Leeds United’s transfer window is beginning to heat up with a permanent deal for Kiko Casilla looming on the imminent horizon, but recent reports linking the Whites with more than one young winger suggests the Spanish goalkeeper will not be the only new addition this month.Â

Indeed, Marcelo Bielsa’s injury crisis and the departures of both Samu Saiz and Lewis Baker have left Leeds short of strength in depth in midfield, and the present circumstances have presumably influenced their interest in Swansea City’s Daniel James (as per Yorkshire Evening Post).

But, with only a few months experience at senior level, there are certainly questions to be asked regarding James’ credentials to join the Championship pace setters this month.

With that said, it is no surprise that James is not the only candidate on Leeds’ shortlist, according to Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton, who, via his Twitter account, has claimed they are also looking into the possibility of signing Bristol City’s Callum O’Dowda this month.

In comparison with James, O’Dowda is significantly more experienced. Bristol City’s left-sided midfielder has 15 caps for the Republic of Ireland and has played 80 times in the Championship, and his experience in this regard could give him the edge over James as Leeds look to secure the services of a new winger.

His return of two goals and four assists from 22 appearances this season is a modest return for the 23-year-old, but there is more to O’Dowda’s game which those statistics cannot reveal.

O’Dowda is a relentlessly hard worker who endeavours to win the ball back for his side when they are not in possession, something which Bielsa’s philosophy demands and expects from the forward players.

To further enhance his case for a switch to Leeds United, O’Dowda can regularly be seen collecting the ball both in central areas and on the touchline before bypassing his opposite number with imperious swagger.

The finer aspects of his game, including composure in and around the penalty area, are certainly in need of improvement, but he possesses the raw talent to thrive at Elland Road and there is certainly a case to be made which argues he is a superior option to the inexperienced James.

And, with his contract with the Robins set to expire in June, he should be available at an incredibly attractive price this month.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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South Korea midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng has been recalled from international duty by Newcastle United after sustaining a hamstring injury, per the club’s official website.

The 29-year-old first sustained the issue in the 1-0 win over the Philippines at the start of the month and has now been recalled by the Magpies after he suffered a recurrence in training.

The problem will now be assessed in the north east by the club’s medical team.

Ki has made a total of 11 appearances for the Tyneside outfit thus far this season, providing one assist in the 1-0 win over Watford.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

The news comes as something of a blow to Rafa Benitez’s men, who will be unable to call upon the midfielder against the Hornets in the FA Cup this weekend.

Newcastle are yet to make a January signing, despite targeting a move for Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron.

Chronicle Live claim that the club’s bid for Almiron, worth £16million, remains on the table and has not yet been rejected by the MLS club.

However, their inactivity has led to much mirth on Twitter, with fans claiming that Ki’s return is “just like a new signing” and others directing criticism at famously tight-fisted owner Mike Ashley.

As quoted on the PLZ Soccer Show (via Inside Futbol), former Scotland international Alan Rough has said that Rangers must keep hold of striker Alfredo Morelos if they are to beat Celtic to the Scottish Premiership this season. 

The Gers’ bitter rivals Celtic are chasing down an unprecedented tenth Scottish Premiership title in a row, but Steven Gerrard’s men are in a good position to stop them this year. Equally, they cannot do anything on their side to hamper their hopes of halting their city rivals.

The former goalkeeper has highlighted that the Colombian has matured this season and is a better player. That is certainly undeniable, as ‘El Buffalo’ has only scored two fewer goals in the Scottish Premiership than he managed through the entirety of last season. He may still not be the most natural goal scorer, but he is getting better and better, which is clear to the fans.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”367485″ player=”13308″ title=”Rangers”]

Rough also mentioned that selling Morelos sends out a bad message to the rest of the Scottish Premiership, which is perhaps the most important factor here. Should Rangers dispense of the Colombian, it would suddenly look like they no longer wield the power to keep hold of high-profile names. Not only would this be a huge dent in their own confidence, but it would be a massive boost to Celtic’s. If The Gers have any aspirations of usurping Celtic this season and end their decade of dominance, they must keep hold of their best players, otherwise, there is the feeling that they will be behind The Bhoys for many more years to come.

Michy Batshuayi showcased huge potential to develop into one of the top strikers in European football when he broke onto the scene at Marseille under now Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, but he could be handed an opportunity to kick-start his career at Everton on transfer deadline day.

According to a recent report from the London Evening Standard, Chelsea have slapped a £35 million asking price on the head of Michy Batshuayi amid deadline day interest from Everton and West Ham.

The report claims that Batshuayi would prefer a permanent move to Goodison rather than a loan deal to West Ham, and if the Toffees are able to conclude a dramatic switch before the 11PM deadline there is no question it could transform the club’s fortunes.

After impressing in the Jupiler Pro League with Standard Liege, Batshuayi, 20-years-old at the time, was signed by Marseille in July 2014, the same summer in which Bielsa was appointed to manage the club.

Batshuayi initially struggled to live up to the hype of his arrival and Bielsa appeared reluctant to select him during the early stages of his career in France, and it wasn’t until late in December that the Argentine trusted him to complete a full 90 minutes of football in Ligue 1.

But Batshuayi plugged away and proved his prowess as the season developed, finishing the campaign with nine goals from 26 league appearances – just six of which were made from the outset.

Batshuayi eventually earned a move to Chelsea following an electric second season in France in which he scored 17 times and provided nine assists from 36 appearances, showcasing his clinical instinct and ability to link the play in the process.

Chelsea, though, have managed to stick to their tradition of wasting talented centre-forwards and the Belgium international has underachieved since moving to English football. An excellent loan spell at Dortmund last season represented a true indicator of his potential to thrive within the right environment, but his next spell in Valencia has been incredibly underwhelming.

Despite his struggle in Spain, there has been enough evidence throughout his career since he blossomed under Bielsa’s watchful eye to suggest that he could transform Silva’s attack.

The likes of Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are a class below what the Toffees need to step up to the next level, but Batshuayi has the pedigree to become a star on Merseyside.

On paper, at least, Batshuayi is perfect for the Premier League: he is a creative outlet, a natural goal scorer, capable of playing as a lone striker or in a pair, physically powerful and blessed with experience in a handful of Europe’s top leagues.

Everton’s failure to find the right formula in attack would be solved with a deadline day deal for Batshuayi, so the Toffees faithful should be hoping Marcel Brands can reach an agreement in the final hours of the window.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Tottenham are interested in a summer move for attacker James Maddison. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City and has done so since leaving Norwich City last summer, with his mightily impressive efforts for Claude Puel’s side seemingly attracting the interest of Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. 

And that’s because a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that the North Londoners are eyeing up a possible move for the Englishman were Christian Eriksen to leave the club during the summer, and with that seeming an increasingly likely outcome, a summer pursuit for Maddison is a move Tottenham simply have to make.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, there is no denying just how influential and integral Eriksen has been in Spurs’ rise up the Premier League in the last few seasons, what with the 26-year-old regularly their go-to man in making things happen in the middle of the park.

In fact, the Denmark international has scored 62 goals and laid on 79 assists in just 257 matches for the North London outfit since his arrival from Ajax back in 2013, 45 goals and 60 assists of which have come in the Premier League in helping Spurs become one of the best teams in the country.

And with much influence again this time round, having scored six goals and laid on ten assists in all competitions, it’s plainly obvious just how big a loss his possible departure this summer would be for Tottenham – and with Spurs themselves reportedly fearing the worst in terms of Eriksen’s future (as per The Daily Mirror), a replacement this summer appears absolutely vital.

And in Leicester’s Maddison, he would represent the perfect heir to Eriksen at the Premier League title-chasers.

The 22-year-old may only have six months of Premier League football under his belt after his move to the King Power Stadium last summer, but in that time he has proven to be hugely adept at top-flight level, and very much someone who looks set to only get better the more football he plays.

And that’s because the Englishman, called up to Gareth Southgate’s senior squad at the rear end of last year, albeit he didn’t feature, has scored five goals and laid on four assists in 23 league appearances for the Foxes this term – only Jamie Vardy (seven) has netted more for the Midlanders so far this season.

And with undoubted quality in the final third of the field, be it from open play in picking a pass or indeed from set pieces, Maddison appears to have it all to go extremely far in the game – and under Pochettino’s guidance at Tottenham, he will surely flourish and only get better and better.

Yes, expecting him to fill Eriksen’s shoes immediately is something of a stretch, given the quality the Danish star possesses, but there is certainly a top player in Maddison who could well go on and emulate the 26-year-old at Spurs.

And that is why a summer raid for the £27 million-rated sensation (as per Transfermarkt) is exactly the move Tottenham must seek to make come the end of the season.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Davie Provan has claimed that Celtic would jump at the chance to sign Alfredo Morelos.

The Ibrox striker has been at the centre of all sorts of headlines after picking up his fourth red card of the season and having a three-match ban slapped down after an appeal against his sending off at Aberdeen was rejected.

Morelos is the top scorer in the SPFL Premiership but has never scored against Celtic and led a charmed life from officials despite a mountain of red and yellow cards.

The sale of Moussa Dembele and the absence of Leigh Griffiths has made life difficult for Rodgers, with Odsonne Edouard injury prone, as the Hoops boss searches for the goals to deliver an eighth successive title.

Discussing Morelos and his temper issues in The Scottish Sun, Provan claims…

“Like every other coach in this business, the Ibrox boss would have Jack the Ripper up front if he was good for 25 goals a season.

“Football managers can’t afford principles. Put it this way, you can bet Brendan Rodgers would take Morelos tomorrow given the chance.”

No chance

Rodgers would love a 25-goal striker – Celtic would probably have the title already wrapped up had Griffiths or Dembele been around. Morelos, however, is a different issue.

Above all else Rodgers is about the team,  he has his system and his ways – no player will be over indulged to the detriment of others. No Celtic player would survive three red cards with the Irishman in charge, certainly not four in six months.

Morelos would have been known to Celtic when he left HJK Helsinki in the summer of 2017. There are sound reasons that they never made any move to sign the Colombian.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Simon Grayson made a show of support for Phil Parkinson after his Blackpool side gained a point at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

What did he say?

The former Sunderland boss admitted that he gets on with current man in the dugout, and suggested that he will be working as hard as he can to get back to winning ways and really kickstart the Black Cats’ season.

A draw against the Seasiders isn’t a bad point but the fact it takes the winless run to eight means there is no end to the doubts that fans hold over Parkinson’s ability, and their impatience is only likely to grow as a result.

That means they will not be fond of Grayson backing their manager, and instead would likely prefer public criticism of the job he is doing, as two wins in 13 games is simply nowhere food enough.

Speaking after the draw, as reported by the Sunderland Echo, Grayson said:

“Phil knows exactly what he needs to do.

“He’s working really hard, I’m sure. I know him really well and I know his staff and they’ll be doing their utmost to try and turn it around.

“That’s all any manager tries to do. Obviously the expectancy level is high and the pressure can build, but I think he’ll be pleased with his players today.”

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv BelowBig expectationsSunderland put in a slightly improved performance on Saturday with Charlie Wyke and Chris Maguire making valuable contributions in the final third, but aside from that it was much of the same.A lack of cutting edge in attack and too many unforced errors from the likes of Duncan Watmore and George Dobson, who earned respective WhoScored ratings of 5.7 and 5.1, shows that Parkinson has a lot of work to do to still.There is little doubt that he is probably already doing whatever he can to swing things back in his favour, and therefore Grayson’s remarks seem a little strange, though he is perhaps just trying to show support for someone he knows well.That is likely to irritate supporters. Many already dislike the Blackpool manager for his failures in the north-east, which contributed to relegation from the Championship, and backing a manager who is openly disliked and taken the club backwards is not gonna win him any friends.Parkinson has a great deal of work to do to get his side back on track, and though the decision to change formation is a positive which could pay off, there are several more steps he must take if the Black Cats are even going to challenge for the play-offs, let alone win them.

The performance of Charlie Wyke against Blackpool was a positive for fans, though, and could offer Parkinson the chance to build something.

Sheffield Wednesday continue to face uncertainty over their future in the Championship, and that has now spread onto the pitch with one of Garry Monk’s regulars being mooted for an exit next month.

The Owls have gone five unbeaten in the league, pushing them firmly into playoff contention but they could soon be slapped with a 21-point deduction as well as a ban from the sport for chairman Dejphon Chansiri after the club were charged by the EFL.

Morgan Fox sees his contract expire at the end of the season and this week, TEAMtalk claimed that several rival teams were in for the 26-year-old in January.

This could leave Monk in the mire even more at Wednesday.

On the Chalkboard

Currently, Fox is the only senior left-back option in the squad. At the start of the season, the Welshman struggled to even break into the starting line up as Liam Palmer, a natural right-sided option, was preferred.

But over the last 11 league matches, Fox has become Monk’s number one choice in the role, so it’s no surprise to see their fortunes turnaround as he is deploying a player in his actual position.

The first consequence of any departure would be finding an instant replacement, which results in shaking up a backline that ranks as the third-best in the division. Palmer would surely slide back across meaning Moses Odubajo earns a return, which would anger some members of the Hillsborough faithful.

Jordan Thorniley is another option in the role, but he’s been limited to just two EFL Cup outings this campaign, and those were at centre-back.

Therefore, it would be an area that Monk would have to strengthen in January, something that probably wasn’t on his mind previously as he looks to stamp his mark amongst this current squad.

Virtually impossible: Can you name the year all of these Leeds flops arrived at Elland Road?

But even then, are players going to be attracted by the prospect of a club that has a potential points deduction, and more, hanging over their head? It’s doubtful.

Thus, the 40-year-old chief is going to be left in a precarious situation if Fox were to exit, even more so if he joins their promotion rivals West Brom, Preston or Nottingham Forest.

And in other Owls news, the club have been dealt a devastating blow over one of their January transfer targets…

Leeds United agreed to sell Jack Clarke to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer following an eye-catching debut season from the teenage prodigy.

The local-born winger returned to Elland Road immediately on a season long loan, but it’s fair to say that the agreement has been far from a fruitful one.

With Marcelo Bielsa restricted by EFL rules on the number of loanee’s he can include in his matchday squad (5), Clarke has found himself on the periphery of the senior squad.

And now Phil Hay has, rather unsurprisingly, confirmed in an exclusive report that he will be recalled by his parent club in January, while there is a suggestion that Eddie Nketiah will be following Clarke back to north London, per The Athletic.

The report also confirms that the 19-year-old will seek a loan move to another Championship club towards the end of the January window.

With that news in mind, these fans have predicted Clarke will move to Fulham or Brentford next month.

Only time will tell exactly where Clarke’s future lies.

These fans, however, have suggested it was a waste of time to bring him back to the club in the first place and, given his lack of involvement this season, they certainly have a point.

Clarke has played just 19 minutes of Championship football and has regularly been absent from the matchday squad, so he is likely to be relishing the opportunity to reinvent himself away from the club.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

And with the opportunity to reflect on the merits of the deal, these fans expressed their delight over the fee they’ve managed to command for the teenager’s services, with one piling the praise on Victor Orta’s role in negotiations.

In other news, Leeds United have been linked with one of the most prolific strikers in European football.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has called a member of Southampton’s coaching staff an “idiot” after he was given a yellow card by referee Mike Dean on New Year’s Day, per The Guardian.

What’s he said?

The report claims that Mourinho was cautioned because he was rude to the opposition’s goalkeeping coach, Andrew Sparkes.

Questioned about his behaviour in the wake of the game, which Spurs lost 1-0, he took the time to call out Sparkes, insisting that the Saints man did not cover himself in glory either.

He said: “I think the yellow card is fair because I was rude, but I was rude to an idiot.

“For some reason I was rude.

“But I was, and because I was rude I deserve the yellow card. Basically, I had bad words with the guy.”

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Mask has slipped

This didn’t take long.

Mourinho has been famed for his surly approach and his inability to remain humble.

At Spurs, it has taken less than two months for that to happen, with his mask slipping as he looked to distract from a remarkably poor performance from the north Londoners.

That he had to go to these lengths is nothing short of ridiculous in the first place and it speaks to a lack of grace and decorum from the Portuguese.

He had no need to involve himself in such matters at St Mary’s and refusing to apologise afterwards is perhaps even worse.

It is unlikely to have gone down particularly well in the corridors of power in north London.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans want one man gone in January.