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This week has been a busy one as far as transfer rumours are concerned at Elland Road.

Loan striker Eddie Nketiah has been the subject of a possible recall from Arsenal with Bristol City swooping around the striker once again.

However, some possible incomings are in the pipeline too. Midfielder Billy Gilmour is being targeted over a potential loan deal while the same can be said for Reece James.

Football Insider have suggested that the Whites are keeping tabs on the defender with a view to trying to bring him to west Yorkshire if he fell out of Frank Lampard’s plans at Chelsea.

James spent the opening weeks of the season out through injury and as a result, has made just two appearances in all competitions for the Chelsea first-team this term.

That comes after a stellar campaign with Wigan in the Championship where the 19-year-old played 45 times both at right-back and in defensive midfield.

With the potential for a temporary deal to be done in January, do Football FanCast writers think Leeds should continue their pursuit?

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Charles Jones:

“Of course Leeds should be looking at signing Reece James on loan in January. After all, the right-back made the Championship Team of the Year last term despite playing in a poor Wigan side.

“Luke Ayling has struggled with injuries so far this season, and Jamie Shackleton is more of a midfield player than a full-back.

“James would instantly improve Bielsa’s side, especially with his attacking mantra, playing 1.6 key passes per game last season. Not only that, but he’d also allow Ayling to provide some much-needed cover at centre-half for when Gaetano Berardi inevitably gets sent off again.

“Whether or not they can get him is another question as Frank Lampard seems to be a fan of his and the Chelsea manager’s relationship with the Yorkshire club isn’t the best after Spygate, but if they can pull this one off it’d be a huge coup.”

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship home kits in the video below…

Vijievan Jeevathayalan:

“The Championship can be an unforgivable testing ground for young players, what with its gruelling 46-game season, and bruising physicality. But Reece James’ impressive performances on loan at Wigan last season proved exactly why Marcelo Bielsa must go all in with a January swoop for the 19-year-old.

“The England U20 international cleaned up at the Latics’ annual awards ceremony, and even earned rave reviews from Leeds legend Eddie Gray about his willingness “to take chances and shots on goal”.

“The powerful teenager would give Bielsa’s side an attacking impetus from right-back, having averaged one shot and 1.6 key passes per game for Wigan. At 5 foot 9, and weighing 87kg, James is a marauding tank that could prove to be an unstoppable force from the flanks were Leeds to pull off a major coup in the winter.”

Jon Radcliffe:

“Considering he has already made his Champions League debut this term, it could be seen by many as a step down if Reece James were to move on loan to Leeds. But, realistically, it wouldn’t be the worst move in the world.

“He has plenty of promise, granted, but he has the unfortunate problem of playing in the same position as the club captain at Chelsea. No matter how well he performs, it is unlikely that Frank Lampard will drop his leader too often.

“At Elland Road, though, he would surely play in the majority of matches, especially if he’s going to a club in order to improve a side that already has Dallas and Ayling as options. There are far worse managers to work under than the legendary Marcelo Bielsa too.

“The Whites are fighting for promotion to the Premier League, which therefore means that the 19-year-old would be playing in a competitive atmosphere where every result counts. For the Yorkshire outfit, this would be a coup. James is a quality right-back, as his Player of the Year award at Wigan last year indicates, and he would slot in nicely on that side of the defence. Their promotion push will no doubt be boosted by the arrival of a player who made such an impact in the Championship last term.”

Matt Dawson:

“A move for James would certainly be an interesting one but I’m not so sure it’s the correct call, particularly given the other areas Victor Orta should be looking at strengthening in the winter.

“It’s no secret that Leeds are struggling financially, even Andrea Radrizzani admitted it wasn’t sustainable to keep their wage at the level it’s currently at in an interview with The Times this week. With that in mind, they must be more careful with their resources in January.

“Leeds already have six players on loan and adding any more would simply lead to an even bigger fight for places.

“Considering they have filled their loan quota, it would make sense to target someone in another position, not at right-back where they have able options in Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling. The former has earned rave reviews while the latter played as many as 40 times last season.

“The Whites are struggling to hit the back of the net, amassing the tenth highest goals tally in the division, so perhaps they should look at bringing in a forward on loan instead.”

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Barcelona have a rather busy week ahead of them.

After falling to a 2-0 loss against Granada last Saturday, they will face Villarreal at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. And they have already officially announced their squad list for that game.

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One big omission from the list, however, was their 30-year-old Croatia international, Ivan Rakitic. But the midfielder, it seems, is far from a fan favourite at the club.

Quite the contrary, actually, as lots of Barca fans were absolutely delighted with the news that he will not be involved in the encounter.

It didn’t take long for them to start celebrating this small victory on social media and Twitter, voicing their enthusiasm wherever the could.

Some called it an answer to their prayers and some say it’s a small step for mankind, implying that it could be a start of something big and significant for the team.

Rakitic has yet to complete 90 minutes in La Liga this season.

You can see some of their replies down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been discussing the club’s new manager options following a disastrous performance and result against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Spurs were looking to bounce back from the humiliating 7-2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League when they travelled to the Amex, but within three minutes they were 1-0 down and lost Hugo Lloris to a serious elbow injury.

The north London outfit now lie 13 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool just eight matches into the season, while they have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Colchester United.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Naturally, some supporters have already been calling for other managers to come in with Jose Mourinho and Julian Nagelsmann just two that have been mentioned previously, and fans were having their say again following the defeat on the south coast.

While one said “I’d rather get relegated with Poch” than have the likes of Eddie Howe, Brendan Rodgers or Nuno Santo, another said they would “100% take Rodgers”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Speaking to The Daily Express, Sergio Ramos has revealed Paul Pogba would be more than welcome to join Real Madrid.

What’s the word?

Pogba’s name was linked with a move away from Manchester United for the best part of the summer, and reports had suggested Madrid were “increasingly confident” they could get their man.

However, a deal for the 26-year-old failed to materialise, and the France World Cup winner stayed put at Old Trafford. Now, Ramos has hailed the midfielder as a “great player”, and opened the door for a future Madrid move.

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He said: “I think Real Madrid always has the door open for good players such as him. For me, Pogba is one of the great players. He is different and he has shown his value at Juventus and now Manchester United. I think he brings balance to a team. He has a great offensive influence and he has this amazing physique.”

Never-ending saga

Madrid and Barcelona stars do love stirring the pot don’t they? Players of the two La Liga giants have never been shy in voicing their opinions on potential transfer targets for their respective clubs, and it is often such a blatant showing of ‘tapping up’.

Who can ever forget Cesc Fabregas being forced to wear a Barcelona shirt by Gerard Pique in 2010?

Ramos’ pretty open comments on Pogba are therefore no surprise. It is likely the beginning of a period of relentless mind games Los Blancos will play over the course of the coming months as they bid to force through a transfer for the United star.

Whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will undoubtedly look to straight-bat any rumours, it is difficult to see the Red Devils hanging on to the Frenchman for an extended amount of time.

More than anything, the United boss has to ensure the midfielder’s long-term future is dealt with swiftly – whether that’s internally or in public. If not, they risk becoming involved in the circus act that often develops when Madrid or Barcelona come calling for a player.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Roy Hodgson has warned Crystal Palace fans that “heartache” is coming their way this season, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s he said?

The former England manager has seen his side take seven points from a possible 12 in the Premier League thus far this season.

A 0-0 draw with Everton on the first weekend of the season was followed by a 1-0 loss to Sheffield United, though their last two outings brought wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa.

They face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend but Hodgson has warned the Selhurst Park faithful that they are solely focused on avoiding relegation and very little more.

He said: “Fans would like to hear ‘yeah it’s going to be a great season, we’ve finished roughly in the middle of the table the last couple of seasons, we’re going to go on and do much better than that’.

“I would like to say that to you but if I’m realistic I’m not certain I can. I think staying in the Premier League is always going to be the be-all and end-all for us and always going to be a fight, a bit of suffering.

“There’s not going to be rainbows and blue skies and rose-coloured spectacles all the way through. There’s going to be plenty of fighting and heartache along the way.”

Horrendous outlook

This is going to go down like a lead balloon with most Palace fans.

The Eagles have enjoyed some good form, have won at Old Trafford and are currently fourth in the Premier League.

Of course, few genuine supporters expect the club to keep that run going but to turn around and say that “heartache” is coming is a ridiculously negative way of looking at the situation.

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He can think it privately, of course, but to say it out loud is another thing altogether.

If Palace go on a run of defeats now, it is not difficult to see where the fingers will be pointed and quite rightly so, too.

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Well, it appears that Marko Arnautovic is staying at West Ham United then.

The 29-year-old’s future has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few weeks amid suggestions of at least one offer from the Chinese Super League (BBC Sport).

Arnautovic appeared to wave goodbye to the West Ham fans following the club’s 1-0 win over Arsenal earlier this month (Mirror Football).

According to The Guardian, West Ham were prepared to sell Arnautovic had a club come up with an offer of £45m.

However, the attacker has now taken to Instagram to insist that he will be staying at the London Stadium until at least the end of the season.

Arnautovic, who joined West Ham from Stoke City in the summer of 2017, has scored eight times in 18 appearances for West Ham this season (Transfermarkt).

There is no question that the Hammers are a better team when he plays, but a number of the club’s fans had started to get their head around the idea of him leaving.

Arnautovic’s words have been welcomed by some, but others feel that the attacker will only be staying until the end of the season, when he will again seek a move.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans can be seen below:

Check out the video below to see Pl>ymaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

When Lee Bowyer took over from Karl Robinson as caretaker manager back in March 2018, Charlton had just one win from their previous eight games.

The former Addicks academy graduate had absolutely no managerial experience prior to stepping into the hotseat, but still managed to lead his side into the playoffs that season with six wins from the club’s last 10 league games – unfortunately, they couldn’t overcome Shrewsbury in the semi-finals.

However, Bowyer has gone from strength to strength as a manager at The Valley and what he has done since taking the reins has been nothing short of astonishing.

He managed to oversee 26 league wins from 46 games last term, and also masterminded a route through the playoffs to see off Sunderland at Wembley and complete a remarkable achievement in just his first full campaign as a manager.

You would forgive the 42-year-old for having a slow start to life back in the Championship given the circumstances, but his Charlton side simply can’t stop winning and currently sit second in the table with four wins and two draws from their first six games.

The supporters are jubilant. Bowyer has restored their faith after years of baffling decisions at board level, and the manager and club seem like an ideal fit for each other.

Bowyer has impressed in the English game so much that Huddersfield are reportedly interested in appointing him as their manager, with Mark Hudson unable to get things back on track after the Terriers sacked Jan Siewert.

If Bowyer accepted this move, questions would have to have been asked.

Luckily for the south Londoners, the former Birmingham midfielder has since said he will be staying at the club, and he would’ve been crazy to think of doing anything other than just that.

It is rare to see such a connection between a fanbase and the manager nowadays, and when you are doing so well and things are going swimmingly at a club so close to you personally, leaving for anywhere else – especially a turbulent Huddersfield side – would be downright lunacy.

Celtic have been dealt a late injury blow concerning Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash on Monday evening.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by The Scottish Sun, the 26-year-old centre-forward, who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over St. Johnstone on Boxing Day, looks set to be ruled out of action until at least next month, missing tonight’s clash with Hibs as a result.

The report claims that the Japan international is a doubt for the Old Firm clash on February 2 – despite the fact that Ange Postecoglou claimed after the St. Johnstone win that the striker’s injury was “nothing major,” leading us to believe he could return after the break.

The report went on to state that Kyogo will not link up with the Japanese national team for their World Cup qualifiers against China on January 27 and Saudi Arabia on February 1 due to his fitness concerns, as well as revealing that the forward has not been training with Celtic upon their return to Lennoxtown after the winter break.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Kyogo has become since his £4.6m move to Parkhead last summer, the news that the centre-forward looks set to miss the fixture against Hibernian, as well as a number of other extremely important games in the coming weeks, is sure to have left Postecoglu fuming.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership outings so far this season, the £4.95m-rated man has already scored eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

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These returns have seen the £18k-per-week striker average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who remain in the Greek-Australian manager’s first-team squad.

The Japan international has also bagged a further two goals and three assists over his five Europa League appearances, three goals over his four Europa League qualifying fixtures and three goals in three games in the League Cup – taking his total to 16 goals and five assists over just 26 appearances for the Hoops.

As such, being without Kyogo for any extended period of time will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Postecoglou and his side, who will need to keep the 26-year-old fit and firing over the second half of the season if Celtic are to have any chance of going on to reclaim their Scottish Premiership crown come next May.

In other news: Ange must unleash Celtic’s £1.44m-rated “dream” on Hibs, he’ll give Maloney nightmares

Tottenham are considering going back in for Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence, claim Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Spence profiled

Spence is on loan at The City Ground from Middlesbrough and is primarily a right-back who can also play as a right midfielder.

Labelled as a ‘massive player’ by Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff, the 21-year-old has made 22 appearances for Forest and helped them defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier this month.

Reports in recent weeks suggested that Antonio Conte was close to signing the Englishman, and it now appears as if Spurs could go back in for Spence after a move for Adama Traore collapsed.

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The Latest: Sky Sports claim

According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, relayed by Football League World, Spurs are weighing up another move for Spence.

The update claims that even though Tottenham won’t be able to use the player this season, they are still considering a late January swoop.

The Verdict: Good news

Out of all the Forest players who have played 15 or more games this season, Spence has been the best, as per WhoScored, so a late winter window deal ahead of the summer could be an exciting one.

He’s clearly an impressive young talent, and who knows, he could fit the right-wing back mould Conte wanted Traore in over the coming years.

Missing out on Spence now could also be a risk ahead of the summer, especially with Transfermarkt believing Arsenal, Inter Milan and Roma are circling – securing a deal now could be extremely beneficial for the long-term future under Conte.

In other news: ‘Agreement reached’ – Spurs breakthrough as player Conte and Paratici love now ‘happy’ to sign. 

A number of West Ham supporters have hailed an official club tweet highlighting how memorable 2021 has been for the Hammers.

David Moyes’ side returned to winning ways earlier in the week, beating Watford 4-1 at Vicarage Road to give their Premier League top-four chances fresh hope.

It has been a superb 2021 for West Ham, who pushed for Champions League football in 2020/21 and still ended up sealing a spot in the Europa League.

This season, memorable 3-2 victories have been picked up at home to Liverpool and Chelsea, and there is a continued feeling that the good times have returned in east London.

The Irons coasted through their Europa League group, effectively sealing a ‘bye’ through the first knock-out stage of the competition.

Ahead of the turn of the year into January, the club’s Twitter account posted a statistic confirming that the Hammers have secured their most points (73), wins (22) and scored the most goals (73) in a calendar year since the Premier League’s inception.

West Ham fans love official club post

These West Ham fans took to Twitter to show their love for the current crop of heroes.

“Massive”

Credit: @FPLFella

“Football brought me so much joy this year, especially the vibes when Lingard joined”

Credit: @whuabz

“My club. Be the hammer not the nail!”

Credit: @goodinmike_

“It’s been a wonderful, exceptional, unbelievable and entirely enjoyable year to be a Hammer for the first time in a long time! Long may it continue into the new year!”

Credit: @MartinSRoberts

“Special team, special club”

Credit: @samdruiff

“What a year”

Credit: @abdu_mata

In other news, some West Ham fans have erupted over one transfer claim. Read more here.