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Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Jose Cifuentes to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Colombian media outlet LA10 (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Leeds and Brighton & Hove Albion are pursuing a move for the Los Angeles FC midfielder over what remains of the summer transfer window, with the Seagulls currently thought to be leading the race for the 23-year-old after tabling a €6m (£5m) bid.

However, the report goes on to state that, with both Jesse Marsch – who is believed to be a big admirer of the Ecuador international – and Victor Orta being aware of Brighton’s offer for the midfielder, the expectation is that the Whites will launch a bid to gazump Graham Potters’ in the next few days.

“One of the best”

Considering just how impressive Cifuentes has been for LAFC so far this season, it is not difficult to understand why both Leeds and Brighton are keen on a deal to bring the 23-year-old to the Premier League prior to the closure of the summer transfer window next week.

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Indeed, over his 25 MLS appearances in 2022, the £9m-rated midfielder has been in remarkable form, scoring seven goals, registering six assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots – 0.8 of which have hit the target – making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

The £6.1k-per-week talent has also caught the eye in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.9 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 28.4 passes, 1.5 long balls and winning 4.8 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the eight-cap international who South American football expert Tim Vickery dubbed “one of the best all-round midfielders” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.13 – ranking him as Los Angeles’ third-best player in the current campaign.

As such, considering the sheer amount of ability Cifuentes possesses in both an attacking and defensive capacity, should Orta manage to get a deal in the region of £5m over the line for the Ecuadorean in the coming days – a figure considerably lower than the midfielder’s current market valuation – it would very much appear as if the Spaniard will have sealed an absolute steal for the Whites.

Nottingham Forest have had a rather mixed start to their Premier League campaign, with two defeats, one draw and one win from their first four games.

One early aspect of the season so far that Steve Cooper can take a positive from is that his side have only conceded five goals so far, leaving nine other clubs in the division having let more in.

One figure that has played a rather big role at the back for the promoted side so far in the campaign is Steve Cook.

In the three league games he’s appeared in, the centre-back has made 15 clearances in total, leaving only three other Forest players with more.

Having made a total of 171 Premier League appearances across his career, the 31-year-old certainly knows what it takes to play in the division.

While the Midlands club have already brought in a vast amount of new players throughout the summer transfer window, the remaining hours before deadline day could see them add some extra defensive reinforcement to the squad.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to the City Ground that would do that and give Cooper the chance to create a formidable defensive duo next to Cook is Michael Keane.

With 219 top-flight appearances under his belt, the Everton defender, just like Cook, has a lot of experience playing in the Premier League, which could be very valuable for Forest if they sign him.

Last season saw the 29-year-old end the campaign with more interceptions (62) and clearances (149) than any other Everton player, which highlights the defensive credentials he’d be able to offer Cooper’s side.

Praised for his “immense” performances in the past by Harry Redknapp, the £65k-per-week centre-half has only made one substitute appearance for the Toffees in the league this season, which suggests that he has fallen down the pecking order at the Merseyside club.

With that in mind, a move to Forest where he may have a better chance of playing regularly and being part of a strong defensive partnership with Cook could be a very tempting prospect for the player.

If the opportunity to strike a deal for Keane arises before deadline day, this is definitely something that the Midlands club should pounce on, as his defensive experience and talent could be the difference between Forest having a successful campaign or not.

Sunderland were dealt a big blow on Monday night as Ross Stewart picked up an injury in the warm-up ahead of their Championship game against Middlesbrough.

The Scottish forward was in line to start against Chris Wilder’s side but was forced to miss out after picking up an injury, which was perhaps a big factor in the Black Cats’ poor performance as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the Riverside Stadium.

Tony Mowbray provided an update on the talismanic forward following the match, saying: “Ross did it shooting in the warm-up. He’s popped a muscle in his thigh. It seems a very isolated spot, but whether it’s a tear in the upper thigh where he’s struck the ball, we’ll have to see.

“It needs a scan. It’ll either come back grade one, grade two or grade three, which will mean he’s out for two weeks, four weeks or eight weeks. Let’s wait and see.”

Sunderland have enjoyed a lot of success so far this season playing Stewart alongside Ellis Simms up front as a duo.

The two strikers have contributed eight goals and three assists between them, with the former ranked as their best-performing player and the Everton loanee ranked third in the Black Cats’ squad (as per WhoScored).

Therefore, to lose the Scottish forward just days after the transfer window shut is undoubtedly a huge blow for Mowbray as he looks to continue Sunderland’s impressive start to the new campaign, which has seen them lose only to Norwich City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, three teams who will all expect to be in and around the play-off positions at the end of the season.

Stewart was vital to Sunderland’s promotion last term, enjoying an “incredible” campaign which saw him hit 26 goals in League One, and his start to 2022/23 promised plenty more goals across the season, having already struck five times.

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After the Black Cats’ disappointing display in the defeat at Middlesbrough on Monday night, Mowbray must be worried that Sunderland could struggle in front of goal without their star striker.

He will be hoping that Stewart’s injury – which journalist Josh Bunting bemoaned as a “huge blow” to the team prior to the ‘Boro game – is not a severe one.

Crystal Palace have found themselves in a positive place ever since Patrick Vieira took over as the club’s manager in the summer of 2021.

The Frenchman’s debut season in charge saw him lead the club to an excellent finishing position of 12th in the Premier League finish, with victories over Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal along the way.

A run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup was also a nice little bonus, and despite a slow start to this campaign – winning only one league match so far – the future looks bright at Selhurst Park.

One of Vieira’s finest moves last season was bringing Joachim Andersen to the club, and the Danish defender has proven his worth so far.

Vieira hit the jackpot with Andersen

Palace announced that they had signed the centre-back from Lyon last summer for a fee of £17m after he represented Denmark at the European Championship, playing in three matches as they had an excellent run to the semi-finals.

The 26-year-old had prior Premier League experience before joining the Eagles, playing 31 times for Fulham whilst on loan from Lyon in 2020/21.

Last season, he featured in 34 league matches for Palace, achieving a SofaScore rating of 6.92 for his performances.

Even for a defender, his attacking qualities shone through as he created two big chances, along with making 0.6 key passes and having 78 touches each game. He featured in a defence which kept 11 clean sheets while he also won 53% of his duels, showing just how strong and effective he has been at the heart of defence.

The 26-year-old has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign, ranking second in the Palace squad on WhoScored with a rating of 7.27. He has won the most aerial duels out of the squad (2.8 per match) and also is their joint-second highest scorer.

The defender’s value on CIES Football Observatory is €30m (£26m), a full £9m more than the club paid for him. If he continues these impressive performances, this valuation will only grow.

Vieira explained that Andersen was “massively important” not long after he joined the club, and considering his performance in the early weeks of the campaign, he could be deemed just as crucial to the future of Palace as top scorer Wilfried Zaha.

It looks like the Frenchman struck gold on the Dane, and the 46-year-old will be looking at making him a mainstay in the Selhurst Park defence for the next few years.

When Kemar Roofe left West Brom in 2015, few would have predicted that he would be getting ready to feature in the Champions League seven years later.

The Baggies academy graduate was impressive for the U21s during his time at the Hawthorns, hitting 24 goals and 16 assists in 78 appearances but he was never given a chance in the first team.

After an impressive loan spell at Oxford United in the 2014/15 season which saw him hit six goals in 16 appearances, he would join the U’s on a permanent deal in the summer of 2015.

Another superb season in League Two was to come, as Roofe managed 17 goals and ten assists for Oxford United as they earned promotion to League One.

His form in the fourth tier convinced Leeds United to sign the forward the following summer and he would continue his fine run in the Championship with the Whites, with the Baggies no doubt regretting not giving Roofe a chance at this point.

After hitting 33 goals and 14 assists for the Yorkshire club, Roofe would move to Anderlecht where he enjoyed a fruitful but short spell, scoring seven times in 16 outings before his move to Rangers in 2020 where he has since thrived.

So impressive has he been that the attacker even scored from the halfway line in continental competition. Roofe was lauded for that moment of brilliance against Standard Liege in the Europa League by former boss Steven Gerrard.

He said: “He manages to take someone on – and to then have the vision and audacity to try the strike in the first place, I just think that’s a moment of genius.

“And it’s probably the best goal I’ve seen live – and I’ve been a professional since 1998. Unbelievable strike and he deserves all the plaudits for it.”

Roofe has always offered a goalscoring threat wherever he has been in his career and has 34 Rangers goals to his name thus far, helping the Gers win the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 and then helping them to a Europa League final last term.

He now looks set to make his Champions League debut this season after Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side sealed their spot in the group stages, which certainly does not reflect well on the Baggies. They let him go to a League Two side despite his impressive academy form, having never given him a chance to impress in the first team. This was certainly a transfer howler from Albion.

Leeds United are set to open contract talks with winger Jack Harrison, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Current deal

Harrison eventually made his move to Elland Road permanent from Manchester City in 2021 after three years on loan in Yorkshire.

He penned a deal through to 2024 and is reportedly on £15,000-a-week, less than the likes of teenager Joe Gelhardt and midfielder Adam Forshaw. [FBref]

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength with the Whites, contributing to four goals in six games this season, and it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta want to tie the winger down to a fresh contract.

The Latest: Contract talks

FI provided an update regarding Harrison on Tuesday morning after being informed by sources.

They claimed that Leeds don’t want to lose the wide forward and are now ready to offer him ‘a new and improved contract reflecting his status as a key member of their team’.

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The Verdict: Deserved

Harrison, labelled as having been “absolutely superb” this season by Conor McGilligan, was a wanted man over the summer, with Newcastle reportedly having a £20m+bid turned down.

Therefore, it makes sense to try and secure the Englishman to a new deal ahead of the winter window, otherwise, there could be fresh speculation of an exit in the New Year.

Harrison has certainly deserved an improved contract as well following his displays on the pitch, so hopefully, one can be finalised over the coming months.

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been backed by Ross Wilson in the transfer market since he arrived at Ibrox in 2021.

His first window was in January of this year and the sporting director placed his faith in the head coach by bringing in Amad Diallo, Aaron Ramsey, James Sands, and Mateusz Zukowski, whilst also signing John Souttar on a pre-contract agreement.

The Light Blues chief worked hard throughout the recent summer window to further improve the Dutchman’s squad; bringing in Tom Lawrence, Antonio Colak, Ridvan Yilmaz, Malik Tillman, Rabbi Matondo and Ben Davies.

However, not every transfer has turned out to be a success and one signing Wilson has made a mistake with, as it stands, is right-back Zukowski.

The Polish full-back was brought in after the club sold Nathan Patterson for a then-record fee to Premier League side Everton, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Wilson explained the reasons behind the signing at the time, telling the club’s official website: “As part of our transfer strategy this window we wanted to recruit a young, right full-back who we see high potential in to further develop.

“Mateusz absolutely fits the profile that we were looking for in the market and we are all looking forward to working with him. He is a determined character and I know how excited he is to come here.”

He was framed as competition for James Tavernier at right-back, and was valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt, but did not make a single appearance in the Premiership in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, playing once in the SFA Cup.

That appearance in the cup remains his only outing for the first team to date and he may leave the club on a permanent basis without playing another match for the Light Blues.

He joined Lech Poznan in his home country on loan in the summer and the Polish side have a ‘guaranteed option’ to sign him permanently at the end of his temporary switch.

At the time of writing (09/10/22), Zukowski is valued at £1.35m by Transfermarkt and this means that his value has plummeted by 40% since joining in January, almost halving in less than a year.

Therefore, it’s perhaps evident that the Pole’s potential isn’t quite as big as Rangers imagined when he first joined the club 10 months ago, meaning Wilson has made a mistake in bringing him to Scotland.

The defender has not produced quality on the pitch for the Light Blues – with one appearance for the team – and he has become a depreciating asset despite only being 20, rather than rising in value as an up-and-coming player.

Manchester City have a more ‘important’ prodigy than on-fire summer signing Erling Haaland, according to reporter Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Haaland from heaven…

Since putting pen to paper on his summer move from Borussia Dortmund, the Norway superstar has been an absolute revelation – already breaking countless Premier League records at Eastlands.

Alan Shearer, the division’s best ever goalscorer, has already had one of his snatched away by Haaland.

The Match of the Day pundit did hold the record for most hat-tricks in as many top flight games, bagging three in ten league matches, but City’s new superstar has managed to half that number.

Indeed, Haaland has already managed three hat-tricks in five so far, smashing Shearer’s previous record.

The scintillating 22-year-old could have many more in his sights, but according to Jones, City starlet Phil Foden may actually be seen as a more significant prospect in Manchester than the former Salzburg powerhouse.

The Latest: Journalist makes Foden and Haaland comparison…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter says Foden could be seen as ‘more important’ than Haaland given his cultural significance and what he represents as a boyhood fan.

“Foden is the local hero. To some, he is even more important than Haaland because of what he represents to the area. Foden’s going to be around for a long time; Haaland probably won’t. City won’t have Haaland forever.

“To be honest, they’re privileged to have him for this period of his career and they’re aware of that. They don’t know if he’s going to be there for two years, three years or five years.”

The Verdict: Exciting times…

Regardless of whom will be remembered more ten years from now, City supporters will feel very lucky to watch both men play under one of the best managers of all time, Pep Guardiola.

So far, the pair have struck a devastating understanding – scoring a combined 19 goals and five assists in the English top flight alone (WhoScored).

As highlighted by City’s 6-3 drubbing of arch rivals Man United in the latest derby, Foden and Haaland are truly unplayable when at their imperious best.

Considering both are just 22-years-old, their form is truly frightening.

Aston Villa have spent big over the last two years, reinvesting their influx of money in an attempt to replace Jack Grealish’s phenomenal output.

He became a hero at Villa Park, bursting through the academy under Paul Lambert whilst being a boyhood fan and going on to captain the club to promotion back to the Premier League.

His sensational performances are the tip of the iceberg as to why he was so deified by fans, so when he left it understandably stung, even if it was for a mouth-watering £100m fee.

His departure saw a slew of attacking talent brought in, with the most underwhelming of the bunch being Leon Bailey, due to his injury woes.

The Jamaican came with a big reputation from Germany but has managed just 27 games, scoring three and assisting three more.

Tasked with replacing the “scary” qualities that Kalvin Phillips bestowed upon Grealish, it was an impossible task when compared to his final season in the Midlands.

He scored six times and assisted 12, helping Villa to an 11th-placed finish. It is even crazier that he only managed 26 league games this campaign.

To have him in Steven Gerrard’s current underperforming side, who have scored just seven goals in nine games, would have been ideal. Alas, he is no longer an option to call upon.

Admittedly, Grealish has struggled since moving to Manchester City as he surrendered the notion of being a big fish in a small pond for the chance to win every trophy available.

Last season he managed just three goals and three assists in the league, a huge decline from his performances during his final season at Villa Park.

Phillips also dubbed the winger a “dream teammate”, and it would certainly be a dream for Aston Villa to have him back as they wallow in 16th.

To add his leadership and love for the club back into a side that seems stagnant would likely be the fuse to reignite them.

To see him depart was inevitable when the unlimited money of the Cityzens come calling, but with both club and player having declined since the move, perhaps it would be mutually beneficial to reunite them.

Villa fans would certainly be in favour of this, to finally add some much-needed consistent creativity to feed the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly readying an absolutely huge behind-scenes contract offer to convince manager Antonio Conte to extend his stay.

The Lowdown: Conte era in full swing…

Despite some tepid performances, like Spurs’ most recent 2-0 loss away to Man United in the Premier League, Conte has managed to steady the Lilywhites ship and instil real excitement around the club.

Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League last season is a signal of real potential that this squad can achieve great things under the Italian, even if they do potentially need to iron out creative weaknesses in the final third.

The Lilywhites’ need for a playmaker is evident by their links to Leicester City star James Maddison and former favourite Christian Eriksen over the summer.

If Spurs do manage to improve in key areas going forward, their combined solidity defensively will make them a very formidable opponent.

This is all thanks to Conte, who has seemingly transformed the feeling at N17 both on and off the pitch.

The Latest: Spurs readying big new deal offer…

Now, the club are reportedly readying a huge contract offer to convince the ex-Inter Milan coach to stay.

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According to La Repubblica, via Inside Futbol, Spurs are ‘ready’ to hand Conte €20 million (£17m)-per-season until 2025 – alongside the promise of a huge €200m (£175m) transfer kitty.

It’s added that the club, and by extension chairman Daniel Levy, are ‘desperate’ to reach an agreement with their manager.

The Verdict: Get it done…

There has been talk of a possible Mauricio Pochettino reunion at Spurs, but we believe Conte’s achievements at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so far warrant a significant attempt to tie him down.

The north Londoners could still clinch silverware and sit third in the top flight table nearly a third of the way through 2022/2023 – potentially putting them in good stead for European qualification again.

Conte guiding Spurs to a top four finish has debatably made all of this possible and it’s clear the near-future of this side is probably best placed in the 53-year-old’s hands.