West Ham United have now been linked with a January move for Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino by journalist Alex Crooks.
The Lowdown: Firmino’s Liverpool career
Firmino has been a fantastic servant to Liverpool since arriving at the club from Hoffenheim in 2015, more than worth the £29m outlay that the Reds initially forked out for him, emerging as a key player in the title-winning 2019/20 Premier League season, playing in all 38 games.
However, now that he is 31, game time has started to become more limited, only completing the full 90 minutes on three occasions in the league this term, and it has now emerged that Jurgen Klopp is open to selling him, opening the door for a move to the London Stadium.
The Latest: Crooks’ update
Speaking to talkSPORT, (via CaughtOffside), West Ham insider Crooks said:
“I could see Firmino leaving, certainly in the summer, if not this month. I think there will be clubs looking at Firmino, maybe West Ham, who need firepower. Half of the Premier League would want Firmino if he became available.”
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The Verdict: Get it done?
Even though the Brazilian has only featured as a bit-part player this season, he has still managed to impress, helping himself to a very solid seven goals and three assists in 13 Premier League outings, while he has also scored twice in the Champions League.
Hailed as ‘incredible’ by Tony Cascarino back in August, the striker has proven that he still has a lot left to offer at the top level, and given that he is only 31, he is still likely to have a few more good years left in him.
Firmino has averaged 44.84 passes attempted per 90 over the past year, ranking him in 99th percentile, and highlighting that his main strength is his ability to bring his teammates into the play, so he is not a traditional striker in that sense.
He would be a very nice option for David Moyes to have though, as he is able to play deeper, to perhaps support Gianluca Scamacca.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is seemingly seeking a reunion with Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi this month, having previously coached the Frenchman at Arsenal.
What’s the word?
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Midlands side are said to be keen on signing the 23-year-old before the end of the window, albeit with no bid having yet been made for the 6 foot 1 ace.
Writing on Twitter about that interest, the transfer insider stated: “Unai Emery is interested in bringing Matteo Guendouzi to Aston Villa. They have not made an offer to Marseille, who are somewhat reluctant to let him leave just six months after signing him on a permanent deal.”
In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that the Ligue 1 outfit do value the former Gunners man at around €50m (£44m), with Igor Tudor’s side showing little desire to sell having only signed the player permanently during the summer.
Bye Bye Nakamba
Although it may well take a sizeable offer to prise Guendouzi from the Stade Velodrome, bringing the £41k-per-week maestro into the fold could well help to hasten the exit of fellow midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, with the Zimbabwean dud having been linked with a departure earlier this season.
The 28-year-old – who made the move to England on a £11m deal back in 2019 – has been on the periphery so far this season having failed to make a single appearance across all fronts, after featuring only 19 times in all competitions last term.
Although that lack of action has been impacted by injury, the former Club Brugge man has rarely been able to establish himself in the side over the past few years, with no goals or assists to his name in 68 outings to date in the claret and blue jersey.
Having been “nowhere near” the matchday squad of late, as per pundit Alan Hutton, it looks as if Nakamba’s days are numbered at Villa Park, with the addition of Guendouzi seemingly the midfield upgrade that the club have been craving.
The latter man has scored three goals and provided three assists in 22 games in all competitions so far this term from his central midfield berth, after previously playing a starring role last season with 19 goal contributions to his name in 56 outings.
The relentless “warrior”, as described by pundit Alan Shearer, is clearly a player who can make an impact in the final third, as he ranks in the top 11% in Europe among those in his position for touches in the attacking penalty area.
As previously stated, Nakamba is evidently unable to match that creativity and attacking intent, while Guendouzi also offers the benefit of having worked under Emery previously, having featured 66 times under the Spaniard during his time at the Emirates.
It may well prove a difficult deal to get over the line, although the signing of the Marseille man would clearly help to bolster Villa’s midfield options.
Newcastle United remain interested in a deal to bring Youri Tielemans to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to Luke Edwards, with the journalist revealing in his latest article for The Telegraph that the Leicester City central midfielder ‘remains of interest’ to Dan Ashworth this winter, with the 25-year-old believed to be available for a figure in the region of £20m due to his current contract at the King Power Stadium being set to expire at the end of the season.
However, back in December, it was reported that the Foxes were keen to open fresh contract negotiations with the Belgium international, while the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea are also thought to be keen on a move for the midfielder this month.
Ashworth must move
Considering just how impressive Tielemans has been in a struggling Leicester side so far this season, the argument that Ashworth simply must do everything in his power to fight off the competition for the 25-year-old’s signature prior to January’s transfer deadline is an extremely easy one to make.
Indeed, over his 19 appearances in the Premier League in the current campaign, the £44.5m-rated talent has been in fantastic attacking form, having already bagged three goals – outperforming his xG of 2.20 – registered one assist and created seven big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.
The £35k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, playing an average of 2.6 long balls, 2.3 chipped passes and completing 46 total passes – at a success rate of 84% – per match, in addition to making an average of 2.1 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, regaining possession 0.6 times and winning 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per outing.
These returns have seen the player who Jaquob Crooke dubbed both “exceptional” and “divine” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.17, not only ranking him as Brendan Rodgers’ second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 32nd-best player in the division as a whole – a remarkable feat considering the Foxes’ 15th place position in the table.
As such, with Tielemans quite clearly being a player who can do it all in the middle of the park, coupled with the fact the Belgian is reported to be available for a fee roughly £24.5m less than his current market valuation, should Ashworth be able to beat none other than table-toppers Arsenal to a deal for the 25-year-old this winter, it would undoubtedly represent an exceptional coup for the Magpies.
Sunderland bounced back from their 3-1 defeat to Swansea last week by beating rivals Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Stadium of Light in the Championship on Sunday.
Amad Diallo missed a glorious chance to open the scoring early on in the match as a dreadful pass out from Zach Steffen presented him with a clear shot on goal, which he sent wide of the far post.
Ross Stewart then had a goal disallowed for offside as he swept the ball into the top corner after following up on a save from the Boro keeper, only for the linesman to correctly raise his flag.
The first huge moment in the match came in the 49th minute as Dael Fry was shown a straight red card for pulling Stewart down as the striker entered the box.
Sunderland’s centre-forward failed to find the back of the net from the initial strike from the spot but was able to tap the ball into an empty net after Steffen’s parry rebounded straight back to the number 14.
Diallo then made up for his early miss by finishing the game off with ten minutes to go as he sized up Middlesbrough’s defence in the box before brilliantly smashing the ball into the back of the net.
Whilst Stewart and Amad were the matchwinners for the Black Cats with their strikes in the second half, the real hero of the game was left-back Aji Alese as the youngster put in a fantastic performance at the back.
Before coming off with an injury in the 70th minute, with Sunderland winning 1-0, the former West Ham academy gem was crucial to keeping Boro at bay by making a string of vital defensive interventions.
As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old made an eye-catching eight tackles and interceptions, whilst also making two clearances, as he constantly cut out opposition attacks to win the ball back for his side – with no other Sunderland player matching his ten combined tackles, interceptions, and clearances.
Alese won nine of his 12 duels (75%) in total and this shows that the warrior was dominant throughout the game.
He did not allow the opposition’s attackers to outmuscle him in the majority of his battles and this was critical to Sunderland’s clean sheet before his departure from the match, with his superb defending providing the platform for the likes of Diallo and Stewart to win the game.
Mowbray will now be hoping that the full-back’s latest injury setback is not a serious one as his performance on Sunday was a timely reminder of the quality he possesses.
Everton are set to appoint their new manager with Sean Dyche lined up as the next coach to take on the difficult challenge at Goodison Park following Frank Lampard’s dismissal earlier this week.
The former Burnley boss has been out of work since being sacked by the club in April last year but is renowned for his overachievement with the north west club over his decade-long tenure and his ability to avoid relegation time and time again at Turf Moor.
Dyche’s Premier League experience and more importantly, his penchant for picking up crucial points in the past with Burnley will give Everton one of their best chances to survive relegation this season with a tough relegation scrap looming over Goodison Park ahead of the remainder of the season.
The Toffees are now 19th in the top-flight table and two points deep into the relegation zone ahead of their clash with league leaders Arsenal last night, whilst being knocked out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup meaning the new manager will have the opportunity to base his sole focus on survival in the 18 fixtures left ahead of him.
Indeed, Dyche is no stranger to several players at the club with James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil joining the Merseyside outfit back in the summer from Burnley after the club was relegated to the Championship, however, many will forget that the manager also worked with Michael Keane.
Keane joined Everton back in 2017 in a £30m move from Turf Moor and up until recently has been a stalwart in the back-line for the Merseysiders, however, this season the defender has found himself out of favour with Lampard preferring to rely on the services of Ben Godfrey, Tarkowski and Conor Coady.
In fact, after tallying up just 22 minutes of Premier League football over the last 20 outings it was reported that the 30-year-old – who was hailed “immense” by Harry Redknapp – could follow the footsteps of Richarlison, Dele Alli and Allan with an exit on the cards.
However, the appointment of Dyche could be an opportunity for the Stockport-born defender to reignite his career and work with a manager who gets the best out of him as Keane was part of the 93-point Championship-winning side over his two-year stint in Lancashire making 108 appearances, proving he was an integral player in Burnley’s rise to the Premier League.
With that being said, Dyche could save Everton’s season with his Burnley alumni in tow and the £80k-per-week titan could benefit from a revival, more than most from the new manager’s arrival as he will surely earn more opportunities to feature.
Newcastle United are expected to make two signings before the end of the window – namely a forward and a right-back, according to journalist Jordan Cronin.
The Lowdown: Quiet window
Considering the Magpies’ two previous transfer windows under their current owners, which saw them spend €101.1m (£88m) 12 months ago and €136m (£118.4m) last summer, it’s a surprise to see them yet to make a first-team signing.
With Chris Wood heading out the door to join bottom-half Premier League side Nottingham Forest for what could be an eventual £15m at the end of the season (via Sky Sports), you’d be even more shocked not to see the Toon at least fill his place in the side.
The Latest: Cronin’s update
Speaking on the Loaded Mag NUFC YouTube channel, Newcastle World reporter Cronin claimed that Eddie Howe may eventually be able to welcome some new arrivals to his Champions League-chasing side.
He said: “I think there probably will be two incomings. As I say, I think there’ll be a forward, and then I think the other position as well could be a right-back as a backup to Kieran Trippier.
“Harrison Ashby at West Ham still a player that is that is on the radar, we also had [Ivan] Fresneda – there was strong interest there, but it now looks like he, from reading other people’s reports, it looks like he’s off to Borussia Dortmund.”
The Verdict: Moves to watch
Potential moves for a right-back and striker make perfect sense for the Toon, as with Wood set to leave permanently, he could be replaced within the squad, whilst Trippier is only currently deputised by Javier Manquillo – who’s played just 10 minutes of Premier League football this term – and the injured Emil Krafth.
Real Valladolid full-back Fresneda has been hot property this window, but with Cronin of the belief he’s likely heading to Dortmund, Newcastle may still act on 21-year-old Ashby, who is yet to feature a minute in the league for West Ham United, leaving a move for him perhaps more likely.
Newcastle are still reportedly pushing to sign Anthony Gordon from Everton (via Sky Sports), and he may fit the bill in terms of Wood’s replacement, although far from like-for-like, with Wood a 6ft 3in target man, whilst the 21-year-old is more of a flying winger who can be deployed across the frontline, potentially serving as a versatile alternative in the squad to the New Zealander.
Members of the Tottenham squad were ‘left shocked’ by news that former defender Matt Doherty departed permanently on deadline day.
The Lowdown: Doherty joins Atletico…
The Republic of Ireland international, in a dramatic late deadline day twist, joined La Liga giants Atletico Madrid on a six-month permanent deal.
Spurs and the player mutually agreed to the termination of his Lilywhites deal after the club used up their maximin quota of eight squad members they could loan abroad.
FIFA rules say only eight can be on temporary deals in Europe at one time, giving the Premier League side no choice but to cancel Doherty’s contract.
The Latest: Spurs players ‘shocked’…
According to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, some members of the Spurs squad were left ‘shocked’ after news of Doherty’s permanent exit to Atletico.
He explained:
“Understand Matt Doherty’s Spurs team-mates were left shocked when they heard about the sudden change in his situation on Tuesday.”
The Verdict: Shame…
The 31-year-old, at points during Antonio Conte’s reign, had enjoyed some brilliant performances – most notably toward the back end of last season and before his 2021/2022 injury.
However, this campaign he was largely second-choice to Emerson Royal in the right-wing-back position.
Doherty’s deal was also set to expire in 2024, meaning Spurs were faced with the looming task of deciding his long-term future at the club.
It was perhaps inevitable that the former Wolves star would depart N17 sooner rather than later and one regret Tottenham will have is not acquiring a small fee for his services.
Doherty joined the club from Molineux in 2020 as one of former manager Jose Mourinho’s very first signings but now leaves Spurs in a very surprise fashion just under three years later.
Tottenham Hotspur were not busy throughout the January transfer window as Antonio Conte added just two new signings to his squad for the second half of the campaign.
Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro both arrived, on loan from Villarreal and Sporting respectively, and the likes of Djed Spence and Bryan Gil were allowed to depart on a temporary basis to gain experience elsewhere.
One position the club did not opt to strengthen was between the sticks in spite of Hugo Lloris’ recent errors in the Premier League this season.
The Frenchman has made a whopping four errors directly leading to goals in the top-flight this term, after making one in the entirety of 2021/22, and Spurs could look for an upgrade on the veteran at the end of the campaign.
Spanish outlet Marca recently claimed that Tottenham could be willing to call in some of the favours they have earned from Atletico Madrid, by allowing them to sign Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguillon, to acquire goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the summer.
Fabio Paratici must now push for this deal to go through as the Slovenian star could come in as a better option in goal than the current Spurs number one.
Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, Lloris has conceded 0.1 more goals than the average goalkeeper would have been expected to allow in based on the post-shot xG faced in the Premier League.
This essentially means that the World Cup winner has been an average shot-stopper over the last two-and-a-half campaigns while he has remained around the baseline for xG faced versus goals conceded.
Oblak, in the same time frame, has saved his team 4.5 goals more than expected based on the xG faced in LaLiga, which suggests that the experienced gloveman is an above-average goalkeeper.
Diego Simeone previously lauded the shot-stopper’s ability to win matches for his team, saying: “Our goalkeeper is the best in the world. He decides games the way (Lionel) Messi does for Barcelona.”
The 6 foot 2 colossus has also not made a single error leading to a shot or goal in the Spanish top-flight this season and this indicates that the 30-year-old is a reliable figure between the sticks.
Whereas, Lloris has become an unreliable shot-stopper who has been at fault far too many times in the Premier League.
Therefore, Oblak could come in as a big upgrade on the Frenchman as his shot-stopping statistics and his reliability with his passing out from the back, as shown by their respective errors, indicate that the Atletico man would offer more quality in goal.
Edu Gaspar managed to secure three signings for Arsenal during the January transfer window and they could all play their part over the next few months as the North London side eye up their first Premier League title since 2003/2004.
Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior, and Leandro Trossard add some much-needed depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad, and with domestic and Europa League fixtures soon piling up, it was a wise move to bring in some cover.
Could it have been better, however?
With the club missing out on Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk, Arteta’s business may have looked a lot more encouraging had he landed one of those attacking options, yet it might well be a failed move for Moises Caicedo that could have the biggest impact.
Was Moises Caicedo close to joining Arsenal?
In the final days of the transfer window, Arsenal had two bids rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion for the Ecuadorian midfielder, but the club were looking at a fee of around £80m before they would even consider letting him leave.
It represented a fantastic opportunity to invest in a player who is not only good enough to play a part in the starting XI just now but could also become a mainstay for the next few years. Arteta went and signed Jorginho instead, who is clearly just a stop-gap signing.
Will Arteta regret not signing Caicedo?
This season, Caicedo has been in superb form, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.11, which ranks him as not only Brighton’s fourth-best performer, but the 43rd in the whole of the Premier League, clearly demonstrating his talents and it’s no wonder there are a host of potential suitors eyeing a move for him.
His attacking statistics are solid enough for a more defensively-sound option, having registered two goal contributions, creating two big chances, and making 1.2 key passes per match, yet it is his defensive abilities that would’ve been of the biggest importance to Arteta had he signed the youngster.
Across 19 league appearances, Caicedo averages 1.4 interceptions, 2.9 tackles, 0.7 clearances while winning 5.8 duels per match – at a success rate of 57% – and this is quite incredible for a midfielder who is playing his first full Premier League campaign.
Ecuadorian football historian Enrico Castro-Montes once hailed the 21-year-old while speaking to Het Niuewsblad (via Sport Witness), saying:
“In his own country, he is really seen as the crown jewel of a new generation.
“Caicedo really has everything to become the best Ecuadorian footballer of all time. I think that off the ball, he is indeed somewhat reminiscent of Kante, but on the ball, he resembles Paul Pogba with his flair and his technique.”
High praise indeed and only another dagger to Arteta, who’ll surely be gutted to have missed out on such a quality individual and seemingly, Edu has let this one slip in a rare transfer blunder.
The next few months will be key in his development and if he carries on at his current rate of form, don’t be surprised to see the Spaniard back for a second bite of the cherry in the summer.
In the early years of the Premier League, in particular, Leeds United were responsible for some of the most iconic moments; strikes, victories, and defeats. Meanwhile, before the beginning of the new era of English football, it was the Yorkshire club on top with incredible success. In fact, one year before the Premier League kicked off, they sat on the English football throne, having won the league title.
Now back in the Premier League for what will be a third season come August, Leeds will be hoping to enjoy more moments to remember, whilst seeing certain players rise to fame in the process.
With that said, we’ve ranked the most famous players in Leeds United’s history.
There are plenty of players in separate positions; you're going to see Leeds' most famous forwards, Leeds' most famous midfielders, and even Leeds' most famous defenders.
10) Ian Harte
When you hear the name Ian Harte, your mind can’t help but instantly picture his incredible free-kick in the 2001 Champions League quarter-final against Deportivo La Coruna.
The full-back was a crucial part of the side that reached the Champions League last four that season.
In addition, he was a key player in the last real golden years of both the Leeds side and the Republic of Ireland national team.
A sorely underrated left-back.
9) Lee Bowyer
It could be argued that Lee Bowyer’s fame has increased since he swapped the pitch for the technical area.
As a player, he impressed many, especially when at Leeds.
Indeed, he played in the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League with the Whites.
Meanwhile, as a manager, he has taken charge of Charlton Athletic, and, most recently, Birmingham, where he left in July of this year.
8) Mark Viduka
When we think of underrated strikers, we think of Mark Viduka.
The Australian was a goal scoring machine at Leeds United, even netting four in one game against Liverpool at one stage. In total, he scored 71 goals in 164 appearances for the Yorkshire club.
Viduka was a deadly finisher and also had the ability to score goals from distance, with a truly deadly strike on him.
An Australia legend, too, Viduka may go down as one of the most famous cult heroes of the Premier League era.
7) Gordon Strachan
Football – FA Carling Premier League – West Ham United v Coventry City – 12/2/01 Coventry City Manager Gordon Strachan and West Ham Manager Harry Redknapp Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Darren Walsh Digital
Like Bowyer, Gordon Strachan’s fame has arguably increased after his playing days.
When on the pitch, Strachan won a league title at Elland Road to match his Player of the Year award.
Meanwhile, as a manager, Strachan has taken charge of Scotland, Celtic, Middlesbrough, and Southampton, most of which with great success.
However, he may well still get the warmest reception at Elland Road.
6) Gary McAllister
Most may know Gary McAllister for his time at Liverpool, but the midfielder actually made far more appearances for Leeds United, where he remains one of the best players to ever play for the club.
During his time at Elland Road, McAllister won one league title, which came in 1992.
He is perhaps better known for his time at Liverpool, but he is one of the greatest players to ever pull on the white shirt.
He even went on to manage the club briefly in 2008.
5) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
More famous for his time at Chelsea, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink may have only spent one season at Leeds United, but he remains one of the most famous players to feature for the Yorkshire club.
The Dutchman ranks 15th in the Premier League’s all-time top goal scorers list, with 127 goals to his name.
Hasselbaink may well be best known for his time at Chelsea but he was smashing balls into the back of the net at Leeds long before rocking up at Stamford Bridge.
He is one of the very best strikers in Premier League history.
4) James Milner
Still going to this day, James Milner will go down as one of the most iconic Premier League players of all time when he eventually retires.
And he’ll do so having been born and bred at Elland Road. Since his Leeds United days, Milner has won it all in club football, from Premier League titles to Champions League trophies.
Milner went from strength to strength, winning multiple England caps, and playing for both Manchester City and Liverpool.
It wouldn't be a surprise if he ended up as a truly terrific manager too.
3) Robbie Fowler
One of the best goal scorers that the Premier League has ever seen, Robbie Fowler is another player on this list who played for both Leeds United and Liverpool.
At Anfield, he is known as God, which, as you can guess, correlates with his incredible legacy at the club.
Meanwhile, at Leeds, he didn’t exactly have the worst of times, scoring 14 goals in 32 games.
He also bagged the club a decent fee when he left, at a time when the club really needed the money.
2) Rio Ferdinand
Now, this one will be controversial. Leeds fans don’t exactly hold a special place for Rio Ferdinand, to say the least, who jumped ship to rivals Manchester United in 2002, before going on to win six Premier League titles, one Champions League, and plenty of other honours at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand was also able to nail down a spot in the England squad, representing his country at multiple European Championships and World Cups.
He was a truly elite centre-back from the moment he made his debut at West Ham, such was his range of passing and breadth of defensive skill.
He may have left, but Ferdinand remains one of Leeds' best ever players.
1) Eric Cantona
Leeds United v Wimbledon 15/8/92 Premier League Mandatory Credit : Action Images Eric Cantona (Leeds) is challenged by Scott Fitzgerald (Wimbledon)
Like Ferdinand, Eric Cantona played for both Leeds United and Manchester United during his career, making the move from Elland Road to Old Trafford. He remains one of the best players to ever play for both clubs.
Of course, one could make the argument that he is one of the biggest mistakes in Leeds history.
They sold him for just over £1m and he went on to inspire United to an era of unprecedented glory.
Still, what a player.
So, there you have it, our list of the most famous players to ever play for Leeds United. Were there any surprises? Did we leave anyone out? Let us know!
Those at Elland Road will be well aware that success forms a correlation with fame.
It remains to be seen how many current Leeds players will be added to this list come the end of the season.