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Recent reports have suggested that Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is seeking to bolster his attacking options with the signing of a new centre-forward in January, with the title-winning coach seemingly keen on providing further competition to the current duo of Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Despite that search for a new striker, the 57-year-old could well be better served turning to the Parkhead outfit’s academy for further firepower, with teenage gem Joey Dawson once such talent who could well be deserving of a greater role in the first-team.

The 19-year-old – who is the nephew of former Tottenham Hotspur defender Michael Dawson – has featured just once for the Hoops at senior level to date, with that solitary outing having come as a second-half substitute against St Johnstone on Boxing Day last year.

The Englishman has been unable to build on that early foray into the first-team ranks, although has more than shown his quality for the Old Firm side’s ‘B’ team of late, scoring six goals in just seven Lowland League games so far this season.

That impressive tally includes a brace in the recent 4-4 draw with Caledonian Braves at the weekend, with the youngster seemingly hoping to have caught the eye of Postecoglou ahead of the Hoops’ return to competitive action next month.

The exciting talent – who was signed from Scunthorpe just over a year ago – will likely be hoping to emulate the impact of compatriot Gary Hooper at Paradise, with the latter man having also made the move to Glasgow from the Irons back in 2010.

While the Harlow-born ace may well have been a slightly more experienced asset than Dawson at the time of his £2.4m move from England, the striker’s tale should well be a source of encouragement as far as the promising gem is concerned.

After previously bagging 50 goals in 95 games prior to joining the Bhoys, Hooper went on to continue that scintillating form under Neil Lennon’s tutelage, notably netting 20 goals in just 26 Scottish Premiership games in his debut campaign.

That stunning hot streak would continue over the next few years as the 5 foot 9 menace – whom Lennon dubbed “world-class” – went on to score 82 goals and lay on 30 assists in just 138 games in all competitions for the club.

The former non-league star was a truly prolific asset during his stint at Celtic Park, with such heroics ultimately sealing a move to Norwich City on a £5m deal in 2013, albeit with that departure having proven somewhat unsuccessful as the 34-year-old now plies his trade in Cyprus after stints in both New Zealand and India.

In any case, Hooper remains something of a cult figure in Glasgow due to his stellar showings for the club, with the aim now for Dawson to try and recreate such form should he be handed a chance in Postecoglou’s ranks.

On the evidence of his form in the ‘B’ team, the youth asset certainly knows where the goal is…

Crystal Palace are interested in a potential move for Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh, according to Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Drameh profiled

The 20-year-old has been on the books with Leeds since 2020. During that time, the full-back has made seven senior appearances at Elland Road, while also enjoying a successful loan spell in the Championship with Cardiff City.

He won the Young Player of the Season award as well as the Player of the Season in south Wales, despite only joining on loan for the second half of the season.

Drameh was hailed as ‘excellent’ by former Cardiff manager Steve Morison, and it looks as if Dougie Freedman and Patrick Vieira are looking at a possible swoop for the Leeds youngster.

The Latest: Palace interested in Drameh

Bailey was speaking to TEAMtalk regarding Drameh, claiming that a new contract with Leeds is looking unlikely. He then added what heh as been ‘told’ regarding multiple interested clubs, which include Palace.

The reporter started: “Drameh has just over 18 months left on his deal, and he knows of the interest in him which is widespread. There are clubs all over who seen Drameh as an option.

“Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace see him as one for the future, whilst there are the likes of Middlesbrough and Norwich in the Championship who I am told also like him.

“However, the 20-year-old does have options abroad – I am told that the options are plentiful and not just Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig but from clubs in France and Italy too.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Palace’s current right-back options are Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne, both of whom are over the age of 30 and out of contract at the end of the season.

Therefore, Freedman and Vieira need to look at the long-term picture when it comes to their right-back ranks, with Drameh potentially the answer.

However, you’d expect that the Eagles may need to guarantee the youngster first-team football relatively quickly, especially with a number of clubs across Europe showing an interest.

Manchester United are interested in a deal to bring Alejandro Balde to Old Trafford.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite Barcelona being in talks with the left-back regarding the extension of his current deal at the Camp Nou – which is set to expire in the summer of 2024 – the 19-year-old could be tempted by a move away due to the Catalan club’s ongoing financial difficulties.

The report adds that the defender’s contract situation could possibly open the door to a move for the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain – with both the Premier League and Ligue 1 giants believed to be keeping a close eye on the Spain international.

Indeed, Mundo Deportivo claim that United could ‘tempt’ Balde with ‘succulent offers’ should Barca be unable to offer the teenager a suitable deal. It is also suggested that the full-back has admitted that he ‘would like to play’ for the Red Devils one day – something which could worry Barcelona in their negotiations.

The next Fati

Considering just how exciting a prospect Balde very much appears to be, it is not difficult to understand why Erik ten Hag would be interested in a deal to bring the left-back to Old Trafford were the opportunity to arise.

Indeed, over his 12 La Liga appearances so far this season, the £13m-rated talent has been in scintillating defensive form, having helped Barca to keep six clean sheets, in addition to making 1.4 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 0.4 clearances and winning 3.7 duels (at a success rate of 57%) per game.

The £2.7k-per-week sensation has also impressed going forwards, having already registered three assists and created three big chances for his team-mates, along with making 0.7 key passes, taking 0.5 shots and completing 45.8 passes (92% success rate) per match.

These returns have seen the “wonderkid” – in the words of Ibukun Aluko – average a very impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.07, currently ranking the teenager as Xavi’s 11th-best performer in La Liga – a rather remarkable feat considering his tender age.

Furthermore, as a result of Balde’s explosive, dynamic and attack-minded style of play at left-back, it is easy to see why the youngster has already earned comparisons to the likes of Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Juventus’ Alex Sandro. Meanwhile, Sport previously dubbed the defender as Barcelona’s ‘other Ansu Fati’, a reference to the 20-year-old who is currently valued at £43m.

As such, not only could a United swoop for Balde sort out the Red Devils’ left-back berth for many a year to come, it could also see the club discover a talent with a comparative ability to Fati. That is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with Manchester United.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Ben Brereton Diaz in the January transfer window and the Blackburn Rovers star could be the Eagles’ next Glenn Murray at Selhurst Park.

According to 90min, Palace are one of several Premier League sides to have scouted the 23-year-old frontman ahead of the winter transfer window, after his superb performances for club and country in recent years.

Last season saw the former Nottingham Forest man notch 22 goals in the Championship for the Ewood Park outfit as they narrowly missed out on the playoffs, and he looks to be aiming for automatic promotion with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s high-fliers this time around, having already hit nine league goals this term.

While it may be tough to prise Brereton Diaz away from the Lancashire club, as they currently sit third in the second tier ahead of its resumption this weekend, his contract situation could force Blackburn’s hand.

The Chile international is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning that foreign clubs are free to approach him on a pre-contract deal in January, so Blackburn may well be tempted to cash in on him to a Premier League side in January.

Other than Wilfried Zaha, Patrick Vieira lacks a consistent goalscorer at Selhurst Park, so it is easy to see why he would want to bring the “extraordinary” Brereton Diaz to the Premier League next month, given his goalscoring record in recent campaigns.

His ability in front of goal suggests that he could emulate Palace legend Glenn Murray should he join Vieira’s side in the January window.

Murray signed for the Eagles from rivals Brighton in 2011 and after hitting just seven goals in his first campaign, he exploded in the 2012/13 campaign and helped fire Palace to promotion to the Premier League, scoring a record-breaking 30 goals in the Championship.

That record would stand until 2021 when it was eclipsed by Ivan Toney, which emphasises just how impressive Murray was at Selhurst Park, and his 47 total goals for the Eagles means he will always be fondly remembered by fans.

Like Murray, Brereton-Diaz is known for his clinical finishing in front of goal, so there seems no reason why he can’t create a similar legacy to the Englishman at Selhurst Park should he join from Blackburn Rovers in the new year.

While Erling Haaland has stolen the headlines for Manchester City so far this season, their acquisition of Julian Alvarez is looking increasingly like a superb piece of business as he continues to shine at the World Cup.

The 22-year-old forward joined from River Plate in a deal worth £14.1m but has struggled for regular starts under Pep Guardiola so far this season, with the form of Haaland meaning that he was never likely to start many games up front.

However, he has still contributed seven goals and two assists in all competitions for the Citizens so far this term and has caught the eye in his Champions League appearances, averaging an impressive 7.13 rating from WhoScored.

The fee that City paid was always likely to be a bargain when you consider that Alvarez managed a phenomenal haul of 54 goals and 31 assists in just 122 appearances for River Plate, but his superb form at the World Cup has hammered home just how well Txiki Begiristain did to sign him for the Citizens.

In six appearances in Qatar, ‘El Aranita’ has netted four goals for Lionel Scaloni’s side, including a brace in their 3-0 win against Croatia in the semi-finals earlier this week, which sets up an exciting final against France on Sunday.

During his thus far brief time at the Etihad Stadium, Alvarez’s Transfermarkt value has already risen to €32m (£27.7m), which represents a 95% increase on the fee that City paid to bring the Argentine sensation to England earlier this year.

Given his superb World Cup performances, that valuation is only likely to increase further during his time with the club, and if City do sell the striker in future, it seems almost certain that they will make a significant profit on him.

Guardiola will certainly have been keeping a close eye on Alvarez’s form in Qatar and might consider unleashing the 22-year-old more often in the Premier League, perhaps alongside Haaland, when he does return from international duty.

Either way, it seems clear from the Argentine’s World Cup form and increased valuation that Txiki delivered yet another transfer masterclass when bringing Alvarez to Manchester City this year.

Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Chilean winger Paolo Guajardo in January, with the Black Cats seemingly looking to repeat their summer signing of Jewison Bennette.

According to Transfermarkt and reports from Chile, the Wearside club are interested in signing the Santiago Wanderers gem in next month’s transfer window.

The report claims that two of Chile’s biggest clubs, Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile, have already begun negotiations with Wanderers over a deal for Guajardo, but his destiny could lie in the northeast of England.

Since their promotion back to the Championship, it seems as if Sunderland have dramatically expanded their scouting range and are now looking afar for exciting young talents such as Guajardo and Bennette.

The Costa Rica international arrived at the Stadium of Light from CS Herediano in August, signing a four-year deal, and has already caught the eye in his limited appearances so far, scoring a memorable equaliser against Watford earlier in the season.

Considering that former Black Cats Alex Neil labelled the 18-year-old a “huge talent” upon his arrival at Sunderland, it seems that he has already proven to be a success with the club and could go on to be sold for big money in the future if he can impress in the Championship.

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Therefore, it is easy to see why Sunderland are seemingly targeting another young Latin American winger in the shape of Guajardo, who is certainly making his mark in Chile’s Primeira B this season with Santiago Wanderers, notching five goals and one assist in just 12 league appearances.

He could yet be needed in January if Manchester United exercise their recall option on Amad Diallo after his recent strong form for Tony Mowbray’s side.

Guajardo is yet to be capped for Chile’s senior team in the same way that Bennette has for Costa Rica, with the latter featuring at the World Cup in Qatar recently, but the Sunderland target is a Chile U20 international and appears to have a lot of potential considering his performances so far this year.

Therefore, if a deal can be struck with Santiago Wanderers to bring Guajardo to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland could find themselves with two hugely exciting young wingers from the Americas.

Tottenham Hotspur once again came back from a losing position to secure a point in a 2-2 draw with Brentford on Monday afternoon, a trait that Antonio Conte will undoubtedly be hoping for his side to lose over the remainder of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Indeed, as has been so often the case so far this season, Spurs found themselves behind heading into the break, with Vitaly Janelt’s 15th-minute strike giving the Bees the lead before Ivan Toney looked to have given his side a fantastic chance of going on to secure their first win over Tottenham since 1948 by doubling their advantage 54 minutes into the match.

However, a 65th-minute Harry Kane header pulled the visitors back into the fixture, before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg completed the comeback just six minutes later, with the Denmark international curling a wonderful strike beyond a helpless David Raya between the Brentford sticks on the 71-minute mark.

And, while the north London outfit were unable to go on and find a winner at the Gtech Community Stadium, the performance of Hojbjerg in the middle of the park will undoubtedly have been a huge positive for Conte, as the 27-year-old once again proved himself to be one of the club’s most important players against the Bees.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £61.5m-rated midfielder was spectacular in possession of the ball, enjoying 89 touches – the most of any player in the match – completing 61 of his 68 attempted passes – a success rate of 90% – and making three key passes, as well as playing two long balls, completing one cross and being successful with two dribbles.

The £100k-per-week midfielder also impressed while doing the dirty work, making three tackles, one interception and two clearances, in addition to winning six of his ten duels – a success rate of 60%.

These metrics saw the 27-year-old average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.90 – the highest of any player to feature in the match – while football.london journalist Alasdair Gold also awarded the Dane a joint match-best seven in his own player ratings, in addition to stating of his performance:

“Janelt ghosted in behind him to score for Brentford in the first half. Started the game sluggishly but got better as it wore on and levelled the scores with a perfect curling effort inside the left-hand post.”

As such, considering the fact that Hojbjerg currently ranks as Conte’s third-best performer in the Premier League so far this term, it would indeed appear as if the midfielder is having a “very underrated season” – in the words of journalist Sam Tabuteau – something that the 27-year-old’s match-running display against Brentford only proved further.

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that West Ham United manager David Moyes wanted to sign Kalvin Phillips in the past and so a loan could possible be on the cards this winter.

What’s the latest?

During the summer, the England midfielder moved to Manchester City from Leeds United in a transfer that was reported to cost £45m.

However, since then, things have not exactly worked out for the 27-year-old as he has made just one Premier League appearance all season.

With the January window now open, rumours have sparked suggesting that West Ham have reignited their interest in Phillips and could make a move for him.

While speaking about it all on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed that Moyes genuinely wanted the player in the past and so if he is available then this could be something to keep an eye out for.

He said: “Kalvin Phillips is someone that West Ham, David Moyes especially, 100 per cent rates.

“I know categorically, factually, that we spoke about signing him in the summer, and he was someone – and in January, before that – that we really, really wanted.

He added: ”So there’s definitely truth that David Moyes likes Kalvin Phillips. Whether he’s available, I don’t know.

“A loan deal could potentially be on offer if Man City are prepared, and then I think we’d be interested.”

Rice replacement?

It certainly does seem as though Phillips has struggled to win over manager Pep Guardiola. On top of his lack of regular game time, the Spaniard also questioned the midfielder’s fitness after he returned from the World Cup, suggesting that he was ‘overweight’.

On top of that, West Ham may well be in the market for a new central midfielder with Declan Rice expected to leave the club in the summer.

However, it remains unclear if Phillips could be on the move this winter but perhaps in the summer, a swap deal could be arranged between the two clubs. This would certainly soften the blow for the Irons if their captain was to depart.

For now, it’s definitely something to keep a watchful eye on.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Glasgow Rangers could sign transfer target Nicolas Raskin for a ‘relatively cheap fee’ in this window.

The Lowdown: Back on radar

It was reported last week that Raskin is back on Rangers’ radar after being ‘pushed aside’ by his club, Standard Liege.

As per The Scottish Sun, Raskin looks set to leave the Belgian club in January as his relationship with them has broken down, and he is being forced to train on his own and with the B-team by his manager and former Celtic boss Ronny Deila.

The Latest: Could sign on cheap

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that the Ibrox outfit could now sign Raskin for a ‘relatively cheap fee’, amid their need for midfielders with the season-ending injury to Steven Davis:

“They’ll need midfielders now with Steven Davis’ injury so that need has been increased.

“Raskin has been a long-term target for Rangers, they’ve monitored and tracked him for quite a while and it does seem he will be leaving Standard Liege after a big fall out there over his contract, so they could get him for a relatively cheap fee in January.“

The Verdict: Get it done?

Michael Beale’s side may have reservations over Raskin’s attitude in terms of whether they should make a move for him, but there is no doubting his quality.

Lauded as ‘monstrous’ and a ‘leader’ by Deila before their fallout, he has played nearly 100 games in Belgian football by the age of just 21, scoring five goals and making 13 assists (Transfermarkt).

Journalist Bob Faesen has also noted how ‘technically gifted‘ he is, while singling him out for his work-rate and claiming that he can play in every position in the middle of the park.

Nonetheless, Raskin would provide sufficient cover in the absence of Davis, and if they could sign him on the cheap, it could turn out to be a real bargain for the Gers.

Wolves are looking to sign Coventry City forward Viktor Gyokeres but will need ‘some really good negotiating’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Cunha in

Julen Lopetegui has already bolstered his attacking ranks at Molineux by bringing in Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian has arrived on an initial loan move from Atletico Madrid, although the transfer will become permanent in the summer.

The 23-year-old made his debut in the Premier League against Aston Villa on Wednesday, and it seems as if further attacking reinforcements are on the radar for the Old Gold.

The Latest: Gyokeres next?

Jones was speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Wolves and Gyokeres and if he is a genuine target at Molineux. He iterated that the recent rumours on the forward are true but warned that talks could prove tricky over the coming weeks.

When asked if the Swede was a genuine target for Jeff Shi and Wolves, the journalist replied: “Yeah, he is actually. They have moved into the picture for that signing.

“I’ve heard quite a bit around it, actually, and I’d say the one thing it’s going to take from Wolves’ point of view is some really good negotiating.”

The Verdict: Needed?

Gyokeres has been in fine form for the Sky Blues this season, scoring 12 goals in 25 Championship games. Labelled as ‘unbelievable’ by Coventry manager Mark Robins, the Sweden international has the highest shot accuracy amongst the top scorers in the English second tier at 69%.

Wolves have had their struggles in front of goal, netting just 11 times in 18 Premier League games so far this term, so adding another forward alongside Cunha could be beneficial.

Gyokeres may well be that man, but Molineux officials will need to be on their game should they enter discussions with Coventry.