Leeds fans react to Will Huffer loan exit

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Leeds United confirmed on Friday that goalkeeper Will Huffer has joined National League outfit Barnet on a one-month loan deal.

Huffer came through the youth system at Leeds and made his debut for the Whites in the Championship against Bristol City back in November.

The arrival of Kiko Casilla from Real Madrid (BBC Sport) has pushed the 20-year-old down the pecking order at Elland Road, however, and he will spend the next month with Barnet.

Huffer, who is a former England Under-18 international, had been the understudy to Bailey Peacock-Farrell following Jamal Blackman’s season-ending injury.

However, Peacock-Farrell is now number two to Casilla, meaning that Huffer has left to secure some valuable first-team football at this stage of his career.

The Leeds fans have been reacting to the news on social media and it would be fair to say that they have differing opinions on the one-month loan deal.

Indeed, whilst some believe that it is right for Huffer to gain some first-team football, others are not sure whether it is the correct call considering the club are only another goalkeeping injury away from a potential crisis.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Leeds supporters can be seen below:

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Newcastle dealt Callum Wilson setback

A devastating Newcastle United injury setback on striker Callum Wilson has emerged…

What’s the latest?

Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has revealed that the forward has not been able to recover on schedule after going away with the rest of the squad in Dubai. He has also relayed that Eddie Howe is now changing his plans over the Englishman’s schedule due to this latest setback.

Edwards tweeted: “Bad news on Callum Wilson. Having started running in Dubai his recovery is not progressing as hoped. Howe admitted today plan for him to return is being pushed back.”

Gutted

This news will surely leave Newcastle supporters gutted for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be disappointed that they will not be able to see Wilson out on the pitch when they may expected him back. He is a proven Premier League performer and the fans he know is capable of finding the net regularly when given the opportunity, as he has scored 18 top-flight goals since the start of 2020/21.

Therefore, the Toon are currently dealing without his goalscoring prowess at the top end of the pitch and it is a huge blow to the side. Despite not playing a single minute of football in 2022, he remains the club’s top scorer in the league this season, which illustrates his importance to the team.

They will also be gutted with this update because of what it may mean heading into next season. Since joining the Magpies in 2020, Wilson has suffered seven separate injury issues and missed 29 competitive games in less than two full campaigns.

He has been unreliable for the Toon in terms of his availability, and being fit is a player’s most important attribute, given that it allows them to perform on the pitch. Howe will surely not want to go into next season with a first-choice striker who seems likely to miss a number of games because of his propensity to pick up knocks.

This may lead to the club looking to replace him in the summer. PIF and Howe could decide that they want to go for a player with a better injury record in an attempt to nail down that position instead of crossing their fingers and hoping for the best every time Wilson steps foot on the pitch, which is why this is a devastating development for the forward as it could put his future into question.

Supports would be gutted with this because of what he has been able to deliver on the pitch for the club whenever he has been fit. His 18 goals over the past 20 months for the Magpies have been pivotal to helping the side to remain in the Premier League, and fans will surely be upset if injuries continue to curtail his time as the main man at St James’ Park.

AND in other news, NUFC can finally replace Cabaye with “phenomenal” £34m gem, he has “magical powers”…

West Ham interested in Calvert-Lewin

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United are interested in signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Lowdown: Quiet season for DCL

The 25-year-old has had a season to forget so far. He has only made 10 Premier League appearances and has scored just three league goals to date, adding to Everton’s attacking woes.

At the end of August, the England international suffered a fractured toe. Unbelievably, this injury kept him out of action for 125 days, missing a total of 16 games.

In addition to that setback, Calvert-Lewin has recently suffered from illness. As a result, he has struggled to maintain fitness for a decent string of games this season.

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The Latest: West Ham interested in Calvert-Lewin

As per the Daily Mail, Everton are now prepared to sell Calvert-Lewin in the summer transfer window. Furthermore, it is reported that the Toffees could be willing to accept a lower fee than their previous £60m valuation.

As a result, West Ham and Arsenal have both declared their interest in the England international.

The Verdict: Would be a fantastic signing

With Michail Antonio being West Ham’s only out-and-out senior striker, David Moyes could seriously do with bolstering his options up front. Whilst the 32-year-old had a flying start to the Premier League season, he has now failed to score in his last 10 top-flight games.

As a result, GSB could do with securing a new starting striker; and with the news of Calvert-Lewin’s availability, this could be the perfect transfer for both parties.

In 157 appearances for the Toffees, the 25-year-old has netted 43 goals. Whilst Antonio has achieved comparable numbers, Calvert-Lewin would be playing in a more potent team if he were to join the Irons, so a huge influx in goals could be expected, with Alan Shearer previously asserting that the 25-year-old is a player who will “keep scoring goals”.

His former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti also labelled him a “top striker”, so this could be the transfer that West Ham need to prioritise in the summer.

In other news: West Ham have an edge in another transfer pursuit

Hoever out of Wolves clash, claims Spiers

Wolves youngster Ki-Jana Hoever will miss his side’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United through injury, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Wolves head to Newcastle

Bruno Lage’s side are back in league action on Friday evening, making the trip to St James’ Park to take on a Magpies side who have pulled clear of the relegation zone.

It is another important game for Wolves in their quest to qualify for Europe this season, with victory taking them into seventh place ahead of Manchester United, for the time being at least.

With United playing one match fewer and also heading to out-of-sorts Everton on Saturday, it feels like a must-win game for the Wanderers.

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The Latest: Hoever ruled out

Taking to Twitter, Spiers has confirmed that Hoever will be absent at St James’ Park because of injury, despite returning to training:

“Hoever also trained a bit but he’s not available tomorrow.”

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The Verdict: Blow to squad depth

While any injury is a blow, the absence of Hoever shouldn’t be a huge issue to the first XI, with the 20-year-old only starting four Premier League games this season.

However, with Nelson Semedo fit but perhaps not ready to start after such a long lay-off, it means that Jonny will likely continue at right-back rather than his preferred role, where he has scored in his last two appearances, so it is definitely a hit to the depth at Lage’s disposal.

The hope is that Hoever is back in the near future, however, allowing Jonny to switch back to the left and providing competition for Semedo, giving Lage the flexibility he needs to fire Wolves to a European place.

In other news, Wolves are believed to be in a four-way battle to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham: Sky share big Ginter update

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has shared some transfer news out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Borussia Monchengladbach star Matthias Ginter.

The Lowdown: Conte makes demands?

The Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici, according to reports, are operating under the orders of manager Antonio Conte as the Spurs head coach makes summer window demands behind-the-scenes.

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Most recently, it has been claimed that Conte has personally requested the signing of a left-sided centre-half (Calciomercato), as well as Juventus midfielder and USA international Weston McKennie (La Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness).

The former Chelsea manager, it appears, is seeking to re-shape the Spurs squad in his own image whilst gifting his new side the best chance of success for his first full campaign.

Now, as relayed by Thomas, it appears Tottenham and Conte are eyeing a new target in soon-to-be free agent Ginter.

The Latest: Sky reporter makes Ginter claim…

According to Sky sources, Spurs, and by extension their manager, are now eyeing the 28-year-old alongside an array of top clubs.

Ginter has already confirmed his intention to leave Gladbach on a free this summer as his contract nears expiry.

Subsequently, this has alerted Tottenham, alongside the likes of Aston Villa, Juventus and London rivals West Ham.

“Aston Villa among the clubs interested in Matthias Ginter on a free transfer, acc. to Sky Germany,” he explained (via Twitter).

“Separately, I’m aware he has been watched by a lot of top clubs this season including Juventus, Tottenham and West Ham.”

The Verdict: Make a move?

As Conte reportedly earmarks the signing of a central defender as a top summer priority, as backed by The Athletic, there are few better than Ginter on a potential Bosman deal.

Described as an ‘underrated’ player by former Germany boss Joachim Low, the international’s estimated £21.6 million valuation can be totally bypassed this summer – an opportunity Tottenham surely must consider.

According to WhoScored, only Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer has played more league minutes than mainstay Ginter.

The towering 6 foot 3 ace has also managed the second-most clearances per 90 (3) out of their squad in that time, all whilst coming in as Adi Hütter’s fourth-best Bundesliga performer by average match rating (6.83, WhoScored).

An accomplished and proven German top flight ace, we won’t be surprised to see more Spurs reports emerge on Ginter as the summer window nears.

In other news: Tottenham official sent to club as Paratici now eyes ‘imperious’ ex-Man City man for Conte! Find out more here.

Alan Nixon drops West Brom transfer update

Alan Nixon has dropped an update on West Bromwich Albion’s January transfer business.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Sun journalist revealed that Valerien Ismael’s side will have to sell at least two players before they can bring in any further additions in the January transfer window.

In response to a fan asking whether there were any potential moves on the horizon for the Baggies, Nixon simply said: “Need a couple out.”

Fans will be furious

While it is true that, following their relegation from the Premier League last season, the club’s budgets will undoubtedly be tighter than at this time last year, the news that Albion are already relying on player sales in order to fund further additions to the club this winter is sure to have left The Hawthorns faithful furious.

Indeed, aside from the £7.77m signing of Daryl Dike earlier this month, West Brom have not spent a penny on incoming transfers since the arrival of Ismael, despite the fact the club sold Matheus Pereira, Ahmed Hegazy and Rekeem Harper for a combined £18.97m last summer.

Furthermore, the Baggies also managed to get both Charlie Austin and Kieran Gibbs off of their books, with the duo having previously been the club’s top two earners – taking home a whopping £70k-per-week and £55k-per-week respectively.

As such, while, as previously stated, West Brom’s purse strings will be understandably tighter this season, it is still somewhat difficult to believe that Ismael could not spend at least the remaining £11.2m he had previously received from player sales last summer.

Indeed, this amount of money spent in the January window would undoubtedly go an extremely long way to helping the Baggies secure an automatic promotion spot come the end of the season – something which would be worth a great deal more to the club in the long run than an £11.2m outlay this month.

In other news: Big twist emerges on “sensational” £32.5k-p/w machine that will leave WBA fans fuming

Embleton stole the show for Sunderland

Sunderland provided a huge response following their midweek stalemate with Plymouth Argyle by taking an impressive 5-1 victory from Cambridge United yesterday.

Alex Neil and his team are now on a 12-game unbeaten run, with the Scottish manager only losing once since he arrived at the club in February, and they now find themselves fourth in the League One table albeit only one point safe in the play-off position.

The Black Cats put in a phenomenal attacking performance that was boosted when Cambridge went down to ten men in the 12th minute of the game, with Lloyd Jones getting red-carded awarding their hosts a penalty which Ross Stewart scored to make it 1-0 a minute later.

Sunderland were dominant throughout the game holding 75% possession, making ten more shots on target and over 400 more accurate passes than their opponents on Saturday afternoon.

Elliot Embleton, Danny Batth and Nathan Broadhead all joined Stewart in getting on the scoresheet delivering five goals in total, and Embleton, in particular, was an absolute force in the attacking threat his team imposed on Cambridge and offered an unrivalled presence.

The 23-year-old who was labelled “complex” by former manager Lee Johnson, made an impressive 141 touches, 113 accurate passes, four key passes and was successful in the majority of his long balls and crosses (12/21).

Embleton has been integral in Sunderland’s play-off charge as of late and has delivered in the moments when it has been needed most, grabbing his opportunities to impress his new manager following a lack of game-time since the Scotsman took over at the Stadium of Light.

Neil had been playing the midfielder off the bench, but he has now finally integrated him back into the starting eleven over the last two games following an assist to the last-minute winning goal against Gillingham and scoring the winner against Oxford in the final moments in the following game, with his contribution earning the Black Cats six points in just 27 minutes of play.

The fight for a play-off place isn’t over with the North-East club safe by just a point with one game in hand over their competitors inside the top six, and with no room for error in the last two games, Sunderland must continue their unbeaten form to boost their chances of potential promotion.

AND in other news: Speakman howler: SAFC may now be on the verge of repeating brutal Hugill disasterclass

Romano: Arsenal dealt transfer setback

Arsenal have been dealt a frustrating transfer setback this week…

What’s the word?

Their attempts to sign Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo from Juventus have seemingly hit a stumbling block, according to reliable transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

“There’s still nothing agreed for Arthur Melo deal. Next week will be key – Arsenal have decided to push again with Juventus, loan move not approved yet by Allegri,” he revealed on Twitter.

“Juve board have not opened talks with Chelsea for Loftus Cheek as potential Arthur replacement, as of now.”

Gutting blow

This is a worrying sign heading into the final two weeks of the window.

The Gunners have just seen their north London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League postponed due to a lack of available first-team players, with issues ranging from suspected virus cases to injuries, whilst some players are at the Africa Cup of Nations.

It means Mikel Arteta is hugely light on options, particularly in central midfield, where Granit Xhaka is suspended, both Mo Elneny and Thomas Partey are away with their nations for the AFCON, and Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard are injured.

That’s why the north Londoners desperately need to bring in Arthur as quickly as possible, so to not yet have a loan move approved is certainly going to leave Arteta worried, if not absolutely fuming.

It is also concerning that the Serie A giants are doing very little themselves as they are yet to advance their interest in Loftus-Cheek as a direct replacement and the slower they move, the more it’ll impact a desperate Arsenal.

The Gunners host Burnley at the Emirates next weekend, so there is now time to complete a deal before it’s too late.

For the time being, Arteta must be livid with what’s happening off the pitch.

AND in other news, Bid made: Arsenal eye move for “complete” £63m-rated “monster”…

Rangers eyeing swoop for Ahmed Kendouci

An update has emerged regarding Rangers and their plans to further strengthen Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to Algerian outlet DZ Foot, ES Setif midfielder Ahmed Kendouci is a target for the Gers in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he could be available to sign this month if a strong enough offer is submitted for him, with the Scottish champions now considering a bid.

Bye-bye Hagi

Rangers forward Ianis Hagi has been touted with a move away from the club this month, and his prospective exit could open the door for another player to arrive in his position. This is where Kendouci comes in, as he could be Van Bronckhorst’s new creative maestro in the final third.

The Romanian has started 14 Premiership matches and created 1.6 chances per game this season, with three goals and four assists across all competitions. This highlights the creativity he brings to the table, which was shown in full force last term as he ended the campaign with 11 assists in the league.

In Kendouci, Rangers could find their replacement for the Romania international. The £1.2m-rated gem has 17 goals and 14 assists in 79 career games, showing that he is routinely able to make an impact in the final third.

Last season, he produced 10 goals and 10 assists in 34 league matches for Setif. This suggests that he could come in at Ibrox and excite the fans with his ability to find the back of the net, whilst also setting up team-mates with chances to score. He could seamlessly take over the reins from Hagi if the latter moves to Galatasaray before the end of the transfer window.

Of course, there is no guaranteeing that the 22-year-old would be able to translate his form from Algeria over to Scotland, as it is impossible to gauge the difference in quality between the respective leagues. However, if he arrives at Ibrox this month and can produce similar levels in terms of goals and assists, he could turn out to be a terrific signing.

Losing Hagi would be a blow for Van Bronckhorst due to the creative spark he can provide, but signing Kendouci could soften the blow as he is a player with a similar style in the attacking midfield area. Both players have shown that they can regularly set up goals, and the Algerian could be doing just that in a blue shirt in the second half of the campaign if the Gers bring him in.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could finally axe Rangers liability by signing this “aggressive” 6 ft 3 beast…

LFC fans fume at Fabrizio Romano claim

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after journalist Fabrizio Romano played down a potential move for Porto forward Luis Diaz.

The Reds have had a quiet time of things in terms of transfers in recent years, only bringing in Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig last summer.

There is an increasing need to invest in new signings, however, with Jurgen Klopp’s squad beginning to age together, as numerous players either hit their 30s or come close to it – the famous front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino will all be the wrong side of 30 by the end of this campaign.

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It could be that a new attacker is looked at in the summer, if not in the January transfer window, and Diaz has been linked with a move to Liverpool.

Mane in particular has been heavily criticised by fans for his form this season, leading to plenty of excitement when the links to Diaz popped up earlier this week.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, however, Romano played down the rumour, saying that no talks are currently taking place between the two clubs.

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Liverpool fans fume at Romano claim

These Liverpool fans reacted to the update on Twitter, showing their displeasure at it.

“FSG is a joke”

Credit: @ziyaadofficial_

“I am going to have a mental breakdown”

Credit: @KoumetioSZN1

“Standard. At least this rumour got me excited for a couple hours”

Credit: @guccimo6

“We aren’t even allowed hope anymore”

Credit: @Marxhall_

“I’m tired man”

Credit: @Anfieldina_

“Why do I still get my hopes up”

Credit: @lfcautumn

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to another transfer claim. Read more here.

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