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Wolves “missed a trick” by not announcing new signing Matheus Cunha before their last Premier League game, claims Express & Star reporter Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Cunha’s signing

On Christmas Day, Wolves completed the long-awaited signing of Cunha from Atletico Madrid on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy of £44m.

The Brazilian had been strongly linked with a move to Molineux in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window, but they finally confirmed their man ahead of its opening.

With the player not able to be registered until the transfer window officially opened, the 23-year-old was forced to watch from the stands as his new side lost 1-0 to Manchester United on New Year’s Eve.

The Latest: Keen’s wish

With the new big-money signing in the crowd for the clash, Keen questioned on the E&S Wolves Podcast why he wasn’t unveiled on the pitch beforehand.

“I do think Wolves missed a trick in not unveiling Cunha.

“If they were able to do it, I do think they missed a trick in not bringing him out 10, 15 minutes before kick-off, get the crowd going. I think that would’ve been perfect.

“He was there, he was very smartly dressed in a suit and watching from the stands, so potentially an opportunity missed, there.”

The Verdict: Wolves will regret it

With so much hope and expectation surrounding Cunha’s arrival, you can only imagine the atmosphere levels in the ground if the fans were to catch a glimpse of their new man.

As it was, the visitors clinched all three points in an encounter void of considerable quality and excitement, which begs the question of how different the game would’ve panned out had the home fans been on their feet prior to kick-off.

The eight-cap Brazil international has a lot of expectations on his shoulders with Wolves only climbing off the foot of the table a week prior, so Cunha will be looked at by the club and fans alike to be their catalyst for survival.

Liverpool have suffered a devastating injury setback to Virgil van Dijk this week and now a new update has emerged on a potential new transfer target who could soften the blow this month.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Il Mattino, Liverpool are interested in signing Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae.

As per the report, Van Dijk’s hamstring injury has prompted the powers at Anfield to look at their potential options during the January transfer window with Min-jae a player who has attracted the attention of the Merseyside giants.

He’s a perfect Van Dijk heir

It is no secret that the Merseyside giants have been struggling this season and the latest injury to Van Dijk will only be even more cause for concern for Jurgen Klopp as the manager attempts to improve performances on the pitch over the second half of the season.

The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League after 17 outings and are seven points adrift of the top four at present, so a turn-around is desperately needed as soon as possible if they are to have any chance of qualifying for Champions League football.

There is no doubt that mounting injury issues to key players this season so far has had an effect on Liverpool’s form with Van Dijk joining Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz on the injury table, so the signing of Min-jae could be a great opportunity to bolster the quality in the back-line.

When comparing Min-jae to the Liverpool centre-back this season the pair share a number of similarities in their output including goals scored (2 v 2), pass completion (89.3% v 89.1%), clearances (60 v 70), blocks (18 v 15) and interceptions (16 v 19), via FBref.

The Korea talent – who was hailed “unbelievably good” and a “rock” by Serie A expert Matteo Bonetti – ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European Leagues for non-penalty goals, shot-creating actions, passes attempted and aerial duels won, proving that he is one of the most talented progressive defenders in Europe right now.

With that being said, the signing of Min-jae would be a great piece of business for Liverpool if they can secure his services over the rest of this season by paying his €50m (£44m) release clause.

And as such, he could be the perfect heir to succeed Van Dijk when his time comes to an end at Anfield.

Journalist Charles Watts has revealed that Arsenal transfer target Danilo is close to joining an unnamed rival Premier League club.

What’s the word? The Gunners have strongly been linked with the young Brazilian midfielder – who currently plays for Palmeiras – in the past and fans may well have expected the 21-year-old to still be on their radar this winter.Indeed, Arsenal failed with an attempt to sign Douglas Luiz in the summer on deadline day and so it’s clear that they had wanted to improve that area of the pitch and have yet to do so with any new signing.However, it sounds as if they won’t be making a move for Danilo, with Watts now explaining that he is close to a move elsewhere in England instead,While speaking on YouTube, he explained: “I’ve heard that Danilo of Palmeiras – of course, that player Arsenal have been interested in before – I’ve heard that he is very close to a move to a Premier League club.”But that club is not Arsenal and Arsenal haven’t shown any sort of further interest in Danilo since September, in terms of firming up the interest they’ve had in him.”Big call…It seems as though Danilo may well have been an exciting transfer for Arsenal. After all, despite his young age, he has already won numerous trophies in Brazil – lifting the prestigious Copas Libertadores on two occasions.However, Edu and Mikel Arteta clearly don’t feel as though he is a priority target and this has allowed another Premier League side to come in and make a move.If that deal is completed, it will certainly be interesting to see how the midfielder gets on in England. Perhaps Arsenal will come to regret missing out on this deal, only time will tell.Of course, though, the Gunners may have an alternative lined up on their radar instead. For instance, Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans has been linked with a move for some time now and the club may well be waiting until the summer to sign him on a free, if the latest reports are to be believed.

Journalist Beren Cross has slammed Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk after his disappointing display in the club’s most recent game.

What’s the word?

On Sunday afternoon, Jesse Marsch and co took on Championship club Cardiff City away from home in the third round of this year’s FA Cup.

The game, however, did not get off to a good start for the Whites. Indeed, by the 31st minute, they were trailing by two goals. And even though they eventually managed to level the game (meaning a replay will now have to be played) thanks to goals from Rodrigo and Sonny Perkins, it really was a calamitous first half.

At the heart of that, in the eyes of Cross at least, was Struijk who failed to impress. While speaking on a LeedsLive video, the journalist tore into the ‘lax’ defender.

He said: “He was the epitome of a Premier League footballer playing against an underdog in a cup game.

“I know that’s not Struijk’s intention and we know Struijk is a very very good character, very competitive, very professional. But unfortunately for him, the resulting play from him, he did seem half asleep.

“He was slow to everything, he was lax. I think he underestimated everything, he underestimated the speed of passes into him, he underestimated danger that was in and around him. He was sloppy with the ball, sloppy with his decisions, and when he did make decisions, he was slow with them.”

Bad day at the office?

So far this season, Struijk has been asked to play all of his Premier League games as a left-back. However, this FA Cup match afforded him the rare chance to play in the middle of the defence.

Not only that, but he was also handed the captain’s armband for the match. Unfortunately, though, the 23-year-old has a day to forget.

As per SofaScore, his stats were underwhelming at best as he lost the ball 14 times, made one foul, and even managed to miss one big chance at the other end of the pitch.

Manager Marsch also singled out Struijk for an error he made, calling it a ‘big turning point’ in the game.

He told the press: “I think a big turning point in the match is when Pascal plays unnecessarily back to Joel [Robles] that goes out for a corner kick and now they have a chance to feel like they can come into the match.

“And the crowd can get into the match. And then once they feel like they can they have a chance, the game starts to change.”

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to let Djed Spence join West Ham United on loan this January.

What’s the word?

The young fullback arrived in north London from Middlesbrough last summer but has failed to make much of an impact at his new club, having played just three minutes of Premier League football so far this term.

With that in mind, it’s no great shock that some reports have tipped Spence to leave Tottenham on loan for the remainder of the season as to guarantee more regular game time.

In an update shared on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex has explained that the Hammers are potentially keen on a deal. However, it sounds as though Spurs aren’t so happy to do business with a rival.

The insider said: “Spence is at Spurs, former Middlesbrough player, we’ve looked at maybe getting him on loan, he’s a right-back.

“Spurs have barely played him since they signed him. The only problem we’ve got is that Spurs don’t like to deal with us – you know, the rivalry and so on – unless we’re signing an outcast of theirs.

“They don’t like to loan players to us, so I think we’re going to be knocked back in our interest in him.”

Bad blood

Well, it’s certainly quite likely that Spence will want out from Spurs in the short term. After all, manager Antonio Conte doesn’t seem to trust him – as evidenced by the fact that the youngster is yet to start even once so far in his debut season across all competitions.

However, they are bitter rivals with the Hammers and so it’s not surprising to hear that any negotiations for a loan this winter could be complicated.

If that is the case, though, and Spence can’t find himself a new club in January it will be hard not to feel for the 22-year-old. Indeed, he was sold a dream when he joined the north London outfit last summer but has been met by obstacles every step of the way ever since.

Manchester United are looking at signing a creative player this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: United’s position

Erik ten Hag’s side have turned their early-season form on its head of late, with nine wins coming from their last 10 games in all competitions.

Their form has seen them climb to third in the Premier League table with an outside chance of a title push potentially hinging on their result against Arsenal on Sunday, with an eight-point gap currently keeping United off the top of the table.

Despite their league position, the decision by the Glazers to put the club up for sale means that the club have little to no money available to spend – with the Daily Mail previously reporting the club wouldn’t be buying players in January.

The Latest: Romano’s update

So far, the only arrival at Old Trafford this window has been the loan signing of Wout Weghorst, but Romano claimed on his YouTube channel that United are still in the market for a creative player, saying:

“I don’t think Manchester United will have any kind of conversation with the players rumoured from Real Madrid like [Eduardo] Camavinga.

“Man United look for creative signings in the final days of the window if something will be available; otherwise, they will stay with the current squad.”

The Verdict: Van de Beek replacement?

Any links to Camavinga referred to by Romano have since been shut down by the journalist himself after he shared that the Frenchman will likely be staying at Real Madrid following a conversation with his agent – so it appears that United would have to seek alternative targets.

The potential arrival of a creative player at Old Trafford could be down to the severe injury that Donny van de Beek picked up against Bournemouth, with Ten Hag confirming that the Dutchman will miss the remainder of the season.

Although only holding a fringe role at United since arriving for £37.5m (via The Guardian), the 25-year-old has played just 60 games across two and a half years in Manchester.

But before his injury, he appeared in four out of five of United’s previous league games – even starting two – showing his place in the squad is an important one and an incoming could lessen the impact of his absence.

Wolverhampton Wanderers reported hopes of signing Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur this month have been handed a significant boost, as Antonio Conte’s side are now willing to send him out on loan.

What’s the word?

It was reported earlier this month by the Daily Mirror [08/01, page 77] that the Old Gold were keen on bringing the former Nottingham Forest loanee to Molineux, while CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs also claimed that Julen Lopetegui was a fan when speaking on the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel.

Now, an update has emerged on the 22-year-old’s situation at Spurs, with his game time likely to be limited even further by the incoming signing of Pedro Porro from Sporting CP.

football.london journalist Alasdair Gold tweeted:

“Understand Spurs have now given the green light for Djed Spence to head out on loan for the remainder of the season.”

Hobbs must act

Lopetegui is clearly in the market for a new right-back, as senior options Nelson Semedo and Jonny have both struggled in their appearances so far this season, earning 6.54 and 6.43 ratings from WhoScored respectively.

Spence may not have started a game under Conte his £20m switch from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 but his form in the Championship last season suggests that he could be a superb addition to Lopetegui’s squad.

The Englishman would make 42 appearances for Forest as they earned promotion to the top flight via the playoffs, contributing two goals and four assists, with WhoScored awarding him a superb 7.05 rating for his performances.

He also starred in Forest’s impressive FA Cup win over Arsenal at the City Ground, with Gunners legend Ian Wright full of praise for his display after the game.

He said:

“But let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time.

“If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking Reece James and Trent (Alexander-Arnold).

“But I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”

Wolves’ main issue this season has been finding the back of the net, with the Old Gold currently rock bottom of the goalscoring charts despite an upturn in form since Lopetegui’s arrival.

The current full-back options at Molineux boast just two assists between them in the top flight, which suggests that the wide defenders need to offer a lot more in attack, and Spence’s displays in the second tier suggest that he could offer a lot more going forward.

Therefore, after this update on the young defender emerged, sporting director Matt Hobbs should do everything he can to ensure that Wolves win the race to sign Spence on loan this month.

West Ham are ‘definitely’ looking to bring in a new centre-back during the January transfer window, according to an update from transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Defensive struggles for Hammers

David Moyes’ side are having a season to forget currently, finding themselves sitting in 16th place in the Premier League and with a relegation battle on their hands.

The Hammers have already conceded 25 times this season, and while that is the lowest total in the bottom half, the need for reinforcements is clear after the departure of Craig Dawson.

With the January window shutting on Tuesday, time is running out for West Ham to make an addition.

The Latest: New centre-back wanted

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that a centre-back signing this month still feels highly likely:

“It’s something that they’re looking to change, and I would definitely expect a centre-back to land.”

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The Verdict: Vital to relegation battle

Acquiring the services of a new centre-back could be a significant moment in West Ham’s season, solving an area of the pitch that has looked weak all season long.

The likes of Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are all good footballers in their own right but injuries have been problematic, with the quartet starting just 36 league games between them this season.

Not only that but Dawson sealed his move to Wolves earlier this month and the versatile Englishman needs to be replaced in the squad or Moyes could be left with a lack of depth.

Leeds United are hoping to complete the signing of Servette youngster Diogo Monteiro in the final few days of the January transfer window, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Monteiro

The Whites are still looking to get some business done before next Tuesday’s deadline, with Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie firmly on their radar.

Leeds have also been linked with a move for Monteiro in recent days, with the 18-year-old an exciting prospect with three caps to his name for Portugal’s under-19s.

He is out of contract at Servette at the end of this season, and it looks as though Elland Road could be his next destination.

The Latest: Leeds want Monteiro signed soon

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, Hay said that Leeds are still aiming to get a deal over the line for Monteiro this month, along with hopefully bringing in McKennie.

The reporter tweeted:

“Leeds and Juventus still locked in talks over Weston McKennie. Leeds want this one done but agreeing the structure of a deal with Juve has proved complicated.

“Club still aiming to get Diogo Monteiro over the line before next week’s deadline too.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

Monteiro clearly wouldn’t be coming in as a key player immediately given his age, but he is someone who could be viewed as an important part of the club’s future. Hay wrote for The Athletic that the teenager ‘is highly-rated but would be added to the Under-21 squad at Elland Road initially’.

He has seven appearances to his name for Servette in all competitions this season, showing that he can already perform at a high level, and his aforementioned international experience at youth level suggests that he could be a future senior star for Portugal.

Leeds will be in need of freshening things up defensively in the near future, with captain Liam Cooper now 31, and Monteiro could be viewed as a long-term replacement for the Scotland centre-back.

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Man City are lining up a summer bid for Fulham defender Antonee Robinson as Pep Guardiola already ‘finds’ his heir to Joao Cancelo.

The Lowdown: Cancelo departs…

In perhaps one of the shocks of the January transfer window, Cancelo, a Sky Blue mainstay and star player of the last two years left Eastlands – joined Bayern Munich on loan with a €70 million (£62m) option to buy.

Reports suggest that the Portugal international had a fall-out with Guardiola behind-the-scenes though this is categorically denied by the player himself.

Cancelo had been used sparingly since returning from the World Cup in Qatar, perhaps owing to the brilliant form of rising star Rico Lewis and versatile ace Nathan Ake.

The Latest: Man City line up Robinson bid…

City supporters have been left surprised and disappointed by Cancelo’s exit given his importance and status in Guardiola’s first team since 2020/2021.

The 28-year-old’s technical ability and flair out wide will be sorely missed, but according to The Sun, club chiefs are already lining up a summer bid for his possible heir.

The outlet states City ‘will’ make a bid for USA international Robinson in the summer as Guardiola already ‘finds’ his replacement for Cancelo.

The Verdict: Good option?

The 25-year-old, who won stellar praise for his performances at last year’s World Cup, could prove to be a good option to succeed the departed Cancelo.

As per WhoScored, Robinson has become a key player under Marco Silva in the Premier League – starting 18 league matches as one of their most-selected men.

He also averages Fulham’s second-highest rate of crosses per 90 from out wide and ranks third in their squad for completed take-ons.

Robinson is also highly versatile, able to play at both left-back and further forward on the wing.

Members of the press have called the defender ‘magnificent’ after seeing him shine in Qatar and City have apparently been quoted a reasonable £20m fee.

His status as an English top flight regular with international pedigree could make £20m seem like a bargain.