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Leeds United have had a great start to their Premier League campaign. This has largely been down to the way Marcelo Bielsa has set them up and the team ethic that they have. Defender Luke Ayling is one of the Leeds players who has recently been praised for his performances.

Alex McLeish praises Luke Ayling

Speaking about the defender, Alex McLeish said: “We talk about Luke nearly every week, we always give him a mention. He’s such an enthusiast for the game. You see him as soon as a corner is over and it’s an opposition goal kick and he was up, it’s like ‘woah’ he’s the fastest guy back into the defence. He’s back into his position.

It’s a guy who clearly loves his football and his roles within Leeds United, not only as a full-back, he’s got the centre-back skills as well – he’s got versatility.

He’s a really, really good example to any young player coming up because he’s been through the ranks. You see where he started and now he’s playing in the Premier League.”

Ayling has shone for Leeds

In the past, Phil Hay has emphasised how important Ayling is as he tweeted: ‘The more you look at him and analyse him, the more you realise he’s integral to everything Leeds do.’

The stats from this season in the Premier League also emphasise Ayling’s importance to Leeds. Defensively, he has shone, managing 2.6 tackles and 2 clearances a game (WhoScored). He has been a threat at the other end of the pitch too, boasting 1.4 dribbles per game as Leeds have taken to the Premier League in a confident fashion.

Full-backs are key in the modern game because they can provide so much for sides at both ends of the pitch, and Ayling is flourishing as he is showing the division that he can perform very well in this role, making him on of the numerous right-backs who have played at a high level this season.

In other news, one Leeds player is desperate to prove himself to Bielsa. Have a read who it is here!

Premier League clubs have reportedly approached Man Utd striker Odion Ighalo over a potential move.

Ighalo’s loan deal at Old Trafford expires at the end of January and he will then return to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua. Having said that, there seems to be no shortage of interest in the Nigerian forward currently.

PL interest in Man Utd’s Ighalo

Sky Sports have stated that while there is interest from abroad to sign Ighalo, a couple of Premier League clubs have made ‘tentative’ enquiries to sign the former Watford striker. His loan deal expires on the 31st of January and apart from the two English clubs, teams in Qatar and Saudi Arabia are also interested in the 31-year-old.

The report from Sky Sports suggests that Ighalo is happy to see out his contract at Old Trafford and then consider other opportunities. The Nigerian has made just one Premier League appearance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men this season and in all competitions, he has played four times.

Before joining Man Utd last January, Ighalo had rejected a move to Tottenham because he supported the Red Devils as a kid.

Solskjaer previously hailed Ighalo as a ‘proven goalscorer’: “He’s a proven goalscorer and played his part in both goals (against Norwich in the FA Cup last season). He is a great person to have around the dressing room too.”

Man Utd can afford to part ways with Ighalo

Considering the fact that Ighalo hasn’t played much this season, it may not be a surprise to see him leave. Summer signing Edinson Cavani has impressed already, scoring three goals in the Premier League and picking up a couple of assists. He also scored the Red Devils’ first goal in the League Cup win over Everton (as per Transfermarkt).

Because of Cavani’s form, perhaps it would be best for Ighalo to move elsewhere if he wants to play regular first-team football.

In other news, another Man Utd star could be moving to a Premier League club – read more about it here.

When Leeds get going there are very few teams that can stop them.

Although they went behind against Newcastle, they were eventually ruthless and unstoppable on their way to winning 5-2.

It was a clinical emphatic performance full of class and everything you’d associate with a Marcelo Bielsa team.

He works his players hard and they keep going right until the final whistle. If there were any fears of burnout, they were quashed when Leeds scored three goals in the final 13 minutes.

It was a swashbuckling display that should have left Bielsa blown away, especially with one player.

No, we’re not talking about Jack Harrison or Rodrigo here, neither are we talking about the all-action Stuart Dallas. Instead, we’re talking about Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has been at the centre of attention over the last few years, winning multiple Player of the Season awards at Leeds, quickly earning his place in Elland Road folklore.

However, his return to the Premier League hasn’t been very profitable. He’s started just two matches and before last night, had failed to contribute to a single goal.

For a 35-year-old, he is no longer in the prime of his career but there had been question marks over whether he had the quality for the top-flight.

Those concerns were answered on Wednesday evening in a magical eight-minute cameo that rolled back the years.

Hernandez, who earns £19k-per-week at Leeds, was brilliant as he picked up two assists after making just 13 touches. Remarkably, that was fewer touches than goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Spaniard didn’t even play too much in the final third, spending the vast majority of his time on the pitch inside their own half.

He completed 92% of his passes and lost the ball just once. If ever there was an indication that form is temporary, class is permanent, this was it.

Hernandez has had his fair share of doubters this term but this was evidence that he can still offer plenty to Leeds and Bielsa.

If he can provide this kind of magic from the bench regularly, he will have done his job no end.

In other news, Forget Harrison: “Bargain” Leeds beast who made 100% longballs delivered a huge statement…

Crystal Palace bolstered their attack with the loan signing of Michy Batshuayi in the summer, and many fans are reacting as they still look to strengthen up front, with Mariano Diaz the latest name linked.

According to Sport, Palace and fellow Premier League sides Everton and West Ham are monitoring the £25million-rated Real Madrid striker. The forward has played 42 times in all competitions and only scored 11 times (Transfermarkt) and this is not the greatest record. Many Palace fans have various opinions on the rumour because of this, with one calling it a ‘horrible idea’.

Not only is his lack of goals worrying, but also the fact that he has only played 41 times in four years. This highlights that he isn’t really highly rated by Madrid, even though there is plenty of squad depth in front of him.

The signing seems like a bit of a risk, especially for a club who haven’t spent over £20million on one player since Mamadou Sakho in the 2017/18 season (Transfermarkt).

With the South London side already having a lot of experienced Premier League forwards at the club, it would probably be best if they spent their money elsewhere.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the transfer update:

In other Palace news, many fans are not happy with this Premier League star being linked. Have a read who it is here!

According to The Athletic, Sandro Ramirez “remains on a list of players” Marcel Brands must move on before Everton can start signing players for next season.

What’s the word?

The Spaniard joined the Toffees for around £5.2m back in the summer of 2017, when Ronald Koeman was still in charge of affairs at Goodison Park.

The striker has endured a difficult time since then, failing to make the grade at Everton, before being sent out on loan. Now, The Athletic claim that Brands will have to move on Ramirez this summer in order to free up funds for current boss Carlo Ancelotti, although his £85k-a-week wages are likely to be a stumbling block.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…

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The report adds that Real Valladolid, with whom he the previous campaign on loan at, can’t begin to afford him on a permanent basis, and that another loan to the club “may not be an option until later in the window”.

A painful Steve Walsh reminder

That ill-fated summer of 2017, in which Everton’s then director of football Steve Walsh orchestrated a spending spree that ended up delivering very little on the pitch, continues to haunt the Toffees even to this day.

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The Merseyside club’s inability to get Ramirez off their books has cost them dearly, and now, with the whole financial struggles that teams across Europe are facing, that will be even harder.

But if Brands is given any opportunity to cut their losses on the Spaniard this summer, then he simply must take it. At £5.2m, Everton are not going to lose big money based on the transfer fee. However, the relief they would get in terms of freeing him from their growing wage bill could be the difference-maker when it comes to delivering new signings for Ancelotti.

Ramirez is a painful reminder of Walsh’s failings, and Brands must show no mercy him to this summer.

According to an exclusive update from Diario AS, Tottenham Hotspur have bid more than £1.7m to sign promising Barcelona starlet Lucas de Vega this summer, but the Catalans giants rejected Daniel Levy’s offer and have demanded more than quadruple that fee. 

De Vega, who is seen as a real up-and-comer after graduating from La Masia, has spent time on loan away at Barcelona B and FC Cartagena in the last two seasons, and will reportedly be unable to leave the Camp Nou for less than an eventual £7m total fee.

Indeed, the La Liga giants apparently want £3.6m up front as an initial cost, and then another £3.6m in add-ons to sanction any proposed transfer,but it’s unclear whether Lilywhites chairman Levy will go for more than four times his original offer.

Turning heads in Catalonia, De Vega has also warranted the club to insert an eye-watering £88.9m release clause into his current contract, but circumstances caused by the global pandemic may have prompted Barca to contemplate selling for much less.

The Brazilian starlet, who caught ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s eye back in 2018 according to reports, has also been on the radar of European champions Bayern Munich in recent seasons, potentially drawing attention to his vast ceiling and reputation among the continent’s elite.

According to Transfermarkt, the South American can play in a number of forward positions, including both flanks, but he also has experience of starting in a central-attacking midfield role, something that may entice manager Jose Mourinho given the club’s failure to find an heir to Christian Eriksen.

Of course, De Vega couldn’t fill the Dane’s shoes right away but, given his potential, the 20-year-old may have the ability to do so in future years.

Spurs fans, should the club be focusing on potentials this summer? Have your say in the comments below…

Celtic’s reported pursuit of one Premier League midfielder has taken an interesting twist this week, though it’s probably for the best…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Hoops target James McCarthy is in talks with Crystal Palace over a new contract at Selhurst Park.

It’s claimed that he’s keen to extend his deal after joining the Eagles last summer from top-flight rivals Everton whilst 90min linked Celtic with a move for the Glasgow-born Irishman earlier this month.

They suggest that the south Londoners would be open to selling him this summer.

McCarthy is a boyhood supporter of the Hoops and admitted back in October that he’d love to experience an Old Firm derby one day, so this story could develop further with the window closing in October.

Shades of Berkovic

Former Wigan midfielder Michael Brown stoked the fire earlier this week with his comments, believing McCarthy would be a “hell of a signing” for Celtic.

However, this feels more like it would be more shades of Eyal Berkovic than Stiliyan Petrov.

Signed for a then club-record £5.75m, the Israeli moved to Parkhead on the back of a successful spell in the Premier League but soon became lazy and disinterested before Martin O’Neill shipped him back to England.

That’s not to say McCarthy would follow the same path in terms of attitude, though it’s hard to see him making a decent impact north of the border.

The 29-year-old only averaged 0.5 key passes, 0.4 shots and 0.2 dribbles per game this season, via WhoScored, and as a central midfielder in the engine room, a lowly 23.7 passes per appearance is hardly inspiring either.

McCarthy, who’s valued at just £3.6m by Transfermarkt, isn’t going to be the man to take the reins from Scott Brown or Callum McGregor nor should he be brought in to halt the development of Oliver Ntcham.

Nick Hammond should duck away from this move completely and he’s been given a clear route to do so with the player entering fresh contract talks.

AND in other news, Celtic should sign this striker ahead of Ivan Toney…

A recent transfer report has left plenty of Leeds United supporters brimming with excitement this week.

According to Football Insider, the west Yorkshire outfit are ‘closely monitoring’ San Lorenzo striker Adolfo Gaich ahead of a potential summer move upon their long-awaited return to the Premier League.

It’s claimed that the Argentine forward has a release clause of £12m and has attracted interest across Europe, although his preference is thought to be a move to Italy’s Serie A.

And many at Elland Road would love to see him arrive…

The 21-year-old has bagged five goals in 13 appearances this campaign despite only playing 680 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

It’s led to one supporter likening the forward to Martin Palermo, who one played for Villarreal whilst others believe it would be a “big statement” to land him.

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Some other members of the United faithful were quick to suggest that this sort of news probably means that manager Marcelo Bielsa is going to stay.

There were even some lauding Gaich as the ideal sort of striker the Argentine likes as he’s “mobile” and runs about a lot.

Leeds currently have Patrick Bamford and RB Leipzig loanee Jean-Kevin Augustin to call upon to lead the line with the latter having an obligation to buy should the club clinch promotion in these final nine matches.

Therefore, it raises questions to if these reports are accurate, although one fan believes it could push the 26-year-old closer to the exit door.

AND in other news, Leeds fans go wild over Ben White report…

Tottenham talisman Harry Kane has kept Spurs fans in the loop after he posted a video of Eric Dier, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min training together at Hotspur Way. 

Kane has recovered from a hamstring injury and will be looking to make an immediate impact when football returns next month.

The 26-year-old uploaded footage of the Spurs quartet taking part in a game of teqball.

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Kane’s teammate Eric Dier didn’t like being on the losing side and demanded a rematch in the comments section.

The England international is the club’s leading goalscorer this season and he has netted 11 goals and created 2 assists in just 20 Premier League games for Jose Mourinho’s side so far.

Mourinho’s men are currently eighth in the table, seven points behind Frank Lampard’s Chelsea, and the Englishman will no doubt be hoping he can rediscover his goalscoring form and lift the Lilywhites into the Champions League qualification places.

It is worth pointing out Spurs only won won three games in the league whilst he recovered from injury.

His strikeforce partner Son is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season, scoring nine goals and creating seven assists in the English top flight, taking three shots per game, averaging more than one key pass and making at least two dribbles per match on average (via WhoScored).

Spurs fans will surely be excited to see the duo returning to duty, as the Premier League moves nearer to a return behind closed doors in June.
Tottenham fans, are you excited to see Harry Kane and Son Heung-min back on the pitch in a matter of weeks? Let us know down below!

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…

Anthony Gordon has spoken about his dedicated plan to make an impression on Marco Silva more than two years after he made his first-team debut.

What did he say?

The 18-year-old has been on the fans’ minds for a long time and many have called for him to get into the senior squad.

So far, Gordon has just one first-team appearance, which came in a Europa League game against Apollon Limassol.

This season, the youngster was involved on the bench for the trip to Southampton, but still has to wait for his first start. Now, he has spoken of how he has stayed grounded and is still working towards a place with Marco Silva’s men.

Gordon told evertonfc.com: “I just try to enjoy myself and get better every day.

“You never sit down and think, ‘I have a chance’. That is for other people to say. I am just trying to keep getting better and progressing.

“I haven’t played one game competitively for the first team [bar those two minutes in Cyprus].

“To be around it shows I am progressing well. But I am not there yet. I am not starting for the first team and I still have so much to do.

“I saw how hard it was with David Unsworth in La Manga and thought, ‘I am not going back unprepared [this season]’.

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“I went on one holiday, then came back and trained every day. That set me up perfectly for the season.

“I have been mentally preparing for this [involvement with the first team] since last pre-season. I am starting to show I can cope with that level.

“I have the ability and believe in myself.”

Making the right noises

Gordon now has six goals and three assists in ten appearances for the U23s this season and once again showed his worth as he rocketed home a fine strike for England last week.

Now, not only is he making the right impression on the pitch, it seems he is doing the right thing off it as well.

Gordon is showing all the attributes to suggest he has the potential to become a top player and an important part of the first-team set up on Merseyside.

If the attacker keeps applying himself in this manner, it surely won’t be long until we see him with the senior squad.