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Newcastle United have made a late loan move for Tottenham Hotspur winger Lucas Moura, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes

Despite making 25 Premier League appearances under manager Antonio Conte last season, the former Brazil international featured just 11 times in Spurs’ starting XI.

Following a busy window in the transfer market, the 30-year-old appears to have fallen even further down the pecking order at Hotspur Way, having played just 12 minutes of top-flight football this season after Spurs signed eight new players.

More worryingly, Moura was omitted from Tottenham’s last two Premier League squads – demonstrating his suspected lack of game time for the season ahead.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s news

Given Moura’s position has faded at Spurs this summer, O’Rourke has shared news of a potential departure for the electric attacker.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist revealed: “Newcastle United have made an enquiry about a late loan move for Tottenham attacker Lucas Moura.”

The Verdict: Great signing

When looking at his underlying stats, it is easy to see why Eddie Howe would be interested in bringing Moura to Newcastle for the season.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the winger ranks in the 98th percentile for aerials won, in the 96th percentile for clearances and in the 88th percentile for assists, illustrating his vast and versatile skill-set including defensive protection as well as creativity.

Once described as a ‘nightmare’ to train and defend against by Lilywhites teammate Eric Dier, Moura’s arrival at St James’ Park would add an attacker who can play anywhere across the frontline to Howe’s growing squad.

Hailed as a ‘monster’ by Barcelona star Raphinha, a loan deal for the Tottenham man could only be beneficial for the Magpies, so this would be a brilliant deadline day coup for the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Southampton tried to sign Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips on deadline day but a move failed to materialise, David Ornstein reports.

The Lowdown: Phillips out of favour

The 25-year-old finds himself well down the centre-back pecking order at Anfield currently, even though he started the recent Premier League draw at home to Crystal Palace.

Phillips will not get in ahead of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez when everyone is fit, so it is hard to see him featuring much in the coming months.

A summer exit was mooted numerous times throughout the window and it looks as though he could have departed Liverpool right at the death on Thursday.

The Latest: Saints made late move

That’s according to The Athletic‘s Ornstein, who took to Twitter to say that Saints attempted to snap him up on deadline day:

“Aston Villa have agreed to sign Jan Bednarek from Southampton on 1yr loan. 26yo centre-back has chosen #AVFC & is heading to medical. #SaintsFC tried for Nat Phillips but Liverpool reluctant, so will pick from 2 other options.”

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The Verdict: Bad news for Nat?

Phillips finds himself in a tough situation where he will surely want to be playing regular football, so it is easy to have sympathy for him staying put at Liverpool and not featuring.

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Jurgen Klopp has described the Englishman as ‘absolutely insane’ in the past, following some heroic performances in 2020/21, but he isn’t up to the Reds’ standards, as the Palace game showed, when Wilfried Zaha raced behind him opened the scoring.

The hope is that Phillips could seal a move elsewhere in January, potentially filling in for Liverpool now and then before that time, possibly in the Carabao Cup.

Everton have suffered numerous injury issues over the last 18 months with the club tallying up the worst injury record in the Premier League last season, and now another blow to a key player has emerged.

What’s the latest?

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope revealed an injury blow to Nathan Patterson who was stretchered off the pitch during last night’s Nations League clash between Scotland and Ukraine.

Hope tweeted the following during the encounter at Hampden Park:

“Bad news for Scotland (and Everton), right-back Nathan Patterson has been forced off with what looks like an ankle injury. He’s been v impressive for club & country. They’ve sent for a stretcher. #efc”

International break ruined

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard will be absolutely fuming with the news that another one of his players has potentially sustained a serious injury, especially a player who has been so influential in the team’s improved performances of late.

Patterson has become a first-team regular over the Premier League season so far after signing for the club back in January, and has so far become the Seamus Coleman heir Lampard could only have dreamt of.

The 20-year-old Scotsman who was dubbed “excellent” by his manager has been a standout performer in the Toffees team and is currently the sixth highest rated player (7.04) in the entire squad according to SofaScore.

Over seven league performances, Patterson has created one big chance, made 1.3 interceptions, four tackles, 2.7 clearances and won a whopping six duels per game, proving that he has been the defensive sensation that Everton have been crying out for and his hard work has translated into the results.

Everton are currently unbeaten in their last five outings with four draws and one win which will leave the Goodison Park faithful absolutely elated after such a traumatic last campaign, but the injury concerns are piling up yet again and Lampard will be hoping he has enough quality in the team to exercise some damage control.

Jordan Pickford, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are all key players that have been sidelined with various injury issues over the season so far, and adding Patterson to that list will be a real knock to the starting line-up as he is clearly now a depended upon starter in the team.

With that being said, it remains to be seen how serious Patterson’s injury is as he will now go under assessment to see what the extent of the damage is. Lampard will be hoping that the young talent can recover quickly so he can be available for when the Premier League resumes next month. If he isn’t fit, it will very much be a ruined international break for the Toffees.

Wolves are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for RCD Mallorca attacker Lee Kang-In in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: High praise

Lee is a player that has received high praise in the past, as he was once labelled an ‘outstanding talent’ by former Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo.

The attacker has also been likened to Manchester City and Premier League great David Silva, and is still only 21 years of age.

The Latest: Wolves interest

As per Spanish sources, Bruno Lage’s side are ‘after’ a move for Lee in January, as he could be a replacement for the potentially Juventus-bound Adama Traore.

However, they will face competition from fellow top-flight rivals Newcastle United for his signature.

The Verdict: Great option

A player who features alongside Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-chan for the South Korea national team, Lee has one assist in six senior appearances for his country, and could well be on the plane to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup.

At club level, he has started the season off well with Mallorca, with one goal and three assists in his first six games in La Liga (twice.

Nonetheless, you’d like to think that Lee still has so much potential at just 21, so could prove to be an excellent buy for the Old Gold not just for now, but for the future as well.

Crystal Palace could soon have another top young talent on their hands at Selhurst Park, with Josh Kymani-Gordon continuing to star in the academy.

The 19-year-old is quickly catching fire in the Eagles’ academy and has started the season in superb fashion, notching six goals in six games in the Premier League 2.

The striker also impressed during the international break, with Crystal Palace’s youngsters taking on PSG’s academy earlier this week, in which Paddy McCarthy’s side produced an incredible display, winning 7-3.

Kymani-Gordon was unsurprisingly amongst the goals, hitting a hattrick, so he will surely be a player that Patrick Vieira is keeping an eye on at Selhurst Park.

The teenage forward also won Crystal Palace’s U’18 player of the season award in the 2019/20 campaign, with McCarthy full of praise for him after his achievements were recognised.

He said: “He has a fantastic attitude. [He’s] strong, powerful, excellent technique. A player who came to us at the start of the year. He’s done a lot of work on the training ground and shown a real open mind to learn and a real desire to get better every day on the training pitch.”

Vieira could have a big problem on his hands next summer, with Wilfried Zaha reportedly likely to depart Selhurst Park on the expiry of his contract, having contributed 87 goals and 73 assists in a glittering Palace career.

This will leave the French manager needing a new talisman and goalscorer in his side, with Zaha having picked up where he left off last season, hitting four goals in five Premier League games so far this season.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is one man from the academy who has been likened to Zaha by Charlton boss Ben Garner, where the youngster is currently on loan, but Kymani-Gordon’s sensational goalscoring form suggests that he could be a more natural replacement for the Ivorian at Selhurst Park.

If he continues this phenomenal start to the new season, there seems no reason why Kymani-Gordon won’t be featuring in the first team in the near future.

Aston Villa will face a wounded Nottingham Forest tonight and will be hoping to continue their slight resurgence following a poor start to the season.

Having lost four of their opening five Premier League matches, Steven Gerrard’s side are now three unbeaten, including an impressive draw with Manchester City.

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This has seen them rise to 16th, and a win tonight could see them go as high as ninth.

They have Steve Cooper’s side to beat, who have lost their last five in the league, shipping 17 goals during this period.

With a few injuries forcing the 42-year-old into some changes, here’s the Aston Villa XI we’re predicting for tonight’s game…

From last week’s 0-0 draw with Leeds United, one can expect three changes to that starting side.

Emiliano Martinez will unsurprisingly continue in goal and will hope to build on their clean sheet from this result.

Matty Cash is expected to be fit for the game, and he will likely start. As Lucas Digne remains injured, Ashley Young will deputise at left-back.

They will flank an unchanged centre-back pairing of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa.

The midfield three of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey will likely stay untouched, due to both a lack of alternative personnel and no real need to change it.

It is the front three that Gerrard might hope to tweak slightly to increase their proficiency.

To do this, Danny Ings is the perfect man. The lethal frontman has just one goal this season but is capable of finishing most chances that fall his way. His 46 goals in just 100 games for Southampton are a testament to this.

Due to his recall, Ollie Watkins will be pushed out to the left flank, where he is comfortable operating. His size and aerial prowess offer a unique aspect for a winger, who should have an enjoyable time with how Neco Williams likes to bomb forward.

That leaves the right winger spot, where finally Emi Buendia will return to the line-up. The tricky 25-year-old has impressed in his few appearances this season, and his recall sees the underperforming “magician” – as dubbed by journalist Eric Njiru – Philippe Coutinho drop to the bench. As a result, it would mark the Argentine’s first start since they faced Arsenal in August.

Liverpool are considering making an approach to sign Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Arthur out

The Reds were on the lookout for a new central player over the summer to provide cover for the ongoing injury crisis, and ended up landing Juventus’ Arthur Melo on a season-long loan.

However, the Brazilian has now been ruled out of action and is facing up to four months on the sidelines after sustaining a serious thigh injury, leaving FSG to identify the man they want to bring to the Premier League as his replacement.

The Latest: Liverpool monitoring Rodriguez

According to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are ‘keeping an eye on’ Rodriguez, though it remains to be seen whether the Merseyside outfit will be ‘taking the step forward’ to sign him in January.

It’s stated that the 28-year-old is the ‘main value’ of Manuel Pellegrini’s squad, meaning they ‘could offer him’ out in the New Year to balance the books, though it’s believed they are keen to get him to put pen to paper on a new deal before the World Cup.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Rodriguez is a hugely talented player and if Liverpool have the opportunity to land him in January for a reasonable fee, then it’s a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

The Argentinian, praised for his ‘creative spark’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, currently averages 3.1 tackles per La Liga game and has a pass success rate of 88.7% (WhoScored), showing quality on both sides of the ball.

With seven career trophies to his name, Rodriguez would bring a wealth of success and experience to the midfield in what would be a welcome addition at Anfield.

Aston Villa have struggled in recent years to establish themselves as ‘the best of the rest’, where they will feel they belong.

After their 2019 return to the Premier League, Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard were both handed transfer war chests to improve the squad and help bridge that gap.

Yet now, ten games in, they sit 16th and are just one point away from the relegation zone.

One of the summer additions that did not cost a huge initial fee was Boubacar Kamara, who was brought in to be a busy defensive midfielder to facilitate creativity further up the field.

However, injury struck, as it has done all too often this season for Villa, and he has now been ruled out for the foreseeable future. The nature of the injury, being his knee ligaments, suggests it will be until way after the World Cup.

It can, therefore, leave many questioning who, if any can fill a role that is so important to the function of the team.

One player who definitely could have done it in his prime is James Milner, who enjoyed a stint at Villa Park back in the late 2000s.

Signed for just £10m in 2008 by Martin O’Neill, he had impressed at Newcastle United with his workmanlike performances in the midfield.

However, his career has since proven him extremely versatile and capable of filling in wherever he is required.

Just this weekend he was instrumental in Liverpool’s narrow 1-0 win over Manchester City, deputising at right back and keeping Phil Foden quiet. He earned a SofaScore rating of 7.4.

Gary Neville spoke on the 36-year-old’s performance after the match, claiming: “I thought it epitomised what Liverpool were today in terms of their passion, spirit, their energy, their fight.”

He continued: “But he was just tenacious. I think it epitomised his career, not just Liverpool today. Not just in terms of his position and one he didn’t want to play but he’s there again doing a job for the team.”

Milner has been a stalwart of the English game, featuring 826 times across various prestigious clubs. During this time he has accumulated three Premier League titles as well as a Champions League.

He has earned huge praise throughout his career for his ability to pick a pass, yet also be incredibly secure in his defensive displays. It is this security that Villa are craving now, as they look to put an end to having conceded 13 in their ten league games this season.

To place the prime version of a man labelled a “workhorse” by journalist Leanne Prescott where Kamara had been previously, could actually spark some consistency for Gerrard’s struggling side.

Adding leadership and the unflinching sportsmanship of Milner would be a stroke of genius for a team in disarray.

Aston Villa boast plenty of exciting young talent in their academy, plenty of whom will have seen the club’s current form and thought that they could be the ideal solutions to turn things around.

However, with Unai Emery now appointed as manager, it seems that the hierarchy have opted for an experienced big name to progress the Villans rather than a younger revolutionary like Steven Gerrard.

Nonetheless, the former Arsenal boss could look to implement Tommi O’Reilly in a similar way to what Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola did with Phil Foden into the first team. After all, many at the club have nicknamed the Villa youngster after the Sky Blues’ star academy product.

Still only 22, Foden has already featured 184 times for the Cityzens, scoring 52 goals and setting up another 36.

At just 18 years of age , Villa attacking midfielder O’Reilly already boasts plenty of experience at under-23 level.

Having scored eight goals and set up another three in 25 games for the under-18s, he was promoted to the next age category and handed 23 appearances for the under-23s.

He will now have his sights set on the biggest step up to senior football, and if Emery is to implement him slowly just as Guardiola did with Foden, he could reap the same benefits that Man City have.

This season, O’Reilly already has a goal and an assist in Villa’s opening six Premier League 2 matches, and his performances across the youth teams even led journalist Ashley Preece dubbing him a “lovely little footballer”

He would likely not burst into Emery’s plans right away, but if he is managed correctly, he could soon surpass the likes of Emiliano Buendia or Jacob Ramsey in the Villa first team.

The Spaniard already has a proven track record with trusting in youngsters, as he was the man who promoted Emile Smith Rowe to Arsenal’s first team in 2018/19.

This should fill O’Reilly with confidence that, should he keep performing to a high standard at underage level, the chances will come in the first team.

To promote another academy graduate would instantly get Villa fans even more supportive of the new regime under Emery, and if he can become anywhere near as successful as Foden has in Manchester, it will be a process well done.

While Crystal Palace’s £9m move for Alexander Sorloth didn’t work out from a playing perspective, the Eagles did superbly to more than double their money on the Norwegian striker.

He made the move to Selhurst Park in February 2018, joining from FC Midtjylland in a £9m move as he signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the south London club.

However, he struggled to adapt to the Premier League and made just 20 appearances in total for the Eagles, with his only goal for the club coming in a 1-0 win against Swansea City in the League Cup.

After that goal, he earned a lot of praise from his then-manager Roy Hodgson, who said: “He was good and his physical stats are phenomenal. He deserved his goal, he worked very hard.”

Loan spells with Gent and Trabzonspor followed, and it was with the Turkish side that Sorloth began to catch the eye, as he contributed a remarkable 33 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances during the 2019/20 season.

RB Leipzig saw enough in that loan spell to bring him to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2020, and after a brief dispute over his ownership with Trabzonspor, he was sold to the German outfit in a deal worth £22m, which represents superb business when you consider that he never cut it in the Premier League.

That trend continued in Germany, as he managed just six goals in three assists in 38 appearances for Die Roten Bullen before being shipped out on loan to Spain, joining Real Sociedad.

Despite a less than impressive first season with the La Liga side, as he contributed just seven goals in 43 appearances, they were keen to bring the 26-year-old back for another year, a gamble which appears to have paid off.

Sortloth currently sits on five goals and two assists in 11 games for Sociedad in the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that he is finding his goalscoring form in Spain.

However, there is little to suggest that he is living up to his £22m price tag, so Palace deserve a lot of credit for getting such a good deal for a player who flopped in the Premier League.