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Phil Hay has insisted there is still confidence about the 49ers’ Leeds United takeover despite the threat of relegation.

The Lowdown: Takeover still on the agenda

There has been ongoing talk about the 49ers and when they will eventually increase their stake in Leeds to become majority shareholders of the club, but there appears to be no concrete answer despite an apparent option for 49ers Enterprises to take over by January 2024.

This may well come down to the fact that Leeds’ top-flight future was uncertain until pretty much the last kick of the previous campaign when they beat Brentford away from home – and this term looks like it may follow the same path.

So the 49ers may not be keen on throwing a load of money at a club that could soon drop down into the Championship and lose a lot of value, which has led to discussions over what happens if the worst was to occur come May.

The Latest: 49ers still on course to become majority owners

According to Hay, there appears to be nothing to worry about amid the ongoing process of the 49ers purchasing Leeds United outright.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he said: “One of the big points of discussion, certainly recently and at the moment has been, what happens if the club go down; what happens if the club are relegated?

“I think there’s confidence at Elland Road that they will stay up and the feeling that they will be okay in the end. But clearly, a club that are valued at around about £500bn in the Premier League are not worth anything like £500bn in the EFL.

“So there would need to be – certainly in 49ers Enterprises’ eyes – some form of contingency for what happens, if, come May, Leeds are no longer a Premier League club, if they are back in the Championship.

“So that, as we understand it, has been one of the key points of discussion.”

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The Verdict: Appears to be a matter of time

With Leeds splashing out heavily in the summer transfer window as well as this month, it may well suggest that the 49ers are still committed to a future purchase of the club, and may perhaps be able to take on the burden of bigger transfer fees such as the one shelled out for Georginio Rutter.

However, that may all go up in the air if Leeds fail to turn around their shocking run of form, which has seen them win just three of their last 19 games, as that is nothing more than relegation form and they’re only outside of the bottom three because of how poor other sides around them have been thus far.

Jesse Marsch will know there’s pressure from Andrea Radrizzani and his prospective successors to results to pick up, as his mismanagement could well be the difference between a £500bn takeover and one that is a fraction of that price with Leeds in the Championship.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Pape Matar Sarr has seriously impressed Antonio Conte since his return from the World Cup late last year.

What’s the latest?

Spurs have suffered a major blow in their midfield recently with their Uruguayan central midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur, missing through an injury he picked up in the World Cup.

It was initially thought the 25-year-old would only miss a few weeks and would likely return for the game on New Year’s Day against Aston Willa, however, this has not been the case.

This has offered a number of players with an opportunity to impress Conte but it is apparent the likes of Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp have perhaps fluffed their shot in the starting XI.

But speaking on Chris Cowlin’s YouTube channel, journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed the young Senegalese midfielder has seriously been impressing Conte of late:

(29:15) “But I would also say, I think I mentioned it earlier in this video call, but the emergence of Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr in recent weeks has been such a huge positive for Spurs.

“Because Conte’s really seen something that he can work with. I know Sarr returned early from the World Cup when he was expected. And the time he spent on the training field has really left an impression on Conte.”

Time to shine

Since returning from the World Cup, Sarr has made his debut for the Lilywhites with appearances from the bench in their last two league games against Villa and Crystal Palace.

And then the 20-year-old was handed his first start as a Spurs player in their FA Cup game against Portsmouth on the weekend where he played the full 90 minutes in N17.

This all comes after months of sitting on the bench and, at times, not even being included in Conte’s matchday squad after spending last season out on loan with Metz.

But following the World Cup, the midfielder pretty much returned straight to London to get back to work under the Italian manager and it seems as if this has gained the 53-year-old’s trust.

Amid the January transfer window, there have been some reports suggesting the player could leave on loan for the remainder of the campaign with the Serie A side, Salernitana, showing an interest.

However, it seems as if the youngster may finally be getting his opportunity at Spurs having impressed massively in the games against Palace and Portsmouth.

And it sounds as if he is doing the right things behind the scenes, too, with Taylor claiming the Italian boss is taking a real shine to the young midfielder.

There is a tough run of games ahead for Spurs in the coming weeks, so it will be interesting to see what role Sarr may play in these games and how Bentancur’s potential return could affect his game time.

Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that West Ham United manager David Moyes wanted to sign Kalvin Phillips in the past and so a loan could possible be on the cards this winter.

What’s the latest?

During the summer, the England midfielder moved to Manchester City from Leeds United in a transfer that was reported to cost £45m.

However, since then, things have not exactly worked out for the 27-year-old as he has made just one Premier League appearance all season.

With the January window now open, rumours have sparked suggesting that West Ham have reignited their interest in Phillips and could make a move for him.

While speaking about it all on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed that Moyes genuinely wanted the player in the past and so if he is available then this could be something to keep an eye out for.

He said: “Kalvin Phillips is someone that West Ham, David Moyes especially, 100 per cent rates.

“I know categorically, factually, that we spoke about signing him in the summer, and he was someone – and in January, before that – that we really, really wanted.

He added: ”So there’s definitely truth that David Moyes likes Kalvin Phillips. Whether he’s available, I don’t know.

“A loan deal could potentially be on offer if Man City are prepared, and then I think we’d be interested.”

Rice replacement?

It certainly does seem as though Phillips has struggled to win over manager Pep Guardiola. On top of his lack of regular game time, the Spaniard also questioned the midfielder’s fitness after he returned from the World Cup, suggesting that he was ‘overweight’.

On top of that, West Ham may well be in the market for a new central midfielder with Declan Rice expected to leave the club in the summer.

However, it remains unclear if Phillips could be on the move this winter but perhaps in the summer, a swap deal could be arranged between the two clubs. This would certainly soften the blow for the Irons if their captain was to depart.

For now, it’s definitely something to keep a watchful eye on.

Everton could finally be set to ditch their long-term injury liability but at a huge loss…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to GOAL Brasil reporter Raisa Simplicio, who took to Twitter to issue the following update on Yerry Mina’s future:

“Yerry Mina has a contract with Everton until June 2023 and in January he can already sign a pre-contract with any club. 

“The English club will not make an effort to keep the defender and if a proposal arrives, he can be released”.

The Colombian has just six months left on his £120k-per-week deal.

Let the club down

Having been signed for a mammoth £28.5m back in 2018, the 28-year-old has only mustered 93 games across his near-four year spell at Goodison Park.

When fit, Mina has been one of the club’s best defenders during his time there, but the issue has remained regarding his fitness and lack of reliability.

This culminated in his continued absence last season, where he truly let his team down when they needed him most.

In a season blighted by protests and fan discontent, the Toffees had slumped into a relegation battle under Rafael Benitez.

Frank Lampard was handed the unenviable task of turning it around, and only secured survival in their penultimate game of the season.

Of that season he would feature just 13 times, but in his first six games of that season, he would only lose once.

What further exacerbated his importance was outlined in a report made by The Athletic, as they noted how during that campaign their win percentage grew from 19% without him to 36% with him. This was a figure made even more extreme for the season before that, as a win percentage of 58.3% with him in the team dropped to 21.4% without.

Despite this, Noel Whelan still saw fit to claim: “On his day, he can be a fantastic defender. On most days, he looks average.”

Having been relied upon by fans and his coaching staff on numerous occasions, he has constantly found new ways to let them all down with his crippling fitness issues.

As such, his departure will be a welcome sight as they look to reinvest his mammoth wages into some newfound reliability.

He has let the club down with his lack of playtime and has bled the club dry financially along the way.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth could well be able to offload striker Chris Wood in the January transfer window, amid reported shock interest in the New Zealand international.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Juve Dipendenza, Serie A giants Juventus are reportedly open to a move for the 31-year-old in the New Year, should the Magpies firm up their apparent interest in Moise Kean.

The report suggests that the Tynesiders have their ‘eye on’ the 22-year-old – who is on loan in Turin from Everton – with that interest potentially set to see a swap deal emerge with Wood heading in the other direction, with the former Burnley man said to be ‘certainly well liked’ by Max Allegri.

The suggestion is that Il Bianconeri view the 70-cap marksman as a potential understudy to Dusan Vlahovic – who has been linked with a move to St James’ Park – although any move will likely rest on whether Kean moves in the other direction.

Ruthlessly ditch

It could well seemingly prove an opportune time for Ashworth and co to move on the one-time Leeds United man, with Wood having simply struggled to make his mark following his £25m arrival from Lancashire back in January.

The 6 foot 3 menace – who has also been linked with a return to Elland Road in recent days – had no doubt been a “strange” addition at the time, in the words of talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, having only scored three goals in the first half of last season for the Clarets.

Although the Auckland-born powerhouse had enjoyed a notable record at Turf Moor with 53 goals in 165 games across all fronts, the move to the northeast seemingly stunk of a short-term fix, with Eddie Howe’s side having been in need of a reliable backup to the injury prone Callum Wilson.

The £80k-per-week dud went on to score just twice in 17 games in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, having subsequently scored only two goals in 16 outings this time around, with one of those strikes coming against lower-league side Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

The towering forward now seems a “bit lost” at Newcastle – in the words of pundit Tam McManus – as Howe’s more progressive approach appears at odds with the player’s own strengths, having typically been a player who “feeds on long balls”, as per McManus.

With club-record signing Alexander Isak now stepping up his return to fitness, there appears little need to keep Wood at the club, particularly should the aforementioned Kean arrive in his place, with the latter man having netted five times in 18 outings this term.

While Wood has only been with the Magpies for just under a year, Ashworth must surely use this potential opportunity to ruthlessly ditch him sooner rather than later.

Jurgen Klopp must finally ditch Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after the player has featured just four times this season due to injury.

What’s the news?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the 29-year-old looks set to leave Anfield next summer, with the Italian transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter:

“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, expected to leave Liverpool in 2023 as a free agent. There are no talks to extend his contract as things stand. New midfielders will be the priority for Liverpool on the market next year.”

It looks like a double boost for the Anfield faithful, moving the Englishman on while also prioritising some new midfield arrivals.

Klopp must bin Oxlade-Chamberlain

Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £35m. Although an expensive purchase, his reputation as one of most talented English midfielders at the time was enough for Klopp to splash the cash.

He had won three FA Cups at Arsenal while registering 52 goal contributions in 198 matches for the North London side.

Despite winning a raft of honours on Merseyside, including a Champions League title and Premier League crown, the 29-year-old hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

The £125k-per-week midfielder has played over 30 league matches just twice in five full seasons at the club, with injuries disrupting his chances of gaining any sort of consistency.

Indeed, since joining in 2017, he has missed a staggering 90 matches due to a range of injuries and with his contract expiring next year, it’s time both parties moved on.

Atul Kasbekar dubbed the midfielder as “woeful” at the start of the year and with the player costing Liverpool a whopping £73m over the previous five years (£35m transfer fee plus £38m in total wages), it represents a colossal waste of money.

Aston Villa were linked with him during the summer transfer window and Klopp might be able to entice new manager Unai Emery into revisiting a move in January.

It would be shrewd business by the German if he manages to get any fee for Oxlade-Chamberlain, and this can free up wages for some new midfield additions the club urgently needs.

Crystal Palace are close to agreeing a new deal with forward Jordan Ayew, according to reporter Richard Cawley.

The Lowdown: Ayew at Palace

Ayew made the move to Selhurst Park in 2019 and is approaching 150 appearances as an Eagles player, contributing to 27 goals during that time.

The 31-year-old, on £40,000-a-week, has been a regular under Patrick Vieira in the Premier League but will soon be entering the final six months of his current contract.

He’ll be hoping to feature at the World Cup later this month for Ghana, and it looks as if Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman are closing in on a new deal for the forward before the trip to Qatar.

The Latest: New deal

Cawley shared a story for London News Online on Friday regarding Ayew.

He revealed that the club are close to agreeing on a contract extension which will keep the player at Palace until 2024.

The Verdict: Good news

Ayew is one of 11 Palace players who will be out of contract at the end of the season, so it’s good to see that the club are making a start on some in-house business.

The forward appears to be an important member of Vieira’s side, mainly providing an option on the right-hand side so far this season. He now has plenty of top-flight experience in the Premier League, so it would be welcome news if an extension was triggered before the World Cup begins.

Palace could then move on to more contract extensions within the first-team squad, with Wilfried Zaha the most high-profile Palace player whose contract will also soon expire.

Liverpool headed to Ibrox on Wednesday night following another setback in the Premier League against Arsenal at the weekend, and Jurgen Klopp will be relieved to see that his team still has some of its magic in their Champions League performance against Rangers.

The Reds delivered their Scottish hosts an absolute thrashing, ending the night as 7-1 winners with many moments of magic along the way, although it was a worrying start for the team when the Gers went 1-0 up in the 17th minute.

Despite the early goal from Scott Arfield, Liverpool dominated with 57% possession, more shots on goal (20 v 7), more big chances created (5 v 2) and a better passing accuracy rate (80% v 69%) on the night.

Liverpool are famous for their Champions League comebacks and last night was no exception, with Roberto Firmino finding the equaliser to Arfield’s opener within seven minutes to level the scores quickly, and the goals just kept coming for Klopp’s team in the second half.

Firmino found the net again in the 55th minute to make it 2-1, followed up by a third goal from summer signing Darwin Nunez just 11 minutes later. Three Mohammed Salah stunners in quick succession secured his hat trick just 13 minutes after he came off the bench, with the result capped off by Harvey Elliott in the 87th minute.

Indeed it was a record-breaking night for one player in particular as Salah became the fastest hat-trick scorer in Champions League history and smashed the record for the most goals scored playing for a single Premier League club in the prestigious European competition.

However, one player who has turned up time and time again this season and was Klopp’s hero in inspiring the team to victory last night was Brazilian number nine Firmino.

The 31-year-old, who was hailed as the Reds’ “real leader” by journalist Henry Winter, scored two goals, delivered one assist and made three key passes, while also winning 75% of his duels and making 52 touches, one tackle and one interception in his exemplary 73-minute performance.

Firmino has been a shining light for Liverpool in some of the darkest times during Klopp’s tenure this season, and has continued to show up when it has mattered most despite his team looking lacklustre and error-prone in the Premier League.

The Liverpool forward has scored six goals and delivered three assists in seven top-flight outings so far this term, with a goal contribution every 51 minutes which is extremely impressive and begs the big question about his future at Anfield.

Firmino is set to be out of contract in June 2023 and will be able to negotiate a deal with foreign clubs in January, but when you consider his impeccable form and perceived happiness to contribute from the bench when he is needed, it seems that Liverpool could be set to lose an invaluable asset in the team.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the talented attacker’s form continues into the months ahead. If it does, the powerbrokers at the club must surely find a way to retain his services for longer.

Arsenal have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Leandro Trossard to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with BBC’s Monday Night Club (via The Mirror), the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder refused to rule out the possibility of a move away from the AMEX this winter, amid the reported interest of both Arsenal and Chelsea.

Regarding his future on the South Coast, the 27-year-old said: “It’s difficult to say anything about that now, it completely depends on which club would come. If I feel good and things are good on a private level…but I also know how good I am at Brighton, also with new coach Roberto De Zerbi it looks promising.

“I’m a little higher up the pitch now, which gives me more chances to score a goal. And the more chances you get, the more you can score. I think that’s the biggest difference from the last few years.”

Edu must move

Considering just how impressive Trossard has been for Brighton so far this season, should the Belgium international be keen to secure a move away from the Seagulls this winter, it would appear extremely wise for Edu to throw Arsenal’s name in the ring to land the 27-year-old.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances in 2022/23, the £13m-rated talent has been one of the stories of the season, having already scored five goals and registered two assists, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots – 1.1 of which have hit the target – making 1.7 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £42.5k-per-week forward average a simply stunning SofaScore match rating of 7.40, not only ranking him as De Zerbi’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 14th-best performer in the top flight of English football as a whole.

In comparison to the Arsenal squad, the player who Andy Naylor claimed causes “so much damage” and Football Whispers dubbed a “game-changing talent” would rank as their joint top-scorer and fourth-best assist provider, in addition to ranking fourth, fifth and seventh for shots, key passes and dribbles respectively.

As such, while it is true that Arteta is currently blessed with a number of impressive forward-thinking talents, it is nevertheless clear to see that Trossard would make an exceptional addition to the Gunners’ attacking arsenal, leading us to believe that Edu must do all he can to beat Chelsea to the Belgian’s signing this winter.

West Ham United have now ‘submitted a new bid’ to sign Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken before September 1, according to reliable reports.

The Lowdown: Irons set for busy end…

The Irons and manager David Moyes could be set for a busy end to this transfer window with reports suggesting they’re eyeing a late ‘flurry’ before its closure.

Italy international Emerson Palmieri, having put pen to paper on a four-year deal at West Ham, becomes head of recruitment Rob Newman’s seventh major signing for the club this summer.

He joins Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Thilo Keher with the Premier League side fully preparing for an interesting 2022/2023 campaign.

The Latest: West Ham submit ‘new bid’ for Vanaken…

Sharing news on another target, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has an update for supporters involving Vanaken.

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The Italian transfer reporter, following an update from Dharmesh Sheth that a new bid is imminent, claims West Ham have indeed now tabled that fresh €11 million (£9 million) offer for the 30-year-old, but there’s a problem.

Romano explained:

“West Ham have submitted a new bid for Hans Vanaken. €11m guaranteed fee plus add-ons, but it’s not enough to convince Brugge. #WHUFC It’s unlikely that Club Brugge will let their captain leave 9 days before end of transfer window for anywhere near that offer.”

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

Despite the end of this window drawing very near, you could also make the argument that Vanaken is approaching the twilight phase of his career and every club has their price.

Taking this into account, a late West Ham push to sign the Belgium international is entirely possible – especially if the player is as keen to join Moyes as reports suggest.

Having shone as one of Brugge’s top players in recent seasons, former teammates Onur Kaya and Jelle Vossen have held real praise for Vanaken with the former has calling him ‘special’.

Vossen, meanwhile, has claimed the 30-year-old is a player ‘all footballers want’ in their team.

Indeed, going by these endorsements, a move for Vanaken could be worth the extra push.