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Leeds’ start to the New Year hasn’t exactly been ideal.

They suffered defeat to Tottenham and were then swept aside in rather embarrassing fashion by League Two Crawley last weekend. They can be thankful, therefore, that the transfer window is open.

What’s the word?

Cast your minds back to last summer and you will remember a certain link to a French striker.

The Sunday Mirror (August 9th print edition, page 66) reported that Leeds were interested in signing Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard.

Of course, a deal didn’t happen, but with speculation mounting again surrounding his future in Glasgow, there has been an update on Celtic’s stance towards the attacker.

That’s courtesy of journalist Ignazio Genuardi who said this week:

“While no agreement could be reached for an extension, Celtic is gradually revising its requirements downwards for a possible departure of the former Parisian Edouard. Today, there is more talk of a price around €25-30m.”

In English money, that price would equate to around £27m.

Orta must sign him

Leeds must bite Celtic’s hands off if Edouard is indeed available for that sort of fee. The Whites aren’t desperately in need of a new striker but they’d certainly land an upgrade on Patrick Bamford here.

The Whites forward has been nothing short of superb since they were promoted, helping himself to ten goals in just 17 outings. However, by signing Edouard, Victor Orta would land an even more prolific striker.

The Frenchman has been a star in Scottish football, racking up goals as though they’re going out of fashion. Last term, he netted 28 goals from 47 appearances and so far this season, he’s registered 11 strikes – one more than Bamford.

However, he isn’t just about scoring goals. Like Leeds’ current number nine, he’s phenomenal at bringing others into play. The Hoops forward picked up 19 assists for his teammates in 2019/20, a record that blows Bamford’s tally of two out the water.

On top of that, his footwork also surpasses Marcelo Bielsa’s favoured striking option. Bamford is a player who likes to play with his back to goal, but while Edouard can also do that, the 22-year-old gets in behind and can run with the ball too.

Epitomising the Celtic forward’s qualities, former Hoops player Frank McGarvey once said: “I just love watching Edouard. He has that bit of magic in his feet, and he reminds me of Charlie Nicholas. You just know if he gets the ball just outside of the box the other team are in trouble.”

Truth be told, that’s what sets Bamford and Edouard apart. Although the former has nifty feet himself, he doesn’t use it on a regular basis.

Reports circulated a few weeks ago that Leeds were slightly concerned about their forward’s future at the club. If they signed Edouard, they may be able to greenlight a potential exit, rather than worrying about his contract situation.

Irrespective of that, however, Leeds must sign him. He is a sensational goal scorer.

AND in other news, Leeds must swoop for “outstanding” 26 y/o, he could be game-changing…

Christmas is here, which means 2020 is drawing to a close – perhaps a good thing if you are a Sheffield Wednesday fan.

The last 12 months have been topsy-turvy for everyone involved in football, but none more so than the Owls – we’ve had delayed wages, points deductions, a change in management and plenty of players come and go.

Hillsborough Stadium has seen it all this year, but how much can you remember?

The Yorkshire outfit are embroiled in a relegation battle this term having picked up only 12 points from their opening 20 matches, though they have had six points taken off them.

They did enjoy a mini-run in the FA Cup early in 2020 but for large parts, it’s been rather dour at Sheffield Wednesday.

So take your mind off things with this quick quiz, only the die hard Owls fans will be able to get at least 70% on this.

Go on, we dare you to give it a go…

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday can resolve striker woes with loan swoop for 18 y/o sensation…

After finally getting their man earlier in the summer, Leeds United have opted to take the patient approach with Cody Drameh.

The 19-year-old arrived from Championship side Fulham, and has spent his time in Yorkshire with the U23s, where he’s only missed one game at Premier League 2 level.

He’s yet to be seen with the senior side however, and that’s something Marcelo Bielsa may look to change heading into 2020.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, when Leeds scouted Drameh whilst he was at Craven Cottage, they saw shades of Luke Ayling in him. It was also suggested that the teenager saw a “clearer” route to the senior set-up at Elland Road than he did at Fulham.

Hay wrote: “Leeds are understood to have paid in the region of £300,000 for Drameh, a fee which could rise to £1 million with add-ons, last week.

“Fulham are fresh from promotion themselves and will play in the Premier League with Leeds this season but sources close to Drameh say the England Under-18 international saw a clearer first-team pathway in West Yorkshire than in west London. The deal was done despite Fulham’s reluctance to sell and after Manchester City showed some late interest.”

Drameh’s potential is there for all to see, with Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson going on record to hail his abilities. He said: “Defensively so impressive! His mind works quicker than most right backs I’ve seen in a naturally defensive mindset. Tactically very aware of what is being asked of him, times his engagements well, needs to add a little more unpredictability going forward.”

The starlet may not be ready to start in the Premier League right now, but he could learn a lot by potentially being given opportunities in the FA Cup and then some minutes here and there in the top-flight.

Exposing him to first-team football will be the real test of whether Drameh will sink or swim, and the young right-back could surprise everybody and take to it like a duck to water. Only time will tell.

Jose Mourinho will be disappointed that his side couldn’t come away with the goods as they took on Chelsea last night. Tottenham Hotspur struggled to make much of an impact in front of goal, with the Blues defence working well to silence the in-form duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

However, whilst the pair are more than entitled to an off day following their incredible performances so far, the same cannot be said for Steven Bergwijn. The Dutch international is currently fighting for his place in the starting lineup and has been given chances ahead of the likes of Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura. Unfortunately, his Stamford Bridge display left a lot to be desired.

Steven Bergwijn vs Chelsea

Aside from his early attempt which he sent flying over the bar, the £75,000 per week winger struggled to produce anything of value against Chelsea. According to Sofascore, Bergwijn completed just 22 accurate passes in 89 minutes and he failed to register a single shot on target, successful dribble or long ball.

The 23-year-old also managed to win just one of his seven duels, meaning he lost 86% of those attempted.

Whilst a draw against Chelsea isn’t a bad result by any means, Mourinho’s winning mentality will surely mean he is unhappy with a lot of things from the match. Spurs have Arsenal next in the North London Derby and whilst it could spell a win for the Lilywhites on paper, Mikel Arteta’s frustrations could be taken out on the current league leaders.

Spurs must field their strongest XI in order to set themselves up with the best possible chance to avoid any surprising Arsenal attacks. Whilst Kane and Son are almost nailed on to shine, Bergwijn should not be a name included in the starting lineup after his silent performance on Sunday.

In other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt lauds this recent Daniel Levy transfer decision…

Flocking to ExWHUemployee’s tweet after West Ham’s last gasp 1-0 victory over Fulham last night, plenty of Hammers heaped praise on defensive star Aaron Cresswell for his showing against their London neighbours – with the player seemingly reborn as part of a back three under David Moyes. 

Cresswell, who played the full 90 minutes and helped Moyes’ side to keep a clean sheet, has now attracted plaudits for his most recent display combined with the upturn in form since converting to centre-back.

Indeed, in reply to ExWHUemployee’s take, plenty of supporters heralded the Englishman as ‘unreal’ and ‘top class’ – going on to say they’re ‘so glad’ he has found a role which suits him and the Irons.

Some fans also think dropping him for the next game would be ‘utter madness’ from Moyes’ perspective, find all of their best verdicts from Twitter here.

Hammers lavish Cresswell with praise

In other news: West Ham fans didn’t feel the same about this ‘clown’, find out more here. 

Leeds United are reportedly finally set to sanction a loan move for Robbie Gotts.

The midfielder did not move on during deadline day with EFL and Premier League clubs having until October 16th to conclude any domestic deals, but it finally seems as though the youngster has gotten the green light to move on a temporary basis.

Alan Nixon believes that Swindon are the club hoping to land the midfielder, and while this would be a decent opportunity for Gotts to get a taste of senior football, Leeds have made a mistake here.

Huddersfield Town were strongly linked with a move for Gotts earlier in the window, but for some reason, Leeds wouldn’t sanction the move.

Now, it seems as though he’s headed for Swindon, or potentially another League One club in Sunderland who are also keen. But we can’t help but feel that Huddersfield would have been the perfect destination for him.

Not only would he be playing at a higher level in the Championship, but he’d be working under a manager who knows exactly how to get the best out of him with Carlos Corberan having plenty of experience working with Gotts during his tenure as United’s U23s manager.

It was a fruitful partnership as well, with the Whites’ youth outfit picking up the PDL National Title in 2019.

Away from that, Corberan’s relationship with Marcelo Bielsa would have been ideal for if the Leeds manager wanted to keep tabs on his player, with the Argentine already being spotted at a Huddersfield game this season.

We can only hope that if Swindon land Gotts he shines down there alongside fellow United-loanee Jordan Stevens, but it would’ve been interesting to see the midfielder reunite with his former U23s boss.

As per the Herald and Times Sport, Glasgow Rangers target Jacob Murphy is keen to make a loan move to Ibrox this summer.

The 25-year-old is on the radar of the 54-time Scottish champions, with a loan deal on the cards.

Now, it is said that he is keen to move to Scotland – but his current club, Newcastle, want him to stay at St. James’ Park to fight for a place in Steve Bruce’s squad.

£3.15m-valued Murphy – as per Transfermarkt – has failed to make the grade so far with the Magpies – as it stands, he has scored just one goal in 41 appearances for the club. The Toon’s business in the transfer window, as well, does not indicate that the former Norwich City man has a big future in the north east, with Ryan Fraser joining on a free transfer.

As such, a loan move could be the best thing for him, although it is not clear as to whether the same can be said for the Gers. Given his track record, it is hard to see how he would be a massive boost to the side considering how Ryan Kent, with four goals in his first seven matches, has performed so far this campaign.

Whilst Steven Gerrard may be looking for some more squad depth, it still feels as though Murphy isn’t the man for them.

Let us know what you think below!

Sunderland have further added to the club’s under-23 side with the signing of Stephen Wearne, once of Middlesbrough.

The 2019/20 campaign saw the Black Cats’ academy have a disastrous run of form in the league with both the under-18 and under-23 outfits failing to gain a single victory in their respective divisions.

Following such poor performances, Paul Reid left his role as academy manager, prompting speculation that the club’s Tier 1 academy status could be under threat.

A plethora of players have since left the academy setup but they have since been replaced by a number of new faces.

The changes at under-23 level saw three new faces arrive last month to bolster Elliot Dickman’s squad, with Sam Wilding, Bobby Beaumont and Vinnie Steels coming in, whilst Kenton Richardson also signed.

Joining the aforementioned four players was Burnley striker Will Harris, and they have now been supplemented by the addition of attacking midfielder Wearne.

The 19-year-old has put pen to paper on a one-year deal on Wearside after leaving ‘Boro earlier this summer, where he made 60 appearances for the Championship club at youth level.

Wearne is a good addition for Elliot Dickman, especially given that he contributed to 20 goals in those 60 games for Boro, with 10 goals and 10 assists.

The under-23 side have no excuse but to improve given that several new players have arrived and it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next few weeks and beyond.

Do you think Sunderland’s academy sides can improve on last season? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Everton have been in contact with Watford over a potential transfer for their midfield star Abdoulaye Doucoure for quite some time now. However, even though the Hornets would be open to selling their man, it won’t exactly be a cheap operation.

Now, according to 90min, Carlo Ancelotti is considering throwing two fringe players into the mix as potential makeweights to bring the proposed figure of £30m down a little bit.

The two players in question, as the same source reveals, are Yannick Bolasie and Muhamed Besic. Of course, neither of them have a big role in the team anyway so it makes sense to let them go.

Bolasie has spent time on loan at Aston Villa, Anderlecht and also Sporting CP while Besic himself played at Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. Losing them both should not really be a big hit for the Toffees’ squad but could potentially help them out in this deal.

As of right now, 90min don’t say anything about Watford’s stance on getting two players and some cash in return for their player but Ancelotti is hoping this could indeed help get the deal over the line in the immediate future.

Just like everyone else in the current climate, Everton are working on a mostly reduced budget so meeting Doucoure’s asking price is a tough pill to swallow.

But Watford should be aware of that as well and it remains to be seen whether they agree to the proposed terms.

Verdict

On the face of it, it does seem like sacrificing Bolasie and Besic for Doucoure is a good deal for Everton. Ancelotti obviously doesn’t have them in his plans for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League campaign so the transfer does make sense.

However, we still don’t know if Watford feel the same way so we’ll have to wait and see what they say.

You wouldn’t believe it if someone told you a couple of years ago, but Manchester United are apparently looking for someone to replace David De Gea.

The Spaniard has been out of form for some time now, and it seems as though the hierarchy at Old Trafford have lost faith in the former Golden Glove winner, and they already have a replacement in their sights.

What’s the story then?

Surprisingly, United aren’t going to look towards Dean Henderson to solve their goalkeeping problems after his impressive season at Sheffield United.

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Instead, the Red Devils are reportedly after Leicester City stopper Kasper Schmeichel, and it’s hard to say that this wouldn’t be a great move.

Immediate hero

Aside from the fact that Schmeichel is a Premier League-winning goalkeeper who is certainly good enough to play for a top side, this deal, in particular, makes so much sense for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Nostalgia is a great factor in how fans view things, and United fans could very easily feel as though they’re back to their glory days if they have a blonde Scandinavian named Schmeichel between the sticks.

Fans should immediately have a lot of respect for their new man due to his dad’s achievements at the club, and with confidence being such a huge factor for a goalie, that support could help the Dane match or even surpass his father’s performances for the Red Devils.

Of course, there will be the worry of constant comparisons getting in his head, but that’s something he’s inevitably had to contend with during his entire career, and he’s coped very well so far.

The Old Trafford faithful would love Schmeichel before he even made his debut, and that could be a massive positive that comes alongside bringing him in.