TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has urged one player to link up with West Ham United or Premier League rivals Everton.

Will West Ham sign anyone in January?

The Hammers face a very real prospect of losing a fair few players next summer. Indeed, Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna all have contracts which expire in 2024 (Transfermarkt) – while another pressing issue could be reported Saudi interest in defenders Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma.

The West Ham duo, according to a report by Football Insider this week, are attracting big-money interest from the Middle East and David Moyes is apparently "braced" to lose either one of them. If this happens, it is believed Moyes would be "desperate" to source a replacement. This has lead to links with Man United defender and England international Harry Maguire, who they're reportedly among the favourites to sign according to recent Maguire transfer news.

The east Londoners are also short of striking options, so if regular Michail Antonio were to succumb to injury, it would spell trouble for Moyes given his lack of faith in Danny Ings. The latter has played just 33 minutes of league action all season, prompting them to apparently look at signing in-form Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy. Meanwhile, West Ham are also linked with a move for out-of-favour Man City star Kalvin Phillips.

Kalvin Phillips transfer news

According to some recent Phillips transfer news, West Ham are among the possible destinations for Leeds' former star who has found life extremely tough at Eastlands. The England international, despite being a Three Lions regular for Gareth Southgate, finds himself far behind Rodri in the pecking order at City – meaning a January move is on the cards.

"I want to play football and want to play as much as possible,” Phillips said to the media when asked about his future, hinting an exit is possible (The Evening Standard).

"Over the last year and a half I haven't been able to do that due to injuries and [other factors]. It's something I am going to have to think about. Hopefully my chance does come but if it doesn't then I will have to make other decisions as well."

If things don't take a dramatic turn, it appears the midfielder's future may well be far from Manchester, with talkSPORT's Agbonlahor telling Football Insider that West Ham or Everton are ideal destinations – urging him to "join" either one.

“He’s not got a future at Man City, that’s for sure," said the former Aston Villa striker.

“Pep Guardiola didn’t even start him against Arsenal with Rodri out suspended. He’ll be saying ‘why did you buy me if I’m not playing these games’. If he wasn’t sure about his future before that game, he knows now.

“If I’m him, I want to play football. He’s a young lad with a lot of years left. Join Everton or West Ham and just play football, because otherwise you are going to affect your England chances.”

Phillips, who's taking in around £150,000-per-week of Man City wages, could bring quality to the West Ham midfield, as highlighted by his praise as a "very special" player in the past by former Leeds ace Andrew Hughes.

Newcastle United are back in action tonight, as the Magpies host Borussia Dortmund at St James’ Park in the third fixture of the Champions League group stages.

Eddie Howe’s side were placed as far from the favourites when the lineup for Group E was revealed, with it being dubbed the 2023/24 edition of the ‘ Group of Death’ due to its challenges.

So far, the Geordies have secured a draw with AC Milan and an emphatic 4-1 win over Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germain, giving Howe’s squad added confidence going into tonight's big fixture.

What is the latest Newcastle team news against Dortmund?

After schooling PSG in their previous fixture in the Champions League, Newcastle will face another big challenge this evening when hosting the in-form Dortmund.

The German outfit remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga from their opening eight games, having won six and drawn two to put them in good stead to give the Magpies a battle.

Their start to the Champions League, however, has been a different story, having claimed just one point from a 0-0 draw against AC Milan, placing them at the bottom of Group E.

Newcastle will hope to take the victory over Dortmund this evening, however they will have to be at their best to do so, with some squad selection decisions to be made by Howe.

The talk of the Magpies’ squad is Sandro Tonali’s pending punishment over betting offences, yet the midfielder is in contention to play against the well-oiled Bundesliga side, albeit with the likes of Sven Botman and Harvey Barnes still sidelined.

Starting as a substitute last weekend, Tonali was joined by Alexander Isak, who came off the bench despite nursing a slight knee problem, opening a potential door for another forward to lead the line from the start tonight.

Should Callum Wilson start against Dortmund?

Howe is lucky to have two impressive goalscorers to rotate between, and despite being in fine form, Callum Wilson could have an argument over his claim to start against Dortmund.

The Englishman, who was once lauded as “clinical” by journalist Chris Waugh, has already scored five goals in the Premier League this season, with his tally added to last time out against Crystal Palace.

Wilson has played just 27 minutes in the Champions League this term, and could be in good stead to claim his first start of the tournament, in a rotation up-front that could cause the opposition added problems.

The £46k-per-week talisman is no stranger to scoring goals, and could be the ideal inclusion into the squad should Howe opt to keep Isak as a substitute and rotate from the side that beat PSG.

In the league this term, the former Bournemouth sensation has a scoring frequency of just 68 minutes, averaging 1.5 shots on target per game, despite only averaging 42 minutes of play per game, via Sofascore.

By fielding a scorer as clinical as Wilson, Howe could deal Dortmund additional blows by unleashing arguably his most prolific hitman on the defence, who have only conceded eight goals in the Bundesliga this season.

Newcastle will have to be at their best in the final third to break down Edin Terzic’s well-structured side, who will be desperate for a win against the Magpies at St James’ Park.

Manchester United haven’t kicked on this term following a highly encouraging first season under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.

A League Cup triumph and a return to the Champions League following a year’s absence gave the United support some much-needed confidence that the club was trending in the right direction.

Although the Red Devils signed the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund during the summer transfer window, they trio haven’t exploded onto the scene at Old Trafford thus far, and it could take some time to see them really thrive.

This has subsequently led to the club underperforming on the pitch, and while injury issues have engulfed the squad, Ten Hag should have vastly improved the depth of the team during the window, something which he may regret now.

Six defeats in 11 matches across all competitions this term isn’t exactly the hallmark of a team who are gunning for success, and the supporters will be hoping the tie against Sheffield United this weekend proves to be a fresh start.

While Ten Hag failed to attract some big names to United in the summer, he also failed to move on some players who might not have a long term future.

Harry Maguire saw a move to West Ham United collapse, while Scott McTominay was also linked with a move throughout the summer, but both have remained in Manchester – until January at least.

Anthony Martial is another player who hasn’t particularly enjoyed much success under Ten Hag and with less than a year left on his current contract, United could lose him for nothing in January, signifying a major loss of money.

How much does Anthony Martial earn at Man Utd?

The Frenchman is currently earning £250k-per-week, which places him joint fourth out of the whole squad, behind only Jadon Sancho, Casemiro and Raphael Varane.

It is a big salary for a player who has failed to contribute effectively since the Dutchman took over United ahead of the 2022/23 season, and it's clear that this sort of money could be better spent elsewhere.

How much did Man Utd sign Anthony Martial for?

Following a rather underwhelming debut season for Louis Van Gaal, he turned to the transfer window in order to improve his squad before the 2015/16 season.

Martial was arguably the most exciting signing, joining on deadline day for a fee in the region of £36m, making him the most expensive teenager in the world at the time.

15 goals in 70 appearances for AS Monaco was enough to convince Van Gaal that he was worth the extravagant fee, but fast-forward eight years later, and he hasn’t lived up to the vast expectations which were placed on him back then.

Louis Saha perhaps placed some undue pressure on the new arrival, saying: "In France we call him the next Thierry Henry because he can play left or right, he's got a great ability with the ball, he can take on three, four players with ease, there is no problem. At the same time, the new generation have no fear."

Despite the praise, he didn’t turn out to be the next Henry and has rinsed the club for millions during his stint in Manchester.

Does Anthony Martial deserve to earn £250k-p/w at Man Utd?

He enjoyed a wonderful start, scoring against Liverpool on his debut at Old Trafford, while going on to net 17 times across all competitions as the club won the FA Cup for the first time since 2004 and the future looked bright.

Under new manager Jose Mourinho, however, he struggled to build on this positive start, netting eight and 11 goals respectively in the following two seasons, while 12 were scored the season after, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had taken over and this gave Martial a much-needed boost.

He enjoyed his greatest-ever return in a United shirt during Solskjaer’s first full season in charge, scoring 23 goals and it certainly looked as though he was ready to finally fulfil his potential.

That was as good as it got for the Frenchman and over the previous three full seasons, he has found the back of the net on just 17 occasions for the Old Trafford side.

6

0

2

0

0.6

0.3

2

0

0.7

0.2

Is it any wonder then that Craig Burley described him as a “humongous waste of talent” following the recent defeat to Arsenal and his form this term has been underwhelming.

Indeed, he has fewer goals and assists in the Premier League than Maguire, Jonny Evans or Varane this term, while he ranks tenth in the squad for shots on target per game (0.3), 13th for big chances created (0.8) and 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.2), clearly giving off the impression that his future lies away from Old Trafford.

How much has Anthony Martial cost Man Utd?

Since arriving for an initial £36m transfer fee in the summer of 2015, Martial has earned a staggering £72m in wages up until the start of the current campaign,

The previous two full seasons have seen the forward earn a colossal £13m a year and considering his woeful record in front of goal, plus United’s lack of success, it is hardly money well spent by the club.

By combining his transfer fee and wages earned over the last eight years, Martial has somehow managed to rinse the club of £108m across a 424-week spell, a ludicrous number, and it proves just how badly the Red Devils have conducted themselves in the transfer market.

Ten Hag will be aiming to at least offload Martial for some sort of fee in January in order to add to his budget, while getting his eye-watering salary off the wage bill.

From prodigious teenager to overhyped flop, Martial’s career hasn’t gone to plan and while he is only 27 years old, his best days look like they are behind him.

If he makes the right move, there is a chance the former Monaco forward could regain his confidence and prove that he still has all the necessary abilities to impress, but the longer his poor performances drag on, the tougher regaining that early potential will be.

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.

The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.

An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.

The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.

Points

94

97

Goals for

93

75

Goals against

57

36

Games won

27

29

Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):

However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.

One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.

Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently

The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.

It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.

This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.

If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.

This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.

Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.

Sam Greenwood's statistics this season

The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.

However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.

Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.

The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.

He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.

The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.

Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.

To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.

Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.

Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season

Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.

Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.

Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.

Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.

Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.

These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.

The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.

Halfway-line goals are a rarity in football. Not many players possess the vision, technique and execution to pull off such an audacious strike.

But every now and then, someone across the globe pops up with a moment of magic from long range, catching a goalkeeper unawares with a mischievous effort.

That has led Football FanCast to take a trip down memory lane and revisit what we consider to be the top 10 best goals scored from inside the opposite half. We’ll be ranking the strikes on the difficulty of execution, from ‘easiest’ to hardest.

Without further ado, here’s our selections:

11 Xabi Alonso v Newcastle

21st September 2006: Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle United

Xabi Alonso netted a wondergoal from inside his own half as the Reds eased past Glenn Roeder’s Newcastle United side in the 2006/07 campaign.

Alonso’s effort was struck from a colossal 70 yards out, and it’s not the only time the Spaniard has scored from his own half, having netted a similar strike a season earlier against Luton Town in the third round of the FA Cup.

Though, we’ve been harsh adjudicators and left that goal out of our list.

Champions League

2005, 2014

UEFA Super Cup

2006, 2014

FA Cup

2006

Community Shield

2006, 2007

European Championship

2008, 2012

World Cup

2010

Copa del Rey

2011, 2014

LaLiga

2012

Supercopa de España

2013

Bundesliga

2015, 2016, 2017

DFB-Pokal

2016

DFL-Supercup

2017

10 Maynor Figueroa v Stoke City

12th December 2009: Stoke City 2-2 Wigan Athletic

Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa put the visiting Latics back in front after striking a quickly taken free kick from inside his own half, catching out Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

The effort wasn’t hit with much height, but rather a driven effort, leaving Sorensen with little chance to get back in time to make a stop.

Even more spectacularly, the long-distance strike found the top corner, making it that bit more pleasing to the eyes of football purists.

The goal came ahead of the January transfer window, with Manchester United and Sunderland both said to be interested in acquiring his services.

Though, the Honduras international remained at the Latics and was later awarded Goal of the Season by the BBC’s Match of the Day programme.

Every MOTD Goal of the Season since 2000

Honduras

181

5

3

0

Wigan Athletic

87

5

2

1

Houston Dynamo

63

2

3

0

Hull City

43

0

1

0

Colorado Rapids

10

1

0

0

9 Wayne Rooney v West Ham United

22nd March 2014: West Ham United 0-2 Manchester United

Spoiler alert, Wayne Rooney features twice on our list, which is quite incredible. The Manchester United forward was at the double against West Ham back in 2014, with his first strike, although from slightly inside the opponents’ half, particularly memorable.

Rooney used his physicality to roll Hammers defender James Tomkins before unleashing a sensational half-volley which looped over Adrián and bounced in.

David Beckham was in attendance at the ground and was seen applauding Rooney’s astounding strike, which was similar to his own marvellous effort against Wimbledon in 1996.

Read more: 10 memorable David Beckham moments

“Everybody probably flashbacked to Beckham’s goal and there was a bit of similarity in it tonight. I was saying to Wayne, ‘it bounced before it went in and we were worried the bounce was going to go over the bar’. He’s a top player and he’s scored a great goal,” David Moyes said post-match.

Premier League

29

17

12

Champions League

9

2

8

EFL Cup

2

0

2

8 Charlie Adam v Chelsea

4th April 2015: Chelsea 2-1 Stoke City.

Stoke City’s Charlie Adam levelled against the soon-to-be Premier League champions Chelsea just before the break with a 65-yarder, lobbing a true world-class goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois.

“I never knew I had that much power, to beat a quality goalkeeper like that is something special. One that I will always remember. It was one of them that sat up nicely and I saw the goalie off his line. I was lucky enough that it went in.

“Once in a lifetime this can happen to you, it’s great on an individual level – a great way to get my 50th goal in English football – but the team lost and that is the disappointing thing,” Adam said.

Chelsea boss José Mourinho was full of praise for the strike, despite being on the receiving end of it: “It was a fantastic goal, every player in the world would like to score a goal like that. Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi to all these brilliant players. Not all of them did score that goal in their careers.

“Charlie Adam has condition for a 50-metre shot, so normally he would anticipate the moment we lost the ball, but it’s a great goal.”

Adam’s technique should be marvelled at for years to come, as the former Liverpool midfielder demonstrated a masterclass in long-distance shooting. He even managed to swerve the ball, making matters more complicated for Courtois. Simply brilliant.

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Trophies

Scotland

26

0

7

0

Stoke City

179

22

17

0

Blackpool

98

35

22

0

Rangers

81

15

11

1

Dundee FC

65

12

19

0

Liverpool

37

2

9

1

Reading

27

2

4

0

St Mirren

2

0

0

0

7 Harry Kane v Darmstadt 98

28th October 2023: Bayern Munich 8-0 Darmstadt 98

Harry Kane settled in quickly to his new Bayern Munich surroundings, having completed a £100m move from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023

The England skipper netted 44 times in 45 outings in his debut campaign, whilst laying on 12 assists, though, one goal stood out more than any other.

As Bayern notably secured a thumping 8-0 victory against Darmstadt 98, Kane continued his prolific goalscoring fortunes – netting a hat-trick.

The 30-year-old’s second goal saw him lob the backtracking Marcel Schuhen from inside his own half, Beckham-style. The superbly executed strike didn’t even bounce, as it soared straight into the centre of the goal.

Bundesliga

32

36

8

Champions League

12

8

4

DFL-Supercup

1

0

0

6 David Beckham v Wimbledon

17th August 1996: Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United

Perhaps the most iconic halfway-line goal, certainly in Premier League history…

David Beckham’s spectacular effort against Wimbledon catapulted his profile to superstardom. It had fans in complete amazement and Becks recalled Sir Alex Ferguson shielding him from the public spotlight following the game – aware that the flock of media attention could affect him.

“I went up to the boss. I thought he was going to say, ‘Great goal’ and put his arms around me. He said, ‘Straight on the bus — and don’t talk to anyone.’ But that was his way of protecting me. He didn’t want me speaking to any media because he knew what that goal was going to do.”

England

115

17

42

0

Manchester United

394

85

120

14

Real Madrid

159

20

52

2

Los Angeles Galaxy

124

20

42

2

AC Milan

33

2

9

0

Paris Saint-Germain

14

0

2

1

5 Ismaïla Sarr v West Bromwich Albion

8th August 2022: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Watford

Ismaïla Sarr broke the deadlock in quite brilliant fashion, executing a beautifully struck chip from inside his own half to put the visitors ahead at The Hawthorns.

His initial touch is worth noting, too, as he brought down a looping ball elegantly before pivoting and pulling off the extraordinary – a strike that was later crowned EFL Goal of the Season.

Though, the Senegal international would’ve left the field disappointed by his performance, despite scoring perhaps the best goal of his career.

With the score one apiece, Sarr stepped up to take a penalty in the 73rd minute but saw his effort saved by David Button. A contrasting day of emotions for the former Stade Rennais winger.

4 Nayim v Arsenal

10th May 1995: Real Zaragoza 2-1 Arsenal

The Parc des Princes staged the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final, as Spanish outfit Real Zaragoza met reigning champions Arsenal.

The cagey affair burst into life when Juan Esnáider’s volley beat David Seaman in the 67th minute before John Hartson found the leveller just eight minutes later.

As the encounter ticked into the final minute of extra-time and with penalties looming, Nayim produced a moment of genius, looping a 45-yard volley over Seaman’s head to win the cup in quite extraordinary fashion.

“I had played against Arsenal for five years with Tottenham and remembered they always played with a high defensive line, with the goalkeeper acting like a sweeper, so before the game, I told my team-mates and our coach that we should try and shoot from the halfway line,” Nayim said.

“I was going to pass to a team-mate but I looked up and I saw Seaman coming out so I just kicked it. I was very lucky. It’s my first goal against Arsenal after playing against them half a dozen times. For me, it’s something special as a former Tottenham player.”

Supercopa de España

1986

Copa del Rey

1988, 1994

FA Cup

1991

Community Shield

1991

UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup

1995

3 Wayne Rooney v West Ham United

29th November 2017: Everton 4-1 West Ham United

Wayne Rooney completed a hat-trick with a remarkable first-time effort from 59 yards out, as Everton cruised past the visiting Hammers back in 2017.

The strike perfectly soared over two leaping West Ham defenders and shot-stopper Joe Hart – who could only watch on helplessly.

It just edged his previous goal in our rankings due to the distance from where it was hit and the difficulty of taking it on first-time. Most players would’ve either hesitated and taken a touch or shanked it – which is completely understandable, by the way.

The difficulty rating is off the charts…

2 Kemar Roofe v Standard Liège

22nd October 2020: Standard Liège 0-2 Rangers

Not only did Kemar Roofe find the net from inside his own half, which is remarkable in itself, but he also used nimble footwork to skip past two players to make room for the shot which sealed a Europa League victory for Rangers in 2020.

The Gers forward struck from 54.6 yards out, lobbing it over backtracking ‘keeper Arnaud Bodart, who ended up being nowhere near it, in all honesty.

Roofe’s marvellous effort broke the record for the longest-distance goal ever scored in the UEFA Europa League.

Genius innovation from the former Leeds United forward.

Premiership

24

14

4

Europa League

7

2

0

SFA Cup

3

2

0

Europa League Qualifying

1

0

0

League Cup

1

0

0

Newcastle United have had a strong start to the 2023/24 season, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table and are still fighting for qualification out of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League despite losing last week to German outfit Borussia Dortmund.

However, the Magpies suffered a crushing blow during the 1-0 loss to Dortmund in Europe a week ago as star striker Alexander Isak was taken off early into proceedings and is expected to miss the next few weeks with a groin injury.

Callum Wilson is now Eddie Howe's only fit striker, with some big games on the horizon, but there is one man set to return to action soon after a lengthy absence that many Newcastle fans may have loved to see take Isak's place in the team.

Ivan Toney set to return

Ivan Toney's career kickstarted in League Two with Northampton Town eleven years ago this month. The 6 foot 1 striker bagged 11 goals in 60 appearances for the Cobblers before Newcastle came calling.

Although Toney recently revealed that a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers collapsed as the club discovered scoliosis in his back, the Magpies capitalised on the situation, signing the frontman for a reported £250k in 2015.

Unfortunately, Toney made merely four appearances for Newcastle and was sold three years later to Peterborough United in League One for £650k. Eventually, the striker's impressive goalscoring form for Posh earned him a transfer to Brentford who were pushing for their first-ever promotion to the Premier League under Thomas Frank. The London club gave Peterborough £10m to secure his services.

At Brentford, Toney has gone from strength to strength, becoming the club's all-time top goalscorer with 68 goals and even being labelled as "remarkable" by head coach Frank. The 27-year-old was handed an eight-month ban back in May for breaching the FA's betting rules, although he is set to return to action this coming January.

The two clubs play each other once more on the final day of the Premier League season and Toney will certainly want to make his former club regret selling him, especially now that he is worth 47 times what Newcastle sold him for five years ago.

Toney's stats comparison

Last season, Toney scored more goals than both Newcastle strikers Isak and Wilson, bagging 20 and registering four assists in 33 Premier League appearances. In 31 games, Wilson scored 18 times while Isak finished with 11 goals in his debut campaign in the top flight from 24 matches. However, Wilson's goals per 90 record of 0.86 was far better than Isak's 0.59 and Toney's 0.61, according to FBref.

That being said, Toney was more prolific when it came to scoring chances that arose as the England international was having fewer opportunities per game than the duo up north. The Brentford talisman averaged 2.65 shots per 90. Newcastle's Swedish sensation boasted 2.8 shots per 90 while Wilson averaged the highest number of shots per 90 with 3.35.

The main reason for this was because Brentford had the fifth-lowest share of possession in the Premier League last term with 43.8% compared to the Magpies holding the seventh-highest with 52.3%.

In addition, Toney's xG per 90 average during the 2022/23 league campaign was 0.57 while Wilson maintained a 0.84 xG per 90 rate. The former scored more goals despite having fewer quality opportunities.

There is no doubt that Isak and Wilson are fine frontmen and have served Newcastle well during their respective stints at St. James' Park. However, the stats show that Toney would outperform the double-act if he still played for Newcastle, a sale that may still haunt the previous ownership.

Tottenham Hotspur look set to lose one of their first-team stars sooner rather than later as Ange Postecoglou looks to trim his squad, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham Hotspur's fine start in the Premier League

Despite Manchester City's victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, Spurs will have the chance to regain top spot in the Premier League table on Monday when they host London rivals Chelsea in N17.

Tottenham vs Chelsea match preview

So far, Tottenham have been in fine fettle domestically, winning eight and drawing two of their opening ten league matches; however, tough encounters are on the horizon for Postecoglou's men as they aim to prove their mettle as title contenders.

Nevertheless, the initial signs emanating from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are very positive indeed, especially when factoring in how the goal burden has been shared around the Lilywhites' squad.

Son Heung-min leads the scoring charts with eight strikes for Spurs, while James Maddison has three goals, and Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Cristian Romero are all tied on two apiece this term across all competitions (Tottenham squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are doubts for the visit of Chelsea and will undergo fitness tests before a decision on their availability is determined.

Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon are all unavailable for selection as Postecoglou looks to become only the third manager in Premier League history to go unbeaten in their first 11 games in charge, which would see him join Nottingham Forest's Frank Clark and former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri in achieving this feat.

Of course, Chelsea's visit will also mark the return of Mauricio Pochettino to his old stomping ground for the first time since he was sacked by Tottenham in 2019. Speaking before the London derby, as per BBC Sport, Pochettino stated: "It's really special to go back to a place where we created amazing memories together. It's special, I'm not going to lie. That is true."

Even though Spurs are seemingly entering a new era on the field, another one of the old guard could now be set to depart, according to latest reports.

Tottenham Hotspur's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Chelsea (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (A)

Etihad Stadium

Premier League

West Ham United (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Eric Dier now set to leave Tottenham Hotspur

According to a transfer update from Football Insider, Tottenham star Eric Dier is set to leave the club in 2024. Dier is keen to run down his contract and leave as a free agent rather than be sold in January. Spurs will listen to offers in January for the former Sporting CP man, who has not featured at all under Postecoglou's stewardship.

The England international reportedly believes more options to continue his career trajectory would become apparent if he is available as a free agent, after talks collapsed between Dier and Tottenham over a contract extension in north London.

Dier, who has previously been hailed as a "reliable player" by Antonio Conte, has made 360 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions during his time at the club, notching 13 goals and 12 assists (Dier statistics – Transfermarkt).

Now, it looks as if the experienced defender could be set to embark on a new venture as his time at Tottenham slowly draws to a close.

Despite starting slowly, Leeds United's Championship season is up and running and Daniel Farke will be delighted with the way that his side have ploughed into third-place after 15 matches.

The engine did falter at the start, however, and as a consequence, Ipswich Town are eight points clear in second, despite five victories from six matches for the Whites.

It was always going to take a while to gel together, though, with a hive of transfer activity occurring at Elland Road across the summer following Leeds' relegation from the Premier League, ending a three-year stay.

Despite losing the likes of Jack Harrison, Rodrigo and Tyler Adams (not an exhaustive list), the Yorkshire club rebuilt under Farke's command, with Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara and co all bolstering the fold, with stars such as Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter retained.

For all of the talented acquisitions, Farke will be eager to utilise the club's excellent youth influx and cherry-pick the best options to improve the performances; this has already been evidenced through the likes of 17-year-old Archie Gray, who is currently subject to £40m transfer attention from Liverpool.

There is more to come, and based on the short but sweet impression that Mateo Joseph has made this season, he might be next in line to break into the first-team.

Mateo Joseph's youth statistics

Born in Santander, Spain, Joseph enjoyed prolific success with Racing Santander as a youth before joining Espanyol in 2017, scoring 14 goals from 21 appearances across the 2021/22 campaign and earning the attention of Leeds, who completed the signing of the player in January 2022 for an undisclosed fee.

Considered a player with "great potential' by Javier Rodriguez Alonso, Joseph has now plundered 20 goals and three assists from 33 outings for Leeds' development sides, having also made six senior displays – including three appearances in the Premier League – last season.

This year, after a productive pre-season, Joseph has only featured twice in the Premier League 2 but has clinched two goals and an assist from as many matches.

The eight-cap England U20 international has also found a place on the bench in the Championship on two occasions, though he is still awaiting his first senior showing of the campaign.

His rate of scoring this term surpasses that of Patrick Bamford, with the long-time Leeds player perhaps at a crossroads in his career at the club, and could find that he is left behind as Farke's engine churns forward.

Why Mateo Joseph should replace Patrick Bamford

Bamford has completed 158 appearances for United, scoring 51 goals, and was instrumental in guiding them to the Premier League and cementing a spot in the division, but his past few campaigns have been blighted by injury and a loss of form.

Impressed by the rising star's talent, Leeds' U21 manager Michael Skubala said: "He’s in a good place, he’s scoring goals, he’s a character, but he still needs to keep working hard. His finishing ability is top-drawer. He’s been training like a warrior and you can see that in his game."

Such attributes are glowing examples of why he would succeed under Farke's wing at senior level, and it might indeed be wise to promote him to the first team with regularity in the place of Bamford, whose best days at the outfit might now be behind him.

Bamford has only featured seven times this season, though he was absent for the start of the campaign due to a hamstring injury, but having yet to receive a starting berth and score his first goal, the 30-year-old is looking increasingly expendable, with Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter both ahead in the pecking order.

The one-cap England international did have the opportunity to put his side ahead several weeks ago against Stoke City in the second tier but skied his penalty over the bar.

Division

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

Championship

23/24

7

0

0

Premier League

22/23

28

4

2

Premier League

21/22

9

2

2

Premier League

20/21

38

17

8

Championship

19/20

45

16

4

Championship

18/19

23

9

2

*Sourced via Transfermarkt

The £70k-per-week striker still ranks among the top 11% of forwards for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, but it appears that his ship has sailed and his lack of minutes over the past several seasons could inhibit him from cementing a regular starting spot with Leeds once again.

With Joseph's dynamic skills and a prolific edge to perfectly complement the existing forwards, Bamford might find that he is playing his last year at the side, with priority handed to a player who could grow into a first-class phenom in the future.

The 20-year-old boasts 18 goals from just 28 games in the Premier League 2, and while the professional level is a whole other ballpark, he possesses the innate talent to wedge his way into Farke's plans.

Ultimately, the goal at Elland Road is to craft a campaign that will open the door to the top flight once again, and with the endeavours in the Championship confirming the squad's capability of securing a spot either in the automatics or in the play-offs, this is more than attainable.

The crux of Leeds' demise last year stemmed from the lack of stability, the wayward transfer activity, and the absence of cohesion on the pitch; now, Farke has instilled a winning mentality and will look to maintain that into the new year, and indeed beyond.

Bamford has not really contributed to this budding revival and it is hard to imagine that he will play a central role in the 2024/25 Premier League season, should Leeds secure promotion.

With Piroe and Rutter among the Whites' thriving forwards, Joseph would be an excellent addition to complement their talents and serve as an understudy.

The hope now will be to see the exciting prospect start to earn a place in the senior set-up, which could kick off a long and successful partnership.

After initially getting off to an impressive start in the Championship this season, to say that Norwich City's form has come to a crashing halt would be an understatement. Desperate to get back to the promised land of the Premier League, those at Carrow Road have seen their side go from one loss in their opening six league games to one win in their last ten, leaving them as low as 17th and six points adrift of the dropzone.

As their league run continues, doubts over the future of David Wagner will only increase, and one man is already reportedly high up on the Canaries' shortlist to replace the former Huddersfield Town boss.

Update on David Wagner's Norwich future

Appointed in January of this year, it's looking increasingly unlikely that Wagner will last up until the anniversary of his arrival, given recent results. If the German does lose his job, he'll go down as yet another failure at Carrow Road, as Norwich look elsewhere for the manager to take them back to the Premier League. The last time that they were in the top flight was, of course, in the 2021/22 campaign – a swift managerial change could yet turn things around, however.

According to TeamTalk, Frank Lampard is high up on Norwich's managerial shortlist in the event that they sack Wagner, who they've had talks with regarding his future at the club. The former Chelsea and Everton manager previously impressed in the Championship with Derby County, but eventually failed to take them up following play-off heartbreak.

Out of a job since a caretaker stint to forget at Chelsea last season, Lampard is reportedly willing to drop down to the Championship to take the Norwich job and get his managerial career back on track. Having held talks with Rangers and clubs in the USA previously, perhaps this is the job that the midfield legend, whose playstyle is an attack-minded 4-3-3, is waiting for.

Lampard a strong candidate for Norwich job

Closer to the foot of the table than the Championship play-off places, Norwich would be doing themselves little harm by taking a risk and appointing Lampard. Things look to have gone as far as they can under Wagner, who looks unlikely to turn their disastrous form around, and before the festive fixtures come thick and fast, Norwich would be wise to make a decision as soon as possible.

Whilst he struggled in the Premier League, Lampard's Championship record speaks for itself. During his time at Derby, the former manager won 26 games, drew 15 and lost 16. In comparison, at Norwich, Wagner's record currently stands at 14 wins, seven draws and 18 losses in a run that doesn't look likely to improve anytime soon. Lampard's record against Norwich is also impressive, given that he's never lost against the Canaries.

Norwich still have time to turn their season around and Lampard is no longer the inexperienced manager who took Derby to the play-offs only to suffer the ultimate heartbreak – this is now a coach who has experienced both ends of the Premier League table, as well as Champions League football. If Norwich replace Wagner with Lampard, they could finally bring an end to their woeful form.

Arsenal return to Premier League duty this evening as they take on Brentford at the Emirates, and they will be hoping to secure all three points which would take them top of the table.

This would depend on the final result between Manchester City and Liverpool in the early kickoff on Saturday, but a win would prove that Mikel Arteta’s men are going to be title challengers once again.

The Spaniard may make a change or two from the last tie against Burnley prior to the international break, but much will depend on whether a couple of players are ready to be unleashed in the starting XI.

Arsenal team news vs Brentford

Arteta discussed a few of his players while speaking to the press on Friday morning, most notably Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard.

He said: "He [Jesus] is available. He played 96 mins in a really competitive match.

"He had a long flight. I have to see the condition."

With regard to Odegaard, the manager sounded hopeful that he would play a part in the match, saying: "Hopefully yes. We have another training session today."

If the Norwegian maestro is ready to play, then he must be included in the starting XI this evening as he could make the difference.

Martin Odegaard’s season in numbers

The 24-year-old enjoyed his best campaign to date last season as he registered 23 goal contributions – 15 goals and eight assists – in the top flight, and it so nearly helped the club win a first title since 2004.

He hasn’t quite been at this scintillating best during the current campaign, but he has still scored five times and grabbed an assist while missing four matches through injury.

The 5 foot 10 gem was hailed as “exceptional” by City manager Pep Guardiola – underlining how good he has been recently – and if the Gunners hope to have any sort of success this season, Odegaard will be vital.

The former Real Madrid starlet currently ranks first among the squad for shots on target per game (1.1) in the Premier League, along with ranking second for big chances created (two), third for key passes per game (1.7) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (0.8), indicating just how effective he has been going forward.

Arteta started Kai Havertz in his place in midfield against Burnley, yet the German international failed to have the required impact, making just one key pass during his 59 minutes on the pitch, while completing only 17 accurate passes during the match.

Havertz has scored only once in an Arsenal shirt since joining from Chelsea, and he hasn’t quite hit the ground running in north London.

Arteta must now start Arsenal's "clinical" dynamo over "lively" returning ace

Mikel Arteta will have some choices to make ahead of the fixture…

ByRosie Tudball Nov 25, 2023

This could lead to Arteta boldly ditching the former Blues man in place of Odegaard, who would clearly have a much bigger impact.

A return to the starting XI for the skipper would give the supporters a massive boost and could spur them to victory against the Bees.

If Arteta can keep the Norwegian sensation fit and healthy for the remainder of the campaign, the north London side will have a wonderful chance of claiming their first Premier League title in 20 years.

Arteta won't rush his recovery, however, but if he is ready, the 24-year-old must be unleashed from the first whistle today.