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This week, Djed Spence left Leeds United to return to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of his loan spell. Spence missed much of his brief stint at Elland Road after suffering an injury in training, but he did feature in six consecutive games just before the New Year (BBC Sport).

He was an unused substitute in the 3-0 victory over Birmingham City last time out, and has now headed back to north London following the culmination of the loan agreement. With 20 Championship games still to go, though, Daniel Farke may want to plug the gap left by the Englishman's departure, and it seems those efforts are already underway as Leeds target Bright Osayi-Samuel.

Osayi-Samuel, who will represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations this month, broke through at Blackpool and then joined QPR in 2017. After three-and-a-half years at Loftus Road, he then joined Fenerbahce in a deal worth around £430k. He's gone to play 124 games for the Super Lig club, including 24 this season (Transfermarkt).

Osayi-Samuel keen on Leeds move

Based on a report from Turkish outlet Star, Osayi-Samuel could make a return to the English Football League. Leeds have "entered the transfer race", and the player himself is "positive" about the prospect of making the move to Yorkshire.

However, to sign him, Leeds will not only have to make an acceptable offer – Fenerbahce don't want to lose him midway through the season and have set his asking price at £8.6m – but also see off competition from two Premier League sides in Crystal Palace and Wolves.

Farke faces Gray balancing act

Given that Farke has steered his side to fourth place in the table, perhaps he can convince Osayi-Samuel to join on the basis that Leeds could make a swift return to the top-flight anyway.

During his time at QPR, his manager Mark Warburton described him as a "dangerous" player (West London Sport), and while his game has changed slightly then, that assessment still rings true. As noted by The Athletic's Nick Miller, the 26-year-old is no longer a "flying winger" but has instead become "one of the best right-backs in Turkey", as his haul of two goals and four assists in all competitions this season demonstrates. Indeed, he's set-up more goals than any of his positional peers at Super Lig clubs in 2023/24 (Transfermarkt).

For reference, Farke and Leeds have received limited offensive production from their full-backs this season. Between them, Archie Gray, Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Luke Ayling have mustered just two goals and five assists, barely beating Osayi-Samuel's individual haul.

Still, the presence of Gray at Elland Road is a complicating factor. He's demonstrated that he's an outstanding talent, so much so that Champions League outfit Borussia Dortmund are reportedly looking at him (ESPN), and Leeds will be wary of blocking his path to valuable minutes by bringing in Osayi-Samuel.

By the same token, though, the Nigerian may be reluctant to make the move unless he receives assurances about game time. He looks like the ideal replacement for Spence, but Farke would face a difficult balancing act.

Aston Villa were brought back down to earth following a drab 0-0 draw against Everton over the weekend as they slipped down to third in the Premier League table.

With just over a couple of weeks left in the January transfer window, Unai Emery will be keen on bringing at least another one or two fresh faces to Villa Park in order to bolster his squad.

There have been plenty of names linked with a move to the Midlands, yet it is a talented 18-year-old who could be the most exciting link.

Aston Villa want to sign Champions League sensation

According to Graeme Bailey (via Total Villa on X), Villa are showing interest in teenage FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji this month ahead of making a potential move.

According to reports, Villa have even sent scouts to monitor the youngster recently, and it is clear that his performances have impressed Emery enough to consider luring him to the Premier League.

He could cost the club around £20m if any move goes ahead and while on the surface this sounds like a lot, the fee could turn out to be a bargain in the next couple of years if he lives up to his potential.

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

By
Charlie Smith

Feb 1, 2024

Chelsea and Manchester United are also keen on signing Bardghji and this suggests that Emery must act swiftly to bring him to Villa Park.

How Roony Bardghji compares to Jhon Duran

Jhon Duran only signed for Villa last January from Chicago Fire in a deal worth £18m, and it looked as though he could be the heir apparent to Ollie Watkins.

It hasn’t quite worked out for the Colombian sensation at Villa, however, as he has played 35 times for the club and scored just four goals during that time period.

Out of these 35 matches, only seven have been starts and Emery has yet to unleash him in the starting XI in the Premier League.

The arrival of Bardghji could spell the beginning of the end of Duran’s Villa career, especially considering how impressive he has been this season.

In 30 matches for Copenhagen, the youngster has already found the back of the net on 11 occasions, including a famous strike against Man Utd in the Champions League to send the Danish side through to the last 16 at their expense.

While this goal certainly caught the eye of a few teams, his consistent performances in the Danish top flight have shown that he is remarkably mature for his age.

Indeed, across the whole Copenhagen team, Bardghji ranks second for goals and assists (seven), while ranking third for successful dribbles per game (one) and second for goal frequency (a goal every 134 minutes), which clearly indicates just how impressive he has been during 2023/24.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig perhaps foresaw how good he would be at such a tender age, describing the Swede as an “unreal talent” back in 2022 and there is seemingly no limit to just how good he can become.

Duran has not enjoyed the most productive of seasons, and he can count himself unlucky that Watkins has been in such good form.

If Bardghji does join Villa, however, it could mean even fewer opportunities for Duran on the pitch as there will be a new teenage starlet in town ready to steal the plaudits.

Mark Howard has clearly been taking lessons from Paul Mullin at Wrexham, with the Red Dragons keeper scoring a goal at The Soccer Tournament.

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• Red Dragons in seven-a-side action
• Through to the last-32
• Shot-stopper gets shooting boots on

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 37-year-old shot-stopper is one of the senior stars to have made the trip to America for a seven-a-side tournament that sees players of past and present join forces with amateurs and celebrities for high-octane, end-to-end competition.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT HOWARD SAID

  Wrexham, who are gracing the event for a second successive year, have progressed through their group and into the knockout stage. Howard has helped them into the last-32, saying of his exploits in North Carolina: “TST has been amazing so far. We just qualified. I scored a goal! Come on!”

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Howard’s strike was an impressive one, as he ambled forward from his usual position between the sticks and found himself within shooting range. The cleanest of shots fizzed low into the bottom corner, giving his opposite number no chance.

Aaron Ramsdale faces a transfer poser, with the Arsenal goalkeeper needing to pick between a Premier League transfer or following Harry Kane abroad.

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• Lost his place at Emirates Stadium
• Tied to long-term contract
• Seeing summer switch speculated on

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  At 26 years of age, the England international is still relatively young for an elite shot-stopper – meaning that time is on his side when it comes to putting down roots and becoming an established No.1. He had been hoping to achieve that at Emirates Stadium, but lost his place to David Raya in 2023-24 and took in just 11 appearances across all competitions as a result.

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  WHAT SEAMAN SAID

  Ramsdale – who is on Euro 2024 duty with England at present – must now decide what his short and long-term future holds, with David Seaman on hand to offer words of wisdom. The legendary Gunners keeper has linked up with Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel for a three-part mini-series from that discusses all things Euros, hottest heads in the dressing room and the true heritage of bacon and eggs!

  As part of that collaboration, Seaman has told GOAL when asked what advice he would have for Ramsdale this summer: “He needs to play. If he’s not playing, he’s going to start falling down the pecking order for England. At the moment, that doesn’t look like it’s going to be at Arsenal. Do I want him to leave the club? No, for selfish reasons because having two good goalkeepers is always good for the club. But he has got to go and play somewhere. I can’t imagine it will be on loan, it will be a permanent deal. My advice is he’s got to play. He’s too good to be a No.2.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There do not appear to be too many options in the Premier League – at the level Ramsdale will be looking for – so he may be tempted to cast the transfer net a little wider and consider following England team-mates Kane and Jude Bellingham – who are now at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively – abroad.

  Seaman added when asked if a completely fresh start may appeal to Ramsdale: “He might go abroad. Aaron is only 26, so he has got a lot of options and a lot of time – whether it is in the Premier League or abroad. Ideally I would like to see him in the Premier League still, but he’s got to play. When you don’t play, your career almost goes on pause. It’s tough. There are certain goalkeepers that are good No.2s, you look at [Stefan] Ortega at Man City, he doesn’t kick up a fuss and as soon as Ederson is fit he’s back in. He comes in and plays the cup games and has shown us what a good goalkeeper he is. With Aaron, he’s too good to be a No.2 and needs to be a No.1 somewhere.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Ramsdale’s contract at Arsenal runs until 2026, with the option for a further year beyond that, meaning that the north London outfit will be able to demand a sizeable fee from any deal. It appears unlikely that the former Sheffield United and Bournemouth star will get a chance to put himself in the shop window at Euro 2024, with Jordan Pickford very much England’s first-choice between the sticks.

Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign a new striker who shares the same agent as Reece James, as the Blues look at a late January addition.

Chelsea striker rumours

Mauricio Pochettino currently has Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja as his two senior centre-forward options, although the former of the two is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Chelsea set to make first move for Karim Benzema

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Jan 24, 2024

During that time, there has also been plenty of talk about Broja’s future, with reports suggesting Chelsea would be open to selling for £35m as Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves all circle. Despite this, Pochettino has recently come out and backed the Albanian, putting his faith in the 22-year-old and comparing him to Harry Kane’s situation earlier in his career.

“All the biggest strikers needed time when they were young. They need to find their own balance. But I still believe that he has the potential to be an amazing striker.

“He’s a player that suffered a big injury last season, he needs to put that big idea behind him, always that is difficult. And we are at Chelsea, he is trying to deliver while compared with the biggest strikers like [Didier] Drogba, [Jimmy Floyd] Hasselbaink or others. That’s always difficult for a young guy.”

Even if Broja remained at the club, there is still an argument that a third centre-forward could be needed, and there hasn’t been a shortage of rumoured targets.

The likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres have been linked as big-money targets, while as short-term solutions, AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis, Zenit St Petersburg’s Mateo Cassierra, Cercle Brugge’s Kevin Denkey and Atletico Mineiro’s Paulinho have been offered to Chelsea.

Another new forward could now be of interest to the Blues following a transfer update in the last 48 hours.

Chelsea offered Callum Wilson

According to talkSPORT, Callum Wilson has been ‘offered to Chelsea and West Ham for a bargain fee as Newcastle look to cash in before the January transfer window shuts’.

The report claims that Newcastle ‘could be forced to consider offers of between £18million and £20m for Wilson to help ease their concerns over breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules.’

Stamford Bridge could therefore be his next destination, and Wilson is a forward who has netted twice at the stadium before. Wilson, who shares the same agent as James, would arrive with plenty of Premier League experience after making more than 200 appearances in the competition and may still have years of top-flight football left in him at the age of 31.

Eddie Howe is also a big fan of the striker after working with Wilson at Bournemouth and Newcastle, saying last year:

"He's been incredible and I feel that his performance was right up there with one of the best I've seen him play, purely from a tactical perspective.

"He has to lead the press and the one we bounce off initially. He kept going right until the end and his goalscoring record is excellent. I'm delighted for him, he's a huge player for us and a big presence in the dressing room."

Jude Bellingham's brother Jobe led a deluge of heartfelt 21st birthday messages from big footballing names to the England star.

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• Jude Bellingham celebrates 21st birthday
• Brother Jobe pays tribute to Real Madrid ace
• Deluge of birthday messages for England star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid star Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday (June 29), and wasted no time in responding to a whole host of birthday messages from big-name footballers. One of which was a sweet post from younger brother Jobe, but also Tottenham's James Maddison, Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, and Romeo Beckham, no less.

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• WHAT THE BIRTHDAY MESSAGES SAID

  Sunderland player Jobe Bellingham posted in an Instagram story some photos of the two growing up together, and wrote: "My only brother, proud always and regardless. Happy 21st birthday big bro."

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  England international James Maddison posted three photos of the duo together and put: "Happy birthday sheriff. One of a kind my mate."

  Instagram

  Los Blancos team-mate and France international Tchouameni wrote: "More life big boy," while Romeo Beckham commented: "Happy birthday brotha."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham has, arguably, gone onto become a world-class talent – five years after leaving Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund. He helped Real Madrid win a La Liga and Champions League double and the midfielder is trying to help England win the Euros and end their international tournament hoodoo. Going by these messages, the 21-year-old is clearly an admired and well-respected individual.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bellingham will hope to get a belated birthday present when his England side take on Slovakia in the last-16 of the Euros on Sunday evening. The victor will play either Switzerland or defending champions Italy in the quarter-finals.

West Brom are "set" to complete the signing of a "special" player before the end of deadline day, according to a new claim from reliable journalist John Percy.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies have been linked with a host of different players throughout the January transfer window, but they know that time is now very much running out to bring in new faces. Brahima Diarra has emerged as a late transfer target for West Brom, with the Huddersfield Town midfielder seen as a potentially ideal partner for Alex Mowatt in the middle of the park. Talks are believed to be taking place over a switch to the Hawthorns coming to fruition.

Talented young Birmingham City ace Jordan James has also been backed to join Carlos Corberan's side this month, with the Englishman a midfielder with bags of end product who could have a big future in the game.

Away from those two targets, however, another name could be on his way to Hawthorns before the transfer cutoff on Thursday night, following an exciting update.

Baggies "set to sign" exciting talent

Writing on X on Thursday morning, Percy claimed that West Brom are closing in on the loan signing of Celtic attacker Mikey Johnston, having been linked with a move for him in recent days.

"Wba are set to sign Celtic winger Mikey Johnston today. Republic of Ireland international to undergo medical ahead of a loan move for remainder of the season."

This is fantastic news for West Brom, with Johnston someone with the attacking quality to help add a new dimension to Corberan's attack between now and the end of the season. The 24-year-old is a six-time capped Republic of Ireland international, having switched allegiances from Scotland after youth team age, and he has scored twice for his country for good measure.

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has played with some great players down the years, whether it be with England or Manchester City, and he has spoken highly of Johnston in the past, saying:

"Ireland are getting someone who is potentially very special. He has a lot of ability and the kind of qualities that can lift people off their seats. I noticed that the moment I met him, but he’s been very unlucky with injuries. You have to really understand football to understand what he’s been through because they’re not your average injuries.

"People understand when you pull your hamstring and you're out for eight weeks but you come back and you're fine. Or if you break a leg. But Mikey had these little injuries that kept holding him back and stopped any sort of momentum and flow in his career. But he's very professional and is doing his best to get the best out of himself. A fully fit Mikey Johnston can impact games and he’ll get people out of their seats."

West Brom in last ditch chase to sign dream Mowatt partner

West Brom are eyeing up this last-minute swoop to bolster their midfield.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 31, 2024

Hart's comments are enough to leave West Brom fans hugely buoyed by what Johnstone could offer their side until the summer, and he could be champing at the bit to get started, having been limited to only three starts and nine appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano says a high-profile Tottenham Hotspur figure is leaving, with an agreement "almost done" for him to join another club.

Spurs still chasing top-four Premier League finish

Since manager Ange Postecoglou's arrival from Celtic in the summer, the feeling around N17 has changed dramatically, with there appearing to be far more cohesion both on and off the field.

Teenager set for Tottenham first team this year with staff very impressed

He’s charmed those at Hotspur Way.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 5, 2024

The Lilywhites remain in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish, and despite failing to win silverware for yet another season, their growing stature helped them beat the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the likes of Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall in the January transfer window.

Postecoglou's brand of intense, attack-minded football has won plenty of admirers in north London, including summer signing and midfield superstar James Maddison.

"The way he wants to play suits me perfectly because it’s how I see football. That’s how I would want the game to be played I think if I was manager, so I’m fulfilling that as a player," said Maddison.

"He likes players who can take the ball and be brave and bravery is not always just flying into a tackle or shouting at someone. Bravery is having the balls to take the ball and if you give it away, go and take it again."

Off the field, technical director Johan Lange, Chief Football Officer Scott Munn and the Spurs recruitment team's new transfer policy of data-driven scouting has paid dividends thus far, with Tottenham also surpassing Chelsea as London's richest team recently.

The only area they appear to be faltering in is their failure to land a lucrative Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights deal, something which chairman Daniel Levy and commercial chief Todd Kline have been attempting for years.

Spurs stadium sponsorship talks are rumoured to have been held with the likes of Amazon and other big-name labels in recent years, but to no avail. To add insult to injury in that respect, it appears Kline, who was overseeing the task of landing an agreement, is now on the verge of departing.

Kline exit agreement "almost done" at Spurs

As per Fabrizio Romano, an agreement is "almost done" for Kline to leave Tottenham and join arch-rivals Chelsea.

The former NFL executive's best work perhaps came with the Miami Dolphins, where he spearheaded their agreement for an 18-year stadium naming rights deal worth a reported £180 million.

Manchester City have unveiled a stunning collaboration with wrestling giants WWE featuring Sergio Aguero and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

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• Man City ink deal with WWE
• Exclusive merchandise collaboration
• T-shirts of WWE superstars available

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Premier League champions have teamed up with WWE to launch an exclusive merchandise collection. This collaboration, a first of its kind, combines the star power of football and wrestling, bringing together fans from both worlds.

  Shop WWE x Man City at WWE ShopBuy now

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The new collection includes six unique T-shirts that blend City and WWE branding. Among the standout items is a T-shirt featuring the slogan “best team in the land and all the world,” inspired by WWE star CM Punk. Other designs pay homage to wrestling legends Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.

  As part of this innovative collaboration, City players will sport a newly designed name and number style during their preseason tour in the United States. This design incorporates the WWE logo within the numbers and features a striking red outline, symbolising the partnership. This unique look is expected to attract considerable attention and set a trend in sports apparel.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Serena Gosling, Director of Integrated Fan Experience and Retail & Licensing at Manchester City, said: “We are excited to announce the launch of our exclusive retail collaboration with WWE today. As a club, we’re always exploring new ways to enhance our retail offering for our fans across the globe and collaborations like this with WWE are part of that ongoing strategy. In addition, today’s announcement offers a further touchpoint for our fans within the US and beyond to engage with the club, ahead of men’s first team visit this summer.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  WWE Women’s Champion Bayley and WWE Superstar Baron Corbin will visit the CityStore on 6th Avenue in New York. Scheduled for Friday, June 28, between 10 AM and 11 AM, the event promises fans an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity. Adding to the excitement, the Premier League trophy will also be on display at the store throughout the weekend, offering a unique photo opportunity for visitors.

Narratives in football can often change in the blink of an eye, and Arsenal are a great example of that.

Just a month ago, the talk around Mikel Arteta's young side was one of crisis, as three losses on the bounce had pundits and fans alike writing them off for the Premier League title race this season.

However, just four games later, the Gunners are right back in the conversation, in no small part thanks to the resurgence of their attacking players.

Gabriel Jesus has registered three goal involvements since the winter break, Bukayo Saka has five, Leandro Trossard has three, and even Gabriel Martinelli, who has struggled this season, has three in the last four games.

The Brazilian could well be on the way back to his best, although if he's still struggling next season, Hale End could already have the perfect competition to push him that bit further.

Gabriel Martinelli's Arsenal record

Famously, Martinelli was signed for just £6m from Brazilian fourth-tier outfit Ituano in the summer of 2019, in what has to go down as one of the best transfers in the history of Arsenal football club, if not the entire league, for just how much the club have got out of him for such a low fee.

Despite being just 19 years old, he didn't take long to make an impact at the club, as in his first season, he made 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and providing four assists in the process.

His electric pace and clinical finishing quickly endeared him to the Arsenal fans, and his iconic goal away to Chelsea in that first season is still often talked about as the moment he truly announced himself to the rest of the league.

Unfortunately, his momentum was seriously slowed after he suffered a severe knee injury in June 2020 that kept him out of action until late December of that same year, and while he played a significant number of games over the next year and a half, he wouldn't get back to his best until last season.

Arteta played the explosive Brazilian in 46 games across the 2022/23 campaign, and he was repaid with remarkable performances that returned 15 goals and six assists as Martinelli made the left-wing his own.

Goals and assists have been harder to come by this year, but with ten goal involvements in 28 appearances, he's doing better than some fans and pundits suggest.

That said, he might have to start looking over his shoulder from next season as Hale End has produced another incredibly talented winger who could soon be making regular first-team appearances, Charles Sagoe Jr.

Why fans should be excited about Charles Sagoe Jr

Kingston upon Thames-born Sagoe Jr is one of the latest attacking gems to come off of the development line at Arsenal's Hale End academy, and with his ability to start at left-wing, attacking midfield and even centre forward, it seems like just a matter of time until the youngster is playing regular first team games.

In fact, he's already made one start for the first team this season against Brentford in the League Cup earlier in the campaign, with Arteta crediting his "consistent" efforts with the academy as the reason why he was given the opportunity.

However, it's with the youth teams that he's had the best opportunity to shine. The young Englishman has made 80 appearances across the U23s, U18s, and the UEFA Youth League squads, scoring 19 goals and providing 16 assists.

His output has clearly impressed more than just Arteta, though, as fellow Hale End graduate and regular first-team substitute Reiss Nelson couldn't have been more complimentary of Sagoe Jr earlier this season when he said: "I've been watching you, I watch a lot of the U21 games and literally, I'm not just saying this because you're here, you have everything to be an Arsenal winger.

"You're unpredictable, you can move on your left, on your right, you can score, you can assist, you've got everything."

The talented youngster was sent on his first loan move earlier this month to Swansea City, and while he has only made two cameo appearances to date, it's just a matter of time until he gets regular minutes for the Swans.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 14, 2024

Ultimately, Martinelli is an undeniably crucial part of Arsenal's first team and will likely remain so for some time. Still, with Sagoe Jr continuing to develop in the academy and out on loan, the rapid Brazilian might just have to keep an eye on the talented Englishman.