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When West Bromwich Albion resigned Romaine Sawyers for around £2.88m back in 2019, hopes at The Hawthorns were extremely high for the Baggies academy product.

Indeed, the 29-year-old had just enjoyed an impressive season with Brentford, providing six assists, creating two big chances and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.89 over his 42 Championship appearances for the Bees.

This initially appeared to be form that Sawyers would continue for Albion, with the midfielder turning in a number of solid performances during his first season back in the West Midlands, scoring one goal, registering one assist and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.80 over his 42 Championship fixtures in 2019/20.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis international’s partner in the middle of the pitch, Jake Livermore, also seemed to be extremely impressed with the ability of Sawyers, with the West Brom captain stating back in 2019: “He is fantastic. I love the boy as a kid and I love him as a player. I love playing alongside him. He is a nice calming influence. I think we bounce off each other quite well.

“He was at West Brom as a kid and credit to them because he has been fantastic since he has come back. I back him to be a real, real top player and I have played with a few. But I back him to be as good as anyone I have played with, to be honest. And I mean that.”

However, upon the Baggies’ promotion to the top flight, things started to take a turn for the worst for the £1.8m-rated midfielder.

Indeed, over his 19 Premier League appearances the following season, Sawyers failed to have any real impact for Albion, scoring no goals, registering no assists and earning an extremely disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of just 6.47 – ranking him as the club’s joint-worst performer in the league.

This is a trend that has continued for the £10k-per-week man in the current campaign, as, after being bombed out of the Albion side by Valerien Ismael this summer, the 29-year-old has failed to impress over his eight Championship appearances while on loan at Stoke City, scoring no goals, registering just one assist and averaging an extremely shoddy SofaScore match rating of 6.58.

As such, despite signs of early promise upon his return to West Bromwich a little over two years ago, Sawyers’ poor displays at the bet365 Stadium, coupled with the fact that his contract at The Hawthorns expires next summer, could well indicate that the academy product has played his final game for the club.

In other news: Forget Bartley: WBA’s £36k-p/w “leader” who made just 4 passes failed Ismael once more

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has hailed the ‘brilliant’ news that Georgios Giakoumakis is fit for the Hoops’ clash with Ross County.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis impresses for Celtic

The Greek has enjoyed an impressive first season at Parkhead, having arrived from VVV-Venlo during last summer’s transfer window.

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Giakoumakis may only have been limited to 16 appearances to date but he has scored nine goals in that time, proving to be a ruthless performer for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Celtic head to Ross County for a key Scottish Premiership clash on Sunday afternoon and it has been confirmed that the 27-year-old is fit for the game after recovering from injury.

The Latest: McAvennie hails ‘brilliant’ news

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie revealed his happiness at the news:

“Having Giakoumakis back is brilliant news. I think we really missed him last weekend. Kyogo wasn’t really at it when he came on but he has missed so much football.

“Giakoumakis has only missed a week or so, so he should be good to go because he is the man in form. He is scoring for fun at the moment and if he is fully fit, you would back him to grab a few more before the end of the season.

“These are big games and big players need to step up if we are going to win the title. That’s all you can do when there are players like Kyogo sniffing around.

“Just keep scoring. In fairness, that’s what he’d been doing.”

The Verdict: Massive boost

Whether or not Giakoumakis is deemed fit enough to start against Ross County remains to be seen but having him back in the fold is an almighty boost.

Rangers’ 3-1 win away to Motherwell on Saturday means the Hoops are now only three points clear of their rivals at the top of the table, highlighting the importance of this match.

Giakoumakis’ aforementioned goalscoring record this season shows how clinical he can be and it could be that he ends up being the difference between the two sides, making a huge contribution in the title race.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly in talks to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Former England striker Kevin Phillips has tipped West Ham to complete the signing of Nathan Aké in January, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Defensive depth needed

90min have previously reported that West Ham have identified the Manchester City defender as a January transfer target following the injuries to centre-back pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma. It is expected that the Hammers will pursue a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

Zouma has been a huge loss for the defensive line due to his domination in clearances made, leading the side with an average of 5.2 per game. With the Frenchman reportedly out for up to 12 weeks, it is vital that the Irons provide depth in the centre-back position, as David Moyes has just Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal at the moment.

The Latest: Hammers to pursue Aké

As per Football Insider, former England international Phillips has tipped West Ham to complete the signing of Aké in the January transfer window.

He said: “That’s a no-brainer for West Ham. He’s not getting a huge amount of game time at Man City. He’s the type of player who needs to be playing regularly. Ake is a brilliant defender.

“With Zouma and Ogbonna out injured he would be a really good addition to their squad.

“He would give them some valuable experience as well, having played in Europe and won the title with Man City.”

The Verdict: A good move for both parties

West Ham are in desperate need of a centre-back following the injuries sustained by Zouma and Ogbonna. Providing depth to the defensive line will be crucial with the club’s hectic winter schedule, as they remain in the Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Liverpool colossus Virgil van Dijk hailed his Dutch teammate as ‘underrated’ and even name-checked him when asked to name who he felt were the best defenders in the world. Meanwhile, the City defender’s former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte once described a young Aké as looking ‘like a veteran’.

Such praise clearly illustrates the player’s quality and suggests how he has the ability to contribute to West Ham’s top four push, if he makes the move to east London.

Arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2020 for £40.8m, the defender has made just five league appearances for City this season, so this may be the perfect move for him to revitalise his career.

In other news: These were West Ham’s three worst players in the 0-0 draw at Burnley

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of German international Robin Gosens…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Italy, the Magpies have agreed personal terms with the full-back and are now hoping to strike a deal with Atalanta for his services.

The report claims that the Toon are set to triple his current wages by handing him a €3m-per-season contract (£2.5m) at St. James’ Park.

Elation

This news will surely leave Howe feeling elated for several reasons. Firstly, it suggests that Newcastle are closing in on their third signing of the window with almost half of the month left to go.

PIF are working hard behind the scenes to improve the head coach’s squad and three signings with half of the window gone would be an impressive effort, considering Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood have both arrived on permanent deals.

There is no hiding away from the club’s need to strengthen their team further as the lack of quality in the group was exposed again on Saturday. They let a lead slip in a crucial relegation six-pointer against Watford as they were held to a 1-1 draw after Allan Saint-Maximin handed them the lead, with Joao Pedro equalising for the away side to leave the hosts 19th in the table.

Therefore, Howe will be buzzing for further additions to his team, particularly if one of them comes in the form of Gosens. The German international has been sensational in the Serie A in recent seasons, showing off his quality and versatility in Italy – playing at left-back, left-wing and in central midfield.

In the 2020/21 campaign, he produced an outstanding 11 goals and six assists in 30 starts, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.19. Whilst contributing in the final third, he almost made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, showing that he can make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

This suggests that he could come in and improve Newcastle both in attack and in defence, with his ability to defend his own goal and cause problems for defenders in attack. Therefore, he could be a superb signing for the Toon and that is why Howe will be elated with the club agreeing terms with him and now pushing to make him their third signing of the window.

AND in other news, PIF plotting Newcastle offer for “perfect” £22.5m dynamo, he’d be a major upgrade…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

They have left it late but with just a few days remaining, it appears as if Spurs are finally about to land a new player for manager Antonio Conte.

According to Italian newspaper Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness), an agreement has been reached with Fiorentina over a move for midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who is currently away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The Lilywhites are expected to pay a €1.5m (£1.25m) loan fee with a €15m (£13.5m) option to buy in the summer. It’s thought that the Moroccan international is happy to join the north London outfit with Conte waiting for him to be confirmed in the coming days.

Conte wants him

Earlier this month, football.london reported that Conte wanted signings in three key roles – wing-back, striker and in central midfield – and Amrabat has recently emerged as a key target for the Italian as a result.

Matt Law of the Telegraph believes that Conte is a big fan of the Viola star and has even requested sporting director Fabio Paratici to sign him before the end of the month.

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He will be absolutely delighted to see this one edge closer to completion and whilst some supporters around N17 will be underwhelmed by this arrival, there’s plenty of factors pointing towards this being pretty decent business.

The 25-year-old has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 as they make the quarter-finals of AFCON.

Conte has lacked a presence in engine room that can link defence to the attack, one that can drive the ball forward and he’ll get that in Amrabat.

Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 Serie A campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options as Oliver Skipp leads the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg isn’t too far behind on 62.2%. Tanguy Ndombele sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

The Frenchman has been linked with an exit to Paris Saint-Germain, so it could be a case of one-in, one-out.

If Conte wants him, then he should be backed. The 52-year-old must be very excited as the club close in on their first January arrival.

AND in other news, “Tottenham are..”: Fabrizio Romano delivers huge transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Everton boss Marco Silva told the Liverpool Echo he is hoping to keep Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma next season, and it seems that’d be the best move get his career back on track.

The Frenchman has played 23 of Everton’s 27 games this season in what’s been a very hit-and-miss campaign for the Toffees. However, Silva appears happy with the 24-year-old’s progression, saying: “I’m really happy with him, let’s see what we can do or not in the future.”

When playing for his parent club Chelsea against Manchester United in February 2016, Zouma suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament. Up until then, he played 23 games for the club that season and looked to be the best young defender in the Premier League, but he’s understandably struggled to reach those heights since returning from injury nearly 300 days later.

His loan spell at Everton has been his first major run of games since that injury and it’s been required to get that full match fitness back. Although Everton haven’t shone as some expected them to do this season, for Zouma personally, the season has been a success so far and it’s important he continues to play consistently.

This season was about getting back to regular football and next term he can really push on and show the league that his injury hasn’t had too much of a lasting impact on his career. It’s at that point he can earn his move back to a top-six club and no earlier, otherwise, he might find himself back to step one.

A return to Chelsea next year, or even a move to another club who already have established centre-backs will mean more time on the sideline and cameo appearances that won’t allow him the opportunity to regain his pre-injury stride. There’s also more chance of another injury if he isn’t playing regularly, and something similar to 2016 would put big clubs off in the future.

Zouma should stay at Everton next season and continue to build his career back up because, after all, he’s still 24-years-old and should be in no rush to the top.

Where do you think Kurt Zouma should play next season?

Wolverhampton Wanderers are pushing to sign Hwang Hee-chan on a permanent basis.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a John Percy report for The Telegraph, with the journalist claiming that Wolves are ready to accelerate talks with RB Leipzig regarding a permanent deal for the centre-forward, with the club holding an option to purchase the 25-year-old for a figure of around £14m.

This option to buy was initially scheduled to come into effect at the end of the current campaign, however, as a result of the South Korea international’s impact since joining Bruno Lage’s side on a temporary deal this summer, Percy claims Wolves are planning to open talks to sign the forward in the January window.

Fans will be buzzing

It is easy to see why Wolves are so keen to sign Hwang Hee-chan permanently, as the striker has been something of a revelation for the club since his arrival back in August.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances this season, the £9.9m-rated man has already bagged four goals, in addition to creating one big chance for his teammates and taking an average of one shot per game.

These returns have seen the player who Garth Crooks dubbed a “major asset” earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking the 25-year-old as Wolves’ 11th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, the £70k-per-week forward has certainly made quite the impact at Molineux, and has already proved to be well worth the reported £14m transfer fee Fosun would have to cough up in order to make his loan deal a permeant switch.

And, as long as there are no complications in Wolves’ negotiations with RB Leipzig, the club signing Hwang Hee-chan this January would be an outcome that is sure to have fans buzzing, as the striker is quickly becoming a favourite in Wolverhampton.

In other news: Major boost: Lage drops update on “unpredictable” Wolves gem that’ll have fans buzzing

Liverpool have been mentioned in the same breath as some phenomenal players of late.

Of course, the Reds are currently in danger of losing Mohamed Salah but the likes of Alexander Isak and Serge Gnabry have been tipped to potentially fill the offensive void.

What’s the word?

Well, the club have now been touted with possibly making a swoop for a certain Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman has been linked with Liverpool before but now there are fresh rumours suggesting a move could be on the cards.

That’s according to reports who suggest a club is ‘moving in the shadows’ to sign the elite PSG star.

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It’s then claimed that it isn’t Barcelona but it could be title rivals Manchester City or Liverpool who are plotting a bid.

Mbappe isn’t currently rated at a whopping £144m by Transfermarkt but can be signed for nothing in the summer with his contract in the French capital expiring in a few months’ time.

Even better than Salah?

Mbappe needs absolutely no introduction.

Described as a “phenomenon” by Noel le Graet, French Football Federation President and as “another Thierry Henry” by Arsene Wenger, he is a player capable of starring on the biggest of stages and in the most eclectic of cauldrons in world football.

Time and time again we see the France international demolishing teams and if Liverpool can pen Salah to fresh terms, as well as signing Mbappe it would be special.

That said, it is evident that the latter possesses even more potential than their frightening Egyptian forward.

Salah is a classic late bloomer but as we can see from the Liverpool target’s 28 goals and 20 assists this season, he can certainly be classified in the same generational bracket.

What’s staggering is that despite the 23-year-old’s young age, he has still found the net on 160 occasions for PSG.

A tally of 26 goals for his country is also fine evidence of the mesmerising talent Mbappe has in his locker and should he join Liverpool, he may just dislodge Salah and become an even bigger hero in Merseyside.

Wouldn’t that be something?

AND in other news, Source: Liverpool now reach agreement to sign 42-goal “demon”, he’s their new Jota…

Manchester United are yet to make a signing during this transfer window, but have been in the spotlight as it was revealed last week that as many as 17 players are rumoured to want a move away from the club and now talks have opened to offload a player.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United have opened talks with AC Milan about their interest in signing Eric Bailly on loan this January.

The Italian transfer insider tweeted:

“Eric Bailly future will be decided soon. AC Milan are interested in him as potential new centre back on loan, talks opened – no final decision has been made yet.

“Manchester United are waiting for further direct contacts with AC Milan in the coming hours/days.”

The £87k-per-week gem was named as one of the players rumoured to be looking for an exit from Old Trafford, so with that being said, there could be a mid-season departure on the cards.

Fans will be fuming

The announcement from Romano has been met with a furious response from fans of the Red Devils, with many tweeting their criticism of the potential move for the defender.

Some fans used the opportunity to scathe Manchester United defender and captain, Harry Maguire, with one fan tweeting in reply to Romano:

“Imagine selling Bailly and keeping Maguire… This club is truly finished.” Another replied: “What do you do when you’re short in a certain position? You sell a player who plays in that exact position. My club.”

Bailly hasn’t been given the opportunity to make an impact on the side this season so far, with only seven appearances in all competitions, so it is no wonder that talks have opened for a move for the 27-year-old defender, as he has spoken out in the past about his desire to play more football and be a starter in the team.

Ralf Rangnick must make the right decision on Bailly’s future, especially going into the rest of the season where he sits in a vulnerable position in the league, currently seven points adrift of a Champions League spot in fourth place.

The club is also still involved in the FA Cup and the Champions League round of 16 knockouts this season, and will need to maintain experience and availability of players to see out the season with a much better outlook and position than the one they are currently in.

Although he’s very rarely played this term, Bailly can potentially offer this in his position which he has been a part of for five years at Old Trafford.

With so much football left to play this term, letting valued members of the team leave would be a puzzling first step in the transfer window from the club’s German interim manager. It would also be an eventuality that leaves a number of supporters at Old Trafford rather confused and angry at the transfer policy from upstairs once again.

They haven’t got things right in the past and they are hardly heading in the right direction this winter either.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals Rangnick’s stance on Zakaria

Crystal Palace could be set to add further reinforcements to Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad after being linked with a transfer move for Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old has informed Mikel Arteta that he wants to leave the club, with the Eagles and Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach vying for his signature.

Nketiah has entered the final year of his contract in north London, meaning an exit in the upcoming January window could be on the cards.

The Mail’s report states that: “Eddie Nketiah has informed Arsenal he wants to leave the club, ending their hopes of persuading him to stay.

“Admirers include Germans Borussia Monchengladbach along with Crystal Palace, and he is also free to arrange a pre-contract with a foreign club from January 1.

“Alternatively, Arsenal could agree a cut-price deal for Nketiah in the January window, which represents their final chance to cash in through a sale.”

Fans would love him

A recent report by TransferMarketWeb claimed the England U21 record-breaker could be available for as little as €12m (£10m) this winter due to his contract situation, a fee that could prove to be an absolute bargain in years to come.

He was dubbed “so incredibly prolific” by football scout Jacek Kulig after a string of impressive performances for Arsenal, but Nketiah has found opportunities hard to come by in recent months.

The youngster received just 14 starts in all competitions for the capital club last term and has seen his playing time slashed even further by Mikel Arteta this time around.

Despite only featuring from the off on two occasions this season – both in the Carabao Cup – Nketiah has continued to show his class, scoring on both occasions, including a delightful goal against Leeds United last time out.

His turn of pace, clinical finishing and tactical intelligence make him a nightmare for defenders and a hugely exciting prospect.

Nketiah’s arrival at Selhurst Park would be a significant coup for Palace and is an acquisition that the supporters would surely love to see, adding another talented, highly-promising star to Patrick Vieira’s new-look squad.

And, in other news…“I don’t think”: Sky Sports journalist shares Palace update that’ll leave fans gutted