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Journalist Beren Cross has claimed that Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen will start in the club’s next game.

What’s the latest?

On Sunday afternoon, the Whites will take on Championship outfit Cardiff City away from home in the third round of this year’s FA Cup.

Premier League managers often use cup competitions as an opportunity to mix things up, resting and rotating their starting lineups to afford different players fresh opportunities.

And it seems as though Jesse Marsch might be no exception to this. Indeed, Cross certainly seems to think some changes will be made to the team that last started in the 2-2 draw against West Ham United in the league.

While writing an update for LeedsLive, Cross said: “Rasmus Kristensen looks nailed on to replace Luke Ayling at right-back in their recent hokey cokey.”

Time to shine?

As Cross makes clear, Kristensen and Ayling have shared the minutes at right-back of late. The Dane started the first game back after the break for the World Cup, but had to settle for a role off the bench in the next game, before being an unused substitute in that most recent draw with the Hammers.

This has afforded Ayling the chance to prove his value to Marsch. Indeed, the 31-year-old had a slow start to the season due to injury but how now featured in the last seven league games, starting and going unbeaten in the past two.

In the Premier League for Leeds, the 25-year-old has the third-best average performance rating (via WhoScored) while Ayling is down in 18th out of 25, so it may not be long before the Dane comes back into the starting XI on a regular basis.

For now, though, Kristensen certainly looks set to return to the team for this cup match and will no doubt hope to impress in order to get his place back.

Tottenham Hotspur could dip back into the Championship for their next signing this month.

According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, the Lilywhites are one of several top-flight teams taking a keen look at teenage Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott.

“Told there is a realistic possibility of a sale in January but price an issue. Bristol City want £12m. Bournemouth, Wolves, Leicester, Leeds, Brighton & Spurs all tracking Scott,” he tweeted.

The 19-year-old gem has been on Spurs’ radar for quite some time after football.london journalist Alasdair Gold revealed their interest in him during the summer transfer window, whilst also providing some information about him.

“There’s a young midfielder from the Championship that I know they really like – Alex Scott, an 18-year-old who plays for Bristol City,” he said. “He primarily plays as a right midfielder but he can also play through the centre. He’s played 38 times last season, scored four and got two assists.”

However, despite his obvious potential – considering he’s started the joint-most league games of any Robins player this term – it would surely be a poor career move for him to swap Ashton Gate for north London.

Bristol City’s “prized asset” is also leading the team for assists (four) and has been dubbed the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, which bodes well for his potential attacking contribution in a side severely lacking from creativity.

But you can’t help but feel that this would be another ‘club signing’ rather than one requested by manager Antonio Conte.

The Italian head coach made it very clear that right wing-back Djed Spence wasn’t his target after sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned a £20m deal for him in the summer.

Since then, the 22-year-old hasn’t started any of his six appearances – totalling just 41 minutes of game time – with the inconsistent and unreliable Emerson Royal as well as Matt Doherty preferred to him.

Scott – once dubbed “unbelievable” by City coach Brian Tinnion – would be thrown into an already overcrowded engine room, where he would have to battle starters Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, their backups in Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp, and other young talents in Pape Matar Sarr and Alfie Devine.

Not to mention the point Conte would make by not playing someone he likely didn’t want in the first place, as we’ve seen with Spence.

Therefore, Paratici must avoid repeating this scenario as the Italian could well ruin “midfield maestro” Scott in the long run, given what we’ve seen with the former Middlesbrough star and especially considering his £12m price tag.

AND in other news, Spurs “want” to sign a player “in a similar way to Kulusevski”, Conte badly needs him…

Tottenham Hotspur will no doubt be looking to mirror last season’s January success in order to help their push for Champions League qualification, with the Lilywhites having notably brought in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur a year ago.

It looks as if sporting director Fabio Paratici could well be looking closer to home to find quality additions this time around, however, with talkSPORT having only recently reported that the north Londoners have taken an interest in Brighton and Hove Albion sensation, Leandro Trossard.

The 28-year-old still faces an uncertain future at the Amex despite having seen his current side exercise a one-year contract extension, with an exit from the south coast side still potentially on the cards this month.

The Belgian international – who was reportedly valued at around £30m earlier this season – has been in impressive form of late, with seven goals and three assists in the Premier League so far this term.

Such performances could well ensure that the former Genk man proves an astute addition for Antonio Conte’s side, even if Spurs face a battle on their hands to strike a deal amid reported interest from both Chelsea and Newcastle United.

That is the verdict of transfer insider Dean Jones, who told GIVEMESPORT: “The Trossard link to Tottenham is interesting because his versatility would really suit them.

“However, if he is really going to move, then I would say both Chelsea and Newcastle are also going to be in that conversation and might be more likely landing spots given their level of interest and power in this current market.”

Bringing the “unreal” asset to N17, as lauded by pundit Rio Ferdinand, could well help Paratici and co to secure an ideal replacement for Lucas Moura, with the Brazilian forward set to depart at the end of the season after the club opted against agreeing a new deal.

The 30-year-old has been an effective performer for Tottenham over the years – with 65 goal involvements to his name in 213 appearances – although the diminutive dud has fallen way down the pecking order of late, having started just twice in all competitions this season.

That lack of action has ensured that the former Paris Saint-Germain man has failed to provide a single goal contribution, having scored twice and laid on six assists in the league last term.

Trossard, by contrast, scored eight goals and registered three assists in the top flight during the 2021/22 campaign, having now been consistently delivering the goods while Moura has faltered.

As such, should the latter man be on his way either in the coming weeks or in the summer, turning to the Brighton man could prove an ideal replacement.

A big update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers’ efforts to improve their squad during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Scotland, the Light Blues have won the race to secure the services of Norwich attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell this month.

The report claims that the gem will undergo a medical with the Ibrox club this weekend as Michael Beale closes in on his first signing since taking charge of the Gers.

It is stated that Rangers have agreed a fee with the Canaries and have now ironed out a contract with the player, who will put pen to paper on a deal after completing his medical checks.

Football Scotland have also revealed that the Gers have beaten off competition from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven and other teams in the English Championship to land Cantwell’s signature.

Aribo replacement

Beale could finally land Rangers’ replacement for Nigerian attacking midfielder Joe Aribo by bringing the Norwich dynamo to Ibrox in the coming days.

Last season, the former Charlton man produced eight goals and six assists in the Premiership for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, before Tom Lawrence was brought in on a free transfer in the summer, seemingly to fill that void.

However, the Welshman has struggled with injuries this term and has been limited to five appearances in the Scottish top flight, scoring twice in that time, and Cantwell could now come in to finally take up that place in the team in the long-term.

The 24-year-old magician has previously shown that he has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, and it is now up to Beale to help the gem to rediscover his magic touch in the final third.

Former Norwich and Celtic striker Chris Sutton once hailed him as an “exceptional” talent and tipped him to play for a top club in England at some point in his career.

This came during a period when Cantwell scored six goals during the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, before he went on to score six and set up another six in Norwich’s Championship title-winning season the following year.

The former England under-21 international has not been directly involved in a goal since the start of last season but his previous form for the Canaries in the top two tiers of English football, along with his age, indicates that there is a quality player who could be unlocked by Beale.

If Cantwell can rediscover his form in front of goal and begin producing goals and assists on a regular basis again, he could be Rangers’ heir to Aribo by replicating the now-Southampton talent’s impact at the top end of the pitch at Ibrox.

Aston Villa are creeping towards a stature that head coach Unai Emery will be satisfied with following his arrival in October, and could complete the jigsaw with a successful January bid for Olympique Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi…

What’s the latest?

According to a report from 90min earlier this month, the Villans had registered an interest in the former Arsenal star, but the Midlands outfit would be expected to part with a sum in the region of €50m (£44m) to secure his signature.

More recently, according to journalist Dan Bardell, Villa are expected to make an official transfer bid for the player, with Guendouzi deemed to be the perfect star to shape the club’s fortunes and dictate from the centre as Villa seek a top-half Premier League finish.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “From my understanding, it sounds like Marseille have a suspicion that a bid is coming.

“So hopefully over the next few days – because I know Villa fans are keen for this one – there’ll be that concrete offer from Villa, because he’s a player that’s worked with Emery before. You get the sense now that Emery’s very much in charge of everything at Villa now, he has the final say on everything, he’s in control, and Guendouzi’s someone who would fit in very nicely into that hybrid wide/central midfielder role.”

Huge Nakamba upgrade

While Emery has found much success on the transfer front this month, clinching deals for Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran and reportedly looking to complete the signing of Gerard Deulofeu, the addition of a central midfielder of first-rate quality would go a long way towards continuing the fantastic form that has seen Aston Villa clinch victory across five of the seven league matches with the Spaniard at the wheel.

And with Guendouzi indeed flourishing out in France, the dynamism and intensity that he would instil from the centre of the Villa Park midfield would go a long way toward riding a vein of form that could be maintained, among the prominent outfits of the English top-flight.

Emery once hailed the seven-cap France international as “unique”, and it is this distinctive set of skills that will serve him well in the pursuit of prominence.

This season in Ligue 1, the 23-year-old has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.9 intersections per outing, also completing 0.8 key passes per match in a bid to serve from multiple areas of expertise, consequently chalking up an average rating of 6.93, as per Sofascore.

As per FBref, Guendouzi ranks among the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of assists, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area, which would provide a layer of creativity on top of his defence and deep-lying presence.

With this in mind, it appears a no-brainer that Villa technical director Johan Lange ensures a massive upgrade on Marvelous Nakamba is completed, with the 29-year-old yet to make an appearance for the Claret & Blue this season despite sitting on the bench on multiple occasions.

And with the Zimbabwean midfielder failing to record an average rating of over 6.63 across any completion while in Villa colours, his departure would continue the upswing that Emery is looking to surge the club into riding.

Indeed, compared to the French midfielder in question, Nakamba ranked in the worst 10% of players in just the Premier League last term for assists, the worst 11% for progressive passes and the very worst percentage for touches.

Bearing this in mind, the “warrior” that is Guendouzi – as dubbed by Robert Pires – is undoubtedly the better fit to ensure that the recent purple patch does not fade away, and Villa’s newfound confidence and swagger can be maintained over the coming campaigns, perhaps returning the club to a position in-and-around European contention.

Tottenham Hotspur have had Dynamo Kyiv defender Ilya Zabarnyi on their radar for a transfer swoop, but are now at risk of missing out on him to a Premier League rival.

The Lowdown: Tottenham pursuing Zabarnyi

Spurs’ interest in the 20-year-old is long-standing, with Football24 reporting at the end of the last transfer window that the north Londoners were willing to spend £25m to secure his services, but this was not deemed to be enough by Dynamo Kyiv.

After missing out on the Ukrainian in the summer, Spurs have struggled defensively in the Premier League this season, their tally of 31 goals conceded the sixth-highest in the division.

The Latest: Villa preparing move for Zabarnyi

According to The Sun, Antonio Conte’s side are one of several English clubs to have had the 20-year-old on their radar, including the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.

However, it is Villa who are now ready for a last-gasp swoop for the £13m-valued defender before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, so Spurs could be set to miss out unless they act with haste.

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The Verdict: Blow for Conte

Spurs’ defensive issues have been well-documented, with Emerson Royal coming in for criticism from Gabriel Agbonlahor earlier this season, while John Wenham has fumed about Clement Lenglet’s impact since arriving at the club last summer.

As such, a new addition in defence would have been ideal for Conte, and it is a blow that Villa could win the race for Zabarnyi, particularly given how vital he has been for Dynamo Kiev already despite still being at a very young age.

Hailed as a ‘complete & dominant’ centre-back by football Scout Jacek Kulig, who also said that the 6 foot 3 powerhouse has a ‘big future ahead’, that prediction is justified given that the Ukrainian gem has already made 84 appearances for his current club, including 12 in the Champions League.

Zabarnyi appears ready to make the step up to the Premier League, but unless Tottenham move swiftly, it seems unlikely that he will be coming to north London any time soon.

Arsenal’s search for a new central midfielder could take them to Mikel Arteta’s home country, Spain, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish outlets AS and El Pais (via Sport Witness) claim that the Gunners have enquired about Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi and it’s thought that he will only leave if his release clause is met, which is around €60m (£52m).

The Premier League leaders are said to be willing to sanction the deal but may need to wait until the summer when the player is more likely to agree to a switch.

Interestingly, the 23-year-old is represented by the same agency as Arteta, which surely bodes well for any negotiations.

Caicedo lite

There have been several names mooted over the last few weeks and the need for a new engine room option has increased due to Mohamed Elneny’s recent injury blow.

It leaves Arteta very light on choices, with only Albert Sambi Lokonga available to fill in for first-choice duo Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

One of the potential targets appears to be Brighton and Hove Albion sensation Moises Caicedo but with an asking price of £100m being bandied about, it seems unlikely that sporting director Edu Gaspar is going to pull the trigger for that amount of money.

Zubimendi is available at around half that and intriguingly, he is comparable to the 21-year-old gem, as per FBref’s statistical model. It’s easy to see why, too, as he’s very much a powerhouse in defensive midfield.

When compared to similar in his role across Europe’s top five divisions over the last year, the Sociedad star ranks inside the top 7% for aerials won, the top 10% for clearances and the top 19% for interceptions per 90 minutes.

With only goalkeeper Alex Remiro playing more minutes for the White and Blues, it’s clear that Zubimendi has played an integral role to them pushing the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in LaLiga this term, currently sitting in third place – some seven points clear of Atletico Madrid in fourth.

Indeed, it’s why talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him “the heart of La Real’s midfield,” having previously described him as a deep-lying “playmaker” who is “similar” to Toni Kroos.

He has even earned lofty praise from Barca boss Xavi Hernandez, who claimed Zubimendi is better than his ex-teammate and current regular Sergio Busquets in some aspects. “He is more physical and faster than Busi, who is better technically,” he said.

Similarly, another midfield great in Xabi Alonso has also waxed lyrical about his credentials, as relayed by Simon Phillips.

“Martín’s a player all coaches would want. He’s generous, he always thinks more about his teammates than himself. He has that ability to generate play, to make those around him better, always offering solutions; to improve the move. He understands what the next step is before the ball gets to him. He has that ability to organise, the axis. I loved working with him.”

On the above evidence, the Gunners could do little wrong in opting for the cheaper option in 2023. Zubimendi is available at half the price of Caicedo and his obvious quality and potential makes that seem like a complete bargain.

Perhaps “the new Busquets” – in the words of journalist Jacque Talbot – is who Edu should go after instead.

AND in other news, Forget Tielemans: Edu could find Arsenal’s next “monster” in £33m “incredible talent”…

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale continued his unbeaten run in charge of the club by beating Hearts 3-0 in the Premiership on Wednesday night.

The Gers opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the match as they worked a quick free-kick out to Ryan Kent on the flank and the Englishman’s delicate ball to the back post allowed Alfredo Morelos to nod into the back of the net from close range.

Fashion Sakala thought he had put Rangers 2-0 up just before the half-hour mark but the linesman’s flag put an end to his joy and VAR confirmed that the forward was offside. The Zambia international then missed a huge opportunity to get on the scoresheet as the attacker got onto the end of Malik Tillman’s cutback and saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper.

Tillman made up for Sakala’s miss shortly after that as Connor Goldson’s header back across the box was met sweetly on the volley by the on-loan Bayern Munich gem to make it 2-0.

Morelos secured his second and Rangers’ third in the second half as the Colombia international ghosted into the box to finish from Sakala’s cross.

It was an enjoyable performance from the Light Blues as they used their intensity and quality to starve Hearts of possession whilst consistently bombarding the opposition box to create chance after chance.

Whilst the attacking play on display from the side was superb, an unsung hero on the night for Beale’s side was central defender Connor Goldson as the gem put in a fantastic performance at the heart of the defence.

Supporters may want to laud the exciting play from the likes of Sakala, Tillman, and Morelos, and rightly so, but the English battler provided the platform from which the forwards built.

Out of possession, Goldson won 100% of his individual battles on the pitch – winning both of his ground battles and his one in the air – with the ex-Brighton man proving dominant by not affording the Hearts attackers a sniff all night.

The £37k-per-week colossus, who also made two clearances and one tackle, was also composed on the ball as he completed 82% of his attempted passes and, of course, assisted the second goal of the night by heading the ball across to Tillman.

Goldson was, therefore, key to what Rangers did at both ends of the pitch by dominating the opposition in his own third and venturing forward to contribute in Hearts’ box.

His excellent defending allowed the attacking players for the Gers to push forward and do what they do best in the final third, which is why he was an unsung hero for Beale on the night amongst a number of impressive displays.

Leeds United could be set to move on from Jesse Marsch with a familiar face…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan has emerged as a potential candidate to succeed the American.

With their disappointing loss yesterday, the current Whites manager seemed to remain confident that things would turn around. He was quoted as claiming: “I understand the frustration and doubts, internally we have belief here, we do. The players are all in, they give everything.”

However, the hierarchy decided enough was enough, and called time on his reign on Monday.

Now the Spaniard, who has been at the club previously under the regime of Marcelo Bielsa, could be set to return after two impressive spells in the Championship.

Could get Leeds rocking

Things have been tough at Elland Road of late, and admittedly ever since the departure of Bielsa things have seldom looked up.

January marked the second consecutive window of significant backing from Andrea Radrizzani, and yet they remain without a Premier League win since early November. Marsch’s position became untenable, and he had to go.

Meanwhile, the Baggies are in simply unstoppable form.

Corberan took over the Midlands outfit in disarray, with the club licking its wounds from a torrid Steve Bruce tenure. The 39-year-old went in and instantly got results, with his team now sitting in a playoff spot having been in the relegation zone when he arrived.

He seems to have blended the offensive fluidity of his mentor’s system with a defensive solidity of his own invention. That was arguably the downfall during Bielsa’s time at the club.

As such, his West Brom outfit have lost just two games in the league, scoring 19 times whilst conceding just seven in 13 matches.

He was clearly destined to achieve great things, and even before his first foray into management with Huddersfield Town, he earned praise from the legendary Argentine. He claimed: “Carlos is a good colleague, I have found that. He is very talented. I listen more to his opinion than I give mine to him.”

It was his spell at the Terriers which drew initial praise, as he led them to an unlikely playoff final where they fell at the last hurdle.

He since suffered a succinct failed spell at Olympiakos but has his budding career firmly back on track now at the Hawthorns.

To join Leeds would see him employ many of the skills he has already flexed this season in revitalising his current club, and would represent a romantic return as the student of Bielsa becomes the master at Thorp Arch.

Having a Bielse-esque figure standing in the dugout could well be the much-needed catalyst to restoring that feel-good factor that has not been felt since their initial promotion and first season back in the top flight. Indeed, Elland Road would surely be bouncing again in no time at all.

Insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Leeds United fans will hope that breakthrough star Wilfried Gnonto stays at the club rather than making a big move this summer.

What’s the word?

Gnonto arrived at the club for around £3.8m this summer in a deadline-day move from FC Zurich and has been the shining light of an otherwise underwhelming season.

The teenager continued his fine start to life in English football with a stunning performance away at Manchester United in midweek, opening the scoring in the first minute before setting up the second goal in their 2-2 draw, and may start to attract interest from elsewhere.

However, O’Rourke has told Football FanCast that Leeds fans will be desperately hoping he does not leave in the event the club avoid relegation amid potential interest arriving from elsewhere off the back of his fine performances.

O’Rourke said: “He’s definitely got all the tools. He’s already an Italy international as well.

“He’s made a real big impact at Leeds this season. I think for Leeds fans, they’ll be hoping he can stay for as long as possible and that none of the big boys will try and prise him away with a big-money offer in the summer.”

Bargain buy

Gnonto was let go by Inter in 2020, joining Zurich for free, and Leeds brought him to the Premier League for a bargain price with an eye on the future.

The 19-year-old has scored four goals for Leeds this season, and his pace and creativity provide a spark in an otherwise inconsistent team, who recently sacked manager Jesse Marsch.

Indeed, he ranks in the top 9% of wingers for progressive carries and is already a crucial member of the attack as he helps carry the ball forward.

Leeds interim boss Michael Skubala called Gnonto “special”, and if he maintains this level of performance and helps Leeds avoid relegation, he will surely become a hero at Elland Road. Whether that will be enough to see him stay at the club in the long term remains to be seen.