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Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has revealed that the club’s ‘intention’ is to act in the January window after the huge news of an injury to Kalvin Phillips.  

The Lowdown: Phillips’ surgery

Marcelo Bielsa’s squad has been impacted massively due to a number of injuries this season, with plenty of key players sidelined.

Phillips is one of the latest out after suffering a hamstring problem against Brentford earlier this month. Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford also injured the same muscle in the 2-2 draw with the Bees, whereas Rodrigo is sidelined with a heel issue and Pascal Struijk with a foot problem.

News emerged on Monday that the holding midfielder has now had surgery to repair the issue but is expected to be out for at least two months as a result.

The Latest: Hay’s claim

Hay ran a Q&A on The Athletic prior to Leeds’ defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday.

He was asked for an update by one fan in regards to any January incomings, to which he said:

“The intention is there after the injury to Phillips. But it will depend on budget and available options. You know the drill.”

The Verdict: Good news…

A midfielder appears desperately needed at Elland Road following the injury to Phillips. Bielsa has just four midfielders on the books, two of which are injured after Jamie Shackleton hobbled off at the Etihad.

That leaves just Adam Forshaw and Mateusz Klich as his remaining options, although Stuart Dallas can provide cover when needed.

However, it is clear to see that the Whites would benefit from a midfield addition for the second half of the season, and it’s good to see that owner Andrea Radrizzani is ready to take action over the coming weeks, should the right deal appear.

In other news: Leeds now back in for summer target who is ‘like a beast’ – reliable journalist. 

A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned an update on Divock Origi, as he allegedly only has six months remaining on his current deal.

The Belgian is an undoubted Reds legend, despite not always being a regular starter during his time at the club.

Origi has produced some of the most iconic moments of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, famously scoring twice against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, not to mention netting in the final win over Tottenham in the same year and of course bagging that infamous winner against Everton at Anfield.

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The 26-year-old has also been hugely influential in this season’s title race, most recently against Wolves earlier this month, but according to the Mirror‘s David Maddock [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], his contract expires next summer.

It is an update that seems to have taken some by surprise given that he signed a new deal in 2019, but Transfermarkt’s data also seems to support Maddock’s claim, noting his deal is to 2022 but with a performance-based option.

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Liverpool fans bemoan Origi update

These Liverpool fans reacted negatively to the update on Twitter.

“He deserves at least another 3 years”

Credit: @LFC_marti

“Really??? Thought it was like 2023 or 2024?”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“Wait what?”

Credit: @chasin_mo

“Christ I thought he signed a five year deal after the CL final”

Credit: @lfcj__

“Renew it please”

Credit: @AnfieldOpinion6

“Awww come on we’re suffering enough now without more bad news”

Credit: @seanbaillie91

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at another rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

Speaking live on Sky Sports, as shared by via skysports.com, reporter Dharmesh Sheth has dropped yet another West Ham United transfer update involving Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham hold talks…

As revealed by Sky, the Irons have entered discussions to sign Barbosa this month as they aim to put an end to manager David Moyes’ year-long search for a striker.

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The Brazil international has been in scintillating form for this current club, bagging 29 goals in 2021 alone, which has attracted interest from West Ham, Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman.

Reports in recent days had died down but now, speaking live on the Transfer Show, Sheth has made a promising claim with a possible West Ham move still on.

The Latest: Sheth drops big update…

Sheth stated to the broadcast giant that the Hammers’ offer to sign Barbosa is ‘still on the table’ with the player himself now eager to make a Premier League switch.

“West Ham’s offer is still on the table, it has not been withdrawn, the interest does remain,” he explained on Sky.

“A reminder of what that proposal was from West Ham, 18-month loan plus a 30 million euro option to buy.

“Flamengo do not want to sell or loan Gabriel Barbosa in this transfer window, but, I’m also told that ‘Gabigol’ has a meeting with his agent and Flamengo officials tomorrow, in which he will make it clear to them that he wants to make a move to England.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As news emerges of Barbosa potentially forcing his club’s hand, this could boost West Ham in their hunt for the 25-year-old and it’s safe to say he could be an asset for Moyes.

The South American’s prolific goalscoring record highlight a really instinctive centre-forward target and, if Moyes is to guide West Ham to Champions League qualification, it certainly won’t hurt to have him in their squad as an alternative to Michail Antonio.

It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether Flamengo will consider a loan/buy option given Barbosa’s stance on leaving Brazil.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Football pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to an update regarding Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Ornstein’s late-night news

The Brazil international was the subject of late interest in the January transfer window, with David Ornstein revealing on Monday evening that the club turned down three separate offers for the 23-year-old.

The most recent of those came on deadline day, with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham all linked with the midfielder.

As we know, Luiz remained a Villa player past the deadline, with Ornstein adding that Villa now want to secure him to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in June 2023.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who regularly contributes as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Luiz. He believes that Villa have ‘the finances in place’ for a new contract and seemed to be all for a new deal, saying:

“Look, it’s all about performances and consistency. That’s when you earn the amount of money that you might be getting on a new contract.

“If you’re not playing regularly, then you don’t really have a leg to stand on.

“Douglas Luiz, 18 months, he has been consistently in the side and put in some great performances.

“They’ve got money, they’ve got all the finances in place and he’s been a player for them that has played continuously.

“If you’re going to be a top club playing at the top end of the league, you’ve got to have the squad that can handle that.”

The Verdict: Needed

Villa didn’t add to their midfield ranks last month despite showing an interest in Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, so a new contract for Luiz is crucial.

He has been a regular under Steven Gerrard, so failing to tie him down to a new deal before the summer will only add fuel to the fire over a possible departure when he enters the last 12 months of his contract.

Luiz has actually been the club’s second-best Premier League performer among players to have made more than three appearances, as per WhoScored, which just underlines his importance to the team, and the importance of securing his future without delay amid widespread interest in him.

In other news: ‘Hats off to the board’ – Sky Sports pundit purrs at ‘amazing’ out-of-the-blue Villa transfer news

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt yet another injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash with Watford on Saturday.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by football.london, manager Antonio Conte revealed that winger Steven Bergwijn missed out on Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Southampton on Tuesday afternoon as the 24-year-old forward was suffering from a calf strain picked up in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.

The 52-year-old went on to state that, as a result of this knock, the Netherlands international looks as if he will remain sidelined for the visit of Watford on Saturday afternoon, as the player will need more time to recover before returning to first-team football.

When asked whether Bergwijn was injured for the Saints game, Conte said: “Yeah, yeah. During the game against Crystal Palace, he felt a problem in his calf. Yeah, he was injured. Together with [Giovanni] Lo Celso and [Cristian] Romero and [Ryan] Sessegnon.”

The Italian was then asked whether the winger would be back for Watford, to which he replied: “I don’t think so. He has a muscular problem and he needs to recover more time than 10 days or only a week.”

Conte will be livid

As we are well and truly in the thick of the busiest period of the Premier League calendar, with Spurs having at least six fixtures to play between now and the end of January – with the potential of more being scheduled due to earlier postponements – the news that Bergwijn will be unable to feature against Watford is sure to come as a huge blow to Conte, as well as leaving the manager livid.

Indeed, with the 52-year-old recently revealing that he considers the forward as a backup to Harry Kane – currently Tottenham’s only recognised centre-forward – something that is evidenced by Bergwijn replacing the 28-year-old at Selhurst Park last week, the Dutchman’s injury severely limits the Italian’s options should he wish to give the England captain a rest in the club’s upcoming games.

Furthermore, with the likes of Lo Celso, Romero and Sessegnon already in the Tottenham Hotspur treatment room, a fresh injury is the last thing Conte needs heading into 2022, as the former Inter Milan manager will need as many of his first-team squad fit and firing as possible if he is to have any chance of guiding Spurs to a top-four finish in the league this season.

In other news: “Serious chance”: Romano drops teasing Spurs transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Hannes Wolf to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication Bild, who claim that Celtic, as well as Trabzonspor and Rapid Vienna, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Borussia Monchengladbach attacking midfielder ahead of a potential swoop in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that the 22-year-old is not currently used by Adi Hutter, as well as claiming that, despite having splashed €9.5m (£8m) in order to sign the Austrian from RB Leipzig this summer, the Bundesliga side are willing to sanction his departure in the January transfer window.

Postecoglou must move

While it is true that Wolf has not enjoyed the best of campaigns with Gladbach this season, the youngster nevertheless proved during his time with Red Bull Salzburg that he would make a fantastic addition to Ange Postecoglou’s options in attacking midfield ahead of the second half of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 22 Austrian Bundesliga appearances – only 15 of which came as starts – back in 2018/19, the £13m-rated man scored a highly impressive eight goals, registered seven assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns saw the Austrian earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, efforts which, alongside the likes of Erling Braut Haaland and Takumi Minamino, saw his side clinch their league title at a canter.

The £27k-per-week forward also impressed in the Europa League that year, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating four big chances over his 10 appearances in the competition, playing a crucial role in his side’s run to the round of 16.

As such, it is easy to see why Ralf Rangnick made a move to sign the 22-year-old for RB Leipzig, with the now-Manchester United manager stating of Wolf: “Hannes caught our attention due to his prominent development, which is reflected in his numerous national and international outings, in spite of his young age. His strengths make him a versatile option across the attacking midfield. He stole the show with [Amadou] Haidara in the Europa League [in 2018/19].”

As such, with winning the league title and going deep into European competition undoubtedly being two of the biggest objectives of Postecoglou’s tenure at Parkhead, something which Wolf is clearly capable of helping his side achieve, it would indeed appear highly advisable for the 56-year-old Hoops boss to do all he can to land the attacker in January – as he could be one of the final pieces to Postecoglou’s first-team puzzle in Glasgow.

In other news: Big blow: Celtic dealt huge injury setback ahead of Dundee Utd, Ange will be gutted

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Sofyan Amrabat this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the Fiorentina midfielder, who is currently excelling for Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, very early on Wednesday morning.

He said:

“Sofyan Amrabat to Tottenham, advanced but not a done deal yet. [Antonio] Conte and [Fabio] Paratici both want him – he’s also doing great at AFCON.

“But Spurs are waiting to complete [Tanguy] Ndombele deal [to Paris Saint-Germain] before Amrabat (loan with buy option). Player side, not a problem: he only wants Spurs.”

Closing in

At the moment, this would be the Lilywhites’ first signing this month as a swoop for Adama Traore continues to rumble on without much success.

It appears as if Conte’s attentions have quickly turned to sorting out the engine room because you don’t make the likes of Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso all available for an exit if you’re not going to try and reinforce such a key position, especially with less than five days of the window remaining.

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Amrabat isn’t a signing that is going to thrill much of the Spurs fanbase but if the Italian head coach wants him, then he must be backed.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 at AFCON.

Conte has lacked someone capable of driving the ball forward from midfield and he could well find that in Amrabat. Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options with Oliver Skipp leading the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg not too far behind on 62.2%. Ndombele – who is supposed to be the ideal fit for the role – sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

He is also solid at delivering long balls and is aggressive in the tackle, so whilst his lack of game time is a worry, there are certainly credentials there that make him fit for Conte, who must be absolutely delighted that a deal is very close. to happening.

Somewhat of a perfect signing for the Spurs boss, the north London outfit are in for one busy few days ahead of Monday’s deadline.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

As per Jornal de Notícias, via Sport Witness, some midweek transfer news has emerged involving Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting Lisbon star Matheus Nunes.

The Lowdown: Man in demand…

The 23-year-old midfield maestro, who has starred for Sporting in the Portuguese top flight this season, has also attracted Premier League attention for his performances.

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Indeed, alongside Spurs, the likes of Wolves and Everton also want to sign him as the English trio all hold a keen interest.

This comes after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking after his side’s 5-0 Last 16 win over Sporting in the Champions League earlier this season, lavished Nunes with praise.

The Spaniard labelled him ‘one of the best players in the world today’, extremely lofty praise from one of the world’s most elite managers, and Tottenham’s interest has continued heading into the summer window.

The Latest: Spurs eye move…

According to Jornal de Notícias (via SW), the Lilywhites still want to sign Nunes alongside Everton and Wolves – coming as Sporting seem willing to negotiate a fee lower than his €60 million (£50m) release clause.

Indeed, according to the report, Nunes’ club could actually let him go to Spurs for around €40m (£33m) – £17m less than his clause.

The Verdict: Lodge an offer?

His numbers for Sporting this season perhaps highlight why Tottenham are taking such a keen interest.

According to WhoScored, no player in their squad has completed more successful take-ons per 90 this season (2.4) with Nunes also attracting the most fouls on average.

He’s consistently proved a tricky player to compete against in midfield and there is little wonder Tottenham are keen on a move.

In other news: ‘I know thanks to a source very close’ – Journalist claims big name is now set to leave Spurs, find out more here.

Jesse Marsch’s track record when it comes to developing young players is certainly impressive, so Leeds United’s latest up-and-coming prospects are in very good hands.

During spells in charge of Red Bull conglomerates, Salzburg and Leipzig, the American coach had many a talent at his disposal, trusting them to start for him in the senior game.

These names ranged from goalscoring superstar Erling Haaland and Patson Daka, who is now at Premier League rivals Leicester City, to mooted Whites transfer target Brenden Aaronson.

Whilst the likes of Hwang Hee-chan, Takumi Minamino, Dominik Szoboszlai, Karim Adeyemi, Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol have all benefitted from his influence.

Some of the players listed went on to score a pretty neat profit but who could follow in the footsteps of say, a Haaland, at Elland Road?

The Yorkshire giants are blessed with a pretty exciting academy set-up, where we have seen players such as Joe Gelhardt, Lewis Bate and Sam Greenwood go from starting for the youth team week-in, week-out, to earning minutes in the top-flight of the men’s game.

But it could be Leo Hjelde who benefits most from the arrival of Marsch.

The 18-year-old defender has recently been absent through injury but made his return on Monday night as the U23s were walloped by West Ham United, though these valuable minutes are positive for his comeback.

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Described as “rusty” in the game by LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, it was more of a first runout for the Nottingham-born Norwegian in two months.

Capable of playing at left-back and in the middle, Hjelde could be hugely valuable to the 48-year-old going forward, particularly into next season, where the makeup of this Leeds squad is surely set to change following a torrid season full of injury and inconsistency, leading to them largely fighting a relegation battle.

His debut for the Yorkshiremen came against West Ham United earlier this season highlighted his true potential, earning immense praise from club legend Jermain Beckford, who told the club’s official podcast:

“The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen. I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Meanwhile, during his time at Ross County, his former manager John Hughes likened him to a current Premier League star, which only bolsters claims that Hjelde could emerge as a big money-making sensation in the future.

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that,” he said. “The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo. He’s got massive things in front of him.”

Also dubbed a “massive talent” by his ex-boss, it’s clear that Leeds – and Marsch particularly – have a special defender in their grasp. He should be in line for more game time next season as the league’s worst defence will surely be altered.

The Norway U21 international could earn Leeds a pretty penny one day.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Kalvin Phillips transfer update…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte must make a ruthless decision ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle United this afternoon.

The Italian head coach is facing plenty of selection decisions as his side looks to maintain ground in the race for a top-four finish and with teams slipping up around them, there won’t be a better chance to solidify their claims.

Eddie Howe has turned things around at the Magpies, winning three of their last five in the competition – a run of form that has seen them rise from the brink of an end-of-season relegation battle to near-enough survival.

And he has quite the threat upfront in Chris Wood, who swapped Turf Moor for St James’ Park during the January transfer window. Perhaps not the big-name signing many expected under their new Saudi backers but quite an astute addition, all things considered.

The 30-year-old marksman hasn’t scored as many goals as he’d have liked in the black and white, with just one goal from ten appearances, but having played 100% of minutes in those matches, it’s clear that Howe trusts him and his attacking credentials.

He has won a whopping 8.8 aerial duels won per game since signing for the northeast outfit, which is the most in the Premier League but quite some margin, eclipsing his 5.5 headers won at Burnley and far exceeding anyone in the Spurs squad, as per WhoScored.

This aerial threat will be something of a problem for Conte, even with three centre-backs being deployed, and at 5 foot 11, Ben Davies could be at risk from facing the axe.

The Welshman, dubbed “perfect” by ex-Lilywhites man Michael Dawson, withdrew from the Wales squad during the recent international break and whilst he is available for this clash, it may be wise to hold him back in case any lingering injury gets worse, whilst last time out, he was rated as one of Spurs’ worst-performing players in their 3-1 win over West Ham.

Those factors, combined with the fact that he’s a full-back playing out of position, should be enough for Conte to make a brutal and ruthless call to drop him from the starting XI when the two teams go head-to-head later today.

The 28-year-old star has won an average of only 2.2 headers per league outing this term, a mere fraction compared to the aerial threat of Wood, and last time out, he won only one of his three duels, failed to register a single tackle and lost possession eight times – and that was up against an out-of-sorts Michail Antonio.

A bit lightweight, in comparison to Howe’s big target man.

Therefore, it would be wise for Conte to ruthlessly axe the £18m-rated defender, who Jose Mourinho once lauded as “intelligent”, for this fixture, as he could well be dominated by the threat of Wood and co amid recent domestic form struggles and potential injury concerns.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt huge blow as early team news emerges ahead of Newcastle clash…