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Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly contemplating a move for Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui, following the recent sacking of Bruno Lage at Molineux.

What’s the word?

According to journalist John Percy, in his piece for the Telegraph, the Spaniard has been a ‘previous target’ for the Midlands side over the years, with there a potential for the 56-year-old to be in ‘contention’ again this time around.

The report suggests that the Old Gold are looking to secure a replacement for the aforementioned Lage – who lost his job following the recent defeat to West Ham United – prior to Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea.

Lopetegui had been linked with a prior move to England last summer, having reportedly rejected an approach from Tottenham Hotspur to replace Jose Mourinho in the hot seat.

Disaster

A departure had seemingly become inevitable for Lage following what was a disappointing start to the new campaign, having slipped into the relegation zone after picking up just one win from their opening eight league games, scoring just three league goals in that time – the worst record in the division.

As Percy’s report also alluded to, the former Benfica boss’ exit had also come as a result of the poor end to the 2021/22 season, as the club failed to win any of their last seven league games to secure an underwhelming mid-table finish.

Turning to Lopetegui as the solution to the club’s current problems may not be the ideal choice, however, with the one-time Real Madrid man currently under fire himself following a miserable start to the season in Seville.

The La Liga side are just a point from safety at present after picking up only five points from their opening seven league games, ensuring the Spanish tactician has won 14% of his matches in the league this term. Meanwhile, they are currently bottom of their Champions League group having notably been held by FC Copenhagen last time out.

Such a slump has seen the former Spain head coach tipped for the sack at present, with journalist Colin Millar stating that the club’s supporters are now in “open mutiny” against the manager – as well as the board – after one win from their opening nine games in all competitions.

While any exit in the coming days would ensure that he is available to make the move to England, Wolves supporters likely won’t be enthused about the prospect of bringing in such a struggling manager, with such a move potentially a recipe for disaster as far as the Old Gold are concerned.

Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevksi will miss today’s Premier League clash with Everton after an injury setback.

The Lowdown: Kulusevski tipped to return…

The Sweden international has missed Spurs’ last two top flight matches against Brighton and Arsenal through injury as well as their double header with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

The exciting winger was expected to return to action in north London this afternoon after coming back from his recent hamstring problem, with Conte stating just three days ago that Kulusevski will ‘probably be available’.

However, after a fresh setback, Kulusevski will now miss today’s top flight encounter.

The Latest: Kulusevski missing…

Indeed, as per a new update, the 22-year-old has been handed a new blow behind-the-scenes.

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Conte confirmed that Kulusevski will not be available for Everton after all, and as shared by reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, this is down to a ‘knock in training’.

Tottenham are now waiting on the scan results.

The Verdict: Setback for Conte…

The forward has been one of Spurs’ brightest outlets in the attacking areas when available so news of his absence yet again will come as a blow.

Kulusevski has been a brilliant acquisition since joining from Juventus in a loan-to-buy deal at the start of 2022, ranking among Tottenham’s most threatening players for shots at goal, key passes made and completed dribbles per 90 (WhoScored).

Called a ‘huge’ player by journalist Oliver Young-Myles, Kulusevski will be a sore miss as Conte’s side look to go seven points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has offered an update on the fitness of Patrick Roberts following his Championship absence vs Burnley on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Black Cats suffered a 4-2 defeat against the Clarets, but there was cause for concern when the forward wasn’t featured on the teamsheet for the encounter at the Stadium of Light.

The boss hadn’t mentioned any problems during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, but has now revealed the reason behind the 25-year-old being left out of the matchday squad.

The Latest: Roberts fitness update

Speaking after the Burnley game, Mowbray confirmed that Roberts sustained an injury in training last week and wanted to keep him out as a precaution save making matters worse.

As quoted by ChronicleLive, he said:

“I don’t think it’s anything serious but he wasn’t fit and available today.

“We’ll see how the week goes. Historically, I don’t think Patrick has played three-game weeks all the time and he has picked up a knock in training and is uncomfortable.

“The decision I had to make was whether it was worth risking him and he might be out for eight to ten weeks, or should we give him a breather in this game and let’s give someone else an opportunity.”

The Verdict: Boost for Mowbray

Roberts plays a significant role in Sunderland’s starting XI, so it’ll be a massive boost for Mowbray knowing that his star isn’t set for a long spell on the sidelines.

The winger has made three goal contributions in eight league starts this season, and currently averages 2.5 dribbles and 1.3 shots per game (WhoScored).

The Black Cats have made a decent start to the 2022/23 campaign, and the return of Roberts should only help continue their climb up the table in the weeks ahead.

In a poor season, Ruben Neves has been the shining light for Wolves but if reports are to be believed, the Portuguese midfielder could soon be on his way out of Molineux.

According to reports from Spain, Neves’ agent Jorge Mendes has offered him to Catalan giants FC Barcelona ahead of the January transfer window after meeting with club officials earlier in the week.

There is a saving grace in that the report claims Xavi prefers Real Sociedad midfielder Zubimendi, although after he extended his contract until 2027, Neves might be the preferable option, given that his contract at Wolves is set to expire at the end of next season.

A disaster for Wolves

Neves has established himself as a fan favourite at Wolves since joining from Porto in 2017, making 222 appearances in which he has contributed 26 goals and 12 assists.

The Portugal international has been a mainstay for the past five years and was labelled “outstanding” by the Athletic’s Tim Spiers last season after a win against Everton, so there is little doubt that Wolves would struggle to replace him should he leave in January.

The 25-year-old has comfortably been Wolves’ top performer in the Premier League so far season, with WhoScored awarding him a 7.17 average rating, with Jose Sa his closest competitor with a 6.82 average rating.

The £50k-per-week earner has also stepped up as Wolves captain following the departure of Conor Coady, while he also tops the goalscoring charts with two goals in the top flight, which emphasises just how important he is at Molineux.

Therefore, it would be a big loss for Wolves to lose such an influential player in the January transfer window, especially after such a difficult start to the season, which will have a lot of Wolves fans worried about a potential relegation.

Indeed, the Old Gold have hit the net on just four occasions and consequently find themselves in the bottom three.

Thus, with a new manager still to arrive at Molineux following the sacking of Bruno Lage, the last thing they would need is the club’s star player departing halfway through the season, so they will be hoping that Neves doesn’t complete a move to Barcelona.

It would simply be a disaster if he does depart, particularly with the strife Wolves are currently in.

West Ham United are back in action away to Liverpool at Anfield this evening, with David Moyes’ side coming into the match off the back of what was a frustrating draw with relegation strugglers, Southampton, on Sunday.

A second-half stunner from Declan Rice ultimately secured a point for the wasteful Hammers – having had 25 shots on the day – with the east London outfit having also had goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to thank for producing a heroic display to keep the Saints at bay, particularly in the first half.

A notable villain in that disappointing stalemate had been that of full-back Vladimir Coufal, with the Czech Republic international once again letting his manager down with an underwhelming display in an attacking sense, having lost possession 21 times on the day, while also completing just two of his eight crosses.

The 30-year-old had only returned to the side as a result of a number of defensive injury absences, with that fact likely to ensure that he does, somewhat fortuitously, keep his place in the side tonight, with the backline still somewhat depleted amid concerns over both Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma.

One man who may well lose his starting berth, however, is summer signing Emerson Palmieri, with the Italy international – who signed on a £15m deal from Chelsea in the recent window – having been withdrawn on the hour mark at St Mary’s.

The 28-year-old had seemingly been sacrificed in order to spark a formation change for the closing stages against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with the Irons having been forced to deploy a back five initially as a result of their injury woes.

As broadcaster Tom Rennie suggested, however, that system simply “doesn’t work” for Moyes and co, with it potentially having been no coincidence that Rice’s strike came after the visitors had returned to a flat back four.

On the evidence of his withdrawal at the weekend, it would appear that Emerson will be resigned to the bench against the Merseyside outfit later today, with the former Roma man having done little last time out to warrant another start.

The 28-cap menace recorded just 39 touches and failed to complete a single successful cross, with the Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia having notably stated that the left-back’s delivery was ‘below-par’, while also awarding the new addition just a 4/10 match rating.

That outing epitomised what has been a mixed start to life at the London Stadium for the former Blues man, having failed to provide a single goal or assist from his seven top-flight outings thus far this season.

While the £13.5m-rated ace does have two goal involvements in just four Europa Conference League group-stage games, the Brazil-born defender was notably criticised for his “schoolboy” error in the opening game against FC Steaua Bucharest, as per pundit Carlton Cole, having failed to track his man for the Romanian outfit’s first-half goal.

With concerns surrounding both his defensive and attacking output, it could well be too great a risk to start the 5 foot 9 man this evening, with Moyes needing to be ruthless and ditch the defender against the Reds.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Wednesday night at home to Portuguese outfit Sporting Lisbon, with Antonio Conte’s side still having it all to do to secure their place in the next round of the Champions League.

The north Londoners are currently top of Group D having picked up seven points from their opening four group games, although with only three points separating the Premier League side and bottom club Eintracht Frankfurt, it is likely to go down to the wire in terms of who will progress.

The Lilywhites head into the clash against Ruben Amorim’s side having lost their last two top-flight games, suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford in midweek before slipping up at home to Newcastle United on Sunday.

That latter result saw the hosts ultimately undone by first-half strikes from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron, with a Harry Kane header after the interval unable to spark a late rally against Eddie Howe’s side.

That frustrating loss to the Magpies did see forgotten man Lucas Moura make arguably his most telling involvement of the season so far, though, with the Brazil international featuring off the bench for the final 24 minutes, having only been involved sporadically in recent months.

Niggling injuries have reduced the 30-year-old to a bit-part role so far this term, although it will likely be pleasing to see the fleet-footed forward working his way back to full fitness having now featured as a substitute in each of the past three league games.

The £13.5m-rated ace unsurprisingly looked somewhat ‘rusty’ at the weekend – according to football.london’s Alasdair Gold – but he did make his presence felt in that cameo outing after winning six of his ten duels, while also attempting three dribbles.

Although it remains to be seen if the 35-cap Brazilian can start tomorrow night’s clash – with Conte suggesting that he will have to “check” on the player’s fitness – it could well be worth the gamble to thrust the diminutive ace into the fray, particularly amid the lack of attacking options at present.

The injury absence of both Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison has seen the former Chelsea boss forced to deploy a 3-5-2 formation in recent games, but that approach has seemingly not been fruitful, with an extra attacking body needed alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

In Moura, the Italian could well unleash an asset who can provide something “different” – in the words of Glenn Hoddle – as a result of his ability to run with the ball and also chip in with a telling goalscoring touch when needed.

The £90k-per-week dynamo – who has 65 goal contributions to his name in 208 Spurs appearances to date – is yet to start a match this term having previously been linked with an exit over the summer, although now could well be his chance to shine.

A man who knows all about being the hero on Champions League nights – following that hat trick against Ajax a few years ago – Moura could prove himself the difference-maker yet again for Tottenham if Conte unleashes him here.

Southampton have endured a rough run of results, having won just once since August.

It is this form that has seen them drop to within one point of the relegation zone, as the pressure mounts on Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The attacking threat of his side has waned as the season has progressed, and with an expected goals tally of just 9.43, they are actually overperforming where they should be despite being the 17th lowest scorers in the Premier League with 11 strikes.

They are a side completely devoid of any creativity and excitement, particularly on the flanks where the likes of Stuart Armstrong, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyounoussi have all combined for a goal tally of just one in the league.

It is the latter who has disappointed the most though, given his £16m transfer fee.

This campaign has seen him contribute just 0.13 to his squad’s expected goals, despite taking 1.3 shots per game.

The Norwegian wide man is routinely wasteful, and with the January window approaching his chances may be drying up.

Especially with such a wealth of youth talent waiting for their opportunity, particularly Jimmy Morgan, who scored last night for England’s U17 team.

It marks yet another international goal for the 16-year-old, having already scored three before that for various age groups this season.

Despite being so young, the tricky wide man is translating this form into Premier League 2, where he already has five assists in as many games.

These performances unsurprisingly have drawn praise, particularly from his manager Dave Horseman, who labelled him “brilliant”.

Given the lack of proficiency from Elyounoussi and the creative starlet that is Morgan, the two are incomparable.

One boasts the form of their fledgling career, whilst the other continues to add to their miserable record. He has now scored just eight goals in 65 games for the Saints and has assisted as many in that time as this youngster has in his last five games.

An offensive dud, it will surely not be long before the former FC Basel man is forced to the bench.

Although it is only early stages, there is hope that in the not-so-distant future Morgan could step up to be the man that Southampton can finally rely upon to produce consistently impressive performances from the wing.

Glasgow Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have reportedly set their sights on signing left-back Ben Jackson in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Left-back conundrum

Van Bronckhorst has a bit of a conundrum in the left-back position, with both Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz fighting for the same spot.

The Croatian has been preferred in the Premiership, although he has been criticised for some of his performances this season.

Meanwhile, Yilmaz has been linked with a loan move away from Ibrox in January, which may suggest that Van Bronckhorst is not entirely happy with his left-back options at the moment.

The Latest: Jackson interest

As per Football Insider, Rangers have ‘set sights’ on signing Huddersfield Town defender Jackson and are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation at the English Championship outfit, as his contract expires in 2024.

The Light Blues are making ‘regular checks’ on the 21-year-old’s progress and are ‘keen’ on strengthening their options at left-back.

The ‘super-quick’ Jackson is ‘highly regarded’ at the Terriers, so it may not be an easy deal to pull off.

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The Verdict: Problem solved?

Jackson is no doubt a promising talent at 21, and he could potentially solve the Light Blues’ left-back problems for years to come given his abilities and his tender age.

The Englishman is averaging more tackles and clearances per game in the Championship than Barisic and Yilmaz are in the Scottish top flight, even for a Huddersfield team struggling at the bottom of the table.

Jackson would need time to adapt to Scottish football, but he could end up being an astute signing in January if Rangers can lure him to Ibrox.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to Leeds United’s reported interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro.

The Lowdown: Leeds preparing Guerreiro contract offer

Labelled an “amazing player” by Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic, the defender has been selected by Portugal for their World Cup squad later this month.

Recent reports have suggested that Leeds are preparing a contract offer to lure the left-back to Elland Road, with the 28-year-old set to enter the final six months of his deal at Signal Iduna Park.

Guerreiro has been with the Bundesliga giants since 2016 and has made 205 appearances for the club, contributing to 76 goals.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Leeds and Guerreiro, O’Rourke said that it would be a ‘real coup’ if the Whites manage to secure the defender’s services, believing that he would be a ‘huge upgrade’ at left-back.

The journalist said: “I think he would be a huge upgrade for Leeds at left-back, which has been a real problem position for them for the last couple of seasons.

“If they’re able to lure Raphael Guerreiro to Elland Road, I think it’d be a real coup for the club.”

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The Verdict: Spot-on

Pascal Struijk has been the man to fill in at left-back in Junior Firpo’s absence and has been the club’s best-performing player this season, as per WhoScored.

However, the Dutch defender is primarily a centre-back, so bringing in a natural left-back like Guerreiro would allow Struijk to return to the heart of the back four.

Guerreiro is used to playing Champions League football and appears to possess plenty of attacking quality along with his defensive abilities, so as O’Rourke mentions, the thought of a move to Elland Road could be an exciting one for the Leeds faithful.

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn’s future at the club is tough to predict after a poor run of form, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: McGinn in and out

The Scot has been a key performer for Villa for some time, bringing quality and energy to the middle of the park and replacing Tyrone Mings as captain during the summer.

McGinn has had a disappointing season to date, however, struggling to influence matches, not scoring or assisting and being left out of the Premier League line up in recent weeks, although he did return to the starting XI against Brighton on Sunday.

With Unai Emery now coming in as Villa’s new manager, this feels like a pivotal point in the 28-year-old’s career.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that it ‘could go either way’ when it comes to McGinn’s situation at this moment in time, either enjoying a resurgence or being shipped off by Emery:

“This really could go either way for McGinn at this point, but it’s a fresh start. Emery is a coach who is very open-minded and willing to give everybody a chance.

“He hasn’t even decided who his captain is going to be yet, so I think that’s a clear indication that this is a clean slate for everyone.”

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The Verdict: Good time to have a breather

In truth, the World Cup break could come at a perfect time for McGinn, who has arguably looked like a jaded figure this season, struggling to cover ground and boss midfield battles like he used to.

This six-week gap between Premier League matches could allow him to recharge the batteries and return a far more formidable footballer again after Christmas.

He has proven so many matches what a good player he is – Steven Gerrard once described him as ‘outstanding’ – but if he doesn’t improve, Emery could decide to move him on next summer.