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Since Lee Bowyer stepped into the Charlton hotseat, the 42-year-old has been forced to rely heavily on loan deals with Roland Duchatelet holding a tight grip of his purse-strings at The Valley.

The Addicks boss has only spent a fee on Macauley Bonne out of the 14 players he has signed for the south London club, and whilst we assume the former Leeds midfielder would prefer to get players on a permanent basis, the loan system has been paying dividends for Bowyer.

Back in the summer, Chelsea decided to send Conor Gallagher to The Valley, while Josh Cullen re-joined the Addicks having spent last season on loan as well.

West Brom also allowed Jonathan Leko to spend the 2019/20 campaign in south London, whereas the Baggies also let Sam Field sign for the Addicks on loan.

While Field and Cullen have been solid performers, Gallagher has arguably been the standout name. The England U21 international is Charlton’s joint-top scorer with five league goals – Leko has also impressed with two goals and two assists this term.

So, which one of the loan stars should Bowyer try and sign on a permanent basis?

Billy Meyers

“If money wasn’t an object, then Bowyer should go all out to sign Gallagher from Chelsea given his huge impact so far. The Charlton boss has already said that he sees a bit of himself in the 19-year-old midfielder, and the teen looks to have all the makings of becoming a top-class talent – however, given Frank Lampard’s impressive use of his young players, it would surely take a huge offer from Charlton to prise him away. In that case, the man who makes the Addicks tick in Josh Cullen should be prioritised. 

“Head of Recruitment Steve Gallen was over the moon to bring Cullen back to The Valley in the summer, and he has once again been a key cog in the midfield as the Addicks sit 9th in the Championship – some Charlton fans on Twitter even hijacked a thread to demand his permanent arrival . If there is even a glimmer of a chance to sign him, Charlton must jump at it.”

Charles Jones

“I think that Bowyer should be looking at signing more than one of these loanees on a permanent deal, but if he were to pick just one it should be Gallagher. I’m not sure how viable signing Gallagher would be as Lampard may fancy giving him a go at Chelsea after his impressive season out on loan so far.

“However, if the Addicks can keep the midfielder at the club he would be a real asset for years to come. He’s only 19 years old, and he could develop into a fantastic player after netting five Championship goals already this term.”

VJ

“Goal-scorers are like stardust. They are very rare to find, and even harder to keep. So for Charlton to pull off the massive coup by landing Gallagher on loan in the summer has to go down as a Lee Bowyer master-stroke. What makes the 19-year-old’s exploits this season even more impressive is that he has predominantly played in holding midfield, with eight games in that position.

“Despite not being a striker, he has bagged himself five goals and provided a further two assists in the Championship, and having someone who can pop up with vital strikes from anywhere other than the front-line is invaluable. If the Addicks do one thing, then securing the permanent signing of Gallagher has to be the biggest priority.”

Kealan Hughes

“Gallagher is the obvious choice because of the goals he has contributed in a relatively short period of time, but it seems unrealistic that Bowyer would be able to persuade him into a permanent stay at the Valley.

“As a result, Cullen would be the best option. He has shown he is pivotal to Bowyer’s system by starting in all but one league match and his average of two tackles per game shows his importance to Charlton’s organised style, helping them have the eighth-best defence in the division.

“He is also useful with the ball at his feet and his 84% pass accuracy makes him a valuable player to have whether on the right of a diamond or sitting deep – the fact he is in his second loan spell at the Addicks in as many years also suggests he is highly-rated by the manager.”

Gaetano Berardi hasn’t had the best of careers in west Yorkshire. His rescinded red card last weekend was his eighth in Leeds colours.

It’s a rather shambolic record but sums up why he cannot be trusted by Marcelo Bielsa and those around him.

The referee in Leeds’ defeat at The Den adjudged him to foul Tom Bradshaw, although he barely touched him, while he also deemed it to be worthy of a dismissal.

It was a bizarre incident but that hasn’t stopped the Swiss defender taking on vast amounts of criticism.

In a thread on Twitter, many took to the social media platform demanding that this was his final season at Elland Road.

The 31-year-old was blasted a complete liability as one went as far as suggesting he needed sacking off. That was echoed by a number of supporters – a further individual said to get him gone.

Another supporter said he was costing the club points.

Berardi has been a bit-part figure of the squad in recent times and has started just twice in the Championship this term.

Whether Bielsa keeps the faith in him with Liam Cooper out injured remains to be seen.

Here’s what’s being said about the centre-back.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Liverpool were linked with Napoli star Fabian Ruiz last month, and the Spain international showed exactly why on Tuesday night against Sweden.

Calciomercato claimed last month that the Reds are one of four clubs chasing Ruiz, and The Daily Mail reported a week later that Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Merseysiders all want the 23 year-old.

With both Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struggling through various injuries during their time at Anfield, it is certainly feasible that Jurgen Klopp could seek another addition in the centre of the park, and Ruiz showed on Tuesday he could be everything Keita was supposed to be.

A little bit of everything, best of both worlds, the perfect hybrid. Those were the types of words used to describe Keita upon his arrival, due to his stats representing an almost flawless all-round game.

Indeed, in his final Bundesliga season with RB Leipzig, the Guinea international scored six goals and provided five assists, averaged 1.6 shots, 1.4 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per game while also boasting an impressive 2.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions each match, per WhoScored.

At Liverpool though, every single one of those numbers has declined drastically, and Ruiz is now posting similar numbers in Italy to those that Keita did in Germany.

In six Serie A showings this campaign, the Spaniard averages 2.7 shots per game, 1.7 key passes, 1.2 dribbles, 1.2 tackles and 1.7 interceptions.

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Against Sweden on Tuesday, not only did he secure the highest Sofascore rating of any player while setting up the last-minute goal that put his country into next summer’s European Championship, he dropped an almost perfect performance on both sides of the ball.

He led the game in touches with 115, but only gave the ball away seven times, racking up a 94% passing accuracy. To put that into perspective, the second highest-rated player, Dani Carvajal, gave the ball away 19 times and recorded 88% passing.

Ruiz won all five of his duels, including three tackles, and his aforementioned assist was just one of four total key passes on the night. Of the eight long balls he attempted, six of them were successful, while he also completed the only dribble he attempted and registered a shot on target.

It really was the type of box-to-box, commanding, dominating display that Keita was supposed to bring with him to Anfield, and the Reds’ reported interested in Ruiz looks more and more believable with every passing performance.

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West Ham United will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions when they face Oxford United in the third round of the Carabao Cup at the Kassam Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Irons come into the clash against the League One outfit on the back of four successive clean sheets, including a 2-0 success against Manchester United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Their opponents aren’t in bad form themselves though, and they recorded a massive 6-0 victory on the road against Lincoln City at the weekend.

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini picked a relatively strong XI full of senior players in the previous round against Newport County, and we expect him to do the same here.

Here is our prediction for the team the Chilean will select on Wednesday…

Roberto replwaces Lukasz Fabianski between the sticks having kept guard against Newport in the second round last month, and we expect Pellegrini to make a couple of changes in his backline as well.

While we think Aaron Cresswell and Issa Diop will keep their places, the former Manchester City boss will hand chances to Fabian Balbuena and Pablo Zabaleta with Ryan Fredericks and Angelo Ogbonna rested.

Ahead of them, Carlos Sanchez gets some vital minutes as a defensive midfielder alongside Jack Wilshere, who will be determined to take his opportunity given the competition he faces from the likes of Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Pablo Fornals for a starting spot in the Premier League.

Fornals and Robert Snodgrass should take two of the attacking positions with the former still adapting to life in English football, but we suspect Pellegrini may spring a bit of a surprise and hand Nathan Holland his full debut – and just his second appearance in a claret and blue shirt after he made his bow against Bolton last term – on the left, so as to avoid using Felipe Anderson from the start.

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The exciting 21-year-old was the subject of glowing praise from U23s coach Dmitri Halajko following his display against Middlesbrough on Friday, with the winger scoring once and assisting twice more before being described as “quite possibly the best left midfielder in the league.”

That leaves the centre-forward position, which Albian Ajeti fills as the Switzerland international looks to score his first goal for the club.

In today’s West Ham United roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Hammers. Glen Johnson has ripped into the players after the defeat to Oxford United in midweek, it has been revealed what Manuel Pellegrini said to his men post-defeat in the League Cup, and Rafael Benitez has weighed in on the top six debate.

Johnson slams players for ‘not being bothered’

Report: Former England international Johnson has slated the West Ham players for ‘not being bothered’ about the game against Oxford in the Carabao Cup. He told talkSPORT: “They’ve been battered. Yes, they made changes and obviously these competitions can kick up the odd strange result, but to be hammered 4-0… that’s not just exiting the competition, that’s getting battered and destroyed.

“If they lost on penalties or it was 1-0, you think yeah, that can happen in football, but they made nine changes and were clearly played off the park by a mid-table league one side.

“I genuinely don’t get it, it’s a chance of winning trophy and a chance of winning a trophy by February.

“Clubs use it to give young lads minutes and give players who aren’t regularly playing a game, but you can do that at the same time as taking the cup seriously. You can still field a strong side and give a few players a chance.

“But to make nine changes, I think that is blatantly saying, ‘we’re not bothered, we’re just going to keep everybody fit for the weekend’.”

Verdict: It is has been 40 years since West Ham last won a trophy, and this is now the third year in a row the Hammers have been knocked out of a domestic competition thanks to a League One side. Last year saw Wimbledon beat them 4-2 in the FA Cup and the year prior saw Wigan Athletic overcome David Moyes’ men 2-0 in the same competition.

Results like this happening on a consistent basis prove the club are not taking the League Cup as seriously as they should. Despite a potential fight for the top six on the cards, the reality is West Ham are going to struggle to get into Europe, and of course, winning the FA Cup is much harder than reigning supreme in Carabao Cup.

This is a competition Pellegrini should be prioritising. If his side does indeed crack the top six, it will no doubt be classed as a successful season. However, if West Ham ends up outside the top six, and without a trophy, it will be the complete opposite.

It is still, to this day, quite bewildering why clubs of their level do not set their eyes on winning this major trophy.

Benitez on the top six

Report: In a Q&A with The Athletic (as quoted by Inside Futbol), former Liverpool boss Benitez has had his say on the likes West Ham and Leicester City setting their sights on a challenge for the top six.

The current Dalian Yifang manager said: “We talk about ‘six teams’, but for me Leicester, West Ham, Wolves and Everton can progress and challenge.

“Again, I will say Tottenham have all the experience and quality to do well and to stay in the top four.”

Verdict: Although they had such a negative result against Oxford, the Hammers have indeed laid down an early marker in their fight for the top six in the Premier League. Despite the demolition from Manchester City on the opening weekend, Pellegrini’s men have not lost in the league since and most recently registered a famous win over Manchester United, in what was made to look like a routine 2-0 victory.

On the forward front, West Ham have looked very promising and have proved to be a concern for anybody travelling to the London Stadium. Sebastian Haller has three goals in his first five games at the club, Andriy Yarmolenko has bagged twice in the early stages, and Felipe Anderson has seemingly carried on his spectacular form of last season, averaging a rating of a 7.54 rating and providing two assists.

The east London side have certainly put themselves in a great spot early on for the top six battle. But perhaps the Hammers are going to need a bit of fortune along the way with injuries and results elsewhere.

Pellegrini’s dressing room rant

Report: As reported by Football Insider, manager Pellegrini delivered a passionate rant after he was left red-faced following the 4-0 hammering at the hands of Oxford. Normally a calm soul on the touchline, the Chilean reportedly slammed his players post-match for letting him down and was ‘seething’ at his men.

Verdict: When you lose to a side 12th in League One by such a dramatic margin, somebody must take the fall. In these situations, it is too easy to point fingers at the man in charge when in reality, it’s the players who are the ones who should take much of the blame.

Players such as Jack Wilshere, Pablo Zabaleta and Robert Snodgrass are all highly experienced, with some of them boasting of FA Cup and Premier League medals. Ultimately, players in the Premier League are paid more and put on a pedestal based on the fact their ability is far, far superior to a side 75 places below them in the football pyramid, and in reality, there is no excuse for losing to them.

Truthfully, it is harsh to put the blame on Pellegrini, especially considering he has put the club in an early battle for the top six. The Hammers had 63% of the ball against the U’s, registering only nine shots compared to Oxford’s 17, and when all is considered, the Chilean had a right to express his disappointment and anger towards his players for not getting the job done.

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has admitted via The Birmingham Mail that he has used suspended midfielder John McGinn at left-back in training this week, because of the number of options he has in the centre of the park ahead of the trip to Stoke City on Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, McGinn has established himself as a key player for the Midlands outfit following his move to Villa Park last summer, but he will miss the clash against the Potters and the subsequent fixture against Derby County after picking up his 10th booking of the campaign against West Bromwich Albion last time out.

His absence gives the likes of Glenn Whelan, Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason to stake a claim for a spot in the starting XI, and Smith has admitted that he has played the former Hibernian man out of position as result.

The 47-year-old told The Birmingham Mail: “I’ve even been putting John at left-back in training this week! He’s missing for two games so I haven’t needed him in central midfield in training.”

Could he do a job there in future?

The 24-year-old probably could with Neil Taylor hardly pulling up any trees in recent times, but McGinn should only ever play there if it is a necessity.

The Scotland international has become such an integral player in the middle that he needs to be there whenever he is available, given the drive, quality and commitment he brings to the position and the team in general.

Villa will be looking for some momentum in the coming weeks for a promotion push either this season or next, and having McGinn in his best position is key to those aims.

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Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have mocked Arsenal summer signing Nicolas Pepe following his latest display in his side’s 2-2 draw with Watford on Sunday.

The Ivory Coast international was named alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top in the starting XI at Vicarage Road, and while the Gabon international netted a brace, his partner was far less effective and influential on the day, being dispossessed on two occasions and suffering three examples of bad control, according to WhoScored.

Pepe reportedly cost the Gunners £72m when he signed from Lille during the summer transfer window, but he only has one assist to his name in five Premier League appearances so far as he gets to grips with life in England.

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Meanwhile, The Times reported last year that Spurs also held an interest in the winger, but it was their arch-rivals who eventually got a deal over the line.

Mauricio Pochettino has the likes of Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min to fill the wide positions if required though, and on Sunday’s evidence Tottenham supporters don’t seem too upset that Pepe isn’t lining up for them in a white shirt instead.

Many took to Twitter to mock the 24-year-old, with some even comparing him to former flop Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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As per reliable reporter Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard, there has been a big update on Tottenham Hotspur’s bid to sign Lewes starlet Ollie Tanner.

The Lowdown: Tottenham table bid…

The Athletic first broke news that Tottenham had tabled an offer on Saturday to sign the non-League sensation as they aim to beat Premier League rivals Brighton to his signature.

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Tanner has been making waves for Lewes in the Isthmian League Premier Division, attracting interest from the English top flight as Spurs now aim to secure a deal for the forward.

Sharing an update on their pursuit, Kilpatrick says today could be big.

The Latest: Club chiefs set for talks…

According to the reporter, Spurs have indeed ‘made a bid’ to sign Tanner and Lewes club chiefs are ‘due to hold a board meeting’ today over whether to accept it.

Tottenham, however, are ‘not yet thought’ to have met the 19-year-old’s asking price amid ‘widespread’ interest from a number of other sides.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The teenager has attracted plenty of praise for his performances, with his manager Tony Russell calling Tanner ‘special’, and it is important that Tottenham find a like-for-like academy replacement for ex-winger Dilan Markanday.

Markanday completed a permanent move to Blackburn Rovers earlier in the window and his departure will have left a sour taste in the mouths of some within Spurs – especially going by his exceptional goal return at youth level this season.

Given Tanner’s demand across the Premier League, it is clear that he could slot into Markanday’s stead and make up the numbers as Spurs continue to nurture their prospering academy.

In other news: Conte ‘very, very close’ to signing which ‘could really excite the Tottenham fans’…find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Atalanta powerhouse Duvan Zapata…

What’s the talk?

Magpies reporter Keith Downie has rebuffed claims that the club will make a move for the centre-forward before the window slams shut.

Speaking live on Sky Sports News (21:20), he said: “I heard a slight whisper about an hour ago that they may try for Duvan Zapata. I’m told that is not the case.”

Gutted

This update will surely leave Eddie Howe gutted as Zapata could have been a huge signing for the club on deadline day, due to what he could have brought to the table.

The Colombian striker could have been a difference-maker for the Toon as he has proven his quality at the top level for Atalanta. He has scored 78 goals and provided 38 assists in 152 matches for the Italian club, including nine goals and five assists in 16 Serie A games this term.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin are the only players in the Newcastle squad who have scored more than twice in the league this term for the club. Neither of them have managed more than six, three short of Zapata’s nine, which suggests that Howe is in dire need of attacking reinforcements.

The ex-Cherries boss does not have an abundance of goalscorers in his team and the signing of Zapata could have gone a long way to solving that issue. He is a proven finisher who has shown that he can regularly find the back of the net in a top European league, suggesting that he could have been a huge player for the Toon, as he could have scored the goals to seal vital points in the Premier League.

Therefore, Howe will be gutted that the club have not pursued a deal to sign him on deadline day. He could be frustrated with those behind the scenes making the decisions as he could now be left without adequate resources to work with in the final third heading into the final few months of the season.

AND in other news, Ornstein: NUFC make “dramatic late attempt” for deal that’ll get St James’ rocking…

With Valerien Ismael fielding a strong West Bromwich Albion side in Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup clash against Brighton, it is clear that the 46-year-old was hoping to secure something of an upset against Graham Potters’ Seagulls.

However, despite taking the lead through Callum Robinson’s strike shortly after half-time, all hope of securing a Premier League scalp at The Hawthorns vanished in a matter of minutes – two, to be exact – as Albion’s stand-in centre-back Cedric Kipre received two bookings in the space of just 120 seconds.

Indeed, Jakub Moder pulled the visitors level with just nine minutes of normal time remaining – ensuring that the fixture would go to extra time – before Neal Maupay completed the turnaround on 98 minutes. Ismael’s hope of a top-flight scalp was an opportunity very much missed, with the match finishing 2-1 to Brighton.

While it was undoubtedly the 25-year-old’s dismissal which turned the tide in the game, the £900k-rated defender’s overall performance today demonstrated exactly why Ismael is reportedly open to parting with the former Ivory Coast under-23 international this month.

Fewer touches than Button

Indeed, over his 69 minutes on the pitch, the £14k-per-week defender had just 34 touches of the ball – 16 fewer than David Button between the West Brom sticks – completed just 18 of his 25 passes (a success rate of just 72%) and lost possession of the ball nine times.

These returns saw the defender receive a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.0, the lowest of any Albion player to feature this afternoon. The Athletic’s Steve Madeley also dubbed Kipre “daft” for giving “the ref a decision to make” regarding his second yellow card.

As such, while West Brom are currently short of options at centre-back – with Semi Ajayi away at the African Cup of Nations and Dara O’Shea not yet back from injury – Ismael must nevertheless do all he can to axe the 25-year-old before the month is up. His display against Brighton is only the latest time Kipre has cost Albion dearly, and we believe that the defender must surely have played his final game for the club.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops 4-word transfer update which will leave West Brom fans furious