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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has presented Aston Villa, along with every other club, an opportunity to scout players ahead of the January transfer window.

They have an unprecedented chance to evaluate the squad and eye up potential recruits prior to the winter market opening, thanks to this international tournament, and Unai Emery may want to improve the team during his first window in charge of the Villans.

However, one player the Spanish head coach could swoop for is not at the World Cup for his country – centre-forward Tammy Abraham.

The Englishman was not selected to be in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad as Callum Wilson, Harry Kane, and Marcus Rashford were chosen ahead of him as options in the number nine position.

Earlier this year, 90min reported that Villa, Arsenal, and Newcastle United all made contact with Roma over a potential swoop to sign the forward in the summer.

However, he remained in Italy and his form in the Serie A tailed off, with three goals in 15 appearances, which led to him recently being linked with a possible switch to Tottenham at the end of the season.

Although it remains to be seen whether or not Roma are willing to cash in on the £96k-per-week dynamo, Emery must reignite the club’s interest in Abraham and attempt to convince the Italian side to part ways with the striker.

The Spanish coach could get Villa Park rocking by securing a deal for the centre-forward as he is a terrific, young, number nine with a pre-existing relationship with the supporters.

He spent the 2018/19 campaign on loan to Dean Smith’s team from Chelsea in the Championship and enjoyed a superb year as he scored 25 goals in 37 league matches – helping the side to secure promotion to the Premier League.

The Blues then gave him an opportunity to impress in the top-flight and he plundered 21 goals in 37 starts across two seasons before joining Roma in the summer of 2021, with former professional Steven Elliott dubbing him a “goal machine” during that period.

Jose Mourinho helped him to hit the ground running in Italy as the striker scored 17 goals in 36 starts in the Serie A during his first campaign in the capital.

His statistics prior to this season suggest that his struggles in front of goal are likely to be a blip in what is set up to be a long career of scoring goals on a consistent basis, which is why Emery must swoop for him in January or next summer.

The Villa Park supporters know what he is about after his impressive year on loan four years ago and would surely be buzzing to see him back in the claret and blue, given the potential he has to be a prolific scorer in the Premier League.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter wields one of the best right-backs in world football in Reece James, but could be set to bolster the right-flank with an offensive-minded addition, with the January window drawing near.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips has revealed that the London giants are scouting Jeremie Frimpong, with the 21-year-old Bayer Leverkusen starlet soaring under the wing of new boss Xavi Alonso.

Phillips goes as far as to say that the ace has been regarded by Chelsea for several seasons now, with the club intent on adding a quality option to contest with James for the right-back spot.

But with divisional rivals Manchester United also reportedly vying for the dynamic ace’s signature, Potter would do well to move swiftly and lure the player to Stamford Bridge, with his slick skill set adding a valuable dimension to the squad.

Regarding the future of Leverkusen youngster, Phillips said: “I think it’s a position that Chelsea will address in the summer rather than January, but they are starting to look at targets. Jeremie Frimpong is on there.

“Chelsea have scouted him a few times in recent seasons and they’ve stepped that up again now under the new ownership.”

Potter’s next Lamptey

Blues boss Potter is no stranger to talented full-backs, with James his starting right-back, as well as overseeing the rise of Marc Cucurella at Brighton, who he followed to Chelsea this year, and nurturing the continuing development of Tariq Lamptey at the Seagulls.

Lamptey has been beset with injury issues the past few years, failing to conjure up a sustained spell of fitness that allows him to break into the first-team fold with regularity, but his brimming talent is undeniable.

And Frimpong, who bears similarities in his knack for bombing forward and seeking offensive openings, in addition to utilising his pace and prowess on the ball, could raise his game to the next level under the tutelage of Potter, who displays a track record of developing and nurturing rising stars.

While Cesar Azpilicueta can still perform admirably in the position, as evidenced by his efforts for Spain at the Qatar World Cup, he is in the twilight of his career and moves must be made to replace the illustrious veteran and ensure the future will continue to breed success.

Scoring five goals and registering three assists across 21 fixtures for Leverkusen this season, the £26m – as valued by his club – Frimpong is continuing the rich vein of form that transcended him from prospect to prodigy at Scottish champions Celtic.

Indeed, over his 51 appearances for the Bhoys during the maiden stages of his career, the £21.4m-rated dynamo displayed all the aptitude to flourish as a modern right-back, with the perfect blend to slot right into any team searching for success.

As per FBref, the Dutch international – called up the Netherlands’ international squad but still without his senior debut – boasts some of the most impressive offensive and ball-centred statistics about, with the site ranking him in the top 1% for dribbles completed and the top 4% for touches within the attacking penalty area of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues.

With Potter continually searching for talent who can carry the ball from the defensive half to the offensive third, Frimpong – hailed as “outstanding” by former head coach Neil Lennon – fits the bill with aplomb, with his innate gliding nature and will to search for positive openings at every opportunity will serve him well indeed at Chelsea.

With Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils looking to snap him up, the Blues should kill two birds with one stone and add him to a talented team, hampering United’s progress whilst doing so.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to move on an old target who has admitted to an interest in the Premier League…

What’s the latest?

With Calciomercato reporting in late November that Fabio Paratici was a big fan of Adrien Rabiot, his recent comments will sound delightful for the Italian.

The 27-year-old claimed: “I have always said that I’d like to play in England in my career. I still have that desire. I’d like to evolve in the Premier League.”

This has spurred transfer insider Dean Jones to issue his own thoughts and add some context on a potential move to GIVEMESPORT: “It’s interesting that Rabiot has admitted he is open to the Premier League because clubs like Spurs have had a look at him in the past. 

“Manchester United did too and while I still think it was the right choice not to sign him, he could be a good fit in the right club.”

He will be available for a reported €20m (£17m).

Spurs’ own Bellingham

Whilst Jude Bellingham has earned all the plaudits for his sensational displays in the World Cup, there has been plenty of other admirable performers worth talking about.

It seems the Borussia Dortmund man will only be available to a handful of Europe’s elite who could afford his enormous value, with Spurs certainly not being one of them.

However, in this move for Rabiot, they could secure their own version of the former Birmingham City man for a fraction of the price.

Already regarded as an “elite level midfielder” by journalist Dominic Booth, he has proven this with his combative displays for France, displaying Bellingham-like qualities to galivant the central areas.

Where there was panic due to the absence of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, the 6 foot 2 maestro has more than deputised for them both.

He is averaging a 7.16 rating, having scored once and assisted another in his five games. This is further supported by his impressive defensive stats, where he records 1.4 interceptions and 2.0 tackles per 90, via Sofascore.

This is neatly paired with an 86% pass accuracy that outlines him as a truly exceptional all-around midfielder who would offer Antonio Conte plenty.

These statistics are not all that far away from England’s 19-year-old prodigy, who too has only scored and assisted once, but has a 7.34 average rating and recorded 3.2 tackles a game, via Sofascore.

There is a reason why Bellingham is rated at £214m by CIES Football Observatory, yet Rabiot would not offer much less.

It could be a stroke of genius to save themselves nearly £200m by signing a player who lacks the same remarkable ceiling but could definitely perform immediately at the highest level.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are seemingly set to decide what to do with defender Stephen Welsh, with the academy graduate reportedly attracting interest from clubs across Europe.

What’s the word?

According to the Scottish Daily Express, the Hoops will ‘have a decision to make’ regarding the centre-back’s future at Parkhead, with clubs in England, Italy and France all said to be monitoring his situation at present.

The report adds that it is unclear as to whether Ange Postecoglou and co would sanction the 22-year-old’s exit in the upcoming transfer window, although the youngster’s lack of game-time is said to have ‘alerted’ potential interested parties.

This follows previous claims over the summer which suggested that the Old Firm giants had rebuffed an approach from Toulouse for the Scotland U21 international, having also reportedly rejected an offer from Serie A club Udinese last January.

Not up to scratch for Celtic

As mentioned, the £4.6k-per-week defender has found minutes hard to come by for Celtic so far this season, having made only six appearances in all competitions, including just four Premiership outings.

Even when he has featured, the 22-year-old has failed to impress, having notably been culpable during the Bhoys’ only league defeat of the campaign so far away to St Mirren in September.

That outing saw Welsh dubbed “weak” by pundit Michael Stewart, while journalist Josh Bunting suggested that the 6 foot 3 defender had been simply “bullied” on the day, having looked “all over the place” alongside summer signing Moritz Jenz.

Such a limp outing has only served to corroborate claims from pundit Frank McAvennie, who suggested that Welsh needs a loan departure in order to “toughen him up”, with the player still needing to “learn the basics”.

The “fringe” asset – as also dubbed by McAvennie – is only set to see his game-time inhibited even further following the recent capture of Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi, with that addition only likely to nudge Welsh further down the pecking order.

With the one-time Greenock Morton loanee having struggled to force his way into Postecoglou’s side on a regular basis, it could be argued that he is simply just not good enough to be able to dislodge the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt from their starting berths.

As such, it may well be time to finally ditch the former Celtic youth star amid overseas interest in his signature, with Postecoglou needing to be ruthless in order to trigger Welsh’s departure.

Aston Villa fans! It’s Christmas Day which means that 2023 is just around the corner, and with the New Year comes yet another exciting transfer window. 

The Midlands outfit will surely be active given their recent improvement in performance and results since the change in the dugout, with Unai Emery set to enter his first transfer market at the helm. 

The Spaniard will be given the ideal opportunity to bring in some of his own players as he aims instil his identity and guide his side to a Premier League top half finish, with NSWE reportedly planning ‘huge’ backing. 

That being said, sit back, enjoy the festivities and take on this transfer quiz from players past and present ahead of what could be a compelling few weeks under the leadership of Emery at Villa Park. 

Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2023 from all of us here at The Transfer Tavern – good luck!  

Arsenal are reportedly one of threee clubs in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who could potentially depart the Amex Stadium in 2023. 

The Lowdown: Mac Allister’s season so far

This season has seen the 24-year-old score five goals in 14 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls. More recently, the Brighton star netted one goal and provided one assist for Argentina in their World Cup-winning campaign.

As things stand, Mac Allister has found himself in the middle of a transfer tug-of-war involving two of England’s biggest clubs, along with a well-known European power.

The Lowdown: Arsenal in Mac Allister transfer race

Argentine journalist Gaston Edul took to Twitter to share an update on Mac Allister’s future amid this three-pronged transfer interest.

Translated from Spanish, he tweeted: “There are three teams interested in Alexis Mac Allister: Chelsea, Arsenal and Atletico de Madrid (in that order).

“It is difficult for him to leave Brighton in this transfer market. He can only leave if the club wants to sell him and its intention is to retain him. His departure may take place in June.”

The Verdict: He’d be a great signing

In addition to his goals for Brighton this season, a tally which doesn’t include a disallowed strike that journalist Charlie Haffenden described as “extraordinary”, Mac Allister has shown in other areas of his game just how impressive he has been in 2022.

Along with having the fourth-highest number of shot-creating actions (31) and passes into the final third of the pitch (65) at the Amex Stadium, he also has the second-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (64) and has made more ball recoveries (124) than anyone at the south coast club.

His efforts in Qatar earned the Brighton star an overall tournament rating of 7.11/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player in Argentina’s squad.

Taking all of that into account, we feel that the midfielder would be an excellent addition to Mikel Arteta’s ranks and that Arsenal should do all they can to sign him in the summer.

Liverpool are ‘leading the race’ to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham in the summer, according to reliable CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Endless Bellingham rumours

The 19-year-old’s stock couldn’t be any higher currently, having caught the eye for England at the 2022 World Cup as well as having his best ever domestic season, with seven goals in 20 games across the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Constant reports have claimed that Bellingham will leave Dortmund at the end of the season, and Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid have arguably stood out as the favourites to snap him up.

It looks set to be a huge battle to sign the midfielder and the Reds will surely be desperate to get a deal over the line.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Liverpool remain the front-runners to snap up Bellingham this summer, contrary to recent reports claiming Madrid have moved in front:

“I do think that Liverpool are leading the race for Bellingham.

“They’re going to have competition, but I think that there’s a cautious optimism on the Liverpool front that, because they started earlier than most and because they have put in a lot of legwork and they’ve been very hands-on, they believe that they’ve done all they can at this point in the race to make progress and land Jude Bellingham.

“Then we’ll wait and see how other suitors move and how that affects the situation.”

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The Verdict: Feels increasingly likely

It does genuinely feels as though Liverpool are the most likely club to sign Bellingham, although a top-four finish could be crucial in order for it to happen.

The teenager, dubbed “incredible” by Erling Haaland, feels like the absolute perfect fit for Jurgen Klopp’s side, possessing the team ethic that the German wants in his players, not to mention great technical ability and intelligence.

Midfield is Liverpool’s weak point at the moment – a new addition is badly needed in January – but Bellingham is somebody who can transform that area, having been compared to the dominant greats like Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard by none other than Gary Neville.

Manchester United are ramping up the gas on their pursuit of Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus, who has been linked with a multitude of Europe’s top clubs since his exploits at the 2022 World Cup with Ghana.

According to 90min, Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag is ‘exploring ways’ to forge a transfer for the dynamic forward, who would be a welcome addition to an ambitious outfit thriving as one of the most in-form teams in Europe right now – United have won nine of their past ten matches.

This comes in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from the club in November, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford now the only recognised central striking options at Old Trafford.

Despite the evident interest in the Ghanaian, the Eredivisie giants are reportedly only willing to part with their prolific prospect for a fee of £40m.

Kudus has been making steady increments across the early period of his professional career, and he has now become a player on the tip of numerous tongues across Europe as queries are made over his signature.

This season alone, the 22-year-old has scored ten goals and provided two assists from 21 appearances, despite only starting on ten occasions.

It’s his displays in the Champions League which have really caught the eye; with four goals and two assists from six group games, scoring against Liverpool, Rangers and Napoli, and his pedigree on the continental stage is already being established.

As per Sofascore, his average rating in the competition this term is an impressive 7.22, with his direct contributions complemented by some remarkable metrics – despite his four-goal haul, Kudus has only averaged 1.3 shots per match, demonstrating his clinical nature.

His sharpshooting skills, agile nature and pace, along with his ability to flourish even when dropping in and out of the starting XI, means that he could become United’s next Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who cemented cult status at the Theatre of Dreams following his exploits with the club in the 1990s and 2000s amid a reputation as an impact substitute.

Scoring 126 goals and supplying 50 assists across 366 appearances for the Red Devils, the Norwegian marksman was instrumental in the collection of multiple major titles, notably having a defining impact on the 1999 Champions League triumph, scoring the last-gasp winner against Bayern Munich in the final.

While Kudus certainly possesses the ability to earn his trade as the focal point of United’s attack as their starting talisman, he boasts a wealth of quality not too dissimilar to Solskjaer’s, and it is a partnership that Ten Hag must look to emulate.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once lauded the 21-cap Ghana phenomenon as “electric”, and that lightning burst of talent will need to be ensnared and placed into the Old Trafford fold in the coming weeks if the Red Devils are to take an advantage and continue to flourish at the forefront of the Premier League.

West Ham United could already have their replacement for Craig Dawson lined up…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Adam Leventhal and Roshane Thomas, who combine in an article for The Athletic to confirm the Hammers’ interest in Amiens SC defender Formose Mendy.

This news comes just days after Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly reignited their interest in Craig Dawson, who nearly made the move to Molineux in the summer.

With the Senegalese centre-back, it is believed that exploratory talks have taken place after having a £7m bid rejected. The French club value the 22-year-old much higher, given how instrumental he has been in their success this season.

Time to ditch Dawson

Although he has been nothing but a reliable stalwart for the club, now does seem like the right time to allow Dawson to move on.

It was expected he would leave in the summer, but injuries and failed transfers forced manager David Moyes to hold onto the 32-year-old for a little while longer.

Now, already looking for his replacement, the man who has featured 87 times at the London Stadium will likely be granted his wish to exit.

He has been nothing but instrumental in the resurgence of the Irons under the Scotsman, who led them to European football in consecutive seasons.

Now, it seems he is keen to take them in a new direction, built around youth and the deep talent pool in lesser-known European leagues.

Mendy has featured 16 times this season for his club who sit fifth in Ligue 2, having earned praise for his displays at the back.

He is averaging a 7.47 rating for the campaign so far, where he outlines his defensive credentials with 2.6 interceptions, 3.1 tackles and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

The 6 foot 3 titan truly is the “complete & dominant” force that talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed him as.

This already marks an increase in Dawson’s output from this season, as he only averages 0.8 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game, also per Sofascore.

Not to mention Mendy is a keen ball player and can progress the play with his 62% dribble success rate and 83% pass accuracy per outing.

He could be a truly outstanding centre-back for West Ham for the foreseeable future, with youth and talent in abundance. His introduction could have fans quickly forgetting about the potential exit of a cult hero.

Edu Gaspar is close to securing Arsenal’s first signing of the January transfer window with the club coming close to signing Ukrainian star Mykhailo Mudryk.

Mikel Arteta will be eyeing up a few more deals however, with another midfielder and forward on the list to increase squad depth and take the pressure off of the young shoulders of Eddie Nketiah – who is deputising for the injured Gabriel Jesus.

Could a new defender also be on the cards for the North London side too? According to German journalist Christian Falk, Arsenal are in talks with Evan Ndicka and his representatives ahead of a potential move.

Falk told Caught Offside:

“I think there’s a good chance that he’ll sign this contract but there are many clubs interested at the moment, one of them is Arsenal. It’s not so concrete that Frankfurt are really afraid of losing him.”

His contract expires at the end of the season so Arteta could secure his services on a pre-contract agreement this summer otherwise they will have to pay the £20m Eintracht Frankfurt have set as the asking price.

Imagine him and William Saliba

Arsenal currently have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League this season, conceding only 14 goals, however, Arteta is clearly always on the lookout to strengthen and Ndicka could form an excellent partnership with Saliba.

The Frenchman has been superb this term, keeping seven clean sheets in 17 appearances while registering 1.5 tackles, 3.1 clearances, and 0.6 interceptions as well as winning an impressive 64% of his total duels.

At just 21 years of age, he is showing fine development, and with Ndicka alongside him, he could continue to improve and learn from his fellow compatriot.

The 23-year-old centre-back was described as both a “leader” and “incredible” by reporter Christopher Michael has enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular campaign in the Bundesliga.

He has kept just two clean sheets across 15 matches but has made 5.3 clearances, 0.9 tackles, and 1.0 interceptions along with winning 3.9 duels per match – at a success rate of 54%.

The Frenchman does however rank in the top 20% for blocks, clearances and aerials won across Europe’s top five leagues compared to positional peers, and managing to secure someone of his talent for free will surely excite Arteta.

A duo of Saliba and Ndicka could be one that the Arsenal faithful will see for years to come and it could prove to be extremely successful judging by their respective abilities.