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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has tipped the club to sign Dwight Gayle should the Whites receive some cash from Qatar, amidst takeover reports.

What did he say?

Reports from The Times claim the Yorkshire giants could get a new investment from Qatari Sports Investment (QSI), as the owners want to see Leeds reach the level of Manchester City.

Whelan believes that should the club increase it’s wealth from the new investors that Marcelo Bielsa should delve into the transfer market in January to help with the club’s bid for promotion, and he says prolific goalscorer Gayle should be on his wishlist.

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Whelan told Football Insider: “He talks about new investment if we get promoted this season. What Leeds need is investment not just for the Premier League, but for the January window. He should be looking to get a loan or some cash front-loaded for January. There is no guarantee we are going to go up.

“Do a deal now and and get some money in. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount, just enough to immediately improve the team.

“I’m thinking a loan deal for someone like Dwight Gayle. He’d be perfect for us, a proven striker who could well be available and who has a brilliant record in the Championship.

“I can see him joining. We would just have to match his Newcastle wages, which Leeds probably wouldn’t be able to afford without new investment. That’s the reality.”

Gayle and the Championship: A dream pairing

Should Leeds find themselves with a new windfall, buying in January would be a necessity in order to finally return to the Premier League. Bielsa’s side might be the best defensive side in the Championship, but on the other hand, they have scored just 15 times which puts them on the same amount of goals Luton Town in 18th.

Whilst this keeps Leeds only two points off the top, it has caused a change in form with the club winning once in the last four games. Up top, Bielsa has just Patrick Bamford, Eddie Nketiah and Tyler Roberts to call upon, with the latter playing just 65 minutes of league action. Even the experienced Bamford has netted only four times in the 11 fixtures so far, whilst Nketiah has two Championship goals since joining the club from Arsenal.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

As a result, the Whites should do what they can with what they have to sign Gayle – a proven Championship goal machine. The Englishman has 59 goals in 100 appearances in the second tier, as opposed to just 22 goals in 99 outings in the Premier League.

The former Crystal Palace man scored 23 times as he rocketed Newcastle United back to the Premier League in 2016-17, whilst his 23 goals for West Bromwich Albion helped the Baggies into the playoffs last season.

Certain players are just made for the Championship. Gayle’s record suggests he is one of them, and with his superior goalscoring record over Bamford and Nketiah, signing him might be the final piece to the puzzle in their quest to reach the top-flight.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

TyC Sports reported earlier this week that Emiliano Martinez is in line to receive a call-up for Argentina, and he deserves to get a chance for Arsenal in the Premier League, too.

Franco Armani and Esteban Andrada are both set to miss the two upcoming friendlies for the Albiceleste against Germany and Ecuador next month due to their participation in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores, and that could therefore mean a first selection for the 27-year-old.

However, the one thing that could count against him, of course, is that he is not a regular with the Gunners. The number one spot at the Emirates Stadium is taken up by Bernd Leno, at least in the Premier League, whilst the former Independiente man has had to make do with appearances in the Europa League and the League Cup.

But, although Leno is currently first choice, a case could be made that Martinez deserves his chance between the sticks in the league.

The Germany international, of course, has the track record. He was impressive for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, which earned him a call-up to his national side, too. But his form in England has not exactly been flawless.

Last season, he made five mistakes which led directly to goals. Only Asmir Begovic of Bournemouth made as many, and so far this season, Leno has already cost his side at least one goal. His poor save against Tottenham was an incident that will have displeased the Gunners supporters, with it leading to an easy tap-in for Christian Eriksen.

6 foot 2 Martinez, meanwhile, has performed well on both outings so far this campaign. Of course, he was rarely tested against Nottingham Forest, facing only one shot on target, but he still managed to keep a clean sheet in the process.

Against Eintracht Frankfurt in Europe, he was under far more pressure, but he stood up to the challenge. Once again, he didn’t concede, this time making seven saves along the way. His display helped his side to a 3-0 victory.

Arsenal supporters have already been calling for the shot-stopper to receive more playing time, and they could have a point. Leno may have the experience, but the performances have not always backed that up, and whenever Martinez has stepped onto the pitch recently, he has been impeccable.

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Not only has he merited his chance to play for his country – of course, their lack of depth in goal gives him a far better chance of a call-up – but he deserves to be given a run of games in north London too.

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Some Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to fume over the referee’s decision not to award their side at least one penalty in the disappointing 1-1 draw against Hibernian.

The draw has allowed Rangers to make up some ground in the title race, and it seems as if some Celtic supporters think one man was the blame for their side dropping points.

Kristoffer Ajer’s own goal in the eighth minute gifted Hibernian an early lead, before Ryan Christie’s 11th goal of the season saw the Bhoys equalise.

It was a moment when Christie was brought down in the penalty area that Neil Lennon cited as one of two incidents in which his side should’ve been awarded a spot kick – Moritz Bauer was also upended in the area, but both claims fell on deaf ears.

One fan said that the referee was “shocking”, while another called him a “no good cheat” – as you can see, they’re not happy with the official’s work.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

When Matt Targett left Southampton in the summer, the Saints supporters would’ve been forgiven for thinking the squad looked a little light in the left-back department.

As a result of Targett’s £17m move to Aston Villa, Ryan Bertrand was left as the only senior figure on the left side of defence, but it has become apparent that Ralph Hasenhuttl has somewhat of an issue with him.

Summer signing Kevin Danso started the Saints’ outing against Brighton at left-back with Bertrand out injured, although Hasenhuttl later confirmed that he would’ve made that change anyway even if the former Chelsea man was fit.

And then the summer recruit was selected at full-back once again at home to Manchester United, but his afternoon was cut short when he was given his marching orders for two bookable offences.

However, Danso is a natural centre-back, whilst Hasenhuttl also played Pierre-Emile Højbjerg at left-back in the EFL Cup win over Fulham, and praised the Dane for his performance in the role.

In that respect, it seems as if the Austrian boss has some options to replace Bertrand at left-back for now.

However, neither of them are natural figures for the role, but when it eventually comes down to finding a replacement for Bertrand, Southampton could have a potential future challenger for the position in Jake Vokins.

The 19-year-old has been impressing in the Southampton academy for a while now and grabbed two assists from left-back in the recent Under-23 outing against Liverpool, a game which the Merseysiders won 4-3.

The Guardian highlighted Vokins as a player who could soon make the step up at Southampton, whilst the club themselves are seemingly keen to keep him around and develop him having handed the full-back a contract extension just last year.

With Targett no longer on the South Coast and Bertrand seemingly not in Hasenhuttl’s good books, Vokins could potentially be a future challenger for the role if he keeps up the good work.

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There’s no knowing how Bellerin will perform upon his return, but Arsenal’s Europa League tie against Standard Liege should be a pretty good test – should he be available.

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Man Utd have had a slow January transfer window, with the Red Devils yet to sign anyone. Of course, that was always expected, given that they’re currently in somewhat of a transitionary period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The board aren’t likely to be willing to invest big money under a boss that may not be there in six months.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Man Utd board aren’t working hard. Indeed, attention has already shifted to the summer window, at least if the latest exclusive report from the Metro is to be believed. According to the Metro, Man Utd are tracking Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho, with the club potentially looking to make a move in the summer. 

Dortmund are said to value him at £90 million, which is a huge fee for the teenager, but Man Utd have shown a willingness to invest that sort of money in top talents – and Sancho certainly falls under that banner.

He’s enjoyed a fantastic season so far this year, with a brilliant return of 6 goals and 9 assists from just 12 league games. He offers incredible ability and drive down the flanks for Dortmund, and he’s regularly kept big-name Chelsea-bound attacker Christian Pulisic out of the team.

Significantly, Man Utd look to be building for the future, with Anthony Martial handed a new deal by the Red Devils. In Sancho, the Red Devils could have the ideal long-term partner for the Frenchman, especially with Alexis Sanchez struggling.

Make no mistake, Sancho is one of Europe’s best young players, and they’re always going to come at a premium.  He could help usher in a new era at Old Trafford.

Thoughts? 

Everton and Aston Villa are monitoring AS Roma prospect Vincenzo Venturino Muteba, according to TuttoMercatoWEB.

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The 17-year-old full-back is yet to play a senior fixture for his Serie A side, but enjoyed a respectable run of appearances in the Giallorossi’s youth set-up last season, with 21 outings across all competitions (TransferMarkt), including a late cameo in the Campionato U17s Final defeat to Inter Milan.

He also found the back of the net in a 3-1 win over Crotone during the regular season, and assisted Matteo Cancellieri’s seventh goal of the season with a cross in Roma’s 8-1 rout at home to Lecce last October.

Muteba has now been promoted to Roma’s Under 18s side for the new campaign, but his rise at the Stadio Olimpico is understood to have attracted the interests of Everton and Aston Villa, who are following the Roma-born prospect with a view to bolstering their respective academy sides.

It is not noted on what contract Muteba is currently tied to Roma on, which would ultimately determine how expensive his acquisition would prove to be, although a transfer would not be possible until January at the earliest either way.

TuttoMercatoWEB also do not suggest whether Muteba would be open to a move away from his boyhood side, with whom he has spent his entire career to date.

Everton making a move for Muteba could be seen as the Merseyside outfit trying to secure a replacement for Antonee Robinson, after the Milton Keynes-born, United States international joined Wigan Athletic on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee in the summer (BBC).

Robinson had been a regular option for Everton in the Premier League 2 before joining Bolton Wanderers on loan in 2017 and later Wigan (TransferMarkt), but the Merseyside outfit are now without a wealth of emerging talent in the left-back role with Matty Foulds the only recognised option for David Unsworth.

Muteba is a natural right-back, but dabbled between the wide defensive positions during the 2018/19 season, with seven of his appearances coming at left-back (TransferMarkt).

Do Everton need to look at new defensive signings? Let us know by commenting below…

A number of Liverpool supporters have slammed Jordan Henderson’s performance against Arsenal, despite the Reds reaching the League Cup final.

Jurgen Klopp’s men produced an impressive display away to the Gunners on Thursday evening, winning 2-0 at the Emirates.

Liverpool dominated the game barring a slow start, with Diogo Jota twice finding the net to fire his side to Wembley and a final against Chelsea next month.

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There were standout performers for the Reds in north London, from Jota to Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Henderson was again a long way short of his best.

The Liverpool captain played no key passes on the night and lost possession five times, according to Sofascore, lacking his usual energy in the middle of the park.

He was dribbled past once and only registered 39 touches, which was a whopping 20 less than his own goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher.

It is not the first time the skipper has struggled this term, ranking as Liverpool’s 14th-best player for the season on Whoscored.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-18/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans criticise Henderson display

Henderson’s performance wasn’t ignored by some Reds fans on Twitter, who took to the social media platform to lambast his display.

“Henderson plays against us now. Man just got the ball off from Fabinho there”

Credit: @LuffyLFC

“Henderson had a very poor game. Really struggling for a bit of form at the minute”

Credit: @ciarano44

“Henderson did nothing all game yet again. Nobody has been good. But Henderson was invisible. He never came back from the Euros”

Credit: @AndyLFC17

“I’m better than Jordan Henderson and I’m 17”

Credit: @JacobSize3

“That was a truly anonymous performance from Henderson there”

Credit: @DollyDevereaux

“Henderson now is so poor in midfield and not improving at all. I miss players like Elliot, Thiago, Keita. Only Jones is doing anything in attack”

Credit: @Horlawale3043

In other news, some Liverpool fans are buzzing over a Reds transfer update. Read more here.

Liverpool won’t sell Aston Villa target Joe Gomez in the final days of the January window, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Gomez links

Villa are looking to bolster their centre-back ranks after Axel Tuanzebe cut his season-long loan short in order to join Napoli earlier this month.

That has left Steven Gerrard with Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings as his only senior options, with Gomez thought to be a target.

Villa were lining up a late swoop for the 24-year-old this week with Gerrard apparently a ‘huge admirer’ of the player, however, it doesn’t look as if Gomez will be heading to the Midlands.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Tuesday lunchtime after being informed by a Liverpool source.

They revealed that Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want to lose Gomez in the final days of the window and as a result all offers will be refused.

The Verdict: Time to move on

Villa are also looking to bring in a defensive midfielder before Monday’s deadline, with Rodrigo Bentancur linked, so Johan Lange looks set to be extremely busy over the coming days.

However, he won’t be bringing Gomez to Villa Park, so it may be worth sounding out alternative defensive targets before the weekend.

A new centre-back is required due to Gerrard’s limited numbers in that area, so even if it is a loan signing until the end of the season, it could turn out to be the most important piece of business of the lot.

In other news: ‘Some breaking transfer news’ – Sky Sports drop live TV update on Aston Villa and 9-trophy beast.

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Matt Doherty is expected to leave north London in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist revealing on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast that Spurs boss Antonio Conte is looking to move a number of first-team players on in the upcoming winter market, and that the 29-year-old defender is one of them.

Speaking about the potential exit of the Republic of Ireland international next month, Romano said: “Doherty has a serious chance to leave in January. Tottenham are also thinking about the outgoings. Doherty is going to leave.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering how poor Doherty has generally been for Tottenham since his £15m move to North London back in the summer of 2020, the news that Spurs are looking to move the right-back on this winter is sure to have left many of the club’s fanbase buzzing.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances last season – only 13 of which came as starts – the £10.8m-rated defender helped his side keep a mere three clean sheets, as well as being beaten by an opponent an average of 1.2 times and losing possession of the ball a whopping 13.3 times per game.

These returns saw the £74k-per-week man earn an extremely disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of just 6.76, ranking him as Spurs’ 11th-worst performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

Things have not improved for the right-back over his four league outings this season, with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as Antonio Conte’s eighth-worst player in the division so far.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise to many Tottenham fans that, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the overwhelming majority of Spurs supporters voted in favour of their club moving the 29-year-old onto pastures new this winter.

As a result, Romano’s latest update will undoubtedly come as music to the ears of many involved with the club, and we would have to agree that Doherty’s rather hefty weekly wage could easily be put to much better use by Fabio Paratici and Conte in the January transfer window.

In other news: Conte may have found his new Skriniar as THFC make contact for £76m-rated “oil tanker”