Manchester United are arguably on the verge of crisis mode in the Premier League, having lost three of their opening five games, including their most recent defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
Off-field issues, which resulted in Jadon Sancho's exile, combined with injuries to key players such as Luke Shaw, have only added to Erik ten Hag's issues, too, culminating in an opening period to forget for the Red Devils.
There's no doubt that those in Manchester will already be keeping a keen eye on January reinforcements, but they must also be aware of the fact that their form could easily drive current players away.
With that said, reports suggest that Bayern Munich are still interested in one particular academy graduate at Manchester United, with a January move possible.
What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?
On paper, United spent well in the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount, and Rasmus Hojlund. On the pitch, however, that business is yet to make a positive impact, and United have looked worse than they have for a long time under Ten Hag.
Even in the two victories that they have picked up, the Red Devils looked a shadow of the side that finished third and won the Carabao Cup last season, with narrow results over Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers their only positive points in the current campaign.
Their form could result in exits, including from academy graduate Scott McTominay. According to The Mirror, Bayern Munich are interested in signing the midfielder, should they fail to sign Joao Palhinha at the second time of asking in January. McTominay is reportedly high up on Thomas Tuchel's wanted list.
The Scotland international has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, of course, following the arrival of Sofyan Amrabat, and may get the chance at a big move to the Bundesliga when the winter transfer window comes around.
Should Manchester United sell Scott McTominay?
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.
With McTominay sitting lower than ever in Ten Hag's list of preferred options, an exit suits all parties, particularly if it is out of the Premier League and to Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga champions may well get a close-up look at the midfielder if he plays in Manchester United's opening game in Group A of the Champions League at the Allianz Arena in mid-week. If McTominay does feature, and impresses, then January will become even more interesting.
When at his best, the 26-year-old has earned plenty of praise, including from Liverpool and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson, who told the official Liverpool website, via Manchester United's official website: "There was a wee bit of banter with Scott McTominay during the Scotland duty, just a wee bit, not much, honest!
“I thought Scotty was fantastic for us against San Marino, to be honest. And he’s been excellent all season in a United team that has had its critics. I think he’s carried himself very well. I’ll be looking forward to facing him on Sunday. Obviously, I hope to come out on top.”
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner was thrilled with his side's 3-0 win over Burnley and how their attack "forced" their opponents to go a man down.
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Palace beat Burnley 3-0Brownhill sent off for ClaretsGlasner thrilled with victoryGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Eagles got Glasner's tenure at Selhurst Park off to a winning start thanks to second-half goals from Chris Richards, Jordan Ayew, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Their pressure eventually told after Josh Brownhill was sent off in the 35th minute, with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner praising the performance and the way their attack led to the midfielder's dismissal.
AdvertisementWHAT OLIVER GLASNER SAID
He told : "Sometimes the players forget about keeping the balance in the game but how we forced the red card was brilliant and we attacked very high. It was really nice to see. We had a great spirit from the beginning and the players tried to do everything that the analysts prepared for them. Also thank you to my staff because we were only here for three days. My feeling was the fans were happy to see the players attacking and fighting, they were very loud, this is what we want. They had a great afternoon and now they can go somewhere in a pub and enjoy one or two beers."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Ex-Wolfsburg manager Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson as Palace boss earlier this month after the latter agreed to step down from his role following a health scare and a poor run of results. While this win over relegation-threatened Burnley will not solve the club's issues, it does put them eight points clear of the bottom three. Conversely, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany will be under intense pressure to keep his job as they are 19th and eight points from safety.
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WHAT NEXT?
Glasner's Palace side, who are up to 13th in the table, travel to London neighbours Tottenham in their next Premier League outing on March 2 whereas Kompany's Burnley host Bournemouth in the English top-flight a day later.
Aston Villa are in action this evening in the first match of the group stages of the UEFA Conference League, as Unai Emery’s side travel to Poland to face Legia Warsaw.
The Villans progressed into the finals of the competition with ease, brushing aside Hibernian 8-0 on aggregate in the qualifying round to secure their place going forward in the 2023/24 campaign.
It’s the first time the Midlands side have been involved in European competition since 2010, with Emery hoping his team can get the tournament off to a strong start in Group E.
The four-time Europa League winner has an impeccable record in Europe during his managerial career so far, with his side preparing to start with a challenge, against a side that are unbeaten in the league this campaign.
What’s the latest Aston Villa team news?
It’s expected that the Spaniard will rotate his team from the one that typically starts in the Premier League, as the Villans are back in action on Sunday against Chelsea.
One name that could be in for a starting place is Youri Tielemans, who is yet to start a league game for the club after he joined in the summer, with the Belgian being a strong asset to possibly welcome into the fold this evening.
Aston Villa's Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins.
In his pre-match press conference, Emery revealed that Alex Moreno and Jacob Ramsey are with the squad after their absences, however stressed that he must “be careful” in bringing the two stars back.
Last time out, Villa were 3-1 victors against Crystal Palace at home, in a match that the hosts left it late to grasp three points, scoring all three of their goals in the dying moments of the fixture.
19-year-old Jhon Duran scored the equaliser against the Eagles in style, and could be handed a chance to shine against Legia this evening should the manager wish to rest Ollie Watkins. There could also be a chance for Nicolo Zaniolo to shine.
Will Nicolo Zaniolo start against Legia Warsaw?
Another player who showed some magic against Palace was summer arrival Zaniolo, who was handed his full Premier League debut after joining the club on an initial loan deal from Galatasaray.
If there’s anyone who has sufficient experience of the Europa Conference League, it’s the Italian, who won the competition in the 2021/22 season with AS Roma, where he scored the match-winner in the final against Feyenoord.
That campaign, the 24-year-old had a hand in eight goals in ten appearances in the tournament, scoring five and assisting three for Jose Mourinho’s side in what was a memorable time for the forward.
Previously lauded as “world-class” by journalist John Solano, the Italy international has all the tools to be the difference-maker against Legia, as he continues to find his stride for the Midlands club.
nicolo-zaniolo-conference-league-aston-villa
During his 57-minute performance against Palace, Zaniolo gave a glimpse of just what he can offer to Emery’s side, recording three key passes to showcase his creative ability, an area of his game that has seen him dubbed a “lethal playmaker” by journalist Zach Lowy.
Tonight’s opponents have conceded just three goals in their opening six games in the Polish top-flight, suggesting that their back line is in good stead to withstand threat, however, no door seems to be a blockage that Zaniolo can’t unlock when in form.
Emery could see a window of opportunity by allowing the Italian to maintain his starting spot this evening, in a game that could see him find added comfort in his new surroundings.
City considered signing a number of players who ended up moving to Old Trafford instead – and the blue half of Manchester must be glad they did
In a parallel universe, Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish are getting fired up ahead of the upcoming derby Manchester City. Haaland followed his former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Molde to Manchester United, while Grealish moved from Aston Villa to the Red Devils in 2020.
Meanwhile, City defensive duo Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, wearing light blue tracksuits, are discussing how they will stop Haaland and Grealish and are preparing themselves for the volley of abuse they will receive from the Stretford End.
Maguire joined City in 2019 along with Brazilian winger Antony, while Lindelof moved to the Etihad Stadium two years earlier. Raphael Varane is on the substitutes' bench for City after recovering from a niggling injury along with veteran Alexis Sanchez.
Paul Pogba, who controversially switched from the red half of Manchester to the blue half in 2022 as a free agent, will be lining up in midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes, who chose City over United in 2019…
Ok, let's head back to reality, even if it is fun to ponder what might have been been. Because, but for a few differences of opinion between sporting directors, chairmen and agents, a number of players involved in Sunday's Manchester Derby at Old Trafford could have been lining up on the opposite side of the divide.
With City still in the hunt to repeat last year's incredible treble success while United are looking increasingly likely to miss out on the top four, many of those players may have wished they chose a different destination. And City fans will be thanking their lucky stars they avoided some of the players who ended up flopping at Old Trafford.
Ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, GOAL runs through all the players who were on the verge of moving to City but ended up joining United instead and had a far less happy time as a consequence…
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Alexis Sanchez
In January 2018, with just months left on his contract at Arsenal, Sanchez faced a choice between joining two of the best coaches in the world. One option was reuniting with Pep Guardiola, who had signed him for Barcelona and who he has said "was like my dad".
Then there was Jose Mourinho, who looked to be taking United back to the top. The Portuguese, who was already seeing his arch-rival run away with the title, could not bear the thought of another top player further strengthening City and made an appeal to Sanchez.
"I was about to go to City," the Chilean told earlier this year. "We talked every day, he sent me messages. Suddenly the phone rings. Mourinho tells me: 'Alexis, here is the number seven shirt available for you'. I wanted to leave at that moment, but I had Guardiola's word.
"That's when I said to myself, a Chilean footballer playing for Manchester United, something that has never happened. With the seven of Cantona, Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now a Chilean had it, it was a dream."
That dream, though, quickly turned into a nightmare for everyone concerned. Sanchez later confessed that after his first training session with United, he asked his agent if he could rip up his contract and go back to Arsenal.
The Chilean, who earned a reported £400,000 ($485,000)-per-week, never came close to replicating his form for the Gunners at United, and when the Red Devils made a miserable start to the following season, he bore the brunt of criticism.
Sanchez left United for Inter after a miserable 18 months, scoring just five goals in 45 appearances and looking utterly devoid of confidence and verve, a shadow of the player he once was.
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Harry Maguire
Maguire was regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe after a stunning 2018 World Cup, and both City and United vied for his signature the following summer. Guardiola was an admirer and the club were ready to match the Red Devils' £70m ($85m) bid for him, but turned away when Leicester, seeing the competition breweing between the two rival clubs, raised their asking price to £80m ($97m).
"We were interested but we could not afford him. United could," Guardiola later admitted. While Maguire had a perfect debut at Old Trafford, a 4-0 win over Chelsea, things quickly unravelled for him. He recovered his form to steer United to consecutive top-four finishes, but when the team began to fall apart under Solskjaer, he was blamed for their spiral of horrendous results, among them the 5-0 home humiliation by Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag gave Maguire just eight league starts last season and wanted to sell him in the summer to West Ham for just £30m ($36m), but the defender refused to leave.
Maguire has staged an impressive recovery after facing merciless ribbing from all quarters and silenced his critics. However, he has continued to be rocked by injury problems and is set to miss the derby. And City, who signed Ruben Dias in 2020 for £64m ($77m), will have few regrets about not getting the deal for Maguire over the line.
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Paul Pogba
Pogba's second spell at Manchester United was a long-running and painful saga that finally came to an end when his lucrative, six-year contract ran out in June 2022.
Despite his many injury issues and the fact he had not managed to truly shine under Mourinho, Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick, City were interested in signing him as a free agent. It was not the first time that Pogba had been linked with City, as Guardiola revealed that he had been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman in 2018 after he fell out with Mourinho, despite agent Mino Raiola calling the City boss "a coward, a dog".
Pogba, wary of the potential backlash from United fans, opted to move back to Juventus instead. But his second coming in Turin has been a nightmare in every sense, suffering two serious injuries, being subject to blackmail, and then failing a drugs test for elevated levels of testosterone. Another bullet dodged from City's point of view.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
With his time at Juventus coming to a bitter end in the summer of 2021, Ronaldo was considering his next move, and City were one of the few clubs who could afford him. When word spread that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was speaking to City, key figures from United, especially Sir Alex Ferguson, began to panic.
"Honestly, it [moving to City] was close. They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan during his infamous interview in December 2022. "Sir Alex Ferguson was the key. I spoke with him… He said to me that, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'. And I said 'OK, Boss'."
Ronaldo made an immense start to his second coming, scoring twice on his debut against Newcastle and rescuing victories over Villarreal and Atalanta. But it was clear that United were a worse team as a result, as he slowed down their play and forced them to adapt their style of the past three years to suit him. Ronaldo ended the season as the team's top scorer but United registered their worst points total in 30 years in the Premier League, and his capacity to pull off escape acts slowly diminished.
His me-first attitude had also had a negative effect on the team, and in his second campaign he stunk out the place, leaving a friendly against Rayo Vallecano at half-time and refusing to come on as a substitute before full-time against Tottenham, incurring a brief suspension. His unauthorised sit-down with Morgan embarrassed United further and there was only going to be one ending – ripping up his contract.
City, meanwhile, won another title without a striker and then welcomed in Erling Haaland, who fired them to the treble. Yet another bullet dodged.
In the 'Match For Hope' charity game on Friday, influencer IShowSpeed went too far with a horror tackle on Brazilian legend Ricardo Kaka.
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Match For Hope charity game being playedSpeed commits horror tackle on KakaInfluencer goes too far with challengeWHAT HAPPENED?
In the 2024 edition of the 'Match For Hope', featuring the likes of Eden Hazard, Roberto Carlos, Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Tim Cahill and David Villa among others – as well as creators in the industry – one influencer went too far!
Social media personality IShowSpeed was trailing Ballon d'Or winner Ricardo Kaka and slid in behind him studs up, taking down the Brazilian.
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Speed was handed a yellow card for the foul, much to his dismay, but Kaka appeared to be all right despite the shocking tackle.
The charity match, taking place at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar, saw social media influencers Chunkz and Aboflah captain each respective side with superstars on each side. All profit obtained from the match will go to the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, supporting out-of-school children around the world.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KAKA AND SPEED?
The 2007 Ballon d'Or winner will continue enjoying his retirement from the professional game, while making unique cameos like these when available. Speed, meanwhile, will continue producing content and influencing on social media.
Under new manager Vincent Kompany, Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League last season, after only one year in the Championship.
Despite being in charge for just one year the Belgian has completely revolutionised Burnley’s squad, with only seven players remaining from the side that was relegated.
Who has joined Burnley under Vincent Kompany?
Zeki-Amdouni-Burnley
Since joining Burnley in July 2022, the former centre-back has brought in 26 different players permanently, across three transfer windows and in the most recent window, he brought in 15 players.
Zeki Amdouni
£16m
James Trafford
£15m
Aaron Ramsey
£15m
Jordan Beyer
£13m
Sander Berge
£12m
Wilson Odobert
£11m
Lyle Foster
£11m
Dara O'Shea
£7m
Ameen Al-Dakhil
£5m
Benson Manuel
£4m
Anass Zaroury
£4m
Michael Obafemi
£4m
Darko Churlinov
£3.5m
Josh Cullen
£3m
Arijanet Muric
£3m
Luca Koleosho
£3m
Hannes Delcroix
£3m
Scott twine
£3m
Hjalmar Ekdal
£3m
Luke McNally
£2m
Vitinho
£1m
Samuel Bastien
£700k
Enock Agyei
£300k
CJ Egan-Riley
free
Lawrence Vigouroux
free
Nathan Redmond
free
Han-Noah Massengo
free
Prior to managing Burnley, the Manchester City legend was in charge of Belgian side Anderlecht for two years, this has led to him poaching some of his best players from his former side.
One of these players is 27-year-old midfielder Josh Cullen, and as it stands Kompany’s decision to sign the Irishman looks to be an inspired one.
How much did Burnley pay for Josh Cullen?
Burnley central midfielder Josh Cullen.
Kompany first signed Cullen for Anderlecht back in 2020 from West Ham for £500k, and during his two seasons in Belgium the midfielder would go on to make 80 appearances.
But when the four-time Premier League winner made the switch to Turf Moor, the Hammer's academy graduate was quick to follow.
Cullen became Kompany’s fourth signing and moved back to England just 11 days after his manager made the switch, for a fee of £3m including add-ons.
Since his signing last summer, the Irish international has already signed a new contract three-year contract with the Clarets.
After signing the deal, he announced he couldn't wait to continue playing for Burnley.
Speaking to Burnley he said:
“I’m really happy to extend my time here, especially off the back of last year which was a really successful year for the Club.
I can’t wait to continue my career with Burnley.
“It will be great to get back to Turf Moor this weekend and be in front of the fans again and hopefully get our first three points on the board.”
Why did Kompany sign Josh Cullen twice?
Kompany snapped up Cullen again after his excellent performances under him during the 2021/22 campaign, which saw Anderlecht finish third in the Belgian Pro League.
Per Sofascore, the English-born midfielder was his side’s third top-performing player, with an outstanding average rating of 7.20.
On top of this, he also ranked second for accurate passes per game (62.2), fourth for key passes per game (1.1), third for accurate long balls per game (4.4) and first for tackles per game (2), per Sofascore.
This shows just how integral he was to Kompany’s all-round play as his quality in many different areas allowed him to control the middle of the pitch.
Furthermore, while Cullen was on loan at Charlton from West Ham, then Irons captain Mark Noble revealed in the Evening Standard what a talented player he was.
Noble said:
“Josh has something you can’t coach,”
“He has that desire every day to improve.
“He’s a talented boy with a big heart and will enjoy a good career in football.
“It just shows you that if you’re prepared to back yourself and go out on loan, rather than staying in the comfort zone, you can do it.”
What has happened to Josh Cullen since moving to Burnley?
Soccer Football – World Cup – UEFA Qualifiers – Group A – Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland – Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – November 14, 2021 Republic of Ireland’s Josh Cullen in action with Luxembourg’s Daniel Sinani REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
Cullen’s top-quality form continued after moving to Turf Moor as the midfielder was able to help guide Burnley to win the Championship last season.
His form was also shown through his stats, per FBref, last season he ranked in the top 4% of all European midfielders for passes completed, per 90 minutes.
Furthermore, he ranked in the top 7% for touches, top 2% for successful take-ons and top 7% for carries, per 90 minutes.
This shows how once again he was the star of Kompany's midfield, as all play was able to go through him, and then he had the ability to move the ball successfully up the pitch into an attacking position.
This was backed up by the Belgian colossus, who last season was full of praise for Cullen.
He said:
"I can't be complimentary enough, but I think everyone can see what he does.
"The team appreciates it; his strength is that he's the ultimate player that puts the team before himself.
“Football naturally always drives you towards being selfish, it just happens that way because you've got to look after yourself, and there are only very few players, despite all of that, who decide to make a conscious choice to put the team above themselves.
"You can't really scout that, you only know it when you work with players.
“The best way to describe Josh [Cullen] is that he came to Anderlecht, from Charlton, as a squad player, and he became the most important player in my squad.
"Then he came to Burnley, back in English football in the Championship, where he was really going to help us out, and he became one of the most important players in the team."
Due to his outstanding performances, the 27-year-old has seen his value rise astronomically, per Transfermarkt he is now rated at £11.1m meaning Burnley have seen a 270% increase in his value from when they signed him only a year ago.
Cullen has backed up his Championship performances by having a strong start to life in the Premier League.
So far this season he ranks as Burnley’s seventh-best-performing player, with an average rating of 6.73, per Sofascore.
On top of this, he has ranked joint first for big chances created per game (1), fourth for accurate passes per game (46.3) and third for tackles per game (1.3).
This shows that despite making a big step up the midfielder is still able have a positive effect on his side
He has also started every game and played every minute so far this season, while also providing an assist, which means he has been involved in 33% of Burnley’s goals.
Aston Villa return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel to London to take on Brentford away from home.
The Villans are unbeaten in their last eight matches in all competitions and come into this game off the back of a 1-1 draw with Zrinjski in their final Europa Conference League group stage outing.
Unai Emery's side have won 11 of their 16 top-flight games so far this season and are looking to continue their push for Champions League football next term.
Unai Emery
After Thursday night's draw in Bosnia, the Spanish head coach could look to make changes to his side and one player who must be unleashed from the start is England international Ollie Watkins.
Jhon Duran's performance against Zrinjski in numbers
Colombia international Jhon Duran started ahead of the star striker in midweek and did not do enough to suggest that he deserves to start against Brentford.
It was another learning experience for the 20-year-old prospect as he played 90 minutes without landing himself a goal or an assist to show for his efforts.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
The left-footed dud did not create a single chance for his teammates and failed to beat the goalkeeper with the two shots that he was able to take, alongside a duel success rate of 33.3% (1/3).
Birmingham Mail's John Townley gave Duran a match rating of 6/10 and pointed to his failure to convert the chances that came his way as the main reason why his performance was not a particularly impressive one.
Meanwhile, Watkins spent the entire match in Bulgaria as an unused substitute for Villa and should be fresh to face the Bees this afternoon.
Watkins' Premier League statistics this season
The £130k-per-week whiz should be unleashed over Duran as he has been in superb form for the Villans in the Premier League this season.
He has showcased his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his teammates in the top-flight and is the "perfect" – as put by journalist Josh Bunting – striker for Emery as the system suits him and the way he likes to peel off defenders and constantly make runs in-behind to stretch defences.
Watkins has contributed with eight goals and six assists in 16 league games for Villa so far this term, which works out as a goal involvement every 1.14 games on average.
The England international, who was once described as 'lethal' by Trevor Sinclair, currently ranks within the top 8% of Premier League forwards for assists (0.39) per 90. This shows that he has the awareness and quality to create opportunities for others to go along with his own terrific goal threat.
He also ranks within the top 8% of his positional peers for touches in the opposition's box (6.58) per 90 and this shows that the system is allowing him to get in dangerous positions on a regular basis, which has led to his impressive return of goals and assists.
Therefore, Emery must unleash his perfect, lethal, number nine and ditch Duran, who failed to take his chance on Thursday, against Thomas Frank's side today as he has the quality to be the match-winner for Villa.
Former Norwich City boss Dean Smith has backed USMNT striker Josh Sargent to make a return to the Premier League.
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USMNT's Sargent backed for EPL returnScored five goals in FebruaryFormer boss Smith full of praiseWHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking on the studio desk on the CBS Sports GOLAZO show on Tuesday, the now-Charlotte FC boss shared that he thinks incredibly highly of the USMNT striker. Although Smith's time in charge of Norwich City was brief, he's backing the USMNT striker to return to the Premier League – with or without the Canaries.
AdvertisementUSA Today Sports WHAT DEAN SMITH SAID
The English manager revealed his praise for Sargent, who has 10 goals and one assist in 14 matches this season for the Canaries. "He can go and play again in the EPL, that's for sure. He hasn't got a ceiling at the moment."
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With Sargent's brilliant form in 2024, many are now touting him for a potential starting role with the USMNT in the coming months. Folarin Balogun has struggled in France with Monaco with only five goals and three assists, and now, his starting role with Gregg Berhalter could be up in the air.
The Concacaf Nations League is less than one month away, and the Copa America is on the horizon. If Sargent can keep scoring, who is stopping him from leapfrogging Balogun in the XI?
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Norwich City clash against Sunderland on Saturday, with the Canaries sitting one spot outside a promotion playoff position in seventh in the English Championship. A win could see them draw level with Hull City on points at 55.
Aston Villa are back in action in Europe tonight, as Unai Emery’s side hope to kickstart their progression in Group E of the UEFA Europa Conference League against Zrinjski.
Despite cruising through the qualifiers with an 8-0 aggregate win over Hibernian in an all-British tie, the Villans were dragged back to reality in the opening group game as they faced defeat to Legia Warsaw in Poland.
Emery’s side were hit with a footballing lesson against Legia, losing the game 3-2 in what was an overall disappointing performance by the Midlands club who were well poised to top the group at first glance.
What is the latest Aston Villa team news?
Just as Villa learnt in their opening game of the tournament, no side should be underestimated, which is a lesson that must be carried over to tonight’s contest as Zrinjski were victorious in their opening fixture against AZ Alkmaar.
Villa got back into their groove last weekend by seeing off Brighton & Hove Albion 6-1 at Villa Park, however the match saw two integral members of Emery’s squad sustain knocks forcing them to withdraw from the contest.
The Spaniard confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will be without Moussa Diaby and Boubacar Kamara for the showdown at Villa Park, with both players having not trained following their withdrawal against Brighton.
Another unfortunate blow is Jacob Ramsey, who scored his first goal of the season against the Seagulls after missing the start of the campaign due to a broken metatarsal injury, with Emery confirming that the Englishman is also unavailable.
In the Conference League opener against Legia, a host of players were far below par, leaving questions over whether Emery will continue to rotate his side to accommodate those that were incapable of fighting for the win in Poland last time out.
Should Douglas Luiz start against Zrinjski over Leander Dendoncker?
Away from the Conference League, the manager opted to rotate his squad against Everton in the Carabao Cup, seeing Leander Dendoncker come into midfield to hand Kamara a rest.
Now that the Frenchman is out of contention, the Spaniard should avoid rotating the former Wolves dud back into the side, after his woeful performance against the Toffees that saw him earn a 6.4 Sofascore match rating.
Instead, Luiz should partner Youri Tielemans, who despite being another poor performer on the night, has shown glimpses of what he can offer to the side when at the top of his game.
Once lauded as a “warrior” by journalist Jack Grimse, Luiz has been the glue to Villa’s transformation in the middle of the park, and while the Brazilian would be the natural target of rotation due to his importance, tonight’s fixture poses little room for error.
With just 33 touches and a failure to impose himself defensively in midfield against the Toffees, Dendoncker was hooked at halftime, with Birmingham Live's John Townley writing that the 28-year-old was 'slow in possession and didn’t progress the ball particularly well'.
Considering Villa’s growing injury problems, Emery will be short on his options in midfield after losing both Kamara and Ramsey, however he should opt against risking another Dendoncker disasterclass.
After the defeat to Legia, Villa must begin to make waves in the group, which they could start tonight with a win over Zrinjski, which they will have to be at their best to ensure with Luiz often possessing the keys to the squad’s success.
Leeds United have made a fine start to life back in the Championship this season as they have made themselves play-off contenders so far.
The Whites are currently sitting in fifth-place and have only lost two league matches in 11 outings under German head coach Daniel Farke, who was brought in to replace Sam Allardyce over the summer.
A number of players were snapped up in order to bolster the ex-Norwich City boss' squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, following their relegation from the Premier League.
Jaidon Anthony, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, Djed Spence, Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, and Ethan Ampadu were all signed either on loan or on permanent deals.
Leeds forward Joel Piroe.
Despite the side's strong start to the season, the upcoming January transfer window will provide Farke with an opportunity to improve his team again.
One player whom he must look to reignite his interest in is Genk ace Joseph Paintsil, who would thrive alongside Georgino Rutter if the talented whiz can adapt to English football.
Were Leeds interested in Joseph Paintsil?
The Athletic reported that Leeds made an offer of €10m (£8.7m) to sign the Ghana international during the summer transfer window.
It was stated at the time that the player's preference was a move to Elland Road after a transfer to Championship rivals Southampton had fallen through, due to Paintsil and Paul Onuachu – who was set to go the other way – opting against the switch.
However, the Whites were unable to get a deal over the line for the exciting forward and it has since been revealed, by the player, that it was due to reasons out of their control.
Paintsil claimed that he was not interested in a move to Southampton or Leeds as his dream is to play in the Premier League, or in one of the other major European leagues.
Ghana international Joseph Paintsil.
The £8.7m-rated whiz added that it was not about Farke's side being a 'bad' team but he could not be convinced to make the drop down to the Championship at that moment in time.
However, the German head coach could make a more convincing case to persuade the Genk star to join the Yorkshire-based outfit in January if his team are well in the race for promotion to the top-flight.
The player has confirmed that his dream is to play at the top level in England and Leeds could offer him a good chance to join a side that could be promoted to that level if they are in the play-off, or automatic, mix by the time that January comes around.
Why were Leeds interested in Paintsil?
Farke and the club may have been interested in a deal to sign the Ghana international due to his phenomenal form for Genk throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
The 25-year-old winger showcased his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate in the Belgian top-flight and his statistics suggest that he could have been a superb addition to Leeds' squad.
Paintsil was a regular for his side over the course of the campaign as he made 36 league appearances and started 36 times, with an average of 81 minutes per outing, as per Sofascore.
Ghana international Joseph Paintsil.
The right-footed whiz was lethal in front of goal and proved himself to be a reliable option to chip in with goals at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.
He ended the Pro League season with a stunning 17 goals from out wide, with only six 'big chances' missed in total. Meanwhile, no Leeds player managed more than 13 league goals last term and no Whites ace has scored more than 17 in a season since Chris Wood in the 2016/17 term.
Paintsil also caught the eye with his ability to carve open the opposition's defence to create opportunities for his teammates. Farke's target created 12 'big chances' and assisted 11 goals in total throughout those 36 outings.
Whereas, no Leeds player produced more than seven assists over the course of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign and no Whites star has hit double figures for assists since Pablo Hernandez did (12) during the 2018/19 Championship season.
These statistics, which were described as "sensational" by Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast, suggest that the Genk magician has the quality to be a terrific forward for the club and he could thrive alongside Rutter if Farke can snap him up in January.
How has Rutter performed this season?
The French wizard has enjoyed a fantastic start to the campaign and has proven himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch at Championship level.
Rutter has contributed with two goals and three assists in nine league starts for the Whites so far this season and has been an exceptional creator for Farke.
The former Hoffenheim prospect has produced ten 'big chances' for his teammates and only been rewarded with three assists for his efforts.
As per FBRef, the 21-year-old maestro ranks within the top 6% of his positional peers at Championship level for xAG (0.49) and shot-creating actions (4.27) per 90.
This essentially means that there are not many players in his position who are able to create high-quality chances as frequently as Rutter.
However, there is work to do with his own finishing as the talented youngster has missed five 'big chances' to go along with his two goals, which suggests that he could be more ruthless in front of goal.
Should Leeds sign Paintsil?
Leeds should, therefore, reignite their interest in Paintsil during the January transfer window as his goalscoring record for Genk suggests that he would thrive alongside Rutter.
The 5 foot 7 talent has proven himself to be a prolific scorer from a wide position and rarely misses presentable opportunities at the top end of the pitch, as shown by his aforementioned statistics from last season.
Starts
Eight
Goals
Two
Assists
Three
Big chances created
Four
Paintsil's form this season (via Sofascore)
This suggests that the Whites target would be able to make the most of the chances that the French wizard is putting on a plate for his teammates week-in-week-out.
Paintsil's creative number also indicate that he could provide Rutter with the ammunition he needs to find the back of the net on a regular basis, if the ex-Bundesliga man can find his feet and form in front of goal during the second half of the season.