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Polish journalist Tomasz Wlodarczyk has been left buzzing as Arsenal are set to sign Poland international centre-back Jakub Kiwior in a ‘sensational’ deal.

The Lowdown: Busy Gunners

The Gunners have certainly been busy over the last few days after missing out on the signing of Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea, with Leandro Trossard set to sign from Brighton and Hove Albion and potentially even being able to feature against Manchester United on Sunday.

It now looks like they are going to make another signing very soon, after a recent update from Poland.

The Latest: Kiwior ‘very close’

Taking to Twitter, Wlodarczyk has revealed that the North London club are also ‘very close’ to sealing what he calls a ‘sensational’ deal for Spezia central defender Kiwior:

“Sensational transfer very close to completion! Spezia and Arsenal are in very advanced talks about Jakub Kiwior. Jakub Kiwior will be one of the most expensive sold Polish footballers in history!”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has added that contracts are already being signed for a fee in excess of €20m (£17.5m) plus add-ons on a five-year deal, with a medical to be completed ‘in the next 48 hours’.

The Verdict: Gunners mean business

After the signing of Trossard, the Gunners have moved quickly onto securing another signing, showing that they mean business in terms of getting their hands on the Premier League title.

22-year-old Kiwior is very highly-rated, having been dubbed ‘extraordinary’ by his international team-mate Robert Lewandowski, while Polish football expert Ryan Hubbard thinks that he is a ‘huge talent’.

Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti has noted the ‘impressive’ season that he is having so far, as no Spezia player has averaged more interceptions, clearances or blocks per game in the Italian top flight than him (WhoScored).

Kiwior can cover at left-back and defensive midfield as well as at centre-back, and will provide healthy competition for Gabriel Magalhaes, who has played in every minute of the Premier League campaign so far.

Nonetheless, this looks to be another astute piece of business from Mikel Arteta and Edu.

Arsenal have been dealt a setback in their hopes of signing Ryan Gravenberch as the central midfielder will be staying put at Bayern Munich this month.

The Lowdown: Gravenberch profiled

Gravenberch signed for Bayern from Ajax in the summer in a deal that could rise to £20m, after he helped Ajax win the Eredivisie in the 2021/2022 season, his third at the club by the age of just 20.

Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic described him as ‘one of the biggest talents in Europe’ upon signing him, and so it was not a surprise to see him get a move to the Bundesliga giants.

The Latest: Arsenal interest, but staying at Bayern

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Graeme Bailey says that despite Arsenal being ‘linked’ with a move for Gravenberch this month, he will be staying at Bayern:

“Ryan Gravenberch will be staying at Bayern Munich this month. Arsenal and Liverpool linked, but summer signing is staying put.”

The Verdict: Setback for Arteta

It is a blow for Mikel Arteta’s side to lose out on a player who has so much promise in Gravenberch.

The central midfielder has struggled for regular game time at Bayern, where in his 18 appearances in all competitions, he has only started three times, with none of those coming in the Bundesliga (Transfermarkt).

There is no doubt that he has the talent though, ranking in the 94th percentile of all midfielders in Europe’s top leagues for touches per game, as well as in the 92nd for shots and 90th for non-penalty xG and progressive passes received (FBRef).

Nonetheless, the Gunners will have to focus on other targets, with both Ruben Neves and Youri Tielemans still thought to be on their list.

Wolves are resigned to the fact that star midfielder Ruben Neves will leave during the summer transfer window, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has claimed.

The Lowdown: Neves stays put last summer

At the end of last season, it looked almost certain that the Portuguese maestro would depart Molineux, even waving goodbye to supporters on the final day away to Liverpool.

Neves ended up staying put with the Wanderers, however, and he has continued to be a key figure this season, starting 19 Premier League games and scoring four goals.

Fresh rumours have continued to link him with a move away from Wolves, though, with a summer exit still feeling likely once again.

The Latest: Exit expected this time around

That’s certainly the opinion of Crook, who told Give Me Sport that he believes Neves will leave at the end of the campaign:

“Yeah, quite possibly. I think they’re certainly anticipating that Neves goes.”

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The Verdict: Hard to begrudge him

In truth, Wolves have done extremely well to keep Neves at the club for this long, considering what a special player he is, being hailed as ‘amazing’ by teammate Jose Sa.

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At 25, the 37-time capped Portugal international may feel that now is the time to leave as his peak years approach, especially if Barcelona come calling, as has been mooted.

If Neves does leave, the most important thing for Wolves is to spend the hefty amount of funds received wisely, ensuring they bring in a tailor-made replacement and also other signings who can aid Julen Lopetegui moving forward.

Everton manager Sean Dyche faces a brutal task in his Goodison Park debut on Saturday, and the former Burnley boss must focus his efforts on stopping Arsenal’s superstar skipper Martin Ødegaard.

The Lowdown: January disaster

After the sacking of Frank Lampard, Everton fans could have been forgiven for expecting to see some new faces coming through the door during the January transfer window.

Alas, the Toffees ended up as the only team in the Premier League not to make a single signing, despite selling Anthony Gordon, who has played over 1,000 Premier League minutes this season.

Dyche now faces an uphill battle with a squad even thinner than the one Lampard left behind, and his first test is welcoming Mikel Arteta’s red-hot Arsenal team to Merseyside in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The Latest: Ødegaard the key

While it’s fair to say the Gunners have more than a few threats – Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have seven top flight goals each – stopping Ødegaard is surely the new Everton boss’ priority. Arsenal have failed to win in each of Ødegaard’s three lowest-rated performances this season (Whoscored), and they are the only times they have dropped points.

The Norway captain is perhaps the most crucial cog in the Arteta machine, racking up eight goals and five assists on route to becoming one of the front-runners to be named PFA Player of the Year.

The last time these sides met, the 24 year-old, who has four goals and three assists in his last six league matches, scored in a 5-1 demolition job of the Blues in north London, creating five chances – just one less than the entire Everton team – and registering three shots, one successful dribble and a 100 per cent completion rate on long passes.

The Verdict: 4-5-1

One way to trouble the Gunners star is to pack the midfield by dropping an extra forward player when out of possession, similar to how Dyche used Ashley Barnes during his time at Turf Moor.

Setting up in a 4-4-2, either Barnes or Jay Rodriguez would come deep to effectively create a 4-5-1, allowing the two central midfielders to limit the space between themselves and the centre-backs while Chris Wood remained up front as an out ball (The Mastermind Site).

At Everton, Dyche should look at none other than Alex Iwobi for this role, given the Nigerian’s tireless work ethic and impressive versatility. He is capable of playing across the midfield or on either wing, and has been dubbed ‘exceptional’ by Franck Leboeuf for his form this season.

Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, averaging 2.6 and 2.1 tackles per game respectively, can focus their efforts on stifling Ødegaard, with Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil the likely candidates on the flanks to get balls into Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.

According to Whoscored, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton set up in exactly this system when they took points off Arsenal back in October, deploying a 4-4-2 with midfielder Joe Aribo playing in the ‘Barnes role’. Dyche can give Toffees fans a first impression to remember by replicating the Austrian’s game plan.

Wolverhampton Wanderers produced arguably their finest performance of the season by defeating a shellshocked Liverpool 3-0 at Molineux on Saturday, and the result reverberated around the Premier League, with the result a major statement of intent towards their relegation rivals that the Old Gold are ready to remain in the top flight.

Julen Lopetegui delivered a tactical masterclass against the Reds, and goals from Ruben Neves, Craig Dawson and a Joel Matip own goal surely has Jurgen Klopp fearing the worst for the rest of the season for his beleagured Liverpool side.

Despite signing the likes of Mario Lemina, Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha during the January transfer window, Saturday’s performance would suggest that capturing Dawson for a fee of just £3.3m could prove to be Lopetegui’s finest piece of business last month, and that he must be unleashed on a regular basis to save Wolves’ campaign.

The 6 foot 2 titan was thrust into action at the weekend as the 56-year-old gave him his club debut, and the defender didn’t let his boss down, delivering a stunning performance.

Displaying a striker’s instinct, he rifled the ball into the Liverpool net from inside the penalty box to give Wolves a two-goal advantage inside 12 months, and his defensive performance was superb.

He achieved a Sofascore rating of 7.6/10, ranking him as Wolves’ third-best performer on the day behind Max Kilman and Neves, while he took 59 touches and completed 89% of his passes during the match.

The 32-year-old made a staggering seven clearances, blocked two shots and made one tackle, also winning three duels, and his experience and physicality were crucial advantages which prevented Liverpool from finding the net.

Should the Molineux faithful be surprised at how well he performed, considering his vast defensive acumen and the fact he has been playing at the highest level for more than a decade? Although he didn’t enjoy the best of periods at West Ham United earlier this season, with a Sofascore rating of less than 7.0 for all but one of his final eight matches for the east London club, he was solid throughout 2021/22.

Across 34 Premier League appearances last term, Dawson won 56% of his duels and made 4.1 clearances, 0.9 interceptions and 0.9 tackles per game, ranking as the seventh-best performer in the West Ham squad.

David Moyes described him as a “warrior” following a Europa Conference League match against Silkeborg at the beginning of the season, and Lopetegui certainly seems to have pulled off a real bargain by securing the 32-year-old services for under £4m.

Saturday’s performance will give the Wolves manager some food for thought, and Dawson should now be unleashed on a regular basis as he could save his new club’s campaign and help them to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Leeds United target Marcelo Gallardo now appears to be open to the idea of taking over at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Offer rejected

Gallardo, who is currently out of work, recently received a proposal from Leeds, and by extension owner Andrea Radrizzani and Paraag Marathe, the president of investors 49ers Enterprises, who have the key say when it comes to managerial decisions.

ESPN journalist Jorge Baravalle stated on Twitter in the early hours of Thursday morning that the Argentine didn’t consider Leeds’ offer and subsequently turned it down as he would prefer to start a project in the summer.

However, it looks as if a move for the 47-year-old may not be completely out of the question following a fresh claim.

The Latest: Gallardo claim

D Sports Radio of Argentina took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to share an update on Gallardo and Leeds.

They claimed that the manager is on the shortlist at Elland Road and ‘would not mind coming to the English club’.

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The Verdict: U-turn?

It looks as if there still could be a chance of Leeds persuading Gallardo to make the move to Yorkshire mid-season. The former River Plate manager was extremely successful during his eight-and-a-half-year stay with River Plate, winning nine honours with the club.

He likes to play a 4-3-3 system, similar to another target in Arne Slot, with his system a possession-based style that builds from the back. Pep Guardiola hailed Gallardo as ‘incredible’ back in 2019, so Leeds may try their luck again with another Argentine after plenty of success working with Marcelo Bielsa.

Chelsea’s contract talks with midfielder Mason Mount are now facing collapse, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Mount’s future in doubt

Mount is currently contracted until June 2024, meaning the Blues risk losing him on a free transfer next summer if they are unable to tie him down to a new deal.

Dean Jones recently told GiveMeSport that a contact had relayed it should be a ‘matter of time’ before the 24-year-old extends his stay at Stamford Bridge, amid interest from Liverpool, but a new update indicates that talks have not progressed as well as first hoped.

The Latest: Talks face collapse

As per a report from Football Insider, an agreement is ‘further away than it’s ever been’, with talks now said to be facing collapse.

The two parties are said to be deadlocked in discussions after months of negotiating, with the Englishman left dissatisfied by the offers made to him so far.

The Verdict: Bad news…

Hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by former Chelsea star Joe Cole, the 36-time England international has been a very important player for the Blues across a number of seasons, making a minimum of 30 appearances in each of the previous three Premier League campaigns.

Last season was no doubt the Cobham academy graduate’s most impressive yet, registering 11 goals and ten assists in 32 top flight appearances, and his creative talents have been on show again this term, picking up four assists in the Champions League.

The maestro was benched for the recent 1-1 draw against West Ham United, with record-signing Enzo Fernandez starting as the star of the midfield, and so the Argentinian’s arrival may mean Mount will not be as essential going forward as he has been in the past.

However, his previous contributions indicate that he will still be an important player for Graham Potter, and the club should look to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen should be fit to play in the club’s next game amid an injury scare.

What’s the latest on Jarrod Bowen and his WHUFC injury?

Things have not been going well of late for the Hammers and their inconsistent form was well summed up on Sunday afternoon as they slumped to defeat in the Premier League.

Indeed, goals from Emerson Royal and Son Heung-min gave Tottenham Hotspur a comfortable 2-0 win which saw David Moyes’ men end the week inside the relegation zone.

On top of that, key winger Bowen suffered a knock after the defeat and while he did not come off, he appeared to finish the game in notable discomfort.

However, in an update on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed that the Englishman should be fine to play in the club’s next game.

He said: “Bowen received a knock at the end of the game against Spurs.

“Apparently he’s fine as well and should be available for Nottingham Forest.”

What does the Bowen injury news mean for West Ham?

After the game, his manager slammed the challenge that lead to Bowen’s injury noting that it should have been a yellow card. Moyes told the press: “I thought it was a poor decision that it wasn’t a yellow card. I thought it was very simple.

“This was a whack around the shins to me. I was a long way away, so I might be wrong but my first thought, and I’ve not had a chance to see it again, my first thought was it was a pretty clear booking.”

Seeing as the club have a big game against Nottingham Forest at home coming up this weekend, they’ll certainly hope to have Bowen fit. Indeed, a win would leave West Ham just two behind Steve Cooper’s men who are currently 13th in the league.

With that in mind, Moyes will no doubt be relieved to have his winger fit and ready for the game. After all, the 26-year-old has started every league game so far this term, scoring four times and proving two assists.

While the focus at Tottenham Hotspur at present will largely be on enjoying a positive end to the current campaign, there will also be one eye on how the squad could be revamped come the summer, as the Lilywhites look to kick on again next season.

Provided manager Antonio Conte remains at the club beyond the end of this term – amid doubts over his long-term future – one player that the experienced coach will be keen to work with is promising wing-back, Destiny Udogie, with the 20-year-old currently thriving out on loan at Udinese.

The Italian gem was signed by the north Londoners for an initial fee of around £15m last summer, although was subsequently loaned back to the Serie A side for the remainder of the season, hence the growing anticipation to finally see the defender in action at N17.

How is Destiny Udogie getting on at Udinese?

The former Hellas Verona man has enjoyed a hugely impressive season thus far with three goals and two assists from his 20 league appearances, having previously provided eight goal involvements last term in the top flight as a marker of his attacking quality.

That has ensured that the dynamic ace ranks in the top 2% among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals, as well as in the top 12% for successful take-ons and the top 20% for dribbles completed, proving himself a constant threat down the left flank.

The 6 foot 2 sensation has unsurprisingly received glowing praise as a result of that standout form over the past 18 months or so, having been described by manager Andrea Sottil as “one of the best full-backs in the League”.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke – in an interview with Football FanCast – has also provided an encouraging verdict of the Verona native’s talent, having suggested that Spurs may well have pulled off “smart business” by securing a deal last year.

Asked whether supporters should be excited ahead of Udogie’s return this summer, the transfer insider stated:

“Yeah, I think he’s really catching the eye in Italy as well with Udinese, he looks a real top talent. Obviously, Spurs moved early to get that deal done and that looks like a smart piece of business right now because I’m sure there’d be a lot of clubs who would be interested in the player”.

It does clearly look like an astute deal as the player is already potentially worth in the region of £26m – according to CIES Football Observatory – with that representing a notable increase on what Tottenham paid for his services back in August.

Could Udogie replace Ben Davies at Spurs?

The aim will be for Udogie to challenge Conte’s current options on the left flank, with that role being taken up by long-serving machine Ben Davies at present, with the Welshman having started in that wide berth in the recent wins over both West Ham United and Chelsea – notably registering an assist for Emerson Royal against the Irons.

The experienced Welshman – who joined the club from Swansea City back in 2014 – has featured as both a full-back and a centre-back throughout his time in the capital, recording a respectable return of eight goals and 24 assists in 300 games in all competitions.

That includes a tally of two goals and two assists in the Premier League this season – a record not too dissimilar to that of Udogie – with the 29-year-old having proven that he can provide quality service in the final third when required.

As such, with Ryan Sessesgnon frequently hampered by injury – and with veteran option Ivan Perisic not likely to be a long-term fit in the side – it could be Udogie who ultimately takes Davies’ place at left wing-back next season.

Whether it is Conte or a new face in the dugout for the 2023/34 campaign, they will certainly have a real diamond on their hands.

Some members of the media praised the performance of Bruno Guimaraes in spite of Newcastle United losing the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Heartbreak for Newcastle

It was heartbreak for Eddie Howe’s men as they went down 2-0 to Erik ten Hag’s side thanks to a Casemiro header and an own goal from Sven Botman in the first half.

The Magpies did not perform too badly, having much more possession than their opponents and recording 15 shots on goal (Sofascore), but ultimately it was not enough as the Red Devils emerged victorious.

The Latest: Bruno was ‘brilliant’ for Newcastle

Despite Newcastle’s defeat, some members of the media were full of praise for Guimaraes’ performance in particular, with The Independent journalist Miguel Delaney hailing him as a ‘brilliant’ midfielder, tweeting: “Bruno Guimaraes is even better live, must be said. A brilliant midfielder.”

Pundit Jamie Carragher said on co-commentary for Sky Sports (17:53) that the Brazilian was ‘really good’ and labelled him as ‘so important’ to Howe’s team.

The former Liverpool defender gushed: “Guimaraes has been really good today. You can see why he is so important to this Newcastle team.”

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The Verdict: Newcastle’s shining light

Guimaraes was the one shining light in what was an otherwise uninspiring performance from Newcastle at Wembley.

The 25-year-old won a player-high nine of his duels and also recorded three successful dribbles, three tackles and a 92% pass accuracy (Sofascore).

Put simply, Newcastle are a better team with him in it. The numbers prove as such – they have not won any of the six games that he has missed this season.

Nonetheless, the Toon must now put this defeat to one side and concentrate on the battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League, ultimately bringing with it a place in the Champions League for next season.