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[ad_pod ]Leeds United took a step closer to promotion on Saturday afternoon with a narrow 2-1 victory over Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers.The weekend result enabled them to keep pace with league leaders Norwich City, who sit two points ahead, albeit having played a game more than the Whites.Promotion fever has gripped Elland Road this season under Marcelo Bielsa, and it appears that it hasn’t taken long for January signing Kiko Casilla to embrace the optimism which has gripped the club in recent months.According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds’ number one has made a bold claim about the prospect of winning promotion this season:”It would mean more than winning the Champions League,” Casilla said. “It’s the objective we have and this is why I am here.”Clearly, it hasn’t taken Casilla long to appreciate the significance of the narrative which is unfolding in Yorkshire.The fact the 32-year-old stopper was on the periphery at Madrid and played little part in their Champions League triumphs has presumably influenced his stance, but that has not prevented the supporters from gushing over his bold claim.

Indeed, the fans on Twitter were clearly delighted by Casilla’s desire to help Leeds end their top-flight exile, and it seems his popularity has soared in light of his verdict.

Here’s what some of the Leeds fans had to say about Casilla’s comments on Twitter:

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a fresh setback ahead of their upcoming Championship fixture this evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Yorkshire Live, who claim that Sheffield United’s Morgan Gibbs-White, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since December 20, could be set to make a return to first-team action against West Brom.

Speaking about the condition of the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, Paul Heckingbottom said: “He’s back in full training. The fans need to be patient with him but I love watching him, I see straight away when he’s back on the grass we have missed him, definitely.

“We want to help him as much as we can get him back up to speed as quick as possible but regardless of that he has still got moments in him which are really good and we want to be using him as quickly as possible. Physically now everyone is happy with his injury. Medically he’s fine.”

Bruce will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Morgan Gibbs-White has been for Sheffield United this season, the news that the 22-year-old could be in line to make his return to action against West Brom this evening is sure to have left Steve Bruce gutted.

Indeed, over his 16 Championship appearances for the Blades, the £8.1m-rated man has been in astonishing form, having already scored five goals, registered four assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.7 key passes and taking 2.6 shots per game.

These returns have seen the England U21 international average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.28, not only ranking him as Heckingbottom’s best performer in the league but also as the sixth-best player in the entire division.

As such, should Gibbs-White indeed make his return from injury against the Baggies this evening, it is clear for all to see that it would come as a major blow to Bruce’s chances of taking all three points back to The Hawthorns in his debut game in charge of Albion – with a loss against the Blades being a result that could see West Brom fall out of the top six.

In other news: Forget Dike: Bruce could unearth his new Wilson by unleashing “powerful” WBA “diamond”

Tottenham Hotspur have long held an interest in Diego Carlos and they could snatch him from Newcastle United’s grasp…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Spurs have joined the Magpies in the race to secure the Sevilla defender before the January 31st deadline.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol also provided an update on the situation live on air on Thursday’s ‘The Transfer Show’ (17:05).

“The latest we are getting on Diego Carlos is that Sevilla want to keep him for their game this weekend [against Celta Vigo],” he said.

“But after that game, the expectation is that Sevilla will do a deal and then it’s up to the player where he wants to go.

“They have had an offer from Newcastle and they have been in the driving seat for the past couple of days. But there is also another Premier League club from London who have made an offer of around £30m for him.”

He then added: “I’m not in a position to say which club it is, but I know that Spurs have a long interest in the player and they have been watching him closely for a long time.”

Major defensive upgrade

What a signing this would be for Antonio Conte.

With Eric Dier and Cristian Romero on the treatment table recently, the lack of quality depth in his backline has become ever so apparent.

Spurs may remain unbeaten under the Italian in the Premier League but they were beaten over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea – another reminder of how far ahead the Champions of Europe are, whilst they conceded twice during their midweek win over Leicester City.

Davinson Sanchez has been particularly disappointing since his £42m arrival from Ajax in August 2017. The fact that he has struggled to cement a regular place in the starting XI over the past four years is telling.

His performances in a Lilywhites shirt have often led to fans and pundits describing him as a “liability.”

The 28-year-old Brazilian would be a considerable upgrade on the Spurs star as he continues to excel for Sevilla, where he won the Europa League in 2020.

During that season, he contributed towards 21 clean sheets, keeping the likes of Edin Dzeko, Raul Jimenez, and Barcelona’s frontline of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi silent.

Whilst this campaign, Carlos has formed a solid partnership alongside Jules Kounde – as per WhoScored, he’s averaged a squad-high 2.8 aerial duels won, 1.1 tackles and an impressive 88.3% passing accuracy per league outing.

Sanchez isn’t as strong in the air and is worse on the ball, based on his returns in the Premier League this campaign.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-conte-paratici-levy-premier-league” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Carlos, who is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, has previously been dubbed a “beast” who is “built like a tank” by Spanish football expert Domagoj Kostanjšak to the Blood Red podcast (via the Liverpool ECHO).

With ten days to go, Spurs supremo Fabio Paratici must ensure it’s the north Londoners who win the race for the Sevilla titan this window.

AND in other news, Spurs edge closer to Adama Traore deal…

Manchester United have had a quiet transfer window so far in terms of incoming players, but when it comes to speculation surrounding outgoings, the club has been caught in the middle of a media circus.

There have been reports that up to 17 players were rumoured to want out of the club, and Ralf Rangnick could be on his way to offloading one of them.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Manchester Evening News, United midfielder Donny Van De Beek has been offered to Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

The 24-year-old has started just four Premier League games since he joined the club from Ajax in 2020, he and doesn’t seem to be getting more favourability since the arrival of Rangnick in late November.

Fabrizio Romano also weighed in on the Van De Beek situation at the club late on Thursday night tweeting:”Donny van de Beek situation. No decision made yet by Manchester United on his potential loan elsewhere, nothing communicated to player/agent. Ralf Rangnick still wants Donny to stay until the end of the season. #MUFC”

“No direct contacts with Borussia Dortmund as of now.”

Rangnick could make a huge mistake

Despite Romano’s comments about Rangnick wanting the midfielder to stay until the end of the season, if there is truth in the club offering out the player on loan to Newcastle and Dortmund, this could be a step in the wrong direction for the German coach.

Indeed, a number of United fans were raging earlier this week over the lack of game-time that Van de Beek has been afforded by the interim manager.

Before the Dutchman joined Man United in 2020, Erik ten Hag was getting the very best out of him at Ajax, with the player netting moved to the Premier League. However, he has been unable to emulate that success and get a good run of form going at Old Trafford because of the inconsistent game-time he has been given at his current club, with only two goals and two assists in 1,835 minutes of football over the last 16 months.

Going on loan to play more regularly would obviously benefit Van De Beek massively, but with the Champions League knockout rounds, FA Cup games and Premier League fixtures on United’s agenda, you would expect that Rangnick would want to keep as many midfield options as possible, as his 4-2-2-2 formation is heavily reliant in how they play. Therefore, it could be a big mistake for the German coach to let Van de Beek go this month, and it would likely not go down well with many of the Old Trafford faithful.

In other news: Rangnick could sign this gem as an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka

Lots of Sunderland fans have been left blasting the performance of Lynden Gooch in their 6-0 defeat away at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

It was a dismal day for the Stadium of Light faithful in their race to get promoted from League One, and while the defenders were truly awful in trying to keep the ball out of the net, the attackers were equally as poor going forward.

None more so than Gooch, who failed to record a single shot on goal or key pass, and was inaccurate in three of his attempted crosses and long balls (SofaScore).

The winger also gave the ball away on no fewer than on 21 separate occasions in total, the most out of any player on the pitch, in what was a disappointing game for him and the whole team.

Sunderland fans blast Gooch

These SAFC supporters were left blasting his display on Twitter, with one Black Cat even going as far as to claim that he is an ‘imposter’:

“100% convinced Gooch is a imposter”

Credit: @freddiesafc27

“Lynden Gooch plays every week, surely the “management team” can see he’s simply not good enough, it doesn’t matter who we face or any other excuses he’s simply not a good footballer.”

Credit: @jfoster3_

“Gooch has to be dropped now”

Credit: @woodylad83

“They were all atrocious. Gooch just stood out. LJ’s tactics aren’t working either.”

Credit: @Lauren_McLeish

“Leave Lynden Gooch in Bolton”

Credit: @mackemroy66

“Never want to see Gooch in a Sunderland kit again”

Credit: @omiddsafc

In other news, find out what transfer update has Black Cats buzzing here!

Newcastle United host Manchester United at home in the Premier League tonight as they go in search of their second win of the season.

The Magpies are on ten points after 18 matches and have won just one game as they sit in the relegation zone heading into the half-way stage of the campaign.

They now come up against Ralf Rangnick’s United side off the back of losing three games in succession to Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City.

St. James’ rocking

Newcastle need to get St. James’ Park rocking tonight to create an intimidating atmosphere for the Red Devils to play in and Howe could ensure that happens by unleashing Allan Saint-Maximin from the start.

The tricky winger was left on the bench against Manchester City last week and should now be brought straight back into the starting XI as he is a player who can get fans off their seats. He has the quality on the ball to lift a crowd and this could be vital to gain momentum throughout the match.

This season, the forward has averaged 1.9 shots, 1.5 key passes and 4.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League for Newcastle. He is constantly involved in the play and wants the ball at his feet in order to make things happen, which brings with it an air of excitement every time he is in possession as the fans know that there is the potential for something magical to happen.

Gary Neville previously lauded the £93k-per-week gem, saying: “To see his speed, his movement, it’s absolutely breathtaking. We were defenders in the Premier League and played against lots of good players.

“But every team now has three or four players who are unpredictable and brilliant, he’s breathtaking.”

The 24-year-old also has three goals and three assists in the league this term, which shows that he has been able to provide the end product to make him a genuine threat in the final third. He can scare defenders with his trickery and Howe must use this weapon against Rangnick’s team tonight.

This is why the Magpies boss must ensure that he is in the starting XI ready for kick-off at 8pm. He can get the St. James’ Park crowd rocking with his direct running and that could give the team the boost they need to pull off a shock result under the lights.

AND in other news, Howe must ruthlessly axe “laughable” NUFC dud who Shearer dubbed worse than an “U10″…

Rangers qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League with a convincing 2-0 win at Ibrox in Gio van Bronckhorst’s first game in charge on Thursday night.

They beat Czech side Sparta Prague in Glasgow, with Alfredo Morelos scoring both goals to seal the three points and progression to the next stage.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring with a calm, first-time finish inside the box after good work from James Tavernier and Ianis Hagi. He was then presented with a golden opportunity to double his tally as a loose pass from a defender allowed him to nod into an empty net.

Forget Morelos

Whilst the Colombian centre-forward may grab the headlines with his match-winning brace, another player stole the show for Rangers with a terrific performance on the pitch, namely Glen Kamara.

The Finland international was sublime and controlled the game for the Gers alongside Steven Davis. He was able to put himself about effectively and win the ball back for Van Bronckhorst’s side on multiple occasions, stopping Sparta’s attacks and creating chances for Rangers.

Neil McCann, his former manager at Dundee United, once told The Athletic that the midfielder is a ‘special talent’, saying: “He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

McCann’s comments on him being ‘made of iron’ are particularly pertinent given the nature of his display against Sparta. As per SofaScore, he won a whopping 91.6% of his duels and conquered 11 of his 12 battles on the ground and in the air during the game. He also made one clearance, two interceptions and five tackles as he dominated the midfield for the Gers.

He was solid on the ball. As per SofaScore, he completed 87% of his attempted passes and had 72 touches of the ball, as he also completed two of his three attempted dribbles. In the entire 90 minutes, he only gave possession away eight times in total, showing how composed and assured he was with the ball at his feet.

This highlights how he was able to piece together a brilliant all-round performance and why he was the real star of the show at Ibrox. Van Bronckhorst will surely be hoping that this a standard that Kamara can continue to match throughout the rest of the campaign, as he was brilliant against Sparta.

AND in other news, 129 appearances: Rangers secured dream deal with £0 gem who “embodies professionalism”…

Ibrahima Konate will be left out of Liverpool’s starting lineup to face Manchester City this weekend, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Konate impresses despite error

The Frenchman started alongside Virgil van Dijk at Benfica in midweek, as the Reds won 3-1 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg clash.

Konate may have made an error for Darwin Nunez’s goal, air-kicking an attempted clearance, but he produced a superb overall performance in Portugal, drawing praise from Alisson for his display.

The 22-year-old made two tackles and one interception on the night, as well as the small matter of opening the scoring with a well-taken header – his first-ever goal for Liverpool.

The Latest: Pearce makes key claim

Despite this, Pearce believes Joel Matip will come in for Konate for Sunday’s huge trip to City, taking to Twitter to provide his thoughts:

“Some big decisions for Klopp v City. Matip back in for Konate pretty clear.”

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The Verdict: Correct decision

While Konate undoubtedly impressed against Benfica, bringing Matip back in for him is still the right call, should Jurgen Klopp do that.

He possesses more experience in such big games and he has been the superior player this season, performing magnificently next to Van Dijk and averaging 3.9 aerial duel wins per game in the league.

It would be a big shock if Konate was now picked, given his rawness, and his pace isn’t needed as much against a City side who are more intricate than fast.

In other news, Pearce has also made an exciting Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a fresh setback in their bid to bring John Souttar to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, which relayed a claim made by Hearts manager Robbie Neilson stating that it would take a “crazy bid” for his club to part ways with the centre-back this month.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side recently won the race to sign the 25-year-old on a pre-contract deal, beating the likes of Sheffield United and Blackburn to the defender’s signature for a free transfer at the end of the season, although it is reported that Ross Wilson is now weighing up an offer to bring the Scotland international to Glasgow in the current window.

However, in a recent statement, Hearts backed up their manager’s claim that they are firmly against letting Souttar leave Tynecastle in January, with the club announcing: “The club reiterates that John is an important member of the squad and will remain so until the end of the season unless a significant and satisfactory offer is made during the January transfer window.”

Van Bronckhorst will be fuming

Considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Hearts so far this season, in addition to the fact that Van Bronckhorst is currently experiencing issues in the heart of his defence – with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander out injured and Connor Goldson being free to discuss a move away from the club – the news that the Jam Tarts look set to play hardball over sanctioning the 25-year-old’s departure this month with have left the Dutchman fuming.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £900k-rated defender has been in remarkable form, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, scoring three goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The £3.1k-per-week centre-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 4.4 clearances and 44.9 passes and winning 71% of his duels per match.

These returns have seen the Scotland defender average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.43, not only ranking him as Neilson’s best performer in the league, but also as the fifth-best player in the entire division.

As such, it is clear to see that bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month would undoubtedly provide Rangers’ chances of going on to secure a second Premiership title in two years with a considerable boost.

However, following the latest update from Tynecastle, it would appear as if Wilson has a lot of work to do if he is to get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old in the current window, while missing out on the centre-back in January would certainly come as a blow to Van Bronckhorst and his side.

In other news – Negotiations ongoing: Report delivers huge update on Rangers dud which will delight fans

Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait Nouri is attracting increasing interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 20-year-old Wolves defender ahead of a potential move in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that an offer of somewhere in the region of €25-30m (£21-26m) would be required for Jeff Shi to consider the proposal, while Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is believed to have already informed his transfer team at Selhurst Park that he wants to land the France U21 international.

Shi must avoid disaster with Ait Nouri

Considering the sheer amount of potential that Ait Nouri quite clearly possesses, it is undeniable that losing the services of the left-back just six months after signing the 20-year-old would be something of a disaster for Jeff Shi and Wolves, even if it is for a considerable profit.

Indeed, since being handed his first Premier League start of the season against Leeds United back in October, the £16.2m-rated man has been in extremely impressive form for Bruno Lage’s side, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average 0.9 key passes and taking 0.8 shots per game.

The player who Liam Kenn dubbed a “superb” talent has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 3.9 tackles – the most of any player in the top flight – 0.9 clearances and winning a whopping 7.4 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £33k-per-week youngster average a SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Wolves’ eighth-best performer in the league so far this season.

Couple that with Jonny and Marcal’s repeated injury problems and losing the man who Keen claimed “gets the crowd on their feet” in January would undoubtedly come as a major blow to Lage’s hopes of securing European football at Molineux next season – both of which are outcomes that would leave fans of the club gutted.

In other news: “I think…”: Journalist drops fresh Wolves transfer claim, Shi simply must act