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When former Leeds United starlet Lewis Cook was bursting onto the scene, then-Whites manager Dave Hockaday waxed lyrical about the young prospect, saying: “if you chopped Lewis’ head off and put an older head on his shoulders, you wouldn’t be surprised”.

It was Hockaday who handed the midfielder his debut and first start for Leeds before he left the club, and some of the credit for Cook’s emergence surely must go to the former Whites boss for placing his trust in him.

Cook, who came through the academy at Thorp Arch, was someone who predominantly played in the middle of the park, but could also operate out wide just like he did in his final season at Elland Road in the 2015/16 campaign.

After making 85 senior appearances for the Yorkshire club, the Whites eventually cashed in on their young starlet, with Bournemouth paying a fee rising to £10m to lure him away from Elland Road.

Hailed as a “special talent” by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, Cook’s time with the Cherries has been absolutely shattered by injury after injury; and earlier this year, he suffered another long-term knee injury which has kept him out of first team action until now.

It’s all meant that the midfielder has played just 120 times for the south coast club in his five years there (no Championship appearances since mid-March), and new Bournemouth manager Scott Parker recently admitted he could empathise with Cook’s plight.

He said: “I was a player a little while ago and I realise during injuries they’re the worst moments really, when you feel really low. Certainly long-term ones and to go and do the same injury like Lewis has, psychologically that probably would’ve been a big blow for him in that sense.

“I think I see that where he is currently as well. I’m sure it’s been some tough moments for Lewis, just in the nature of two injuries and long-term like they’ve been. But I’ve certainly been impressed with him where he is.”

It’s been a tragic downturn in fortune for the 24-year-old Cook, but from a purely business sense in respects to Leeds, they cashed in the absolute perfect time on a player who was rapidly rising through the ranks at Elland Road.

Nobody could have predicted the scale and extent of the injuries that he would end up suffering following his exit from Yorkshire, but the Whites got out when they could.

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally sell this first team player…

As per Portuguese newspaper A Bola, as shared by Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez in demand…

The prolific striker seems set to be one of the big-name transfers of the summer 2022 window.

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As backed by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano, Nunez is set to leave Benfica this year, with the Primeira Liga giants setting a price tag of €80m (£67m) for his services.

Many clubs are currently in the mix, including several Premier League sides, a number of whom even sent officials to Lisbon last week to run the rule over the Uruguay striker (Daily Express).

A Bola have now shared an update on Tottenham’s links with the 22-year-old.

The Latest: Spurs in hunt for Nunez…

According to their sources (via Sport Witness), Spurs and Antonio Conte are in the hunt to sign Nunez alongside Chelsea, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

In addition, they claimed that the Lilywhites – and by extension their chairman Daniel Levy – have been interested in the 22-year-old since as far back as 2019.

The Verdict: Good chance for Tottenham?

With Nunez valued at around £67m, Tottenham arguably face an uphill battle to sign the prolific forward unless they can offload surplus players like Tanguy Ndombele for a handsome fee.

That being said, if transfer chief Fabio Paratici and co manage to muster up the funds, the Uruguayan would undoubtedly be a stellar addition and provide real competition for Harry Kane.

Lauded as a ‘rapid quick’ and ‘really strong’ striker by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi, Nunez’s stunning goal return of 24 goals in as many league appearances this term isn’t the only reason that he would be a brilliant signing.

In other news: Tottenham could strike quick agreement to sign ‘special’ £25m striker! Find out more here.

Said Benrahma is surely facing the axe from David Moyes’ starting XI as his West Ham United side travel across London to face Arsenal later this evening.

The Irons have hit a rough patch in their season, with their impressive win against Chelsea being their only one across their last four games in all competitions.

It has seen their place inside the Premier League’s top-four put in grave danger as the chasing pack have narrowed the gap on them.

The Gunners will be no easy test, particularly as they are one of the many teams right behind them in the standings – indeed, a win for the home side could see them leapfrog the east Londoners today.

As such, it leaves Moyes with several decisions to make in terms of team selection after the Hammers drew 0-0 to a struggling Burnley side at the weekend.

West Ham’s futile frontline could only muster up three shots on target, with there being a substantial lack of creativity in the final third and it was another game in which the Algerian winger struggled.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old managed only one key pass and 37 touches of the ball in the 70 minutes he was on the pitch. By comparison, substitute Nikola Vlasic took his rare opportunity and created a whopping three key chances from only 13 touches in just 20 minutes.

Benrahma’s barren run now extends to six league games without a goal or assist, whilst he’s provided only one goal and one assist in his last 14 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

In recent matches against Wolves and Man City, the £22.5m-rated attacker failed to surpass a WhoScored rating of 6.15 and has only recorded better than his 6.88 average for the season just once since the start of October, which suggests his poor form has been a problem and it could be argued that he is now holding the Irons back in the attack.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas claimed at the start of the month that his form was “a concern” and this week he doubled up on that by suggesting that he had “been poor lately.”

Meanwhile, club legend Tony Gale suggested that the Hammers winger was “struggling” in that aforementioned clash at Molineux during commentary duties for the Premier League’s official feed.

So as such, it would be wise for Moyes to be ruthless and bold in his team selection and to do so, he must axe the passenger-like Benrahma from the starting XI against the Gunners this evening.

AND in other news, West Ham’s “unbelievable” £18m-rated star drops 5-word hint that’ll have fans buzzing…

The ongoing feud between Everton left back Lucas Digne, and manager Rafa Benitez has been a hot topic of conversation, that has now lead to the player being linked away from the club and even included in a rumoured offer made to Newcastle United, but it looks like Digne is not about to do his current manager any favours.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano has taken to his Twitter account to let his million followers know about the potential move of Lucas Digne to Newcastle, which is said to be in conjunction with a deal to bring Sean Longstaff to Merseyside, and it’s not good news.

Romano tweeted:

“Lucas Digne will decide his next club soon. He’ll leave Everton with Premier League move likely – but he’s not going to Newcastle despite rumours. Not even an option. No way.”

The transfer insider went on to add further claims of a move to Chelsea:

“Chelsea are interested since weeks but no official talks opened with Everton yet.”

The potential move stems from an alleged argument that took place in training, where the defender disagreed with the Spanish manager’s tactics, and has not been seen in the starting side since the Merseyside Derby at the beginning of December last year, but did return to the bench in the defeat to Brighton at Goodison Park last weekend.

A nightmare for Benitez

There are a number of reasons why the French defender’s apparent rejection of a move to Newcastle United could become a nightmare for Benitez and his plans moving forward.

Sky Sports journalist, Keith Downie, reported that the club could receive Sean Longstaff in a deal that included Digne, but with the Everton player apparently refusing the move, it could put off Eddie Howe and the board in the North East who are looking to bolster their defence over the January transfer window, as they won’t be getting what they need from the move.

It would also stop the Merseyside outfit from signing a player that their manager clearly loves.

Another reason why the 28-year-old’s rumoured snub of the move could cause problems for Benitez is that he wants to sell the player, not loan him out, which is the alleged premise and conditions of the Chelsea deal that Romano has suggested Digne prefers.

According to ESPN in a report this week, Everton are not interested in loan deals for the £110k-per-week star, and have valuated the player at around £25m, with the intention to boost transfer funds by selling the out of favour full-back.

It looks like Digne has no interest in doing his manager any favours when it comes to cooperating with the transfer plans the Everton board have outlined for the Frenchman’s future, and it will be interesting to see if he will get his own way on a Chelsea loan move.

Until he leaves permanently, however, this whole ordeal will continue to terrorise the mind of Benitez for this situation is nothing short of a disaster for the Toffees.

In other news: Rafa can axe Seamus Coleman after securing new signing

According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, talks between Tottenham and Milan are ‘expected to continue’ over the possible loan move of defender Japhet Tanganga.

The Lowdown: Increased playing time but more criticism

The 22-year-old centre-back has seen increased game-time this season, having made 11 Premier League appearances, 10 of which came in the starting XI. Tanganga’s ability to play in a number of positions across the back line has proven to be an invaluable asset for Spurs – he has been employed as a centre-back, right-back, left-back and even as a right midfielder during the current campaign.

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However, the defender has been on the receiving end of some criticism this year following a string of poor performances. Having averaged a tame 6.65 SofaScore rating, Tanganga has often been blamed for being the reason as to why Spurs have been shipping goals regularly; Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand described his performance in the 3-0 thrashing by Crystal Palace as being costly for Spurs, on a day that he demonstrated ‘a lack of experience’ throughout.

The Latest: Spurs and Milan in talks over Tanganga

As per Eccleshare on Twitter on Monday morning, talks between Tottenham and Milan are ‘expected to continue today’ over the possibility of a loan move for Japhet Tanganga.

Despite the aforementioned criticism, Spurs are wary of letting the defender go, as he has started the club’s last five games. However, if they do end up sanctioning the transfer, they would only permit a loan with an obligation to buy, whereas Milan want a straight loan deal.

The Verdict: A loan move could be the right decision

Tanganga reportedly ‘wants to stay’ at the north London club, but he is aware that the returns of central defenders Eric Dier and Cristian Romero could reduce his game-time over the remainder of the season.

However, joining the Serie A club could prove to be the right decision for Tanganga, who last August was hailed as a ‘really special’ player by Gary Neville.

If he ends up being shunted out of Antonio Conte’s starting XI, he may need to go somewhere he would enjoy regular top-flight football. Up to now, the 22-year-old has been thrown in and out of the starting XI by various Spurs managers, only utilised when he’s needed to fill in at the back due his ability to play anywhere across the defence.

Therefore, this prospective loan move could prove to be a blessing for Tanganga – that’s if the two clubs can come to an agreement over the arrangement of the deal.

In other news – “Still in talks”: Fabrizio Romano provides the latest on another player linked with a possible exit from Tottenham

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Newcastle fans might have been cursing Martin Dubravka for his late blunder in their 1-1 draw with Wolves last time out – the ‘keeper lost out to Willy Boly in the air and the Frenchman nodded home from close range – but the Slovakian’s error was not enough to prevent him from being named North East Football Writers’ Player of the Year on Sunday.

The 30-year-old moved to St James’ Park on loan from Sparta Prague in January 2018 and a string of impressive performance saw him nail down a starting spot and a permanent switch in the summer, as Magpies chiefs moved quickly to ensure the stopper remained on Tyneside.

Having made 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle this season, the custodian has looked a fantastic buy but a string of error-strewn showings have led to some negative reaction on social media, the Wolves clash being the latest of which.

Watch Wolves Fan TV react to their side’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Newcastle in the video below…

Dubravka had this to say on receiving the award:

“It’s amazing, I couldn’t believe it.

“I got the message that I won this trophy and I couldn’t believe that, because I spent an amazing year here, but it is the first year, you know.

“It is an honour for me to be part of this great history and I know that fantastic players won this trophy before me, so I am very pleased with that.”

Here’s how the Toon Army reacted on Twitter…

With only one incoming signing secured for Wolves in the January transfer window so far which saw Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe join the Midlands club, it seems as though the Old Gold could be set to welcome a new face to their ranks.

What’s the news?

According to journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano in a recent Twitter post, Wolves have agreed a deal to sign Estoril attacker Chiquinho on a permanent basis for a fee of €3.5m (£2.9m).

He said: “Agreement completed between Wolverhampton and Estoril for Portuguese striker Chiquinho. Permanent deal for €3.5m plus €1.5m bonuses confirmed. Wolves Deal subject to medical – Chiquinho will be in England today in order to complete his move.”

Lage will be buzzing

Having made a total of 84 appearances for Estoril at senior and youth level, the 21-year-old winger has managed to rack up a total of 20 goals and ten assists along the way, highlighting the attacking capabilities he has at a fairly young age.

Chiquinho’s performances in the Portuguese league with Estoril this season have earned him an overall rating of 6.77/10 from WhoScored, which would place him as the sixth-highest rated outfield Wolves player in the Premier League at the moment.

With the likes of Francisco Trincao and Hwang Hee-chan only currently on loan deals at the Midlands club and the constant speculation surrounding Adama Traore’s future as a Wolves player, signing Chiquinho could be a great piece of transfer business from the club.

He is a young prospect that has the potential to grow and develop his game in the Premier League, which would surely please manager Bruno Lage if the previously mentioned current attacking options end up leaving.

Given the significant number of Portuguese players in Wolves’ squad at the moment, as well as Lage and his coaching staff, this will presumably help Chiquinho settle into his surroundings at the Midlands club swiftly.

Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of game time Chiquinho will be given at Molineux before the end of the season and before any potential transfer business takes place next summer which could then have a direct impact on the minutes he’d receive heading into next term.

Either way, it’s still an exciting deal for Wolves to make for such a young prodigy that could potentially be the next Pedro Neto at Molineux; a young winger that has the capacity to score and assist goals on a regular basis.

If he can make anywhere near a similar contribution in the Midlands, Lage would be delighted.

In other news: £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

Manchester United’s dismal start to the campaign has led to ever-increasing pressure mounting on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with his days appearing numbered in the Old Trafford dugout.

The Red Devils have already lost six games in all competitions, have exited the Carabao Cup and sit nine points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

As a result, several star names have been linked with replacing the under-fire Solskjaer at United’s helm, including Ralf Rangnick, the current sporting director of Russian outfit Lokomotiv Moscow.

Rangnick is a renowned footballing brain, responsible for revolutionising modern German tactics, founding gegenpressing and inspiring a wave of elite tacticians in his homeland.

The likes of Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Naglesmann have all based their philosophies off of the 63-year-old’s principles, highlighting the influence he has had over the beautiful game.

His high-intensity, pressing-focussed style is based around tactically intelligent, mobile players commonly deployed in a 4-2-2-2 shape that drops into a 4-4-2 when out of possession.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects United to look under Rangnick, should he replace Solskjaer over the coming months…

Despite David de Gea’s impressive start to the current campaign, Rangnick’s sides require a sweeper-keeper due to their high defensive line, meaning the more proactive Dean Henderson would likely be preferred to the Spaniard.

Ahead of the 24-year-old would be a familiar back four, but with one significant change.

While Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane would almost certainly keep their places, Diogo Dalot could complete the defensive unit ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to his superior attacking prowess.

The engine room would likely feature some fresh faces too. Fred’s ability to win the ball back and dispossess opponents would be highly regarded by Rangnick, and Donny van de Beek’s mobility and tactical nouse, something that saw him dubbed “very clever” by Juan Mata, could see him become a regular starter.

However, it’s in attack where Rangnick would have the biggest and most controversial decisions to make.

Jadon Sancho displayed an impressive understanding of pressing during his Borussia Dortmund days under the tutelage of Lucien Favre, meaning he could get the nod over Mason Greenwood, with Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank.

And Cristiano Ronaldo’s inability to press from the front means Edinson Cavani would be guaranteed to feature from the off alongside Bruno Fernandes, dropping the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to the bench.

And, in other news…“Talks on..”: Journalist issues big Man Utd manager update, fans will be buzzing 

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to Leeds United transfer news involving Rangers winger Ryan Kent. 

The lowdown: Kent a target for Leeds

This comes following a report from Football Insider which claimed that the Whites are interested in signing the 25-year-old.

The ex-Liverpool academy prospect could be viewed as a potential replacement for Raphinha should the highly sought-after Brazilian move on from Elland Road.

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Kent is believed to have a £20m release clause in his contract at Ibrox – a deal which expires in 2023 (Transfermarkt) – although Campbell has suggested that it would be money well spent by Leeds.

The latest: ‘Very good business’

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Arsenal striker claimed that Kent would be capable of filling the void left by Raphinha if the Brazilian departs.

The 52-year-old said: “He’s done a great job up there under Steven Gerrard and now Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he’s been a real star.

“If Leeds look at him as the one who can come in and take that Raphinha role, with Dan James moving over to the right, then I think that would be very good business.”

The verdict: Time to move?

Since moving north of the border, Kent has been superb for Rangers and has directly contributed to 74 goals in 164 outings for the Scottish Premiership side.

So far this season, the man once hailed as ‘sensational’ by his former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard has scored three times and provided 16 assists despite suffering with a hamstring injury for most of the autumn.

As for replacing Raphinha, the £12.6m-valued Englishman predominantly operates from the left wing and would require the switch for Dan James, as mentioned by Campbell, to work in order to make the move worthwhile.

Given that some of the Welshman’s best performances this season have come when operating on the right on occasion, it could be a reshuffle worth making, therefore adding weight to the theory behind Leeds moving for Kent.

In other news, journalist backs Leeds move for Austrian Bundesliga star. Read more here

West Brom have been struggling to register winning form in the last few weeks, failing to take three points from their last three games.

Valerien Ismael’s side were expected to return to the Premier League with ease, but Fulham and Bournemouth’s form has been undeniable, creating a significant gap of seven points between the two automatic qualifying spots and the Baggies.

One player who plays a crucial part in the team’s system, offering consistency and quality, is goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone.

The goalkeeper has been with West Brom since 2018, with 149 appearances and has gained the attention of many established Premier League clubs.

According to The Dialy Mail, Johnstone is a prime target for Tottenham Hotspur, with 35-year-old Hugo Lloris coming to the end of his contract this season.

The goalkeeper has not only received attention at club level, but was also called up to the England squad for Euro 2020. Despite not playing a game, the 28-year-old has remained part of Gareth Southgate’s plans and has gained three international caps this year, including squad appearances in World Cup 2022 qualifiers.

The £7.2m-rated titan is out of contract in the Summer and there has been a lot of talk on his future, including West Brom potentially cashing in on the keeper in January, which could be a huge mistake in the campaign for West Brom to gain promotion this season.

The West Brom boss had spoken out at the beginning of the season about the in-demand goalkeeper and his contract;

“He came back early from his holiday – which is a sign,” Ismael told. “I have spoken with him and the feeling is that Sam is happy to be back, for sure.

“We know the situation with him, but he’s given – completely – another feeling. You can see he is a big professional.”

As the side are currently struggling to make their impact on a title challenge and moving further back in the race for automatic promotion, it would not seem wise to cash in on the goalkeeper in January, but to hold down the player until, at least, the end of his contract, and re-explore opportunities to potentially keep hold of him should they be in a more attractive position in the league in the new year.

The cost of not being promoted back into the Premier League is far greater than the cost of losing, arguably, the best player at the club and Ismael should do whatever it takes to keep their greatest asset at the club until the summer, at the very least. After all, if he does go, it could prove disastrous at the Hawthorns.

Albion face Nottingham Forest on Friday and will be hoping to secure a crucial three points from the game at home.

In other news: Kipre drops a shocker against Blackpool