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Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has given his insight into the ‘criteria’ of Chris Wood’s loan package from Newcastle United to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Wood joins Forest on loan

Eddie Howe’s side agreed to loan out the New Zealand striker to Forest, the deal includes an option to buy which would extend his contract until next year.

Wood joined Newcastle last January from Burnley for a fee of £25 million, he’s netted four Premier League goals for the Magpies since his arrival.

The 31-year-old’s first two league goals were particularly important scoring in a 2-1 against Southampton at St Mary’s and the winning strike from the penalty spot at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Latest: Hope drops details of loan package

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hope said that Forest offered Newcastle an offer they couldn’t refuse and they took it. Forest doesn’t have to survive the drop to keep hold of Wood and the criteria of the loan is that he plays a couple of games.

He stated (1:18), “What has happened is Forest have presented Newcastle with a financial package that makes absolute sense. We’re told on good authority that it’s about 15 million pounds to make the deal permanent.

“And there’s the criteria to be met, for that could be the case, I think are weighted heavily in Newcastle’s favour. I think it’s really going to take a couple of games, Forest don’t have to survive for that move to become permanent.

“I think if Chris would place a handful of matches, there is an obligation to make that move permanent for 15 million pound.”

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The Verdict: A great deal for Newcastle

The signing of Wood last January was in some ways a panic buy, bringing in a forward who has Premier League experience as they hope to stay up.

Howe’s side did exactly that and ended up finishing 11th at the end of last season, so Wood hasn’t been a total disaster in a black-and-white shirt.

£15 million for his services would be a fantastic bit of business, only ten million less than what they spent on him a year ago.

Wood excels in one area in particular and that’s in the air, he’s in the top 1% for aerial duals won across Europe’s top leagues and competitions and strikers (FBref).

It would be a total Eddie Howe masterclass if Newcastle beat Southampton over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-final and Wood were to be the cause for Forest to knock Manchester United out of the League Cup, only for him to then not be able to play in the final.

Chelsea have reportedly identified Leeds United’s Illan Meslier as the long-term successor to the shot-stopping throne at the club, with a transfer move potentially forthcoming…

What’s the word?

Chelsea boss Graham Potter is seemingly unsatisfied with his goalkeeping options in Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga – who cost an exorbitant £71.6m from Athletic Bilbao – and is scouring the market for a long-term first-choice deployment in the role.

And according to French publication RMC Sport, the Blues’ technical director Christopher Vivell is set to rival affluent divisional rivals Newcastle United in forging a transfer for the 22-year-old shot-stopping prodigy, who is also wanted by German giants Bayern Munich following an extensive injury layoff for Manuel Neuer suffered in a skiing accident this winter.

Meslier joined the Lilywhites on a permanent deal from French outfit Lorient in 2020, since going from strength to strength and establishing himself as the unwavering No 1. and one of the most exciting young goalkeeping prospects in world football.

Blues’ next Cech

Signing for Leeds while they still floundered in the EFL Championship, the Frenchman has since risen to the fore and cemented his place within the top-flight outfit’s starting set-up, making 106 appearances and keeping 28 clean sheets.

And having been an ever-present force between the sticks this term, playing every single Premier League minute, Meslier is indeed blossoming into a formidable presence despite his tender age.

Should the £31m-rated phenom sign for Chelsea, he would bering shot-stopping prowess, having made the most saves of any goalkeeper in the Premier League with an impressive 143, a veritable wall in the fight against relegation, pivotal in steering his club towards survival, with Leeds indeed finishing 17th, just three points off the dreaded drop-zone.

Making 494 appearances for the west London outfit, winning scores of major honours – including four Premier League titles and one Champions League triumph – and keeping 228 clean sheets at a remarkable rate of 46.1%.

While Meslier cannot boast clean sheet statistics quite as formidable as the Czech legend thus far, his shot-stopping ability certainly alludes to a promising career in the mould of one of the Premier League’s most esteemed players throughout its history.

And the season prior, his club’s first in the top-flight since the 03/04 campaign, Meslier dazzled with 140 saves, illustrating his consistency in repelling the opposing threat.

As per Sofascore, the “rare talent” – as hailed by The Athletic’s Leeds correspondent Phil Hay – has recorded ratings of 7.13 (20/21), 6.87 (21/22), and 6.88 (22/23) during his time in top-flight English football, still holding a respectable rating since his emphatic first season, despite his club’s dip in results and performance.

He could indeed emulate legendary shot-stopper Cech, and as he nurtures his ability with age, also developing the leadership and composure required to truly flourish at a club competing for major honours across multiple fronts – like Chelsea – he will grow into his own, taking the baton from a former icon and finally gifting Stamford Bridge the presence in between the sticks that it yearns for.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Chelsea have held internal talks over of a move for Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic.

The Lowdown: Contract talks stall

Juranovic recently helped his country Croatia to a third-place finish at the World Cup, with the 27-year-old impressing in Qatar, and he now looks destined to exit Parkhead in the New Year.

Reports have suggested that, following unsuccessful negotiations over a new contract, Celtic are braced for offers for the full-back and will consider bids in January.

Atletico Madrid were thought to be eyeing a possible £10m+ swoop, but speculation has since cooled, and it looks as if Chelsea could soon make a move of their own.

The Latest: Sheth’s post

Sheth took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share what he’s been told from Stamford Bridge regarding Juranovic.

He revealed that the Blues have held ‘internal talks’ over a possible move for the Hoops star due to Reece James’ ongoing injury problems.

“Chelsea one of a number of clubs looking at Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic. Told internal talks have taken place at Chelsea to assess right-back options as they wait for the full extent of Reece James’ injury.”

The Verdict: Cash in?

Juranovic, hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Celtic legend John Hartson, has just come back off an impressive World Cup, so January could be the ideal time for Celtic to cash in and maximise the defender’s value.

They have already brought in a right-back of their own in Alistair Johnston, and with discussions over a new contract for Juranovic breaking down, it could make sense to sell in the coming weeks.

The club were confident of receiving more than £5m during the early stages of the World Cup, but they may now fancy their chances of an increased fee – only time will tell.

Aston Villa have endured a tumultuous time in midfield this season, with Steven Gerrard seemingly unsure as to who he truly trusted with the starting spots.

Stripping Tyrone Mings of the captaincy and instating John McGinn marked a sole show of faith for the old guard as he looked to place him beside one of Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz.

This struggle for consistency likely fed into the rumours linking the Brazilian with a move away, with deadline day moves scuppered only for him to sign a new contract in October.

However, it now seems that Unai Emery is keen to add another face to that mix, as rumours just last week persist linking the Villans with a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino.

The Spaniard would add a wealth of talent to an already stacked midfield, but crucially, he would provide creativity and goalscoring seldom seen since the exit of Fabian Delph.

Many will remember the Leeds United academy graduate as a solid if not unspectacular option for Manchester City and Everton, with a career ravaged by injuries.

However, before his big-money move to the Cityzens, he was a powerful box-to-box force for the Midlands outfit.

In his final season at Villa Park, he would score twice and assist five times, with his combinations with Christian Benteke likely to go down in Premier League folklore.

Now, in Merino, they could actually have a similar if upgraded presence.

This season the 26-year-old already has two goals and six assists from the engine room, looking to improve upon his four-goal and four-assist campaign last year.

His exploits for Real Sociedad have led to the ultimate praise from his coach Imanol Alguacil, as he claimed: “Mikel Merino is the best player in La Liga.” 

This has culminated in an average Sofascore rating of 7.24, with the former Newcastle United maestro boasting the second-best rating of any of his teammates.

His apparent consistency and capability to push forward will leave Villa fans reminiscing about the impressive performances of Delph, but should Emery pull off this deal they will quickly forget them in favour of the new man in town.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Newcastle United will get “bigger and stronger” by splashing more cash, amidst their sumptuous start to the Premier League season.

The Lowdown: Overachieving 

As a result of successful recruitment across the past two transfer windows under the guidance of PIF, Newcastle currently sit third in the Premier League in a feat that may far outweigh their expectations.

Eddie Howe’s side have lost just once in their opening 15 league games and won five top-flight games on the spin prior to the break for the World Cup.

The Latest: Upwards trajectory 

Sheth, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, heaped praise on the Magpies and backed them to improve even further by splashing the cash in an exciting claim.

“Newcastle United are starting to come, they’re only going to get bigger and stronger and spend even more money, and this has been done with Eddie Howe not breaking the bank now, and they find themselves in the top three.”

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The Verdict: Foundations built, time to spend 

Over the last two transfer windows, Newcastle have assembled the core foundations of their squad. The likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Nick Pope, Dan Burn and Sven Botman, to name a few, all play vital roles in Eddie Howe’s 4-3-3 system. 

With the core of the squad now in place, the club could now do with digging deep and splashing out on a couple of high-profile signings who fit in with the vision that Howe is assembling on Tyneside. 

The fight for Champions League qualification will arguably be a tougher ask throughout the second half of the season, so marquee reinforcements in the New Year could be the difference. 

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has admitted he would be ‘very surprised’ if Marcelo Bielsa made a return to Leeds United, unless the boss feels he has ‘unfinished business’.

The Lowdown: Marsch under pressure

The Whites are without a Premier League win in eight and are now in the relegation zone, which has resulted in pressure building on Jesse Marsch.

Reports have even suggested that the Whites are laying the groundwork for a new manager, with Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling talking about a potential return for Bielsa.

The Argentine remains out of work after being sacked by Elland Road chiefs back in February, and O’Rourke has been giving his thoughts on the 67-year-old.

The Latest: O’Rourke reacts

Asked by The Transfer Tavern about the talk around Bielsa, O’Rourke admitted he’d be ‘very surprised’ if Bielsa returned, though he did hint that the former Leeds boss may feel he has ‘unfinished business’ in Yorkshire.

“I’d be very surprised if Bielsa was to come back. Unless something does tug at his heartstrings that he wants to go and finish the job at Leeds as he maybe feels he has unfinished business there.

“I’d be very surprised if that was to happen and maybe Leeds would have to look elsewhere if they were to bring in a new manager.”

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The Verdict: Agreed

A Bielsa return would be the ideal scenario for some Leeds supporters, but we agree with O’Rourke in believing a return is unlikely.

The board may soon have to make a decision on Marsch, though, with the club currently in free fall and fans not happy following recent defeats to Leicester and Fulham.

You’d expect that Victor Orta would have a list of targets, should Marsch receive the sack, and it would be interesting to see if the club approached Bielsa and how he would take it.

Leeds United continued their disastrous recent run of form on Thursday night, with a struggling Leicester City side running out comfortable 2-0 winners over Jesse Marsch’s men at the King Power Stadium.

An early Robin Koch own goal and a 35th-minute strike from Harvey Barnes proved enough for Brendan Rodgers’ 19th-placed outfit to take all three points from the fixture, meaning the 16th-placed Whites are now winless in seven Premier League outings.

And, while the vast majority of the Leeds starting XI massively underperformed against the Foxes, Junior Firpo’s particularly horrendous display at left-back only compounded the argument that the 26-year-old is simply not good enough for the top flight of English football.

Indeed, being handed his first start of the season on the left of Marsch’s backline after Pascal Struijk picked up an injury in midweek, the former Spain U21 international was undoubtedly one of the Whites’ worst performers on the night.

Over the course of his 82 minutes on the pitch, the £4.3m-rated defender was frequently beaten too easily at the back, being dribbled past by an opponent on three separate occasions, winning just four of his 13 duels – a failure rate of 69% – committed four fouls and gave away possession of the ball 15 times.

The £55k-per-week full-back was also caught out of position far too often, including for the Foxes’ second of the match, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay stating in his match commentary on Twitter:

“Not for the first time, cut open down the left. Same trick – Firpo dragged out of position, Llorente forced to drift to cover, Leicester work it across to an unmarked Barnes who has the easy job of slotting home.”

This, coupled with his generally disappointing metrics, saw Firpo earn a SofaScore match rating of just 6.0 – ranking him as the second-worst player to feature in the match – while Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross also awarded the defender a lowly five in his own player ratings, as well as stating: “Consistently left space in behind as he roamed forward from left-back.”

Furthermore, CBS Sports reporter Jake Winderman stated in a post on Twitter that he doesn’t “need to see Firpo or Llorente play for Leeds again” as “they’re just not good”, while James Marchment claimed the left-back looked “massively uncomfortable” and Joe Donnohue dubbed the 26-year-old “needless”.

As such, while it is true that the likes of Koch and Diego Llorente did not have their finest games against the Foxes, it is undeniable that Firpo’s display once again cost Marsch and his side big-time against the Foxes – something that is becoming an all too regular occurrence for the defender.

West Ham United are set to listen to offers for Declan Rice next summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The 23-year-old’s contract at the London Stadium is set to expire in 2024, with the Irons keen to secure his long-term services.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United had been credited with an interest in the midfielder, though it was confirmed that he would remain in the capital for at least the 2022/23 season.

GSB attempted to offer the maestro multiple sets of fresh terms to fend off attention, but they were all rejected, leaving his future beyond the end of the campaign uncertain.

The Latest: West Ham open to Rice offers

According to West Ham insider Claret and Hugh, Rice’s status is more ‘under question now than at any time in the last two years’.

It’s stated that the Irons are ‘ready to entertain offers’ next summer after holding a meeting with his representative Sean Rice, who turned down a £200k-per-week deal.

The report continues that a decision regarding his future ‘would be made’ in 2023, with the club ‘hoping’ to receive a bid in the region of £100m, though it yet ‘remains to be seen’ whether new Chelsea boss Graham Potter views him as a ‘player he needs’.

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The Verdict: Time to cash in

There’s no denying that Rice is an integral member of David Moyes’ starting XI, but if he’s been consistently refusing to commit, that surely says it all about his long-term position.

The England international will be wanting to compete at the highest level possible, and with the Hammers currently sitting in relegation after a poor start to the new season, this will only make his desire for a Champions League regular grow stronger.

£100m is a huge sum of money, and if the Irons were to receive it from a potential suitor, it would be a great opportunity to cash in and generate transfer funds to invest in a couple of new players for the squad to rebuild the team in years to come.

Leeds United have been dealt a fitness concern ahead of their Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Leeds Live), Jesse Marsch revealed that, despite earlier hopes that Patrick Bamford could have been included in the Whites’ squad for the 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley on Wednesday, the 28-year-old is once again a doubt for the trip to the south coast on Saturday.

Speaking about the current condition of the England international, the Leeds manager said: “The big question mark is Patrick Bamford. We think he’s doing well and moving forward.

“I think also with the performances of the team, it allows us to be patient but we will still have a call to make for exactly what it means for this weekend. But we want to put him in the best position possible to physically be ready to pick up where he left off.”

Big blow for Marsch

It is true that Leeds have not exactly struggled for goals in the absence of Bamford so far this season, having bagged three against both Chelsea and Barnsley in their last two games. However, it is nevertheless undeniable that the centre-forward once again being unavailable for a fixture as challenging as Brighton – who currently sit in fifth, just behind Leeds – will come as a big blow to Marsch.

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Indeed, the long-term effects of the Whites being without Bamford’s services up front are clear to see from the club’s return of goals last term, when the England international managed only seven starts in the league as a result of numerous knocks and Marsch’s team found the net just 42 times – the joint fifth-worst record in the league.

For comparison, when the £14.4m-rated striker featured in every game of Leeds’ 2020/21 Premier League campaign, the Whites scored 62 goals in the league – more than both Chelsea and Arsenal – while Bamford netted on no fewer than 17 occasions, ranking him as the division’s joint fourth-highest scorer.

As such, it is evident that Leeds are a much more fluent attacking outfit with the 28-year-old leading the line.

That leads us to believe that the Englishman’s continued absence for the trip to Brighton on Saturday will do nothing to help the Whites’ chances of returning to Yorkshire with all three points in tow – something which would represent a gutting outcome for supporters and Marsch alike.

Liverpool are among a number of clubs ‘keeping tabs’ on Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to a report from 90min. 

The lowdown: Rising star

Signed from boyhood club Independiente in February 2021, Caicedo was immediately sent out on loan to Belgian outfit Beerschot V.A. for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

The 20-year-old fully fledged Ecuador international – who had racked up 31 senior domestic outings before leaving his homeland – made 14 appearances whilst in Belgium, directly contributing to three goals in the process.

Having returned to Brighton in January and becoming their highest-rated performer almost immediately, now it seems Caicedo is attracting attention from multiple big hitters…

The latest: ‘Keeping tabs’

As per 90min, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are all ‘keeping tabs’ on the 23-cap starlet.

It’s claimed Manchester United are also keen, however, Brighton have ‘no intention’ of selling Caicedo this summer as the talented defensive midfielder fills the void left behind by Yves Bissouma.

The report also states that the Anfield outfit, along with those other aforementioned suitors are all monitoring the ‘progress’ of the ace who was dubbed an ‘absolute monster’ by Norwegian journalist Jonas Adnan Giæver.

The verdict: One to watch

Having already set their stall out that there would be no further incomings this summer despite the current midfield injury crisis, it seems unlikely that FSG and Julian Ward would act on their admiration and attempt to add Caicedo to Jurgen Klopp’s ranks this month, particularly after distancing themselves from a move for Matheus Nunes earlier in the window.

Instead, it seems far more plausible that the Reds’ chiefs will continue to assess the talented Ecuardorian’s performances throughout his first full Premier League campaign and potentially make their move either in January or beyond.

That said, currently holding an estimated market value of just £5.4million (Transfermarkt), given Brighton’s stubbornness when it comes to demanding premium fees for their players, making a swoop to bring Caicedo to Anfield before he realises his full potential would certainly be the less expensive of the two options.

Already seemingly a mainstay in Graham Potter’s plans having played every minute of the opening two games this term, the youngster – who shares similar stylistic traits to Leander Dendoncker, Thomas Delaney and Abdoulaye Doucoure (FBref) – seems ready to make a major impact on the big stage.

In those two matches, Caicedo has earned an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.0 duels on average per game, outperforming Liverpool defensive midfielder Fabinho as the 7.05 rated Brazilian averages just 3.5 successful duels at present.