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Leeds United are eyeing up a late move for Noa Lang before transfer deadline day…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg (via Sport Witness), who have mooted the Yorkshire outfit as a potential destination for the 22-year-old winger.

Although they face competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The Whites were linked with a move for the Club Brugge sensation during the summer but evidently, no move came to fruition with the club instead signing Daniel James in a club-record deal.

Lang himself has even revealed that there is a “good chance” that he will depart the Belgian champions, sooner rather than later.

The initial report suggests that it’ll cost more than €25-30m (£21-25m) to secure him.

Raphinha 2.0

A new winger is probably the least of Leeds’ concerns this month but the form of James has been disappointing, if not shocking, and they will be resigned to the fact that Raphinha will not be around forever.

In fact, a move for Lang could bear some similarities to the arrival of the Brazil star, who was a relatively unknown but exciting young talent in France at the time.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-lufc-transfer-rumours-gossip-bielsa-orta-radrizzani-elland-road-updates” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

United paid Stade Rennes around £17m for his signature and he’s made a huge impact in the year or so he’s been at Elland Road. He’s currently their top goalscorer (eight) and leading creator (2.1 key passes per game) this season.

By comparison, James has managed only two goals and one assist and is outside the top ten for average WhoScored rating in the squad.

Meanwhile, Lang has been excelling for Brugge – last season, he delivered 17 goals and 11 assists on their way to the Jupiler Pro League title. That form has continued into this season, where he has found the net eight times and laid on 11 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

It’s no wonder the Holland international has been dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt and “pure class” by Filip Joos explained to Extra Time.

The 5 foot 10 dynamo is capable of operating on the other flank to Raphinha but could well become Bielsa’s next beast out wide. A new central midfielder may be the priority but Leeds should not turn their nose up at a talent as promising as the £22.5m-rated Lang.

AND in other news, “I understand..”: Insider drops worrying Leeds transfer claim, Bielsa will be fuming…

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick could sign a major upgrade on Harry Maguire with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Sky Deutschland (via Sport Witness), United are one of a number of top European sides who are chasing the Germany international.

It’s claimed that the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign the central defender, and that Rangnick’s side have now emerged as an additional contender for his signature.

Better than Maguire

While Maguire may be established as a cornerstone of this United defence, Rudiger’s arrival would see the club land a genuine upgrade on the England international.

As per Whoscored, the £100k-per-week German has averaged an impressive 7.00 match rating over the course of the Premier League this season, which far betters Maguire’s measly 6.56.

And, when you look at the key underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why.

Rudiger averages almost double the number of interceptions that Maguire does, while he also boasts a far higher average number of passes and key passes per game – the kind of ball-playing centre-back that could thrive under Rangnick.

The Chelsea man also wins more offsides per game too, a pointer of how his pace and reading of the game is slightly superior to that of Maguire.

Rudiger’s performances for the Blues has earned rave reviews from a number of people, not least former United man Rio Ferdinand, who waxed lyrical about just how good he has been in the top-flight.

He said (via the Metro): “Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably, since Tuchel has been there (at Chelsea), been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or (Ruben) Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”

And, speaking to BILD, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “Toni has established himself exceptionally since the first day we arrived. He is an absolute leader and plays at an incredibly high level.”

The £31.5m-rated star could bring some proven Premier League experience and quality to this United back-line, and a real upgrade on Maguire.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must move for this Serie A midfielder…

Lots of Manchester United fans were blasting Harry Maguire for his role in the goal for Burnley in the Red Devils’ 3-1 win in the Premier League on Thursday night.

The defender did not engage with Aaron Lennon as he made his way to the edge of the penalty box and then did not put in much of an effort to block the shot, which eventually trickled into the bottom corner past David de Gea.

It was not Maguire’s best game at Old Trafford in general, as he lost out on four of his duels and also failed to record any tackles. Also, he lost possession of the ball 12 times, the seventh-most out of any of his teammates on the pitch (SofaScore).

Man Utd fans blast Maguire

These United fans blasted Maguire on Twitter after the goal conceded by Ralf Rangnick’s men, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that the 28-year-old is the ‘meme’ of the club, having often been deemed culpable of defensive errors in a red shirt:

“Bin Maguire ASAP”

Credit: @KhashanDalia

“Maguire really is the meme of the club, get that man out”

Credit: @WonkaWonka195

“Tell Maguire to get off the pitch”

Credit: @Donny_DaSilva

“Sell Maguire”

Credit: @alexsears97

“SELL MAGUIRE ASAP”

Credit: @imSoenda

“Maguire is the first defender that is allergic to defending”

Credit: @SamuelNOVNTY

In other news, find out whose display against Burnley was also slammed by lots of United fans

Wolves winger Adama Traore isn’t good enough to be a successful signing for Liverpool in January, according to former England international Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with exit

Bruno Lage’s side lost 1-0 at home to the Reds on Sunday, with Divock Origi’s stoppage-time winner breaking Wanderers’ hearts.

Traore played most of the game and was a menace to Liverpool’s defence, having recently been linked with a move to Anfield in January.

It has been claimed that the Spaniard could be available for as little as £18m, slashing his asking price by £32m from an initial £50m, with Jurgen Klopp potentially seeing him as a good squad option.

The Latest: Mills unsure over move

Despite this, someone who doesn’t think a move would be good for Liverpool is Mills, who told Football Insider that Traore simply doesn’t deliver consistently enough:

“Can he be unlocked? It’s going to be difficult.

“He had one great season where he’s been off the charts. We know he’s got incredible pace and for a little while, he had a bit of an end product. Then that dissipated and he had a couple of very average seasons for Wolves.

“Can Klopp get anything better out of him? I’m not sure.

“Also you’re bringing him into the first-team squad, so who do you leave out? Who do you drop? That’s the problem Liverpool would have. You wouldn’t drop any of their attacking players for him.”

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The Verdict: Squad player at best

For all Traore’s incredible speed and strength – Klopp himself has hailed the 25-year-old as ‘undefendable’ in the past – his lack of end product backs up Mills’ claim.

The winger is still searching for his first goal or assist in the Premier League this season, despite starting nine and featuring in 14 of Wolves’ 15 matches.

It could be argued that Klopp could nurture him and make him a greater force, but at 25, he has had enough time to mature as a player and show he can add more substance to his game.

Wolves are possibly better off without Traore in their starting lineup, too, using him as an impact substitute and using Francisco Trincao and Hwang Hee-chan as wide men, with the former a younger option and the latter delivering four league goals this season.

In other news, some Wolves fans slammed one player’s performance against Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny (via Football Insider) has tipped West Ham to spend ‘serious money’ in the January transfer window following the major injury to Angelo Ogbonna.

The Lowdown: Ogbonna out for the season

The 33-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in the Hammers’ 3-2 win over Liverpool on the 7th of November. It is expected that the defender will be out of action for nine months – meaning his season is effectively over.

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The Italian was instrumental in West Ham’s success this season, having played the full 90 minutes in the first ten league games. He was second only to Kurt Zouma in offsides won per game, showing how perfectly the duo fit together in David Moyes’ defensive structure.

The Latest: A replacement is needed

As a result of Ogbonna’s campaign ending injury, Kenny has claimed (via Football Insider) that the Hammers will speed up their search to replace the defender permanently – instead of bringing in a loan player until the end of the season. He said:

“Ogbonna is such a vital player for them and I do think his experience will be missed.

“I think it’s just obvious to go out and replace a player who is going to be out for so long.

“He’s not the youngest player either, so maybe West Ham could accelerate the process of getting a replacement in instead of getting a loan.

“That would allow them to spend a bit of money. They won’t go cheap if they want to buy a long-term replacement.

“We will have to see what happens but if West Ham want to stay at that end of the table they need to spend serious money.”

The Verdict: A costly but well-timed replacement

Despite the statement that West Ham need to bring in a replacement for Ogbonna, Kenny also said that the Hammers “still have quality players”. Indeedn, fellow centre-backs Zouma and Craig Dawson lead the team in clearances, with 5.4 and 3.4 per game respectively.

However, Ogbonna supersedes both of them when it comes to pass success percentage, with an impressive 85.2% accuracy.

With the 33-year-old’s contract expiring in the summer, this may be the perfect time for the Hammers to ramp up their interest in a long-term replacement, and one who is effective playing the ball out from the back – as the Hammers move up in the world, more and more teams lower down the table will allow them to have the ball as much as possible.

Such a signing will be costly, but it feels like GSB and Moyes may have no other option than to take Kenny’s advice and splash “serious money”.

With Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side heading into Wednesday evening’s Championship clash on the back of a resounding 3-0 defeat last weekend, the 46-year-old Baggies boss will undoubtedly be hoping for a much better result when Hull City visit The Hawthorns.

And, considering the fact that the Tigers have picked up just two wins all season and currently occupy one of the spots in the Championship relegation zone, the Frenchman will know that his side have a fantastic opportunity to get back to winning ways against Grant McCann’s men.

So, will Ismael make any changes to the team which started the 3-0 loss against Fulham on Saturday? Here’s how we think West Brom could line up against Hull, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Ismael recently confirming that Alex Mowatt will once again miss out due to injury, while Darnell Furlong is unavailable as a result of his red card against Fulham, we predict that the Frenchman will make four changes to the side which lined up against the Cottagers.

The first of these alterations is a forced one in the West Brom back five, with the aforementioned Furlong watching from the sidelines, highly-rated 19-year-old Taylor Gardner-Hickman is handed his league debut for the Baggies at right wing-back.

In the middle of the park, the £24k-per-week Robert Snodgrass drops out of the XI after a disappointing showing against Fulham, being replaced by Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jayson Molumby.

The final two changes come in Ismael’s front three, with Jordan Hugill – who has scored just one goal over 11 Championship appearances for the Baggies – making way for Callum Robinson, while Matt Phillips – who has not contributed towards a goal over his last five league fixtures – is left out in order for Grady Diangana to make his first Championship start since September.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

Leeds United are among a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Vitoria de Guimaraes youngster Marcus Edwards, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Edwards shines abroad

The 22-year-old Englishman has flourished in Portugal since leaving Tottenham in 2019, scoring 16 goals and registering 14 assists for his current club.

Edwards is another example of a young English player thriving abroad after being given more first-team opportunities, as was the case with Jadon Sancho and now Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund.

The former Spurs winger has made eight appearances for England’s under-20s, scoring twice in that time.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with move

According to Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Leeds were keen on signing Edwards in the summer, along with Olympiakos, Sporting CP and Porto.

Offers were turned down for the winger, though, and he now has a €50m (£42.7m) release clause in his Vitoria contract.

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The Verdict: Exciting long-term signing

Edwards is an intriguing player to keep an eye on, considering that his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino claimed that he played like ‘the beginning of Messi’ back in 2016.

At 22, he could come in as a long-term acquisition for Leeds, potentially blossoming into a player who might go on to fulfil Pochettino’s substantial comparison to the multiple Ballon D’Or-winning Argentine.

Edwards’ current deal doesn’t expire until 2024, however, so that release clause would need to be triggered in what would be a club-record transfer for Leeds if it went through.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

When West Bromwich Albion signed Conor Townsend for £750k back in 2018, it would have been safe to assume that the left-back was brought to The Hawthorns as back up to the England international, Kieran Gibbs.

At the time of his arrival, the 28-year-old had just enjoyed a fantastic season with Scunthorpe United, scoring four goals and registering five assists over his 32 appearances in League One, while Gibbs – who had joined Albion from Arsenal in a £6.75m deal a year earlier – was the club’s undisputed number one in the position, having featured 33 times for the Baggies in the Premier League in 2017/18.

This remained the case throughout Townsend’s debut season in West Bromwich, with Gibbs highly impressing over his 38 Championship appearances, scoring four goals and registering four assists, while the newcomer had to make do with just 12 second-tier fixtures.

However, the tide began to turn in the following campaign, with the £14k-per-week Townsend featuring in 27 Championship fixtures, over which he provided one assist and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.89. In comparison, the £30k-per-week Gibbs was awarded just 14 league appearances, over which he averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Townsend’s usurping of the 32-year-old was complete last season, when, despite the Baggies’ ultimate relegation from the top flight, the 28-year-old highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances – helping his side keep five clean sheets, registering two assists and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.86. Meanwhile, Gibbs averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53 over his ten top-flight fixtures – before being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This term, the former Scunthorpe man has ensured that his reputation as a first-class left-back has continued to grow, having already helped his side keep five clean sheets, registered two assists and created three big chances over his 12 Championship appearances – with these returns seeing the defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

Furthermore, the player who Thierry Henry once dubbed “amazing” has also seen his Transfermarkt value rocket from £180k at the time of his signing to £1.8m today – a 10x increase – which, coupled with his ever-improving level of performance, proves that West Brom struck gold when signing the 28-year-old.

In other news: “Confident” West Brom dynamo who lost possession 32x stole the show vs Birmingham

Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has responded to a question regarding Graeme Mathie and a possible Parkhead return.

The Lowdown: Mathie’s visit

Mathie left Hibernian at the end of September following seven years at Easter Road, where he was sporting director.

He was then spotted at Celtic Park last weekend in the directors’ box for the Hoops’ 2-0 win over St Johnstone, sparking rumours of a possible move.

The 38-year-old is a former youth manager and analyst at Celtic, and Devlin has weighed in with his views on Mathie.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin ran a Q&A with supporters on The Athletic for Celtic’s meeting with Hibs on Wednesday.

Before the 3-1 win, he was asked by one fan if it was true that Mathie was present at Parkhead and if he was being courted for a role at the club.

Devlin, who labelled Mathie as ‘very smart’, had this to say in reply:

“He was there yes, can’t comment on whether or not he might be being lined up, don’t know myself yet.”

The Verdict: One to keep an eye on…

Even though Devlin isn’t sure if Mathie’s presence at Celtic will go on to lead to a return, it could be one to keep a close eye on.

Celtic are still on the hunt for a permanent director of football and a head of recruitment, so bringing Mathie back to a club he will know well could be handy, especially with his off-field experience in Scotland.

He was hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell, and Devlin is also clearly a fan, but only time will tell if he returns to the club.

In other news: Lost the ball 48 times, 28 duels lost, 0 shots on goal: Celtic’s terrible trio despite Hibs win. 

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City fans have erupted over more injury news involving defenders John Stones and Aymeric Laporte as the Sky Blues gear up for crunch clashes against Chelsea, Paris-Saint Germain and Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola’s side, coming off the back of an entertaining 6-1 win in the Carabao Cup against Wycombe on Tuesday, already prepare for what will be a crucial encounter with title rivals Chelsea at the weekend.

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After that, City see a host of other challenging contests on the horizon with Ligue 1 giants PSG in the Champions League group stage next week and Liverpool at Anfield next after that.

The Citizens have had to cope with mounting injury issues amid this difficult run with Stones and Laporte currently sidelined alongside the likes of Rodri, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan as it stands (The Independent).

Now, more injury news has come to light involving the former pair – and it doesn’t look good.

According to reliable reporter Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, writing on his social media, both Stones and Laporte are ‘facing a fortnight out’ – meaning they could miss City’s upcoming trio of blockbuster clashes.

Reacting to this news, it’s safe to say Sky Blues are worried – find all of their verdicts on the update down below.

Man City fans erupt over more injury news…

“oh boy”

Credit: @butty27236994

“This is a massive blow for us.”

Credit: @Ericklthier

“We’re doomed”

Credit: @FodenBetter

“we’re done”

Credit: @fogohere

“no way a knock is that bad”

Credit: @FerdReformed

“I might pray for the first time”

Credit: @FatherRuben3

“Noooooooo”

Credit: @AguxroSZN

“What is this….. How does this even happen”

Credit: @DupeMcfc1

“We’re finished”

Credit: @FerranTorresSZN

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Finally’, ‘This is good news’…Man City fans flock to Harry Kane update, find out more here.