All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

You'd have to be pretty nuts to buy a football club, and if you aren't already, the stress would get you there. A lot of people think that because they've been successful in one business, they're bound to be successful in another, but football is a harsh mistress.

From trying to change a club's entire identity to running onto the pitch with a gun, Football FanCast counts down the top ten craziest owner moments.

Vincent Tan changes Cardiff City colours to 'lucky' red

Cardiff City, 2012

The man with the moustache, Vincent Tan himself. Cardiff City fans won't soon forget the owner who tried to change almost everything about the club they had loved and supported for generations. The Malaysian businessman was meant to be the person to lead them to a brave new era as an established Premier League club. Instead, he didn't have a clue.

Tan became Cardiff City owner in 2010 after a consortium bought 30% of the club's shares, and right off the bat, he wanted change. The consortium said they would invest £100m into expanding the stadium and improving the training facilities, so long as fans agreed to change the colour of the home shirt from Cardiff's traditional blue to red, his "lucky colour". The proposal was rejected out of hand.

He didn't care, though. Two months later, the club went ahead with the rebrand regardless of continuous fan backlash. Not only did the shirt colour change, but the badge did, too. Tan decided it was a good idea to get rid of the bluebird and replace it with a red dragon in an attempt to make the club more intimidating. It didn't work and the club were relegated after one season in the Premier League in 2013/14.

Cardiff City have since changed the colour of their home shirt and the badge back to what they were always meant to be.

Ken Bates installs anti-hooligan electric fences at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea, 1985

Ken Bates is the man who saved Chelsea. Before Roman Abramovich and Todd Boehly were sinking billions of pounds into the club, Bates bought it for £1, rescuing them from bankruptcy and potential insolvency. Having said that, it's fair to say Bates had his quirks.

In 1982, the year he purchased the club, football hooliganism was rampant and Chelsea were one of the country's worst offenders. Opposing fans would meet up before a game to kick each other's heads in before heading to the ground to 'support' their team. It got so bad, that Bates thought it would be a good idea to install electric fences around the stands to stop fans invading the pitch.

"It works on my farm," Bates insisted, but local councillors weren't too impressed by the idea. While the fences were erected, they were never switched on. Bates would later sell the club for a cool £140m and use his profits to buy Leeds United, who were at the time in a similar financial struggle. He wasn't as well received and is universally hated by Leeds fans.

Delia Smith delivers infamous 'Let's be 'avin' you!' half-time teamtalk

Norwich City, 2005

It's a staple of 'Football's Most Shocking Moments' DVDs across the country, you can almost hear a D-list comedian talking about it every time it's brought up. Celebrity chef and television presenter Delia Smith rose to prominence in the 70s, and did what any fan would want to do if they were rich – buy the football club they love.

When Smith bought Norwich City in 1996, the club was struggling. Smart investment helped the club back to the Premier League, and while they may have seen their fair share of relegations, they're now a stable club with a recent history of bringing through exciting young talents.

2005 was one of those years Norwich were relegated from the Premier League, and Smith said the words that will eternally be used to mock her and the club.

"A message for the best football supporters in the world: we need a 12th man here. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on!," she said at half-time during their game against Manchester City. Unfortunately, her rallying call didn't work and Norwich lost 3-2.

Smith and her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones, are still majority shareholders of the club and have reportedly rejected numerous takeover offers. With no sign of letting up, they are by far the most competent owners on this list.

PAOK chief confronts referee with gun in pocket

PAOK, 2018

PAOK owner and rumoured friend of Vladimir Putin, Ivan Savvidis, has a bit of a temper. We've all been annoyed with officials, but Savvidis took it a little bit too far in 2018 when he stormed onto the pitch with a gun on his hip.

Unhappy with the officiating, he had finally had enough when a late PAOK goal against title rivals AEK Athens was disallowed. He went on to the pitch to confront the referee, with the game still being played, to vent his frustrations. This would have been unacceptable even if he didn't have a loaded revolver on him.

An arrest warrant was issued for Savvidis and the game was obviously abandoned. It was so serious that the Greek Deputy Minister for Sports, Giorgos Vassiliadis, decided to suspend the Greek Super League indefinitely. After talks with UEFA, Savvidis received a three-year ban. A light punishment for such an incident.

PAOK were also awarded a 0-3 defeat and deducted three points, which essentially swung the title in favour of their opponents.

Sam Hammam sets bizarre contract requirement

Cardiff City, 2001

It was hard to decide which of Lebanese businessman Sam Hammam's shenanigans to add to this list. His time in English football is riddled with obscene anecdotes. It's said that he added a clause into Wimbledon manager Bobby Gould's contract that would allow the owner to change the lineup 45 minutes before kick-off. He never acted upon it.

One of the weirdest things he did, though, was insist on having players eating sheep testicles being written into their contracts. Such an example was Cardiff City's Spencer Prior, whom Hammam came to a compromise with after apparently hoping he would eat them raw.

Dons fans have less fond memories. In 2000, Hammam sold the last 20% of his shares following their relegation from the Premier League, profiting from the sale of Plough Lane – a move that would lead the club to homelessness. Hammam bought Cardiff City later that same year.

Mohamed Al-Fayed installs Michael Jackson statue at Craven Cottage

Fulham, 2011

Manchester United have statues of their famous 'Holy Trinity' outside the entrance of Old Trafford to commemorate three of the club's greatest-ever players, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, and Denis Law. Arsenal have numerous statues of past and present heroes dotted around the Emirates, something repeated more recently at the Etihad, among others. In 2011, Fulham unveiled a statue of popstar Michael Jackson.

Jackson was reportedly a good friend of then-owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, and had even attended a game at Craven Cottage, but those are pretty loose reasons to give him a statue outside the stadium. Fulham fans were not impressed. They believe it made the club look daft, which it did, and begged Al-Fayed to get rid of it.

The statue was eventually taken down, but only after Al-Fayed had sold the club to Shahid Khan in 2013. It now stands proudly in the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Andrea Radrizzani causes uproar with embarrassing badge proposal

Leeds United, 2018

Leeds United are a fiercely proud club. They have an immense history and a fanbase that loves the club like no other. A club's badge is a sacred thing, so what ex-owner Andrea Radrizzani did (or tried to do) has to be considered sacrilege.

Radrizzani's purchase of the club led to the end of Massimo Cellino's tumultuous tenure, and the new boss wanted fans to know it was a new era. He decided the best way to do that would be to create a new badge. Not a bad idea in theory, but what they came up with was so dreadful, that not a single fan was on board.

It kept the famous white, yellow and blue, but instead of a Yorkshire rose, the 'LUFC' and defined lines, it had a person doing the club's salute with a clenched fist over their heart. It was almost instantly dropped and the club retained their old badge.

Aurelio De Laurentiis insults 'cretin' Lionel Messi

Napoli, 2011

The current Serie A champions have a lot to thank Aurelio de Laurentiis for, but to say he's unpredictable is an understatement. Like ex-Wimbledon owner Hammam, he has had a litany of odd occasions during his time as Napoli president. Unveiling players in lion masks is one thing, but calling the GOAT a cretin is a step too far in our book.

Before he lifted the World Cup at Qatar 2022, Argentina had a history of underutilising their best player, Lionel Messi, and De Laurentiis had big opinions about it. He thought Messi should have refused to play for his country at the Copa America in 2011, and said that he was a cretin for agreeing to it.

"If I were Messi I would say I am not coming," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Messi is a cretin. He disgraced himself by going to the Copa and he made a mistake," he added.

Disgraceful Berlusconi offers players reward with sexist 'joke'

Monza, 2022

The fact that Silvio Berlusconi has had such an impact on Italian football is ridiculous. The womanising ex-president was AC Milan owner and his money ushered in an era of unprecedented success for the Rossoneri. As success demanded more money, he decided to sell the club in 2018, unable to fund the club to the extent that it needed.

His time out of football didn't last long, though, and he took over at Serie C club Monza just 18 months later. Monza have since established themselves as a Serie A side, and Berlusconi was elated – so elated that he decided to incentivise his players to help continue their meteoric rise by promising a "bus full of wh*res" should they beat top teams AC Milan and Juventus.

His sexist outburst outraged the wider footballing community, but Berlusconi was unrepentant.

Flavio Briatore slams his own club's fans

QPR, 2010

Queens Park Rangers have had some terrible luck with owners, but Flavio Briatore might just be the worst. A good boss understands that he can't do everything, Briatore wasn't a good boss. The Italian businessman even once insisted that he would sit in the dugout at Loftus Road to advise the manager. He wasn't happy with what happened next.

QPR fans booed their incumbent owner, and like a child who threw all their toys out of the pram, Briatore threatened to sell the club if those fans' names weren't given to him. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be nothing more than an empty threat, and he would eventually leave the club in 2010 after a miserable two-and-a-half-year stay.

As Southampton eye instant promotion back to the Premier League, reinforcements to ensure that they both secure their place in the top flight and then keep it will be more important than ever. The last thing that the Saints will want is to drop back straight back down to the Championship if all of their hard work takes them to Wembley glory under Russell Martin in the current campaign.

With that said, reports suggest that Southampton are set to rival Premier League sides and play-off rivals in a race to sign a 17-year-old gem who looks destined to become a future star, wherever he ends up.

Southampton transfer news

More often than not, Southampton have been a club blessed with young talent, either through their own academy or the transfer market. Just last season, they had Anderlecht and Manchester City academy graduate Romeo Lavia at their disposal, before selling him on for big money to Chelsea.

Meanwhile, one of their most famous academy graduates and captain, James Ward-Prowse, also moved back into the Premier League and has starred ever since at West Ham United. Their departures have paved the way for new arrivals, however, and now the Saints could use January to welcome fresh talent.

Southampton readying offer to sign "superb" gem from European giants

The Saints could get a major boost in pursuit of promotion…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 20, 2023

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Southampton are eyeing a move to sign Larne youngster Jack Hastings. The Championship side have reportedly already sent scouts to watch the Northern Irishman and have joined the race to secure the forward's signature alongside play-off rivals Leeds United.

The two second-tier sides may well struggle to compete for Hastings' signature, however, amid reported interest from Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in a busy race for his potential arrival. Given the amount of interest that Hastings is reportedly receiving, Southampton will have to act fast if they want to land the youngster, making January all the more interesting.

20-goal Hastings is one for the future

Still just 17-years-old, Hastings has already made significant strides to attract such high interest within English football. The forward has impressed at youth level, finding the back of the net an incredible 20 times already this season, and now looks on the brink of earning a permanent place in the Larne first team after making his first appearance in the Irish Cup in the last campaign.

Only likely to get better, Southampton may need to act soon if they want to secure the best deal possible for the future star. When it comes to the Saints' current attacking options, the main man for Hastings to eventually take over is Che Adams. The 27-year-old could be the perfect tutor for the young forward if he decides to make the move to St Mary's over other options.

When the winter window swings open, Hastings looks likely to have the biggest decision of his career and one that could see him reach his ever-growing potential. Having seen talents like Ward-Prowse, Kevin Phillips and Theo Walcott all emerge and turn into stars from their academy over the years, Southampton may well find their next academy star in the form of Hastings.

Sunderland desperately need more firepower in attack, Tony Mowbray's Black Cats overly reliant on the star quality provided by Jack Clarke down the wing to bail them out this season when the strikers routinely fluff their lines.

Nazariy Rusyn and Eliezer Mayenda were given a half each at Plymouth Argyle up top, but neither could get their first goal in Sunderland colours – the Black Cats losing 2-0 at Home Park, Rusyn failing to register a single shot of target as per Sofascore from his dire 45-minute spell.

Rusyn, Mayenda and the rest of the Sunderland crop of strikers are all still goalless in the Championship, Sunderland never replacing Ross Stewart with a new and confident attacker ready to come in and set the world alight.

On the contrary, former Black Cats man Charlie Wyke has been prolific with Wigan Athletic in the division below to add insult to injury.

Let go by then manager Lee Johnson in 2021, it's a sale out of the building Sunderland could well now be regretting.

How much Sunderland signed Charlie Wyke for

Sunderland signed Wyke for £400k on the eve of the 2018-19 season in League One, the Black Cats splashing the cash to bring in a proven goalscorer at third tier level – Wyke netting 15 goals from 40 appearances at Bradford City, before relocating to the Stadium of Light to lead the line as Sunderland's new star striker.

Season

Games

Goals

2018/19

27

5

2019/20

30

6

2020/21

51

31

Sourced by Transfermarkt.

It took time for the experienced League One figure to gel in the Black Cats camp, but his final full season with Sunderland saw the 6 foot 2 striker truly come alive as a frightening prospect for defenders to handle.

The lofty attacker scored 31 goals in total for his team in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, Wyke's goals unfortunately couldn't help his side win promotion as Johnson's men crashed out of the playoffs to Lincoln City in the semi-finals.

3 strikers Sunderland could sign to finally replace Ross Stewart

Sunderland have never replaced the potency Stewart showcased on a regular basis at the Stadium of Light.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 22, 2023

Wyke would fail to agree terms on a new Black Cats deal after the season was up, opting to join Wigan instead where he's continued to be a lethal striker at third-tier level for the Latics.

Charlie Wyke's statistics this season

Now 30 years of age, Wyke is showing no signs of slowing down with Wigan this season despite his career winding down.

The experienced attacker started this campaign at breakneck speed, scoring five of his six goals this season within the first four games which included a double away at Bolton Wanderers as the Latics surprisingly won 4-0.

Wyke does only have one goal since, but the former Bradford man would be a useful figure to have around the Sunderland camp at this moment in time – adding experience to the attacking set-up. After all, his tally this term is better than any of Mowbray's crop of strikers.

With the Black Cats putting their faith in up-and-coming youth talent, the Sunderland boss will pray that the likes of Rusyn do come good whilst Wyke will hope he can get back to his goalscoring best soon for Wigan when he's back in the side.

Manchester United will be thankful for the opportunity to play in a different competition than the Premier League, a competition that saw the Red Devils pick up their biggest win of the season last time out – overcoming Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace 3-0 in the Carabao Cup at the end of September, fringe players such as Facundo Pellistri and Hannibal Mejbri starting and performing well against the Eagles.

Erik ten Hag could give even more faces on the periphery at Man United a starting spot versus Newcastle United this mid-week, especially after the first-teamers fell to a crushing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out in top-flight action.

One player Ten Hag could give rare first-team minutes to against Newcastle is youngster Kobbie Mainoo, the midfielder born and raised in nearby Stockport is held in high regard at the Theatre of Dreams with his set of skills drawing comparisons to Paul Pogba.

Man United's manager will surely tinker with the set-up for the game against the Magpies, in order to give his side the best possible chance to advance further in the Cup and maybe even lift silverware at the end of it all.

Man Utd team news vs Newcastle

The Red Devils are still contending with various injury issues in their squad, with Casemiro, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw all absent from the Manchester Derby at the weekend.

Players such as Sofyan Amrabat could be sacrificed for fresh blood against Newcastle also, more so through a drop off in form from the Fiorentina loanee than a need for freshness – the Moroccan midfielder hauled off at half-time versus Man City, not the first time Ten Hag has taken off his number four abruptly.

Mainoo could benefit directly from Amrabat being potentially excluded, the 18-year-old eager to break into the first team at Old Trafford.

Mainoo's numbers for Man United

Hailed as "unreal" and "similar" to former United academy prospect turned star Pogba by ex-teammate Anthony Elanga, Mainoo is being tipped to have a very bright future in football.

Named on the bench against Man City by Ten Hag, the 18-year-old could go one better and make up the starting XI in the Carabao Cup with his numbers at youth level demanding that the Dutch head coach gives him a chance to strut his stuff in the senior team more frequently.

Mainoo, who is yet to feature at all at senior level this term, would provide energy in the centre of the park that has been sorely lacking from the Red Devils' overall game this campaign, far too lethargic and slow in the way they build up for an eventual attack.

The 18-year-old can also pop up with a goal or two from midfield, netting six goals in total for both the Man United U18s and U21s over a number of years honing his craft in the youth set-up.

An ankle injury has plagued Mainoo over the last few weeks, out of action for the U21s all season so far in the Premier League 2, but the youngster has worked hard to get back to full fitness having been on the bench last weekend and will hope his reward is a rare first team start versus Eddie Howe's Magpies.

With the current crop of first-team players continuing to put in sub-par displays, it's time for Ten Hag to start raw talents like Mainoo in the Cup competitions to inject positivity back into proceedings at a deflated Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur have won four of their past five matches in the Premier League to put November's injury-inflicted collapse firmly behind them, with Ange Postecoglou's side just one point behind fourth-placed neighbours Arsenal after the season's midpoint.

While an away fixture against Manchester United on January 14th is the only league outing for the club until the end of the month, the FA Cup campaign takes off in just one week and Spurs will lose influential captain Heung-min Son to the Asia Cup, with the situation compounded by further absences for the African Cup of Nations.

Signings were always going to be paramount this winter to aid the side's pursuit of continental qualification – having languished to an eighth-placed finish last year – but with players dropping like flies on the injury front, it's understandable that Postecoglou has demanded reinforcements across every angle of the pitch.

The Australian manager has admitted that the backline is his "priority" this month, with reliable reports suggesting that an exciting centre-back could be lined up for a transfer.

Spurs transfer news – Ko Itakura

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are "monitoring" Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura, with Postecoglou an admirer since his Celtic days.

While the 26-year-old Japan international has a release clause inserted in his contract, this will not activate until the summer and thus make January negotiations difficult, though not impossible, especially with the Lilywhites so desperate for fresh support.

Joining for €5m (£4m) from Manchester City in 2022, Itakura has established himself as one of German football's most impressive defenders, and with Liverpool also regularly sending scouts to observe him in action, it would be wise to act fast and snap him up.

Ko Itakura's style of play

Described as "outstanding" and a "leading figure" shortly into his career at Gladbach by former manager Daniel Farke, Itakura was immense last season, completing 91% of his passes in the Bundesliga, averaging 3.8 clearances per game and winning 62% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

He had demonstrated his worth as a top-class defender capable of succeeding on the major stage, having spent multiple campaigns out on loan while on Manchester City's books, never making a senior appearance for the Premier League giants.

That said, having spent 2019/20 – 2020/21 on loan in the Netherlands with Groningen, Itakura sowed the seeds for a successful career and was even noted to be "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by pundit Hans Kraay.

While the current campaign has been unkind to the 6 foot 2 titan, who has been sidelined since October with an ankle injury, he has still popped up with two goals from just seven league matches.

As per FBref, the £31k-per-week ace ranks among the top 15% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 12% for pass completion and the top 7% for blocks per 90, with his playing style likened to that of Real Madrid's Eder Militao, who has been pronounced as "the best centre-back in the world" by his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Speaking of the player's skills, Gladach sporting director Roland Virkus said: "Ko covers an unbelievable amount of ground and is a tactically disciplined player who can operate in different positions in defence, including as a No.6."

With a wide range of abilities, Spurs would secure the signing of a dynamic defender capable of slotting right into Postecoglou's fluid system, and given that he had desperately fought for his services in Scotland, he clearly knows all about his qualities and how they would flourish under his wing.

Itakura is an adept operator on the left side of the central defence, with an impressive ball-playing ability married with a two-footedness that suggests, arriving from Germany, Spurs could replicate the brilliant summer signing of Micky van de Ven.

How Ko Itakura compares to Micky van de Ven

Completing a £43m transfer from Wolfsburg in August, Van de Ven has been a revelation in patching up a backline that shipped 63 goals in the English top-flight last season.

1

Leeds United

19th

78

2

Southampton

20th

73

3

Bournemouth

15th

71

4

Leicester City

18th

68

4

Nottingham Forest

16th

68

6

Tottenham Hotspur

8th

63

*Sourced via Sky Sports

Across his first 11 outings in the division, the Netherlands international had completed 95% of his passes, averaged 5.4 recoveries per game and won a whopping 74% of his ground duels, earning merit for his high-energy performances, with unseen athleticism that was instrumental in Postecoglou's early-season success.

He is among the most remarkably quick central defenders in Europe, with his top speed of 22.3 mph (35.97 km/h) the fastest of any centre-half in Germany last season – for reference, this surpasses Heung-min Son's pace of 21.31 mp/h (34.30 km/h).

It's a remarkable tool to wield for one situated in the rearguard, with Van de Ven ranking among the top 8% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 to punctuate this point.

Well, with Van de Ven still sidelined after sustaining a hamstring injury in November – nearly two months ago – surely Spurs can't repeat the feat? Well, Lilywhites fears could be allayed should Itakura join the fold, with the Bundesliga player hailed as "incredibly fast" by the earlier-mentioned Kraay.

Spurs' track record of swooping for Bundesliga players, though infrequent, is certainly not poor, and the Die Fohlen would be the perfect counterweight to Van de Ven in the Tottenham team, at ease on the left side of central defence and boasting pace and passing prowess to match.

Celtic are well underway regarding their transfer business and have now reportedly opened talks to bring a striker to Parkhead this month as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his squad.

Celtic's transfer priorities…

Scottish Premiership champions the Hoops will be optimistic that they can retain their crown this campaign by the time all is said and done in May; however, Rodgers will know that his side's activity on the transfer front this month will go a long way to deciding the destination of the Scottish title.

In all honesty, the Hoops have been quiet in the market so far, like is the case with many clubs at this stage in the campaign, though Rapid Vienna winger Nicolas Kuhn looks set to be their first addition of the window. Finer details of the deal are currently under discussion and the 24-year-old has missed out on a mid-season camp friendly against Weiner SC to keep himself fit before moving to Glasgow.

Celtic to spring out of nowhere for “flamboyant” £3.4m target – report

It’s been quiet on the transfer front for months, but Celtic could now come alive.

ByDavid Comerford Jan 13, 2024

Taking to social media platform X, Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry has indicated that reinforcements at left-back and centre-forward could be next on the agenda at Parkhead.

Reports elsewhere claim that Bologna will look to part ways with Dutch striker Sydney van Hooijdonk after they take on Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday and Celtic have been mentioned as his potential next destination. Now, another striker has entered the frame as a source of goals Rodgers could look to acquire in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Celtic open Mathias Kvistgaarden talks…

According to Football Insider, Celtic have opened talks with Brondby regarding striker Mathias Kvistgaarden amid their need to add further attacking options due to Oh Hyeon-gyu, Daizen Maeda and Yang Hyun-jun being away on Asian Cup duty.

Mathias Kvistgaarden Superliga stats in 2023/24 (Sofascore)

Big chances created

6

Shots per game

2.1

Shots on target per game

1.1

Touches

37.5

Balls recovered per game

2.5

Average match rating

7.18

The outlet claim the versatile 21-year-old has emerged as an option due to his standout performances in Denmark this campaign and could be accompanied by a central midfielder in Glasgow, with Rodgers keen to also boost his options in the engine room.

Labelled "fantastic" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Denmark Under-21 international has registered seven goals and seven assists in 21 appearances across all competitions this term (Kvistgaarden statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic are in need of a different avenue to utilise in attack over the next few weeks and Kvistgaarden could provide some firm competition for Kyogo Furuhashi if he does indeed move to Glasgow this month, making this one to watch.

After a difficult start, Leeds United have finally found their feet under Daniel Farke, and now look on course to challenge for a place at the top of the Championship. Much of the credit for their turnaround deserves to go to the recruitment team, with Joel Piroe's arrival particularly strengthening the Yorkshire side in the final third this season.

That same team could be at the centre of things once more come January, too, when they'll look to find the players capable of making a difference for Leeds in the final stages of the campaign. And that could include the addition of one particular goalkeeper who is a man in demand.

What's the latest Leeds United transfer news?

In total, the Whites welcomed nine reinforcements during the summer transfer window, with Leeds' summer spending reaching around the £36m mark. Proving their ability to spend, the winter transfer window may open the door for further reinforcements for the 49ers Enterprises and Farke at Elland Road.

Player

Price

Joel Piroe

€14m

Ethan Ampadu

€8m

Ilia Gruev

€6.5m

Glen Kamara

€6m

Djed Spence

€1m loan fee

Karl Darlow

€400k

Sam Byram

Free

Jaidon Anthony

Loan

Joe Rodon

Loan

One position that Farke could strengthen is the goalkeeper role, with the latest Noel Tornqvist transfer news reporting that Leeds are interested in the shot-stopper. According to Fotbollskanalen, via Leeds Live, officials of the Yorkshire club actually sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old goalkeeper in action for Mjallby AIF prior to the international break. Mjallby AIF sporting director Hasse Larsson confirmed that scouts were there to watch Tornqvist, saying, via Leeds Live:

"That’s right. There were two more clubs, two Dutch clubs, who were also there to watch. There is an interest, absolutely. We’ll see what happens, we haven’t received anything concrete. We have only received requests.

“I think we have a contract for four more years. It is difficult to answer [of retaining him beyond January], but we are happy to keep him for a while longer. Then we’ll see, it depends on what comes. It’s fairly broad. There were four clubs that looked at him and there have been clubs that looked at him before.”

Who is Noel Tornqvist?

A left-footed goalkeeper, Tornqvist played an important role for Mjallby AIF last season, starting 23 of his side's 25 Allsvenskan games. Tornqvist's clean sheets were also impressive, with the 21-year-old keeping an impressive total of 11 throughout the season in all competitions. With that said, he could provide current Leeds number one Illan Meslier with plenty of competition, perhaps even taking the starting role from the Frenchman, should he end up leaving in the future.

Mjallby coach Anders Torstensson has previously been full of praise for his goalkeeper, saying:

“It was a question mark we had before the season. We know that Noel is a good goalkeeper. Then it’s about defending the shirt as the first-choice goalkeeper. He made a mistake against Varberg and also had back problems in that game, but I think he responded in a fantastic way.”

When the January transfer window swings open, the Whites may well be a club to keep an eye on, with their interest in Tornqvist potentially taking centre stage.

Leeds United are set to be without another injured player alongside Sam Byram for this evening’s trip to Sunderland, Phil Hay reports.

Leeds injury news

The Whites head into tonight’s trip to the Stadium of Light in fine form under Daniel Farke, unbeaten in their last seven Championship fixtures – winning six of those. They have done it with a fairly settled side as well, with Archie Gray establishing himself at right-back, Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk at centre-back and Byram at left-back.

However, Byram suffered another hamstring issue on the weekend as Leeds won 2-0 at Blackburn Rovers and now looks set to miss three weeks of action as a result. Junior Firpo is also currently sidelined, leaving Farke with a decision to make at left-back against the Black Cats.

Sam Byram injury history

Injury

Games missed

Season

Hamstring

40

2019/20

Knee

39

2018/19

Hamstring

15

2017/18

Hamstring

17

2016/17

Junior Firpo injury history

Injury

Games missed

Season

Knee

6

2023/24

Knee

7

2022/23

Ligament

4

2021/22

Hamstring

4

2021/22

One player who could have filled in at full-back is Jamie Shackleton, labelled as “brilliant” by former Millwall boss Gary Rowett, however, another injury update has emerged which isn’t good news for Farke and Leeds.

Hay took to X on Monday to relay comments from Farke’s pre-Sunderland press conference. When it came to injuries, the German said that Byram is out for three weeks and that Shackleton has a “glute injury” and also “won't be involved”.

Djed Spence at left-back

By the looks of things, summer arrival Djed Spence, naturally a right-back could be the man to fill in at left-back. The Spurs loanee was the man who replaced Byram at Ewood Park in the second half and featured at left-back as Crysencio Summerville scored a second in front of him to secure another three points for Leeds. It is a position that is unfamiliar for the 23-year-old, though, as can be seen below throughout his career.

Djed Spence career stats

Position

Number of games

Goals

Assists

Right-back

93

3

4

Right midfield

68

3

4

Left-back

5

0

0

Centre-back

1

0

0

Another option could be moving Struijk out to left-back and bringing Liam Cooper in at centre-back, but with Rodon and Struijk seemingly settled and finding solid form, Spence could be set or a run of games in the starting line-up at left-back, making this one to watch for tonight’s meeting.

With the January transfer window just around the corner as well, Leeds may need to just get to the New Year in good shape before targeting a left-back, with Hay relaying a hint from Farke on a new left-back addition.

"Farke indicating that he's giving through to recruiting at left-back in January – and was thinking about that even before Byram/Firpo got injured. Farke says Firpo is close to returning to training."

Aston Villa are now believed to be keeping close tabs on a player after it emerged that he is likely to leave his current employers in January, according to reports.

Aston Villa's impressive season so far…

Following a meteoric rise from relegation contention to securing Europa Conference League football last term, many wondered how Unai Emery would go about improving on an exceptional debut campaign in charge at Villa Park. Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pau Torres, Clement Lenglet and Moussa Diaby were brought in with the help of NSWE and their ambition in the market looks to have paid off on the field, as Aston Villa sit fifth in the Premier League table with 25 points from their opening 12 matches.

Depending on certain factors, the English top flight could be awarded an extra Champions League place this term as the competition transitions towards an expanded "Swiss league" format, which will allocate an additional position to two nations who collectively performed the best in comparison to other countries in the season previous, which is a carrot Emery and company will have an eye on at Villa Park.

Nevertheless, consistent performances will be needed on a weekly basis to achieve this dream, which may be complicated further if Aston Villa embark on an extended run in the Europa Conference League, which they are one of the favourites to win.

Despite fanfare and excitement surrounding Aston Villa's potential league finish in 2023/24, former Villans midfielder Lee Hendrie isn't getting carried away when forecasting where his old side may end up, as he stated via BBC Sport when asked about their hopes of finishing in the top six: "I'd take a top-half finish. I don't think we'll finish in the top six. I really think that's a big ask. Again, if they finished seventh, eighth, I think it'd be a really good season."

With the January window fast approaching, it looks as if NSWE and Emery have set their sights on another highly-rated player that could help Aston Villa's push for continental qualification.

Aston Villa plotting Samuel Iling-Junior bid

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are "primed" to make an approach for Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior in the January window as Emery looks to add some variety in the final third, with the Turin outfit open to selling.

Samuel Iling-Junior at Juventus – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

3

Nevertheless, they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham to sign the England Under-21 international, who is under contract at Serie A giants Juventus until the summer of 2025. His interested suitors will send scouts to watch Iling-Junior in action for the young Three Lions in their upcoming double-header against Serbia and Northern Ireland.

Labelled "superb" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old winger has excellent positional awareness and ranks favourably in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the art of progressive passes received in the opposition's penalty area, taking in around 8.38 per 90 minutes, putting him in the 97th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Showing an impressive ability to pop up in dangerous attacking areas and just needing to sharpen up his end product, he is seemingly primed for a move, and Villa Park could be an ideal environment for Iling-Junior to continue his development as his stock continues to rise.

Arsenal fell to a shock defeat on the road on Tuesday night, as they could not follow up their emphatic Champions League curtain-raiser with another fine performance.

Instead, in front of a hostile French atmosphere, Mikel Arteta saw his men whimper to a disappointing 2-1 loss against RC Lens.

What went wrong for Arsenal vs RC Lens?

In a game that came down to the respective cutting edge each side boasted in front of goal, despite the Gunners taking the lead, a string of squandered chances afforded their hosts the opportunity to turn the game around.

As such, goals either side of half time saw them sneak in front, and despite boasting 67% of the ball and raining down 11 shots on goal, the north London side could not find a response.

The clash was also marred by the injury to Bukayo Saka, who had been a doubt for the past few fixtures but remained ever-present. Last night proved a step too far, and despite assisting the opener, the England international was withdrawn after 34 minutes.

Thus instigated Arteta's big issue, as his replacement, Fabio Vieira, narrowed their formation aggressively. Both he and Leandro Trossard were desperate to come to feet for possession rather than spin in behind and stretch the stubborn hosts, and as such once he was brought on, their attack was largely blunted.

However, this was hardly aided by the disasterclass suffered by the usually-magical Belgian wizard.

How did Leandro Trossard play vs RC Lens?

Starting on the left flank, it was a decidedly anonymous display from the former Brighton and Hove Albion man, who many expected and hoped would start, to replicate his Champions League form from their PSV Eindhoven clash.

Having scored and assisted in that emphatic 4-0 win, the 28-year-old could not have posted a more differing display last night, with his lack of influence emphasised due to the fact that even goalkeeper David Raya enjoyed more touches of the ball (32 v 52).

However, that was not all that underpinned a torrid night for Trossard, who remained profligate with what little possession he did enjoy.

Although it was far from a vintage performance from Arsenal, the £27m trickster could have put the game to bed with a golden opportunity, which he squandered. The winger received the ball from Kai Havertz inside the penalty area before chopping back onto his right foot and sticking a tame effort at Brice Samba. Then, to make matters worse, the £90k-per-week dud would go on to lose 75% of the eight duels he competed in, outlining a lack of physicality to match such a disastrous night.

Emphasising this disappointment further, the words of journalist Dan Kilpatrick stand as supporting evidence, who wrote the following before handing him a dismal 4/10 rating following the match: "Might have done better from close range but his shot was tame and easily saved. Faded and replaced."

Writer Phil Costa would then seek to outline that aforementioned narrowness issue, suggesting that should such a trend continue it could pose a worry for him and Arteta: "Our offensive distances were too big and I worry now with Trossard and Vieira wide – both who want the ball into feet – about being able to stretch the game."

Whilst hardly likely to curtail their entire Champions League campaign, the Spanish tactician will quickly want to figure out where the issues stemmed from and put them right. After all, he can afford hiccups at this stage, but if he is serious about challenging for elite honours, such a tactical and technical shocker cannot be afforded later on in the competition.