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Journalist Beren Cross has predicted that Leeds United defender Max Wober will start over Pascal Struijk in the club’s next game.

What’s the word?

While their Premier League form isn’t exactly great right now, as the threat of relegation seems to forever loom, the Whites did at least manage to emphatically beat Championship outfit Cardiff City 5-2 in the FA Cup last time out.

They now return to action against Brentford at Elland Road with a chance to put some points between themselves as the four teams below them in the division.

Struijk hasn’t been in the best form most recently, and so manager Jesse Marsch will have a decision to make at left-back – especially with new signing Wober potentially ready to fill in.

While writing about it all for LeedsLive, Cross relayed his feelings on the situation, saying: “With a clean bill of health delivered for all of Marsch’s senior defenders, it seems the tightest call he has to make is on his left-back. With Robin Koch and Liam Cooper likely to reclaim the central berths, newcomer Max Wober is left fighting with Pascal Struijk on the left flank.

“While the sample size is small, Wober has looked promising in his three outings up to now, right at the time Struijk has shown some struggles. Errors at Cardiff City were followed by issues at Villa Park and Wober may just get the edge today.”

Time to impress?

Wober arrived from Red Bull Salzburg earlier on in January for £11m and he has already made three appearances for his new club. However, he had to come off after 57 minutes after picking up an injury but has since been declared likely to be fit.

Seeing as Struijk has delivered lowly 6.1 and 6.3 SofaScore player ratings in the past two Premier League games, it’s not hard to see why Marsch may be looking to change things up at left-back. Still, it would be a big call for the American to drop one of his favourites. After all, the Dutch defender has started all but one league game this term and has featured in 29 of the 34 games Marsch has taken charge of since joining the Yorkshire club.

Of course, Junior Firpo could also come in after playing the full 90 at left-back against Cardiff. But seeing as he has played just two minutes of football in the league over the last eight games, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll suddenly start against Brentford.

Taking it all into account, it does feel as though Wober could be handed the chance to properly show his new set of supporters what he’s made of this afternoon.

Manchester United have emphatically rewritten the narrative at Old Trafford this season, having cast the cobwebs of a woeful preceding campaign aside and forged an impressive run under Erik ten Hag, but work must still be done to return the cub to its former glory.

While close to £210m has been spent since Ten Hag assumed the managerial role at the Theatre of Dreams, further incomings are certain to follow this year, with centre-back Axel Disasi among those touted with a move to Manchester.

According to a report from the Daily Mail earlier this month, the Red Devils are among the interested suitors considering a bid for the AS Monaco man, who has emerged as one of the French Ligue 1’s best defenders over the past few years and could cost around  £44m to prise him away from France.

With uncertainty surrounding the Glazer Family’s ownership of the prestigious Premier League outfit this season, a deal might not materialise until the summer, but the club’s technical director John Murtough might indeed be prudent to await an apt opportunity to pounce, with the 6-foot-3 colossus offering all the promise of a defender reaching the very top.

Having made 28 appearances for his outfit this year, the “complete” and “dominant” Disasi – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has scored four goals and assists apiece, immensely impressive numbers for a defensive outlet, and has been a key component for his outfit over the past few years, blossoming into a refined and glistening gem.

As per Sofascore, Disasi has recorded an average rating of 7.04 in the French top flight this term, impressing with 1.2 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.9 clearances, while maintaining an 84% pass success rate, illustrating his dynamic skill set that encapsulates the all-encompassing nature many a first-rate centre-back needs in the modern game.

And with the 24-year-old gem ranking among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for rate of goals, the top 4% for rate of assists, and the top 8% for progressive passes (via FBref), his authority as a ball-playing maestro from the back is indeed affirmed.

Should Ten Hag forge ahead with a move, it could spell the end at the Theatre of Dreams for Harry Maguire, who has fallen heavily out of favour this season after a tumultuous period at the club following his world record £80m transfer from Leicester City.

With reports from earlier this season stating that the 29-year-old could depart at the end of the campaign, the door is indeed wide open for the introduction of a new presence.

While United’s established pairing of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have indeed found unity and resilience in their partnership this term, the inclusion of a young, exciting centre-back such as Disasi could go a long way toward turning the page to a new, prosperous chapter at Manchester United.

West Ham United are interested in a late move for Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alex Crook, with the journalist revealing in his latest column for talkSPORT that David Moyes is now considering launching a last-gasp swoop for the Chelsea midfielder, while Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are also believed to be keen on a move for the 22-year-old prior to tomorrow’s transfer deadline.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, it is Everton who are currently leading the race for the England international, with the transfer insider revealing in a post on Twitter that the Toffees have now submitted a bid totalling £45m for the midfielder – with the Blues undecided as to whether or not they will accept the proposal at present.

In his tweet, the Italian journalist said: “Everton have submitted a bid to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea. It’s £40m proposal plus £5m add-ons. Chelsea will make a decision soon as there are also other clubs interested in Gallagher – and player has to decide his future too.”

Imagine him & Rice

While it is true that Gallagher has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Chelsea XI so far this season – starting just nine of his 18 Premier League appearances in 2022/23 – considering just how impressive the midfielder was during a season-long loan spell at Palace last time out, the argument that Moyes simply must launch a bid for the 22-year-old is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 34 top-flight fixtures for the Eagles last season, the £38.5m-rated talent was in sensational form going forwards, scoring eight goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles – at a success rate of 57% – per game.

The £50k-per-week engine also caught the eye in more workmanlike metrics, making an average of 2.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 47% – per match, as well as enjoying an average of 51.6 touches, finding his man with 1.4 long balls and completing 25.1 total passes – at a success rate of 81% – per fixture.

These returns saw the four-cap international who Mark Duffy dubbed both “unreal” and a “pressing machine” average a simply sensational Sofascore statistical rating of 7.08, ranking him as Palace’s best performer in the league last time out.

Rather unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old’s displays in south London saw him earn a considerable amount of praise, with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel stating of the midfielder last April:

“His development is extraordinary and outstanding. He is one of the key players at Crystal Palace and he has made a huge step in his development. He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season – he has so much positive energy, so much energy in general and so much work rate to give that he can of course be a big help and a big influence.”

As such, with Declan Rice arguably being the sole West Ham midfielder to have enjoyed a solid campaign so far in 2022/23, it is clear to see that adding a player with the talent of Gallagher would provide the Hammers captain with an unreal partner in the middle of the park.

Indeed, the Chelsea ace’s aforementioned attacking prowess would appear to be the perfect tonic to Rice’s more defensive game with the pairing possessing the ability to be a match in heaven.

As such, Moyes simply must match Everton’s offer for the Chelsea starlet this month.

Leeds United continued their poor form in the Premier League this year as they were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday.

Jesse Marsch’s last win in the top-flight came at the start of November, before the 2022 World Cup, in a 4-3 win over Bournemouth and this latest loss means that his side are only ahead of the bottom three on goal difference.

The Whites are firmly in a relegation scrap and Brennan Johnson’s early screamer to secure all three points for Steve Cooper’s side this weekend did them no favours.

Pascal Struijk’s weak, headed, clearance fell to the feet of the winger and allowed the forward to rifle a terrific volley into the bottom corner – giving Illan Meslier no chance.

Marsch made a few big calls with his team selection, including leaving new signings Georginio Rutter and Weston McKennie on the bench, and one of them was the choice to go with the experienced Luke Ayling at right-back over Rasmus Kristensen.

The Danish defender put in a decent display against Accrington Stanley, recording a Sofascore rating of 7.00, in the FA Cup last weekend and enjoyed a solid start to the Premier League campaign – starting 13 matches and averaging a rating of 6.91.

Kristensen has made 4.3 tackles and interceptions per match and won 59% of his duels, whilst losing possession 15 times per game, in the division this term, which shows that the full-back has been a solid operator at the back.

Ayling, who has comparatively averaged a dismal rating of 6.61 in the top flight, was selected ahead of the Dane and let Marsch down having put in a poor display at the back.

As per Sofascore, the Englishman only completed 52% of his attempted passes and gifted possession back to Nottingham Forest a whopping 27 times, whilst also failing in two of his three attempted dribbles over the course of the 90 minutes.

It indicates that the 31-year-old was a huge liability on the ball as he consistently let his team down by failing to find a teammate.

The veteran was also unable to make a single clearance, tackle, or interception, whilst being dribbled past twice, and losing eight of his 12 (66%) individual battles, which shows that Ayling did not make up for his play in possession by being a solid defender at the back.

Therefore, the right-back let Marsch down badly with the statistics suggesting that the former Yeovil man should not have been selected ahead of Kristensen, whose performances have been significantly better than the one Ayling produced on Sunday.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly courting winger Moussa Diaby for Newcastle United ahead of this summer.

The Lowdown: Long-term interest

Newcastle also held an interest in Diaby last summer, and reportedly ahead of the January transfer window too.

A move never materialised in either window, and the St. James’ Park outfit ended up signing winger Anthony Gordon from Everton instead.

However, that is not to say that they will not try and strengthen their attack further in the summer, as they look well-placed to play in the UEFA Champions League next season given their league position.

The Latest: Diaby ‘hotly courted’

According to German news outlet Bild, Diaby is being ‘hotly courted’ by the North East club ahead of a possible move this summer.

Bayer Leverkusen could lose a number of their key players, with the Frenchman being one of them, but Arsenal are also eyeing up a potential deal.

The Verdict: Statement signing

Diaby would certainly be a statement signing for the Tynesiders in terms of taking them to the next level.

Newcastle editor for The Chronicle, Aaron Stokes, gave a glowing assessment of the 23-year-old when the Magpies were first linked with him, highlighting his ‘electrifying’ pace and claiming that he would be a ‘marquee’ signing:

“When it comes to marquee signings, NUFC would be hitting jackpot with Moussa Diaby.

“31 G/A in 42 games last season, electrifying pace, good with both feet + fearless on the ball. A remarkable deal if they persuade Bayer to sell + the player to join.”

He has shown on numerous occasions already that he can perform at the highest level, and has continued his hot streak into this campaign with eight goals and five assists in total so far over all competitions.

Nonetheless, with Gordon on one wing and Diaby on the other, the Magpies could be so deadly next term.

Manchester United could well be eyeing a summer move for RB Leipzig sensation Josko Gvardiol as Erik ten Hag seeks to strengthen his defence this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Red Devils – along with Premier League rivals Liverpool – are believed to be in the mix for the Croatian’s signature, albeit with fellow top-flight club Chelsea having seemingly slipped out of the running.

The report does suggest that La Liga giants Real Madrid could be the 21-year-old’s preferred destination, albeit with the centre-back’s reported €100m (£89m) price tag potentially set to prove a sticking point for Los Blancos, duly heightening the chance of a move to England.

This follows previous reports in December which claimed that the Old Trafford outfit were one of the clubs to have submitted an offer for the 19-cap starlet, who still has more than four years left to run on his existing deal in Germany.

Big Lindelof upgrade

The addition of a new centre-back could well potentially hasten an exit for Sweden international Victor Lindelof, with the 28-year-old having seemingly been the subject of transfer interest from across Europe during January, with just 17 months left on his current contract at the Theatre of Dreams.

The former Benfica ace – who arrived in Manchester on a £30m deal back in 2017 – has been resigned to a bit-part role under Ten Hag so far this season, having made just four Premier League starts to date.

That lack of action could well ensure that the £120k-per-week Swede is easily usurped in the defensive pecking order if Gvardiol is to be snapped up come the end of the season, with the latter having been in truly imperious form for both club and country this season.

The highly-coveted “warrior” – as lauded by one journalist – was notably part of the Croatia side which surged to the semi-finals of the World Cup last year, having been described as a “standout” at the tournament by United legend Rio Ferdinand after starting all seven of his country’s games in Qatar

Such dominant showings have also been replicated for Leipzig so far this term, with the former Dinamo Zagreb hotshot averaging 1.1 interceptions and 0.5 tackles per game from his 17 Bundesliga appearances, while Lindelof has averaged just 0.7 for the same two metrics respectively.

It is Gvardiol’s quality in possession which has particularly caught the eye, though, as he ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for progressive carries among his European peers. Meanwhile, the current Red Devils defender ranks in the bottom 11% and the top 40% respectively in that regard.

Throw in the fact that the Zagreb native could well be a player for the long term due to his relative youth, and it is easy to see just why he could well be an astute upgrade on United’s peripheral Swede.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has now “resumed training” after his recent injury and may return at the start of next month.

What’s the latest on Alphonse Areola and his West Ham injury?

The Frenchman has been out recently with a hamstring injury and consequently hasn’t been able to feature in the club’s last two Premier League games.

As result, in the recent draw against Newcastle United, manager David Moyes opted to name third-choice goalkeeper Joseph Anang and academy stopper Krisztian Hegyi both on the bench at St James’ Park – he did the same against Chelsea last weekend, too.

However, following a new update on Areola on The West Ham Way podcast, it seems as though the goalkeeper may be back on the bench shortly to provide more senior depth to Lukasz Fabianski.

Indeed, Ex revealed that the 29-year-old is close to returning although likely won’t play until they face Manchester United in the FA Cup.

He said: “Areola has also resumed training. He’s unlikely to feature for us until the Manchester United game, but obviously, it will be good for him to get back on the bench and get some training in before that game.”

What does the Areola injury mean for WHUFC?For now at West Ham, Fabianski remains very much the number one goalkeeping option for Moyes, with the Pole starting all 22 league games so far this season.He is, however, 37 years old now and with Areola completing a permanent transfer to the club from Paris Saint-Germain last summer (signing a five-year deal), it suggests the Frenchman will be the first pick in years to come.This term, though, the 29-year-old has mainly had to settle for minutes in the cup competitions. For instance, he has started every Europa Conference League game.Taking that into account, even if he is fit enough to play, he probably won’t come into the side for another few weeks until West Ham take on Man United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 1st March.

Newcastle United are believed to be one of the clubs who are in the mix to sign Real Betis star, Nabil Fekir, this summer.

What’s the latest on Fekir to Newcastle?

According to reports in Spain – via Sports Witness – the Magpies are said to be one of a handful of Premier League sides who are interested in the 29-year-old, with both Manchester United and Leicester City also named as potential suitors.

The report suggests that despite the Frenchman having just over three years left to run on his existing deal in Seville, the La Liga side are seemingly aware that they may have to cash in this summer amid the mounting interest, with a fee of around €30m (£26m) having been suggested.

The piece goes on to add that the Tynesiders seemingly attempted to sign the 5 foot 8 playmaker – who previously came close to joining Liverpool – last summer, although were unable to come to an agreement with the Andalusian outfit.

Could Fekir rival Almiron for a starting spot?

Fekir has seemingly warranted such interest as a result of his standout form in Spain in recent times, having contributed six goals and three assists in just 19 games in all competitions so far this season, taking his total tally for Betis to 54 goal involvements in just 137 games to date.

The World Cup winner had previously been a key figure at hometown club Lyon prior to joining his current side in 2019, having scored 69 goals and laid on 46 assists in 13 games for the Ligue 1 outfit, after rising up through the club’s youth ranks.

While the left-footed dynamo has typically done much of his damage in an attacking midfield role in recent times, the 25-cap sensation also provides the benefit of being able to feature on the flanks, ensuring that he could offer a suitable alternative to Miguel Almiron in Eddie Howe’s side.

The latter man has been something of a revelation in recent months after being deployed on the right flank, with the playmaker having scored ten goals in the top flight already this term, rubberstamping what has been an “amazing transformation”, in the words of club legend Alan Shearer.

The Paraguayan international has been particularly lethal cutting in onto his stronger left foot to wreak havoc in the Magpies’ forward line, albeit with there a potential concern with regard to the lack of a genuine rival to the 29-year-old’s starting berth, with the likes of Anthony Gordon and Allan Saint-Maximin arguably best suited on the opposite side.

As such the addition of Fekir – who has been described as “like fire” by former Anfield hero Sadio Mane in the past – could provide much-needed competition to the forward line, with more depth set to be required if Newcastle are to compete in Europe next season.

The £117k-per-week wizard is clearly able to offer a real direct threat in attack as he ranks in the top 14% among his European peers for successful take-ons, while he also ranks in the top 4% for shot-creating actions as a marker of his creative prowess.

While the St James’ Park outfit may have to fend off the likes of Man United and Leicester to secure a deal, managing to bring in the Betis man this summer could well help to keep the in-form Almiron on his toes.

West Ham United returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion this afternoon as they dispatched their Premier League relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on a 4-0 scoreline.

It was an all-important win which not only sees the Irons crawl out of the relegation zone, but also brings them to within just two points of today’s visitors to the London Stadium.

Having endured a quiet first half, it took a 15-minute flurry in which the Hammers’ 4-3-3 system finally bore offensive fruit. From minutes 70 to 85 they blew away the Tricky Trees, scoring four goals and putting the game to bed.

Whilst there were plenty of standout players from such a remarkable result for David Moyes’ side, Declan Rice will command particular praise for his stunning goal and well-earned 8.1 Sofascore rating, which he paired with four key passes.

However, it was the first two goals which proved the most important for West Ham, what is why the ice-cold Danny Ings must be handed much of the acclaim.

How did Danny Ings play against Nottingham Forest?

Having been doubtful to start in the build-up to the clash due to injury, the 30-year-old made his first Premier League start since his January move to east London, and did so in remarkable fashion.

His two goals completely changed the complexion of a game which was growing increasingly nervy, as the teams remained level with 20 minutes to go.

Stealing in just inside the six-yard box, he expertly dug out the opener from under his feet and past Keylor Navas, before bundling in a second just three minutes later.

His goals may have underpinned the bulk of his contribution to the team, but the 32-touch marksman’s all-round role was integral to the victory. He also completed b12 passes and proved a consistent aerial threat despite his diminutive frame, winning three of his five aerial duels (via Sofascore).

It was a performance which led journalist Jonty Colman to describe it as Ings “proving his worth” after the injury-prone forward had suffered since his £15m transfer last month.

What is beyond doubt is that West Ham fans saw the brilliant best of the man once dubbed “lethal” by Chris Sutton, and Moyes will be hoping that the 30-year-old can now find some consistency as the Irons look to fire themselves away from the Premier League drop zone.

Performances like today’s will go a long way towards achieving that mission, and should Ings remain fit and firing, the threat of relegation should soon diminish.

A shock report from Turkey has claimed that Alex Iwobi ‘wants to leave’ Everton, as he is ‘unhappy’ at the club, and Fenerbahce could sign him ‘shortly’.

The Lowdown: New contract?

It was only reported in February that Everton were ‘pressing ahead’ to tie Iwobi down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2024.

However, shock reports have emerged that he now wants to leave, and he could make an out-of-window move to Turkey, with their mid-season transfer window still open.

The Latest: Could leave ‘shortly’…

As per Turkish news outlet A Spor, Iwobi is ‘unhappy’ at Goodison Park, and ‘wants to leave’.

Fenerbahce could sign him ‘shortly’ on loan with an option to buy, and the Merseyside club are ‘working hard’ to get a deal done before their deadline day on Sunday.

Sean Dyche has actually responded to the rumours, claiming he believes an exit is ‘unlikely’.

The Verdict: Big shock

It would be a big shock if the report is true and Iwobi is set to leave over the next couple of days.

The Nigeria international has really stepped up this season, with his former manager Frank Lampard hailing his development as ‘brilliant’.

His form has continued under Dyche, as he is currently the highest assister in the squad, while he has also averaged more key passes per match in the Premier League than any of his team-mates (WhoScored).

The Toffees now have a huge decision to make, as they will not want to keep an unhappy player, and being the joint highest earner on £120,000-per-week, they have to weigh up whether it is worth letting Iwobi go that they currently find themselves in a relegation battle.