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Arsenal will reportedly reconsider a move for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer window and his potential arrival at the Emirates could see Mikel Arteta ditch the disappointing Fabio Vieira.

Could Arsenal sign Caicedo this summer?

Arsenal are reportedly still interested in signing the 21-year-old this summer despite him recently committing to a new deal with Roberto De Zerbi's side until 2027 after being rather vocal about his desire to leave the Seagulls two months prior.

The Gunners had reportedly bid £70m for the Ecuador international during the January transfer window but saw it rejected, with Arteta suggesting that it was a "big inconvenience" to miss out on his priority midfield signing following the long-term injury suffered by Mohamed Elneny.

The Spanish manager opted to bring in Jorginho from Chelsea instead, although the Italian has done little to suggest that he is an adequate alternative to the Brighton wonderkid, averaging a disappointing 6.52 rating from WhoScored across his eight Premier League appearances for Arsenal this term.

Caicedo, meanwhile, has been a mainstay in Brighton's side as they target a European finish in the Premier League, averaging a strong 7.03 rating from WhoScored for his performances. Thus, it is easy to see why the north London side would still be keen on bringing him in ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, especially after a lack of squad depth has hurt their chances of sealing the title in recent weeks.

However, any move for the young midfielder would likely set Arsenal back around £90m this summer, which suggests that another midfielder could be moved on in order to accommodate Caicedo, and on current form, Vieira would surely be a contender.

Could Arsenal ditch Vieira for Caicedo?

It has been a difficult first full season in English football for Vieira, having joined the Gunners from Porto last summer in a deal worth £34m.

The 22-year-old has mustered just three starts and 17 substitute appearances in the Premier League, with one goal and two assists to his name, which has seen him earn a woeful 6.32 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The Portuguese youngster was handed a rare start by Arteta against Southampton last time out in the absence of Granit Xhaka as a no.8 but struggled immensely and was substituted before the hour mark, with the midfielder now ranked as the 17th-best performer at the Emirates so far this campaign.

Vieira has averaged fewer tackles (0.3 vs 3.2), key passes (0.6 vs 1.2) and dribbles (0.3 vs 0.7) per game when compared to Caicedo, which suggests that the Brighton "machine" – as per scout Jacek Kulig – would be a clear upgrade from both an attacking and defensive perspective should he move to the Emirates this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the sides who are said to be sniffing around the Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte ahead of the summer transfer window.

Is Laporte leaving City this summer?

According to reports, the Premier League champions are now opening to allowing the Spaniard to leave in the summer as he looks for more regular action.

And one of the sides said to be interested in the possibility of signing him are Spurs as they aim to keep the 28-year-old in the Premier League.

However, it is also said the French giants Paris Saint-Germain could make a push for the City defender in the summer as City open their doors for an exit.

Spurs have been linked with a number of centre-backs over recent months with Kim Min-jae and Alessandro Bastoni both believed to be targets on Tottenham's radar.

The Lilywhites are expected to make a push in the summer to address their defence with two new centre-backs believed to be on the agenda.

And speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed Laporte is a potential candidate to help solve their defensive issues from this season:

(32:25) "Laporte and his people have been going around Europe letting people know he's available and Tottenham are one of the ones who've had a sniff.

"To be fair, he's a very good Premier League centre-half, isn't he? Outside the top two or three, he would improve most teams, I think, or at least get a game.

"So yeah, I think there'll be a lot of interest in Laporte. It wouldn't surprise me to see him cross the Premier League."

Would Laporte improve the Spurs defence?

Tottenham's defence has been a major concern this season with the north London club only registering a +12 goal difference despite being the league's third-highest scorers.

Spurs have now conceded 41 goals this season and are joined as the eight-worst defence in the league alongside the relegation-battling Everton.

There has to be a caveat when looking at Laporte's stats from this season as his game time has been extremely limited with just 555 minutes of league action under his belt after the "warrior" underwent knee surgery last year (via Transfermarkt).

On top of that, the £120k-per-week ace is playing for one of the most dominant forces in Europe who have only conceded 26 goals in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, his return of 0.48 tackles per 90 minutes is significantly down on his return of more than double that (1.08) from last season where he made 33 league appearances (via FBref).

However, his ability on the ball has been sensational with the 28-year-old ranking inside the top third percentile for pass completion, progressive passes and carries.

And that is something which the Spurs defenders struggled with massively on Monday night as Eric Dier (16) and Clement Lenglet (11) were both victims of losing possession frequently (via SofaScore).

Laporte could also provide the Spurs backline with some much-needed experience and a winning mentality having won numerous trophies during his time at City.

But if the likes of PSG are going to fight for him over the summer, a move to north London could prove a challenging sell.

Arsenal are set to offer captain Martin Odegaard a new contract in a deal running until 2030, according to a new report from Football Transfers.

The Lowdown: Arteta planning for the future

Mikel Arteta has been keen to tie down a number of first-team players to new contracts already this season, as a result of his team’s remarkable performance in the Premier League up to this point.

At the beginning of February, Gabriel Martinelli committed his long-term future to the club by agreeing terms on a deal running until 2027, while Bukayo Saka is believed to be very close to extending his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are also currently locked in negotiations with defender William Saliba, and Fabrizio Romano reports that he ‘wants to stay’, although talks are not yet in their final stages.

The Latest: New Odegaard deal planned

According to a report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are set to hand Odegaard a bumper new deal to take him until 2030, having been impressed with his fine form this season, and he is due to get a substantial pay rise.

The midfielder is set for talks after extensions are finalised for Saliba and Granit Xhaka, and there is said to be a willingness from both sides to get it signed and sealed, with his current contract set to expire in 2025.

The Verdict: Get it done

The 24-year-old has been nothing short of fantastic for the Gunners this season, registering ten goals and seven assists in the Premier League, most recently scoring in the 3-0 victory away at Fulham.

Not only has the attacking midfielder impressed in an attacking sense, but the turnaround in Arsenal since he was named captain in the summer, becoming real title contenders, indicates his leadership qualities have been very important for Arteta’s side.

Several members of the media have raved about the maestro already this season, with football reporter Sam Dean recently lauding him as ‘outstanding’, while Arteta praised his performance in the 2-0 North London derby victory earlier this year.

The Norwegian has been impressing for quite some time, recently scooping up the Premier League Player of the Year award at the London Football Awards, on a night where Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale also won individual prizes of their own.

As such, it is fantastic news that Odegaard is set to be offered fresh terms, and Arsenal should look to get the deal done at the earliest opportunity.

West Bromwich Albion suffered greatly under the tenure of Steve Bruce, as the 62-year-old struggled with the various issues he faced during his stint in the Midlands.

Clearly financially hamstrung, he lacked the motivational and tactical inspiration to alleviate a side that should never have been fighting for relegation. As such, his dismissal was warranted.

Despite the disappointment on the field, he did operate with precision during the summer, adding eight new faces for little to no fee at all.

Their biggest acquisition from that window was to tempt Jayson Molumby to join from Brighton and Hove Albion, with that deal only reaching a modest £900k. 

Bruce can be slated for many things for his failed reign at the Hawthorns, but signing the Republic of Ireland international is not one of them.

Has Jayson Molumby’s value risen at West Brom?

During his short time at the club, the 23-year-old has established himself as a mainstay under the old boss and Carlos Corberan. He boasts 32 appearances in the Championship and has formed a fine partnership at times with stalwart Okay Yokuslu.

He has even mustered six goal contributions from the engine room too, which is a pleasant surprise considering he also averages 1.2 tackles and an 86% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.

The impressive form of Molumby paired with his youth has unsurprisingly led to an upturn in his value, which it seems that the Seagulls are grossly underrated.

FootballTransfers suggest that the pinnacle of his expected Transfer Value stands at €3.7m (£3.3m), meaning that in just six months it has grown by 267%.

Given how impressive the side, as a whole, have been under Corberan, and how they are surely destined for a Premier League return one day under his leadership, that is a figure sure to only increase alongside his quality and influence.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett has been one of many to praise the maestro in the past, as he noted back in 2020 during his loan spell at the club:

“He is a feisty player and he’s tough. You’ve seen in some games where he has almost taken us pressing the opposition into his own hands.”

Maturing with each passing season, the future is incredibly bright for both this club and the player, who will surely look to grow alongside one another as they strive for Championship promotion.

West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan is not currently leading the race for the vacancy at Leeds United, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Leeds target Corberan

The Premier League outfit relieved Jesse Marsch of his duties on Monday after failing to secure victory in any of his last seven top-flight games, and to find his replacement, the hierarchy are believed to have turned their attention towards the Championship.

The Spaniard had reportedly been identified as the number one candidate for the job at Elland Road, with the boss said to be keen on the move, though an update regarding the 39-year-old’s future has now emerged contrary to these suggestions.

 The Latest: Corberan not first choice

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Corberan could find himself ‘in the frame’ to succeed Marsch, but it’s claimed that he is ‘not currently the frontrunner’ to become the next manager of Leeds.

The Baggies coach ‘remains highly thought of’ by the Whites board, though right now, they are looking to bring in someone with more ‘experience’ at the level they require.

The Verdict: Huge boost

Corberan has made an instant impact at the Hawthorns and it will come as a massive boost to West Brom supporters to learn that an exit at this stage looks unlikely.

The Cheste native has won an outstanding top six from being in a relegation battle when he first took to the helm.

Corberan will know what it takes to be successful having guided Huddersfield Town to the play-off final last season, and there’s no reason why he can’t do the same or go one better this campaign in the Midlands.

Tottenham Hotspur were active on deadline day earlier this week as Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte worked to get a deal for Pedro Porro over the line.

The January transfer window slammed shut on Tuesday night and Spurs were able to secure the Spaniard’s services with minutes to spare as they agreed an initial loan move with Sporting Lisbon, with an obligation to make it permanent in the summer.

Tottenham also signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal earlier in the month, and those were the only two arrivals to bolster Conte’s squad during the January window.

However, the club were also eyeing up potential improvements at the heart of the defence, and football.london recently claimed that Spurs ‘extensively’ scouted Ukraine international Ilya Zabarnyi and appreciated the young talent.

Despite their interest in the 20-year-old, Paratici watched on from afar as fellow Premier League club Bournemouth splashed out £24m to sign the defender on a permanent deal on deadline day. 

The football.london article posts that Spurs may think that he would not have made an immediate impact at the club or that they could sign him in the summer, but also adds that ‘many’ people expect him to become a star.

Cherries chief Neill Blake hailed Zabarnyi  upon signing him as he said: “Despite only being 20, he has played at the highest level for club and country and has established himself as one of the most sought-after young defenders in the world.”

Talent scout Jacek Kulig named the Ukrainian as one of two “possible jackpot” centre-back signings for clubs to make outside of the major leagues, and Paratici is culpable of a deadline day howler by missing out on this jackpot by allowing Bournemouth to snap him up ahead of them. 

By the age of 20, Zabarnyi has already been capped 24 times by Ukraine at senior level and has a wealth of experience of playing in European competitions.

In the Champions League last season, the young defender averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 across six appearances – making 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match and winning 64% of his duels – after playing six times in the competition in the 2020/21 campaign.

Meanwhile, Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ben Davies have all averaged Sofascore ratings of 6.80 or lower in the Champions League for Tottenham this season.

This suggests that the 20-year-old Ukrainian could have been an immediate improvement on a number of the club’s current centre-back options if he could have translated his form in Europe over to Conte’s side.

Imagine how much the defensive machine will cost if he now enjoys a terrific second half of the season with Bournemouth to keep them afloat in the Premier League. It could be far more than £24m, given that it would not make any sense for the Cherries not to sell him for a profit, and the south coast club could end up hitting the jackpot with him… whilst Spurs watch on from afar with regret.

Manchester United are looking at signing a creative player this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: United’s position

Erik ten Hag’s side have turned their early-season form on its head of late, with nine wins coming from their last 10 games in all competitions.

Their form has seen them climb to third in the Premier League table with an outside chance of a title push potentially hinging on their result against Arsenal on Sunday, with an eight-point gap currently keeping United off the top of the table.

Despite their league position, the decision by the Glazers to put the club up for sale means that the club have little to no money available to spend – with the Daily Mail previously reporting the club wouldn’t be buying players in January.

The Latest: Romano’s update

So far, the only arrival at Old Trafford this window has been the loan signing of Wout Weghorst, but Romano claimed on his YouTube channel that United are still in the market for a creative player, saying:

“I don’t think Manchester United will have any kind of conversation with the players rumoured from Real Madrid like [Eduardo] Camavinga.

“Man United look for creative signings in the final days of the window if something will be available; otherwise, they will stay with the current squad.”

The Verdict: Van de Beek replacement?

Any links to Camavinga referred to by Romano have since been shut down by the journalist himself after he shared that the Frenchman will likely be staying at Real Madrid following a conversation with his agent – so it appears that United would have to seek alternative targets.

The potential arrival of a creative player at Old Trafford could be down to the severe injury that Donny van de Beek picked up against Bournemouth, with Ten Hag confirming that the Dutchman will miss the remainder of the season.

Although only holding a fringe role at United since arriving for £37.5m (via The Guardian), the 25-year-old has played just 60 games across two and a half years in Manchester.

But before his injury, he appeared in four out of five of United’s previous league games – even starting two – showing his place in the squad is an important one and an incoming could lessen the impact of his absence.

Newcastle United remain interested in a deal to bring Goncalo Inacio to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication O Jogo (via Sport Witness), who claim that, after reportedly seeing a €33m (£29.5m) offer turned down by Sporting Lisbon in the summer transfer window, Eddie Howe has retained his interest in the 21-year-old centre-back – and could launch a fresh move for the Portugal U21 international next summer.

However, the report goes on to suggest that the Magpies are not alone in their pursuit of the defender, with Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Paris Saint-Germain keeping an eye on the situation of Inacio – who Sporting are now ‘prepared to lose’ at the end of the current campaign, with the club hoping to receive the player’s €45m (£40m) release clause.

Dias 2.0

Considering just how impressive Inacio has been for Sporting in recent seasons, coupled with the exponential scope the 21-year-old has for future development, it is easy to see why Howe would once again be interested in a deal to bring the centre-back to St. James’ Park at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 14 Liga Portugal fixtures so far this season, the £20.5m-rated talent has been a rock at the heart of Ruben Amorim’s backline, helping his side keep three clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 2.1 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £17k-per-week defender has also impressed going forwards, providing one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 0.5 key passes, playing 4.2 long balls and completing 74.1 passes – at a success rate of 90% – per match.

These returns have seen the Sporting starlet who journalist Zach Lowy once dubbed “underrated” average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.92, currently ranking him as the Leoes’ 11th-best performer in the top flight of Portuguese football.

Furthermore, with Inacio quite clearly being a defender who is extremely solid at the back, a threat in the final third and incredibly comfortable with the ball at his feet, it is not difficult to see why Portuguese football expert Daniel Oliviera compared the 21-year-old to Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias, with Oliviera stating in an interview with Playmaker last year:

“Dias was always a natural leader and Inacio’s communication may be one area in which he can improve. Physically speaking, I believe the young Sporting defender would be able to handle the Premier League, as he is very strong in the tackle and in the air.

“He’s also smart in his defending, as just two bookings all season will tell you. In terms of his quality on the ball, I would probably rate Inacio higher than Dias – he’s very good on the deck and has a 91% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this term.

“Like I say, it’s hard to make comparisons. I’m 100% sure about one thing: the 20-year-old Inacio is a better player than Ruben Dias was at the same age.”

As such, should Howe go on to get a deal over the line for Inacio next summer, not only would the 45-year-old manager have landed an extremely talented young defender, but he could also have unearthed Newcastle’s very own version of the £98m-rated City star – something that is sure to be an extremely tantalising prospect for everyone involved with the Magpies.

Wolves have reportedly joined the race for World Cup sensation Azzedine Ounahi, and the Moroccan could help Julen Lopetegui to upgrade his midfield at Molineux.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the 22-year-old has been watched by a number of Premier League clubs, including Wolves, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham. He is also attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona said to be keen.

The young midfielder, who joined French side Angers in 2021, was one of the standout performers for Morocco as they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar before losing against France earlier this week.

Ounahi is contracted at the Stade Raymond Kopa until 2026, so Angers will be able to demand a premium price for the midfielder in January, especially after such an impressive World Cup showing.

A good option for Lopetegui?

Wolves’ midfield was once the crown jewel of their success at Molineux, with Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho establishing a formidable partnership alongside the defensive-minded Leander Dendoncker for the Old Gold.

The Belgian has since departed for Aston Villa and been replaced by the inexperienced Boubacar Traore, while the 36-year-old Moutinho has looked way past his best so far this season, as reflected by his diminishing WhoScored rating compared to previous campaigns.

Record signing Matheus Nunes has also flattered to deceive in his Wolves career thus far, ranking a lowly 13th in Wolves’ squad according to WhoScored’s performance metrics, which suggests that Lopetegui well may target another midfielder in January to increase his options in that area of the pitch.

Ounahi has impressed in Ligue 1 so far this season, averaging a solid 6.74 rating from WhoScored for his performances in France’s top flight. That ranks him ahead of all of Wolves’ midfielders except Neves, which emphasises the quality he could add at Molineux.

However, it is his “jaw-dropping” form at the World Cup, as described by Jose Mourinho, which makes him such an attractive proposition for a number of clubs in January.

The 22-year-old was ranked by WhoScored as the joint-fourth best performer for the Atlas Lions in Qatar, while he ranked second for shots, dribbles and key passes per game, which shows how impressive he was going forward.

Given the lack of creativity and goals in Wolves’ squad so far this season, Ounahi could add a real attacking impetus in Lopetegui’s midfield and potentially help the Old Gold to avoid relegation, should he arrive at Molineux in January.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Marseille midfielder Gerson recently and the Brazilian could be David Moyes’ own version of Newcastle United sensation Miguel Almiron.

The Hammers have been linked with the 25-year-old recently and considering he has played just 541 minutes of football so far this season for Marseille, he could be available in January for a fee of around €20m (£17m).

It is something of a surprise that the Brazilian has featured so little recently, as he has an impressive return of 13 goals and ten assists in just 61 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, meaning he has contributed a goal or an assist every three games he has played.

However, he provides far more than just goals and assists and admitted himself that he feels able to influence the game in other ways.

He said: “I only played to score goals or provide assists, but I realised I could influence the game even without the ball and I’m glad: I feel much more complete now.”

Should Gerson arrive at the London Stadium in January, he could emulate Newcastle’s Almiron, who has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League so far this campaign, contributing eight goals and one assist in 15 top-flight appearances for Eddie Howe’s side.

According to FBRef, the Paraguayan is the second most similar player to Gerson when compared to other attacking midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

The duo have registered extremely similar numbers with regard to goals per shot (both 0.22), aerial duels won (both 57.1%) and fouls drawn (16 vs 13). That final statistic in particular is extremely useful with the pair clearly canny operators capable of drawing opponents close to them.

WhoScored also suggests that both Gerson and Almiron excel at holding onto the ball – a fact evidenced by the number of fouls drawn. They’re also both good at finishing and long shots, while they both like to play short passes rather than going long.

Therefore, considering how impressive Almiron has been in the Premier League so far this season, Moyes would surely be foolish to turn down a player so similar, especially with West Ham’s current attackers toiling in front of goal.

The Scottish manager should definitely be looking to bring Gerson, who earns £66k-per-week at Marseille, to the London Stadium next month.