Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has not been afraid to dip into the academy to utilise the young talent within his squad so far this season.
Teenage midfielder Archie Gray has featured in 35 Championship matches, and started 32, for the Whites, with the majority of his appearances coming out of position at right-back.
20-year-old centre-forward Mateo Joseph has also emerged as a first-team option for the German head coach, having had his breakthrough performance against Chelsea recently in the FA Cup.
The former Norwich City tactician has unearthed a new Whites star with the academy graduate, whose value has soared since his move to the club in 2022.
Mateo Joseph's market value in 2022
Leeds swooped to sign the Spanish-born marksman from Espanyol in January 2022. Football Transfers gave him his first Expected Transfer Value (xTV) in December of that year – placing it at just €300k (£256k).
That came after Joseph scored just two goals in 11 appearances for the club at U18 and U21 level combined during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, which shows that he had a slow start to life in England.
Leeds forward Mateo Joseph.
The talented number nine then burst onto the scene with a staggering return of 15 goals in 21 Premier League 2 matches for the U21s last season.
His outstanding form at youth level earned him first-team recognition, with six outings for the senior side – including three in the Premier League – without registering a goal or an assist.
Mateo Joseph's current market value
At the time of writing (11/03/2024), Football Transfers has Joseph's xTV at €2m (£1.7m) and that is a staggering 567% increase on the €300k he was valued at in 2022.
His soaring market value could be down to Farke's continued use of him in the first-team set-up at Elland Road throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
The England U20 international, who U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed as "dynamite" inside the box, has made 16 appearances for the senior team, with 12 of those matches coming in the Championship as he competes with Patrick Bamford for a starting role.
Mateo Joseph
Vs Chelsea
Minutes played
90
Shots
Three
Goals
Two
Key passes
Two
Pass accuracy
81%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Joseph recently enjoyed his breakthrough performance for the first-team with two goals at Stamford Bridge against Premier League side Chelsea, with a goal in each half, as Leeds were beaten 3-2 in the FA Cup.
They were his first goals for Leeds, with many more, hopefully, to come, and showed that he has the quality to make an impact against top-quality opposition.
The next milestone for the 20-year-old whiz is to score his first goal for the club in the league, which is a target between now and the end of the current season as the Whites fight for automatic promotion back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Farke has unearthed a 'dynamite' new Leeds gem in Joseph, who he has put faith in as a first-team regular, and it will be interesting to see how he develops in Yorkshire over the weeks, months, and years to come.
Após o empate de quarta-feira (5), por 0 a 0, contra o Racing, da Argentina, pela Libertadores, o treinador Hernán Crespo falou sobre o calendário apertado que tem pela frente.
RelacionadasSão PauloEm jogo truncado, São Paulo tem William expulso e empata com o Racing pela LibertadoresSão Paulo05/05/2021São PauloATUAÇÕES: Miranda faz ótima partida, e São Paulo segura empate contra o RacingSão Paulo05/05/2021São PauloCrespo avalia jogo contra o Racing: ‘O time jogou no limite do possível’São Paulo05/05/2021
CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DA COPA LIBERTADORES DA AMÉRICA DE 2021!
No jogo contra a equipe argentina, o Tricolor mostrou um desempenho abaixo da média daquilo que vem sendo apresentado nas últimas partidas. Na coletiva de imprensa após a partida, o treinador foi questionado sobre o impacto do calendário intenso como um dos motivos para o menor rendimento da equipe.
O treinador se mostrou preocupado e apontou para a próxima semana, com jogos importantes em curtos intervalos de tempo.
– Muito preocupado com o calendário, muito. Neste momento, devemos jogar, na próxima semana, a Copa Libertadores e as quarta de final (Paulistão), em menos de 48 horas – comentou o argentino.
Em sua resposta, Crespo fez questão de afirmar que o São Paulo representa os organizadores dos campeonatos nacionais em competições como a Libertadores, logo, estes deveriam tomar medidas que ajudassem as equipes a apresentarem um futebol melhor nos torneios continentais.
– Representamos a federação paulista, representamos a federação brasileira. Isso que deve pensar a Federação Paulista quanto ao calendário, para ajudar. Seria realmente importante se a federação começasse a pensar em seus representantes, em um de seus representantes na Copa Libertadores – pediu Crespo.
No jogo contra o Racing, Luciano e Daniel Alves deixaram o campo com lesões.
Obedecendo ao calendário, o São Paulo volta a campo no próximo domingo (9), para enfrentar o Mirassol, fora de casa, no Estádio Campos Maia, pela última rodada da primeira fase do Paulistão.
Após dois empates seguidos, a equipe espera voltar a vencer, mesmo já estando classificada para a próxima fase da competição.
Sem tempo para descanso. No dia seguinte à vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o Volta Redonda, o elenco do Flamengo se reapresentou, no Ninho do Urubu, e embarca para o Equador ainda neste domingo. Para a partida de terça-feira, pela Libertadores, o técnico Rogério Ceni não contará com Gerson, lesionado.
Além de Gerson, que teve lesão constatada na coxa direita no sábado, Thiago Maia, Rodrigo Caio e César seguem entregues ao departamento médico. Veja os 23 atletas relacionados para o confronto com a LDU nesta terça, em Quito.
RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo arrecada R$ 175 mil com leilão de camisas da Supercopa do Brasil; valor irá para ações sociaisFlamengo02/05/2021FlamengoDirigente do Flamengo elogia atuação de Pedro e projeta duelo com a LDU: ‘Vamos para o Equador mais leves’Flamengo02/05/2021FlamengoElenco do Flamengo reconhece boa fase e parabeniza Michael pelas assistênciasFlamengo02/05/2021
Os 23 relacionados do Flamengo para o jogo contra a LDU. A delegação embarca para o Equador neste domingo. Gerson e Rodrigo Caio são desfalques. #lanceFLA pic.twitter.com/5CXSJIMusl
— Matheus Dantas (@matheusdantasfr) May 2, 2021
Léo Pereira – que ficou fora do jogo de sábado pela falta ao treino, na última quinta – foi relacionado para a viagem. De acordo com o clube, que multou o jogador pela indisciplina, o atleta está reintegrado e à disposição do treinador.
Celtic turn their attention back to the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they prepare to host fourth-placed Kilmarnock at Parkhead this afternoon.
The Hoops had their lead at the top of the table cut down to just goal difference during the week as their rivals moved level on points with them, with the same number of games played.
There is no getting away from the fact that Brendan Rodgers' side are very much in a title race and that makes every single match vitally important in their bid to win the league.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans.
The Bhoys ran out 2-0 winners against St Mirren last time out in the SFA Cup, to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the competition, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.
Away from the attack, Rodgers could improve his side by moving Stephen Welsh, who started that match, out of the way for Gustaf Lagerbielke to finally be unleashed from the start.
Stephen Welsh's form this season
The 24-year-old defender only featured in four Premiership matches under Ange Postecoglou throughout the 2022/23 campaign but has already played five under the Northern Irish boss this term.
He has been a fairly unimpressive performer at the heart of the Hoops defence with his inaction defensively and lack of strength in physical duels.
23/24 Premiership
Stephen Welsh
Appearances
Five
Tackles per game
0.0
Interceptions per game
0.2
Ground duel success rate
25%
Sofascore rating
6.74
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish defender has not stepped in to cut out many opposition attacks and has been dominated by attackers on the deck across his five league appearances for the club.
17 Celtic players have averaged more interceptions per game than Welsh, whilst 27 players within the squad have made at least one tackle for the team.
The 24-year-old enforcer started the club's last Premiership match against Hibernian and failed to impress. He lost five of his eight duels and did not make a single clearance, interception, block, or tackle throughout his 66 minutes on the pitch.
These statistics suggest that the academy graduate, who has made 66 competitive appearances for the first-team, did not do much to help his side out defensively, which is why Rodgers should be open to ditching him from the XI.
Why Lagerbielke should finally be unleashed
The Sweden international was signed from Elfsborg last summer on a permanent basis but has not been provided with many opportunities to showcase his quality this season.
Despite his lack of action on the pitch, the young defender's value on FootballTransfers has soared by 650% during his time at Parkhead and Rodgers could unearth a new star by bringing him into the side on a regular basis, particularly ahead of Welsh.
Gustaf Lagerbielke in action for Celtic against Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.
His last Premiership appearance came at the start of January and his last start in the division came against Motherwell back in September 2023.
The 23-year-old has made six appearances in the league, including four starts, for the Hoops this season and Celtic have not conceded a single goal in his 403 minutes on the pitch, with the only goal let in during those six games coming after he was substituted against Motherwell.
You could try to argue that this is a coincidence, given the limited number of matches, but his individual statistics suggest that he played a significant role in that defensive success in those six clashes.
23/24 Premiership
Gustaf Lagerbielke
Appearances
Six
Tackles per game
1.8
Interceptions per game
0.2
Ball recoveries per game
5.7
Clearances per game
3.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 4 titan was far more active defensively in his appearances for Celtic in the Premiership earlier this season than Welsh has been for the Hoops.
The Scottish defender has averaged 2.6 ball recoveries and 1.2 clearances per match to go along with his aforementioned 0.2 tackles and interceptions combined per outing.
This suggests that Lagerbielke has the ability to cut out and clear opposition attacks far more frequently each match on average than the Bhoys academy graduate.
Gustaf Lagerbielke scores for Celtic in the Champions League.
The "hungry", as he was described by Rodgers, colossus has also won an outstanding 87% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season, which is a higher success rate than any other centre-back in the squad has managed this term.
It is also staggeringly better than Welsh's poor ground duel success rate of 25% and suggests that Lagerbielke would come in as a big upgrade on the 24-year-old dud, both in terms of his physical and defensive attributes.
This is why Rodgers must finally unleash him from the start for the first time in 2024 as he could offer more to the team than the Scottish lightweight has.
Liam Scales' emergence this season
Lagerbielke is a right-footed defender who could complement the left-foot of Scales in possession to ensure that Celtic are balanced when they play out from the back.
The Ireland international, who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Aberdeen, has emerged as a regular starter for the Scottish giants this season, with 23 league starts to his name so far.
Celtic defender Liam Scales.
He has been a dominant figure at the heart of the Hoops defence with a duel success rate of 65% across those 23 matches – winning 70% of his ground battles and 63% of his aerial contests.
This shows that, like Lagerbielke, Scales has the positioning and the physicality to dominate opposition attackers on the deck and in the air, whereas Welsh has been dominated by forwards in ground duels.
The 25-year-old enforcer has also made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match for Celtic in the Premiership this season, which is more than Welsh and Lagerbielke combined.
Liam Scales
Vs Hibernian
Sofascore rating
7.9
Duels contested
Ten
Duels won
Eight
Clearances
Four
Blocks
Two
Stats via Sofascore
Scales, who has completed 88% of his attempted passes in the Premiership, was also outstanding against Hibernian last time out in the top-flight, as shown in the table above.
He won 80% of his duels and made six combined clearances and blocks to keep Hibs from troubling Joe Hart's goal prior to Adam Idah's stoppage time winner from the penalty spot.
Rodgers must now unleash Lagerbielke and Scales as a pairing against Kilmarnock this afternoon as they could form a dominant partnership moving forward based on their respective performances this season.
Now that the January transfer window is closed, Tottenham Hotspur can look back on it as a great success, having welcomed Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin in the early stages. And now the good news is set to continue, with Ange Postecoglou potentially handed a late fitness boost ahead of his side's next game against Everton.
Tottenham team news
The Lilywhites have had quite the campaign of injuries, exposing their lack of squad depth throughout. The return of James Maddison was certainly a welcome sight last time out against Brentford, however, as he made his first Premier League appearance since a lengthy spell on the sidelines, helping Spurs to a 3-2 victory.
Postecoglou spoke about the midfielder's return, saying via Reuters: "(Maddison) got more and more into the game and I think he's one of the guilty ones who spent more time in the first half chatting to the ref than getting on the ball.
"That's not what we want him to do. We want him to play football and I thought in the second half his quality shone through and when he's like that, and I'm sure that game will do him the world of good, it just gives us so much more flow."
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison applauding supporters.
If Maddison's return wasn't enough of a boost, the North London club could now welcome back Pape Matar Sarr after he was knocked out of AFCON with Senegal by Ivory Coast on penalties in the last 16.
Postecoglou confirmed that Sarr faces a late fitness test and decision ahead of the Everton game, saying via Spurs' official website: "We'll see how it goes. He's had a long trip back so we'll see how he holds up in training and make a decision around him. Everyone else got through the game ok, we're the same as Wednesday night."
"Great" Sarr is quietly crucial for Spurs
Whilst the spotlight will undoubtedly continue to shine on Maddison in Spurs' midfield, Sarr will continue to impress behind the Lilywhites' protagonists flying forward. The midfielder's return should hand Postecoglou a major boost in the coming games, potentially starting against Everton, with Sarr's stats representing a player who's been at the top of his game so far this season.
Pape Matar Sarr
Percentile vs positional peers in similar leagues
Progressive Carries Per 90 (1.85)
72nd percentile
Progressive Passes Per 90 (6.54)
82nd percentile
Assists Per 90 (0.20)
91st percentile
Aerials Won Per 90 (1.32)
71st percentile
It's no surprise that Sarr's performances have been praised so highly by Postecoglou, who said via The Spurs Web earlier this season: "Yeah, brilliant. He’s been great from the moment I arrived. He’s got a great energy about him, but he’s got quality there too.
"He’s one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it’s him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition. He’s just got a great temperament for a young guy. So really pleased for him.”
Leeds United secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday with an emphatic 3-0 victory away at League One side Peterborough United.
The Whites will now host Plymouth Argyle in the next round and the cup competition has provided a welcome distraction from the pressure of the race to finish in the automatic promotion places.
Daniel Farke's side are currently seven points adrift of the top two and, therefore, have plenty of work left to do to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Current Championship top six (via Sofascore)
Club
Position
Matches played
Points
Leicester City
1
26
65
Ipswich Town
2
26
55
Southampton
3
26
52
Leeds United
4
26
48
West Brom
5
26
42
Sunderland
6
26
40
They do, however, have an opportunity to bolster their chances of earning promotion from the Championship by adding to their squad in the January transfer window.
The winter market opened for business at the start of last week and Leeds could look to improve the quality of their options across the park, particularly in the full-back position.
Leeds transfer news – Neco Williams
Farke could swoop to add another right-back and Nottingham Forest gem Neco Williams is one player who has reportedly caught his eye this month.
Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast after the win over Peterborough, The Athletic's Phil Hay revealed that the Whites 'like' the Wales international.
The reporter claimed that he has been told by a 'few' people that Leeds are interested in the former Liverpool prospect, who currently plays in the Premier League with the Tricky Trees.
However, the journalist also added that it would be a very difficult deal for the club to complete as he is 'rated' by Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Steve Cooper in the dugout at the City Ground.
This suggests that Leeds would need to come in with a fairly convincing offer to tempt Forest into doing business before the end of the month.
Hay went on to add that the squad does not look solid in the full-back positions and that he would expect the club to strengthen the group over the coming weeks.
The need for a new right-back stems from the decision to send Djed Spence back to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur five months earlier than expected.
Leeds decided to end his loan earlier this month and the Evening Standard interpreted Farke's comments on the decision as a suggestion that attitude concerns contributed to that decision.
When asked about Spence's situation, the German head coach cited professionalism and discipline as two important topics that he has expectations of from every player in the squad, although he did not go as far as to say that the Spurs loanee, in particular, fell short in that respect.
Farke could now forget all about the England U21 international and perfectly replace him with a swoop to sign Williams if the club can convince Forest to do a deal, whether that is on a loan or permanent basis.
Spence's time with Leeds in numbers
The 6 foot dynamo was an exciting addition to the Whites squad last summer as he arrived with an excellent reputation at this level, having caught the eye during Forest's promotion campaign.
21/22 Championship
Djed Spence (via Sofascore)
Appearances
42
Goals
Two
Assists
Four
Tackles per game
1.5
Interceptions per game
1.4
As you can see in the table above, Spence made contributions at both ends of the pitch for the Tricky Trees as a wing-back in Steve Cooper's system.
However, the 23-year-old ace had a horrible start to life at Elland Road as a knee injury sustained after his debut, which came off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday in September, ruled him out for ten matches.
His next appearance for Leeds came on the 9th of December as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in an unnatural position for him at left-back.
In December, Spence made six Championship appearances for the Whites and started five matches, although four of those starts came as a left-back.
The English dynamo averaged 3.5 tackles and interceptions combined per match but failed to showcase his creativity with 0.7 key passes per game and zero 'big chances' created across his seven league outings for the club.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Williams
Farke could perfectly replace Spence by landing an upgrade on the Tottenham youngster with a swoop to sign Williams, who has proven his quality in the Championship.
The Wales international, who has made 4.0 tackles and interceptions per match in the Premier League this term, spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan with Fulham in the second tier.
In those five months, the £50k-per-week dynamo started 14 league matches for the Cottagers and contributed with two goals and two assists from right-back.
He was an exceptional progressive force down the right flank. Williams ranked within the top 1% of Championship full-backs for progressive passes (6.42) per 90 and the top 2% for progressive carries (4.23) per 90 for Fulham that term.
Spence, on the other hand, has only averaged 3.91 progressive passes and 3.45 progressive carries per 90 respectively over the last 365 days for Leeds, Spurs, and Rennes combined.
These statistics suggest that the current Forest gem has the quality in possession to make a greater impact than the Tottenham youngster due to how often he is able to progress the ball up the pitch into dangerous positions.
23/24 Premier League
Neco Williams (via Sofascore)
Appearances
11
Starts
Four
Tackles per game
3.0
Interceptions per game
1.0
Duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, Williams has struggled for regular game time in the Premier League this season and the prospect of starting week-in-week-out could be a tempting one for him.
He has showcased his defensive ability, despite limited minutes, with an impressive output of tackles and interceptions – 0.5 more combined per game than Spence for Leeds – and could combine his defensive and offensive qualities to be a fantastic player.
That is why the Forest whiz, who was once hailed as "excellent" by journalist Callum Castel, would be the perfect replacement for Spence at Elland Road for Farke.
Ben Foster has revealed James McClean to be the “hardest-working” player at Wrexham, calling him an “absolute animal”.
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Irish winger joined in 2023
Pushes himself to the limit
Rewarded with promotion
Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
The experienced Irish winger signed for the Red Dragons in the summer of 2023, as he dropped down from League One at Wigan to join an ambitious project in North Wales. McClean jumped at the chance to link up with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at SToK Racecourse.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
A brave career call has been rewarded with another promotion for Wrexham, with McClean giving his all to the collective cause. His versatility has been put to good use by Phil Parkinson, while his fiery character can always be relied upon to get under the skin of opponents that could do without any kind of distraction.
Getty Images
WHAT FOSTER SAID
Foster, who started the season at Wrexham but headed into retirement after just five games, has told his podcast of the most impressive trainer in Parkinson’s squad: “I think James McClean is the hardest-working player I have ever come across in my life! The very first day that he signed, I used to get in early and get on the bike and do my session and I got in there probably an hour before the rest of the lads got in.
"As I open the gym door I can hear – I don’t what it’s called, Ergo Ski or something – it’s the most brutal thing in the world. There are two battle ropes running alongside it and he’s on this Ergo Ski sweating his tree off and I’m just like ‘you alright, mate’ and he looks at me as if to say ‘not now, I’m dying!’ He gives me a thumbs up and carries on. He’s straight on to the battle rope, he’s doing a circuit. This is at like eight in the morning. I’m like ‘you’re an absolute animal!’ I get on my bike and that is James McClean in a nutshell. He was like that every day. Genuinely, every day.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
That hard work has paid off for McClean, as he was able to take in 44 appearances for Wrexham across all competitions as they claimed a runners-up finish in League Two. He will be back for more next season, following a celebratory trip to Las Vegas, with an extension option in the 35-year-old’s contract being taken up.
أعلن نادي طرابزون سبور، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، الاستغناء عن خدمات المدير الفني للفريق عبد الله أفجي قبل مباراة الغد المرتقبة في بطولة الدوري التركي.
ويلتقي طرابزون سبور، مساء يوم الأحد، مع نظيره أيوب سبور في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري التركي، موسم 2024/25.
ولم يخض طرابزون سبور سوى مباراة واحدة فقط في الدوري التركي بسبب ارتباطاته الأوروبية.
وقبل 24 ساعة من مواجهة أيوب سبور، أعلن طرابزون سبور الاستغناء عن خدمات المدرب عبد الله أفجي، بناءً على اتفاق متبادل بين الطرفين.
وربما قد يلقي ذلك القرار بظلاله على مستقبل المحترف المصري محمود حسن تريزيجيه مع طرابزون سبور.
وتحوم التكهنات بقوة حول مستقبل تريزيجيه، حيث ظهرت تقارير صحفية أمس تفيد أنه مستعد للانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي هذا الصيف، خاصة وأن الميركاتو الصيفي في المملكة مستمر حتى 2 ديسمبر المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
في حين أفادت تقارير صحفية جديدة اليوم بأن تريزيجيه سينضم إلى فريق الريان القطري (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
وما بين هذه التقارير وتلك، قرر عبد الله أفجي استبعاد تريزيجيه من قائمة مباراة طرابزون سبور وأيوب سبور، قبل رحيل المدرب منذ قليل.
وليس من المعلوم ما إذا كان قرار رحيل أفجي واستقدام مدرب جديد سيلعب دورًا في مستقبل تريزيجيه مع طرابزون سبور، أم أن قرار الرحيل قد اُتخذ بالفعل.
Tottenham have been handed a transfer boost with one club "prepared" to entertain selling their star to Spurs, despite interest from Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich.
Postecoglou wants new centre-back at Tottenham
Lilywhites manager Ange Postecoglou is currently short of central defensive options behind his usual starting eleven, with Micky van de Ven's hamstring injury really weakening them in November.
The Dutchman was hauled off in a 4-1 defeat at home to Chelsea, which ended their early-season unbeaten streak, and Cristian Romero's suspension certainly didn't help matters at the time.
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At one stage, Postecoglou was forced to play both Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as a makeshift centre-back pairing, but Romero's return to action has put an end to that drastic measure.
Davies has partnered the Argentine to great effect in recent weeks, for the most part, though Postecoglou has still been fairly adamant that Spurs should sign a new centre-back in January.
"We let Davinson Sanchez go after the window closed. We kind of knew we were taking a bit of a risk; we couldn't get the extra centre-back that we were trying to get in, and for the early part of the year that was fine," said Postecoglou to Sky on Tottenham's defensive conundrum.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
"But once we lost Micky [van de Ven], and Eric Dier's had some issues as well, we don't have another centre-back. Young Ash Phillips had just joined the club, so it's fair to say that we can't run the risk of that happening again, so that's obviously a priority for us in January.
"But again, we've got to get the right person. It's not just about bringing another body in, it's about getting the right one in and hopefully that'll happen."
The Lilywhites, according to reports in the last week, appear to have identified a top candidate in Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo.
The 23-year-old's excellent campaign in France has attracted attention from all over Europe, including from Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern.
Nice "prepared" to sell Todibo to Spurs
As per The Evening Standard, Spurs have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Todibo as we approach January.
The outlet, and reliable journalist Dan Kilpatrick, claim Nice are "prepared" to sell Todibo to Spurs despite incoming Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratfcliffe's ties to the Ligue 1 side.
Nice defenderJean-Clair Todibo.
Ratcliffe is about to take control of football operations at Man United, who are also chasing the France international, but the billionaire's share in Nice won't stop Tottenham from making a deal if they meet his asking price.
Todibo is also a target for Tuchel's Bayern, United, Liverpool, and AC Milan next month, but it is Spurs who making the first moves and have "entered" talks.
The centre-back is a real one to watch considering he could leave for just £35 million, with former Brazil star Dante calling his teammate a "leader" and "very strong" player.
"Of course, we would like Todibo to stay," said Dante at a recent press conference.
"But it can be complicated. We have to wait to see who will want to buy him and if everyone finds himself there. He is a leader, a very strong player mentally, he has improved a lot and he is ready to reach the very top level."
Back in the Champions League for the first time since the Arsene Wenger days, Arsenal are still seeking the perfect squad depth for Mikel Arteta. They welcomed the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in the summer in an attempt to compete on all fronts. And to their credit, so far they've been incredibly impressive in both the Premier League and on the European stage.
Defeats against RC Lens and Newcastle United have been slight blips along the road, but the Gunners are still well placed to potentially achieve their goals this season. The January transfer window could only boost their chances of silverware too, especially if they secure one particular target that they have reportedly been tracking ahead of the winter window.
Arsenal transfer news
Those in North London are now at a point where improving Arteta's starting side will likely cost near-record fees, such is the talent included in their current 11. That doesn't mean they don't need reinforcements, however, with depth to that aforementioned talent still needed. We saw how badly they needed stars from the bench last season when they burned out and eventually fell away in what was their title race to lose in the Premier League. It is heartbreak they'll want to avoid again and one target could ensure that's the case.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal have been tracking Julian Brandt alongside fellow English side Newcastle United. The Borussia Dortmund star's exit is reportedly unlikely to be sanctioned by the Bundesliga giants in January, though, as they push towards goals of their own.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt.
That said, Brandt has previously regretted failing to move to the Premier League and Liverpool in particular, telling The Athletic: "I had that chance to take that next step to join Liverpool, but the time wasn't right for me. I was aware that they were also looking at Mo Salah at the time. It's a shame because I would have loved to play for Klopp."
Arsenal tracking "excellent" Brandt
Given Kai Havertz's failure so far, it comes as little surprise that Arsenal are keeping an eye on a player of such similar calibre in the form of Brandt. The German international can play both in midfield and as a striker and may well find himself replacing his international teammate at The Emirates if the Gunners make their move. Brandt's stats compared to Havertz's only have one winner.
Player
Goals
Assists
Progressive Carries
Take-ons Completed
Julian Brandt
4
4
26
10
Kai Havertz
1
1
11
1
With eight goal involvements in the Bundesliga so far this season, Brandt is bursting into life at Dortmund and proving former manager Marco Rose right, who was full of praise for the German, saying in one post-match press conference:
“I think Jule is having a very decent season overall. He did an excellent job in Stuttgart, and today he showed his quality once again. He’s a player who can really rouse up the stadium with a back heel. But he knows what the issues he needs to work on are, I know what his issues are. We’re working on it.”