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After brushing aside Southampton last time out in the Premier League, Leeds delivered a disappointing display on Saturday as they fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side just looked completely flat at Elland Road, managing just three shots on target in the entire 90 minutes. The Leeds boss did make a couple of changes to his starting line-up, with Tyler Roberts one of those players coming in after some encouraging cameos in recent weeks.

But the Wales international failed to take his opportunity, with the 22-year-old struggling to make the most out of the good positions that he found himself in.

As per Sofascore, he found the target with just one of his attempts on goal, while he attempted no dribbles whatsoever. Roberts lost the ball in good areas so often, with Villa’s defenders outmuscling him far too easily on occasion – he lost eight out of the ten duels that he contested.

He also seemed to lose his head and gave away some cheap free-kicks, with his three fouls committed being the joint-highest of any Leeds player on the pitch.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross noted: “Not the type of performance which is going to keep him in the main thoughts of Marcelo Bielsa and co when it comes to the summer reshuffle. Had one decent effort sting the goalkeeper’s hand, but not at it at all apart from that. Wasted chances when they came his way. Had little control in the middle and gave away fouls.”

His lacklustre performance even prompted many Leeds fans to take to Twitter to urge the club to sell him when the transfer window opens up again in the summer.

Bielsa placed his trust in the £5k-a-week earning Roberts by promoting him to the starting line-up, and the forward massively let his manager down with his display. With reports even linking him with a move away back in January, perhaps this summer is the perfect time for both parties to go their separate ways.

Leeds United have been linked to several new defensive options this month. However, an update from Phil Hay clarified that they are not expecting any new signings before the window shuts.

According to French outlet Le10Sport, the Whites were named alongside Southampton in the battle for Romain Perraud’s signature. The report claims that despite the Frenchman still having four years on his current deal, interest is mounting for his services.

Should Leeds have signed Perraud?

Marcelo Bielsa has been faced with several injury concerns this season, with summer signings Robin Koch and Diego Llorente both out of action. Not only has the Argentinian been plagued with fitness issues, but the idea of Ezgjan Alioski leaving the club is looking more and more likely.

Fotomac reports that the left-back has been linked to a move to Galatasaray, with the Turkish outfit are looking to replace Marcelo Saracchi and eyeing Alioski with his contract being up at the end of the season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

If the North Macedonian leaves Elland Road, Bielsa will be left with only youngster Leif Davis as his option on the left flank. Whilst he can rely on Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas and their versatility, it’s simply not a feasible option to deploy his players out of position for the foreseeable future.

Leeds should have moved for Perraud, as they would have been signing a ready-made replacement for Alioski. According to WhoScored, the Brest defender already has more goalscoring contributions than the Leeds ace, as well as a higher average of interceptions and clearances per match.

Perraud also has similar stats to Alioski when it comes to passing accuracy and aerial duels won as well as tackles. With the former also being younger than the Leeds left-back, he has a lot more in his tank to give to the cause and would have been a very smart option to bring in, in case Alioski’s future lies beyond Elland Road.

With a Transfermarkt value of £7.2million, Perraud likely wouldn’t break the bank if Andrea Radrizzani decided to loosen the purse strings. He could’ve be the ideal addition to the squad ahead of tonight’s deadline.

In other news, Leeds must revisit transfer swoop for Divock Origi…

Celtic are in a run of fine form as they prepare to take on St Johnstone in Perth this lunchtime. The Hoops will be hoping for nothing less than three points on the road today, to bank their fourth consecutive win.

Their last performance was an emphatic 4-0 win over St Mirren, with goals coming from Tom Rogic, Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie and David Turnbull. Their blistering display marked their 13th goal scored in their last five matches.

After sustaining an injury last time out, Celtic will likely be without rising star Stephen Welsh, who has been filling in for Shane Duffy recently. He was stretchered off the pitch against St Mirren, but fortunately the injury is not expected to be anything long-term.

Football FanCast has predicted how the Hoops will lineup to take on the Saints in today’s lunchtime kickoff…

Although Welsh is said to just have some bruising, Neil Lennon won’t want to rush him back to action. Duffy may be given the nod to return to the lineup alongside Kristoffer Ajer, despite being usurped due to his disappointing form recently.

The boss may also shake up his engine room and opt to start Ryan Christie, who has been demoted to the bench as of late. Since Lennon and 14 players returned from self-isolation in January, the Scotland international has started just two matches. His recent performances have divided many Celtic fans on social media, with many targeting him as a weak link in the squad.

However, after replacing Albian Ajeti in the 68th minute against St Mirren, Christie popped up with a goal to extend his side’s lead before Turnbull put it to bed a minute later.

On the topic of Ajeti, he was extremely quiet in attack during the midweek game. According to Sofascore, he failed to register a single shot towards goal and he had less touches and accurate passes than goalkeeper Scott Bain. Celtic can’t afford to get complacent in their attack and Edouard needs a solid partner to accompany him up front.

Mohamed Elyounoussi may return to the team, having already played up top with the Frenchman and scoring against Livingston in a 2-2 draw last month.

With the end of his contract looming, the Southampton loanee will want to make a good impression. A solid performance against St Johnstone this afternoon will certainly do the trick.

In other news, Ryan Christie silenced doubters with performance vs St Mirren…

Sam Allardyce’s chances of keeping West Brom in the Premier League took a turn for the worst earlier this week after the Baggies were beaten by rock-bottom Sheffield United.

It leaves them ten points adrift of safety with crucial games against Spurs, Manchester United, Burnley and Brighton on the horizon.

Albion have brought in five new names this transfer window, though their two deadline day additions – Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Okay Yokuslu – are yet to feature.

“When you have decided to attack the situation by bringing new players in – if I didn’t think there was a chance (of survival) I wouldn’t have pushed as hard as I did to get those players in,” revealed Big Sam in the wake of Tuesday’s defeat.

So how will the pair of them fit in? They’re both in line to make an instant impact against Spurs…

On the Chalkboard

Both arrivals hit towards Allardyce sticking with a three-at-the-back formation as it would allow Yokuslu to be deployed in a defensive midfield role at the base of the engine room, whilst the versatile Arsenal star can act as the right wing-back.

It does, however, mean there are some big calls to make over the like of Jake Livermore, Romaine Sawyers and Grady Diangana.

The Baggies have a plethora of central defensive options, so it makes sense for Allardyce to want to utilse such a formation, and he has done before when saving Sunderland from the brink of relegation.

It means we could see Dara O’Shea, Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi in front of Sam Johnstone with Conor Townsend and Maitland-Niles on the two flanks.

As already mentioned, we’re likely to see Yokuslu come straight in as a defensive midfielder as that’s a position Big Sam was desperate to secure in the window.

It does, however, likely mean that two of Slaven Bilic’s long-serving favourites are axed in Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore. Both started at least 42 league games last season and have continued to be a presence this term.

The pair rank as the two worst West Brom regulars as per WhoScored ratings, and with a better defensive anchor in place, it could allow Robert Snodgrass and Matheus Pereira some extra freedom further up the pitch.

There’s also a major decision to be had on Grady Diangana because when he’s fit, he’s a shoo-in to start (started all four games under Allardyce prior to injury).

But given the formation tweak, there’s just no place for him in the lineup, meaning he’s likely to have to settle for a role off the bench.

Whilst upfront, we could see a ‘David and Goliath’ partnership of Mbaye Diagne and Karlan Grant.

The likes of Callum Robinson, Matty Phillips and Kieran Gibbs would all also be substitute options.

AND in other news, Missed bargain: Dowling’s WBA call over “fearless” £2m beast looking worse by the week…

According to Corriere Adriatico, via Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are one of several sides interested in signing former Brighton & Hove Albion right-back Ezequiel Schelotto in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

It is believed that Schelotto, who has been without a club since being released by Brighton in the summer, is wanted by Serie C side US Sambenedettese, but ‘there might be some obstacle’ in the form of the Eagles.

The 31-year-old free agent fell out of favour at the AMEX Stadium but has also attracted interest from the likes of Championship club Watford and Italian side SPAL

However, Sambenedettese president Domenico Serafino has been in constant communication with his agent to try and engineer a move for Schelotto, which has given Steve Parish the golden opportunity to pull the plug on any potential transfer.

Must avoid Edgar Davids 2.0

Not that he’d like to admit it, but Roy Hodgson has a bit of a problem at right-back. Nathaniel Clyne hasn’t quite cut the mustard, which has led Football FanCast to call for the club to cut ties with Clyne, and new summer recruit Nathan Ferguson is sidelined due to injury, whilst Joel Ward isn’t getting any younger. Yet it’s fair to say that Schelotto isn’t the answer to all their problems – we can’t understand their reported interest at all.

Back in the summer of 2010, former Netherlands international midfielder Edgar Davids arrived at Selhurst Park on a pay-as-you-play deal, despite the fact the 37-year-old had been without a club for almost two years. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out, just about everything, as he struggled to get to grips with Championship football and made just seven appearances in all competitions before leaving the club by mutual consent.

While Schelotto may be a good fit for Watford – he has a decent amount of experience in the European leagues – it’s fair to say that he simply wouldn’t be the right man for Palace.

Would the one-time Italy international be any better than Clyne? Not at all if you take a closer look at the statistics.

Clyne 29, is two years his junior, and the differences don’t stop there, either. Last season, the Italian produced low numbers for tackles (0.4) and interceptions (0.8) per game, of which Clyne tops with 1.3 and 1.7 respectively, and he failed to offer much in the final third, attempting just 0.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

With that in mind, coupled with the fact he earned around £32,000-per-week in wages at the AMEX Stadium, Parish must simply avoid signing Schelotto at all costs, as he could turn out to be yet another expensive mistake.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke was Roy Hodgson’s unsung hero against Arsenal…

Many Liverpool fans believe that Taiwo Awoniyi is not the right man to replace Divock Origi if the Belgian decides to leave.

The 23-year-old is currently on loan from at FC Union Berlin over in Germany, where he is certainly catching the eye.

From 13 Bundesliga appearances, Awoniyi has scored five goals and provided two assists, getting regular first-team football under his belt in a competitive league (TransferMarkt).

The Nigerian centre-forward has had an array of loan spells since arriving at the club in 2015, spending time at the likes of FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, KAA Gent, and Mainz last season. In total, he has scored 38 times from over 100 outings combined.

Awoniyi has never made a first-team appearance for Liverpool. With speculation surrounding Divock Origi’s future still unclear, Anfield Edition presented the facts for supporters to stick their teeth into.

Despite this, supporters were convinced that Awoniyi is not good enough to play for the club, and that his Belgian teammate is a better player.

Fans not convinced by Awoniyi

“I’ve watched him and can say with confidence that he’s not good enough. Not even close to Origi. The best that could happen is we get a nice offer for him”

Credit: @SilverDeGeneral

“He won’t ever be a Liverpool player due to being one for 5 years now and never getting a permit. I give up on him”

Credit: @LfcRedLady

“Has done nothing for years now so would be the perfect time to sell him while his stocks are up”

Credit: @bugyutari

“No, we need to sign someone with world-class potential.”

Credit: @Subindra99

“He is not good enough for Liverpool, I think Liverpool should sell him for good price”

Credit: @Elflew59

“No will be sold”

Credit: @pete_pizza2020

“Sell him Edwards!”

Credit: @noma

In other news, Fabrizio Romano provided an intriguing update on Georginio Wijnaldum’s Anfield future.

This has been a pretty average year for Sunderland, a period of time where once again, they’ve been stuck in the doldrums.

The Black Cats failed to achieve promotion from League One and are now enduring a third successive year at this level.

For a club with such a steep history, this isn’t good enough. Excuses run deep from the players, manager and all the way to board level.

However, are they beginning to turn the tide heading towards a new year? Stewart Donald has now sold his majority stake in the club to 22-year-old Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and they have also finally sacked Phil Parkinson.

Lee Johnson arrived and although they were being beaten on his first day in the job, promising signs have emerged. Together with Kristjaan Speakman and their new owners, there are reasons to be positive and hopeful for a brighter future at the Stadium of Light.

Therefore, what better way to spend a period where the Mackems have no games than by doing a quiz? We bet you can’t get 100% right on these former and current player career paths…

AND in other news, SAFC must swoop for “speedball” who’s a “nightmare to play against”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer has made a stunning claim about Tottenham Hotspur misfit Dele Alli.

The 24-year-old has been restricted to just 66 minutes in the Premier League all season and hasn’t even been named in the matchday squad for eight of the ten top-flight fixtures, as per Transfermarkt.

Throughout the summer transfer window, there was speculation over his future amid links to Ligue 1 giants and Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain.

It has since been reported that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is expected to reject any advances for him next month despite Mourinho’s lack of trust in the two-time Young PFA Player of the Year.

When asked about why Alli hasn’t been involved as much this season under the ‘Special One,’ Palmer revealed that it has been down to his application on the training pitch.

The ex-West Brom and Leeds United star told FFC:

“Now, you’ve got to train the way you play. If you don’t train well, you’re not going to play well.

“So from what I’m hearing, that’s part of the problem, right?

“And then he’s got to do the other side of the job in the team, the way Mourinho’s teams work. They’re functional teams, they’ve got jobs to do.”

When Mourinho first took over from Mauricio Pochettino last season, the £46.8m-rated playmaker initially looked to have benefitted from the change in manager, contributing four goals and three assists in his first five matches at the helm.

Although just one start in the Premier League since June tells a completely different story.

The world also witnessed the Spurs boss lambast the out-of-favour England international in front of the whole team during their Amazon docuseries ‘All or Nothing,’ calling him “lazy” but with a bit more colourful language.

If Alli hasn’t improved his behaviour on the training pitch, then perhaps it is hardly a surprise that he’s struggled for game time during the 2020/21 campaign thus far.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit BACKS Harry Kane to keep up SHOCK record amid “worries”…

Despite the fact Neil Lennon is struggling for reliable personnel in his attack, it doesn’t look like Leigh Griffiths is going to get his chance to shine. Whilst he has been putting in solid performances off the bench, it’s looking more and more likely that this is all he will be able to contribute this season and perhaps beyond.

After stating he wants to cement himself in the top 20 all-time goal-scorers for the club, he still hasn’t started a game under Lennon this campaign. He currently has three goals for the season, all scored during a substitute appearance. Even during Odsonne Edouard’s absence, the manager opted to play Mohamed Elyounoussi out of position than rely on Griffiths.

A huge blow for Griffiths

The striker take part in Scotland’s all-important clash against Serbia on Thursday, but former Celtic icon Miodrag Krivokapic has tipped him for a fringe role for his country too.

“His physical condition is an eternal problem and at the start of the season he had to train separately at Celtic because of his fitness issue,” the ex-Hoops manager told the Daily Record. “I am convinced Scotland will use him from the bench because their manager Steve Clarke will prefer Lyndon Dykes instead.”

Indeed, Griffiths was slammed by Lennon for his fitness problems and he was furious that the 30-year-old returned to training “overweight”. It’s clear the forward is trying to make amends and help the Bhoys out of a rut, but it appears that Lennon’s mind is made up, for now at least.

“Griffiths has neither speed nor height, but he just has that something about him. He knows how to play,” Krivokapic continued. “And most importantly of all, he has an incredible sense of where the goal is.”

This is indeed the case with the £15,000 per-week ace, who has fallen out of favour after injuries hit him hard over the last year. Despite his love for the club and his willingness to cement himself in the rich Celtic history, it’s becoming more and more clear that he doesn’t cut the mustard for Lennon and co.

In other news, Celtic could turn it all around following the return of key player Christopher Jullien…

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Reading defender Omar Richards, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, we told you about Roy Hodgson’s interest in Royals skipper Liam Moore. Now, it turns out the Eagles have turned their attention to his teammate as well.

According to The Reading Chronicle, Palace face stiff competition from Premier League rivals West Ham for his signature.

It’s claimed that Hodgson’s side have a long-standing interest in the former England U21 international, as they have been keeping close tabs on the situation for some time.

Sign him up!

Let’s face it, Palace have the oldest squad in the Premier League, which has become a bit of a problem in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, having an experienced defence isn’t always a bad thing, as Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva has impressed for Chelsea, but there will come a point where they will have to start planning for the future.

To compound the problem even further, several Palace players are out of contract in the summer, including defenders such as Scott Dann, Gary Cahill, Martin Kelly and Mamadou Sakho, as well as academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell, who has made six appearances in the Premier League so far.

Palace fans will have to wait and see if Mitchell will decide to try his luck elsewhere instead, as Hodgson has backed the left-back to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Meanwhile, HLTCO regular Dan Cook believes “the vultures will begin to circle” as the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park continues to build.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that the 22-year-old would be the perfect replacement for Mitchell.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by former Reading boss Mark Bowen, the £1.35m-rated ace has played seven games in the Championship this season, whilst he has made 2.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Mitchell has only managed fewer than one interception in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored.

Whether Richards is a one season wonder or not, it’s surely worth the risk anyway, especially when you take into account the fact that he could be available for a cut-price deal as his contract is set to expire next year. Get it done Eagles, whilst you still can.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction audacious swoop for Crystal Palace target Liam Moore in January…