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The Mirror reported on Sunday that Southampton are looking to sign Birmingham City attacker Che Adams before Thursday’s transfer deadline, as backed up by The Daily Echo on Monday, and Saints fans have been quick to react to the rumour.

Despite sending out the likes of Steven Davis, Manolo Gabbiadini, Wesley Hoedt and Cedric Soares already this month, Ralph Hasehuttl is yet to sign a player for the south coast outfit, although it appears as though Adams is a target.

The Daily Echo report that the prolific 22-year-old, who has scored 14 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for the Championship club this season, as per Transfermarkt, is valued at around £10m, and his arrival would potentially see Charlie Austin leave before the window slams shut.

Should Adams arrive at St Mary’s he would likely be competing with the likes of Danny Ings, Nathan Redmond and Stuart Armstrong for an attacking spot in Hasenhuttl’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system to date, although he could also play up top with Ings in the 4-2-2-2 formation that the Austrian has preferred to use with his previous clubs in the past, according to Transfermarkt.

Southampton supporters have taken to social media to give their thoughts on the link with the former Sheffield United forward, and while one said “this would be a massive steal”, another simply said “love it”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

With Liverpool having scored more goals (39) in the Premier League than any other team so far this season, with five scored in the Carabao Cup and 15 in the Champions League, it’s safe to say that they are one of Europe’s most lethal attacking sides.

It seems as though the Reds have the opportunity to add another attacking talent to their squad for a cut-price fee.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Football Insider that Wolves could be willing to sell winger Adama Traore in the upcoming January transfer window for a fee of around £20m.

This has apparently put the Merseyside club on red alert as they were reportedly linked with a move for Traore during the previous summer transfer but were put off by Wolves’ asking price of £50m.

Since joining the Midlands club during the 2018 summer transfer window from Championship club Middlesbrough in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m, Traore has made a total of 145 appearances for Bruno Lage’s side across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

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Labelled in the past as “electric” by pundit Martin Keown, Traore may not have managed to grab a goal or assist in the Premier League so far this season, but he has still shown what a versatile attacking threat he is.

With 12 league appearances under his belt, Traore has managed to rack up an average of 1.4 shots per game and 1.2 key passes per game.

In June last year, OptaJoe shared a post on their official Twitter account calling the 25-year-old winger a “bulldozer” after revealing that  Traore had drawn 21 cards in the opposition half thanks to his dazzling dribbling skills.

Combine those attributes with the fact that Liverpool will be without two of their top goalscorers for a period in January when Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah take part in the upcoming AFCON tournament, Michael Edwards should definitely pounce on a possible £20m deal for Traore if Wolves would be willing to sell him to them in January.

If this did happen, Liverpool would not only be getting a talented and experienced Premier League star but a player that has the potential to grow and develop his game under Klopp for the next few years given his age.

With his frightening speed, incredible desire to beat opponents and the ability to make something out of nothing, he’d undoubtedly be a dream deal at a time where the Reds may be cut short of their attacking options.

In other news: FSG must avoid transfer calamity at Liverpool with “sensational” £27m-rated beast – opinion

Celtic are continuing their pursuit in their attempts to sign forward Daizen Maeda and midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, Anthony Joseph reports.

The Lowdown: Maeda and Ideguchi profiled

Maeda and Ideguchi are plying their trade in Japan’s J1 League, with the pair both regulars in 2021.

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Versatile striker Maeda, who can also play on the wing, has scored 23 times and has registered three assists in 40 appearances in all competitions for Yokohama F. Marinos.

Meanwhile, Ideguchi, who plays for Gamba Osaka, can turn out as a central or attacking midfielder and has made 41 appearances this calendar year.

The Hoops have been confident of signing Maeda since October, while links to Ideguchi have only just emerged, and Joseph has provided updates on the pair.

The Latest: Joseph’s tweet

Sky Sports reporter Joseph took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to share a number of Hoops updates.

One of those was on Maeda and Ideguchi, on which he said:

“Celtic are continuing their pursuit of Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda and Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.”

The Verdict: Nicholson not giving up

January looks set to be a busy first transfer window for interim CEO Michael Nicholson, and it seems as if he is doing everything he can to bring a number of Japanese stars to Scotland to join Kyogo Furuhashi.

Reo Hatate looks like he could be the first J1 League arrival in the New Year with the 24-year-old keen on a Parkhead swoop.

However, it seems as if Nicholson and co may need to work harder to make a breakthrough in any moves for Maeda and Ideguchi, with the pair possibly bolstering Postecoglou’s midfield and attacking ranks even further.

In other news: ‘Outstanding’ star may miss 4 games as Celtic issues worsen pre-Betis. 

An update has emerged regarding a transfer offer for Rangers full-back Borna Barisic.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Gers have rejected a £2m bid from English Premier League side Watford for the Croatian left-back.

The report claims that the offer was knocked back two weeks ago and that it would take a ‘significantly’ higher bid to convince them to part ways with the 29-year-old.

Fans will be delighted

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has averted a big Rangers disaster by not selling Barisic to Watford, especially for a mere £2m. Allowing the defender to exit would have left the club in a desperate position in the full-back areas, particularly with Nathan Patterson’s exit this week.

With Calvin Bassey emerging as a strong centre-back option for the Gers, James Tavernier and Barisic are the Dutchman’s only natural full-back options as it stands. Patterson had been providing cover on both flanks of late and the club may be forced to dip into the market to replace him, which illustrates how much of a problem it would have been to sell Barisic as well as the Scotland international.

Not only would it have created issues in terms of recruitment this month, it would also have weakened the team significantly, as the Croatian has proven his quality in the Premiership for the club.

Former Gers midfielder Alex Rae previously lauded the defensive monster, saying: “He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

Barisic has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.30 this season from left-back in the Premiership, providing two assists in the process. Last term, he averaged a score of 7.40 and racked up six assists as he created 2.2 chances per game for his teammates.

This shows that he has performed consistently over the past 18 months and is able to carry an attacking threat with his crossing from out wide. Therefore, Gers fans will be delighted that he appears set to remain at Ibrox after the club rejected Watford’s offer.

As we’ve outlined above, it would have been a disaster for Van Bronckhorst if Barisic had moved on from Glasgow this month, and the 46-year-old will surely be looking forward to having him in his team for the rest of the season, assuming there are no more twists in the transfer window. The Croatian is a key member of the champions’ line-up, and fans will surely be buzzing to keep him.

AND in other news, Jordan Campbell drops key Rangers transfer claim, Van Bronckhorst will be buzzing…

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Ludovic Ajorque to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato, who claimed that David Moyes and his Hammers transfer team are closely monitoring the Strasbourg centre-forward ahead of a potential swoop this month.

However, the report added that the Ligue 1 side will unlikely want to part with the 27-year-old in the current transfer window, although they could be tempted with an offer for the Frenchman at the end of the season.

Haller replacement

Since the £20m sale of Sebastien Haller last January, West Ham have been operating with only Michail Antonio as an out-and-out centre-forward, so it is clear to see that Moyes is in desperate need of a replacement for the Ivory Coast international this month.

When taking into account just how impressive Ajorque has been in France this season, in addition to the 6 foot 6 striker’s physical similarities to that of the 6 foot 3 Haller, the 27-year-old would very much appear to be a fantastic heir to the Ajax forward in the Irons’ squad.

Indeed, over his 18 Ligue 1 appearances in the current campaign, the £13.5m-rated marksman has been in exceptional form for Strasbourg, having already bagged 10 goals – with only Lille’s Jonathan David having scored more in the division – registered six assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.9 shots and making 1.3 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £14k-per-week forward average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.30, not only ranking him as his club’s best performer in the league, but also as the joint 10th-best player in the whole of Ligue 1.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the player who Strasbourg boss Julien Stephan dubbed a “complete” striker would make a brilliant addition to West Ham’s current attacking options, leading us to believe that Moyes and the Hammers board must do all they can to get a deal over the line for the 27-year-old this month.

In other news: Exciting “behind the scenes” West Ham transfer update emerges; fans will be buzzing

As per West Ham United correspondent Tom Clark, an update has emerged on the club’s transfer plans for Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Lowdown: Newman set for first transfer window…

After the Hammers confirmed his appointment in October, head of recruitment Rob Newman is soon set for his first transfer window in east London as he aims to back David Moyes.

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The former chief Manchester City scout, who arrived at the Irons with a stellar reputation, has already been linked with a host of new additions, as the possible signings of a new striker, centre-half and potentially Jesse Lingard become touted (Evening Standard).

Phillips, who is now open to moving away from Anfield next month, is said to be a target, with Clark now sharing an update on West Ham’s stance.

The Lowdown: Newman weighing up Phillips bid…

According to Clark in football.london, West Ham – and by extension the club’s transfer chief Newman – are exploring an offer to sign Phillips in the winter as they weigh up a bid.

The 24-year-old hasn’t been given many chances this season under Reds manager Jurgen Klopp despite proving capable during the 2020/21 campaign, leading to the defender eyeing a potential exit from Merseyside.

Liverpool are also believed to be ‘agreeable’ over a sale if their £15m valuation is met.

The Verdict: Get it done…

We believe that Phillips should stand out as a top centre-back target for Newman and Moyes given his age, affordable price tag, sell-on value, homegrown status and that he is already proven in the Premier League.

He even averaged more clearances per 90 in the top flight than any other Liverpool player last season whilst also winning by far the most aerial duels per match (WhoScored).

This indicates that he could be a stellar addition for the Irons amid their centre-back crisis, with injuries to both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna arguably making a new defensive addition a priority.

Hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, West Ham could hardly do better than Phillips, especially for just £15m.

In other news: ‘Buzzing’, ‘Steal’…West Ham fans rave as Newman eyes ‘absolute bargain’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Aston Villa are in a new era under Steven Gerrard and will be looking to capitalise on the opportunities which come with having such a high-profile leader manager at the club to attract new talent to Villa Park.

The Midlanders had a busy summer in the transfer window, securing some of the most exciting prospects in the Premier League including Danny Ings, Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey to name a few.

There was one player in whom Villa were speculated to take an interest over the summer and who would be a very interesting addition to see under the wing of Gerrard.

Curtis Jones was rumoured to have been on the radar of the Midlands club, with a £15m bid allegedly being prepared to offer to Liverpool for the young attacking midfielder, as it seemed he was out of favour in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI.

The £27m-rated beast has since played a part in a run of unbeatable form this season by the Merseyside giants which was only broken in their 11th Premier League game against West Ham, one in which the 20-year-old was not involved.

Former Liverpool midfielder Gerrard has spoken highly of the youngster in the past when he managed the Reds under-18s, where he dubbed Jones “a top talent”.

“This team is built around him. He’s a top talent and he’s a top player,” the 41-year-old said while working as Liverpool under-18 manager.

“It’s important he gets on the ball as much as he can because he makes us play. He’s got that quality to create something out of nothing.

“But it’s important we don’t get carried away. Curtis is doing really well, he’s improving all the time. He’s a great kid, he wants to work, he wants to learn, he’s a top, top talent.”

Jones possesses similar qualities to Gerrard as a player and has been compared to the newly-installed Villa manager by coaches at Liverpool, so the move would seem like the perfect match for the two Scousers to come together and develop the young midfielder’s game.

Johan Lange should make Jones his prime target this summer, as the youngster continues to prove that his attacking abilities are developing at Liverpool, with a goal and three assists so far this term. His potential is yet to be fully unlocked, something Gerrard would have no problem squeezing out with his experience in the youngster’s position.

Aston Villa and Gerrard will likely be looking for ways to improve their current Premier League form by potentially adding new players in the winter transfer window in a few weeks’ times, and Jones could yet be a renewed target for the club.

In other news: Gerrard could get Villa Park rocking by signing this ex-Liverpool winger

Tottenham Hotspur are not in active talks to sign Adama Traore this month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles, who delivered the bombshell to his ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast this week.

“I’ve just had a message from someone close to Adama who state that there are no active negotiations with Tottenham,” he claimed. 

Several outlets have suggested in recent days that Spurs were indeed in discussions with Wolverhampton Wanderers over a mid-season swoop for the £20m-rated wide man.

The Telegraph reported that the north Londoners were keen to land him on an initial loan deal, with an obligation to buy, whilst TEAMtalk suggested the club had offered as many as four first-team players in return as a bargaining chip.

Castles, who is as reliable as they come in terms of transfers, throws caution to the window with his intriguing claim.

This won’t go down well

The need for reinforcements to Antonio Conte’s squad has become ever so apparent this month.

Spurs’ inconsistent form continued as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by the Italian’s former club, Chelsea, in midweek and the boss alluded to just how far ahead the Champions of Europe were after the game.

“I think that in this moment we can’t compare the two situations, the Chelsea situation and the Tottenham situation. I think it’s not fair to compare the two situations, because it’s impossible to compare,” he said.

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By claiming that, he is suggesting that the task at hand in N17 is a massive one. The Blues have spent bid in recent windows and they are reaping the rewards for it. Meanwhile, the Lilywhites’ hierarchy have barely bolstered the playing squad at all.

Yes, they have paid some big-money fees, such as Tanguy Ndombele (£55m) and Giovani Lo Celso (£55m), but the bulk of the squad that let Mauricio Pochettino down still remain – Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo have come and gone in that time, too.

Traore has quickly emerged as a top target for both Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici and at £20m, it seems like a real bargain, considering his top-flight experience and suitability to the system. Indeed, he can play right wing-back or as a right inside-forward, and even up top.

The fact that Castles claims there are no ongoing talks is worrying and will surely anger much of the Spurs supporter base who have been ever so keen to see his signature.

It will also surely anger Conte as he knows that he needs additions and with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window, they have yet to conduct any business.

football.london reporter Alasdair Gold even suggested that there were fears the Italian head coach could walk if he doesn’t get the right players this month.

This latest bombshell will not go down well with many at Tottenham, that’s for sure. If Spurs aren’t in talks to sign Traore as some reports suggest, then what on earth are they up to? They must back Conte to the wall, and quickly.

AND in other news, Spurs suffer “real blow” ahead of Leicester clash after Arsenal postponement…

Danny Ings missed a big opportunity in Aston Villa’s Premier League defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe says. 

The lowdown

Villa fell to a fourth straight defeat in the Saturday evening clash following a hat-trick from Son Heung-min and a strike from Dejan Kulusevski.

But the 4-0 scoreline perhaps didn’t reflect the balance of the chances, with Villa forcing Hugo Lloris to make seven saves in the first half alone – the most by a Spurs keeper in the opening period since Opta records began in 2006/07.

Ings, who’s scored five goals for Villa in all competitions this season, returned to the starting line-up after missing last weekend’s defeat against Wolves (via Transfermarkt).

And the former Southampton man spurned a chance to level for his side when Ollie Watkins flick on fell to him on the left edge of the six-yard box and he fired his shot wide of the target.

The latest

Commentating on the match for Sky Sports, Hinchliffe said that he expected Ings to take the opportunity and bemoaned Aston Villa’s profligacy.

“A striker of his experience should be burying this,” he said.

“He just completely mistimes it. As the ball drops on the half-volley, he should be tucking it home, back across Lloris.”

He added: “He has a good view of the goal and he completely messes it up.

“He’s maybe under a bit of pressure from Emerson Royal but he should be scoring.

“How many chances are Villa going to miss?”

The verdict

Ings was on the pitch for 70 minutes before Steven Gerrard sent on Leon Bailey in his place, and he must have been frustrated as he left the field.

SofaScore defined the aforementioned opening as a ‘big chance’, and he might also have scored when Philippe Coutinho chipped a quick free-kick over the wall, only for the Englishman to fail to make clean contact.

The £19.8million-rated frontman only touched the ball 29 times – the lowest figure among Villa’s starting outfielders – but still could have made a decisive impact.

Three of his shots were blocked, and another two missed the target. Will Gerrard keep faith with the striker for the trip to Leicester City later this month?

In other news, Villa are willing to sell this sensation.  

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm clash in the Premiership.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via the official Celtic website), the Bhoys boss revealed that all players who left Parkhead for international duty over the last two weeks have returned to the club injury-free. He also suggested that he will only have one player unavailable for selection tomorrow afternoon (James Forrest) – something which means that Tom Rogic is now back in contention for a place in the 56-year-old’s matchday squad.

Regarding the current state of his squad, Postecoglou said: “In terms of injuries, everyone has got through the international window well.”

Good news for Celtic

Although Rogic’s fine level of form has fallen off somewhat in recent weeks, it is nevertheless fantastic news for Celtic that the midfielder will be available for selection in what is undoubtedly a season-defining Old Firm clash on Sunday.

Indeed, over his 25 Premiership appearances so far this term, the £1.35m-rated Australia international has bagged five goals, provided six assists and created nine big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.8 shots and making 1.7 key passes per game. These returns have seen the £21.5k-per-week dynamo average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, it is clear to see that the presence of Rogic, even if is just on the bench, will come as a massive boost to Celtic’s chances of taking all three points back to Parkhead tomorrow afternoon – a result which could just decide where the league title ends up next month.

AND in other news – £3m wasted: Celtic had a shocker on £7.9k-p/w “loner” who rinsed Desmond for 129 weeks