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Leeds United have again been linked with a deal for Torino’s Ola Aina ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: 2022 links

The Whites were linked with a move for Aina at the beginning of the calendar year and even reportedly initiated contact over a potential transfer in the summer, but as we know, an Elland Road deal failed to materialise.

Aina, hailed as “Mr Versatile” by Fulham podcaster Sammy James, is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and rumours with Leeds aren’t going away.

The Latest: Transfer update

Sports Witness relayed an update from newspaper Tuttosport regarding Aina on Tuesday.

They claimed that the Whites could again ‘come forward’ to secure a deal for the 26-year-old and buy him now, or sign him for free in summer.

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The Verdict: Something to it?

The rumours aren’t going away when it comes to Leeds and Aina, so he seems to be a player who has been on Victor Orta’s shortlist for a while.

Should his contract situation remain the same, the club will have the chance to secure a pre-contract agreement in January for a player who has made 93 Serie A appearances.

They may see Aina, primarily a right-back but extremely versatile, as a smart signing to provide cover at left-back and in midfield if needed, so this could be one to watch once more.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has enjoyed an unprecedented opportunity to work with his squad without any competitive matches midway through the season.

The Spaniard replaced Steven Gerrard in the dugout and has now had the chance to evaluate the team ahead of the January transfer window.

Whilst the head coach may want to dip into the market to improve his squad heading into the second half of the Premier League campaign, Emery could save the club millions by using this break to unearth another gem from the academy set-up.

One player who appears to be on his way to breaking into the first team is talented central midfielder Arjan Raikhy, as he has been involved with the senior squad in Dubai.

The gem caught the eye after coming off the bench in the recent 2-2 draw with Brighton as he picked up an assist for Lewis Dunk’s own goal – playing the ball into the box after being played into the channel by Douglas Luiz.

His cameo was impressive enough to convince Emery to name him in the starting XI for the friendly with Chelsea, which Villa went on to win 1-0 on Sunday.

The 20-year-old talent could develop into being the manager’s own version of Barcelona and Spain legend Sergio Busquets, who the former Villarreal coach will know well from his time in his home country.

Raikhy, who journalist Elliott Jackson once dubbed “superb”, previously explained what type of midfielder he is, saying: “I can play as a number six, eight or number 10. I’m a ball player, I like to link up play and create chances.

“I can also do the other side of the game, I can make interceptions, track back and win the ball back.

The youngster added: “He (Steven Gerrard) was an inspiration growing up. Sergio Busquets was also one of my favourite players, I love watching him and I did growing up. He’s one of my favourite players.”

These comments suggest that Raikhy could have a similar style to the Spanish icon, who has played 696 times for Barcelona and won the Champions League on three occasions.

The Villa midfielder has played 12 times for the club at youth level this season but did play nine matches on loan at Grimsby last term as he helped them to win promotion to League Two, via the National League play-offs.

He made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game and completed 88% of his attempted passes in three EFL Trophy matches earlier this year. This suggests that he could be similar to Busquets in the sense that he is an adept technician who rarely gives the ball away whilst also winning possession back for his side on a regular basis.

Raikhy has clearly impressed Emery enough to earn a chance with the first team in Dubai and the Spaniard must now unleash the talent in the Premier League in the coming months in the hope of him developing into Villa’s own version of the Barcelona legend.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for George Hall ahead of the January transfer window and now a new update has emerged that could make the club’s pursuit more difficult.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, both Everton and Liverpool are set to battle Leeds for the signing of the Birmingham City midfielder.

As per the report, the two Merseyside clubs are looking to strengthen their personnel in the centre of the pitch, however, Leeds remain interested in securing the player’s services after having a bid rejected in the summer.

Marsch could finally ditch Klich

Jesse Marsch has now had plenty of time to determine who will be part of his squad for the future and those that need to be moved on after replacing Marcelo Bielsa as the head coach at Elland Road in March this year.

As a result, with only one transfer window under his belt, it would be no surprise if he continues to alter the squad and strengthen key positions in the squad when the transfer market re-opens next month.

According to MLS Soccer this week, Leeds are now in advanced talks to sell Mateusz Klich to DC United after a five-year stint with the Whites and although the deal is not done it is set to be completed very soon, making way for a new midfielder to make his mark at the Yorkshire club.

Indeed, given a lack of depth in that area of the pitch, the Whites will surely need to acquire a new body before ditching the Pole.

Hall has been a target for Leeds since the summer and it will come as no surprise that they are keen to try again for the 18-year-old midfielder when considering his output this season so far.

Over 18 Championship appearances, the talented teenager – who was dubbed “unbelievable” by reporter Phil Smith – has scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.3 duels per game despite only averaging 32 minutes per performance.

The Birmingham-born midfielder was only given his senior debut in January 2022 after impressing in the U21 and U18 sides and has now clearly caught the attention of Premier League clubs too.

Birmingham City manager John Eustace has lavished praise on the youngster on many occasions and hailed Hall when analysing his development at St Andrew’s:

“George is a brilliant player, a really good young player and I expect it with all our young players. George’s performances this season have been very, very good.

“He has made 16-17 appearances now – last season he made two appearances. It’s my job to develop him properly, which I feel like we are doing. We are giving him starts, he is impacting off the bench but it’s all about his development.”

Marsch has championed youth in his team since he arrived at Elland Road with Wilfried Gnonto, Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville and Sam Greenwood the chance to develop and polish their craft whilst competing in the Premier League, something he could offer to Hall too.

With that being said, the signing of the teenager would be a great piece of business for Leeds but now that Liverpool and Everton have joined the race the club will need to make a very tempting offer to beat their competitors.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their pursuit of Ruslan Malinovskyi ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Antonio Conte is still keen on a deal to snap up the Ukrainian international heading into the second half of the campaign.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Now it’s on Atalanta to decide if they want to let him go or not.

“Tottenham remain interested in Malinovskyi, but they are not negotiating with Atalanta. That’s because the conditions of the deal right now are not what Tottenham wanted.”

It has been reported that the Serie A side want a fee in the region of £16m for his services and it remains to be seen how much Spurs are willing to pay to land him.

Imagine him & Kane

Conte is seemingly looking to strengthen the depth and quality of his squad in the January window and bringing Malinovskyi in would add another excellent playmaker to provide Harry Kane with service at the top end of the pitch.

Spurs have a top-class centre-forward who has proven, over the course of a number of years, that he can consistently find the back of the net if he is presented the opportunities in front of goal.

He has scored 262 goals in 409 matches for the club in all competitions and has plundered 53 goals in 80 caps for England at international level.

Kane has scored 13 goals in 16 Premier League matches this season so far and bringing in a playmaker of Malinovskyi’s quality could provide the forward with more chances in front of goal.

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the Atalanta magician has created 36 big chances in 46 Serie A starts – registering 18 assists in that time. This suggests that he is delivering quality opportunities to his teammates on a regular basis but has not been rewarded with as many finishing touches as his passes have deserved.

Now, imagine a player of Kane’s quality getting onto the end of Malinovskyi’s through balls and crosses into the box. They could make for a frightening duo if the Ukraine international is able to translate his form in Italy over to England as his statistics indicate that he has the potential to be an assist machine for Spurs.

The 29-year-old, whose left foot was compared to a “cannon” by pundit Tony Dorigo, appears to have the quality to be an excellent signing, on paper, for Tottenham and Fabio Paratici must now work hard to add him to Conte’s squad next month.

Glasgow Rangers are set to compete in the Premiership for the first time in 2023 this afternoon as they take on arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox.

The Light Blues have the opportunity to cut the gap between the two sides to six points by picking up a victory against Ange Postecoglou’s outfit.

They are currently nine points off the top of the table, despite Michael Beale winning all four of his league matches in charge so far, and they are in desperate need of a win today to put them back in the title race.

Rangers beat Motherwell 3-0 last time out, as Alfredo Morelos, Connor Goldson, and Malik Tillman all found the back of the net, but their convincing victory may not stop the head coach from making alterations to his starting XI.

One player who must be unleashed into the line-up after sitting on the bench in the last match is Finnish central midfielder Glen Kamara.

Whilst Scott Arfield scored two goals in two games prior to being an unused substitute against Motherwell, the former Arsenal man should be the player to come back into the midfield against Celtic.

The £21k-per-week dynamo, who was once hailed as being “made of iron” by former boss Neil McCann, has won 46% of his individual duels and completed 84% of his passes in the Premiership this term, after winning 51% of his battles and completing 91% of his passes last season.

These statistics indicate that he can hold his own on the physical side of the game, after Steven Gerrard once tipped him to be a “monster” in midfield, and that he is reliable in possession as he rarely misplaced his attempts to find teammates.

Arfield, meanwhile, has lost 67% of his duels and completed 79% of his attempted passes in the Scottish top-flight this season and these statistics suggest that the veteran midfielder does not offer as much as Kamara in general play.

The former Burnley man could be a liability to Rangers, due to his weak play out of possession and his sloppy passing, and that is why Beale should not consider him for a place in the starting line-up and should, instead, bring the Finland international back in to be a rock in the middle of the park.

Kamara averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across Beale’s first three league matches in charge, which is higher than Steven Davis, James Sands, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack’s respective seasonal scores, and deserves to be in the XI due to his resurgence under the English coach.

Manchester City have been dealt a blow with the news that Newcastle United have reportedly submitted a bid for transfer target Ferland Mendy.

The Lowdown: City after a left-back?

Pep Guardiola may be eyeing up a new left-back this month or in the summer and Real Madrid defender Mendy has emerged as a potential target in recent weeks.

The 27-year-old could be keen to enjoy a fresh challenge, despite starting 12 times in La Liga this season, and with Joao Cancelo losing his place recently, he could be viewed as someone to provide serious competition for the Portuguese maestro.

A new update suggests that City could struggle to sign Mendy, however, as rival interest emerges from the Premier League.

The Latest: Newcastle make bid for Mendy

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Newcastle have ‘already submitted a very big offer’ for the Madrid man and are ‘very interested’ in signing him.

It could be that the Magpies are even able to get the better of City financially with the deal, considering their owners are even wealthier, with the Blues again name-checked as an interested party in this most recent report.

The Verdict: Blow for City

Mendy would be a strong signing by City, considering he has 123 appearances to his name for a club of Madrid’s stature, not to mention winning two La Liga titles and one Champions League crown.

Missing out would, therefore, be an undoubted blow, although Cancelo will surely recover his best form and find his way back into Guardiola’s lineup before too long.

City do certainly look light in that area, however, and if Mendy isn’t the man to add depth in that area, an alternative needs to come in during the January or summer transfer window.

Wolverhampton Wanderers now face competition in the race to sign Stoke City defender Harry Souttar, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Wolves targeting Souttar

It was reported at the end of December that the Old Gold are potential suitors for the 24-year-old, with Julen Lopetegui wanting to bolster the defensive options at Molineux.

According to TEAMtalk, Stoke would find it hard to resist any sizeable offers for the defender, who is said to have received interest after his impressive performances with Australia at the World Cup.

The Latest: Wolves facing competition…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones claimed that a number of teams have been scouting out a potential move for Souttar since the tournament in Qatar, so the Old Gold may need to fend off interest from elsewhere to secure the defender’s services.

The transfer expert said: “Harry Souttar obviously had a very good World Cup, and he’s got a very good mentality and belief really, in his own ability.

“There have been a few clubs monitoring him since the tournament, and he definitely seems like someone who could make this step up.

“I think Wolves would be a decent move for him, but again, they won’t get a clear run at him. So, they’re going to have to have a really, really good window here to get these players.”

The Verdict: Get it done

The 6 foot 6 titan is a force to be reckoned with in the air, winning 4.33 aerial duels per 90 in the past year. That places him in the 94th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s ‘best 8’ leagues, and this figure is far higher than the match averages of 2.26 from Nathan Collins and 2.32 from Max Kilman for the same metric.

Wolves’ defence has not been their main issue this season, and the fact that they are the Premier League’s lowest scorers is to blame for their current relegation battle. However, the Australian would still be a solid option to have at the back, one whose aerial presence offers something different and a route out of danger from defending set pieces.

Having scored six goals in 14 games for his country, there is some indication that the ‘absolute monster’ – as lauded by football writer Jordan Campbell – would be a threat in the opposition penalty box, and Lopetegui should move swiftly to secure Souttar’s signature before another interested club beats him to it.

Everton are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs who are interested in completing the signing of Lille attacker Timothy Weah.

The Lowdown: Weah hit-and-miss at Lille

The 22-year-old moved to the Ligue 1 side from Paris Saint-Germain back in 2019, also enjoying a loan spell at Celtic, in which he scored four times.

Weah has struggled to fully make an impression for Lille, however, despite sporadic moments, and he has only netted eight goals in 85 appearances.

The American is still considered a bright prospect, though, scoring against Wales at the World Cup, and it looks as though a move to England could be possible.

The Latest: Everton eyeing up move

According to L’Equipe, Everton are keen on acquiring Weah’s signature, with the youngster ‘drawing serious interest’ from Goodison Park.

Fellow Premier League clubs Fulham and Brighton are also in the same situation, as well as La Liga outfit Sevilla, so the Blues face stiff competition for the 29-time capped USA international.

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The Verdict: Much-needed attacking spark

Everton are desperately in need of signing an attacking player this month, with nobody in their squad scoring more than three times in the Premier League this season.

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Weah may not necessarily be an out-and-out goalscorer, but he is someone who would add pace and directness to Frank Lampard’s attack. He was told to ‘keep dreaming’ by the late Pele after his goal against Wales, and perhaps a bit of youthful optimism is needed in the Blues’ squad.

At just 22, Weak is also still a work in progress, so there is no reason why he can’t mature into a more formidable footballer – the fact that his current Lille deal expires next year means they may be willing to sell now too.

Michael Beale is still awaiting his first signing as manager of Ibrox giants Glasgow Rangers with two weeks left to go in the January transfer window.

The English coach arrived in Scotland to take over from Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the break for the 2022 World Cup and Ross Wilson has not been able to get any deals over the line for him as of yet.

Rangers could be in the market for signings this month to improve their squad to give them the best possible chance of winning silverware in the second half of the season and one area in which they need to strengthen in is central midfield.

Veteran wizard Steven Davis has been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury and this leaves a gap in the squad in that area of the pitch.

At the end of last month, The Scottish Sun reported that the Light Blues are tracking St Mirren central midfielder Keanu Baccus and he could be the replacement they need for the Northern Ireland international.

Beale reportedly sent scouts to watch the gem in action and they are now set to face competition from teams south of the border to land the Australian international’s signature.

The Telegraph recently claimed that English Championship sides Norwich City, Middlesbrough and Cardiff City are interested in signing the dynamo, who is set to cost a fee in the region of £350k as he has 18 months left on his contract with the Scottish outfit.

Baccus – who was once described as a “focal point” in midfield by journalist Josh Bunting – could be a solid addition to Rangers’ squad and an ideal player to come in and replace the rotation role that Davis fulfilled during the first half of the campaign.

The injured Gers gem played eight Premiership matches, starting three, prior to his setback and reserved minutes could suit the St Mirren dynamo as he is still a young player who is making his way in the European game.

He moved away from his home country for the first time last summer and has enjoyed a respectable first season in the Premiership so far this term. Baccus has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.81 across 19 appearances in the division – making 3.4 tackles and interceptions per match.

No Rangers player has managed more than 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game in the top-flight this season and this suggests that the 24-year-old – who manager Stephen Robinson claimed has an “incredible work ethic” – could add steel to Beale’s options in the middle of the park.

The youngster could initially arrive as a backup option, taking up Davis’ place in the squad, but with a view to an increased role in the future if he is able to develop his game by gaining more experience and training with the likes of John Lundstram, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack.

Pundit Tam McManus has claimed that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri may “take control” and make some much-needed signings regardless of Frank Lampard’s uncertain future.

What’s the word?

The Toffees’ recent woes continued this weekend as they fell to yet another defeat – this time losing 2-0 away at West Ham United – leaving themselves stuck second last in the Premier League.

Due to the club’s poor form, pressure continues to grow over manager Lampard with BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty now claiming “it will be a greater shock if he survives than if he is sacked”.

Everton are yet to sign anyone this window and some may feel as though Moshiri doesn’t want to buy anyone specifically for Lampard when he could be on his way out of the club shortly.

While talking about it all in an interview with Football Insider, McManus suggested that the owner may opt to spend regardless as they really need some new blood this winter.

He said: “Maybe the owner will get involved, he could take control, with a huge spree.

“We saw last year, Nathan Patterson came in, it was a Benitez signing. Then Rafa was gone a few days later. So you maybe put it down as a club signing.

“Could that happen again? Lampard might not have a choice. If the recruitment team sees someone they like then maybe that’s how it works at Everton.

“You have to question any club that operates like that but Everton are a special case, as well all know. They have to bring in a couple more players, for me. Just to freshen the place up if nothing else. Fresh blood works wonders in a relegation scrap.”

Incomings imminent?

Everton brought in a number of new faces in last summer with the likes of Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil, Neal Maupay, James Garner, Idrissa Gueye, James Tarkowski, and Conor Coady arriving.

Clearly, Lampard was backed up to a point but that hasn’t seen the club’s fortunes change for the better and so it would be no surprise to see the board fire the former Chelsea man in the near future.

At the very least, it looks as though Arnaut Danjuma has decided to join on loan until the end of the current campaign, which will certainly come as a big boost for the Toffees.

Perhaps that deal will spark a few others with Moshiri looking to salvage the season. For instance, Lyon striker Moussa Dembele has also been linked of late.

There is plenty of unhappiness going around at Everton right now and something has to change soon. Perhaps the chairman will feel as though a new manager and a few transfers can do the trick. The next few weeks should certainly be interesting for those who follow the club.