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Chelsea will be disappointed as to how their season is unfolding again, staring at a mid-table spot in the Premier League on Christmas Day to the dismay of everyone connected with the Blues.

An inconsistent December to date has seen wins usually followed up by losses, unable to string together a positive sequence of results in order to propel them up the division and compete with the likes of fellow London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the top-end of the table.

Chelsea have given a number of their young talents a go this campaign in one positive, out with the old and in with the new very much the overriding mantra at Stamford Bridge now with the likes of Malo Gusto and Cole Palmer benefitting from this change of approach.

Chelsea could look to sign a promising young left-back to further delve into the market of promising gems if rumours are correct, the player in question a major upgrade on an ageing Ben Chilwell.

Chelsea transfers latest – Chilwell upgrade

Past rumours have suggested that Chelsea are keen on signing Barcelona hot-shot Alejandro Balde this January, with a report in one Spanish publication last month stating that the Blues and Manchester United are both actively pursuing the 19-year-old talent to persuade him to come to England.

This has further been backed up by FootballTransfers, who state that the rich west London outfit could play on Barcelona's current financial instability to land the Spanish prospect next month.

It's a position Chelsea do need to strengthen in soon, lacking numbers in the left-back spot with both Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella sidelined with injury.

Even if both options were available, Balde would walk into the side on his arrival to west London as a fresh and exciting defender more in-keeping with the forward-thinking Blues side still being constructed.

Alejandro Balde's style of play

Balde is the definition of a modern-day full-back, adept at venturing forward with blistering pace to burn and weaving runs as much as he is competent in tracking back and showing defensive grit.

The statistics are overwhelmingly in his favour on FBRef, which showcases his prowess in attack, receiving a staggering 9.56 progressive passes per 90 minutes over the last year at the Camp Nou.

In stark contrast, when Chilwell has been fit and selected by Chelsea over the same time period, the 27-year-old falls short of Balde's ridiculous total with 7.41.

In other comparisons, Balde continues to blow the ex-Leicester City man out of the water.

The teenage Barca sensation has averaged 4.69 progressive carries to Chilwell's inferior 2.74, further adding insult to injury by trumping him again with 2.09 successful take-ons to his Chelsea counterpart's weak 0.70.

Balde's exuberant performances this year have seen his current La Liga club slap an extortionate £865m (€1bn) release clause above his head, in an attempt to detract a suitor coming in and stealing a player that could be a future icon at the club.

Referred to as a "gem" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – who has further showered the 19-year-old with outlandish labels such as Balde being "one of the best left backs in Europe" in the past – Chelsea should go all in on signing the hot property in January.

Not quite the finished article by any means – falling short of Chilwell in tackles just with 1.43 compared to 1.46 – Balde will hope he can learn and grow at Stamford Bridge alongside his rough around-the-edges team to then go on and achieve greatness together.

Newcastle United are reportedly battling two Premier League rivals for the signing of a "very interesting" player who has been dubbed a "great" in his position.

Newcastle suffer Nick Pope injury blow

The Magpies look like a team on their last legs at the moment, with so many tired performances on show, especially in Sunday's 4-1 defeat away to Tottenham. Eddie Howe has been dealt some terrible luck in the injury department since August, with so many key players unavailable throughout the campaign, making it hard to rotate and keep everyone fresh across various competitions.

Perhaps the most damaging injury setback of the season to date has been the one suffered by Nick Pope, with a serious shoulder issue expected to keep him out of action for many months. The Englishman has been a huge influence since arriving from Burnley, proving to be such a reliable figure between the sticks, and Martin Dubravka's uninspiring performance against Spurs arguably highlighted the need to bring in a new 'keeper during the January transfer window.

Former Manchester United stopper David De Gea has been linked as a target for Newcastle, with the Spaniard currently a free agent, while Crystal Palace's Sam Johnstone is also considered an option for the Magpies. Now, another name has been thrown into the mix, with an exciting young 'keeper believed to be on Howe's radar ahead of the January transfer window.

Newcastle want Giorgi Mamardashvili

According to a fresh transfer update from Spain, Newcastle are interested in completing the signing of Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Magpies are not the only Premier League club who are keen on snapping up the 23-year-old, though, with Manchester United and Tottenham also believed to be admirers of his. Mamardashvili could be precisely what Newcastle are looking for to make up for the costly absence of Pope, with the Georgian a highly-rated player with most of his career still ahead of him at 23 years of age.

This season, the Magpies transfer target has started 16 matches in La Liga, winning one Man of the Match award from WhoScored in the process, and he is also a 14-time capped Georgia international, showing that he is an important player at international level, too. Legendary former Spain and Valencia 'keeper Santiago Canizares has heaped praise on him in the past, saying:

"He’s a great goalkeeper, he’s a very high-level player. And then in addition to that he’s very young. Goalkeepers improve year on year, so I couldn’t tell you what level he could reach. If he keeps improving at the current rate, it’s impossible to say how good he could get. He could be a very interesting target for any European club. And then the position that his club are in mean that it’s natural that he’d be on the transfer market."

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The lure of the Premier League could be great for Mamardashvili, and Newcastle could appeal the most, considering he would be almost certain to go straight into the side without Pope around, with Dubravka a step down in quality.

Ipswich Town cemented their stronghold on the automatic promotion positions with a 3-2 home win against Swansea City just before the International break, eight points now separate Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys and their nearest challengers Leeds United who occupy third.

Scoring a league-best 36 goals for the Championship, Ipswich have been enthralling to watch going forward – forwards such as Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin unnerving second-tier defences with their potency so far this season, whilst other unexpected figures in the first-team set-up have also chipped in with goals to give Ipswich a continued element of surprise in attack.

Omari Hutchinson has helped when needed too, the Chelsea loanee joining Portman Road in the summer in the hopes of learning the ropes at senior level fast and excelling with the Tractor Boys.

The 20-year-old has two goals and three assists from 19 games in all competitions since making the short-term switch from Stamford Bridge, one of those goals helping his new employers overcome Southampton 1-0 away at St Mary's.

Ipswich will hope they can add to their squad with more useful loanees if possible, even going back to Chelsea and potentially recruiting another couple players from the Blues when the transfer window re-opens.

Here are three Chelsea players that could follow in Hutchinson's footsteps in relocating to Suffolk…

1 Jamie Cumming

Ipswich could do with adding fresh blood into the goalkeeper positions at the club, first-choice shot-stopper Vaclav Hladky underwhelming in between the sticks with 21 goals conceded from the 16 Championship games he's featured in.

Goalkeeper Jamie Cumming could well be a welcome addition from Chelsea on a loan deal for the Tractor Boys therefore, who do already have Cieran Slicker as a young back-up purchased from Manchester City this summer.

But, the Blues keeper is far more experienced figure than his ex-Man City counterpart – the 24-year-old a recognisable figure to EFL fans at this point in time, featuring for Stevenage, Gillingham and MK Dons out on loan.

The 6 foot 2 goalkeeper would even win Player of the Year whilst at Milton Keynes in League One, Cumming keeping 14 clean sheets in total across all competitions last season.

McKenna could look to the 24-year-old as a useful utility figure to sign if Hladky continues to leak goals at his current rate, the Chelsea man eager to get back out there and gain more experience with a new club.

2 Josh Brooking

Named on the bench in the Premier League against Fulham in October, 21-year-old Chelsea talent Josh Brooking could be ready for his first loan move ever away from Stamford Bridge to get a taste of senior football.

Brooking has amassed 75 appearances as a centre-back for both the Chelsea U21s and U18s, helping himself to two goals from the back along the way.

McKenna could swoop in for the young English defender to bolster his centre-back positions and give first-teamers Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess some friendly competition, both players in question always guaranteed starters under their manager.

When the fixture schedule becomes congested towards the end of December, Brooking's potential addition could prove to be a masterstroke and allow the Ipswich manager more freedom with his line-up selection in the New Year.

3 Leo Castledine

The standout performer for Chelsea U21s from this current Premier League 2 campaign, Leo Castledine could be in line for a loan move away to an EFL club soon to show off his talents at a senior level.

Casteldine's numbers for the youthful Blues are staggering, contributing to ten goals this season for Chelsea from only eight games played – scoring four times and assisting a further six goals, the attacking midfielder arguably outgrowing his current age bracket.

McKenna's side could do with some reinforcements in central attacking midfield, Chaplin is operating there at this current point in time in a second striker style role but Castledine would – much like Brooking – keep another first-team figure on his toes if he was signed.

The 18-year-old is tipped to have a very bright future in the game, Ipswich Town in their current free-flowing state going forward also a perfect environment for the teenager to come into and grow from.

Sunderland will be eager to win away at Plymouth Argyle this Saturday in Championship action, a potentially pivotal three points for the Black Cats could be secured at the expense of Carlos Corberan's West Bromwich Albion if the Baggies slip up versus Ipswich Town in the evening.

West Brom are directly below Tony Mowbray's playoff chasers at the moment in seventh spot, only behind Sunderland on goal difference at this moment in time with the Black Cats' potency in front of goal giving them a slight edge in this early season butting of heads for the final playoff position.

6th – Sunderland: 26 points, GD: +10

7th – West Brom: 26 points, GD +9

8th – Hull City: 26 points, GD +3

Plymouth are an opponent Sunderland cannot take lightly this weekend, however, especially with the Pilgrims hosting the contest at Home Park – Steven Schumacher's men picking up four wins from eight home games in the Championship so far after lifting the League One title at the end of last campaign.

A selection conundrum that Mowbray will contend with prior to this game in Devon will be who starts in the centre-back positions, with young defender Jenson Seelt underwhelming in the 3-1 home win over Birmingham City despite the positive result.

Jenson Seelt's numbers vs Birmingham

The 20-year-old, who was a summer buy from PSV Eindhoven to add some more bodies defensively, has shown signs of nerves when fielded by Mowbray in the starting line-up this season.

This was particularly evident against Birmingham, but his poor showing didn't derail his side at all to the relief of the die-hard Stadium of Light faithful watching on.

Seelt was weak when it came to asserting himself up against the Blues attackers, only winning half of his overall duels, as per Sofascore.

Whereas, his defensive colleague Trai Hume won six of his nine ground duels on the day to make up for Seelt's below-par display.

It led to Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson giving Seelt a 5/10 rating in an article after the game, saying the pace of the game was 'too much' for the 20-year-old to cope with.

Bellingham rested in Sunderland's predicted lineup vs Plymouth

Jobe Bellingham could be rested for Sunderland’s next Championship match away in Devon against Plymouth Argyle.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 23, 2023

The former PSV youngster could well be dropped from Mowbray's first team for the trip down to Devon as a result, especially with the news that senior centre-back option Luke O'Nien will be back and ready for action after serving a suspension.

Luke O'Nien as Seelt's replacement

Predominantly playing as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder throughout his career, O'Nien has excelled under Mowbray this campaign featuring even further back in the heart of defence.

O'Nien's own hot-headedness can be his undoing – picking up his fifth yellow card of the season already against Swansea meant he was unavailable for the Birmingham win – but the commitment and determination shown by Sunderland's number 13 on a regular basis when picked is a trait the Black Cats masses can't help but love.

Winning four out of his five aerial duels in that Swansea 0-0 draw, O'Nien's ability on the ball – which has seen him play centrally under Mowbray – also shone even from the back.

Sunderland's captain was accurate with both of his crosses into the Swans area on the day, attempting to unlock a dogged defence all afternoon, even whilst carrying out his standard defensive duties.

For a tough test away at the Pilgrims, Mowbray could well opt to start the former Wycombe Wanderers man over his promising Dutch defender to give Seelt a breather and to ensure Sunderland are rock solid up against Schumacher's Argyle.

Kylian Mbappe was on fire for Paris Saint-Germain as he scored three and set up another goal in a 6-2 annihilation of Montpellier on Sunday.

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PSG smash six past MontpellierMbappe involved in four goalsNow 12 points clear in Ligue 1GettyTELL ME MORE

The French forward's importance to the team was on show throughout the game as PSG, despite their dominance, let Montpellier back into the match in a shaky spell late in the first half.

It looked like it was going to be an easy day for PSG when they opened the scoring inside the first quarter of an hour. Mbappe worked the ball to Vitinha outside the box and he easily stepped beyond one Montpellier player before unleashing a strike from the edge of the area to send his team into the lead. PSG then hit Montpellier with a rapid counter attack that ended with Mbappe combining with Randal Kolo Muani before the former rolled into the net from a tight angle.

Montpellier managed to pull a goal back through Arnaud Nordin and Wahbi Khazri had a great chance to score an equaliser but his effort was cleared by Danilo. They did not have to wait much longer to get the equaliser, though, when Danilo's awful pass back put Gianluigi Donnarumma under pressure and he collided with Tanguy Coulibaly and the referee pointed to the penalty spot, which Teji Savanier blasted into the top corner.

Mbappe came to the rescue early in the second half when he received the ball outside the box, had a glance at goal and then smashed it over Dimitry Bertaud and in off the bar. Right after it, Lee Kang-in issued a challenge to Mbappe for the best goal of the game when he played a one-two with Kolo Muani and curled in a beauty from outside the box.

Outgoing talisman Mbappe took back the limelight from his Korean co-star, however, when he raced through to complete his hat-trick. After Montpellier were denied a penalty through VAR, Vitinha teed up Nuno Mendes for a fantastic goal to finish the game off at 6-2.

AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP

At his illustrious best, Mbappe showed the quality that PSG will sorely miss when he leaves on a free transfer. He was tremendous from start to finish and showed his individual brilliance in all three of his goals after helping spark the team into life with the assist for the opener.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

PSG centre-back Pereira had a role in both of Montpellier's goals. He tried to meet a cross and ended up knocking it to Nordin for a simple header from close range. Despite his vital clearance to prevent Khazri from equalising, the Portuguese defender's awful pass to Donnarumma caused the penalty.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

PSG are now 12 points clear of Brest at the top of Ligue 1 and will hope to protect that lead when they return to domestic action against Marseille on March 31.

Vice-captain sees the absence of key names as an opportunity for new faces to stake their claim

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-20181:37

‘Need to play as much as we can’ – Finch

Aaron Finch says that the inexperience in Australia’s one-day squad could prove to be a blessing in disguise as they finalise their preparations for next week’s first ODI against England at The Oval, and beyond that, next year’s World Cup.Finch made a solid 78 on Thursday night to set up Australia’s hard-earned 57-run win against Sussex at Hove, which was also their first outing in national colours since the end of their seismic Test tour of South Africa in April.The Australia squad was forced to lie low for a few months after returning home from South Africa, as the ball-tampering scandal erupted around them, but Finch said that he could feel an eagerness to get stuck in in the new-look squad, adding that “there’s only so many laps of ovals you can run before you start to go crazy”.

Australia ready to ‘cop some banter’

Australia’s match against Sussex on Thursday was their first encounter with English crowds since the ball-tampering scandal broke, and Finch admitted that their jibes were something that the team would have to take in its stride as the tour progressed.
“I think anytime you are touring you’re going to cop some great banter,” he said. “The chants and the songs and the stick that they give us in all in good fun, but you’re going to keep copping it if you don’t interact with them, if you don’t get on board with them and have some fun. It’s a part of playing over here, you expect that, and it’s all in good jest most of the time.”

“There’s a lot of excitement around, any time you bring young guys into the squad for their first or second tour, it brings a lot of energy around the group,” Finch said. “A lot of the guys have had time off over the last couple of months, the guys who weren’t in the IPL, so it’s a great chance to get stuck into cricket.”Australia will begin next week’s contest as rank outsiders against England’s No.1-ranked ODI team, but Finch sees the absence of so many first-choice candidates for next year’s World Cup squad as an opportunity for some new faces to stake a claim. In so doing, they may also lift Australia’s standards in a format in which they have lost each of their last three bilateral series, against New Zealand, India and England, as well as suffering an early elimination in the Champions Trophy.”There’s a few guys here that it’s the first time I’ve toured with,” he added, “and I’ve been around a little while now. But our one-day cricket hadn’t been that great over the last 18 months to two years, so who knows, if we give these young guys a few opportunities, they can do some wonderful things. There are some guys in this squad who are going to be great players.”Finch is Australia’s vice-captain on this tour, and will also captain the T20 team in the absence of David Warner, but he didn’t envisage a sea-change to the role that he has played for Ausralia since cementing his spot in the limited-overs team five years ago.Aaron Finch plays into the leg side•Getty Images

“Being vice-captain you lead by example on and off the field, but I think that, being an opening batter, you have the opportunity to set the tone for the team, so that’s not much of a change,” he said. “But with a young group, there’s not a lot of experience, so it’s about helping them as much as I can, along with Tim [Paine], Glenn Maxwell and other guys who’ve been around for a time.”The tour is also Justin Langer’s first as Australia coach, and Finch admitted that, while Langer’s first press conference had been full of smiles and jokes as he set about reframing the debate over sledging, Finch admitted that the new boss had a steely side that few players would want to encounter.”When we got to Brisbane for our training camp. it was the first time that JL had had a chance to address us all together,” said Finch. “He just laid down what he expected of the Australian cricket team, and how he sees the team going forward. There wasn’t anything that you wouldn’t expect a new coach to do.”But you don’t want to be in his glare!” Finch added. “I’ve been there before, not on this tour, but in the past. There were some easy comments you could make to him when he was coach of Western Australia. It was easy to wind him up.”Finch played most of his Australia career to date under the gaze of Darren Lehmann, who resigned from his post on the eve of the Johannesburg Test in March. “They are both great coaches in their own right. We’ve had a lot of success with [Darren] as an Australian coach, and JL I’ve no doubt will have a lot of success. With Perth, he’s done some wonderful things. And at the end of the day, whoever is coach of the side has the opportunity to mould the culture the way they want it.”

The Cincinnati Reds missed the postseason in 2024 for the fourth consecutive season and the 10th time in the last 11 years. The team dismissed manager David Bell on Monday as it looks to turn the corner and get back into contention.

It's been a frustrating past decade for the Reds and their fan base, and perhaps no one knows that better than longtime second baseman Jonathan India.

India has been with the franchise since making his MLB debut in 2021, and the former Rookie of the Year winner voiced his exasperation with the lack of improvement the team has made during his tenure. He also expressed his desire for the team to make the necessary adjustments in order to bring postseason baseball back to Cincinnati.

"We're tired of losing,” India said, via . "It's the same thing every year here. We just float around .500 and try to make the push but we just don’t have enough. We need to make a move. I know what it is, but I just want to say it to the media."

India signed a two-year, $8.8 million deal with the Reds to avoid arbitration during the offseason. He's due to be a free agent in 2027, as '26 is his final year of arbitration. Of his future with the organization, he said this upcoming offseason was a critical one, as he's not sure where he'll be after the '25 season.

"It's got to be (a big offseason). Who knows if I'll be here next year. Who knows if [Tyler] Stephenson will be here. We're running out of time. We were the young core. Then, we added Elly [De La Cruz] and so many guys. They need to make moves. I want to win."

India slashed .247/.353/.395 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2024, featuring in 146 games throughout the year.

From EFL goalkeepers to Serie A players with famous brothers, there are a lot of very tall players available to be used in the new EA FC 24.

Football FanCast runs you through a list of the 15 tallest male players at your disposal in the game, as per Futbin.

The 10 Fastest Male Players on EA FC 24

15

Sebastian Selin (Hammarby IF)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

6ft 8 is quite some height and yet there are a number of players on this list that are that tall.

Sebastian Selin is the first to meet that criteria, a bronze goalkeeper from Sweden.

14

Anosike Ementa (Viborg FF)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that a lot of these players will be goalkeepers but Anosike Ementa is one of the few that doesn’t fit that mould.

The Dane is a striker and he plies his trade in the top division in his home nation.

13

Massamba Ndiaye (Clermont Foot 63)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

From Denmark to France with Clermont Foot’s goalkeeper Massamba Ndiaye.

He is 64 rated with one of his highest attributes involving the ball being at his feet.

12

Samuel Brolin (AIK)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

The goalkeeper union continues to dominate heading into the silver cards with Samuel Brolin being the first up.

Brolin is another of the 6 ft 8 players on EA FC and he plays for Swedish side AIK.

11

Kjell Scherpen (SK Strum Graz)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

Kjell Scherpen certainly catches the eye with his impressive 5-star weak foot.

A goalkeeper having 1-star skill moves is hardly groundbreaking, but his weak foot makes the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee a fascinating card.

10

Skelly Alvero (OL)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

Frenchman Skelly Alvero is a defensive midfielder, with his height making him a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park.

He has 3-star skill moves and 3-star weak foot, as well as the best stat on his card being 80 physical.

9

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

Milinkovic-Savic is of course a well-known name in European football, particularly in the Serie A, but it is Vanja who makes this list as opposed to Sergej.

The Torino goalkeeper is our first gold card with a rating of 76 and is yet another 6ft 8 man.

8

Cian Tyler (Coventry City)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

The first of a few EFL goalkeepers on this list comes from the Championship, with Coventry City.

Cian Tyler is just 21 and so is one for the future both with Coventry and Wales.

7

Matthew Nocita (Red Bulls)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

New York Red Bulls have several players of a smaller stature on their roster but at the other end of the spectrum is Matthew Nocita.

Nocita is a centre-back who has 4-star weak foot.

6

Corey Addai (Crawley Town)

Height: 6ft 8 inches

Returning to the other side of the Atlantic with Jamaican shot-stopper Corey Addai.

The Crawley Town man is once again, 6ft 8.

واصل فريق ريال مدريد انفجاره التهديفي خلال مباراته الجارية حاليًا ضد خصمه فريق ديبورتيفا مينيرا، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا 2024/25.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على خصمه ديبورتيفا مينيرا، في إطار منافسات دور الـ32 من كأس ملك إسبانيا (لمتابعة اللقاء من هنا).

وتمكن ريال مدريد من تسجيل الهدف الثالث في شباك ديبوريتفا مينيرا، في الدقيقة 28 من عمر الشوط الأول.

الهدف جاء عن طريق أردا جولر، بعد تمريرة من فيديريكو فالفيردي استلمها التركي ومر من مدافعي فريق ديبورتيفا مينيرا وأطلق صاروخية بالقدم اليسرى في مرمى أصحاب الأرض. هدف جولر في مباراة ريال مدريد وديبورتيفا مينيرا

كان كل من فيدي فالفيردي وإدوارد كامافينجا قد سجلا هدفين لصالح ريال مدريد، الأول والثاني، في الدقيقة 5 و13 من الشوط نفسه.

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.