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Leeds United could finally be set to restart their summer spending, with a star acquisition reportedly nearing completion…

Who are Leeds United signing this summer?

Having already welcomed Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram and Karl Darlow to the club, with the loan capture of Joe Rodon also bolstering their ranks further, it must come as a surprise to manager Daniel Farke that his side is actually weaker now than when he first came in.

The mass exodus of Elland Road has seen numerous first-team stars jump ship, unwilling to try and steer the Whites from the mess they put them in.

Whilst frustrating, if they don’t want to be there, the German head coach likely does not want them.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Instead, he will look elsewhere for players who do, with a report from Last Word On Football now suggesting a potential deal for someone who would certainly improve them.

They note that the west Yorkshire outfit are actually set to sign Glen Kamara from Rangers, having been linked with a switch throughout the window.

His club are holding out for a fee of around £5.5m to sanction his exit, with that report also suggesting personal terms have already been agreed.

How good is Glen Kamara?

Despite their troublesome start to the campaign, there has been a sole area on the pitch that has impressed amidst all the turmoil.

Three Championship fixtures have failed to bring a victory, but at the very least a solid foundation for success has been seemingly built with a rock-solid engine room.

The Wales international has struck up an immense relationship with 17-year-old prodigy Archie Gray, boasting youth and energy in spades, with the former in particular offering vast experience despite being just 22 years old.

However, it is likely unrealistic to assume that the Thorp Arch graduate can hold down his spot for the entire term.

That is where Kamara can come in, to help fulfil that role and allow the teenager to take over in a few years, if not allow his attributes to thrive further forward as an attacking maestro.

After all, the Finland international is entering his prime years at 27 years old and would offer an added injection of pace, power, tireless energy and economical passing.

To justify these claims, his performances throughout the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season are worth viewing, as his 7.01 average rating was buoyed by a host of outstanding other figures.

With three goals, three assists and a 91% pass accuracy, alongside 1.3 key passes and one tackle per game, there is little that Kamara did not excel at, via Sofascore.

The perfect all-rounder, his presence alone could help elevate the whole team.

It was therefore no surprise to see him lauded by former boss Steven Gerrard, who noted:

“He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack.

“But what pleased me most is what I spoke about when we signed him in terms of how he’ll be out of possession. Will he hunt the ball back, be aggressive, work hard for the team and be a monster in the middle of the park?

“He showed signs of that against Kilmarnock and potentially he can become a top midfielder.” This was supplemented by a further quote, where the Liverpool legend branded him a "class act".

Then, comparing his figures with Gray’s opening three games of the Championship term, it becomes clear that whilst promising he remains raw.

Kamara could help hone his 81% pass accuracy and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore, into a more refined and confident midfield presence, moulding the youngster in his image whilst allowing him to retain his youthful exuberance that has instantly endeared him to fans.

It would likely take no time at all for Gray to become a hero at Elland Road, but should he manage to copy the performances of his potential new teammate, this would be a venture surely fast-tracked.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for West Ham striker Michail Antonio this summer and there has now been a major update over his future.

How old is Michail Antonio?

The Hammers ace is now 33 years of age, having enjoyed an excellent career that has seen him become a hugely established Premier League player. He is his current club's record goalscorer in the division, and has racked up a total of 77 goals and 43 assists in 249 appearances for the east Londoners.

Antonio has been an impressive start to this season, netting twice in West Ham's opening three league games, with the goals coming in excellent victories at home to Chelsea and away to Brighton, inspiring them to second place in the table.

Despite this, there is still uncertainty over the future of the veteran striker, with his current Hammers deal expiring at the end of this season, meaning he would be able to leave on a free transfer at that point.

There is also interest from West Ham in Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri and Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke, which could limit his playing time moving forward, and Leeds have been seen as suitors to sign him before Friday's deadline arrives.

Will West Ham sign Michail Antonio?

According to a fresh update from Football Transfers, Leeds could still snap up Antonio before the end of the current transfer window, with a West Ham exit not out of the question:

"Michail Antonio has told David Moyes that he wishes to leave West Ham this window if they bring in Youssef En-Nesyri from Sevilla – with Leeds, Fulham, and clubs in the Saudi Pro League keen on the veteran, FootballTransfers have been informed.

"Antonio, the club’s record goalscorer in the Premier League, believes he will be relegated to the bench because of Moyes’ preference to play with one target man. The striker currently has a number of proposals to consider, with clubs in the Scottish Premiership also thought be interested in the striker."

Antonio could be an exceptional signing for Leeds if they manage to get a deal over the line this week, coming in as someone who would admittedly be more likely to be a short-term option, but an individual who could help fire them back into the Premier League.

The Jamaican's pedigree speaks for itself, having shone in the top flight for an extended period of time, and he has also proven himself in the Championship in the past, registering 61 goal contributions (28 goals and 33 assists) in the competition.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

It would be a surprise if Antonio left Wesh Ham in the coming days, considering what a key man he has been in the opening weeks of the 2023/24 season, but it is understandable why he could feel unwanted if they go and sign another striker, which could play into Leeds' hands.

With Joel Piroe already coming in as an excellent signing from Swansea City, adding much-needed firepower to the squad, Antonio could make them even more formidable in the final third for the next few years, being hailed as "incredible" by journalist Toby Cudworth and possessing the pace and power to scare Championship defenders.

Crystal Palace have had a quiet Deadline Day so far, however, a fresh update has revealed that the club could yet make one more move to sign a new addition before the transfer window closes.

What are Crystal Palace doing on deadline day?

According to the Daily Mail's Chief Football Reporter Sami Mokbel, Crystal are working on a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike.

Mokbel took to social media to reveal:

"Crystal Palace are working on a deal to sign PSG striker Hugo Ekitike, but the move is rated as ‘doubtful’ as it stands. Palace also interested in Che Adams at Southampton but he is likely to stay."

How good is Hugo Ekitike?

There is no doubt that boosting goal contributions would be a huge advantage at Selhurst Park this season, as Steve Parish endeavours to improve the club's competitiveness in the Premier League.

There were moments last season when the Eagles looked like they were going to be dragged into the relegation fight at the bottom of the table, which ultimately led to the sacking of Patrick Vieira late into the campaign, a situation that the Palace owner will be desperate to avoid happening again.

Following the exit of all-time top-scorer Wilfried Zaha – who joined Turkish club Galatasaray this summer – there is definitely an opportunity worth looking at to bolster the attacking threat even at this very late stage.

As a result, the signing of Ekitike – who has a reported price tag of €40m (£34m) – could be a great opportunity for the club to land another promising prospect with bags of potential who could be the next Odsonne Edouard in the south Londoners' squad.

Despite struggling for game time with the Ligue 1 champions since joining last summer, the 21-year-old remains one of the hottest young talents in the top five European Leagues – ranking in the top 5% of his positional peers for interceptions, assists and pass completion per 90 minutes played, as per FBref.

When comparing Ekitike's output with Edouard's last season, the French duo shared several similarities in their attacking attributes including goal contributions (7 v 7), shots on target rate (35.3% v 38.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.57 v 2.20), aerial duels won (40% v 34.7%) and successful take-ons (41% v 34.8%), presenting Roy Hodgson with a worthy alternative when needed in the striker role.

Indeed, it's evident that they are both physical forwards who contribute similarly in the final third.

The Frenchman has been the recipient of high praise over his short career already, with former Stade de Reims manager Óscar García waxing lyrical about Ekitike:

"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for the Eagles to seal a deal for Ekitike in the dying minutes and hours of Deadline Day as he could be a real asset to the team in their pursuit to compete comfortably in the Premier League this season and beyond.

Liverpool have made a breakthrough in discussions with one of their first-team players, and a fresh report has revealed when a new contract agreement is likely to be reached.

How have Liverpool started the season?

In the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a strong start to the campaign, finding themselves third in the table having so far secured four wins and one draw from their opening five games, taking 13 points from a possible 15.

Whilst the summer transfer window is now closed until January, Mohamed Salah continues to be heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, in particular Al-Ittihad, but if the following update is to be believed, he’s not the only regular feature being targeted next summer.

At Anfield, Trent Alexander-Arnold has made a hugely positive beginning to the new term and now has a much more important role to play having been named vice-captain by Klopp, but with his contract set to expire in two years, his future could be deemed uncertain.

Back in June, Fabrizio Romano reported that the Reds had internally discussed offering the right-back fresh terms but wanted to wait until all of their summer business had been completed, and that being said, the 24-year-old appears to have been brought back into the conversation behind the scenes on Merseyside.

Is Alexander-Arnold signing a new contract at Liverpool?

According to 90min, Liverpool are “looking to finalise terms” with Alexander-Arnold over a new long-term contract and are "close" to getting it done after a breakthrough in talks.

La Liga clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid both hold an “active interest” in the full-back, but it’s stated that he’s set to ignore attention and commit his future to the club until 2027, which will see his wage increase to £250k-per-week.

Talks between the two parties are “progressing well” and chiefs are “confident” that their star will have put pen to paper in time for Christmas – and importantly ahead of the January transfer window.

In other news, Kostas Tsimikas is also expected to sign on the dotted line and extend his stay alongside his teammate.

How many goals has Alexander-Arnold scored for Liverpool?

During his 277 senior appearances for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has posted 89 contributions (73 assists and 16 goals), form which has seen him dubbed “mind-blowing” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it would be a huge boost if was to sign a new contract.

The England international has also recorded a total of 16 crosses so far over the current campaign which is the squad's second-highest tally behind Andrew Robertson, via FBRef, showing his desire to use his pace to burst down the flank and whip balls into the box for his teammates in the final third to attack.

Furthermore, Klopp’s academy graduate has helped the club to secure seven trophies since getting promoted to the first team, including the likes of the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Supercup, and that number is surely only set to increase should Alexander-Arnold remain in the building for many more seasons to come.

Chelsea finally gave themselves something to build on against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup third round, and Enzo Fernandez and Thiago Silva have both praised one Blues ace in particular for his performance at Stamford Bridge.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

Relief was the overriding emotion for Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening, as Nicolas Jackson's 50th-minute strike was enough to grant the Blues a first win in four matches in front of their home support in the Carabao Cup third round.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino complemented the performance of Cole Palmer, who was handed his first start since joining the club for £42.5 million from Manchester City in the summer. Cited by METRO, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager stated: "I think like all of the team, I think the team was really good.

"If we assess all of the players, I think we are in a very good level. Cole is a very talented player, he was key in this victory tonight. Still young, he still needs to settle in the club, not only the team, but in the club and the city. I think we saw today how good he is."

Palmer operated in a number ten role during the encounter and provided an effective foil for Senegal international Jackson, laying on a smart assist for the only goal of the game. As per The Evening Standard, Palmer has signalled that he is willing to operate in any position that he is deployed in by the manager, as he said:

"I enjoyed playing in that role tonight but to be totally honest, I’m comfortable in any of the attacking positions. Whether that’s as a No.10, out wide on the left or right or even as striker, I’m happy to do a job for the team."

Nevertheless, Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell was withdrawn late on due to a hamstring injury and there will be concern over the England international due to his last absence because of a similar issue, which kept him out of competing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as per The Mirror.

Next up for Chelsea is a trip to Fulham next Monday in the Premier League and Pochettino will be desperate to get one over the Cottagers and take advantage of momentum generated from the Brighton victory.

What have Enzo Fernandez and Thiago Silva said?

On social media platform Instagram, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella posted some photos from the triumph over Brighton at Stamford Bridge with the caption "Next round".

In reply, Blues midfielder Enzo Fernandez replied with the caption "Qué animal", which translates to "What an animal" in English, and he was joined by veteran defender Thiago Silva in his praise for Cucurella, as the Brazilian commented with four fire emojis.

Cucurella, a player in terrible form of late, was outstanding against Brighton despite playing in an unfamiliar right-back berth, winning 11 out of 13 ground duels and achieving a match rating of 7.8/10 from Sofascore.

The Spain international, who has previously been labelled "fantastic" by UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel, also managed to complete four accurate long passes from five attempts.

Fernandez and Silva were clearly buzzing with Cucurella's exploits and with Malo Gusto suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham, the former Brighton ace could get another chance to impress Pochettino on the right-hand side of his backline.

Leeds United put in a stellar display against Watford on Saturday, as Phil Hay relayed the thoughts of Daniel Farke following the emphatic 3-0 drubbing of Watford: "Farke thinks this was Leeds' most complete performance so far. 'To dominate such a good side totally is pretty pleasing.'"

He has good reason to walk away delighted with such a performance, as despite failing to find the net with numerous first-half chances, his side exploded into life in the final 45 minutes, blowing away the visitors.

Elland Road played host to yet another impressive victory, with their Championship season now well and truly underway. Under the leadership of this affable German, who continues to slowly endear himself to his new fanbase, they are certainly on the right path towards promotion success.

However, one of the interesting stories to emerge pre-match was the absence of Luke Ayling from the starting lineup, despite the full-back having started all of their previous seven league matches this term.

The 32-year-old has, for better or worse, been a mainstay for years now in Yorkshire, so to see Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton preferred to him must have taken many by surprise; even if it is clear that his powers have clearly begun to wane in recent seasons.

Despite that, it is still expected that the experienced star will have a huge say in their hopeful push for the title, as someone seemingly always fit, and always ready to give his all even if a lack of quality sometimes lets him down.

How has Luke Ayling played this season?

After the year he and his side endured last campaign, it came as a huge surprise that Farke neglected to overhaul the full-back positions over the summer despite them being a key problem area for Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch on occasion.

It seems like no matter who is signed for these positions, whether it be former Barcelona man Junior Firpo or Denmark international Rasmus Kristensen, Ayling refuses to be displaced from the team.

Fortunately, a fine start to the new season has eased fears over this transfer inactivity, with the ex-Yeovil Town ace boasting a 7.23 average rating after just eight games. It seems the defender is poised to roll back the years to their 2020 promotion campaign, having added one goal, one assist, 1.5 key passes and 2.9 tackles per game to uphold the aforementioned figure, via Sofascore.

To compare this with that 2019/20 term, and his eight goal contributions helped uphold a 7.26 average rating, despite his key passes dropping to 0.8 per game, and his tackles down to 1.8 per game. History could be set to repeat itself.

That's not to suggest that Ayling has been completely free of criticism in recent times though, having arguably been the victim of consistent recruitment errors that have forced the ageing star to continue as a starter.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher branded him an "idiot" back in 2022 after a reckless red card challenge against Arsenal had seemingly doomed them to the drop, whilst a few months later Leeds pundit Conor McGilligan had even harsher words on his quality levels: "I think he’d [Ayling] be struggling to get in a lot of Championship starting XIs right now. Maybe bottom-half Championship, but absolutely no chance, top 12.

“But yet, he’s coming on for Leeds United to try and secure the game, as we saw at the weekend. Now, this is no disparaging comment on Luke Ayling. It’s just got to a point now where he’s not good enough. There are several Leeds players who, for me, are not good enough. Luke Ayling is not fit for Premier League football, for me.”

Although he seeks to dispel this notion by, ironically, impressing in the Championship, it is fair to say that Ayling's contribution across the 260 games played for the Yorkshire outfit makes him a cult hero regardless, sure to be lauded when he departs.

How much did Leeds United sign Luke Ayling for?

Given how important the defender has grown to be, having been plucked from the lower leagues as they themselves strived for a top-flight return, it is amazing to think back on the frugality of the deal.

After all, to pluck the former Arsenal academy ace for just £200k marked phenomenal business, as Gary Monk saw attacking potential in the full-back which was later realised.

Bristol City were the side who lost his services, and then had to watch him grow into a mainstay under Bielsa, and an important cog in that enthralling system. Journalist Hay would even write in 2020: "The more you look at him and analyse him, the more you realise he's integral to everything Leeds do."

How much was Luke Ayling worth when he first signed?

To emphasise just how much of a coup that deal was, Transfermarkt actually valued the defender at €500k (£435k) even before he had even moved to Elland Road.

Unsurprisingly, a switch to such a historic institution drew more eyes onto his game, and he would soon crack a €1m (£871k) valuation within just one year of being in Yorkshire.

Such steady growth marked a hallmark of the 6-foot rock's career, which remains at an admirable level even today.

What is Luke Ayling's market value now?

When viewing the current-day value of Ayling, CIES Football Observatory offers the most flattering figure to emphasise the importance still boasted even with their relegation.

After all, for someone at 32 years old to still be starring at such a high level deserves praise, with his €5m (£4.3m) valuation being more than fair.

To compare the growth enjoyed throughout a career forged on hard work, from that £200k move back in 2016, Ayling has seen his value grow by 2,050% across a seven-year period.

How much does Luke Ayling earn?

What further makes the defender a fine asset to Leeds is the fact that he is never one to kick up a fuss regarding play time, recent form or financial incentives.

As such, despite being one of the squad's longest-serving members, his £25k-per-week salary sees him earn less than Illan Meslier, Helder Costa, Daniel James and Firpo, via Capology.

1

Georginio Rutter

£70k-per-week

2

Patrick Bamford

£70k-per-week

3

Junior Firpo

£60k-per-week

4

Daniel James

£50k-per-week

5

Pascal Struijk

£50k-per-week

Admittedly a tiny wage for someone who has proven so important, perhaps this campaign could mark his last final push before accepting his exit in order to usher in a new age at right-back. Ayling has been a true hero at the club, even if he has come under fire at times, and should he steer them towards promotion, he could depart a content man.

Chelsea chiefs are keeping a close eye on an upcoming talent and could make a move to bring the forward to Stamford Bridge to ease their goalscoring woes, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

As per The Evening Standard, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he didn't have much to do with deciding on whether defender Marc Cucurella should've been kept around at Stamford Bridge in the midst of the Spaniard seeing a late move to Manchester United collapse on Deadline Day.

Pochettino stated: "I don’t know because I wasn’t involved in this situation, that was more the sporting director, the [player’s] agent and the club. After, when the transfer window closed, we were talking in my office. We were really clear about how I see and assess him and I listened to his feelings. Of course, it was a difficult time for him after he arrived from Brighton. It was tough, not only for him, but many, many players."

Chelsea make the short travel to face neighbors Fulham on Monday night in the Premier League and will sport their new front-of-shirt sponsor Infinite Athlete for the first time this campaign, after agreeing a deal with the US-based sports technology firm that will net them north of £40 million in 2023/24, as per BBC Sport.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on social media platform X detailing the fortunes of Chelsea youngster Andrey Santos, who is out on loan at Nottingham Forest, stating: "Zero minutes again for Andrey Santos in Nottingham Forest-Brentford — 99 mins spent on the bench. He joined the club on loan from Chelsea in August after more than 10 loan requests over the summer."

Brazil Under-23 international Santos has featured just once on loan at the Tricky Trees, playing the entire 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest's Carabao Cup second round defeat to Burnley in late August, as per Transfermarkt.

Who are Chelsea signing in 2024?

According to Football Insider, Stamford Bridge chiefs are keeping a close eye on Brighton & Hove Albion talent Simon Adingra, and they are said to have been impressed by his strong start to the new campaign.

Adingra has been identified as an 'ideal' solution to Pochettino's lack of cutting edge in attack and the Blues are eyeing a move for the Ivory Coast international to add an extra attacking option to help provide competition to Nicolas Jackson. Todd Boehly and company have made a point of targeting players under the age of 25, and the 21-year-old has been placed on their transfer shortlist.

The Ivorian forward has made seven appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls this term, registering one goal and one assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Arriving from FC Nordsjaelland in 2022, the Right to Dream academy graduate was given heavy praise by Brighton technical director David Weir, who stated: "We’re delighted to welcome Simon to the club. He’s an exciting young player who has had a terrific start to his career in Denmark. He’s a creative offensive player who can play on both sides and is very good in one-on-one situations. He’s a talented young player who we’ve had an eye on for a while, and we’re looking forward to helping him with his development.”

Working hard off the ball, Adingra has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues in the field of interceptions, averaging around 1.19 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric, according to FBRef, showing he works hard pressing from the front.

Chelsea are getting a reputation as a hub for young talent and Adingra would add plenty of distinguishable qualities to Pochettino's forward line.

Everton are in the process of being taken over, and an update has now emerged regarding the deal that is contrary to recent reports that have been emerging from Goodison Park.

Will Farhad Moshiri sell Everton?

On Merseyside, Farhad Moshiri has already agreed to sell his 94.1% stake in the club to American investment firm 777 Partners for a reported £550m, and initially, things were looking positive because the prospective new owners have been splashing the cash.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed that the Miami-based group had sent a loan worth millions of pounds to Sean Dyche’s side to put towards completing short-term projects, for example the ongoing build of the new Premier League stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, however, journalist Paul Brown suggested that they aren’t investing for genuine reasons and that they simply see this as an opportunity to add another club to their portfolio, where they are already in charge of the likes of Sevilla and Hertha Berlin.

The Toffees, to make matters worse, reportedly then discovered that the whole deal was on the verge of collapse due to the firm missing a key deadline set by the Financial Conduct Authority, but they themselves have delivered a response contrary to reports.

Everton takeover update

In a public statement released sharing an Everton takeover update, a spokesperson for the 777 Partners Group denied the rumours that they had failed to hand in the necessary paperwork and reassured supporters that the agreement is still going ahead:

"We have submitted all relevant documentation to the FCA in line with their requests and indicative timings. As we have previously stated, the regulatory processes in relation to the proposed acquisition of Everton FC need to be allowed the proper time and space to run their course in private, and so we will not be commenting further."

As it stands, Everton are already under investigation for FFP (Financial Fair Play) breaches which, if found guilty on any accounts, could lead to a points deduction, and given the disappointing start to the season they’ve had, Dyche could certainly do without that happening.

In the Premier League, the Blues have won just two, drawn one and lost five of their opening eight matches of the new campaign, meaning that they find themselves 16th in the table and just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Over the summer, the boss was only able to purchase Beto and Youssef Chermiti on a permanent basis for fees due to his lack of funds, with Ashley Young joining on a free transfer and both Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison putting pen to paper on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Therefore, Everton supporters will be hoping that this takeover can still go through without any roadblocks occurring because with more money being invested, the manager should be able to be financially backed a lot more, allowing him to be competitive in the market when it comes to pursuing his top transfer targets.

QPR continue to look for Gareth Ainsworth's replacement as manager, and another name has now emerged as a possible option – one with Premier League experience.

QPR manager latest

It has been a busy few days at Loftus Road, with a huge decision made by the club after Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to Leicester City in the Championship. It was a result that left QPR sitting 23rd in the division ahead of only Sheffield Wednesday – the Owls' 2-0 win over Rotherham on Sunday means they are only two points adrift of the Hoops now – and it became obvious that a change of manager was required.

Ainsworth was, therefore, relieved of his duties after the match, having only become QPR boss earlier in the year, with things only seemingly going from bad to worse under him. Now, the search is on for the Hoops to find the right man to come in and make a big difference in the Loftus Road hot seat. Neil Warnock looks like the current front-runner to be QPR's new manager, but former Nottingham Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi is also seen as an option.

Nathan Jones wants QPR job

According to an update from The Telegraph's John Percy, Nathan Jones is keen on becoming the new QPR manager, making himself an option for the job, even though Warnock appears to be the clear favourite:

"Neil Warnock wants to make a return to Queens Park Rangers and is expected to replace Gareth Ainsworth.

"Former Luton Town and Southampton manager Nathan Jones is also keen on the QPR job but it is understood that Warnock is likely to be appointed until the end of the season. An announcement is expected in the next few days."

Jones would be an intriguing choice of manager if QPR had a late change of heart with Warnock, with his stock falling a little of late, following a hugely disappointing spell in charge of Southampton in the Premier League. In truth, the Welshman, who plays a 3-4-1-2 system, looked a little out of his depth in the top flight, failing to get the best out of elite players – Jones only won one Premier League match – and it could be that the Championship remains his level.

Jones did an outstanding job with Luton Town, for example, guiding them into the Championship on a small budget, and if QPR got this version of him, he could prove to be a brilliant appointment. He has also been hailed as "excellent" by James Ward-Prowse.

Gareth Ainsworth

2023

Neil Critchley

2022-2023

Michael Beale

2022

Mark Warburton

2019-2022

Steve McClaren

2018-2019

Ian Holloway

2016-2018

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

2015-2016

Chris Ramsey

2015

Harry Redknapp

2012-2015

Mark Hughes

2012

It does look as though the Hoops' mind could already be made up when it comes to Warnock, however, and while the Englishman is now 74 years of age, he has proven himself time and time again as someone who is an expert at dragging teams out of the mire and pulling them to safety. QPR are already six points away from safety in the Championship table, so there is clearly work to do, and Warnock feels like a safer bet than Lamouchi and Jones, even though they are both younger, more long-term options.

Aston Villa have recently been linked with a move for Brondby IF star Nicolai Vallys, and a fresh report from the last 48 hours has now revealed the chances of him joining the club in January.

Nicolai Vallys profiled

Vallys is naturally an attacking midfielder who has plied his trade with Jesper Sorensen’s side since joining last summer from Silkeborg, and he’s since gone on to make a total of 40 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Vallys statistics).

August 31, 2022

Silkeborg

Brondby IF

July 1, 2019

FC Roskilde

Silkeborg

July 1, 2018

Skovshoved

FC Roskilde

August 1, 2016

BK Skjold

Skovshoved

July 1, 2015

BK Skjold U19

BK Skjold

The Denmark international still has just under three years remaining on his deal with his current employers (Brondby contracts), but that hasn’t stopped NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery from wanting to take a closer look at him ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

The Midlands outfit, Manchester United and Southampton all sent scouts to watch the 27-year-old live in action last month as they weigh up a potential approach, but he’s also been attracting significant interest from clubs outside the Premier League and Championship. Indeed, the Villa Park target has additionally emerged as an option for Wolfsburg, Real Betis, Marseille and PSV Eindhoven.

In the Superliga this season, Vallys has posted ten involvements (eight goals and two assists) in 14 appearances so far, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s always looking to pose a threat even if the end product isn’t always there.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Copenhagen’s native has recorded 32 shots over the course of the current campaign, which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Brondby statistics), highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net and the bigger impression he is able to make compared to his peers.

Aston Villa transfer news – Nicolai Vallys

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa aren't currently pursuing Vallys and, as it stands, they have no plans to change their stance despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise.

"There is some interest growing in the potential transfer of Nicolai Vallys this January after his superb performances for Brondby this season, CaughtOffside understands.

"Sources with information on Vallys’ situation insist, however, that recent stories linking the player with Manchester United and Aston Villa are wide of the mark, with nothing concrete happening with those clubs or any others just yet."

Vallys is a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including two roles in the midfield and even three across the frontline, so perhaps the board should reconsider their decision not to pursue a talented and versatile player who could have a positive impact at Aston Villa.