent discussions took place almost two weeks ago according to Romano, and Benfica are adamant that they will only sell the player if his €120m (£105m) release clause is met.

Speaking on Tuesday’s Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that despite fresh rumours of a deal, there are no advanced talks between the two clubs.

He said: “I’m told that there are no advanced talks now for Enzo again between Chelsea and Benfica. What happened is that one week ago, it was Monday last week, so almost 10 days ago, Chelsea had the conversation again with people close to the deal, asking for the possibility of trying again for Enzo Fernandez – the answer was from Benfica, very clear: Benfica president Rui Costa wants €120m or nothing.

“So Chelsea know that if they want to go for Enzo, they have to offer that money – not €85m [with] players included or these kinds of things.”

A midfielder would break the bank

Chelsea clearly have their sights set on a midfielder in this window, with Moises Caicedo also targeted, but with both players set to cost over £100m, it may be a step too far for Chelsea despite their heavy spending so far.

They may need a central midfielder in the long run amid the uncertain futures of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, and it may be worth waiting until the summer for prices to come down for either of their current targets.

Given the unwillingness of Brighton and Benfica to sell crucial players during the season, if Chelsea are desperate for a midfielder now, they will need to pay over the odds.

Aston Villa have been urged to make a surprise transfer bid for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who has found himself on the periphery of the Premier League table-toppers’ season this year.

According to CBS Sports reporter James Benge (via talkSPORT) the Gunner hierarchy are considering offloading the 25-year-old Tierney amid recent reports that the outfit are looking to home in on prodigious Real Valladolid talent Ivan Fresneda.

And now, speaking to Caught Offside, Stan Collymore has remarked that Unai Emery’s Villa could offer the perfect platform to rekindle his best form after indeed falling out of favour following the £32m summer signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.

Collymore said: “If it is true that the Gunners want to offload him, I really hope Aston Villa go in for him.

“It would make sense as well because I don’t think Lucas Digne is going to be there much longer and although the Frenchman has done alright since he joined, Tierney is definitely an upgrade.”

Bye-bye Digne

While the Villans have recently completed the signing of left-back Alex Moreno from Real Betis for £13.2m, the introduction of a further talented option would only fortify the club’s resolve to a new level, with Emery surely devising an ambitious plot to clinch his fifth piece of European silverware with his new Premier League outfit.

While the Claret & Blue currently wield Lucas Digne within the ranks, the Frenchman might not forge a lengthy future in the Midlands with Emery now at the wheel.

Digne has missed several matches due to injury this term and could face an uncertain future following the arrival of Moreno and the recent Aston Villa links to Tierney, alluding to Emery’s desire to further bolster the position.

Signed from Scottish giants Celtic in 2019 for £25m, Tierney initially slotted right into Mikel Arteta’s system and has made 111 appearances for the North London club to date, although his progress has been consistently blighted by recurring knee problems.

Over the course of the high-flying Gunners’ current campaign, Tierney has made 24 appearances across all competitions, although he has only made four starts in the English top-flight despite first-choice option Zinchenko’s injury several months ago that ruled him out of contention for a total of seven matches in the league alone.

And with a regular starting berth unlikely to materialise over the coming seasons at the resurgent Emirates Stadium, Tierney might be prudent to put faith in the Spaniard Emery’s vision and forge ahead with a transfer, likely competing with Moreno for regular minutes with a club showing all of the early promise of an outfit on the up.

As per FBref, the 35-cap Scotsman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive passes and the top 16% for total passes attempted, which highlights the impact he could make on the efficacy of Villa’s transitional play, indeed a major component of Emery’s counter-pressing system, placing the onus on structural discipline and swift progression when the opportunity arises.

Tierney can indeed offer a valuable additional dimension from this regard, with his “unique” skill set, as once remarked by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, leaving Villan technical director Johan Lange to reap the rewards of landing another tool to provide the spark for success.

Leeds United have tabled a ‘late bid’ to sign Lyon winger Tete as they attempt to hijack Leicester City’s move for the player, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Whites eye moves…

The Whites have been busy in their attempts to back manager Jesse Marsch with mid-season upgrades as the Elland Road side reportedly advance in talks to sign USA international Weston McKennie.

The Juventus midfielder has apparently spoken with Marsch over the prospect of joining Leeds in January as they bid to maintain their Premier League status.

McKennie currently seems like their top priority, but journalist Graeme Bailey claims they’re now trying to sign Tete as well.

The Latest: Leeds table ‘late bid’ for Tete…

Writing for 90min, the reporter and his colleague Tom Gott say Leeds have lodged a ‘late bid’ to sign the Brazilian as Leicester attempt to bring him to the King Power.

It is believed that the Yorkshire side are attempting a hijack move as they try to ‘wrestle’ Tete over, but the Foxes remain confident they can strike a deal despite Leeds’ new interest.

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

Currently on loan at Lyon from Shakhtar, Leeds are apparently looking to strike a deal with the French side which would see Tete join the club on a temporary basis.

This seems like a complicated deal to do given the South American is technically a Shakhtar player and Leeds may have to strike an agreement with both his parent club and current French side.

That being said, Tete has been in electric form this season and currently sits in Lyon’s top two for goals and assists this season – racking up six and two respectively in the French top flight (WhoScored).

The 22-year-old, if Leeds were inclined to attempt a permanent deal at the end of his proposed loan, would come as a signing of both real quality and longevity.

Leeds could also theoretically strike a reasonable agreement given Tete is out of contract at Shakhtar in December, giving the Ukrainian club little room to demand a marquee fee.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see how this one pans out if Marsch’s side can beat Leicester to the punch.

The deadline for the January transfer window passed by on Tuesday night and Aston Villa opted against doing any last-minute business to bolster their squad.

Unai Emery, who was managing his first window in charge of the Villans since taking over from Steven Gerrard, only brought in two recruits throughout the month as Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran both came in.

Johan Lange worked with the Spanish coach to add the left-back and young centre-forward to the squad but a number of players in other positions were also linked with moves to Villa Park throughout January.

A centre-back was reportedly on the radar for the club as Ukrainian central defender Ilya Zabarnyi was said to have been a target for the Villans, with The Sun, via Birmingham Mail, reporting that the gem was being eyed by Lange and Emery in the build-up to deadline day.

However, they were beaten to the punch by one of their Premier League rivals as newly-promoted side Bournemouth stepped in to sign the 20-year-old on a permanent basis on the final day of the window.

The Cherries paid a fee in the region of £24m to sign the talented enforcer and their chief Neill Blake said: “Despite only being 20, he has played at the highest level for club and country and has established himself as one of the most sought-after young defenders in the world.”

Despite only turning 20 in September of 2022, the young defender has already been capped a whopping 24 times by Ukraine and made 84 first-team appearances for Dynamo Kyiv, which shows that the defender was outstanding at youth level and was able to force his way into senior contention at a very young age.

Earlier this season, talent scout Jacek Kulig named Zabarnyi as one of two “possible jackpot” centre-back signings teams could make outside of the major European leagues.

This means that Lange may have missed out on striking gold at Villa by allowing Bournemouth to sign the defender instead of them on deadline day.

Zabarnyi, who has already played 30 matches in European competitions, caught the eye in the Champions League last season and showcased the potential that he has to be an excellent player at the very top level.

The machine, who was a teenager at the time, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 across six appearances in the competition and made 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 64% of his duels in total.

Meanwhile, current Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa has averaged a score of 6.85 and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League across 20 matches this season.

These statistics suggest that Zabarnyi, who is five years younger than Konsa, could have been an upgrade at the back given that he was able to produce a slightly better level of performance whilst playing at a higher level of competition – in the Champions League.

The 20-year-old’s European form, and international pedigree at his age suggest that the gem has vast potential and could go on to achieve great things if he can continue to develop and kick on in the years to come, which is why Lange missed a trick by failing to sign him for Villa on deadline day.

Hopefully, this will not be one that the club looks back on with immense regret in two or three years…

Journalist George Caulkin has claimed that there is a problem behind the scenes at Newcastle United amid demand for Carabao Cup final tickets.

The Lowdown: Cup fever hits Tyneside

Newcastle have now released further tickets for the Carabao Cup final later this month, with most season ticket holders now able to get a hand on a ticket if they wish to do so.

The Magpies could have likely sold out Wembley with their own fans such is the demand, while many supporters will be desperate for a ticket but may not get the chance because they gave up their season tickets a few years ago.

It appears that fans are exploring every possible avenue to try and get a ticket for the end-of-the-month clash against Manchester United and are even asking journalists if they know people who could source tickets.

The Latest: Newcastle worried about high demand

Caulkin has revealed on Pod on the Tyne that he’s been asked by fellow Newcastle fans if he could get tickets from people he knows at the club, with supporters so desperate that they’re speaking to people behind the scenes.

He said: “Everybody you speak to, either at the club or around the club or fans – everyone’s talking about it. I’ve had so many messages from people asking if I know any way that I can get tickets for people before anyone else piles in.

“Everybody at the club is having the same problem. Of course, we’re all thinking about it, everybody wants to be there.

“I think that what the club have done, the way they’re doing it, feels sensible to me.”

The Verdict: Toon set for Wembley

It’s no surprise that Newcastle fans are trying any contact they may know in and around the club to try to get tickets, as the Magpies haven’t been to Wembley since 1999, so everyone will understandably be desperate to experience this outing.

Eddie Howe has not messed around when it comes to taking the cups seriously, as Newcastle hadn’t even been past the quarter-final stage of the League Cup since the 1975/76 season, and in his first full campaign in charge, the former Bournemouth man has guided the Magpies to Wembley.

Many Toon fans that have secured a ticket for Wembley will have only known Newcastle to be a below-average side under Mike Ashley’s stewardship, so getting to see their side turn out at Wembley, no matter the result, will bring a huge sense of pride and joy.