Journalist Chris Lepkowksi has described parts of West Brom’s current squad as ‘rancid’ and ‘horrible’, highlighting ‘the one thing’ under-fire manager Steve Bruce has got right.
The Lowdown: Baggies lose yet again
The Baggies’ appalling start to their Championship season continued on Wednesday night, falling to a limp 1-0 defeat away to Preston.
The loss has put even more pressure on Bruce, who is receiving plenty of anger from West Brom supporters, as his side now sit inside the relegation zone with just one win in 12 games.
The 61-year-old is still just about clinging onto his job but it appears as though the problems plaguing his reign may be around for a long time yet.
The Latest: Lepkowski lays into squad
Taking to Twitter, Lepkowski ripped into some poisonous aspects within the squad, highlighting the need for Bruce – or indeed a new manager – to shift some deadwood:
“And BTW, the one thing Bruce got spot on was the need for 2 or 3 transfer windows. He’s had one. There is still a rancid, horrible bunch in that dressing room. They’ve stunk the place out for too long. And will do for another year or two. Sad.”
The Verdict: Must-win this weekend
There is some truth to Lepkowski’s comments, in fairness, with the manager always the figure who deserves the most blame but the players also far from perfect.
They are not pulling their weight at all at the moment, considering they are arguably a promotion-chasing group of players, and their attitude has to change at home to Luton Town on Saturday.
Failure to win will surely see Bruce sacked as manager, and while he hasn’t done a good enough job, many individuals also need to take a look at themselves.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has shown that he is prepared to throw young Glasgow Rangers players in at the deep end if he feels they are ready to feature for the first team at Ibrox.
He has not been shy to start Leon King in the Champions League this season and handed out Premiership opportunities to the likes of Alex Lowry and Adam Devine last term.
Another player who could burst into the Rangers senior squad in the future is 15-year-old full-back Jack Wylie, who has been making a name for himself in the academy this year.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke has compared him to King and suggested that the manager must reassure the youngster that he will be given chances in order to keep him away from interested clubs.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s pretty similar to Leon King. Offering him a pathway to first in football is probably the way to try and keep the best young players that they’ve got in their group.
“They lost the young boy Rory Wilson to Aston Villa in the summer, which was a big blow after he scored lots of goals in the youth side as well.
“So I think Rangers will be desperate not to lose any more players down south. They want to keep hold of their best players if they can.”
Wylie’s performances for the Light Blues and Scotland at youth level have caught the eye of teams in the Premier League and the youngster is not able to sign a professional contract until his 16th birthday in January.
Speaking in his Caught Offside briefing video recently, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that the young gem is attracting interest south of the border. “I’m not too surprised to see big names like Arsenal and Leeds being linked with 15-year-old wonderkid Jack Wylie as he’s a top talent, but what’s the truth about his situation?
“There are four or five Premier League clubs that are following him, but it’s still too early to mention negotiations or advanced talks with Rangers. At the moment, I’m told is too early and Jack is focused on Rangers.”
The interest in his services is why it is crucial that van Bronckhorst sits down with Wylie and maps out a pathway for him to progress into the first team.
He needs to prove to the talented prospect that he will follow in the footsteps of King, Charlie McCann, Devine, and Lowry if he continues to catch the eye at youth level, to stop him from being tempted to make the move to the English top-flight.
Wylie, who was once described as a “sensation” by O’Rourke, is a Scotland U16 international and the Premier League clubs eyeing him up have seemingly been impressed by the full-back’s displays for club and country, which indicates that he has the potential to make the step up to the senior team in the future.
Therefore, van Bronckhorst must do whatever it takes to reassure the gem that he will get opportunities at Ibrox to avoid another Billy Gilmour or Rory Wilson disaster.
Fulham have made a ‘proposal’ to sign Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
The Lowdown: Open to offers
The Brazilian is one of the most exciting young prospects in his homeland, and as a result of entering the final 12 months of his contract, this has alerted potential suitors to his situation.
Recent reports have claimed that Rogerio Ceni’s side are willing to listen to offers in the region of €10m (£8.6m), and the Cottagers appear keen to bring him to the Premier League.
The Latest: Fulham see approach rejected
Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Fulham have seen an initial approach for Maia rejected, though discussions regarding a potential move are ongoing. He wrote:
“Fulham have made opening, verbal proposal for Brazilian talent Pablo Maia, born in 2002 — it has been turned down by Sao Paulo.
“Negotiations will continue as Pablo Maia is highly rated by Fulham and other European clubs.”
The Verdict: Get it done…
Maia has been dubbed a ‘Mini-Casemiro’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and if the opportunity to sign him is affordable and at the right price, it should be a no-brainer of a deal for Fulham to complete.
The 20-year-old is an athletic player having made 64 appearances in all competitions throughout 2022, netting three goals and providing one assist during that time (Transfermarkt).
He also offers plenty of versatility having previously operated across all midfield positions and even at centre-back, an attribute that Marco Silva will no doubt be attracted to.
A claim has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing James Maddison ahead of the January transfer window…
What’s the talk?
Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Magpies were bidding £10-15m less than what was being demanded by Leicester for the attacking midfielder’s services in the summer but that they could go back in for him at the start of 2023.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “The valuation was, as I understand it, 10 or 15 million under Leicester’s at the point when they made the bid last window, but they’re one to watch still to see if they reignite that interest and are prepared to pay above valuation for a player with huge potential.”
Tottenham are also interested in signing the mercurial playmaker and the Foxes are said to want a fee in the region of £60m for the talented gem.
Can get St. James’ Park rocking
Newcastle can get St. James’ Park rocking with joy by securing a deal to sign Maddison, who was once described as “magnificent” by commentator David Connolly, in January as he would be a phenomenal signing for the club who could boost their chances of finishing in a European spot.
Maddison is a creative midfield player who could provide the likes of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron, and Alexander Isak with quality service in the final third. He has created 1.64 open-play chances and 0.14 expected assists per match in the Premier League this season, with Bruno Guimaraes (1.74) being the only Toon player with more opportunities created per game.
The England international has also shown that he is lethal in front of goal as he has scored 0.55 goals from 0.17 expected goals per match. This shows that he is scoring 0.38 more per outing than the average player would be expected to from the chances he is getting.
No Newcastle player is overperforming their xG by as much as the Leicester man, with Miguel Almiron’s overperformance of 0.24 being the biggest difference within the current Magpies squad.
Since the start of last season, Maddison has plundered 18 goals and ten assists in the Premier League and this shows that he has sustained his end product over a prolonged period of time. Meanwhile, no Newcastle player has managed more than 14 goals or seven assists since 2021/22.
This indicates that the magician, who has been dubbed a “talisman” by journalist Rob Tanner, would be a terrific addition to Eddie Howe’s squad as his quality, both in terms of scoring and creating goals, outweighs what the manager currently has to work with.
Therefore, St. James’ Park would be rocking if Maddison arrives in January. He is a proven Premier League performer who could make a huge impact at the club and his acquisition would be another statement of intent by PIF, as they would be signing a player who is shining at a fellow top-flight side.
Leeds United winger Luis Sinisterra may find it hard to break back into Jesse Marsch’s side due to the form of Crysencio Summerville, according to Football Insider’s Kevin Campbell.
The Lowdown: Injury update
Summerville came in for his second start of the Premier League season against Liverpool on Saturday and netted a dramatic late winner to take the Whites out of the relegation zone. The youngster replaced Sinisterra in the starting XI, with the Colombian missing out due to injury.
Marsch admitted after the win against Liverpool that the latter should return to full training this week ahead of the meeting with Bournemouth, but Campbell thinks that the summer signing may not feature from the off against the Cherries.
The Latest: Campbell’s comments
Asked by Football Insider if Sinisterra may find it hard to break back into the Whites’ team following the injury update and Summerville’s display at Anfield, Campbell – who contributes for Sky Sports – said:
“I really liked the look of him [Summerville]. He is non-stop and he is a handful. We saw that against Liverpool.
“I think Sinisterra is going to struggle to get back in on the evidence of that. It would only be right if he struggles to get back in.
“If someone is doing the business, no matter what their age, leave them alone. Let them get on with it, that is what I say.”
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: Selection headache
Providing that Sinisterra is fully fit for the Elland Road clash on Saturday, Marsch will have a big decision to make in the final third.
The Colombian was a marquee summer signing and has shown flashes of brilliance with goals against Everton and Brentford, but Summerville also now has two goals to his name in the top flight.
You’d expect that the Dutch youngster will be feeling at the top of his game after his match-winner at Anfield, so Marsch may decide to stick with him and look to use Sinisterra as an impact sub. The team sheet on Saturday will be interesting…
This season is shaping up to be another dismal one for Leeds United with Jesse Marsch becoming sick of the sight of losing.
After beating Chelsea back in August, this season was supposed to be different for the Yorkshire club but it has not worked out that way.
Patrick Bamford has had his injury problems again and it looks as though the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in the same window has done them few favours.
They were eight matches without a win before facing Liverpool on Saturday night but Marsch’s men responded to their critics emphatically by beating the Reds on their own patch.
That simply doesn’t happen to Jurgen Klopp’s team but Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville were both on form to take three points back to Elland road.
For the Dutchman, it was undoubtedly the best moment of his career to date and he will now be hoping to emulate the aforementioned Raphinha.
His arrival on the scene has been timely and is rather coincidental with recent claims suggesting Leeds’ chase of Summerville’s compatriot, Cody Gakpo, is essentially dead in the water with the Dutch menace now one of the most feared players on the continent.
Indeed, the PSV star has had a staggering season so far that has seen him register a jaw-dropping 13 goals and 16 assists in 22 outings.
Form like that will likely take him to the world’s elite but Victor Orta could rescue Marsch’s side by identifying a suitable alternative.
One suggestion of late has been that of Noah Okafor with recent reports claiming Leeds are one of the teams taking an interest in the RB Salzburg forward.
The 22-year-old is a dynamic talent and would be a superb addition to the Leeds ranks, particularly if he can follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland, a man who like Okafor has torn the Austrian Bundesliga to shreds.
There is plenty in common between the two, much more than just the Austrian club, with Marsch having managed them both in his coaching career.
The current Salzburg livewire has made a real name for himself and it’s in 2022/23 that he’s begun to become more of a household name.
He has found the net on nine occasions this season with 1/3 of those strikes coming in the Champions League.
Those three goals have ensured that only Haaland has scored more in Europe’s elite competition for the Red Bull club.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian powerhouse is the only other player at an Austrian club, besides Okafor to score on each of the first three matchdays of a Champions League campaign.
Clearly blessed with immense talent, both players were scouted by the great Christoph Freund, a layer that adds further substance to the comparison at hand.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Group E – FC Salzburg v AC Milan – Red Bull Arena Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria – September 6, 2022 FC Salzburg’s Noah Okafor celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
In the words of talent scout, Jacek Kulig, the young forward is “simply phenomenal” and as a consequence, it might not be long before he’s settling down in Leeds.
Such an eventuality, however, will likely fall by the wayside unless Orta can lure him away from other prying eyes.
Interest in Okafor is high and with a World Cup around the corner he looks set to take Qatar by storm. The Switzerland international is already in “crazy form” in the words of Kulig and with two goals in eight caps, he’s hit the ground running positively for his nation.
Many already know his name but he could truly announce himself on the world stage over the winter as he looks to put himself in the shop window ahead of January by enjoying a ‘crazy’ tournament.
Leeds, however, will hope that he doesn’t impress too much and their pursuit, as it did with Gakpo, doesn’t become impossible.
The attacker is one of the finest young talents in the game but Leeds could be a happy stepping stone for the Swiss. After all, Marsch has shown recently that he’s willing to trust in youth – just ask Summerville.
Okafor should also be comforted by the fact that he already has a relationship with the American manager. He was his coach at Salzburg when he arrived and under the 48-year-old’s tutelage, the bustling attacker scored ten times in 44 outings.
There is so much to like about the 6 foot 1 striker and Haaland is already a shining example that investing in those plying their trade in Austria is a wise idea. Over to you, Orta.
Leeds United head into Saturday afternoon’s Premier League meeting against AFC Bournemouth in high spirits, with Jesse Marsch’s side having finally ended their eight-match winless streak with a shock 2-1 victory over Liverpool last time out.
However, with the Whites having lost a key player to injury in the week, coupled with a number of Marsch’s regular starters currently enduring something of a dip from their usual performance levels, the 48-year-old has a number of decisions to make regarding his starting XI for the visit of the Cherries this afternoon.
Will the American make any changes to the side which lined up in the win at Anfield last weekend?
Here’s how we at Football FanCast think Leeds’ starting XI could look against Bournemouth, along with the latest team and injury news…
With Marsch revealing in his pre-match press conference that Luis Sinisterra is likely to be out of action until after the World Cup due to a foot injury, while also stating that both Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw remain sidelined with knocks, we predict that the 48-year-old will make two changes to the side which started the 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend.
The back five remains intact, with Illan Meslier – who enjoyed quite possibly his best performance in a Leeds shirt at Anfield – starting between the sticks, while right-back Rasmus Kristensen, centre-back pairing Robin Koch and Liam Cooper and left-back Pascal Struijk make up the Whites’ defensive unit.
In the middle of the park, Marsch’s tried-and-tested duo of Marc Roca and Tyler Adams once again get the nod, with the summer signings having highly impressed since their respective moves to Elland Road – currently ranking as the club’s second and fourth-best performers in the top flight respectively.
The first change comes in the three behind the striker, with the distinctly out-of-form Jack Harrison – who was linked with a £60m move to Newcastle United in the summer – dropping out of the XI. That switch sees Crysencio Summerville move over to his preferred right-wing role and 18-year-old “wonderkid” Wilfried Gnonto come in on the left flank.
This means that Brenden Aaronson is once again unleashed in the number 10 role just behind Patrick Bamford. Despite the 29-year-old striker being without a goal this season, he has looked quite lively in both the defeat to Arsenal and win at Liverpool win, and he replaces Rodrigo in leading the line for Leeds against the Cherries.
Transfer expert Dean Jones has backed Newcastle United in their reported pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in the January window.
The Lowdown: Newcastle interested in Diaby
It was reported in October that the Tyneside club ‘retain an interest’ in the Frenchman ahead of January, having reportedly held an interest in him over the summer.
PIF ‘absolutely love’ Diaby in terms of what he can bring to the table, so it will be interesting to see whether they follow up their interest with a formal offer.
The Latest: Would be a ‘fantastic’ signing
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that Diaby would be a ‘fantastic’ signing at St James’ Park, adding that he would not be surprised if Newcastle try to go back in for the 23-year-old in January.
The journalist said: “There’s always that factor of, ‘can he definitely be a success here?’
“I think he probably will be. I think it’d be a fantastic signing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Newcastle do revisit it in January just to see if the situations changed at all.”
Lauded as a player with ‘electrifying pace, good with both feet and fearless on the ball’ by The Chronicle journalist Aaron Stokes, Diaby more than showed his credentials last season with 13 goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga, while this term he already has nine goal contributions to his name in the division (Transfermarkt).
He could count himself very unlucky to miss out on the France squad for the World Cup in Qatar, and a move to the Premier League in January could give him that extra motivation to get more recognition for the national team ahead of the next set of major tournaments.
Diaby is still only 23 years of age and appears to have such a high ceiling from which the Magpies could really benefit over the next few seasons if they can entice him to Newcastle.
Everton remain interested in poaching an exciting talent from the Serie A…
What’s the latest?
According to Italian outlet Mondo Udinese (via Sport Witness), the Toffees have not given up in their pursuit of Udinese centre-back Rodrigo Becao.
The Merseyside outfit have maintained an interest since the summer, with the players’ agents still working to push the move through and find a solution to benefit all parties.
Recent reports have also claimed that a fee of around €13m (£11.2m) will be needed to initiate the deal, but that should prove attainable for the Premier League outfit despite their reported financial troubles.
Ditch Keane
It seems like every manager to enter Goodison Park since Ronald Koeman has been searching for a solution to the club’s long-standing defensive issues.
When the Dutchman first unloaded £30m to sign the 29-year-old Michael Keane, it was thought he would provide the foundation with which Farhad Moshiri’s new era could truly begin.
However, what they received was a defender that often struggles for confidence and is prone to clumsy errors that have left Evertonians furious over the years.
This was no better exemplified than in his return to the side as the Toffees travelled to Bournemouth in the EFL Cup.
Making just his second start of the season, he shipped four goals and endured a SofaScore rating of 6.1.
With two years remaining on his £80k-per-week deal, it seems the nightmare is far from over.
However, with Becao, it would offer a fourth quality centre-back for Frank Lampard to rely upon instead of Keane and Yerry Mina.
Already boasting two stalwarts in Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, and the youthful excellence of Ben Godfrey, the Brazilian could offer a fine blend of the two at just 26 years old.
The 6 foot 2 goliath is something of a front-foot defender, enjoying stepping out to receive the ball or make tackles that can set his team away on the counter.
He has averaged 3.0 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game this season in Serie A, earning him a 7.10 average rating (via SofaScore).
His defensive displays even led journalist Bruno Queiroz to dub him “insurmountable”.
Sitting at the heart of the seventh-best defence in his division, he could bring vast experience and yet learn so much from the quality already on Merseyside.
There must be a reason that Everton have held an interest in him for so long, and if it meant the end of Keane’s career at the club, it would surely have the fans rejoicing.
Leeds United have held a long-term interest in Cody Gakpo, with the Whites seeing a last-minute move for the PSV Eindhoven forward fall through during the closing stages of the summer transfer window.
However, following the Premier League side’s failure to land the 23-year-old, Fabrizio Romano revealed that he was told Victor Orta would once again try for the Netherlands international in the January market.
And, considering the remarkable form Gakpo has been in for PSV so far this season – having scored 13 goals and registered 17 assists over his 24 appearances in all competitions – it is not hard to see why Leeds are keen on the youngster.
Furthermore, the £39m-rated talent has already managed to catch the eye at the Qatar World Cup, with the forward turning in a fantastic display in the Netherlands’ opening 2-0 victory over Senegal on Monday afternoon.
Indeed, over his 89 minutes on the pitch, the £19k-per-week starlet was incredibly effective when in possession of the ball, as, despite enjoying just 36 touches and completing a mere seven of his 11 attempted passes, the 23-year-old still made three key passes, found his man with four crosses and completed one dribble.
However, it was undoubtedly the starlet’s incredible movement and subsequent finish to give his side an 84th-minute lead that well and truly thrust Gakpo into the World Cup spotlight, with the attacker losing his defender with a darting run across the Senegal box before beating Edouard Mendy in the air to head the Netherlands in front.
These metrics saw the €45m (£39m) valued forward earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.8, with the player who Jonathan Pearce claimed was “tipped to be a star” of the Qatar World Cup very much living up to early expectations.
As such, while the PSV talent continuing in his current vein of form will undoubtedly increase the already mounting interest in his services this January, it would appear highly advisable for Orta to sanction a Leeds swoop for Gakpo as early as possible, as the 23-year-old would very much represent an unbelievable addition to Jesse Marsch’s attacking options at Elland Road.