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West Bromwich Albion reporter Lewis Cox has been reacting to an injury update regarding forward Daryl Dike.

The Lowdown: Dike’s absence

Dike has injured hamstring and thigh problems since making the move to The Hawthorns at the beginning of the year.

His latest issue has kept him out for the majority of the current Championship campaign, with the 22-year-old making just one appearance.

The forward only lined out twice last season, but it looks as if he is on the verge of returning under new manager Carlos Corberan.

The Latest: Injury return

Cox took to Twitter on Monday morning to relay the news that Dike was set to feature for the under-21s against Nottingham Forest.

He labelled it as a ‘big step’ in his recovery and said it ‘will be a real boost’, hinting at a possible first-team return against Stoke City this weekend.

Dike did indeed feature for the under-21s last night, playing 45 minutes and scoring from the penalty spot in a 5-1 defeat.

The Verdict: Good news

There have been some much-needed promising signs under Corberan with back-to-back 1-0 wins over Blackpool and QPR lifting them off the bottom of the table.

This update on Dike is extremely encouraging, and as Cox mentions, the American could be in line for a first-team return this weekend.

That will be welcomed by Corberan and everyone associated with the Baggies, and hopefully, Dike will provide the firepower in the second half of the season to lift the club away from danger and into the top half.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the printed edition of the Sunday Mirror (23/10, p.78), the Magpies are expected to make a renewed attempt to snap up James Maddison from Leicester City at the start of 2023.

The report claims that the Foxes are anticipating another swoop from the North East side after Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth failed to land the maestro in the summer.

Newcastle reportedly made offers worth up to £50m to sign the English attacking midfielder in the last window but they were unwilling to meet Leicester’s £60m valuation, which led to him remaining at the King Power Stadium until January at least.

Imagine him & Bruno

Howe could form an exceptional partnership in the middle of the park by signing Maddison and playing him alongside Bruno Guimaraes in midfield.

The Brazilian midfielder has been sensational since making the move to St. James’ Park in January from Lyon and has shown that he is a quality performer at Premier League level.

Guimaraes has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.30 in the top-flight across nine appearances this term, bagging two goals and two assists whilst also making 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game. This comes after he managed five goals and one assist in 11 starts for the club last season.

He has shown that he has the consistency, quality and work ethic to thrive in midfield for Newcastle and he could enjoy playing alongside another player who has proven his ability on the ball at this level – Maddison.

Statman Dave recently claimed that he is in “flawless form” and his statistics this season back that up. He has plundered six goals and two assists, whilst creating 2.2 chances per game, in 10 Premier League appearances for Leicester so far this term, with his latest strike coming against Wolves at the weekend.

This comes after the former Norwich City man scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in 28 top-flight starts for the Foxes in the 2021/22 campaign.

The English wizard has proven that he can make a huge impact in the final third with his ability to score and create goals on a consistent basis from midfield. At the age of 25, he also has plenty more years ahead of him to improve and develop under Howe’s coaching at Newcastle.

Now, imagine Guimaraes and Maddison producing magic in midfield week-in-week-out for the Magpies in the Premier League for many more years to come…

The international break couldn’t have arrived at a better time for Glasgow Rangers, who have just one victory in their last four matches.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have stuttered their way through September, with thrashings being dealt out by Premiership rivals Celtic, as well as Ajax and Napoli in the Champions League.

There appears to be a creative spark missing from the Ibrox side, a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and create opportunities from nowhere.

With pressure on Ross Wilson and the Rangers board from the supporters following a poor end to the transfer window, if he had made a different decision on a key player from last season, the club might not be in this predicament.

Wilson made blunder on Aribo

Joe Aribo was always likely to leave in the next few seasons due to the impact he made in Scotland, with a host of Premier League teams linked with the 26-year-old as the season ended – and Southampton were ultimately his chosen destination.

With Aribo’s contract due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Saints stumped up £10m to snatch the midfielder from the Ibrox side – and Van Bronckhorst has certainly missed his guile linking the midfield and attack.

With a rating of 7.23 on WhoScored for his performances last season, the midfielder ranked third in the Light Blues squad and underlined his importance to the team.

He created nine big chances, made 13 direct goal contributions, and made 1.8 key passes per match in the Premiership last time out, showcasing his creative abilities when Rangers were struggling at times.

He has played seven times for Southampton this season but has yet to showcase his true ability, scoring only once in the Premier League thus far.

The £45k-per-week star will undoubtedly settle into life in England with ease, as it took him a season to really get going at Rangers. Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba described Aribo as “exceptional” after Aribo had scored for the Super Eagles against Brazil three years ago.

Winning a league title, a Scottish Cup, and scoring in a major European final since will have given the player the confidence to believe he can succeed at the highest level.

Wilson may have made one of his biggest blunders yet by not persuading him to sign a new contract and it is already a decision that looks like it is coming back to haunt him.

Manchester City have been known to splash out vast transfer fees to bring new players to the club over recent years.

One player for whom the club once broke their record transfer fee to sign is Rodri, who came in from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019.

With 155 appearances for the Citizens to his name, the Spaniard has scored 13 goals, provided ten assists and won two Premier League titles.

As the latest summer transfer window draws to a close, the remaining days until Thursday’s deadline could give Pep Guardiola the chance to bring in someone who could be their next version of Rodri.

One man who has been mentioned with a move to the Etihad Stadium recently and who could fit this bill is AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer.

After making 77 appearances for Empoli, in which he scored two goals and provided six assists, the 24-year-old joined his current club in 2019. Since then, the Algerian has played 107 times for the Rossoneri across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and seven assists.

To give an insight into what sort of player Bennacer is and how he operates on the pitch, legendary former Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi had this to say about the midfielder earlier this month: “He’s always ready to press the opponents and shorten the space between the lines. Also, he is good at moving the ball quickly. The speed of touch is fundamental in modern football.”

Having also been described by Giuseppe Bergomias a figure who “dominates in the middle on the pitch due to his personality and technical qualities”, only Sandro Tonali (309) made more midfield pressures for Milan than the Algerian (213) in Serie A last season. 

In comparison, Rodri topped City’s list for the same statistic by making 254 pressures in the midfield third of the pitch.

Both players also came third in their respective squads in terms of the number of passes they played into the final third of the pitch, with Bennacer making 94 passes and the City star making 242.

Overall, as another young midfielder who is currently making a name for himself at one of Europe’s big clubs, a switch to the Etihad this summer for the Milan ace could mirror the Spain international’s 2019 move to City and give the Premier League champions their next version of the 26-year-old.

Erik ten Hag hasn’t had the start to life at Manchester United that he had hoped for when he took the reins at Old Trafford earlier this year.

If defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the club’s opening Premier League game wasn’t bad enough, the 4-0  thrashing at Brentford six days later saw United reach their lowest echelon in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson period, going bottom of the league table.

A 2-1 victory over Liverpool last Monday will hopefully be the catalyst for the Dutchman to turn things around at the club, and it will take time for his philosophies and playing style to pass on to the players.

While the signing of Casemiro from Real Madrid has bolstered a stale midfield, the focus will now surely turn to improving a stagnating attack.

One player with whom Ten Hag has been linked is Newcastle forward Allan Saint-Maximin, according to French outlet Media Foot. Magpies manager Eddie Howe reportedly looking to listen to offers for the Frenchman, with a fee of £50m being touted.

United need some rejuvenation in an attacking sense. Cristiano Ronaldo’s future looks increasingly likely to lie away from Old Trafford, and unless the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford can put in the performances to banish the criticism of recent months, goals could be hard to come by for the Red Devils.

Saint-Maximin scored five goals and registered five assists in the league last season, posting more goal contributions than every United attacker apart from Ronaldo, and he could give Ten Hag’s side a different dimension across the frontline.

According to FBRef’s similar player model, the Newcastle forward is comparable to AC Milan star Rafael Leao, and the two share parallel statistics in key areas from last season.

The Portuguese ace registered just over double the number of goal contributions as Saint-Maximin (21 to ten) in 2021/22, with the two generating a similar average of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over the course of the season (3.63 to 3.66).

Both are at their best from a wide position, delivering 69 crosses each, while from a defensive point of view, both won slightly under half of their aerial duels (45% to 38.8%).

Former Lazio player Marco Parolo once claimed that Leao could become “one of the strongest offensive wingers in the world”, while Saint-Maximin appears to have all the necessary attributes to make a difference to Ten Hag’s side.

Howe described the 25-year-old’s performance against Manchester City last Sunday as “electric”, and if the Red Devils wish to reach the top four of the Premier League, then a move for Saint-Maximin should be prioritised.

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of Matthew Hoppe in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman is reportedly eyeing up a move for the USA international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, according to MLS insider Tom Bogert.

The reporter has also claimed that one of the Black Cats’ Championship rivals have made a bid in the region of £2.5m for the attacker.

He tweeted: “Middlesbrough have made an offer to Mallorca for USMNT forward Matthew Hoppe, per sources. Offer is around $3m (including add-ons). Sunderland interested as well. Hoppe, 21, has six caps with the USMNT. Joined Mallorca last summer from Schalke.”

Forget about Nathan Broadhead

The Black Cats are said to be keen on a deal to bring Nathan Broadhead back to the club from Everton after his loan spell on Wearside last term. However, nothing is imminent, and Hoppe has now emerged as a potential alternative to the Welshman.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the Toffees loanee caught the eye as he scored 10 goals in 22 League One outings for Sunderland. He proved that he fits how Alex Neil wants to play and that he can perform alongside the players currently at the Stadium of Light.

However, it remains to be seen how Broadhead would handle the step up to Championship football. He has only proven himself in the third tier of English football, and it would be a gamble to expect him to replicate his form at a higher level.

Conversely, Hoppe would be dropping down a tier to arrive at the Stadium of Light. He played in La Liga for Mallorca last term, albeit that he only featured in five games, and he was in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 for the 2020/21 campaign before his move to Spain.

The American, who was once dubbed “complete” by Jacek Kulig, caught the eye in Germany as he found the net six times in 15 starts, whilst setting up one goal for his team-mates. He has shown that he can score goals in a major European league, which suggests that he has the quality to perform in the second tier in England.

Therefore, the 21-year-old dynamo has the potential to be a superb signing for Sunderland if Speakman can beat Middlesbrough to his signature. Fans will quickly forget all about Broadhead if Hoppe comes through the door and starts banging in the goals week in, week out in the Championship.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Sunderland transfer claim that’ll excite supporters…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Maxwel Cornet to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Journal (via MOT Leeds News), who claim that, following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League last season, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are now all keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 25-year-old winger ahead of a potential swoop in coming weeks.

The report goes on to state that the Ivory Coast international – who only joined the Clarets in a €15m (£13m) move back last August, penning a five-year deal at Turf Moor – is available for a figure of £17.5m this summer, as a result of having a release clause written into his contract.

“The best summer signing”

Considering just how impressive Cornet was for Burnley last season, coupled with Raphinha recently sealing his long-awaited £55m switch to Barcelona, it is easy to see why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to Elland Road ahead of the club’s 2022/23 campaign.

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Indeed, despite the Clarets’ struggles in the Premier League last time out, the £13.5m-rated talent nevertheless managed to catch the eye over his 26 league appearances, scoring nine goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £44k-per-week forward who Alex James dubbed “the best summer signing” and Robin Bairner labelled a “massive talent” average an extremely respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.84 – a quite remarkable accomplishment while playing in an attacking lineup that managed just 33 goals all season.

As such, should Orta manage to beat the likes of Spurs and Chelsea to the 29-cap international’s signing this summer, it would undoubtedly represent a huge coup for the Spanish sporting director – especially considering the winger would be available for an extremely reasonable £17.5m fee.

AND in other news: Phil Hay reveals £21m Leeds target now “tops the agenda”, supporters will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring James Maddison to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Paul O’Keefe, who revealed on Twitter that, despite a deal for the 25-year-old appearing dead in the water earlier this month, Fabio Paratici is now ‘seriously considering’ making a move for the Leicester City attacking midfielder in the coming weeks.

The Spurs insider went on to clarify his earlier statement that Tottenham were out of the running for the England international’s signing this summer, revealing that his previous information was incorrect and that Antonio Conte’s side are now moving towards the Foxes playmaker.

In response to a supporter asking for an update on Spurs’ attacking midfield targets this summer, O’Keefe said: “They are very seriously considering James Maddison.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Maddison has been for Leicester in recent years, O’Keefe’s claim that Spurs are hugely interested in pursuing a deal for the 25-year-old this summer is sure to have left the Tottenham Hotspur faithful buzzing.

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Indeed, over his 35 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £45m-rated talent was in magnificent form for Brendan Rodgers’ side. He scored 12 goals, registered eight assists and created 11 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 2.1 shots (one on target), making 1.4 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the one-cap England international average a hugely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.32, not only ranking him as the Foxes’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 13th-best player in the entire top flight.

The £110k-per-week midfielder also caught the eye in Europe last season, scoring one goal, providing two assists and averaging a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.68 over his five outings in the Europa League.

He also scored three goals, created one big chance and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.28 over his eight Europa Conference League outings, which saw him rank as Leicester’s best and second-best player in the respective competitions.

As such, it is clear to see that the versatile Maddison – who can operate from central and attacking midfield, and on either flank – would make a fantastic addition to Conte’s options in north London next term, even if his reported £60m price tag would be yet another hefty fee for Daniel Levy to cough up this summer.

AND in other news: Conte eyeing “very tempting” £7.1k-p/w Spurs target, he’s a “tactical evolution” dream

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City defender Nathan Ake has agreed personal terms to join Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Ongoing negotiations

The Dutchman still has three years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, but has been consistently linked with a move away after reportedly being told that he is free to leave and find a new club this summer.

Sky Sports first revealed last month that the 27-year-old had opened talks with the west London club over a potential move to Stamford Bridge, with the Evening Standard since suggesting that negotiations had become more advanced, and it now sounds like the player is ready to return to the capital.

The Latest: Ake agrees personal terms

Taking to Twitter, Romano stated that Ake has reached a verbal arrangement with Chelsea, although City are yet to have been approached with an offer.

The Italian wrote: “Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Ake on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid.

“City want around £40/45m for Ake and plan is to replace him with a new centre back in case he leaves.”

The Verdict: Bit-part player

Raheem Sterling is already close to putting pen to paper at Chelsea, and it appears that Ake will soon be following the England international to west London.

The centre-back was a bit-part player under Guardiola last season, making just 14 appearances in the top flight, with only ten of those coming from the start (via WhoScored), trailing behind the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones in the manager’s defensive pecking order.

Ake used to play for Chelsea in his younger days but ended up leaving the club in 2017 to join Bournemouth.

However, a return to his former stomping ground is now on the cards as Guardiola possibly looks elsewhere to bolster his defensive ranks once the Dutchman’s likely departure is announced.

An Italian report has now shared some interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer news as Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio schedules a meeting over defender Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Conte plots major overhaul…

As reported by The Telegraph, Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is plotting a major overhaul with two new signings having already been confirmed.

Croatia footballing legend Ivan Perisic and Premier League goalkeeper Fraser Forster have arrived in north London on Bosman deals and it is reliably believed that Conte is chasing even more fresh faces.

The Italian reportedly wants one or two new wing-backs with La Gazzetta dello Sport now sharing a development on their links to Inter star Dumfries.

The Latest: Spurs meeting scheduled…

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According to the newspaper, Nerazzurri club chief Ausilio has travelled to London for various transfer meetings and has scheduled one with Tottenham hierarchy as they eye a move for Dumfries.

Conte and Co are allegedly keeping tabs on the Netherlands international, who is also wanted by Man United.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Dumfries, valued at around €40 million (£34m) by Inter, could be an astute purchase for the Lilywhites and Conte if the move for Djed Spence does not work out.

The 26-year-old is still fairly young and has attracted big praise in parts for his performances in Serie A over 2021/2022 – with Italian football expert and GIFN contributor Jerry Mancini calling him an ‘exciting player’ and ‘effective’ out wide (Twitter).

The Dutchman is also a regular at international level, amassing over 30 caps in an often star-studded Netherlands international side.

It’s hardly surprising Spurs hold an interest and it will be interesting to see the outcome of these talks.

In other news: ‘Big’ – Alasdair Gold says Tottenham are expected to make move for supremely underrated star! Find out more here.