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Leandro Trossard is set to sign a deal until 2026 with Arsenal, not 2027, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Agreement reached

The Gunners have moved quickly on Thursday to reach an agreement with Brighton for Trossard. Romano has been on top of developments and has reported that Arsenal will pay £21m plus £6m in add-ons for the 28-year-old.

The Belgian looks set to become the attacking addition Mikel Arteta has wanted after the club missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk to rivals Chelsea.

The Latest: Romano shares ‘small change’

Romano initially said that Trossard will pen a four-year deal at the Emirates, through to 2027.

However, the transfer expert clarified on Thursday evening that the player will actually sign a contract through to 2026, with a medical scheduled for Friday.

“Understand Leandro Trossard contract with Arsenal will be valid until 2026 and not 2027 — small change from few mins ago. More: medical tests will take place on Friday and official statement will follow.”

The Verdict: Shrewd signing?

Trossard will be 31 by the time his contract in London expires in 2026, so it could turn out to be a wiser move than offering him a deal until 2027.

Of course, Arsenal will have the chance to talk about a possible extension in years to come, should a transfer work out for all parties, and the player will offer immediate Premier League experience, something that Mudryk would not have been able to do.

He’s produced unreal‘ by Rio Ferdinand, so hopefully for Arsenal, Trossard can hit the ground running in the second half of the season, helping the club continue in their push for the title.

Chelsea are ‘still interested’ in completing a deal for Dynamo Moscow midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Summer move blocked

The Premier League giants had agreed a £12.6m fee to sign the Russian last summer, but a move ended up being blocked shortly before the transfer deadline as a result of UK sanctions arising from his country’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

However, the Blues’ hopes were soon reignited after the 19-year-old admitted that he would jump at the chance to move to Stamford Bridge this month, and there has now been a fresh update delivered on the situation, despite links having recently quietened.

The Latest: Chelsea still want Zakharyan

In his CaughtOffside column The Daily Briefing, Romano revealed that Chelsea and Zakharyan would both still love to complete the proposed transfer, but admitted that it won’t be a quick fix given the number of other deals also being worked upon in SW6.

He wrote: “Chelsea are still interested in signing Zakharyan, for sure. He’s one of the talents they are following, but Chelsea are working on many deals so the timing cannot always be fast, that’s absolutely normal. The player would love to join Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Worth a shot

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is reportedly close to joining Chelsea on loan, and Zakharyan would appear to be one of potentially many following in the 23-year-old’s footsteps should he sign on the dotted line.

The Russian has five assists and two goals to his name in 16 outings this season and currently averages 2.7 key passes per 90 minutes (WhoScored), considerably more than any player in Potter’s squad, making him an exciting prospective signing.

The Chelsea manager now has the opportunity to bring in some of his own players during his first transfer window in charge at Stamford Bridge, and having been labelled a ‘diamond’ by Jacek Kulig, Zakharyan looks like one worth coughing up for.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha could be sent out on loan with an option to buy amid contract uncertainty.

What’s the word?

It’s well known that the 30-year-old will see his current deal with the Eagles expire in the summer. As a result, a number of Premier League teams have been linked with a move of late.

For instance, quite recently, Arsenal have been mooted as a possible destination. While talking about the player’s future on Curtis Shaw TV, Jacobs said there might not be too much to those rumours.

However, he did suggest that a loan could be on the cards this winter for Zaha, though it remains unclear as to where exactly that would be.

He said (1:02:00): “What we are, I think, moving towards with Zaha is a loan option possibly.

“Someone that wants to come in and give him the opportunity to play football at a high level – in all likelihood, because of the deal [contract] situation – with an option to buy.

“I haven’t heard too much with Zaha and Arsenal at the moment.”

Loan for the best

Zaha certainly doesn’t look likely to sign a new deal with Palace and so he is actually free to sign a pre-contract to join an overseas club for next season right now.

With that in mind, if the Premier League club do want to get any money for their key man, they may well have to try and sell him immediately.

However, that might not be easy. And so, as Jacobs suggests, the best thing to do could be to loan Zaha out this January with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

Zaha does have six goals and two assists in the league so far this term too. So if a team is desperate for firepower right now, then they could be tempted to try and strike up a deal.

Still, the ship for all that may have sailed and potential buyers may think it’s just better to wait six months and pick the 30-year-old up for free in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a solution to their recent injury blow…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the north London outfit have been offered the chance to sign Memphis Depay from FC Barcelona in the January transfer window.

Reports in Spain have also suggested that the Netherlands international has been proposed to Premier League rivals Newcastle United, with the LaLiga giants keen to offload him this winter as his £159k-per-week contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

He could leave for as little as €15m (£13m) as it’s the last chance for the Catalan side to garner some sort of income from his departure.

Richarlison replacement

Depay could be the perfect replacement for Richarlison, who picked up a gutting setback during his involvement for Brazil at the World Cup. Reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold recently revealed that the versatile frontman faces at least five to six weeks out with a hamstring issue.

He had already missed a month of action before the international break with a similar problem, so this will certainly be a concern for manager Antonio Conte. It also comes at the worst time, given Spurs’ return to action on Boxing Day against Brentford.

Matches against a resurgent Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, arch-rivals Arsenal and defending champions Manchester City also fall in that six-week period.

Therefore, it could be crucial for sporting director Fabio Paratici to seek reinforcements and the Dutchman fits the bill as just like Richarlison, he’s capable of playing anywhere along the frontline.

FBref compare the 28-year-old, in terms of statistical profile, to players like Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Marcus Rashford, all of whom are proven, versatile talents in the Premier League, which bodes well for the former Manchester United flop.

Across Europe, Depay ranks inside the top 6% of all forwards for non-penalty goals (0.50 per 90), as well as the top 5% for total shots per 90, too.

His 12-goal campaign last term was also accompanied by an average of 1.6 key passes per game, which suggests that he could offer Conte a lot more than just goal returns. That level of creativity is only matched by the Italian’s first-choice trio of Dejan Kulusevski, Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

It’s also why he has been described as a “magician” by journalist and presenter Deji Faremi, as well as an “artist” by Opta analyst Duncan Alexander.

Given Richarlison’s current blow and frequent injury troubles this season, it would make sense to find an alternative and one that would come at a cheap price.

There won’t be many better options than the out-of-contract Depay heading into January.

AND in other news, Conte could finally ditch Moura as Spurs eye “the biggest talent in the world”…

Leeds United are keeping a close eye on Boulaye Dia at the World Cup ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in his recent column for GIVEMESPORT that the Whites, as well as the likes of West Ham United and Everton, will be closely monitoring the Senegal centre-forward in Qatar ahead of potentially launching a move for the 26-year-old this winter.

In his article, the journalist said: “There is nothing more exciting than a new goalscorer bursting onto the scene and in Boulaye Dia we might be about to witness a breakout. The loss of Sadio Mane to injury, for now, is a big loss to this team – but they have a man ready to step into his boots.

“Dia, 26, is a striker ready to make the most of his chance. Defenders are going to find him a handful and there’s potential here for him to become one of the star names to earn a transfer if things go well. He’s having a solid season on loan at Salernitana from Villarreal and his ability to play off the shoulder and finish one-on-ones means he has real goal potential.

“He’s got great goal awareness and will really see this as an opportunity to shine. Senegal take on the Netherlands on Monday and if Dia does well we can expect links with the likes of West Ham, Leeds and Everton to emerge.”

Orta must move

While it is true that Dia endured a frustrating time of it in Senegal’s 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands earlier today – enjoying just 18 touches of the ball, completing a mere 10 passes and only managing to hit the target with one shot – considering the “great form” the forward has been in Italy this season, it is easy to see why Orta would be keen on the striker.

Indeed, over his 14 Serie A appearances – only 10 of which have come as starts – for Salernitana, the £17.5m-rated talent has been deadly in the final third, hitting the back of the net six times, registering two assists and creating one big chance, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £30k-per-week forward average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as Davide Nicola’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

The 26-year-old also impressed over his 25 LaLiga fixtures – only 13 of which came as starts – for Villarreal last season, bagging five goals, providing five assists and creating three big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 0.7 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the 19-cap international average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as El Submarino Amarillo’s joint 12th-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football last time out.

As such, with the player who Marlon Harwood dubbed “absolutely fantastic” having more than demonstrated that he is capable of finding the back of the net in whichever league he plays, should the Senegal sensation go on to star against Qatar and Ecuador in his country’s remaining Group A fixtures, it would appear extremely wise for Orta to launch a move for the striker in January.

Indeed, with Patrick Bamford struggling to get over injuries that have plagued the Englishman over the last year, Jesse Marsch could very much do with some added firepower in his attacking arsenal at Elland Road, with the €17m (£15m) valued forward appearing to possess the goalscoring nous that would make him a dream replacement the 29-year-old in LS11.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Jesús Vázquez to Elland Road in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Radio Marca Valencia (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta is targeting the Valencia CF left-back ahead of launching a potential move for the 19-year-old in the winter market.

However, a further report by Plaza Deportiva also revealed that Inter Milan and AZ Alkmaar are also interested in the Spain U19 international, with Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) suggesting that the former have been given the green light for a loan-to-buy deal for the defender by the LaLiga side.

Exciting prospect

While it is true that Vázquez has not had a great deal of time to impress at senior level due to both club captain José Gayà and Toni Lato being ahead of the teenager in Gennaro Gattuso’s left-back pecking order at the Mestalla, considering just how exciting a talent the 19-year-old looks to be, it is not hard to understand why Orta would be keen on a deal for the youngster.

Indeed, Vázquez first started to catch the eye over his 15 LaLiga appearances – only eight of which came as starts – last season, with the £8.7m-rated talent helping his side keep two clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 clearances and winning 4.6 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The Spaniard also impressed going forwards, making an average of 0.4 key passes, taking 0.3 shots and completing a whopping 1.7 dribbles per fixture – with FBref ranking the teenager in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, the defender also turned in a show-stopping display in Valencia’s 3-0 Copa del Rey victory over CD Utrillas earlier this season, with Vázquez making four tackles and winning 11 of his 13 duels, as well as making one cross, playing one long ball and completing an astonishing seven dribbles against the Tercera Federación outfit.

As such, it is easy to see why Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the teenager is the latest “exciting prospect” to come out of Valencia’s “left-back factory” – as it is evident that a player of the youngster’s ability is deserving of much more game time than his 149 minutes of football so far this season.

And, with left-back having been something of a problem position for Jesse Marsch in 2022/23 – with centre-back Pascal Struijk being deployed on the left of the American’s backline due to the lack of fitness and poor form of Junior Firpo – it would appear likely that the Spanish sensation would receive considerably more first-team minutes at Elland Road.

Indeed, considering all of the above, it would seem an extremely wise move for Orta to match Inter’s offer reported loan-to-buy offer for the 19-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, as the defender’s switch to LS11 could well be a move that satisfies all parties involved.

Everton have had their fair share of transfer disasters over the years since Farhad Moshiri became the majority stakeholder at Goodison Park, with nothing more to show for his £500m spending spree than a relegation battle and financial troubles.

However, despite a rocky start to his tenure at the club Frank Lampard seems to have turned things around this season with eight high-quality signings who have made a huge difference to the side’s performances in the Premier League.

Everton are currently 12th in the league table and three points clear of the bottom three. That’s largely thanks to newly signed Conor Coady and James Tarkowski’s blossoming centre-back partnership and a formidable duo of fresh faces in the centre of the pitch with Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye thriving together.

Whilst things are looking brighter on Merseyside, the same can’t be said for Toffees reject Dele Alli following his move to Besiktas in the summer.

Alli was signed on Deadline Day last winter in a deal worth up to £40m, joining the Merseysiders on the same day as the former Chelsea boss and it was seen as a golden opportunity for Alli to reignite his career after Antonio Conte washed his hands of the attacking midfielder in north London.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be and the 26-year-old made just 13 appearances averaging at an average of 28 minutes per game. He failed to scored a goal or register an assist over his five-month spell, which led to him being shipped off to Turkey.

However, his form elsewhere has suggested that he needs to be axed permanently from Goodison Park. Indeed, over seven Super Lig appearances so far, Alli – who was dubbed “lazy” by Jose Mourinho – has scored one goal, registered no assists and has created no big chances, as well as losing the majority of his duels (59%) and failing to complete 73% of his dribbles.

Turkish football journalist Gokmen Ozcan spoke to The Athletic this week about Alli’s progress in Turkey, and it seems like the same old story for the wasted talent:

“Dele’s transfer was an exciting event not only for Besiktas but Turkish football,”

“He had a good start but we haven’t been able to see him consistently on the field.”

Beşiktas manager Senol Gunes was a bit more damning of the player, saying: “We haven’t got through to Dele Alli yet. Let’s not discuss Dele Alli as a player, he is below expectations in terms of efficiency.”

With that being said, it is clear that Lampard has played a masterclass by getting rid of Alli in the summer, however, the £100k-per-week earner will return to the club next summer and the manager will then need to get rid of him once and for all.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks could return from his temporary spell at Sampdoria prematurely.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for football.london, Alasdair Gold revealed that the midfielder, who is yet to feature for the Serie A side as a result of an ankle injury, could be set for a return to north London in January due to his continued unavailability in Italy.

Regarding the 26-year-old’s current situation, the journalist said: “Winks is yet to make an appearance for Sampdoria as he tries to overcome a troublesome ankle problem. He had only completed one training session with the group before the problem flared up.

“There have been some reports in Italy that the Serie A side could look to end his loan move prematurely in January if he is unable to regain his fitness with the player training alone as he awaits some kind of progress with the injury. He has not featured in any of the club’s 11 games this season so far and is currently listed by the club as simply unavailable.”

Paratici shocker

While it is true that, when Fabio Paratici sanctioned a deal to send Winks to Sampdoria back in August, the sporting director was unable to predict that the former England international would pick up a long-term injury, it is nevertheless undeniable that the midfielder’s temporary switch to the Luigi Ferraris Stadium has proven to be a shocker.

Indeed, with Antonio Conte quite clearly making the £8.7m-rated talent surplus to requirements at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window, many at the club would undoubtedly have been hoping for an interested party to make a permanent offer for the 26-year-old.

However, with Paratici and Daniel Levy placing a £25m asking price on the playmaker’s head, neither of the two clubs reported to be most interested in the Tottenham academy graduate – Newcastle United and Southampton – would go on to submit a concrete bid for the midfielder, leaving Spurs’ only option to send Winks out on loan.

And, while Sampdoria would ultimately go on to secure the Englishman’s services on a temporary basis, due to the financial limitations of the Serie A side, Tottenham are still reported to be paying £30k per week in order for the Italian club to be able to afford the midfielder.

However, with Winks’ injury resulting in him making no appearances for I Blucerchiati so far this season, as well as potentially being returned to Tottenham in January, it is clear for all to see that the midfielder’s move to Italy has proven a shocker for all involved.

Indeed, Winks himself has not had the chance to prove he has what it takes to make it in a top-five European League, meaning Tottenham look incredibly unlikely to get anywhere near their £25m asking price for the midfielder when he eventually returns to north London, while Levy is still paying a considerable portion of the 26-year-old’s wages in the process.

As such, it would be difficult to categorise the Englishman’s move to Italy as anything other than a disaster for Paratici, Levy and Spurs, with all things currently pointing towards a premature return to Tottenham for Winks in January – bringing both the club and the player back to square one.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has dropped a Newcastle United transfer update on reported winter target James Maddison.

The Lowdown: Newcastle ‘confident’ over Maddison

The St James’ Park club are reportedly ‘confident’ that they can secure a deal for the 25-year-old in the January transfer window, after missing out on him during the summer.

The attacking midfielder has rejected another contract offer from Leicester City, so he appears to be seeking a move elsewhere.

The Latest: Maddison snub?

However, speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs has said that Maddison does not think that a move to Newcastle in January for him is the best option, as the Foxes star wants to play Champions League football.

The reporter said of the 25-year-old in relation to the Magpies: “From talking to sources close to him, I’m not sure that he thinks that’s the best move in January.

“It becomes quite important for Newcastle to show that they’re on course, suddenly, for European football. Otherwise, I think Maddison won’t go to Newcastle in January. I think he will wait and say, ‘let’s see where you are at Newcastle in the summer’ because he’s that confident that his form is deserving of European football and, specifically, Champions League football.

“That puts Newcastle in quite a tough position with Maddison, much like Mudryk. They’re not going to have that lure in January and, at the moment, they’re in mid-table mediocrity.”

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The Verdict: Understandable

As much as it will pain Newcastle supporters, it is understandable that Maddison seemingly does not want to move to Tyneside at this moment in time.

Hailed as ‘world-class’ by former Toon and Leicester defender Danny Simpson, the 25-year-old has scored three goals and supplied one assist in the current Premier League campaign in a struggling Foxes team, and he currently ranks as their best-performing player in the top flight (WhoScored).

Eddie Howe’s side will be able to catch another glimpse of what Maddison can offer when Leicester play Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium tonight, but it will likely take a lot of persuading to get the playmaker on board with a move to Newcastle unless they show discernible progress quickly.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has said that Diego Carlos could be left out of the club’s official 25-man Premier League squad.

The Lowdown: Carlos injury

The 29-year-oldwas Villa’s marquee signing over the summer, arriving from Sevilla in a deal worth £26m. He started the first two games of the season but suffered a serious injury against Everton in the first home fixture of the campaign.

The Brazilian ruptured his Achilles tendon and has since had surgery on the problem, and it looks as if he may not feature again this season.

The Latest: Preece’s claim

Writing for Birmingham Live, Preece said that Villa are due to submit their final 25-man squad to the Premier League following the completion of last week’s summer transfer window.

When it came to the stricken defender, the reliable reporter said that it is ‘expected that Carlos could be left out of being named in Villa’s official squad list given his severe Achilles injury which will keep him out of action for the majority of the season’.

The Verdict: Bad to worse

Sky Sports stated that Carlos was expected to be out for a minimum of six months, which would’ve been a mid-February return at the earliest.

Therefore, it makes sense for Villa to exclude him from their squad from now until the end of the January transfer window, although it is a case of bad to worse for the player himself knowing that he could officially be absent from a 25-man squad.

Jan Bednarek was brought in on deadline day as a result of Carlos’ injury, so you’d expect that the Poland international would take his spot in the meantime, and hopefully the Brazilian will be in better shape come February.