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When Leeds were promoted from the Championship last term, all eyes were on Patrick Bamford.

The former Middlesbrough striker hasn’t had the easiest of rides in Leeds colours and was slated relentlessly by supporters at times last term.

Though, once all was said and done, he was the club’s top scorer as they sealed their passage back to the top-flight.

He had an awful conversion rate, finding the net just 16 times from an expected goals tally of 34.77. Bamford was being given plenty of chances to score but time and time again, he’d miss the target.

Based on that, you’d think he would have struggled this season. However, that has been far from the case. In fact, he’s lit up the Premier League with brilliant dynamic performances.

Bamford is now in the conversation to be picked for England and is the sixth top scorer in the division, amassing 12 strikes. His conversion rate of 18% still leaves plenty to be desired but he has a better shot accuracy than Harry Kane – that’s certainly no mean feat.

But what if we were to suggest he could get even better? Well, that would certainly be the case if the club sign Douglas Costa from Juventus.

The winger is currently on loan at Bayern Munich in Germany but recent reports claim that Marcelo Bielsa has identified him as a summer target. With Raphinha being linked to Liverpool, this piece of news is timely.

The 31-cap Brazilian might now be getting on a bit at the age of 30, but he’s still an incredibly dangerous player, possessing qualities that have the potential to usurp those of Raphinha’s.

Throughout his career, Costa has been a wizard in possession of the ball. When he cuts inside there are very few that can stop him, something testified by his attacking numbers.

The attacker has endured a few seasons of misfortune, generally playing more games as a substitute. Though, in his last term where he started regularly – 2017/18 – he was on fire. Costa picked up four goals but registered 12 assists in the process.

That type of creative record is only matched by Pablo Hernandez in the last few years at Leeds. It’s hardly a surprise that Italian newspaper Sport Mediaset (via Tribuna) once hailed Costa the ‘lord of assists.’

With that in mind, Bamford would surely benefit from further goalscoring opportunities. Add the Brazilian’s ability to beat players and drag defenders towards him and it would open up the space for Leeds’ current number 9 to move into and prosper.

You only need to look at the way Raphinha lures defenders in to get a sense for what Costa and Bamford could achieve together at Elland Road.

For context, the Leeds target has managed 2.5 dribbles per game throughout his club career. Raphinha, on the other hand, is considerably down on 1.3 take-ons.

It’s evident why Costa could improve Bamford.

AND in other news, Leeds must revisit move for “very special” 7-goal artist, he’s everything Orta needs…

The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has claimed that Castellon wanted to sign Pablo Hernandez in this transfer window, but that a move “won’t happen”.

What’s the story?

The £1.08m-rated Spaniard has been on the fringes of Marcelo Bielsa’s side this season, making just nine appearances in the Premier League.

Now, Hay has revealed that Castellon, who had Hernandez on their books as a youth player, were “hoping to tempt” him back to Spain in this transfer window, but that Leeds are “not willing to lose him”.

Bielsa will be relieved

Despite Hernandez’s lack of game-time, the Spaniard’s veteran presence must be a major influence in the dressing room, particularly for a Leeds side in their first campaign back in the Premier League.

Speaking earlier this season, former Scotland boss, Alex McLeish, said: “He will be like a talisman to Leeds and also, in terms of his experience, a lot of younger players in the team will look up to him. He’s also got that strength in his armoury not just on the field but he will be important to a lot of the kids in that dressing room.”

Losing a player of Hernandez’s considerable experience – he’s played 168 games for Leeds alone – would be a major blow not in terms of the Whites missing a star player on the pitch, but the kind of calmness and leadership he brings to the table off it.

It’s exactly why Bielsa will surely be relieved that Hernandez appears to be staying put for the second half of this campaign, and potentially even longer.

They’ll need to draw on all the resources they have at their disposal, and the Spaniard’s ability to be a cameo performer, and also be a leader in the dressing room, are things that Leeds will be delighted to keep for the time being.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta must reignite Leeds’ interest in this powerhouse…

In the words of UFC octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, “IT’S TIME!!!”

The January transfer window has finally opened its doors, meaning Manchester United may be tempted to dip into the market to strengthen their squad before the end of the season.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish publication AS (via Sports Witness), Real Madrid star Isco is on the Red Devils’ radar and the La Liga giants are open to offloading the attacking midfielder.

Ever since he first arrived at Madrid from Malaga back in 2013, Isco, 28, has provided 51 goals and 55 assists in 318 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

However, it seems his time at the Bernabeu is finally coming to an end as it appears he is deemed surplus to requirements after falling down the pecking order under Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, having made just three starts thus far this season.

Mata 2.0?

Bruno Fernandes has cemented his place on the world stage as he is unequivocally the biggest creative asset at the club right now – since his arrival at Old Trafford this time last year, the former Sporting Lisbon playmaker has scored 26 goals and supplied 17 assists in 45 appearances, which is a pretty remarkable record.

But the same can’t be said for Daniel James, Juan Mata or indeed Donny van de Beek, who has arguably struggled to hit the ground running after Ed Woodward signed the 23-year-old from Ajax for £35m on a five-year deal last summer.

Mata has been a loyal servant of the club and has produced some memorable moments over the years since joining the club six years ago, including his famous bicycle kick away at Anfield.

While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does have several options to provide cover and competition for the advanced player position – namely Fernandes, Mata and Van de Beek – there isn’t a lot of depth in this area.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that the former Spanish international would be a significant upgrade on most of the midfield options that are currently available, barring Fernandes.

Recently described as a “fantastic” beast by his former Madrid and now-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, the 28-year-old played four games in the Champions League last season and scored one goal, whilst he averaged two shots, 1.5 tackles and 1.8 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, Mata could only muster 1.4 dribbles on average per game in the Europa League last season, as per WhoScored.

Ed Woodward simply can’t afford to ignore a player such as Isco, let alone let him slip through his fingers, especially when you consider the fact that his market value is estimated at a mere £18m, via Transfermarkt. However, it seems his former club Malaga are in the driving seat, so the board may have a bidding war on their hands should the Spaniard pique their interest.

AND in other news, Manchester United can sign their next David Beckham in Bundesliga starlet Solskjaer wants…

After suffering a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool last week, Wolves will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Aston Villa at Molineux.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were ruthlessly put to the sword by the reigning Premier League champions, but face a Villa side who have had some difficult results in the past couple of weeks, losing back-to-back games in the top-flight.

It’s a chance for Wolves to put things right immediately, and Nuno might take the chance to field a couple of surprise changes in his starting line-up for the game.

In front of regular number one Rui Patricio, Nuno may consider giving 19-year-old Rayan Ait-Nouri the chance to start from the off, and leaving Marcal on the bench.

And having gone with a midfield three against Liverpool, the Wolves boss may opt to return to a formation with holding midfielders like he did in the win over Arsenal, with Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker screening in front of the defence.

Ahead of them, there could be a very pacy looking front-line, with Daniel Podence playing just behind the striker, and Pedro Neto and Adama Traore on the left and right hand sides respectively.

The other big call Nuno may make is giving Fabio Silva the opportunity to start in the Premier League, and an out-of-sorts Villa side could be the perfect way for him to finally make his mark in English football after his summer arrival.

Predicted XI: Patricio; Semedo, Boly, Coady, Ait-Nouri; Dendoncker, Moutinho; Adama, Podence, Neto; Silva.

Manchester City may well be regretting selling Jason Denayer as their defensive issues were once again exposed as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

Despite dominating the ball against Jose Mourinho’s side, the Citizens slipped to a 2-0 defeat after goals from Heung-Min Son and Giovani Lo Celso, in what were the home side’s only two shots on target.

This perhaps highlights that City’s defence is struggling once again this season, as Pep Guardiola’s side have recorded just two clean sheets in the top-flight so far this campaign.

Therefore, they may be rueing their decision to sell Denayer in 2018 for just £9 million, with the Belgian international opting to join Olympique Lyon.

In the two years since, the centre-back has gone on to make 94 appearances from the French side, contributing three goals and one assist (per Transfermarkt).

Back in 2016, when the defender was on loan at Sunderland in the Premier League, David Moyes was full of praise for Denayer, saying:

“I thought Jason did quite well, not always noticeably. But he’s very quick and I thought he recovered things and got back with opponents. We’ve been needing a bit of speed.” (per Vavel)

Pace is arguably something Manchester City are lacking in their centre-backs, with Jamie Vardy able to take full advantage of his pace when Leicester City won 5-2 at the Etihad earlier this season, with the Foxes striker bagging a hattrick (per BBC Sport).

When considering form this season, City may have been a lot better off had they stuck with Denayer rather than signing John Stones, as the Englishman has averaged a poor 6.57 rating for his performances in the Premier League this season, whilst the Lyon man has earned a much more solid 6.79 rating for his performances in Ligue 1.

Guardiola has previously admitted that he was open to selling Stones in the most recent transfer window and considering he is currently sat on the bench for most games, earning £100k a week, it also would have made financial sense to keep hold of Denayer rather than splashing £47.5 million on Stones, as the Belgian earns just £53k per week at Lyon.

Therefore, it could definitely be argued that City would rather have Denayer than Stones at the club right now and they may well be regretting selling him.

Marcel Brands has been dealt a mammoth task in sourcing a player of Richarlison’s calibre after Carlo Ancelotti stated that Everton’s star forward is “impossible to replace”.

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo, Ancelotti admitted that he finds it “impossible” to find a like-for-like replacement for Richarlison whilst the Brazilian is suspended.

Richarlison will sit out this weekend’s fixture as the last of his three-game ban for the red card shown late on during October’s Merseyside Derby, having been issued a straight sending off for a foul on Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

The Toffees saw their winning start to a season come to an end at home to Liverpool when held to a 2-2 draw, and are yet to claim any points without Richarlison on the field – first beaten at Southampton before losing to Newcastle United.

Ancelotti turned to Alex Iwobi to start in place of Richarlison at Southampton but hauled the Nigerian off at half-time for Bernard, who he opted to overlook and move midfielder Andre Gomes into a supporting forward role against Steve Bruce’s Magpies.

But Ancelotti is still at a loss to who he can utilise to fill Richarlison’s void when without the Brazilian, noting: “It is impossible to replace Richarlison. There is no player in the world like Richarlison.

“So, we have to replace him with another player with different quality. We have to change a little bit our style of play without Richarlison, but the defeat was not because Richarlison was not there. It was because we did not play well. Simple.”

A mammoth task

Ancelotti speaking publicly of Richarlison’s importance has left Director of Football Brands with a mammoth task to unearth a potential like-for-like replacement in the transfer market, knowing that adding depth behind the Brazilian will be instrumental in Everton’s continued push to rise up the Premier League table.

So far this season, Richarlison has contributed just the one goal and two assists, but has offered the second-most shots (11) behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin (21), made the joint-most successful dribbles (16) with James Rodriguez and won the most ground duels (43) by any Everton player in the top-flight, per SofaScore.

Only a handful of wide-forward options have out-shot Richarlison, too, with Mohamed Salah (21), Sadio Mane (17), Heung-Min Son (13) and Riyad Mahrez (13) bettering the Brazilian’s 11, while Adama Traore (23) and Jack Grealish (18) better the Everton ace for successful dribbles.

Grealish (53) and Mane (49) are again the only players to have won a higher number of ground duels than Richarlison, but Brands would find it near-on impossible to prise the Senegalese star away from Liverpool and faces a whopping £80million asking price for the Aston Villa captain.

The Birmingham-based outfit’s stubborn co-owner Nassef Sawiris held firm at that valuation amid interest from Manchester United and City this summer, knowing 25-year-old Grealish is under contract until 2023 on £60,000-per-week terms.

If Brands is to source a solution for Ancelotti’s “impossible” problem in the transfer market, the Dutchman will have to rely on his knowledge of the market to unearth a hidden gem as the polished diamonds are kept firmly under lock and key.

AND in other news, Everton have a red carpet walk to sign an £18m target who “every coach wants to have”.

West Brom are quickly running out of time as Slaven Bilic looks to bolster his squad with a new goalscorer this transfer window and there have been plenty of conflicting reports this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Express & Star, Metz striker Habib Diallo is a “genuine alternative” to number one target Karlan Grant, who is proving difficult to sign with drawn-out negotiations still ongoing.

Earlier in the week, reports emerged linking the Baggies to Leicester City outcast Islam Slimani. He is just one of around six names on Bilic’s wishlist.

It’s thought that the Ligue 1 outfit would let the 25-year-old leave for £10m, which is £8m less than Huddersfield’s asking price for Grant.

Better than Slimani

Well if a move for Grant is soon ruled out due to finances, then there should only be one alternative and it’s not Slimani.

Diallo is an impressive talent who was rather prolific in a struggling Metz side – he provided 12 goals and three assists whilst averaging 4.3 aerials won, 2.9 shots and 0.8 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

The 6 foot 1 beast has been likened to Emmanuel Adebayor in playing style and also been dubbed a “phenomenal finisher”.

His manager Vincent Hognon waxed lyrical about the forward’s qualities, he said: “He’s a guy with every quality going. You know how much I love him. I’m surprised he hasn’t found a club matching his stature. I see his quality in his movement, the way he keeps the ball, in a huge amount of things.”

Meanwhile, the Foxes one-time club-record signing (£30m) finds himself as an outcast at the King Power Stadium. He’s only bagged 13 goals in 46 appearances for the club and has been forced out on loan three times.

With him on wages of £80k-per-week too, it’s not a target that Albion should follow up with interest in, especially if Diallo is there to be taken for just £10m.

If it’s not Grant, then it ought to be Diallo and certainly not Slimani.

AND in other news, West Brom would be landing their next Kevin Phillips in £18m target…

Tottenham Hotspur slumped to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat in the Europa League on Thursday night.Jose Mourinho’s men were simply not at the races, which was summed up by his quadruple substitution at half-time, though it wasn’t enough to remotely swing the game in their favour.Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp needed just one goal to take the top spot in Group J and they have a calamity of errors to thank for it after Ben Davies and Davinson Sanchez let Lior Refaelov fire past a helpless Hugo Lloris between the sticks.The Special One named a side containing nine changes, handing out a super rare opportunity to Dele Alli, who hadn’t started in over a month for the club.There was also an opportunity for Steven Bergwijn, who now sits behind Gareth Bale, Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura in the pecking order. Although after his first-half display, Erik Lamela is probably now ahead of him.The €70m-rated (£63m) Dutch winger was hauled off at the break as one of four substitutions and after the match, Mourinho expressed how he wanted to swap the entire starting XI.He now knows a lot more about his side and his warning shot may spell the end for Bergwijn in N17 – or at least, it’s his final chance for a while.

Per SofaScore, the 23-year-old lost possession eight times, won just 50% of his duels and failed to deliver an accurate cross or dribble. Bergwijn also only made 22 passes and had 36 touches of the ball, the fourth-lowest from the visitors.

The January arrival wasn’t even named in the matchday squad for their trip to Burnley on Monday evening, which is damning enough, so to not make the most of this golden chance is inexcusable.

0 goals and 0 assists in the Premier League from four appearances is hardly encouraging either, especially with Bale back on the block.

Mourinho’s post-game reaction tells the story – it would be a mighty fine surprise to see the calamitous Bergwijn back involved anytime soon.

AND in other news, Spurs liability who lost possession 21 times was up to his old tricks on Thursday night…

The UEFA Europa League began in earnest this month, with the draw on 1 October shaping the entire complexion of the competition. As usual, the teams were drawn from pots based on their UEFA coefficients, which are (for now) the defining metric for seeding teams, but not even that could prevent a ‘group of death’ or two from forming.

Last season was no different, with Dynamo Kiev, PSV Eindhoven, Lazio and Borussia Mönchengladbach being definite victims of a shock failure to proceed. Those case studies fuel the belief that some other fancied teams will fall by the wayside, or at least find themselves on the receiving end of an underdog victory.

With this in mind, these three matches will be ones to watch.

Milan v Lille (5 Nov)

All wagering odds for the greatest tournaments show a moneyline favourite and an underdog in every match, but there are certain elements that can reduce the odds against the latter. In the case of Group H, which has already been identified as a particularly tough group, Milan may field a couple of fringe players. Whether or not they do so against Lille, they are guaranteed a challenge, with the French club making an excellent start to 2020/21.

While it is hard to ignore the fact that Lille have not won a Europa League match since December 2010, it is the here and now that really matters. Every Ligue 1 game up to the international break saw Lille keep a first-half clean sheet, contributing much to an unbeaten return of four wins and two draws from the opening six league games.

The continued absence of AC Milan from top-level European football has also played its part in devaluing the San Siro’s status as a fortress when Milan are the hosts. The Rossoneri’s current UEFA coefficient (19.000) is a stark fall from the one with which they entered their last Champions League campaign seven years ago (93.829).

Milan have lost two of their last five Europa League games, against Arsenal and Real Betis, and were unimpressive in their qualifying win over Bodø / Glimt, just scraping home 3-2 after a disastrous start, and relying on a double from Hakan Çalhanoğlu to bail them out.

Cluj v Roma (26 Nov)

Romanian clubs have enjoyed a minor renaissance in recent years, with Astra Giurgiu’s double-header of qualifying aggregate wins over West Ham a few years ago standing prominent in the memory. Over the past 12 years though, CFR Cluj have become a consistent beacon for Romanian football, making a maiden appearance in the 2008/09 Champions League group stage. They won only once en-route to a fourth-place finish – but it was a memorable victory.

Of all teams, it was Roma they beat in that group stage campaign, with Cluj winning 2-1 at the Olympic stadium and stealing all the headlines. Last season saw Cluj make a real breakthrough, with the Transylvanian outfit sucking the life out of every visitor in the group stage, going on to finish second.

Though immediately eliminated by Sevilla – who defied their own adverse pre-match odds to win the final – Cluj did not lose either leg, instead bowing out on away goals. Notably, Roma’s neighbours Lazio were amongst Cluj’s victims in last season’s group stage, meaning that Cluj are not short of the inspiration necessary to ensure that Roma ‘sleep well’ yet again.

Arsenal v Rapid (3 Dec)

For their part, Rapid Vienna have not faced English opposition for ten years, notably dumping Aston Villa out at the Europa League qualification playoff stage for the second time in as many seasons back in 2010. That year also marked Rapid’s most recent competitive win on English soil. More recently, Rapid played opposition from Europe’s top-five leagues twice last term, but were punished in their away legs, going down 5-0 at Villarreal and 4-0 at Inter.

Under normal circumstances, this would go in a similar direction, but it is not just ‘hard’ groups that open up the potential for a shock.

Arsenal have been granted a relatively easy group, containing no other representatives from one of Europe’s top five leagues. That yields expectation of progression being sealed early – perhaps even with two games to spare, provided that Mikel Arteta takes the competition seriously, as he surely will given Arsenal’s status as outright favourites.

Even if progression is not completely sealed by matchday five, a number of fringe players are certain to feature given Arsenal’s home advantage, giving this one a similar feel to recent shock UEL home defeats vs Olympiakos and Ostersunds.

Leeds United have finally made a splash in the transfer market but this week, one of Marcelo Bielsa’s stars has been linked with an exit away from Elland Road this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mirror’s David Anderson, the Yorkshire giants will consider offers for veteran goalkeeper Kiko Casilla as he’s set to be the second-choice behind Illan Meslier this term.

Although he does suggest that United aren’t shipping him out, they are open to any bids that may come their way.

It comes just a few months after the reliable Phil Hay hinted towards the Spaniard’s departure, claiming that his “gut feeling is that they’ll replace Casilla.”

Orta reminder

The 33-year-old’s Leeds career should have been over the minute he was found guilty of racially abusing another professional, then Charlton loanee Jonathan Leko.

During his eight-game suspension, he rightfully lost his place in Bielsa’s starting XI and the performances from Meslier in his absence were clearly enough to convince the Argentine into trusting him in the top-flight.

Casilla has always been a divisive figure to supporters, they’ve been on his back on more than one occasion due to the mistakes he can make.

It’s been a pretty poor decision all-round to bring him to Yorkshire but none more so than financially – yes, he was secured on a free transfer from Real Madrid, who undoubtedly were keen to get him off the books but his high wages are surely a cause for concern.

As per Football Insider, Casilla is thought to be on around £40k-per-week, which means the club has splashed out nearly £3.4m in wages alone. This is surely something they won’t want to keep up if he’s not going to be starting matches this season.

It also provides a stark reminder that Victor Orta doesn’t always get everything right, so you can bring in Robin Koch and the two Rodrigo’s, but they are by no means going to be a success just yet.

AND in other news, Leeds United enter race to sign Championship sensation…