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Arsenal have reportedly agreed on personal terms with Shakhtar Donetsk forward Mykhaylo Mudryk ahead of a potential move during the January transfer window.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Sport Arena (via The Mirror), who suggest that Mikel Arteta and Edu have finally agreed on contractual terms with the Ukrainian and all that needs to be sorted now is the transfer fee, with Arsenal having had an initial offer of £55m rejected last week.

Shakhtar have set their asking price at £85m and according to fresh claims from Fabrizio Romano today, the Gunners have even now lodged a second bid for the exciting speedster.

The final piece of the puzzle

Arsenal appear to be edging closer to their first signing of the transfer window and it could be a timely one at that, especially considering they are short of attacking options at the minute.

Gabriel Jesus suffered a knee injury at the World Cup and was ruled out for three months, leaving a massive gap in the Arsenal attack, with Arteta having to rely on Eddie Nketiah as the club’s sole senior centre-forward.

Mudryk’s versatility could be crucial for Arteta, with the player capable of playing on either wing or as an attacking midfielder and his attacking qualities could take the pressure off Nketiah’s shoulders.

He has scored ten goals and registered eight assists in all competitions this season while ranking in the top 5% across Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals, assists, and dribbles completed while ranking in the top 10% for touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received.

These clearly show Arsenal will be acquiring one of the best performers on the continent and it could be the final piece of the puzzle for Arteta heading into the second half of the campaign.

Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed the player “frightening” while writer Sacha Pisani labelled him a “baller” earlier this season, something that suggests the the 21-year-old what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

His performances in the Champions League supplement that too. The winger has found the net three times, has registered two assists, and created one big chance across six appearances in Europe’s elite competition while taking 1.5 shots, making 0.8 key passes, and completing 1.7 dribbles per match.

Arsenal may be leading the Premier League table by seven points, however, Arteta won’t be resting on his laurels as he strives to improve his squad but the Spanish tactician can complete his attacking puzzle by confirming the signing of Mudryk in the next few weeks.

The January transfer window is less than a month away from opening for business and Leeds United could be in the market to improve their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Jesse Marsch may look to bolster his side by bringing in a player or two to freshen up his starting XI, as the club are currently in a precarious position in the Premier League.

The Whites are 15th in the table and only two points above the relegation zone and improving the team in January could allow them to push up the division and away from danger in the coming months.

One player the club could swoop for in order to give them an increased chance of avoiding relegation is Portugal international striker Goncalo Ramos.

Journalist Dean Jones recently wrote that people should be looking out for interest from “Leeds, Southampton and Wolves but also Newcastle, Arsenal and Man United” in the centre-forward, who talent scout Jacek Kulig previously dubbed “incredibly prolific”.

This suggests that the Whites are keen on a possible swoop for the attacker and Marsch must now push for Victor Orta to win the race for the youngster’s signature as he has the potential to be a stunning signing.

Ramos could be a big upgrade on current Leeds striker Patrick Bamford as the former Chelsea forward has struggled badly over the last 18 months.

The Englishman has failed to score a single goal in ten appearances in the Premier League so far this season and he has had the opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet as he has missed nine ‘big chances’.

This comes after he managed two goals in nine matches in the top-flight last term, whilst missing 30 matches due to multiple injury blows, which shows that he has been far from at his best since the start of 2021/22.

Ramos, meanwhile, has shown that he is not as wasteful in front of goal by plundering nine goals in 11 Liga Portugal starts for Benfica in 2022/23, after producing seven goals in 17 starts in the division last season.

The marksman, who scored three goals and assisted one in two World Cup starts for Portugal in Qatar, has also scored five goals and provided three assists in ten Champions League matches – in qualifying and the group stages combined.

These statistics indicate that the 21-year-old, who has scored 55 goals for Benfica at senior and youth level, would be a big upgrade on Bamford for Leeds as he has shown that he can score goals on a consistent basis.

Of course, the forward is yet to prove that he can do it in England but his form in Europe, in Portugal, and on the world stage in Qatar, indicates that Ramos has all the attributes he needs to succeed as the Englishman’s replacement.

Rangers are currently stepping up their search to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the dugout, with the Dutchman having been relieved of his duties at Ibrox earlier this week just a year on from having been appointed Steven Gerrard’s successor.

The 47-year-old’s time in charge ended in something of a whimper as he saw his side held to a frustrating 1-1 draw away to St Mirren, with the Light Blues reliant on a late James Tavernier spot-kick to spare their blushes.

One notable tale from that disappointing stalemate was the withdrawal of Glen Kamara at the interval, with the Finland international having reportedly had something of a bust-up with his manager at full-time after venting his frustrations.

That had come after the former Dundee man – who was signed for a bargain fee of just £50k back in January 2019 – had been reduced to something of a bit-part role in the early months of the season, starting just seven games in all competitions – albeit while impacted by injury.

There may well have been frustration at the player’s apparent desire for an exit – having come close to joining Nice in the summer – with pundit Noel Whelan describing the 27-year-old as somewhat “disrespectful” after publicly stating his ambition to play in a “top-five league”.

Having rather had his time in Scotland ruined under Van Bronckhorst, the 48-cap menace is now being tipped to finally seal an exit when the market re-opens in the New Year for a fee of around £10m, with Serie A side Salernitana one of those to have been linked of late.

Despite that speculation, a change at the helm in Glasgow could well spark a revival for Kamara at the club, with the “vital” asset, as described by pundit Paddy Kenny, someone whom a new appointment would likely be hoping to build around.

The one-time Arsenal man has been a “big player” for the Gers over the years, as per Kenny, racking up 174 appearances in all competitions to date, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists in that time.

That impressive spell has seen the £21k-per-week ace play his part in the club claiming a league title and a Scottish Cup success, while also proving influential in last season’s Europa League run, scoring a vital goal in the win over RB Leipzig at the semi-final stage.

With a number of the club’s key figures coming towards the end of their contracts, Kamara – whose existing deal is set to run until 2025 – may well be one whom a new appointment simply can’t afford to lose, with the hope being that a change in the dugout can spark a change in fortunes on the pitch for the midfielder.

With the World Cup break now commencing, some exciting injury news has emerged from Finch Farm that could represent a big boost to Everton.

What’s the latest?

As per Everton’s official website, Ben Godfrey was finally back on the pitch for their U21s after continuing to recover from his fractured fibula which required surgery. He played 57 vital minutes before being taken off.

It marks a sensational turnaround for someone with such a serious injury, and there is hope that after this six-week break he could be ready to return to first-team action.

Although Conor Coady and James Tarkowski have formed a formidable partnership at the heart of defence, the 24-year-old offers far more speed than the two stalwarts can boast, and could push them for spots in the team once he is deemed fully fit.

They can ditch Keane

His return arguably comes at the perfect time, with Michael Keane proving in midweek exactly why he is not good enough for the club.

This could be the catalyst to sending him packing, with West Ham United one suitor linked with a £10m move for the 29-year-old.

In that EFL Cup match at Bournemouth, which was just his third appearance of the season, he endured a torrid game worthy of the 6.1 SofaScore rating he was given.

What will please Frank Lampard even more is that he could now start working towards perhaps implementing his favoured formation of 3-5-2.

Having tried to bring it back during that aforementioned cup defeat, he actually started the season against Chelsea in that formation too.

Even through large parts of last season, throughout their disappointment, the 44-year-old remained largely true to that philosophy.

He was eventually forced into switching things, clearly not believing in the personnel and their ability to uphold the formation.

But with Godfrey’s return, he could add that injection of pace needed to supplement the solid but admittedly slow talents of Coady and Tarkowski.

Following his comeback in the U21s loss to Southampton, The Athletic writer Paddy Boyland took to Twitter to laud his display: “No signs of rust from Ben Godfrey on his comeback. Composed return at centre back before being taken off in the second half”, he wrote.

Although fans initially craved the 4-3-3, recent results have indicated that perhaps there may be an issue with the midfield.

With this injury boost, Lampard could solve all of his issues by finally ditching Keane and switching to a formation that he clearly feels can get the best from his squad. 

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Bryan Gil has been backed to stake a claim in Antonio Conte’s side. 

The Lowdown: Gil’s lack of minutes

The midfielder made his first appearance for Spurs in the Premier League over the weekend in their 3-2 win at Bournemouth, coming on for the final six minutes of action.

Having made just three substitute appearances in the Champions League prior to Saturday’s dramatic win over the Cherries, it’s safe to say that the Spaniard is not particularly high up in Conte’s pecking order as things stand.

However, following his cameo on the south coast, the 21-year-old has been backed to become a more prominent figure in the Italian’s team.

The Latest: Time to shine

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs ‘expert’ John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose has called for Gil to be used far more regularly by Conte, believing that the youngster could ‘stake a claim’ for frequent game-time.

He said: “The only positive I took from our recent draw against Sporting was Bryan Gil’s cameo.

“He causes problems, he’s small and diminutive and when he gets on the ball he just runs at you. He has those quick feet that cause issues for opposition defenders.

“Either take him out or he gets past you. I really do want to see him featuring more often now. While we haven’t got [Dejan] Kulusevski, Gil is a genuine option for us.

“Even if he comes on for the last half an hour of Premier League games, now is his chance. I want to see him used far more. He has a huge chance to stake a claim now.”

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The Verdict: A good option for Conte

Despite only coming on in the 84th minute against Bournemouth, the youngster still managed to complete all seven passes that he attempted, along with winning one duel and making one tackle.

This shows that he can be a useful option off the bench for Spurs and do his bit both in and out of possession.

Across the 39 minutes of Champions League action that he has played this season, the midfielder has racked up five shot-creating actions (SCAs), leaving him with the highest rate of SCAs per 90 minutes in the Spurs squad (11.84).

With the likes of Richarlison and Kulusevski out injured, it would definitely be worth handing Gil some more minutes to impress and stake a claim in Conte’s team.

Leeds United shouldn’t feel ‘concern’ over the future of Illan Meslier but they will likely ‘look at’ his contract situation at some point, Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

The 22-year-old is under contract at Elland Road until the end of the 2025/26 season, having penned an extension at the start of the last campaign. As per FBRef, he earns just under £22,000 per week in the terms of that agreement, the same as centre-back Diego Llorente.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently reported that Meslier ‘is the player the club are most likely to receive big money bids for next summer’, with Tottenham Hotspur particularly interested.

The latest

Thornton can’t see why Meslier would be pushing to leave Leeds right now, but thinks the Whites may still look to take precautions ‘as time moves on’.

He told GiveMeSport about the Frenchman’s future at Elland Road: “I think for him, it’s all positive because he’s playing at a big club, developing, getting better and he’s certainly improved a lot.

“He’s tied down to a deal so I don’t think there’s any reason for concern. Obviously, as time moves on, it’s probably a situation that Leeds will look at.”

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The verdict

Leeds could be in line to make a big profit on Meslier when they do eventually sell him.

They paid £5m to sign him from Lorient in July 2020 off the back of a loan spell, and according to the CIES Football Observatory, he is now worth up to €40m, which equates to £34.9m.

However, they don’t seem particularly interested in offloading him just yet – Jesse Marsch says that the Frenchman possesses ‘massive’ talent and he wants to make the most of it.

Indeed, Meslier ranks inside the Premier League’s top six goalkeepers this season for save percentage, so he’s justifying that assessment from his manager, and hopefully he will continue to work wonders at Elland Road for quite a while yet.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson had some tough decisions to make during the summer transfer window as he attempted to improve Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

The Light Blues chief sanctioned exits for Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, with the latter two both leaving on permanent deals, whilst the experienced Nigerian departed on a free transfer.

Wilson used the funds generated by the sales to bring in John Souttar, Antonio Colak, Tom Lawrence, Malik Tillman, Ridvan Yilmaz, Rabbi Matondo, and Ben Davies.

He needed to bring Davies and Souttar in to offset Bassey and Balogun’s exits from Ibrox, as van Bronckhorst would have been left light in the centre-back department without any reinforcements.

However, it has been a rough start to life in Scotland for Davies and Souttar has struggled with injury since joining. The former has only played once in the Premiership so far and has been an unused substitute in the club’s last three matches, whilst the latter has been out of action since making his debut for the Gers at the end of July.

Their early season struggles may leave Wilson wondering whether or not he made the right call in deciding to bring them in during the summer.

One player the sporting director had a shocker with was West Brom central defender Cedric Kipre. The Ivorian machine was a player Rangers reportedly had their eye on throughout the window but they seemingly opted against firming up their interest in him with a tangible offer.

He eventually signed for Cardiff City on a season-long loan and then-manager Steve Morison dubbed the signing a “coup” for the Welsh side.

Since making the move, Kipre has been in superb form in the second tier of English football. The central defender has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.01 and made 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match – more than any Rangers player in the Premiership this term – whilst winning 63% of his individual duels.

Journalist Josh Bunting described his physique as “immense” and claimed that he is good on the ball, further suggesting he is a “fantastic” player at Championship level, which is backed up by his aforementioned statistics.

Last season, Davies – who is two years older than Kipre – averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 and made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match whilst winning 61% of his battles.

The pair’s respective statistics suggest that the Cardiff loanee could have been a better signing for Rangers as he is more active defensively, wins a higher percentage of his duels, and has been putting in consistently brilliant performances this season, whilst having two years on the Englishman.

Therefore, Wilson made a mistake by opting against pursuing a deal to sign the £14k-per-week Baggies enforcer as his form this term suggests that he could have been an excellent addition to van Bronckhorst’s squad, something Davies has not been as of yet.

Liverpool have a number of injury issues at this moment in time, particularly with a significant amount of their midfield options sidelined.

One man who is currently out of action, and has been for a significant chunk of his time at Anfield, is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Signed from Arsenal five years ago this week in a deal worth £35m, the midfielder has made 133 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 17 times and providing 15 assists in the process.

As mentioned earlier, the 29-year-old has had his fair share of injury problems since becoming a Liverpool player, duly impacting his playing time at the club.

Indeed, once dubbed the “next Milner” by reporter Raj Chohan, he has missed 79 fixtures since arriving on Merseyside and is clearly not a reliable option for the manager anymore.

With Jurgen Klopp recently saying that Liverpool are looking to bring in a new midfielder before the summer transfer window closes to help them through this tricky period with so many injuries, one man who has been linked with a move to Anfield and who could come in to potentially allow the club to dispense with Oxlade-Chamberlain further down the line is Leandro Paredes.

Paris Saint-Germain signed the midfielder from Zenit St Petersburg in January 2019 in a deal worth around £35m, the same price that Liverpool paid for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had been linked with a possible exit from Anfield over the summer.

Since then, the 28-year-old has made 117 appearances for the French giants across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and ten assists along the way.

Last season saw the Argentine make 15 league appearances for PSG, managing to end the campaign with the second-highest percentage for passes completed (95.5%) out of all players at the club to make more than ten passes.

Also, only Sergio Ramos (40.8%) racked up a higher percentage for successful pressures than Paredes out of the PSG players to make more than two pressures throughout the campaign.

This shows just how capable the €173k-per-week (£146k-per-week) man is when on the ball and moving it around the pitch, and also how hard-working he is off the ball when trying to win back possession for his team.

Hailed as a “beautiful” player by former PSG midfielder Fabrice Pancrate, the Argentine certainly has the credentials to be a useful short-term option for Liverpool and make it harder for Oxlade-Chamberlain to keep his place in the team.

With the Reds in need for a midfielder, securing a deal for the Argentina international could be the best option for them.

Newcastle United are interested in making a move for Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde this summer.

The Lowdown: Laborde starring at Rennes

The 28-year-old was a standout attacking figure in Ligue 1 last season, registering an impressive 23 goal contributions, 15 of which were goals and the other eight assists.

Laborde may feel that his performances have justified a move to a top team, and he has already been linked with a move to Wolves earlier this summer.

Now, Newcastle appear to have entered the race to sign the Frenchman.

The Latest: Newcastle keen on move

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Newcastle have been looking to sign Laborde for ‘several months’, as have Sevilla and ‘especially Lille’.

The Magpies ‘could go on the offensive’ regarding the move, with an offer of around €20-25million (£16.8m-21m) demanded by Rennes.

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The Verdict: System change?

Laborde’s success last season speaks for itself, with his displays helping Rennes finish a surprise fourth place in the league last term, which is something that Newcastle may feel he could do for them.

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He is an experienced player with 197 appearances to his name in Ligue 1, so the step up to the Premier League certainly won’t leave him overawed, and his arrival could even signal a system change to put two up front.

Known for his ‘excellent’ and ‘class’ finishing in the words of journalist Josh Bunting, Laborde and striker partner Andy Delort have formed ‘one of the best strike pairings in Europe’, with Zach Lowy even claiming they are ‘genuinely the midtable Ligue 1 version of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole’.

Could Eddie Howe actually be searching for a player to partner with Callum Wilson rather than one to support him when injuries strike?

Reliable journalist Christian Falk has revealed that Newcastle United are now ‘interested’ in signing Timo Werner.

The Lowdown: Chelsea struggles

Werner has not enjoyed the best of times at Chelsea, despite winning the UEFA Champions League.

Paid a whopping £268,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge, the Germany international has scored just 23 times in 89 games in total over all competitions for the Blues (inferior to what he was managing at previous club RB Leipzig.

Nonetheless, with the arrival of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, Werner’s game time could be limited this season, and so it would not be a surprise if Thomas Tuchel’s side decided to part ways.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Taking to Twitter, BILD Sport reporter Falk has revealed that the Magpies are now ‘interested’ in Werner:

“TRUE Newcastle is interested in @TimoWerner @ChelseaFC.”

The Verdict: Risky

Given his struggles in English football, along with his huge wages, signing Werner would be very risky, but could well pay off.

Nicknamed ‘Turbo Timo’ for his frightening pace, the 26-year-old offers a potentially deadly counter-attacking option for when Eddie Howe’s team need to sit back and soak up the pressure against the top sides in the Premier League.

Having scored once and made one assist in three games against the Tynesiders, winning all three matches (Transfermarkt), the Toon defenders will no doubt be aware of his threat in behind, and would be relieved if he lined up alongside them next term instead.

One of those – Fabian Schar – actually shares the same agent as Werner, and so perhaps he could play a part in speeding up the attacker’s arrival.