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Leeds United do boast a smattering of talent within their ranks despite the relegation battle they are once again enduring, which makes their current predicament all the more baffling.

It is clear that a lack of belief and form are combining to exacerbate their troubles, and as such the Whites sit just two points clear from the drop zone, constantly straddling danger despite Javi Gracia’s minor turnaround in their form.

Should the Spaniard achieve safety come the conclusion of this campaign, he will likely seek to purge this squad that has been assembled by two managers that prioritised chaos.

He has instead brought a pragmatism, although that was swiftly unravelled in their recent 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Crystal Palace.

All progress made under the new boss was expunged, as the Yorkshire outfit dropped one of the worst second-half displays in recent memory. This saw many of this aforementioned talent wilt, with even their most experienced and well-thought-of assets disappointing.

Illan Meslier put in a particularly shocking display, as the man who allowed those five goals to sail into his net.

Given how the Frenchman’s reputation and value have soared in recent years, perhaps Gracia could seek to cash in on this shot-stopper come the summer in order to fund his own additions.

How much is Illan Meslier worth now?

Having been signed permanently for just £5m in 2020 after a successful loan spell that led to their promotion, the 23-year-old remained raw but full of immense potential.

His first season in the Premier League saw him translate that form, but since then the £30k-per-week gem has been embroiled in two relegation scraps.

Just last year saw journalist Barry Collins brand him a “liability”, and with his display against the Eagles, it seems little has changed.

Earning an abysmal 5.7 rating, the inconsistent 'keeper made just two saves all game alongside one punch, via Sofascore.

However, it was his rash attempt to clear a set piece that allowed Marc Guehi to steal in for the equaliser; a crushing blow right before half time, that completely altered the trajectory of the game.

The rest was history, as Meslier oversaw a further four goals, few of which he covered himself in glory for.

Given that Football Transfers now rate the apex of his expected Transfer Value at €35.7m (£31.3m), the 526% increase from his initial sum paid makes his potential sale all the more tantalising.

With Tottenham Hotspur one reported willing suitor, to offload the out-of-form dud marks a no-brainer for Gracia.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers broke their transfer record to sign precocious 18-year-old Fabio Silva for £35.6m in 2020, optimism was rife that the club had clinched the services of a possible prodigy.

Speaking of the deal, chairman Jeff Shi said: "Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability, but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class."

The Old Gold did not meld with the Portuguese teenager as anticipated, and Silva only managed to clinch four goals from 62 appearances before being shipped out on loan last summer to Belgian outfit Anderlecht, where he was recalled and pushed out to PSV Eindhoven in January.

The Premier League outfit will remain positive that Silva can hit the rich vein of form desired in the midlands, especially after the forward has enjoyed some fruitful fortunes this season.

How has Fabio Silva played this season?

Silva's quality has never been in question, rather, his physical presence and authority in the thick of the robustness of the Premier League, but at such a young age there is still plenty of time to make the increments to his physicality to partner the innate goal-scoring threat.

He is improving quickly, though, and has scored 15 goals and served five assists from 33 starts across his two temporary outfits this term.

What's been said about Fabio Silva?

Prior to his sojourns in Belgium and the Netherlands, The Mail's Ollie Lewis even hailed his "enormous potential" in August and said he "led the line superbly with his energy and physicality."

Former Old Gold captain Conor Coady also waxed lyrical over the rising star last year, praising the now 20-year-old for his impact on the squad, belying his youthful years and inexperience.

He said: "He’s been fantastic since he came in. He works so, so hard to improve and get better, and you see that now. We know when he comes into the team, he’ll do a job, and that’s what he’s doing at the minute."

Who could Silva replace at Wolves?

With Silva's development perhaps leaving him in good stead to forge a second surge for a place as the undisputed talisman at Molineux, Lopetegui must consider axing Diego Costa, with the 34-year-old striker failing to find the back of the net since his summer arrival as a free transfer.

Indeed, Costa has played 16 matches this season and failed to record even one direct contribution, and it is hard to envisage that his one-year deal will be extended.

As per Sofascore, the Spaniard has recorded an average league rating of only 6.56, taking 1.5 shots per match but unable to strike the back of the net; Costa's 0.4 key passes per match are below par too, his verve and efficiency waning after his past feats on English soil, starring for Chelsea and scoring 52 goals from 89 outings en-route to winning two Premier League titles.

With Silva in the maiden phase of his career and already boasting, as per WhoScored, 1.4 shots and 0.4 key passes per match – almost identical numbers to his senior peer – the ace could unleash the "monster" inside – as hailed by Jack Collins – and devastate Premier League defences with a shot at prominence at Molineux once again next term.

There were murmurs of discontent from West Ham fans when Gianluca Scamacca was named on the bench for the Hammers’ game against AEK Larnaca on Thurday evening.

The Italy international has struggled for form and confidence recently and after making his return from injury, the game against the Cypriot minnows would have arguably been the perfect chance to build up his fitness and try and get him on the scoresheet.

However, David Moyes opted for the tried and tested Michail Antonio, despite the Jamaican’s own struggles in front of goal of late, and he would score both goals in the 2-0 win.

Scamacca was left on the bench for the 4-0 defeat against Brighton last weekend and given his cameo in Cyprus last night, it was easy to see why.

How did Scamacca perform vs Larnaca?

As per Sofascore, the former Sassuolo man would earn a shocking 6.3/10 rating for his performance, which was joint with Lucas Paqueta as the worst of any player to feature in the game.

The 24-year-old replaced Antonio with half an hour remaining but failed to make any impact whatsoever during his time on the pitch, contributing no shots, no key passes and no successful dribbles.

Scamacca was signed to be a powerful target man but looked anything but against the Cypriot side, failing to win any of his six ground duels in the game, while he would muster just seven successful passes.

He somehow managed to lose possession on five occasions, despite touching the ball just 16 times in his time on the pitch, which emphasises just how poor the 6 foot 5 attacker was in a game where West Ham were expected to win comfortably.

Since signing from Sassuolo in a £35.5m deal in the summer, he has managed only seven goals in 26 appearances, four of which have come in the Conference League, with fans perhaps concerned that the young forward will follow in the footsteps of a number of strikers who have struggled to make the grade with the Hammers.

Moyes has faced some criticism for the Italian’s lack of game time in recent weeks but his shocking performance on Thursday evening arguably proved the Scottish manager right, and Scamacca will have to massively improve if he wants to establish himself as the main man at the London Stadium.

Manchester United will face familiar foes in Leeds United this afternoon as they hope to exact revenge following their failure to secure all three points in midweek against the same opposition.

Erik ten Hag’s side failed to win for just the third time this year, and with Arsenal and Manchester City recently slipping up in their chase for the Premier League title, could United launch a surprise challenge?

The fixture congestion that is slowly building may disrupt any ambitions they have of a sustained challenge, although a victory this afternoon would offer a boost in confidence.

Ten Hag welcomed back Jadon Sancho in midweek for his first Premier League appearance since October, and the 22-year-old marked his introduction off the bench by scoring United’s equaliser in the 2-2 draw.

Will Sancho be unleashed against Leeds?

Since arriving in Manchester in the summer of 2021, his spell at the club hasn’t exactly lived up to the dizzying heights that some might have expected following his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund.

His first season at Old Trafford saw him score just five goals, which was some way down on his 16 in the previous campaign for Dortmund, which made him arguably one of the most highly-regarded youngsters on the continent.

The 22-year-old was expected to kick on this season under Ten Hag, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way, despite an encouraging start in August which saw him hit the winner against Liverpool in a 2-1 victory.

He trained away from the first team between November and January, with the manager wanting him to regain full mental and physical fitness, and it appears to have worked.

Substituted on for the final half-hour in midweek, Sancho not only managed to score but also made three key passes, had four dribble attempts and completed 92% of his passes in a rather successful cameo, and Ten Hag should duly unleash him from the start today.

He was once hailed as “robust” by Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc and “flamboyant” by ex-England youth coach Dan Micciche, and if he can get back to the form he displayed in Germany, he could become a formidable player for Ten Hag and United.

If given a start today, he could terrorise a Leeds defence which couldn’t stop his attacking prowess on Wednesday, and the Red Devils boss could use that to his advantage today to great effect.

Tottenham Hotspur have played host to some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League in the last decade or so, with few having gone on to achieve as much in the game as Luka Modric.

The Croatian was a classy yet combative midfield maestro for the Lilywhites, and yet following his first season at Real Madrid was voted alongside Alex Song as one of the worst La Liga signings for that season.

Fans from the white half of north London were likely the only ones who maintained belief he would come good, having also seen Andre Villas-Boas dub him “one of the greatest talents in the world”.

He would go on to win five Champions League titles, three La Ligas and the Ballon d’Or, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest central midfielders of all time.

Now, Spurs could be hoping to repeat that feat as Fabio Paratici is reportedly eyeing a move for Lovro Majer. The Rennes midfielder has already seen a €60m (£53m) valuation slapped upon his head, which is indicative of the immense quality he clearly possesses.

The 25-year-old may already be drawing comparisons with him and his legendary 37-year-old compatriot, but not just because of their shared nationality.

Not only have they enjoyed similar career paths, passing through Dinamo Zagreb on their way to stardom, but their slight figures both belie the work rate and toughness they possess.

This season the silky operator is recording an 85% pass accuracy, which he converts into one key pass per game. He then blends this with 1.1 tackles per 90 too (via Sofascore), outlining him as an all-around outstanding option.

Obviously comparing these numbers to Modric directly outlines the gulf in quality, but his 90% pass accuracy, 1.5 key passes and 0.8 tackles per game (via Sofascore) this season showcase that he does excel in the right areas to be a direct replacement.

Just over a year ago saw him lauded in particular by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who took to Twitter in November of 2021 to outline his “phenomenal” month where he had been “on fire”.

Perhaps moving to join a higher quality of players could see Majer increase his level as Modric did, which would in effect allow him to emulate his career further.

It may be a lofty goal to follow the path of the Ballon d’Or winner, but they share all the attributes that make it seem a truly attainable possibility.

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Rafael Leao to the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication La Repubblica (via Sempre Milan), who claim that, despite AC Milan having offered the winger a new deal worth €7m (£6.2m) net per season – roughly £120k-per-week – difficulties remain for the Serie A side due to a €19.5m (£17m) fine owed to Sporting Lisbon regarding the forward’s termination of his contract in 2018.

The report goes on to state that, should the Rossoneri fail to tie the Portugal international down to a new contract at the San Siro, Stefano Pioli’s side could look to cash in on the trickster at the end of the current campaign – with his current deal with the reigning Italian champions set to expire in the summer of 2024.

Were this to be the case, La Repubblica suggest that Newcastle would very much be a club in the race for the €150m (£133m) valued attacker this summer, while Real Madrid and Chelsea are also believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation of Leao ahead of making their own potential move for the winger at the end of the season.

Howe’s own Mbappe

Considering just how impressive Leao has been for AC Milan in recent seasons, it is not difficult to understand why Eddie Howe would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to St. James’ Park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Indeed, over his 34 Serie A appearances last time out, the £62m-rated talent played a key role in the Rossoneri’s title-winning campaign, scoring 11 goals, registering 10 assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots – 1.1 of which were on target – making 1.7 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game – the most in the league.

These returns saw the player who former Ivory Coast sporting director Fabio Cordella dubbed a “phenomenon” average a breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.19, not only ranking him as Pioli’s third-best player in the league but also as the 22nd-best player in the Italian top flight as a whole – while the winger also sealed the Serie A Most Valuable Player for 2021/22.

The £30k-per-week flanker – who can also operate as a number nine – has continued this fine form over his 21 appearances so far this season, having already bagged eight goals – seven in the league and one in the Champions League – and provided a further nine assists – five in Serie A and four in Europe – in all competitions.

As such, considering just how much of a threat Leao evidently poses in the final third, it is easy to see why the 23-year-old has been dubbed “the Portuguese Mbappe” – the Paris Saint-Germain star who has already scored a sensational 191 goals and registered a remarkable 93 assists over 239 appearances for Les Parisiens.

Indeed, should Newcastle manage to beat off the competition for the “unreal” in the words of journalist Ryan Harber – Leao’s signature this summer, Howe could very well have landed his own Kylian Mbappe-esque talent on the left wing – a prospect that sure to be incredibly tantalising for all involved with the Magpies.

Everton starlet Anthony Gordon has not been himself since his club rejected interest from Chelsea over the summer, according to Gabriel Agbonlahor.

What’s the word?

The winger was the subject of a £60m bid from Chelsea over the summer, which was rejected as Everton kept their academy product following the sale of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur.

Gordon was an important figure as Everton survived a relegation scare, but has not hit his best form this season, and it is now being mooted that the failed summer transfer could be playing in his head.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor claimed that Gordon has not been himself since the failed bid, following Everton’s dire home defeat to Brighton.

“You look at the problem with Anthony Gordon, since Chelsea were interested, you’ve not heard from Gordon,” he stated.

“He’s scored one or two goals in that time, he’s been in and out of the team, with Lampard there’s something going on there, maybe with the new contract talks.”

A costly mistake?

Although the club were keen to keep Gordon during the summer, there is an argument to be made that this was a poor decision.

Given the hefty fees Chelsea were offering, as well as the potentially small budget Everton have to spend this January, selling Gordon could have given them the funds to invest in the rest of the team.

Whilst the Englishman is a promising talent, he has scored just three goals in 16 league games this season, and scored four in all competitions last campaign.

£60m could have been used to strengthen the defence, which has now shipped 24 goals in 18 games, as well as bringing in additional attackers, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling for goals.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly at wits end with starting shot-stopper David de Gea, with a host of options being assessed ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spain, the Red Devils are eyeing Morocco’s World Cup hero Yassine Bounou, commonly known as Bono, as a possible replacement for their beleaguered goalkeeper. 

The likes of Yann Sommer and Jan Oblak have also been touted for a move to Manchester, but Bono might emerge as the frontrunner after a string of impressive performances at the World Cup in Qatar. 

The Red Devils would be facing heated competition for the 31-year-old’s signature, however, with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery also looking to forge a deal for the ace after expressing a long-time interest in him, as per Football Insider.

It’s thought that Sevilla would only sell their no.1 for a fee in the region of £26m.

Ditch De Gea

De Gea has been a loyal servant for the Red Devils for over a decade, winning the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time between the sticks at the Theatre of Dreams. 

And winning the club’s Player of the Season award on four occasions – including last year – the Spaniard has basked in his fair share of success, almost moving to Real Madrid in a lucrative deal before a collapse at the eleventh hour. 

However, recent years have left the 45-cap international scraping for form, earning criticism on numerous occasions for his mistakes and “woeful” displays.

Which is why a transfer away from the club might be the best avenue for all parties, with De Gea offered a clean slate and United freeing the lofty reported wage of £375k-per-week.

Keeping three clean sheets in four World Cup matches, against the likes of Belgium, Croatia, and Spain, Morocco have exceeded expectations and risen from the ground in Qatar to perch alongside some of the most esteemed nations on the globe, on the very biggest stage.

And now with a tantalising quarter-final showdown against Portugal awaiting, Bono could see his stock rise even further with a good performance against the European giants.

As per Sofascore, Bono has recorded a rating of 7.2 at the World Cup, providing assurance and precise distribution from the back, allowing his teammates to push forward and search for openings.

With an average save percentage of 67% and a formidable performance in the last-16, where the 31-year-old saved three penalties as the nation sank Spain in a shootout after a valiant 0-0 draw, Bono is emerging as a figure of the utmost standing. 

And with FBref reporting that the “monster” – in the words of broadcaster Ives Galarcep – ranks within the top 16% for goal kicks and 23% for touches when compared to goalkeepers across Europe’s big five leagues, his knack for getting on the ball and distributing forward is something that will leave him in good stead with Ten Hag and his ball-playing philosophy.

Whether United make a move will remain to be seen, but with his level of performance recently and his reported wage of just £15k-per-week, Bono could be a prudent and viable option to replace De Gea.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to potentially replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Ross Wilson has made Michael Beale his number one target to take over from the Dutch head coach if the club decide to part ways with their current boss.

The report claims that van Bronckhorst is ‘clinging’ on to his job in Glasgow and the board could make a change in the dugout during the World Cup break.

It is stated that Wilson and Beale have a good relationship during the latter’s time as a coach at Ibrox during Steven Gerrard’s time in charge of the club, with the Gers sporting director now lining the manager up for a return to Scotland.

Get Ibrox rocking

Rangers could get the stadium rocking by appointing the 42-year-old to replace van Bronckhorst during the break.

This, unprecedented, tournament during the winter affords the club the chance for a mini pre-season and any new manager coming in would have time to get their ideas across to the team.

Therefore, the current Queens Park Rangers chief would not have to hit the ground running as he would have a number of training sessions, and friendlies, to get the side playing how he wants them to, instead of being thrown straight into Premiership action.

This means that he could get the Light Blues firing in time for their clash with Hibernian on the 15th of December, but he could also get the crowd firing due to his pre-existing relationship with the club.

Gerrard previously hailed the coach as an “expert” and praised his work with the Gers, saying: “What I’ll never do is try to do someone else’s job when they are better than me at doing it. A lot of people won’t have a clue what Michael Beale does on the training pitch, but what he does is really quite special.

“I haven’t had the luxury of retiring early from the game or not being a player, in terms of having that pitch time to really become a coach for the past 20 years like a Brendan Rodgers, a Mourinho or a Michael Beale.”

This shows how important he was to the 2020/21 title-winning side and supporters should appreciate him for his efforts in that phenomenal campaign, which is why they could be excited to see him return to the club.

The fans should also be buzzing with the idea of Beale replacing van Bronckhorst as he has shown that he has the managerial skills to improve a team. QPR finished 11th in the Championship last season and he has taken them to seventh so far this term, after arriving in the summer, which shows that he can elevate a squad.

Therefore, Wilson could get Ibrox rocking by bringing the English boss in during this World Cup break, due to his ability as a manager and coach and his pre-existing relationship with the Light Blues.

Arsenal are set to seal a £65.5m deal to bring Mykhaylo Mudryk to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to reports from Spain (via Hrach Khachatryan), Arsenal will pay FC Shakhtar Donetsk a figure totalling €75m (£65.5m) – €65m (£56.8m) up front and €10m (£8.7m) – in order to sign the 21-year-old winger this winter, making the Ukraine international the second most expensive signing in the Gunners’ history.

In his tweet, the Armenian journalist said: “Arsenal will pay €65m plus add-ons (€10m) for Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Ukrainian will become the second most expensive player Arsenal have ever bought.”

The initial report states a deal could be officially announced in 2023.

Frightening signing

Considering just how deadly Arsenal have been going forwards already this season – with the Gunners currently boasting the second-best attacking record in the Premier League – the signing of a forward as talented as Mudryk in January will undoubtedly be an extremely frightening prospect for the rest of the English top tier.

Indeed, over his ten Premier Liga appearances so far in 2022/23, the £13m-rated talent has been in sensational attacking form, having already bagged five goals and provided his teammates with a further six assists – averaging a direct goal involvement every 67 minutes of football played.

The 21-year-old was also devastating over his six Champions League appearances this season, scoring three goals, registering two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per game.

In total, over his 16 appearances in all competitions, the player who Jack Collins labelled “undefendable” and Josh Bunting dubbed “frightening” has scored eight goals and provided eight assists – meaning that the 21-year-old has been directly involved in a goal every 78 minutes of football played in the current campaign.

As such, it is clear to see that the addition of the Ukrainian sensation to the likes of Martin Ødegaard – six goals and two assists – Gabriel Martinelli – five goals and two assists – Gabriel Jesus – five goals and seven assists – and Bukayo Saka – five goals and two assists – in the Arsenal attack will undoubtedly provide Mikel Arteta’s title hopes with a significant boost.

Indeed, should Mudryk be able to replicate his form for Shakhtar so far this season after an apparent £65.5m switch to The Emirates in January, the forward would not only appear to be a frightening addition to the north London side’s attacking arsenal, but he could also be a signing that fires the Gunners to their first Premier League title since 2004.