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Leeds United will be without Leo Hjelde against Southampton this afternoon, despite the defender returning to training.

The Lowdown: Hjelde’s surgery

Hjelde, labelled as a ‘superb player’ by Paddy Kenny following his move from Celtic last summer, has been out of action in recent weeks after breaking into Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad.

The 18-year-old was last seen for the Whites against Everton back in February, missing the last seven games due to a knee problem he sustained at Goodison Park.

He underwent surgery on the issue earlier this month and appears to be making good progress, however, Hjelde won’t be in the squad for the clash with Ralph Hasenuttl’s side.

The Latest: Marsch’s comments

As relayed by LeedsLive, Jesse Marsch confirmed that Hjelde has returned to training at Thorp Arch in the week but will be ‘unavailable’ for selection this afternoon.

Marsch admitted the defender was ‘close’ to making a return but will once again have to watch on from the sidelines.

The Verdict: Watford return?

It seems as if Hjelde will be able to return to the squad before the end of the season, as Marsch hoped earlier this month.

Should that prove to be the case, it will come as a welcome boost, with Hjelde showing he can cope with the Premier League’s high standards following an impressive league debut against West Ham in January.

He’ll soon give Marsch another option at left-back, which is key due to Junior Firpo’s absence, also due to injury, and who knows, he could be ready for the trip to Watford next weekend.

In other news: Orta and Marsch now keen on signing ‘wonderful talent’ who shares agent with 6 Leeds players. 

Liverpool have a multitude of attacking players in their squad who have contributed to keeping the Reds in the race to win the Premier League title, along with securing the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

One figure who hasn’t been as active in the Premier League as some of his attacking team-mates this season is Roberto Firmino.

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With 17 league appearances under his belt, the Brazilian has only started nine times, which shows that he hasn’t always been a first-choice pick for Jurgen Klopp at times this season, in addition to having some injury issues.

Despite scoring five goals and providing three assists in the league, the 30-year-old’s overall performances have earned him a disappointing season rating of 6.84/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated Liverpool players to start more than three league games.

With this in mind and the £180k-per-week attacker’s contract at Anfield set to expire in the summer of 2023, it seems as though the Merseyside club could have identified a potential future long-term replacement for the Brazil striker.

According to a recent report from Record (via Sport Witness), the performance from Benfica striker Darwin Nunez against the Reds in their recent Champions League meeting impressed the hierarchy at Liverpool and a number of their players.

In 79 appearances for the Portuguese club, the 22-year-old has racked up 42 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions.

Labelled a “tenacious” player and a “monster” on the pitch by journalist James Dodd, the £36m-rated attacker not only scored against Jurgen Klopp’s squad in midweek, he also made two key passes and completed all four of his dribbles, highlighting what a tricky player he is for opponents to handle.

Also, the Uruguayan has twice as many shots per game on average (2.8) in the Portuguese league this season compared to Firmino in the Premier League (1.4).

Taking all of this into account, if the 30-year-old ends up leaving Merseyside in the near future, signing Nunez as his replacement could be just what the Reds need to keep their lethal attack ticking over nicely.

In other news: FSG could replicate Elliott masterclass as LFC plot bid for “special” teenage sensation

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With an FA Cup fourth round tie against Brighton on the horizon, West Brom boss Darren Moore has an ideal opportunity to experiment with his lineup in the hope of finding an able replacement for the departed Harvey Barnes.

How big a loss will Barnes be?

Whilst the Baggies will undoubtedly want to progress in the competition, and should view the Seagulls as beatable opposition, Moore should take a few risks to see if he can find someone to replicate the talents of Barnes in that creative role supporting the strikers.

21-year-old Barnes, who was on loan from Leicester, was recalled by the Foxes (as per the BBC) thanks to his scintillating form at the Hawthorns. Barnes managed to score nine goals and record six assists in 26 Championship starts for the Midlands-based side as per Whoscored, which prompted boss Claude Puel to bring him back to the King Power Stadium and throw him in against Wolves for his first Premier League start.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Whilst that is good news for Leicester and for Barnes, it is a big problem for West Brom who were surely hoping for the Englishman to stay and aid their push for promotion.

What can Moore do?

The Baggies boss should hand young forward Jonathan Leko a rare start for the trip to the Amex Stadium, having started him in the 1-0 win against Wigan in the earlier rounds of the FA Cup. The 19-year-old has only made one other start this season, coming in the Carabao Cup, but he will be hoping for more game time following Barnes’ departure.

Leko is predominantly a winger, but is a skilful player who has a good eye for a through ball and decent dribbling ability, which suggests that he could be an able performer in a central attacking midfield role too.

The teenager has featured in that position sporadically this season already (as seen on Transfermarkt), and the game against Chris Hughton’s men will give Moore a great chance to test out a 4-2-3-1 system with Leko in behind one of Dwight Gayle or Jay Rodriguez, having favoured a 4-3-3 system in recent weeks.

Moore has opted for a 3-4-1-2 system frequently this season, which would also be an option that deploys Leko in the no.10 role.

A worrying Newcastle United update has emerged on former Brighton chief Dan Ashworth… 

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that the ex-FA supremo is set to be made to wait until after the summer transfer window to link up with the Magpies.

Ashworth left the Seagulls earlier this year and is being eyed up by the Toon to work with Eddie Howe to build the club moving forward.

Hope Tweeted: “Dan Ashworth could be made to wait until November before taking up NUFC sporting director role. Negotiations with Brighton continue but no progress yet. Club relaxed if Howe/Nickson/Staveley oversee summer transfers, as was case in Jan. Scouting meetings this wk.”

He added: “Told that Ashworth has a nine-month notice period and, as it stands, will be made to see it out. Brighton not making it easy for him to join Newcastle, as is their right.”

Fuming

This update will surely leave supporters fuming as this news comes as a big blow to the club and their plans heading into next season.

Whilst PIF may be ‘relaxed’ over the situation, having a cloud of doubt hovering over the sporting director role throughout the summer is not ideal.

Ashworth may have ideas about who he would like the club to be signing and what direction he wants the team to go in with Howe and that may not perfectly align with what Steve Nickson does before he arrives.

This means that decisions could be taken throughout the next window that the ex-Brighton chief then has to work around and look to rectify. It is a difficult situation for all parties involved and it will be frustrating for the club as they will need to navigate a second window in a row without a sporting director in place.

Whilst the Magpies were able to bring in the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett, Chris Wood, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier, they also struggled towards the end of the window. Howe wanted a striker and an attacking midfielder on deadline day and the Toon failed to complete moves for Hugo Ekitike and Jesse Lingard as they left those particular pieces of business too late in the window.

This illustrates what can go wrong without a dedicated sporting director in place to assist Howe to get deals over the line. Therefore, supporters will be fuming that the club are now set go through another window in a similar fashion because of Ashworth’s notice period.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth a new “outstanding” £20m gem in NUFC’s rarely-seen Darsley Park star…

Everton have found themselves in a vulnerable situation this season and it leaves Frank Lampard will a lot of decisions to make if he manages to secure survival in the Premier League this season.

In terms of the squad, there will likely be many changes at Goodison Park this summer especially when you consider the financial situation the club has found itself in, recording the highest loss in the Premier League over the last three years. As a result, it would make sense for Farhad Moshiri to sell some players.

Many faces have been linked with moves away including star players Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin amid the relegation troubles for the Merseyside club, with other Premier League clubs hoping to capitalise on Everton’s downfall by offering their star men a way out this summer.

With that being said, Lampard must work with the board to identify which players they can afford to let go and which they must keep at any cost to ensure they won’t suffer the same fate next season if they do hold onto top-flight football this summer.

One player who has recently been linked with a move away is Andre Gomes, with Roma reportedly hoping they can snap up the midfielder for around £16m at the end of the season, and it could be a huge opportunity for Lampard to finally axe the Portuguese player.

Since the ex-Chelsea boss arrived at the club, Gomes has only picked up 107 minutes of game time in three Premier League appearances, with the manager favouring Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Donny van de Beek to play in the centre of the pitch.

Even when Allan was suspended, Lampard favoured starting centre-back Mason Holgate in the midfield role which sends a big message to Gomes about his manager’s trust in him to deliver in his role.

The 28-year-old was labelled “poor” and was criticised for “costing his team” his team this season in his performance against Southampton, despite the victory by a local Saints radio pundit (via Paul Brown) and this has been a common theme throughout his twelve league appearances for the Toffees this season.

According to Soccerment, when you compare Gomes to his position competitor Doucoure, it is no wonder that Lampard favours the latter with Gomes unsuccessful in over twice as many tackles as his team-mate, possessing a lower pass accuracy (76.4%) and a lower shot accuracy (16.7%).

Ultimately, if Roma do come in for the £18m-rated flop this summer Lampard should take advantage of boosting funds for the club by selling, especially when it’s clear the manager doesn’t consider the midfielder a starting player in his team.

In other news: Frank could save EFC from relegation by unleashing £92k-p/w “leader”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly still eyeing up a move to sign Franck Kessie in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Shining at AFCON

Kessie is currently shining at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Ivory Coast, recently putting in a man-of-the-match performance against reigning champions Algeria with a goal that helped knock them out of the group stages.

He is ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, key passes and dribbles per game so far in the tournament (WhoScored), and will now look to continue his impressive performances in the knockout stages.

The Latest: Tottenham lurking

As per The Daily Telegraph, Spurs are now getting ready to make their swoop for Kessie this month, despite his contract at AC Milan running out in the summer.

This is to fend off the inevitable competition for his signature once his deal expires and he becomes a free agent.

The Verdict: No-brainer

It is certainly a no-brainer for the North London club to sign Kessie up in January, as they could potentially get a bargain with only six months left on his contract.

Yes, that bargain becomes even more enticing if he is free at the end of the campaign, but there’s no telling which other teams will be interested, and who will be able to offer Champions League football.

Described as a ‘devastating’ player by AC Milan legend Antonio Cassano, the sky is the limit for the Ivorian, who is only 25 years of age.

Antonio Conte is even said to be a ‘huge fan’ of his, and he should know all about him having watched him in the Serie A while managing rivals Inter.

Nonetheless, as pundit Kevin Campbell has previously pointed out, it would no doubt be an ‘exciting’ move for the Lilywhites should they be able to pull it off.

In other news, find out whose THFC future is to be decided ‘this weekend’ here!

Rangers’ James Sands failed to impress journalist Jonathan Moar against Motherwell on Saturday. 

The lowdown

Sands, who can operate as a centre-back and a midfielder, is adjusting to life at Rangers after making an 18-month loan move from MLS outfit New York City FC in January.

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He’s made a total of 10 appearances so far, starting three times in the Scottish Premiership and twice in the SFA Cup.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst named the American amongst the substitutes for Saturday’s 3-1 win over Motherwell but handed him a chance to impress when he introduced in him place of Scott Arfield in the 68th minute.

The latest

In Moar’s player ratings piece, Sands earned a rating of just four out of 10 for his cameo.

That was the same rating as Leon Balogun, who received a straight red card after less than half than hour.

Meanwhile, Moar handed three players eight out of 10 – midfielder Steven Davis and attacking duo Fashion Sakala and Scott Wright.

The verdict

What do the stats say about Sands’ performance?

Well, the £3.6million-rated 21-year-old won three out of the five ground duels he contested, so that at least was a positive (via SofaScore).

But on the other hand, he misplaced three of the four passes he attempted, leaving with an accuracy of just 25%. And overall, he lost possession with more than 44% of his touches.

From that point of view, then, Moar was right to be underwhelmed.

And it’s hard to argue that Sands has significantly improved his starting chances, even with Van Bronckhorst seemingly inclined to make changes around the Europa League semi-finals.

In other news, Andrew Dickson ripped into this midfielder.

Celtic have enjoyed an absolutely sensational transfer window with Ange Postecoglou delving deep into his box of tricks to bring some extra quality to his Hoops side from foreign soil.

He has looked to replicate the success of Kyogo Furuhashi’s move to Parkhead by luring Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi to the club.

Matt O’Riley has also penned terms with the Bhoys in what has been a hugely exciting time for everyone associated with Celtic.

However, a move that would leave everyone at Paradise bouncing is still yet to be completed.

That’s a deal to bring Portuguese sensation Jota to Celtic on a permanent basis. A fee has been agreed according to Mark Guidi but if a deal ends up being off the table, an alternative will need to be sourced.

One player who’s been linked with a move in the early stages of this year is Iran international Mehdi Ghayedi.

This rumour has become a saga in itself with one claim suggesting interest was fake but one report this week suggested it would take Celtic as much as £3.5m to secure his services.

Should they decide to splash the cash on the 21-year-old, he’d be a phenomenal capture. Boasting 41 senior goals to his name, he is cut from a similar cloth as Jota, possessing the ability to dazzle defenders and beat the goalkeeper on a regular basis.

In fact, Bhoys Analytics on Twitter recently dubbed the forward as a “Jota-type trickster,” which makes for a hugely exciting comparison.

However, by luring the Iranian hotshot to Celtic this year, it could finally give Postecoglou and the club’s transfer strategists the opportunity to axe Mikey Johnston from the squad.

A move to Hibernian has been talked about but feels unlikely at this point. Yet, the addition of a winger, specifically one as impressive as Ghayedi could all but seal the Scot’s fate.

Once described by Chris Sutton as the “new Ryan Christie,” it’s sadly not quite happened for Johnston at Parkhead.

He’s endured injury hell over the last few years and as a result, has missed 68 matches and 557 days since 2019.

The 22-year-old has featured 18 times this term but is yet to score for his side, registering just the solitary assist in Celtic colours.

With that in mind, it’s particularly evident that he is not of the quality or fitness to make a big impact for Postecoglou. Consequently, he would be the prime candidate to be shown the exit door if Ghayedi arrives.

AND in other news, “Fee is already agreed”: Guidi drops big Celtic transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Taking to Twitter, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared the latest West Ham United transfer news as he drops an update on the links to former striker Andy Carroll.

The Lowdown: Carroll spotted?

As shared by WestHamFans.org and relayed by Claret & Hugh, the former England international forward was apparently spotted at the club’s training ground a few days ago.

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This comes amid manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman’s search for a back-up striker, prompting some talk and speculation of a possible re-signing.

C&H were the first to rebuff these claims, with another reliable club insider in ExWHUemployee now sharing what he knows.

The Latest: Ex shares Carroll update…

On his personal social media feed, Ex also poured cold water over the prospect of Carroll re-joining the club.

“Not sure why this Carroll rumour has so much legs, I’ve been told the deal isn’t on,” he explained on Twitter.

Writing on his Patreon also, Ex details the reasons why, citing that both Moyes and the player didn’t enjoy the best relationship and a move for Carroll seems very unlikely at this stage.

The Verdict: Sigh of relief…

Currently a free agent after leaving Reading just days ago, while he has bagged 82 senior career goals since his professional debut, we believe West Ham should avoid a return for the towering 33-year-old.

Other striking targets like Gabriel Barbosa and Adam Hlozek arguably represent more exciting additions at West Ham and ones with far longer shelf lives.

Moyes recently spoke of the importance of finding the ideal targets and not just making signings for the sake of it, with Carroll arguably falling into the latter category.

In other news: ‘Yes’…Ex has also backed reports of West Ham now willing to bid for ‘phenomenal’ player, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in bringing a Scotland international back to Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Gers are one of the possible destinations for their former academy starlet, Billy Gilmour, in the summer as he looks set for a loan move.

The report claims that his parent club will allow him to leave on a temporary basis again and Rangers are one of the teams in the mix for his signature.

Gio van Bronckhorst must get it done

This is a major deal that the Dutch head coach must get over the line as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad next season.

Despite Norwich’s struggles in the Premier League, Gilmour has shown flashes of Premier League quality this season with an average SofaScore rating of 6.84.

He has made 2.7 tackles and interceptions along with creating 1.2 chances per game in midfield, showing off his ability to win the ball back at one end and his ability in possession at the other. Although, he has lost 51% of his duels and may need to improve on the physical side of the game in the years to come.

Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness lavished him with praise last year. The ex-Liverpool man said: “He’s a fabulous little football player and when you factor in that last season he only made five starts in the Premier League for Chelsea, he’s not played a lot of football and he came into what was a hothouse of a game – high tempo, loads of pressing – and he managed to stay there.

“He’s just got that all round awareness of where people are all of the time and his first touch is generally away from the man who is marking him. He creates space for himself.”

He was previously hailed as “world-class” by Manchester United legend Roy Keane and his performances on the international stage suggest that he deserves that tag. In World Cup qualifiers for Scotland, Gilmour has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.13 – showing that he has been producing consistently brilliant displays for his country in competitive matches.

The £28k-per-week gem’s impressive form for Scotland and the glimpses he has shown with Norwich in England suggest that he would be a major signing for Rangers. He has the quality to dominate games in midfield with his aforementioned ability on and off the ball and van Bronckhorst would surely love to work with the 20-year-old to help him fulfill his potential.

Get it done.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…