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Journalist Phil Hay has insisted that Sunderland are keen on signing Joe Gelhardt this month amid competition from a fellow Championship club.

The Lowdown: A new attacker top of the list

The Black Cats are enjoying a marvellous first season back in the Championship under Tony Mowbray, with their young stars carrying them most of the way, as the likes of Amad Diallo, Patrick Roberts and Anthony Patterson have featured regularly.

Sunderland have also recently made their breakthrough in this month’s transfer window by bringing in yet another young player in the form of Pierre Ekwah from Premier League outfit West Ham United.

However, they certainly don’t appear to be done there, as they clearly need another striker, with Ross Stewart the only player to be called upon in that position – and Leeds United ace Gelhardt could well be that man to boost the frontline on Wearside.

The Latest: Gelhardt still on the radar

Despite strong reported interest from Wigan Atheltic, Hay – who covers Leeds United – believes the Black Cats still hold an interest in the 20-year-old striker.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he said: “Sunderland are also another side who have been having a look at him and would definitely take him if they could.

“It feels like a big decision, that, for Gelhardt, in as much as Wigan are struggling in the Championship quite badly and he could help that and it’s going to be a live run of games for them right to the end.

“But Sunderland are very much in the mix for the play-offs, and I guess it’s a question of, beyond just how comfortable you feel at a club, what you want to be involved in – whether you want to be knocking on the door of getting promoted, whether you want to, I guess, potentially have a relegation on your record, not that it could in any way be pinned to him given the position Wigan are in at the moment.”

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The Verdict: New targets should be lined up

We feel Gelhardt would fit the bill at Sunderland as he can play through the middle and would be yet another young player who Mowbray would have on his books in a similar mould to former player Ellis Simms.

He received high praise from Leeds sporting director Victor Orta, who told The Athletic (via The Boot Room) that he was ‘one of the most talented forwards in the country for his age’.

However, given the strong interest Wigan appear to hold in the player and how Gelhardt joined Leeds from the Latics, you’d imagine would be very comfortable back at the DW Stadium – so perhaps Sunderland should start exploring other options.

It has recently been claimed that Sunderland are indeed still working on bringing Simms back to the Stadium of Light given his lack of minutes since returning to Everton, so that may well be the avenue the Black Cats decide to go down this month.

Newcastle United could well be eyeing yet another late window move, with the Magpies already currently wrapping up the signing of wantaway Everton starlet, Anthony Gordon on a £45m deal.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the Tynesiders are believed to now be in negotiations regarding a swoop for long-term target, James Maddison, with the 26-year-old’s current side, Leicester City, set to demand around £55m if they are to sanction a sale this month.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest, the transfer insider revealed: “Newcastle are in talks with Leicester for Maddison. NUFC are ready to make the first offer for the AM of around £45m. LCFC want at least £55m (£40m upfront). In case of no agreement, the player will remain a target in the summer.”

This follows reports during the summer that claimed the St James’ Park outfit had made an offer of around £50m for the England international, with the playmaker yet to commit his future to the Foxes with just 18 months to run on his existing deal.

‘Perfect’ for Howe

After what has been a rather quiet window for the top-four hopefuls thus far, it does appear that sporting director Dan Ashworth and manager Eddie Howe are finally beginning to act with deadline day looming, with both Gordon and Maddison potentially on their way to the northeast.

In the case of the latter man, while it may prove difficult to prise the former Norwich City ace from the King Power Stadium mid-season, if a deal can be agreed upon in the coming days it would no doubt be a major boost in Newcastle’s Champions League qualification bid.

The arrival of the one-cap maestro could well provide Howe and co with the creative, midfield spark that they are currently lacking, with regular starters Joe Willock (two goals, two assists) and Sean Longstaff (one goal and two assists) having been rather underwhelming with regards to goal contributions in all competitions this season.

Turning to Maddison – who can also feature on the flanks – could well prove to be a “perfect” signing for the Magpies, according to pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, with the playmaking gem having thrived for Brendan Rodgers’ side of late.

While injury has inhibited the £110k-per-week man’s influence of late, the one-time Aberdeen loanee still boasts a haul of seven goals and four assists in 14 Premier League games this season, with that tally greater than any player in Howe’s squad in the top flight so far this term.

That follows what had been a particularly impressive 2021/22 campaign for the clinical “monster”, as previously lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, with the Coventry-born sensation registering a staggering 30 goal involvements in 53 games in all competitions.

That remarkable consistency has illustrated that Maddison could well be a player that Howe can count on to deliver the goods if he is to make the switch before Tuesday’s deadline, with it potentially set to prove a ‘perfect’ signing both for the club and for the player himself.

Journalist Dean Jones has hinted that West Ham United could make a deadline day move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye new attacker

The east Londoners have been linked with another attacking addition after completing the signing of striker Danny Ings from Aston Villa earlier this month.

Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo has been mentioned in parts alongside Gallagher as Irons manager David Moyes attempts to reinforce his team’s fight for survival.

The Premier League strugglers are currently just one point off the drop zone with one victory in their last five games, potentially backing the need for a signing before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

The Latest: Jones hints at late West Ham move for Gallagher…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has teased the possibility of former Crystal Palace loanee Gallagher making a late move to the London Stadium.

He explained: “I am expecting them to do something. I mean, it’s West Ham and they’ve got gaps in the team, so I would say look out for Conor Gallagher; they could potentially go in for him again; they’ve already sounded him out and looked at that early on in the month.

“I think if Conor Gallagher is allowed out, particularly on loan today, then making an easy move across London could suit him, so I think that’s one to look out for.”

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The Verdict: Perfect player?

If Moyes want to add more creativity to his forward line at West Ham, Gallagher may be in the perfect mould if Chelsea do indeed sanction a loan deal for him.

As per WhoScored, the 22-year-old shone at Palace under Patrick Vieira last season whilst on loan, scoring eight goals whilst providing a further three assists in the English top flight. Gallagher also ranked as Palace’s best-performing player by average match rating, ranking in their top two for key passes made and completed take-ons per 90 in the final third.

West Ham are among the Premier League’s lowest goalscorers, with only Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Everton scoring fewer goals than Moyes’ side.

Ings’ injury also highlights the potential need for attacking reinforcements, and we believe that Gallagher could be perfect considering his form last season and previous plaudits.

Vieira heralded the Englishman during his loan spell at Selhurst Park, calling him a ‘really special’ player, and West Ham supporters may hope that their club can somehow pull off a late agreement for the 22-year-old.

Leeds United may have bolstered their squad over the January transfer window, but few could have accounted for the devastating news which came from their 3-1 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley last week.

With Rodrigo having been substituted following an innocuous challenge, it was recently reported that the Spaniard would miss the next two months of action due to complications with his ankle. It leaves a gaping hole to be filled in attack, and then a vacancy as backup for the all-important run-in.

The Whites are still far from safe in the Premier League, and despite having played fewer games than the teams around them, they remain amongst that dreaded battle for top-flight safety, so to lose their top scorer for the season thus far is a hammer blow they did not need at this moment in time.

Whilst Georginio Rutter is expected to make the step up alongside the somewhat unreliable Patrick Bamford, Victor Orta surrendered their only real backup by allowing Joe Gelhardt to leave for Sunderland on loan during January.

Hindsight is obviously a wonderful thing, but even with the injury history of the aforementioned Bamford, it would have been a smart move to keep the 20-year-old, who has established himself as more than capable at senior level.

Gelhardt already boasts 41 first-team appearances for the Whites, and despite most of those being short substitute cameos, he already has nine goal contributions to his name.

The former Wigan Athletic marksman also played a subtly huge role in their narrow escape from the drop last year, as he bagged a late winner to earn three points against Norwich City and also produced a magical assist at the death for their equaliser against Brighton and Hove Albion in May.

In the Whites’ moment of need, Gelhardt has stepped up, and he was rightly lauded for his contribution.

The “human wrecking ball” – as dubbed by Jamie Redknapp – could well thrive at Sunderland, and his progression will surely be fast-tracked at the Stadium of Light, but his absence will actually be felt heavily in Rodrigo’s absence.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig was correct when he claimed that Gelhardt was “simply too good” for under-23s football, but perhaps he might soon show that he is even above Championship level.

Given that he is the same age as January arrival Rutter, but far more experienced in English football, it couldn’t have hurt Leeds to keep their hugely precocious young striker at Elland Road. This could mark one of the few blunders made by Orta and co last month.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing up a move for a Championship goalkeeper as Julen Lopetegui plans ahead for next season…

What’s the news?

According to journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, Wolves are keen on signing Sunderland stopper Anthony Patterson during the summer and have made him a major target ahead of next season, although they face competition from fellow Premier League side Leicester City.

Sunderland could demand around £10m for their player’s services, and considering that the 22-year-old is described in the report as ‘one of the best young stoppers around’, that figure could be an absolute bargain for Lopetegui.

“Commanding” Sa replacement?

The Wolves boss has enjoyed an excellent start to life at Molineux, rejuvenating a club which threatened to relinquish their Premier League status with a whimper under his predecessor Bruno Lage, and their recent 3-0 victory over Liverpool proves that they are on the right track to remain in the top flight.

Although Wolves’ problems earlier on in the campaign lay mainly with a goal-shy front three and a shaky defence, with just three goals scored  and nine conceded in the league before Lage was sacked four months ago, Jose Sa was one of their better performers.

However, the 30-year-old has conceded an average of 1.4 goals per game this season, 30 in total, and kept just six clean sheets in 21 league matches. He has saved 2.9 shots per game, which equates to a save percentage of 67%, and has successfully stopped two out of three penalty kicks.

The “dominant” ace – as described by former Wolves ‘keeper Matt Murray following Sa’s excellent performance against Everton in 2021 – could well be looking over his shoulder now that Lopetegui has an up-and-coming young talent in his sights, and the Portuguese stopper may boldly be ditched in favour of Patterson come the summer.

The 22-year-old has achieved a Sofascore rating of 6.89/10 so far this season for his performances, conceding 1.1 goals per match, making 2.5 saves per game – at a success rate of 69% – and saving one of the two penalties he has faced this term, and these figure show a slight improvement on Sa.

Patterson also has an assist to his name while creating one big chance for Sunderland and has kept eight clean sheets across 29 matches, and journalist Josh Bunting was impressed by the Englishman after one standout performance earlier this season.

He tweeted: “Anthony Patterson our best player tonight, he’s coming along really well. Some really nice saves throughout the game but he was commanding of his box most importantly. Was questioned at the start of the season if he could handle the step-up he absolutely can. Solid performance.”

Judging by Patterson’s performances, £10m sounds like it could represent a wonderful bargain for Lopetegui, who should be attempting to secure the player as soon as possible while having the heart to boldly ditch Sa in the process.

Sunderland return to FA Cup action this evening as Tony Mowbray’s side host Fulham in the fourth round of the competition at the Stadium of Light.

The two teams have been forced to contest a replay after the initial tie ended in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, with the winner of tonight’s clash going through to the fifth round.

Mowbray’s men head into this clash with a Premier League side off the back of a 1-1 draw with Millwall in their last outing in the Championship.

The Black Cats are also back in action in the second tier of English football on Saturday as they host Reading on Wearside, which could influence the manager’s selections for this game against Fulham.

Mowbray could rest a couple of his key players in order to avoid burnout and further injuries heading into the second half of the campaign, after already losing Ross Stewart and Corry Evans for the rest of the season.

One change the manager could make is dropping Jack Clarke to the bench in order to unleash 18-year-old winger Jewison Bennette from the start.

Clarke has started 27 Championship matches and was in the XI for the initial draw with the Cottagers but could be handed a rest ahead of the weekend.

If the former Tottenham man is given an opportunity to take a breather tonight, Mowbray must bring Bennette into the team in his place as the exciting young forward has shown promise at times.

Earlier this season, the Black Cats head coach hailed the gem’s style of play, saying: “He’s very fast and direct, and is one of those electric players that gets people out of their seats.

“If he skips past that first challenge, he’s off and you’re not catching him.”

The attacker is someone who can excite supporters with his dynamic play out wide. He has completed six dribbles and scored one goal in 193 minutes of Championship action this season, which shows that the teenager is a direct player who likes to take defenders on with the ball.

Bennette, who has been directly involved in two goals in four U21 appearances for Sunderland, has only started once in all competitions for the senior side and this replay could be his big opportunity to shine and show Mowbray that he deserves more minutes in the coming months.

Therefore, the Black Cats manager must unleash the Costa Rica international from the start tonight as it would allow Clarke a rest ahead of the match against Reading, whilst also exciting supporters and giving the young wizard a chance to impress.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has tipped Ralph Hasenhuttl to make a return as Southampton manager after Nathan Jones was sacked.What’s the latest on Hasenhuttl to Saints?Over the weekend, the Saints lost in humiliating fashion in the Premier League as they threw away a one-goal lead despite playing against ten men.Indeed, Carlos Alcaraz put Southampton 1-0 up after 24 minutes before Mario Lemina was sent off just three minutes later. From there, however, Jones’ men were beaten by Wolves’ second-half comeback with Joao Gomes netting a late winner after Jan Bednarek scored an own goal.The result leaves the Saints rooted down at the very foot of the division so it was no shock when the club’s manager was sacked in the aftermath.When talking on about possible replacements on BBC 606, Sutton said the club may be best off if they return to Hasenhuttl, who they fired earlier in the season.He said “If they want someone to come in and really kickstart them, I think just going back to Ralph Hasenhuttl.”That might sound bonkers – okay, you’re [Robbie Savage] looking at me like, ‘you’re an idiot’. Okay, that’s how you’re looking at me.”But I think a lot of the supporters respect Ralph Hasenhuttl. And, you know, him going back in, he knows the club.”Would Hasenhuttl return to Southampton?Jones’ time with the club certainly was short – he oversaw just eight league games, winning just one – and the plan to sack Hasenhuttl certainly hasn’t worked out so far.Indeed, the former manager was fired after nearly four years in charge with only 12 points after 14 games at that stage in the season.However, as mentioned before, in the following eight games, Southampton have won just once, picking up only three points since Hasenhuttl departed.Even though things were going badly under the Austrian, it’s hard to imagine he would have done worse than Jones – who also seemed to alienate the club’s fanbase with his behaviour in the press.It would be a pretty controversial move to return cap in hand to Hasenhuttl and ask him to come back. Still, seeing as he averaged 1.26 points per game while on the South coast, he may well be a better option than someone like Jesse Marsch who has been linked recently. After all, the American has just been sacked from his position with Leeds United and he averaged just 1.16 points per game.It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Journalist Ryan Taylor has hinted that Liverpool could make some high-profile summer sales this year, in the same manner as Gini Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane’s departures in previous windows.

The Lowdown: Massive summer ahead

The Reds have had an extremely challenging season, with too many key players not performing, and both mental and physical tiredness appearing to hold them back.

This summer is a massive one in Liverpool’s recent history, with transfer funds surely having to be made available by FSG, especially in terms of midfield additions.

It could be that some individuals leave the club, too, and it may even be that a high-profile name heads out of the Anfield exit door.

The Latest: Journo hints at high-profile exits

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor was asked if he could see a Wijnaldum or Mane-like departure at Liverpool, to which he responded:

“Absolutely, because we’ve seen Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane leave. They’re in the biggest rut of the Jurgen Klopp era, arguably, so why wouldn’t that be the case?

“I feel like Klopp needs to keep a core. The Wijnaldum and Mane sales will haunt Liverpool forever. They just really did not make sense to me.

“I know Klopp’s been keen to make an example, with the likes of Philippe Coutinho, of the fact that nobody is bigger than the club. I know Wijnaldum’s representatives and the player himself were looking for a contract more reflective of his value to the team. Once he didn’t get that, obviously he was shown the door, but I feel like it was a bad decision.”

The Verdict: No need to sell a star man

There are arguments to make either way when it comes to Wijnaldum and Mane – some feel they should have been retained and others think they were past their very best – but it would be a surprise to see similar happen this summer.

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The Reds certainly have certain players who it makes sense to move on, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain standing out, given their injury-prone nature and the fact that their contracts expire this summer.

While many top players have underwhelmed this season, from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Virgil van Dijk, they all remain absolutely massive players moving forward, with potential midfield signings making a world of difference, such as Jude Bellingham.

To sell one of them or a player of similar importance would make no sense at all and the hope is that some top players come in to aid the current heroes.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United have sent scouts to follow Victor Osimhen recently ahead of a possible summer transfer.

What’s the latest on the Victor Osimhen and Man Utd links?

The Red Devils certainly seem to be having a good season as they keep themselves in a title race, aim for glory with a Carabao Cup final on the horizon, and beat Barcelona in the Europa League.

However, some fans may not be able to help but look at the striker position as a possible area that needs to be strengthened with loanee forward Wout Weghorst netting one goal in 11 since signing this January.

If goals are what they are after, then they may not be able to do much better than Napoli ace Osimhen who has 21 goals to his name in all competitions this season.

In exciting news, he seems to be the man United may be chasing this summer too. Indeed, while talking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained the latest information.

He said: “We can mention Victor Osimhen because Manchester United scouts were keeping an eye on the player in the Champions League game with Frankfurt and also in some Serie A games.

“So Manchester United are following the progress of this boy to understand if he’s worth the money that Napoli will ask in the future for Osimhen if they want to sell the player – we will see at the end of the season.”

What could the Osimhen transfer mean for Man Utd?

The Premier League club certainly may well feel as though Osimhen could be the perfect player to replace Cristiano Ronaldo who left in the winter.

After all, the Nigerian has scored 19 goals in 20 Serie A games this term, while also claiming four assists as Napoli look destined to win the league at a canter.

What’s more, if the scouts were watching Osimhen in his recent Champions League match against Frankfurt, they likely would have been impressed as he picked up a 7.7 Sofascore rating, scoring once, winning one penalty, winning both of his aerial duels and also making two clearances.

All in all, it’s not hard to see why they may have identified the forward as the ideal player to lead the line for Erik ten Hag.

Chelsea are believed to be willing to ‘listen to offers’ for forward Christian Pulisic at the end of the season, according to a fresh transfer update.

The Lowdown: Pulisic out of favour

The American star has found himself little more than a peripheral figure at Stamford Bridge this season, struggling to get minutes under both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

Pulisic has started only six matches in the Premier League in 2022/23 to date, with just one solitary goal coming his way, in all competitions.

The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from Chelsea recently, with Newcastle United keen on signing him in January, and his current deal expires at the end of next season.

The Latest: Summer exit likely

According to Football Insider, the Blues are now ‘ready’ to hear offers from other clubs for Pulisic’s services, with a summer exit looking on the cards.

Sources claim that the forward has reached the ‘end of the road’ under Potter and there are no plans to offer him an extension on his current contract.

The Verdict: Been a disappointment

It really does feel like a natural parting of the ways with Pulisic and Chelsea this summer, with the 56-cap USA international ultimately a disappointment for the club.

That’s not to say that there haven’t been good moments thrown in, with 26 goals and 21 assists coming his way, but he has rarely felt like a genuine key starter week in, week out.

Pulisic has undoubted talent – Jurgen Klinsmann has described him as a ‘fantastic’ player – but he has flattered to deceive too often and he hasn’t kicked on enough since emerging as a prodigious youngster at Borussia Dortmund.

This summer will be the last chance Chelsea have to receive good money for the winger, so selling him is an absolute no-brainer, allowing an upgrade to come in.