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An update has emerged on Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Whites are eyeing up a potential January swoop for the England international to bolster their squad.

The report claims Burnley and Newcastle are also looking at the ex-Everton midfielder, with Chelsea set to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge.

Hernandez 2.0

Leeds chief Victor Orta could find the new Pablo Hernandez by securing a deal to sign Barkley in January, finding a creative magician to open up doors for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Premier League.

Hernandez, who left Leeds in the summer, has a career average of 2.9 key passes and dribbles completed per game, showing how he is consistently able to be a creative force in the final third. He has the ability to dribble past players and set up chances for his teammates, which is something Barkley could also bring to Elland Road.

The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder has a career average of 3.1 key passes and dribbles per game, which is particularly impressive given these statistics are taken from his performances for Chelsea, Everton and England in the top-flight and in Europe.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer lauded the £100k-per-week wizard’s talents whilst he was on loan at Aston Villa last season. He told The BBC:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

This highlights the quality he could provide Leeds on the pitch, with one of the league’s greats hailing him as a match-winner at his best. Barkley could come in and add some extra creativity to Bielsa’s side and offer him the chance to change formation to accommodate a number 10, or mould him into a central midfielder who will work hard for the side whilst also offering quality on the ball.

Orta must now ensure that he can beat the likes of Burnley and Newcastle to win Barkley’s signature in the winter market. If he can then Leeds could have another diminutive creator to enjoy watching week-in-week-out, just as they did with Hernandez.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops key update on “top-class” Leeds wizard that’ll delight supporters…

Manchester United have been linked to a number of players, especially defensive midfielders, which has been claimed to be the most important area to fix at Old Trafford, however, the club has now been linked to a player in a very different position.

What’s the word?

Journalist, Robin Bairner, has taken to his social media account to further report that Manchester United are “keeping an eye on” Paris St Germain forward, Mauro Icardi.

Bairner tweeted furthering the report with his own perspective on the rumour;

“Man Utd keeping an eye on PSG striker Mauro Icardi, L’Equipe reports. No contact made yet, but said that if Martial or Cavani leaves, they could move.”

“Seems unlikely given his lack of overall contribution to the team. And Icardi would still be firmly second choice.”

The L’Equipe report suggests that United are interested in the striker hailed an “animal” by AC Milan manager, Stefan Pioli, however, they will have competition from Juventus, who have also shown interest in securing his signature.

Fans will be fuming

The Red Devils already signed a new striker in the summer, with Cristiano Ronaldo returning to the club and they also currently have Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial in their ranks too.

As a result, Man United fans would surely be fuming if money was wasted in positions that clearly don’t need to be covered in the team. Arguably the midfield is the weakest area on the pitch in the current squad, and a defensive midfielder in particular to better their ability to keep the ball.

Rangnick’s current midfielders have come under fire for their poor performances over the first half of the season. According to SofaScore the side has lost the majority of their duels this season in the Premier League (50.1%) and lose possession on average a whopping 135.8 times.

Fans have made it clear on social media what position they need to fill in the January transfer window, with one supporter Tweeting after the defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford;

“Clear indication that we need a defensive midfielder this January, that was pathetic from Manchester United, absolutely outclassed in the midfield and attack areas.”

The signing of the £25.2m-rated gem, when they already have the second-highest scoring footballer in the history of the game in their team, doesn’t seem to make sense, and would surely be a waste of money for the Manchester club; Rangnick must focus on other areas during the short transfer window if he plans to make any signings.

In other news: Romano claims Henderson wants a move

Celtic will be looking to continue their march towards the domestic treble this season as they play in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup today.

The Hoops face off against their arch-rivals in the clash at Hampden this afternoon as they compete for a place in the final of the competition.

Ange Postecoglou’s men have already secured the League Cup trophy this season and are currently six points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Their lead over Rangers in the league has put them in a terrific position to reclaim the title and they can now pile the misery on them with a win in this latest Old Firm matchup.

One change will be enforced upon the Australian head coach for this match as Gio Giakoumakis has been ruled out through injury.

This leaves a spot at the top end of the pitch and Kyogo Furuhashi must be unleashed from the start to take the Greek international’s place.

Ahead of the match, John Hartson has backed the forward to start: “I think he’ll be dying to get back on the scoresheet.

“He’s such an enthusiastic and quality player. What an impact he made before he got injured.”

This is not the first time the ex-Hoops striker has praised the Japan international, as he previously said:

“There is no doubt Celtic have landed someone quite special in Kyogo. His movement is outstanding.

“It was a pity he couldn’t get more involved against Rangers, but when he moved into the central role, he was an absolute menace to their defence.”

Postecoglou must heed his advice and start the centre-forward as he proved earlier in the season that he has a keen eye for goal. He has found the back of the net 16 times in 27 matches for the club in all competitions, including eight goals in 12 cup matches in the Europa League and League Cup.

Kyogo has also delivered 1.1 key passes per game and created four ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, which shows that he is able to link up the play and create openings for his teammates as well as scoring the goals.

This shows that he has the quality to be the difference-maker in this Old Firm clash. He has the ability to score goals at this level and will be able to punish Rangers if the Celtic midfield are able to provide him with the service he needs to do his damage in the final third.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Celtic dealt late Rangers injury setback, Ange Postecoglou will be fuming…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Hlozek…

As widely reported in recent months, the Czech Republic international is a striker West Ham and manager David Moyes have been keeping tabs on as the January transfer window opens for business.

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Indeed, Football Insider claimed just before the new year that the Irons, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, made an early approach for Hlozek to find out what it would take to win the race for his signature.

They believe that Sparta could demand around £16-20 million for West Ham to sign him mid-season with The Daily Mail reporting since then that Hlozek is still firmly on the club’s radar.

Sharing an update, Jones has made a claim to GiveMeSport as he backs their interest further.

The Latest: Jones makes Hlozek claim…

Speaking to GMS, he says that West Ham are ‘definitely’ eyeing a move for the 19-year-old sensation who they like a lot.

However, he also claims his valuation could well be reason why they haven’t made their move yet.

“He is definitely somebody that’s on their radar and they like him a lot,” Jones explained.

“I can’t remember what his value is right now but I think that’s part of the concern of signing him at the moment.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham remain in the market for a player who can back up striker Michail Antonio, a move for Hlozek in January comes with both ups and downs.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by his agent Pavel Paska (90min), the teenage hot shot has certainly impressed since the beginning of 2020/2021 – racking up 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

These numbers at such a young age highlight his magnificent potential, but one red herring may well be that this comes in a far inferior division to the Premier League.

It remains a point of contention whether he could eventually replicate those numbers in England and there is an argument to be made he is more one for the future than the here and now.

West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky’s ties as co-owner of Sparta, however, could gift the club an advantage in the race for his signature.

We believe a swoop for Hlozek is certainly worth considering even despite the slight drawbacks.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Southampton fans have been left excited following a big update on the club’s plans to sign Chelsea striker and loanee Armando Broja permanently.

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has seen the Albania international come on leaps and bounds since his temporary move to the south coast.

Over his 10 Premier League starts for Southampton, Broja has netted five goals whilst proving to be a consistent threat in the final third (WhoScored), drawing praise for his performances at St Mary’s.

This fine form has reportedly resulted in interest from Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens and the club to make his stay a permanent one, but they’re not the only side eyeing a move for the 20-year-old as a ‘string’ of prospective top-flight suitors also take note (Sky Sports).

In a big update, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared news on the Saints’ plans as the January transfer window slowly draws to a close.

According to his sources, Southampton – seemingly backed by new owners Sport Republic and Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak – are ‘expected to launch’ a £25m club-record bid to sign Broja before Monday’s transfer deadline. It is believed that the proposal will be ‘submitted soon’, as plenty of Saints fans flock to this update on Twitter.

Southampton fans buzzing…

Signalling a real statement of intent, it’s little wonder so many Southampton fans are buzzing that the club are willing to smash their transfer record in an effort to secure Broja.

The towering Albania international has been a revelation under Hasenhuttl, and tying him down indefinitely would come as a major boost.

Here’s how some Saints supporters reacted to the development:

“absolute scenes if this is true”

Credit: @RichardDyba

“CMOOOON”

Credit: @saintsjwp

“The most comforting thing about this is knowing we actually can spend that much on a player now”

Credit: @AniefiokEkp

“YOOOOOOO”

Credit: @_sfcjay

“If we pull this off, it would make my year and we are less than a month into it!”

Credit: @MattRayB

“25m on one player? We are coming for Europe”

Credit: @fletchsfc

“yes yes yes”

Credit: @summa_symonds

“The best thing about all this is that due to the recent takeover, we can actually spend this. My feeling is it’ll be £25-30m with a buyback of £50-70m dependent on performance. Go and get it done, lads!”

Credit: @Jim_Mack7

In other news: Southampton in pole position to sign ‘very exciting’ attacker as journalist shares news, find out more here.

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Arsenal are poised to offer Rob Holding a new contract, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 23-year-old is currently on the sidelines after sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury against Manchester United in December.

He had made 16 appearances in all competitions prior to being ruled out and the Gunners were unbeaten in the Premier League when Holding was in the side.

Holding may be out until September but could commit his future to Arsenal in the coming months.

Indeed, the aforementioned report claims that Unai Emery is subsequently keen to reward his displays with a new deal.

Formerly of Bolton Wanderers, the defender has made a total of 60 appearances for the Gunners, and has won five caps for the England Under-21s.

And fans of the club are delighted with the news that Holding could be tied down for the foreseeable future, even though his current contract does not expire until 2023.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reaction below!

Crystal Palace will be hoping their academy’s new Category 1 status will propel them into a prosperous new era, and they might not have to wait too long to bear the fruits of their labour.

Striker David Omilabu has scored an abundance of goals at every level he’s played at for the Eagles after joining the club aged eight.

Although the youngster was released by Palace at 12, he moved across London to local rivals Fulham, before hitting a hat-trick against his former side, prompting them to re-sign him.

Since then, Omilabu hasn’t looked back. He has scored 26 times at U23 and U18 level and capped off a remarkable 2020/21 campaign – where he bagged an incredible 24 goals in 24 appearances – by scoring the decisive spot-kick as the south London outfit beat Sunderland 5-3 on penalties in the Premier League 2 Division 2 playoff final.

The now 19-year-old caught the eye of several impressed onlookers last term, including Palace podcaster HLTCO, who tweeted his appreciation back in February.

He wrote: “David Omilabu: Age: 18 Final Schoolboy season: 41 goals + 23 assists in 26 games U18s this season: 10 goals in 11 games U23s this season: 1 goal in 2 games. Remember the name.”

After scoring the winning penalty for Shaun Derry’s charges, Omilabu was handed his first professional contract by his boyhood club.

His show of faith to the Selhurst Park side pleased the club’s hierarchy, and chairman Steve Parish was quick to laud the 19-year-old after he put pen to paper on a long-term deal.

“It’s fantastic to see those who were amongst the first players recruited at age eight or nine when I arrived now graduate to the full professional ranks. David is a player that has stood out on many occasions – not least when we played in overseas tournaments,” Parish said.

“He has fantastic qualities and I sincerely hope that David uses this achievement of signing as a professional to motivate himself even further to make the most of his talents, by keeping his head down and working harder than ever to help accelerate his development at Crystal Palace.”

Although the youngster has had a relatively slow start to the current campaign by his exceptional standards, recording two goals and three assists in 12 outings, the future looks bright for Omilabu.

With Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew approaching the twilight zone of their careers, Omilabu could save Palace millions in the years to come, as Vieira potentially looks towards the academy, rather than the transfer market for additional bodies. Evidently, the club’s supporters have every reason to be excited about this young talent.

And, in other news…Parish could discover CPFC’s new Ian Wright by signing 22 y/o with “blistering pace” 

The career of Mikey Johnston has flattered to deceive on many an occasion at Celtic with several Hoops managers now failing to get the best from him at Parkhead.

Whether that is down to the coaching, the player, or positional rivals is very much a cause for debate.

This term, the 22-year-old has had to compete with the likes of Jota, Liel Abada and even Kyogo Furuhashi on the flanks meaning game time has been severely limited.

However, he has very rarely grabbed his opportunity with both hands. After Jota was ruled out through injury, Ange Postecoglou challenged the young Scot to grab the bull by the horns.

“Ultimately, we need guys like Mikey and Liel (Abada) to step up, that’s why they’re here at the club.

“And if the opportunity exists for them it’s up to them to take it,” the Australian said.

However, just as a chance presents itself, Johnston is out injured again. He missed the club’s last gasp win over Ross County last night and after that, there should really be no way back for the Celtic man in Glasgow.

In the words of Frank McAvennie, this is a problem that’s been going on “for years now.”

He told Football Insider this week: “He’s barely getting a game and when he does play he is really struggling.

“Sell him. I would like to see him moved on for the benefit of his own career. Ange gave him a chance with Jota out and he’s not done anything.

“Some fans might disagree but he’s simply not good enough for what Ange is trying to build.”

It’s hard to disagree with those sentiments. Johnston has scored just 11 times in his Hoops career and is yet to find the net for Postecoglou this term.

In the process of amassing that disappointing number, the attacker has spent over 557 days on the treatment table and has missed around 68 fixtures.

He may only earn a weekly salary of £7.9k-per-week but that money is surely better spent on someone of greater quality or even a player who doesn’t take up so much time with the physios.

It seems harsh but ultimately, the winger has not delivered on the pitch with his performances or with his fitness.

After breaking on the scene in 2018, divisive figure Chris Sutton tweeted the following: “Is Mikey Johnston the new Ryan Christie? Celtic’s fringe players at the start of the season coming to the fore when it counts.”

Sadly, he has not stood up and been counted on too many occasions since and just like Christie, he must seek a new club.

AND in other news, Forget Abada: Celtic gem who won 67% duels proved he’s now someone “Ange can’t ignore”…

Nottingham Forest are one of the EFL’s most in form sides having lost just one league game in 2022 with Steve Cooper’s side very much in the picture for a playoff spot come the end of the season.

Having beaten Birmingham City 2-0 at the City Ground on Saturday, the Reds are now third in the Championship table and have an outside shot at sneaking into the automatic promotion places with second place Bournemouth six points ahead with seven games to go.

It’s been a marvellous turnaround for the East Midlands club under Steve Cooper, who has made a colossal impact in the Forest dugout, with the Welshman looking set to lead a side to a top-six finish for the third consecutive season.

The likes of Brennan Johnson, Lewis Grabban, Ryan Yates and Keinan Davis have all been fit and firing over the course of the season. However, Cooper’s talented squad could be further improved with the addition of U23s striker Will Swan who has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Premier League 2.

In the pipeline

21-year-old Swan has scored 12 goals and assisted a further four in 18 appearances for Forest in Premier League 2 this season and is certainly one of the youth setup’s hottest prospects.

The East Midlands outfit sit third in the second division of the Premier League youth league after an impressive campaign with the English striker’s goals a major contributing factor to their success.

Swan has had various loan spells without truly making the grade at Forest yet but the forward will undoubtedly be knocking on the door of Cooper.

The loan signing of Keinan Davis from Aston Villa in January certainly boosted the Welshman’s striking options, but at the same time limited the opportunities that could’ve been handed to Swan.

Although, if Davis isn’t to make his stay at the City Ground permanent in the summer, the 21-year-old could find a clear pathway to the first team next season.

The idea of having a lethal finisher like Swan linking up with the creativity of Brennan Johnson and James Garner would certainly be a mouth-watering concept for Forest fans.

They both have superb technical attributes and that’s where Swan thrives too, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing his “lovely” ability earlier this year.

Whether or not the young striker will be given an opportunity in the near future is yet to be seen though.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £3.6m: Forest struck gold on “superb” gem likened to “Wolverine”

Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp is no closer to making a return from injury, The Evening Standard have reported.

The Lowdown: Skipp’s absence

The 21-year-old had been a regular when fit this season, making 28 appearances in all competitions. However, he hasn’t featured since February due to a groin problem which has ruled him out of Spurs’ last 11 games.

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Antonio Conte was hoping to have the midfielder available for the match against Newcastle following the international break, but that now looks unlikely.

The Latest: Skipp still sidelined

The Evening Standard shared a story on Monday, looking at both Ben Davies and Skipp. The former recently pulled out of the Wales squad as a precaution after feeling tightness in his quad during a 2-1 win over Austria.

He could well make the clash with Newcastle, but the report added that Skipp’s hopes of being fit for the meeting with Eddie Howe’s side on Sunday are ‘all but over’ as he is yet to return to training.

The Verdict: Caution needed

Skipp’s complicated injury is thought to be the result of playing so much football over the past 18 months. Therefore, when the 21-year-old is available for selection, Conte could decide to be careful with the midfielder.

Spurs’ medical chiefs can use Leeds star Patrick Bamford as a perfect example of too much too soon, with the striker suffering a recurrence of a foot problem which will now keep him out for a further six weeks.

Nobody at Tottenham will want that to happen with Skipp, so caution will be required over the coming weeks.

In other news: Journalist now makes Paulo Dybala to Spurs claim