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Tottenham are reportedly in the mix to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford in the current transfer window.

Journalist Alan Nixon tweeted (via @reluctantnicko) that Spurs have joined Aston Villa in the race for the 24-year-old, with the Bees set to sell him to the club who can present the most enticing offer.

Last week, The Telegraph’s John Percy reported that the Championship side want at least £28m to part with the centre-forward.

Watkins had a huge part to play in Brentford’s run to the Championship play-off final last season, netting 26 goals as they came within one game of making it to the Premier League.

While primarily a centre-forward, he can also play on either flank as part of a front three (as per TransferMarkt), and Jose Mourinho currently has only Harry Kane as an out-and-out number nine in his squad.

Statistically, there wasn’t much to separate Watkins from the Spurs striker last term. The Bees forward averaged 2.7 shots and won 2.3 headers per game, with Kane averaging 2.8 shots and 2.6 aerial duels per game. However, Watkins bested the England captain for key passes per game, with 1.5 compared to the 27-year-old’s 0.9.

One possible question mark over the Brentford man, though, is his lack of Premier League experience, which makes the reported asking price for £28m seem rather steep. Admittedly the Bees banked £20m for Watkins’ former team-mate Neal Maupay from Brighton last summer, with the Frenchman going on to score 10 Premier League goals in 2019/20, but the 24-year-old has never played at a higher level than the Championship.

Watkins is a proven scorer who could be a very useful backup option for Kane in Tottenham’s attack, but his lack of top-flight experience and substantial asking price could count against Spurs making a move for him.

Indeed, with Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy warning that the club would not be spending “rivers of money” in this transfer window, and having already parted with just over £30m to bring in Pierre-Emile Hojberg and Matt Doherty, spending roughly the same amount on Watkins could be too much of a commitment for Spurs to gamble upon.

Tottenham fans, do you think that Watkins will be a Spurs player by the end of the transfer window? Have your say by commenting below!

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

When Newcastle United sold Ayoze Perez to Leicester City for £30.06m in last summer’s transfer window, it may have seemed a peculiar decision.

With a relatively impressive 13 goals and a further four assists in 41 games in all competitions in 2018/19, according to top scorer at the Tyneside club that season. Not only was Perez sold, but he was sold to a Premier League rival in the Foxes, therefore strengthening them and weakening the Magpies.

Bought for a mere £1.8m from Spanish club Tenerife in July 2014, perhaps nobody at St. James’ Park could have envisaged just how valuable a player Perez was to become in the northeast.

In a total of 148 matches over all competitions across five consecutive seasons for the Toon, the Spanish under-21 international scored 48 times and provided a further 17 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

However, in the 2019/20 campaign under Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium, Perez only managed to net eight times (three of those in one game) and produce five assists in 40 appearances in all competitions (via the Transfermarkt), which is arguably a low return considering how much money was paid for him.

The market value of the 27-year old has also reached a peak of £27m, so considering that Newcastle sold him for £30.06m, making themselves a big 1670% profit on their initial outlay, it can be argued that they did great business in selling Perez last year.

Geordies, was selling Perez a great piece of business? Comment below with your views!

There have been plenty of ins and out at Glasgow Rangers during this transfer window.

The ‘Gers have made a number of signings, with Ianis Hagi, Jon McLaughlin, Calvin Bassey, Leon Balogun, Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe all coming in. There have also been some departures, with Jamie Murphy, Greg Docherty and Robbie McCrorie joining Hibernian, Hull and Aberdeen respectively.

There were also six players released, one of which was Andy Halliday. The 28-year-old become something of a cult hero at Ibrox due to his allegiance to the ‘Gers, and some were disappointed to see him depart when he was released.

It was confirmed on Monday that he has now made the move to Hearts, who are currently in the Scottish Championship. This attracted the attention of many ‘Gers fans who have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

‘Gers fans, what do you make of Halliday signing for Hearts? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Newcastle could have got themselves a striker in the mould of Alan Shearer with a move for VfL Wolfsburg marksman Wout Weghorst.

What was the story?

German publication BILD claimed earlier in the summer that the Magpies wanted to sign the Dutchman during the transfer window, with fellow Premier League side Arsenal also said to be interested.

This, of course, was in the midst of a potential takeover of the Tyneside club by the Saudi-led consortium, which failed to materialise in the end. BILD suggested that Wolfsburg were demanding a fee in the region of £32m for their star striker, but with the deadline shut, Weghorst remained with the Bundesliga side.

Shades of Shearer

Still the Premier League’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Shearer married an incredible knack of finding the back of the net, with both power and elegance.

The former England international could just as easily thump in a header at one moment, before showing a bit of finesse inside the box to find the corner in another.

In the 6 foot 6 Weghorst, Newcastle could have landed about the closest thing to a Shearer in the modern era. Aside from his ridiculous physical gifts and advantage in the air – he won 4.1 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga last season – the Dutchman has some pretty nifty footwork, and also has the vision to bring his teammates into play.

As per Whoscored, the 28-year-old averaged an impressive 1.2 key passes per match in the German top-flight, picking up five assists in total – the previous campaign saw him set up his teammates on seven occasions in just the league alone.

And akin to Shearer, Weghorst works his socks off for his team playing in that central striker role. His fellow Wolfsburg ace, Admir Mehmedi, said: “He runs a lot for the team and has a really strong mentality. I can’t think of another player who is so crazy, in a positive way!”

Sadly for the Magpies, what with the takeover falling through, Weghorst may be a player they look at in a year’s time as one that got away.

And in other news, this rising star may be Rafa Benitez’s biggest regret at St James’ Park.

Carlo Ancelotti must hand Everton’s promising youth defender Niels Nkounkou a rare chance to impress against Liverpool this Saturday with Seamus Coleman a major doubt for the Merseyside Derby.

Coleman was forced off in the Toffees’ last Premier League fixture, having sustained a hamstring strain during the closing stages of their 4-2 win at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The issue was only considered to be “small” at the time, with Ancelotti noting via quotes by RTE that it was the same issue sustained against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, but Coleman has since been forced to withdraw from the Republic of Ireland’s squad for their October internationals including a European Championship qualifying play-off.

Now, the Liverpool Echo suggest Coleman is a worry for Everton’s next league clash, which could spark a crisis at Finch Farm as Ancelotti seeks a potential right-back answer.

Tom Davies slotted in to fill the full-back role against Brighton having started the affair in midfield, though Ancelotti would likely favour a more natural alternative against Liverpool if Coleman is forced to sit out the Merseyside Derby.

But the Italian coach will have a slack list of options elsewhere in his squad with Jonjoe Kenny out for around four weeks after twisting his ankle in the EFL Cup win over West Ham, leaving summer signing Nkounkou an unlikely but necessary option to face the Premier League champions.

Nkounkou, who joined the Toffees on a free transfer from Olympique de Marseille in July, is naturally a left-back who can also play in midfield, yet may be forced into making his English top-flight debut at home to the title-holders to cover for the developing injury crisis.

Ancelotti named the 19-year-old on the bench against Brighton and has awarded him starting roles in each of the Toffees’ three Carabao Cup wins to date, in which he assisted Everton’s fifth of the night against Fleetwood Town deep into stoppage-time.

Blues Director of Football Marcel Brands lauded the potential Nkounkou brought to Merseyside upon his capture this summer, noting via quotes by The Times: “Niels is a young, talented player with good technical and physical skills.

“We have been following him for months. Hopefully, he can learn a lot from Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines, as well as Carlo Ancelotti and David Unsworth, and follow the same pathway into the first-team the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mason Holgate have taken in recent years.”

Nkounkou displayed that potential against West Ham in his only taste of Premier League competition as he accepted a more defensive-minded role up against Andriy Yarmolenko, who he kept to just the single effort on goal thanks to four tackles, one clearance, one block, one interception and four ground duel wins, while completing 38 of 42 attempted passes, per SofaScore.

Ancelotti will be aware that Nkounkou is not the ideal option, but the Italian may accept that the former France U19 international is the only option if Coleman cannot play against Liverpool.

AND in other news, a £90k-p/w Everton ace offered an ineffective cameo appearance during the October international break.

Liverpool have suffered a major blow to their title-holding season after Virgil van Dijk was confirmed to have suffered an ACL injury against Everton. Jurgen Klopp now has just two fit centre-backs to see him through the rest of the year, which could turn out to be a recipe for disaster.

The Reds signed a back-up for Andy Robertson in Kostas Tsimikas but neglected their already thin central defensive roster. Now, it seems as though the club has been kicked into gear and they’ve realised the errors of their ways.

According to Fabio Santini (as reported by AreaNapoli), the Premier League champions have agreed to pay the asking price of recent transfer target Kalidou Koulibaly.

Liverpool reignite interest in Koulibaly

Liverpool have been heavily linked to the Senegalese defender in the past, but talks died after it was revealed that Napoli wanted a mammoth transfer fee for his services. Santini reports that in “sensational news” regarding Koulibaly’s status, both Manchester City and Manchester United are keen on him, but the Reds are leading the way.

“The club that is more serious for the Senegalese is Liverpool,” he said. “Attention: the Reds offer to the Naples a figure between 70 and 75 million euros, the sum that De Laurentiis asks.”

If this new information is true, it will mean that Liverpool are willing to pay between £62-£67million for Koulibaly in January, or perhaps next summer.

Would Koulibaly make the cut at Liverpool?

With just two fit senior centre-backs, Liverpool are one more injury away from potentially kissing goodbye to a Premier League title run this season. It seems as though makeshift centre-half Fabinho may be the option moving forwards this campaign and could partner van Dijk once he returns.

Fabinho was shifted into the backline for Liverpool’s clash with Ajax in their opening Champions League fixture. The Reds scraped a 1-0 victory thanks to an own goal and some defensive heroics from the Brazilian. The stand-in centre-back made a goal-line clearance to snub Dusan Tadic of finding the back of the net after bamboozling Adrian.

There’s no doubting the 26-year-old’s defensive awareness, but current partner Joe Gomez has recently come under fire. Jamie Carragher has raised questions about his ability to hold the Liverpool fort and Joel Matip has a torrid record with injuries.

Should Liverpool give the green light to snap up Koulibaly, the 29-year-old could partner van Dijk, with Fabinho operating just in front in his usual No.6 role. Not only would Liverpool boast a blistering attack, but they’d be rock solid across the backline. It’s certainly a bold move, but one that might be necessary after seeing such a key player lost to long-term injury.

In other news, images of Sadio Mane during Ajax game could be a worry for Liverpool…

Wolves a planning a January swoop for another one of Jorge Mendes’ clients, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Having endured a tough ride whilst on loan at Swansea City in 2017/18, Lille midfielder Renato Sanches could be gifted another opportunity in the Premier League with the Midlands targeting a move for him in the next window.

That’s what has been reported by Calciomercato, who claim Wolves want to sign the 21-cap international, who only joined the Ligue 1 outfit in a €25m (£22m) deal last summer.

Wolves have as many as nine Portuguese players at the club on top of being managed by one too, Nuno Santo, so the 23-year-old would feel right at home at Molineux.

Moutinho heir?

Despite failing to make the cut at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Sanches has started to make a name for himself in France.

Last season in the league, the young midfielder averaged 2.6 dribbles, 1.8 key passes and 1.6 shots per game, via WhoScored. These are figures that Nuno’s current options, namely Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho have struggled to match in the top-flight this term.

Neither player has even recorded a dribble during the 2020/21 campaign whilst Sanches is managing way more attempts at goal than Moutinho (0.3), and he’s supposed to be the creative outlet in the engine room.

Perhaps Nuno is eyeing up his long-term heir already, especially as the veteran has recently turned 34. It’s not often players can keep up with the demands of the Premier League past this age – only stars like David Silva are an exception and you could argue that the Spaniard is on a different level to Moutinho.

Once a nominee of the Golden Boy award in 2016, Sanches has been compared to both Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf in terms of playing style.

Former Bayern teammate Niklas Sule once claimed that he was always “the best player in training” and that he is someone “who can make the difference” whilst Lille skipper Jose Fonte believes he’s “huge” and can go onto have very very great career at the highest level.”

Now valued at just £18m by Transfermarkt, Sanches could be a bargain upgrade to a Wolves midfield that is in dire need of some fresh impetus.

AND in other news, Wolves could’ve signed Jimenez’s perfect partner in £36m-rated next Mbappe…

With much of the focus on whether Sunderland will be under new ownership sometime soon, Phil Parkinson’s future at the club is also increasingly uncertain.

The Black Cats’ latest defeat to MK Dons last weekend mean they are outside of the play-off places after their first 11 games of the season in League One, and fans were quick to voice their fury about the manager after the game.

Whilst Stewart Donald may have more of an eye on seeing the club’s takeover go through, he could make a hugely decisive call before that actually happens.

The defeat against the Dons last Saturday was the kind of harsh reality check that would have set alarm bells ringing – the away side hadn’t won on the road for well over a year, and had been just about hovering above the relegation zone this season.

Earning promotion back to the Championship must be at the top of the agenda, and whilst showing a little bit of patience and time can reap its rewards, the Black Cats could really kick-start their season by removing Parkinson from the dugout.

There won’t be any shortage of suitors considering the size and appeal of the club, and they surely won’t face any problems in replacing him.

Sunderland are a Premier League club floundering in League One. It’s time to act as ruthless as the big boys at the top of English football and make a quick-fire call to turn things around. If this is to be Donald’s last major act before he finally leaves the club, then it might just be a welcome parting gift.

Tottenham Hotspur will have to strike soon if they are to land mooted January target Dominik Szoboszlai amid emerging reports…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Spurs are one of the teams interested in the RB Salzburg sensation but his release clause is set to complicate things in the upcoming transfer window.

The clause, thought to be around €25m (£22m) must be paid in one go and within two weeks of it being activated. It also contains a 20 per cent sell-on clause on any future transfer fee.

If Szoboszlai is to leave next month, then bids must be lodged before the turn of the year with the player himself informing the club of his desire to leave, which only complicates matters further.

Forget Lo Celso?

Although intricate, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy absolutely has to sanction a move for the Hungarian wonderkid – forget about Giovani Lo Celso in an attacking midfield role as this prodigy is a pure generational talent.

The 20-year-old has similar attributes to that of Gareth Bale given his speed, power and prowess but current head coach Jesse Marsch named a different player to The Athletic, he said:

“I describe him as a modern-day David Beckham. Beckham had a real ability to hook a ball and he could also chop it when he needed to, but Szoboszlai can hit the ball a lot of different ways too, and he’s got power.

“He can really hit the ball. He can do these things with his right foot but can also play a little more intensively and he can work harder against the ball and he can be a threat in the box still. He’s very fit; so whatever the physical demands you put on him, he can meet those demands because he’s fit, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s athletic.”

Indeed, it’s easy to see why such comparisons have been made as he’s got a knack for scoring absolute thunderbolts, as seen by this free-kick for his national side.

This season, Szoboszlai has continued to impress domestically despite the intense speculation over his long-term future, delivering eight goals and nine assists, which includes a strike against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

That alone is more than what Lo Celso has managed for Spurs (six goals, three assists) ever since he originally joined the club on loan from Real Betis.

What makes him an even more intriguing and exciting prospect is the fact that he can play on the left, as a no.10, as a secondary striker and even as a no.8, and with returns like that it really is no wonder that some of Europe’s elite are chasing his signature.

Levy really has to ensure that it’s his north London side who win the heated race in 2021.

AND in other news, Levy must resist the temptation to sign “useless and slow” £45m-rated star…

Following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s most recent comments on the future of striker Danny Ings, some Southampton fans may be beginning to worry that the 28-year-old’s future lies elsewhere.

During an interview with Sky Sports, the Austrian manager urged the Englishman to sign a new deal with the club, saying:

“It’s normal that you get a situation like he has in a football club, and this is something special I think.” I don’t want him to throw this away for a few more monies.

“I speak to him once or twice a month about this topic. We must concentrate on our job here. I don’t speak to him every week about his contract. It’s not my job.

“It’s his responsibility. He has to take the decision. Nobody else. He has to take the decision then live with the fact that he did this or that.”

The 28-year-old has been a vital part of the Southampton side since joining from Liverpool in the summer of 2019, with him having contributed an impressive 38 goals and eight assists in 75 appearances for the Saints (per Transfermarkt).

His performances last season, which earned him an excellent 7.12 average rating in the Premier League, attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, which may well be in the back of Ings’ mind as he considers whether or not to sign a new deal.

Southampton must be careful not to have a repeat of the situation that saw Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg join the Lilywhites this summer, as the Danish international’s contract situation at the time allowed Spurs to seal a cut-price deal for the defensive midfielder.

Unfortunately for Saints fans, Hasenhuttl’s comments on Ings seem rather similar to the ones he made about Hojbjerg before he left, as he said:

“What can I say? I can say that we have a player here that has one more year contract and he’s our player, we’d like him to stay as long as he has a contract.

“If somebody else wants to get him, then they must make a good offer.

“And even then, we have to decide, we as a club, the player has to decide, so we have to find a win-win situation and then everybody is happy.

“As long as we don’t have this, he is our player and he will stay with us.

“He wants to give everything as long as he is with us. This is what I expect because he is our player, he gets money from us, he’s paid by us. This is what he should do.” (per Sky Sports)

Therefore, Martin Semmens and the other members of the Southampton board must make a brave call and break the bank, and the club’s wage structure if necessary, if they want to keep Ings at the club. His importance cannot be underestimated in this Saints side.

And, in other news… Sold for £16 million, now he can’t get a game: Southampton sold flop at the perfect time