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West Ham United look set to lose £150,000-a-week ace as his move away from the London Stadium is more "a matter of when rather than if", per transfers expert Graeme Bailey.

West Ham United news – What's the latest?

There's no escaping from the fact that it just hasn't been a good summer for the Hammers this year.

Things kicked off with the sale of their talismanic club captain Declan Rice, who joined cross-city rivals Arsenal in a deal worth £105m, and whilst that is an undeniably large sum of money, their inability to spend much of it has been a real issue.

The club finally made their first signing of the window last week when they spent £35m on Mexican international Edson Alvarez, a transfer they quickly followed up by signing Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse for a fee of around £30m.

Read the latest West Ham United transfer news HERE…

However, this positivity has been relatively short-lived as the deal to sign former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has now fallen through, and worse yet, the East Londoners look set to lose probably the best midfielder at the club, Lucas Paqueta as Manchester City continue to circle above.

The Irons have made it clear to the treble-winners that they will not accept any offers lower than the player's £85m release clause that will be in place from next summer, having already rejected a £70m offer earlier this week, per the Daily Mail.

That said, there is an air of confidence from Pep Guardiola's side regarding this deal, and according to transfers expert Graeme Bailey it is more a matter of "when rather than if" a deal is agreed – especially with as David Moyes would be "happy to see him go."

He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast, saying:

"The player is desperate to go. He's wanted to go all summer; once he knew Moyes was staying as manager, he wanted out. I think that relationship is, it's not all done and dusted, but for as much as Paqueta might want to leave, I think David Moyes is happy to see him go, so I think it suits both parties.

"It will get done, I think it's going to be about £85m it will get done as. He'll slot in straight away, he's got that Premier League experience as well; it's the perfect signing for City, it really is, Kovacic and Paqueta. We know that Gundogan is virtually irreplaceable, but I tell you what, it's not two bad signings to come in help; it really isn't.

"And City once again proving that they're one of the best performers in the transfer market with this deal. They made the move pretty quietly until, obviously, it emerged ten days ago.

"A matter of when rather than if, Lucas Paqueta will be a Manchester City player before the transfer window closes"

How good is Lucas Paqueta?

To put it bluntly, the £150,000-a-week ace is an excellent player, and whilst he didn't quite hit the heady heights that many thought he might last season, he was still one of West Ham's best performers and showed enough moments of sheer magic to convince the City Group that he could be a superstar under Guardiola.

According to Sofascore, the former Lyon man averaged a pretty impressive match rating of 6.95 across his 28 Premier League games last year, scoring four goals from an expected goal number of 4.4, providing three assists from an expected assist number of just 2.63 and maintaining a passing accuracy of 80%.

His underlying numbers are just as impressive and help to show a slightly busier and more physical side to him than people might expect.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Brazilian sits in the top 1% for tackles, the top 2% for blocks, the top 5% for clearances, the top 6% for aerial duals won, the top 7% for progressive passes, and the top 16% for passes attempted, all per 90.

Hailed as a "joy to watch" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 25-year-old truly is a special player to observe, something former teammate Gianluca Scamacca clearly agreed with as he described the dynamic midfielder as "brilliant."

Ultimately, while the Hammers would undoubtedly be better off keeping their man for a little while longer, if City do end up paying them more than £80m, they can at least walk away with a significant profit after watching Paqueta play for a year in East London.

Leeds United continue to push ahead with new acquisitions as deadline day looms, with a midfield rebuild clearly Daniel Farke's area of priority…

Who could Leeds United sign?

Whilst Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray have struck up a fine partnership to kickstart the Championship season, the Whites did only claim their first victory last weekend, at their fourth time of asking.

Whilst this campaign may well be a transformative one, they cannot allow it to pass them by given the growing financial devastation that a lengthy spell at their current level could bring.

This potential future seems to have spooked the new boss, who seems intent on boosting his squad with less than a week before the window slams shut. Although their pursuit of Glen Kamara has dominated headlines of late, there is another midfielder that has now come onto their radar.

As outlined by German outlet BILD, the Yorkshire outfit have reportedly submitted a bid to sign Japan international Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Football Transfers value the combative midfield general at just €3m (£2.5m), suggesting that another coup could soon be attained.

What is Ao Tanaka good at?

Whilst a relatively unknown name at club level, many likely are aware of his exploits for his national team, as the man heavily involved in Japan's success at the recent World Cup.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

In fact, there was one particular moment that drew plenty of attention, as he was the scorer of their controversial winner against Spain, which saw Germany crash out at the group stages and the Samurai Blue escape the 'group of death' unscathed.

That competition saw the midfielder shine, with his exploits lauded by journalist Josh Bunting: "Ao Tanaka has stood out at this World Cup, only joined Fortuna Düsseldorf this year but they must be hiding behind the sofa as teams will be on high alert. Links play extremely well, effective in both games against Germany and Spain, made them tick from midfield in those two clashes."

However, it is his fine start to the 2. Bundesliga campaign that will have truly caught Farke's eye, starring as a defensive powerhouse in the engine room consistently thwarting opposition attacks.

This has fed into his 7.10 average rating, buoyed by his 85% pass accuracy, three tackles and exceptional 7.3 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

To place such defensive impetus beside the metronomic presence Kamara promises to bring, and immediately the Yorkshire outfit would boast one of the most well-balanced midfields in the division.

After all, the 2021/22 season saw the Finland international shine in the Scottish Premiership, with his six goal contributions and 91% pass accuracy, via Sofascore, outlining him as a composed presence.

When handed the ideal environment, not only can the 27-year-old dictate the tempo of the entire match, but he clearly also has the intelligence and quality to push forward and threaten in attack.

In one fell swoop, Farke could be set to pad his midfield with two experienced internationals who have shone for their respective clubs of late, combining at Elland Road to provide the foundation for unbridled success in the near future.

Tanaka is hard-working and tenacious, whilst Kamara is economical and incisive. Putting them both on the same side could be a problem for the rest of the league, and allow their fluid front four to terrorise defences with regularity.

Everton remain desperate for attacking reinforcements as they endeavour to improve their performances in the Premier League this season.

Fortunately, an update has emerged on a late move for a potential transfer target.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko.

Tavolieri took to social media to reveal:

"It's getting tighter for Johan Bakayoko! An offer from PSG sent to PSV is expected early next week around €25M [£21m]. Everton wants to get into the fight."

How good is Johan Bakayoko?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be pushing to add more quality to his attacking line over the remaining days of the transfer window, with pressure mounting on the manager following a disappointing start to the season.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE..

In their opening three Premier League fixtures, the Toffees have failed to pick up a single point and have scored zero goals which has left them rock bottom of the table, something that further demonstrates their desperation for a consistent and reliable man up top to make an impact.

As a result, the signing of Bakayoko could be exactly what Dyche needs to boost the creativity and goal threat in the final third. In fact, he could even be a much better signing than Wilfried Gnonto.

The Leeds United ace has been strongly linked with a move to Goodison Park throughout the transfer window, however, nothing has materialised beyond talks with the west Yorkshire club and rejected bids, although after being isolated from the squad due to a request to leave, Gnonto returned to action in the Championship last weekend.

Over 23 Eredivisie appearances last season, the left-footed Bakayoko – once hailed a "wonderful talent" by scout Jacek Kulig – scored five goals, registered five assists and created six big chances, as well as successfully completing 63% of his dribbles and winning 51% of his duels combined, as per SofaScore.

When comparing the 20-year-old output to Gnonto's last season, the PSV star comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attributes, notably including goal contributions which the former came out on top on, 13 to 6.

Bakayoko is clearly a more rounded package at this stage of the player's respective careers, registering more shots on target rate (42.6% v 33.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.85 v 3.32), successful take-ons (59.2% v 27.3%), aerial duels (48.1% v 30.8%) and boasting a better pass completion rate (77.6% v 72.3%), as per FBref.

It has also been reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that despite slow progress, Demarai Gray could still potentially be on the move to the Saudi Pro League over the coming days, so securing the signing of another forward will be absolutely imperative if the winger does exit.

With all considered, if Everton could complete a deal for Bakayoko before Friday's deadline it would be a major coup for the club and could significantly improve their attacking presence as the Toffees fight to retain their top-flight status at the end of the season.

An update has emerged on Nottingham Forest and their attempts to bolster their midfield options before the summer transfer window slams shut tonight.

What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news?

According to Spanish outlet Sevilla ABC, the Tricky Trees are 'pressing' ahead with a late swoop to sign Real Betis central midfielder Guido Rodriguez.

The report claims that the club have already had one offer of €7.5m (£6m) turned down for the Argentina international and are now prepared to raise their offer to secure his services.

It states that these next few hours are important after talks between Betis and the experienced ace, as it now remains to be seen whether or not he will move on before the deadline passes.

How good is Guido Rodriguez?

The 29-year-old has proven himself to be an excellent combative midfielder in LaLiga over the last few years and could form an outstanding partnership with Ibrahima Sangare in the middle of the park.

Forest have reportedly agreed a £30m deal to sign the Ivory Coast international from Dutch giants PSV and he could be a dominant force alongside Rodriguez for Steve Cooper's side.

In the Eredivisie last season, the 25-year-old giant caught the eye with an average Sofascore rating of 7.24 across 29 appearances as he scored five goals and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game for his side.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 34 LaLiga outings for Betis as he showcased his ability to break up play to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.

The £28k-per-week ace made a phenomenal 4.6 tackles and interceptions per match for his team and displayed his physical strength with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that he came out on top in the majority of his physical contests.

He also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 over 32 Spanish top-flight outings during the 2021/22 campaign and made an impressive four tackles and interceptions per appearance. This shows that the Argentine brute has been able to deliver a high standard of defensive performances over a prolonged period of time.

Comparatively, no Forest central midfielder managed more than Remo Freuler's 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League last season.

No player in any position averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.99 for Cooper's side as they avoided relegation back to the Championship, which illustrates how impressive the two potential deadline day recruit's performances for their respective clubs were last term.

Indeed, Rodriguez, who was once described as a “defensive monster” by analyst Marcus Bring, has the potential to be an outstanding addition to the squad due to his knack for winning the ball back more frequently than any of the manager's current options have the capability of doing.

Therefore, the current Betis star could form a monstrous partnership with Sangare as they are both able to be destroyers in midfield with their physical strength and their quality out of possession to be rocks in front of the defence.

Aston Villa have seen an abundance of talent grace the club over the years, with some names more memorable than others with reference to the legacy they leave behind.

Unai Emery is in the process of writing his own legacy with the Villans, which he has started strongly by firing the Midlands side back into European competition for the first time in 2010.

The Spaniard joined the club back in October 2022 and hasn’t looked back, with only Pep Guardiola earning more points than him in 2023 in the Premier League.

As well as guiding Villa to make assured improvements on the pitch, the former Arsenal boss has inspired some players in particular to rediscover their form, with the likes of Tyrone Mings and John McGinn shining under his instruction.

While Emery spun the results of Steven Gerrard’s squad to take them from 16th to 7th during his first season, the Spaniard has continued the Englishman’s development of one notable player.

Aston Villa Premier League finishes since promotion

Season

Manager

Rank

2019/20

Dean Smith

17th

2020/21

Dean Smith

11th

2021/22

Steven Gerrard

14th

2022/23

Unai Emery

7th

Academy star Jacob Ramsey was unearthed by Dean Smith and nurtured by Gerrard, to then become a regular starter in the four-time Europa League winner’s system.

At just 22-years-old, the academy graduate has secured 101 senior appearances for his boyhood club, with many more expected to come once he recovers from injury.

The midfielder will hope to follow in the footsteps of other midfielders before him, with the benchmark high in terms of names he could one day aspire to reach, and surpass, the levels of at Villa Park.

How good was Fabian Delph?

With 134 appearances for Aston Villa, one memorable figure in midfield over the years for the club is Fabian Delph, who rewrote his own history from a positive to a negative narrative.

The Englishman was signed from Leeds United in 2009 for £8m on the back of some impressive performances for the Whites as a teen, inspiring Martin O’Neill to chase his services and obtain his signature at Villa Park.

During his time in the Midlands, the Bradford-born ace rose through the seasons of his career, going from a young prospect to an England international and a midfielder with expertise playing in the Premier League.

That wasn’t always the story for the Englishman, who suffered multiple injuries during his time at Villa, including an ACL rupture in 2010 that saw him miss a significant chunk of his development time.

The midfielder was also shipped back to Leeds for a half-season loan spell in the hope that he could rediscover his form and fitness, with the Villans remaining loyal to the player whom they saw so much potential in.

Things began to pick up for Delph from the 2012/13 campaign, where he emerged as a force to be reckoned with in midfield, maintaining his form into the next year that will go down as arguably his best term in the Midlands.

In the 2013/14 season, the former Villa ace showed why O’Neill pushed to bring him to the club, as he secured 34 Premier League appearances, contributing to six goals, scoring three and assisting three.

Such form earned him his first England call-up in September 2014, when Roy Hodgson handed him his debut in an international friendly against Norway.

The midfielder went on to receive 20 caps for his country, with four of them coming in the 2018 World Cup.

Delph owed a lot to Villa for sticking by him during the lows of his frequent injury issues, as well as giving him the space and tools to discover his form and quality in the top-flight, with him even tipped to be a “captain in the making” by Paul Lambert in 2015.

What happened to Fabian Delph?

2015 was a whirlwind year for Delph, who became a hero in the eyes of the Villa faithful as he suppressed interest from Manchester City to commit his future to the club and captain the club going forward.

The Englishman was rumoured to be wanted by City, and dealt with speculation the way that those in the Midlands would’ve wanted, setting “the record straight” to announce “I’m not leaving” via the club’s official site, relayed by the Guardian.

Not even a week later, and the midfielder was unveiled as a City player, as Manuel Pellegrini’s side exercised the £8m release clause in his contract, with the player accepting the move.

Delph didn’t have to “set the record straight” in the same way that Villa didn’t have to hand the player their full support at times when he wasn’t performing or fit, however the 25-year-old went against his word and left the club.

On his day, the Englishman was a superb member of Villa’s squad and an integral figure at the club, however he left a villain, and not the type that is lauded by those at Villa Park.

Could Jacob Ramsey succeed the legacy of Fabian Delph?

Villa fans will always remember Delph with a sense of hostility due to his actions, however the midfielder can be made forgettable with other talent poised to succeed his playing legacy at the club.

A fellow central midfielder, Ramsey is in position to surpass Delph’s legacy with ease, with him already recording more goal contributions to the shunned former player at the age of just 22.

In 101 senior appearances, the fellow Englishman has had a hand in 22 goals, scoring 12 and assisting 10, coming of age under Gerrard and continuing his development under Emery to be seen as a crucial member of the squad.

Born in Birmingham and a product of Villa’s academy, Ramsey is already a fan favourite at the club, as well as him being a “serious talent”, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Already valued around the £50m mark, the tools are there for the midfielder to not only become one of the most memorable central midfielders in the Premier League era for Villa, but to also block out names such as Delph, who left a bitter taste in mouths in the Midlands.

The now-retired villain could have had a similar path at Villa Park, however his lack of loyalty can easily be replaced by players such as Ramsey, who are committed and thriving at the club, with no limit to just how far their talents can stretch.

TalkSPORT's Jason Cundy has explained why he feels bad Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk after a "strange" decision by manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Latest Chelsea news

It's safe to say there have been better days at Stamford Bridge. European champions just two years ago, the fortunes of Chelsea have dramatically transformed for the worse despite serial-spending and a major squad overhaul.

In the summer transfer window, they spent £397 million in total on the signings of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Djordje Petrovic, Angelo and Deivid Washington.

While the west Londoners have had to cope with mounting injury problems, you could argue that they should be fairing far, far better.

Looking to challenge for a Premier League top four place and potentially silverware, Chelsea have dropped points in four of their opening five games.

Losing to both West Ham and Nottingham Forest, their only win of the season has come against newly-promoted Luton Town. Pochettino's men were also booed off against Bournemouth in a 0-0 draw at the weekend, but Chelsea's new manager is adamant the wins will come.

"I think the fans know if you invest the type of money, there is expectation," said Pochettino. "What I can tell the fans is the circumstance, I cannot change the reality. With all of the squad fit we can compete, we don't have all of the squad available, what can we do?

"For me, nothing to say, the fans can do this. Twelve injured today, three of four youngs guys, two keepers on the bench, I am going to cry, I am going to complain, to who? I have to accept this. That is the circumstance and we need to accept.

"We have our opinion, our reality. I think we are doing good things, more than people can expect but I told you before the season, Chelsea is about the win."

Chelsea player ratings

Their latest game at Bournemouth has attracted criticism from sections of the media, like former Chelsea and Spurs star Cundy, who moved to question a "strange" call from Pochettino which hamstrung Mudryk.

He says playing Levi Colwill at left-back nullified any overlapping threat which the Ukrainian would have benefited from. Indeed, he wonders why Ben Chilwell wasn't deployed to provide that attacking edge.

“There’s a couple of strange things that are going on. He’s playing Levi Colwill left-back and he had [Ben] Chilwell on the bench. I don’t know whether Chilwell had a knock,” Cundy told talkSPORT.

“Chilwell naturally gives you that balance, he’s an attacking full-back. I felt we were lopsided at the weekend [against Bournemouth].

“Down our left, there was just nothing. I felt a bit for [Mykhailo] Mudryk because there’s no back-up, nobody is overlapping him.”

The former Shakhtar Donetsk star has struggled since joining Chelsea in the January transfer window, and it will be interesting to see if he does eventually justify his £88.5 million price tag.

Pochettino will need to help Mudryk in this regard, though, so tactical choices like this one may not help him in the long run.

Southampton were relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship after an 11-year stint at the top level at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Saints enjoyed many years in the top-flight and enjoyed some adventures on the European stage, which included a 2-1 win against Inter at St. Mary's in 2016.

They were able to use their position within the division, and when they were in Europe, to splash the cash on new signings to bolster their squad.

Who are Southampton's most expensive signings?

Tino Livramento

£22.6m*

Danny Ings

£21.7m

Kamaldeen Sulemana

£21.6m

Jannik Vestergaard

£21.6m

Sadio Mane

£19.8m

*Includes the sell-on fee that Chelsea received from his move to Newcastle United this summer.

As you can see in the table above, Southampton have been willing to shell out millions on players over the years but they have not always been able to unearth a success like Sadio Mane or Danny Ings.

One signing the club had a nightmare with was their deal to sign central midfielder Mario Lemima from Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2017.

How much did Southampton pay for Lemina?

The Saints reportedly splashed out an initial £15.4m to sign the Gabon international from the Serie A side, in a move that could have cost up to £18.1m including add-ons.

Vice-chairman, at the time, Les Reed hailed the midfield maestro as an "outstanding" player and stated that the signing was a "statement" of intent from the club as he had featured in the Champions League final for his former team earlier that year.

The fee that the club paid was just shy of the then-club-record £16m they spent to sign Sofiane Boufal from Lille the previous year, which illustrates how expensive Lemina was at the time.

He arrived at St. Mary's off the back of a season as a rotation option for Juventus.

The 6-foot technician averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.92 across 19 Serie A appearances and only started eight matches.

Lemina produced 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game and came out on top in 50% of his individual duels to go along with one goal and one assist, as per Sofascore.

His best form for Juventus, however, came during the 2015/16 campaign.

The Gabon international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.26 across ten league outings and contributed with an eye-catching 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match, which only Claudio Marchisio (4.9) was able to better within the squad.

He also showcased his impressive ability in possession with 2.2 dribbles per game and a sublime success rate of 96%. This shows that opposition players found it almost impossible to dispossess the central midfielder when he had the ball at his feet and was moving up the pitch.

These performances were seemingly convincing enough to make Southampton spend a significant amount of money on his services ahead of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, with Reed and then-manager Mauricio Pellegrino bringing him to England.

How many appearances did Lemina make for Southampton?

The 30-year-old flop made 52 appearances for the Saints in all competitions over the course of his four-year stay on the south coast.

Lemina did, however, enjoy a fantastic debut season with the club as he became an instant success with his consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park.

The Gabon international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 across 25 top-flight outings and caught the eye with his defensive and ball-carrying attributes.

He made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game and showcased his strength with a duel success rate of 61%, as per Sofascore, which showed that opposition players rarely got the better of him in physical contests.

Out of every player with at least five Premier League appearances, only Oriol Romeu (2.7) made more tackles per match than Lemina (2.2) as the ex-Old Lady ace displayed his ability to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.

The former Marseille star once again showed off his dribbling skills with 2.2 successful dribbles and an excellent success rate of 89% across the top-flight campaign.

However, Lemina's form dipped throughout the following season as the central midfielder averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over 21 appearances and only won 53% of his battles, to go along with 1.1 dribbles at a success rate of 64%.

His performance regressing over the course of the 2018/19 campaign led to loan moves to Galatasaray and Fulham over the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons respectively.

How much did Southampton sell Lemina for?

Southampton eventually sold the former Juventus maestro to Ligue 1 side Nice for a reported fee of €5.5m (£4.8m) in the summer of 2021.

This means that his value dropped by a staggering £10.6m throughout his four-year spell at St. Mary's, from the initial £15.4m that the club paid to sign him from Italy.

He was never able to follow up on his impressive first season on the south coast and ultimately turned out to be a poor signing as they did not get much value back on or off the pitch.

Therefore, Reed had a mare with the signing of the ex-Marseille gem in the summer of 2017 and he may look back on that as one of his worst pieces of business during his time at the club.

Where is Lemina now?

The central midfielder, who was once hailed as "combative" by journalist Josh Bunting, is currently playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League after his move to the Molineux from Nice in January of this year.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across six top-flight matches so far this season and has completed 0.8 dribbles with a success rate of 50%. The former Juventus dynamo has also lost 51% of his individual duels for Gary O'Neil's side so far this term.

These statistics suggest that Lemina has not been able to get back to the levels that he showed during the 2017/18 campaign for Southampton and that the club's decision to sell him in 2021 has not come back to bite them.

However, they may well still regret their move to sign him from Turin in 2017 as his market value dropped considerably by the time they were able to cash in on his services.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has showcased his willingness to place his faith in young talent with his use of Archie Gray so far this season.

The 17-year-old central midfielder has started seven of the club's nine Championship matches and featured in every single game for the Whites.

He has been given the opportunity to nail down a place in the starting XI by the German tactician, in spite of his lack of experience, and this proves that the manager is prepared to offer chances to academy talents.

With that in mind, the current crop of U21 stars will know that the pathway to the first-team is there and that they will get a fair crack at senior level if their performances for the youth side are up to scratch.

One academy starlet who could be a future star for Farke to uncover is talented young goalkeeper Harry Christy, who could go on to be the eventual heir to Illan Meslier at Elland Road.

How old is Harry Christy?

He is a 19-year-old shot-stopper, who turns 20 at the end of this month and made his breakthrough at U21 level during the 2022/23 season.

Christy had made 32 appearances for Leeds' U18 side and was rewarded for his performances with a step up to a higher age group last term.

His progression through the ranks came after the club decided to hand him a professional contract at the start of 2022, which came when he was the first-choice U18 goalkeeper at the age of 18.

How many goals has Christy conceded for Leeds' U21s?

The Whites youngster has conceded 13 goals in 11 matches for the club's U21 side in total, although five of those came in one EFL Trophy outing during the 2020/21 campaign.

Since the start of last season, Christy has only let in eight goals in ten matches and kept four clean sheets for the academy outfit between the sticks.

U21 coach Michal Pujdak hailed the teenage titan as an "exceptional" professional earlier this year and this suggests that the towering prospect has the right attitude to push on and continue to progress.

Therefore, his mentality and his impressive record in goal for the U21 side suggests that the potential is there for him to be Farke's heir to Meslier, who has been less-than-impressive for the first-team.

How has Meslier performed for Leeds?

The former Lorient shot-stopper was once dubbed a "massive liability" by journalist David Kent and his form over the last 12 months or so suggests that is a fair assessment of his contributions, or lack thereof, on the pitch.

Meslier endured a dismal 2022/23 campaign as the French giant conceded 12.4 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG value (quality of shot) of the efforts against him in the Premier League.

Only Southampton's Gavin Bazunu (16.6) ranked lower in terms of his performance against the post-shot xG he faced for the south coast club, as Leeds and the Saints were both relegated.

The Leeds number one has conceded ten goals in nine matches so far this season in the Championship and let in 67 in 34 top-flight outings last term.

Meslier has not proven himself to be a reliable operator between the sticks and his backup, Karl Darlow, turns 33 this month, which suggests that there could be an opening for Christy over the coming months, or seasons, to stake a claim for his position in the side if Farke provides him with a chance to showcase his talent at first-team level.

Tottenham Hotspur could make a "concrete" move to sign an "unreal" midfielder to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Spurs have enjoyed an absolutely brilliant start to this 2023/2024 Premier League season, but potential injuries to star players could well hamper their form given Ange Postecoglou's lack of squad depth. The likes of Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Brennan Johnson are already on the treatment table at Tottenham, but if the likes of James Maddison, Son Heung-min son or Micky van de Ven were to join them, it would spell disaster.

As a result, it has been reported that the north Londoners are targeting a second central defensive signing in the January transfer window as cover for both van de Ven and Cristian Romero. An array of names have been linked, including the likes of Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, Juventus star Gleison Bremer and Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba most recently.

Tottenham sealed seven major signings in the summer window, but they've been tipped to be busy again this winter. The Lilywhites may also sign a new midfield ace, and one who can provide more attacking flair, if the sporadically-used Hojbjerg leaves in 2024.

Who could Tottenham sign in January?

Once a mainstay under Conte, the Denmark international now finds himself on the periphery of Postecoglou's first team, with the majority of his appearances this season coming from the substitute's bench. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are favoured as Tottenham's dual midfield pivot; limiting Hojbjerg's involvement.

There have been rumours that the former Southampton star even feels "betrayed" by Spurs over his sparse game time, prompting interest from Serie A giants Juventus, who are apparently eager to take advantage and swoop for the 28-year-old. Journalist Rudy Galetti, sharing an update for Tribal Football, has an update on the situation and who Spurs could replace Hojbjerg with.

According to the transfer reporter, Tottenham could make a "concrete move" for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, and he says to "keep an eye" on that potential development.

£40m

£17.2m

Free

£47.5m

£13m

£2m

£43m

"Conor – as is well known – attracted the attention of many Premier League teams and continues to do so," wrote Galletti. "For this reason, let's keep an eye on Tottenham, already in January: Spurs could make a concrete move following the possible farewell of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg."

How good is Conor Gallagher?

The 23-year-old has become a mainstay under Mauricio Pochettino this season; starting all seven of Chelsea's league games while ranking as their best-performing regular per 90 (with more than one start), according to WhoScored. Gallagher, it would seem, is justifying Lee Bowyer's past praise.

"He's a good player," Bowyer told talkSPORT. "Whatever you tell him he does and I just keep encouraging him to get in the box, and things are falling for him at the moment. His willingness and work rate are unreal."

A Celtic star who has been lauded as a "massive" player in the dressing room is set to enter new contract talks with the club, according to a new update regarding his future.

Celtic transfers

The Hoops once again secured Scottish Premiership title glory last season, proving to be comfortably better than the rest and easing to glory in the end. Things have started promisingly this time around, too, with Brendan Rodgers coming in and guiding them to the top of the table after replacing Ange Postecoglou as manager during the summer.

It was another good summer transfer window at Parkhead, with new signings added to the squad in order to bring a freshness to it, including Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Luis Palma, but keeping hold of influential current players is also equally important moving forward.

There are various players who fall into that category, with the likes of Matt O'Riley in midfield and Kyogo Furuhashi in attack sure to attract interest in the near future, and a significant update has emerged regarding the future of another influential Celtic hero.

Joe Hart Celtic contract update

Football insider have shared a Joe Hart contract update, claiming he is likely to sign a new deal at Parkhead, with his current contract expiring at the end of this season. The report states that Celtic are now "in talks" with the veteran goalkeeper over extending his stay with the Scottish Premiership champions, despite Rodgers' "willingness" to bring in something else between the sticks to provide more competition for places.

Hart may no longer be at his peak as a player, which is only natural considering he is now 36 years of age, but handing him a new deal makes perfect sense for Celtic, considering the vast experience and winning mentality that he possesses.

The Englishman has enjoyed so much success in his career – he has won two Premier League and Scottish Premiership titles apiece – and he has been lauded by Shay Given in the past, who has said:

"I played against Joe a lot and we were team-mates at Man City. He was the No.1 but Pep Guardiola eventually didn’t fancy him. It was the same for me when Roberto Mancini didn’t fancy me. It happens in football. Joe had to go away and rebuild a little bit. He went to West Ham, had a few moves and things didn’t quite work out.

"But it’s nice to see him really settled in Glasgow, he looks right at home now. Joe obviously has tonnes of ability but he brings that experience and knowledge to the team as well. I’ve got no doubt he’s a massive presence in the dressing room."

There is also the small matter of Hart winning 75 caps for England, which is a significant achievement, and he still has a few years left in him before he decides to hang up his boots.

Man City

348

Celtic

114

Shrewsbury Town

55

Birmingham City

41

It would be a surprise if the player himself didn't want to remain a Celtic player, considering how well is he doing, and having him around for a little longer can only be a good thing for the Hoops.