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An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s search for attacking reinforcements before the end of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Express & Star, the Villans are eyeing Real Betis winger Luiz Henrique as a potential target to bring to England before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

However, the report claims that the Premier League club will need to splash out a fee of at least £40m in order to tempt the LaLiga outfit into parting ways with the Brazilian gem.

It is stated that Villa are willing to break the bank to make a significant addition to Unai Emery’s squad but that they are also open to the possibility of a loan deal if they are unable to snap up their top targets.

Leon Bailey’s heir

Aston Villa could land the long-term heir to Leon Bailey’s position in the squad by striking a deal with Betis to sign Henrique before next week’s deadline.

The current Villa forward is a left-footed right winger who has struggled at times this season in the Premier League, averaging a modest Sofascore rating of 6.69.

He ranks 16th in Emery’s squad for average rating in 2022/23, which indicates that the winger – who has scored four goals and provided two assists in 19 league appearances – has been one of the more disappointing performers at the club this term.

The 25-year-old’s inconsistent end product has left a lot to be desired, as proven by his average rating, and bringing in a younger winger with the potential to take over from the Jamaica international in the mid-to-long term could be a shrewd move by Emery.

At 22, Henrique is a young player with plenty of scope to improve and could come in as someone who the Villa manager can coach and develop on the training pitch over time.

The Brazilian has only scored one goal in 15 LaLiga outings this season but his form in the Europa League suggests that he has the potential to be an excellent player in the final third. Henrique has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.18 across six appearances in the latter competition, scoring two goals and providing two assists in three starts.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described the gem as “enjoyable” to watch and claimed that he is always capable of doing something “spectacular”, which suggests that the 22-year-old is a player who the Villa Park faithful would love to watch in the Premier League.

If Emery can unlock Henrique’s full potential and get him to a place where he can consistently replicate his Europa League form in the English top-flight, then the Betis forward could be an excellent prospective signing for Villa and the long-term heir to Bailey’s place in the squad as a left-footed right winger.

Leeds United are thought to be keen on a deadline day loan move for Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, according to reliable reporter Alasdair Gold of football.london.

The Lowdown: Skipp profiled

The 22-year-old can play as a holding or central midfielder. Hailed as a player with ‘great passion’ by his manager Antonio Conte, he has made 64 appearances for Spurs, 13 of which have come during the current campaign.

He is under contract at Spurs until 2027 after penning new terms last year, but it looks as if Leeds are keen on his services.

The Latest: Leeds interested in Skipp

Gold shared a story for football.london on Monday evening, in which Leeds were named as one of four Premier League clubs keen on taking Skipp on loan.

The player is thought to be open to the idea of a temporary exit from Tottenham, although that has been rejected by Conte as he rates the midfielder highly.

The Verdict: Not needed?

Leeds bolstered their midfield ranks on Monday by announcing the signing of Weston McKennie on loan from Juventus. The USA international can play in a variety of midfield roles and will more than likely rival the likes of Tyler Adams and Marc Roca for a starting spot, or Jesse Marsch could play all three.

Adam Forshaw, Sam Greenwood and Darko Gyabi have also been used in parts this season and the Whites now seem fairly well-stocked in that department, so a move for Skipp doesn’t appear crucial.

Furthermore, the Spurs youngster has struggled this season in the Premier League with a 6.11/10 WhoScored match rating, lower than all of Leeds’ senior players.

Glasgow Rangers continued their fine form since Michael Beale arrived at Ibrox by beating Ross County 2-1 on home turf in the Premiership on Saturday.

The English manager is unbeaten in ten matches in the Scottish top-flight so far, winning nine and drawing one, and goals from Malik Tillman and Borna Barisic continued that run.

However, there was a worrying moment in the first half of the match as central midfielder John Lundstram was forced off the pitch in the 11th minute.

Speaking after the match, the head coach confirmed that the ex-Sheffield United man has suffered an ankle issue and is not optimistic about it being a minor problem.

He said: “It destabilised us today. John is really important to our structure. He was fantastic in midweek.

“He’s gone to block a shot and he’s rolled his ankle. It looks like quite a nasty one. We will take a scan on that and update after 24 hours.”

A long-term injury lay-off could be a big blow for the Light Blues as the midfielder has been in fine form in the Premiership this season.

The Liverpudlian has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 in the division, which places him seventh in the squad, and has made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match whilst winning 44% of his individual duels.

These statistics show that the 28-year-old has been a consistently impressive figure in the heart of the Rangers team as a combative, ball-winning, midfielder.

Beale must now react to this injury blow by unleashing new signing Nicolas Raskin in the starting XI, after his deadline day arrival from Standard Liege on a permanent deal.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell recently described the Belgian talent as “a spider in the web capable of connecting the team and providing rhythm, but he’s also an energiser who can go box to box and fight” and his statistics back that up.

He came off the bench to play 13 minutes against Ross County and made the most of his cameo by winning 100% (4/4) of his duels, completing 86% of his passes, and making two tackles – as per Sofascore.

His impressive display as a substitute comes after the 5 foot 10 Belgian averaged a score of 7.01 in 16 matches in the Pro League for Liege during the first half of the campaign – making 3.7 tackles and interceptions whilst winning 58% of his battles.

The 21-year-old’s cameo on Saturday and his form in his homeland earlier this season show that the dynamo is a combative midfielder who can consistently deliver quality displays in the middle of the park, which is why Beale must react to Lundstram’s injury by bringing the new signing immediately into the side.

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has one ‘problem’ in his game which is proving to be a ‘worry’, according to BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Romero sent off…

Spurs took on Premier League champions Man City in their last league outing and ran out victorious – clinching a well-earned 1-0 victory over the Sky Blues.

Harry Kane’s only goal of the game, which saw him surpass Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time record scorer, put the icing on the cake of a memorable afternoon.

However, one negative was the sending off of Argentina international Romero, with Hutton now claiming his rashness is an issue for Spurs.

The Latest: Hutton makes Romero claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton explained that the former Atalanta star’s disciplinary issues are a ‘worry’ but urges Spurs not to take the fight out of his game.

Speaking about Romero, the former Scotland international stated:

“The problem is that he can be rash at times and that can be a result of coming in to this league.

“You are playing against some of the best players, they are quick and sharp in their movements and you want to try and get there first, I get that.

“As a defender sometimes you think you can get there first and nick it away. It is probably something that he has to work on defensively, stay tall and upright, do not dive in when you do not think you can get the ball.

“He is still young, he is going to get better. It is a worry but if you take that sort of aggression too much out of players they are not the same.”

The Verdict: Will improve…

The 24-year-old is indeed still maturing, having spent just over one-and-a-half seasons in a Spurs shirt whilst competing in one of Europe’s most prestigious divisions.

The World Cup-winning defender also starred for Argentina on their run to the final in Qatar with occasional injuries also hampering Romero since he signed in 2021.

However, he has displayed real signs of brilliance at Spurs also, leading to real praise from members of the media.

Adding to his pedigree as a defender, Romero clinched the 2020/2021 Serie A defender of the year award whilst at Atalanta.

It’s quite clear that the South American stalwart is Tottenham’s best defender whilst at peak form, and given time, Romero will steadily start to iron out the rashness in his game.

Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is thought to be interested in taking over at Leeds United, according to Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: On Leeds’ radar

The Whites have been linked with a number of managers in recent days, with Knutsen name-checked as a potential candidate in the media.

The 54-year-old plays an attacking 4-3-3 formation and has won the manager of the year award on three occasions while in charge of Bodo/Glimt.

He’s been linked with a move to the Premier League before, and it looks as if he is keen on the idea of replacing Jesse Marsch.

The Latest: Cross’ claim

Whites journalist Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Thursday, discussing a number of topics at Elland Road, including the search for a new manager. When asked if Knutsen had been interviewed for the job, Cross said:

“I understand Knutsen would, unsurprisingly, be interested in the position, but as it stands he’s not towards the fore. Things may of course change.”

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The Verdict: One to watch?

It now appears as if Leeds’ search for a new manager is up in the air after they failed with moves for Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot, so Knutsen could still be a smart alternative.

He is known for his ‘aggressive style of play’, something that would surely be of interest to Elland Road officials and has a positive record with Bodo/Glimt, averaging 1.95 points per game in 202 matches.

Therefore, this could be one to watch following Cross’ claim, however, it doesn’t look as if Knutsen is first-choice by any stretch of the imagination, and if Leeds had their way, a deal for Slot could be finalised in the coming days.

Journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Southampton could appoint a more experienced coach to help Ruben Selles.

The Lowdown: Selles set for the Saints job

It has been a pretty hectic week or so at Southampton, with the club relieving Nathan Jones of his duties after just 14 games at the helm and then failing to appoint Jesse Marsch as his successor.

The former Leeds United boss had reportedly verbally agreed to become the new Saints manager, only for talks to collapse at the final hurdle due to a disagreement on the length of the contract which was being offered.

Therefore, it appears as though Sport Republic are set to keep caretaker manager Ruben Selles in charge until the end of the season, which is a huge challenge for someone that’s never been a first-team manager.

The Latest: Southampton may bring in more experience

Given Selles’ inexperience, Ornstein has claimed on the NBC Sports YouTube channel that the Saints could well recruit a more experienced and tested coach to assist the Spaniard this season.

He said: “They’re going to have to look elsewhere, and in the meantime, they’re going to stick with Ruben Selles as coach. He’s said to be quite impressive – maybe they’ll bring in an experienced head alongside him.”

The Verdict: It’s a big ask for Selles

If Southampton believe handing Selles their vacant managerial role with no other help around him is a good idea, then they may well be better off preparing for the Championship right now.

The Saints find themselves rooted to the foot of the table, having won just once in their last 11 Premier League games, with a raft of young players signed across the two previous transfer windows possessing very little top-flight experience.

Since the summer recruitment drive, it seems as though the plan at Southampton has been all over the place, as they are on the hunt for their third permanent manager of the season and having spent in excess of £120m on 15 new faces, so regardless of any help Selles may get while in the Saints hotseat, anything other than relegation would be a miracle at this stage.

Sunderland’s run of five games without a defeat in the Championship came to an end on Tuesday night as they were beaten 2-1 by Rotherham away from home.

The hosts took the lead in the 19th minute of the match as the impressive Ollie Rathbone produced a stunning strike from distance to find the bottom corner from the edge of the box, leaving Anthony Patterson with little chance of stopping it.

Tony Mowbray’s side failed to get themselves back into the game at the start of the second half and the Millers punished them with a second goal in the 56th minute. Dan Neil was dispossessed and the ball came across the box for Shane Ferguson to drill past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt did make the game interesting by thumping in a header from Luke O’Nien’s cross but Sunderland were unable to force in an equaliser before the end of the match.

Whilst it was a disappointing performance on the whole for the Black Cats, one player – in particular – who let the manager down badly was left-back Dennis Cirkin.

How did Dennis Cirkin perform against Rotherham?

The former Spurs man was selected ahead of Aji Alese and handed a huge opportunity to prove why he should be starting ahead of his fellow defender.

However, the 20-year-old was unable to showcase his quality and Mowbray may not be considering him to start ahead of the ex-Hammers prospect in any of the upcoming matches.

Cirkin was poor at both ends of the pitch and put in a disappointing display, particularly given that the gem is capable of putting in good performances at this level.

The defender has won 53% of his individual duels over the course of the Championship campaign but lost 75% (6/8) of his battles against Rotherham, which suggests that he was physically dominated by the opposition.

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson was also critical of the full-back’s performance. In his player ratings piece, the journalist handed him the joint-lowest score (five) and wrote: “Had a couple of shaky moments and defensively and wasn’t really able to offer much going forward.”

In terms of what the youngster offered in possession, Cirkin had fewer touches (34) than goalkeeper Anthony Patterson (46) and only completed 64% of his attempted passes – without creating a single chance for his teammates.

The ex-Tottenham talent was sloppy in his passing out from the back and gifted the hosts possession on too many occasions. He was then unable to make up for that by producing any quality in the final third.

Therefore, the defender let Mowbray down on the night as the manager offered him a chance to prove himself and Cirkin – both defensively and offensively – was disappointing for Sunderland.

Leeds United return to Premier League action today as they host Southampton in an all-important clash at the bottom of the table.

It represents Javi Gracia’s first match in charge at Elland Road, and the Spaniard will be hoping to get off to the best possible start as he welcomes the only team in the top flight who sit below the Whites in the table.

Having lost to Everton last time out in an abysmal showing on the road, there is hope that the home crowd can play a huge role in revitalising a Leeds team who never really troubled the Toffees on their travels seven days ago.

Meanwhile, the Saints come off the back of a famous win at Stamford Bridge, becoming the latest team to inflict misery on Chelsea. It makes this match all the more intriguing, with neither of the two sides offering any sense of predictability.

With injuries and a slew of poor performances for Gracia to consider, how could Leeds line up today?

How will Leeds line up against Southampton?

The new manager could make four changes in personnel from Michael Skubala’s side which surrendered to defeat at Goodison Park.

Illan Meslier will remain in goal despite his blunder costing the team a week ago. Equally capable of the spectacular as of the ridiculous, the Whites will need him to offer a more calming presence as they near the season’s run-in.

The return of club captain Liam Cooper could provide such stability, as he is expected to replace the injured Max Wober. With the Austrian having suffered what seemed like a dislocated shoulder, the £25k-per-week Scottish titan offers a fine alternative who can partner Robin Koch at the heart of the defence.

Cooper has won more headers and made more interceptions per game than anyone else at Elland Road, so his no-nonsense attributes could help to firm up a Leeds defence which has shipped 39 league goals this season, the fourth-most of any team in the top flight.

Luke Ayling’s stint in the team is set to end, with Rasmus Kristensen expected to be recalled after he returned to action off the bench at Goodison Park last week. Junior Firpo will retain his spot at left-back, a position where alternatives are sparse to non-existent.

The midfield core may finally see that all-American trio start, as Brenden Aaronson is expected to return to feature just in front of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. The former might even operate as a second striker, given how Gracia has enjoyed success with a 4-4-2 system in the past.

That would allow Jack Harrison to move out wide into his natural role as Crysencio Summerville drops to the bench. Whilst the former was particularly disappointing in their last game, it was the youngster who earned a lower Sofascore rating and should perhaps bedropped. Wilfried Gnonto will occupy the opposite flank.

Having finally earned a run in the team without injury, Patrick Bamford should also be omitted today, as he has gone five matches without a goal in the league.

There is no sense in leaving club-record signing Georginio Rutter on the sidelines, so he could come in to replace the man that journalist Fatteh Hamid had dubbed “wasteful” earlier in the season.

Leeds United predicted XI (4-4-2): Meslier; Kristensen, Koch, Cooper, Firpo; Harrison, Adams, McKennie, Gnonto; Aaronson, Rutter.

Arsenal have reportedly joined the race to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister this summer.

The Lowdown: More business with Brighton

Arsenal have done plenty of business with Brighton over the last couple of seasons, signing both Ben White and Leandro Trossard, as well as having a £70m bid rejected for Moises Caicedo in the January transfer window.

It looks like they could try and do business again with them this summer, with Mac Allister emerging as a new target.

The Latest: Arsenal join Mac Allister race

As per Football Insider, the Gunners, as well as Manchester United and Manchester City, have joined Liverpool in registering an interest in signing Mac Allister this summer.

The Seagulls have set a £70m price tag on his shoulders, and he is thought to be ‘ready to go’ to a bigger club.

They have the option to extend his deal by another year, with his current contract set to expire in 2025.

The Verdict: No-brainer

If a player of Mac Allister’s quality becomes available, it is surely a no-brainer for Mikel Arteta’s side to try and sign him.

Hailed as a ‘stunning’ player by his manager Roberto De Zerbi, he is enjoying an outstanding season for both club and country.

His eight goals and one assist in all competitions has helped Brighton challenge for the European spots in the Premier League, and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Mac Allister also played six times for Argentina on their way to winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, recording one goal and supplying one assist.

Nonetheless, with the North Londoners looking to compete in the UEFA Champions League as well as the Premier League next term, the 24-year-old would be a top signing.

Manchester United fans may well be fuming with VAR as it failed to spot the ball seemingly going out of play before the goal they conceded last night.

The Lowdown: Man United have an elite mentality

After an emotional game on Sunday at Wembley which saw Man United lift their first piece of silverware in six years, many may well have doubted if they could keep up their good momentum and form in the FA Cup last night.

The Man United players certainly proved they are capable of competing on multiple fronts as they won 3-1 at home to Premier League opposition West Ham last night, despite trailing for a decent chunk of the match.

While the scoreline looks as though the Red Devils breezed past West Ham, that certainly wasn’t the case with the last two goals coming inside the game’s final five minutes of normal time.

The Latest: It could have been a lot easier for Man United

It will have been a shock to the system for Man United to go 1-0 down at Old Trafford and that scenario probably shouldn’t have played out as an image shows Tomas Soucek had dragged and stopped the ball out of play minutes prior to Said Benrahma’s strike.

A lot of players appealed immediately after Benrahma struck past David de Gea thinking they had seen the ball clearly go out of play, however, both Michael Salisbury and the VAR team thought the Czech republic international had kept the ball in bounds.

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The Verdict: Man United were hard done by

Of course, the one thing that perhaps works in West Ham’s favour here is the fact that the original decision was given their way, which made it harder for VAR to prove that 100% of the ball was out of play. But, in our eyes, the image shows that the ball is out of play and the only reason why VAR wouldn’t rule it out is if they’d seen a different angle from perhaps behind Casemiro that shows the ball was in, but the question would be as to why this wasn’t showcased to the watching fans on ITV last night.

While this incident didn’t end up making a difference to the outcome of the game, the fact that Man United were having to push so hard for an equalising goal and then an eventual winner so late out may have been avoided had this been picked up by VAR.

If Man United had kept the scoreline at 0-0 and then took the lead as they did later in the second half, then Erik ten Hag could’ve taken off some first-team players such as Bruno Fernandes and handed them a rest.