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Leeds United will not sell Raphinha this month and have now planned talks over a new deal…

What’s the word?

That’s according to reliable Daily Mirror journalist David Anderson, who delivered a fresh update on the Yorkshire giants’ plans for their star winger via Twitter, saying: “Leeds plan further talks with Raphinha’s agent Deco after he met Victor Orta twice before Christmas to continue contract talks over a new deal. Leeds have ruled out selling Raphinha this month.”

The 25-year-old dynamo has been linked with a move away from Elland Road for quite some time, with the likes of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Liverpool two mooted destinations.

Huge news

The fact that the Whites plan on offering Raphinha a new deal and will not look to sell him this month is certainly a massive boost for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

In the absence of some key players, the Brazil international has emerged as one of Leeds’ most important players, especially in the final third. As per WhoScored, he leads the squad for goals scored – finding the net eight times, which is nearly 40% of the team’s total – as well as shots (3.1), dribbles (2.4) and key passes (1.8) per game.

That would indeed suggest that he’s a major influence when it comes to their attacking play.

The £36m-rated star signed a four-year deal following his £17m move from Rennes in October 2020 and has regularly caught the eye.

Leeds’ club-record signing Daniel James has lauded him as a “magician”, whilst fellow teammate Illan Meslier believes he is an “unbelievable player”.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously emphasised just how valuable he is to Bielsa and United’s success, saying: “Phillips is the player whom Leeds miss most but, in an attacking sense, Raphinha is consistently head and shoulders above everyone. Even aside from his touch and his vision, he has the most incredible engine.”

Therefore, on the above evidence, it is going to cause some excitement amongst the Elland Road faithful following this encouraging behind-the-scenes update from Thorp Arch.

It seems as if Raphinha will, at the very least, see out the current campaign in white, thus handing the Yorkshiremen a big boost.

AND in other news, Leeds United could be set for “huge blow” amid emerging transfer report…

Some West Ham United fans slammed the perfomance of Nikola Vlasic in their 3-2 loss at home to Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Croatia international struggled to make any real impact on the match in truth, and he was subbed off just after the hour mark for Arthur Masuaku after Jack Harrison completed his hat-trick for the away side to put them back in front for a third time.

Vlasic lost out on all three of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on goal, successful dribble, key pass or accurate cross, while he was also guilty of losing the ball 12 times (SofaScore).

With Said Benrahma currently at the African Cup of Nations with Algeria, the 24-year-old is certainly not doing enough to impress David Moyes in his absence, with just one goal to show from his 19 appearances for the Irons.

West Ham fans slam Vlasic

These West Ham supporters slammed Vlasic’s performance on Twitter, with one Hammers fan going as far as to claim that the Croatian was ‘non-existent’ against Leeds today:

“Vlasic was non-existent”

Credit: @ScottVenn

“Vlasic couldn’t hold onto possession to save his life”

Credit: @manlikethigss

“Can we get a refund on Vlasic. Garbage. In fact can we sling Diop into any deal?”

Credit: @Danwhu28

“Poor from Vlasic too, and Dawson. And Fab makes that harder if he’s off his line quicker”

Credit: @The_Wilkerson

“Vlasic did not play well today, needs to start stepping up”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Vlasic has been shocking today”

Credit: @moyes_boy

In other news, find out who the Irons have now been backed to sign in January

As per reliable reporter Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s chase for Manchester United playmaker Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Spurs make contact…

The Lilywhites and manager Antonio Conte are believed to be eyeing Lingard ahead of a possible move with the club still arguably having failed to replace the goals from midfield of former star Christian Eriksen.

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Indeed, transfer chief Fabio Paratici and Spurs have apparently sounded out the 29-year-old’s representatives with another solid source in Alasdair Gold breaking that news earlier in January.

The Tottenham correspondent first revealed that the Lilywhites had made contact to sign Lingard with Luckhurst now sharing an update on their pursuit.

The Latest: Lingard favours London move…

According to his information, the £100,000-per-week attacker is now attracting real interest from Newcastle United as they work on a move.

However, Luckhurst claims that Lingard favours a return to London over a switch to St. James’ Park with Tottenham eyeing a permanent free summer move.

In terms of his possible January signing, it is believed that the Red Devils are unlikely to do business with Spurs given they’re a direct top four rival.

The Verdict: Great free agent option…

Scoring nine goals and assisting four others over 16 Premier League appearances last season on loan at West Ham (WhoScored), Lingard comes as a potential free agent signing who could provide a real injection of threat.

Depending on how Newcastle fare in negotiations, Conte and Spurs supporters alike will be hoping they still have the opportunity to swoop in and sign the England international for free later this year.

For no transfer fee, he could certainly be a real snip, with Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson even calling him a ‘diamond’ (via The Metro).

He would also help to fill Tottenham’s homegrown quota in what would be another boost for the club.

In other news: Spurs edge closer to first January signing as Conte personally eyes ‘massive’ £15m man, find out more here.

Celtic could look to bring in further January signings on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Mark Guidi, with the Daily Record journalist stating during an interview with The Go Radio Football Show (via Vital Celtic) that a late move by Ange Postecoclou in the winter market should not be ruled out.

Speaking about Celtic’s potential last-minute transfer business, Guidi said: “You never say never.”

Fans will be dreaming

With Celtic having been linked with some extremely exciting players this month, such as Ahmed Kendouci, Fernando Henrique and Mehdi Ghayedi, as well as it being reported that the Bhoys could look to tie up the permanent signings of both Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, there would still very much appear to be irons in the fire for Postecoglou on deadline day.

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And, should the 56-year-old indeed manage to seal any one of these aforementioned deals, it would cap a rather extraordinary winter window for the Hoops, who have already landed the signings of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny this winter.

Indeed, should the Greek-Australian manager wish to give his side the best possible chance of reclaiming their Premiership crown this season, it would look to be a smart move to keep a very close eye on the movements of the market on deadline day, as one of the Bhoys’ targets could very easily become available on a late deal.

However, at present, it looks as if it is a case of wait and see for the Parkhead faithful, although Guidi’s update will have left many fans dreaming of one last Celtic splurge this January.

In other news: “I’ve been told”: Joseph drops teasing deadline day claim, Celtic fans will be excited

Brentford are ready to rival West Ham for the signing of Hull City midfielder Keane Lewis-Potter, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Hammers keen on Lewis-Potter

The Hammers are reportedly interested in acquiring the 20-year-old’s signature before the end of the January transfer window, following some impressive performances for Hull.

Lewis-Potter has scored five goals and registered three assists in 27 Championship appearances this season, also being hailed as a ‘special talent’ by Grant McCann.

It now looks as though West Ham could face competition for the youngster, though.

The Latest: Brentford emerge at contenders

According to The Daily Mail, Brentford have made a £12million offer to Hull for Lewis-Potter’s services, with Tottenham also mentioned in the report.

The Englishman’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, meaning the Tigers are running out of time to receive a healthy fee for him.

The Verdict: Blow to miss out on him

While Lewis-Potter wouldn’t necessarily arrive as an immediate key man under David Moyes, he has the long-term potential to be a superb signing. He is already shining in the Championship at a young age and also won the EFL’s Young Player of the Month award back in October 2020.

With Mark Noble an ageing figure and Declan Rice not a certainty to stay put this summer, the Hull man is someone who could eventually mature into an influential figure in the middle of the park, albeit in a slightly more advanced role.

Not only has he chipped in with eight goal contributions in the league this season, but he has also averaged 0.8 interceptions and one clearance per game, showing he can shine defensively too.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited by a transfer update. Read more here.

Celtic have been linked with a summer move for Nimes Olympique ace Zinedine Ferhat, who is available for pre-contract agreements immediately.

The Lowdown: Ferhat profiled

Ferhat, an Algerian international, is primarily a right-midfielder but has already played as a centre-forward and a left winger this season in the French second tier.

The 28-year-old has made 311 club appearances during his career, contributing to a hugely impressive 111 goals.

He is out of contract at the end of June, meaning CEO Michael Nicholson can tie up a pre-contract agreement right now ahead of a summer move.

The Hoops were linked with Ferhat at the beginning of the year, and it seems as if they could still be keen despite making five January signings.

The Latest: Foot Mercato claim

Foot Mercato shared multiple transfer updates in a story on Wednesday evening, one of which was on Ferhat.

They claimed that Ligue 1 side Brest tried and failed to sign the Algerian last month. The report added that Ferhat decided to stay with Nimes until the end of the season when he will be able to negotiate with other clubs for a free move, with Celtic and Trabzonspor name-checked as possible destinations.

The Verdict: Needed?

Ange Postecoglou has reaped the rewards of bringing a versatile player to Parkhead in Reo Hatate, and who knows, Ferhat could be the next.

Ferhat has played in nine different positions during his career in defence, midfield and attack and is valued at £4.05m.

The Hoops wouldn’t have to pay a penny to Nimes either in a pre-contract agreement, so it could be wise to test the water with a contract offer.

He’s been described as a ‘very graceful’ player by journalist Adam White and could be handy under Postecoglou, who had limited attacking options from the bench last weekend against Dundee United.

In other news: Kieran Devlin drops scary Reo Hatate claim from sources close to Celtic dressing room. 

Following on from their midweek win in the Premiership, Rangers are back in action this evening with a Scottish Cup fifth round clash against Annan Athletic. 

In his latest press conference, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that Filip Helander will be involved in the game in some aspect after recovering from a knee injury which has kept him out of action since September.

Van Bronckhorst also revealed that Ryan Jack will return to training this weekend, and that Leon Balogun’s injury is not as serious as first feared.

Taking all that into account, here’s how we feel Rangers could line up this evening to take on Annan, with six changes to the starting XI from the midweek win over Hibernian.

In goal, having started and kept a clean sheet in their 4-0 win over Stirling Albion in their previous Scottish Cup clash, we think Jon McLaughlin will come in for Allan McGregor to see if he can help the team progress further in the competition.

In defence, we think club captain James Tavernier will keep his place at right-back, with Borna Barisic coming in on the left and Calvin Bassey pairing up with Connor Goldson in the middle.

Moving to the two central midfield positions, we can see Van Bronckhorst sticking with John Lundstram and giving Aaron Ramsey his first start for the club ahead of Glen Kamara, who is currently earning £21k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Out wide, we think the 47-year-old will give starts to Fashion Sakala on the left and Amad Diallo on the right to see if they can impress and help the team secure a win.

In between those two, it seems likely that Joe Aribo will start in the number 10 role given how he has been favoured for the Gers across all competitions this season, with Scott Arfield duly dropping out.

Up top, although Alfredo Morelos started and scored in midweek, we think he will be rested and Cedric Itten will be given another chance to shine after netting in the 4-0 win over Stirling in the previous round.

In other news – Game-changer: Why Van Bronckhorst must finally start “unbelievable” Rangers gem, he’d terrify Annan

Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham Hotspur could hinge on their activity in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

What’s the word?

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reports that there are “concerns” at Spurs following the Italian’s surprise comments over their recent transfer business to Sky Italia.

“Concerns at Tottenham that Antonio Conte’s future will hinge on summer recruitment as it emerges he was warned of budget restrictions before agreeing to take over,” he tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

The north Londoners signed Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur but let go of Dele Alli permanently, and Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Byran Gil on loan during deadline day.

‘Spurs expect Conte to see out the season despite his public outburst but there are internal concerns that the club’s summer recruitment will have a major influence on the head coach’s future ahead of next season,’ he wrote.

Trouble ahead?

You can’t but feel that this is a timebomb waiting to explode but you can hardly be surprised.

You’ve got one world-class manager in Antonio Conte, who has perennially been backed financially in the transfer market. And you’ve got a tough-negotiating chairman in Daniel Levy, who isn’t going to spend freely.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, the 52-year-old spent a whopping £200m but it resulted in a Premier League title and an FA Cup, whilst at Inter Milan, it wasn’t far off being a similar amount as he secured their first Scudetto in over a decade.

The recurring theme is that backing the Italian head coach garners reward in the form of silverware. Spurs are a club that haven’t tasted that glory since 2008.

Spurs’ squad lack quality depth and even at that, it’s far from good enough. Conte’s comments about the side getting weaker this winter are technically true but none of those players were adding anything of substance.

He needs to be backed to the hill in the summer and that just doesn’t seem likely given Levy’s history, so it’s easy to see why the manager’s long-term future at the club is in jeopardy.

As such, the supporters around N17 will be absolutely fuming, if not worried heading into the remainder of 2022.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal Spurs’ biggest signing since Son in “special” £54m-rated monster…

Liverpool will be back to cup football tomorrow night, just three days after their EFL Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, as they host Norwich City in the FA Cup fifth round.

In a game which went all the way to penalties, many of head coach Jurgen Klopp’s men will be feeling the effects of a gruelling battle, and he will likely be forced into a number of changes for the tie.

One player who is likely to start is 18-year-old Harvey Elliott, who did come on as a sub on Sunday, but will be looking forward to getting more game-time from the first whistle, particularly against weaker opposition – as players like Naby Keita drop to the bench.

Norwich will certainly be no push-overs, but they aren’t likely to take the game to Liverpool in front of the Kop, so expect them to invite pressure in order to try and make quick counter-attacks and catch Liverpool on the break.

That pressure, though, will encourage the likes of Elliott, who has demonstrated exceptional confidence and ability since being promoted into the first team, freedom to roam and create, which he has done so well so far this season, averaging 5.16 shot-creating actions per appearance, the third most of any player in the Reds squad this term.

The Englishman will definitely be looking to add to the goal he scored against Cardiff City in the last round on his return from injury, and this type of game really could present him the opportunity to create chances for teammates – or get on the end of one.

Teammate James Milner has hailed Elliott’s mental strength as “incredible” after recovering from his unfortunate accident at Leeds earlier in the season, while his cameos in the last month are beginning to remind people what the fuss was all about.

Speaking to talkSPORT a couple of weeks ago, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy also praised Elliott, saying: “I enjoy watching him play, he’s a creative footballer whose got great technical ability.”

Those are comments that could certainly strike fear into the Norwich defence, and supplement the “special” tag that Scott Parker gave the teenager following his debut.

The more we get to see of the former Fulham youngster, the more it becomes clear that he could genuinely become one of the country’s top young talents – if he continues to receive significant playing time, beginning with a start at home to Norwich City tomorrow.

In other news: Liverpool eye swoop for “world-class” £55m ace, he could force Salah out of Anfield…

David Moyes has claimed that West Ham were “very serious” about bringing players to the club in January but admitted that his squad is short of where he wants it to be ahead of the summer window.

The Lowdown: January’s failed window

Transfer rumours were flying for the Hammers in January as the east London club were linked with a myriad of stars across Europe.

West Ham reportedly attempted to break their club transfer record fee with three different players, sadly to no avail. This included bids in excess of £50 million for Leeds United duo Kalvin Philipps and Raphinha, and also a sensational £60 million deadline day move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.

Over the past month, claims have been made about the squad’s fitness, suggesting that fatigue is a huge issue for Moyes’ players after failing to secure any of their winter window targets.

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The Latest: Moyes’ comments

In Moyes’ recent press conference held ahead of West Ham’s FA Cup clash against Southampton, the Scotsman seemed to admit that his squad is suffering due to a lack of depth.

However, he claims that it wasn’t for a lack of trying. As quoted by football.london, he said:

“It would be unfair [just to mention West Ham] I think a lot of clubs did not buy players in January. We were very serious about trying to bring players to the club in January but for different reasons, it did not happen. 

“We know we are a little bit short of where we would like to be, the squad I have at the moment have done a brilliant job over the last two years and I have no reason to think they will not do a brilliant job in the coming three months between now and the end of the season.”

The Verdict: Finally admitted…

Recently it has seemed like Moyes has actively tried to avoid talking about the January window, presumably in an attempt to evade criticism of the club’s transfer activity.

Therefore, his admission that they are indeed short will come as a very thin silver lining for fans, who were left deflated with the failed attempts made to rectify the club’s issues.

Moyes’ comments could be seen as artificial, given how late the club’s moves were made with last-ditch bids, but either way it is clear to see that the players are indeed fatigued and these ‘serious’ transfer moves must become reality in the summer.

In other news: BBC Radio pundit drops Hammers FA Cup claim