The January transfer window is open for business and Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray could look to bolster his options in the coming weeks.

Championship football came thick and fast over the festive period and the club’s form allowed them to push up to eighth, and one point off the play-offs, in the table.

The Black Cats now have an opportunity to improve their squad with the hope of pushing on to challenge for promotion up to the Premier League in the coming months.

One area in which they are reportedly looking to strengthen in is at centre-back. It was recently claimed that the club are interested in snapping up Charlie Cresswell from Leeds United but it remains to be seen whether they are prepared to sign him on loan or on a permanent basis.

The Athletic have reported that the Premier League side are set to recall him from his loan spell with Millwall in anticipation of moving him on to another team, with Sunderland seemingly in the frame to secure his services.

Mowbray could now form a dominant central defensive partnership by signing the England youth international and pairing him with current Black Cats enforcer Danny Batth, who has recently returned from injury.

Journalist Josh Bunting described Batth as a “powerful” unit earlier this season and the reporter once hailed Cresswell for his “powerful” aerial ability, whilst also claiming that the Leeds man is an “excellent” defender with a “big future” ahead of him.

This suggests that Sunderland could have a strong pairing at the back by playing the two central defenders alongside each other as they are both physically dominant gems who can deal with attackers at Championship level.

Batth has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.86 across 23 starts in the division this season and won a whopping 71% of his aerial battles throughout the campaign, whilst also making 4.1 clearances per match.

Cresswell, meanwhile, has averaged a rating of 7.02 in 15 appearances on loan at Millwall at this level. The 20-year-old has won 64% of his battles in the air and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, which indicates that he is strong at winning 50/50s with his head and that he can read the game well at the back.

Therefore, having Cresswell and Batth as a centre-back pairing could give Sunderland a solid platform upon which to build their performances as they have both proven that they can dominate opposition forwards whilst consistently delivering quality displays.

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…

West Ham United will remain without the services of Kurt Zouma for this evening’s FA Cup meeting against Brentford.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, David Moyes revealed that, despite the centre-back having recently returned to first-team training after undergoing knee surgery in November, the 28-year-old will not be fit enough to feature at the Gtech Community Stadium for Saturday’s cup clash.

Regarding the current condition of the Frenchman, Moyes said: “Kurt Zouma is getting closer, but maybe not yet. He’s only just going to start training, so we’re probably much the same [from Leeds United].

“We’re trying to recover. We only played late on Wednesday night so we’re still trying to get the players back together and get them ready.”

Huge blow for the Hammers

Considering just how important a part of Moyes’ backline Zouma has become since his £29.8m move to the London Stadium in the summer of 2021, coupled with how poor West Ham have been at the back without the 28-year-old – shipping seven goals in their last three games – the continued unavailability of Zouma for the trip to Brentford is certainly terrible news for the Scot.

Indeed, over his 24 Premier League appearances last season, the £28m-rated talent was in imperious form at the back, helping the Irons to keep five clean sheets, in addition to making 1.4 interceptions, 0.5 tackles and 5.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

These returns saw the 11-cap international average an impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.98, not only ranking him as Moyes’ best-performing centre-back but also as the Hammers’ sixth-best player overall in the league last time out.

It has been a similar story over Zouma’s 14 top-flight outings in the current campaign, with the £125k-per-week stopper helping his side to keep three clean sheets, along with making 0.9 interceptions, 0.3 tackles and 4.8 clearances and winning 2.7 duels – at a success rate of 72% – per match.

These returns have seen the Frenchman average a Sofascore match rating of 6.87, currently ranking him as the Hammers’ best-performing centre-back and sixth-best player overall so far this season.

As such, it is clear to see that Zouma is very much one of the most talented central defenders in Moyes’ squad at present, with the continued absence of the 28-year-old undoubtedly coming as a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of making it through to the next round of the FA Cup this evening – especially against a team who put two goals past the Irons without reply just eight days ago.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been dealt a potentially detrimental blow to his preparations ahead of the forthcoming Premier League fixture away to Brighton & Hove Albion…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, the Reds’ £85m summer signing Darwin Nunez is a fitness doubt for Saturday’s trip to the Amex Stadium, compounding the extensive list of absentees and the struggle to find consistent form. 

The Uruguayan striker has divided opinion since his arrival on Merseyside, but he has been a regular presence in the Reds’ line-up so far, starring on occasion and second only to the sublime Mohamed Salah in the club’s 2022/23 scoring charts.

As relayed by Liverpool’s official website, Klopp seemingly confirmed during his pre-match press conference on Friday morning that the 23-year-old is out of contention for the Brighton clash.

The manager said of Nunez: “If he cannot train today then, yes, that would rule him out. We are waiting for the latest information; it is not a major one, but it still kept him out of training. We have to wait for that.”

A big blow for Liverpool

The 23-year-old has indeed been met with contrasting reviews since his move from Benfica in the summer. Many of the Liverpool fanbase are roaring in adulation for the budding brilliance of this enigmatic striker, while rival supporters heap criticism on the catalogue of missed opportunities stemming from his often erratic and wayward shooting.

The overarching, more equitable consensus would appear to be that Liverpool yield an unrefined and imperfect but overwhelmingly entertaining prospect who seems capable of reaching heights beyond the majority of Premier League strikers. Indeed, it was only this week that his overall game came in for high praise from the division’s all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer.

Having scored ten goals and supplied three assists from just 15 starts for the Reds, the pathway to a place among the pantheon of Europe’s most devastating offensive players is but a distance away, and his influence on the Premier League should only expand as Liverpool’s fortunes ostensibly turn brighter.

His absence will indeed be felt on the south coast, with Brighton continuing to dazzle among the division’s elite despite Graham Potter departing from the Amex Stadium to assume the managerial role at Chelsea in the season’s opening weeks.

The Seagulls are just one point and one place behind the Reds in the table, having clinched 27 points from the first 17 outings, and a home victory would sink Liverpool into deeper woes and consign them to consecutive defeats in the Premier League at the start of 2023.

With Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz both ruled out of contention for the impending period, and Roberto Firmino yet to receive the green light to return following his own spell on the sidelines, Klopp is left to pick at scraps for his frontline, although he is bolstered by the recent £35m signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.

The £140k-per-week phenomenon also ranks within the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s major leagues for rate of goals, top 1% for total shots, top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty box and top 6% for progressive passes received over the past year (as per FBref), illustrating his importance to the team.

Praised as “dangerous” by his manager, the 16-cap Uruguayan’s likely confinement to the injury room is a big blow this weekend, and Liverpool will need to unearth a level of intensity and cutting edge which has largely evaded them this season if they are to earn a crucial victory over Saturday’s opposition.

Klopp would no doubt have been wincing with frustration at the news of Nunez’s injury blow, compounding what has already been a hugely testing campaign for the Reds.

Aston Villa are among a number of Premier League clubs who are keen on signing Brazilian midfielder Danilo, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Danilo profiled

The 21-year-old plies his trade for Palmeiras and has made 141 appearances for the club, mainly as a defensive midfielder.

He is sponsored by Nike and is valued at a career-high €25m (£22m) by Transfermarkt. He is under contract with his current employers until 2026, but it appears as if he could be on the move this month, potentially to England.

The Latest: Villa interested in Danilo

Calciomercato shared what they know regarding Danilo on Tuesday, with Villa receiving a mention. The report states that the player – previously valued by his club at €30m (£26.5m) – could leave at a discounted price of around €20m (£17.6m), with Villa among several Premier League outfits to have recently ‘come forward’ for the 21-year-old.

Nottingham Forest could prove to be Villa’s biggest rivals in the race for the midfielder, as the Reds have reportedly tabled an offer already.

The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

Villa currently have four holding midfielders on the books under Unai Emery in Douglas Luiz, Boubacar Kamara, Marvelous Nakamba and Leander Dendoncker. Therefore, you could make an argument that a swoop for Danilo shouldn’t be a priority for NSWE at this moment in time.

Villa are still on the hunt for a new A-list forward to rival the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, so perhaps targeting a proven striker could be more beneficial over the coming weeks instead of looking to bring Danilo to the Midlands.

Newcastle United were dumped out of the FA Cup last night by Sheffield Wednesday amid a costly mistake from the linesman.

The Lowdown: Cup upset

The magic of the cup saying runs true for Wednesday right now as they dumped Premier League side Newcastle out in the third round following a 2-1 victory at Hillsborough.

Josh Windass’s double either side of the hour mark was enough as the Yorkshire outfit survived a late onslaught from the visitors who were searching for an equaliser after Bruno Guimaraes had got a goal back with 20 minutes to go.

The six-time winners of the competition were knocked out at the first hurdle for the third time running and the second time consecutively to a League One side following Cambridge United’s shock last season.

The Latest: Newcastle aggrieved

Newcastle will be lumped with the disappointment of heading out of the competition but more so with the manner of it.

Windass’ opening goal in the 52nd minute was allowed to stand through a huge error from the linesman who incorrectly ruled him onside, and with no VAR available in a League One ground, the goal stood.

With NUFC Gallowgate’s Twitter account posting an image of the incident with the caption: “miles offside #NUFC”.

The Verdict: Incorrect call

There’s no denying that VAR would’ve had a huge impact on the game with not only Wednesday’s opener but also Guimaraes’ goal both clearly offside and both would’ve been overruled.

Despite this, the Magpies’ relatively strong side still containing Sven Botman, Joelinton and a returning Alexander Isak from the off were often left fruitless in their play despite dominating 75.3% of the possession.

It’s the first defeat for Eddie Howe’s side since August but with it now three games and no wins alongside just the one goal in that time, the St James’ Park outfit need to shake themselves down and get back on form against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s attempts to bolster their attacking ranks in the transfer market…

What’s the talk?

According to Foot Mercato, the Villans are eyeing up a swoop to sign French centre-forward Moussa Dembele from Lyon at the end of the campaign.

The report claims that the striker is set to be a free agent in the summer, and this would allow the Midlands club to bypass paying a transfer fee for his services, with fellow Premier League side Everton going through the same thought process.

However, it is stated that a January transfer should not be ruled out completely due to the agreement for the sale of Villa attacker Danny Ings to West Ham United, although it remains to be seen how much Lyon would demand to allow him to leave this month.

Ings replacement

Whether it comes this month or in the summer, Villa manager Unai Emery could land a dream replacement for Ings by swooping to sign Dembele from the Ligue 1 outfit.

The English forward was a reliable goalscoring option for Villa as he found the net 13 times in 30 Premier League starts for the club, including six in eight starts this term.

Ings was a player who the Villans knew they could rely upon when they needed a goal, whether that be from the start or off the bench, and thy must now replace him with a player who offers a similar level of quality in the final third.

Dembele could be that striker for Emery after his superb goalscoring exploits during the 2021/22 campaign for Lyon. The French dynamo, who has scored twice in six league starts this season, plundered a stunning 21 goals in 25 Ligue 1 starts last term.

He has scored 55 goals in 120 appearances in the French top flight throughout his career and managed 25 in 53 outings for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership prior to his move to Lyon.

The £69k-per-week gem, who Brendan Rodgers once hailed as “powerful”, ranks in the top 5% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 over the last 365 days, which shows that he has been one of the most prolific goalscorers on the continent of late.

Therefore, Dembele could be a dream replacement for Ings, as Villa would be replacing the Englishman with a proven finisher who, at 26, still has time on his side to improve even further and could offer more in the long-term than the West Ham-bound 30-year-old.

France and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann is on Manchester United’s radar ahead of a potential move, according to a new transfer update.

The Lowdown: Griezmann superb at World Cup

A number of players shone at the 2022 World Cup but Griezmann was right up there with the best of them, helping inspire France to the final.

The 31-year-old provided three assists at the tournament, and while Kylian Mbappe stole the show more often, he was arguably just as effective at times, with Didier Deschamps calling his star ‘world-class’.

Griezmann could possibly leave Atletico in the January transfer window, however, and an intriguing update has now emerged.

The Latest: Ronaldo replacement

According to Media Foot, United are interested in making a move for the French legend, as Erik ten Hag looks to add a top attacking player to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

The rumour is thought to be ‘gaining momentum’, with the Red Devils keen on bringing in a new superstar after Ronaldo’s exit.

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

There is no doubting Griezmann’s elite brilliance as a footballer, but it could also be argued that United don’t need a player of his ilk currently, considering they have Bruno Fernandes in the role Griezmann has shone in.

At 31, and with huge wages likely to be demanded, the attacking midfielder would also be an expensive and short-term fix, rather than someone who Ten Hag can build the team around into the future.

Griezmann could easily come in and do a great job – he is 99th percentile for assists – but there are younger alternatives out there and United would be wiser to focus on bringing in a centre forward instead.

Aston Villa are undergoing a reshuffle under the management of Unai Emery, who has been a beacon of optimism since arriving at the club in October after being prised away from Spanish La Liga outfit Villarreal.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Midlands outfit are interested in a swoop for Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, who has been a standout figure at the beating heart of his outfit, with technical director Johan Lange willing to pay the player’s €65m (£57m) release clause to clinch his signature.

This follows initial information from November, with the outlet reporting (via Sport Witness) that the 26-year-old could be enticed into joining the fold at Villa Park to link up with his countryman and enhance the Villans’ midfield with his dynamic skill set.

The recent report from Mundo Deportivo does state, however, that with Liverpool interested and circling like a shark, a prospective transfer might enter rocky territory with the allure and European promise of the Merseyside outfit potentially swinging the odds in manager Jurgen Klopp’s favour.

Casemiro 2.0

If Emery proves successful in his bid to clinch one of La Liga’s premier midfielders, it would not be the first time that he has graced Premier League soil, previously plying his trade for Newcastle United.

Signing for the Magpies in 2017 on a permanent deal from Borussia Dortmund as a 21-year-old, Merino arrived as a promising prospect and a potential leading playmaker in the division as he nurtured his abilities at St. James’ Park over the coming years. 

It did not quite work out, and after making just 25 appearances, scoring one goal and assist apiece, he departed for his homeland to join Sociedad after one season, with a buyout clause of just £10m.

Since that point, the midfielder full of “quality”, as once praised by former Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, has become a leading figure for his side’s exploits, making 177 appearances and scoring 18 goals and 23 assists.

The hike in his market value is also a telling illustration of the superlative player that he has grown into; arriving in Spain, Merino was valued at £10.5m, but is now a player with a valuation of £44m. 

As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks within the top 8% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for assists, the top 2% for aerials won and the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area.

And when assessing the most comparable players to the £37k-per-week ace, there is a semblance found between the “best player in La Liga’s” arsenal – as dubbed by his Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil – and Manchester United titan Casemiro.

The five-time Champions League winner Casemiro joined Erik ten Hag’s Manchester project in the summer for £70m after making 336 appearances for Los Blancos in one of football’s all-time great midfield triads. 

As per Sofascore, the 69-cap Brazilian has recorded an exemplary 7.37 rating in the Premier League this term, impressing with his 80% passing accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 3.1 tackles per match.

Merino also boasts a rounded toolkit, recording an average rating of 7.26 this season, completing 76% of his passes and vigorously leaping into 2.6 tackles per outing of his own.

With such stellar similarities, and by observing the impact that the “monster” Casemiro – as once heralded by former Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane – has had on a formerly beleaguered United outfit, the question of Villa’s interest in the gem oozing class and quality has merely one answer; Emery must sign, Merino could spearhead the ascension to the tantalising prospect of a European finish at Villa Park.

Journalist Darren Lewis has revealed that European giants Bayern Munich are ‘really big fans’ of young Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

What’s the word?

With the January transfer market open, fans are always excited about who may be joining their club. For instance, the Whites have already managed to seal deals for Georginio Rutter and Max Wober this winter.

Of course, though, supporters always have to be wary of bigger clubs coming along to try and steal their team’s best players. At Leeds, 22-year-old Meslier certainly seems to be a player who is catching the eye – and not just reams from within the Premier League.

Indeed, when talking on the Last Word on Spurs, Lewis said the goalkeeper is a target for Tottenham Hotspur before naming some other interested parties, including Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich.

He explained “One name that I’ve heard that – to be fair, he has admirers up and down the Premier League – is Meslier at Leeds.

“He is a young ‘keeper. [Marcelo] Bielsa also obviously set a lot of store by him. Jesse Marsch is obviously playing him at the moment.

“Bayern Munich [are] really big fans of him as well. Chelsea like him too. A lot of people like him.”

A big future?

Despite still being just 22 years old, the goalkeeper has already played 107 times for Leeds United – with 91 of those appearances coming in the English top flight.

He’s certainly shown his ability to perform against the big boys too. For instance, earlier this season he delivered against Manchester City and Newcastle United with top performances in back-to-back games.

The worry for Leeds will be that they have a top talent but are still battling down at the bottom end of the Premier League and so they may not be able to hold onto their goalkeeper for much longer.

Bayern number one Manuel Neuer is 36 now and out for some time with a serious injury after fracturing his right leg in a fall while skiing. It seems likely that they will want a long-term replacement at some stage and Meslier may well be their man.