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Many Sunderland fans have been left gushing over some transfer news that has emerged involving Denver Hume.

As per The Chronicle, the left-back is now a target for Portsmouth in the January transfer window, after he was shoved down the pecking order by both Dennis Cirkin and Niall Huggins.

Even winger Lynden Gooch has filled in at left-back ahead of him this season, suggesting that he may not be in Lee Johnson’s plans anymore.

The manager has since addressed the Hume rumours to the media, and appeared not to rule out an exit for the Englishman.

Nonetheless, the Stadium of Light faithful have been critical of some of his performances in the past, and with just eight games played all season in total over all competitions, now may be the best time to move him on.

Sunderland fans on Hume transfer news

These Black Cats were left gushing over the transfer news as it was shared on Twitter:

“I’ll order him a taxi”

Credit: @dean_longstaff

“PLEASE TAKE HIM!!”

Credit: @LIAMMACKEM

“Please please please please let this be true”

Credit: @Brysa08

“Take the money!”

Credit: @Steve_M73

“Great news”

Credit: @RoryHanley

“What a transfer window this could be”

Credit: @Bsw1995

In other news, find out what transfer update has SAFC supporters buzzing here!

Antonio Conte has reportedly now identified his main transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur – Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The Lowdown: Well-known

McKennie is a player that is well-known to both Conte and Fabio Paratici, given their connections to Serie A.

Of course, Conte thrived at Inter Milan last season, guiding them to the Serie A title ahead of McKennie’s Juventus, while Paratici used to be the managing director at the Old Lady before moving on to Spurs.

McKennie is a player that Paratici was particularly fond of during his time at Juve, claiming that he is ‘very exuberant’ and ‘very intelligent’, while adding that they had ‘high expectations’ of him (Juve FC).

Former Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo even went as far as to call him a ‘rock’ in his team earlier this year, so he is a player that is certainly generating excitement.

The Latest: Main target

As per Calciomercato, Conte will now look to sign McKennie for Spurs in the January transfer window, and he is the even ‘first name on his wish list’.

However, for the North London club to have any chance of securing his signature next month, they would need to cough up at least €30-35m (£25.3-29.6m).

The Verdict: Get it done

At just 23 years of age, McKennie is already playing at a high level, having shined at FC Schalke before he moved to Juventus.

He has already featured 18 times in the UEFA Champions League for both clubs combined, and clearly has a high ceiling given the lofty praise from those who have worked with him.

Nonetheless, he is already making a name for himself at international level as well, racking up no fewer than 28 senior caps for the United States, while he was also named their Footballer of the Year in 2020.

Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli could all be leaving the Lilywhites soon, which would certainly open up a midfield slot for McKennie to grab with both arms.

In other news, find out which ‘undefendable’ beast Conte is now keen on here!

Bruno Lage has made no secret of his intentions to have a successful transfer window in January, and has furthered his intentions by naming several positions in the team he would be interested in filling over the next few weeks.

What’s the word?

Lage took to his pre-match press conference to give Wolves fans an insight to the positions he is looking at adding depth to in the January transfer window;

“We need one, we need one centre-back.”

“I think also we can find one more winger, a different striker, so we have two or three situations we can improve to manage better our squad.”

Lage did also praise his current centre backs for their performances so far this season;

“I’m very happy with Conor, Saiss and Max, because they are doing very well,”

“I pray every training and every game that the guys don’t have any injury because we play with three centre-backs and I just have those three.”

Romain Saiss will be joining Morocco for African Cup of Nations in a few days, so it is understandable why Lage feels that a centre back would be a priority area to fill over the next few weeks, as well as risking the back line without reliable back up if there was an injury.

The other attacking positions that Lage is looking to cover can be justified by an injury to goal-scoring winger, Hwang Hee-Chan who has now been confirmed to be out until February, and could also be linked to replacing Adama Traore, who has been rumoured with moves away from the club since the beginning of the season.

Fans will be buzzing

These comments from the Portuguese manager will be welcomed by the Wolves fans, who will have high expectations for the second half of the season to echo the consistency and success of the first half, with new signings giving the side the opportunity to strengthen and improve their form further over the coming months.

Wolves fans have been taking to Twitter to share their excitement on the potential of business for the club this month;

“Notifications turned on for @FabrizioRomano and @Wolves transfer window is open and confirmed. Here we go”

Lage will be taking his side to Old Trafford tomorrow in the hope that they can steal a result from Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United side, who are currently unbeaten in their last five games in the Premier League.

A win could be a great opportunity for Wolves to gain some more cushion in their pursuit for a finish in a European spot this season, as three points could pull them away from Leicester City who are on the same points in 9th, and push them closer to closing the gap with Tottenham in 7th.

In other news: Bruno Lage drops injury update on two players

Taking to Twitter, Sport 1 reporter Patrick Berger has made a promising claim involving Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic and a possible move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Conte turns to former club?

As well as being linked with possible swoops for a plethora of Serie A stars (Calciomercato), the Spurs manager has also been tipped to raid his former club for talent as he looks to oversee a new era at N17.

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January is looming and Tottenham’s last humbling, a 2-1 defeat to Slovenian minnows NS Mura in the Europa Conference League, is perhaps an indication that Conte seriously needs to strengthen in the winter window.

Despite the urgency, Spurs could also sign targets on pre-contracts ahead of free moves in the summer, with the likes of Marcelo Brozovic and Franck Kessie repeatedly linked in this regard.

News has now emerged on one man who Conte could also negotiate as a free agent for 2022 with his contract winding down.

The Latest: Perisic eyeing move to Spurs…

As per Berger, writing on social media, Perisic’s deal at Inter expires next summer, and while he is thinking about an extension, he’s also eyeing a move to Tottenham to work under his former manager. The journalist tweeted:

“A transfer of Ivan Perisic back to the Bundesliga (#BVB or Wolfsburg) won’t happen. The contract of the 32yo Croatian @Inter runs out in summer,” he explained.

“There are talks to extend. But P. is also thinking about to join Tottenham where he could work with his ex-boss Antonio Conte.”

Sport 1 also believe that there are ‘currently talks with Tottenham’ as Perisic considers his future away from the San Siro.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 32-year-old has been linked with Spurs sporadically over the last few years and former N17 boss Jose Mourinho is certainly a huge fan, but would Perisic bolster Conte’s options?

Once valued at £50m, the 6 foot 1 powerhouse is an international star and legend for his country, amassing 111 caps for Croatia and cementing himself into folklore with an equalising World Cup semi-final goal against England in 2018.

A versatile forward, Perisic can play either out wide or as a second striker, potentially coming as an unlikely temporary solution to Tottenham’s lack of a senior centre-forward alternative to Harry Kane.

On a free deal Spurs would have little to lose, but Perisic’s age indicates that he would be a short-term solution further forward, possibly coming as another option if the Lilywhites can’t land long-time target Dusan Vlahovic.

In other news: Eight players now safe from Spurs axe after impressing Conte behind the scenes, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a January move for Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the transfer rumour on social media.

According to reliable reporter John Percy, Davis is one of three possible winter window loan additions at the City Ground alongside Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun and Norwich City’s Adam Idah.

Davis has made just one Premier League appearance this season and has scored just six goals in 86 games as a Villa player.

He has recently been linked with a move to Norwich to reunite with Dean Smith, but it appears as if a temporary move to the second-tier with Forest could also be on the cards.

The 23-year-old’s current deal expires in 2024, with Steven Gerrard a big fan of the forward after trying to sign him for Rangers.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply to Percy’s claim on Twitter, with one believing he would be ‘unbelievable’ for Steve Cooper’s side in the Championship.

“Pleaseeeeee”

Credit: @____shhh______

“I’ll drive Keinan there myself”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“Davis would be unbelievable for them but not sure he would want to go to a club that can’t get promoted or give any service since Matty cash has left”

Credit: @VillaWatch1

“They’ve been very good since Cooper got appointed tbf”

Credit: @aston_1997

“Keinan Davis with a good run of games will be a very add for any Championship side. He’s shown it in spots but he’s never fit for long enough.”

Credit: @Bosey82

“I agree a loan is best for him but given they have Lewis Grabban who is the captain & has 9 goals + 3 assists as well as Lyle Taylor, he may not start IMO”

Credit: @Total_Villa

In other news: ‘Excellent’ ace thinks his Villa career ‘is over’; he’s now eyeing a permanent exit. 

Dean Smith’s time as Aston Villa manager was severely under pressure heading into this weekend’s Premier League action but sadly, it ended up being his last in the dugout.

As the Villans slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Southampton, Smith left the stadium and was then handed his marching orders less than 24 hours later.

What’s the word?

Villa are now without a point in their last five matches but the club’s hierarchy have used the upcoming international break to make a much-needed change.

With the club in no danger of improving their form, they told the 50-year-old to pack his bags and head out of the exit door.

Consequently, NSWE are now looking for a new manager.

The Sun revealed on Saturday evening that they may consider Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand but fresh reports dictate there are other irons in the fire.

John Percy of The Telegraph shared on Sunday afternoon that Steven Gerrard was on Villa’s shortlist.

Fans buzzing

This is a piece of news that should leave the Villa supporters buzzing.

Gerrard might not have very much experience under his belt but the fact of the matter is, he could improve them in multiple facets.

He has installed a gritty and never-say-die attitude within his players at Rangers, a mentality that helped them end Celtic’s nine-year stronghold over Scottish football as the Gers won the Premiership last season.

The Liverpudlian ensured that happened by combining a swashbuckling offensive approach with a sturdy backline.

His team scored 78 goals and conceded just ten times in 33 outings, suggesting he could improve Villa’s leaky backline.

So far this term, the Midlands outfit have shipped 20 goals, the highest volume outside of the relegation zone.

First and foremost, the new manager must make Villa harder to beat and in Gerrard, a manager who already knows how to win things, they’d definitely discover that.

Of course, the Premier League is a completely different beast to the SPFL but if he comes in and manages to revive Villa, as he did Rangers, the supporters at the club would undoubtedly be delighted to see him in the hot seat.

AND in other news, Forget Buendia: Villa must sign £18m-rated star who “every coach would love to have”…

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their upcoming Europa League fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by the Daily Record, Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh looks set to miss out on the Bhoys’ trip to Bayer Leverkusen this Thursday after the defender was withdrawn during the Scottish League Cup semi-final against St. Johnstone on Saturday due to injury.

The defender’s knock came in the 76th-minute of the cup clash, with the 21-year-old being on the receiving end of a Shaun Rooney elbow which saw the St Johnstone defender pick up a yellow card – although Sky Sports reported at the time that the 25-year-old was lucky not to be shown a red.

Major blow

Considering just how dangerous Rooney’s elbow quite evidently was, it would not appear to be an exaggeration to suggest that the decision to only award the right-back a yellow card was something of a shocker by referee Nick Walsh.

Indeed, speaking to Premier Sports, the former Celtic centre-forward, John Hartson, said of the incident: “I think his elbow is up. When you watch it back and slow it down; and obviously Stephen Welsh is caught heavy because he has had to come off. But that for me I think in today’s game, with the rules that referees have to adhere to, he is a very lucky boy not to get a red card.”

Derek McInnes then added: “If that is in England it’s a red card once the referee has reviewed that, so he is lucky. Obviously, the boy Welsh has had to come off and I hope it’s nothing serious for him.”

However, despite the former Aberdeen manager’s hopes, it does indeed look to have been a rather serious injury for Welsh, as the defender now appears set to be out of contention for Celtic’s crucial European tie on Thursday evening.

This will undoubtedly come as a major blow to Ange Postecoglou, as the 56-year-old has now been left with just three fit senior options in the position, two of whom – Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Scales – have made a total of three appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys so far this season, something that would appear to considerably dent Celtic’s chances of picking up all three points from the fixture.

In other news: “I saw..”: Journo drops exciting claim on “dream” Celtic target, he’d be a big coup

Having joined Celtic on a season-long loan deal this summer, Jota has wasted no time in winning over the Parkhead faithful, with the 22-year-old having already turned in a number of remarkable performances during his short time in Glasgow.

And, with the Bhoys holding the option to make the Portugal U21 international’s loan a £6.5m permanent move next summer, speculation has already begun as to whether Celtic’s acting CEO, Michael Nicholson, will active the clause – with Ange Postecoglou recently hinting that the 22-year-old would like to stay at the club.

Speaking about Jota’s future, the 56-year-old said: “Jota is just starting his career but he’s already fallen in love with the club. He loves the environment here and the supporters. Who wouldn’t?

“Who wouldn’t want to play for a football club where you get 60,000 cheering you on. The crowd is something special. Let’s just let him enjoy it. Those kind of decisions will come in due course.

“From our perspective, I know everyone here is the same, we’ll do what’s best for the football club moving forward and that will be in consultation with the player’s wishes.”

However, while all the noise surrounding Jota’s permanent switch to Parkhead is positive at present, considering just how impressive the winger has been so far this season, it would appear highly advisable for Nicholson to complete a deal for the youngster sooner rather than later, in order to remove the possibility the forward being tempted by another potential suitor at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his six Scottish Premiership fixtures this term, the £3.15m-rated man has scored two goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.5 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Postecoglou himself dubbed an “unbelievable” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.42, ranking him as Celtic’s fifth-best performer in the league – while the forward has also bagged one goal over one appearance in the League Cup.

The winger has also been in excellent form over his three appearances in the Europa League, registering two assists, creating four big chances and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.63 – ranking him as the Hoops’ second-best player in the competition. With that in mind, it’s obvious why supporters would love to see him become a permanent part of the furniture.

Despite it being so early in his Celtic career, it would nevertheless appear as if Jota has already proven he would be worth splashing £6.5m on to sign on a permanent basis, and Nicholson should be aware that it will no longer just be the Bhoys and their fans aware of this fact.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “talented” 22 y/o starlet, he could be “huge” for Celtic

West Ham United advanced into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a win over current title holders Manchester City at the London Stadium on Wednesday night.

And once again, it was another game in which young academy gem Ben Johnson started and another game that resulted in a clean sheet – very impressive considering the opposition.

It was the sixth time this campaign that the 21-year-old was involved in a David Moyes defensive masterclass, having also kept out the likes of Everton, Spurs, Man Utd and Genk.

The Scotsman’s usual first-choice Vladimir Coufal has been out through injury and he should be concerned with Johnson’s form as he’ll be a very hard man to drop whenever the 29-year-old returns.

After the match, Irons assistant Stuart Pearce waxed lyrical about the youngster. He said (via football.london):

“He’s a wonderful professional to deal with and work with.

“We’re very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us. Especially with the connection to this club with the Academy.

“And I think he’s just developing and getting better and better and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they’ll get so I am delighted for the boy.”

A lot of the credit for the clean sheet would’ve gone to Alphonse Areola, who was mightily impressive between the sticks. He was bombarded with 25 efforts on goal and earned SofaScore’s highest rating, an 8.7, for his troubles.

However, it was Johnson who arguably stole the show in east London as he shut down one of Pep Guardiola’s biggest threats in Raheem Sterling.

Also per SofaScore, the Chadwell Heath graduate won 100% of his duels, proving to be a rock against the regular England international, whilst he also led the match for clearances (five) and chipped in with a further tackle, interception and block.

He really put his body on the line to help steer the Hammers to victory, albeit in a penalty shootout.

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser also wrote glowingly about the young right-back in his post-game ratings column – earning a 7/10, he said: ‘Vital goal-saving tackle on Gundogan early on and energy down the right again showed why right-back injury crisis has been averted in recent weeks.’

Whilst it was Areola making the more evident impact in goal, it’s Johnson who deserves his fair share of plaudits. The 5 foot 9 beast, who earns a reported £19k-per-week, was the star of the show at the London Stadium on Wednesday night.

AND in other news, Moyes may have another Antonio in West Ham’s “hard-working” 17 y/o who “loves to score”…

Taking to Twitter, reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold has shared a ‘boost’ for Tottenham Hotspur and Nuno Espirito Santo after a big Friday development.

The Lowdown: Nuno suffers international break mess…

It’s safe to say the last international break was one of Tottenham’s worst in recent memory.

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During that period, Nuno was dealt a plethora of injury worries to the likes of Son Heung-min, Ryan Sessegnon, Oliver Skipp and Steven Bergwijn who all picked up knocks representing their countries.

As well as this, Davinson Sanchez, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero were at the centre of a South American fiasco after they travelled with their nations to red-listed countries.

The trio, as a result, had to quarantine at a 10-day training camp in Croatia before returning to Tottenham and being made available again to Nuno.

Now, as another international break lingers, it appears Tottenham’s under-fire boss is set for a much-needed boost.

The Latest: Gold shares ‘boost’ for Spurs…

As per reliable reporter Gold, sharing a confirmed Friday development, the government have announced that players travelling to red-listed zones won’t need to self-isolate upon returning if they are fully vaccinated.

The journalist says this ‘will boost Spurs’ and explains exactly why on Twitter.

“The government exemption for vaccinated players playing in red listed countries will boost Spurs this international break after the previous mess,” said Gold.

“Understand all of their four called-up South Americans will be fine to train and play on their return.”

The Verdict: Huge…

Given the selection headache it caused Nuno last time, this comes as a much-needed boost for the 47-year-old as he remains under fire for his start to life at Spurs.

There have even been murmurs of possible N17 managerial replacements already and it’s safe to say he needs all the help he can get with his job far from safe.

In other news: ‘Playing with a man down’…Journalist shreds ‘total liability’ who Nuno ‘can’t trust’ for Spurs, find out more here.