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Leeds United have just had a deal for a highly-rated youngster fall through at the last minute.

Where have we heard that before?

Of course, Michael Cuisance’s deal falling through has brought back memories of Daniel James’ failed transfer in January 2019, when Leeds United had gone as far as to take pictures of the winger with his new shirt before the deal collapsed.

James didn’t sign, and Leeds didn’t have a plan B lined up for if things went awry, and this ultimately may have cost United promotion to the Premier League in the 2018/19 season, with fans blaming Andrea Radrizzani’s lack of investment that January on their late-season collapse.

Once again, the Yorkshire club find themselves in a similar position with a transfer that looked all but done, falling apart late on, but this time they need to make sure to learn from their mistakes.

United have been pursuing a midfielder all summer long with Rodrigo De Paul and Cuisance being the most concrete links, and with just days of the window to go, they still haven’t managed to land their man.

Fortunately, there is plenty of time for a signing, and if Victor Orta has learnt from his mistakes from the Dan James deal, United should have other options already lined up.

Orta has done a great job with his signings so far, bringing in a number of experienced players to plug the gaps in United’s squad including Diego Llorente and Rodrigo. But with the Cuisance deal falling through being such a setback, he now has to prove his worth and find an adequate midfielder as an alternative to the Bayern Munich man.

Fingers crossed, Leeds have learnt from their mistakes, or else this is a transfer disaster that could haunt the club for years to come.

In other news, find out which Leeds man has been ruled out of their clash against Manchester City…

In a game embroiled in controversy, one Tottenham Hotspur player may have let his team down irrespective of the circumstances that ensued on the pitch.

Jose Mourinho’s side looked to be heading towards all three points against Newcastle United, courtesy of Lucas Moura’s 25th-minute goal but in the final minute of the match, the new handball regulations threw the game on its head.

Eric Dier was adjudged to have handled it inside the area with seconds remaining on the clock despite not even looking in the direction of the ball and after a lengthy VAR review which resulted in Peter Bankes taking a look at the monitor and awarding a penalty.

Callum Wilson stepped up to convert it to salvage a point for the visiting Magpies.

Aside from all that questionable decision, Spurs should maybe take a look at themselves having notched 23 shots in total with just one goal to show for it.

Mourinho ought to look at his summer signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who put in another questionable display at the base of midfield.

Per SofaScore, the Danish powerhouse lost possession 16 times, won just 22% of his duels, was dribbled past one and failed to record a single successful dribble. He also committed four fouls, including the one that led to the penalty call.

Against Everton on the opening day, Hojbjerg was quite poor too managing a rating of just 6.45 on WhoScored.

Considering the 25-year-old cost £15m from Southampton, a team he captained, as well as wages thought to be around £100k-per-week, he should be doing ten times better.

Mourinho dropped Dele Alli from the starting lineup whilst Moussa Sissoko was absent last-minute through illness, it’s not as if he’ll be short for replacements going forward and thus, Hojbjerg must improve if he’s to keep his place in the starting XI.

AND in other news, Spurs agree on personal terms with Serie A colossus…

West Bromwich Albion have had many players come and go in recent years but do you remember Sebastian Blanco? Probably not.

The Argentinian winger was signed by ex-Baggies boss Alan Irvine in the summer of 2014 for just £2m from Metalist Kharkiv and even though the Midlands outfit enjoyed a pretty decent season by finishing 13th, Blanco was a truly forgotten man.

Irvine talked up his credentials after signing him, he said: “He’s a very talented player and a very two-footed footballer. He can cross the ball well, shoot with both feet. You’ll also see him score with both feet – some terrific goals too – if you look at his clips. He’s got an understanding of the game.”

But the two-time international only mustered up a total of 201 minutes in an Albion shirt across five first-team appearances, making him one massive flop.

Where is Blanco now?

Speaking about his time at West Brom, Blanco told The Athletic that is was “one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made,” and since his departure, he has certainly found his feet with spells at San Lorenzo and now Portland Timbers in the Major League Soccer.

He cost the MLS side around $4m (£3m) and has thrived ever since.

The 32-year-old has provided 33 goals and 32 assists from 121 appearances, via Transfermarkt, which means he’s contributing a little over 0.5 goals each time he takes the field for the Timbers.

Blanco played an integral role during their run in the MLS is Back tournament, scoring in the semi-final against Philadelphia Union before going onto win the competition. The winger scored or assisted in every game bar the final.

He was even named as the Player of the Tournament, beating Orlando City and former Manchester United winger Nani in the voting.

Those at the Hawthorns may not even remember his name, and they can be forgiven as he was barely given an opportunity, but clearly, he has thrived in new surroundings.

AND in other news, West Brom £20m target shows what they’re missing with gargantuan display…

After arriving from Belgian side Genk in the summer of 2012, Christian Benteke set about trying to dominate Premier League defences up and down the country.

The towering centre-forward blended real power with some deceptive footwork, and it was little wonder that then Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert was quick to hail his new number nine.

He said at the time: “Christian is only 21 but already he’s an established Belgian international and he’s had a terrific time at Genk. He’s something very different to what we have here and that added dimension will enhance the football club. A young lad he may be, but he’s definitely a handful. He’s tall, powerful, he has pace and we’ll be stronger with him in the side.”

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And in the 101 games that he ended up playing for Villa, he more than showed that he was worth every penny that the club spent on him. He scored a very impressive 49 times and even provided another twelve assists too, and was involved in some spectacular individual and team goals – the back-heel to set up Andreas Weimann’s strike in a 3-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield still lives long in the memory.

But after moving to the Reds in a big-money deal in 2015, Benteke’s career has sadly gone downhill. The Belgian never truly flourished at Liverpool, and looked out of sorts with the more counter-attacking and intricate style of play employed by the Merseyside club.

That eventually saw him leave to join fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, where things have failed to work out once. In 117 games for the Eagles, he’s managed to find the back of the net just 23 times.

And if to emphasise just how much he has struggled, the striker has seen the most of his game-time in this new season with Palace’s U23s side, playing 45 minutes against West Brom at Premier League 2 level.

Make no mistake about it, former Villa owner Randy Lerner delivered a masterclass by cashing in on Benteke when his stock was at its highest.

Phil Parkinson will be expected to name a vastly different line-up to face Mansfield Town in Saturday’s FA Cup First Round tie, with Sunderland afforded the chance to rest several key first-team regulars for their League One promotion push.

Goalkeeper Lee Burge and defender Bailey Wright have started each of the Black Cats’ 10 third-tier fixtures thus far, while Denver Hume and Luke O’Nien have opened nine matches and Lynden Gooch, Grant Leadbitter and Chris Maguire have fielded eight kick-offs each.

Burge is further the only first-team regular to have enjoyed all 900 minutes of available game time in League One this season, and is in line for a well-deserved rest when Sunderland host John Dempster’s Stags at the Stadium of Light.

Parkinson will favour drastic changes to the XI which beat Ipswich Town last time out, with the North East outfit likely to favour fielding young hopefuls and those frozen out that are eager to impress. So, with that in mind, here’s a line-up Sunderland could name at home to Mansfield…

Back-up shot-stopper Remi Matthews will be confident of earning his latest first-team appearance for Sunderland in their FA Cup clash with Mansfield, having previously featured in just two fixtures since joining from Bolton this summer – each coming in the EFL Trophy.

Matthews was unable to enjoy a clean sheet against either Aston Villa’s U23s or Carlisle United, though Parkinson will feel Mansfield present a great chance to see how the 26-year-old responds to watching each League One fixture from the bench this term.

Parkinson will also be keen to see how Dion Sanderson fares in defence following his debut against Rochdale last month, and could partner the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee with Callum McFadzean and 20-year-old Ollie Younger to offer Hume and Bailey Wright a break.

McFadzean was brought to the Stadium of Light on a free transfer this summer following his release by Plymouth Argyle to offer competition for places, but is yet to make his first-team debut whilst building fitness in the U23s.

With Parkinson ringing the changes at home to Mansfield, midfielders George Dobson, Elliot Embleton and Daniel Neil may feel confident of featuring.

The Black Cats faced a fight to retain Neil’s services this summer with Premier League duo Newcastle United and Wolves both interested in the talented 18-year-old, per the Chronicle, but have only awarded the youngster minutes in the EFL Trophy having overlooked his services in each League One and EFL Cup tie this term.

Dobson, meanwhile, will be eager to utilise the FA Cup as his chance to regain a spot in the first-team having featured 24 times under Parkinson last season, only to lose his place following an opening-day red card and be left waiting for a second chance.

Parkinson has previously stated an intent to offer Sunderland’s young talents minutes in the cup competitions, much to Embleton’s glee after the rising star’s struggles with injuries, noting via the Chronicle: “They are going to be needed and they are going to get chances.

“The games come thick and fast with a lot of midweek matches, and I am confident that if they get their chance, they will take it.”

Parkinson’s rotation could come at the expense of forward Lynden Gooch, who the Black Cats boss has previously stated was left disappointed when omitted from the side after going four months without a League One start.

“Goochy has trained really well this week,” Parkinson said in September, via quotes by The Northern Echo. It was very hard for me not to put him in the team, but I just wanted to get the balance of the side right.

“He was disappointed, but he took it the right way. There’s going to be other players who will get left out in this long season, but you’ve got to accept the decision and you’ve got to come on the pitch and let your football do the talking.”

In place of Gooch, who has contributed five goals (two scored, three assisted) in League One this term, could enter a young up-and-comer who Parkinson has praised as a real “bonus” in 20-year-old Jack Diamond, who has offered one goal in his six senior outings to date.

“Another bonus for us as staff is that Jack Diamond has come back in this week and looked really good,” Parkinson told the official Sunderland website earlier this summer upon the winger’s return to Wearside after a successful loan spell with Harrogate Town.

Diamond’s first and only senior Sunderland goal to date came in October’s 5-3 EFL Trophy victory over Carlisle and is yet to taste defeat when fielded, and could be viewed by Parkinson as someone who can aid strikers Danny Graham and Will Grigg on Saturday.

Grigg is yet to find the back of the net in any of his four outings this term, with Sunderland’s £4million striker often left an unused substitute in League One under Parkinson.

The Black Cats would undoubtedly like to see more from the 29-year-old, while Graham’s search for further successful efforts likewise continues with blanks on the record in all bar one of the former U20 international’s nine appearances since re-joining as a free agent this summer.

Graham and Grigg must realise that Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Mansfield will be their best opportunity to impress Parkinson to warrant inclusion in the Sunderland manager’s league plans, or risk a continuing role on the bench.

AND in other news, Sunderland have the ideal chance to sign a modern-day gem for free.

Phil Parkinson has got it seriously wrong and risks Lee Burge’s wrath after claiming the Sunderland goalkeeper is in a three-way battle for the starting role.

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s League One clash with Doncaster Rovers, via quotes by The Northern Echo, Parkinson has claimed he has no first-choice shot-stopper as all three of Burge, Remi Matthews and young hopeful Anthony Patterson are in the running.

Burge opened the campaign as Parkinson’s go-to option after Jon McLaughlin opted to ditch the Stadium of Light and join Rangers on a free transfer, with the 27-year-old starting the first 10 fixtures of the League One season before a slight ankle problem ensured he fell to the bench last week.

Matthews started in Burge’s place at home to MK Dons to make his Sunderland league debut after being signed from Bolton Wanderers in the summer, while Patterson only earned his senior debut in this month’s Papa John’s Trophy defeat away to Fleetwood Town.

Parkinson was yet to decide who will feature in goal at Doncaster this weekend when speaking to the media, having been impressed by what Matthews brought to the table, and believes there is now a chance for all three to contend for the starting role.

“My thoughts behind last week were that Remi had done well in the game prior to that (against Mansfield in the FA Cup), and Burgey had been carrying a slight problem with his ankle, which was affecting his kicking. So, we went with Remi.

“Do you then say Remi is your number one? That’s not really the case because I feel we’ve got three good goalkeepers at the club. I want competition, and I think rather than saying one keeper is categorically the number one and the other one is happy to play the role of number two, I want the two-stroke-three ‘keepers to all believe they can get in that team. That’s what I feel we’ve got and its good competition.

“Anthony came in against Fleetwood and showed what we know he can do because he’s played so well in the Under 23s. He trains with the first-team every day and he’s pushing hard.”

Got it seriously wrong

While Parkinson will be hoping that his comments can keep Burge, Matthews and Patterson on their toes, the Sunderland boss has got it seriously wrong thinking that all three are in a position to challenge for the starting role.

His comments also risk the wrath of Burge, who kept six clean sheets in his 10 League One appearances and only fell out of the starting line-up through injury. Had it not been for the blow, then the £2,000-per-week ‘keeper would have been expected to retain the position as Sunderland’s clear first-choice shot-stopper.

Matthews, on the other hand, is yet to keep the opponents from scoring in any of his four appearances this season, including allowing League Two outfit Carlisle United to score three times in the EFL Trophy and Mansfield Town once as the Black Cats were beaten in the FA Cup by a side who were winless in all competitions.

MK Dons also scored twice from four shots on target last week, while Matthews recorded no punches, successful runs out or high claims whereas Burge has registered 10 saves from shots taken inside the Sunderland box, six from outside the area, made two punches, two successful runs out and registered five high claims this term, per SofaScore.

Burge would be livid for Parkinson to also consider Patterson, who conceded twice in his senior debut and has kept just two clean sheets in 34 Premier League 2 outings over the last three seasons.

AND in other news, Stewart Donald can deliver Sunderland fans a parting gift by retaining a sought-after teen sensation.

Wolves’ relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes could bear fruit once again this January if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Polish outlet Sportowe Fakty, the Midlands outfit are interested in striking a deal over Wisla Krakow wonderkid Aleksander Buksa.

It’s claimed that Molineux is his most likely destination amid uncertainty over his immediate future with his agent Pini Zahavi and Mendes looking to secure a move to Wolves.

The 17-year-old’s contract is due to expire in the summer but he could sign a professional deal in January when he turns 18, but it would mean he is available for just €5m (£4.5m) thanks to a release clause.

Generational star?

You could be forgiven for not knowing who the young striker is but after scoring four goals in 21 appearances for Wisla last season, he made the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ list.

They have ranked him amongst the 60 best young talents in world football – Maciej Slominski wrote: “Both Buksa brothers are tall, technically proficient, left-footed, blonde strikers. Barcelona are said to have scouted him.”

Whilst FootballTalentScout likened his playing style to that of Arkadiusz Milik, claiming that Buksa is a “determined forward with killer-instinct, interesting technique on the ball, decent dribbling skills and cleverness at his off-the-ball movements,” so perhaps it is no surprise to see him dubbed the ‘new Lewandowski.’

The Old Gold have a track record of paying up for relatively unknown youngsters – Pedro Neto, Rayan Ait-Nouri (if he signs permanently) and Leonardo Campana spring to mind.

So if they believe that the Polish sensation has a genuine chance of transforming into a generational star, then they should be trusted with the decision – even if Mendes is involved.

It is his relationship with Fosun that could see him come to the Midlands instead of the La Liga giants.

AND in other news, Nuno could land a true Traore replacement in £45m-rated destroyer…

Glasgow Rangers winger Brandon Barker was forced off the pitch early on against Falkirk in the Betfred Cup which saw a rare start come to a premature end.

Despite his best efforts, Barker was unable to continue as he picked up what looked like a potential knock, and was replaced by Ianis Hagi on the left hand side.

The club have not yet confirmed the full extent of the injury but it looks like it could be a bitter blow for Steven Gerrard, who already faces several weeks without Jordan Jones after he was given a seven-game ban by the SFA for breaching COVID rules.

With Barker facing a fitness sweat for the Europa League clash with Standard Liege on Thursday night, Gerrard may be forced to give Hagi the nod instead.

Rangers signed the Romania international on a permanent deal from Genk in the summer after he impressed during a loan spell at Ibrox last season, having scored a brace in a 3-2 victory over Braga in February.

Since then, he has found his chances somewhat limited so far this season, having been left as an unused substitute on the bench on three occasions so far.

However, in spite of the fact that progress has been slow, it’s clear he is highly regarded by the Ibrox boss, who described him as an “outstanding talent” after he inspired the comeback win over Braga in the Europa League.

In fact, it’s fair to say that his versatility could prove useful as Gerrard juggles both domestic and European competitions. The attacking midfielder, who can operate on the right or in the centre of the midfield, has scored one goal and supplied six assists in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, whilst he is averaging 2.2 shots and 1.6 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Let’s face it, Barker was never likely to start anyway, as Kemar Roofe was preferred on the right wing in his place to face Benfica last month. But Standard Liege posed very little threat last time out, so Gerrard may take the opportunity to rotate his squad once again with an eye on the trip to Premiership rivals Ross County at the weekend.

There’s no doubt the 22-year-old is held in high esteem at the Ibrox outfit. But he has largely been starved of minutes as of late, although he played the full 90′ minutes against Falkirk in a more central role, and he could keep his place in the starting line-up against Standard Liege later this week.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must get rid of Jordan Jones, he earns more than Joe Aribo…

Leeds United were pipped to the post last night in their latest Premier League clash against West Ham. Following a foul on Patrick Bamford in the box, Mateusz Klich coolly converted from the spot to give the Whites an early lead.

However, the Irons managed to overthrow their opener with a goal in each half to snatch the win. David Moyes and his men will be thrilled with the three points, but for the Whites, they face a big challenge going into their clash with Newcastle next.

Despite the loss, Marcelo Bielsa can take away some positives from the game, with one being the fact Luke Ayling seriously stepped up to the plate amid the team’s recent flurry of injuries.

Luke Ayling’s stats vs West Ham

The Argentinian manager is currently without Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, who have both suffered injuries respectively. In their absence, Ayling was deployed in the heart of defence and he was arguably his side’s best player against West Ham.

According to Sofascore, the natural right-back contributed three blocks, four interceptions and two tackles, along with completing 100% of his attempted ground duels. Ayling was also successful in all of his dribbles and had one shot on target.

He has now featured at centre-back on four occasions this season, showing Bielsa that he can adapt easily when called upon. Koch will be out of action for up to three months following knee surgery, which means Ayling could be required to feature alongside Liam Cooper for more fixtures to come.

Bielsa will take extreme comfort knowing that his defence hasn’t been completely torn apart and they will hope for a more positive result against Newcastle next time out.

In other news, Exclusive: Leeds tipped to make January move amid Patrick Bamford worry…

According to The Sun, AC Milan are interested in making a move to sign Crystal Palace versatile forward Wilfried Zaha.

What’s the word?

The Ivory Coast international is enjoying a prolific spell at Selhurst Park this season, having scored eight goals in just 14 games across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising other sides have been closely monitoring the situation, and The Sun claim that Serie A giants AC Milan want to sign Zaha in January as they are chasing their first title in ten years.

The report adds Stefano Pioli’s side see Zaha as ‘the missing piece of the puzzle,’ with the Rossoneri eager to bolster their arsenal as they bid to stop Juventus from winning their tenth title in a row.

Keep Zaha at all costs

There’s no denying that the loss of Zaha would be a colossal blow for Roy Hodgson at any time, let alone halfway through the season.

In fact, it’s fair to say that the 28-year-old been an integral part of Hodgson’s side – he scored four goals and supplied five assists in 38 appearances last season – and has fully embraced the challenge of playing in a more central role.

He continues to be one of Palace’s top performers on a consistent basis and is a large part of the reason why the Eagles are still in the Premier League.

It’s no wonder that other managers like Mikel Arteta have swooned over the “terrific” talent, with the Arsenal boss even going so far as to say: “I think he’s a terrific player and I think the impact he’s had in the Premier League in the last few years has been phenomenal. His ability to create chances on his own is unique.”

Palace find themselves a point adrift of newly-promoted Leeds United, as they currently lie 13th in the table, although Marcelo Bielsa’s side have a game in-hand over the Eagles.

One thing’s for sure, selling Zaha should be out of the question and completely off the table if Hodgson is to have any hope of rescuing what has been a rather difficult season so far.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke badly let Roy Hodgson down against Leicester City…