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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Leeds United have been touted to have a quiet January transfer window by Victor Orta in recent weeks, but Noel Whelan’s latest transfer hint reveals just how quiet the window might be.

What’s the story?

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan stated that his sources from inside Elland Road have told him that the club aren’t looking to sign anyone in the January transfer window.

We were never expecting a flurry of activity from the Yorkshire club once the window opens, but hearing that no incomings are expected is still rather disheartening.

Not only does it make for a boring transfer window, but the Whites’ lack of activity may negatively affect their promotion chances.

Same story

It’s the same story as last season, the Whites didn’t strengthen enough in January and in the end, it cost them their shot at promotion.

Based on that, supporters would have every right to moan at Andrea Radrizzani if it happens again.

Marcelo Bielsa’s teams are renowned for losing steam towards the back end of a season, so having strength in depth will undoubtedly be key if Leeds want to continue challenging at the top end of the table. Last campaign, the Whites failed to win any of their final four league games and then lost in the playoffs against Derby too.

United currently don’t have the depth, and with their injury problems continuing to mount the Whites may be in trouble once fatigue sets in further towards the back end of the season. After all, Bielsa has used the fewest number of players of any team in the Championship – 19.

The last thing any Leeds fan wants is a repeat performance of what happened last term, but it seems as if the club aren’t taking the right precautionary measures to ensure that doesn’t happen.

It could just cost them their chance of making a reappearance in the promised land of the Premier League.

Southampton supporters will be starting to get a little tetchy about their side’s chances of beating the drop, even with the Premier League season only five games in.

Russell Martin’s Saints are yet to pick up a win in the testing division, but it could’ve been oh-so different last weekend after promising Southampton youth product Tyler Dibling opened the scoring against another relegation-threatened outfit in Ipswich Town.

However, Sam Morsy for the away side would have other ideas late on and delivered a sucker punch right at the death to deny Martin’s men an elusive three points.

At least the South Coast side managed to pick up a draw in this contest, with a recent 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at St Mary’s still a sore scoreline to stomach, as Jack Stephens really struggled defensively against Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils.

Stephens' performances this season

Recognised as a well-thought-of servant at Southampton, with 185 games for the Saints now under his belt and the captain’s armband on his sleeve, Stephens still hasn’t been able to cope with the step-up in quality so far.

He was notably poor against Man United, with the experienced 30-year-old even sent off late on in the one-sided affair after this poorly-timed tackle stopped Alejandro Garnacho in his tracks.

Daily Mail journalist Nathan Salt would dish out a 3/10 match rating to Stephens after this early bath, with the lacklustre centre-back not helping his side whatsoever after his dismissal, as Garnacho then ended up shaking off the cynical tackle with a late strike to make it 3-0 on the day.

Struggling away at Brentford the game prior too, with only one duel won from five attempted as Thomas Frank’s Brentford put Stephens’ side to the sword 3-1, the dismissal against United has at least given Martin food for thought as to who could replace the Saints captain moving forward.

Tyler Harwood-Bellis came into the side in Stephens’ place against Ipswich and looked solid – with 50 accurate passes tallied up playing out from defence – as the 30-year-old now worries about his standing in the main Saints lineup moving forward.

Stephens' wage at Southampton

The defender’s excessive wage also doesn’t help his cause, with Stephens raking in more than both Yukinari Sugawara and Ben Brereton-Diaz in the current Saints camp – as per Capology – despite the duo both joining as bold signings just this summer.

Sugawara has also fitted in seamlessly at Southampton so far, with his strike against Brentford actually breaking his team’s goalscoring duck in the top division. That said, he still finds himself earning less per week compared next to Stephens’ pay packet.

According to Capology, Stephens earns £45k-per-week compared to the Japanese gem’s £40k-per-week wage, with Ben Brereton-Diaz earning even less than the new standout Saints defender himsef at £35k-per-week.

1. Aaron Ramsdale

£120k-per-week

2. Joe Aribo

£70k-per-week

3. Maxwel Cornet

£65k-per-week

4. Adam Armstrong

£60k-per-week

5. Jan Bednarek

£60k-per-week

Stephens is only £15k-per-week off entering the top five highest earners at Southampton, with his recent suspension exposing the fact his hefty take home might not be warranted.

With Brereton-Diaz, there will be a hope that he does improve for the Saints moving forward away from Stephens’ woes, as the former Sheffield United man did fire home six goals last season in the division for the Blades.

Back to Stephens, however, and Martin will need to have a frank talk with the experienced defender soon about his future on the South Coast, with his current deal at the Premier League side up next summer.

He could still be important this season as Southampton aim to keep their heads above water in the challenging league, but his performances will have to drastically pick up, after his horror show display against Man United.

Southampton now shortlist "solid" new manager who Martin has never beaten

Martin is under pressure…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 21, 2024

Leeds United are believed to be eyeing a “fantastic” manager to replace Daniel Farke in the Elland Road hot seat, should he be relieved of his duties.

Farke under pressure despite Leeds win

It hasn’t necessarily been the most convincing start to the season by the Whites, who went into the campaign as one of the favourites to earn promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

A 3-3 draw at home to newly-promoted Portsmouth was a disappointing way to start the campaign and Leeds’ performances and results have been unpredictable ever since, with a 1-0 defeat against Burnley at Elland Road last weekend the worst league result so far.

It has led to pressure mounting on Farke’s shoulders, with the 47-year-old arguably not getting the most out of a talented squad, even though he was hit by the summer exits of key figures such as Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter.

On Saturday, the manager had a positive day at the office, with Leeds winning 2-0 away to Cardiff City. It was a much-needed result for all concerned, not least the manager himself, and three points means the Whites are into sixth in the table and in the playoff positions. Despite this, Farke’s job appears to be far from safe though, following a new update.

Leeds eyeing "fantastic" manager to replace Farke

According to a big claim from The Sunday Mirror [via MOT Leeds News], Leeds, and by extension owners the 49ers Enterprises, are eyeing a move to replace Farke with Carlos Corberan, should the former be sacked in the near future. The Whites boss is under “big pressure” to keep his job and the West Brom manager is “highly regarded” at Elland Road.

There are “suggestions” that Corberan has a release clause of £2m at The Hawthorns currently, having guided the Baggies to the top of the Championship table.

Farke is rightly under a huge amount of pressure, with the overall season not good enough so far, even though sixth place is far from a disaster currently. This is a squad more than capable of being in the automatic promotion places at the end of the season, and if the German can’t get the best out of it, Corberan stands out as a brilliant option to do just that.

The 41-year-old has impressed so much as West Brom, getting into the playoffs last season and now ensuring they sit top of the pile after six matches, and Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has waxed lyrical over him, calling him a “fantastic figure” with great “attention to detail”.

This is a ringing endorsement for Corberan, showing what kind of manager Leeds would be getting, and many fans may arguably love to see him take charge in place of Farke immediately due to his previous ties to Marcelo Bielsa. The next few weeks feel crucial, but it should be stressed that there is no guarantee that Corberan would leave West Brom, appearing happy there currently.

100 touches, 96% pass rate: Farke could boldly drop 6/10 Leeds star

The Whites got back to winnings ways, but it wasn’t all plain-sailing…

ByRobbie Walls Sep 21, 2024

Aston Villa are believed to be among a host of Premier League clubs keen on signing a "fantastic pressing player", according to a new transfer report, with the club's recruitment staff impressed by his analytics.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans may be unable to bring in new players now, barring free agents, but they are still being linked with new signings, as Unai Emery and Monchi look to future transfer windows for reinforcements that will ensure their rise in the last 18 months is no flash in the pan.

Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has emerged as a target for Villa, having found himself settling for a squad role at the Emirates, with the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber ahead of him in the pecking order. The 24-year-old is yet to play a single minute of Premier League action this season and could see a move to Villa Park as more beneficial for his development.

Current Villa star Youri Tielemans meanwhile has hinted at his own future, suggesting an exit to boyhood club Anderlecht may be on the cards eventually: "For me, the door to Anderlecht is always open, but I also have to look at my career. First, other things."

It is essential that Emery is given the funds to continue improving his squad, especially with Villa now having to tackle Champions League football as well, and it looks as though the Midlands club are eyeing up a Premier League star as a new addition in one of the upcoming windows.

Aston Villa monitoring "fantastic pressing player"

According to a fresh update from HITC, Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo, with the winger not rushing to sign an extension at his current club currently. The Villans are far from the only Premier League club in the mix to snap him up, however, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United all mentioned as possible suitors.

Mbeumo is a brilliant player who could excel in a Villa shirt after costing Brentford just £6m when they signed him, with the 25-year-old even being touted as Mohamed Salah's potential long-term replacement at Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has lauded his attacking gem, including his off-the-ball work, saying: "The big praise goes to Bryan. He has grown more and more to be a key player for us. He works so hard, he’s a fantastic pressing player and can score goals and get assists, but maybe lacked enough goals. He works very hard on his finishing."

The report backs this up as a key reason for Villa and other teams wanting to sign Mbeumo, stating that the interested parties "rest on analytics and statistics these days to unearth future targets" with the Cameroonian "ranking amongst the most effective forwards anywhere in European football" on those metrics.

Villa have an excellent squad these days, but additional firepower in attacking areas does feel essential, especially with Moussa Diaby departing for Al-Ittihad, following an up-and-down 12-month spell at Villa Park.

Aston Villa already looking at signing "faultless" £20m Premier League ace

Monchi and co are continuing the club’s transfer plans.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 7, 2024

Mbeumo has shown that he can excel in the Premier League, arguably standing out as one of the best wide players in the division recently, scoring three times in as many matches this season and bagging 46 goal contributions (25 goals and 21 assists) in 101 outings in the competition overall.

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Cody Gakpo's future is at centre-forward as the Liverpool attacker continues to adapt to life in the Premier League.

What did Jones say about Cody Gakpo?

When Liverpool announced a new signing at the beginning of last season's January transfer window, many fans were mightily relieved. Finally, a new midfielder to help steady the ship.

But that wasn't quite the case, with the arrival of attacker Cody Gakpo, while recognised as a great piece of business, not the kind of signing the Liverpool supporters were after.

With Jurgen Klopp managing to mould the forward into a prime Roberto Firmino replacement, Gakpo was instrumental in the Reds' Europa League qualification last season, managing to salvage something from a torrid campaign.

While the 24-year-old arrived from PSV Eindhoven as a left-winger, Klopp has rarely played the Dutch international there, instead moving him centrally into a false-nine role.

Finishing the season with seven goals and three assists in the Premier League, the experiment worked, also helping others around him find better form such as Diogo Jota.

Dean Jones believes that Gakpo is destined to play in a central role moving forward, arguing that it is the position in which Liverpool can get the most from their winter signing.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "He did keep going though and as the older he gets, the more you would be willing to expect him to overcome those difficulties in front of goal."

He added: "He does look and have the build of somebody who probably should be a centre-forward. So, I think that that's probably the best route for them to go down. But Gakpo is just so versatile, so smart that it's just nice to know you've got that one up your sleeve."

Liverpool fans will be hoping that Gakpo can impress even further next season with a full pre-season under his belt and a more settled and well-stocked squad around him.

The Reds are not expected to go into the market for an attacker, instead prioritising a midfield rebuild and defensive reinforcements in the summer window.

What do the stats say about Cody Gakpo?

While Gakpo may not have flourished into a goalscoring number nine yet, the signs suggest that he is still a very clinical player. In the Premier League last season, compared to other forwards, Gakpo was in the top 3% for goals per shot on target, averaging 0.58.

The Dutchman also outperformed his 6.2 xG, netting seven times, and also finished in the top 30% for goals per game.

His defensive stats compared to other strikers are superb, sitting in the top 8% or higher for tackles, tackles in the attacking third and dribblers tackled. This highlights his importance in leading the press for Liverpool and forcing turnovers high up the pitch, something which Klopp will undoubtedly love about Gakpo.

Described by Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders as having a "special skill set", the balance he provides Klopp's side is of great significance, and he has already made himself the perfect heir to Firmino's Anfield throne.

Manchester City are expected to make an opening offer for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice on Thursday, according to David Ornstein.

Are Manchester City signing Declan Rice?

Pep Guardiola’s side are wasting no time in looking to bolster their treble-winning squad this summer, with midfield additions seemingly a priority at the Etihad.

Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic looks like he could be the first through the door, with a £30m agreement now reached with those at Stamford Bridge over a transfer.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Wednesday that Man City will pay a guaranteed fee of £25m to their Premier League rivals, with another £5m included in add-ons and will be activated if the Sky Blues add to their trophy cabinet over the coming years.

Alongside Kovacic, who still needs to undergo a medical before his transfer can be finalised, another star midfielder in Rice could be on the move north.

Premier League rivals Arsenal have been desperate to sign the England international and have made two bids so far, the second of which being worth £90m, but it looks as if City will now look to hijack a transfer.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Ornstein shared the big development, saying that a Man City offer is expected to be submitted today.

“Manchester City expected to submit an offer to West Ham for Declan Rice today. MCFC have serious interest in recruiting 24yo England midfielder + it is anticipated a formal bid will be lodged soon to rival Arsenal for signing.”

Who is leaving Manchester City this summer?

City appear to be working on a number of deals, with RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol another target at the Etihad and talks with the German side now very advanced.

However, there could be plenty of departures from the treble winners over the coming months, with club captain Ilkay Gundogan closing in on a deal with Barcelona.

Alongside Gundogan, Bernardo Silva is being heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, whereas defender Kyle Walker is wanted at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Should all three leave City ahead of the 2023/23 season, reinforcements would more than likely be needed, so Kovacic, Rice and Gvardiol could be those to come in and work under Guardiola.

Rice could end up pushing a similar fee to the £100m club record move for Jack Grealish following Arsenal’s rejected £90m bid, and by the looks of it, City are about to make their move in what is a dramatic development.

Tottenham Hotspur target David Raya may hold out on the Lilywhites' interest to see if any offers from a club in the Champions League arise for him, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving David Raya?

According to Football Insider, Manchester United may rival Tottenham in their pursuit of Raya this summer as they look to find a replacement for veteran stopper David de Gea.

The report states that both clubs are courting the £25k-a-week ace and he is said to have impressed Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag due to his ability to play out with the ball at his feet.

90min have claimed that Spurs could walk away from the deal amid concerns over Brentford's asking price, which is believed to be around £40 million.

Raya is said to be keen on moving across London to join Tottenham; however, the north Londoners could be forced to turn their attention towards alternatives, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Gregor Kobel, Robert Sanchez and Guglielmo Vicario all in their thoughts as Ange Postecoglou aims to get a long-term number one goalkeeper into the building.

Brentford have already added to their goalkeeping ranks by bringing in former Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken on a long-term contract at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown wouldn't be surprised if Raya was to hold off on joining Spurs to see if offers come in from clubs that will feature in the Champions League in 2023/24.

Brown told FFC: "I don't think personal terms will be an issue between Spurs and Raya, but I also don't think he's in a massive hurry to get this done. I think it suits him really to wait and see if a Champions League team comes in for him; there is a possibility that might happen."

How did David Raya fare for Brentford during the 2022/23 season?

Raya fared well for Brentford during the campaign just gone and it is unsurprising that he has attracted interest from high-level sides such as Tottenham and Manchester United due to his performances.

In 2022/23, the Spain international made 39 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and managed to keep 12 clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Raya also achieved a save percentage rate of 77.7% in the Premier League, demonstrating his presence as a reliable figure between the sticks.

WhoScored show that Raya was Brentford's fifth-most consistent performer over the course of the term behind Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo, Ethan Pinnock and Ivan Toney, gaining an average match rating of 6.92/10.

Spurs could do with someone of Raya's ilk as their last line of defence; however, it remains to be seen whether they can close a deal to sign the Brentford goalkeeper this window.

Chelsea may have to deal with Romelu Lukaku leaving the club this summer, with the player keen to leave Stamford Bridge straight away, according to a report from Football Insider.

Is Romelu Lukaku leaving Chelsea?

The striker didn't feature in a single league game for the Blues over the course of the 2022/23 Premier League season, as he was instead shipped out to Inter Milan on a loan deal. Having re-joined Chelsea in 2021/22, he was not given a chance to star for them over the course of the last campaign and instead had to make do with minutes in Italy instead.

Despite his side finishing third in Serie A, the forward was once more a key player for the club and played 25 times for them in the league, bagging ten goals and six assists along the way.

His performances actually made him stand out once more as one of the most prolific strikers in Europe, when compared to others in the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues. His non-penalty goal rate of 0.49 per 90 for example saw him sit in the top 20% in that area and he did even better when it comes to assists, managing a rate of 0.34 per 90. That number meant that he is in the 98th percentile for that particular figure – meaning that there aren't many better strikers at setting up teammates than the Belgium international at the moment.

Despite a solid campaign for Inter though, the player is not likely to return to his parent club and get gametime under new boss Mauricio Pochettino now, despite previous reports revealing the new boss was ready to hand the player a fresh start.

Instead, the striker is unlikely to play a single minute for the new boss, with a report from Football Insider stating that he intends to exit the Blues this summer before even trying his luck under the Argentine. The player himself wants a move back to Inter Milan on a permanent basis and it means that he will likely be shown the door by Chelsea, rather than being brought back into the first-team fold. CIES Football Observatory though suggest they might not recoup much of what they paid for him, as they feel his value currently sits around 20 million Euros (or just £17m).

How does Lukaku compare to other strikers?

Lukaku's latest stint at Chelsea then, if he is sold this summer, could amount in just 16 starts and eight goals. The player though is by no means incapable of producing the goods upfront though, as the previously stated comparison stats show.

In addition to those, he has one of the highest rates of progressive passes received amongst those in his position in the 'Top Five' leagues, with 8.68 per 90 (93rd percentile). He also has a rate of 2.44 progressive passes per 90 himself (78th percentile). It means that not only does he score goals and set them up but he is capable of taking the ball and making things happen, finding himself in clever positions but also finding his teammates in them too.

His all-round game has improved then – and Inter would certainly benefit if the player does leave Chelsea this transfer window.

Following their dramatic promotion to the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday are wasting no time targeting summer signings after securing in the League 1 playoff final.

The Owls gained promotion to the second tier of English football via a 123rd-minute header from Josh Windass against Barnsley, securing a 2-1 playoff final victory at Wembley.

Darren Moore has now reportedly highlighted Republic of Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene as a target heading into the summer window but will face competition from a number of Championship clubs, as per The Yorkshire Post.

Who is Chiedozie Ogbene?

Ogbene has been a star player for Rotherham United since joining the Millers in 2019. The 5 foot 9 forward is predominately a right-sided winger but can play on the left flank also.

The nippy frontman scored eight goals and registered four assists in 39 league appearances for Rotherham this season, per Transfermarkt, and helped the Millers survive in a relegation dogfight in which they finished two places above the drop zone in 19th.

Ogbene’s domestic form was rewarded with his Ireland debut in 2021 and Chiedozie has gone on to become a key figure in the Irish squad under manager Stephen Kenny, who hailed the "spectacular" wide man as a "real threat" back in March.

The 26-year-old has scored four goals in 14 caps for The Boys in Green, including a stunning overhead kick in a friendly against Belgium.

Will Ogbene join Sheffield Wednesday?

As per journalist Leon Wobschall in the aforementioned report, Wednesday face competition from a host of Championship clubs for the Irishman’s signature this summer.

The club reportedly turned down transfer offers for the player in January, with Rotherham still hoping the player will sign a new deal to stay at the New York Stadium.

Wobschall also states the versatile winger has rejected offers from the Millers to extend his stay thus far.

Clubs have been circulating around the availability of Rotherham’s star man since January, with Millwall and Swansea City maintaining interest in the player.

Ogbene’s contract runs out on 30th June, according to Transfermarkt, and was even linked with a move to Turkish champions Galatasaray in April, according to reports in Turkey (via The Sun).

Would Ogbene be a good signing for Sheffield Wednesday?

Ogbene has shown in the last few seasons he could become a key player for a Championship side if given the chance.

His international achievements have proved this. Kenny relied on the former Brentford ace in a recent 1-0 defeat to France, in which the forward played the entire 90 minutes and finished with the joint second-highest match rating, per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, back in the Championship, Ogbene was rated as Rotherham's eighth-best performer, per WhoScored figures, and played the second-most minutes of any player in the squad as he also led the team for goals, man of the match awards (four) and shots per game (1.4).

Expect the one-time Cork City gem to play an important role in Ireland’s upcoming international games against Greece and Gibraltar and perhaps he could soon be swapping one side of south Yorkshire for the other as the Owls could do little wrong in signing the exciting talent, who Kenny

Glasgow Rangers have shown interest in Scottish striker Lawrence Shankland ahead of the summer transfer window, with Michael Beale looking to bolster his attacking options ahead of 2023/2024.

What’s the latest on Lawrence Shankland to Rangers?

Following three signings already, with Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling all arriving at Ibrox on free transfers, the Gers are looking at making Hearts striker Shankland number four according to TEAMtalk.

He features highly on Beale’s list of targets and with Alfredo Morelos leaving the club, it’s clear that they urgently need another goalscorer or two in order to properly challenge Celtic next season for the Premiership title.

The £3k-per-week forward currently has a contract until 2025 with Hearts and although a fee has yet to be mentioned, Beale will need to stump up in order to secure his signature from the Edinburgh side.

Could Lawrence Shankland improve Rangers?

Last season, joint top scorers James Tavernier and Antonio Colak netted 18 goals each, hardly a tally to get excited about, especially considering Shankland scored 28 goals across all competitions for the Tynecastle outfit in a stunning individual season, clearly suggesting he would be worth a gamble.

The Gers could certainly repeat their Kris Boyd masterclass from 2006 by signing the 27-year-old. Boyd joined for a fee of just £400k from fellow top flight side Kilmarnock and went on to plunder a total of 145 goals across two spells with the Ibrox side, becoming their main outlet for goals under Walter Smith.

Shankland does offer more than just being a penalty box poacher, creating five big chances and playing one key pass per game during the 2022/2023 season, suggesting Beale could be getting an all-round centre-forward if he manages to land the Scot.

He has vast experience in Scotland, scoring 168 goals across spells with a variety of clubs and this could be a big advantage for the 42-year-old, as Shankland wouldn’t require any time to adjust, meaning he could hit the ground running and this could be vital during the early parts of the season.

Journalist Joel Sked waxed lyrical about the five-cap gem late last year, saying: “Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals. His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link player, his awareness, and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

While Boyd arrived at Ibrox and immediately started scoring for fun, Shankland could also offer a similar result, however, there is a lot more to his game than the former Gers striker and Beale must take a gamble this summer on the Scotland international.