Sticking to their transfer strategy, Chelsea have reportedly opened talks to sign yet another young South American gem for Enzo Maresca when the summer transfer window arrives.
Chelsea transfer news
In the first-half of the season, it looked to have all finally come together for Chelsea. They were back in the top four. They were even mentioned alongside Liverpool and Arsenal in the race to win the Premier League title. Just a few months later, however, the rapidly-ageing questions are being asked once again with Chelsea sat outside of the top four (before this week’s fixtures) and any title hopes a fantasy of the past.
Todd Boehly’s spending trend is, therefore, set to continue when the summer transfer window swings open. Not resting on his laurels after splashing the cash last summer and transfer windows beyond that, the American could reportedly attempt to dig his way out of a hole full of transfer flops by once again turning towards the market.
With rumours already coming thick and fast amid links to the likes of Marc Guehi, The London giants have reportedly made their first move to sign another South American gem.
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According to Ole in Argentina, Chelsea have now opened talks to sign Ian Subiabre from River Plate this summer. The 18-year-old winger is another young talent who has impressed in South America and could yet join the likes of Aaron Anselmino at Stamford Bridge.
He won’t come cheap, however, with a release clause of €30m (£25m) standing between Chelsea and a future star. That said, such a price is rarely one that the Blues struggle to match, which could hand River Plate an uphill battle if they want to keep hold of Subiabre this summer.
"Direct" Subiabre is one to watch
Although their struggles have only continued on the pitch even after an impressive start to the campaign, it must be said that Chelsea are slowly building a South American contingent which could dominate the headlines in years to come.
Alongside Anselmino, the Blues have welcomed the likes of Deivid Washington and Andrey Santos in recent years – all players who have the potential to eventually leave their mark on the Premier League. Now, Subiabre could join them to add yet another gem to Boehly’s collection of future stars.
Described as a “direct dribbler” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the winger stole plenty of headlines at the recent South American U20 Championship, scoring three goals as part of an Argentina side full of talent.
Another player to watch, Chelsea look set to swoop in and attempt to sign the latest young South American talent stealing the headlines.
Legspinner explains his thought process after picking up the first hat-trick of the 2022 T20 World Cup
Alex Malcolm18-Oct-2022
Karthik Meiyappan became the fifth man to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick•ICC via Getty Images
It’s not often that you find a player beaming after his side has been thumped by 79 runs in a T20 World Cup game, but nothing could wipe the smile off Karthik Meiyappan’s face following his hat-trick against Sri Lanka.Karthik, the 22-year-old UAE legspinner who was born in Chennai and has trained with both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in the past, put his name up in lights in Geelong with three magical deliveries in three balls to join Brett Lee, Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga and Kagiso Rabada as just the fifth man to take a hat-trick at a T20 World Cup.”It still hasn’t sunk in, the fact that I’ve got a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup, and to become the fifth bowler to do so,” Karthik said after the match. “It is really a proud moment and feels amazing. But, like I said, it would have been much greater and much better for me if we had won the game tonight.”He was genuine in his disappointment with the result. But Karthik, who moved to the UAE in 2007 when his father began working there, could not have done any more to help his team. He bowled a superb spell of four overs for just 19 runs, including 12 dots. His hat-trick came in his third over, the 15th of the innings, to stall Sri Lanka’s momentum after they had cruised to 117 for 2 with more than five overs to go on a difficult batting surface.Even more impressive than the three deliveries he bowled to dismiss Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka was the clarity of his plans in the moment, and his execution. He was happy to talk everyone through the plans, too.”First up against Rajapaksa, the leg side was the long boundary for him,” Karthik said. “I thought he would take me down the deck as I think he was 5 or something that and… I tried to push it away bowling a wrong’un and he tried to go over covers but he sliced it.”When Asalanka walked in, that was a no-brainer for me: I was going to bowl a wrong’un straight up and Vriitya [Aravind, the wicketkeeper] took an amazing catch.”And then Dasun walked in, again I was just going through my motions being the hat-trick, but all I wanted to do was bowl on the stumps and whatever happens after that it is out of my hands. But, again, I just bowled a wrong’un and I think he picked it as a leggie.”He was asked after the match if he thought he might get a call from Chennai Super Kings again, this time for a bit more than bowling in the nets.”That is something I don’t know about,” Karthik said with a smile. “But I hope they do.”
Leeds United have been known to conduct shrewd business in the transfer window in recent years, signing various talents who have made a huge impact on the first team.
Raphinha was one of the players who starred at Elland Road before making the club a huge profit on their investment – subsequently boosting their FFP and PSR standing.
The Brazilian cost just £17m, scoring 17 times in 67 appearances, leaving in a £55m deal to join Catalan giants Barcelona in a move that has taken his career to the next level.
Raphinha
Ao Tanaka is just one example within the current first team setup, costing a bargain fee of just £3.5m – already looking to be well worth more than the fee forked out as he’s cemented himself as a regular starter in Daniel Farke’s side.
The Japanese international isn’t the only current player in the first team to have been worth every penny of their respective transfer fees.
Leeds’ current first-team stars under Daniel Farke
Welsh international Ethan Ampadu has been one of the club’s best additions since returning to the Championship, playing a key role at the heart of the side.
The 24-year-old cost £7m last summer from Premier League side Chelsea, featuring in every single league outing, along with all of the play-off matches as they fell at the final hurdle against Southampton.
In 2024/25, he suffered a knee injury that has restricted him to just 14 appearances, but has wasted no time in making his mark, winning the most tackles per 90 of any player in the side.
Winger Dan James, meanwhile, cost a whopping £30m from Manchester United during their time in England’s top flight, initially looking to be a costly mistake during his first 18 months in Yorkshire.
However, the last few months he’s proved to be worth every penny, playing a huge role in Farke’s ambitions of ending the club’s stint in the Championship and returning to the promised land.
James has notched six goals and three assists in his 20 appearances to date, the second most in the Leeds outfit behind Dutch forward Joel Piroe.
January presents another opportunity for the club to strengthen the squad to aid the promotion push, including a move to sign one player who could be their version of the Welsh star.
The player who could be Leeds’ next Dan James
Various attacking players have been touted with a move to join the Whites already this month, potentially partnering James within the final third for Farke’s men.
Louie Barry and Dor Turgeman have both been mentioned as potential additions since the opening of the window, but neither of the aforementioned pair have yet edged closer to a move to Yorkshire.
However, numerous other players have been touted with moves, including Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies, who could be free to leave despite their recent defensive injury crisis.
A report over the last couple of days claimed that the Whites were ‘strongly pushing’ for a move for the 31-year-old, who’s only made four appearances in the Premier League this season.
Davies, who’s previously been dubbed “sensational” by Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge, could link up with James – following in his footsteps by leaving a top-flight side, where he’s not first choice, before making an impact at Elland Road.
Such a move could see him link up with numerous compatriots, including James, Ampadu and Joe Rodon – having the tools to boost Farke’s promotion chances.
Games played
4
Minutes played
271
Pass accuracy
91%
Duels won
10
Aerials duels won
8
Recoveries
11
Dribbled past
2
Davies has averaged a pass completion rate of 91% to date, winning 2.7 aerial duels per 90, making him the perfect defensive option – capable on the ball whilst being solid defensively, two key components of the German’s philosophy.
The club may already have a plethora of key defensive options on the books, but you simply can’t turn your nose up at a player of the Welshman’s quality.
A move for the defender would inject the added quality needed for a title fight, whilst also preparing the Whites for a potential return to the Premier League next year.
Leeds scouts watching "pacey" versatile wide player during transfer window
Daniel Farke wants to strengthen his backline and Leeds have their eye on a familiar face.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou shared a bleak outlook on Son Heung-min's injury recovery as Spurs prepare for the run-in.
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Son missed the trip to FrankfurtPostecoglou unsure when he will be backSpurs face critical Bodo test in UEL semifinalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Son was notably absent from Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on April 17, a result that saw them progress to the semi-finals of the Europa League. His absence was keenly felt, though Tottenham managed to get over the line without their captain on the pitch.
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The 32-year-old forward has now missed consecutive matches, having also sat out Tottenham’s Premier League loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers the weekend before. His continued absence has raised alarms among fans, with the season drawing to a close and vital fixtures on the horizon.
WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID
When asked about Son’s condition, Postecoglou admitted that the injury has reached a point where it has not only failed to heal, but has actually become more problematic.
"Not really sure. Like I said, it's something that he's been dealing with for a little while, and we've got to the point where it was not only not improving, it was deteriorating," he informed on a podcast. "It's one of these things, I think probably rest is going to be as important as anything else with that kind of injury. So we'll give him that time, because Sonny’s the kind of guy that always wants to train … mumbles for a second or two… We'll just have to put him on ice for the next few days and see how he responds to that."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Although the 31-year-old forward did not travel with the team to Germany for their European encounter, Son remains closely connected to the group.
"Yeah. I mean, he wasn't in contact with me, but he was with the boys, obviously, and yeah, he’s still a big part of it," Postecoglou said. "We discussed whether we should come along, but like I said, I think to give us the best chance of Sonny being available for the semis and beyond, it just made sense that we left him at home. But yeah, I'm sure he was very much part of the group.
"What do they call them, group chats, or whatever they are? They are part of some group. I'm not in any. I just saw him this morning, actually, I just caught him in the hallways as I was coming over, and he's delighted for a number of reasons, and real motivation there to get back as soon as he can."
The global footprint of the IPL is expanding swiftly with its franchise owners set to buy all six teams in South Africa’s new T20 league, the inaugural edition of which is scheduled for January 2023.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and one of the owners of Delhi Capitals have successfully bid for the franchises. The league will be run by Cricket South Africa in partnership with television broadcaster SuperSport.It is understood that CSK, through parent company Chennai Super Kings Sports Limited, made the highest bid at an informal auction to buy the Johannesburg franchise. Mumbai Indians, owned by Reliance Industries, bought the Cape Town franchise, while the Sun TV Group, which owns Sunrisers, bought the Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) franchise.The RP Sanjeev Goenka group, which paid a record sum of INR 7090 crore to buy the Lucknow IPL franchise late last year, picked up the Durban team, while Rajasthan Royals bought the Paarl team. Pretoria has been taken by Jindal South West Sports, which is headed by Parth Jindal, co-owner of the Delhi Capitals in IPL.While Cricket South Africa (CSA) is expected to make a formal announcement of the new owners and the cities they will represent once the paperwork is complete, the board has announced former South Africa captain Graeme Smith as the overall head of the T20 league. One of Smith’s early targets is to ensure that the deals with the franchise owners are watertight.”I’m extremely honoured to be entrusted with leading this exciting new venture,” Smith said. “I’m deeply committed to South African cricket and happy to serve the game as best I can. I’m excited by the opportunity to deliver the new league, which I believe will be an extremely competitive product, one that can bring the much-needed investment into the game and provide new opportunities for players around the world and more importantly to our SA home grown talent.”The response from stakeholders has been very positive thus far and we’ve made great progress in the initial stages. We’re determined to deliver a valuable, sustainable and appealing tournament for South African cricket.”Related
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Third time lucky? This new tournament is CSA’s third attempt to start a sustainable franchise-based T20 league after the Global League T20 failed to take off in 2017 and the Mzansi Super League was scrapped because its broadcast rights could not be sold for three years. The new T20 league was set up as “top priority” by the CSA, which shook the cricket world last week by deciding to forfeit a three-match ODI series in Australia and risk South Africa’s direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup to make space in the calendar for this tournament.CSA said it had made the radical move for the “long-term sustainability of the game” in South Africa. Going forward, the board will not organise any international cricket in South Africa after the New Year Test to create a window for the T20 league, and this is evident in their schedule in the ICC’s draft FTP for the period from 2023 to 2027.”This new league promises to make a significant investment into both professional cricket and development in South Africa, along with a positive socio-economic and tourism injection into the country,” CSA’s chief executive officer Pholetsi Moseki said.IPL franchise owners go global With the league still in its early planning stages, it could not be confirmed whether CSA will conduct a player auction or draft to form the six teams. Another question is whether the BCCI will make an allowance for Indian players to participate in the league. So far the BCCI has barred Indian players from featuring in the T20 leagues of other countries to protect the IPL brand.There is no such restriction on the IPL franchise owners, who have steadily made acquisitions in overseas T20 leagues. Red Chillies Entertainment, the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders, were the first to buy an overseas T20 franchise – the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League. In 2020, KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, the consortium that owns Punjab Kings, bought the St Lucia Kings and last year the owners of Rajasthan Royals – the Royals Sports Group – bought the Barbados team in the CPL.Red Chillies Entertainment, co-owned by Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, has also bought a team in UAE’s T20 League – the International League T20 (ILT20). Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Mumbai Indians, and the GMR Group – a co-owner of Delhi Capitals – have also bought teams in the ILT20. The UAE league is scheduled between January 6 and February 12 next year and will clash with the South African league.The Knight Riders brand also has a presence in the USA, where it is among the founding members of Major League Cricket, a franchise-based T20 League scheduled to be launched from 2023. There is at least one more IPL franchise that is keep on entering the Major League T20, but has not yet formally closed the agreement.
Ollie Pope cashes in on extra life to build spirited England response after early wobble
Valkerie Baynes11-Jun-2022Stumps Daryl Mitchell’s prize innings put New Zealand in a commanding position at stumps on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, despite a couple of late blemishes proving he’s only human and that England must take whatever chances they get.Led by Mitchell’s 190, New Zealand posted a first-innings total of 553, their highest score on English soil, after he and fellow centurion Tom Blundell put on a 236-run stand, their country’s highest-ever fifth-wicket partnership.England wobbled, losing Zak Crawley in the second over of their response, but then Ollie Pope showed intent with an unbeaten half-century as he made use of an excellent batting pitch – and some good fortune.Mitchell, dropped on 3 and 104 amid a rash of fielding errors by England, soured a memorable day somewhat when he put down a simple chance at first slip off Tim Southee when Alex Lees was on 12. England were already one down after Trent Boult had Crawley caught behind for just 4 with an excellent cross-seam delivery.Pope pressed the accelerator after facing 45 balls for his first 11 runs, racing to 37 from 56 as he twice pulled Matt Henry for six, the second instance prompting a ball change. Pope should have been gone shortly afterwards but Mitchell spilled another slips catch off Boult which raced away to the rope at third man.Pope set about making New Zealand pay as he moved to fifty with two fours in three Kyle Jamieson deliveries, driven with aplomb through the covers and cut through backward point. Lees, meanwhile, got in on the boundary action too, with five fours on his way to 34 not out at the close.It wasn’t until well into an extended evening session after rain had forced an early tea break that England finally broke the tourists’ stride after they had marched on from Blundell’s dismissal for 106.His exit brought debutant Michael Bracewell to the crease and he played impressively during a 91-run partnership with Mitchell before falling one run shy of his fifty.It was James Anderson who struck first after tea, drawing an outside edge from Bracewell and Joe Root held on firmly at slip, still clenching the ball tightly in his right fist as he animatedly gestured that it was staying put this time after contributing two of England’s five costly missed chances for the New Zealand innings.Joe Root reacts after taking a catch to dismiss Michael Bracewell•AFP via Getty ImagesSo began a run of dismissals in which New Zealand lost four wickets for 24 runs in the space of 3.4 overs and, all told, their last five wickets for 57 runs. Stuart Broad claimed two in an over when he had Jamieson caught behind gloving a short ball then removed Tim Southee with another short ball which bobbed up off the splice and sailed to Root at gully.Jack Leach chimed in when he had Matt Henry out slashing to Crawley in the covers, but then Boult added 33 runs with Mitchell, during which time Boult drew level with Muthiah Muralidaran for the most career Test runs scored at No. 11 with 623. Boult remained unbeaten with 16 from 18 balls when Mitchell finally perished for 190 reaching for a slow, wide ball from Matthew Potts and edging to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.Earlier, Mitchell had backed up his century in last week’s first Test at Lord’s by reaching his second consecutive ton in the morning session after resuming on 81.He stared in slack-jawed astonishment when another fielding error saw him survive – then cash in – shortly after posting his ton. On 104, Mitchell lofted Leach down the ground and Potts, running round to his left from long-on made the distance comfortably but somehow managed only to get a fingernail to the ball before it bounced onto his knee and over the rope for four.Potts bowled the next over, only to concede back-to-back fours to Mitchell, the first bringing up the 200-partnership that had narrowly eluded him and Blundell at Lord’s, via an outside edge behind point and the second a crunching drive through mid-off.Having moved to 90, Blundell paused for treatment after copping a heavy blow to his finger whilst facing Potts. After that, however, he made fast work of reaching his hundred with two fours from three Leach deliveries, the latter as he advanced down the pitch and pummelled the ball back over the bowler’s head for one bounce over the rope, and then a scrambled single off the last ball of the over.Blundell, who managed 96 in a 195-run stand with Mitchell at Lord’s, fell when he took Leach on once more and chipped to Ben Stokes at mid-off.Mitchell carted Leach for 17 runs in the second over after lunch, striking fours through cover and long-on and six down the ground. He launched another six over wide long-on in Leach’s next over and by the end of New Zealand’s innings they had plundered 84 boundaries. That included four sixes in all to Mitchell and nine fours to Bracewell, who impressed on his first Test outing.
Perhaps it was for the best that the two thousand schoolchildren invited to watch today’s cricket at Emirates Old Trafford had gone home by three o’clock. They might well have been puzzled why a succession of Lancashire players were walking out to the middle of the lovely green field with bats when it seemed inevitable that they would have to walk back again only a few minutes later having not used them. After all, the other team’s batters had stayed there for simply ages in the morning and had kept hitting that hard ball very hard indeed.As tea-time summaries go, it would not have been too shabby. More experienced, although not necessarily more intelligent, observers might have paid tributes to the powerful striking of Essex’s Shane Snater before offering even warmer compliments to the new-ball bowling of Sam Cook and Jamie Porter, whose combined figures at tea read: 13-3-24-4. Neither had conceded a boundary or bowled a mediocre delivery. Before the Essex pair got to work, we thought this was a flattish pitch. It still is, but with Lancashire 32 for 5 in reply to Essex’s 391, the value of the new ball was being extolled even as the evening rain set in.Yet the child’s assessment is just as valid and at the risk of giving that drum a bit more hammer, the best thing to happen at Old Trafford today was that primary-school pupils watched the morning’s cricket. I say “watched” but a fair few probably divided their attention between Snater, their phones and their friends. Nevertheless, Matt Parkinson was mobbed during a break for rain and Hasan Ali happily acknowledged the hundreds of youngsters who were waving to him from the Brian Statham End.If one per cent of those enjoying their first taste of the game today have been inspired to take their interest further at a local club, the annual Schools Open Day has been a success and Lancashire’s Cricket Foundation should be warmly applauded for laying it on. Moreover, the news that Kings Rise Academy had joined with Warwickshire’s Cricket Board to deliver the largest cricket lesson in history to 650 children aged 4-11 at Edgbaston offered a further reminder of the valuable work done by the first-class counties that rarely gets much notice.That said, perhaps Dane Vilas’s players took the educational theme a little too far. “Could have done better” might have been the Old Trafford coaches’ assessment on the end of Essex’s innings, and “Couldn’t have done worse” their damning view on the start of Lancashire’s reply.Dane Vilas leads Lancashire through a guard of schoolchildren on the second day at Old Trafford•Getty Images
Certainly the visitors had the better of a rain-interrupted first session, scoring 61 runs in 12 overs for the loss of Dan Lawrence. However, it wasn’t much of a morning for Lawrence either. In addition to being caught at midwicket by James Anderson off Luke Wood for 120, he suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury that had prevented him either playing for Essex or being selected for England.Yet by the time Lawrence limped away from this game and towards the land of scans and specialists, Snater was already coping easily with the home attack. If Tom Bailey or Luke Wood pitched the ball up Essex’s bowling all-rounder – it’s hardly a flattering term on this evidence – hit through the line. When they dug it in, he occasionally heaved it away and even collected a six over the long-stop boundary when a top edge flew many yards above Phil Salt’s head.Snater continued in similar fashion after lunch and was only seven short of the career-best 79 he made against Northamptonshire last month when he was nailed plumb in front by a good ball from Hasan. Josh Bohannon’s magnificent pick-up and direct hit from midwicket ran out Porter and thereby ended the innings three balls later but Snater’s innings had given Essex the psychological advantage.Less than an hour later, such abstract superiority had been made flesh and dwelt amongst us. Its conduits were Cook and Porter, whose use of the new ball was sixpence and spit away from perfect. Keaton Jennings came half forward to Cook in the fifth over; Peter Hartley didn’t need to think for long. Bohannon played across the line to Porter in the eighth and Steve O’Shaughnessy was similarly swift. (Thus one alumnus of Bolton’s Harper Green High School sent a fellow alumnus on his way.) Steven Croft edged the next ball low to Alastair Cook’s left at first slip. It was eminently droppable but Cook has caught those in bigger matches than this. 8 for 3.While partners came and went, Luke Wells had been defending grimly and notching singles plus a luxurious two. Then he played no shot to a ball from Cook that tailed back in. Snater replaced Porter and Vilas tried to take the bat away from his fourth ball. Instead, he inside-edged it onto the stumps. Simon Harmer came on to bowl a bit of off-spin from the Brian Statham End and Salt hit him for the first boundaries of the innings, thus sparking congas in the 1864 Suite. Well, it was either that or the case of Gewurztraminer.Salt and Wood strolled in for tea with Lancashire’s coaches perhaps reflecting that this might not have been the time to go into a game a batsman light. The umpires came in, went out and immediately came in again, not to return until the morrow. There were 46 overs to be bowled and they have trod the path to dusty death. But Essex rule the table and might even consider this game child’s play. But cricket is not that important. Either way, they’ll be whooping it up in Wormingford tonight.
Marcus Rashford was sent a major "old routines" warning by Thomas Tuchel after England national team call-up.
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Rashford has flourished at Aston VillaWas rewarded with a Three Lions call-upTuchel impressed with his "work rate" at VillaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Manchester United forward, who had been frozen out under Ruben Amorim in December, has reignited his career under Unai Emery at Villa Park, securing his first national team selection since March 2024.
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Since his temporary switch, Rashford has featured in all nine of Villa’s matches, contributing four assists despite not finding the net. His influence has been notable, averaging a goal contribution every 116 minutes, and his performances have impressed new England boss Tuchel, who has included him in the squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
WHAT TUCHEL SAID
Tuchel acknowledged Rashford’s impact at Villa but also delivered a firm message regarding his consistency as he emphasised the importance of maintaining his current form and avoiding slipping into his previous rut.
"I felt that he had a huge impact at Aston Villa, mostly from the bench," he told reporters. "The impact was impressive. The physical impact was impressive and most importantly, his work rate, his defensive ability and tracking back was impressive. I had the strong feeling that we should nominate him, bring him in and to push him to stay on that level to not fall back on old routines."
DID YOU KNOW?
Alongside Rashford, Jordan Henderson has also been recalled to the England squad, while there are first-time selections for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn. However, there was no place for Morgan Gibbs-White or Jack Grealish, who have both missed out.
Leeds United were left frustrated at the weekend after their 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park pushed out them outside of the automatic promotion places.
The Whites went into the gameweek in first place but Sheffield United’s 1-0 win over Sunderland on Friday meant that they travelled to Lancashire in second.
A win would have moved them back to the top of the table but, instead, a penalty from Todd Cantwell was enough to seal all three points for the home side.
Burnley’s win later that day then meant that the West Yorkshire outfit ended the weekend in third place, outside of the top two and back inside the play-off places.
Daniel Farke will be hoping that his side can avoid the play-offs this time around, after losing to Southampton in the final last season, and the German head coach could use the January transfer window next month to bolster his squad.
Adding an attacking threat from a midfield position could be one of the items on his agenda, as the Whites have struggled to provide much in the way of quality from that area of the pitch.
Leeds United's attacking contributions from midfield
In the 2024/25 campaign, Ao Tanaka, Joe Rothwell, Ethan Ampadu, and Ilia Gruev have combined for zero goals and one assist in the Championship, with Rothwell providing it.
This shows that Farke does not have a regular source of goals or creativity from his options in the middle of the park, which has hindered the team when the attacking players have not been at their best.
That was also an issue for the German boss during the 2023/24 season, as the likes of Ampadu, Gruev, Archie Gray, despite playing at right-back as well, and Glen Kamara all failed to offer much in the final third.
23/24 Championship
Starts
Goals
Assists
Ethan Ampadu
49
0
1
Glen Kamara
36
0
3
Ilia Gruev
23
1
1
Archie Gray
43
0
2
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, those four players combined for just one league goal in the entire campaign, which was Gruev’s free-kick against Norwich in the second-leg of the play-off semi-finals.
In his two title-winning seasons with Norwich in the Championship, Farke had central midfield players with the quality to provide goals and assists to help out the attack.
Kenny McLean and Mario Vrancic combined for five goals and 11 assists in the 2020/21 campaign. Vrancic, McLean, Tom Trybull, and Moritz Leitner also combined for 16 goals and 14 assists in the 2018/19 season.
These statistics show that the German tactician always had midfield players who could step up with goals and assists to help his team to promotion in both of those seasons, whilst he – simply – does not have that level of attacking quality in that area of the pitch at Elland Road.
However, Farke could bring in a player with the potential to improve that side of the team’s performance during the January transfer window.
Leeds United's interest in Scottish starlet
The Boot Room recently reported that Leeds United are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller ahead of the second half of the season.
It was claimed that the Whites have sent scouts to watch the Scotland U21 international in action in the Scottish Premiership, but they are far from alone in that respect.
A host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Brighton, have also been sending scouts to keep tabs on his performances north of the border.
The Boot Room added that Rangers and Celtic are also interested in keeping him in Scotland, whilst Atalanta and Bologna pose a threat from the Serie A.
This shows that Leeds face plenty of competition from some huge clubs across the United Kingdom and Europe, which means that it could be a difficult deal to get over the line in January.
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It was also claimed that Motherwell are set to demand a fee of around £5m for their impressive academy graduate, who the Whites must now push to win the race for as he could be a dream signing for Tanaka and Farke.
Why Lennon Miller would be a dream signing for Ao Tanaka
The Scottish sensation has been in impressive form for Motherwell in the Premiership this season and his performances suggest that the potential is there for him to come in and offer the Whites what they currently lack in the middle of the park.
Tanaka has been a fantastic performer in midfield since his move from Fortuna Dusseldorf, with a 92% pass completion rate and 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game across 15 outings in the Championship.
He has provided a metronomic and combative presence for the West Yorkshire outfit, with his ability to retain possession at an impressive rate, whilst also being able to consistently make defensive interventions to win the ball back for his side and cut out attacks for the opposition.
However, Tanaka has yet to score his first goal for Leeds and has not provided any assists from midfield, which suggests that he could thrive alongside a midfielder who can offer more quality at the top end of the pitch.
24/25 season
Ao Tanaka (Championship)
Lennon Miller (Premiership)
Appearances
15
13
Goals
0
2
Big chances created
0
6
Assists
0
4
Key passes per game
0.8
2.0
Pass accuracy
92%
74%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Miller has provided regular quality from a midfield position for Motherwell, with eight goals and ‘big chances’ combined in 13 games.
The 18-year-old star, who was described as a “ridiculous” talent by pundit James McFadden, still has plenty of years left ahead of him to take his game to another level and offer even more in the final third.
Therefore, Miller could come in as a dream midfield partner for Tanaka, as the Japanese maestro can provide defensive strength and passing quality, whilst the Scottish ace can offer a big threat as a scorer and a creator to add another side to the team’s attacking play.
Leeds have found a "monster" who's now a potential £50m star in the making
Daniel Farke has hit the jackpot with the impressive Leeds United leader.
Virgil van Dijk wants Liverpool fans to make "Anfield horrible" for opposition teams ahead of the Premier League title run-in.
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Liverpool beat Man City 2-0 on Sunday
Reds now 11 points clear at the top of the table
Van Dijk issues demand to supporters
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Following Liverpool's crucial 2-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday, Reds captain Van Dijk wants his team's home fans to cheer them onto the Premier League title. With just 11 league games of the season to go, seven of which are at Anfield, home victories may be enough for Arne Slot's side to top the division at the end of May.
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WHAT VIRGIL VAN DIJK SAID
He said, via The Times: “I mentioned it after that [Wolves] game, that obviously it’s pretty normal to be like that. It is a human [reaction] that there could be some anxious feelings kicking in, and that could still be the case. But I think it only helps us and them [the supporters] as well to make Anfield horrible for the opponent. Most of the time we have been doing that, and obviously the way we play helps with that as well. How many home games are left? Seven out of 11. So let’s make sure those seven are going to be amazing, as loud as possible. I don’t think we have to speak about it because normally that is the case. So let’s go, enjoy, focus on Wednesday now, and then we’ll see what happens after. This was a big win. I told the guys, don’t take these wins for granted, but when you go home, recover and be ready for the preparation for Newcastle. That’s the only thing we have to do. Tunnel vision. Nothing else matters really. And we need our fans to be in great shape on Wednesday as well.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool's win and Arsenal's loss to West Ham over the weekend put the Merseyside outfit 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League. The Reds are inching closer to only their second Premier League title and Van Dijk is at the heart of that effort.
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WHAT NEXT?
Liverpool fans will get the chance to roar on their team when Newcastle United visit Anfield on Wednesday night.