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Many Sunderland fans have been left gushing over transfer news involving Jack Clarke.

As per the club’s official website, the winger has now joined from Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the rest of the season.

At 21 years of age, Clarke has already shown so much promise throughout his career, starting off at Leeds United, where he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award after bagging two goals and two assists in their 2018/19 Championship season.

He has also played on loan for Stoke City and QPR as well as parent club Spurs, and he racked up six caps for England at under-20 level (Transfermarkt), further showing his credentials at a young age.

Nonetheless, he is a signing which has prompted glee among many of the Stadium of Light faithful.

Sunderland fans on Clarke transfer news

These Sunderland supporters were ecstatic as the transfer news was dropped on Twitter, with a couple claiming that they were ‘buzzing’, while another went as far as to call it an ‘unreal’ signing:

“Another top quality attacking signing. Career has stagnated, but this is chance to remind everyone of his ability and kickstart his career and prove a point in a league lower than his level. A striker, LB and physical CM and that is the perfect window for me.”

Credit: @Ian_Crow3

“Unbelievable signing, buzzing, haway the lads”

Credit: @DanielpSafc

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @paulthomase

“Buzzing with that”

Credit: @AbsGlasper

“What a signing, we are so clear”

Credit: @chleclerc_

“Unreal signing”

Credit: @1999WasHere

In other news, find out what other transfer update has left these Black Cats fans buzzing

Given Everton’s spotty run of form in the Premier League, winning just one of their 11 previous league games, the upcoming January transfer window could allow the Merseyside club to strengthen and freshen up their squad to put them in a good shape for the second half of the campaign.

However, it seems as though Everton have been mentioned with a potential move for a player that not only would be a very familiar face to a lot of fans in Merseyside but would also be a player that some fans would not want to see wearing their club’s shirt.

What’s the news?

According to Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Everton are in the frame, alongside fellow Premier League club Newcastle United, for a potential swoop for Barcelona and former Liverpool attacker Philippe Coutinho.

The report claims that the Brazilian is not wanted at Barcelona and that his agent is waiting on the likes of Everton and Newcastle to make a formal approach for Coutinho.

During his time with Liverpool, Coutinho managed to rack up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances across all competitions before making his mega-money move to Barcelona in a deal worth a reported overall total of £142m in 2018.

With 106 appearances under his belt with the La Liga side, Coutinho’s spell at Barcelona has been widely regarded as a disappointing one, which is presumably why the club are looking to get rid of him despite the huge amount of money they paid for him.

Last month, Coutinho, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £380k-per-week according to Salary Sport, answered some of the criticism thrown his way during his time at Barcelona after being called “lazy” by the Spanish media, which apparently surprised him.

It’s hard to see many Toffees fans being excited about potentially seeing the former Liverpool man, who has scored three goals and provided two assists in the nine games he’s played against Everton, join Rafa Benitez’s squad.

Given how Benitez previously criticised former Everton midfielder James Rodriguez for not wanting to work hard for the team and preferring “a comfortable life and money more than the competition,” it seems as though Coutinho could be the next version of the Colombian at Goodison Park given the doubts over his work rate in Spain.

Overall, it would be worth Farhad Moshiri not risking any further fury at Everton from the supporters by stepping away from a potential move for the Brazilian and looking elsewhere for potential reinforcements in January.

In other news: Everton to be offered £31.5m-rated beast who’s “similar to Xavi”, Rafa would love him…

West Ham United have been monitoring Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, with The Athletic intimating that there could well be “late drama” in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Their report claimed: “Nayef Aguerd is a player the club have already monitored. In the summer, they were interested in signing the Rennes defender but it proved to no avail. The Morocco defender is 25, left-footed and a goalscoring centre-back.

“This season he has scored four goals in 25 appearances for the French side. The only issue is he used West Ham’s interest as leverage to secure an improved contract, which doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025.

“While a move to the London Stadium for Aguerd appears unlikely, we have seen many deals reach an impasse only for there to be late drama in the window.”

Would be a shrewd signing

Aguerd has been a regular for Rennes this season in Ligue 1, playing every single game in the top flight except their last fixture before the winter break against AS Monaco.

An analytical piece done by The Athletic noted how the defender “is composed with the ball and keeps possession at a very high rate”, while also being “very strong in the air — both in open play and from set pieces.”

In fact, as per WhoScored, Aguerd has actually won the most aerial duels of any player in Ligue 1 since the start of last season with 188, while second-placed Sven Botman way down the line on 148.

Crucially for Moyes, the Moroccan also seems to be the right kind of character who would fit in well at the London Stadium.

Former Rennes manager Julien Stephan said: “He is a cerebral person, who thinks a lot and is attentive, constantly in the exchange and in the sharing. He is someone very simple, full of humility and who shows a great desire to progress.”

The £25m-rated colossus could well be a shrewd signing for the Hammers if they can pull it off this month. West Ham fans should be excited over a potential swoop for the centre-back.

Meanwhile, Moyes is now keen on signing this Premier League star…

Celtic have tabled an offer for Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Ideguchi profiled

Ideguchi appears to be one of three Japanese targets for Ange Postecoglou in the New Year alongside Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda.

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The 25-year-old can play in a central or attacking midfield role and is valued at £720,000 by Transfermarkt.

Ideguchi has made 182 appearances for his current employers, 41 of which have come in 2021. He also has 13 caps to his name for his country, and it seems as if the Hoops are stepping up their interest in the former Leeds United man.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a story on Thursday morning ahead of the Hoops’ Europa League clash with Real Betis.

Within his report, he said ‘Celtic are believed to have tabled an offer for midfielder Ideguchi’, with Gamba Osaka ‘willing’ to allow Ideguchi to enter talks with the Hoops.

Devlin’s in-depth piece on Ideguchi is available to view here, with Japanese journalist Alan Gibson suggesting in the piece the midfielder is ‘ready’ for ‘Ange-ball’.

The Verdict: Starting to take shape…

Postecoglou has recently admitted that the club are on schedule with January signings, and this latest update backs up his claim.

Should Ideguchi make the move to Parkhead, he’d give the Hoops boss another versatile option in midfield, which seems to be needed as Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic so far this season.

He has plenty of experience in Japan, so Postecoglou will know just what he could bring to Celtic, and it seems as if the Hoops have stepped up their attempts to secure Ideguchi’s services with an offer now on the table.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Celtic injury update on ‘brilliant’ star. 

West Bromwich Albion have been heavily linked with extremely active in the January transfer window, in an effort to claw back victories in the Championship, score more goals and ultimately get promoted back to the Premier League next season.

What’s the story?

Valerien Ismael has confirmed that he met with the West Bromwich Albion transfer committee this week, and has spoken out about the plans for January:

“We expect something to happen,” the Baggies boss said. “We are working behind the scenes and have a plan in place. We are ready and expect incomings and outgoings.

“We have spoken a lot. We had a meeting this week and know exactly what we can do, so it’s a good feeling.

“It’s maybe the chance to bring another fresh player with another mentality. We need to find the right balance between what we can do and what is available on the market and who is able to play straight away to help us.”

What next for West Brom?

There has been a lot of rumours surrounding the signing of a striker for the Baggies, which is an area of the team that could be causing the side to fall behind in the league table, with Fulham at the top scoring 21 more goals already this season and second place Bournemouth seven goals ahead of Albion’s 30 goal tally.

Thus, to hear that Albion will be active in the winter market will surely leave supporters buzzing.

It’s very clear that West Brom are in a position where the January transfer window could either make or break their chances of promotion back to the Premier League this season, and clearly, Ismael is aware of that too, with a lack of goals scored compared to their competitors for the top of the table, a striker seems to be the prime target.

The pressure seems to have slightly eased off the West Brom manager, who had sacking rumours circulating before the two wins that the Baggies have picked up in succession over the last fortnight, but he will need to do more to make sure the side is in good shape going into the second half of the season.

Fans will surely be grateful for the reassurance for their club’s manager after the side seems to be on the other side of a bad run of form, but will still be expecting big things from the transfer window, especially in the attacking third of the squad where current players have been goal shy so far with loanee striker, Jordan Hugill only scoring one goal so far this season.

In other news: Valerien Ismael faces Dwight Gayle transfer blow

Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been no strangers to controversy over the last few months, from team selection to score lines, every detail of the ongoing drama at Old Trafford continues to be the hottest topic in Premier League football.

It seems Ole could be setting up for his next Man United disaster with speculation mounting on the future of young goalkeeper, Dean Henderson.

Henderson hasn’t been getting game time this season, with only one appearance for the Red Devils so far in the EFL Cup, which appears to be unsettling for the youngster who is keen to get first-team football under his belt.

The lack of minutes is quite obviously down to the spectacular return of form from David De Gea, who made his mark on the Manchester United team early in the season, seemingly re-establishing himself as the number one keeper in the side, despite conceding nine goals in three out of his four last games.

The young keeper has been branded ‘insane’ by former teammate, Sander Berge, with the Sheffield United midfielder saying; “He’s insane. I’ve never been with such a good goalkeeper. One thing in matches, he is almost a defence alone at times, and you feel so secure with him.”

With that in mind, surely he should be the stopper to take Man United through their next era?

Sadly, however, the £19.8m-rated gem has been reportedly linked with a move to newly taken over, Newcastle United.

Former Chelsea and Manchester United goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, had his say about a potential move to the North East for the 24-year-old;

“I think he should go. He’s at the stage of his career where he needs to be playing regular football,” Bosnich told talkSPORT.

“But I think from Dean Henderson’s point of view, he needs to start looking after Dean Henderson.

“Newcastle are a club who are on the go and on the move but they are also in a perilous position right now.

“New manager. It’s important to get your spin right and the goalkeeper is the integral part of that. He should go and should go as soon as he possibly can.”

Norwegian manager, Solskjaer, is already on the ropes at Manchester United with pressure rising to find results after a terrible display so far this season, with just four wins from eleven in the Premier League so far.

Losing young players to other Premier League clubs could be one of the biggest mistakes Ole makes in his tenure, strengthening those around him and surrendering homegrown talent who the squad could be built around in the years to come.

Thus, if the manager is still in charge of the Manchester club come January, it will be important for him to identify the right direction for players desperate for first-team football, with the likes of Henderson, Jesse Lingard and Donny van de Beek all linked with moves away from the club in the winter transfer window.

At the moment, Solskjaer is staring down the barrel of another disaster and yet more unrest. On the weekend a protest against the Glazers took place, none of this is ideal.

In other news: Everton must make a move on Man United misfit in January…

This January could be an almighty one for Newcastle United as they enter the transfer market for the first time under the guidance of PIF, their oil-rich new owners.

Trying to push any cash from Mike Ashley’s wallet in recent years was a strenuous task but it’s thought the club’s Saudi investors will be far more lapse with their finances.

What’s the word?

That could certainly be the case after an exciting new update from journalist Duncan Castles.

The reporter was speaking on his Transfer Window Podcast this week and told listeners to expect something pretty big from the Magpies in January after PIF decided to change their strategy just a few weeks after being in the northeast.

He said: “Initially, the idea was to be conservative in the January window, they didn’t want to do deals then.

“They were conscious that it’s hard to do deals then, the prices can be high and availability is limited, but they now feel that they have to use the window to its maximum potential.

“I’m hearing talk of maybe five or six players coming in.”

Fans buzzing

This is a piece of news that Newcastle supporters will have simply been dying to hear.

For so long the Toon Army have been starved of a lack of ambition at St James’ Park but Castles’ new claim seems to suggest that the Magpies will launch quite an offensive strategy in the January transfer market.

It remains to be seen who those five or six players are but it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few of them are marquee acquisitions.

Talented forward players like Mauro Icardi, Nicolas Pepe and Dusan Vlahovic have all been linked while the twinkle-toed Donny van de Beek is an option and the bulldozer that is Stefan de Vrij has popped up on their radar too.

Of course, it would be wise of Amanda Staveley and co to pull off a few shrewder deals too, gently balancing out the squad before truly flexing their financial muscles in the summer of 2022.

Either way, the idea of signing a whole new crop of players will surely leave supporters delighted, especially when you consider the considerable rebuild that Eddie Howe needs to pull off.

He has walked into a mess in the northeast with the Magpies sitting towards the foot of the table and in danger of relegation.

Therefore, any further help in January would be appreciated, let alone from half a dozen potential new recruits.

The buzz has died down a little since the initial period of being taken over but this is something that will no doubt create more hype around the club.

AND in other news, Howe could find his new Ake if Newcastle swoop for “very intelligent” £26.8m beast…

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to target a new forward during the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who delivered a fresh claim to supporters during a recent Q&A.

When asked if an additional striker would be a priority in the upcoming window, he replied:

“Definitely.

“Dane Scarlett will get minutes here and there until then, and that will help the 17-year-old’s development, but it’s one area of the squad where too much pressure is being put on two players to share the load and in [Harry] Kane and [Heung-min] Son. They’re players who are too key to lose to injuries through overuse.

“Then it’s over to that age-old issue of finding a striker of the required quality in the January window who is willing to come and play back-up to Kane.”

Much needed addition

Indeed, another frontman is exactly what Nuno Santo needs heading into the second half of the season, especially considering the fact that he was reportedly keen to deploy a two-man attack upon arrival in north London.

Either way, it’s the one position Spurs lack serious depth in.

An injury to Kane could seriously curtail their campaign, which is the last thing they’ll want after clinching three straight victories in all competitions, in which the England international has found his scoring boots with four goals.

It’s a situation familiar to the club. In January 2020, he picked up a lengthy injury and Spurs soon crashed out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, and also slipped rapidly down the table.

Last season, former Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho had a suitable and cost-effective backup in Benfica loanee Carlos Vinicius, who has since signed for PSV Eindhoven.

Whilst in previous years, the north Londoners have been stacked in the attacking department. At one point, Spurs had the services of Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Emmanuel Adebayor in the very same squad.

Of course, it’s a more difficult task these days as you have to find someone willing to play second fiddle to Kane but opportunities wouldn’t be limited. Spurs are still in all domestic cup competitions and are among the favourites to secure the UEFA Europa Conference League, so there are plenty of fixtures ahead.

Therefore, this latest development should leave many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium absolutely buzzing and excited ahead of January.

New sporting director Fabio Paratici has already shown his muscle in the transfer market, signing the likes of Emerson, Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero, so he could well deliver once again with the addition of a new forward.

Whether Spurs manage to secure that man remains to be seen but it’s certainly an encouraging prospect.

AND in other news, Forget Dier: £60m-rated Spurs star who lost possession 14x endured a nightmare at Newcastle…

An update has emerged on Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are keen on a potential deal for the attacker ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Serie A side are looking for a fee as high as €60m (£51m) for the forward, with Tottenham and Juventus also said to be eyeing him up.

Fans would be buzzing

PIF must ensure that they are able to secure a deal to sign Vlahovic either in January or next summer. If Fiorentina refuse to let him go in the winter window then they must bide their time before making a swoop at the end of the season as he could be a terrific signing for the club.

The fans would surely be buzzing with this move as the attacker has been in sensational form for Fiorentina since the start of last season and could provide a lift in quality in the squad.

Serie A expert Connor Clancy lauded the Serbian as a ‘complete number nine’ earlier this year. He told This is Futbol: “[He’s] Incredible, and it really caught me by surprise because I’d seen him play in the flesh a few times and he scored a great goal against Inter and there was a lot of hype in Florence about him. People were saying this guy’s the real deal and I just couldn’t see it.

“He’s just a complete number nine and I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals. He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

Since the start of last season, Vlahovic has bagged 29 goals in 46 Serie A starts for the Italian side, with 12 goals in 17 starts for club and country this term. He has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer for Fiorentina and has plenty of potential to grow at the tender age of 21.

Therefore, he could be a player who is able to come in and make an instant impact with his goals whilst also holding room to develop further. He could be a sublime addition in the short term, due to his impressive record, and a long-term investment by PIF, which is what could excite Newcastle fans and leave them enthralled with the possibility of him arriving at St. James’ Park.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Darlow: “Unbelievable” £74k-p/w NUFC flop failed Jones vs Brighton…

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Everton midfielder Tom Davies as new manager Patrick Vieira looks to complete the rebuild of his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Eagles are monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Goodison Park ahead of a potential offer.

The report states that: “A Palace source has told Football Insider that Davies is on their radar going into next year and his situation at Everton will be monitored.

“Intriguingly, Davies is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and there has been no progress in talks over an extension.”

Imagine him and Conor Gallagher

The former England Under-21 international is a fan’s favourite at Everton after rising through the ranks at his boyhood club, earning plaudits for his full-blooded and committed displays for the Toffees.

After making his first-team debut back in 2016, Davies has made 155 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, scoring six goals and providing eight assists from a defensive midfield role.

Under ex-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, the youngster was in and out of the side last term but did put in a string of impressive performances, catching the eye of the Italian tactician with a standout display against Manchester United.

“I think, first of all, Tom is a really professional player, really focused on what he is doing,” Ancelotti said. “He has a strong sense of belonging to this club and this is also really important.

“The only thing I said to him is to simplify his work and his style of play. He plays in a position where tactically you have to be really focused. Watching the game against United, I think tactically he was perfect.”

However, he appears to have slipped down the pecking order under Ancelotti’s successor Rafael Benitez. Davies has only featured in 17 minutes of Premier League action in Everton’s opening six fixtures of 2021/22, throwing his future at the club into doubt.

His potential arrival at Selhurst Park would only further the already impressive recent recruitment of the capital club, creating a formidable midfield duo.

The £16.2m-rated Davies would be the ideal partner for loanee Conor Gallagher given he averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per league game last term, providing a solid base for the more attack-minded 21-year-old.

Therefore, chairman Steve Parish must move for the Everton ace in the upcoming window, completing the transformation of the south London outfit’s engine room.

And, in other news…Forget Zaha: Palace beast who won 100% of his duels was Vieira’s real hero v Brighton