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Leeds United pair Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling have been ruled out of the Premier League clash with Wolves, Phil Hay has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Leeds host Wolves

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are back in action on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Bruno Lage’s Wolves side to Elland Road.

Leeds will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat at Southampton last weekend, looking to get their season back on track.

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The Latest: Pair of injuries confirmed

The Whites will once again have to make do without two key figures, however, with Hay confirming in a short and sweet update on Twitter that Bamford and Ayling are absent for the next two matches, following Bielsa’s press conference on Thursday:

“Both out, for the next two games.”

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The Verdict: Massive game for Whites

Bamford and Ayling were two of Leeds’ standout performers last season, not only shining in their performances but also starting 75 out of a possible 76 league games between them.

For that reason, there is no doubt that their respective absences are a big blow and the Whites need them back again as soon as possible.

Saturday’s game is vital for Bielsa’s men, with a draw or a defeat further raising question marks about their start to the season.

In other news, one manager has been tipped to be a potential Bielsa replacement at Leeds. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is an admirer of Paris Saint-Germain’s Leandro Paredes, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Paredes, who’s predominantly operated as a defensive midfielder this season but can also play more advanced roles, is approaching the final year of his contract at the Parc des Princes.

He’s made 22 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in a season disrupted by injury. Earlier this month, PSG confirmed that he’d undergone surgery on a groin issue, bringing an end to his campaign.

Spurs did strengthen their midfield ranks in January with the signing of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, but the futures of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso could be in doubt after they were loaned out.

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The latest

As it stands, Paredes is more likely to leave PSG than he is to sign a new contract, alerting several clubs, says the report.

Tottenham are one of those sides aware of the situation, and Conte ‘would gladly welcome’ the opportunity to work with him. The manager’s former club, Inter Milan, are also interested as they seek support for Marcelo Brozovic in midfield.

PSG are set to demand around €25million (about £20.8million) to let him go.

The verdict

Paredes is a useful player in possession. He ranks in the 99th percentile among positional peers for pass completion, as well as progressive carries and progressive passes (via FBRef). The Argentine is also capable of disrupting the opposition, averaging 2.61 tackles per 90 minutes (70th percentile).

Paredes has helped PSG regain the Ligue 1 title, but he could only watch on from the bench as PSG collapsed against Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, as Pochettino subbed him off with 20 minutes to go, a decision journalist Rahman Osman called ‘scandalous’.

The pair do seem to enjoy a good relationship, though, with Pochettino joking after the first leg in February that he thought Paredes had broken his nose in the celebrations that followed Kylian Mbappe’s winner.

His experience on the biggest stages could make him a smart pick-up for Spurs, particularly with price tag looking reasonable.

In other news, read this insider’s Patrick Bamford/THFC claim.

With Antonio Conte’s career as Tottenham Hotspur manager having got off to an impressive start – picking up seven points from a possible nine in his first three Premier League fixtures – the 52-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another three points when Norwich City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

However, while it has undoubtedly been less of a problem since the Italian’s arrival in North London, Spurs’ inability to put the ball in the back of the net has been a rather worrying issue for the club so far this season – with their 13 league goals scored ranking them as the joint third-worst attack in the league.

And, while it is has been well documented that Tottenham are in the market for a new centre-forward in the January transfer window, perhaps Conte already possesses a player whose introduction to the side could change Spurs’ fortunes in front of goal – in the shape of Tanguy Ndombele.

Conte must unleash Ndombele

While a performance against the lowest-ranked side in the UEFA Europa Conference League may not be the best barometer of a player’s creative and attacking capacity, particularly as it was a fixture that Tottenham ultimately lost, there was nevertheless clear evidence in the 2-1 defeat to NS Mura that the 24-year-old could well be the missing link between Spurs’ midfield and attack.

Indeed, over his 76 minutes on the pitch, Ndombele enjoyed 81 touches of the ball, made one key pass and completed five of his seven attempted dribbles, very much appearing to be the player who was most likely to make something happen for his side on the night.

The £40.5m-rated man also made one tackle, two interceptions, blocked one shot and won six of his nine attempted duels, proving that he is also not afraid to do the dirty work in the middle of the park.

His efforts saw the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed both “magnificent” and “phenomenal” earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.0, ranking him Tottenham’s second-best player to start the fixture.

As such, with bottom of the table Norwich City up next, now would very much appear to be the time to unleash the France international in the middle of the park, as the 24-year-old could well prove to help light the spark that is needed in front of goal for Spurs.

In other news: Huge blow: Spurs dealt injury setback ahead of Norwich clash, Conte will be gutted

Having conceded 29 goals in 17 Premier League games so far this season, it’s safe to say that Everton could do with adding some defensive reinforcements to their squad sooner rather than later.

The upcoming January transfer window could well provide the Merseyside club with the best opportunity to do just that so they can try to improve their form in the second half of the campaign.

In a recent Everton-themed transfer mailbag report from The Athletic, Toffees journalist Greg O’Keefe was discussing the possibility of the club making a move to sign Norwich City right-back Max Aarons, with whom the Blues have been linked in the past, during the upcoming window.

He said: “With plenty of room to improve in age terms, he might be a good addition but it remains to be seen whether Everton will be able to spend another fee similar to what they’ve agreed for [Vitaliy] Mykolenko.”

Having signed Ben Godfrey from Norwich last year in a deal worth a reported £20m, with him going on to cement himself in the team by making 51 appearances across all competitions, the club now has the chance to replicate this sort of deal, this time with Aarons as a young defender from Norwich who has the capacity to make a long-term impact at Everton.

Having been praised in the past by Jon Newsome for delivering some “outstanding” performances for the Canaries, the 21-year-old could potentially one day become a long-term replacement for Everton’s 33-year-old captain Seamus Coleman at right-back given the age gap between the two players.

In terms of a potential move to Everton in January, it would be hard to see Norwich being particularly willing to let Aarons leave halfway through the season as they are trying to avoid relegation. Indeed, the £19.8m-rated youngster has played more minutes than anyone else at Carrow Road in the Premier League this season, showing how important he is to Dean Smith’s side.

Either way, Everton should definitely explore the possibility of trying to secure a deal with Norwich for Aarons in January. If the Canaries aren’t willing to let him go next month, the Toffees could wait until the summer to see if the situation would be any different.

In other news: Benitez must finally axe £92k-p/w Everton flop, he’s stealing a living

Newcastle United failed to win in the Premier League for the 19th time this season as a late Joao Pedro goal for Watford denied the Magpies a vital three points in the hunt for survival on Saturday afternoon.

Eddie Howe’s side had taken the lead early in the second half as Allan Saint-Maximin scored his fifth goal of the campaign, but they couldn’t hold on for what would have been just their second league victory of the season.

It was Kieran Trippier’s first Premier League game for the Tyneside club after making his debut in the 1-0 FA Cup loss to Cambridge United last weekend, while it was Chris Wood’s debut for the club after his £25m move from relegation rivals Burnley during the week. Unfortunately for the New Zealand international, it was one to forget.

According to SofaScore, the 30-year-old lost possession 14 times whilst making just 35 touches as he struggled to get into the game, losing the ball once for every 2.5 touches. The £5.4m-rated striker also committed three fouls and didn’t manage to get a shot on target as Newcastle were once again frustrated.

Wood had netted three goals in 17 Premier League games for the Clarets this season prior to his move to Tyneside with a further 50 goals in 148 games after making the move to Turf Moor from Leeds United in August 2017.

Newcastle have the top flight’s fourth-worst goal return, having scored just 20 times in as many games. It’s certainly an area where they need to improve if they are to retain their Premier League status.

Moreover, losing points from winning positions in the manner that they did against the Hornets, particularly given that Claudio Ranieri’s side are also in the battle to avoid relegation, is a terrible habit which will need to be broken in order to ensure top-flight survival.

Wood will be heavily relied upon to start scoring, particularly with the absence of Callum Wilson who has scored six league goals this term but will miss eight weeks of action through injury. If that is to happen, though, the 30-year-old will need to improve on today’s tepid debut performance, which was the type of one which could cost Howe and Newcastle their Premier League status by the season’s end.

AND in other news, Newcastle are also eyeing a move for this player who’s been dubbed the “new Vidic”

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According to Sky Sports, Newcastle have finally agreed a deal with Atlanta United for midfielder Miguel Almiron, with the player potentially breaking the Magpies’ transfer record. However, the big-money signing may force Rafa Benitez to change his new-found, winning formula.

On the chalkboard

Sky Sports report that Almiron will command a £20m fee if the switch is completed before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday – an outlay exceeding the record £17m, as per BBC, shelled out to by the St James’ Park outfit for Michael Owen’s services in 2005 – as Mike Ashley finally loosens the white-knuckle grip on his wallet.

The Paraguayan has been sensational in the MLS, scoring 12 goals and teeing up a further 13 in just 32 league games in 2018, and his pace will be a huge asset to the Magpies, who are currently lacking counter-attacking threat.

However, if Benitez wants to get the best out of the 24-year-old – and you would assume he does – he may be forced to change what is beginning to look like a winning formula and thus risk sliding back down the table.

Rafa’s dilemma

What is the Spaniard’s big headache should Almiron cross the Atlantic, then? Well, the Tyneside club recorded an emphatic win over champions Manchester City on Tuesday night – surely to the delight of Liverpool fans all over – and they were outstanding from back to front, swamping Pep Guardiola’s men with a 5-4-1 formation.

However, the lack of room for a number 10 means that Almiron would have to be deployed as a winger – while the speedster has played there for Atlanta, he is far more dangerous playing centrally, behind the striker, as per Transfermarkt, where he would be able to feed off of Salomon Rondon’s hold-up play.

Taking three points from City is no easy feat and Rafa would be mad to retire the winning formula, and one that he has become accustomed to using in recent times anyway, although if he wants to avoid shoe-horning the new boy in, then he may have no choice.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has reacted to Manchester United’s interest in Kalvin Phillips, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Manchester United ‘working on a deal’

Phillips has been linked with a number of clubs in recent months, with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham all showing an interest.

Manchester United have become the latest side to be name-checked when it comes to Phillips, with the Red Devils now ‘working on a deal’ for the England international.

The 26-year-old is in the process of changing agents and is keen to stay at Elland Road, however, Kenny feels a move to Old Trafford shouldn’t be ruled out at this stage.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments

Kenny was talking to FI about the update on Manchester United’s move for Phillips. He claimed that Leeds fans ‘will be devastated’ if a move materialised, labelling it as ‘a difficult one to turn down’.

“He’s Leeds through and through but we saw that with Jack Grealish didn’t we?

“He’s Villa through and through but he decided to sign for Manchester City last summer.

“If an offer like that comes in, it might never come again. Can you afford to say no?

“It’s like Lampard at Chelsea. He didn’t know if it was going to work out but that offer might not come again, you have to take it.

“It will be interesting to see if this move happens. The fans will be devastated if he does go.

“As a player, you have to look to the future and Leeds are a big club but Man United are one of the biggest in the world.

“It’s a difficult one to turn down, that’s for sure.”

The Verdict: Surely not…

Phillips is a boyhood Leeds fan, so he’ll know all about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.

The Red Devils may not even be in a position to offer him Champions League football either next season, so a move across the Pennines doesn’t look too appealing as it once did.

The Red Devils could do with midfield additions over the summer, though, so it could be a real coup if they managed to persuade Phillips to move to Old Trafford over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Ten Hag has’ – Fabrizio Romano now drops Man Utd twist after what he’s heard from Old Trafford. 

A major update has emerged on Marc Overmars, regarding the possibility of him joining Newcastle United.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Ajax director of football has opted to reject the chance to return to England with the Magpies, having been at Arsenal during his playing career.

The report claims the Dutchman was one of the club’s top candidates to become the sporting director at St. James’ Park, but he has decided to remain in the Netherlands to continue with the Dutch giants.

Gutted

Newcastle fans will surely be gutted by this news as it means that Overmars has rejected the club, rather than PIF deciding to go with another option. It was reported earlier this month that he was unlikely to join the Magpies, but it was unclear whether that was down to him or the club.

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Ornstein has now made it clear that Overmars has turned down the club’s advances and PIF will now need to scour the globe to find a good alternative. The Dutchman has done a sublime job with Ajax and it is easy to see why he was a top target following the takeover.

Ajax have reached a Champions League semi-final and a Europa League final since Overmars became the director of football, whilst he has also overseen the progression and sales of players like Hakim Ziyech, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch giants are currently top of the Eredivisie and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, which could be why he has opted against a move to Tyneside as he still riding the crest of a wave in Amsterdam.

His successes at Ajax illustrate exactly why this news could be gutting for not only Newcastle fans, but also their new manager Eddie Howe who was confirmed on Monday. After all, he has proven that he can set up a club to run well as a business, academy and football team, with Ajax selling academy products de Jong and de Ligt for over £150m combined whilst still making progress on the pitch.

Supporters will surely be disappointing that a man with such an impressive background will not be taking over as sporting director at Newcastle. However, it will now be interesting to see who PIF do go with to take the role, with Eddie Howe now confirmed as the club’s new manager.

AND in other news, Howe could land Krul 2.0 for NUFC in £120k-p/w gem with “incredible development”…

Celtic have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Hannes Wolf to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish media outlet Fotomac (via the Daily Record), who claim that, despite previous reports suggesting that Celtic and Rapid Vienna were the only serious contenders for the Borussia Monchengladbach attacking midfielder this month, both Trabzonspor and Istanbul Basaksehir have now joined the race from the 22-year-old.

The report goes on to state that the Bundesliga side have made moving the Austria international on one of their main priorities in the January transfer window, while it has also been claimed that Gladbach would be willing to part with Wolf on a temporary basis this month.

Postecoglou will be fuming

While it is true that Wolf has not enjoyed his finest form since making an £8.55m move to Borussia Monchengladbach this summer, the forward nevertheless proved during his time at Red Bull Salzburg that he is a player with a considerable amount of both potential and talent.

Indeed, over his 22 Austrian Bundesliga appearances back in 2018/19, the £12.5m-rated attacking midfielder scored eight goals, provided seven assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £27k-per-week forward who Ralf Rangnick dubbed a “prominent” talent earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, playing a starring role in his side’s title-winning campaign that season.

Furthermore, with Wolf also being capable of playing further back in central midfield, as well on the left-wing and up front, the 22-year-old’s positional versatility would also appear to be another big plus point in Ange Postecoglou’s books.

However, with the recent news that Trabzonspor and Istanbul Basaksehir have now joined the race for the youngster, both of whom have a considerably bigger wage budget than the Bhoys, Celtic’s chances of securing a deal for the Gladbach forward appear to have been shortened somewhat – something that will undoubtedly leave Postecoglou fuming.

In other news: “Opened talks”: Joseph drops major transfer update that’ll have Celtic fans buzzing

Sunderland were held to a 1-1 draw in a frustrating clash away at Shrewsbury Town in League One on Tuesday night.

The Black Cats sit sixth in the table and five points off league-leaders Rotherham, albeit they have one game in hand on the Millers.

Lee Johnson’s side went into half-time against Shrewsbury with a 1-0 lead and the hosts down to 10 men, following Luke O’Nien’s opener and David Davis’ dismissal. However, a second-half equaliser from Daniel Udoh ensured that the points were shared.

Forget Pritchard

Alex Pritchard caught the eye in the number 10 role as he provided the assist for O’Nien’s opener. It was his second assist in 14 league matches this season and he created three chances in total throughout the match. However, another player stole the show for Sunderland in the midfield – Dan Neil.

The 19-year-old from South Shields put in a sublime performance in the middle of the park and ran the game for the Black Cats. Whilst Pritchard managed an assist and showed off his creativity in the hole behind the striker, Neil managed to outshine him with his display.

On the ball, he was excellent. Per SofaScore, the wiz had a whopping 91 touches of the ball and completed 96% of his passes as he created four chances for his teammates – one more than Pritchard. He also completed an impressive 11 of his 13 attempted long passes, showing off his passing range along with his ability to set up his teammates.

His control of the match was highlighted in his possession statistics. He completed a high percentage of his attempted passes and enjoyed a huge number of touches, with his chance creation and long pass attempts also showing that he was not playing simple, easy, passes to boost his numbers.

Defensively, he was also solid. Per SofaScore, he won six of his 11 individual duels and made three tackles during the game, whilst only being dribbled past once. He also made one clearance and committed one foul in the 90 minutes, proving that he can perform well at both ends of the pitch – defending his own goal and driving forward to make an impact in the final third.

Therefore, his complete performance ensured that he ran the game for Johnson and is why he was the real star of the show over Pritchard. Hopefully, the youngster will continue to produce displays of this standard throughout the rest of the season and will be able to lift the club further up the table.

AND in other news, Sunderland must unleash “dynamic” 21 y/o beast in 2022, he could save Kld thousands…