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Leeds United managed to rescue a draw in their latest Premier League game against Brentford at Elland Road thanks to a last-gasp injury-time goal from Patrick Bamford.

Tyler Roberts put Marcelo Bielsa’s side 1-0 up in the first half before the visitors managed to get back in front thanks to goals from Shandon Baptiste and Sergi Canos before Bamford saved the day from the substitutes bench.

One Leeds player that also came off the bench but failed to have anywhere near the same sort of impact that Bamford had on this occasion, despite playing a lot longer than the striker did was Jack Harrison, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Bielsa chose to put Harrison on after defender Liam Cooper was forced off with an injury, giving the former Manchester City wide man 75 minutes of playing time under his belt this afternoon.

In those 75 minutes, Harrison had 81 touches of the ball but managed to lose possession of it on 28 occasions, completing just 36 of the 49 passes he attempted.

Having previously been labelled as an “important” player for Leeds by David Prutton, the winger also failed to accurately make any of the eight crosses and two long balls he attempted and lost 11 of the 21 duels he was involved in.

This performance ultimately earned Harrison an uninspiring overall match rating of 6.3/10, making him the lowest rated Leeds player on the day according to SofaScore which goes to show that he did not repay the faith put in him by Bielsa on this occasion.

Leeds Live also picked up on his lacklustre display by saying that it is “still not really happening for a prolonged period for Harrison in attack.”

Moving forward, given his poor display today, it’s hard to see Bielsa giving Harrison a place in the starting XI for their next league game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next weekend.

Looking at the season as a whole, since Leeds signed the Englishman on a permanent basis over the summer, Harrison has only managed to provide one assist in the league so far this season and earned himself a poor overall rating of 6.44/10, making him one of the lowest-rated Leeds players that have started more than one league game this season according to WhoScored.

With this in mind, it can be argued that the Yorkshire club made a mistake in signing Harrison permanently and that his performances this season have undoubtedly embarrassed their head of recruitment, Victor Orta.

In other news: Bielsa could repeat Gelhardt masterclass with Leeds swoop for 20 y/o “manager’s dream”…

Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing up a transfer move for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Lowdown: Lots of potential…

Ait-Nouri obviously impressed Wolves enough to sign him on a permanent deal following his loan spell there last season, during which he won 3.8 of his duels and averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.2 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League, scoring one goal and making one assist, emphasising both his attacking and defensive potential (SofaScore).

Upon signing him permanently, Molineux technical director Scott Sellars claimed that he is a ‘very talented’ player with ‘lots of potential’ and is ‘only going to get better’ (Wolves).

Nonetheless, at just 20 years of age, Ait-Nouri is certainly one for the future.

The Latest: Newcastle hovering

As per Jeunes Footeux, Ait-Nouri is now ‘of interest’ to the St. James’ Park faithful as well as Crystal Palace, who are both ‘closely following’ his situation at Molineux.

However, as he has a contract at WWFC until 2026, he will not be sold for anything less than €25-30m (£21.4-25.7m).

The Verdict: Ritchie upgrade

Ait-Nouri would certainly be an upgrade on Matt Ritchie at left wing-back, given that he is averaging more tackles, interceptions, shots, dribbles and passes than the Scotland international in the top flight so far this term (WhoScored).

The Frenchman has that extra attacking mindset that will be needed from January onwards, as the North East club look to create enough chances and score enough goals in order to escape the drop.

The Express & Star journalist Liam Keen claimed last month that Ait-Nouri is a player who ‘gets the crowd on their feet’, and his runs up and down the flank should give the Toon Army some excitement going into the second half of the campaign.

Nonetheless, he is someone that they and Eddie Howe can get behind straight away.

In other news, find out which former Magpie NUFC are now eyeing here!

With recent reports claiming that Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips could be out of action for two months after picking up an injury during the club’s recent 2-2 draw against Brentford at Elland Road, this would be a huge loss for Marcelo Bielsa’s side at a crucial stage of the Premier League season.

The fact that Leeds lost seven of the nine league games that Phillips missed last season and haven’t won any of the four games he’s not played in this season shows just how vital he is for the team.

Taking into account how Leeds are set to take on Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool for their next three league games, the timing couldn’t have been worse for Phillips to be out of action given how he’s managed to rack up an average of 2.3 tackles per game and 1.2 interceptions per game in the league this season.

With this in mind, it could be time for Bielsa to turn to one of Leeds’ rarely seen youth players to come in while Phillips is out injured.

19-year-old midfielder Stuart McKinstry has made a total of 41 appearances for Leeds across their U18, U23 and senior side, scoring two goals and providing seven assists in the process since joining from Motherwell’s U18 side back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Labelled as a “fabulous” player in the past by Motherwell’s academy director Steven Hammell, McKinstry’s only senior Premier League appearance for Leeds came during a very short cameo in their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last month.

McKinstry was, however, on the substitutes bench for their recent 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, making that his sixth appearance in a senior matchday squad this season, showing that he is on the fringes of the first-team.

Moving forward, even though Leeds have a fairly tough run of fixtures ahead of them with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool next up for Bielsa’s side, it could be a real baptism of fire for McKinstry if he’s given his first start of the season on Tuesday against Pep Guardiola’s side.

However, this could be his best opportunity to show Bielsa and everyone else at Leeds that he is capable of playing regularly in the first team against the top teams in the league as an extra midfield option alongside the likes of Adam Forshaw and Mateusz Klich.

In other news: Orta can cement Leeds’ PL status by signing “extraordinary” £9m-rated “catalyst” – opinion

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will be ‘disciplining’ his players on the training ground as he bids to improve their set-piece defending. 

That’s according to former Scotland boss Alex McLeish, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

In Wednesday night’s Scottish Premiership clash with Ross County, Jack Baldwin evaded Liam Scales to equalise from a corner.

Celtic went on to snatch victory courtesy of Anthony Ralston’s 97th-minute header, but it was the sixth goal they had conceded from a set piece this season, and so Postecoglou may not have been entirely happy.

In the SPFL, they have actually conceded as many from set piece situations as they have from open play (via WhoScored).

The latest

McLeish reckons Postecoglou will be livid with the recurring issue and will be devising a strategy to remedy it.

That will involve work from his analysts, he says, as well as drills at Lennoxtown.

“When you see so many set pieces going against them, that is obviously something that will be doing the manager’s nut in,” the Sky Sports pundit said.

“He will have the analysts on it and I’m certain he’ll have them on the training ground.

“Without having a massive squad and certain players, he’ll be disciplining them in the way that they should be defending these set-pieces.”

The verdict

Only three teams in the Premiership – Ross County, Motherwell and Aberdeen – have conceded more from set-pieces, and it’s alarming that they make up such a high proportion of the goals Celtic ship.

Intriguingly, it’s a similar to last season under Neil Lennon, when they let in 12 from open play and 11 from set pieces. Back then, their efforts were labelled ‘shambolic’ by The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

If Celtic are going into games with their own firepower reduced – like this Sunday, for instance, when they could be taking on Hibs without their top two scorers in Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota – then this weakness could prove their undoing.

In other news, Celtic have received a European boost.

Tottenham are looking to pip Newcastle United in the race to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Sports Witness.

The Lowdown: Dembele at Barca

Dembele has been at the Nou Camp since 2017 following a £121.5m move from Borussia Dortmund and has made 126 appearances for the Catalan giants.

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The 24-year-old, capable of playing anywhere across the front line, has scored 30 times and provided 23 assists during his time in Spain.

However, he’s missed a whopping 100 games due to injury, and it now seems as if his time with Barcelona could be coming to an end.

The Latest: Tuttomercatoweb’s update

Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Sports Witness, suggest that Dembele is the ‘dream’ signing for Spurs boss Antonio Conte.

They claim that Newcastle have been pushing for Dembele for some time without making progress, with Tottenham now looking to pip their Premier League rivals to a move. Contact has been made with Dembele’s entourage, with Spurs keen on a January deal.

The Verdict: Possible?

A cut-price transfer in the New Year could well be a real possibility, especially with Barcelona recently reaching a big-money agreement to sign Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.

Dembele’s current contract has just over six months remaining, so Barcelona could now be open to the idea of bringing in some funds in January to avoid losing the Frenchman for nothing in the summer.

It seems as if Conte and Fabio Paratici are extremely keen on the World Cup winner, so this could be a move to keep a close eye on as Spurs look to add to their attacking ranks with a first marquee signing under the new manager.

In other news: Conte in awe of tireless player as he wows in Spurs training, could now stay in January.  

Celtic have been linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Hannes Wolf, according to German tabloid Bild, relayed by Bulinews.com.

The Lowdown: Wolf profiled

Wolf is primarily a left-footed attacking midfielder who can also play on either wing and has made 180 senior club appearances.

He joined Monchengladbach from RB Leipzig this summer following a successful loan spell in a deal worth £8.55m, taking fees to sign Wolf during his career over £20m. [Transfermarkt]

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The 22-year-old has made just one appearance in Monchengladbach’s last 10 Bundesliga games, and so it seems as if a January exit is on the cards.

The Latest: Hoops keen

Bulinews.com relayed an update from German tabloid Bild, who claimed that Wolf could be one of a number of players to leave Monchengladbach in the New Year.

They suggest that he’s not in Adi Hutter’s plans, with Celtic, Trabzonspor and Rapid Wien all showing an interest.

The Verdict: Needed?

The Hoops could well bolster their midfield and attacking ranks in the New Year with three Japanese signings, and should they arrive in Scotland, Wolf may not be needed.

Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi are Ange Postecoglou’s midfield targets, according to Sky Sports, while forward Daizen Maeda could also be brought in over the coming weeks.

Should those moves materialise, Postecoglou would have a plethora of midfield and attacking options, so the club could be better off looking at a new left-back to rival Greg Taylor instead of looking at Wolf, with the likes of Callum Styles and Aaron Hickey recently linked.

In other news: ‘Outstanding’ Celtic gem could now miss next 11 fixtures, says journalist. 

A number of Liverpool supporters have laughed off claims that the Reds will have to pay £50m to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer.

Jurgen Klopp didn’t make any midfield additions in the summer transfer window last year, instead persevering with the options already at his disposal.

However, Liverpool have struggled in the middle of the park at times this season, with age arguably catching up with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson.

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In addition, Thiago, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have all been out injured, highlighting the need for reinforcements to be made in midfield in the near future.

Bissouma is one player who Liverpool have been linked with signing in recent months, and according to The Athletic [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], he could be available for £50m this summer.

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Liverpool fans react to Bissouma update

These Reds fans have reacted to the news on Twitter, saying it is too much to spend on the Brighton midfielder, especially given FSG’s reputation for frugality in recent transfer windows and that Transfermarkt value him at just £22.5m.

“£50million is an absolute joke”

Credit: @robertorebelo_

“Would rather spend that kind of money on Diaz”

Credit: @SivoriJoshua

“Non-news. FSG won’t pay even if the asking price is £15m”

Credit: @JamesHoffman88

“£50m? No thanks”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“FSG won’t pay that”

Credit: @97_BOSS_97

“Yeah, not gonna happen”

Credit: @LFCAJ_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a Fabrizio Romano transfer claim. Read more here.

Everton are experiencing one of their worst Premier League seasons to date, with only five wins from 20 games, and an embarrassing defeat to relegation battling Norwich City yesterday has only made things worse.

That has ultimately cost Rafa Benitez his job with the club confirming his departure on Sunday afternoon, and now Alan Myers has given his verdict on the current situation at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Popular journalist and Everton fan, Alan Myers, has taken to his Twitter replies to give his verdict on what the issues are at the club currently, after a fan asked him what he thinks they need to do.

Myers responded:

“I don’t see how it gets better in the current situation, but I think it needs much more than just a change of Manager to sort it.”

Rafa Benitez had been in charge at Everton for just over six months, but despite making nine signings during that time, he was been unable to make progress with the squad, leaving the Toffees in a vulnerable position 15th in the Premier League, just six points shy of the relegation zone.

Moshiri will be furious

Myers and his opinion is highly respected by Everton fans, after his stint as communications manager at the club back in 2014, so the fact that he is suggesting that the issues are much more than the manager selection will leave Farhad Moshiri furious, as the owner already has a fractured relationship with the fans.

Fans are also not just putting the blame on Benitez, but have also turned on the owners at this point too, with one supporter tweeting:

“We all knew it would go this way as soon as Benitez got the job. Another shocking decision from Moshiri that’s now left us in a relegation battle. I remember being made up cos we had a billionaire owner but he’s destroying our club #RafaOut #MoshiriOut.”

Moshiri has made over 40 signings and spent over £600m since he became the majority stakeholder in the club, with no progress in fact the club has seen 103 wins, 59 draws, 96 defeats, one semi-final appearance, one season in Europe, six managers and zero trophies since his arrival and the fans have had enough.

Everton’s match-going fans travelled 258 miles from their home stadium to Carrow Road to watch their team lose to a side that was bottom of the table and had lost 14 games in the Premier League this season, with the Merseyside club conceding their 10th defeat of the season.

The fans were furious at the full-time whistle, with chants against Benitez and the owners, as well as some fans even trying to get to the Carrow Road dugout to approach the Spanish tactician, who has now finally been given his marching orders.

Either way, Moshiri has to be furious. His appointment has backfired, his tenure in Merseyside is getting worse and the fans are now severely against him.

In other news: Doucoure wanted by Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Crystal Palace have not made any signings as of yet during the winter transfer window, which is unexpected when you look at how active the club was in making acquisitions in the summer.

Despite no official bids though, the club has been linked to a number of players during January.

Palace have been touted to young players in the forward line specifically, with Christian Benteke turning 31 recently and Vieira on a mission to inject youth in a squad that had the oldest average age in the Premier League before his arrival in the summer.

Vieira brought in a number of young players upon his appointment during the summer, including Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard, who have both made an incredible impact on the side.

For context, they have been involved in 19 goals between them, and as a result, the club’s boss is clearly intending to continue his youth revolution as the club has been linked with 22-year-old Eddie Nketiah, and 21-year-old Bamba Dieng this month.

Whilst Gunners striker, Nketiah, has been ruled out of a move by his manager Mikel Arteta, we can focus our attention on the strengths that Marseille striker, Dieng, can offer Palace.

He could become the perfect replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is not a regular choice for Vieira with just eight appearances this season and has been linked with a move away from the club, cutting his loan deal six months early at Palace.

Dieng has been impressive for Marseille, with his talents not going unnoticed after he was hailed “a Didier Drogba” type player by El Hadji Diouf who sang the young striker’s praises last year:

“He’s a striker, a Didier Drogba. All he can do is score goals. He is a young person with a future. All I have to say is keep his head on his shoulders, keep working. He is an attacker who ends up in the box.”

According to Squawka, when you compare the attacking output from Dieng at Marseille this season, to Mateta’s campaign with the Eagles, the young Senegalese forward has three more goals, a better conversion rate, over twice as many shots on target and almost double the passes completed than his counterpart.

If the statistics shown are anything to go by, Vieira clearly has an important decision to make on the future of his forward line with many choices he could make over the next few months.

Nketiah will be out of contract in the summer and thus, potentially available on a free transfer if he refuses to commit his future to Arsenal, and £30k-per-week Mateta’s 18-month loan deal also comes to an end in June too.

Therefore, the French coach will need to decide if he will sign the player on a permanent contract, but with Dieng linked it would be hard not to consider his attacking output and the potential he offers at just 21 years old.

After all, he looks the perfect player for Vieira to sign while axing the rather disappointing Mateta.

In other news: Reliable journalist gives update on Jean-Philippe Mateta

Tottenham Hotspur appear to still be confident in securing Adama Traore despite the time it’s taking to get the deal over the line…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who has hinted at there being a twist in the transfer saga heading into next Monday’s transfer deadline.

“Slightly different noises coming from all three sides of the Adama Traore transfer. Still a belief that it will happen eventually but it’s interesting to see the different takes on exactly what’s happened so far and that state it’s at right now,” he said on Twitter.

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that Spurs are yet to make their move for Traore, despite reports of a £15m bid being rejected last week.

The expected move for the Spain international is being driven by sporting director Fabio Paratici, who tried to sign him during his time in charge of Juventus, whilst manager Antonio Conte is open to the signing as he fits the mould of that attacking right wing-back he desires.

There is a confidence that a deal can be struck before deadline day but the contrasting noises are certainly cause for concern for much of the Lilywhites faithful.

Twist in the tale?

It would be a travesty for the north London outfit to miss out on one of their reported top targets, especially as they have been linked with a move for him all month.

To leave it this late is bad enough but if they were to avoid signing him entirely, then it’s going to cause some uproar in both the Spurs dugout and in the stands.

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One outlet suggests £20m will be enough to secure him, whilst another believes Wolves are looking for a deal in the region of £30m. These are all intricacies that should have been dealt with earlier in the month because we’re now in the final five days of the window with nothing to show for it.

There have even been reported fears amongst some players at Hotspur Way that the Italian head coach, who has a Premier League and FA Cup to his name, will walk from the club if he’s not backed this window.

With Conte not trusting summer signing Emerson Royal in the right wing-back role, it would be wise to consider a move for one of the most “unplayable” threats in the division.

As this deal continues to rumble on, so will the fans’ anger as they too want to see their world-class head coach backed financially. The squad really needs some more quality and Traore would add that.

AND in other news, Bid accepted: Spurs close in on “extraordinary” £25m-rated beast, Conte will love him…