Wolves have completed the signing of Flamengo's Copa Libertadores winner Joao Gomes, making the highly rated midfielder their sixth addition of the transfer window.

Gomes has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Julen Lopetegui's men, having reportedly rejected interest from Lyon in order to join the Premier League side in a £15million ($18.5m) deal.

Reports claimed Flamengo were refusing to deal with Wolves after receiving a more lucrative offer from the Ligue 1 club earlier this month, delaying his departure.

But the 21-year-old, who started as Flamengo beat Athletico Paranaense to win their third Libertadores crown in October's final, has joined Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia, Mario Lemina, Craig Dawson and Daniel Bentley in moving to Molineux this month.

Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said: "It's been well publicised that we thought we had a deal sorted a couple of weeks ago, but what's got the deal done has been the player. 

"He's turned down a more lucrative offer at another club because he always said he gave his word, he always wanted to come to Wolves since talking to Julen and I, so he's kept his word and stayed strong."

Gomes will now miss out on a potential meeting with Real Madrid after helping Flamengo reach next month's Club World Cup, and could instead make his Premier League debut against Liverpool on Saturday.  

Barcelona feel Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has one foot out of the door and are optimistic about their chance of signing him at the end of the season.

Neves, 25, has spent the past six seasons with Wolves after arriving during their last season in the Championship (2017-18), racking up over 200 appearances for the club along with 28 goals.

The central midfielder, a regular for Portugal, has caught the eye of Europe's elite clubs.

Wolves had been hopeful of extending Neves' stay at the club, but with their future in the Premier League in doubt, they might have already started to plan for life without him.

TOP STORY – WOLVES SIGNING INDICATES LOOMING NEVES DEPARTURE

According to Sport, Barcelona believe Wolves are signing 21-year-old Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes as a direct replacement for Neves, who they expect to leave at the end of the season.

The report states Barcelona know what it will cost to pry him away from the Premier League and are comfortable with the price, which is said to be "much more feasible" than the €60million price tag for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi.

Real Madrid are also expected to pursue Neves, who they reportedly feel has "the potential to become the new Casemiro".

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph and Fabrizio Romano state Chelsea will make another run at signing 22-year-old Benfica and Argentina standout Enzo Fernandez, and are willing to meet the £105m (€120m) release clause if they can pay it in installments.

– According to Bild, Tottenham have submitted a £22m (€25m) verbal offer to Bayer Leverkusen for 21-year-old Ecuador centre-back Piero Hincapie.

– Newcastle United have had their latest £20m offer for 18-year-old Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca turned down, per Fabrizio Romano.

– Newcastle are also said to be looking to replace Jonjo Shelvey, who is set to join Nottingham Forest, with Sheffield United's Sander Berge.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Brighton and Hove Albion have rejected a £70m approach from Arsenal for 21-year-old midfielder Moises Caicedo, and are holding out for £80m.

– According to Sport, there is mutual interest between Barca and Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who will spend the rest of the season on loan at Chelsea.

Tottenham are reportedly investigating a potential move for young Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, despite the hefty asking price for the Ecuador international.

Hincapie, 21, is in his second Bundesliga season after arriving from Argentinian side Talleres, and has forced his way into Leverkusen's starting XI, earning 13 starts among his 15 total league appearances this campaign.

He also has 24 senior international caps for Ecuador under his belt, playing every minute of his country's three group stage fixtures at the Qatar World Cup.

Hincapie's emergence has not gone unnoticed, and Leverkusen are said to be informing interested clubs that any sale of their talented youngster will come at a heavy price.

TOP STORY – SPURS KICK THE TYRES ON PRIZED LEVERKUSEN DEFENDER

According to the Sun, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is desperate to add a new central defender before the end of the month, but the club were knocked back by a massive £80million price tag.

The report indicates Hincapie would be in favour of a move to the Premier League, and to Tottenham specifically, but that it would be far more likely to occur at the end of the season.

Interestingly, the Sun believes Leverkusen would be open to accepting as little as £20m if it meant Hincapie could spend the rest of the season on loan with the German side, but with his contract tying him to Leverkusen until 2026, it is hard to believe they would budge so significantly from their lofty valuation.

It also mentions Tottenham's pursuit of Sporting right-back Pedro Porro is on the verge of falling through, but Portuguese publication Record is reporting that a verbal agreement is in place for a £42m (€48m) deal.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport are reporting Chelsea will make a run at 23-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are anticipating the Serbian's departure and will seek to replace him with 25-year-old Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

– According to Sport, Barcelona are focusing on 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as their long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets after failing to land Real Sociedad talent Martin Zubimendi.

– Manchester United believe they are priced out of the Harry Kane sweepstakes, per the Daily Star.

– Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have returned with a second offer for 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, but their £70m bid is still below the £80m demand.

– The Telegraph adds that the outcome of Arsenal's push for Caicedo will not affect their desire to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice after the season, and they will try to secure both.

Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a potential £75million bid for young Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Caicedo, 21, has been one of the breakout stars of the Premier League season, starting 18 of Brighton's 19 league fixtures to help his side up to sixth.

The talented central midfielder has already earned 28 caps for Ecuador and collected valuable experience at the Qatar World Cup, where he scored against Senegal in the group stage.

Brighton have rejected some serious bids already this month, and while they have reportedly set Caicedo's price at nine figures, Arsenal are prepared to test how much money they are willing to turn down.

TOP STORY – ARSENAL PREPARE BUMPER BID FOR BRIGHTON TALENT

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are determined to add reinforcements before the end of January, and they will see if £75m is enough to pry Caicedo away from Brighton.

Metro had previously reported Brighton would hold out for a fee in the range of £100m, having already batted away a £50m approach from Chelsea.

Fichajes believes Arsenal are willing to outspend Chelsea in the pursuit of Caicedo, which has them in the driver's seat if Brighton are willing to budge before the transfer window closes.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelsea and Liverpool will both pursue 24-year-old Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes, who is expected to cost £55m.

– 90min is reporting Tottenham are confident they will complete their move for 23-year-old Sporting right-back Pedro Porro in the coming days after negotiations over his release clause.

– 90min adds Sporting will target 22-year-old Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey as Porro's replacement, although Lyon are also interested in the Seagulls defender.

– Everton have lowered their asking price for Anthony Gordon to £40m plus add-ons after their initial £60m valuation put off Newcastle United, per the Telegraph.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Inter will demand £35m (€40m) for 26-year-old right-back Denzel Dumfries, who is a target of Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola defended Erling Haaland's position within Manchester City, arguing the Norway international is not holding his team back this term.

Haaland scored his fourth hat-trick of the Premier League season to blow past last term's Golden Boot tally and reach 25 in Sunday's 3-0 win over Wolves.

Despite his remarkable figures, City are playing catch-up in the title race as Arsenal continue to set the pace.

Some have pinpointed Haaland as a potential issue, with City sometimes adapting to suit his needs rather than vice-versa, but Guardiola knows the talisman's quality. 

"When we lost the Community Shield, all the debates were that he would not adapt to the Premier League," he said.

"When we do not score goals, [people] say he is the problem in this team. We know his quality. We have to adapt some movements for him.

"He is not a player who will take the ball. He has to [have] the balls delivered around him. He's got fantastic players around him. He lives 24 hours for his job.

"He’s not stressed much when it's going well or when it's going bad. His numbers are incredible. But the reality is still that we are behind."

Guardiola issued a scathing attack upon his side's commitment following their 4-2 win over Tottenham earlier this week, having been force to come from two goals down.

Reflecting on a more comfortable victory, the Spaniard acknowledged he had seen improvements, but stressed he would not be getting carried away yet.

"We spoke a little bit what we have to do with the ball," he added. "Without the ball, we didn’t train anything because I would say we didn’t have energy.

"We talk a little bit these days about what we think we miss. It’s just one game. We will see in the future.

"Our football was really, really good. Today we improved. That was just today. We will see what happens in the next games."

John Stones declared "we are the champions for a reason" after Erling Haaland's fourth Premier League hat-trick of the season gave Manchester City a 3-0 win over Wolves.

City boss Pep Guardiola urged his players to show more desire after a 4-2 victory over Tottenham on Thursday, when they were booed off at half-time having fallen 2-0 down at the Etihad Stadium.

There was no discontent from City fans as they outclassed relegation-threatened Wolves, Haaland opening the scoring late in the first half before adding a second from the penalty spot and completing yet another treble early in the second half.

Haaland already has two more goals than the tally of 23 that earned Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min the golden boot last season and the Norway striker has an astonishing 31 in all competitions in his first City campaign.

City moved two points behind Arsenal ahead of the leaders' clash with Manchester United and defender Stones says they are ready to roll up their sleeves in the battle for the title.

He told Sky Sports: "I think it's just about us, I've said it plenty of times. We can be our own worst enemies at times. We have to be focused. We can see where we are and keep taking it game by game.

"We are the champions for a reason and we want to be champions again, so we have to put ourselves in the best place possible. Keep winning games and getting clean sheets and see where it takes us."

Stones felt City showed a great response to a rallying cry from Guardiola.

He added: "We had to be patient to get that goal today and break them down. I thought we did so well after the other day. Especially in the first half we weren't at it and the manager made that clear.

"We knew we had to hit the ground running and get off to a good start, playing with tempo and that set the game.

"I didn't see the comments from Pep. But I knew what he said to us at half-time and what he wants from us and what he knows we can do and us as players when you are not playing as well as you can and in the second half we came out and showed it and got the win.

"We knew that we had to do that from the off and we did. The patience and desire was there and we were scoring goals and creating chances. Obviously a clean sheet is massive now."

Erling Haaland scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick of the season as Manchester City beat relegation-threatened Wolves 3-0 to apply the pressure on leaders Arsenal.

Lethal striker Haaland opened the scoring with a header from close range in a one-sided first half at the Etihad Stadium.

He was on target again from the penalty spot early after the restart and completed his hat-trick four minutes later following a terrible mistake from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, taking his goal tally for the season to a staggering 31.

City boss Pep Guardiola had demanded more hunger from his side in their quest for more trophies and they responded, moving two points behind the Gunners ahead of their huge clash with Manchester United later on Sunday.

Wolves defended resolutely in the first half, but it seemed only a matter of time before they went behind and Haaland got the breakthrough by rising above Nathan Collins to head Kevin De Bruyne's cross beyond Sa in the 40th minute.

Collins was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a challenge on Jack Grealish, before the centre-back showed great anticipation to head away a rasping drive from the England midfielder that looked destined for the back of the net.

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui made a triple substitution at half-time, bringing Pablo Sarabia on for his debut along with Matheus Cunha and Joao Moutinho.

Haaland gave City breathing space five minutes into the second half, sending Sa the wrong way from the spot after Ruben Neves upended Ilkay Gundogan.

The Norway goal machine had his treble soon after, Sa inexplicably passing straight to the excellent Riyad Mahrez, who unselfishly presented Haaland with a tap-in.

Haaland was then replaced by Julian Alvarez before Mahrez had a goal ruled out due to being marginally offside and Gundogan headed over from close range as City cruised to victory.

Erling Haaland's extraordinary first season for Manchester City has seen him beat last season's Premier League Golden Boot haul after just 19 games in the competition.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker reached 25 league goals for the season with a hat-trick against Wolves on Sunday.

A first-half header was followed by a penalty early in the second half, before Haaland stroked in a third as Wolves' defending unravelled.

Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min shared the Golden Boot last season, as the Liverpool and Tottenham forwards each managed 23 goals.

Yet Haaland has taken the art of goalscoring to a new level this season, emerging as the league's premier predator.

The Norwegian has scored 18 in 11 league games at City's Etihad Stadium, already a club record for home Premier League goals in a single season.

He went past Sergio Aguero's best home season haul of 16 on Sunday, with Haaland showing no signs of slowing down for Pep Guardiola's side.

This was also Haaland's fourth Premier League hat-trick, making him by far the quickest player to hit so many trebles.

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was previously the fastest to bring up four hat-tricks, doing so in 65 games.

Pep Guardiola would leave Manchester City if he did not think the players were behind him.

Guardiola pulled no punches with his verdict on the Premier League champions' first-half display in a 4-2 Premier League victory over Tottenham on Thursday.

The City manager said his players lacked "passion, fire and desire to want to win from the first minute" after they were booed off when Spurs went into the break with a two-goal lead at the Etihad Stadium.

They were transformed in the second half, blowing Antonio Conte's side away to move five points behind leaders Arsenal – who have a game in hand.

City could cut the gap to two points by beating Wolves on Sunday before the Gunners do battle with Manchester United.

Guardiola reiterated City must have the appetite for the fight and reach the consistently high standards that have enabled them to achieve so much success, even if he can understand why they might be lacking hunger.

"I won four LaLigas in a row when I was a player, in the fifth [season] I was not the same, in the sixth I was not the same. I was not starving enough. Madrid beat me; fifth and the sixth," he told reporters.

"I understand them [his players], but I am here to do it. The chairman knows that, I want to be here, otherwise I wouldn't stay. But if I lose the team or I lose something, I cannot be here.

"When I retire or decide the time is over at Man City or the moment I die and people say 'oh how good was Pep' it's not about that. But still we are here. We are second in the table, we are not 25 points behind Arsenal, still we are there.

"There are 57 points still to play for. What I'm saying is in this way [the first-half display against Spurs], no chance. We [also] have the FA Cup, Champions League and next season."

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss urged his players to focus on the present and the future rather than what they have already accomplished.

"I'm sorry for our haters, we will be in history in the Premier League, what the team has done," he added.

"How well we have done, the record breakers, many things and the consistency of playing a good level.

"But it is the past, now is here and our fans want the second half more often. That is what we have to find."

Newcastle United have reportedly pushed Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the top of their extended transfer wish-list.

Calvert-Lewin, 25, is in his seventh season with Everton, which has been highlighted by a pair of terrific seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 where he combined for 29 of his 46 total Premier League goals.

He missed three months this past campaign due to a fractured toe, and spent the first two months of the current season on the sideline nursing a knee injury, resulting in only one league goal since May.

Despite his lack of production in recent months, Calvert-Lewin already has 11 senior international caps for England under his belt, and could be viewed as a depreciating asset due to Everton's struggle in the relegation zone.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE IDENTIFY CALVERT-LEWIN AS TOP FORWARD TARGET

According to The Sun, Newcastle want to secure Calvert-Lewin this month as he is "right at the top" of their list of targets.

The report states he is valued at £35million, and Everton are bracing themselves for bids as they sit 19th after just three wins from 19 matches.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph adds Newcastle are in discussions to send striker Chris Wood on loan to Nottingham Forest, as well as listing a number of players the club have expressed interest in.

They include Calvert-Lewin's team-mate Anthony Gordon, Chelsea trio Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

ROUND-UP

– The Athletic are reporting Brighton and Hove Albion have rejected a £55m bid from Chelsea for 21-year-old midfielder Moises Caicedo.

– According to AS, Barcelona would like to sign 26-year-old Wolves forward Goncalo Guedes on a loan with a mandatory buy clause, but Italian journalist Matteo Moretto is reporting Guedes is in Portugal ahead of completing a loan move to Benfica.

– Everton are in talks with Rennes about a loan with an option to buy 20-year-old winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, although the Ghana international is expected to cost in the range of £40m (€45m), per GiveMeSport.

– Bild are reporting highly rated 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko – who had interest from Chelsea and Barcelona as he entered the final six months of his contract – is in the final stages of signing a three-year extension with the German club.

– Leicester City have offered £10m for 24-year-old Stoke City centre-back Harry Souttar, who was a standout for Australia at the World Cup, per GianlucaDimarzio.com.

Jurgen Klopp welcomed the return of the "passion" Liverpool have been lacking as a much-changed side beat Wolves 1-0 in an FA Cup third-round replay at Molineux.

Reds manager Klopp made eight changes to his starting line-up following an alarming 3-0 Premier League defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Harvey Elliott was among the players who came into the side and the teenager proved to be the match-winner, scoring the only goal with a stunning long-range strike in the 13th minute.

A first win in four matches gives the holders an opportunity to exact revenge on Brighton in a fourth-round tie at the Amex Stadium.

It was anything but a classic all-Premier League tie after a 2-2 draw at Anfield ensured the two sides had to do battle again, but Klopp was not concerned about entertainment value. 

He told BBC Sport: "It feels like ages ago we had a feeling of winning and playing well. We had to fight hard at the end, which we controlled for long periods. It is great and the reaction we wanted to see."

Klopp vowed he would not quit after the defeat to Brighton and urged his players to go "back to basics".

The German was impressed with the way they responded to a painful loss last weekend.

 "From the passion we showed, yes," he said. "It is my job to help the boys and find the formation where they feel good from the start. Stefan Bajcetic and the whole midfield was really compact, so it was difficult for Wolves to find the key players like Joao Moutinho. I liked the game a lot."

Elliott was named man of the match, but Klopp felt several of his players were candidates for the award.

He added: "It was good from Harvey Elliott, especially after an early knock to the ankle. He fought through, and the goal was exceptional.

"I had a few man of the match performances today. We played a really good first half, had good periods in the second, and in the end it was just passion to block the shots. A cup game, great."

Harvey Elliott scored the only goal of the game with a stunning long-range strike as Liverpool lifted the gloom by beating Wolves to reach the FA Cup fourth round.

Elliott was one of eight players to come into the Reds side following a chastening 3-0 Premier League defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion, and the teenager made his mark with a sublime first-half finish.

Wolves felt aggrieved not to have won the third-round tie at Anfield after having what appeared to be a late winner ruled out for offside, but they did not pose a threat in the replay at Molineux on Tuesday.

Victory for Jurgen Klopp's side was their first in four games, setting up an opportunity to exact revenge on Brighton in the fourth round.

Liverpool quickly sparked into life after the floodlights briefly went off in the first minute, and Elliott put them in front with a stunning strike.

The teenage midfielder burst forward on the break and let fly with a left-footed strike from 25 yards that flashed past Jose Sa in the 13th minute.

Kostas Tsimikas fired over the crossbar and Cody Gapko was also off target, before Adama Traore showed a complete lack of composure when he drilled wide from a tight angle in a listless first-half display from Wolves.

Julen Lopetegui made a double substitution at the break, introducing Matheus Nunes and Nelson Semedo, but Wolves continued to look short of ideas going forward.

Mohamed Salah entered the fray with 25 minutes to go in a second half that was devoid of quality, with Wolves captain Ruben Neves sending a free-kick just over the bar from a promising position.

The hosts applied some pressure but were unable to fashion an equaliser as the Reds came out on top in a forgettable all-Premier League encounter.

Pablo Sarabia has joined Wolves from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 30-year-old Spain international, who played for La Roja at the World Cup in Qatar, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Wolves.

He becomes their third signing of the window under Julen Lopetegui

Mario Lemina signed from Nice last week, while forward Matheus Cunha has joined on loan from Atletico Madrid with an obligation to buy as Wolves aim to boost their chances of Premier League survival.

Sarabia, who spent last season on loan at Sporting CP, scoring 21 goals, will now help the cause, with Wolves reportedly paying £4.3million (€5m) for the winger.

The former Sevilla attacker has made 19 appearances for PSG this season.

Sarabia's debut could come against Manchester City on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool must "go back to basics" after they were thumped 3-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

A Solly March double and a sublime Danny Welbeck strike condemned Liverpool to a sixth Premier League defeat of the season, with Klopp conceding afterwards that he was "very concerned".

The result left Liverpool ninth in the table, 10 points adrift of the top four having run Manchester City to within a point of the title last season.

The defensive performance at the Amex Stadium was particularly worrying, with Brighton holding 61.9 per cent of the possession and recording 16 shots at Alisson's goal.

Klopp acknowledged Liverpool needed to improve at the back ahead of his side's FA Cup third-round replay at Molineux on Tuesday, following the teams' 2-2 draw at Anfield on January 7.

"These are football problems, and you solve them with football," Klopp said. "To play better football than we did at Brighton should not be that difficult.

"We have to be compact, we have to defend. The pitch looks too big when we are defending.

"You always go back to basics. From there, you can make steps. All the success in football starts with solid defending, and that's what we have to do again.

"We have a lot of things to consider, we have two senior strikers available. We have to find solutions, that's what we do pretty much every day."

While this season has not gone to plan for Liverpool, they have the opportunity against Wolves to get their name into the hat for the FA Cup fourth round, as they bid to retain the trophy after beating Chelsea on penalties in last season's final.

They also have a chance to get revenge on Real Madrid for their 2021-22 Champions League final defeat with the teams set to meet in the round of 16.

Despite the poor first half of the campaign, Klopp does not feel Liverpool need a total rebuild, saying: "Too often this season, we didn't play to our potential. That's the truth.

"We had games that we played really well, but not often enough to be successful.

"We don't want to turn time back, we don't want to start at nil. It's not nil, but we have to start again.

"The good thing about a long career is that it's not the first time I've had a situation like this."

Jurgen Klopp insists he is "not stubborn" when it comes to bringing in new Liverpool players but remains confident in the ability of his current squad.

Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend in a performance Klopp described as the worst he has witnessed during his coaching career.

The Reds, who won a domestic double last season and fell just short of an unprecedented quadruple, are ninth in the Premier League and now 10 points adrift of the top four.

Klopp has already added Cody Gakpo to his squad this window in a deal that could rise to £44million (€50m), but he recently ruled out more signings for the sake of it.

Having grown frustrated at the line of questioning at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Brighton game, Klopp was again tetchy when speaking to reporters on Monday.

"It must be a language issue that you ask this question again and again," he said when probed on potential incoming activity. 

"We look outside. It's not that we are stubborn and think we will go with these boys until 2050. That's not how we see it, it's all about what you can do and what you want to do. 

"It's always each year the same. It should be boring from your side, the transfer window in each press conference. Whoever comes from your agency asks this question. 

"I cannot change my answers. If the solutions for us are out there, available and doable, of course we would bring in players to help. 

"But we have an existing squad as well, and we are underperforming definitely. But I cannot sit here all the time and blame everybody else, it's my responsibility that they perform. 

"That's my first concern. Yes we have limited options, but we have players with a contract here, they are just unavailable. 

"If they are all in, it's a different situation. Our squad is not too small. Yes, we have to strengthen, but is this the right moment for us to [sign a player]? I can't see it."

Liverpool are winless in three matches this year, a run that includes a 2-2 home draw with Wolves in the FA Cup third round.

The sides are set to face off at Molineux in a replay on Wednesday, and Klopp suggested he will name as strong a line-up as possible.

"We go as strong as we can, but it always depends on the situation we're in," he said. "Not all of the players who played the last game are available now, for different reasons. 

"Yes, we'll make changes. We want to win the game so we obviously need fresh legs. 

"The easy thing for me is to tell the boys, 'you put us in a situation with the game at Brighton, let's see how you can get us out of that.' But I just can't do that."