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Arsenal have enjoyed a busy few days in the January transfer window as they have completed deals to sign both Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, from Brighton and Spezia respectively.

Mikel Arteta and Edu have moved to improve the squad by snapping up new signings as the Gunners attempt to win the Premier League title ahead of the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United.

However, Kiwior and Trossard may not be the last players to come through the door at The Emirates as Spanish right-back Ivan Fresneda is reportedly on the club’s radar.

Journalist Ryan Taylor recently told GIVEMESPORT that he expects the Gunners to “push” to complete a deal for the Real Valladolid enforcer this month.

This comes after The Athletic reported that Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are competing to land a £13.1m transfer swoop for the young defender.

Arteta could now ditch out-of-favour central defender Rob Holding by winning the race to sign Fresneda, as bringing a right-back in would free up Tomiyasu and White to provide cover at centre-back when needed.

Holding has been used as a substitute on six occasions in the Premier League this season and is yet to be handed a start, which comes after he made 15 appearances in the division – starting nine times – last term.

Arsenal could allow the 27-year-old to leave and enjoy regular game time elsewhere by signing Fresneda and ensuring that the Englishman’s departure would not leave the club shorthanded at right-back or centre-back.

The Valladolid full-back could be an excellent addition to the side as the gem has caught the eye this term. LaLiga Lowdown’s Matt Clark hailed the defender’s campaign so far in a recent interview with Chronicle Live, saying:

“Iván Fresneda has been one of the revelations of the season so far in LaLiga, standing out for newly-promoted Real Valladolid. He is a remarkably complete right back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

“He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first team football.”

The 18-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 10 appearances in the Spanish top-flight and averaged an impressive 4.2 tackles and interceptions per match, which shows that the enforcer can win the ball back for his side on a regular basis.

An average score of 6.99 would place him 11th in the Arsenal squad and this suggests that Fresneda could be a solid signing for the club in the short-term, if he can adjust to English football, as well as in the long-term at his young age.

This would, therefore, allow Arteta to sanction an exit for Holding as the Spanish coach would have ample options in defence to not worry about losing the 27-year-old.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Everton could make a ‘left field’ appointment by hiring Marcelino as their next manager.

The Lowdown: Candidates emerge

A number of candidates have already emerged as potential replacements for Frank Lampard, with 90min reporting that Sean Dyche, Wayne Rooney, Duncan Ferguson and Nuno Espirito Santo are all options.

Sky Sports reported that Everton are ‘big admirers’ of Thomas Frank, while Maurizio Sarri is another name that has been mentioned.

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein says that Marcelo Bielsa is the manager that Farhad Moshiri ‘wants to appoint’, but it is ‘unclear’ whether he would have the support of others in the Merseyside club’s hierarchy.

Nonetheless, it will certainly be interesting to see who the Goodison Park outfit go for next.

The Latest: Marcelino a ‘left field’ option

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that Marcelino is a ‘left field’ option for the Toffees, and is one name that he has heard alongside the likes of Dyche and Ferguson:

“Everton are searching for options and a lot of what I hear, away from Duncan Ferguson and Sean Dyche, are foreign options.

“I’ve even heard about Marcelino, which feels left field but he’s a good coach so maybe the path they go down next is less obvious than first expected.”

The Verdict: Appointment needed as soon as possible

Whoever the board decide to appoint, they must decide on a candidate as soon as possible.

Given that they are out of the FA Cup, the Blues do not play until Saturday 4th February at home to the Premier League leaders Arsenal, which will be a tough game in itself, but if they were to get a manager in by then, then at least it would give the supporters something to get behind.

Of course, some managers may be more attainable than others, for example Marcelino is currently out of work, but Everton have to consider other factors and get this appointment spot on considering what is at stake, with them currently sitting in the relegation zone.

Even though Marcelino has managed at some top clubs, including the likes of Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal, he has never managed in the Premier League before, which is always a risk, and so the Toffees should be assessing all of the candidates currently available before coming to a decision.

Everton need to appoint a new manager as soon as possible and recent reports suggest that owner Farhad Moshiri is in talks with West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan.

Frank Lampard was sacked earlier this week following a shocking run of form following the World Cup, which included home defeats against relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton, to leave the Toffees in the 19th spot in the Premier League.

The timing is less than ideal for the Merseyside outfit, given that the transfer window will close next week, with the current squad looking unlikely to produce a turnaround that will see the Toffees escape relegation again this season.

Therefore, it is imperative that Moshiri finds his Lampard successor quickly, with former Leeds United Marcelo Bielsa having already reportedly rejected Everton.

However, the Toffees could land their own version of the legendary Argentine in Corberan, who worked under Bielsa at Leeds United before excelling in his first managerial role with Huddersfield Town.

In his first season with the Terriers, the Yorkshire side would fall at the final hurdle in their unexpected push for promotion, as they lost out against Nottingham Forest in the playoff final.

After a brief, unsuccessful spell with Olympiacos, Corberan returned to English football with West Brom, where he has overseen a remarkable turnaround, taking the Baggies from the relegation zone to the brink of the playoffs.

The 39-year-old has taken charge of just 14 games with the Midlands side but has made a huge impression, winning 10 and drawing one with a superb points-per-game average of 2.21.

Considering Lampard averaged just one point per game across his 44 matches in charge of the Toffees, it seems clear that the Spaniard could be a significant upgrade, and could potentially replicate his turnaround with West Brom at Goodison Park.

Bielsa was full of praise for Corberan during their time working together at Elland Road, which suggests that he could be an ideal alternative if Moshiri cannot convince the former Atletico Bilbao manager to return to the Premier League this month.

Bielsa suggested that the young coach was “very talented” and that he valued his opinion more than his own, which certainly bodes well for Corberan’s future in management, given the Argentine’s phenomenal reputation.

Therefore, with Moshiri reportedly already in talks with the West Brom boss, he should look to bring the 39-year-old to Goodison Park this month, in the hope that he could potentially emulate Bielsa in the future, while also keeping the Toffees in the top-flight this season.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in signing Nicolo Zaniolo before deadline day…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky in Italy, who claim that Spurs want to sign the AS Roma midfielder on loan but face competition from Serie A rivals AC Milan, who could offer him a permanent switch.

It’s also thought that the 23-year-old has already rejected a move to fellow Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth as he wants to play in Europe – interestingly, the Lilywhites will face the Rossoneri in a Champions League Round of 16 clash next month.

Roma are asking for around £26m, so it remains to be seen if the north Londoners can get a deal over the line before Tuesday night’s deadline.

Kulusevski repeat

If sporting director Fabio Paratici can secure a late move for Zaniolo, then it could have all the hallmarks of being Dejan Kulusevski 2.0 at Hotspur Way.

This time last year, the Italian supremo secured a deadline day swoop for the then-Juventus outcast – since, he has grown leaps and bounds into a firm fan-favourite around N17, hardly a surprise when you’ve provided 20 goal contributions in 36 appearances. One more than he managed in 74 games for the Old Lady.

Just like Kulusevski, Zaniolo has hit a bit of a career crossroads at the Stadio Olimpico, having been restricted to only 896 minutes of league action, whilst four of his five goal contributions have come in three Europa League appearances.

It’s a stark contrast to his form last season, where he played an integral role in the side clinching the Europa Conference League trophy – across all competitions, he scored eight goals and laid on a further nine assists from 42 outings, via Transfermarkt.

That level of form has seen the Italy international lauded by those around the game and the press. For instance, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs has hailed him as a “frightening talent,” with CEO and Roma fan Nick Mercadante having lauded him as “an absolute monster” too.

Perhaps it is at Tottenham where he can refind that level of quality and consistency, should Paratici manage to secure him in a late deal this window.

He would certainly add another new dimension to Spurs’ attack, having already brought in Arnaut Danjuma, with Pedro Porro on the verge of becoming the next signing, according to reports.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano expects more signings at Tottenham…

Manchester United were denied a penalty in their Carabao Cup win, with Samuel Luckhurst dubbing it “utterly bonkers”.

The Lowdown: Cup victory

Erik ten Hag’s side booked their Wembley place for the Carabao Cup final at the end of the month following a comprehensive 5-0 aggregate victory over Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes put United 3-0 up heading into the second leg as Anthony Martial and Fred struck at Old Trafford to set up an enticing final against Newcastle United in a bid to end five trophyless seasons.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s comments

Despite their comfortable victory, the Red Devils could’ve put the tie to bed earlier when Weghorst was denied a penalty as he nipped in front of Forest defender Scott McKenna before being brought down in the area at the start of the second half.

Following play being waved on and referee Peter Bankes not being referred to the monitor by VAR, the Manchester Evening News journalist hit out at the decision on Twitter.

Luckhurst said: “Extraordinary how VAR haven’t advised the referee to give a penalty there. It’s as if they think ‘They’re already 3-0 up on aggregate, would be cruel on Forest’. Utterly bonkers.”

The Verdict: VAR mistake

Luckily for Ten Hag and United, the incident was academic, but had Forest managed to pull off an unlikely turn-around, the Dutchman would have had every right to be up in arms over the decision.

With McKenna dithering on the ball inside his own box, he eventually decided to attempt a clearance with Weghorst steaming in to win possession back, with the striker clearly getting to the ball first and poking it away from the Scotsman.

He’s then met with the follow-through from McKenna’s attempt to play the ball on his shin which sent the 6ft 6in striker crashing to the ground and led to Bruno Fernandes even giving up on the ball to protest given his adamance at the claim.

McKenna left the scene quickly and was caught looking sheepishly on the Sky cameras as he and Forest held their breath on a review that didn’t – but should have – followed.

Chelsea are among the suitors interested in a move for the highly touted Borussia Dortmund prodigy Jude Bellingham, and could forge a deadly central partnership with his arrival.

What’s the word?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano tweeted in November of last year that Chelsea were among some of Europe’s most prestigious outfits in signing Bellingham, who is arguably the hottest commodity in world football at present, valued at €150m (£133m), and the desire for his signature does not seem to have dimmed.

And now, according to 90min, the 19-year-old sensation would “consider” a move to Stamford Bridge, despite the Blues having yet to initiate direct negotiations, unlike leading suitors Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

With Chelsea owner Todd Boehly demonstrating his unrelenting might on the transfer front since taking the reins at the club last year, having already parted with more than £550m, the Premier League giants certainly possess the means to complete a monumental deal.

“Superstar” duo

Despite bolstering the ranks at Stamford Bridge and acquiring the signatures of a plethora of talented stars, Chelsea are expected to continue the spending spree in the summer, with the club transitioning to a comprehensive new look.

And currently languishing in ninth place in the Premier League with just 30 points from 21 matches, ten points off Newcastle United in fourth place, there will be hope that the fresh faces can rejuvenate the ranks and charge a surging run to the top of the division once again.

And while Bellingham cannot sway the fortunes of the west London outfit on the pitch this term, he can certainly make a marked improvement for years to come, having already forged 115 outings in Germany since his initial £25m move from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2019.

This season alone, he has scored ten goals and served five assists from 25 appearances for the Yellow Wall, vital in the club’s fight for silverware and a place in the Champions League next year.

Chelsea, who face Dortmund in the first knockout phase of the Champions League later this month, will be able to observe their £49k-per-week target’s skills firsthand, and will hope to convince him of a move with a dazzling collective display, hopeful that their own midfield maestro Enzo Fernandez can play a definitive part in convincing the starlet to switch allegiances this summer.

Blues boss Graham Potter’s £107m January signing is likely to be the catalyst for desired change, with his dynamic central skill set encompassing what is required to flourish as a world-class component to a first-rate outfit on the continental scale, and with Bellingham’s arrival this summer, deadly duo could emerge, with devastating consequences for the side’s opponents.

As per FBref, the 22-cap Bellingham ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues for rate of goals, 7% for rate of assists and 2% for successful take-ons, whereas Fernandez ranks among the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 5% for shot-creating actions, although he is compared to those playing in Men’s ‘Next 8’ – the best divisions below the established big five – leagues, having recently departed from SL Benfica.

This illustrates both the offensive might that the pair would create, and also the vigorous and all-encompassing midfield work that would ensure Chelsea are balanced and composed with such superlative and varied quality.

With his dynamic partnership, Potter could land a “superstar” – as Bellingham was lauded by Rio Ferdinand – duo to devastate with regularity, no matter the foe, and in Fernandez’s playmaking prowess and Bellingham’s pivoting destroyer role, the innate and seamless abilities could entwine like vines up a branch, bouncing off each other and striking with robustness, creativity and flair from the middle.

Chelsea are piecing the puzzle together, and with Bellingham as the central focal point, Boehly’s work could be complete.

Aston Villa appear to be preparing a big summer move for Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams.

The Lowdown: Quiet January

NSWE promised Unai Emery a ‘huge’ winter window budget after he took over from Steven Gerrard, but it was a relatively quiet January window in the Midlands.

Full-back Alex Moreno and teenage forward Jhon Duran arrived at the club relatively early in the month, with no late drama in the final days of the window.

A move for Williams was mooted, and it looks as if he is still a player of serious interest to Emery and Co after reports on February 1 said they could re-enter the chase in the summer.

The Latest: Williams move?

A major Spanish outlet has now shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Villa and Williams.

They claim that the club decided to postpone a move for Williams until the summer, where Villa, and therefore owners NSWE, ‘will once again have a good handful of millions to finalise’ a transfer.

The Verdict: One to watch

Williams, described as ‘incredible’ by his brother, Inaki Williams, is primarily a right winger and is still just 20 years of age. He appears to be a star in the making, though, with his Transfermarkt valuation doubling to €25m since June, so he could be a player to keep an eye on over the coming months.

The Spain international has contributed to 12 goals in 25 appearances for Bilbao this season and as been their fourth-best performer, as per WhoScored, so could be a real shrewd signing by Villa, who appear to be preparing the funds to secure his services.

Lucas Paqueta has dropped a positive injury update on his Instagram account after being forced in West Ham United’s last game.

The Lowdown: Positive news emerges

It will have been painful for David Moyes and West Ham fans to see star midfielder Paqueta forced off with a shoulder injury last weekend after just 14 minutes, especially when Paqueta seemed to be finding his feet in claret and blue shirt, having netted the equalising goal away to Newcastle United the week before.

After costing West Ham £51m, Paqueta has certainly had a tough time of things since joining the Hammers, having missed three games due to injuries and now being set for more time on the sidelines.

The Latest: Paqueta drops encouraging injury update

When Paqueta was helped off the London Stadium pitch last week, many may have feared the worst, however, it looks as though the Brazilian may well have gotten lucky with the severity of his injury, as he took to Instagram to send fans an injury update.

He said (translated from Portuguese): “Passing by to thank everyone’s messages, one more scare, the same shoulder as before just other ligaments, but at least the worst of the problems!! Been feeling a lot less pain and I’m recovering well hopefully be back soon.”

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The Latest: Huge boost for West Ham

The fact that West Ham have started to hit a bit of form in recent weeks, with their only loss in their last seven games across all competitions a defeat to Wolves, it will be huge to know Paqueta isn’t likely to miss too much football.

However, no matter how long he’s out for, Paqueta will be a huge loss for West Ham, as he ranks second for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (FBref), so he is clearly one of the few players that can get things ticking in the final third.

But this is certainly a chance for the players to step up in his absence and show how good the squad depth is at West Ham – or at least that is what Moyes will indeed be hoping happens in Paqueta’s absence.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly plotting a potential summer move to try and bring Serbia under-21 striker Petar Ratkov to Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Morelos replacement?

Alfredo Morelos is out of contract with the Premiership giants this summer, with reports that a number of clubs in the Spanish, Italian and Turkish top flights have registered their interests in signing him on a free transfer.

Should he depart, Rangers would need to find a replacement, and it looks as if they have one player lined up already.

The Latest: Ratkov transfer interest

As per Football Insider, Michael Beale’s side are plotting a move for Ratkov this summer and are ‘keeping close tabs’ on his situation at Serbian top-flight outfit FK TSC.

He is on the radar of some top clubs in Europe heading into this summer, and both Anderlecht and Parma had bids rejected for him in the January transfer window.

Rangers have made no enquiries or bids for Ratkov as of yet, but are assessing the player known as the ‘next Mario Mandzukic’.

The Verdict: Get it done

Ratkov will likely be a player in high demand come the summer, so the Light Blues need to try and wrap up this deal as soon as they can.

It is testament to how highly the 6 foot 4 striker is rated that he has been compared to Mandzukic, a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and a World Cup finalist with Croatia who boasts 230 senior career goals at club and international level.

At just 19 years of age, Ratkov has already played 63 senior matches for TSC, scoring nine goals and supplying three assists, while he has also scored once in four matches at under-21 level with Serbia (Transfermarkt).

He certainly seems to have a bright future, and he could hopefully be a focal point for Rangers for years to come.

Chelsea are still interested in making a move for Borussia Dortmund and England ace Jude Bellingham this summer, according to journalist Matt Law.

The Lowdown: Bellingham Europe’s most wanted

The England international is one of the world’s most sought-after players at the moment, having produced a string of influential performances for club and country.

Bellingham is already a star man for Dortmund but he looks likely to leave this summer and Chelsea have been linked with a big-money swoop for him.

The Blues face plenty of competition for the 19-year-old’s services, however, with a number of their Premier League rivals keen on snapping him up.

The Latest: Chelsea still keen on signing

According to The Telegraph‘s Law, Chelsea are still keen on signing Bellingham in the summer, despite landing Enzo Fernandez in January.

The Blues are accepting that they are not necessarily the favourites to get their man, however, with others in front of them in the pecking order currently.

The Verdict: Game-changing addition

Bellingham could be a sensational signing for Chelsea if they managed to entice him to Stamford Bridge, with few players on the planet possessing more potential right now.

At 19, he has already won 22 caps for England and made 119 appearances for Dortmund, being described as a ‘superstar’ by Manchester United legend Roy Keane.

Bellingham could help transform Chelsea’s midfield, dovetailing beautifully with the similarly prodigious Fernandez and forming a world-class midfield for many years.

Despite his tender years, the Dortmund maestro already looks like a complete midfielder, averaging 3.2 tackles per game for England at the 2022 World Cup and also scoring ten times for his club side this term, in all competitions.