The Daily Mail’s northeast reporter Craig Hope has revealed that Jonjo Shelvey has not had his one-year contract extension activated at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 30-year-old’s contract at St James’ Park is set to expire next summer, with the option of a one-year extension.

The midfielder has recently been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a calf injury and had also struggled with a hamstring problem earlier this season.

The Latest: Extension not activated

Taking to Twitter, Hope has revealed that Shelvey’s one-year extension on his contract has not been activated amid his latest injury setback, which suggests that he could leave Newcastle once it expires.

The journalist tweeted: “Jonjo Shelvey now facing 6-8 weeks out with calf injury. As far as I understand, his one-year contract extension has not yet been activated.”

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The Verdict: Time to go?

There is no doubt that Shelvey has been a great servant under Eddie Howe, who labelled the 30-year-old a ‘huge player’ for him having been a regular under the Newcastle boss last season, even being given the captain’s armband on occasion (Transfermarkt).

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However, he has picked up far too many injuries over the years, and at 30, his best footballing years are probably behind him now.

Nonetheless, the Magpies can already call upon the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Joe Willock in Shelvey’s position, or alternatively sign another midfielder if they feel that one is needed.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Julen Lopetegui is reportedly set to target a score of January signings to bolster the squad and stave off the threat of relegation…

What’s the word?

Having evicted Bruno Lage from the managerial role and replaced him with the esteemed Lopetegui in November, Wanderers owner Jeff Shi is moving with conviction to secure the club’s future in the Premier League, having already completed the signing of Matheus Cunha on loan with the obligation to buy for £44m from Atletico Madrid. 

And now, according to French reporter Saber Desfarges, the Midlands outfit could be set to swoop for OGC Nice midfielder Mario Lemina.

He said: “Wolverhampton would like to secure the services of Mario Lemina (OGC Nice) this winter.

“First offer, of nearly €5m (£4.5m), refused by the Gym.”

Neves heir

Having previously played for Southampton in the English top-flight, the 29-year-old Lemina boasts a wealth of experience already, and could provide security and stability within the Wolves midfield, making a marked improvement on performances that have left the club 18th in the division after 17 matches.

Having made 52 appearances for Saints since arriving at the outfit in a club-record deal of £18m in 2017, the ace enjoyed two seasons at St. Mary’s before falling out of favour, earning a couple of loan moves including a successful spell with Fulham in the 2020/21 campaign.

During that term, the Gabonese gem recorded an average rating of 6.85 despite the Cottagers falling foul to the drop-zone to the Championship, excelling in his industrious role and completing 84% of his passes, averaging 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match, while also succeeding with 70% of his dribbles and 54% of his total duels. 

And as per FBref, the 25-cap star ranks within the top 4% of midfielders across Europe’s major leagues for tackles, the top 6% for clearances and the top 7% for blocks, while also perching within the top 13% for pass completion – indicating a vigorous mentality that will serve the relegation-threatened Wolves very well.

He could adopt the responsibilities of Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has etched his name into Molineux folklore since arriving while the club still plyed their trade in the second-tier, arriving from FC Porto in a £15m deal.

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Neves may be more of a maestro with the brilliance of his passing and the innovation of his transitional play, also a brilliant striker of the ball, but with Lopetegui looking to bring in signings to boost the offensive ranks, Lemina could prove to be a shrewd acquisition, sweeping the opposing advances away like a broom, dispatching the attackers like litter.

Reports in recent months state that Neves could be set for a January exit, and while he would demand a high fee, a move for Lemina could remedy the hole left in the Portuguese ace’s wake and leave coins in the purse for further moves.

The assurance of the “powerhouse” in the centre – as once lauded by BBC Sport’s Garth Crooks – would act as a centrepiece for positivity to stretch its clutches into enemy territory, consequently giving Wolves the requisite tools to return to prominence in the Premier League once again.

Manchester United are among the bunch of suitors circling around AS Monaco for centre-back Axel Disasi…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, United boss Erik ten Hag is mulling over a move for the young colossus, with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United also both touting the defender, with a report from Foot Mercato earlier this season stating that a fee of £44m would be required to prise him away from Monaco.

However, the 24-year-old’s name raised to the tip of the rumour mill at a time when uncertainty bubbles concerning the future of Harry Maguire at Old Trafford, although the report continues to state that Ten Hag is against letting the £80m defender leave this winter.

A deal for the young titan could be complicated, though, by Chelsea’s recent acquisition of Benoit Badiashile, who signed earlier this week in a £35m swoop, with Monaco unlikely to be content with letting two promising positional peers both slip away during the same transfer window.

Dias 2.0

Signing for Monaco from fellow French outfit Reims in the summer of 2020, Disasi has since made 105 appearances, scoring nine goals and serving four assists.

His all-encompassing aura as a modern centre-back is a testament to the tremendous training setup oj which the Monegasques pride themselves, bringing a wealth of talented players through the ranks with every passing year.

As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old has recorded an average rating of 7.03 in Ligue 1 this term, impressing with his 83% passing accuracy and 0.4 key passes per match. He is also formidable with his defensive pedigree by making 1.2 tackles, two interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game.

This robust, “powerful” approach has been previously lauded by former Paris FC under-19 coach Mathieu Lacan, who previously waxed lyrical about Disasi’s composed and athletic nature.

He said: “In his very first match for us, he impressed me with his serenity, the way in which he was calm but also so powerful. I could see he had huge potential. Besides his athletic qualities he was very mature for his age.”

At United, he could be the latest gem to be deployed into a star-studded system, exhibiting the full range of attributes indeed required to truly become a star performer at the Theatre of Dreams.

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He could emulate the impact of Ruben Dias at crosstown rivals Manchester City, with the Portuguese ace signing for the Sky Blues in a £65m deal in September 2020 and instantly standing out with his defensive acumen, picking up the Premier League title and the 2020/21 PFA Player of the Year award.

As per FBref, Dias is one of the most comparable players to Disasi, with the latter ranking within the top 3% of defenders for assists, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 15% for interceptions – indicating an attack-minded mentality which will suit Ten Hag’s fluid, positive philosophy to a tee.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig also once heralded the player for his “dominant” approach, and this assertiveness would likely grow even further with a move to the Red Devils.

Tottenham Hotspur are now not far from agreeing deals for Sporting CP duo Pedro Porro and Marcus Edwards, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Tottenham chasing duo

Tottenham’s interest in Porro has been clear for some time, and it recently transpired that Daniel Levy was considering paying the release clause for the right-wing back, which is believed to be around £40m.

The Lilywhites are seemingly planning a real raid on the Portuguese club, as former youth player Edwards is also in their sights, a deal that is made easier by the fact that they will get a 50% discount on his £52m release clause.

The Latest: Getting closer…

According to a report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Spurs are now ‘not far’ off meeting Sporting’s demands, given that they are currently offering around £61m for the pair.

With Sporting said to be holding out for £66m, a double deal could now be close, and Fabio Paratici is getting closer to simply meeting both release clauses, which would give the Liga Portugal side no real choice but to sell.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Even though Tottenham may have made the wrong choice letting Edwards leave in the first place, the 50% sell on clause they are owed means that they can still get him for a bargain price, given his recent exploits.

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by football writer Joe Prince-Wright for his performance against Spurs in the Champions League, the attacking midfielder has a combined 18 goals and assists in 25 games this season, including four in Europe, while he has also displayed his versatility by playing across the front three.

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It is no secret that Antonio Conte has been unhappy with his right-wing back options this season, and Porro would be a major improvement on Emerson Royal, predominantly specialising in his attacking play, as indicated by an average of 4.58 shot-creating actions per 90 over the past year, in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers.

Given that only around £5m is currently preventing the double deal from going through, Levy should move swiftly to complete the signings, before another club gets there first.

Scottish champions Celtic surged their way into the League Cup final with a hard-fought victory over Kilmarnock on Saturday evening, with striker Giorgos Giakoumakis sealing the win in stoppage time to spark jubilant scenes among the Hoops faithful at Hampden Park.

Despite that late strike – which came following an earlier, fortuitous effort from Daizen Maeda – there remains lingering speculation regarding the future of the Greek international, with interest seemingly mounting in the 28-year-old at present.

That has left the Old Firm outfit seeking a possible replacement to help provide stern competition to Kyogo Furuhashi in attack, with Football Scotland’s Mark Hendry claiming that Polish starlet, Szymon Włodarczyk, is one player that the Parkhead giants have shown an interest in of late.

The 20-year-old marksman – who is said to be valued at around £3.5m – has been in rampant form for current side Gornik Zabrze so far this season, having scored seven goals in just 15 league appearances for the Ekstraklasa side.

Lauded as “one of the most talented young players in Poland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 2 ace had previously shone during his time with Legia Warsaw’s reserve side, scoring 25 goals in just 43 games.

That finishing prowess has unsurprisingly sparked comparisons to compatriot Robert Lewandowski, with journalist Fabrizio Romano having stated as much after also revealing that there is interest from the Glasgow side:

“Szymon Wlodarczyk this young striker playing for Gornik Zabrze is a very talented boy. I’m told that there in Poland you consider him as a potential young Lewandowski already with seven goals and it could be double at the end of the season.

“So very good talent. I’m told that some clubs are exploring a move for him including Anderlecht, Celtic and also Freiburg. But some Serie A club also moving for the summer. So let’s see what happens. Between January and the summer but he’s one to watch for sure.”

That comparison with the current Barcelona man bodes well as far as Postecoglou and co are concerned, with the 34-year-old having proven himself a truly lethal presence in front of goal for both club and country over the years.

The 6 foot 1 hotshot – who also turned out for Legia Warsaw II during his early career – first came to wider attention after trading his homeland for life in Germany in 2010, going on to score 103 goals in just 187 games for Borussia Dortmund.

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That rampant form continued following his subsequent switch to Bayern Munich, with the 138-cap menace – who has 78 international goals to his name – recording a mammoth haul of 344 goals in 375 games for the Bavarian giants.

Such form has ensured that the Camp Nou talisman now has 528 club career goals in 697 games to date, with it seemingly a glowing assessment of Włodarczyk’s talent to have been likened to such a proven powerhouse.

With Celtic having reportedly opted against landing Lewandowski for a measly fee of just £1.3m back in 2009, chief Peter Lawwell must simply avoid making the same mistake again and snap up his young compatriot this month.

Wolverhampton Wanderers appear close to securing their third signing of the January transfer window as Julen Lopetegui continues to strengthen his squad…

What’s the news?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolves look set to complete a deal for Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Pablo Sarabia in the next few days, with the Old Gold’s move for Joao Gomes also seemingly close to completion.

The Italian tweeted on Sunday: “Brazilian midfielder João Gomes will fly to England in the next hours in order to undergo medical tests and sign as new Wolverhampton player. Here we go, it’s confirmed.

“Wolves will pay €17m to Flamengo — also Pablo Sarabia deal will be sealed next week.”

It’s unclear as whether or not Sarabia will join permanently or on a loan deal but with his contract not expiring until 2024, the Molineux outfit could secure the player for a bargain price.

It would be a huge coup

The January transfer window is beginning to shape up quite well for Wolves, with Lopetegui having already signed Matheus Cunha and Mario Lemina, with Gomes seemingly ‘confirmed’ and now Sarabia set to follow.

The 56-year-old will now have a plethora of midfield options at his disposal and Premier League survival should now be achieved if everything can click into gear for the Old Gold.

Sarabia will bring a winning mentality to the squad, having won a host of major honours at PSG. However, the £92k-per-week dynamo has struggled for game-time this season in the French capital, playing just 362 minutes of league football, although he did show his class whilst on loan at Sporting Lisbon last term.

The 30-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.37/10 across 29 appearances in Portugal as he scored an impressive 15 goals and registered six assists to show that he can still perform at the highest level. He also created 14 big chances and made 2.1 key passes per match, and this sort of creative output is what Lopetegui is craving, so Sarabia would be a welcome addition at Wolves.

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With Joao Moutinho’s influence waning this season, registering just two assists so far in 2022/23, and the future of Ruben Neves uncertain amid interest from Liverpool, signing someone of Sarabia’s quality could be a masterstroke by the manager.

The Spaniard has scored 101 goals and registered 80 assists throughout his senior club career, and these numbers should increase handsomely if he is slotted into the Wolves midfield. Lopetegui’s team should certainly move well clear of danger with him in their starting XI.

Manchester United are unlikely to sign Ajax and Ghana star Mohammed Kudus currently but they have sent scouts to watch him in action, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Kudus shining for club and country

The 22-year-old has become a highly sought-after player in recent times, with his performances for club and country catching the eye hugely.

Kudus was particularly impressive at the 2022 World Cup, scoring twice in three appearances for Ghana and averaging 3.3 dribbles per game from midfield. Only three players – Kylian Mbappe, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala – mustered more dribbles per game in Qatar.

United have been linked with a move for Kudus recently, but a fresh update isn’t the most positive, in that respect.

The Latest: United update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that the Red Devils have scouted Kudus but there are no talks over a move currently:

“At the moment, I’m told that there are no negotiations. I think we have these rumours because Manchester United scouts, as many others from the Premier League, four or five clubs from the Premier League, sent their scouts to follow Mohamed Kudus at the World Cup, with Ajax.”

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The Verdict: One for the summer?

This is a disappointing update from a United perspective, with Kudus someone who could give Erik ten Hag’s squad an injection of quality midway through the season, both as a midfielder and a forward.

That being said, they are nicely stocked in midfield areas, with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes a strong first-choice trio, so a summer move could make more sense.

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At that point, the £10,000-a-week Kudus will surely be looking for a move away from Ajax, and with Eriksen and Fernandes turning 31 and 29 this year, respectively, fresh legs in midfield could be required.

The Ghana star could be the man to fit the bill, being hailed as a ‘star boy’ by international teammate Calvin Bassey and scoring 15 goals in 65 appearances for Ajax.

Leeds United have already bolstered in a number of key areas this January window, with Victor Orta looking to avoid another repeat of last season’s narrow escape from the drop.

Unloading a club-record deal on a forward and reuniting Jesse Marsch with Max Wober strengthened up front and at the back, whilst Weston McKennie continues to be a top target of theirs.

However, one name that persists and was only mentioned again earlier this week was that of Michael Keane.

The Everton defender has endured a tumultuous time at Goodison Park ever since his £30m move, and despite the imminent arrival of his old boss Sean Dyche it remains to be seen whether he has a future on Merseyside after so many poor performances.

He could be offered an exit plan though through the Whites, who would welcome him as a solid option to potentially be the perfect foil alongside Wober.

When confident, the Englishman is a solid centre-back with a better passing range than many give him credit for. The issue is that since leaving Burnley he has struggled for consistency and so he has not garnered enough belief in himself.

Under Carlo Ancelotti however, he showed glimpses of what he could do when given the backing of his manager, as he earned a 7.06 rating across the 2020/21 campaign.

During this season he would average 4.5 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per 90, alongside an 87% pass accuracy (via Sofascore).

The 6-foot-3 titan uses his hulking frame to dominate his opposition and shares plenty of similarities with the aforementioned Austrian.

In fact, Keane was being lauded as recently as February last year, with Harry Redknapp labelling him “immense at the back”.

This is made more impressive given his stark drop-off in game time since the arrival of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski.

Before making the switch to Elland Road, Wober was averaging a 7.24 rating and had been dubbed “a leader” by journalist Beren Cross.

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The 24-year-old would then showcase his more creative assets through his 0.7 key passes per game and five big chances created.

His presence beside Keane could be the catalyst to getting the best out of the 30-year-old, with their dominant stature sure to frighten any centre forward and the classy qualities of Wober sure to shine through further.

Combining these two could be the foundation that ends their defensive troubles, of which only four other teams in the league have conceded more.

Everton have three potential signings on their radar today with Ben Johnson and Andre Ayew all believed to be options.

What’s the latest?

Sean Dyche as confirmed as the successor to Frank Lampard on Monday and has been left with just a matter of hours to potentially bring in some new faces to his squad.

The Toffees are yet to sign any players so far this month and have seen the likes of Anthony Gordon leave the club in recent days.

And Dyche has made it clear he is hoping to see some new recruits added to his squad in the fight against relegation in the coming hours:

“We’ve already had a look at some and we will be meeting again today about what is there, what we can affect,” he told EvertonTV.

With the clock ticking, chief Football reporter Sami Mokbel has suggested there are three targets the Toffees are looking at as real options on deadline day:

(7:30) “But what we understand today is that they’re in for West Ham’s right-back Ben Johnson. There is some debate, however, whether West Ham are willing to let him go or any players leave this month given their situation.”

He later went on to say: “Andre Ayew is another one who’s a free agent, is another one that they’re trying to get over the line today. They will be busy at Goodison today.”

Late arrivals

It has been a difficult start to the campaign for the Toffees who sit second-bottom in the Premier League table only to Southampton on goal difference.

And this has certainly been a difficult transfer window for Everton who have lost perhaps their biggest asset in Gordon to Newcastle United.

However, in return they did receive up to £45m which is seemingly not going to sit in the bank account with the board appearing to be eyeing up three targets ahead of the 11pm deadline.

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Only one other side has scored fewer goals than Everton (15) this season and three of those league goals came through Gordon who has now departed.

In a player like Ayew, Dyche could be bringing in a player with good Premier League experience but has recently been playing his football out in Qatar.

Whilst Everton’s defence has faired pretty well thus far, the addition of West Ham United’s Johnson will do them no harm but there will surely be concerns over the impact the two attacking targets may be able to provide.

Manchester United’s hopes of finishing in the top four could be impacted by the ‘devastating’ injury blow to Christian Eriksen, according to journalist Steve Bates.

The Lowdown: Eriksen injured

Man United have now issued an official injury update detailing that Eriksen is expected to be ruled out until late April or early May, as a result of a tackle by Andy Carroll in the 3-1 victory against Reading in the FA Cup.

The Red Devils moved swiftly to bring in a replacement on deadline day, with Marcel Sabitzer arriving on loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the season.

However, Scott McTominay also has an injury concern, and could be out for multiple weeks, meaning Erik ten Hag is light on options.

The Latest: Bates’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the impact that the injury may have, Bates said:

“This is a devastating blow for Ten Hag and also for the club’s top four hopes because they maybe could have coped if he’d been missing for two or three weeks, but three months is a real big chunk of the season.

“You only have to look at United’s fixture list in February, I think they’ve got eight games in something like 28, 29 days, which is a real heavy workload.

“And not to have the composure of someone like Eriksen and the experience of someone like him in the midfield for ten Hag, particularly in those two Europa League games against Barcelona.”

The Verdict: Blow for Ten Hag

The signing of Sabitzer will alleviate some of Erik ten Hag’s concerns, given the Austrian’s track record in the Bundesliga, weighing in with 34 goals and 29 assists in 185 appearances in the German top flight.

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That said, the 28-year-old is an unproven quantity in English football, so the manager will be hoping that he is able to adjust to the pace of the Premier League as soon as possible.

During the 2022/23 campaign, Eriksen has featured in a deeper midfield role than he has become accustomed to throughout his career, but he already has nine assists to his name in all competitions, proving to be one of the main creative forces in the United midfield.

Hailed as a ‘brilliant’ by media members, the Denmark international has been back to his best this season, and it will be a very difficult task to replace his playmaking talents, but hopefully Sabitzer will be up to the task.