Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has shared what he’s heard on Leeds United’s reported interest in Rangers teenager Jack Wylie.
The Lowdown: Leeds links
The Whites have been extremely proactive in adding to their Thorp Arch academy ranks since returning to the Premier League back in 2020.
Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins were the two high-profile academy arrivals over the summer, with the latter of the two beginning the season in excellent form in front of goal.
Rumours emerged over the weekend that Leeds have joined Arsenal in the race for the full-back, registering their interest Wylie, who will turn 16 in January and will be able to pen professional terms.
The Latest: Romano’s comments
Romano, writing in his column for CaughtOffside, labelled Wylie as a ‘top talent’ and said that up to five Premier League clubs are following the teenager, who is ‘focused’ on Rangers at this moment in time.
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“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 Verdict: One to watch
It looks as if Victor Orta may well face plenty of top-flight competition when it comes to potentially bringing Wylie to Elland Road.
However, Leeds have shown there is a clear pathway to first-team football in Yorkshire, handing eight teenagers their Premier League debuts last season.
Wylie may well be aware of that record and want to become the next big Thorp Arch graduate, so his name could be one to keep a close eye on heading into 2023, where you’d expect he’ll pen professional terms with a club relatively swiftly.
Saudi Arabian consortium PIF officially completed their takeover of Newcastle United in October of last year and some supporters celebrated the news outside of St. James’ Park at the time.
They replaced Mike Ashley as owners of the club and have enjoyed a fantastic year on Tyneside as they have taken the Magpies from facing relegation midway through 2021/22 to currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table.
PIF were not afraid to shake things up as they replaced Steve Bruce with Eddie Howe and then backed their new manager in the transfer window.
Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Chris Wood, and Kieran Trippier all arrived through the door in January to bolster the team for the second half of the campaign.
One player they attempted to sign in that window was Manchester United attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard. The club were keen on a deal for the England international before Ralf Rangnick decided, on deadline day, that he wanted to keep hold of him.
It was then reported in May that Newcastle were “desperate” to sign him on a free transfer as his contract with the Red Devils was not renewed.
However, Dan Ashworth arrived as the club’s sporting director shortly after that and speculation over a move for the midfielder soon dried up, with Nottingham Forest eventually signing Lingard on a free towards the end of July.
His form since making the move to the City Ground suggests that the Magpies chief dodged a bullet by avoiding the Englishman in the summer.
The attacking midfielder had scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 Premier League outings on loan at West Ham in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign but has failed to replicate that in Nottingham, as shown by the statistics above.
Lingard has not made any significant contributions for his team at the top end of the pitch and has been a liability off the ball, losing 64% of his individual duels.
Earlier this month, Darren Bent criticised the flop’s performances for Steve Cooper’s side this season whilst speaking on talkSPORT:
“Jesse Lingard, I know they got him on a free but they’re giving him an awful lot of money.
“With his experience and what he’s done in the Premier League and what he did on his last loan spell at West Ham. There’s got to be more from Jesse Lingard, he’s playing like a shell of himself.”
He is currently 19th in the Forest squad in terms of average SofaScore ratings and his score of 6.56 would place him 20th at Newcastle, only ahead of Jamal Lewis (6.30).
Therefore, Ashworth dodged a bullet with the 29-year-old as the flop, who is reportedly on £200k-per-week, has not been good enough in the Premier League so far this season and could have been a shocking signing for the Magpies with his lack of end product on the pitch.
Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow regarding winger Dejan Kulusevski.
What’s the latest?
Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via BBC Sport), Antonio Conte revealed that, despite the Italian previously hinting the winger was nearing a return to full fitness, the 22-year-old could now be ruled out of action until after the Qatar World Cup – having suffered an apparent setback in his recovery from a thigh injury.
Regarding the current condition of the Sweden international, the 53-year-old said: “I think we have to wait a bit of time to see him with us. Yeah [I am worried] because his recovery was going well and then one day the situation worsened.
“Then when this type of situation happens, you have to restart. You need time, but we have the medical department to face injury situations and they have to solve the situation in a short period because you know if you are good to solve the situation in a short period, it means points in the table.”
Terrible news
Considering just how integral a part of the Tottenham side Kulusevski has become following his January move to north London, the fact that the forward could be ruled out of action until the turn of the year is undoubtedly terrible news for Conte and his side.
Indeed, over his 18 Premier League fixtures in his debut campaign with Spurs, the £70m-rated winger was in astonishing form, scoring five goals, providing eight assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the 22-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Conte’s fourth-best performer in the league but also as the 25th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole last term.
The £110k-per-week flanker has once again caught the eye over his seven Premier League appearances in 2022/23, having already scored one goal, registered three assists and created two big chances, with these returns seeing the attacker average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.91 – ranking him as Spurs’ 11th-best performer in the division.
Furthermore, with Richarlison also currently sidelined as a result of injury, as well as Lucas Moura not being fully match-fit after his recovery from a tendon injury, Kulusevski’s absence leaves Conte with no natural option to deploy alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in his three-man attack – something that proved incredibly costly in the loss to Manchester United last time out.
As such, it is clear to see that being without the Swede for a lengthy period will come as a huge blow to Spurs’ chances of going on to secure a top-four finish this season – not to mention picking up all three points against an impressive Newcastle United side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Celtic are currently preparing to take on their closest rivals in the SFA Cup final at Hampden Park in the final game of the season on Saturday.
The Hoops can sign off from the 2023/24 campaign with a second trophy, completing a domestic double, after they lifted the Scottish Premiership title last weekend.
Brendan Rodgers and his men had secured the trophy with a 5-0 win over Kilmarnock away from home last week before they ran out 3-2 winners against St Mirren on the final day of the league season at Parkhead.
The Northern Irish coach will now be hoping for another impressive performance from his team at Hampden Park when they take on Rangers in the final this weekend.
After that big clash, the focus will then turn to the summer transfer window and there is no hiding from the club's need to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper.
Joe Hart is due to retire at the age of 37, when his contract expires this summer, and this has left the Scottish giants in need of a number one between the sticks ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Celtic working to sign Austrian star
According to Football Insider, the Hoops are working on a deal to bring Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Patrick Pentz to Parkhead this summer.
The report claims that the Austrian shot-stopper has just one year left on his deal with the German side, who have just completed an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga, and that could provide the Bhoys with a chance to swoop in for his services.
It states that the 27-year-old star has emerged as a 'strong' option for the Scottish giants to bring in to bolster their goalkeeping options ahead of next term.
Football Insider adds that signing a new goalkeeper to replace Hart is the primary objective of the upcoming summer transfer window for Rodgers, with Pentz seemingly identified as one of the key targets in that position.
However, it may not be a simple deal to get over the line as Southampton and PSV are also said to be interested in the talented colossus, who just spent the season on loan with Brondby in Denmark.
The Saints are in the Championship play-off final against Southampton on Sunday and could be promoted to the Premier League, which could strengthen their position in negotiations should they still be keen on a move for Pentz.
Should Celtic win the race for his services, though, then the club could land a goalkeeper who is perfect for Rodgers' style of play moving forward.
Why Patrick Pentz is perfect for Brendan Rodgers
Football Insider's report claimed that the Leverkusen ace's ability with the ball at his feet caught the eye of the Hoops boss, who wants his number one to be able to play out from the back.
The article described Pentz as a 'modern' goalkeeper and that was on display during his time on loan with Brondby in Denmark this season.
He made 25 appearances in the Superliga and completed 91% of his attempted passes in his own half, without making a single error that directly led to a shot or goal for the opposition.
In fact, you have to go back to the 2020/21 Austrian Bundesliga season, when he was playing for Austria Wien, to find his last error that led to a goal or shot at league level.
Patrick Pentz's errors
Season
Appearances
Error led to shot
Error led to goal
2020/21 Bundesliga
32
0
1
2021/22 Bundesliga
32
0
0
2022/23 Ligue 1
7
0
0
2023/24 Superliga
25
0
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old star has not made a single direct error in the last three seasons, and has only made one in the last four campaigns combined.
Whereas, Hart made five errors that led to shots for the opposition and one that led to a goal in his 109 Scottish Premiership appearances in three years at Parkhead.
This suggests that the 37-year-old veteran is far more prone to a mistake when playing out from the back than Pentz, given the greater volume of errors when passing the ball to the opposition over the past three seasons.
Therefore, that, along with the Austrian's high pass success rate within his own half, suggests that the Leverkusen gem would be perfect for Rodgers and how he wants to build from the back, due to his reliability in possession of the ball.
Why Patrick Pentz would be an upgrade on Joe Hart
Along with his impressive work on the ball, Pentz could also be an upgrade on Hart because of his quality as both a shot-stopper and a goalkeeper who can command his area.
Joe Hart
Firstly, the Austrian titan ranked within the top 23% of his positional peers in Ligue 1 last season for percentage of crosses stopped (7.8%), whilst the Englishman ranked within the bottom 22% of Champions League goalkeepers this term at just 1.2%.
This suggests that Pentz, who Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes claimed last year is "in his prime", could be far more dominant when it comes to collecting crosses to take pressure off his defence.
23/24 season
Joe Hart (Premiership)
Patrick Pentz (Superliga)
Appearances
37
25
Sofascore rating
6.85
7.31
Save success rate
68%
75%
Run-out success rate
85%
89%
Duel success rate
77%
100%
Ground duel success rate
40%
100%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Brondby loanee also outperformed Hart as a shot-stopper, with a great save success rate, and was flawless in his duels against opposition players, whereas the Hoops star let himself down on that front.
These statistics, along with his aforementioned suitability to the style of play wanted by Rodgers, suggest that the Bhoys target could be a fantastic addition to the squad to replace the former Manchester City titan moving forward.
Rodgers must drop 2/10 Celtic man this summer after "horrific" mistake
The Hoops liability’s time at Parkhead should be up at the end of the season, based on his performances this season.
ByDan Emery May 19, 2024
His age is also a key factor for Celtic. At the age of 27, he is ten years younger than the retiring ace and could, therefore, be Celtic's number one for many more years to come if he can hit the ground running and adapt to Scottish football, which is another reason why this could be a superb deal for the club.
Frank Lampard is already looking ahead to next season in terms of improving his Everton side, with Napoli winger Hirving Lozano linked with a move to the Toffees – according to Spanish publication Marca (via Liverpool Echo).
The 27-year-old’s agent spoke recently about interest in Lozano, saying: “In my opinion, Lozano will leave next June, also because he earns over 4m (£3.5m) at Napoli.
“Even though he is delighted to be here, he has never hidden that he aspires to the top English clubs even if now he is probably realizing that Napoli itself is a top club.
“I think he can join Manchester United or Everton.”
This is encouraging news for Lampard, and he could well land his very own Bukayo Saka by making a move for Lozano, with the two comparable via FBref’s player comparison model.
Saka has been tearing it up recently at Arsenal, scoring five goals and registering four assists in all competitions this season and, despite Lozano being six years older than the Englishman, Everton could benefit from having someone similar on their right-wing providing a goalscoring threat.
Despite Saka scoring more league goals (four to two), Lozano actually averages more shots per match (4.51 to 2.42) while also generating more shot-creating actions per match (4.50 to 4.01).
The £84k-per-week Napoli winger has created more big chances than Saka this season (three to one), however, Saka just edges out Lozano in terms of key passes per match (1.9 to 1.2) – although it proves that the two are extremely attack-minded from wide positions.
Rangers Review journalist Derek Clark dubbed the Mexican as “frightening” before Napoli faced the Gers in the Champions League last night and it’s clear that Lampard needs a greater attacking output from out wide in order to take pressure off Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
If Everton did bring the player to the Premier League, the 44-year-old will be hoping that Lozano can have the same impact that Saka did for Arsenal, terrorising defences and creating an extra attacking dimension.
Everton were heavily linked with a move for Armando Broja in the summer but nothing materialised before Deadline Day, however, it looks like Frank Lampard hasn’t given up on his opportunity to sign the player as a new update emerges.
What’s the latest?
According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, Everton are “monitoring” the Chelsea striker’s situation at Stamford Bridge, with the view to loaning the player.
Jacobs tweeted: “Broja getting minutes under Potter. Everton and Newcastle still monitoring in case a loan (with no option) does become available. But it’s not something Potter or Chelsea are planning for right now even if other attackers come in.”
Lampard already loves him
There is no doubt that Lampard would be thrilled with a possible opportunity to sign Broja in the new year, as the former Chelsea boss not only worked with the player before and gave him his Premier League debut but is also a huge admirer too.
The 45-year-old Everton boss sang the praises of the Chelsea youngster when the Toffees met with Southampton last season, where Broja was on loan at the time:
“He’s a very nice, very good lad and a very talented young boy.
“He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths.”
This season the Albanian striker has only made four Premier League appearances, averaging at just 21 minutes per game, and due to the inconsistency of his game time hasn’t been able to build up a run of form or score a goal as of yet.
Broja’s performances this season are not a clear reflection of what he is capable of when he gets regular first-team football and consistent game time in a team, something he proved whilst out on loan last season.
Hailed as “devastating” by national team assistant, Sergio Porrini, the £50m-valued machine has scored nine goals and delivered one assist over 38 appearances for Southampton and has scored 42 career goals whilst registering nine assists too over 140 appearances, with a goal contribution every 155 minutes played so far.
With that being said, if Everton are continuing to pursue Broja after being knocked back in the summer it is clear that Lampard sees something in the striker that could be game-changing for his current team.
Therefore, if it becomes a possibility in the new year the powers at Goodison Park must not pass up on the opportunity, even if it is just a temporary six-month stint.
Leeds United recorded back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2022/23 in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, with Jesse Marsch’s side running out 4-3 winners over AFC Bournemouth at Elland Road.
In a match that was balanced on a pinhead for the length of the 90 minutes, the Whites ultimately ran out victors thanks to goals from Rodrigo, Sam Greenwood, Liam Cooper and Crysencio Summerville, despite being 3-1 down with 30 minutes left to play.
And, while the second-half introduction of Greenwood – who ended the fixture with both a goal and an assist to his name – undoubtedly changed the course of the game for the American manager, it was once again the performance of Wilfried Gnonto that ultimately sealed all three points for Leeds on Saturday.
Indeed, over the course of his 45 minutes on the pitch, the £8.7m-rated forward was a constant thorn in the Cherries’ side, with three of his five completed passes being key, as well as completing one of his three attempted crosses, making two tackles and creating one big chance for his teammates.
However, undoubtedly the Italy international’s most important contribution came in his assist for Summerville’s 84th-minute winner, when the 19-year-old picked up the ball in his own half, before driving at the Cherries’ defence and slipping an inch-perfect ball through to the Dutchman, who cooly slotted beyond Mark Travers.
This was an almost perfect repeat of Summerville’s winner against Liverpool last weekend, when Gnonto’s hard work on the left wing ended in the six-cap international firing a cross into the box, which Patrick Bamford subsequently laid off to the 21-year-old who fired home the Whites’ late winner.
However, regarding the display of the “wonderkid” against Bournemouth, Gnonto earned an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.2, while Leeds Live’s Beren Cross also awarded the £5m summer signing an eight in his own player ratings, as well as stating of the forward’s display:
“Everything apart from a goal. Picked up where he left off at Anfield. Tenacious, quick, snappy, strong, intelligent. The carry and assist for the winning goal was outstanding. Has to start at Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.”
As such, as Cross suggests, it would appear an absolute must for Marsch to begin unleashing Gnonto from the off in the not-too-distant future, as the Italian sensation once again passed his first-team test with flying colours on Saturday afternoon.
Glasgow Rangers dropped points in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by St Mirren away from Ibrox.
The Light Blues are now nine points off the top of the table heading into the World Cup break and have a few weeks to look back on the first half of the season before matches return in December.
Antonio Colak missed the match on Saturday through injury and Alfredo Morelos was handed his first start in the top-flight this season, which represented a huge chance for him to kickstart his campaign.
The centre-forward struggled throughout the 90 minutes as he failed to register a single shot on target and has now scored three goals in 17 appearances across the Premiership and Champions League combined this term.
Live on BBC Sportscene on Saturday night (12 November, 7.49pm), pundit Richard Foster hammered the Colombian after the match as he said:
“When you’re a manager, your team are struggling, and you’re in a bad spot. You don’t need the guy that’s leading your line to perform like Alfredo Morelos, because not only was his quality poor, he just looked disinterested. He didn’t look fit enough.
“What I don’t understand, it seems as if his head’s away from Rangers and he wants to leave. So go out on the pitch and show what you can do. Go and score goals, so teams are looking and going, ‘Right, I really want to sign him’.”
The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and his statistics, along with Foster’s comments, suggest that he is not performing well enough to deserve an extension.
Instead, Ross Wilson must finally ditch the striker by cashing in on him in January, if there is enough interest in his services, and urging the manager, whether that is Gio van Bronckhorst or not, to unleash Robbie Ure from the academy.
The 18-year-old centre-forward magic” in an interview after the win over Queen of the South.
He has also shown plenty of promise whilst playing for the B team this season. The forward has plundered five assists in 19 appearances in the UEFA Youth League and Lowland League combined, which shows that he is excelling in front of goal at youth level with his ability to both score and create goals.
Ure, who is a Scotland U19 international, has impressed van Bronckhorst enough to make two first-team outings this season – coming off the bench against St Mirren on Saturday for his Premiership debut – but he must now be unleashed in a supporting role to Colak in the second half of the campaign.
Rangers should give the dynamo increased exposure at senior level to fast-track his development whilst allowing the club to finally ditch Morelos in the January transfer window.
Newcastle United will have undoubtedly been worried about the news that Bruno Guimaraes had picked up an injury during training with Brazil at the World Cup, and now a new update has emerged on the player’s condition.
What’s the latest?
It has been revealed that the Magpies midfielder took part in the final full training session ahead of the prestigious international tournament after giving both Brazil and Newcastle a scare when he limped out of training in the first session earlier this week.
According to Chronicle Live, Guimaraes was spotted taking part in the final preparations on Friday at the training camp in Italy before the Brazil squad flies to Qatar this weekend.
It’s great news for Howe
There is no doubt that it’s great news for Eddie Howe that his player has evaded being sidelined with an injury as he has been a key player in Newcastle’s success over the season far.
The Magpies are now third in the Premier League table after suffering just one defeat in the top flight this season and currently match league champions Manchester City for the best defensive record with just 11 goals conceded, an impressive run of form that Guimaraes has played a huge part in.
Over 12 appearances, the talented Brazilian has scored three goals, registered two assists and created one big chance, as well as making an average of 1.3 key passes, 2.6 tackles and winning a whopping 6.2 duels per game, proving that he is an effective and relied upon contributor in the centre of the pitch.
Guimaraes joined the club back in January 2022 for £40m, a transfer fee that the Newcastle boss believes was a “bargain” when considering his huge impact on the team already:
“He’s absolutely a bargain because he’s had a huge effect on the team and the club.”
“No disrespect to anyone I’ve played with, but they can’t compare to Bruno, maybe bar Jermain Defoe, who was incredible in his early days. But there’d be no one else like him.”
“I’ve coached some really good individuals, but he would be right up there. He’s an incredible talent and an incredible person.”
With that being said, it will be a huge relief to Howe, the Newcastle team and supporters that Guimaraes is fit and raring to go in the World Cup as he will be a hugely valuable presence in the team when the club returns to action in the Premier League after Christmas.
Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring David Raya to north London.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are considering a number of goalkeepers in their bid to replace long-term number one Hugo Lloris – the soon-to-be 36-year-old whose current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set to expire in the summer of 2024.
The report goes on to suggest that the Brentford shot-stopper is one of the players on the 53-year-old’s shortlist of potential replacements for the Frenchman, and with the 27-year-old also out of contract in the summer of 2024, a move for the Spain international may not be overly difficult to pull off.
Lloris’ dream heir
Considering just how impressive Raya has been for Brentford in recent seasons, coupled with the slowly declining displays of Lloris over the last year or so, it is not difficult to see why Conte and Paratici would be considering a move for the Spaniard.
Indeed, over his 24 Premier League appearances in his debut top-flight campaign with the Bees, the £13m-rated talent was in exceptional form, keeping eight clean sheets and making an average of 3.3 saves – at a success rate of 74% – per game, with these returns seeing the shot-stopper average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01.
It has been a similar story over his 15 league outings so far this season, with the £25k-per-week shot-stopper having already kept four clean sheets and made an average of 4.3 saves – at a success rate of 72% – per game, with these metrics seeing the 27-year-old average an even more impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03.
In comparison, over Lloris’ 15 Premier League appearances this term, the £100k-per-week “legend” has kept four clean sheets and made an average of 3.0 saves – at a success rate of 68% – per game, with these returns seeing the 35-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.88.
Furthermore, aside from his “superb saves” – in the words of The Athletic’s Jay Harris – Raya also has “immaculate distribution” and is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, with FBref ranking the Spaniard in the top 5% of ‘keepers in Europe’s big five leagues for touches per 90, as well as the top 22% for launched passes and the top 18% for average length of his goal kicks.
As such, with Raya being nearly eight years Lloris’ junior, as well as the Brentford star returning more impressive numbers in the top flight so far this season, it is not difficult to understand why Tottenham are keen on the 27-year-old, as the Spaniard would indeed appear to be something of a dream heir to the Frenchman between the Spurs sticks.