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Arsenal have come a long way under Mikel Arteta, largely thanks to his outstanding man management and cutthroat nature.

On the outside, the Spaniard boasts a beaming smile, a sparkling head of hair and a stylish jumper, but on the inside, there is a ruthless and mean side to his personality.

That very factor has seen the likes of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang banished from north London, while the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Hector Bellerin and Alexandre Lacazette all met their end under the former midfielder.

However, there is one player at the club who despite his much-maligned performances and attitude in recent years remains in the capital; that of Granit Xhaka.

If anybody embodies the rise of the club under Arteta then it is the Swiss midfielder, who has gone from being jeered off the pitch by supporters to becoming a fan favourite this season.

Transformed from a deep-lying playmaker to a box-to-box maestro, it has been a remarkable turnaround in his Arsenal career.

He has run 11.43km per game this term, more than any other teammate while his goal and shot-creation numbers have risen considerably. Indeed, Xhaka ranks in the top 15% of Premier League midfielders for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes this season, a metric he ranked in the best 19% for last term.

Furthermore, he ranks in the top 37% of players for dribbles that lead to a shot attempt and in the best 18% for goal-creating actions. Compare that with his stats in 2021/22 and there is a huge amount of difference. Last term saw the 30-year-old rank in the worst 29% of players for the first statistic and then in the worst 45% of players for goal-creating actions.

This is a man on a mission but it also demonstrates why the Gunners need back up for the former Borussia Monchengladbach man in the middle of the park.

Without him or Thomas Partey, Arsenal look a shadow of the team they are with them playing but they could find that much-needed depth in William Carvalho.

Reports from Spain suggest they have the Portuguese midfielder in their sights and he could be a superb option for Edu in the transfer market.

That’s because there are arguable comparisons. Indeed, Xhaka’s most comparable player in FB Ref’s similar players model is former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi.

The Marseille midfielder, who is part of Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad for Qatar is also compared to Carvalho by FB Ref, with the Frenchman being the sixth most similar player.

Guendouzi left the club in controversial circumstances after a falling out with Arteta with it left to be seen who has the final laugh. Both parties have thrived since that exit but in Carvalho, Arsenal could find a similar player with perhaps a better personality and mentality.

Their expected goals are practically identical with the Portugal international hitting 0.17 in comparison to the France international’s 0.16.

Furthermore, they are alike in their pass completion with Carvalho proving successful with 85.7% of his passes to Guendouzi’s 84.4%.

Neither are too offensive, so it’s in their defensive metrics where the true comparisons lie with the former making 1.46 tackles per 90 minutes to the latter’s 1.54. They also make an identical number of clearances – 0.68.

A safe pair of hands in the centre of the park, the aggressive £22m-rated Betis midfielder has been dubbed a “machine” by football writer James Nalton and “extraordinary” by current South Korea boss Paulo Bento.

Just two glowing reviews, it paints the picture of how good he could be with the Gunners no doubt requiring another pair of hands in his region of the pitch if they are to continue their challenge for the Premier League title.

They could just unearth their next Guendouzi as well if a deal can be done this winter.

Newcastle United are not far off making a “proper statement signing”, with pundit Frank McAvennie believing it is only “a matter of time”. 

The Lowdown: European finish?

Eddie Howe guided the Magpies to Premier League safety last season and has taken the club to the Champions League places during the current campaign.

Newcastle have lost just one of their opening 15 top-flight fixtures in what has been an excellent start, with the club appearing to be real challengers for a European finish in 2023.

The Latest: Pundit drops big claim

McAvennie, talking to Football Insider regarding potential transfers, believes that Newcastle will soon make a signing that the rest of the footballing landscape will take note of.

“Newcastle have done extremely well and it’s all down to the hard work of Eddie Howe,”

“Newcastle have also done all of this without signing a proper superstar. After the takeover, they were linked with some of the biggest names on the planet.

“While they have recruited well, there hasn’t really been that massive signing where everyone has stopped to look.

“I do think that signing is close though. Maybe January, maybe next summer after they get into Europe. A proper statement signing.

“They have the money to do it, everyone knows it. So it’s a matter of time rather than if they will, if that makes sense.

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The Verdict: Exciting…

You could say that McAvennie is correct with his admission, and his comments are certainly exciting heading into 2023. With Newcastle’s approach to rebuilding the club back into its status as a genuine giant, decisions have been astute and entirely calculated.

The foundations of the side seem to be in place, so the upcoming winter transfer window could be the right time to pull off a high-calibre move, but of course, the player will need to fit in and have the correct attitude in order for both parties to succeed.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Marcus Thuram to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ignazio Genuardi, with the French journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite the Borussia Mönchengladbach centre-forward believed to be willing to wait until the end of the current campaign before securing a move away from the Bundesliga side, Fabio Paratici could launch a surprise move for the 25-year-old in January.

The reporter went on to state in a further post that Gladbach would command a €20m (£17m) fee in order to sanction the striker’s sale this winter, while the player himself is said to be demanding a salary of €10m (£8.5m) – roughly £163k-per-week – from a potential new suitor – with Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle United also said to be keen on the France international.

Regarding Thuram’s future, Genuardi said:

“Courted by a slew of European teams, Thuram could wait until next summer to pack his bags, but a surprise cannot be ruled out this winter. According to some indiscretions, Tottenham could give it a try in January.

“At the end of his contract with Gladbach, [Thuram] is also courted by Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle on the English market. While the Germans could claim up to €20m this winter, the player expects a salary of around €10m (excluding bonuses).”

Absolute steal

Considering just how impressive Thuram has been for Borussia Mönchengladbach so far this season, should Paratici manage to land the centre-forward ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Villa and Newcastle in a £17m deal this winter, it would undoubtedly represent both a massive coup and an absolute steal for the Italian sporting director.

Indeed, over his 15 Bundesliga appearances in the current campaign, the £26m-rated talent has been in red-hot form going forwards, having already scored 10 goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.7 shots – 2.0 of which have hit the target – making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £54k-per-week forward who Denis Zakaria dubbed “crazy” average a rather remarkable Sofascore match rating of 7.19, not only ranking him as Daniel Farke’s fourth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 23rd-best player in the top flight of German football as a whole.

The 25-year-old has also caught the eye over his two outings in the DFB-Pokal this term, bagging three goals and providing his teammates with one assist, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots – 2.5 of which have been on target – making 1.5 key passes and completing 2.5 dribbles – at a success rate of 83% – per match.

These metrics have seen the Frenchman average a simply breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 8.35, not only ranking him as Gladbach’s joint-best performer in the competition but also as the joint 19th-best player in the tournament in its entirety.

Furthermore, with Thuram also more than capable of operating from the left or right wing – having played a total of 98 games from the flanks – it would very much appear as if the six-cap star would be a perfect fit for either of Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formations at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – as either a partner for Harry Kane up top or on the left of a front three.

As such, with the former Guingamp star clearly being a player who is incredibly deadly in the final third, able to progress the ball extremely efficiently and versatile enough to feature anywhere across a front three, landing such a talent for a fee as little as £17m would indeed look to be something of a steal for Paratici in the January transfer window.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Ola Aina ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the Whites are expected to come forward with an offer to sign the Torino wing-back as his contract is set to expire in the summer.

That means the Yorkshire outfit are able to tie him down to a pre-contract agreement from January 1st but the Serie A outfit could look to offload him in January in a bid to garner some sort of fee.

Elland Road now seems a likely destination, whether that’s next month or in the summer.

Bye-bye Ayling?

The 26-year-old is well-known in England. Having come through the renowned Chelsea academy system, the versatile wing-back has also played for Fulham and Hull City across both the Premier League and the Championship.

He has now made something of a name for himself in Italy, emerging as one of Il Toro’s regular starters, largely owing to his ability to play on both the left and the right.

Aina is currently the club’s best performer in the league, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.74 – only forward Demba Seck is averaging more dribbles per game, whilst he’s more than pulling his weight defensively with 1.3 tackles per game too.

Such versatility and ability on the ball has seen former teammate Cristian Ansaldi sing his praises in the past, claiming: “I see him very often. He has an intelligence that allows him to play in many positions, then physically he is an animal, more or less like [Wilfried] Singo.”

Perhaps his potential arrival could spell the end for one of Marcelo Bielsa’s long-standing favourites in vice-captain Luke Ayling who, despite his return from injury this season, has struggled to get into Jesse Marsch’s starting XI ahead of summer signing Rasmus Kristensen.

Indeed, the Leeds stalwart has started just one game this campaign – a 3-2 defeat to Fulham – with the rest of his minutes coming from the bench. Ever since his red card against Arsenal last season – an incident that was brandished both “disappointing” and “disgusting” by the media – he has never really been in favour with the American manager again.

You’d imagine that any move for another player in his role would surely spell the end of his career at Elland Road because it’ll only make it harder for him to break into the side.

Torino wanted just €12m (£10m) for Aina during the summer, so that price will surely have to come down if they are going to lose him in the summer for nothing anyway and that would make him even more of a bargain.

As a result, Marsch may well finally ditch Ayling from west Yorkshire, should he successfully secure a deal for the Nigeria international this January.

AND in other news, Orta “set to begin” talks with “dangerous” £35m Leeds “beast”, it’s great for Marsch…

Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Brighton striker Deniz Undav in January and the German striker would surely be a quality addition to Tony Mowbray’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, Sunderland are among a number of Championship clubs said to be interested in signing the 26-year-old forward next month, with QPR, Burnley, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City all said to be keen.

The Seagulls signed Undav in January of this year after some sensational performances in Belgium and loaned him back to Union Saint-Gilloise for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

He would go on to hit 25 goals and ten assists in just 33 Pro League appearances but has found game time hard to come by under both Graham Potter and Roberto de Zerbi so far this term, with just eight substitute appearances in the Premier League to his name.

This could open the door to a potential loan move in January and given his superb goalscoring form in recent campaigns, Sunderland would surely be lucky to have him at the Stadium of Light.

Mowbray would love him

With Sunderland no doubt eyeing a spot in the Championship playoffs this season, extra firepower in January could be exactly what the Black Cats need to propel them up the table.

The prospect of having Undav as an option in attack, alongside current top scorers Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, is surely an incredibly exciting one for Mowbray when considering how lethal Undav was during spells in Belgium and Germany.

The 26-year-old has been prolific throughout his career with TSV Havelse, SV Meppen and Royale Union Saint Gilloise, registering a phenomenal 155 goal contributions in a combined 215 appearances for those three clubs.

Upon his arrival at the Amex Stadium in the summer, Undav promised the fans a lot but has been given very few chances to showcase his abilities thus far. He said:

“I will not say a number [of goals], I will just try and score maybe not 26 but a little bit less. I can score inside the box, outside the box, I can score from the middle line, I can score from everywhere. I have no typical type of goal. I try to score with my head, with the left foot, right foot, with my shoulder, with everything.”

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This certainly bodes well for Sunderland and if he can live up to his own high expectations at the Stadium of Light, he would surely become a big player for Mowbray for the rest of the campaign.

Newcastle United are having a fantastic season in the Premier League so far, and there is no doubt that Eddie Howe must be thrilled with how his squad has transformed since he arrived at St James’ Park just 13 months ago.

The Magpies are currently third in the table after picking up 30 points from a possible 45 in their first 15 games and suffering just one defeat so far, but now the former Bournemouth boss will be hoping that his team can continue their phenomenal form when they return to action against Leicester City on Boxing Day.

If Newcastle can keep up their winning ways, they could be in with a chance to secure Champions League qualification inside the top four at the end of the season, an achievement which would put the club ahead of schedule in their long-term project.

Although Howe boasts an incredibly on-form group of players, the Magpies will not only want to deliver beyond expectation in the Premier League but also in any domestic cup competitions for which they are currently still competing, with both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup representing opportunities for the manager to deliver the club’s first major trophy in over half a century.

As a result, next month’s transfer window could be the perfect opportunity for Howe to add some quality depth to his squad and potentially strengthen the forward line even further to keep Newcastle competing on all fronts over the rest of the season.

One player who has been linked with a move to St James’ Park this month is France and Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram, who could become a hugely valuable asset to Newcastle.

In 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £8.5m-valued ace – who was dubbed “phenomenal” by former Gladbach team-mate Denis Zakaria – has scored 10 goals, delivered three assists and created three big chances, along with averaging two shots on target, 1.5 dribbles completed and 4.6 successful duels per game.

Furthermore, Thuram ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers over the top five European leagues in 2022 for non-penalty goals, shots in total, dribbles completed and interceptions, displaying exactly why Didier Deschamps selected him in his France squad for the World Cup, in which they face Argentina in the final tomorrow.

The 25-year-old has yet to start in Qatar but has still made four substitute appearances totalling 76 minutes, grabbing an assist in the 3-1 win over Poland in the round of 16 [Sofascore].

Howe could even land his very own Victor Osimhen for Newcastle, with the Napoli striker named as the most comparable positional peer to the French goal machine, according to FBRef.

The two forwards have shared many similarities over their season, so far including goal contributions (13 v 11), pass completion rate (72.3% v 72.2%), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.60 v 2.50) and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.53 v 0.40).

With that in mind, the signing of Thuram would be a major coup for the Magpies, and if the powers at St James’ Park can secure his signature in the New Year, it could put Newcastle in a great position to compete at the highest level in all competitions.

Newcastle United return to Premier League action away to Leicester City this afternoon, with Eddie Howe’s side looking to pick up where they left off prior to the recent World Cup break.

The Magpies had gone into the mid-season pause on a run of five wins from their past five top-flight games, having also lost just once in their 15 league outings to move themselves into third place and firmly in the conversation for a Champions League finish.

The fear will be that the Tynesiders may have had that rampant momentum halted by this recent break from competitive action. On the evidence of their midweek win over Bournemouth, though, there doesn’t appear to be any sign of rust, with the hosts having seemed in almost total control at St James’ Park on the night as they took 17 shots to the visitors’ six.

That triumph – which came courtesy of an Adam Smith own goal – has moved Newcastle into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, with things all going swimmingly for Howe and co at present.

As they look to continue that rich vein of form later today at the King Power Stadium, Newcastle could well enhance their chances of victory by bringing Allan Saint-Maximin back into the fold, with the fleet-footed Frenchman seemingly now back to full fitness after his injury woes earlier this season.

That has limited the 25-year-old to just four starts in the league this season, all of which came in August; although the £70k-per-week maestro has impressed whenever he has featured, scoring once and registering three assists thus far.

The dynamic “wizard” – as lauded by journalist Graeme Bailey – had looked “dangerous” off the bench against the Cherries, in the words of The Athletic’s Chris Waugh. Another reporter in Miles Starforth added that the 25-year-old was soon “causing problems” for Bournemouth after entering the fray in the second half.

The former Nice dynamo was also subsequently lauded by his manager, with Howe dubbing him a “massive player” for the club, adding: “I think you saw as soon as he entered the pitch against Bournemouth he’s got that ability to put the opponent on the back foot. For me, he is the best dribbler in the Premier League and you need that in your team. “

As such, Saint-Maximin should be an ideal pick to return his left-wing berth in Newcastle’s attack, with his return potentially set to see Joelinton give way after the Brazilian disappointed in midweek.

The former Hoffenheim man notably won just four of his 17 duels against Gary O’Neil’s men, having also offered little in attack as he failed to complete any of his four dribbles and provided zero crosses.

With the 26-year-old either set to make way or drop back into a central midfield role, it should well see Saint-Maximin unleashed on the flanks from the first whistle today.

Five Football League clubs have approached Crystal Palace over a potential loan move for John-Kymani Gordon, according to football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: New contract

Gordon has been on the books with the Eagles for over ten years and appears to be going from strength to strength in the academy.

The 19-year-old recently featured in friendlies against Napoli and Trabzonspor and signed a Selhurst Park contract extension last month.

He has also made several Premier League squads under Patrick Vieira, but it looks as if he could be in line to head out on loan this month.

The Latest: Enquiries received

O’Rourke shared what he’s heard from Palace in the last 48 hours regarding Gordon for Football Insider.

He revealed that Burton, Carlisle, Leyton Orient, Lincoln and MK Dons have all made loan enquiries for the highly-rated player.

The Verdict: Makes sense?

It seems as if the next step in Gordon’s development as a player is to play first-team football, so a temporary stint away from Palace in the EFL could be ideal.

Clubs from both League One and League Two are keen, so it will be interesting to see where the attacker ends up, should he depart. A successful loan stint could then help him push for a regular role at Palace, so this seems like one to monitor over the coming days and weeks.

Wolves have been credited with an interest in Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres recently and the Sweden international’s potential arrival at Molineux could allow Julen Lopetegui to get rid of Diego Costa.

According to Swedish outlet Sportsbladet (via Coventry Live), Wolves have now joined the race to land the player, who has hit 12 goals in the Championship for the Sky Blues so far this season.

While Mark Robins will be desperate to keep him at the club amid their push for a playoff spot in the second tier, as he is undoubtedly crucial to the way they play, Gyokeres’ head could easily be turned by the promise of Premier League football.

Should he be tempted by a move to Molineux, it would surely spell the end for Costa in what has been a hugely disappointing spell with the Old Gold.

Former manager Bruno Lage clearly hit the panic button when opting to sign the former Chelsea man in the summer, with the injuries to Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic perhaps forcing his hand as Wolves continued to struggle immensely in front of goal.

It was hoped that Costa could play the “villain” role for Wolves against opposition teams but he has been more of a villain to his own teammates and fans, with his only notable contribution so far being a headbutt on Brentford’s Ben Mee.

The 34-year-old has no goals or assists in nine Premier League appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a shocking 6.22 average rating for his performances in the top flight.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, has averaged a fantastic 7.00 rating thanks to his starring performances with the Ricoh Arena outfit, while he has also averaged far more shots (2.9 vs 2.2), key passes (1.2 vs 0.4) and dribbles (1.7 vs 0.2) than Costa, which emphasises how much of an upgrade he would be in Lopetegui’s side.

Robins was full of praise for his talismanic striker earlier in the season after he scored the equalising goal in a draw against Sunderland.

He said: “He’s not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination but he has some unbelievable ability – power, technique. He has got everything in his locker and that desire and hunger to score goals.”

Gyokeres sounds like exactly the sort of player Wolves need to get out of relegation trouble this season and while it would be harsh to get rid of Costa so soon after he’s joined the club, all the stats suggest that the Coventry star would be a far better option in attack.

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential move to sign Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom.

The Lowdown: On fire

Akpom is currently a player on fire, with 11 goals in the Championship since October, and 13 in total in the division (Transfermarkt).

This currently makes him the Championship’s top scorer, and so it is not surprising to see him attract attention from the Premier League in this window.

The Latest: Everton interest

As per The Daily Mail, the Goodison Par outfit, as well as fellow top-flight rivals Crystal Palace and Southampton, are ‘monitoring’ Akpom ahead of a potential move.

His current contract expires in the summer, although Boro have an option to extend it by an additional 12 months.

The Verdict: Firepower needed

The Merseyside club currently have one of the worst records in terms of scoring goals in division, and so are in desperate need of some additional attacking firepower in order to help them climb up the table and away from the dreaded relegation zone.

Hailed as a ‘fantastic’ striker by former Boro caretaker boss Leo Percovich, he is now making strides under new manager Michael Carrick, and is a player full of confidence at the moment.

The Premier League is a different animal to the Championship, but the 27-year-old would surely relish the opportunity to prove his worth in England’s highest division.

Incidentally, Akpom is a player that Alex Iwobi knows very well from their time playing for Arsenal together at youth level, and Iwobi has previously noted the ‘chemistry’ they have enjoyed on the pitch.

Nonetheless, the duo would enjoy playing with each other again, and could form a formidable new partnership at the Toffees.