تحدث السير داني داجليش، أسطورة نادي ليفربول عن آرني سلوت، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم ومدى تطلعه لرؤية موسمه الثاني مع الفريق.

وتمكن الهولندي من التتويج ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لأول مرة في تاريخه وفي أول موسم له بالبطولة مع ليفربول ليعادل الريدز رقم مانشستر يونايتد كأكثر الأندية تتويجًا باللقب على مر التاريخ.

وقال داجليش في تصريحات لموقع ليفربول الرسمي: “لقد حقق اللاعبون أداءً رائعًا العام الماضي، أيضًا انضمام آرني في عامه الأول كان مميزًا بالنسبة له أيضًا ورائعًا في طريقة قيادته للاعبين الجدد”.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت يحسم صفقة إيكيتيكي لصالح ليفربول بـ”مكالمة فيديو”

وأكمل: “كانت وظيفة جيدة، أعلم أن يورجن رحل، وكان ناجحًا للغاية في ليفربول، وكان مدربًا رائعًا بطريقته الخاصة، لكن آرني مختلف، لا يزال مدربًا رائعًا، لقد كان أداءهم رائعًا العام الماضي، ونحن نتطلع إلى العام الجديد”.

وأردف: “من الأفضل أن تتولى مسؤولية فريق جيد خلفًا ليورجن، أعتقد أنني أفضل أن يكون لدي فريق جيد بدلًا من أن أضطر لبناء فريق من الصفر، الآن، بعد أن رآهم وألقى نظرة، ربما بدأ يفكر في إجراء بعض التغييرات لضم اللاعبين الذين سينفذون طريقته وأسلوبه بشكل مثالي، وأعتقد أن تعامله رائع في هذا الأمر”.

وأتم عن سلوت: “لقد كان عليه أن يتابع مسيرته بثبات، وقد نجح في ذلك، أنا متأكد من أننا جميعًا نتطلع إلى الموسم المقبل، يُقال إن الأشخاص الجيدين لا يفوزون عادةً، لكنني لا أعتقد ذلك، أتمنى له التوفيق هذا العام لأنه يستحق”.

One Tottenham man is reportedly looking to jump ship before the end of the January transfer window and is already in talks over a move away from north London this week, it has been reported.

Tottenham lose again as Foxes win 2-1 in north London

A disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leicester City left Tottenham 15th in the Premier League, just a point above Everton and with 13 losses to their name this season as Ange Postecoglou comes under increasing pressure.

The Lilywhites took a deserved lead in the first half but fell apart in the opening stages of the second half as goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss claimed a massive win for the Foxes, who themselves had lost seven on the bounce coming into the game.

It means that Tottenham have won just once in the Premier League since November, when they beat Manchester City 4-0, and any hopes of European football next season seem to have gone up in flames, with 16 points now separating the Lilywhites from Bournemouth in 7th place.

Games played

11

Wins

1

Losses

8

Goals scored per game

1.81

Goals conceded per game

2.18

Points

5

They have been quiet in the transfer window too, with only Antonin Kinksy arriving to bolster ranks that have been decimated with injury. Speaking after the latest loss, Postecoglou admitted that he had to play players who were only half-fit.

On Richarlison, he explained, ‘He was feeling his groin, he should have come off at half-time but he wanted to give another 10 minutes. I could see he wasn’t running well so that is why I took him off.’ Meanwhile, Pape Sarr ‘shouldn’t have played today’, he added. ‘He obviously wasn’t fit.’

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Now though, it seems like Tottenham’s ranks could be stretched even thinner in the coming days with one player in talks to leave.

Tottenham forward discussing exit

That comes according to French outlet Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], who report that Tottenham loanee Timo Werner is in talks to join New York Red Bulls this month as he seeks a new challenge.

The German’s second loan spell in north London has been a disaster since it was confirmed over the summer. He has scored just once so far this season, and was taken off at half-time during one Europa League game against Rangers after losing the ball 16 times in 45 minutes, with Postecoglou fuming.

“When you’ve got 18-year-olds [in the squad], it [that performance] is not acceptable to me,” said Postecoglou after the match. “I said that to Timo, he’s a German international.”

Recently sidelined with a hamstring injury, the report claims that Werner is ‘talking with’ New York Red Bulls, who are a sister club of his parent side RB Leipzig, something that could smooth out a deal, and the German ‘could take on a new challenge’ in the coming days.

However, any move across the Atlantic would mean that Tottenham would need to agree to cut short his loan spell in north London, where they currently pay his £165,000 a week wages and are arguably seeing very little return on their investment.

With just a week left in the transfer window, any move would have to move fast to allow Tottenham to find a replacement, but with the Spurs squad already down to it’s bare bones, they may decide that keeping Werner is the best course of action as things stand.

da realbet： Southampton have now submitted a “formal bid” to sign a defender on a loan deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Glimmer of hope for Saints after Portman Road victory

da 888casino： In truth, it is going to be extremely difficult for the Saints to dig themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone between now and the end of the season, as they still remain 10 points from safety.

However, there is a glimmer of hope that survival could be achievable after a maiden victory away from home this weekend, with Ivan Juric’s side prevailing 2-1 away at fellow strugglers Ipswich Town.

The task at hand remains daunting, however, and if Southampton are to stand any chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship, they must improve their defensive record, having shipped 54 goals, the highest amount of any side in the league.

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With that in mind, an approach has now been made to sign a new defender, as reported by Romano, who claims the bottom-placed side have submitted a “formal bid” to sign Abakar Sylla on loan from Strasbourg.

Southampton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

AFC Bournemouth (h)

February 15th

Brighton & Hove Albion (h)

February 22nd

Chelsea (a)

February 25th

Liverpool (a)

March 8th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

March 15th

There is no buy option included in the proposal, with it likely to be a straight loan deal until the end of the season, but there may be competition for Sylla’s signature, as Serie A side Lazio have been interested in his signature since last week.

What Sylla could offer Southampton

The 22-year-old is a very impressive tackler, ranking in the 88th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, while he is also a threat at the opposite end of the pitch, placing in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals.

During his time with Club Brugge, the Ivorian received praise for his ability to win back possession, as well as his passing, being hailed as a “powerhouse” in the media.

As such, there are clear signs the Strasbourg ace could make a real difference for the Saints in a defensive sense, having seriously struggled to keep the opposition at bay so far this season.

The only slight concern over the signing of the centre-back will be the fact he has slipped down the pecking order at Strasbourg since the end of November, featuring for just two minutes in Ligue 1 since the turn of the year.

That said, Southampton’s options are likely to be limited, in light of their perilous league position, so it may be worth taking a risk on Sylla to try and resolve their defensive issues.

How do Rangers salvage this season, and how does Philippe Clement keep his job?

Having been ignominiously dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park last Sunday, defeated in that competition by lower-league opposition at Ibrox for the first time ever, the Light Blues are staring down the barrel of a trophyless season.

The Gers are 13 points adrift of run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, a gap that will be insurmountable, but Sunday’s trip to Tynecastle still feels must-win, as Clement fights to remain in situ, ahead of Rangers’ Europa League last 16 tie coming up on 6 March.

So, could the Belgian claim the victory he so badly needs by unleashing a highly-rated teenage midfielder?

Rangers' midfield issues

As noted by former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, midfield has been a problem area for Rangers throughout this season.

Clement has primarily deployed three different options at the base of midfield this season, so let’s assess their stats.

Statistics

Mohamed Diomandé

Connor Barron

Nicolas Raskin

Appearances

38

33

32

Minutes

2,831

2,251

2,394

Goals

5

0

1

Assists

4

2

4

Big chances created

6

0

1

Tackles per 90

1.6

2.4

3.5

Interceptions per 90

0.8

1.2

1.2

% of ground duels won

52.5%

52.1%

55.1%

Average Sofascore rating

7.06

6.88

7.20

As the table outlines, Mohammed Diomandé and Nicolas Raskin have been Rangers’ best-performing midfield duo this season.

The former boasts the best attacking statistics, goals, assists and big chances created, while the Belgian shines for defensive metrics, namely tackles, interceptions and duels.

Thus, it’s no surprise that this has been Clement’s starting duo for the last five Premiership and Europa League matches they’ve both been available for; Diomandé was suspended for the trip to Old Trafford last month.

Thus, this means Connor Barron has been the man to miss out, generally performing the poorest of the three, reflected by the fact he has the worst return for goals and assists, as well as big chances created.

Chalkboard

Earlier this season, after making the move from Aberdeen, Barron was earning rave reviews, most notably named the club’s player of the month for September.

Meanwhile, a report by BBC Sport noted he made a “promising start to his Rangers career”, with Peter Cassidy of STV describing him as “one of the few shining lights at Ibrox this season”.

However, the 22-year-old has not featured in any of Rangers’ last four Premiership fixtures due to a medial collateral ligament injury sustained during a collision with Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt, and the date of his return is as yet unknown.

So, currently short of midfield options, should Clement turn to a teenager at Tynecastle?

The Rangers starlet who Clement must unleash

Against Queen’s Park in last Sunday’s ill-fated Scottish Cup tie, 18-year-old Bailey Rice, who Ben Mattinson on Twitter describes as a “quality midfielder”, was handed his full-senior debut.

However, it didn’t last long, with Rice hooked at half time, a substitution that former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social club, described as a “deplorable decision”, adding that Rice “did not deserve to be taken off”, with Darrell Currie saying that he hopes the youngster does not feel like a “scapegoat”.

On top of this, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton believes Rice is “ready” to start contributing at first-team level, adding that he was impressed by the teenager when he was introduced at halftime against Man United, following Barron’s injury.

Teammate Ianis Hagi has also praised the youngster’s “mentality”, so we’re advocating for Clement to put Rice back into the team at Hearts on Sunday, if the Gers are to claim the three points they so desperately require in Gorgie.

Tipped for success at such a young age, the signs point to the teenager emerging as an even bigger talent than the stricken Barron, with it set to be an interesting tussle in the centre of the park over the coming years.

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Aston Villa secured a top eight spot in the Champions League group stage, automatically putting them into the final 16 of the competition along with Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lille.

Morgan Rogers netted a hattrick against Celtic in their 4-2 victory to seal the three points needed to secure eighth spot, putting the Englishman on ten goals in all competitions this campaign, having also provided five assists.

With Jhon Duran set to be sold, Unai Emery could be armed with extra transfer kitty heading into the final days of the window, where he could obtain the perfect partner in crime for Rogers.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have been in touch with Chelsea over not just Axel Disasi, but also Joao Felix.

Transfer Focus

However, the deal will depend on what Chelsea decide to do with Felix, which could be determined by their own business at the top end of the pitch.

With Duran on his way to Al Nassr for €77m (£54.4m) deal with add-ons, Emery’s side could have a busy final few days of the window, as they look to not only replace Duran, but use the funds to improve the squad ahead of a big second half of the season.

Felix has made 20 appearances for the Blues this season since joining in the summer, scoring seven goals, providing two assists and totalling 947 minutes played.

The 25-year-old can play a variety of positions across the front line, including attacking midfield, left-wing and even as a centre-forward.

Why Felix could shine with Rogers

By bringing another versatile forward to the club, Emery would have the capacity to play both Felix and Rogers alongside each other, two players who excel in creativity in the pockets/half spaces, can link play, arrive in the box and offer goal threat.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Felix

Rogers

Goals

0.67

0.34

Assists

0.17

0.17

xG

0.54

0.22

xAG

0.24

0.22

Progressive Carries

5.12

3.39

Progressive Passes

6.34

3.90

Shots Total

4.83

1.99

Key Passes

1.46

1.52

Shot-Creating Actions

4.39

3.43

Successful Take-Ons

2.44

2.45

When comparing the two players’ metrics this season, you can see how closely they rank in key areas, completing very similar key passes per 90, very similar take-on numbers and both offering output.

Felix has offered more in terms of progressive numbers and shot volume this season, but many of his minutes have also come in the UEFA Conference League against an overall lower standard, compared to Rogers in the Premier League and Champions League.

Felix is someone in the footballing sphere who has been labelled an “immense” talent by many experts, including Alex Barker (EuroExpert on X).

However, since his big-money move to Atlético Madrid from Benfica, coaches have struggled to get the best of him, usually due to his best work being done in tandem with a centre-forward to play off of, in something of a front two.

This is why Emery could fully unlock the potential of Felix, playing him behind a striker such as Ollie Watkins, moving Rogers over to the left, who can then drift inside alongside Felix, creating an excellent attacking triangle where Felix has the freedom to roam and do his best work.

With Duran seemingly out the door, snapping up the Chelsea man could represent the perfect attacking replacement.

Aston Villa about to accept £59m offer to sell "special" ace Ronaldo rates

This would certainly steal the headlines…

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The South Africa fast bowler ended his international career at the age of 29, having played only 11 Tests, by signing a Kolpak deal with Hampshire

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-2017Kyle Abbott’s 7 for 29 are the second-best figures in an innings for South Africa on Test debut•Getty Images1. February 2013: Abbott takes 7 for 29 in the first innings against Pakistan in Centurion, and is Player of the Match on Test debut for his nine-wicket haul.He misses the next six Tests South Africa play.2. March 2014: Abbott’s three wickets are the best returns for a South African fast bowler in the Newlands Test against Australia. His workload – 42 overs – is also the heaviest for his team.He misses the next three Tests South Africa play.3. December 2014: Abbott takes 1 for 61 in the match as Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander raze West Indies in Centurion.He misses the next five Tests South Africa play.4. November 2015: Abbott’s fourth Test lasts only a day as rain ruins the match in Bangalore. He bowls six out of 22 overs in India’s first innings, taking 0 for 18.He misses the next Test of the tour of India, in Nagpur.5. December 2015: Abbott takes 5 for 40 in 24.5 overs in India’s first innings in Delhi, and 1 for 47 in 22 in the second.He is picked for South Africa’s next Test.6. December 2015: Abbott bowls 45.4 overs in the Kingsmead Test against England and takes 2 for 128.He misses South Africa’s next two Tests in that series.7. January 2016: Abbott returns figures of 21-9-46-0 in the Centurion Test against England, with Kagiso Radaba emerging as a force with a 13-wicket haul.He misses South Africa’s next three Tests.8. November 2016: Abbott takes 3 for 41 and 6 for 77 in Hobart to bowl South Africa to series victory in Australia.With Steyn injured, Abbott plays South Africa’s next three Tests. It is the first time Abbott is playing successive Tests in a series.9. November 2016: Abbott takes 3 for 49 and 1 for 26 in South Africa’s first day-night Test, at Adelaide Oval.10. December 2016: Abbott claims 3 for 63 and 2 for 38 against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth, conceding only 101 runs in 41.5 overs in the match.11. January 2016: Abbott goes wicketless against Sri Lanka after bowling 23 overs in Cape Town.It turns out to be his final Test for South Africa as he confirms he has signed a three-year Kolpak contract with English county Hampshire.

Real Madrid veteran Dani Carvajal was spotted clashing with Bukayao Saka as the Arsenal winger headed into the tunnel at half-time at the Bernabeu.

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• Arsenal up against Madrid in Champions League
• Saka misses penalty after attempting cheeky Panenka
• Carvajal wanted words with the winger at half-time

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Carvajal remains sidelined with a serious knee injury but was spotted on the touchline at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. The veteran approached Saka as he headed towards the tunnel at half-time of the quarter-final second leg and could be spotted seemingly hassling the Arsenal star in an ugly confrontation.

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  Arsenal had taken a 3-0 lead to the Spanish capital but wasted the chance to make it 4-0 early in the first half. The Gunners were awarded a spot-kick after Mikel Merino was tugged by Raul Asencio but Saka's Panenka penalty was clawed away by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It seems that Saka's cheeky attempt may not have gone down well with the 33-year-old Real Madrid star.

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  Arsenal and Real Madrid are bidding for a place in the semi-finals of the competition. The winners of the tie will go on to play Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final after Luis Enrique's side booked their spot in the last four by beating Aston Villa.

In a deal that would commence the Graham Potter era with a bang, West Ham United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign “one of the best strikers in the world” at a cut price in the January transfer window.

West Ham transfer news

Bringing Julen Lopetegui’s tenure to an end following defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City on top of poor results throughout the current campaign, West Ham have since turned towards Potter, who has taken his first job in football since being shown the door at Chelsea in 2023.

Back in the technical area and back in the Premier League, the pressure will be on the former Chelsea boss to avoid a repeat of his Stamford Bridge failure and instead enjoy similar heights to the ones that he took Brighton & Hove Albion to in the past.

Addressing the fans for the first time, Potter told West Ham’s official website: “I am delighted to be here. It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.”

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With the January transfer window open, meanwhile, the new manager may not have to wait long until he gets his first signing through the door. According to GiveMeSport, West Ham have now been offered the chance to sign Jonathan David at cut price from Lille, who have one final chance to profit from their forward this month before he leaves on a free deal in the summer.

David would be an instant upgrade

Dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world” by podcast host and Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro, there’s no denying that David would be an instant upgrade on West Ham’s current options, having scored as many as 17 goals in 27 appearances throughout the current campaign – more than Jarrod Bowen and Niclas Fullkrug combined.

Still just 24 years old, the Canada international would be an incredible coup for the Hammers. He could solve their goalscoring problems for years to come and finally ease the responsibility on Bowen, who has carried their frontline more than once over the years.

At a cut price too, West Ham should jump at the chance to secure the forward’s signature ahead of the chasing pack waiting to snap it up for free at the end of the campaign.

No Indian batsman in the Kings XI line-up is close to threatening a spot in the T20I team, and it showed in the way they tied themselves in a mess in the middle overs against Gujarat Lions

Sidharth Monga in Mohali11-Apr-20161:26

‘Bravo’s spell was the turning point’ – Finch

Two yorkers. One fast, one slow. Both at the base of the stumps. Glenn Maxwell and David Miller gone. It will be tempting to surmise that Dwayne Bravo, rightly being hailed as arguably the best bowler in this IPL, won Gujarat Lions the match in one over, but it is important to also look at events that led to this big over and those that followed it. Kings XI Punjab’s Indian batsmen – not one of them is anywhere close to threatening a spot in the Indian T20I side – will have to take a lot of the blame.M Vijay and Manan Vohra got off to a dream start with the new ball coming on to the bat, when all that was required to do was clear the infield. In T20 cricket, especially on Indian pitches, the bowling side is not overly bothered by these kind of starts, so long as the batsmen are going at under 10 an over. The best bowlers are saved for the overs immediately after the Powerplay. This is when lesser T20 batsmen get stuck.There is no time for batsmen to relax in a T20 game. If you do have a slow period in the middle, you better trust your game as much as Virat Kohli does, and you better be that good. If you cannot hit boundaries, you should be able to keep working the twos and be able to go at a strike-rate of about 120 before you can open up again. As they got stuck into Sarabjit Ladda and Pradeep Sangwan, Vijay and Vohra took Kings XI to 52 for 0 in six overs. Then, Gujarat Lions went to their best bowlers: Ravindra Jadeja and Bravo.In the sixth over, Vijay hit his final boundary. Until then Vijay batted beautifully, his flicks languid, his drives free-flowing. Even opponent Aaron Finch said for some time it was beautiful to watch. In T20s, though, there is not much room for the niceties of the high elbow.Vijay eventually fell in the 11th over, trying to hit Jadeja inside-out – a low-percentage shot unless you are playing with a wet ball or on a perfectly flat surface. Vijay scored 10 off the last 14 balls he faced. Vohra enjoyed some luck in a slow start – he was dropped early by Bravo – but he too relied just on the big shots, and perished to the wily Jadeja. Ajinkya Rahane faces criticism for similar dismissals in T20Is.By the time Miller and Maxwell came together, Kings XI had fallen behind on a pitch where 190 was about par. They were ideally the men to be doing the big hitting at the end, but were obliged to look for those big ones earlier than they would have wanted. That task was made even more difficult because they came up against Gujarat’s best bowler, Bravo.Just before Miller was done in by the Bravo slower one, the field had changed. Midwicket had gone back, and third man had come in. It was apparent Bravo was going to bowl a slower ball. This was also the last ball of the over. Who knows if, in another circumstance, Miller would have just looked to pick a single? A proper batsman should not be getting so befuddled by a slower ball when it has been telegraphed.What followed was a reminder that Wriddhiman Saha, despite being a plucky Test batsman and despite one great IPL season, is a limited T20 batsman, especially when the field has been spread out. His 20 off 25 was one of the prime reasons Kings XI fell 30 short of a par score. They now have a problem at hand. Their Indian batsmen will have to pull their weight, and their two big star batsmen will have to pull themselves out of an ordinary run of form.

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this evening as they prepare to travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in a huge clash at the top of the table.

Defeat for the Whites in Lancashire will see their opponents move level on points with them in the division, although it would take a four-goal or higher victory for the Clarets to put them on top due to goal difference.

A win for Daniel Farke’s men would place them four points clear of Sheffield United, who lost 3-0 to Hull City on Friday night, in second place, leaving them in a great position in the race for automatic promotion.

The West Yorkshire outfit beat Norwich City 2-0 in their last match at Elland Road, thanks to goals from Manor Solomon and Dan James, and it is fair to say that scoring goals has not been a huge problem for Leeds.

They are the top scorers in the division, with 53 goals, but Farke is still keen to add more attacking quality to the group, with a reported interest in Emiliano Buendia, but they look set to miss out on the midfield magician…

Why Leeds could miss out on Emi Buendia

Firstly, it was recently reported that Leeds are playing the long game with the Argentina international and have been hoping that the later it gets in the window the bigger chance they have to sign him.

A transfer that would comprise of an initial loan move from Aston Villa with an obligation to make it permanent upon promotion to the Premier League has been touted for the former Norwich City star.

Buendia scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists in 39 Championship appearances in the 2020/21 campaign under Farke, which was their last season working together, to win the league title.

The German head coach may want to work with the Argentine talent again with the hope that he can get back to that form, although the winger was out for almost a year with an ACL injury and only returned last August, which means that it may take time to get back to his best.

Leeds, however, may not have to worry about whether or not Buendia can get back to his best because interest from a Champions League side has emerged.

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed that Bayer Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga title last season, are exploring a deal to sign the midfielder, and are interested in an initial loan with an option to make it permanent in the summer.

It could be incredibly difficult for Leeds to convince the 28-year-old ace to turn down interest from a Champions League and Bundesliga side, competing for major trophies, to return to the Championship, which is why they look set to miss out on his signature as it stands.

If that turns out to be the case and Leverkusen secure a deal for Buendia ahead of Leeds, Farke could move on from his former sensation in a late swoop for Aston Villa starlet Louie Barry.

Leeds United's interest in Louie Barry

The 21-year-old forward is set to leave the Premier League side on loan before the end of the January transfer window. Unai Emery recently confirmed that their plan is to tie him down to a new contract before sending him out on loan for the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough have all been linked with an interest in the former Stockport County loanee, as they look to bolster their respective attacks.

Scottish giants Celtic were interested in a permanent deal for the English winger and saw an offer of £10m turned down by Aston Villa earlier this month, leaving them out of the race for his signature.

Emery’s confirmation that the forward will be leaving on loan before February’s deadline will come as a boost to Leeds, Wednesday, and Middlesbrough, although Boro completed a deal to sign Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle last week, so it remains to be seen whether or not they are still in the market for a winger.

Why Louie Barry could be a good signing for Leeds

If the West Yorkshire outfit can win the race for Barry’s signature in the next week or so, Farke can forget about Buendia by signing another supremely talented attacker.

The Argentine winger has failed to provide a goal or an assist in 11 Premier League matches so far this season, which suggests that the Whites would not have been signing the same player who was in the form of his life for the German in the past.

Whereas, Barry is coming off the back of an incredible time on loan with Stockport County in League One. Albeit at a lower level, he is a player full of confidence and could step straight into a thriving Leeds team to hit the ground running, which may not have been the case with a low-on-confidence Buendia.

The English ace, who was once hailed as having “incredible” composure by Declan Rice, scored nine goals and provided four assists in 17 starts in League Two in the second half of last season with Stockport, and made the step up to the third tier this term.

Appearances

23

Goals

15

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

5

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Barry racked up 20 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 23 appearances in League One, which shows that he can adapt his game to higher levels, going from League Two to League One.

He has scored five more goals than any other Leeds player at league level this season, with Joel Piroe currently leading the way for the Whites with ten, which suggests that he has the potential to provide a big goal threat in the second half of the season.

Whilst he has not enjoyed a Championship season as successful as Buendia’s 2020/21 campaign, Barry is an in-form player who could come in and hit the ground running and that is why Farke could move on from the Aston Villa outcast by signing his teammate.

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