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Leeds United could revive their long-standing interest in Ben Brereton Diaz this month but it won’t be easy…

What’s the word?

According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, the Blackburn Rovers striker was someone “they explored” by the hierarchy at Elland Road during the summer window but any move before January 31st “will be tough” due to their push for promotion in the Championship.

The reliable journalist was asked who the Whites could be interested in after the transfer window reopened earlier this week, with director of football Victor Orta already swooping for his first signing in Max Wober from RB Salzburg.

Whilst it will be hard to lure the Chile international to west Yorkshire in the coming weeks, the Riversiders have previously made it clear that they would sell him for a fee in excess of £20m.

Imagine him and Gnonto

It’s no secret that the Yorkshire giants are in dire need of frontline reinforcements as long-serving forward Patrick Bamford just cannot catch a break from injuries.

Football Insider revealed that he had suffered a fresh setback in his recovery following an operation during the recent international break. The 29-year-old underwent the knife in a bid to regain fitness in time for the return of the Premier League but he’s yet to feature in either of Leeds’ three games so far.

Brereton Diaz has proven to be a prolific source of goals in the second tier over the same sort of duration that Bamford has been missing. Last campaign, he bagged 22 goals in 37 league appearances, with such form continuing this term, where he has already found the net ten times across all competitions.

And at just 23, he and current Whites teenager Wilfried Gnonto could hold the keys in the long term.

The young Italian sensation may have just made his breakthrough on Wednesday evening as he played a starring role in their 2-2 draw against West Ham United, leading to raving reviews from the members of the media, including this from journalist Tom Carnduff:

“Wilfried Gnonto looks an absolute star though. Had such a huge impact since arriving, especially when you consider it might not have happened at that stage of the window. Gave Thilo Kehrer nightmares when he switched to that side. Took his goal really well too. What a player.”

If Orta were to secure Brereton Diaz this month, then he could well provide Marsch with a mouthwatering attacking partnership, considering the former Nottingham Forest graduate has been lauded as an “extraordinary talent” by his ex-manager Tony Mowbray.

Also dubbed as a “goal machine” by journalist Alan Nixon, Brereton Diaz is also something of a creative talent as he ranks joint-first in the Rovers squad for assists (four), as well as second for key passes (one) per game and third for dribbles (0.8) per game, via WhoScored.

As such, Orta and the club’s recruitment staff must do all in their power to seal a move for the Blackburn bagsman, especially considering their past interest. He would surely be a much-needed upgrade to a dwindling striker department.

AND in other news, “One to keep an eye on” – Sky Sports man drops worrying claim on Leeds star despite Orta talks…

Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui has dropped an injury update regarding Daniel Podence following the Old Gold’s 2-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 

The Lowdown: Wolves seal late win v Everton

The Midlands club secured a dramatic win in their first league game since the World Cup, with a late goal from Rayan Ait-Nouri securing victory for Wolves.

After scoring the visitors’ equaliser earlier in the day, Podence was forced off the pitch in the 73rd minute with a suspected injury problem.

After the match had finished, Lopetegui shared some details regarding the winger and why he was substituted.

The Latest: Podence injury update

Journalist Liam Keen took to Twitter following the match, sharing the Wolves manager’s comments on the potential injury scare for Podence.

The reporter tweeted: “Lopetegui says Podence only has some soreness in his leg, doesn’t expect it to be an injury that will cause any issues. #wwfc”

The Verdict: Good news for Wolves

With the Wolves boss putting to bed any concerns there may have been about Podence picking up a serious injury against Everton, this will be good news for the Old Gold and their supporters.

With three goals in the league this season, the 27-year-old has netted 30% of Wolves’ goals for the entire top-flight campaign. In addition, he has had more shots on target (10) and made more key passes (24) than any other player at the club.

Although Wolves as a team have not been particularly deadly when it comes to scoring goals this season – they are still the league’s lowest scorers despite the win yesterday – it’s clear that Podence is an important attacking figure for them.

Taking all of that into account, it should be a big weight off Wolves supporters minds’ that the winger did not pick up a significant injury against Everton and should be able to continue playing over the festive period.

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will be assessed by Uruguay’s medical team following an injury scare in Friday’s win over Ghana in the World Cup.

The Lowdown: Group stage elimination

The 25-year-old started every World Cup game for his country in Qatar, but despite a 2-0 win over Ghana in their final group game, Uruguay were eliminated on goals scored.

It meant heartbreak for Bentancur but joy for his Spurs team-mate Son Heung min, who produced a brilliant late assist to help South Korea qualify alongside Portugal.

The Latest: Bentancur injury scare

Bentancur only played 34 minutes on Friday and was substituted after feeling discomfort in the first half.

The midfielder was visibly upset when leaving the pitch, and Sport Witness relayed an update from Uruguayan outlet El Pais on his condition. They claimed that Uruguay’s medical team are set to assess Bentancur, with an official report in the ‘next few hours’.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Bentancur has been a key member of Antonio Conte’s squad this season, starting 19 games in all competitions.

He has been the club’s second-best performer in the Premier League behind Harry Kane, as per WhoScored, highlighting his importance in Tottenham’s midfield.

Therefore, with club action set to return later this month, everyone associated with Spurs will be hoping for a positive update on the Uruguayan’s condition; and by the looks of it, they’ll know sooner rather than later.

Are you a die-hard Everton fan? With the World Cup kicking off today, what better way to test your knowledge than by guessing the Goodison Park stars who have been capped by their country?

We bet you can’t remember some of these Toffees from the Premier League era, with some household and some forgotten names.

Whilst times have been tough for Evertonians in recent years, there have been some heroes and a whole host of villains produced not only throughout Farhad Moshiri’s reign but even before that. There will be players you’ll wish you’d have forgotten, but remain a permanent scar on your memory.

Having narrowly avoided relegation last season, and struggling again this campaign, there is a worry that there will never be an end to this nightmarish managerial merry-go-round.

Whilst you might want to wipe some of the current squad from the face of the earth, this quiz will have you harking back throughout plenty of different squads if you are to score 10/10 on this quiz.

You’ll be shown the career path of an Evertonian, past or present, but can you name the player?

Tottenham Hotspur have been backed to finally cut ties with Tanguy Ndombele in the near future by former BBC pundit Noel Whelan. 

The Lowdown: Tottenham outcast

The summer transfer window saw the 25-year-old join Napoli on a season-long loan deal after spending the second half of last season on loan at Lyon, from whom he joined Spurs in 2019.

Now that the Frenchman has spent a decent amount of time in Italy with Napoli, it appears that Whelan has shared his verdict over what the Lilywhites should look to do with the player, who was picking up £200k-per-week at Spurs.

The Latest: Spurs to cash in on Ndombele?

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan believes that Ndombele’s frequent game-time at high-flying Napoli could make it easier for Tottenham to offload him permanently, particularly with Antonio Conte seemingly wanting rid of the player.

The former Leeds striker said: “Given Napoli are doing amazingly well, it’s been a surprise that Ndombele has played so much.

“He’s obviously impressed the manager and coaching staff there, and that can only be a good thing for Tottenham.

“They want him gone for good, Antonio Conte doesn’t want him around the place and his game clearly isn’t suited to the Premier League.

“If you can get his huge wages off the wage bill, and invest in players the manager wants, that would be perfect for Tottenham. I expect him to get a permanent move if he remains a key player for Napoli.”

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The Verdict: Call it a day

Having been called “a disgrace” by Jamie Carragher, as well as being booed off the pitch and walking down the tunnel after being substituted against Morecambe in January, it’s likely that Conte doesn’t see Ndombele as a player that he wants in his squad at Tottenham.

Even though Whelan appears to imply that the 25-year-old is having a successful time in Italy, Ndombele’s performances across his 10 Serie A appearances this season have earned him a rather underwhelming overall rating of 6.2/10 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated player at Napoli to start at least one league game.

With all that in mind, we feel that the best move for Spurs would be to get rid of the midfield outcast on a permanent basis and pick up as much money for him as they can in the process.

West Ham United summer signing Thilo Kehrer was criticised during their 1-1 draw away to Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Lowdown: West Ham share spoils…

The Hammers’ run of four consecutive victories in all competitions ended yesterday with David Moyes’ side forced to share the spoils.

West Ham travelled to the south coast with real momentum having won their last two top-flight matches against Wolves and Fulham, but they were frustrated by Ralph Hasenhuttl’s young side at St Mary’s.

The east Londoners were forced to fight back from a goal down after Romain Perraud’s 20th-minute opener, with superstar midfielder Declan Rice eventually grabbing an equaliser just past the hour mark.

Alas, neither team could land a winning goal as West Ham remain near mid-table.

The Latest: Media criticise Kehrer vs Southampton…

During the match, some members of the media criticised Keher after a moment in the first half involving Saints striker Che Adams.

Journalists Malik Ouzia and Benjy Nurick highlighted how the Germany international was ‘bullied’ out of possession by Adams, who then squandered a big chance, with Kehrer being ‘bailed out’ by his goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Nurick said (via Twitter): “Huge chance for Che as he bullies Kehrer out of the game before going one on one with Fabianski. Hits it too close to the keeper who saves with his feet. The good and the bad of Che Adams. Bulldozer to create the chance, clumsy with the finish.”

Ouzia added (via Twitter): “Big save from Fabianski. Kehrer a bit casual, bullied off it by Adams, bailed out by his keeper.”

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The Verdict: Off day?

The 26-year-old arguably wasn’t at his best yesterday afternoon, particularly in light of recent praise of his performances.

As per SofaScore, Kehrer finished the 90 minutes as one of West Ham’s lowest-rated players with a 6.9/10 rating and was dribbled past twice.

He also lost the majority of his overall duels (7/13), with the former PSG star’s moment against Adams perhaps coming as his worst individual lapse of the day.

West Ham United midfielder Nikola Vlasic is set for a permanent move away from the London Stadium in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato, who claim that, having impressed at the Stadio Olimpico after joining Torino on a season-long loan deal this summer, the Serie A club are already planning on making the 25-year-old’s temporary switch a permanent move in the winter.

The report added that, with Il Toro possessing a €15m (£13m) option to buy the attacking midfielder at the end of the current campaign, Ivan Juric is now hoping to activate this clause in the January market.

Jackpot

Selling a player for a £20.4m loss on his original £33.4m fee would not typically be considered a masterclass in the transfer market. However, considering just how poor Vlasic was for West Ham, it would very much be a case of West Ham hitting the jackpot if Torino go on to active the Croatia international’s option-to-buy clause in January.

Indeed, after his move to east London last summer, the £26m-rated midfielder failed to make any real impact for the Hammers, scoring just one goal, registering no assists and creating no big chances over his 19 Premier League appearances in 2021/22.

The £70k-per-week talent also made just 8.6 passes, took a mere 0.4 shots, enjoyed just 16.5 touches and lost possession of the ball 4.4 times per game. These metrics saw the 25-year-old average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.52, ranking him as David Moyes’ third-worst performer in the top flight last season.

Furthermore, former CSKA Moscow striker Valeri Masalitin revealed in an interview with Championat (via One Football) this summer that Vlasic was completely unprepared for his move to West Ham, with the 56-year-old stating: “When he left, I always said that there was nothing to do with such a mood in England. He starts dividing games: I want to play there, I don’t want to play there.

“If you play here, go ahead, then you will not play anywhere with such an attitude to football. He went there completely unprepared. Here is the result. I thought that he would be removed from West Ham in the winter, but he delayed for another six months.”

It is true that the attacking midfielder has impressed in Italy, bagging three goals and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.03 over his nine Serie A outings. However, should West Ham be able to rid themselves of Vlasic’s hefty weekly wage and pick up a tidy £13m fee in the January transfer window, this would undoubtedly represent a masterclass by the east London club.

Indeed, it is clear to see that the 25-year-old is not a player cut out for Premier League football, with both his attitude and his performances on the pitch during his time in England making it an easy argument that West Ham simply must bin off the midfielder in January.

Everton have enjoyed a promising start to their Premier League campaign so far this season, having signed eight new players over the summer transfer window, but now the club could be set to complete a last-minute deal for a player to leave Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Everton midfielder Allan has reached an agreement with United Arab Emirates club Al-Wahda.

As per the report, the Toffees have given the Brazilian their blessing to seal a permanent move away from the club in the coming days, and he will be joining his new club as soon as possible – with the UAE transfer window closing on October 4.

Lampard can finally ditch Allan

There is no doubt that Lampard has washed his hands of the midfielder, as he hasn’t featured in any of Everton’s seven outings in the Premier League this term, and now the 44-year-old can finally ditch the player who has become a liability for the club.

The 31-year-old flop – who was criticised for being “extremely clumsy” by Garry Birtles – proved more of a hindrance than a help over the tail end of last season, when the Toffees were struggling to get themselves out of a relegation scrap. Indeed, Allan was handed a red card against Newcastle United which led to two consecutive defeats in his absence.

Upon his return from his three-match ban, Allan then turned in a humiliating display in the Merseyside Derby, completing just one pass over his 73 minutes against Liverpool – proving his clear lack of drive to contribute when it mattered most for Everton.

Allan is also one of the four highest-paid players at Goodison Park – collecting a whopping £120k-per-week – and considering the club’s current financial issues, it would be massive to get the Brazil international off of the club’s wage bill.

It will come as no surprise to the supporters that Allan is being given the boot after Lampard hinted at his exit when asked about the midfielder’s lack of involvement over the season so far.

Lampard told the press: “We’ll see, we’ll see. He was out of the squad because you have got those decisions sometimes. So we will see over the next week or two.”

With that being said, the manager will surely lose no sleep over Allan’s exit, especially considering the fact that James Garner, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Amadou Onana all joined the Toffee this summer.

Everton reportedly ‘would still like to’ sign Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus before the transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Garner and Gueye imminent?

It has been reported that the signing of former central midfielder Idrissa Gueye from PSG is imminent, while the Goodison Park outfit are also close to bringing in James Garner from Manchester United.

However, they are not expected to be the only incomings on Merseyside, as Frank Lampard’s team also hope to sign another striker before the deadline tomorrow.

The Latest: Kudus also wanted

Taking to Twitter, reliable journalist Alan Myers has revealed that the Toffees ‘would still like to bring in’ Kudus, but Ajax are ‘undecided’ over whether they will let him go so close to the deadline:

“The club would still like to bring in Kudus from Ajax but the Dutch side are undecided whether they’ll let him leave.”

The Verdict: Needed

Given that Kudus can comfortably play as a striker, as well as various positions across the middle of the park, the Ghana international is a much-needed addition to the squad.

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With Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured and Salomon Rondon in talks over a move away, the Blues are in desperate need of cover up top.

Hailed as a ‘complete’ player with ‘electric pace & acceleration’ among other key attributes by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Kudus is someone who would get the supporters off of their seats, and with 25 senior goals to his name for club and country combined, the 22-year-old should be able to do a job up front, as well as featuring in his more natural position in midfield.

Rangers are back in Premiership action this afternoon with their first home clash of the new campaign.

The Gers fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat in midweek in the first leg of their Champions League third round qualifier, leaving them with a mountain to climb for the return fixture at Ibrox in the coming days.

Prior to that, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side kicked off their domestic campaign last weekend with a 2-1 win away to Livingston.

Now that the 2022 Europa League finalists are back in league action at Ibrox against Kilmarnock, this will give them the chance to put their midweek defeat behind them and secure another win in the league.

On the chalkboard

Even though Killie only managed to snatch a last-gasp draw against Dundee United last weekend, Derek McInnes’ team still had 18 attempts at goal, so that they could well cause a few problems for Rangers this afternoon.

In terms of what Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI could look like on this occasion, one man who didn’t start against Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek but who we feel should be in from the beginning to face Kilmarnock today is Tom Lawrence.

Rangers signed the Welshman last month from Derby County and gave him his Premiership debut in their first league game of the season against Livingston.

During that match, the 28-year-old completed 40 of the 44 passes that he attempted, also having three shots at goal and making five tackles in total, ultimately earning himself a solid match rating of 7/10 from SofaScore.

This shows how useful he can be in terms of being both an attacking threat and a solid defensive figure, which is why the Light Blues could have had a better chance at securing a win in midweek if he had started.

In terms of who the Wales international could replace in the team, with Rabbi Matondo – who Lawrence replaced in midweek – being described as looking “well off the pace” by journalist Andrew Newport after the 2-0 defeat, this could make it a simple decision for Van Bronckhorst to make.

Hailed as a “fabulous talent” in the past by his former manager Gary Bowyer, the Welshman certainly has the talent and work-rate in him to terrify today’s opponents and cause them plenty of problems, which is why the Rangers boss should have no doubts over putting him back in the starting XI.