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Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the January transfer window and the Swedish striker could be a superb addition to Patrick Vieira’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, Palace, West Ham, Everton and Southampton are all keen on the 24-year-old, who currently sits joint-top of the goalscoring charts on nine in the Championship after an excellent start to the season.

The website claims that the in-form Sky Blues are keen to offer Gyokeres a new contract in order to fend off interest from the Premier League, with Mark Robins’ side no doubt having their own aspirations of reaching the top flight after winning each of their last four games without conceding a goal.

Vieira would love him

For too long now, Palace have been far too reliant on Wilfried Zaha as the main source of goals at Selhurst Park. The Ivorian winger has topped the charts in each of the last three seasons and looks set to depart when his contract expires next summer, so it seems clear that Vieira needs a true goalscoring replacement.

Gyokeres could certainly offer that, as he has 26 goals in his last 64 Championship appearances, and scores in the 99th percentile for forwards receiving progressive passes according to FBRef, which emphasises his ability to get into goalscoring situations.

Watford manager was full of praise for the Sweden international after he scored the winning goal at Vicarage Road earlier this month.

He said: “He is a very strong striker, a player who can not only keep and hold the ball but he can hurt you. He can run into the channels and he’s strong.

“We weren’t surprised by him. We had him marked down as their target man. He’s not an old-fashioned typical target man though, because target men have problems in movement. He is a target man but also has good movement.

“The defenders stopped him well at times, they fouled him, they gave him a good game. But he is a very good player.”

Gyokeres certainly seems to have the physicality to be a success in the Premier League, which is emphasised by his average of 1.8 aerials won per game in the Championship – more than both Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta this season.

Therefore, Steve Parish should definitely look at bringing the Swede to Selhurst Park in January, as he could be a huge success in Vieira’s side should he continue his form from the Championship in the top flight.

Leeds United have seen a number of their first-team stars selected in their respective countries’ squads for the World Cup this week, with both Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson heading to Qatar with the USA, while Rasmus Kristensen also made Denmark’s 26-man squad for the winter tournament.

However, one player who did not make the cut was Mateusz Klich, with the 32-year-old midfielder missing out on Czesław Michniewicz’s final squad after being included in Poland’s initial 47-man shortlist for the competition.

The 41-cap international will undoubtedly be gutted to miss out on the chance at participating in a World Cup, having been a regular part of the Poland squad in recent years, although, considering just how little the midfielder has featured under Jesse Marsch this season, perhaps his exclusion was to be expected.

Indeed, despite the £5.2m-rated talent having featured in 13 of Leeds’ fixtures in all competitions in 2022/23, only two of these appearances have come as starts – both of which were in the Carabao Cup – with the former Twente FC man playing a mere 188 minutes of Premier League football this term.

And, in the limited time that Klich has been on the pitch, he has failed to impress, averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.55 over his 11 top-flight outings – currently ranking him as Marsch’s fifth-worst performer in the league – while the 32-year-old also failed to impress in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Over his 90 minutes on the pitch in the 1-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the £34k-per-week midfielder lost 100% of his duels, was beaten by an opponent twice and lost possession of the ball on 11 separate occasions – with the veteran being massively outshone in the middle of the park by 18-year-old debutant Darko Gyabi.

Indeed, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross awarded Klich a five in his player ratings for the match – while the journalist awarded Gyabi a seven – as well as stating of the Poland international’s performance: “Popped up with the odd decent pass, but nothing to really hurt the hosts.”

As such, without meaning to add insult to injury, considering just how rapidly the player who Joe Wainman dubbed “lacklustre” has fallen off this season, it would appear as if there is not much of a future for the midfielder at Elland Road, with Victor Orta looking to secure the 32-year-old’s exit from the club this January appearing to be a move that would suit all parties.

Aston Villa are a prestigious club, and one of the most decorated in English football.

They have lifted plenty of silverware, although it has not been since 1996 that they last won a major honour, namely the League Cup.

Despite this lack of success in the modern era, they are a club who have boasted some incredible talent at various points in their recent history.

Supporters will not soon forget the quality of Christian Benteke, Fabian Delph and Jack Grealish in a hurry, but one who might go somewhat under the radar is Gary Cahill.

Having come through the Villa academy, the centre-back featured just 31 times across four years in the first team.

Clearly deemed not good enough at a time when Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg held down starting spots, he was sold for just £5m to Bolton Wanderers in January 2008. It was likely chalked up as a good piece of business, and the Midlands club moved on without him.

However, after impressing for four years in Lancashire, Premier League giants Chelsea came calling.

The £7m fee paid was already an increase on what Villa initially got, but what he would go on to achieve would rub further salt into their wounds. Cahill became a mainstay for the Blues, featuring 290 times for six different permanent managers.

The 36-year-old led an illustrious career and eventually became captain of a club which won two Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues, one League Cup and the coveted Champions League during his time in west London.

He became something of a legend at Stamford Bridge, with Thierry Henry labelling him “a leader” whose versatility had surprised him.

To think just how far Cahill has come, from a Villa reject to winning almost every trophy possible in club football, suggests that the Midlands club may have made a mistake all those years ago.

He eventually left Chelsea to join Crystal Palace, admitting his sadness in an emotional interview before detailing: “I’m proud of what I’ve done here and what I’ve achieved in such a short space of time.”

His career is certainly one which should inspire pride, whilst those who frequent Villa Park will instead feel a regret that it was not them who he inspired to glory.

Tottenham are one of a number of Premier League clubs who are reportedly interested in signing Juventus and USA midfielder Weston McKennie.

The Lowdown: McKennie on the move?

The 24-year-old hasn’t always managed to make himself a fixture in Juve’s starting lineup since joining from Schalke in 2021, but he has started seven Serie A games this season.

McKennie’s current deal doesn’t run out until the summer of 2025, but it could be that the Italian giants look to ship him off for profit after they recorded the largest financial loss in Serie A history.

It looks as though Spurs could be in the mix to snap up the 34-time capped USA midfielder, who will be hoping to impress at the upcoming World Cup.

The Latest: Spurs in race to sign midfielder

According to journalist Simon Phillips on Substack [via MOT Leeds News], Antonio Conte’s side are battling a host of other big clubs for McKennie’s signature:

“Chelsea are monitoring Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie. Many clubs are monitoring the 24-year-old though. Chelsea join Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Leeds United, and Aston Villa in being interested in the versatile midfielder.”

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The Verdict: Great squad option?

McKennie could be a brilliant addition to Spurs’ squad, providing competition for places in midfield and bringing a little more attacking thrust than the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Known for his supreme versatility and ability to operate in many different midfield roles and systems, the USA international would make it easier for Conte to switch effortlessly between 3-4-3 and 3-5-2.

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His tally of 11 goals in 88 appearances for Juve may not be earth-shattering but it is a steady flow of end product from the middle third that could help take the pressure of Tottenham’s star attackers, in terms of them being solely relied on bringing firepower.

At 24, McKennie is also at a great age to progress in the coming years, dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by compatriot and former Lilywhite Clint Dempsey.

The fact that he could also help grow Spurs’ commercial appeal across The Atlantic could be an added bonus.

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a busy summer of transfer business as Ross Wilson brought a host of new players into Ibrox during the window.

The Gers sporting director dipped into his war chest to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad, after cashing in on both Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey.

Rabbi Matondo, Antonio Colak, Malik Tillman, Ridvan Yilmaz, Ben Davies, John Souttar, and Tom Lawrence all came through the door, permanently or on loan.

Colak was brought in to bolster van Bronckhorst’s options at the top end of the pitch and the Croatian has been a sensational addition to the squad. He has scored nine goals in 13 matches in all competitions to date, including six in seven in the Premiership and three in four in their Champions League qualifiers.

The former PAOK man has established himself as the first-choice number nine at Ibrox and displaced Alfredo Morelos from the starting XI. Now, where does this leave Kemar Roofe?

He has not played a single minute of action in any competitive competition this season and was recently left out of the squad for the group stages of the Champions League.

Last season, he was called upon to step up when Morelos picked up an injury and struggled at times. Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the Light Blues were “toothless” with him and Fashion Sakala up front in place of the Colombian and FFC published an article back in April berating a disappointing display from him against Celtic in a huge match in the top-flight.

That came two months after we criticised a poor display in the Old Firm clash that cost the Light Blues their place at the top of the table.

The £26k-per-week lightweight lost 71% of his aerial battles in the Premiership last term and lost 72% of his individual duels in total in the Europa League.

Between those two competitions and the SFA Cup, Roofe scored 13 goals in 34 appearances and this shows that he does have the quality to pop up with goals – albeit nowhere near as impressively as Colak in his short time at Ibrox so far.

He has been dominated by opposition defenders on the physical side of the game and does not offer as much as their new Croatian signing in front of goal, which is why it is now time to ditch the striker in January.

Therefore, he has been unreliable for van Bronckhorst both in terms of availability – missing 23 games so far since the start of last season – and in what he provides on the pitch with his disappointing displays against Celtic and his inconsistent scoring record.

Roofe, who turns 30 in January, is the third-choice option at the top end of the pitch and injuries appear to be hindering his progress at the club, which is why the head coach must ruthlessly ditch him in the next window.

West Ham United have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their trip to Aston Villa this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to BBC Sport, who claim that, despite initial hopes that Craig Dawson could make a return to first-team football this weekend, the centre-back has once again been ruled out of contention for the visit to Villa Park. This will duly be the sixth game that the 32-year-old will have missed due to a thigh injury picked up in pre-season.

However, the BBC went on to state that the Hammers could be set to welcome Vladimir Coufal back into their 20-man squad today, as the right-back will have completed his spell out due to the concussion protocol, while new £13m signing Emerson Palmieri could also be in line for an immediate place in the squad to face Villa.

Big blow for West Ham

Considering how important Dawson has become to West Ham in recent years, and with the Irons currently having a record of no goals scored and five goals conceded over their three matches so far in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, the news that Dawson remains sidelined for this afternoon’s clash is sure to have left David Moyes gutted.

Indeed, so far this season, none of the Hammers’ central defensive options have particularly impressed, with Kurt Zouma averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.77, Ben Johnson 6.73 and summer signing Thilo Kehrer earning a hugely disappointing match rating of just 6.20 on his Premier League debut against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

In comparison, over Dawson’s 34 league appearances last season, the £2.7m-rated defender helped his team to keep five clean sheets, scored two goals and registered two assists, in addition to making 0.9 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 4.1 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 56%) per game.

These metrics saw the £42.5k-per-week centre-back average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as West Ham’s joint seventh-best player in the league last time out.

As such, it is clear to see just how big of a blow the defender’s continued absence will be against Villa this afternoon, with Moyes undoubtedly hoping that his side can pick up their first points of the 2022/23 league campaign against Steven Gerrard’s side. That could be much harder without Dawson in the heart of the Hammers’ defence.

Tottenham Hotspur could still sign an attacking midfielder and another centre-back before the transfer window closes, according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.

The Lowdown: Busy window

Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici has been hard at work this summer, bringing six new signings to Hotspur Way while Destiny Udogie is all set to become the seventh.

Surprisingly, none of the new arrivals were selected to start in Tottenham’s dominant 4-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday and Udogie himself is expected to be loaned back to Serie A.

However, with four major trophies up for grabs, including the UEFA Champions League, these players will undoubtedly see game-time throughout the campaign, and it looks like we could see even more new faces arrive before September 1.

The Latest: Eccleshare’s claim

Eccleshare believes an attacking midfielder and another option at centre-back remain on the Italian’s shopping list, with just three weeks left of the summer window.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, The Athletic journalist claimed:

“I think they may make that signing, the attacking midfielder, if the opportunity presents itself. Less likely, but possible is another centre-back. I don’t think Conte will perhaps want it to go down to the last day.”

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The Verdict: Adding further depth and quality

Having eased past Saints in the Lilywhites’ opening game of the new Premier League season, it could be argued that Conte has all the additions he needs to go and succeed with his extensive squad this year.

However, the arrival of an attacking-midfielder could allow Harry Kane to get further forward, rather than having to drop quite so deep to pick up the ball, as has become a significant feature of his game.

With the arrival of Clement Lenglet, the need for a left-sided centre-back has taken a momentary back seat at the north London club; however, with his transfer being a season-long loan, the Italian duo will be on the hunt for his long-term replacement at the back.

Regardless, Conte and Paratici have added quality and depth to the Lilywhites squad, allowing for more regular rotation this season, and any extras now would be icing on the cake.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Inter Milan striker Andrea Pinamonti this summer.

The Lowdown: Pinamonti not wanted at Inter

The Italian has been an Inter player since arriving from Genoa in 2020 but he is yet to make any kind of impact there, being loaned out to Empoli last season.

Pinamonti impressed during his time with the Serie A side however, scoring 13 goals in 32 league starts in Florence, and has a valuation of £18million, according to Transfermarkt.

It appears as though Inter are willing to let the 23-year-old leave again this summer, which is where Forest come into the conversation.

The Latest: Forest make contact

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], the Reds are one of the clubs interested in signing Pinamonti, making contact to ‘find out what type of deal would be available and the costs involved in the potential move’.

Atalanta and Sassuolo are also mentioned as possible suitors, and Inter are expected to demand €20m (£16.7m).

The Reds are clearly eyeing attacking reinforcements, having also sent scouts to watch Ludovic Ajorque in action at the weekend.

The Verdict: Another great signing?

Forest are enjoying a fantastic summer transfer window, strengthening all over the pitch, and Pinamonti could be another who makes Steve Cooper’s side a more fearsome proposition.

Praise for his ‘very good’ finishing last season, he has scored 24 goals in Serie A, proving that he can cut it at the top level, and he could battle with the likes of Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi for minutes, providing healthy competition.

A loan move like his one to Empoli would arguably be preferable, just in case Pinamonti struggled to adapt to the Premier League, especially if there is a clause in place that could see him sign permanently next summer.

West Ham United have made an ‘official’ enquiry regarding the possibility of signing Chelsea striker Armando Broja, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Uncertain future

Following the conclusion of a stellar season-long loan spell at Southampton, Broja has returned to his parent club, where it remains to be seen whether he will be part of the long-term plans.

The 20-year-old Albania international has only made one first-team outing for the capital club to date and isn’t part of Thomas Tuchel’s travelling squad for the pre-season tour of the USA.

That major omission has unsurprisingly led to further doubts over Broja’s future at Stamford Bridge and the Hammers appear to have made their intentions known…

The latest: ‘Registered their interest’

As per The Daily Mail, West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United are all keen on signing the 14-cap star this summer.

It’s claimed that the Irons have recently ‘formally registered their interest’ in Broja as Chelsea plan to ‘hold further talks’ with the powerful centre-forward in the coming days.

The report also states that West Ham have ‘made official contact to indicate their desire to sign’ the youngster, who was dubbed the ‘real deal’ by Premier League legend Martin Keown in a 3-1 defeat for the Irons in the FA Cup fifth round, during which the Albanian scored and won a penalty.

The verdict: Go all out

Valued at £19.8million and under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), Broja would certainly be an expensive outlay for GSB but no less a worthwhile one given the frontman’s sky-high potential – Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp gushed over his ‘incredible pace and strength’ last season.

In desperate need of support for Michail Antonio, the Albanian’s direct running style, particularly on the counterattack, and aerial prowess would provide the Scot with a viable like-for-like alternative to the talismanic striker.

Last term Broja – who shares a stylistic likeness with such renowned names as Richarlison, Kasper Dolberg and Ollie Watkins (Fbref) – scored nine times and provided one assist in 38 appearances across all competitions on the south coast, showcasing a ready-made ability to have a positive effect on the London Stadium ranks from the outset.

Leeds United could be set to take on their next Premier League campaign without their Brazilian talisman, Raphinha, in the squad.

After initially rejecting a bid from Arsenal for him, the winger’s immediate future at Elland Road is still up in the air as things stand.

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While it would be hard to find a like-for-like replacement for the attacker given how he’s scored 17 goals and delivered 11 assists in 66 appearances for the Whites, one figure that the club have been linked with recently that could become their next version of Raphinha is Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter.

As a product of Hull’s youth system, the winger has made 121 senior appearances for the Championship club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 21-year-old has found the net 30 times and provided 12 assists in the process.

His latest campaign saw the youngster demonstrate just how impressive he is by playing every minute of league action for his side across numerous positions while scoring 12 goals and supplying four assists.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player at Hull managed to have nearly as many shots at goal as the 21-year-old did (103).

He also delivered 129 crosses, made 36 interceptions and won 17 tackles, showing how capable he is with and without the ball.

This shows just how prolific the Englishman is for his current side, in the same way that Raphinha was for Leeds last season, as he racked up more shots (85) and dribbles (149) than any other player in Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Lewis-Potter’s talent has been known at his current club for some time, as Grant McCann said this about him back in 2020.

He said: “He can be anything he wants to be. He’s quick, he’s getting stronger. If you see him physically now compared to where he was this time last year, he’s head and shoulders above in terms of his physique. He’s got all the tools to be anything he wants.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the club have reportedly placed an £18m price tag on him and why Leeds have their eye on the starlet.

Moving forward, even if Raphinha does end up staying at Elland Road, securing a deal for the Hull prodigy should still be up on Victor Orta’s priority list.

AND in other news: Orta can land his own £72m-rated star as Leeds plot bid for £7.4k-p/w “serious talent”