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Journalist Ben Jacobs has said that Pedro Martins is ‘another name’ in the mix for Leeds United amid their search for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Approach already made

The Whites have found it tough going as they look to replace Jesse Marsch, with Raul, Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Marcelo Gallardo all seemingly turning down moves to Elland Road.

Martins’ name has appeared in recent days, with reports suggesting an approach has already been made and talks are set to continue in the coming days.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Talking to GiveMeSport regarding Leeds’ hunt for a new boss, Jacobs touched on rumours to Martins. He said that the Al-Gharafa manager is ‘another name creeping into the mix’, but still thinks that Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is a ‘great option’.

“Another name creeping into the mix is Pedro Martins, but I think that Ange Postecoglou would be another great option. Whether he leaves Celtic remains to be seen, he’s doing very well there. He was asked about the vacancy and replied, as you would expect, saying simply that he’s got one focus and it is on Celtic Football Club.”

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The Verdict: One to watch?

It looks as if Leeds won’t rush into an appointment after confirming that Michael Skubala will continue in caretaker charge, but if the Whites fall to defeat against Everton on Saturday, they may have a change in thought.

Martins could well be a coach who they may look to appoint following a recent update, and it appears as if Jacobs has heard the speculation as well.

The 52-year-old likes to play a 4-2-3-1 system but has never managed in a top European league, so there’s no guarantee he would be an immediate success in Yorkshire.

Celtic could decide to ‘rekindle their interest’ in Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Cho Gue-sung this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Cho move

The Hoops have been strongly linked with a move for the South Korea star recently, following an impressive 2022 World Cup campaign from the attacker.

Cho scored twice in four appearances for his country in Qatar, helping them reach the knockout rounds and enhancing his reputation with some good performances plus a notable disagreement with none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

It looks as though Celtic won’t be signing him this month, however, having recently acquired the services of Oh Hyeon-gyu from Suwon Bluewings.

The Latest: Summer signing instead?

That’s not to say that Cho won’t be a Hoops player, with O’Rourke telling Give Me Sport that a summer move could come to fruition:

“They’ve got Oh in, who looks a good player and a player that Ange Postecoglou rates highly as well.

“So Oh’s come in, it’ll probably pave the way for Giakoumakis to leave, but I’m sure Celtic might rekindle their interest in Cho come the summer, if they’re still in the market for forward reinforcements.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Cho could be a really exciting signing by Celtic if they get a deal over the line, allowing him to link up with international teammate Oh at Parkhead.

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The 25-year-old has scored six goals in 20 caps for South Korea, while at club level, he has netted 51 times in total across 132 appearances, showing that he is relatively prolific.

The fact that Cho, with 2.8 million followers on Instagram, is also considered a high-profile heart-throb back in his homeland could be an added bonus for Celtic, in terms of driving up revenue with shirt sales and general interest in the club around the globe.

Arsenal recently lost out on Mykhailo Mudryk to London rivals Chelsea, who completed the lucrative £88.5m signing of one of European football’s most promising talents despite the Gunners being in talks with him only last Friday.

However, the clouds above the Emirates Stadium are not too ominous following the recent 2-0 derby win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, a victory which put Mikel Arteta’s side a remarkable eight points clear at the top.

Nonetheless, Arsenal technical director Edu is still seeking a new winger to bolster the squad and ensure that the crusade to cement the team’s current position is maintained as the 2022/23 campaign approaches the business end, and former transfer target Raphinha is back at the forefront of transfer contention.

According to 90min, Arsenal have made contact with Barcelona this month to discuss the initial threads for a deal for the Brazilian, who signed for the La Liga giants from Leeds United in a £55m deal just last summer.

The 26-year-old is a player that the Gunners’ hierarchy know well, with the north London outfit circling on completion of a deal when he was at Leeds last year, before seeing the move hijacked by Chelsea, who were subsequently hijacked by Barcelona.

With Raphinha – hailed as a “magician” by former Leeds team-mate Dan James – persistently tied to links away from Camp Nou despite only arriving six months ago, the enticing proposition of playing for Premier League leaders Arsenal could pay nicely into Arteta’s hands as he aims to accelerate talks for the acquisition of the 16-cap Brazilian.

Since arriving in Spain, Raphinha has only scored three goals and delivered five assists from 23 appearances, not quite living up to the heights in Leeds which left him in such stellar standing as one of the most dynamic and guileful creative forces in Europe.

As per FBref, the £199k-per-week phenomenon ranks among the top 11% of positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive passes and in the top 16% for progressive passes received. This highlights a dynamic presence from a variety of positions in the team, capable of playmaking from deep and offering a direct threat.

At Leeds in 2021/22, he recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.97, flourishing in his offensive role despite the club’s fight against relegation. He scored 11 goals and provided three assists, averaging an impressive 2.5 shots and 1.9 key passes per game – with this level of output, one can only imagine the massive impact he might have with high-flying Arsenal.

While losing out on Mudryk will be a bitter pill to swallow for Arsenal, the project is in full swing and the Emirates is booming. The potential signing of Raphinha could alleviate concerns over missing out on the Ukrainian, but the club’s current standing at the top of the pool is evidence enough that the road the outfit currently travels leads to gilt-covered success.

With Arsenal’s excellent season in full swing, there are no glaring problems which need addressing, but with a well-placed bid for someone of the Brazilian’s ilk, their position among Europe’s elite could be regained and maintained over the coming years. It’s time to forget about Mudryk and focus on a player in Raphinha who remains attainable.

Newcastle United are very unlikely to sign winger Moussa Diaby in the January transfer window with his price set to drop in the summer, according to Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Diaby interest

Newcastle have long admired Diaby with the Bayer Leverkusen winger one of the foremost linked players to the Premier League side following their Saudi-backed takeover.

The Frenchman’s return of 17 goals and 14 assists last season in Germany caught the eye of the Magpies but such was his importance to the Bundesliga outfit, they were priced out of a move.

L’Equipe reported in the summer that a €100m (£83m) price tag was slapped on the 23-year-old as they warned off interest in their star man.

The Latest: The move to be revived?

Newcastle still retain their interest in Diaby but Jacobs has revealed a move in January isn’t on the cards.

Speaking on Steve Wraith’s YouTube channel, Jacobs explained that deal does however have a good chance in the summer.

(39:33) “Newcastle were only going to entertain Diaby if that price became cut price, which was something in the region of £40m-£45m, and then add ons on top.”

“Now the price being quoted as €100m, which is what about £87m, far too high for anybody to consider.”

“Then in the summer we’ll see whether that price drops, and it might even get close to a 50% reduction on that closed price €50m (£45m), maybe with some add ons on top might be their kind of starting point in the summer.”

“There’s no common sense for any club to move in the market for Diaby in January at the moment unless there is an intimation at the Leverkusen end that the price is going to drop significantly,” Jacobs said.

The Verdict: Get him in

Despite Eddie Howe’s selection of late favouring more work-man like players with Miguel Almiron and Joelinton both preferred over Allan Saint-Maximin on the wing, means a mentality and tactical shift back to a more explosive forward would have to be on the cards to make Diaby’s move work.

The winger, who has been tipped as Newcastle’s ‘dream signing’, has bagged FBref), shows just dangerous he is when he gets in and around the goal.

He could be a steal at a price of £45m and at only 23 he’d be a key player to build their attack around at St James’ Park, it’s certainly a deal to keep an eye on.

Manchester United have been handed a positive piece of news concerning the fitness of Raphael Varane after an injury scare with France during the World Cup final.

What’s the talk?

Concerns would have been rife among the ranks at Old Trafford as the 29-year-old limped off the pitch in the closing stages of the final in Qatar, just days before the resumption of Premier League football comes in thick and fast.

However, Manchester Evening News have since reported that the centre-back was merely fatigued and should be in contention to return to action with the Red Devils when he arrives back at Carrington.

Having just concluded their respective World Cup campaigns on Sunday, both Varane and Argentine world champion Lisandro Martinez will miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash against Burnley and will likely be sidelined for the return to Premier League action next week when Erik ten Hag’s side take on Nottingham Forest, but should be available thereafter.

Ten Hag will be thrilled

Varane has only made 11 appearances for United since the start of the current campaign, missing eight matches due to ankle and leg injuries.

Nonetheless, his exploits in Qatar have reaffirmed his status as one of Europe’s elite centre-backs, with the illustrious defender narrowly missing out on his second World Cup title. 

As per Sofascore, the 93-cap international completed 90% of his passes at the World Cup, making one interception and 2.5 clearances per game, while his assured presence at the back is highlighted by him losing possession just five times per match. 

In the 2022/23 Premier League, the “titan” – as dubbed by Squaka – has four clean sheets from the eight matches that he has started, playing a busy role in averaging 1.2 tackles and 3.8 clearances per match. 

His experience and pedigree should indeed reap dividends for United in the forthcoming period of the season as the Red Devils chase their first piece of silverware since 2017, when AFC Ajax were defeated 2-0 in the Europa League final. 

Signed for £41m from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 , Varane can continue to combine with former Los Blancos team-mate Casemiro and build upon his centre-back partnership with Martinez, playing a definitive role in the club’s ascent back towards prominence in England and possibly Europe. 

Ten Hag will surely be buzzing to discover that the Frenchman’s exit from the World Cup final is not something which should preclude him from action for United for any great length of time.

Incoming Glasgow Rangers boss Mick Beale will seemingly need to deal with the situation surrounding contract rebel Ryan Kent, amid an update on the Englishman’s future at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the appointment of the former Queen’s Park Rangers manager will seemingly have ‘no bearing’ on talks over a contract extension for the 26-year-old, with the fleet-footed ace having just a matter of months left on his existing deal.

The report suggests that the former Liverpool winger has been offered improved terms by the Old Firm outfit, although appears to be keeping his options open ahead of the January window.

This follows previous claims that the one-time England youth international has his eyes set on the Premier League after rejecting an offer from the Light Blues, having notably been linked with a move to Leeds United in the summer.

Ruthlessly ditch

The uncertainty surrounding the future of the Oldham-born ace will no doubt be a notable issue on Beale’s in-tray, with the 42-year-old potentially having to decide whether to try and tempt the player into staying with the Gers, or to simply move him on sooner rather than later.

Having previously worked with the 5 foot 8 ace during his time as Steven Gerrard’s assistant, the up-and-coming coach may well be inclined to try and revive Kent’s fortunes in the coming months in order get the electric talent back to his best.

However, the best course of action could well be to ruthlessly ditch the £18k-per-week man when the market re-opens, with the dynamic speedster having perhaps become something of a problem for the Light Blues in recent times due to his underwhelming form.

The one-time Bristol City loanee – who arrived in Scotland on an initial loan deal in 2018 – has still chipped in with a respectable tally of six assists in all competitions this season, although has proven somewhat unreliable in front of goal with just one strike to his name thus far.

The club’s miserable Champions League run saw the £15m-rated dud particularly underwhelm as he failed to provide a single goal or assist, with pundit Neil McCann notably calling out the attacker for having “disappeared” during the shambolic, 7-1 home defeat to the Reds back in October.

Pundit Frank McAvennie also suggested that while Kent is a “wonderful player” he has seemingly been the Scottish Premiership outfit’s “biggest failure” of late, having come under scrutiny for his work ethic and attitude.

As Beale looks to stamp his authority on the side and spark a revival of fortunes for Rangers, the new head coach will seemingly not want to have problematic and uncommitted figures lingering in his dressing room, with a fresh start perhaps the best solution for all parties.

New Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui faces a challenge of epic proportions, with the club struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table having won just twice in 15 matches so far this season.

The Old Gold’s goalscoring woes have carried on from last season – where they netted just 38 goals in 38 league matches – as they have scored a measly eight Premier League goals.

Former manager Bruno Lage splashed the cash in the summer transfer window, bringing in Matheus Nunes for £38m, Sasa Kalajdzic for £15.5m, and Portuguese forward Goncalo Guedes from Valencia for £27.5m.

The first two haven’t really made much of an impression so far – although Kalajdzic has only featured once due to injury – but it is Guedes who Lopetegui will need to get the best out of in order to galvanise Wolves’ season.

Having scored 11 La Liga goals last season, chipping in with a further six assists, much was expected of the forward when he joined the Molineux side, however, his first couple of months didn’t go to plan.

In his first ten Premier League matches for Wolves, the 25-year-old had registered just one assist, and with the club dying for someone to ignite a spark and score some goals, it was a poor start.

Against Brighton and Hove Albion at the start of the month, however, he found his form, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.5/10 and finally bagging his first goal for the club.

The Old Gold lost 3-2, but it was a sign of things to come for Guedes, with the forward again impressing in another defeat, this time to Arsenal, a week later.

He was a menace against the Gunners, taking four shots in total, having two dribble attempts, and winning five out of his eight duels throughout the encounter.

Lopetegui must utilise him in a more central role like Steve Davis did against Arsenal, and over time, he will become a force to be reckoned with for the 56-year-old.

Guedes was dubbed a “special talent” by analytics site Between the Lines previously and when the league season resumes on Boxing Day, he will have the chance to vindicate this praise and help Wolves maintain their top-flight status.

Southampton’s summer transfer window was one akin to Football Manager, with Ralph Hasenhuttl seemingly identifying some of the best wonderkids in the Premier League before bringing them to St Mary’s.

The Austrian looks to have struck gold with former Manchester City midfielder Romeo Lavia, as the Saints could have made a significant and almost instantaneous profit on the Belgian youngster during the summer.

The 18-year-old joined from Pep Guardiola’s side in a deal worth £14m and he quickly established himself as a first-team option in Hasenhuttl’s outfit, with the former RB Leipzig boss so confident in the teenager’s potential, that he allowed Oriol Romeu to move to Girona.

After a “brilliant” debut away at Tottenham Hotspur, despite the 4-1 defeat, Lavia was trusted to become James Ward-Prowse’s midfield partner, a role Southampton fans will be hoping he can continue in for the significant future.

Lavia has made just five appearances in the Premier League so far this season after injury derailed his progress, but the youngster looked incredibly promising in those appearances, averaging a strong 6.82 rating from WhoScored.

After scoring an equaliser in the 2-1 win over Chelsea earlier in the season, it seems as if the Blues felt a pang of jealousy towards Southampton’s impressive find, with reports suggesting that the Stamford Bridge outfit offered £50m for his services before the transfer deadline.

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This represents a massive 257% increase on the fee that Southampton paid, but the fact that Chelsea weren’t able to sign the young midfielder suggests that the Saints perhaps believe that he has the potential to be worth even more in the future.

Lavia recently returned to training after his injury problems so it only seems a matter of time until he is back on the pitch, and Southampton’s decision to sign him from Manchester City will likely continue to look like a great piece of business if he can pick up where he left off before his spell on the sidelines.

Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park this afternoon and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can perform in front of their home crowd after suffering three consecutive defeats in the Premier League.

The Toffees are now just one point off the relegation zone, and should they lose they could even fall into the bottom three by the end of play tomorrow night, although a win could push the Merseysiders as high as 12th in the table.

In terms of injuries, there were no new problems reported by the Everton boss, with Yerry Mina, Nathan Patterson, Andros Townsend and Ben Godfrey all remaining unavailable for the clash against the Eagles.

However, there has been some good news in terms of recovery progress. Patterson could be back as early as next week following an ankle injury, with Lampard saying of the Scottish defender in his press conference on Friday afternoon: “He’s progressing, he’s training with us and will be fit hopefully for next week.”

The 44-year-old also gave a timeframe on Ben Godfrey’s potential return date, stating: “I think it might be tough for Ben to be back before the World Cup, because of the injury and because of how quickly that time is coming – November 12 we break up. We’ll look at the best plan around that.”

With all that considered, here is how Football Fancast predicts Everton will line up against Crystal Palace today…

We predict that there will be three changes to the team which lost to Newcastle United earlier this week, with Lampard sticking to his 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we expect is for the Everton manager to make a slight tweak to his back four as he includes Ruben Vinagre in a Premier League starting line-up for the first time since coming to the club and drops Vitaliy Mykolenko to the bench in an otherwise unchanged defensive line, with James Tarkowski, Conor Coady and Seamus Coleman keeping their places in the team.

The second change we expect to see is James Garner coming into midfield to replace Idrissa Gueye alongside Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi, freshening up the central roles slightly to offer a deeper attacking threat and possibly injecting more creativity from the former Manchester United midfielder.

The third and final change we expect to see is Anthony Gordon losing his place in the team following a number of reckless performances which have seen the winger become more of a hindrance than a help, picking up the most yellow cards in the Premier League with six bookings in just 780 minutes of action.

We predict that Dwight McNeil will reprise his role on the right flank in place of Gordon, lining up alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray to complete the front three.

The £20m winger – who was dubbed a “real talent” by his former Burnley boss Sean Dyche – found the net against Southampton and has been a reliable performer in the wide forward role. He has created two big chances this season, making two tackles and completing 1.2 dribbles per game, along with winning 53% of his duels across 11 appearances.

There is a great opportunity to freshen up the starting team with the depth that Lampard has, so he should utilise the fullness of the squad that he has at his disposal to give Everton the boost they need to take all three points against Palace today.

Everton winger Anthony Gordon is already on an ‘unbelievable’ salary for his age group, but will need a pay-hike to reflect his position in the first-team, says transfer insider Dean Jones.

The lowdown

Having come through the youth ranks at Everton, Gordon has now established himself in the first team, starting all seven of their Premier League matches so far this season (via Transfermarkt).

After he attracted strong interest and a whopping £60million bid from Chelsea during the summer transfer window, Everton are now working behind the scenes to tie him down to a new contract.

His current deal runs until the end of the 2024/25 season, but new terms could ward off potential suitors for the time being.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that Gordon is already in a great position but is about to receive a salary hike that reflects his true value to this Everton side.

He said: “It will reward him for the time being and would reflect his value to this team. He’s earning £10,000 a week which is unbelievable compared to most 21-year-olds but it’s not a lot at all for one who is starting every week in the Premier League.”

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The verdict

It’s hard to argue that Gordon won’t deserve a substantial pay rise.

Last season, he was named the club’s Young Player and Player’s Player of the Season, underlining his key contribution to their successful survival bid.

And beyond that, this would also be a savvy, forward-thinking piece of business from Farhad Moshiri.

If Chelsea believed he was worth £60million last summer, then how much could he fetch in future windows with a longer contract and another year of development under his belt?