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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has personally targeted RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol as a replacement for Aymeric Laporte.

The Lowdown: Laporte benched…

Part of life as a player under Guardiola is growing accustomed to his ever-rotating starting eleven, with previously untouchable stars not exempt.

Laporte has played a significant role in City title challenges, most recently usurping John Stones as the main partner to Ruben Dias last season.

The Spaniard has been praised for his performances at Eastlands, having made over 170 appearances for the club whilst playing a hand in 11 major trophies (Transfermarkt).

However, this season Guardiola has largely experimented with City’s back four/back three – chopping and changing with the likes of Manuel Akanji seeing plenty of minutes.

The Latest: Man City eye Gvardiol…

As such, Laporte is now believed to be unhappy with his game time and prepared to leave Manchester.

This is according to Foot Mercato, who also claim City have already identified the 28-year-old’s replacement.

It is believed Guardiola has personally targeted RB Leipzig star Gvardiol as Laporte’s heir with City marking him out as a key transfer target.

City even lodged a £96 million-plus-bonuses ‘offer’ to Leipzig in January but no agreement was reached.

Gvardiol, after this failed attempt, remains a summer ‘priority’ for the Blues.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Called a ‘sensational’ defender by members of the press, Gvardiol absolutely dazzled for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – further raising his stock as one of football’s most promising young central defenders.

City supporters will remember the 21-year-old for his goal against them in the Champions League recently.

Indeed, Gvardiol buried an equalising header in their last 16 tie against Leipzig with the first leg finishing 1-1.

The Croatian is set to face off against Guardiola’s side at the Etihad this month, a match which may well act as another audition for the player.

Gvardiol may certainly be worth the effort to obtain going by his growing reputation, not to mention Guardiola’s alleged fondness.

Arsenal could see Reiss Nelson depart at the end of the campaign in a bid to secure himself some more regular first-team action.

How long does Reiss Nelson have left on his contract?

The 23-year-old did only return to north London in the summer having spent some time away on loan in the Netherlands with Feyenoord.

And his current deal with the Gunners is set to expire at the end of the current campaign although there have been reports of a potential extension.

It is believed the north London side are in talks with Saturday’s match-winner over the possibility of extending his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

However, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed that despite his love for the club, Nelson could look to leave in the coming months:

“He might sign from what I’m hearing and he does like it there, but he’s not going to get any guarantees over playing time. So don’t be surprised if he does move on.”

Will Reiss Nelson sign a new deal with Arsenal?

The youngster certainly has a big decision to make over the coming months with his development potentially on the line if he chooses to remain at Arsenal.

Nelson has proven his value under Mikel Arteta this season having scored some important goals to help the Gunners along the way as they look to lift the Premier League title.

However, the Englishman has not started a single Premier League game this season and has just 84 minutes of league action under his belt (via Transfermarkt).

It has to be noted that he has had ongoing injury issues which have sidelined him for large chunks of the 2022/23 campaign, but his opportunities, when fit, have been extremely limited.

Having said that, in the two games when he has featured for more than a brief cameo, Nelson has provided Arteta with three goals and two assists in the league. Which equates to a stunning goal involvement return of one every 17 minutes.

But with this in mind, it could open doors in the summer to potentially earn himself a move to a club that would be willing to offer him more regular football over the long term.

Although his record is mightily impressive, it is unsustainable if he was to be given regular action which may quickly see Arteta lose faith in the player.

If the Gunners are to get their hands on the league title then there would be no better way of bowing out, however, he may still feel as if he could earn himself a spot in the starting XI.

Chelsea may have lost the talented Jude Soonsup-Bell to Tottenham Hotspur in January but the club worked swiftly to bring in a replacement, with Jimmy Jay-Morgan arriving from Southampton.

Who is Jimmy Jay-Morgan?

Although Chelsea have been criticised for not bringing in a first-team-ready striker in the January transfer window, despite the hundreds of millions spent, Jay-Morgan could represent a very real option for Graham Potter in the not-too-distant future.

Such was the youngster’s reputation and goalscoring record at Southampton, that the Blues reportedly spent £6m to bring him in from the Saints in the winter transfer window.

The 17-year-old fired in a phenomenal seven goals and five assists in 18 games in the U18 Premier League last season and was swiftly moved up an age group, continuing to impress in the Premier League 2.

After scoring a hat-trick against Birmingham late in 2022, the teenage forward earned a lot of praise from academy coach Louis Carey.

He said: “I know Jimmy gets the headlines and the match ball, he can finish and the range of finishes is at the level we probably haven’t seen coming through the system for many years.

“At the end of it, you need someone like Jimmy to finish, and as I said I think he’s one of the best I’ve seen in my time here.”

He managed four goals and five assists in just eight appearances for the Saints in Premier League 2 this season, so it was no surprise that Chelsea paid big money to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Upon his signing, head of youth development and recruitment Jim Fraser said: “In signing Jimmy-Jay we have added a player with good potential to our Academy squads. His ability marks him out as an exciting striker and we are delighted he has chosen Chelsea for this next, important stage of his development.”

That marks him out as an incredibly hot talent for the future, one who could well go on to replicate the greats of the past.

Chelsea haven’t had a striker reach 20 Premier League goals since the 2016/17 campaign when Diego Costa hit 20 for Antonio Conte’s title-winners and they arguably have someone just as clinical in the Cobham academy.

Arguably their best striker of the Premier League era, however, was the powerful Ivorian forward, Didier Drogba, a player who like Jay-Morgan certainly knows how to attract the headlines and score a wide range of goals.

Drogba certainly arrived in different circumstances, however, signing in a £24m deal in 2004. However, he went on to make 381 appearances for the Blues, contributing 164 goals and 86 assists, which included arguably the biggest moment of his career when he headed home the equaliser against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final.

That’s not to say that the Chelsea teen is going to do the same but with his excellent potential, there is no reason why he can’t begin to make moves towards replicating Drogba’s legacy.

The Blues have had the likes of Tammy Abraham and Armando Broja try to live up to that already, but Jay-Morgan could just be the best-placed of the lot.

Arsenal are reportedly one of three clubs in the Premier League ‘most active’ in the chase for Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto this summer.

The Lowdown: Burst onto the scene

Gnonto has burst onto the scene in the Premier League, after he did not feature in each of Leeds’ first six games in the division.

He has played in every match since, scoring two goals and making a further three assists from out wide, while he has also bagged himself two goals in the FA Cup (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the exciting teenager is sure to attract plenty of interest in the summer, especially if the Whites end up relegated.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘most active’

As per Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Gunners, along with fellow top-flight rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, are ‘most active’ in the race to sign Gnonto this summer, with other clubs also chasing his signature.

The Italy international does not seem to suit new manager Javi Gracia’s system, having only started in one of Leeds’ last three Premier League matches, and so there could be an opportunity at Elland Road to cash in.

The Verdict: Depth needed

If Mikel Arteta’s team are going to fight on four fronts next season, with them expected to qualify for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, then they will needed added squad depth, especially in the forward areas.

Both Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe have been ruled out for extended periods with injury already this season, while Eddie Nketiah is also currently sidelined.

Gnonto is a player with a lot of potential, and already knows the Premier League, so his signing would make sense for the Emirates Stadium outfit in that respect.

Hailed as a ‘top player’ with ‘scary pace’ by pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, the winger ranks in the 90th percentile of all his positional peers for average progressive carries per game over the past year, and also ranks highly for a number of other key metrics (FBRef).

Nonetheless, Gnonto just seems like another young talent that could thrive under Arteta’s wing.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici could soon pack his bags and follow Antonio Conte out the door, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici future questioned…

The Spurs managing director has been linked with a possible departure in recent months and his future could be uncertain after his 30-month ban from Italian football.

The ban was imposed by the FIGC after Juventus’ latest financial scandal, where the Federal Court of Appeal also handed the Serie A giants a mammoth 15-point deduction.

Paratici and 11 other current and former Juve directors were handed domestic bans and this could well spread worldwide, thereby affecting his position as Tottenham’s transfer chief.

Spurs apparently fear his ban could extend to England if the Italian Football Federation refuse to overturn his punishment on appeal, with April 19 being a key date.

The Premier League top four hopefuls, according to a new report, seriously face the prospect of losing both Conte and Paratici soon.

The Latest: Paratici could leave Spurs with Conte…

According to Calciomercato, an Italian news website, Conte’s future is ‘intertwined’ with that of Paratici, and the latter man ‘risks paying’ the price for bringing the former Chelsea head coach to Tottenham.

It was apparently Paratici who persuaded chairman Daniel Levy to appoint Conte and the 50-year-old could pack his bags alongside him.

Calcio add that Tottenham are preparing the next ‘revolution’ with Paratici potentially heading towards a ‘farewell’.

The Verdict: Crunch few weeks…

As aforementioned, Spurs supporters will be keeping an eye on the calendar as April 19 will be another crucial day in determining their club’s future.

It is the date Paratici will find out his sentence via the FIGC and whether his appeal either sticks or gets thrown out by the Italian court.

If his ban does extend to England, Levy will need to get working on finding a successor for the former Juve chief, who has been described as an ‘incredible worker’.

One of the men linked with Paratici’s post, should he vacate, is Benfica talent-spotter Rui Pedro Braz. Reports have claimed that Tottenham like the 44-year-old, who has amassed quite a reputation in Portugal for spotting and scouting world football’s most promising talents.

Pedro Braz most recently played a major role in helping to sell midfielder Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for a British record £106 million fee.

The west Londoners were also interested in Pedro Braz as a club chief before they ultimately moved for Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley as their new directors.

Journalist Jacques Talbot has claimed that Newcastle United have "no reason" to consider a change in manager despite "god tier" Julian Nagelsmann becoming available.

What's the latest on Julian Nagelsmann and Newcastle?

Last week it was announced that Bayern Munich would be sacking their 35-year-old manager and replacing him with German coach Thomas Tuchel.

As per Bild (via Mirror) Nagelsmann was left 'completely surprised' by the decision but it hasn't taken long to see him linked with a move to the Premier League already.

Indeed, with Tottenham Hotspur sacking Antonio Conte, Spurs are now looking to hire a new manager and the former Bayern boss has been tipped as a main candidate

While talking about Nagelsmann's possible move to England on his YouTube channel, Talbot praised the German but said he wouldn't want him to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle even if he is now on the market.

He said (35:00): “I know Nagelsmann's a better manager, on paper. I totally get it, he's like god tier manager.

"But there's no reason to change, there's no reason change, we have something, a good relationship with Howe. It’d rupture the dressing room and stuff.

"So I might be biased. But I see Eddie Howe at Newcastle for a very long time. A very long time.”

Would Newcastle want to replace Eddie Howe?

To be fair to Talbot, Howe certainly has managed some pretty impressive feats since taking over the Magpies last season. Indeed, he already led them to their first cup final since 1999 (although they lost), and he currently has them pushing for a spot in the Champions League, two points behind fourth-placed Spurs with two games in hand.

What's more, the Englishman has an impressive record of 1.77 points per game. To put that in perspective, his predecessor Steve Bruce managed 1.15.

However, Nagelsmann is one of the most exciting young managers in world football. He leaves Bayern having picked up 2.31 points per game, whilst having also won the league and the super cup – which shows just how brutal the sacking was.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why Nagelsmann is rated so highly by so many but Howe certainly hasn't done anything yet to warrant seeing his position come under pressure.

Still, if Newcastle fail to make the top for and the 35-year-old German remains a free agent in the summer, perhaps the board will be brutal and take the opportunity to hire the "god tier" alternative.

Injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar believes that Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto has a ‘common’ ankle injury which can range in regards to severity.

What’s the latest on Gnonto’s injury?

Gnonto added to Leeds’ injury woes during the international break after Tyler Adams suffered a hamstring issue prior to the Premier League win over Wolves and Max Wober hobbled off for Austria with a muscle issue.

The Italy international went over on his ankle against Malta in the first half on Sunday and needed to be replaced, with manager Roberto Mancini saying he is dealing with a ‘sprain’.

Bot Wober and Gnonto made a swift return to Yorkshire as a result for assessments on their respective issues, with the club hopeful they have avoided long-term absences. They seem to be doubts for this weekend’s trip to league leaders Arsenal, though, with Adams also undergoing hamstring surgery.

Brar was talking to MOT Leeds News specifically on Gnonto and his ankle problem. He said that based on the ‘info’ received so far, the forward may have an ‘inversion sprain’, which can range from day to day to over six weeks, although Gnonto’s doesn’t appear to be too serious.

“It sounds like this was the most common type of ankle injury which is inversion sprain where the ankle turns inwards. These can range from best case day to day to worse case being over six weeks out, but indications thus far are that this isn’t serious.

“He’s a doubt to face Arsenal this weekend but should be in contention following that, based on the info we have thus far.”

When could Gnonto be back?

It looks as if Javi Gracia will have to make a couple of changes from the starting XI that beat Wolves last time out due to Wober and Gnonto being doubts. Liam Cooper or Pascal Struijk could be in line to come in for Wober, whereas Luis Sinisterra or Crysencio Summerville may end up replacing Gnonto.

The games are coming thick and fast for the Whites now as we enter the run-in, with back-to-back home games against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace following the meeting with Arsenal, fixtures that could be key as Leeds look to avoid the drop.

A clash with Forest is scheduled for Tuesday and Palace a week on Sunday, so Gnonto could well be looking to return for one of those games, providing things go well at Thorp Arch in the coming days.

Wolverhampton Wanderers would be open to accepting offers for Matheus Nunes amid interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to reports.

What's the latest on Nunes to Liverpool?

The Portuguese international only made the move to Molineux last summer meaning that his contract isn’t set to expire until 2027, but having impressed during his previous 30 appearances in the Midlands (prior to today’s game vs Chelsea), he has caught the eye at Anfield.

Back in January, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Old Gold midfielder held discussions regarding a potential move to Merseyside before joining Julen Lopetegui’s side. The Athletic have since reported that the Reds still retain an interest in signing the 24-year-old later in the summer as they look to revamp their central options.

The Mirror have claimed that the £44m release clause that the talisman had included in his terms when he signed has now been removed by the hierarchy so that they can demand a higher fee during the upcoming window, but this doesn’t seem to have put his admirers off wanting to secure his services.

Now, according to Football Insider, Liverpool are “still pushing” to sign Nunes despite the fact that his price tag will be initially higher than anticipated. FSG are “big admirers” of their target and are looking to take a second bite of the cherry after missing out on his signature to their top-flight rivals last summer.

Whilst Wolves would like to keep their 2022 big-money recruit, they “remain realistic” about the chances of that happening given their dangerous league and possibly financial position so it’s stated that an offer of £50m “would be accepted”.

Should Wolves keep or sell Nunes?

Wolves manager Lopetegui publicly praised Nunes earlier this year for his “good quality” and stated that he was “happy” with him, but as a result of him failing to make an impact in the final third, the club should cash in whilst they have the chance.

The Rio de Janeiro native has started 23 Premier League games this season prior to the Chelsea fixture so has been a regular feature in the matchday squad, but during that time, has scored zero goals and registered just one assist, lacking any kind of attacking prowess at the business end of the pitch, as per Transfermarkt.

Nunes also currently pockets £100k-p/w which makes him Wanderers’ joint-highest earner alongside Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho so sanctioning his sale would free up a huge amount on the wage bill and generate much-needed cash to fund potential new signings in the summer.

Aston Villa are one of four Premier League sides keen on signing Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson this summer, The Daily Mail report.

What’s the latest news on Nelson and Aston Villa?

Nelson, on £38,000-a-week with the Gunners, is entering the final few months of his current contract. The right-winger is valued at €7m by Transfermarkt and spent last season on loan in the Netherlands with Feyenoord. A permanent exit looks like it could be now on the cards, with talks over a contract extension yet to be agreed upon.

The Daily Mail shared an update regarding Nelson in the last 48 hours, saying that talks with Arsenal over a new deal are ongoing.

An agreement is yet to be reached, though, resulting in his future becoming up in the air, with Villa, Brighton, Fulham and West Ham all keen to take advantage over the coming months.

What has Nelson said about Emery previously?

Nelson has worked under Unai Emery before in north London, with the Englishman making just six appearances, contributing to three goals. However, the Spaniard clearly made an impact on the forward at the Emirates, with Nelson saying this about the manager back in 2019.

“He’s very positive. He’s always telling us to express yourself, but also he’s got that fiery bit where he would tell you if you’ve done something wrong. That’s good for a coach to have two sides.

“You can have the jokey side and have the fiery bit. For me especially, it helps me a lot to improve and keep going. He helps a lot of the young players as well. There was a lot of young players that came on the pre-season tour and he was telling them to be themselves, if they make a mistake, carry on. It helps them, helps them grow and gives them a great chance.”

Described as an “explosive” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Nelson has found game time hard to come by under Mikel Arteta and is still awaiting his first Premier League start of the season.

However, he has shown his quality in the club's push for the title, playing a key role in the comeback win over AFC Bournemouth last month, registering an assist and scoring an injury-time winner.

In total, Nelson has contributed to five Premier League goals in 107 minutes during the current campaign, so he could prove to be a shrewd signing by Villa on a free transfer ahead of Emery's first full season in charge.

It may well be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, although Nelson could still yet to remain at the Emirates which would be a blow for Villa.

Arsenal can extend their lead at the top of the Premier League standings with a win at West Ham United this afternoon.

The Gunners threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Liverpool last time out, though it's been over a decade since they last picked up three points at Anfield, so it was probably a point gained in the grand scheme of things.

Mikel Arteta's side are being hunted down by defending champions Manchester City, who remain three points behind and will have a game in hand after this weekend's fixtures.

There are no new injury concerns for the Spaniard, though it's unlikely that he has William Saliba back, whilst Eddie Nketiah could be involved – at least off the bench – having recovered from an ankle issue that has kept him out for six weeks.

With that in mind, here's how Arsenal could look at the London Stadium…

How will Arsenal line up against West Ham?

Aaron Ramsdale, who has arguably been one of the goalkeepers of the season, will continue his no.1 duties, whilst the back four behind him is likely to remain much the same, though not without consideration.

Kieran Tierney could be vying for a start at left-back, whilst Rob Holding was hardly convincing against the Reds, though neither has mid-season signing Jakub Kiwior. It should see the Englishman continue to partner Gabriel Magalhaes, with Oleksandr Zinchenko – at fault for one of Liverpool's comeback strikes – also retaining his place, with Ben White at right-back.

In midfield, the usual trio of Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka should also continue but it would not be a surprise to see Jorginho come in for either of the latter two, given just how big a part they'll need to play during the run-in.

On the flanks, there is a case for Leandro Trossard to return to the starting XI but it's hard to ignore the form of both Gabriel Martinelli – who bagged a goal and assist on Merseyside – and Bukayo Saka, so the £23m-rated Belgian "wizard" – as lauded by reporter Charlie Haffenden – misses out once again.

It leaves Gabriel Jesus to spearhead the attack, with Nketiah returning to the bench, where he'll sit alongside the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Zinchenko, Gabriel, Holding, White; Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard; Martinelli, Saka, Jesus