Casemiro will play no part in the FA Cup final after being left out of Manchester United's squad to face Manchester City at the last minute.
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Leeds United have had issues at left-back in recent years, arguably ever since academy graduate Charlie Taylor left for Burnley back in 2017.
The Whites currently have Sam Byram and Junior Firpo in that position as senior options for Daniel Farke’s side, as they look to win promotion from the Championship following relegation last season. However, injury problems have impacted both defenders, leaving the club needing to bolster their ranks in 2024.
Unfortunately, Leeds haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to left-backs over the past ten years, with plenty of misses and not many hits, so as they enter the January transfer market in need of a new addition, what's happened to the last ten left-back signings at Elland Road?
Back in 2012, Leeds secured the services of Adam Drury after he spent more than 10 years at Norwich City. He clocked up more than 350 appearances for the Canaries and arrived with plenty of second-tier experience to bolster Neil Warnock’s side, but things didn’t go to plan for the Englishman.
Drury featured 18 times for Leeds in just over a year and went on loan to Bradford City in 2013/14 before retiring from professional football at the end of that campaign.
With Drury struggling, Warnock turned to another experienced left-back in Stephen Warnock, who penned a two-and-a-half-year contract at Elland Road on deadline day in January 2013.
The former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa full-back was a regular straightaway in Yorkshire and ended up staying at the club until 2015, even replacing Jason Pearce as club captain towards the end of his stint.
|
Stephen Warnock stats at Leeds |
|
|
Appearances |
67 |
|
Goals |
3 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Red cards |
1 |
He left for Derby County in 2015, with Taylor coming through the Leeds academy and taking his place in the first-team. Warnock, after retiring in 2018, now features regularly as a pundit on Sky Sports.
With Taylor becoming a regular for the Whites between 2015 and 2017, Leeds were quiet in the transfer window for a few years when it came to full-back additions. They did turn to the loan market under Garry Monk in 2017, with Alfonso Pedraza joining on a temporary basis from Villarreal.
The Spaniard was actually utilised further forward as a left-winger, making 14 appearances for Leeds before returning to Villarreal after the Whites missed out on the play-offs.
Now, Pedraza is known as a left-back for Villarreal and has gone on to become a regular for the La Liga side, approaching 200 games for his current employers.
A new season and a new manager in Thomas Christiansen, Leeds once again turned to the loan market as they looked to replace Taylor, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson arriving from rivals Manchester United.
However, things didn’t go to plan for Borthwick-Jackson, and after starting the first Championship game of the season, didn’t play for the Whites in the league again, with his last appearance coming in an FA Cup defeat to Newport County. The Englishman went on to play for Scunthorpe United, Tranmere Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Burton Albion but moved to Poland last summer to join Slask Wroclaw.
Initially coming in as a winger from Swiss side Lugano, Ezgjan Alioski has arguably been the club’s best left-back signing over the past 10 years.
The North Macedonia international was transformed into a full-back under Marcelo Bielsa and helped take the club to the Premier League in 2019/20, before also playing his part as the club recorded an incredible 9th place finish in their first season in the top flight.
|
Ezgjan Alioski stats at Leeds |
|
|
Appearances |
171 |
|
Goals |
22 |
|
Assists |
19 |
|
Minutes played |
12,037 |
Since leaving Elland Road in 2021, the 31-year-old moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli and also went on loan to Fenerbahce, where he has continued to ply his trade at left-back.
Another full-back who joined during the 2017/18 season was Laurens De Bock, with Victor Orta securing his services from Club Brugge in January in a permanent transfer.
The Belgian only played seven times for Leeds and was quickly sent out on loan to KV Oostende, before joining Sunderland, ADO Den Haag and Zulte Waregem on temporary deals, eventually joining the latter on a free transfer. Now, De Bock is in Greece with Atromitos, with his move to Leeds being another one to forget.
Davis was brought to Leeds by Bielsa from Morecambe back in 2018 and initially was viewed as an academy addition, although he was a regular in and around the first-team matchday squad during the Argentine’s tenure at Elland Road.
The youngster made 14 senior appearances for the Whites, two of which came in the Premier League before he moved to Bournemouth on loan.
He completed a permanent move to Ipswich Town in 2022 when the Tractor Boys were in League One and the Whites were still in the Premier League, and now, that deal looks to be a mistake from Leeds. Davis has played a starring role for Ipswich over the last 18 months, becoming a creative outlet from left-back.
Free-kick specialist Barry Douglas was seen as the star left-back addition ahead of Davis prior to Bielsa’s first season in charge, joining from Wolves on a permanent transfer.
However, the Scot never lived up to expectations at Elland Road, failing to score a goal and registering five assists in 44 games. Injury issues also impacted his stay in Yorkshire, although he was part of the squad that won promotion. After leaving Leeds in 2021 for Lech Poznan, Douglas is still with the Polish side and has made more than 100 appearances for the club, although his deal is up at the end of the season.
Leeds were calling out for a left-back addition in the Premier League, which resulted in Junior Firpo arriving from Barcelona ahead of the club’s second season in the top flight.
However, like many that have come and gone, things haven’t worked out for the Spaniard, who has been in and out of the side due to various injury problems.
The 27-year-old has managed more than 50 appearances in a Leeds shirt but has also been out with knee, hamstring and ligament problems, failing to help the club stay up last season as a result.
With a shortage at left-back over the summer, Farke brought Sam Byram back to Elland Road, over six years after he left Leeds for West Ham. The former right-back has been transformed into a left-back in recent years with Norwich City, and a free transfer materialised after he proved his fitness in pre-season.
Byram began the campaign as a regular at left-back for Leeds, but unfortunately, minor injury issues have once again returned, which leaves the Whites on the search for another left-back.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have yet to make a signing during the January transfer window, but Gary O’Neil will be desperate to add to his attacking options in the coming weeks.
Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva have moved elsewhere on loan until the end of the season, whereas Hwang Hee-Chan is representing South Korea at the Asian Cup.
Several names have been linked with a move to Molineux recently, with the latest name is a player who could certainly excite the supporters due to his performances in the Championship – Jack Clarke.
According to the Northern Echo, Wolves are interested in signing Clarke this month, although they could face intense competition with up to five other Premier League sides.
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West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Everton and AFC Bournemouth are also monitoring the winger following an impressive few months and O’Neil will have to act swiftly in order to bring him to the Midlands.
These six clubs appear to value him at around £15m, yet prior to Tony Mowbray departing the Black Cats, he said the club "wouldn't even consider" any bids under £20m and this could be the fee Wolves may have to stump up.
The youngster is certainly worth that amount, and he could be ideal for Hwang should he sign for the Old Gold.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a solid season last year, registering 21 goal contributions across 45 Championship matches as Sunderland narrowly missed out on promotion to the big time, and it looks as though he is attempting to atone for this during 2023/24.
So far, Clarke – who was hailed as "unplayable" back in November by pundit Adrian Clarke – has scored 12 goals and grabbed two assists in 26 second-tier matches and this tally ranks him joint fourth in the division.
The “effortless” wizard – as so dubbed by former professional Noel Whelan – also ranks first among the Sunderland squad for goals and assists (14) and big chances created (eight), along with leading the way for key passes per game (2.4) and successful dribbles per game (3.7), suggesting that he would be a wonderful addition to the Wolves side.
Indeed, he would be able to generate plenty of chances for Hwang, who is enjoying one of his most productive spells in the Midlands, scoring 11 times and chipping in with three assists, and the duo would be devastating together.
Clarke tends to operate on either wing, and he could supply Hwang on a regular basis with the chances he craves and, judging by his clinical nature this term, the former RB Leipzig gem will likely tuck them away with ease.
£20m may sound like a lot for a player plying his trade in the second tier, but the numbers don’t lie and Clarke is in outstanding form just now.
A move to the Premier League could elevate these displays to the next level and the chance to play alongside the likes of Hwang and Matheus Cunha will only help him further.
O’Neil has the opportunity to lead the club to a top-half finish and making a move for Clarke would certainly help him in this objective.
Barcelona are reportedly willing to let winger Raphinha leave if they can sign Liverpool's Luis Diaz as a replacement.
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Wout Weghorst was the hero for Netherlands after coming off the bench to score the winner against Poland at Euro 2024.
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Glasgow Rangers have already signed a striker and midfielder during the current January transfer window, but could they be close to adding another two players to their squad?
Moves for Brazilian left-back Jefte and Colombian winger Oscar Cortes look like they could come to fruition in the coming days and this will give Philippe Clement a major boost ahead of a crucial few months.
Adding some fresh faces could be the difference between claiming league title number 56 or trailing behind Celtic for the third season in a row.
One thing is clear, the Light Blues need to sign another forward between now and Thursday, especially due to their injury issues.
Danilo and Abdallah Sima are currently out for the foreseeable future due to suffering serious injuries recently, while Kemar Roofe is never far away from the treatment table, leaving Clement to rely on Cyriel Dessers and Fabio Silva.
Not the most fear-inducing frontline in the country, it must be said, and this is why Clement must strengthen his side.
Lawrence Shankland is the player who has been perennially linked with a move to Ibrox of late and, according to Football Insider last week, the Gers are reportedly plotting a swoop to bring the striker to Ibrox before the window closes.
He has just 18 months left on his contract, and it is no secret that Hearts are looking at extending his deal, especially considering the 28-year-old is their most sellable asset.
Shankland has allegedly been offered a new deal, but has yet to sign it according to Pete O’Rourke, so this may tempt Clement into launching his own move.
The Scot could potentially cost around £3m should a move be made and this might be out with Clement’s budget, especially considering he has already signed Mohammed Diomande.
Not only that, but £3m on a player who will be 29 shortly might not be the best value for money, regardless of his current strike rate.
Could the Belgian be tempted by a younger, more promising forward who has yet to hit his peak? Tommy Conway is another player who has been linked with a move to Scotland.
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are plotting a move for the Bristol City striker following his FA Cup heroics a couple of weeks ago.
The 6 foot 1 machine has firmly established himself as a keen member of the City squad, and he is attracting interest not only from Rangers, but also from Celtic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, and Brentford as a move to the elite could be close.
Aged just 21, Conway is still in the embryonic stages of his career and thus could be a more attractive option for Clement, especially as he could have a wonderful resale value should he hit the ground running in Scotland.
Shankland would likely settle in fairly easily and be an instant hit if he can carry on his form for Hearts, yet his age plus the Gorgie side’s valuation of the striker may put the former Club Brugge manager off for the time being.
Conway, on the other hand, is seven years younger and while the price tag is uncertain, he certainly offers a better long-term potential than Shankland.
The English-born Scottish U21 international has enjoyed a productive January. He scored against West Ham United in the FA Cup third round, which earned City a well-deserved draw.
Conway then went and scored the only goal of said replay to secure their passage into the fourth round and put Premier League opposition to the sword in a stunning victory, with Statman Dave dubbing the striker as “clinical” following his first-half display against the Hammers.
Add to that a further six goals in the Championship this term, and it is evident that he is enjoying himself in the second tier.
The youngster made his debut for City during the 2020/21 campaign and has since gone on to net 21 goals across 73 matches.
His breakthrough season was 2022/23 and following a positive start to life in the Robins' first team, the Sky Sports commentary team lauded him for being on “absolute flames” and he has not looked back since.
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Last 10 January signings @ Rangers |
Year signed |
|---|---|
|
Mohammed Diomande |
2024 |
|
Fabio Silva |
2024 |
|
Todd Cantwell |
2023 |
|
Nico Raskin |
2023 |
|
Aaron Ramsey |
2022 |
|
Amad Diallo |
2022 |
|
James Sands |
2022 |
|
Mutesz Zukowski |
2022 |
|
Jack Simpson |
2021 |
|
Scott Wright |
2021 |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|
His former manager Nigel Pearson even compared Conway to Jamie Vardy, one of his former players, claiming that the youngster had the potential to become a hit in the Premier League at some stage in his career. High praise indeed for the 21-year-old.
What Rangers lack is a striker who is able to go toe to toe with opposition defenders in the final third and combine a pure clinical nature with a raw physical presence which could help bring others into play.
Conway could be an ideal signing. He excels at holding onto the ball, headed attempts, and finishing, according to WhoScored, while he likes to play short passes and these attributes could allow him to fit in well at Ibrox.
Rangers have arguably not had a striker capable of providing all of these traits since Alfredo Morelos was at his peak, and they clearly miss this presence in and around the penalty area.
Dessers has improved in recent weeks, scoring three goals in as many games since the domestic calendar resumed, yet he is not the long-term solution for Clement.
Shankland certainly has what it takes to find the back of the net on a regular basis in Scotland and at this current moment in time, he fits the bill.
The Jambos forward would perhaps only be a short-term option for a long-standing problem, however, and this is why a move for Conway would work out best for the future, especially as he still has plenty of development to do.
Clement appears to be keen on establishing a player trading model which will allow him to rake in plenty of profit for the club by signing talented youngsters, improving them before selling on to bigger teams.
Conway is a player who fits that current profile, and he could be a wonderful option to have in the first-team squad.
Juventus are reportedly pushing to sign Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram – the son of club legend Lillian Thuram.
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Despite spending over £125m during the summer transfer window, Newcastle United failed to recruit any new signings during the recent January window due to concerns over their FFP.
Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes all joined the Magpies as the club looked to back Eddie Howe as they entered their first Champions League campaign in 20 years.
Howe's side failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition and have struggled in the Premier League due to injuries to key players throughout the campaign.
Joelinton, Callum Wilson and Sven Botman have all had extended spells on the sidelines with injuries – with the club currently sitting in 9th place, 13 points off the Champions League places.
During the closing stages of the January window, Newcastle winger Miguel Almiron was linked with a £30m move to join Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia. Talk surrounding the 29-year-old's potential move to Saudi Arabia came around after Newcastle's chief executive Darren Eales suggested that the club must sell players before making any major signings due to the constraints of FFP.
With Almiron staying until at least the end of the season, it has provided a boost for the Magpies with the club currently lacking in attacking areas due to injuries to players such as Alexander Isak, who limped off during the 3-1 win against Aston Villa last week.
Harvey Barnes and striker Wilson both made their return from injury off the bench against Luton Town during the 4-4 draw last weekend, with Almiron – who disappointed – being replaced by Barnes in the 63rd minute before the former Leicester City man scored the equaliser with just 17 minutes remaining.
|
Miguel Almiron vs Luton |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
63 |
|
Touches |
39 |
|
Accurate passes |
29/34 (85%) |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Expected assists (xA) |
0.03 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Possession lost |
7x |
|
Stats via Sofascore. |
|
The Paraguayan remains under contract at St James' Park until 2026, however, the winger is turning 30 later this month. The club still may choose to sell him during the summer before his price tag decreases or before he enters the final 18 months of his current deal.
Although he's been a success at St James' Park since his £20m move back in January 2019, his time at the club might be coming to an end. He's scored 30 times in 197 appearances for the Magpies but might have to make way for a young talent already on the books at the club.
Yankuba Minteh joined the club for around £5.8m on July 1st 2023 from Danish side Odense BK, before immediately joining Feyenoord on loan for the rest of the 2023/24 campaign. The 19-year-old Gambian has scored three times in his 14 appearances in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain experience ahead of a potential first-team spot for Newcastle next season.
His goal contributions this season may not seem overly impressive, but when delving into his stats per 90 this season, the youngster blows Almiron out of the water. The 19-year-old averages 9.2 progressive carries per game, nearly six more than the Paraguayan who only averages 3.6 per 90.
Minteh has been a real threat for Feyenoord this season, completing 4.7 successful take-ons per 90 a figure that current Magpies first-team player Almiron can't get anywhere near. Newcastle's number 24 only averages 1.1 take-ons a game – a real weakness to his game in comparison to Minteh.
It's not just in attacking areas where 19-year-old Minteh excels, he also ranks highly defensively – averaging 3.2 tackles per 90. Almiron isn't as defensively-minded, with the former Atalanta United forward only making 1.9 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.
Although the "magic" teenager, as described by Odense's vice CEO, Steffen Nielsen, is yet to make a league appearance for Howe's side, his stint in the Netherlands is proving that the 19-year-old has huge potential to be a hit at St James' Park.
Despite his tender age, he could potentially ease fans' worries about the void left by Almiron should he leave the club in the coming months, as well as concerns surrounding spending.
West Bromwich Albion would have been the happier of the two sides come full-time at Portman Road, Carlos Corberan's Baggies battling to a 2-2 draw versus Ipswich Town despite the hosts dominating for large spells.
Scoring two goals from just two shots on target is a very impressive statistic from the away side's perspective, although lone striker Brandon Thomas-Asante couldn't quite get on the scoresheet himself.
A passive display from the West Brom number 21 saw Corberan haul off the striker on the 56th minute mark, only for his replacement in Daryl Dike to heartbreakingly pick up another serious-looking injury moments after being introduced.
This could well throw up a striker selection dilemma for the Spanish boss to resolve, with Thomas-Asante in real danger of being dropped for tonight's game with Cardiff City regardless of Dike re-entering the Hawthorns treatment room.
Thomas-Asante will have been left frustrated with how his time on the pitch against the Tractor Boys played out, with his barren patch in front of goal in the Championship stretching tothree games in a row now after his torrid showing at Portman Road.
Only managing 17 touches of the ball in total in Suffolk, the 25-year-old was isolated up top on his own with zero shots managed on Václav Hladký's shaky goal.
|
Thomas-Asante's numbers vs Ipswich |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
56 |
|
Goals scored |
0 |
|
Shots on goal |
0 |
|
Touches |
17 |
|
Passes managed |
9/10 |
|
Duels won |
3/7 |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
With a number of below-par performances before this no-show at Portman Road further troubling his cemented first-team spot – failing to win a single duel against Birmingham the game prior to this Ipswich draw – the time could be right for Corberan to give a young January recruit an opportunity to impress against the Bluebirds tonight ahead of Thomas-Asante.
Yet to be given time to really to cut his teeth at West Brom – only given one 28-minute run-out so far against Birmingham – the Baggies boss could ruffle a fair few feathers by chucking West Ham United loanee Callum Marshall into his lineup.
Having one effort blocked in that brief cameo at the Hawthorns against Tony Mowbray's Blues, Marshall will hope he can find the back of the net against Cardiff if selected to show he can score goals for fun in men's football and not just in the comforts of youth action.
Bagging a remarkable 19 goals from just 16 games playing for the West Ham U21s just this season, everyone with connections to West Brom will hope Marshall won't flounder making the step-up transitioning to the intense demands of Championship football.
With Thomas-Asante passenger-like in the past couple of second-tier games, and Dike facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines again with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Marshall will need to seize his opportunity when it comes his way.
Described as being an "incredible" talent by football scout Antonio Mango when emerging as a breakout star for the Hammers at youth level, Marshall would no doubt endear himself to his new fanbase if he could bag his first-ever Baggies goal against Cardiff.
The teenager could well see Dike pulling up with yet another injury as one way he can begin to make waves in the Baggies first team, able to push Thomas-Asante all the way for a starting spot as a consequence.
Quincy Promes has been released by Spartak Moscow after his arrest in Dubai and six-year prison sentence for drug smuggling in the Netherlands.
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