Sunderland were in brilliant form last weekend as they overcame the challenge of Lincoln to win 3-1.

The Black Cats have led a revival over the festive period and despite winning just four of Phil Parkinson’s 17 matches in charge, they are now five games unbeaten.

A big part of that has been down to Chris Maguire who has five goal contributions in those outings, but as the transfer window opens, their squad is set to be bolstered by someone already on their books.

In his post-match press conference following the victory over the Imps, Parkinson confirmed that 23-year-old Ethan Robson would be returning from his loan spell with League 2 outfit Grimsby.

This provoked a host of fans to debate the midfielder on Twitter and they were full of praise for his attributes, suggesting Robson should be in the side now he’s been recalled.

A host of supporters drew comparisons with George Dobson, suggesting that the returning midfield man was, in fact, better than one of the players already at Parkinson’s disposal.

Dobson is someone who has divided opinion amongst the fanbase this term so it’s hardly surprising that they’ve taken this opportunity to take a subtle dig at him.

It’s hard to suggest someone who’s been playing in the division below is better than a player who has featured regularly in League 1 but he’s certainly caught the eye with three goals and a solitary assist. Dobson, on the other hand, has no goal involvements all season.

With Parkinson suggesting there had been interest from other clubs about taking him on loan, some fans are keen to see Robson remain in the Black Cats’ team and get a place in the starting XI or the matchday squad.

More comparisons were made with fellow individuals in the side, including Grant Leadbitter. One supporter suggested that the returning loan man offers more than the former Middlesbrough player and it’s hard to speculate against that argument.

The 33-year-old makes fewer tackles, dribbles and key passes per game than Robson. Given those facts, there is certainly a reason to keep him around once he returns to the Stadium of Light.

Two further Sunderland supporters were merely delighted with the news as one claimed it was about time he returned to the club.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

Robson has been impressive with his all-round approach to the game this term, contributing to four goals while making 3.1 tackles per outing in the process.

Meanwhile, the heir to Aiden McGeady’s throne has emerged at Sunderland…

West Bromwich Albion have faltered in recent weeks.

They have won just one game in their last seven Championship outings yet if you took a look at the league standings, you wouldn’t have realised as the Baggies still sit top of the table.

Slaven Bilic’s side have struggled to turn draws into victories, which was most noted when holding the lead twice against Charlton Athletic at the weekend, only to return to the west Midlands with a frustrating point.

Albion are also the league’s top goalscorers with a total of 50, but in recent weeks, they have failed to find the net as regularly as they would have liked – just twice in their last seven matches have they notched two or more goals against the opposition.

It has led to West Brom legend and former centre-back Ally Robertson calling for the club to sign a striker this month in order to secure promotion, and he may well have a point.

Despite both Charlie Austin and Hal Robson-Kanu reaching seven goals for the season, and Kenneth Zohore’s recent emergence with two from two, the Baggies could do with another option in attack.

So far this transfer window, they have been linked to plenty of attack-minded players, but the best of the lot would almost certainly be Che Adams – that’s if they can prise him away from his difficult spell at Southampton.

Their interest was cited by the Daily Mail at the start of the month.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 23-year-old joined the south coast side in the summer in a £15m deal from Birmingham City and has found life difficult in the top-flight with no goals and just the one assist from 16 appearances.

It is believed that the Saints hierarchy would be open to loaning him out with an obligation to buy this month, even despite manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s claims over keeping him.

Leeds are likely to be Albion’s nearest contenders for his signature so they must do all they can to clinch him. His prolific campaign across the border in the Midlands last term shows why he would be the best striker at the club.

Per WhoScored, Adams averaged more shots per game than what both Austin and Robson-Kanu have managed this season – West Brom currently rank seventh for shots at goal in the division, so he’d improve that substantially, you’d imagine.

The 5 foot 9 forward also earned more free-kicks as he was fouled 1.5 times per match while he also contributes more to his teammates having averaged 1.5 key passes per game – over double what the Baggies pair have managed this campaign.

This means he could bring the likes of Grady Diangana, Matt Phillips and Matheus Pereira even more into play as if they weren’t lethal enough already – the trio have all directly contributed to ten or more goals individually.

Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…

And at just 23, he would further offer the club a long-term option in the role with both Austin and Robson-Kanu entering their 30s.

Luke Dowling must sanction a swoop for him and the deal involved could well suit the club as it has very Pereira-like feels – according to reports from The Athletic, Southampton would want a £1m loan fee and then £10m in the summer, that sounds like far better business than clinching 29-year-old Dwight Gayle for circa £10m.

While in other news, West Brom are plotting a move for a prolific speedster who has been lighting up the Champions League this season…

Tottenham confirmed the signing of Gedson Fernandes today and now according to The Daily Mail they have been offered the chance to sign Emre Can from Juventus.

Jose Mourinho has had to settle on rotating between Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Eric Dier for the majority of the games in charge so far, and the signing of Can could allow him to bring in someone with Premier League experience.

In fact, towards the end of his spell with Liverpool he was much fancied by Jurgen Klopp, playing 38 times in 2017/18, including the Champions League final.

Some Spurs fans are keen on the player, possibly due to his impressive form with the Reds, and as a result they would support a move for the German, not least because he may be an upgrade on their current options.

Can’s 25 caps for Germany highlight the quality he has, and though his lack of game time at Juventus is a negative mark against him, it should be considered that he is competing for minutes with some of the best midfielders in Europe, such as three-time Serie A winner Miralem Pjanic.

The fact he is out of favour with only two starts this term means he could be available for a cut-price deal, and that should appeal to supporters, as should the fact that he has averaged 2.4 tackles per game throughout his career and is still only 26-years-old.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Despite that, there is a significant amount of opposition to the signing amongst the Spurs fanbase, with different arguments suggesting he has flopped at the Italian giants and is no longer the player he once was.

The transfer rumours don’t stop there, nor does the fan reaction, with Tottenham supporters reacting to another exciting player who has been linked to the club in recent days.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have hailed Gedson Fernandes after his cameo performance against Watford on Saturday.

The midfielder came off the bench to make his debut, having been signed on loan from Benfica earlier this week.

He replaced Giovani Lo Celso but was unable to spark a turnaround for his new employers as Spurs were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw with the Hornets.

Calling all Tottenham fans: How much do you really know about Spurs’ new hero? Find out below…

Nevertheless, supporters liked what they saw of their new signing.

It feels remarkably early to make any sort of judgement on Fernandes.

He is just 21 and has barely played any football at all this season; he had clocked just 630 minutes this term before his move, accounting for seven full games.

Add that to the fact he has not played in the Premier League before, and has also been played in a number of different positions – he has been deployed on the right, the left and in attacking midfield this season for example – and one has to believe that he needs a fair amount of time to get up to speed in a Spurs shirt.

Positivity is all well and good, but Spurs fans are really jumping the gun here. It will help nobody to over-hype the youngster after just ten minutes against Watford and formulating entire opinions on such a short stint on the pitch could, in the end, make some of the above fans look rather silly.

Meanwhile, there has been a huge update on Giovani Lo Celso’s future.

Philippe Coutinho’s career has gone backwards since leaving Liverpool in January of 2018.

The Brazil international moved to Barcelona, and it looked as though it was the next step in an upward trajectory. However, after just 76 appearances for the Blaugrana, he was sent on loan to Bayern Munich at the start of the campaign, and it now looks as though he won’t be staying in Bavaria beyond this season either.

The big fat Liverpool quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Anfield?

According to El Desmarque, the Bundesliga champions do not want to pay the €120m (£101.2m) purchase option. The report also adds that Jurgen Klopp would have turned down the chance to re-sign the 27-year-old for €108m (£91m), with names like Fabian Ruiz and Isco being more of interest to the Liverpool manager.

Whilst he may not be the player he once was, the six goals and five assists he has managed in 16 Bundesliga matches indicate that the quality is still there.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Were Liverpool right to turn that offer down? Our writers give their verdicts.

Domagoj Kostanjsak

“Even though Coutinho used to be Liverpool’s key man, Jurgen Klopp has already long moved on from the system that made the Brazilian into the star he would eventually become. But both his failed stint at Barcelona and the ongoing campaign with Bayern Munich have proved that Coutinho is very much a system-specific player that needs the whole team centred around him in order to thrive. At the moment, I just can’t see him slotting into the current Liverpool squad nor do I feel Klopp needs a player of his profile at all. For me, this would have been a waste of money and honestly, it’s a spot-on decision by the German to decline the offer to take him back.”

Matt Dawson

“Jurgen Klopp has taken this Liverpool side from one that was quickly fading down the Premier League table to one now on the verge of winning the very same trophy. Their transformation has been nothing short of outstanding and the last thing they need is to bring someone like Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield. The Brazilian is a player of days gone by and has no future in the mesmeric team that Klopp is building. Coutinho may have creativity in abundance, registering five assists and six goals in the Bundesliga this season, but Liverpool are better off pursuing someone for the future – not an ex-player who could have cost them £91m. This is the right stance, one that shows just how far the Reds have come.”

James Beavis

“Liverpool are absolutely right to take this stance on Philippe Coutinho. Jurgen Klopp currently has a tight-knit squad who clearly have an exceptional attitude and mentality given how good they have been over the course of the last 18 months especially. The Brazilian blotted his own copybook when he handed in a transfer request via email at Anfield in the summer of 2017 in order to force through a move to Barcelona, and a potential bad egg to disrupt this settled team is the last thing the Merseyside outfit needs.

“That action in 2017 was perhaps a sign of his character, and Klopp has had the last laugh since his departure following two Champions League finals, 97 points in the top flight last season and looking to be on course to win their first-ever Premier League title this term.”

Jonathan Radcliffe

“Whilst the general opinion seems to be that Klopp was right to turn down taking Coutinho back to Liverpool, I believe that it could be a missed opportunity from the 52-year-old. Yes, the potential fee would have been a big one, but at 27 he still has plenty of football left in him. In the Premier League, the Brazil international was a revelation – in his last 45 matches in the English top tier, he had 20 goals and 13 assists. His work-rate is also underappreciated – he averaged 2.8 tackles per match at last year’s Copa America and managed well over one per game during his time in the Premier League. His career may not have gone on the trajectory many expected, but he still has the pedigree to be a star. In this case, Klopp got it wrong.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans have slammed this star after his dreadful display against Wolves.

According to The Evening Standard’s James Robson, Manchester United are planning a summer swoop for Birmingham’s Jude Bellingham.

What’s the word?

One of the undoubted starlets of the season thus far, Bellingham has been lighting up the Championship with his performances – despite only being 16 years of age.

He has already made a quite incredible 27 appearances across all competitions, and chipped in with four goals and one assist too.

Watch Manchester United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

It was reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein a couple of weeks ago that the Red Devils were keen on signing him in January. But now, in an update from The Evening Standard’s James Robson, that does not appear to be the case.

Instead, he has revealed that United have put together a £20m package to land the teenager in the summer, and that he is considered a “perfect fit for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s cultural reboot at Old Trafford”.

One for the future

At just 16, Bellingham appears to be a precocious youngster, and it is easy to see why the likes of Manchester United are very much interested in securing his services. His remarkable versatility for such a young age (he has played in five different positions this campaign), shows that he also seems to have a team-first mentality too, simply playing wherever his manager wants him.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

Whilst the price being talked about for a 16-year-old seems amazing, the Red Devils should be applauded for continuing to seek out the best young talent and bringing them to Manchester.

If they do manage to pull it off come the end of the season, then they could have a real talent for the future on their hands.

Meanwhile, James Ducker has provided a major update on the future of Ed Woodward.

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after a former transfer target for the Eagles – Allan Saint-Maximin – netted a stunning late winner for Newcastle in their FA Cup fourth round replay against Oxford.The Daily Mail revealed back in the summer that Saint-Maximin – who was playing in France with OGC Nice at the time – was top of the south Londoners’ list of players who could potentially replace Wilfried Zaha, who was then the subject of transfer interest from Arsenal.

However, the 22-year-old decided to join Newcastle in a deal worth £16.5m, where he has since dazzled the St James’ Park faithful by completing a huge 4.4 dribbles per game – his end product in the Premier League has been lacking however, with just one goal and one assist to show for his efforts.

On Tuesday evening, the Frenchman did add another goal to his tally, this time with a strike in the FA Cup – a stunning long-range effort in the 116th minute to help the Magpies progress into the fifth round.

After watching his exquisite strike, a number of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have reacted…

To kick off the discussion, these two fans both felt the need to bring Wilfried Zaha into the equation and compare to Ivory Coast international to Newcastle’s No.10.

Kieran Potter said that Saint-Maximin is “better than Zaha” – a very bold statement.

Also, @CPFC_GH mentioned that “Wilf should be doing this more often” after watching the former Monaco winger smash his extra-time winner in.

Elsewhere, Aidan Keys added that Saint-Maximin “would have been perfect” – given the fact that Zaha completes 4.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League, the pair of them together certainly would’ve been entertaining to watch.

Meanwhile, these two Palace fans opted to play down the 22-year-old goal.

Luke said that Saint-Maximin is “not an upgrade on anything we have” as he only did one thing of note against Oxford and was poor for the whole 90 minutes before extra-time.

Then, Rowan echoed that point by saying the Frenchman “did nothing else” throughout the rest of the game.

Lastly, Daniel simply said that it’s “irrelevant” whether or not supporters wanted him or not, as the club “haven’t spent that sort of money recently”.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

Since Roy Hodgson came through the door, his most expensive purchase has been Cheikhou Kouyate for £11m.

In other news, Max Meyer has responded to Connor Wickham’s second Instagram post since joining Sheffield Wednesday…

“I’ve been all over the world watching you” exclaimed one member of Chris Wilder’s staff on Sander Berge’s first day at Sheffield United.

The Norwegian was putting pen to paper on his club-record deal to sign for United in the final week of the January window, being greeted with gleeful smiles by a host of players and staff at the Blades’ training ground.

There was a sense of excitement but no smile or joke was bigger than their assistant manager’s.

Alan Knill was in one of the rooms and he shared a quick conversation with Berge, exclaiming that he was one of the people who had watched the 21-year-old on a regular basis.

“Barcelona was lovely,” he chirped to Wilder and their new signing, but despite this being nothing more than a joke, there is a more serious message to this discussion that took place last week.

Sheffield United were detailed in their approach to sign Berge and their meticulous nature when it came to scouting the player was evident.

Wilder even watched him in action for Norway against Sweden all the way back in September. This wasn’t a player they only just turned attentions to in the New Year. Instead, they tracked him for a considerable period and are now already reaping the rewards.

The Blades boss would have been impressed by what he saw during that clash over four months ago. Per SofaScore, Berge made three interceptions, won four aerial duels and was also successful with two dribbles.

Where is he from?! Can you name which obscure countries these famous players have represented?

The midfielder was in imperious form, just as he was on his Sheffield United debut – winning a colossal six tackles against Crystal Palace.

But what they saw during the youngster’s first appearance for the club will have been nothing new. Knill and Wilder knew what they were getting and it was the former who played the most vital part in assessing those qualities.

Scouting a player often doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves but when you consider the list of clubs who had previously been interested in Berge, it goes to show how important Knill was in the process.

Liverpool and Napoli had been parties to look at the holding midfielder but it was the Blades he eventually signed for.

Knill saw him in action on multiple occasions and something like that will have surely caught Berge’s eye when determining who to go to.

The 55-year-old coach isn’t just useful on the training ground, but behind the scenes, he is an imperative cog who is trusted to make judgement calls on potential new recruits.

The addition of the former Genk man was a coup, but United’s methods were thorough and they deservedly got their man at the end of it.

Meanwhile, check out what Chris Wilder had Berge do on his first day as a Blades player…

City rivalries often create the most intense and fiery fixtures in the world of football and Birmingham is certainly no exception to the rule.

West Bromwich Albion may not be based directly in Birmingham but their close proximity to the city makes for a relatively tense rivalry with Birmingham City FC.

But if Jude Bellingham’s latest Instagram post is anything to go by, that relationship has not deterred young players from forming relationships with other youngsters contracted to the rival club.

Birmingham’s young starlet posted a new snap on

/B8dW_oVgSg4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram celebrating his team’s recent 1-0 victory over Barnsley.

It didn’t take long for Nathan Ferguson, a rising youngster from West Brom, to like the image and show his support for his friend who happens to play for their Championship rivals.

Even though this might be unusual to see, it also shows how friendship can transcend the fires of derbies, with rivalries put to one side until the day when the two sides go head-to-head, of course.

Elsewhere, many West Brom fans were in a heated debate on one of their players that seems to be a dividing figure at the club…

Tottenham Hotspur go into battle in the Champions League this evening as they welcome Bundesliga outfit, RB Leipzig, to north London.

It’s the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, so there will be a premium on still being in the encounter for the return leg in a couple of weeks.

Although Jose Mourinho’s chances of progressing have taken a devastating dent following further injury crisis as Heung-min Son could miss the remainder of the season, joining their other primary source of goals, Harry Kane, on the treatment table.

With the away goals rule still intact under UEFA regulations, Spurs could do with keeping a clean sheet as they are at home first, but that won’t be an easy task either as the goal-laden Timo Werner comes to town.

The north Londoners know all too well about the 23-year-old as multiple reports have linked the club to his signature in the past.

Now chairman Daniel Levy and the rest of the Spurs hierarchy are going to get to witness the prolific marksman first-hand at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium tonight.

Werner has been in rampant form for the German side this campaign, scoring 23 goals and providing seven assists across the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Also per WhoScored, the striker averages 3.7 shots, 1.5 dribbles and 1.4 key passes per game, proving he’s not just a one-trick pony and rather an all-rounded threat that could cause Mourinho’s backline serious damage.

BILD’s head of football, Christian Falk, reports that Werner currently has a €60m (£49.8m) release clause that expires at the end of April, so if Levy were to reignite interest in the frontman, he’d have to act quickly to do so especially given Liverpool’s interest.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will indeed go back in for him this summer – given that Kane and Son should be back from injury ahead of next season – but if Werner is the man to have Mourinho’s men on the ropes with a goal or two this evening, you’d imagine that Levy will be sitting in his director’s box trying his best to not reach for his tight wallet.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

Either way, Spurs could be about to witness why it was a mistake to not sign him last month and why it would be an even bigger catastrophe to not continue their interest in the German international.

And in other news, Jamie O’Hara believes Spurs should have signed this Premier League STAR…