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Phil Hay has claimed that Marcelo Bielsa has still not returned any of Leeds United’s approaches to name their training ground after the Argentine coach.

The Lowdown: Appears to have ended ugly

Bielsa was the man Leeds turned to when they desperately needed to get out of the Championship and he managed to achieve that feat by winning the title and then guiding them to a top 10 finish.

However, he was indeed relieved of his duties midway through last season and that doesn’t appear to have gone down too well with the Argentine who will have watched on as Jesse Marsch experienced the same treatment.

There are indeed murals of Bielsa throughout Leeds which shows how big of a figure he was and still is within the fan base, although his love for the people at the football appears to have waned in recent times.

The Latest: Bielsa refusing to talk to Leeds

Hay has been speaking on The Phil Hay Show about how the club wished to rename Thorp Arch after Bielsa, but following his sacking, the Argentine coach is yet to answer any calls or letters from the people at Leeds.

He said: (29:45) “Obviously, Leeds had the idea first of all, of a tribute to him outside Elland Road, there was talk of a cast iron bucket and then when we interviewed Radrizzani in August he said they’d written to him if they could rename the training ground after him and I believe answer came there none and I think to date he has not replied to say yes.”

The Verdict: Football is a ruthless business

Given that Bielsa had taken Leeds from a mediocre Championship side to a top 10 Premier League outfit in the space of three seasons has to be admired and applauded, but when he was sacked the Whites were in danger of being relegated.

Therefore, Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani made the executive decision to relieve him of his duties as they thought that would be to the benefit of the club and in turn, it was as they managed to fight off relegation.

However, Bielsa clearly hasn’t seen it that way and perhaps saw it as the club not trusting him enough to get the job done, so it’s no surprise why he’s now given them the cold shoulder, although naming the training round after the Argentine would’ve been a nice touch.

Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos could potentially make a welcome return from injury later this month, reliable journalist Ashley Preece has claimed.

The Lowdown: Cruel start for Carlos

The Brazilian joined Villa in a big-money move last summer, coming in as someone who would be a key player and mainstay at the heart of the defence.

Cruelly, Carlos suffered a serious achilles tendon injury after just two appearances for the club and he hasn’t returned to action in the six months or so since.

It now looks as though the 29-year-old is closing in on a pleasing comeback, however, following a fresh update.

The Latest: Injury return nearing

Writing on Twitter, Preece claimed that Carlos will either be back in action late this month or at the beginning of March:

“Diego Carlos still stepping up for his return later this month/beginning of March.”

The Verdict: Massive boost for Villa

This is an undoubted boost for Villa, with Carlos a player who can take them to another level, having been hailed as ‘amazing’ by former striker Kevin Campbell.

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The former Brazil Under-23 international looked the part in his first two matches this season, averaging 1.5 aerial duel wins per game, and he is an upgrade on Tyrone Mings and Ezri Monsa, both of whom have had bad performances.

At 29, there is a slight concern that the severity of Carlos’ injury could have a long-term impact on him, so Unai Emery must handle him with care upon his return, allowing him time to find his rhythm.

Realistically, next season should be viewed as the time for him to kick on fully again, with a full pre-season behind him.

Manchester United are reportedly set to ‘evaluate’ their pursuit of Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix, having had a short-term loan bid turned down.

The Lowdown: Felix on United’s radar

The Portuguese superstar has been linked with United endless times in recent months, with a move away from Atletico on the cards after falling out of favour there.

Felix has a number of suitors, however, including current Premier League leaders Arsenal, and it looks as though a January transfer battle is very possible.

The 23-year-old’s current Atletico deal doesn’t expire until 2026 but it would be a surprise if he remained there until that point given Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has openly admitted a departure is possible.

The Latest: New update emerges

Taking to Twitter, journalist and transfer window expert Rudy Galetti claimed that United have seen a six-month move rejected and will now reconsider the situation:

“On Man Utd side, Atleti turned down a first 6-month proposal: MUFC will evaluate the next steps.”

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The Verdict: Let Chelsea have him

There is no doubting Felix’s magic as a footballer, with Alvaro Morata calling him a ‘special’ player and Bruno Fernandes saying he has ‘great potential’.

He is more of a No.10 than the central striker that United crave, however, and signing him could mean Erik ten Hag actually has too many similar players in one area to fit into the team.

With Chelsea reportedly closing in on Felix, we feel the Red Devils should ignore this saga and focus on signing an out and out goalscorer.

Reporter and Leeds United supporter James Marshment has labelled an in-house update regarding defender Pascal Struijk as ‘great news’.

The Lowdown: Struijk agreement

The Whites appear to have made significant progress regarding a new deal for the Dutchman during the current World Cup break.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Thursday that the 23-year-old will sign a new Elland Road contract through to 2027 after an agreement was reached between the two parties.

The transfer expert said that paperwork has been drafted which will see Struijk receive an improved salary and become a key player in Yorkshire.

The Latest: Marshment reacts

TEAMtalk reporter and Whites fan Marshment was quick to react to Romano’s update regarding Struijk on Twitter.

He gushed: “Great news, Fab. Struijk has been one of Leeds’ most consistent players this season. Proved his versatility at left-back and looks a great long-term option in the heart of defence. More than deserves a pay hike.”

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The Verdict: Brilliant

Struijk has gone from strength to strength in 2022 and, despite conventionally being a centre-back, has actually played out of position at left-back due to Junior Firpo’s absence through injury.

Nonetheless, the Dutchman has been the club’s best-performing player in the Premier League (as per WhoScored), showing his capability of adapting to an unfamiliar position with ease.

Jesse Marsch may see Struijk’s long-term future as a centre-back but will know that the 23-year-old can provide excellent cover at left-back if needed, with this update excellent news for all involved.

Ellis Short’s decision to sell Jordan Pickford from Sunderland to Everton in 2017 was a necessary one at a time when the club needed funds quickly.

However, the former chairman’s failure to include a sell-on fee for the England international may be about to cost the Black Cats a lot of money, as the shot-stopper is being linked with a move to Chelsea.

Considering he is England’s number one and is still only 28, the ‘keeper is likely to demand a significant fee should Graham Potter’s side come knocking in January.

Unfortunately for Tony Mowbray and those associated with Sunderland, none of that potential fee will be heading to the Stadium of Light, at a time when an increased transfer budget could be vital.

Sunderland currently sit just four points outside of the playoff positions in the Championship and will no doubt be looking to continue a promising start to life back in the second tier when they resume in December.

Had the Black Cats inserted a sell-on clause in the deal to sell Pickford to Everton, they could have easily been receiving north of £5m in January, given that the 28-year-old is currently valued at €28m (£24.3m) by Transfermarkt, which could have gone a long way towards signing a number of new players to aid them in the Championship for the rest of the season.

Since his move to Goodison Park, Pickford has gone on to make 213 appearances for the Toffees, conceding 303 goals and keeping 57 clean sheets.

Given that Frank Lampard’s side once again find themselves in a relegation battle in the Premier League this season, it would be easy to see why the goalkeeper would want to move to a side such as Chelsea, where he could test himself against Europe’s elite in the Champions League.

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Therefore, should he complete a big-money move away from Everton in the near future, Sunderland will surely be rueing their former chairman’s lack of financial nous when selling Pickford in 2017.

Fosun are eyeing up Julen Lopetegui’s first signing as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager in a LaLiga defender…

What’s the news?

According to 90min, the Spaniard is a keen admirer of Villarreal defender Pau Torres and the Spanish outfit are willing to sell in January.

Wolves could face competition from Premier League rivals Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa for his signature. Meanwhile, European heavyweights such as Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are also in the hunt to sign the player.

A recent report claimed Villarreal valued the player at £40m, however, the final transfer fee might be more than that, although the Spanish side are unlikely to demand his entire release clause of £55m.

Dream first signing

Wolves head into the winter break rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, scoring just eight goals all season and conceding 24. It’s clear Lopetegui needs to improve both his defence and attacking options in order to maintain the Old Gold’s place in the top flight.

With the Wolves’ defence leaking goals left right and centre, Torres would be an ideal signing, especially with his impressive performances in recent years.

Last season, the 25-year-old managed to keep 11 clean sheets in 33 La Liga appearances while contributing 3.1 clearances, 1.0 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per match.

Torres also contributes massively going forward too, evident by his five goals and one assist last campaign and he also created four big chances for others, demonstrating his ability to become an unlikely goalscoring source if the club need one.

Ryan Haber dubbed the defender a “dream” due to these excellent performances which led Villarreal to concede just 38 goals last term, less than Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

This season has been no different for Torres, leading his side to six clean sheets in 13 matches, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.98, making him the Yellow Submarine’s fifth best La Liga performer so far.

Former Villarreal player Javi Calleja, who coached Torres throughout various age groups, described him as an “extraordinary talent” and his recent form has certainly justified this high praise that was bestowed on him.

Fosun certainly have no issue when it comes to splashing the cash, considering they bought Matheus Nunes for £42.2m in the summer, therefore a fee of around £40m for the Spanish titan should be heavily considered and it could be a dream first signing for the new manager.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Antonio Colak will be missing alongside Fashion Sakala for Glasgow Rangers in their match today through injury.

The Lowdown: Injury pile-up

The Ibrox outfit have numerous injuries to players in the first-team squad at the moment, leaving Van Bronckhorst limited in terms of who he can select for each game.

The Light Blues manager confirmed that Sakala had picked up a muscle issue in midweek, and the long injury list seems to have grown even more ahead of their trip to St Mirren in the Premiership this lunchtime.

The Latest: Colak also out

Speaking to the media on Friday in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match in Paisley, Van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Colak has also picked up a fresh injury and ‘will miss’ the clash alongside Sakala.

The Rangers boss said: “Fashion Jr is unavailable with a minor muscle injury. Colak has a minor injury and will miss tomorrow; he will be fine for us coming back from the break.”

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The Verdict: Another blow for Rangers

With Colak now out alongside Sakala, it is yet another injury blow for Van Bronckhorst, who is now very limited in terms of who he can pick in his frontline, with Kemar Roofe also injured.

The Croatian is the Gers’ top scorer in all competitions so far this season with 14 goals, and no other player in the squad averages more shots (four) than him per match in the league.

Having scored just three goals in their last three games in all competitions, the Light Blues are lacking a bit of a killer instinct up front at the moment, so Colak will no doubt be a big miss as they take on St Mirren today.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Victor Osimhen to north London.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Enrico De Lellis, with the Italian journalist revealing in a recent interview with CalcioMercato that, despite rumours of Spurs’ interest in Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, Antonio Conte has informed Fabio Paratici that it is the SS Napoli striker who tops his attacking wishlist ahead of the 2023 summer transfer window.

However, De Lellis went on to state that both Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also interested in the 23-year-old hitman – who is believed to have an asking price in excess of €100m (£87m) – while the Nigeria international is also expected to demand a considerable salary and assurances of a new suitor being competitive for titles in the future.

Regarding Tottenham’s interest in the centre-forward, the journalist said: “[Conte] will have a budget of around €200m (£174m). There are rumours about Lautaro, but the real name that Conte told Paratici is Osimhen.

“The Napoli striker is also very popular with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, even if the Germans closely follow [Benjamin] Sesko as well. Their policy is to carry out operations under €100m, so Osimhen is a secondary option.

“The Nigerian is the classic Premier League footballer and it turns out to be the real target of Tottenham. But it will be necessary to understand his will: he is demanding for the future and not only from an economic point of view.”

“Unbelievable signing”

Considering just how impressive Osimhen has been since his move to Napoli back in the summer of 2020, coupled with the fact that Harry Kane’s long-term future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium appears increasingly uncertain, it is not difficult to see why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the 23-year-old to north London next summer.

Indeed, over his 70 appearances for Gli Azzurri, the £43.5m-rated talent has been in astonishing goalscoring form, bagging 32 goals and providing his teammates with a further ten assists – averaging a direct goal contribution every 112 minutes of football played for the Serie A side.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £91k-per-week striker ranks in the top 10% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 2% for non-penalty xG, the top 2% for shots, the top 10% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 24% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days.

These returns in the final third see FBref compare the player who Zach Lowy dubbed “scary” to some of the biggest attacking talents in European football, such as Manchester City goal-machine Erling Haaland, Juventus monster Dusan Vlahovic and Barcelona assassin Robert Lewandowski.

As such, should Kane indeed move onto pastures new at the end of the current campaign, Osimhen would very much appear to be an “unbelievable signing” – in the words of Dean Jones – for Paratici to get over the line, as the Nigerian sensation would appear to be one of the few forwards in world football who could adequately replace the 258-goal Tottenham talisman.

The Daily Telegraph journalist Sam Dean has revealed that Gabriel ‘limped’ down the tunnel after Arsenal’s 2-0 loss away to PSV Eindhoven on Thursday evening.

The Lowdown: Sticky patch

Mikel Arteta’s team are enduring somewhat of a sticky patch right now, with last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Southampton in the Premier League followed up by Thursday’s defeat to PSV in the Europa League.

Marquinhos missed training alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko in the build-up to the game, and with long-term absentees Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny already on the treatment table, the north London club may now have another injury to deal with…

The Latest: Gabriel ‘in pain’

Taking to Twitter, Dean has revealed that Gabriel ‘limped’ down the tunnel after Thursday’s defeat in Eindhoven and looked to be ‘grimacing in pain’.

The Telegraph reporter observed:

“Gabriel Magalhaes limped down the tunnel at the end of the game. Looked to be grimacing in pain.”

The Verdict: Not another one…

The hefty October schedule seems to have already taken its toll on Arsenal, and Arteta will not want another serious injury to one of his key players with midweek matches against FC Zurich and Brighton and Hove Albion to come on top of their remaining top-flight fixtures before the World Cup.

Gabriel has WhoScored).

Nonetheless, given their patchy form right now, Arteta will ideally want to call on the Brazilian once more when they face Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Nottingham Forest are plotting a second attempt to sign Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi in January, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Summer spree

The Reds made goalkeeper Adnan Kanuric their 23rd and latest signing on a free transfer last month, but that hasn’t seemed to stop Evangelos Marinakis and Steve Cooper from preparing for the upcoming winter window.

The Premier League side were heavily linked with a move for the 29-year-old Malinovskyi over the summer alongside rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and despite him allegedly favouring a switch to the capital, a deal failed to materialise before the deadline.

The Latest: Forest eyeing Malinovskyi

According to Italian outlet Corriere di Bergamo (via Sport Witness), Malinovskyi is ‘not happy these days’, which has raised a ‘transfer question’ about a potential exit in the New Year.

It’s stated that Forest, Spurs and Marseille are ‘all keen’ on the Serie A talent again, and a January move, even on loan, ‘cannot be ruled out’.

The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Forest aren’t currently in the best position to attract top players given the fact that they are in the relegation zone and can’t offer any European fixtures, but it’s best that they avoid Malinovskyi anyway.

The Ukrainian, dubbed a ‘weapon’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 32 goals in 163 career appearances, but has started just four league games this season as his career reaches its twilight years.

Malinovskyi wanting to join Tottenham over the Reds in the summer clearly shows that he isn’t keen on a move to the City Ground, and with his recent form, age and a contract expiring in 2023, it certainly has the feel of a ‘final pay day’ type move for the player.