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Newcastle United have found out the hard way this season when it comes to the quality needed to compete on every front. The Magpies' summer recruitment has failed to pay dividends and now they're set to go again in the hope of making up for lost time, with one man already on the shortlist.

Newcastle transfer news

Before anything, PIF will need to find a replacement for sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on gardening leave amid links with a move to Manchester United.

Newcastle have now held talks over two new surprise St James’ Park deals

The duo have struggled for minutes this season.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 8, 2024

Darren Eales, Newcastle United CEO, confirmed the news, telling the club's official website: "We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn't stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately. We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future."

Whoever takes up the role next will be tasked with taking those at St James' Park back to the heights of last season, when they finished inside the Premier League's top four and qualified for the Champions League. To do that, the Magpies would be wise to turn to players who have experienced that top level, including one summer target.

According to Dean Jones, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Aaron Ramsdale, who has fallen out of favour at Arsenal this season and needs a move elsewhere if he is to gain crucial minutes.

"Brilliant" Ramsdale would face similar problems at Newcastle

At a crossroads in his career, Ramsdale must get his next move right and it must result in a consistent starting place. And that should rule Newcastle out. The England international has already lost his place at Arsenal to David Raya and a move to St James' Park would hand him a similar obstacle in displacing Nick Pope.

Pope, currently out injured, is Eddie Howe's clear number one, which is unlikely to change with the arrival of Ramsdale.

Starts

5

14

Save percentage

60%

73.6%

Saves per 90

1.20

2.81

Pass completion rate

74.8%

78.7%

It remains to be seen just how much of a fight Arsenal will put up to keep Ramsdale too, with Mikel Arteta singing his praises earlier this season, saying via Arsenal Insider: “He’s fully prepared. He’s training really well every day. He’s desperate to play, like rest of the boys that haven’t had many opportunities.

“Saturday is a great day for him. It’s a joy to have 2 top goalkeepers in the team. He’s been brilliant, really supportive. Pushing every day in training, like I expected.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta quinta-feira, em entrevista coletiva, o presidente Jorge Salgado anunciou que o Vasco exerceu a opção de compra domeio-campista Matías Galarza. Agora, o Cruzmaltino tem60% dos direitos econômicos do paraguaio de 19 anos. O novo contrato é válido até o fim de 2025.

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>Veja os jogadores que mais deram assistência aos gols de Cano pelo Vasco

– Torcida do Vasco, um prazer. Estamos aqui no CT, toda semana estou aqui conversando com Pássaro e jogadores. Mais uma vez ele me surpreende. Faço anúncio extremamente importante. Acho que acertamos em cheio no que vamos falar. Tínhamos que fazer esforço, tinha pedidos. Quero dizer para vocês que chegou esse momento. No início da semana, Pássaro chegou a entendimento sobre o Matías Galarza. Maior satisfação de que ele já é nosso jogador. 60% do passe pertencem ao Vasco. Abraço a vocês todos. Muito satisfeito de poder ter o Matías no nosso clube – comemorou Salgado.

Pelo profissional do Vasco, Galarza disputou 11 partidas e marcou dois gols. Contratado para o time sub-20, o paraguaio de 19 anos chegou ao clube em junho de 2020.

Alexandre Pássaro, diretor executivo de futebol do Vasco, afirmou que, na visão dele, a opção de compra se exerce apenas no último dia. Ele também destacou que o jogador terá um novo salário e revelou que o clube pagou R$500 mil para ficar com 60% dos direitos econômicos de Galarza.

-Sobre o Matías, de fato não mudo o que falei. Para mim, opção se exerce no último dia, a não ser que haja vantagem de fazer antes. A partir do mês que vem ele vai ganhar salário maior, salário novo, renovado até 2025. Para exemplificar, porque é novela essa discussão quase que diária. Estávamos trabalhando do nosso jeito. Às vezes fica-se ansioso. Segunda, eu estava no escritório do Jorge. Fechamos em 500 mil dólares por 60% do Matías. Fez sentido para encerrarmos essa história. Não exercemos no último dia porque haveria vantagem.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular e um dos principais nomes da Ferroviária neste Campeonato Paulista, o zagueiro Xandão, ex-Desportivo Aves, CRB, CSA e Bahia, falou sobre a importância do jogo contra o São Paulo nas finais do Paulistão. Segundo o jogador, essa partida tem tudo para ser muito equilibrada.

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– Não podemos errar diante de uma equipe como a do São Paulo. Temos que fazer um jogo perfeito do início ao fim para conquistarmos o objetivo, que é a vaga na fase seguinte da disputa. Vamos com os pés no chão e muito equilíbrio para chegarmos a essa importante meta – disse o zagueiro.

Ainda para o jogador, atuar em um Paulistão foi especial e não se arrepende de nenhuma escolha desde que chegou na Ferrinha.

– O Paulistão foi muito bom para mim. Sem dúvida, foi a melhor decisão que tomei, ainda mais em um clube como a Ferroviária.

With the arrival of Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United are in for an enormous summer.

It is reported that the new owner is willing to allow a 'significant transfer spend', with the aim of taking Erik ten Hag's team back among the elite.

With that in mind, let's take a look at which star could become the new star at Old Trafford and even become their best signing since Cristiano Ronaldo.

Man Utd's search for an attacker

Kylian Mbappe is reportedly set to leave PSG in the summer, with his only destination seeming to be Real Madrid.

This is the first step to a domino effect, which could see Vinicius Junior leave the Spanish giants, with reports in Spain claiming that United are interested in signing the fleet-footed forward and are even willing to make an offer for the former Flamengo star.

The report goes on to say that United would be open to forking out around €180m (£150m) for the Brazilian, which would most definitely be a club record fee – eclipsing the £89m spent on Paul Pogba in 2016.

Vinicius could be the perfect Hojlund partner

There's no doubt that the signing of Ronaldo in 2003 for £12m will go down as one of the best transfers that the club has ever made. The tricky, confident winger entertained the United faithful weekly while also, most importantly, delivering trophies.

Across two spells in his Red Devils career, 'CR7' played 346 matches, scoring 145 goals and providing 64 assists, but when he arrived, the Portuguese starlet wasn't already regarded as one of the best players in the world, unlike Vinicius, who has been lighting up La Liga and the Champions League for the past three years.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has described the 23-year-old as "the best in the world" after his performance in the 4-0 win over Girona when he scored and registered two assists, and this ability to show up on the big occasion and carry the team to glory is what makes him so special. Furthermore, the table below shows Vinicius' stats from the last year across the top European leagues.

Vinicius Junior's Stats

Stats

Vinicius

Positional Percentile

Goals

0.40

Top 17%

Assists

0.46

Top 2%

Successful take-ons

3.99

Top 3%

Carries into penalty area

4.96

Top 1%

Touches (Att pen)

9.56

Top 1%

Stats via FBref

As you can see by the table above, Vinicius backs up the compliments and claims with his statistics, as he ranks among the best for almost every attacking metric. Rasmus Hojlund is the player that would benefit the most from the Madrid star, and together, they would be a frightening duo.

Hojlund has begun to show his true ability since Boxing Day, scoring seven Premier League goals and providing two assists, which not only proves he knows how to find the back of the net but also indicates that he's capable of bringing others into the game.

With Vinicius in the team, supplying a never-ending amount of creativity, as displayed by his rank in the top 2%, 3%, and 1% for assists, successful take-ons, and carries into the penalty area, respectively, across the top five European leagues, Hojlund's xG and number of chances to score would skyrocket, with the Dane only receiving 6.48 xG all season.

However, it isn't just assists that Vinicius would bring, as he is one of the deadliest finishers in Europe, as shown by his rank in the top 17% for goals scored. Having another reliable goalscorer in the team will help Hojlund tremendously, taking some of the responsibility off his shoulders and allowing him to truly flourish and play with even more confidence and freedom.

Overall, Vinicius would elevate United to an entirely new level, and he does have the potential to make Ten Hag's side one that challenges for silverware on all fronts, which is what a club like United should be doing.

The ODIs, part of Cricket World Cup League Two structure, were originally designated to be hosted in North Carolina

Peter Della Penna04-Aug-2019USA’s first round of ODIs against Namibia and Papua New Guinea, as part of the new Cricket World Cup League Two structure, are set to be hosted at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, beginning from September 13. These ODIs had been originally designated to be played in North Carolina. A USA Cricket board member corroborated the match schedule outline including the change of venue to Lauderhill. These games will be the first ODIs ever played on American soil by any team, making USA the 32nd country to host ODI cricket.ESPNcricinfo had reported last month that the ODI matches had been pulled from Church Street Park in the Raleigh suburb of Morrisville after the ICC had announced in May that the venue would host these games. Woodley Park in Los Angeles and an under-construction venue at Morgan Hill, California in the Silicon Valley became the frontrunners to land the hosting gig for USA’s first home ODIs.However, the new turf venue at Morgan Hill – which is being paid for by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) – will not be ready in time. Meanwhile, Woodley Park’s recent investment upgrades from ACE funding were not enough to have the venue receive ODI ground accreditation from the ICC in time to host matches in September.The result is that, in spite of September being the height of the south Florida tropical storm season, the Central Broward Regional Park turned into the default host option due to its ODI ground status listing, which it received from the ICC upon opening in 2008. Despite having had ODI status for more than a decade, the ground has never actually hosted an official ODI. Sunday’s 2nd T20I between India and West Indies will be the ground’s 10th T20I match since the inaugural T20I was played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in May 2010.Multiple sources, however, confirmed that USA Cricket has begun moving forward with plans to host the round of six ODIs at the venue. Sources have also stated that the matches were pushed back a week from their originally announced dates of September 7-14.A request was made by USA Cricket to both Cricket PNG and Cricket Namibia during the ICC Annual Conference in London last month to push the series back a week due to venue availability issues in Lauderhill, with other vendors having rented out the facility in the week prior. According to a USA Cricket source, the series will now start on Friday, September 13 with USA’s first home ODI to be played against Papua New Guinea.Namibia are not scheduled to arrive from a training camp in South Africa until September 15, meaning the next match in the tri-series will not take place until September 17, when USA take on Namibia. The home side are then penciled in to play back-to-back ODIs on September 19 & 20 against both visiting sides to accommodate USA Cricket’s original plans for the squad to leave on September 21 for an extended training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, in preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE beginning on October 11.Namibia and PNG, meanwhile, will play back-to-back ODIs in Lauderhill after USA’s departure to round off the scheduled series. The ODI series dates have been sent to the ICC for confirmation but are expected to be rubber-stamped with all parties in agreement. The two visiting countries also have tentative plans to play one or two T20Is at the Florida venue after the ODI series, as part of their own preparations for the T20 World Cup Qualifier, before flying back home.USA have played only three ODIs so far. The first two came at the 2004 Champions Trophy in England, where they suffered heavy defeats to Australia and New Zealand. Their third and most recent ODI came this past April in the third place playoff match at ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia. After securing a top-four finish in the league stage, USA’s playoff match with Papua New Guinea was given ODI status. Despite having beaten PNG by 10 wickets in a non-ODI in the league stage, USA lost the playoff by five wickets.

Bowler Anya Shrubsole says England won’t change approach which saw them unbeaten in 14 matches before meeting Australia

Valkerie Baynes03-Jul-2019

Anya Shrubsole looks on during the England nets practice•Getty Images

England will be seeking a vastly improved batting performance when they go into Thursday’s second ODI against Australia 0-1 down in the Ashes.A top-order collapse which saw England crash to 19 for 4 and then 44 for 5 proved the difference between the sides – with Ellyse Perry claiming 3 for 43 – the hosts failing to recover despite their bowlers putting Australia under pressure in a nervy, but ultimately successful, chase.England’s batting woes came down somewhat to poor shot selection and, were it not for No. 5 Natalie Sciver’s fighting 64 and tailender Sophie Ecclestone’s valuable 27-run cameo off as many balls, the defeat could have been much heavier. As it happened Australia won by two wickets with 45 balls to spare after making hard work of reaching the target.Alyssa Healy’s 66 was their only real batting performance of note as Ecclestone claimed three wickets and Laura Marsh two as part of a strong all-round performance from England’s bowling unit in which Sciver and quicks Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole also claimed one wicket each.Shrubsole said England wouldn’t be making wholesale changes to their approach which saw them go unbeaten in 14 matches across all formats immediately before meeting Australia.”We just need to be clear in our decision-making and commit with bat and ball,” Shrubsole said. “There were a lot of positives from the game, despite the defeat, and I think we threw a few punches back – especially with the ball. We were excellent with the ball as a unit, Soph and Katherine especially were threatening and really troubled Australia. Hopefully we can keep that going.”Anya Shrubsole celebrates an early wicket•Getty Images

One England wicket which fell through no fault of their own was that of Fran Wilson, who was given out lbw despite replays showing the ball had hit her glove first as she attempted a sweep off Jess Jonassen. With no DRS in this series, Wilson left the ground in furious disbelief, while England captain Heather Knight later said the players would prefer to have the review system in place. Healy and Australian coach Matthew Mott also supported the inclusion of DRS.Shrubsole said: “One or two decisions were slightly frustrating, but umpires are human and they’re allowed to make errors. It would be nice to have DRS but it’s the same for both teams and it was the same in the last Ashes.”Going forward I’m sure DRS will become part of the women’s game on a regular basis like it is in the men’s and that’s obviously a step in the right direction. It’s come into ICC tournaments so bilateral series like this are the logical next step.”DRS was not brought in for this series because of cost and resource consraints, however it will be in place for every home England women’s international from 2020.Australia will also be looking to improve, particularly with the bat, and especially against an England side determined to do better.”We never really know when we’re beaten and we’ve made a habit of fighting back into games and that’s a good quality in this team,” Shrubsole said. “We didn’t really get enough runs – and it’s always hard to come back from a start like we did – but we took it pretty deep and that was impressive.”It did look as if we might steal the win at a couple of points but we didn’t get there in the end. As a team it was a really good effort to take it that far and we can take a lot from that.”The second match will be played in Leicester on Thursday, followed by the third and final match of the ODI series in Canterbury on Sunday. The one-dayers will be followed by a four-day Test and three T20Is.

Leeds United will have been left disappointed with their FA Cup showing on Saturday, only able to pick up a 1-1 draw on home soil versus Plymouth Argyle which now means an unwanted trip to Devon awaits in a rather needless replay.

It's not as if Daniel Farke played a whole load of reserves against the Pilgrims at Elland Road, naming a lineup that consisted of the likes of Joe Rodon, Sam Byram and Jaidon Anthony alongside many more first-teamers with Anthony netting Leeds' only goal of the game.

Byram could well fall down the Leeds pecking order despite putting in an admirable shift in the starting XI in this draw, a transfer development emerging out of West Yorkshire indicating that reinforcements are incoming in the back four.

Leeds going after Japanese talent

A report from Belgian football outlet HBVL states that Leeds are actively attempting to sign Sint-Truiden defender Daiki Hashioka with deadline day fast approaching, HBVL further emphasises that the Whites are 'in advanced talks' to land the Japanese right-back and are now close to a deal.

Only 24 years of age, with Byram now reaching the twilight of his career arguably at 30, Hashioka is also subject to interest from Premier League overachievers Luton Town this transfer window according to SportWitness via a print version of HBVL.

Despite helping himself to an assist last time out in the Cup, Byram's days could become numbered at Leeds if the 49ers can sign Haskioka this January with an exciting right-back finally through the door after Luke Ayling and Djed Spence exiting left that spot rather decimated.

How Haskioka would fit into the Leeds team

Farke could finally have a right-back he can depend on again if the Japanese gem signs on the dotted line, with Jamie Shackleton the only other recognised player in that spot away from Byram.

This season playing out in Belgium, the 6-foot Leeds target has four goal contributions playing more as a right midfielder than a defensive-focused right-back.

In contrast, Byram – when called into action by Farke this season unconventionally at left-back – only has three goal contributions next to his name with his future playing in a more comfortable slot down the right channel under scrutiny if Haskioka relocates to West Yorkshire.

With Junior Firpo loving life at Leeds again with four assists this year to date at left-back, and Archie Gray often utilised here away from Firpo's recent re-emergence back into the first-team fold, Byram really would have no future down either flank if the Whites decide to finally strengthen this window.

Hashioka would suit the style Leeds like to play to a tee also, the Japanese defender more than adept at venturing forward in similar fashion to Firpo marauding down the channels to set up the likes of Patrick Bamford recently.

Over the last year, according to FBRef, the in-demand Sint-Truiden man betters Byram in terms of progressive carries and shots on goal on average per 90 minutes – the 24-year-old averaging 2.67 carries to Byram's 1.94, with Hashioka also winning in terms of shots with 1.25 to Byram's 1.03.

If Leeds want to take the division by storm and bulldoze more teams on their way to a convincing promotion, landing an expansive right-back in Japan international Hashioka could be the way forward with the old guard of Byram put to one side consequently.

Amit Mishra and Kagiso Rabada lead a strong performance with the ball after fifties from Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer

The Report by Mohammad Isam28-Apr-2019Delhi Capitals vaulted to the top of the IPL points table with a 16-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at home, the win putting them in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. They had star performers all around, starting with half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer, then a good finishing job from Sherfane Rutherford and Axar Patel, and finally a clinical bowling performance led by Amit Mishra and Kagiso Rabada.Mishra took two wickets in the crucial 13th over, and Rabada was excellent in the death overs – not to forget Ishant Sharma’s four-run 19th over – to leave Royal Challengers with no chance of pulling out a fourth successive win in their late-season resurgence.Dhawan, Iyer set a strong platform
Dhawan and Iyer struck fifties, lasting exactly 37 balls each. They struck seven fours and five sixes between them, as they added 68 runs for the second wicket that put Capitals in a position to push towards a big total. Dhawan mostly got his boundaries on the on-side, apart from hitting a four and a six through the covers and long-off. All five of Iyer’s boundaries – the two fours and three sixes – came through midwicket, while he found plenty of ones and twos on the leg-side too.Late charge gives Capitals a winning total
But once Dhawan and Iyer fell within three overs of each other, Capitals slowed down significantly. In between their dismissals in the 13th and 16th overs, Rishabh Pant also fell for seven off as many balls, which left the rest of the batting with a lot to do to get close to the 200-run mark. Colin Ingram fell for 11 too, to make it tougher, but Rutherford and Axar added 46 runs in the last 3.1 overs to get them to a score that eventually proved good enough. Rutherford struck three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 13-ball 28, while Patel struck three fours in his unbeaten 16.Rishabh Pant pulls off a stunning catch•BCCICapitals fielders back up their bowlersRahul Tewatia, fielding as a substitute, dropped Shivam Dube at a crucial juncture in the game, in the ninth over. That was, however, just one blip in an outstanding catching performance from the Capitals players on the day.The first was from Axar, who plucked Parthiv’s crunched cut out of thin air at point in the sixth over. Rutherford then took a straightforward – though hard-hit – catch off a Kohli pull at the deep soon after, but the real stunners were to follow. Axar again, away at deep midwicket, made good ground, caught the ball, and did a neat skip to avoid the boards to send AB de Villiers back, and Shikhar Dhawan pulled off a cool, running catch for Dube’s dismissal.The what-a-catch moments, though, belonged to Pant. First, when he hared away towards square-leg and threw in the dive to just about pouch Heinrich Klaasen. And then, in the penultimate over, when he dived and flung out his right hand to grab the chance off Gurkeerat Singh’s flash.Kohli & Co. lose their way
Parthiv Patel once again provided Royal Challengers with a fast start, hitting seven fours and a six in his 20-ball 39, as he added 63 with Virat Kohli in the opening stand. But once Axar caught Parthiv smartly at point off Rabada, Royal Challengers slowly slipped downwards.Kohli and AB de Villiers both fell to catches in the deep trying to pull half-trackers from Axar and Rutherford respectively, before Heinrich Klaasen, playing only his second IPL game of the season, was brilliantly caught by Pant in the 13th over. After Klaasen’s attempted scoop hit his helmet and lobbed away from the wicketkeeper, Pant ran hard to his left and dived to complete the catch at full stretch. Shivam Dube’s departure later in the same over added to Royal Challengers’ woes, as the equation went up to 77 from seven.No late surge as Rabada and Ishant shine
Gurkeerat Singh hitting Ishant for two fours and a six in the 17th over certainly gave Royal Challengers some hope, with the equation down from 52 off 24 to a very gettable 36 from 18. But Rabada conceded just six runs in the following over and Ishant, desperate to have another go and prove a point, then went for four in the penultimate over, before Rabada shut down the chase with another efficient final over in which he gave away just nine runs.

Speaking on the BBC's Football Daily podcast, former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly has claimed Spurs have a "huge" player who just doesn't get enough credit.

Spurs 4-1 Newcastle United

Manager Ange Postecoglou will be a happy man as the Lilywhites finally returned to winning ways on Sunday. Following a run of four defeats in five Premier League games, the north Londoners tasted their first victory since late October with a fantastic 4-1 win over top four-chasing Newcastle United.

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Destiny Udogie's first goal opened the floodgates with under-fire striker Richarlison then grabbing a much-needed brace to put the game beyond doubt. Son Heung-min also added to his fantastic tally this season through a late penalty, before Joelinton's late consolation for Newcastle.

It's safe to say Tottenham were back to their imperious attacking best at the weekend, and Postecoglou may have just discovered his best possible team without key trio James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur.

When asked about Spurs' conviction, Postecoglou hailed his Tottenham side and praised captain Son Heung-min in particular for his incredible performance overall.

"Yeah I thought we were better in that area," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's win over Newcastle (via football.london).

"I thought Sonny really set the tone for us early on. Whenever he got the ball he was really positive with it. That's what you need from leadership and I think the rest of the lads fed off that and we were a lot more threatening in that front third than we have been. I thought we got the goals we deserved and could have had a couple more at least. So yeah really pleased with that aspect."

The north Londoners next face off against struggling Nottingham Forest on Friday, and it's a real opportunity for Postecoglou to steer his side on a much-needed winning run.

Kelly praises underestimated Pape Sarr

Another noticeable improvement from recent times was in centre midfield, as both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr impressed in front of Tottenham's back four. The African duo formed an excellent partnership earlier this season, but injuries and suspensions over the last month have kept them apart on a regular basis.

Against Newcastle, we saw both contribute to devastating effect once again, with former Spurs defender Kelly saying Sarr's importance is vastly underestimated at Spurs.

“And then Pape Sarr back, people underestimate his importance to the side," said the BBC pundit. "But him coming back into the team has been huge for them because he started off the season so well.”

Pape Sarr's Premier League statistics (via WhoScored)
Passing accuracy – 89.9%
Shots per game – 1.5
Tackles made per 90 – 1.4
Interceptions per 90 – 0.6
Minutes played – 917

The 21-year-old struggled for consistent opportunities under Antonio Conte last term, but has now become a regular and mainstay in Postecoglou's debut season.

Signed from FC Metz in the summer of 2021, the Senegal international didn't fully make his move to Spurs until 2022, having spent the 21/22 campaign back out on loan at Metz.

As Leeds United look to make an instant return to Premier League football, securing promotion from the Championship, the January transfer window could be crucial. In the summer, the market helped Daniel Farke welcome the likes of Joel Piroe, strengthening his side to place them in contention to comfortably secure a place in the play-offs, at the very least this season.

Now, the former Norwich City boss could return to the market to solve any remaining problems at Elland Road. Given that the Whites are currently ten points adrift of Ipswich Town in second, any January boost would be more than welcomed. And that could include a loan deal for one exciting Premier League gem.

Leeds need full-back reinforcments

Like many sides, Leeds could enjoy a busy start to the new year in the transfer window, as they look to address any major issues within Farke's squad. When taking a look at their current side too, their need for new full-backs stands out. As good a job as Archie Gray has done at times, the teenager's natural position comes in central midfield and if Leeds can accommodate that, then their academy graduate could get even better. With that said, reports suggest that they could solve that issue in January.

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Posts ByDan Emery Dec 15, 2023

According to TeamTalk, Leeds United are eyeing a loan move for Liverpool youngster Conor Bradley in January. The Reds are reportedly ready to allow the 20-year-old to leave the club in the winter window, as they look to help him gain some crucial game time away from Anfield. For Leeds, Bradley would be a welcome addition and it would see them swap one young gem for another at fullback. If they want to secure a deal, however, they will reportedly have to fend off interest from Burnley, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion in January.

"Outstanding" Bradley needs game time

Having just returned from injury, Bradley got his first start of the season in the Europa League against Union Saint-Gilloise in a game that a young Liverpool side ultimately fell to a disappointing, but battling 2-1 defeat. Despite the loss, Jurgen Klopp was still impressed with the Leeds target, saying in his post-match press conference: “Conor is a top player, I like him a lot. His attitude is outstanding, he’s a real fighter.

The Liverpool boss went on to say: "I don’t think any career ever started without these kind of games where you have to struggle, where you have to fight through, where you have to survive – and Conor, especially, did. We found a way into the game, had good moments, really good moments and other moments where he knows he can improve and he has to learn. He’s still young. But that’s part of development.”

Given how young Bradley is, any game time will be crucial, making Leeds an ideal option. If Farke can secure the Liverpool youngster's signature and move Gray back into midfield as a result, then he could set Leeds up for instant promotion to the Premier League this season in the Championship.