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Wolverhampton Wanderers certainly committed a huge transfer blunder last summer, especially considering developments over the last week of the January transfer window which saw Enzo Fernandez join Chelsea for a British record fee of £107m.

It may have been all so different before the start of the season, considering that Wolves were heavily linked with a move for the Argentine golden boy, although he eventually left River Plate to join Benfica for just €10m (£9m) in what now looks like the bargain of the century.

Having shone for the Portuguese club in the earlier part of the season (he was their sixth-best play according to WhoScored) prior to becoming a vital cog in the Argentina midfield as they won their third World Cup following an epic final against France, Fernandez became one of the hottest prospects in world football, claiming the Young Player of the Tournament award.

What could have been for the Molineux side, as the inclusion of Fernandez may have enabled them to enjoy a better start to the current Premier League season than what unfolded, with Bruno Lage sacked in early October with the club in the relegation zone.

With Fernandez out of the picture, Julen Lopetegui may have had an opportunity to sign their very own replica of the Chelsea sensation, as the Old Gold were linked with another young Argentine midfielder in Carlos Alcaraz.

According to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the 20-year-old was approached by Wolves at the start of the January transfer window, although it eventually ended in disaster akin to the Fernandez failure, with Southampton managing to secure his services for what could well be a bargain fee of £12m.

Journalist Alex de Llano went as far to describe him as “gold for Racing” last year, and he is certainly in a similar mould to Fernandez.

Both are young Argentine midfield talents, and while one has already made a big splash on the continent, Alcaraz will be keen on following in his compatriot’s footsteps during his spell in England.

The two are best while occupying a central midfield role, and although Fernandez has registered six goal contributions this term, only one has been a goal. Alcaraz has scored three times, also taking more shots (41 to 30) and averaging more shots per game (2.2 to 1.7) and more clearances per match (0.5 to 0.2), with these returns clearly show just how much potential the Southampton youngster has.

Lopetegui certainly missed a trick over Alcaraz, who could have complimented the Wolves midfield very well; and with his style of play being quite similar to that of the £107m World Cup winner, the Spaniard could rue missing out on him, especially to a relegation rival in the Saints.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Djed Spence to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to ExWHUEmployee, with the Hammers insider revealing in a recent post on Patreon that, having been linked with the right-back previously, David Moyes is once again interested in taking the Tottenham Hotspur defender on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Ex went on to suggest that, despite Spurs typically not being overly keen to do business with the Irons, as a result of West Ham’s poor standing in the Premier League table at present, Antonio Conte’s side could be willing to sanction the 22-year-old’s temporary departure this month.

In his post, the club insider said: “Another domestic loan that we have reported that we would be interested in is Djed Spence of rivals Spurs. The right-back was on our radar before.

“Usually, Spurs don’t like to deal with us but given our league differences we are not seen as a direct threat this year and they may be tempted to offer him a chance for first-team football without needing to uproot and move elsewhere again.”

“Unbelievable”

While it is true that, following his £20m move to Tottenham last summer, Spence has been largely overlooked by Conte – playing just 41 minutes of first-team football this season – considering just how much promise the right-back showed on loan at Nottingham Forest last term, the youngster would appear to be an unbelievable signing for Moyes to get over the line.

Indeed, over his 45 appearances in the Championship last time out, the £19m-rated talent was in sensational attacking form, scoring two goals, providing five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.6 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 5.8 duels per match.

These returns saw the player who legendary Arsenal centre-forward Ian Wright dubbed both “unbelievable” and “swashbuckling” average an astonishing WhoScored match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Forest’s sixth-best performer in the second tier of English football – playing a key role in the Reds sealing promotion back to the Premier League.

And, considering just how poor Vladimir Coufal, Ben Johnson and Thilo Kehrer have been for West Ham so far this season – averaging disappointing Sofascore statistical ratings of 6.83, 6.75 and 6.59 in the top flight respectively – it would indeed appear as Spence would add a much-needed spark in the Hammers defence.

As such, while his signing may only be short-term, the argument that the England U21 international would nevertheless be an unbelievable deal for Moyes to get over the line this month is indeed an extremely easy one to make.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur may well make a move to sign a new goalkeeper this January if the right player becomes available.

What’s the word?

It was certainly a day to forget for number one option Hugo Lloris in the north London derby after he scored an own goal in Sunday’s defeat.

With that in mind, Tottenham fans will likely be glad to know the club are already planning for a future without the 36-year-old between the sticks.

For instance, they’ve have been linked with Brentford shot-stopper David Raya recently. However, any move for a new goalkeeper is believed to be more of an aim for next summer.

Despite that, in a new article for football.london, Gold has suggested that Spurs could act this winter if the right player was available ‘earlier than expected’.

The journalist explained: “While centre-back (left and right/centre) and a central midfielder are among the summer plans with a new goalkeeper you can’t rule out a move if a player became available earlier than expected this month.”

Time to act

So, it appears as if Spurs may make a transfer U-turn, as Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge claimed that Spurs will wait until the summer to sign a goalkeeper.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte still seems to have faith in Lloris, with the Frenchman starting all but one game in the Premier League up to this stage in the season.

However, the very fact that the veteran retired from international duty earlier this month suggests that the player is finally coming into the latter stages of his career.

And so, sooner or later, Spurs will have to find a successor. Beyond Raya, Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has also been tipped as a possible option for the Lilywhites.

It feels unlikely that those two would be sold mid-season unless a seriously big bid came in, but perhaps Tottenham are planning a shock early move – or maybe someone else entirely will suddenly become available.

For now, it certainly looks like something to keep an eye out for.

Nathan Patterson was left incensed by a Kevin De Bruyne tackle in Everton’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Blues shock City

Frank Lampard’s side faced the reigning league champions on Saturday afternoon, in what looked like a horribly daunting challenge from the off.

Unsurprisingly, City looked likely to be comfortable winners in the first half, creating little but completely bossing the ball, finding the opener through Erling Haaland after 24 minutes.

The Blues struck back through an incredible solo strike from Demarai Gray as the match turned sour, with several yellow cards dished out to both teams by referee Andrew Madley.

The Latest: Patterson left ‘incensed’

One incident that stood out in the first half was a bad challenge by De Bruyne on Amadou Onana, with journalist Joe Thomas taking to Twitter to note Patterson’s reaction to it:

“De Bruyne in the book for a late challenge on Amadou Onana as Everton sought to counter. Patterson incensed by the tackle, which was quite cynical. De Bruyne and Onana were teammates just weeks ago at the World Cup.”

The Verdict: Some fight at last

It was nice to see Patterson show some passion at the Eithad, and after not getting close to Pep Guardiola’s side in the first half, the Blues showed some serious fight after the interval.

Lampard has had faith shown in him by the Everton board and it looks like his players are still fighting for him too, which should grant fans some relief after a shocking run of form.

Leeds United appear intent on raiding Red Bull Salzburg once again, with sporting director Victor Orta believed to be eyeing a move for Austrian international, Maximilian Wober.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Peter Linden, the Elland Road outfit are believed to be ‘willing to pay a double-digit million contribution’ in order to land the 24-year-old next month, with the defender having previously worked under Jesse Marsch at Salzburg.

The Leeds boss has already overseen reunions with both Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson after signing the duo from the Bundesliga outfit during the summer, with the indication being that the American is now “preparing an offer” to add Wober to that list, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The suggestion, as per Romano, is that any move for the former Sevilla man – whose existing contract is set to run until 2025 – could cost in the region of €16m (£14m), including add-ons.

Orta can repeat Aaronson masterclass

As stated above, Marsch and Orta already moved to bring in both Kristensen and Aaronson from the Austrian outfit over the summer, with the addition of the latter man having proven particularly fruitful thus far.

The USA international could no doubt improve upon his attacking output, with just three goal involvements to his name in the Premier League this season, although the signs are that he is still making an impact in his new surroundings, having created five big chances thus far.

The 22-year-old playmaker has clearly illustrated his willingness to make things happen in the final third as he averages 1.9 key passes per game from his 15 league starts, while also proving effective defensively after averaging 1.7 tackles per 90 from his attacking midfield role.

Such a bright start to life in English football – in which the youngster has also recorded 13 chance-creating carries this term – has led pundit Noel Whelan to describe him as a “stand-out” asset for the Yorkshire side, due to his “huge energy”.

With that £24.7m investment already beginning to pay off, Orta could look to repeat that transfer masterclass by snapping up Aaronson’s former teammate, Wober, with the 13-cap titan also possessing the quality to shine at Elland Road.

The Vienna-born ace – who can feature at centre-back or in a left-back berth – has enjoyed an impressive start to the current campaign thus far, showcasing his attacking threat after scoring once and registering two assists from his 15 league outings, while also creating five big chances in that time.

Perhaps more importantly for a side that has shipped 29 Premier League goals this term, however, the 6 foot 2 brute has also illustrated his defensive acumen after averaging 2.1 clearances, 1.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions this season.

Equally, like Aaronson, the one-time Ajax rock would also offer the benefit of having played under Marsch previously, ensuring that he could well make a smooth transition were he to join Leeds in the New Year.

Having already reaped the rewards of raiding Salzburg in recent months, Orta could well repeat that trick by snapping up Wober in January.

Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Real Valladolid winger Gonzalo Plata in recent times, with manager Eddie Howe seemingly keen to bolster his wide options.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who suggested that the Ecuadorian international could well be an attainable target for the Magpies, having been linked with his signature of late.

The transfer insider stated: “It is a position that Newcastle would like to add to, they do want to bring in [a winger]. He’s a pacey winger who can play wide on the left.

“I think he could be somebody who could be very gettable this January transfer window. Especially with his price tag, I don’t think Real Valladolid would be in any position to turn down any sizable offer for his signature.”

The Tynesiders may well face competition to sign the 32-cap gem – who made the move to Spain on an £8.5m deal in the summer after an initial loan move – amid reports that the likes of Leeds United, Atletico Madrid and Roma have all tracked his progress previously.

Newcastle’s answer to Zaha

The former Sporting Lisbon man is currently shining on the international stage, having played “impressed” in Ecuador’s promising start to the World Cup in Qatar, in the words of journalist Ben Jacobs, playing the full 90 minutes in the South American nation’s opening two group games.

That impact has come amid the youngster’s encouraging displays at club level in recent times, having chipped in with two assists in ten La Liga outings this season, after previously registering 11 goal involvements in the second tier last term.

While not prolific, the winger would certainly add real flair to Howe’s attacking ranks were sporting director Dan Ashworth to get a deal wrapped up, with the highly-rated “trickster” – as described by Adrian Blanco – a truly dynamic asset in attack.

That is certainly the verdict of transfer insider Dean Jones, who described Plata as a ‘game-changer’, while also stating: ‘He’s got pace to burn, he’ll mesmerise people with his trickery and he’s got a finish on him as well. Plata is one of those players you could watch for hours on end.’

Bringing the explosive talent to St James’ Park could well see Howe and co find their answer to Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, with the skilful Ivorian also offering a real direct and dangerous prospect from his wide berth.

The two men are not only alike as a result of their somewhat maverick talent, but the pair also share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref, with Plata notably ranking in the top 7% for dribbles completed in Europe among those in his position, while the Eagles ace ranks in the top 13% for the same metric – albeit with the latter man having recorded more minutes.

Such a comparison will have piqued the interest of those back at Newcastle such has been Zaha’s impact in the Premier League in recent years, with the 30-year-old – who has been linked with the Magpies of late – scoring 67 goals and 29 assists in 291 games in the competition to date.

To be able to secure a new, more youthful addition in the mould of the Selhurst Park star would surely be a mouthwatering prospect for the Champions League hopefuls, with Ashworth seemingly needing to do all he can to get a deal secured.

Julen Lopetegui was confirmed as Wolves’ new manager last week and it seems as if one of the first big decisions the Spaniard will make will be on the future of Fabio Silva.

The Athletic have reported that, despite Silva joining Anderlecht on a season-long loan in the summer transfer window, the Old Gold will explore the possibility of bringing him back in January as they look to ease their goalscoring woes.

The 20-year-old striker has struggled immensely since joining Wolves from Porto in a deal worth £35.6m, a transfer that broke the Midlands club’s record at the time, with just four goals and six assists to his name in 62 appearances for the club.

Despite the Old Gold scoring just 38 times in the Premier League under Bruno Lage last season, the Portuguese manager thought it wise to loan out Silva to Belgium, with subsequent injuries to Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic leaving them extremely low on options in attack.

Diego Costa’s time at the club so far has proven to be a disaster and Wolves have managed the fewest goals in the Premier League with just eight, which has left them in 19th position in the league.

Silva, meanwhile, has enjoyed his time at Anderlecht thus far, with nine goals and three assists in 26 appearances, so Robin Veldman is perhaps unlikely to want to let him go in January, meaning that Wolves could be forced to pay a fee for their own player, emphasising just how poor a decision it was by Lage to let him leave.

Even though he struggled in front of goal, Silva was still a decent option for the Midlands club to have, emphasised by Conor Coady’s praise for the young forward last season.

He said: “We know what he brings us. He’s a young lad who is working every single day. He’s been fantastic since he came in. He works so, so hard to improve and get better, and you see that now.”

Although Raul Jimenez should hopefully be available to Lopetegui when he takes charge after the World Cup, it would not be a surprise to see Silva return to Molineux, as the Old Gold need all the help they can get if they want to avoid relegation this season.

If Wolves are forced to pay Anderlecht a fee, it will only highlight Lage’s shocking decision further, as his poor choices have left the Old Gold in a very precarious situation.

That said, they may well have to if they are to unleash him in the New Year, a call that simply has to be made if they continue their dry patch in the opposition penalty area. Recalling Silva is a simple option, particularly as he now looks bang in form.

Aston Villa are thought to be plotting a move for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Torres under Emery

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by his national team boss Luis Enrique, the Spaniard has progressed through Villarreal’s academy and is now a first-team star for the La Liga side.

The 25-year-old has made 149 senior appearances for the club, with 105 of those coming under new manager Unai Emery. The defender scored 10 of his 15 career goals under the 50-year-old, and it looks as if the new Villa boss is keen on a reunion with the player.

The Latest: Villa linked with Torres

Football Insider shared a story on Thursday morning regarding Torres, revealing that Villa have made him a top target and are plotting a move after receiving the green light from Emery.

The report adds that Torres is valued at £40m, which would be a record transfer outlay at Villa Park.

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The Verdict: Major coup?

Torres looks set to feature for Spain at the World Cup later this month, looking to add to his 21 international caps.

You could say that a potential move for the defender would be a coup by NSWE, with Torres valued at a career-high £45m Transfermarkt valuation.

He appears to be at the top of his game, has recently been linked with Tottenham and is used to playing in European competition, so he could be the ideal centre-back addition that Villa have been seeking.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could now ‘get rid’ of Raul Jimenez as reports share a big update on the striker’s Premier League future.

The Lowdown: Jimenez’s woes…

Despite his obvious ability, the Mexico international hasn’t been able to contribute as effectively as Wolves supporters would have liked in the last couple of seasons, understandably not looking the same player ever since his skull fracture nearly two years ago.

Indeed, Jimenez missed almost the entirety of 2020/21 with the major issue as the Old Gold implemented a patient, steady return to full fitness from that very serious injury.

Following on, the 2021/22 season saw the Wolves forward make 10 goal contributions in 30 league starts – steady numbers but not quite the level of previous years.

Jimenez bagged 30 goals and 13 assists domestically in two campaigns from 2018 to 2020, and the Molineux side won’t be seeing that form again any time soon considering that he is now sidelined again.

The Latest: Wolves could now ‘get rid’ of Jimenez…

According to recent reports, it appears that club owners Fosun International are now weighing up whether to take action.

La Opinión reported on Thursday afternoon, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, that Club America ‘seems close’ to potentially bringing Jimenez back across the Atlantic.

They add that Wolves are open to selling the attacker and could now ‘get rid of him’, with Jimenez apparently having a ‘foot and a half out of Wolverhampton’ amid a possible return to his homeland.

The Verdict: Time to say goodbye?

There is no questioning the Mexican’s ability, as evidenced by his form in his first two years at Molineux, with former Wolves defender Conor Coady calling Jimenez a ‘phenomenal footballer’ and ‘massive for the club’.

However, as Fosun look to consistently progress on the field and fix the Old Gold’s current issues, change is sometimes required, even if it means letting go of a fantastic servant such as the 31-year-old.

The Times journalist Paul Joyce has revealed that Everton still plan to sign Conor Coady after his loan from Wolves, despite the departure of Bruno Lage.

The Lowdown: Lage departs

The Wanderers confirmed the departure of Lage on Sunday evening after a poor start to the season that has left them in the relegation zone in the Premier League table, having scored the fewest goals (three) in the division.

The Portuguese manager decided to let club captain Coady leave on loan to Goodison Park, after having reservations over whether he could play in a back four, and the Merseyside club have an option to buy him in the summer.

The Latest: No affect on Coady plans

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, Joyce has revealed that the Old Gold’s decision to change their manager will not affect the Toffees’ plans to sign Coady on a permanent basis.

The new coach at Molineux could have different opinions to Lage on the central defender, but they will not be able to recall him, and so Frank Lampard’s side still plan to sign him permanently after his loan spell ends.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

Given the start that he has made to his Blues career, signing Coady permanently is a no-brainer.

As journalist Simon Phillips has pointed out, both him and fellow new signing James Tarkowski have been ‘massive, massive’ players for Lampard already this season, as emphasised by his team conceding the fewest goals in the top flight so far.

Coady seems to be thriving in a back four with Tarkowski as his centre-back partner, and is certainly proving Lage wrong in that respect.

Nonetheless, having been the captain at Wolves, the 29-year-old brings extra leadership qualities not just on the pitch, but in the dressing room as well, and so whatever transfer fee it would take, EFC simply have to pay it to get him in on a permanent deal.