It's no surprise that Newcastle United are already turning their attention towards the January transfer window after suffering defeats against both Luton Town and Nottingham Forest to sum up a season to forget so far. Out of the Champions League and eight points adrift of the top four in the Premier League, to say that Eddie Howe needs reinforcements would be an understatement.
No matter who the Magpies sign in January, they must avoid a repeat of the mistakes they made during the summer transfer window, which saw them fail to recruit enough depth. That said, this time around, Howe has reportedly identified the positions that he needs PIF to strengthen.
Newcastle transfer news
With Sandro Tonali into his 10-month ban, Newcastle must get things right in January, with the season arguably more than salvageable if the right additions arrive. Those at St James' Park have already suffered the consequences for a lack of squad depth and as injuries continue to pile up, the last thing they need is to suffer another setback in the transfer market. When the window opens in a matter of days, they'll certainly be ones to keep an eye on.
Sandro Tonali
According to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, Howe wants as many as three new signings in January, with a midfielder and forward the reported priorities alongside another goalkeeper. This follows Nick Pope's injury, which could see him miss the majority of the campaign and there have also been concerns over stand-in Martin Dubravka and his recent form.
Meanwhile, the Magpies still need a replacement for Tonali following his ban and added depth in the forward role. As things stand, Howe has just Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak to call upon, who have both suffered injury setbacks in the current campaign. If the boss gets his wish next month, then the Magpies could rescue their season before it's too late.
Newcastle's mounting injury problems
Whilst failed recruitment has been a large part of their failure, Newcastle's injury list certainly hasn't helped. Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Anfield on New Year's Day, Howe said:
“Of course, we’ve suffered the injuries we’ve had and those players you see aren’t available. I don’t think anyone is coming back in the next few days. It was really good that we had Joelinton return today, he’s been a massive miss for us. And we’ve still got players that are finding their fitness from playing matches, which is never ideal, and there were several players on the pitch today in that respect. We’ve not had it easy, and I think that needs to be acknowledged by me more than anyone else in my reflection of the team.”
Newcastle absentees
Potential Return Date
Sandro Tonali
31/08/2024
Nick Pope
13/04/2024
Jacob Murphy
30/01/2024
Harvey Barnes
30/01/2024
Joe Willock
13/01/2024
Elliot Anderson
13/01/2024
Jamaal Lascelles
No return date
Javier Manquillo
No return date
Matt Targett
No return date
As many as nine absentees, it's fair to say Newcastle's luck hasn't been in so far this season. The January transfer window could change that, however, with Howe identifying three main targets.
Celtic are now seemingly close to announcing their first signing of the January window with a reported target now due to have a medical after a "total agreement" was reached with the Scottish Premiership champions.
Celtic slowly making moves in the transfer market…
Brendan Rodgers made his desire to add extra quality to his side in the January window clearer than ever to the point the Northern Irishman has almost sounded like a broken record as he looks to guide Celtic to a third successive league title.
Back in December, the 50-year-old signalled his plan for the mid-season market, stating via Sky Sports: "There's no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That's something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."
"Prolific" striker certain to leave his club – source claims he's joining Celtic
Everything seems to be aligning for a second Celtic signing this month.
ByDavid Comerford Jan 13, 2024
Nevertheless, departures have mainly filled the brief for reporters when discussing the Hoops' transfer business. Yosuke Ideguchi and Kwon Hyeok-kyu have left the club for Vissel Kobe and St Mirren, respectively. Gustaf Lagerbielke, Yuki Kobayashi, Marco Tilio, Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei have also been mentioned as potential undesirables in the context of Rodgers' squad heading into the second half of the season.
Getting players off the books this window will be an important endeavour for the Hoops to reduce wage expenditure; nevertheless, in more exciting news, Celtic now look to be on the verge of confirming their first winter signing, as per a new development.
Nicolas Kuhn set to join Celtic…
Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn is now on the verge of joining Celtic after reaching a "total agreement" for a fee in the region of €3.5 million + add-ons, with a medical scheduled for Monday.
Celtic fans will be delighted to see a deal to sign the former Germany Under-20 international now being close to completion and their hopes of bringing the 24-year-old to Parkhead were subject to a major boost earlier this week after The Scottish Sun revealed that Kuhn had been granted a work permit ahead of his move to Glasgow.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgers
Labelled "technically strong" by Bayern Munich academy manager Jochen Sauer, Kuhn has notched three goals and seven assists across 22 appearances this season (Kuhn statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nicolas Kuhn key statistics in 2023/24 – Austrian Bundesliga (Sofascore)
Big chances created
11
Shots per game
1.8
Shots on target per game
0.9
Key passes per game
1.8
Average match rating
7.22/10
Providing excitement and trickery in the wide areas, Kuhn will undoubtedly be someone who Rodgers will look to against low-block defences in the second half of the season.
O surto de coronavírus que atingiu o Corinthians não afetou apenas o elenco, que conta com 14 jogadores que contraíram a doença. Diversos profissionais que trabalham no dia a dia do CT Joaquim Grava também foram infectados e estão em isolamento. Por causa disso, o técnico Vagner Mancini tem acumulado funções dentro do clube.
>> Confira a tabela do Paulistão e simule os próximos jogos
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O Corinthians não divulgou quais foram os profissionais infectados, apenas o nome dos jogadores. Em relação aos outros departamentos, são quase 20 pessoas afastadas por causa da covid-19, dentre elas o diretor de futebol Roberto de Andrade e o gerente Alessandro Nunes.
– Para dificultar ainda mais, temos um staff do dia a dia, com diretoria, funcionários e grupo de apoio, que também teve pessoas infectadas. Tivemos uma perda muito acentuada em todos os setores do clube. A semana toda eu, Flavio de Oliveira (preparador físico) e Duílio (Monteiro Alves, presidente) chegamos às 7h no campo e tentamos resolver todos os assuntos que também faziam parte dessas pessoas que infelizmente não podem estar ali – afirmou Mancini.
– Tem sido um dia a dia cansativo, mas tem nos dado prazer, porque é muito interessante quando você tem a oportunidade de viver o clube na sua intensidade. Viver o Corinthians é para poucas pessoas. Eu sou muito grato por isso. Óbvio que com essa situação que estamos vivendo tive que abraçar outras funções, assim como o Duílio tem abraçado outras e o Flavio também. Mas é muito importante saber que fazer parte de um clube desse tamanho e se doar acaba sendo significativo, porque você chega no jogo com conteúdo muito maior, consegue expressar aos atletas o que realmente está acontecendo, e eles estão se superando – acrescentou o treinador.
Em relação ao elenco, os 14 jogadores contaminados foram os goleiros Cássio, Caíque França e Guilherme, o zagueiro Raul Gustavo, os laterais Fábio Santos, Lucas Piton e Fagner, os volantes Xavier, Gabriel, Ramiro e Camacho, os meias Vitinho e Ruan Oliveira e o atacante Cauê.
Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has been celebrating winning the League Two PFA Fans' Player of the Year Award.
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Wrexham striker wins yet another awardNamed PFA Fans' Player of the YearProud to share trophy with his familyWHAT HAPPENED?
Wrexham's talisman was nominated for the award after an exceptional campaign where he returned from suffering a punctured lung in pre-season to score 24 goals in 38 league games for Phil Parkinson's side. Mullin's goals were crucial for his team as Wrexham secured back-to-back promotions and a place in League One for next season.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Mullin saw off competition from Stockport duo Ben Hinchcliffe and Isaac Olaofe as well as Notts County's Jodi Jones and Macaulay Langstaff to clinch the trophy. The Wrexham striker can add it to the Player of the Season and Top Goalscorer Award he's already received from Wrexham this season. The trophies clearly mean a lot to Mullin, and he is already looking forward to showing them off to his son Albi when he's grown up.
WHAT MULLIN SAID
He wrote on Instagram: "Thanks to everyone that voted!! Another something to show Albi when he's older."
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Getty/InstagramWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN
Mullin has been keeping busy during the off-season. He's shown off a boxing work-out in the gym as he prepares for another campaign with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny's side. Wrexham will fly out to the United States again for pre-season, taking in games against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Vancouver Whitecaps in July.
The Selecao have a decent chance of tasting continental glory this summer if they play to their full potential
Although England and France must be seen as favourites, it wouldn't be a reach to place Portugal in the next crop of teams most likely to lift the Euro 2024 trophy in Germany this summer.
After an underwhelming showing three years ago, where they were dumped out of the competition in the last 16 at the hands of Belgium, as well as a shock World Cup quarter-final exit to Morocco in Qatar, the Selecao will be motivated to put in a better showing this time around.
Fernando Santos left his post following that defeat to the north African side, with Roberto Martinez stepping into the hotseat in his stead. The former Belgium boss was not a universally-popular choice, but he's done an impressive job thus far, as his side won each of his opening 10 games in charge.
Martinez is blessed with a group bulging with talent, and they should be extra motivated to perform for Cristiano Ronaldo, in what is likely to be his last-ever international tournament. But who made Portugal's 26-player Euro squad? GOAL takes a look…
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GOALKEEPERS
Portugal are blessed with a strong pool of goalkeepers heading into the tournament. Porto's young shot-stopper Diogo Costa – linked with several Premier League sides in the recent past – has emerged as the No.1, but should he not be available, both Roma's Rui Patricio and Wolves' Jose Sa are more than capable of stepping in.
Name
Club
Diogo Costa
Porto
Rui Patricio
Roma
Jose Sa
Wolves
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DEFENDERS
Portugal's defensive options are strong, too. Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo are nailed-on starters at the back, while Manchester United star Diogo Dalot has proved a popular choice down the left-hand side of defence.
The question of who will partner Dias at centre-back is more open. Martinez has flipped between a back four and back three since taking over, with youngsters Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva both receiving minutes. though the ageless Pepe remains an option, too.
Name
Club
Joao Cancelo
Barcelona
Ruben Dias
Manchester City
Diogo Dalot
Manchester United
Goncalo Inacio
Sporting CP
Nuno Mendes
Paris Saint-Germain
Pepe
Porto
Nelson Semedo
Wolves
Antonio Silva
Benfica
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MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes was the only player who featured in each of Martinez's first 10 games in charge, but the other midfield positions are more open. Ruben Neves and Otavio moving to the Saudi Pro League has not affected their international prospects, while holding midfielders Danilo Pereira and Joao Palhinha will provide some much-needed steel.
Name
Club
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
Joao Neves
Benfica
Ruben Neves
Al-Hilal
Otavio
Al-Nassr
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
Danilo Pereira
Paris Saint-Germain
Vitinha
Paris Saint-Germain
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FORWARDS
When Martinez took over, the question he had to ask straight away was whether he would continue relying on Ronaldo as his go-to striker. He opted to stick by the legendary forward and Ronaldo thanked him for his faith by scoring 10 goals in his first nine games.
Bernardo Silva has been another mainstay of Martinez's attack, with Joao Felix and Rafael Leao also featuring regularly. Diogo Jota and Goncalo Ramos, meanwhile, provide vital depth.
Manchester United twice led against Spurs at the weekend, and twice they were pegged back. Manager Erik ten Hag will nonetheless be pleased to signs of life from an attack that scored multiple goals for just the seventh time in 21 Premier League matches this season.
Even after an improved showing, United have still recorded the fewest goals (24) of any side in the league's top 13, and they have the poorest goal difference (-5) of any team in the top 11. £72m summer signing Rasmus Hojlund has only been able to find the net twice in 16 league outings so far, and United would be wise to recruit another striker who can take the pressure off him. Those efforts, it seems, are already underway.
United make contact over Zirkzee
According to Sky Sport Germany's Florian Plettenberg, United have enquired about Joshua Zirkzee at Bologna. Recruitment staff at Old Trafford have "a high opinion" of Zirkzee in light of what he's done this season, and they've listed him as a target for 2024.
Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee
"Talks took place" over a possible deal, but the Red Devils learned that "Bologna won't let him go" during the winter window. Come the summer, however, it could be a different story, with a €40m release clause (the equivalent of about £34m) due to come into effect.
"Graceful" Zirkzee gives United clinical touch
Zirkzee joined Bayern's academy in 2017 and, after loans at Parma and Anderlecht, he resettled at Bologna in 2022. His first year was quiet – he only started five league games and scored two goals – but he's enjoying a breakout season in 2023/24. He's bagged seven goals and set-up two more, form that had seen him start every single league game prior to a yellow-card suspension last time out.
Compatriot Rafael van der Vaart says the "very graceful" Zirkzee is "not normal", and European football expert Alex Barker has warned that he'll be a "terrifying" proposition if he maximises his potential. Journalist Zach Lowy, meanwhile, reckons he'll be "one hell of a bargain" if he leaves for £34m.
1
Lautaro Martinez
18
2
Olivier Giroud
10
=3
Domenico Berardi, Hakan Calhanoglu
9
=4
Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Thuram, Albert Gudmunsson, Matias Soule
8
=5
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE, Andrea Pinamonti, Dusan Vlahovic, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen
7
The numbers illustrate why. As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old is among the most prolific forwards in Serie A this season, and he's reached seven goals from an xG of just 4.5, which points to the clinical touch that United sorely need.
Serie A's player of the month for both November and December, it seems like only a matter of time before he earns a call-up to the senior Dutch national side, and it's not too late for him to play his way into their squad for Euro 2024
United should be wary of his former club Bayern, who negotiated a 50% sell-on clause as part of the sale agreement with Bologna. That means they're able to buy him back for €20m, and they might see that as a smart business move, because they'd be able to sell him on again for a significant profit.
تلقى نادي برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، خبرًا سارًا بشأن أحد لاعبي الفريق، حسبما ذكرت تقارير صحفية إسبانية مساء اليوم الجمعة.
ويستعد برشلونة لاستئناف مشواره في الدوري الإسباني حيث يلتقي مع جيرونا يوم الأحد المقبل، في الجولة الخامسة.
ويمتلك برشلونة حاليًا 12 نقطة، العلامة الكاملة، بعدما تمكن من تحقيق الفوز في كافة المباريات التي خاضها.
وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فإن برشلونة تلقى خبرًا سارًا بشأن لاعب الفريق فرينكي دي يونج، الغائب عن الملاعب منذ فترة طويلة.
وغاب دي يونج عن الملاعب منذ تعرضه لإصابة جديدة في الكاحل، في شهر أبريل الماضي.
ورغم تواجد دي يونج في البداية بقائمة منتخب هولندا المستدعاة للمشاركة في كأس أمم أوروبا، في وقت سابق من هذا الصيف، إلا أن المدرب رونالد كومان استبعده بعد ذلك لاستمرار الإصابة.
اقرأ أيضًا | ديكو يرد على فرص تعاقد برشلونة مع هالاند.. ومستقبل ثلاثي الفريق
وظهرت تقارير صحفية مؤخرًا تفيد أن برشلونة يفكر في إمكانية خضوع دي يونج لعملية جراحية، في حين أن اللاعب نفسه لا يريد ذلك الأمر.
ووفقًا لما ذكرته الصحيفة، فإن دي يونج لديه مشاعر جيدة للغاية في الأيام الأخيرة أثناء تدريبه الفردي، وهو ما يجعل اللاعب بمثابة صفقة خريفية للنادي الكتالوني.
وأوضحت أن دي يونج أخبر ذلك الأمر بنفسه للجهاز الفني، ونتيجة لذلك فإن فليك يخطط بالفعل لإدراجه ضمن التدريبات الجماعية الأسبوع المقبل.
وأشارت إلى أن دي يونج يؤدي التدريبات الفردية بشكل طبيعي تمامًا، مع المختصين الفيزيائيين والعلاج الطبيعي.
وأفادت أن الخطوة التالية الآن تتمثل في أن يبدأ دي يونج العمل مع المجموعة، مثلما حدث مع أنسو فاتي وجافي.
وأكدت أن كاحل دي يونج يستجيب بشكل جيد في جلسات التدريب الفردية الأخيرة، حيث إنه يشعر بالرضا عن نفسه تجاه هذا التقدم والتطور.
وفي الوقت الحالي، لا أحد يريد التسرع في تحديد موعد عودة دي يونج إلى الملاعب، لكن فليك ينتظره على أحر من الجمر.
There's no doubt that these have been troubling times for Everton fans, with their ten-point deduction shaking up Goodison Park and prompting fury amongst many. But the performances of Sean Dyche and his men on the field ever since have been nothing short of sensational, with the deduction already wiped out and attention being turned towards the January transfer window.
Indeed, the January transfer window is almost upon us. An important time for teams to take a bit of a breather and suss out exactly what kind of holes there are to fill, with the right signings in the winter possibly being the difference between a successful and unsuccessful season. But one thing that is for sure is that the Toffees board certainly won't be afraid to provide Dyche with some support having seen Jack Harrison's impact, although on the flip side, Beto and Youssef Chermiti haven't exactly set things alight just yet.
Regardless, Football FanCast has given fans more of an insight into the dealings of Everton in January transfer windows gone by, as we look at exactly where the 10 previous January signings are at now…
Dele Alli – 1st February 2022
From Tottenham Hotspur – free transfer with potential £40m fee
Dele Alli.
Dele Alli may just go down as one of the worst signings of Everton's recent history, with some reports suggesting that Everton ended up paying a substantial outlay for the midfielder.
He's only managed 13 games for the Toffees since moving to Goodison Park and is yet to score or assist. He has had a loan spell at Besiktas, but since returning, just hasn't been involved in any plans, with fitness and his mental health also sadly playing a factor.
For someone who was one of the biggest talents in English football at one time during his Tottenham Hotspur days, it really is a shame that he just hasn't been able to hit the heights at Everton.
Billy Crellin – 1st February 2022
From Fleetwood Town – Fee unknown
Billy Crellin joined Everton from Fleetwood Town back in February 2022 with the view to him going straight into the under-23s side.
Since then, he just hasn't been able to secure a first-team appearance for the Toffees, having only made three appearances for the under-23s over the past few seasons. He did make it on the Australia trip back in November 2022, but just missed out on a debut appearance for the Toffees as Frank Lampard decided to offer Andy Lonergan minutes instead of the youngster.
Although, the club still clearly see something in the goalkeeper, as he signed a new contract with the club back in September which runs until the end of June 2025, so there is still time for him to come good.
Donny van de Beek – 31st January 2022
From Manchester United – Loan
Donny van de Beek joined Everton after a rather frustrating start to life at Manchester United, with game time hard to come by.
But, things didn't get much better at Goodison Park as he only made seven appearances during his loan spell, as a mix of falling out of favour and a thigh problem held him back from really getting the minutes he craved.
Upon the expiry of his loan deal at Everton he returned to Manchester United, where things went from bad to worse. He missed a total of 48 games last season due to injury and has just 21 minutes to his name in the current campaign.
Anwar El Ghazi – 13th January 2022
From Aston Villa – Loan
Anwar El Ghazi joined Everton on a short-term loan deal shortly after Lucas Digne went the other way to Aston Villa.
The winger hadn't exactly set the world alight in his recent games at Villa Park prior to the move, with just one goal in nine Premier League appearances, but as the Toffees had some injury issues, they viewed him as a temporary solution. And, a temporary solution is all he proved to be, making just two appearances for the Toffees as he fell heavily out of favour.
Move forward a year or so and things haven't got much better for the attacker. He failed to make any inroads upon his return to Villa Park, which led to him joining PSV on loan, followed by a move to Mainz in the German Bundesliga.
But after taking up the decision to post a message on Instagram relating to the current conflict in Gaza, the German club originally suspended him, which later led to him having his contract ripped up as he continued to voice his opinions on social media. He is now without a club.
Nathan Patterson joined Everton from Rangers back in January 2022 as one of the most exciting talents out of Scotland.
After a slow start to life at Goodison due to a lack of opportunities, things have certainly picked up for the youngster, as he's become a guaranteed starter under Sean Dyche – and it's all down to his hard work.
The £11.5m plus add-ons fee already looks to be an absolute bargain, and with plenty of room for Patterson to develop, if he continues on his current trajectory, he could go on to follow in Seamus Coleman's footsteps.
Vitalii Mykolenko – 1st January 2022
From Dynamo Kyiv – £18m
Mykolenko made the move to Everton for around £18m back on the opening day of the 2022 winter transfer window.
In just under two years, he's already managed to appear 66 times for the club and is now a fully fledged regular under Sean Dyche.
He had some struggles during his first six months at the club, with mistakes and rash decision-making often plaguing his game, but since Dyche has taken the reins, he has gone from strength to strength.
His two goals in the Premier League this season are evidence of that, and he's now added an attacking aspect to his game, as well as tightening up defensively.
Joshua King – 2nd February 2021
From Bournemouth – Loan
Josh King
Joshua King is another who joined on a short-term deal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for a period during the 2020/21 campaign.
And the club may as well have signed no one when you look at how he performed in the blue shirt. In his 11 appearances, King failed to find the back of the net, but he is predominantly a winger, so there perhaps should be some leeway after being mainly deployed as a striker.
Where is King now, you may ask? Well, he's now plying his trade over in Turkey and has been for a season or so now, with Fenerbahce his new home. His stats have improved too, though the level of competition is arguably lower, with 11 goals and six assists to his name in 41 appearances.
Jarrad Branthwaite – 13th January 2020
From Carlisle United – £1m
Jarrad Branthwaite was making a name for himself at Carlisle United prior to his move to Everton, which was sealed for just £1m back in 2020.
This is a move that could go down as one of the best deals pulled off by the club if he carries on the way he's heading. The youngster has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances under Sean Dyche this season as a regular at the heart of the defence after catching the eye out on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season.
At just 21 years of age, the growth potential is massive for Branthwaite. And with the way he's going at the moment, you could even see him in an England shirt in the not so distant future.
Theo Walcott – 17th January 2018
From Arsenal – £20m
Theo Walcott made a name for himself at Arsenal after joining as a young boy from Southampton, but eventually fell out of favour at the Emirates as the club grew without him.
Everton signed a player who had all the ability, but it wasn't known at the time of the signing whether he'd be able to show the levels we saw at the Gunners, as injuries plagued the winger at times, with age catching up with him.
Looking back, it actually proved to be a reasonably good signing for the Toffees. He made 85 appearances, scoring 11 goals and laying on nine assists, which isn't prolific, but he was often deployed as a wide midfielder, as opposed to the advanced winger during his Arsenal days.
Sorry to make anyone feel old here, but the England star has now retired from football completely.
Cenk Tosun had a lot of hype behind him when he joined Everton back in 2018 after a number of prolific seasons out in Turkey.
But, after paying £27m for his services, things just went downhill. He made 61 appearances for the Toffees but failed to meet the demands of being the club's star striker, as he only returned 11 goals and six assists.
However, things have picked up for him again since returning to Besiktas, which is perhaps a sign of the difference in competition levels in England and Turkey. After an 18-goal season last term, he currently stands at five for the current campaign, with two even coming in the UEFA Conference League, so he appears to have found his feet again.
Leeds United are yet to welcome their first reinforcement in the January transfer window, but reports suggest that the 49ers could now finally make their winter move to land a Premier League edition. With Daniel Farke's side fighting for Championship promotion, this could quickly prove to make all the difference.
Leeds United transfer news
The transfer rumours have arrived even in the face of a quiet January window at Elland Road. The Whites have been linked with moves for the likes of Liverpool's young right-back Calvin Ramsay after his earlier loan spell at Preston North End came to an end, as well as Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies in what would be an impressive move given his experience at the top level.
The Yorkshire club's quiet window so far will be no shock to Farke, who admitted at the start of the month: "I expect a much more quiet and calm January to the last transfer period for example. We wish for a quiet January, but won’t fall asleep and when there are decisions to make, we will also make decisions and you never know what happens."
Leeds could land dream James partner in £50k-p/w Premier League "wizard"
The Elland Road outfit are seemingly seeking to bolster their ranks with a new attacking addition this month.
ByRobbie Walls Jan 19, 2024
As the window approaches the latter stages, however, it looks as though the 49ers could finally spring into action. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Leeds have made their first move for Ryan Giles, enquiring to Luton Town over a potential deal to sign the left-back as part of a 'late-transfer blitz' at Elland Road. The rumours have seemingly developed from initial interest to Leeds now making a first move for the defender.
Giles has struggled for minutes at Luton this season and could now be allowed to complete a loan move for the sake of earning more game-time. Meanwhile, Leeds could prioritise a left-back and a right-back this month following the termination of Djed Spence's loan deal and Luke Ayling leaving for Middlesbrough.
"Fantastic" Giles could play a part in Leeds' promotion push
Currently as many as seven points adrift of the second automatic promotion spot currently occupied by Ipswich Town and sitting fourth, Leeds are in need of a January boost in the form of reinforcements, and Giles could be among those to arrive. The left-back has enjoyed previous stints in the Championship at Middlesborough, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, meaning that he could be more than capable of stepping into the level at Elland Road.
It was at Cardiff that Giles left many impressed, including former teammate Marlon Pack, who praised his debut performance, saying via Wales Online:
"He has got a fantastic delivery. He is someone who offers something that little bit different in the team that we were maybe lacking before. I think we will complement him, too. The way he gets the ball out of his feet and puts it in [the box] with so much venom and pace.
"In fairness, he was lucky today to get only the one assist, because he has put in some great balls and we were unlucky not to score a few more from his deliveries. He will be a fantastic asset to us. He's a young lad who's learning but he's got undoubted ability and it's down to us, our senior players, to make sure he delivers and to back him up during the games."
Sunderland will hope a return to the comforts of the Stadium of Light tonight – where the Black Cats have picked up eight wins in the Championship to date this season – can steer the Wearside club back on course after a bruising defeat to Ipswich Town last time out.
Going 1-0 up early on in Suffolk courtesy of a Jack Clarke thunderbolt saw the rapturous away following at Portman Road grow in confidence, only for Kieran McKenna's hosts to show their class eventually and come away with a comeback 2-1 win to break Sunderland hearts.
Michael Beale will hope switching up the Black Cats lineup can inspire an immediate response from his players to overcome Hull City tonight, with two potential changes in this predicted XI from the narrow Tractor Boys defeat last weekend…
1 GK – Anthony Patterson
Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Beale will hope he can keep his number one goalkeeper Anthony Patterson past this January despite interest from elsewhere, with football journalist Alan Nixon stating that the reliable Black Cats shot-stopper is being linked with a shock move away to Liverpool.
Despite this interest from Jurgen Klopp's Reds potentially turning Patterson's head and making him demand a move away, Beale will start the 23-year-old against the Tigers.
2 RB – Jenson Seelt
With Aji Alese potentially not fit enough to start tonight's game against Liam Rosenior's Hull, Beale could have to shake up the back four and play Jenson Seelt at right-back with Trai Hume moved over to the then-vacant left-back spot.
The exciting Dutchman shone playing in this makeshift role when Sunderland faced off against Hull in the reverse fixture just last month, winning five duels in the away contest to help his side clinch the three points.
3 CB – Daniel Ballard
Dom Ballard
Daniel Ballard's spot in the defence is set in stone for tonight's clash in contrast, the former Arsenal centre-back only missing one game this season to date in the league.
The Northern Ireland international even stood out in the defeat to Ipswich, winning all but one of his duels but to no avail as McKenna's men still exited the fierce encounter victorious.
4 CB – Luke O'Nien
Luke O'Nien also trudged off the field of play with his head held high despite the final scoreline, blocking four shots in the 2-1 away loss to ensure Sunderland weren't completely humbled on their travels to Suffolk.
The 29-year-old also gave his all in the reverse fixture versus the Tigers in December, completing ten accurate long balls in the narrow 1-0 win. Could O'Nien help his promotion-chasing side pick up a victory on home turf tonight with another clean sheet tallied up?
5 LB – Trai Hume
Trai Hume
Hume won't be out of his comfort zone too much filling in at left-back tonight if selected there by Beale, drafted in with other options lacking that can do a job.
Averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game this season, Beale will hope Hume's full-throttle energy and tenacity down the flanks can help Sunderland pick up a much-needed win at the expense of Hull to forget the demons of Ipswich.
6 CM – Pierre Ekwah
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
With Beale's experiment of playing a 4-4-2 formation at Portman Road not working whatsoever, the 43-year-old in the Black Cats hot-seat could be tempted to switch back to the tried and test set-up of a 4-2-3-1 with Pierre Ekwah chosen as one of his holding midfielders.
Ekwah struggled against the Tractor Boys centrally – the ex-West Ham United youth player turned Sunderland first-teamer allowing himself to be dribbled past twice – and so Beale will hope reverting the number 39 to a more comfortable anchor position gets the best out of him again.
7 CM – Dan Neil
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil.
On the contrary, Dan Neil didn't quite flop in the new formation chosen by Beale – amassing one key pass versus Ipswich in a bid to pull off a monumental victory on the road – but the homegrown Sunderland product does excel alongside Ekwah when played further back.
When featuring versus the Tigers away last month, Neil's creativity from a deep role stood out even more – helping himself to three key passes in the encounter – with one of those balls setting up Jack Clarke to score a stunner to win the tight match.
8 RM – Abdoullah Ba
Sunderland midfielder Abdoullah Ba.
Abdoullah Ba could well be retained for tonight's clash, the right winger benefitting from Patrick Roberts still being in the Sunderland treatment room and attempting to show to Beale that he's worthy of being Roberts' immediate replacement whenever selected.
Still only 20 years of age, the Frenchman isn't quite the finished product yet but his raw ability down the channels did trouble Ipswich defenders on occasion at Portman Road.
Registering two key passes from just 34 touches of the ball, Ba will hope he can contribute with a strike or an assist tonight as Sunderland get back to winning ways returning to Wearside.
9 CAM – Jobe Bellingham
With Alex Pritchard being lined up for a move away from the Black Cats, according to reports, despite breathing life back into his fading Sunderland career in recent weeks, Jobe Bellingham is the obvious choice in this number ten role for the visit of Hull tonight.
Played as an unorthodox striker against Ipswich, the dynamic 18-year-old is far more at ease playing just behind the lone centre-forward.
On New Year's Day, as Sunderland confidently dispatched Preston North End with ease in a 2-0 win, Bellingham shone in this role with a 100% successful dribble completion rate managed on top of only misplacing four passes from the 85 minutes he was on the pitch.
10 LM – Jack Clarke
It's no surprise to any Sunderland fans now when Jack Clarke rifles in a wonder strike, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur winger able to have his own goal of the season competition at this point with another sumptuous effort managed against the Tractor Boys last weekend.
Clarke will just hope if he manages to get fans at the Stadium of Light off their feet again with a sublime goal against Hull that a win is forthcoming at full-time, with the promotion hopefuls abundantly aware that their star attacker is a wanted man and could move on if the Black Cats slump further.