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TalkSport pundit Danny Mills has urged Leeds United to not reappoint Marcelo Bielsa following the sacking of Jesse Marsch.

The Lowdown: Marsch sacked

Marsch was sacked by Leeds following their Premier League defeat at the weekend, with the American spending less than a year in charge of the club.

Former boss Marcelo Bielsa was mooted as a potential managerial candidate for the Whites along with the likes of Rafael Benitez and Carlos Corberan.

It was the Argentinian who helped Leeds attain the Championship title and promotion to England’s top flight in the 2019/20 campaign.

The Latest: Mills on Bielsa

Mills praised Bielsa’s time at Elland Road, but doesn’t think the club should reappoint him following the dismissal of Marsch.

Speaking on TalkSport, he stated: “I don’t think that would be the right appointment. Bielsaball was tremendous, it was fantastic. But it does have its flaws and I don’t think that’s what you need to get out of a relegation battle.

“In fact, that’s what got him into a relegation battle in the first place. It’s very, very difficult to play that type of football. You’re down the bottom of the league because you don’t score enough goals and you’re conceding goals, simple as that. You’ve got to address one of those situations.

“Whether you think it’s right or wrong, you look at the appointment of Sean Dyche at Everton and you’re thinking, well, he’s going to stop conceding goals. He’s going to make them very, very solid.

“If Bielsa comes into Leeds, they might score one or two more goals, maybe, but they didn’t do that last time towards the end of his tenure, and they’re going to concede loads.

“So is that going to improve them? I’m not so sure. But, incredibly strange, what, 48 hours to go, away to Manchester United? That could be disastrous for Leeds.”

The Verdict: Fresh change

We believe that Leeds shouldn’t bring in a former manager of the club and should look for someone who’s experienced in a Premier League relegation battle.

One report has linked former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to the Whites’ managerial job, and we think the Austrian would be a good appointment.

The 55-year-old managed to steady the ship for a few years on the south coast, following a narrow escape from the bottom three under Mark Hughes.

Hasenhuttl has previously been at the helm of RB Leipzig as well as the Saints, so there’s a possibility he could gel well with a number of Leeds’ Bundesliga exports.

Georginio Rutter, Tyler Adams and Marc Roca all made the switch from the German top flight to join the Whites.

Some fans may turn their nose up at the idea of Leeds appointing the Austrian based on where he left Southampton when he was dismissed.

However, Southampton are no better off, and you could argue that had he been given more time, he would’ve had a better chance of keeping them up than Nathan Jones, though you would understand any scepticism given they had ended up in similar trouble to when he initially took over.

But having never been relegated from the Premier League, you could see the sense in getting the ex-Saints boss in.

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on the Manchester United full-back’s future as Premier League clubs show interest in signing him up this month.

Romano tweeted on Saturday evening: “Aaron Wan Bissaka has now chances to stay at Manchester United at least until the end of the season, as things stand.

“Wolves, Crystal Palace & West Ham asked for him in December but there’s still no green light.”

A season-saving signing

There is no doubt that the signing of Wan-Bissaka could be a season-saving one for West Ham, however, his recent form since the World Cup at Old Trafford could put a spanner in the works on the club’s plans to sign him.

The talented right-back has been covering for Diogo Dalot whilst he recovers from injury and has been incredibly impressive as he begins to prove his worth to Erik ten Hag whilst he has the chance.

Over six Premier League appearances, the £90k-per-week ace has created one big chance and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.7 interceptions, two tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning three duels per game.

Not only that, Wan-Bissaka ranks in the top 3% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for dribbles completed, tackles and interceptions proving that he is defensively sound and efficient in winning possession.

The 25-year-old has been lavished with praise by his team-mate Marcus Rashford since earning a spot in the starting team who hailed the full-back after his performance against Burnley in the League Cup last month.

Rashford said: “Yeah, massively important player. We all know about his defensive qualities and, for me, he just needs confidence to be pushed to go forward because when he goes forward he can create goalscoring opportunities for us.”

West Ham have only kept four clean sheets over their 20 Premier League outings so far and have lost the joint-second most games in the entire top flight so improving their defensive presence, particularly with someone who boasts the numbers of the United defender, would be ideal to ensure they can secure survival over the second half of the season.

With that being said, the powerbrokers at the East London club will surely need to make a very convincing offer if they are to have any chance of acquiring the services of Wan-Bissaka this month.

There is ‘growing interest’ in Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic from a number of clubs in England, according to an update from journalist Scott Burns.

The Lowdown: Juranovic likely to leave

The 27-year-old enjoyed a memorable 2022 World Cup with Croatia, helping them finish third in Qatar and producing consistently strong performances – Gary Neville described him as ‘fantastic’ at one point.

Juranovic has since been linked with an exit from Celtic in the January transfer window, with numerous reports backing him to enjoy a fresh challenge, with Atletico Madrid strongly linked.

Those stories aren’t going away, and now a new claim has emerged from closer to home.

The Latest: ‘Growing interest’ from England

Taking to Twitter, Burns said that Celtic are continue to assess Juranovic’s situation, with more interest coming from south of the border:

“Celtic are aware of growing English Premier League interest in Josip Juranovic. Several EPL clubs have expressed an interest in the Croatian World Cup star. Juranovic has options in Europe but Celtic are keen to see what develops in England.”

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The Verdict: Matter of time?

At this point, it would be a big surprise if Juranovic was still a Celtic player once next month arrives, with so much interest likely to turn his head.

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The right-back may feel he has reached a point where he has outgrown the Hoops, having made 51 appearances to date, with a move to one of the Premier League big boys potentially on the cards.

That level interest would always be difficult to turn down, and the Bhoys board will surely be optimistic they can drum up a huge bidding war if interest grows from the cash-rich English top flight.

West Ham United and David Moyes are readying a move for Nigeria international Ola Aina, according to reports in the player’s homeland.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

Aina, a versatile full-back who can play six different positions across defence and midfield, has long been linked with a move to the Premier League.

Leeds United made contact over a deal for the Torino star during the summer transfer window and reports suggest the Hammers themselves even failed with a bid around that time.

Now, with the January window looming and the Irons desperately in need of reinforcements to save their stumbling season, it appears GSBK are ready to make another attempt to land the player for Moyes.

The Latest: Three-way race

According to Nigerian newspaper PUNCH Sports (via Sport Witness), Moyes is ‘set to revive’ West Ham’s interest in Aina after the failed move in the summer.

They are not alone in readying a move however, as Leeds and Crystal Palace are also name-checked in the report.

Aina’s contract at Torino runs out this summer, meaning this is the Serie A club’s last chance to cash in on the player before he leaves for free.

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The Verdict: Get it done

If Aina, dubbed ‘Mr Versatile’ during a spell at Fulham, is a player Moyes clearly wants, then GSBK simply have no excuse for not getting this one over the line. They arguably hold the biggest lure of the three clubs vying for his signature, while his contract situation makes it an extremely affordable deal.

In terms of the 26 year-old’s form on the pitch, he has impressed yet again in Turin this season, recording sung his praises, telling the press he prefers Aina to Tottenham full-back target Wilfried Singo.

The 29-cap Super Eagles star has some incredible underlying statistics too, ranking in the 93rd percentile for dribbles completed by full-backs in Europe’s top leagues (FBRef), also ranking highly in shot-creating actions, progressive passes tackles and aerial duels, showing both sides to his game.

The future of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is still uncertain, but following his recent comments while on international duty with England at the World Cup explaining how he wants to play Champions League football, it seems eminently possible that this could be his last season at the club.

With 18 months left on his current contract and a list of potential suitors including Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, David Moyes could receive a massive transfer fee for the 23-year-old.

With this in mind, it seems likely that the Irons boss will be on the lookout for a replacement for Rice, either in January or the summer; and with their interest in Juventus and France midfielder Adrien Rabiot increasing recently, the 59-year-old might just have the ideal heir for the Englishman.

Furthermore, journalist Dean Jones discussed West Ham’s interest in the midfielder while speaking to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “It has probably been ramped up by the fact that Rabiot’s open to coming to the Premier League.

“So, I’m not sure I can see him as a Rice replacement exactly, but what he does bring in that sense is a technical level that very few players in the game can offer.”

This is a big bonus for Moyes, knowing that a move to the Premier League is tempting for Rabiot; and despite Jones saying that he doesn’t see him as a Rice replacement, the French World Cup star possesses all the qualities to excel in the West Ham engine room.

Indeed, the £148k-per-week French dynamo has outperformed Rice during the tournament in Qatar. The 27-year-old has registered more goal contributions (two to zero), more key passes per match (0.6 to 0.2) and more tackles per match (2.0 to 1.2), proving that he can be more effective at both ends of the pitch than the West Ham midfielder and could be a more than capable replacement.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst dubbed Rabiot a “cracking midfielder” following his performance against Australia in the holders’ first match of Qatar 2022, while Scott Saunders described him as “the world’s best midfielder” following that game.

Rabiot has just six months left on his current contract at Juventus and Moyes could secure the player for a bargain price in January or, better still, for nothing in the summer.

The Frenchman’s form at the World Cup is certain to have attracted plenty of interest, and if Moyes can lure him to London, it would be a big statement of intent by the east London club.

Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu has been praised for his latest World Cup performance after Ghana secured a 3-2 win over South Korea. 

The Lowdown: Ghana beat South Korea

Ghana picked up their first win of the tournament this afternoon after losing 3-2 to Portugal in their opening game last week.

Otto Addo’s side went in 2-0 up at the interval, only for a brace from Cho Gue-sung to draw the scores level just after the hour mark.

With Mohammed Kudus grabbing his second goal of the game to secure the three points for his country, it was another Ghanaian that also found himself on the end of some heavy praise after the game.

The Latest: Praise for Salisu

Following the dramatic win for Ghana, journalist Ben Jacobs had this to say in a Twitter post on the match and Salisu’s efforts, describing the Saints man as ‘immense’.

“A pulsating game and a stunning win for Ghana. Mohammed Kudus with a brace and a goal from Mohammed Salisu, who was immense in his own box, too. The lowest-ranked side at the World Cup making waves.”

 

The Verdict: A big performance from Salisu

In addition to opening the scoring for his side, Salisu also found himself doing plenty of important work at the back as Jacobs mentioned.

Having made nine clearances in the game and one off his own goal line, the Saints star also blocked two shots and won five of the nine duels he was involved in.

This performance ultimately earned the £23k-per-week centre-back a strong overall match rating of 7.7/10 from SofaScore, leaving Kudus (8.1/10) as the only Ghana player with a higher rating.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the defender played a massive part in seeing his nation pick up their first victory of the tournament.

Moving forward, with Ghana taking on Uruguay for their final group game of the tournament, Salisu will undoubtedly be hoping that he can help his side out again and pick up another potential victory.

Eddie Howe has confirmed that Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier are fine to play for Newcastle United at home to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup tonight.

The Lowdown: Southampton scares

Both players came off in the 4-1 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday, with Wilson substituted at half-time.

Howe confirmed after the game that the 30-year-old was feeling ‘light-headed’ after being unwell during the week, while Trippier received treatment after a knock at the end of the first half.

The Latest: Both players are fine

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference on Tuesday morning ahead of Newcastle’s match against Palace at St James’ Park tonight, Howe has confirmed that Wilson is ‘OK’ after falling ill over the last few days.

The manager said of the ex-Bournemouth striker: “He’s OK. He’s been ill for a few days so he’s a little bit run down but we’ll see how he is again today.”

Howe also added that there are ‘no problems’ with Trippier and that he only decided to take the defender off against the Saints as a precaution, stating: “There’s no problems with Kieran. It always looks more than it is when the physio comes onto the pitch, but he came out second-half and he was fine. As I said after the game it was my decision to take him off.”

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The Verdict: Start them both

It is always tempting for managers to rotate the squad significantly for matches in the Carabao Cup, as Everton did on Tuesday night by making 11 changes for their game at Bournemouth.

Frank Lampard’s side duly crashed out of the competition, showing how risky it is for clubs if their managers make too many changes to the team, so the Magpies should not be looking to follow the same path.

With the break for the World Cup starting in less than a week, Howe should be looking to field as strong a team as possible against Premier League opposition in Palace, in order to give Newcastle the best possible chance of going through to the fourth round.

They have not won a major trophy in more than 60 years and could have a very good chance of going all the way based on their current form.

Therefore, Howe should be looking to play at least some of his regulars against the Eagles, and both Wilson and Trippier will no doubt be eager to impress ahead of the England World Cup squad announcement on Thursday.

Celtic are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month, but they are reportedly putting in plenty of work behind the scenes.

Football Insider have reported that the Scottish giants are closing in on a deal to sign centre-forward Adam Idah on a permanent deal from Norwich City.

The outlet claims that the Hoops are set to make another offer to land the Ireland international, after their £4m bid had been turned down by the Canaries, and that a figure of £6m is likely to secure his services.

Idah spent the second half of last season on loan from the Championship outfit and caught the eye with a return of eight goals and two assists in 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, starting just five of those games.

The Bhoys are now looking to snap him up on a permanent deal and Football Insider's report states that there is a willingness from the player and the club to get a transfer over the line.

However, the club are also in need of a new goalkeeper to replace Joe Hart and the Premiership champions are reportedly set to make an offer for a shot-stopper.

Celtic preparing bid for £8m+ star

According to the Daily Record, the Scottish giants 'will' make another bid to sign Sparta Prague number one Peter Vindahl Jensen this summer.

The report claims that the 26-year-old colossus is their first-choice signing to replace Hart ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, having compiled a shortlist of targets to pick from.

It states that the Hoops have been trying to snap up the Danish titan for a number of weeks but it has been a difficult deal to get done as the Czechia giants are not eager to cash in on him.

Sparta Prague are said to be looking for a fee of £8m+ for their star shot-stopper and it remains to be seen how much the bid Celtic are preparing is worth.

The report, which backs up that the club are edging closer to signing Idah from Norwich, adds that the Premiership champions believe that they can get a deal over the line for Jensen before the end of the summer transfer window.

It will now be interesting to see whether this fresh move from Celtic is enough to convince Sparta Prague to part ways with the goalkeeper, as he could come in as a big upgrade on Hart between the sticks.

Joe Hart's time with Celtic in numbers

The former England international was brought to Parkhead by Ange Postecoglou in the summer of 2021, signing on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur.

A veteran shot-stopper, the concern at the time may have been that his best years were behind him and that it could have been treated as one last payday.

That was far from the case for Hart as he went on to enjoy three seasons and three Premiership titles as the club's number one, keeping 64 clean sheets in 154 matches in all competitions.

In the 2023/24 Premiership campaign, the 37-year-old giant started 37 of the team's 38 matches and kept 14 clean sheets on the way to a third straight title in the division during his time in Glasgow.

The experienced ace was not perfect for the Hoops, though, as his performances in Europe left a lot to be desired, particularly in the Champions League last season.

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded (-0.28)

Bottom 6%

Clean sheet percentage (0%)

Bottom 1%

Goals conceded (2.5)

Bottom 1%

Crosses stopped (1.2%)

Bottom 1%

Defensive actions outside the penalty area (0.17)

Bottom 1%

Average distance of defensive actions (5.9 yards)

Bottom 1%

As you can see in the table above, the former Manchester City star was one of the worst-performing goalkeepers in a host of key metrics over the last 365 days of European action.

He ranked in the bottom percentile of his positional peers in that time for conceding goals, stopping crosses, sweeping outside of his penalty area, and keeping clean sheets, which shows that there is plenty of room for the club to secure an upgrade on him this summer.

Why Peter Vindahl Jensen would be an upgrade on Joe Hart

The Hoops could now land that upgrade by securing a deal to sign Jensen from Sparta Prague before the window slams shut at the end of August.

Firstly, he is 11 years younger than Hart and could come in as a long-term option for Brendan Rodgers between the sticks, as he has plenty of time left ahead of him to be the team's number one moving forward.

Jensen's form in the Europa League last season for the Czechia-based side also suggests that he could provide more quality when it comes to taking the pressure off his defence.

The 26-year-old titan stopped 4.5% of the crosses into his area, over three times as much as Hart did in Europe last term, and ranked within the top 30% or higher of goalkeepers for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (1.30) and average distance of defensive actions per 90 (16.4 yards).

This, essentially, means that Jensen comes off his line more frequently to collect crosses or clear danger outside of his box to prevent his defenders from having to do more work.

Appearances

33

37

Sofascore rating

7.12

6.85

Save success rate

76%

68%

Successful run-out percentage

100%

85%

Ground duel success rate

73%

40%

As you can see in the table above, the £8m+ stopper also outperformed Hart in a host of statistics in their respective leagues during the 2023/24 campaign.

The Danish star saved a much higher percentage of the shots against his goal whilst also being more efficient at winning ground duels and completing sweeping actions.

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All of these statistics combined point to Jensen being a big upgrade on Hart as an all-round goalkeeper who can save shots and act as a sweeper-keeper, which is why this could be a fantastic signing for the club if they can get it over the line.

All the signs were pointing towards Andre Green having a good career at Aston Villa when he broke into the first team at Villa Park but the exciting winger now finds himself in Slovakia after failing to live up to his potential.

Green, who was a product of Villa’s academy, first started to catch the eye of Villa fans when Tim Sherwood promised to make him a part of his Premier League plans in 2015 before a pre-season injury derailed his progress into the first team.

Sherwood was a huge fan of the young winger and even likened him to legendary forward Ronaldo because of his ability to beat a man.

He said: “I love Andre. He’s got ridiculous pace and goes past people like Ronaldo used to. It’s as if they’re not there. He’s got great ability but has been unfortunate with a few injuries.”

A 17-year-old Green would make two substitute appearances in the Premier League for Villa in the 2015/16 campaign before playing a much more significant role in the Championship the following season.

However, in 17 appearances that season, he failed to contribute a single goal or assist, while he would manage his first Villa goal the following season, but made just seven appearances in all competitions.

He was subsequently sent on loan to Portsmouth for the first half of the 2017/18 campaign and found his feet on the south coast, hitting five goals in 12 appearances before returning to Villa Park.

Unfortunately, he was unable to replicate that form in the Championship and finished his Villa career with just two goals and one assist in 48 appearances, before his release in 2020 following disappointing loan spells with Preston North End and Charlton Athletic.

Green would sign for Sheffield Wednesday for the 2020/21 campaign but failed to score in any of his 15 appearances for the Owls as they were relegated to League One.

It was then when the former Villa man made the brave decision to join Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia, and while the standard of football there is a far cry from the Premier League, he certainly seems to be enjoying himself in central Europe.

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The now 24-year-old has 19 goals and seven assists in 55 appearances, which includes six goals in European competitions, something he would never have played in had he remained in England.

While it is disappointing that Green didn’t live up to his potential with Villa and the club were right to release him, it is good to see the Englishman finding his feet abroad.

Manchester City star Phil Foden is closing in on a new long-term contract with the club, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Foden’s City career

As a Manchester lad and a boyhood City fan, the 22-year-old has been fulfilling his childhood dream in recent years under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.

Since graduating into the first-team squad in 2017, the England international has already made 180 appearances for the club, contributing 51 goals and 35 assists to the Premier League champions’ success.

Foden became even more of an Etihad Stadium hero this weekend after scoring his first career hat-trick against rivals Manchester United in an emphatic 6-3 victory.

The Latest: Foden’s contract

With contract talks delayed due to a change in the player’s management, Ornstein has now shared a fresh update on Foden’s situation.

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist claimed: “Man City hope Phil Foden will sign his new contract until 2027 this week. Once last details agreed #MCFC plan to confirm 22yo’s deal – finally achieving what all parties wanted after protracted negotiations & tying down another key player @TheAthleticUK”

The Verdict: City’s future

At just 22 years of age, Foden has already established himself as a crucial part of City’s incredible success under Guardiola.

Having earned stylistic comparisons to the likes of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the Sky Blues winger ranks in the 91st percentile for non-penalty goals and the 89th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area and for progressive passes received.

Those figures mark him out as a player who frequently gets into the box and can make a telling impact once there.

Hailed as a ‘very special’ player by England teammate Declan Rice, Foden looks destined to play a major part in City’s setup for years to come, especially if he commits his long-term future to the club.

Therefore, news of his impending contract renewal will surely come as a huge relief to City fans.