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Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria ‘seems [Manchester] United bound’, according to The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece. 

The lowdown

Zakaria will apparently be able to leave Gladbach this month for as little as £6million.

That’s because the 25-year-old’s contract is due to expire at the end of the current season, and it seems that the Bundesliga outfit are looking to cash in while they still can.

Zakaria is a Switzerland international who’s capable of operating as a defensive midfielder and as a centre-back.

Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk says United have ‘made an offer’ to the player’s camp and ‘would pay for a transfer in [the] winter’ rather than waiting until he’s a free agent.

The latest

In a fan Q & A, it was put to Preece that Aston Villa, on the hunt for a midfielder after an injury to Marvelous Nakamba, would ‘surely’ be in for Zakaria given his reported price tag.

But the journalist replied that Zakaria appears to be heading for Old Trafford, and so The Villans might have to focus on landing Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma instead.

The verdict

This update is really exciting for United fans. Data from FBRef.com shows that Zakaria is stylistically similar to West Ham United’s Declan Rice, producing a high volume of interceptions, blocks and dribbles.

Indeed, as of 11 January, only RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol boasted a higher dribbling success rate in the Bundesliga (among those who had attempted 30 or more).

Rice has been labelled a ‘priority target’ for The Red Devils, but David Moyes has indicated that West Ham would demand more than £100million.

Zakaria, who was dubbed ‘incredible’ by his former manager Marco Rose, could be a considered a bargain alternative at just a seven-figure fee.

In other news, fans flocked to this update on a potential outgoing.

Leeds United are in line for an encouraging injury boost ahead of this weekend’s clash with Newcastle United…

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Yorkshire outfit are likely to have three first-team attackers available for selection ahead of Saturday’s league encounter at Elland Road.

“Better news – Joe Gelhardt could be back at the weekend, as could Tyler Roberts. Rodrigo also sounds like he’s come through his appearance at West Ham without a problem,” he tweeted.

The Whites head into the weekend on the back of an impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United but there was cause for concern looking at the bench as the returning Spaniard was the only senior professional from nine substitutes.

Big boost

That is how bad the injury situation has been at Thorp Arch over the last few months and it shows no signs of easing up, with Patrick Bamford’s continued absence.

The England international has missed 16 of their last 17 league games with ankle and hamstring injuries and it appears he is still not available to feature against the Magpies after missing last weekend’s win.

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In his absence, Bielsa has had to turn to a number of different options, largely the likes of Daniel James and Jack Harrison playing out of position to fill the void.

So the fact the club’s young academy striker Gelhardt is available is certainly encouraging to see. He has one goal and two assists in the Premier League from only two starts, so he’s more than capable at this level.

Roberts is an experienced option to have too.

If these two return alongside a fit Rodrigo, it will alleviate some of the worry facing Bielsa ahead of kick-off – after all, he still is missing key midfielder Kalvin Phillips, skipper Liam Cooper and many others.

Therefore, the Argentine will surely feel a little more relieved this weekend.

AND in other news, “What I have been told”: Journo drops huge Leeds transfer claim, Bielsa will be fuming…

Idrissa Gueye is one of the players that Newcastle United could try to sign in the remaining week of the January transfer window. 

That’s according to Chris Waugh, the club’s correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

Newcastle have made two additions so far this month, bringing in Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid and Chris Wood from Burnley.

Paris Saint-Germain paid £30m to sign Gueye from Everton ahead of the 2019/20 season, and he signed a four-year contract. That deal expires in 18 months’ time, and the 32-year-old’s estimated market value has fallen to £11.7m (via Transfermarkt).

Gueye is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, preparing for a round of 16 clash with Cape Verde on Tuesday afternoon.

The latest

Waugh wrote in The Athletic that recruiting a player who can operate as a defensive midfielder is a ‘primary’ objective for Newcastle before the transfer window shuts. Gueye has been ‘discussed’, along with his PSG team-mate and former Newcastle star Georginio Wijnaldum.

Other options include Brighton’s Yves Bissouma – but his £50m price tag may prove excessive – Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara and RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara.

The verdict

For an illustration of just how good Gueye can be, look no further than the Champions League group stage clash between PSG and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes in September.

His goal set Mauricio Pochettino’s on their way to victory against the Premier League champions, and he also made more recoveries (eight) and more tackles (five) than any of his team-mates (via Squawka). He even called it relatively ‘simple’ to defend against City because of the lack of ‘pace’ at their disposal.

The problem for Newcastle is that he’s a regular starter in Paris, so he may not want to swap a shot at domestic and European glory for a Premier League relegation battle.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has the latest on this Newcastle target

Taking to Twitter, journalist Pete O’Rourke has broken a Sunday morning West Ham transfer development involving Brighton forward Leandro Trossard.

The Lowdown: West Ham attacker hunt…

Manager David Moyes is on the look-out for a new forward as the final hours of January loom, with the Hammers having until 11pm on Monday to finally bring an attacker through the door at Rush Green.

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They are apparently in talks for Reims ace Hugo Ekitike and have been very recently linked with a few others out of France, including Senegal international Bamba Dieng or Marseille.

However, breaking news this morning, O’Rourke says they’ve now made a ‘shock’ approach.

The Latest: West Ham make Trossard approach…

According to his sources, West Ham have ‘made a shock enquiry’ for Seagulls attacker Trossard as Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman seemingly cast their net of targets wider and wider.

“Understand West Ham have made a shock enquiry for Brighton attacker Leandro Trossard.” he explained on Twitter.

The Verdict: Right move?

The Belgium international, currently in the prime of his career, has only scored 14 goals over his 87 Premier League appearances at the Amex since signing from KRC Genk in 2019.

Numbers like these don’t exactly point to a prolific option in the forward positions and we believe other targets, like the much younger Ekitike, should be made a priority over the 27-year-old.

Valued at around £15.3m by Transfermarkt, it is very debatable whether West Ham should be matching a figure in and around that amount for Trossard.

In other news: ExWHUemployee: West Ham working on last-ditch agreement to sign ‘amazing’ £18 million-valued attacker, find out more here.

Despite David Moyes continuously stating that his West Ham United side were in desperate need of a new centre-forward in the January transfer window, as the clock struck midnight on Tuesday morning, the Hammers entered February with the same number of strikers as they had 31 days prior – one.

Indeed, while the Irons did make a flurry of late moves in the winter market, reportedly offering Benfica €50m (£41.5m) for Darwin Nunez, as well as making a late bid to sign Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata, none of the club’s approaches were successful, leaving Moyes incredibly short of depth at centre-forward ahead of the second half of the current campaign.

As such, considering Michail Antonio’s hamstrings are made of glass, the 58-year-old manager now faces the challenge of rotating the 31-year-old enough to keep him fit, but possessing no direct replacement for the Jamacia international – something that will likely lead to the Scot fielding Jarrod Bowen up top.

However, rather than playing one of the Hammers’ most talented wide attacking threats out of position, perhaps it would be wise for Moyes to take a closer look at one of the club’s up and coming forwards in the form of Armstrong Oko-Flex.

“Very dangerous”

While a 19-year-old winger is certainly no substitute to the £41.5m signing of a centre-forward who has scored 34 goals and registered 14 assists over 69 appearances for Benfica, there is nevertheless an argument to be made that Oko-Flex is deserving of a more regular place in Moyes’ matchday squads – something that West Ham missing out on Nunez’s signing could well have created an opportunity for.

Indeed, since joining the Hammers from Celtic last summer, the Republic of Ireland U21 international has been in fantastic form over his 16 Premier League 2 appearances for Dmitri Halajko’s side, scoring 11 goals – including hat-tricks against Arsenal and Crystal Palace, as well as a brace against Manchester United – and providing his teammates with one assist.

And, speaking after the teenager’s three goals against the Gunners – a fixture in which West Ham ran out 6-1 winners – Halajko was rather understandably full of praise for Oko-Flex, stating: “Armstrong’s finishing is a real strongpoint of his. When he gets into the final third, he’s a very dangerous player. We wanted to do that tonight and he managed to take his chances.

“We’ve got confidence in him scoring goals and taking chances, without a shadow of a doubt – that’s what we brought him here to do. He’s got off the mark and deserved his hat-trick, and hopefully there’s more to come.”

As such, while is it by no means the ideal situation, considering West Ham’s “criminal” lack of action in the January transfer window, Moyes simply must unleash Oko-Flex in the second half of the season – as the Irons prodigy could well go on to play a crucial role in helping keep Antonio fit and firing for as long as possible this term.

In other news: Moyes now working on “important” WHU deal after failed Phillips bid, fans will love it

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer up to £50m for West Ham defender Issa Diop, as per Claret & Hugh.

The Lowdown: Tough time recently

The 25-year-old has suffered a tough time recently, as a number of poor performances have led to heavy criticism arising from Hammers fans and pundits alike.

In the Irons’ lucky 2-1 FA Cup win over Kidderminster Harriers, the Frenchman stood out as a weakness for David Moyes’ side. Having failed to make a single tackle or win any of his ground duels, the defender was hauled off at half-time for Craig Dawson in a bid to retain possession, with Diop losing the ball eight times.

This followed a poor performance in West Ham’s 3-2 loss to Leeds United, where the 6 foot 4 centre-back received a 6.3 SofaScore rating after he once again struggled on the ball, losing possession 10 times.

However, with Kurt Zouma absent due to sickness, Diop was called upon to play against Leicester City on Sunday. Responding to the criticism in fantastic fashion, the Frenchman had a brilliant game, with Moyes claiming that he ‘did play well’. Making six clearances, winning all his duels and completing 92% of his passes, the defender shone in the Hammers’ draw at the King Power Stadium, where he was rated the Irons’ second-best player behind goalscorer Jarrod Bowen.

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The Latest: Diop eyed by PSG

According to Claret & Hugh, PSG are reportedly ready to offer up to £50m to secure Diop’s services. The French giants have made their interest well-known in Europe and the story is now being circulated in England.

The Frenchman’s contract at the London Stadium expires in less than 18 months, with the club having the option to extend this by an extra year.

The Verdict: Take the money

Having arrived from Toulouse in the summer of 2018 for a £22.5m fee, Diop seemed to be an exciting acquisition. However, he has at times struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and has largely been a backup player since the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

However, the defender’s talents have shone through on a few occasions. His performance for the Irons in a 2018 victory over Manchester United resulted in former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho labelling him a ‘monster’. This even led to a transfer rumour linking him with Spurs when Mourinho was in charge at the north London club.

Nonetheless, with a current market valuation of £10.8m (via Transfermarkt), it would be ridiculous to reject an offer anywhere near the £50m mark. Therefore, if PSG are to offer that amount for Diop, West Ham should not hesitate to accept, duly reinvesting the windfall elsewhere to strengthen at the back.

In other news: Roshane Thomas had this to say about Diop’s performance v Leicester

Leeds United could make a “huge statement” in their search for a potential successor to Marcelo Bielsa…

What’s the word?

Recent reports have linked the Yorkshire outfit to young Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim ahead of the summer, where the Argentine appears set to leave the club at the expiry of his current contract.

Ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, Huddersfield Town head coach and one-time Bielsa assistant Carlos Corberan and former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch have also been mooted with the role, as per the Telegraph.

But it’s the 37-year-old Portuguese that would be something of a coup, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

“If Leeds could manage to persuade him to come to the club to replace Bielsa – if that was the case – I think it’d be a huge statement from the club as well,” he told GIVEMESPORT this week.

Ideal fit?

Amorim has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches due to his work at the Primeira Liga giants, a club that have produced some generational talents in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo over the years.

He guided Lisbon to their first league title in nearly two decades last season, registering only one defeat in the league in the process and thus, ending Benfica and Porto’s dominance.

Whilst this campaign, his outfit have more than held their own in Europe, advancing into the knockout stages of the Champions League.

It’s the sort of illustrious experience that Bielsa once arrived in west Yorkshire with and his appointment was something of a surprise given his stature, so there are some similarities to be had with Amorim.

The 37-year-old has won 68 of his 92 games in charge of the Lions, achieving a 73.9% win rate via Transfermarkt, which is pretty remarkable given the fierce competition atop the Portuguese top-flight standings.

Sporting’s title triumph led to legendary manager Jose Mourinho talking up Amorim’s ability as a coach. He dubbed him a “leader” to the Portuguese edition of GQ magazine (via newspaper A BOLA).

Meanwhile, talkSPORT believe he’s the best the country has had to offer since the former Chelsea and Spurs boss.

Indeed, on the above evidence, if director of football Victor Orta can prize Amorim away from Lisbon, then he and the club will be making one hell of a move ahead of next season.

They’ll have to pay a pretty price at €20m (£18m) but it could pay serious dividends.

AND in other news, 10 duels won, 4 chances made: £10.8m-rated machine was Leeds’ one silver lining vs Man Utd…

Fabrizio Romano took to Instagram on Saturday evening to make a claim on Tottenham captain Harry Kane after his starring display against Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Kane at the double

Kane has had a fairly quiet Premier League campaign by his standards, scoring just five times in 21 games prior to the trip to Manchester City.

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He saved his best display of the season for the side that made four approaches for his services over the summer, though, scoring twice in a dramatic 3-2 win.

The 28-year-old netted a brace in the second half to ensure Spurs completed the double over the defending champions, with his header in injury time proving to be the difference.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Instagram to talk about Kane shortly after his stoppage-time winner at the Etihad.

He once again shared details of City’s four summer bids, revealing Fabio Paratici played a key part in the decision to keep the striker.

Romano then added that Kane’s relationship with Antonio Conte is understood to be ‘excellent’. The Italian wants Kane to be a key part of his long-term project, however, no decision has been made when it comes to penning new terms in north London.

The Verdict: Spurs still in control

Kane will still have two years remaining on his current contract in the summer, so Daniel Levy will still be in control when it comes to the forward’s future.

Of course, in an ideal world, Kane would commit his future to the club by penning fresh terms, but for that to happen, Tottenham chiefs and Conte may need to convince the captain regarding the club’s long-term project.

A positive end to the current campaign along with promises to invest in the squad over the summer would be a strong start when it comes to persuading Kane, and hopefully, he can back up his display on Saturday to help Spurs in a push for the top four over the coming months.

In other news: Romano makes late night claim on more ‘good news for Spurs’ immediately after win at Man City. 

Leeds United agreed a deal with Jesse Marsch a week prior to Marcelo Bielsa’s dismissal.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a surprising claim made by Ben Jacobs, with the CBS journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta had agreed a verbal contract with the 48-year-old coach before Leeds’ 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Jacobs goes on to suggest that the former New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig manager was in line to replace the 66-year-old Argentine at the end of the current campaign, however, following the club’s recent run of poor results, a decision was made to fast-track the American’s appointment at Elland Road.

In his post, the journalist said: “Told Marsch now in Leeds and LUFC had lined up a verbal agreement at least a week before the loss to Spurs. Reason Leeds have moved so quickly was because they’d sounded Marsch out for a summer move. Unclear if Bielsa was resigned to leaving at end of season but it looks like a May change was agreed regardless of form under him. Appointing Marsch now is just fast-tracking a board plan.”

Fans will be gutted

While it is true that Leeds’ recent results have not been good enough, with the Whites ending February with a record of one draw and three losses, as well as conceding a whopping 14 times in the same period, considering just how much Bielsa had done for the club in his near four-year stay, the fact that the Argentine was not given the opportunity to finish the current campaign is sure to have left fans gutted.

Indeed, while Marsch could well prove to be a good appointment in the long run, in a poll recently ran on Football FanCast, the vast majority of Leeds supporters made it clear that they felt Bielsa should have been given the opportunity to keep the Whites up this season.

Furthermore, with the 66-year-old being the manager who finally ended the club’s 16-year spell outside of the top flight of English football, Radrizzani and Orta agreeing a deal to appoint Bielsa’s successor while he remained in charge of the club could be interpreted as being somewhat disloyal to the Argentine – although, this was probably a sensible move considering the club’s precarious position in the Premier League table.

Either way, the fact that Bielsa – who has undoubtedly secured legendary status amongst the Elland Road faithful – is no longer the Leeds United manager will undoubtedly have shed many a tear in Leeds – regardless of how well Marsch goes on to do at the club.

In other news: Imagine him & Marsch: Orta must deliver £11m “goal threat” at Leeds, he’s a “leader”

Leeds United managed to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League table in their first season back in the division after a lengthy 16-year absence.

Despite this impressive feat, the Whites were susceptible to conceding goals throughout the campaign, with 54 in total, which is more than Fulham managed to who ended up getting relegated.

Things have been much worse for the Yorkshire club on that front this season, with 61 now conceded with 27 league games played.

They have now appointed Jesse Marsch as the new manager following the departure of Marcelo Bielsa, meaning there could potentially be some changes made by the American if he feels it’s necessary to help his side avoid relegation.

One possible change that could be made for a short-term and possible long-term benefit for the club is to give left-back Liam McCarron a chance to prove himself in the senior side.

Since joining the Elland Road outfit back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Carlisle United, the defender has made 32 appearances for Leeds’ U23 side, scoring four goals and providing one assist along the way.

Labelled as having an “unbelievable” work rate by Carlisle academy manager Darren Edmondson, the 21-year-old made his senior debut for the Whites back in December during their 4-1 defeat against Arsenal where he came on for a nine-minute cameo.

Even though Junior Firpo has played in the majority of Leeds’ league games this season, the fact that he has managed to rack up fewer interceptions (26), blocks (24) and successful tackles (26) than a fair number of his teammates, could sway Marsch into taking him out of the side to see if McCarron could be a better option.

While it could be a gamble to throw the youngster into the side at such a crucial stage of the campaign given his lack of senior game time, it may be a risk that heavily pays off for the team if he can impress defensively and offer something going forward.

If this were to happen and McCarron was able to cement himself as a regular first-team player for Marsch’s side, he could potentially save Victor Orta millions in future transfer fees if they aim to secure big-money replacements for the likes of Luke Ayling or Stuart Dallas.

In other news: Major blow: Phil Hay reveals yet another Leeds injury setback, Marsch surely fuming – opinion