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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hoping to secure defensive reinforcements before the transfer window closes next week, with Jurrien Timber expected to miss most of the campaign after injuring his ACL.

What's the latest on Eric Garcia to Arsenal?

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are now working on a deal for Barcelona centre-back Eric Garcia following the news regarding Timber, who was signed this summer for £38m.

It is claimed that Arteta is searching for a mobile and versatile defender who can serve in a multi-functional role, and Garcia could be the man for the job.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Barcelona are well-covered across the defensive third and are looking to alleviate the weight of their £1bn worth of debt, and Garcia could leave, with Xavi willing to grant a loan departure if his £99k-per-week wages are covered.

How good is Eric Garcia?

Not only could Arteta adequately replace Timber before the end of the month, but he could actually wield his own version of Premier League champions Manchester City's Ruben Dias by completing a swoop for Garcia.

The 6 foot centre-half is already well known to Arteta, who worked with the 23-year-old while serving as understudy to Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium prior to taking the reins at Arsenal.

Garcia only forged 35 displays for himself with the Citizens before joining La Blaugrana on a free transfer in June 2021, and given his ball-playing skills that draw comparisons to Dias', the Gunners' Spanish boss might be wise to push ahead with a swoop for his young compatriot.

As per FBref, Garcia ranks among the top 5% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 3% for passes attempted and progressive carries – illustrating his passing proficiency and quality with the ball at his feet.

He is indeed akin to City's Portuguese titan, who ranks among the top 2% of positional peers for pass completion and the top 1% for passes attempted per 90, and given that Arsenal and Manchester City sit second and third in the 2023/24 Premier League ranking for passes completed (behind Chelsea, who have played a game more), he looks a custom-made fit.

Once hailed an "incredible" prospect by Guardiola, Garcia could bring dynamism and composure to bolster the north London side's backline, boasting the level of requisite technical quality to succeed within Arteta's thriving system.

Technical director Edu would do well to orchestrate a deal and secure an instant replacement for the beleaguered Timber, who has already demonstrated his versatility and quality through his ball-playing ability, ranking among the top 2% of pass completion, the top 3% for passes attempted and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90.

Given the aforementioned metrics, it certainly looks like Garcia could replicate the passing of his Dutch peer, but whether he could emulate the robustness that was seen across his first few matches before his injury remains to be seen.

But given the similarities to Dias and the way in which Arsenal play, this could be a move to ensure the Emirates outfit have a sterling opportunity to seek out silverware and continue the ascent to the very top of European football.

Liverpool were one of the most difficult teams to predict ahead of the Premier League season. They had welcomed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to take two steps forward towards completing their midfield rebuild, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho forced them back to square one.

A 0-0 draw against Chelsea on the opening day didn't help solve the Liverpool puzzle either, but wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa, alongside the arrivals of Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch since that opening day draw, suggests that Jurgen Klopp's side will be, at the very least, vying for a place in the top four this season.

The Reds' superb start to the season hasn't put an end to the criticism, however, with Manchester City legend Richard Dunne taking aim at one of Jurgen Klopp's star men.

What has Richard Dunne said?

A lot changed at Liverpool during the summer transfer window, and one of those changes was the captaincy. Following the departure of Henderson, Klopp had a decision to make, and chose to hand Virgil van Dijk the armband.

The Dutchman, of course, was already the captain of his country, so he had more than enough experience of stepping into the role. It is with his country that he received criticism from Dunne, however, even after the Netherlands defeated Greece 3-0.

Dunne said, via The Boot Room: "It has left them very weak defensively, as a team they don’t have the balance right at the moment. They won the game against Gibraltar, but against teams that are a similar level they have really struggled.

"You don’t want to pin it on certain players, but the captain of the team at centre-back, Van Dijk, is one of the players who highlights the problems in the side. He seems to be very individualistic, he’s always pointing at people, pointing out their errors and nobody is working on their errors."

The criticism comes at a troublesome time for Van Dijk, too, given that the central defender recently had a moment to forget when he was sent off against Newcastle United, and has now been banned for a further game, missing next weekend's trip to Wolves.

How has Virgil van Dijk performed this season?

Aside from his controversial sending off against Newcastle, Van Dijk has looked far closer to his best than last season. The statistics only confirm that, too. As per FBref, the Liverpool captain is putting up better numbers than during the last campaign.

So, when it comes to performances, Van Dijk is far from struggling in the current campaign, albeit Dunne's criticism was aimed towards the defender's leadership capabilities.

As of right now, though, it is arguably too early to tell whether or not Van Dijk will be a good captain for Liverpool. As the months go on, and the Reds inevitably have their moments to forget, how Van Dijk gets them to regroup and go again will be a telling sign as to how good his leadership actually is.

It's fair to say that Arsenal weren't scared to splash the cash during the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in big-money moves.

So far, it has paid off for Mikel Arteta and co, too, who have remained unbeaten in four Premier League games, with their biggest win coming most-recently against Manchester United.

The Gunners will be hoping to go one better than last season by winning the league title in the current campaign, and after securing much-needed reinforcements in the summer window, they have already turned their attention towards January moves, according to reports. Reports suggest that the North London side have placed one particular player at the top of their priority list.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

In total, during the summer, Arsenal spent a reported €235m (£201m) on incomings, hoping to avoid wasting what could be a golden next few years under Arteta. The Gunners came so close to the ultimate glory, only to be pipped to the post by a treble-winning Manchester City side. As things stand, too, Pep Guardiola's side are on course to become the first side in history to win four consecutive Premier League titles, sitting top after four games.

Attempting to bridge that gap in quality, Arsenal have already turned their attention towards the January window. According to reports in Spain, the North London club have placed Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi at the top of their wishlist, and are considering the option of triggering his €60m (£59m) release clause in the winter transfer window.

After splashing out to sign Rice for a reported £105m in the summer window, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Arteta and co push on and sign Zubimendi in January, in what could be the final piece to the title-winning puzzle in the Premier League.

Should Arsenal sign Martin Zubimendi?

Even though they signed Rice in the summer, as mentioned, you can never have too much quality in the Premier League, especially when you're competing in the Champions League on top of that.

Possible title rivals Liverpool have already shown the Gunners how a January arrival can push them onto that next level to catch City too, signing Virgil van Dijk in the winter window. From Arsenal's perspective, they'll just be hoping that, if they pursue the signature of Zubimendi, he goes onto have a similar impact.

At his best for Sociedad, the 24-year-old has earned plenty of praise, including from Barcelona manager Xavi, who said, via Sportskeeda: "He is more physical and faster than Busi, who is better technically. But it’s not just Zubimendi, it’s all the players in midfield."

Statistically speaking, it's clear that Zumimendi would be a solid acquisition at The Emirates. According to FBref, the Spaniard is in the top 83 percentile for clearances per 90, and the top 85 percentile for aerial duels won per 90, perhaps handing Arsenal a more combative midfielder than current options.

When January comes around, Arsenal look set to be a side to keep an eye on, as they hope to improve even further under Arteta.

Make no mistake, West Ham United have revelled in one of the most resounding rises of any club across Europe over the past several years, now a consistent presence on the European stage after spending years languishing below expectations.

Headed by Scotsman David Moyes, who has transformed the Premier League club across his second stint, the Hammers are currently preparing for their second Europa League campaign in three years – having won the Europa Conference League last season to return to the continental tournament.

This season, West Ham have started with conviction despite selling star midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m in July, having won three of drawn one of their opening four matches.

So much has hit the mark on the transfer front over the past several years to create this success, but one player who has not found his feet is Maxwel Cornet, who has cost a considerable amount for such little impact thus far.

How much did West Ham sign Maxwel Cornet for?

Last summer, West Ham signed Cornet for £17.5m from Burnley, with the Ivorian having impressed in Lancashire despite Burnley's relegation from the Premier League.

Described as a "fabulous goalscorer and probably one of the signings of the season" by pundit Owen Hargreaves while plying his trade in Claret Road colours, Cornet scored nine goals and supplied one assist across just 21 starting appearances for his imperilled outfit.

His impact was eye-catching to say the least, providing Sean Dyche's Burnley with a goal threat unseen from the wide flanks, a dynamism tailor-made for English football.

It came at a time where West Ham had been making increments to their side for a few years, and signed him to provide competition for the likes of Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen on the flanks.

While injuries have played detriment to his ambitions on the grass, Cornet "hasn't shown" Moyes enough in east London, according to journalist Paul Brown, and will need a drastic upswing in performance if he is to earn a starring role this season

How much has Maxwel Cornet cost West Ham in total?

Cornet is believed to earn £65k-per-week under Moyes' management, which means that he has cost the Premier League team around £21m thus far, and counting.

When considering the fact that he is yet to bag his first goal despite playing 22 matches, Cornet does appear to have lost that 'fabulous' finishing that he carried at Burnley.

This term, Cornet played one minute against Bournemouth in the opener but has been shackled to the bench for the past three outings, yet to add to his maiden seasonal appearance.

After such an emphatic introduction to life in England under Dyche's wing at Burnley, the West Ham faithful would be forgiven for thinking that a consistent and considerable goalscorer had been added to the ranks, but it has not been the case.

There will still be optimism that Cornet can rekindle his former form at the London Stadium, but having been left on the fringe in the opening phase of the 2023/24 campaign, it might take some doing to wedge his way back into prominence under Moyes' wing. Indeed, so far this is looking like money down the drain as far as the Hammers are concerned.

Jurgen Klopp has built his legacy at Liverpool by being extremely diligent in the transfer market, signing players who are on the verge of a major breakthrough for fees far lower than expected.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane all arrived at the cusp of greatness and grew into three of the finest players in the Premier League under the leadership of the German.

Of course, these three are just a few of the players signed by Klopp who have gone on to form the best Liverpool squad in their recent history as they challenged Manchester City’s hegemony of the English game.

Signing promising players for low values while turning them into prospective superstars is not something which is new at Anfield, with Rafa Benitez enjoying success with Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres while Brendan Rodgers even had a few hits in the transfer market.

Roberto Firmino cost the club just £21.3m in 2015 and over the course of the next eight years, he scored 111 goals for the Anfield side across 362 matches, winning practically all there was to win in the process.

The Northern Irishman even signed someone during the latter stages of his stint at Liverpool who is still a key part of the first-team squad – Joe Gomez.

How much did Joe Gomez cost Liverpool?

Following a tough 2014/15 campaign in which the Reds finished in a disappointing sixth place, Rodgers looked like he was building a squad which could challenge for trophies.

In came Firmino, Christian Benteke and Danny Ings among others, while Gomez joined from Charlton Athletic for a fee in the region of £3.5m and considering he had played just 24 senior matches, he was earmarked as a future star.

The defender was clearly excited to be joining one of the biggest teams in the country, saying: "It's a dream come true. It's a bit surreal and it hasn't really hit me yet. But I'm buzzing and just excited to get started.

"The club has got great history, it's a great club and one that I've always been following from when I was young.

"Here was somewhere I wanted to go and get better and learn, and play good football. It was an easy decision."

Little did anyone think at the time he would still be playing in the first team eight years later, having won both the Champions League and Premier League during his Anfield career.

What is Joe Gomez’s market value now?

Eight years since joining, the Englishman has seen his transfer value rise and the gamble of signing a relatively unknown defender back in 2015 appears to have paid off.

According to Football Transfers, Gomez is now currently valued at €26.1m (£22.5m) which currently represents a rise of 542% from his initial £3.5m transfer fee, a staggering increase.

His highest value was achieved back in January 2021, where he was valued even higher at €33.7m (£29m) and although this has dipped recently, if he can continue to perform for Klopp and be consistent enough, this could see his value rise to this type of figure again.

Why is Joe Gomez worth so much?

His first two seasons at Anfield saw the centre-back make only ten appearances for the senior side in all competitions, and it looked as though Klopp was looking to settle him in gently, allowing the player to get a taste for action rather than throw him in at the deep end unnecessarily.

During the 2017/18 season, Gomez soon began to make his presence known, featuring in 31 games for the club as they narrowly missed out on Champions League glory, losing to Real Madrid in the final.

With Klopp finally leading the Reds to glory in Europe’s premier club competition the following season, Gomez played an integral part in the Anfield side claiming their first league title in 30 years during the 2019/20 campaign.

Across 28 matches, he ranked second in the squad for accurate passes per game (62.5) and interceptions per game (1.4), while even winning four duels per game – a success rate of 56% – showcasing his defensive abilities as the club conceded just 33 goals throughout the whole season, the lowest total in the top flight.

Klopp even hailed the defender, saying: “He is a sensational footballer, which is good.

“He has outstanding speed, which helps us a lot to keep our last line high; he is a really good challenger; good in one-on-one situations; football-wise, I said already, good.

“The package is really nice. It was always clear in the moment he starts playing and can get rhythm again, everything will be fine – and that’s how it is.”

However, what should have been a catalyst for the 26-year-old to kick on and cement his place in the starting XI soon turned into an injury-hit few seasons, missing 39 matches due to a knee problem while struggling to get back into the team upon his return.

The £85k-per-week brute forced his way back into the starting XI last term, and he certainly showcased his forward-thinking attributes.

According to FBref, when compared to positional peers across Europe, Gomez ranked in the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.31), the best 8% for progressive passes per 90 (5.28) and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (1.14), demonstrating that he can also move the ball forward often in order to begin attacks from the defence.

Gomez is still only 26-years-old, and he arguably hasn’t even hit his peak years yet, which is remarkable considering it feels like the defender has been at Liverpool forever.

There is no doubt the club struck gold on him, despite some challenging times across the previous eight years. Gomez has risen to the occasion numerous times and displayed the correct attitude which has allowed him to flourish under the German.

With four years left on his current contract, it doesn’t look like he will be departing anytime soon, but if he does fall out of favour or decides to move on, the Anfield side will make a bumper profit on him in the process.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has unleashed his frustration at the decision not to award his team a penalty late on against Manchester City.

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• Klopp is angry at decision
• Doku appeared to foul Mac Allister
• Liverpool & City draw to leave Arsenal top

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Klopp, alongside most of the footballing world, was adamant that his side should have received a penalty when Jeremy Doku caught Alexis Mac Allister high on the chest in the box late in the Premier League clash. The German boss explained that the analysts in his coaching staff, watching the game on iPads, felt the decision was going to be overturned and a spot-kick would be awarded. No penalty was given, however, leaving Doku a relieved man and Klopp an angry one.

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  WHAT KLOPP SAID

  Speaking to , Klopp said: "It was 100 per cent a penalty. They will find an explanation. It was 100% a foul in all areas of the pitch and probably a yellow card. All the people with iPads around me were: 'Wow, clear'. Maybe they can hide behind the phrase it is not clear and obvious. It is of course a penalty but we didn't get it and that is fine. The most important thing for me is that we can play football like that. I saw so many sensational performances today."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Had Liverpool been awarded a last-minute winner to snatch the points away from City, they would have returned to the top of the Premier League. However, a draw means that Arsenal remain top of the table with just 10 games to go. The Gunners' victory over Brentford on Saturday meant they were set to take advantage of one, or both, of City and Liverpool dropping points. Mikel Arteta will be delighted with the late decision not to award a penalty.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KLOPP?

  The Liverpool boss won't be wasting much time wondering what could have been and will look to return to winning ways against Sparta Prague. The Reds have a 5-1 lead going into the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has decided one Spurs player is definitely not in his plans after a journalist's "major" update.

Latest Spurs news

The north Londoners are currently gearing up for a highly-anticipated bout at home to Liverpool this afternoon; a clash of two sides boasting absolutely brilliant early-season form. Both Postecolgou and Jurgen Klopp's men come into the contest unbeaten and very confident, with Tottenham tasting victory in four out of their opening six league matches.

Barely anything is separating The Lilywhites and Liverpool in terms of attacking flair. Tottenham and the Reds both scored the exact same number of league goals so far this season, with the only difference being Klopp's superior winning record by one game and having conceded slightly less.

It's truly a clash of the titans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and both sets of supporters will be in joyous mood. Postecoglou's side are fresh off the back of a brilliant 2-2 draw at north London rivals Arsenal last weekend, a match which saw captain Son Heung-min equalise twice to come away with a result against their fierce neighbours.

"They’ve come through that, going toe to toe with a top side," said Postecoglou after the match.

"There's a real will and desire to become the team we want to be, which includes making sure that you're disciplined and you're buying into the team ethos and we had a really young team out there. Vic, that's his first derby, Destiny, van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, Brennan, they're all in their early twenties, Porro, even Kulusevski is only 23, so it was a young team but just super proud of the experienced players we did have in there.

"Romero was outstanding, Bissouma has been brilliant all year, Maddison, and Sonny was just on a different level, not just his goals, although they were outstanding, but his work rate, his work ethic was incredible."

It's now up to Spurs as they seek to build upon these displays and mount a possible top four challenge, which is surely a very real prospect.

Who could leave Tottenham?

While Postecoglou's stars continue to impress, there are unfortunately regulars from last season who can't quite get a look-in. The Australian's new-look Tottenham system has seen both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Eric Dier relegated to the bench, with journalist Pete O'Rourke sharing a "major" update on the latter star's future.

Writing for Football Insider, the reporter says that Dier is not in Postecoglou's plans for Spurs moving forward, despite appearing on the bench multiple times recently. The Englishman was named in Tottenham's squad and on the bench for their games against Sheffield United and Arsenal, but his future is still far away from the club.

The 29-year-old is still yet to play a single minute for Postecoglou, despite Conte largely favouring him last campaign. Dier's contract is set to expire in 2024, and Spurs were actually ready to offload him over the summer window. A move away failed to materialise for the player, but it appears it's only a matter of time before he departs.

Cole Palmer and a host of Chelsea players came to Raheem Sterling's defence after his disastrous show in the FA Cup.

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• Chelsea players came to Sterling's defence
• Apologised to fans on Instagram
• Missed a penalty in Chelsea's win over Leicester

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It was a night to forget for the former Manchester City and Liverpool winger as he displayed a disastrous show in the club's FA Cup quarter-final clash against Leicester City on Sunday. Sterling missed a penalty in the first half that could have doubled the Blues' lead over the Foxes and then blasted a free-kick well off target towards the end of the second half.

  Although the west London side eventually emerged victorious, Sterling was jeered by the fans at Stamford Bridge and the player later took to Instagram to apologise for a dismal show.

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• WHAT CHELSEA SAID

  On the English winger's apologetic post on Instagram, a host of Chelsea players including Palmer, Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez showed their solidarity with the player by leaving a reply in his comment section.

  Palmer commented, "My brother. Shit happens no need to apologise gg", Gusto wrote, "Big bro no need to apologise", while Fernandez replied, "Come on Raz".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After the match, manager Mauricio Pochettino also came to the experienced player's defence as he urged the fans not to jeer at Sterling after just one unfortunate performance on the pitch.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The Blues will meet reigning champions Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup. Their next outing will be after the international break in the Premier League on March 30 as they take on Burnley.

Leeds United are looking likely to win promotion to the Premier League under Daniel Farke after spending two seasons in the Championship.

The Whites have made Elland Road a fortress and have been just as devastating away from home in recent months, with a 3-1 win at Sheffield United the latest highlight of an incredible campaign.

However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Farke’s side, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier coming in for criticism during the season after making multiple mistakes.

6 Leeds United players in danger of Elland Road axe

It could be a busy summer in Yorkshire.

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By
Charlie Smith

Feb 11, 2025

The first high-profile error came against Sunderland which cost Leeds two points, then another horror show led to more dropped points away to Hull City.

Against the Blades, Meslier looked extremely shaky early on and scored an own goal, with the Frenchman in the negative for goals prevented, as per FotMob.

But who could replace Meslier at Leeds? We’ve looked at a plethora of shot-stoppers that 49ers Enterprises could target over the summer.

1

Caoimhin Kelleher

Liverpool

Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool is likely to be a man in demand this summer. The Reds currently have Alisson Becker as first-choice and Giorgi Mamardashvili will link up with the Reds squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Therefore, Kelleher could be on the move. He has shown his quality at Anfield, keeping 23 clean sheets in 64 appearances. The Republic of Ireland international has won six major honours at Anfield and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation.

2

Aaron Ramsdale

Southampton

At the other end of the Premier League table are Southampton, who invested in Aaron Ramsdale as their No 1 after beating Leeds in the play-off final in 2024.

But things haven’t gone to plan for the Saints, who are on course to return to the Championship, which may result in a number of star players leaving St Mary’s.

Ramsdale, despite conceding plenty of goals, is performing better than the likes of Nick Pope and Emiliano Martinez when it comes to Premier League goals prevented, showing that in a side with a solid defensive base such as Leeds’, he could be a shrewd addition.

3

Mads Hermansen

Leicester City

Another newly promoted side who may come straight back down to the Championship is Leicester City, along with No 1 goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

The 24-year-old has been among the Foxes’ best performers this season, as per WhoScored, while also having a positive goals-prevented ratio.

If Leicester come straight back down, perhaps an immediate return to the Premier League with Leeds could appeal to the Dane.

The 15 biggest transfer sales in EFL Championship history

Championship clubs have received some eye-watering fees from the biggest clubs in the country and beyond.

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 29, 2025

4

Joan Garcia

Espanyol

If Leeds want to look abroad for a goalkeeper target, Joan Garcia of Espanyol could be an ambitious option. The 23-year-old, who helped Spain win Olympic gold last summer, has been outperforming Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois in the shot-stopping stats, as per FBref.

He has also been heavily linked with Arsenal in a £20m+ transfer, but the guarantee of first-team football at Elland Road may also appeal should Leeds be promoted.

5

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

Torino

Over in Italy, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic could be another potential European target for Leeds. The Serbia international, who currently plays for Torino, was once on the books of Man Utd in 2014 and is seemingly at the peak of his powers at the age of 28.

Milinkovic-Savic has made more saves than any other Serie A goalkeeper in 2024/25 and is also near the top of the charts for save percentage, while also preventing more goals than any other ‘keeper in the division.

The 15 most expensive signings in EFL Championship history

The second tier has had its fair share of mega-money deals.

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 3, 2025

6

Conan Ledesma

River Plate

One goalkeeper who was linked with Leeds during the January transfer window was Conan Ledesma of River Plate.

The Argentinian, once called “the best goalkeeper in the universe”, has plenty of experience in La Liga during his time with Cadiz, averaging a clean sheet every three games in the Spanish top flight.

At the age of 32, Ledesma wouldn’t be a long-term solution, but he appears to be a player on Leeds’ radar, and as he is second-choice at River, he could become an option even if it isn’t as a regular starter in West Yorkshire.

7

Noah Atubolu

Freiburg

If Leeds want a young shot-stopper to come in and replace Meslier, Noah Atubolu of Freiburg could be their man. The Germany U21 international appears to be going from strength to strength, and recently set a record of saving four Bundesliga penalties in a row.

As we know with Meslier, his record of saving spot-kicks isn’t as impressive, and with Atubolu outperforming the likes of Gregor Kobel of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer for save percentage, he could be a shrewd signing.

8

Viktor Johansson

Stoke City

Arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship at this moment in time is Stoke City’s Viktor Johansson. Picked up from Rotherham United over the summer, Johansson has continued to impress in the second tier and is the best ‘keeper in the Championship for goals prevented.

Statistically, Johansson has an Expected Goals on Target (xGOT) total of more than 55 but has only let in 44, as well as a better goals-prevented ratio than Burnley’s James Trafford. The Sweden international appears to be in his prime at the age of 26, so he may well be of interest to the Whites.

9

Guillaume Restes

Toulouse

Called the second-best goalkeeper under the age of 24 in the media last year was Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes, who is still just 19 years of age.

The Frenchman has already established himself in Ligue 1, making more than 60 senior appearances for his current employers. Should Restes’ impressive rise continue, so will his price tag, but if Leeds are willing to spend their potential Premier League fortune on a new goalkeeper, he could be a smart long-term investment.

10

Michael Cooper

Sheffield United

Although a repeat appears unlikely, we have seen a recent deal between Leeds and Sheffield United, with Jayden Bogle swapping Bramall Lane for Elland Road last summer.

Should Leeds win promotion and the Blades fall short under Chris Wilder, Michael Cooper could perhaps be a target for the Whites, with the shot-stopper starring after joining from Plymouth Argyle in 2024.

He has been one of the top ‘keepers in the Championship with Trafford and Johansson, and despite a lot needing to change between now and the summer, crazier things have happened.

The 10 best players in the Championship right now

The second tier is providing great entertainment and drama once again, but which stars are standing out?

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By
Charlie Smith

Feb 14, 2025

France forward Kylian Mbappe is expecting to be booed by his own fans when Les Bleus take the field in Marseille's home ground.

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• France captain anticipating hostile reaction at Velodrome
• Fans of rival club Marseille likely to react badly
• Les Bleus face Chile in international friendly

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Les Bleus take on Chile in an international friendly on Tuesday night, the two sides set to feature at the Stade Velodrome, the home of Ligue 1 club Marseille. Mbappe, France's captain, has conceded that he might not be welcomed by fans.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  Mbappe, the star of the PSG project, has historically faced hostile responses in the Velodrome, given the intense rivalry between his club and Marseille. Both he and the rest of Les Bleus' Parisian contingent are set to receive nothing less this evening – despite wearing the colours of the national team.

• WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  In a press conference, Mbappe admitted it might be an uncomfortable evening: "If I am not whistled, I will be pleasantly surprised. I know very well that I am not on conquered territory there! But I don't have a problem with it, I don't take it personally. I understand too. Even if it's the selection, I remain a PSG player, I don't expect the red carpet to be rolled out for me. They know very well that this is not going to change the way I play."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  The forward figures to be in the XI for Didier Deschamps' side this evening. After that, he will return to club duty, where the Parisians take on Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday.