A "world-class" Manchester United ace's future at the club has been in doubt, and a big update has now been provided from journalist Ben Jacobs.
Man United transfer news
The Red Devils have had a very up-and-down season to date, with results actually proving to be better than performances, following four wins in their last five Premier League outings that has got them back into the top-four picture.
In fairness, some of the displays haven't been helped by constant injury problems at Old Trafford, and while Erik ten Hag shouldn't be blameless when it comes to the team's struggles, not having a host of key players can be used as a valid excuse by the Dutchman.
When the January transfer window opens, it could be that United look to add some quality to their squad, especially with so many important figures absent at the moment. The defence could be bolstered, for example, and highly-rated Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio has been linked with a move to the Red Devils.
On the flip side, there is always the risk that certain players could move on midway through the season, should they look for a fresh challenge and see their head turned by a move elsewhere.
Casemiro's Man Utd future
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Casemiro is unlikely to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window, despite interest from Saudi Arabia:
"Casemiro has been a name – like many others such as Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min – on a list of possible targets for 2024.
"But the indication at this point is that he wouldn't like to jump ship from Manchester United mid-season. The Saudi clubs, I think, will be looking for that type of profile in the summer rather than January."
Casemiro is one of many United players out injured currently, and while he has arguably looked like a faded force when he has played this season, losing him in January would still be considered a negative at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian is a born winner who still has plenty to bring to this Red Devils side, and Casemiro has scored four goals this season, showing what he can offer in the final third, as well as continuing to provide quality and work ethic in midfield.
This is someone who has been hailed as a "world-class" player by former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, and at 31 years of age, he still has some years left in the tank.
Rasmus Hojlund
5
Bruno Fernandes
4
Casemiro
4
Scott McTominay
3
It may be that Casemiro decides to leave United at the end of his season, but allowing him to move on in January makes very little sense, at a time when Tan Hag is already scrambling around to have as many squad options as possible.
The hope is that the Brazilian midfielder returns from injury a more refreshed individual than the jaded player on show earlier in the season, proving to be an instrumental figure in the second half of the campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur have plummeted into the ground after devastation struck against Chelsea in the Premier League at the start of November, with injuries and suspensions sustained in that match ravaging the unbeaten start to the campaign.
Ange Postecoglou took the helm in the summer and swiftly instilled confidence and cohesion after Spurs languished to an eighth-placed finish last year, resulting in the August sale of legendary talisman Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.
But while the first team roared into action in the early phase, Tottenham's thinness has been brutally exposed recently, with Micky van de Ven and James Maddison out until the new year and Cristian Romero still suspended – this is not an exhaustive list of absentees.
Rodrigo Bentancur's recent return from an ACL injury has been timely, to say the least, but as Spurs squandered the lead to lose 2-1 to Aston Villa in London on Sunday afternoon, the Uruguayan midfielder was withdrawn with a concerning issue.
Rodrigo Bentacur's Tottenham career so far
Signed from Juventus for £21.5m in January 2022 – alongside Dejan Kulusevski, though the Swede completed an initial 18-month loan – Bentancur gelled with Antonio Conte's Tottenham team and played a key role in securing Champions League qualification, bagging four assists from 17 matches in the Premier League.
The 56-cap international switched assists for goals during the 2022/23 season and enjoyed immense success throughout the early stages, plundering five goals and two assists from just 18 matches from midfield, effusively described as a "Rolls-Royce" by football writer Tom Robinson.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Discipline
Blocking
Interceptions
Tackling
*Sourced via WhoScored
Complementing last year's goal return with an 85% pass success rate, 2.5 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game and success with 66% of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore, the multi-functional star had been a big miss and it's all the more impressive that Postecoglou stirred his side into life in Bentancur's absence.
His exciting campaign was indeed derailed in February when he ruptured his ACL against Leicester City; the £75k-per-week player has just returned and after four appearances, Matty Cash's rash challenge at the weekend has set the alarm bells ringing, with Postecoglou none too pleased amid a mountainous list of absentees.
Rodrigo Bentancur
Postecoglou said: "It’s his ankle, I think. It wasn’t a great tackle. I thought he started the game so well. That’s the last thing we need — another injury. We’ve got eight [players injured], Bentancur nine. We lost Ashley Phillips in the week as well. It’s just the situation we’re in at the minute."
Not good for the Lilywhites, especially after such a convincing start to the campaign, but this dip is circumstantial and it's important to remain sanguine given the situation, with the future very much bright.
But right now, a plan needs to be devised to steer through the forthcoming period – with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City up next – and with Pape Matar Sarr missing the Villa game with a muscular problem sustained on international duty, Spurs' Australian boss could be forced to turn to Eric Dier in the centre of the park.
Eric Dier's season in numbers
Dier, it's probably safe to say, hasn't really won Postecoglou over so far, having failed to make a single appearance across the Premier League and Carabao Cup before the torrent of turmoil against Chelsea forced his inclusion.
Last season, the 29-year-old England international played 42 times across all competitions and earned 33 starts in the league, though with Spurs shipping an embarrassing 63 goals, Dier was very much at the epicentre and was even branded a "liability" by reporter Mitch Fretton.
Signing from Sporting Lisbon for £4m in 2014, the Portuguese-speaking Englishman has chalked up 362 displays for his club and cemented himself as something of a stalwart, albeit receiving rebuke over recent years and currently out of contract at the end of the season.
This season, Dier did actually catch the eye off the bench against Chelsea, fighting hard as nine-man Tottenham valiantly attempted to stifle Chelsea, with football.london's Alasdair Gold handing him an 8/10 match score and writing that he was 'excellent on his return.'
While he hasn't had much match action this term – two appearances – Dier has completed 89% of his passes in the Premier League and averaging one tackle and four ball recoveries per game, also winning 100% of his ground duels so far.
Eric Dier could stand in in midfield
The £85k-per-week Lilywhite ranks among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins, the top 15% for blocks and the top 22% for assists per 90, as per FBref, highlighting some of the facets of his game that do deserve praise.
He's tenacious and industrious, albeit a little rigid in moments, and having been heralded for his flexibility in the past by former manager Mauricio Pochettino now would be a pretty good time to make good on such praise and prove that he can play a part for Postecoglou over the crucial forthcoming period.
The 6 foot 2 ace could be the answer in the centre of the park – in the short-term, at least – moving back to his old role and providing his skills as the central anchor.
While Pierre Emile Hojbjerg appears to be the more natural option to step into the midfield alongside the engine that is Yves Bissouma, the Dane is clearly not entrusted with a prominent role either and was noted for his 'mixed' bag when it came to his distribution after replacing Bentancur against Unai Emery's Villa, being handed a 6/10 match rating by the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick.
Once dubbed "reliable" by Conte, Dier could now earn a chance to move up the field and shine for his outfit, providing a certain sturdiness to see things through over this testing winter period.
Manchester City are willing to submit a huge offer to bring a rising star to the Premier League in January, according to a fresh report.
Man City's summer signings
The Sky Blues secured four fresh faces during the previous transfer window in the form of Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku and Mateo Kovacic, and despite the squad’s impressive form this season, club chiefs are of course assessing who they could sign in January.
The Etihad Stadium outfit have been linked with moves for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz and AC Milan forward Francesco Camarda, but should the hierarchy fail to secure the services of the latter player in particular, Pep Guardiola has set his sights on one of his teammates at the San Siro Stadium.
Man City want to hand “important contract” to record-breaking star
They have “seriously tried” to sign him in the past.
ByHenry Jackson Nov 28, 2023
The Serie A’s left-winger Rafael Leao has firmly established himself as Stefano Pioli’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.14 (WhoScored – AC Milan statistics), but it’s not the first time that he’s been on the radar of the champions in England.
The Portugal international was strongly associated with a switch towards the end of last year, and whilst a deal for the 24-year-old has failed to come to fruition ever since, the following update would suggest that the board are willing to go one step further in order to secure his services in 2024.
Man City preparing bid for Rafael Leao
According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Man City are interested in Leao ahead of January. The Premier League giants are “keen on signing” the attacker and are claimed to be “willing to offer” approximately €150m (£129m) to get a deal over the line.
The AC Milan star will likely find a move attractive considering that he could compete for trophies on a regular basis, not to mention that he’d be able to get coached by Guardiola, so this could be one to keep a close eye on in the near future.
AC Milan forwardRafael Leao.
Leao could be a "difference-maker" for Guardiola
In the Serie A this season, Leao already has seven contributions, four assists and three goals, to his name in 12 appearances, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s constantly posing a threat even if the end product isn’t always there (Transfermarkt – Leao statistics).
Standing at 6 foot 2, Almada’s native has recorded 21 shots over the course of the current campaign which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – AC Milan statistics), highlighting how much of a “difference-maker” he can be in the opposition's area, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Sponsored by Adidas, the forward is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder, so his ability to provide cover would make him a useful option to have in the building.
Having been named AC Milan’s Player of the Year during the 2021/22 season, Leao knows what it takes to be successful and is clearly getting the individual recognition that he deserves, so should the club get him to put pen to paper, it would be a massive coup for Guardiola and Man City.
Adam Armstrong continues to be the main man up top for Southampton under Russell Martin, the proven Championship goalscorer is already into double figures for the Saints after 19 games played.
Southampton's ever-reliable number nine has scored 12 goals in the second tier to date, the 26-year-old helping himself to brace last match against Cardiff City as the Saints romped home to a convincing 2-0 win.
It could be argued, however, that Martin's men depend on Armstrong a bit too much to bail them out in tricky games.
Che Adams and Will Smallbone come in as the next joint top scorers for the Saints this campaign, but are way off Armstrong's hefty tally with a paltry three goals.
Ross Stewart's unfortunate time in a Saints strip to date hasn't helped Southampton share out the goal load effectively either, the Scottish attacker joined the promotion hopefuls from Sunderland in the summer but reoccurring injuries have gotten in the way from him making an impact so far.
Martin could think outside of the box to end his ongoing quest of finding another clinical goalscorer therefore, Saints flop Paul Onuachu potentially returning from a fruitful loan spell out in Turkey ready to be gifted another opportunity to impress up top.
Paul Onuachu's statistics at Southampton
Costing Southampton £18m last season from Genk, Onuachu was meant to the "significant signing" the Saints needed in their bid to mount a relegation escape, as per then-boss Nathan Jones – the Belgian striker hopefully firing in pivotal goals to help his new club stay afloat in the Premier League.
Instead, Onuachu would look out of his depth to the dismay of his new employers who felt ripped off.
The towering, 6 foot 7 striker is still goalless for the Saints, failing to find the back of the net in 12 appearances last season as Southampton sunk down to the Championship.
Folding on the big stage with the south coast club, Onuachu's unerring ability to finish chances without flinching for his previous club Genk was nowhere to be seen in England – the 29-year-old scoring an impressive 85 goals from 134 appearances for the Belgian side.
The disregarded Southampton striker has found a new lease of life away from the club this campaign out on loan at Trabzonspor, finding his shooting boots again.
This spell out in Turkey to date could potentially save his career at St Mary's from completely going down the drain, Martin watching on now with intrigue to see if Onuachu can keep up this newly found electric form.
Paul Onuachu's statistics at Trabzonspor
Onuachu has amassed seven goals already out on loan, from just ten appearances to date for his new short-term club – with journalist Dean Jones hinting that he could be deserving of "another opportunity" back at St Mary's at the end of the season.
Trabzonspor's number 30 has managed to put away seven strikes despite only accumulating an xG of 4.39 playing in Turkey, as per Sofascore, helped by an outrageous strike finding the back of the net against Konyaspor last month.
Onuachu acrobatically connected with a cross into the area to catch the opposing goalkeeper off-guard, Trabzonspor thankful for their loanee's moment of magic which allowed the team to get over the line and win 2-1.
Southampton fans will already be fantasising about Onuachu's return to St Mary's as a different beast, slotting effortlessly into the striker positions alongside the 5 foot 8 Armstrong to form a frightening partnership in attack – the old-school 'little and large' combination.
Yet, Saints fans have fallen victim to getting carried away about the ex-Genk "monster" before – as hailed by journalist Benjy Nurick – and they'll opt to temper their expectations somewhat in case he fails to deliver again.
But, Martin will still have his fingers crossed that the £18m Southampton dud can return and become a deadly striker for the club after such a disappointing start to life in English football.
There is nothing better in football than seeing your side come back from being behind to pull off the impossible, with limbs flying everywhere as the winning goal goes in.
This article is a testament to that often-unfounded resolve we see in this sport we love. So, here at Football FanCast we have gathered a list of what we believe are the greatest Premier League comebacks.
10 Everton 3-2 Wimbledon – 1993/94 Toffees stick it out in the top-flight
Everton were top-flight champions back in 1986/87, yet a few years down the line, they found themselves looking down the barrel at the prospect of playing in the old First Division (now Championship).
On the final day, visitors Wimbledon were 0-2 up before Everton clawed back even with Graham Stuart’s penalty before Barry Horne whipped up an absolute wonderstrike and easy goal of the season contender. Stuart got a bobbling second goal of the game nine minutes from time to send Goodison into relieved jubilation. Ecstatic Everton survived, Sheffield United were condemned to the drop instead.
9 Manchester United 3-2 Newcastle United – 2017/18 Mourinho mastery spares blushes late on against Magpies
Our second featured game isn’t quite ‘Fergie Time’ territory, yet José Mourinho’s Red Devils battled back after two early wake-up calls against travelling Magpies. Kenedy and Yoshinori Muto scored inside ten minutes and had the home fans booing at the break.
However, this game proved as one of a few brief, brilliant Mourinho displays in what was an often-tumultuous spell at Old Trafford. The Portuguese, who brought Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini off the bench in pursuit of victory, saw his side re-energised after the break, when two of his three substitutes found the net.
It was a quick double from Mata (70’) and Martial (76’) before 90 minutes excel further. Alexis Sanchez truly saved the blushes and put a calamitous start to the back of the collective mind.
8 Manchester City 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur Man. City's machine march through Spurs
Erling Haaland Manchester City vs Tottenham
In the face of Tottenham’s near-whimsical scoring approach to this game at the Etihad – machine-like City employed their robots to destroy the hopeful Hotspur last season.
In one of a number of games that depict City’s true title winning ability under Pep, this one was another example of watching the score change with a single tear running down your face. Even though the Citizens saw two strikes separated by just two minutes at the end of the first half, with scorers Julian Alvarez (x1), Erling Haaland (x1), and Riyad Mahrez (x2) – Guardiola’s side projected an ever-present air of inevitability.
Their 116th charge should be that they’re too good at football.
Matt Elliott, Steve Claridge and Emile Heskey put Leicester in a commanding 1-3 lead and what looked like cruise control. However, a Geordie deity intervened in pretty divine fashion.
In the match’s second half, Alan Shearer racked up a performance for the history books. 13 minutes was all it took for the arm-raising front man to notch a superb hat-trick to put the newly employed Kenny Dalglish’s side back in title contention.
Although they’d fall short to old foes Manchester United at the end of the term, it was a blistering scoring sequence and perhaps a benchmark to aim for once more as the latest instalment of inspired Magpies find themselves with Champions League and look to continue at the right end of the table.
6 Manchester City 2-3 Fulham – 2007-08 Lights, Kamara, action – City falter as Fulham beat the drop
To me, Diomansy Kamara was magic. Perhaps it was because back in 2007-08 I had his Match Attax card. Maybe it was the fact that I liked his un-arsed flicking hand-on-ear celebration. He could score a most spectacular strike, yet it’d be added to a catalogue of hand-shaking mastery – uniform in celebration.
Admittedly, I’d perhaps built on his legacy of 12 league goals in 59 games for Fulham too much in my head. However, he was responsible for sealing three key points against Manchester City.
At the Etihad, Fulham came back from two-down to practically cement their Premier League status that term. In a particularly unforgiving season where Derby County went down with a record lowest points tally of 11, 2007-08 saw the West-London side stay up after cancelling out both Stephen Ireland and Benjani’s strikes. Kamara pulled one back, before ‘ol faithful Danny Murphy levelled.
Even better, a fine ball then picked out the Senegal international in the inside left channel. He blasted powerfully into the roof of the net to leave Joe Hart helpless and manager Roy Hodgson boundless in survival joy.
5 West Brom 5-5 Manchester United – 2012/13 Lukaku sacks off Fergie's retirement party and bags Baggies' hat-trick to nick a point
Amazingly, pipping Premier League relegation drama – West Brom came back from 2-5 in just five minutes to get a point against Manchester United in May of 2013.
The league champions strode to a comfortable 0-3 lead through Shinji Kagawa, a Jonas Olsson own goal and then an Alexander Buttner strike. James Morrison reduced the deficit and a formative, exciting Romelu Lukaku made it 3-2 off the bench before Robin van Persie and Chicharito put the hosts in front, a menacing 2-5.
Lukaku, simply oozing quality in a term where he’d eventually notch 17 in 37 games on loan from Chelsea – got a late double and then Youssouf Mulumbu denied United three points. This stunning fight back not only boosted West Brom’s term as they eventually finished eighth, but it also stopped Sir Alex Ferguson from getting a 1,500th (and final) Manchester United win. Retirement party ruined just a smidge, cheers Baggies.
4 Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool – 2013/14 'Crystanbul'
The media and fan dubbing of ‘Crystanbul’ tells you all you need to know about this one. Liverpool effectively threw their first title in 24 years away by dropping points against Palace at a rocking Selhurst Park.
Luis Suarez was in tears, Brendan Rodgers was bereft, and Stevie G was stumped. Initially carving out a consummate 3-0 lead with Joe Allen, a Damien Delaney own goal and then Suarez strike – pressure on Manchester City looked set to continue into the very last knockings of the season.
However, Crystal Palace didn’t care for Liverpool’s near-quarter-of-a-decade wait for the title. Three goals flummoxed the Reds in the final 11 minutes. Delaney amended his prior blunder and then Dwight Gayle shook the stands in South London and Manchester alike as the Citizens went on to triumph.
3 Norwich 4-5 Liverpool – 2015/16 Lateshow Lallana seals comeback in Norwich nine-goal thriller
Where the last game spelled tragedy for Liverpool, in the same vein it comes as a pleasant precursor for 2015/16’s dramatic victory against Norwich.
Where signs of that killer instinct that settles matches and seasons had been missing, this win at Carrow Road reflected a changing landscape under the eccentric Jurgen Klopp as he forged a team of ‘mentality giants’ as the club rebounded from trophy turmoil to a new era where winning would be a characterising feature.
Dieumerci Mbokani, Steven Naismith and Wes Hoolahan had put Norwich 3-1 up, but Liverpool hit back to lead 4-3 via Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino's second of the game and James Milner. Alex Neil thought his side had salvaged a point when Sebastien Bassong equalised in the 92nd minute of the contest, but Adam Lallana had other ideas as he pounced onto a delicious half volley into Declan Rudd’s top left corner. It's a shirt off run for a bundle from Lallana.
Klopp sacrificed a pair of glasses in the commotion. It was definitely worth it in this formative, era-defining moment.
2 Newcastle United 4-4 Arsenal – 2010/11 Late magic from a late Newcastle icon
Our second placed comeback comes again via Newcastle United. Back in February 2011, Alan Pardew’s side came back from four goals down and snatched a point – all while deep into the second half of play.
The fans that decided to stay at St. James were treated to the sublime as four goals were scored in the final 22 minutes. The hosts were blown away in the first period with Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou, and two from Robin van Persie caused the damage.
However, the dismissal of Abou Diaby five minutes into the second spell signalled a change in momentum and Joey Barton got the first of two successful penalties on 68 minutes. Leon Best’s strike was sandwiched between those before the late-Cheick Tiote finished the scoring in the 87th minute with a long-range piledriver volley that found the bottom left corner with expert quality.
It was a serious comeback, and a truly serious style of goal to be synonymous with – especially given Tiote’s tragic death just six years later.
1 Manchester City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers – 2011/12
Aguerooooooooooooo
What can I write here? It’s one of the most iconic Premier League moments. I think any English football fan would have it up there in the last 15 years especially. Regardless of where loyalties may lie, that goal and its subsequent Martin Tyler-explosion commentary sent ripples around the football world as the giant of Manchester City had touched down into Barclays history.
The red half of Manchester sighed as the gap between them and their rivals slimmed considerably. Their side bumbled to a mere 0-1 win away at Sunderland – City with it still all to play for – were yet to exhale as their game crept steadily into the very depths of additional time.
Pablo Zabaleta had netted the opener for Roberto Mancini's side, yet Djibril Cisse levelled for QPR. Even worse, they then went ahead through Jamie Mackie, despite Joey Barton's dismissal. That said, Edin Dzeko gave City a lifeline with his head before Sergio Aguero snatched his club’s first top-flight title in 44 years and bound himself deep within the pages of the Premier League’s history book.
Manchester United are thought to be in advanced talks to sign a new defender in a crazy £40m+ transfer, according to one journalist.
Man Utd transfer rumours
The Red Devils, following the announcement of investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, could be active during the January transfer window after what has proven to be a poor season under Erik ten Hag so far.
One position where the club may need to strengthen is at the back, with rumours of United being ready to accept an offer for Raphael Varane this month. Should the Frenchman depart, United would be left with just Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans as senior centre-back options, with three of those four actually unavailable at this moment in time.
There have been plenty of defenders linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks, as can be seen below.
David Alaba
18th December
Fikayo Tomori
16th December
Ronald Araujo
11th December
Jean-Clair Todibo
10th December
Marc Guehi
9th December
Leny Yoro
8th December
However, it seems as if one player who is not on that list is emerging as a real target for United, who appear to be making their move behind the scenes.
Man Utd in advanced talks to sign Giorgio Scalvini
Man Utd News relayed an update from journalist Seb Ecrivain Foot of French outlet Les Bons Conceil Du Sports regarding United and Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini.
He claimed that the Red Devils are in advanced talks to sign the player by activating his release clause which is set at £44m.
“Man Utd is not far from completing the acquisition of the talented Italian defender Scalvini by paying £44 million. Negotiations are at an advanced stage, with the club ready to fulfill the release clause of the 20-year-old nugget.”
This comes after reports suggested a deal will require a "crazy" offer of at least €50m (£43m) from United to sign Scalvini, and it looks as if that is on course to being completed, should these latest claims prove accurate.
Scalvini is a right-footed centre-back who can also play as a holding midfielder if needed and appears to be going from strength to strength, with his Transfermarkt valuation at a career-high €40m. The 20-year-old already has seven senior caps to his name for Italy and 75 appearances under his belt for Atalanta after progressing through the academy. (Giorgio Scalvini stats – Transfermarkt)
Giorgio Scalvini stats in 2023/24 – Serie A (SofaScore)
Tackles per game
2.1
Interceptions per game
2.1
Clean sheets
4
Balls recovered per game
5.6
Clearances per game
2.4
He appears to be a future star. For example, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described his style of play as ‘complete, elegant and dominant centre-back – comfortable to play as a RCB and LCB – modern defender, who combines strength with good technique and passing – perfect mix of a pure defender and ball-playing defender’.
Kulig also said that strengths of the defender are his pace, aerial duels, marking, athleticism, tackling and intercepting, anticipation, passing, technique and his ability to read the game, so he could turn into the complete package at Old Trafford.
Therefore, a winter window move could prove to be a shrewd one by the Red Devils, and by the looks of things, a transfer could be progressing.
Leeds United have been quite inconsistent in the Championship in recent weeks, picking up merely two wins in their last five matches and are still eight points adrift of second-place Ipswich Town.
Having spent so long in third in the 2023/24 campaign, the Peacocks have been overtaken by Southampton who are on an 18-game unbeaten run and look primed to move into the top two.
If Leeds are to get some consistency, Daniel Farke may need to dip into the transfer market to bolster his squad ahead of the final few months of the season.
Leeds United transfer news – Daniel Farke
It was revealed by journalist Darren Witcoop that Leeds United are interested in signing Welsh defender Connor Roberts before the January transfer window closes, a claim that has since been corroborated by Phil Hay of The Athletic – who has stated that the full-back is someone Farke and co are "looking at".
Burnley right-back Connor Roberts.
It has also been reported by The Mirror (January 11, page 53), that Burnley are willing to cash in on the Wales international this winter as Roberts has gone from being a promotion hero last season for the Clarets to a mere squad player, with his market value now sitting at just £4m, as per CIES Football Observatory.
Furthermore, Leeds lost Djed Spence once the January market opened up as Tottenham Hotspur recalled the fullback from his disappointing loan spell, while Luke Ayling has moved to Middlesbrough on a permanent basis. Farke needs to add depth to his backline and Roberts could potentially fill this void.
Connor Roberts' stats this season
Having been a mainstay in Burnley's squad last season, playing in 43 of the side's 46 Championship matches, Roberts was instrumental in helping the Clarets to escape from England's second tier at the first time of asking under Vincent Kompany.
However, this time around, the Welshman has become a rotation player, particularly in recent weeks. The 28-year-old has not started a single Premier League match for Burnley since a 3-0 loss to Brentford in October in which he received two yellow cards and was given his marching orders.
With Wales in the Euro 2024 playoff against Finland, Roberts may be looking for regular first-team minutes to ensure his place in Rob Page's lineup, having been so good in the past for his country. The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell even claimed that Roberts "finishes like a striker" after scoring a goal to seal a 2-0 victory against Turkey in Euro 2021.
A move to Elland Road may be the best scenario for the fullback. It has been reported over the past month that left-back Junior Firpo is keen to leave the club this winter, having played just 279 minutes of competitive football under Farke. What makes Roberts special is that he can comfortably play on the opposite side of the defence too and has slotted in as a left-back 16 times in his career, scoring once and grabbing as many assists.
In this sense, Farke would be killing two birds with one stone as Roberts can cover as both a left-back and a right-back. However, the experienced defender won't want to sit and take his place on the bench if he moves to Leeds. Based on his stats from an excellent campaign in the Championship last year, Roberts could be coming for both Archie Gray and Sam Byram, particularly the latter.
Goals
0
0.1
0.06
Expected Goals
0.01
0.08
0.07
Assists
0.04
0.16
0.06
Expected Assists
0.03
0.09
0.09
Progressive Passes
4.05
7.37
5.26
Passing Accuracy %
83.1
85.7
79.9
Key Passes
0.54
1.05
0.86
Passes To Final Third
4.01
5.33
2.96
Passes To Penalty Area
0.23
1.25
0.72
Ball Recoveries
5.86
4.59
5.72
Stats via FBref
Farke has put massive faith in young Gray this season and will likely not drop him to the bench, but Byram is now on the wrong side of 30 and so the German coach could be looking at potentially replacing the former West Ham United defender.
Furthermore, Byram is right-footed and so is Roberts, which suits the way Farke's team attack this season. With experience and quality, this could be an excellent signing by Leeds.
Crystal Palace’s season has been rather underwhelming so far, however progress has been made over the last few matches.
On Thursday night, the Eagles drew 0-0 with Everton in the FA Cup, but their most recent Premier League game was a 3-1 home victory against Brentford.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024
That result put Roy Hodgson's side in 14th, which highlights that additions are needed in January.
Crystal Palace transfers latest – Eddie Nketiah
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Palace are interested in signing a forward, with Eddie Nketiah on the list.
The Arsenal star, who is “very Ian Wright like” according to pundit Tony Cascarino, is valued at £40m by the Gunners, according to Football Insider.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
However, the north Londoners aren't willing to sell Nketiah unless they sign a new striker in January, leaving the ball in Arsenal’s court.
How Nketiah compares to Jean-Phillipe Mateta
Neither Odsonne Edouard nor Jean-Phillipe Mateta have been able to make the number nine role at Selhurst Park their own, as shown by the fact that they have both netted just 35 goals between them in 172 combined appearances.
Over the last few years, it seems that a true centre forward has been the final piece of the Palace puzzle, and they could have done with a player like Ian Wright, who scored 118 goals in 227 appearances for the Eagles between 1985 and 1991 – prior to his own heroics in the red of Arsenal.
Wright was a clinical poacher with a vast skillset, and Nketiah’s movement and “pure goal scorer” trait, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, are reminiscent of the former Palace and Gunners icon.
The table below displays Mateta’s and Nketiah’s stats from the last year across the top European leagues, with the Englishman seemingly set to offer a potential upgrade for Hodgson and co.
Non-penalty goals
0.14
0.41
Shots total
1.88
3.18
Touches (att pen)
3.75
6.56
Progressive carries
1.15
1.79
Pass completion %
71.9%
78.9%
As you can see by the non-penalty goals per 90 stats, the Arsenal forward is much more of a goal-scorer than Mateta. Nketiah also possesses athletic attributes that Hodgson doesn’t currently have within his striker options, such as pace and dynamism.
The Englishman’s movement – which has been likened to Wright by pundit Roy Keane – is also elite, which would give Palace an option to play the ball in behind, as Mateta is a striker who lacks speed and is essentially a target player.
With the creativity of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who star on opposite sides, Nketiah would thrive in the box where he likes to operate, as displayed by the high number of touches he has in the attacking penalty area. Furthermore, the 24-year-old is capable of carrying the ball forward, which will make him dangerous in the Palace side which tends to create most of their chances on the counterattack.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
Another attribute that would be vital at Palace and make him an upgrade on their number 14 is that the Gunners attacker retains the ball brilliantly. This is portrayed by his high pass completion statistics, and as the Eagles tend to endure spells without possession, it is important that they aren’t wasteful when they do win it back.
Overall, it is clear that Nketiah has plenty of desirable traits that would enhance Palace. If they can keep hold of Eze and Olise and sign the Arsenal forward, the Eagles could go from a steady mid-table side to a team that could be challenging for European spots.
Whilst Liverpool's focus was on revamping their midfield during the summer transfer window, it seems as though their attention has turned towards elsewhere in Jurgen Klopp's squad this month, as they gear up for a vital Premier League title run in.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds may not have originally planned to endure a busy month of transfer business, but Joel Matip's season-ending injury alongside injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson, among others, could have forced Liverpool's hand.
That said, according to Football Transfers, Liverpool have held talks over a deal to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a transfer that would provide cover down Klopp's left-hand side. Meanwhile, those at Anfield may not be done when it comes to midfield additions, having reportedly joined the race for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.
Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz
What's more, according to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have made their first move to sign a centre-back this month, making "calls" to agents. The transfer expert said in his Daily Briefing for Caught Offside: “As mentioned yesterday, Liverpool are exploring the market for potential new signings at centre-back, though it’s not something urgent or guaranteed to happen this January, as we know Liverpool generally prefer to do their business in the summer.
“I don’t have any concrete name yet at this stage, but I was just told that Liverpool have made some calls to some centre-backs’ agents to be informed on situations – it hasn’t become a concrete negotiation as of now. It’s not easy to find top players in the January window, that’s the problem.”
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Whilst it remains to be seen just who those centre-backs are, reports have linked the Merseyside club with moves for Ousmane Diomande, Goncalo Inacio and Jean-Clair Todibo, who they are reportedly in pole position for over the likes of Manchester United. So, it could yet be an interesting couple of weeks at Anfield.
Matip's injury has forced Liverpool's hand
Matip's ACL injury has left Liverpool with no choice but to pursue a centre-back this month. The former Schalke man, when available, joined Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez on a list of five solid options for Klopp to choose from. With Matip now out and his contract expiring in the summer either way, and Gomez covering the full-back role, Liverpool's list has gone from five to three options all too quickly, raising the need for another central defender.
Like Romano, Klopp spoke about the problem of finding top players in the January transfer window, saying last month via 90Min: "In eight years here, I just never understand this. You always talk about transfers as if they would be the easiest thing in the world. Just bring in a player, find the money for it, as if we have endless money. I really don’t understand it. Everybody, you, the fans, everyone talks about it.
“They all cost money. It has to be the right player. Tell me a club who wants to sell a top, top centre-half who could play for Liverpool? Why should we start that process? We’ve only known for a few days that Joel will be out for a long time, which is really bad for us. We still have four centre-halves which is absolutely alright."
However, the damage done by recent injuries is too great for the boss to ignore if he wants to keep fighting on four fronts.
Former Chelsea star Gus Poyet has given his take on the Blues season so far and picked two players who are having a "real impact" at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea finally clicking in attack
After coming in over the summer, Mauricio Pochettino was backed by Todd Boehly and the Blues board with a number of new faces arriving ahead of his first Premier League campaign with Chelsea. Several of those were in attack, but it's only recently the Blues have kicked it up a notch in the final third, scoring 16 times across their last six games in all competitions.
Chelsea summer signings
Axel Disasi (Monaco)
£38.5m
Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)
£30.1m
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
£52m
Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)
£17.27m
Robert Sanchez (Brighton)
£25m
Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
£115m
Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)
£23.5m
Angelo Gabriel (Santos)
Undisclosed
Alex Matos (Norwich)
Undisclosed
Diego Moreira (Benfica)
Undisclosed
Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)
Undisclosed
Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)
Undisclosed
Romeo Lavia (Southampton)
£58m
Deivid Washington (Santos)
£17.1m
Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)
£14m
Cole Palmer (Manchester City)
£42.5m
All fees courtesy of Sky Sports
The likes of Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling have been regulars for Chelsea during the current campaign and both helped the club overturn a first-leg deficit against Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup semi-final. The Blues ran out 6-1 winners on the night, with Sterling and Palmer both registering goal contributions as Chelsea booked their place at Wembley.
It hasn’t been so positive in the Premier League, though, with a number of defeats leaving Chelsea with plenty to do if they are to finish in the top four. When it comes to individual performances in the league, two of the top Chelsea players so far this season, as per WhoScored, have indeed been Palmer and Sterling, and they have caught the eye of Poyet.
Poyet picks out Chelsea's top players
Speaking to Football FanCast on behalf of William Hill, Poyet feels there have been signs of improvement under Pochettino and highlighted Palmer and Sterling as two players who are leading the charge.
"Looking at Chelsea though, we are seeing signs of improvement. I think Palmer is now having a real impact in the team and I think Sterling, under the circumstances, is having a very good season.
"With Reece James and Ben Chilwell being injured, this is difficult for the coach, but consistency is the key for a team if they want to achieve success."
So far this season in the Premier League, no Chelsea player has scored more goals than Palmer (9), or provided more assists (4) than the 21-year-old. His move from Manchester City is looking like a shrewd piece of business, despite the player even admitting the plan wasn’t initially to leave the Etihad on a permanent deal over the summer.
Meanwhile, Sterling has contributed to 15 goals in all competitions this season, already more than his total tally during his first season at Stamford Bridge. The two attackers could therefore be crucial over the coming months if Chelsea are to lift the EFL Cup and climb up the Premier League table under Pochettino.