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If Tottenham Hotspur fans had any underlying worries about the fate of the club in the transfer window this month, then from what we’ve seen so far this January, you’d imagine that supporters would be breathing a small but steady sigh of relief.

After seeing the club weakened in the last two transfer windows under different managers, it’s hardly as if fans in the white half of North London haven’t been unfounded in their mounting concerns.

While fans were keen to avoid the last January window, in which Spurs replaced Steven Pienaar and Roman Pavlyuchenko with Ryan Nelsen and Louis Saha to supposedly aid their Champions League aspirations, they were also keen to avoid the costly game of brinkmanship that left a painful scar over their summer dealings.

Yet with the signing, albeit controversially of Standard Liege’s Ezekiel Fryers last week being complemented by a stunning swoop for Schalke’s prodigious Lewis Holtby, chairman Daniel Levy can hardly be accused of resting on his laurels in the New Year. But while the club can be delighted with the business they’ve done so far, the chequebook can’t be popped away just yet.

Because while swooping for Fryers and Holtby may serve to benefit the club greatly in the long run, in terms of achieving this season’s sizeable goals, they’re not likely to be of any particular aid to Andre Villas-Boas. And for all Spurs’ recent good form in the Premier League, the Portuguese needs to fill the cracks that most certainly still exist in his squad as opposed to simply papering over them.

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While the method Spurs adopted in the signing of Ezekiel Fryers might have left some in Manchester questioning the club’s methods, you won’t find many questioning the logic behind it. The 20-year-old left back, who made six appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side last term, is a great talent in a position that the club are hardly spoilt for choice for.

After joining up with the squad on trial during the summer, the club have clearly liked what they’ve seen. But with Fryers expected to link up with the development squad, you’d imagine that barring another defensive injury crisis, he might not play much of a prominent role in the first team for the rest of the season.

But considering his age and the recent return of Benoit Assou-Ekotto, that might not necessarily be too much of a problem. In the case of Lewis Holtby’s delayed arrival however, the outlook isn’t quite so similar.

The caliber of player that Spurs are set to acquire isn’t in any doubt. For all the Anglo-centric obsession with Holtby and his English heritage, it’s easy to forget just how talented the 22-year-old is. The three-time capped German international posses a wonderful array of technical gifts, an eye for a great pass and the vision and guile to thread balls through defences. What is in doubt however, is the timing of his arrival.

Because while no one is denying that the club have pulled of a remarkable coup in sealing the services of such a young and talented player on a free transfer, the issue is that Tottenham need him a lot earlier than mid-June.

Although maany supporters have championed the need for a new man up front – and if reports suggesting Emmanuel Adebayor has decided to head to ACON this month, that will become an absolute necessity – the fact remains that the side are still short of an effective No10 like figure within their attacking unit.

Andre Villas-Boas may be happy to play a poker face regarding anything resembling a marquee arrival this month, but given the side’s continued inability to consistently break opponents down, it’s hard to imagine him feeling quite as content as what he’s publically claimed. The Portuguese possesses a wonderfully gifted squad at his disposal, but a failure to turn a high tide of possession and shots into goals has become something of an overriding hallmark for the Lilywhites’ season.

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Despite the deployment of both Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor in recent weeks, the long term Villas-Boas blueprint only has room for one out-and-out striker in the starting line up. But until the club invest in another attacking midfielder to play centrally in the attacking three within a 4-2-3-1 or a deeper-lying midfielder to push Mousa Dembele forward, it’s difficult to see how AVB can push through with his plans.

Considering Spurs sit third in the Premier League with less than half of the season left to play, it’s easy to become overzealous in the critique of the likes of Clint Dempsey and the lesser-played Gylfi Sigurdsson. But while Dempsey in particular, with his four league goals and three assists still has a role to play in this Tottenham squad, the side have yet to feel as if they’ve really clicked with the American playing behind a lone frontman.

Quotes attributed to Schalke’s managing director Horst Heldt seem to suggest that the club would be open to letting Holtby move to N17 this month, should Spurs be willing to pay a nominal fee. While that might not make perfect business sense, it seems crystal clear from a footballing standpoint. And that’s what matters most.

If Holtby is set to arrive in the summer, it must be in addition to, not instead of, the acquisition of another attacking midfielder this month. Be that a Willian, a Moutinho or an early arrival for the German, the club must address this in January and back Villas-Boas to the hilt as he looks to fight on for the season ahead.

Nani’s career at Manchester United is at an all-time low, from his long-running contract dispute to alleged fisticuffs with a reserve team player, he seems to be heading for the exit door fast.

After almost being guaranteed a place in the United team, he now faces a struggle to get back into the squad, let alone the starting line-up.

The Portuguese international’s poor form at the start of this season was clear to see and he has proved to be a constant source of frustration, with his poor decision-making and selfishness on the ball.

The events taking place off the pitch have been well-publicised and do not bode well under a manager who moves any player on at the slightest hint of dissent in the ranks.

United and Nani have failed to reach an agreement over a new contract; and this led to claims that the winger was willing to see out the remainder of his current deal and leave on a free transfer.

Zenit St Petersburg were his main pursuers in the summer, but were reportedly put off by the player’s unrealistic wage demands of £130,000 a week, meaning his unsettling presence continued to rumble on into the new campaign.

Nani has also clashed with United’s Under-21 player Davide Petrucci, after a feisty challenge by the 20-year-old in training, causing Nani to later confront the youngster and reportedly land a punch before a number of players broke up the scuffle.

It is a dramatic fall from grace for a player who was once held in the same breath as a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, as both players came through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon and played together at Old Trafford for two seasons.

As Ronaldo left for Real Madrid, there were hopes that Nani could take up the mantle left by his compatriot and use his own pace, dribbling abilities and explosive shot to fire United to glory.

But the fans were willing to give the player time and believed that he may take a couple of years to develop, just as Ronaldo did before becoming a world-beater, although for one reason or another, it has not quite worked out.

There have been a few highlights though, with the 2010/11 season being arguably his best season in a United shirt; Nani scored ten goals on course to another Premier League title; and was named as the club’s player of the year.

Nani has also produced a number of fantastic strikes during his time at the club and is still capable of winning a match on his own with a moment of brilliance.

Although, it is his lack of awareness that is perhaps his greatest weakness, with Nani often failing to correctly judge when to find a pass or shoot at goal.

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His acts of petulance and hot-headedness have also not helped his cause; and Ferguson now sees the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young as more reliable options on the wing.

A big-money offer from one of Europe’s heavyweights may now be too good to resist for a player who has had ample chances to establish himself as a key figure in the side.

Consequently, Nani must re-assess his career and address his weaknesses in order to avoid becoming another player to squander their undoubted talent.

But he must do this quickly as the unforgiving lights at Old Trafford begin to fade.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is set to rely on summer signing Modibo Maiga after Ricardo Vaz Te was ruled out for the foreseeable future, according to The Daily Mail.

Vaz Te collided with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone in the second half of his side’s 3-1 defeat to the Gunners on Saturday, dislocating his shoulder.

As a result, Vaz Te is set to be on the sidelines for at least six weeks, however this could be increased dependant on how well the attacker reacts to rehabilitation.

Maiga, who is highly-rated and signed for the Upton Park side from Sochaux in the summer, is yet to start a game for the Londoners, but Allardyce is set to throw the African into the Premier League fray whilst Vaz Te is unavailable.

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Maiga has scored twice in the Capital One Cup this season, but now must harbour a sizeable chunk of the goalscoring responsibility for the newly-promoted side over the next couple of months.

Reading boss Brian McDermott has revealed that the club are searching for a new training ground as they look to improve off the pitch.

Royals’ Hogwood Park base in Arborfield has undergone large-scale changes this summer, with new temporary buildings erected to help the club in their quest for Category 1 status in the Academy Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). In order to compete with their top-flight rivals, the club know that they will need a bigger facility than Hogwood, where they have been since the start of the 2004/05 season. McDermott told getreading:

“We’re trying to upgrade everything and doing the best we possibly can – we’re trying to get a new training ground. We will wait and see now. For me the club is going to be successful because we have such good people here – that’s the most important thing.”

McDermott’s transfer kitty won’t be affected by the club’s efforts to improve their training ground, and they know that by improving what they have, they will also be able to attract a higher quality of player to Berkshire. McDermott continued:

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“My playing budget is done. I think the business we did in the window is incredible. To get the players we did for the money we paid was incredible. We’re delighted with the business that we have done.”

Paraguay international Lucas Barrios has opened the door for a January move to the Premier League by indicating that his future with Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande is in doubt.

The striker, who has previously been linked with of Manchester City and Arsenal, has failed to settle in Asia and is looking to depart, despite only moving signing with his current club last summer.

The 28-year-old has stated that his agent is looking into the possibility of a transfer:

“My agent is going to China to discuss my future with the Guangzhou Evergrande board,” he is quoted by SkySports.

“I am happy that clubs in Italy, England and Germany are tracking me and I want to play there.”

The South American hit-man shot to fame at Borussia Dortmund, where he had a strike rate of nearly one-in-two during the 2009-2012 seasons.

Despite this, he slipped down the pecking order with Bundesliga champions and departed for China in a big money deal.

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Barrios has made just a handful of appearances for his new team, but has been very vocal in his desire to move on, due to failing to acclimatise to his new surroundings.

Guangzhou Evergrande are one of the richest teams in the Chinese Super League and pay star midfielder Dario Conca a rumoured £200,000-per-week.

Arsenal’s imperious display in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool has reignited optimism at the Emirates.

Following two straight shut-outs the London club finally netted and tasted victory with Lukas Podolski breaking the three hour plus, goal drought.

Podolski alongside fellow new signing Olivier Giroud, has the ominous task of replacing last season’s Premier League top goal scorer, Robin Van Persie.

The win went some way to removing the shadow of the Dutchman that looms over the London club. Podolski told SkySports, “It was a good match, I think we played very well and the two goals were amazing.

“It was a good day for us and for me, scoring my first goal for Arsenal.”

Santi Carzola got the Gunners second goal, the Spaniard has become an instant hit on North London and once again delighted with his illusiveness and creativity.

The only man, who could rival Carzola for the man of the match gong, was Abou Diaby who was colossal transitioning from defence to attack. After a succession of injuries hampered recent seasons for the Frenchman, he could benefit most from Alex Song’s departure.

He added, “Last season was a difficult season for me. I’m just happy to be back and I hope I can stay fit for the whole season.”

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Following Theo Walcott’s impressive performance in the incredible 7-5 victory at Reading on Tuesday night, in which the striker scored a hat-trick, earning him the man of the match award, discussions have yet again been brought to the surface in the media as to where Walcott’s future lies.

Walcott has certainly received masses of praise since his performance on Tuesday night. Arsene Wenger has made it clear since the win at Reading that he wants the contract dispute which has plagued the 23-year-old’s season so far to be sorted within the next two months. However, should Wenger be breaking the bank to keep the Arsenal man?

When looking at Walcott’s role in the team, it is obvious to see that until his contractual situation is sorted out, he is surplus to requirements at the Emirates stadium. Whether Walcott’s lack of match action is to do with the dispute or not, with one Premier League start and six substitute appearances, it is perhaps disconcerting for the winger that Wenger is happy to play Aaron Ramsey at right-wing forward, a position which isn’t natural to the Welshman. Ramsay also doesn’t possess the natural explosive pace that is normally required to succeed in the right wing forward position.

It is also clear that Wenger does not envisage the England international as a central striker for the foreseeable future. The Capital One cup game, in which Wenger made several changes to the side that beat QPR on Saturday, was the Arsenal manager’s perfect opportunity to trial Walcott up front. Instead, he opted for an out of favour Marouane Chamakh and played Walcott in his accustomed right-wing forward position. Although, Wenger has insisted that Walcott has a long-term future in the centre, I somehow doubt his conviction in practising Walcott’s request.

Interestingly, what was noticeable about Walcott’s play on Tuesday night was a change of approach. During his bad patch last season where he was heavily criticised before he turned his season around in the 5-2 victory over Spurs, he was often inflexible and robotic and would occupy the wing as if his life depended on it. I wonder whether that has been a subtle conscious effort between Wenger and Walcott this season for the wide man to drift in to the play a little more. This added variation to his game certainly contributed to him being in the right position for each of his three goals on Tuesday, This was also perhaps an indication that finally, and is beginning to adopt to the Arsene Wenger style of free-flowing, short and direct style of football that he has always required from his side.

The other question when assessing the extent to which Arsene Wenger should be looking to extend the services of his speedy winger is whether he is any better than what they have already got at Arsenal? Would they actually miss Walcott? There are arguably five players who are capable in playing in Walcott’s primary position. This is a problem for Walcott as right hand side is certainly up for grabs for Arsenal. Wenger appears to know who he wants in the other attacking positions. It is hard to envisage Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere losing their places in the middle of the park as the season progresses. Lukas Podolski has impressed on the left wing since his arrival from Cologne in the summer and Wenger is a big fan of the Frenchman Giroud up front, and as mentioned, Wenger will not play Walcott in the centre, not in the short-term anyway.

Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are the two players who are happier in the centre of midfield for the Gunners, but perhaps realise that their best opportunity of playing for the Gunners this season is out on the right. The other three out and out wide men capable of playing on the right are Andrei Arshavin, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst it seems as if Arshavin will inevitably move back to Russia in January, Gervinho, although not completely fancied by many Arsenal supporters and primarily likes to play as a central striker, is an Arsene Wenger ‘yes’ man, and therefore looks to have a future ahead of him. Oxlade-Chamberlain is a talent, and although he would ideally deputise on the left, three starts and three substitute appearances have clearly demonstrated that he is in front of Walcott in the Arsenal pecking order at this moment in time. Therefore, with four players who can potentially fill Walcott’s position and who are likely to be at the Emirates post January transfer window, we must question whether Arsenal actually need Walcott? On the other hand, some may well argue that actually, Walcott is better than the five players I have mentioned, and therefore whilst competition in the right wing position is strong, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Walcott is irreplaceable.

The final thing to consider is whether Walcott has an important role to play in Arsenal’s future. Wenger has reiterated his desire to hold on to his man. I don’t think Wenger is one to mince his words, which was to his detriment in last week’s AGM in which he admitted that qualifying for the Champions League is more important than winning a domestic trophy. Therefore, I think it is obvious that Wenger rates Walcott highly despite leaving him out in the cold at the moment. I also think that whilst Walcott is a good player, he is not a cut above the rest of the Arsenal team like Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie were. Therefore, I cannot imagine Europe’s elite will come sniffing for Walcott like they did for the aforementioned players. For these reasons, I believe that Walcott does have a future at Arsenal.

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However, whether he has a future at the club and whether Arsenal should be breaking the bank to keep him is a different matter. Ultimately, I believe that they shouldn’t. I am one of Walcott’s biggest admirers, but there are two reasons as to why I have come to this conclusion. Firstly, Arsenal fans have been let down with players making out as if they are bigger than the club. I’m not an Arsenal supporter, but if I were I would be sick to death of the lack of loyalty displayed by their top players. They have ultimately made Arsenal a selling club. If Walcott won’t sign, Arsenal need to make a stance and let him go. Secondly, when Arsenal lost Fabregas and RVP, there was a real air of dejection around Arsenal. I don’t get the impression that there would be as much grievance if Walcott were to leave the Emirates. Quality players like Fabregas and Van Persie will always be missed; unfortunately I just can’t say the same for Theo.

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As we fast approach the January window the one club you can expect to be active is Liverpool FC given that Brendan Rodgers has been running the show on the barebones of a squad, given the fact he was let down by FSG in the summer.

One particular area that the Liverpool manager will be looking to strengthen is the strike force, as Rodgers has repeatedly had to call on Luis Suarez to the lead the front line. The Reds are continually being linked with a move for Daniel Sturridge and why the Chelsea man will be a decent acquisition; you do feel that Rodgers will look to bring in extra reinforcements in attack.

This list looks at potential targets that Liverpool should be looking at and who should feature on Brendan Rodgers’ wishlist.

Click on Wilfried Bony to unveil the top 10

Alan Pardew admits Newcastle need to pick up points soon if they are to steer clear of a relegation battle this season.

One win in the last 10 games has seen the Magpies drop to 14th, just two points above the relegation zone. The Toon have struggled to cope with injuries and an inflated fixture list with the Europa League this term.

But, with Europe now off the agenda until the knock-out stages in February, the Newcastle boss wants to convert performances into points.

“We have to keep an eye on where we are,” Pardew told Sky Sports.

“It is difficult to get points at the minute. We’re a side that on its day can beat anybody.

“We look more like a team. In the last three games the level has improved. But unfortunately we need to get results.”

Pardew is hoping that Newcastle’s cause will be helped by premature returns to action from the injured Yohan Cabaye and Steven Taylor.

Cabaye has undergone two groin operations, while Taylor has been sidelined with a hamstring problem.

The influential pair had been expected to return in early February. But Pardew has revealed there’s a chance Cabaye and Taylor will be back in the middle of next month.

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However, asked if there were any injury boosts for the visit of Manchester City this weekend, the Toon boss told the Sunderland Echo, “I don’t think so.

“I think that’s the group between now and mid-January, when maybe Steven and Cabaye will come back to us. Until such time, that is the team.”

Everton’s floppy-haired midfielder Marouane Fellaini has told Belgian reporters he will be leaving the Merseyside club either in January or at the end of the season, according to the Daily Mail.

David Moyes, speaking after the Toffees’ 2-1 home victory over Sunderland, told reporters that Fellaini would only be for sale at a “big price”, but failed to quash rumours that the Belgium international would be exiting Goodison Park.

“I’m not in the mood to keep the fight going all the time, because I’ve lost a few players now, but the ones we’ve lost – they’ve paid for,” said the Scottish gaffer.

“I think we’ve got to the stage at Everton where we say, ‘Look, we’ve lost some really good players but I don’t think it’s stopped us from progressing the team.

“We sold Lescott, we sold Arteta and we’ve all felt really down when we’ve lost those players but we’ve had to pick ourselves up and go and find other ones.”

The 6 foot 4 midfielder has been in excellent form for his club this season, playing further forward in the Toffees’ midfield behind striker Nikica Jelavic, contributing six goals in ten appearances in the Premier League.

Now, Fellaini has informed reporters that he will be looking for a new challenge sooner rather than later, despite signing a five year contract at Goodison just over a year ago.

“I’ve seen everything with Everton and in January or at the end of the season, I will turn to a new club or a new league,” said the 24-year-old.

It is believed Chelsea are the most keen to sign the towering midfielder – the Evertonian would add some much needed height to Roberto Di Matteo’s short and speedy midfield.

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Disgruntled 21-year-old Oriol Romeu is reportedly in talks with Valencia about a return to La Liga, meaning Di Matteo will need to find a suitable replacement. Fellaini is eligible to play in the Champions League this season, making him a more desirable prospect than other potential January transfers.

The London-based club are considering launching a £30million bid for the Belgian in the New Year.

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