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Leeds United can turn their attention away from the fierce battle to secure promotion to the Premier League as they prepare to take on Harrogate Town in the FA Cup this evening.

The Whites are set to take on the League Two outfit at Elland Road in the third round of the competition, before returning to Championship action next weekend.

Daniel Farke’s side head into this match off the back of a 3-3 draw with Hull City in the league and the German head coach could make a few changes to his team from the game.

The former Norwich boss could rest some players, including the likes of Pascal Struijk and Illan Meslier, to provide others with an opportunity to shine, and one star who could with a rest is Joe Rodon.

Why Joe Rodon should be dropped

As the only natural, senior, right-footed centre-back option in the squad, the Wales international has been depended on by Farke week-in-week-out this season.

Rodon is the only outfield player to start all 26 Championship matches and only Illan Meslier has played more minutes than him, which illustrates the workload that has been put on his shoulders.

Appearances

26

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.4

Ball recoveries per game

4.0

Error led to shot/goal

2

Penalties committed

1

Aerial duel success rate

54%

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh centre-back has not been without his faults this season, as he has made three big errors that have led to shots, goals, or penalties.

This suggests that Rodon could do with having a break from action this weekend against Harrogate, and that is why Farke should bin him from the team to finally unleash academy talent James Debayo.

Why James Debayo should be unleashed

Whilst the Leeds boss could bring Ampadu into a centre-back role and use other options in midfield, this is the perfect opportunity to unleash the 19-year-old defender from the start for the first time in his career.

His only senior appearance to date came in the 95th minute of the 4-3 win over Swansea earlier this season, which means that the youngster is yet to start a match at first-team level.

Debayo has been an unused substitute in 17 other Championship games this term and that shows that he is on the fringes of the team, as Farke has deemed him good enough to be an option if required in the second tier.

The 19-year-old centre-back, who was once hailed as “brilliant” by former U21 boss Michael Skubala, has played 30 times for the club at U21 level and been capped six times by England’s U18s, which shows that he is experienced at the high end of academy football.

There is no telling, given his zero senior starts to date, how Debayo would get on from the start against Harrogate, but Rodon’s minutes and mistakes suggest that this is the right time for Farke to take a gamble and see how the academy teen gets on against lower league opposition.

Leeds could land Rothwell upgrade in swoop for £8m Championship "monster"

Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Championship midfield star.

2 ByDan Emery Jan 8, 2025

A strong performance from the young ace could, then, convince the manager to hand him more opportunites throughout the second half of the campaign.

Arsenal came into Saturday night’s clash knowing they could put the pressure on Chelsea and Liverpool heading into a big Sunday of football.

Manchester City had lost yet again a few hours earlier and the thought of an evening under the lights against Crystal Palace probably won’t have given the Gunners too much hope.

However, despite a first-half scare in the opening 20 minutes, they came through the clash with relative ease once all was said and done.

As the full-time whistle blew in south London, Mikel Arteta’s men had given their supporters the finest Christmas gift, winning 5-1.

Gabriel Jesus was Palace’s nemesis again. Just days before the Brazilian had scored a remarkable hat-trick against Oliver Glasner’s side in the Carabao Cup, and on this occasion, he scored two more goals.

It was a terrific performance from the attacker who all of a sudden now looks like a key cog in the Arsenal attack.

However, although there were encouraging performances from the likes of Kai Havertz in midfield and Gabriel Martinelli on the wings, it was a 5-1 win in which some negatives did crop up. The biggest of which was an injury to Bukayo Saka.

Arteta given big injury worry after Arsenal’s 5-1 win

Saka has played a whole heap of football over the last few years and the need to find some added competition on the Englishman’s right-hand side has been well-documented.

Raheem Sterling did arrive on a loan deal back on transfer deadline day but Arteta hasn’t really trusted him.

Understandably, the club have been reliant on the young forward again this term and he has been the biggest source of creativity in the Arsenal side, registering the highest number of assists (10) in the entire division.

So, to see him hobble from the field rather gingerly in the first half will have been a gutting sight for everyone associated with Arsenal.

Saka dribbled down the right-hand side and delivered a cross but immediately went down holding his hamstring and called to be replaced. He couldn’t carry on and left the field, replaced by Leandro Trossard.

Arteta said at full-time that the player’s injury was a “worry” and that was made abundantly clear when he was videoed leaving the stadium on crutches.

Fortunately for the Gunners, they were helped big time by Martinelli’s performance on the right wing who showed extreme quality to tee up Arsenal’s third goal, scored by Havertz after Jesus’ header rebounded off the post.

The performance of Arteta’s two Brazilians in attack will no doubt have been a source of comfort for the manager but it was a 5-1 thrashing where there wasn’t just the negative of Saka’s injury.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal’s underperformers against Crystal Palace

One of the strangest performances on Saturday evening came from William Saliba, so often regarded as one of the finest central defenders in European football.

He was not at the races this time around and was fortunate to be bailed out by a combination of the Arsenal attack and goalkeeper David Raya.

Saliba was perhaps at fault for Ismaila Sarr’s equaliser as the Frenchman dropped off and didn’t attempt to make a tackle. The end result was an easy run and finish for the Eagles winger who was only too happy to drive at a backtracking centre half.

Arsenal’s number 2 nearly made things worse a little later on when Sarr dispossessed him close to the Gunners’ penalty box. Really, Glasner’s side should have found the net but for a brilliant save by Raya. After picking up possession, Sarr fed Jean-Philippe Mateta but Raya raced out to stop a goal-bound effort.

The performance of Arsenal’s midfield, chiefly Thomas Partey also raised question marks. The Ghanaian has largely been very consistent in the middle of the park this term but alongside the more attack-minded Martin Odegaard and Havertz, was overrun and looked out of sorts.

It looked as though the experiment of playing Havertz as a midfielder had ended but it was brought back this weekend and from an offensive point of view, it really worked a treat.

Playing as a left-sided 8, the German gave the team more attacking threat and showed as much for his goal on the night.

That said, with Declan Rice not starting due to fitness, he now simply has to start on Boxing Day against Ipswich Town.

He’s far more mobile than Partey, can eat up more ground and would be far better suited to covering off spaces when Arteta plays two more attacking midfielders in front of the holding player.

Minutes played

90

Touches

66

Accurate passes

51/55 (93%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Accurate long balls

3/3

Successful dribbles

1/3

Ground duels won

2/6

Aerial duels won

1/3

Possession lost

7x

Fouls

2

Interceptions

3

Tackles

1

Partey struggled because of that, winning just three of his nine duels and making two fouls. While the former Atletico star did look composed in possession, succeeding with 93% of his passes, his ability to control the tempo of the game was lacking.

That was highlighted by the Standard’s Simon Collings who awarded the player a 5/10 match rating and stated that he ‘struggled’ and ‘did not give the defence enough protection’.

As a result, if Arteta wants to find a way to squeeze Havertz and Jesus into the same team again, it is Rice who needs to play at the base of the midfield, not Partey.

Saved by Jesus: Arsenal were let down by "awful" 116-touch star at Palace

Arsenal returned to form in the Premier League with a thumping win over Crystal Palace.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 21, 2024

Chelsea could now be set to offload three more members of their squad alongside the heavily reported Ben Chilwell in January, according to fresh reports, with Enzo Maresca ready to greenlight their departures.

Chelsea chasing Premier League title

Though Blues boss Maresca continues to downplay Chelsea’s chances of winning the Premier League, their 2-1 win over Brentford moved them to within just two points of Liverpool, who have a game in hand on the Blues.

Goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson ensured that Chelsea picked up all three points against their London rivals, a result which moved them four points clear of Arsenal in third and left them as Liverpool’s primary challenger for the title after a weekend where all of Arsenal, Manchester City and Arne Slot’s side dropped points. Despite this, Maresca refused to get carried away with his side.

“It’s not about how many games we win. It’s about being realistic. There are things we have to do better. That’s why I said for me we are not ready,” he explained after the game.

The Blues have an excellent chance to continue piling the pressure on their fellow challengers in the coming weeks though, as they face a favourable fixture list on paper, while their two squad system has negated the potential fatigue that European competitions often add to domestic fixtures.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League games
Everton (Away)
Fulham (Home)
Ipswich Town (Away)
Crystal Palace (Away)
Bournemouth (Home)

Despite their impressive start to the season, however, there are still issues to sort out in the January transfer window, which is shaping to be a busy one for the Blues.

Four players set to leave

It is already widely accepted that Chilwell will leave the club in January should he be able to find a suitor, with the Chelsea defender yet to feature in the Premier League this season despite no injury concerns and having failed to complete a move away in the summer. But now, a fresh report suggests that he will be joined by three more players, with all of Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Cesare Casadei on the chopping block.

Maresca could fix Lavia hole by unleashing "very important" Chelsea star

Enzo Maresca can fix a Lavia sized hole with “important” Chelsea ace.

By
Connor Holden

Dec 15, 2024

Dewsbury-Hall only arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer, joining Maresca in making the switch from Leicester City. Though Maresca has insisted that he is “very happy” with the midfielder, the Englishman has yet to start a Premier League game for his new club, and is behind all of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia in the pecking order.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, he could be on the move as soon as January, while Carney Chukwuemeka and Casadei could both join him, having also barely featured for the Blues this campaign and with the club now ready to sell all three midfielders midway through the campaign.

Any permanent deals are likely to be complicated by wage demands, with the trio taking home around £188,000 a week between them, about £10m per year, while Chelsea will be keen to recoup as much of the close to £60m outlay on the trio too.

However, the Blues are open to loan deals for the trio too, which could help accelerate their departures from west London, with all three attracting interest from across Europe.

Chelsea could be set for a January auction as yet more clubs have contacted them over one of their talents who missed out on the win over Leicester City.

Chelsea made to work for Leicester City win

Enzo Maresca’s return to Leicester City as Chelsea boss was straightforward for the most part, but almost went sour at the end.

An early goal from Nicolas Jackson, his seventh of the season in the Premier League, capitalised on Chelsea’s dominance, but it was not until 15 minutes from time that they doubled their advantage when Enzo Fernandez nodded home after Jackson’s initial effort had been well saved by Mads Hermansen.

Leicester offered very little but were denied a penalty minutes from time in controversial circumstances before being handed a spot kick in injury time, which Jordan Ayew duly converted to set up a nervy final few seconds for the visitors.

However, they held on for a deserved three points, to move them just a point behind Manchester City and placing them well in the hunt for the Premier League title with over a quarter of the campaign to go.

Chelsea’s dominance over Leicester City
	Chelsea	Leicester City
Possession	63%	37%
Shots	16	4
Shots on target	7	1
Touches in the opposition box	38	9
xG from open play	2.66	0.32

Not everyone has enjoyed the Blues’ impressive start to the season; already there have been members of the “B” side (who Maresca uses in the cup competitions) linked with moves away, with forward Christopher Nkunku among those who have been touted with a departure in the coming months.

Now, another player could be on the move midway through the campaign.

Clubs ask about signing Chelsea outcast in January

That comes as Sport Witness have relayed reports that two more clubs have asked about highly-rated midfielder Cesare Casadei, who has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Signed from Inter Milan in the summer of 2022, Casadei has spent time out on loan since he arrived in west London, first with Reading and then under Maresca at Leicester City.

63% passing: Maresca must finally drop Chelsea man after 5/10 display

The Chelsea ace disappointed against Leicester

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 24, 2024

He has made just 15 appearances for Chelsea in two years, 10 fewer than he made during his six-month spell at the King Power Stadium, with 11 coming in the Premier League, totalling just 71 minutes of action.

Casadei is yet to feature in the top flight this season and wasn’t part of the matchday squad at the King Power. He has made just two starts across all competitions, leaving a January exit seemingly likely either on loan or permanently.

Juventus and Inter have both been linked with moves for the Italian, but now Sport Witness relay claims that Serie A pair Genoa and Como have ‘come forward to ask for information’ about a potential January move, with it clear the player will leave in the New Year.

Monza are also in the race to sign the 21-year-old, while Feyenoord are also reportedly ready to “shell out more than €20m to get ahead of the competition” should the Blues be willing to let him leave permanently.

With his future seemingly lying away from Stamford Bridge and the likes of Romeo Lavia, Renato Veiga, Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ahead of him in the pecking order, a sale at €20m would see the Blues make a profit, and could be the best solution for all parties.

Super agent Jorge Mendes is trying to broker a deal for AC Milan star Rafael Leao amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

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Leao could be sold in the summerPulisic to become AC Milan's main manChelsea and Barca showed interest in LeaoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leao is one of the key figures in the AC Milan dressing room and is the club's highest paid player in the current squad. The player, however, could be sold in the summer as his agent Jorge Mendes is keen on getting the Portuguese winger out of the Serie A club, according to . Despite Leao being one of the best players in the team, he has managed to start in just nine out of the 26 league appearances he has made thus far in the 2024/25 campaign.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Amid rumours of the Portuguese star exiting the Rossoneri, European giants Chelsea and Barcelona have shown strong interest in the forward as both clubs are keen on bolstering their attacking line ahead of the 2025/26 season.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

If Leao moves out of San Siro, Christian Pulisic will become the club's main man in the attack. The USMNT star has already scored 14 goals across all competitions and recently starred in the team's dramatic comeback win over Lecce last weekend.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

Sergio Conceicao's side will be back in action next Saturday as they take on Cesc Fabregas' Como in the Serie A.

It’s November, and Liverpool are entering the final international break of 2024 atop both the Premier League and Champions League tables. Arne Slot, it’s fair to say, is enjoying life on Merseyside.

Rivals no doubt anticipated the Dutch tactician being jettisoned from the Anfield dugout in short time, with the weight of succeeding Jurgen Klopp supposed to be too much to bear.

That hasn’t been the case, with all cylinders firing – though none more potently than Mohamed Salah, who is cementing himself in greatness.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Salah is approaching the end of his contract, in case you didn’t know. The Egypt superstar is rightly entering some pretty exciting conversations as he reaches this late critical juncture in his career, and he – and his outfit – have a big decision to make. And they need to make it soon.

In just over seven weeks, Salah is free to chat away with suitors overseas, and there are sure to be plenty willing to pay a king’s ransom to get this remarkable talent, who has posted ten goals and ten assists across 17 matches in all competitions for the Reds this season.

This won’t do. How aligned Liverpool and the 32-year-old are in regard to pay and the various bits and bobs that come into play when deciding upon a new deal is something that will not escape into the public discourse.

Salah is already the highest-paid player in the club’s existence, and FSG are notoriously circumspect when dishing out lucrative deals to those on the wrong side of 30. This once-in-a-lifetime forward, however, is something of an anomaly.

Liverpool’s Highest-paid Players
Rank	Player	Salary
1.	Mohamed Salah	£350k-per-week
2.	Virgil van Dijk	£220k-per-week
3.	Trent Alexander-Arnold	£180k-per-week
4.	Andy Robertson	£160k-per-week
5.	Alexis Mac Allister	£150k-per-week
5=	Alisson Becker	£150k-per-week
5=	Ryan Gravenberch	£150k-per-week
5=	Federico Chiesa	£150k-per-week
Sourced via Capology

Liverpool will of course hope to extend the contract of one of their greatest forwards ever. Ah, but there are variables at play. Who knows how it will pan out? FSG, to be sure, are drawing up a success plan.

Liverpool looking at Salah replacement

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are in the running to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush, though Manchester City also have a vested interest in the forward.

Marmoush, 25, has been one of the most in-form players in Europe this season, and his German club are happy to field bids totalling £60m, which is of course no small sum.

It’s understood that the Egypt international would only leave if he was guaranteed a nailed-down starting berth, thus putting City, who enforce regular rotation, at a disadvantage.

Liverpool must make their move if Salah leaves. Marmoush is potent enough to succeed his countryman and, moreover, plays a bit like Darwin Nunez.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How Omar Marmoush compares to Darwin Nunez

Marmoush is just like Nunez, though there’s one glaring polarity when comparing the two skill sets: The Frankfurt star is one of the most clinical forwards in Europe right now.

Most G/A across Europe’s Top-5 Leagues (24/25)
Rank	Player	Apps	Goals	Assists	G/A
1.	Harry Kane	10	11	7	18
1=	Omar Marmoush	10	11	7	18
3.	Robert Lewandowski	13	14	2	16
4.	Raphinha	13	7	8	15
5.	Mateo Retegui	12	11	3	14
5=	Vinicius Junior	12	8	6	14
5=	Mohamed Salah	11	8	6	14
Stats via Transfermarkt

Level with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane as the most prolific player across Europe’s top five leagues this season (league statistics only), there’s just cause for Liverpool’s interest.

Indeed, hailed for his “ridiculous” performances by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, Marmoush is proving to be Egypt’s greatest new talent, equipped with the skills and the confidence to effectively replace Salah – perhaps he can do it at Liverpool too.

After all, the 25-year-old operates within the same parameters as Nunez. According to FBref’s player-comparing database, Liverpool’s centre-forward is one of Marmoush’s most comparable players, and given that Nunez has made gains under Slot this season, it might be that the Frankfurt star could hit the ground running, should he indeed sign.

Marmoush loves a goal, but he’s also among the most creative and dynamic in the game right now, ranking among the top 1% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per90, as per FBref.

This does run nicely against Nunez’s style of play. The Uruguayan, while only chalking up three goals and two assists across his 14 Reds appearances this term, started only seven of those.

But he’s made headway under Slot’s wing, and this is down to his underlying parts. The 25-year-old ranks among the top 17% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 8% for tackles per 90.

His tenacity is pretty much overpowering the absence of a clinical-edged attacking sense, but in Marmoush, Liverpool could land a player of similar proportions but one that is borne with a potency that may indeed see him successfully replace Salah.

For £60m, it wouldn’t be a cheap deal to pull off. But even so, should Salah leave, this would be the perfect player to bring into the fold.

The next Diaz: Liverpool keen on signing "exciting" £84m star

Liverpool could have this exciting signing up their sleeve.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 10, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur have been sent a warning that Napoli and former Spurs boss Antonio Conte are “ready” to move for an “outstanding” starlet in Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Spurs prepare for tough test against Aston Villa

Following on from their uplifting 2-1 win over Man City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, which was much-needed after their slump to lowly Crystal Palace last weekend, the Lilywhites take on high-flying Aston Villa in another very tough test.

Approach made: Tottenham prepared to hijack Lyon talks for £54m attacker

The Ligue 1 side are already in negotiations ahead of 2025.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 1, 2024

Unai Emery’s side have lost just once all season so far, a defeat to Premier League title-chasing Arsenal back in August, and appear on course to be sure-fire contenders for a place in the top four yet again.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Man City vs Tottenham

November 23

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Spurs, meanwhile, have endured a very mixed start to the campaign under Postecoglou – winning four, losing four and drawing one of their opening eight top-flight matches as the Australian aims to galvanize a consistent winning run from his side.

Timo Werner’s been singled out for criticism amid his lacklustre form, but the German scored his first goal in all competitions since March by opening the scoring against Man City in midweek.

The 28-year-old will be hoping to build upon that strike by regaining full form, amid reports that Werner is likely to return to RB Leipzig at the end of his loan spell as things stand, with Spurs edging towards not taking up the option to sign him permanently.

While the likes of Dejan Kulusevski have seriously impressed, with the Swede arguably showcasing his best-ever run of form in a Lilywhites jersey right now, other members of the squad like Werner haven’t been able to help Tottenham’s cause as much.

Summer signing Archie Gray could be loaned out by Spurs in January, as intermediaries apparently tell Postecoglou’s side that many clubs in the Premier League and Championship are considering winter approaches for the teenager (GiveMeSport).

Gray has struggled for game time in the top flight, and those within the club apparently believe they have a decision to make in regard to loaning him out (GiveMeSport).

Tottenham warned that Napoli are "ready" to move for Dragusin

Another player who’s been forced to play more of a bit-part role in the squad is January signing Radu Dragusin.

Dragusin is attracting interest from Serie A, as per other reports, and it is believed that Napoli are seriously keen on the “outstanding” 22-year-old. That is according to journalist Paolo Paganini, who told Rai 2 (via CalcioNapoli) that Napoli are ready to move for Dragusin in January – sending a warning to Tottenham.

“Be careful because Napoli is ready to make a double move in January,” said Paganini.

“One is Dorgu from Lecce, and the other is Dragusin from the Premier League. Be careful because Raspadori can leave, but [Aurelio] De Laurentiis will hardly give him to Juventus. Atalanta also like him.”

Letting the Romania international leave could be a head-scratching decision, considering Spurs’ congested fixture calendar, and the consensus in England is that Tottenham have no interest in selling or loaning Dragusin mid-season.

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign a “magnificent” talent who scouts believe plays like Jack Grealish, according to a new report. The Villans have had a few poor results in the last week, but Unai Emery will be keen to finish strong as they head into the November international break.

Why there's talks of Douglas Luiz returning to Aston Villa on loan

Villa may be offered the chance to re-sign a former player in January after his poor start at his new club.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 5, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

It has overall been an excellent campaign for Villa, as they sit near the top end of the Premier League table as well as the Champions League group stage. However, despite the success on the pitch, it appears as though the hierarchy, along with Emery, are keen on adding to their squad when January arrives.

La Liga is a league that Monchi and Emery know well, and it seems that the pair have been keeping a close eye on it. That is because Villa are interested in signing Getafe’s Christantus Uche, a midfielder who has been really impressive this season, and they are also interested in signing Loic Bade from Sevilla, a young French defender showing plenty of promise.

Meanwhile, they could also be offered the chance to re-sign a former player of theirs. It came to light on Tuesday that Juventus could offer Villa the chance to sign Douglas Luiz on loan in January, as the Brazilian continues to struggle at his new club. Juventus are keen for Luiz to re-find his confidence, and they believe sending him back to Villa could do that, but it remains to be seen if his former employers are interested in a deal.

Villa will have to weigh that possibility up, but there is one player that they are definitely interested in and are said to be leading the race for his signature.

Aston Villa leading race to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the progress of Tyler Dibling and are leading the race to secure his signature. Dibling is a product of Southampton’s academy, and he has really impressed in the top flight this season.

The 18-year-old, who has been described as “magnificent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has appeared in all 10 league games this season, and he has one goal to his name, which came against Ipswich Town.

There are several Premier League teams looking at Dibling, but Emery’s side are leading the race to sign the young talent. Villa scouts have even compared the Southampton man’s playing style to that of former Villa player Jack Grealish.

Apps

17

Goals

1

Assists

2

The Midlands side are a serious contender to sign Dibling, impressing the player’s family, and have already built a rapport. Villa plan to keep an eye on the winger this season, watching how he develops. A move in January hasn’t been ruled out, but Villa are also confident that they will get a chance to sit down with Dibling and his representatives at the end of the season to discuss his future.

West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui is a man under pressure right now, and it is believed the Spaniard is now plotting a shake-up to the starting line-up so he can fix a real problem concerning both him and the Hammers’ backroom staff.

Calls for West Ham to sack Lopetegui after lacklustre start

Following a lacklustre start to the new Premier League season, there have been a few calls for David Sullivan and the Irons hierarchy to part company with Lopetegui already.

West Ham could sign 23-goal Fullkrug alternative as Lopetegui makes demand

The Hammers are looking at other strikers already.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 23, 2024

The 58-year-old has guided West Ham to just two wins in the league so far, losing four and drawing two. At one point, the east Londoners went from late August to October without a single victory in all competitions, despite their near-£120 million expenditure on new signings in the summer window.

Pressure on Lopetegui was eased somewhat briefly with a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town recently, but they followed that up with a dismal defeat at Tottenham by the same scoreline. Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has even claimed that West Ham are considering Edin Terzic in the event they sack Lopetegui, so it is something the club are perhaps weighing up if results continue in this manner.

Lopetegui has big shoes to fill after David Moyes guided West Ham to their first major trophy since the 1980s, not to mention successive campaigns in Europe, and the former Spain boss is also attempting to gel together a very new-look squad.

West Ham are looking at signing a striker in January as well, amid Niclas Fullkrug’s injury woes, with Lopetegui forced to rely on the likes of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings to lead his line.

There are many factors at play which haven’t exactly helped Lopetegui, but journalist Dean Jones has still urged West Ham to sack the tactician.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve heard reports that there are a fair few people that are not convinced about Lopetegui, and obviously there was friction recently between him and Mohammed Kudus in the dressing room at half-time,” said Jones.

“So there are other layers here that could affect the situation, but there’s emotion too, that is going to impact how this goes, and we’ll see whether they’re (the West Ham board) on the right side of those feelings once we come out of this break.

“Honestly, I’d probably sack him (Lopetegui). I think they’ve got it wrong. I don’t think this is the right man for them. I think it’s a waste of time. I’d sack him.”

Edson Alvarez set for West Ham recall amid real Lopetegui worry

According to GiveMeSport, another major concern held by Lopetegui and his coaching staff is West Ham’s lack of solidarity and bite in midfield – specifically in front of the back four.

Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek have partnered each other in the centre most often, but the pair haven’t exactly helped West Ham maintain control in midfield. This is seen as a big weakness by Lopetegui and his backroom, meaning they could turn back to Edson Alvarez.

Edson Alvarez

Guido Rodriguez

Tomas Soucek

Short pass completion %

92.7

87.3

84.3

% of dribblers tackled

83.3

44.4

58.3

Shot-creating actions

8

17

18

Tackles

3.33

3.13

2.07

Clearances

1.33

2.39

2.93

Alvarez is set for a recall to West Ham’s starting XI in place of Rodriguez or Soucek as a result, as Lopetegui desperately attempts to turn their fortunes around and halt opponents from dominating them. The Mexico international is in line to start against Man United this weekend as a result, and their clash at the London Stadium represents an opportunity for Alvarez to stake his claim in the side.

A new report has shared positive noises out of West Ham United regarding striker Niclas Fullkrug.

West Ham team news ahead of Brentford trip

The Hammers fell to another disappointing defeat in the week, with Julen Lopetegui’s side shipping five to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup after conceding three to Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend.

Pressure appears to be building on the new boss to improve both performances and results so early on in the new season, especially after the cash was splashed by the West Ham hierarchy over the summer.

West Ham summer signings	From	Fee (Transfermarkt)
Max Kilman	Wolves	€47.5m
Crysencio Summerville	Leeds United	€29.3m
Niclas Fullkrug	Borussia Dortmund	€27m
Luis Guilherme	Palmeiras	€23m
Mohamadou Kante	Paris FC	Undisclosed
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	Man Utd	€18m
Wes Foderingham	Sheffield United	Free transfer
Guido Rodriguez	Real Betis	Free transfer
Jean-Clair Todibo	Nice	Loan transfer
Carlos Soler	PSG	Loan transfer
West Ham summer departures	To	Fee (Transfermarkt)
Flynn Downes	Southampton	€17.85m
James Ward-Prowse	Forest	Loan
Maxwel Cornet	Southampton	Loan
Nayef Aguerd	Real Sociedad	Loan
Said Benrahma	Lyon	€14.4m
Angelo Ogbonna	Watford	Free transfer
Thilo Kehrer	Monaco	€11m
Nathan Trott	FC Copenhagen	€1.5m
Ben Johnson	Ipswich Town	Free transfer
Joseph Anang	St. Patrick’s Athletic	Free transfer

As can be seen, West Ham were very busy in the recent transfer window, however, one of those signings, Fullkrug, has had a tough start to life at the London Stadium.

The Germany international made four appearances at the beginning of the campaign, one of which was as a starter against Bournemouth. However, the 31-year-old is yet to score and returned from the recent international break with an injury, which led to the Irons being linked with exploring a free agent forward signing.

He hasn’t featured in West Ham’s subsequent games against Fulham, Chelsea or Liverpool and appears to be a doubt for the trip to Brentford this weekend. Lopetegui recently addressed the media ahead of this weekend’s clash with Thomas Frank’s side and hinted that Fullkrug could be a doubt again alongside the suspended Edson Alvarez.

“We will train now and will see again afterwards how they are. We have Edson out and let’s see what will happen with the others between today and tomorrow.

“Unfortunately Fullkrug was not available last night, so we will wait for this afternoon and tomorrow to see for him.”

Report shares new Niclas Fullkrug update from West Ham

A new report from GiveMeSport has shared a positive update from West Ham regarding Fullkrug in what will come as a boost to Lopetegui. They say that the forward is ‘showing good signs in training’ at Rush Green with a likely entry into the starting XI after the upcoming international break in October.

GiveMeSport sources claim that Fullkrug is edging back closer to contention and there are positive signs he is now building up well towards first-team match action.

As we know, with Fullkrug out, the centre-forward burden has been put on the shoulders of both Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, with the latter scoring a late equaliser against Fulham recently.

However, having a fit and firing Fullkrug back as soon as possible is just what the Hammers need, especially after they forked out a big fee for the ready-made striker in the summer. Hopefully, the new positive claims on Fullkrug are accurate, and he can make an immediate impact upon his return. Whether he makes the bench this weekend remains to be seen, though.