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Nottingham Post journalist Paul Taylor said via his official Twitter account on Monday that Nottingham Forest have told him that they aren’t pursuing West Ham United starlet Reece Oxford despite reports to the contrary over the weekend, and Reds fans have been quick to react.

The Mirror reported on Sunday that the Championship play-off hopefuls were keen on a massive £8m move for the Irons outcast, who could leave the Premier League club before Thursday’s deadline.

However, Taylor says that Martin O’Neill’s men actually aren’t tracking the 20-year-old at all, with the Irishman still only completing a deal to sign Yohan Benalouane from Leicester City since replacing Aitor Karanka at the helm earlier this month.

Forest bounced back from defeat in the 66-year-old’s debut game in charge against Bristol City to beat Wigan Athletic 3-1 at The City Ground on Saturday, and they lie four points outside of the top six ahead of the transfer window slamming shut this week.

Nottingham Forest supporters took to social media to have their say on Taylor’s transfer update, and while one said they “don’t think we will be paying anywhere near that much for any player”, another said: “Pity. Type we should be after”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

With Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United having not enjoyed the best of starts to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, picking up just 11 points from their opening 12 fixtures of the season and suffering something of an injury crisis, attention at Elland Road is rather rapidly turning to the January transfer window.

However, with the 66-year-old recently suggesting that he may not be willing to delve too deeply into the winter market due to the amount of money the Whites have spent under his leadership in previous windows, the Argentine manager may well be left with no other option than to begin blooding a number of the club’s most promising academy products in his first-team squad.

And, should Bielsa indeed turn to Leeds’ youth to make up the numbers over what remains of the current Premier League campaign, there is one player in particular who would appear worthy of a crack at senior football, in the form of 15-year-old Archie Gray.

Gray could save Leeds millions

Despite his extremely tender age, the attacking midfielder was named in the Whites’ travelling squad to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, something that – despite the teenager ultimately being left out of the matchday team – gives a clear indication of how highly-rated Gray is at Thorp Arch.

However, while the inclusion of a 15-year-old perhaps raised a number of eyebrows in the wider footballing world, Leeds fans will more than likely be less shocked by Gray’s emergence, as the youngster has been making a habit of pulling up trees in the club’s youth setup so far this season.

Indeed, already a regular in the Whites U18 team, the England U16 international has also broken into Mark Jackson’s U23 side this season, so far having made three Premier League 2 appearances, in addition to stealing the show in the 4-1 EFL Trophy defeat to Tranmere Rovers back in September.

In this fixture, despite the heavy loss, Gray produced a moment of magic midway through the second half, turning an onrushing Rovers midfielder in style before sliding a defence-splitting pass into the path of Amari Miller, who duly fired home from close range.

As such, it is perhaps no surprise that Victor Orta appears to be incredibly excited regarding the potential of the 15-year-old, with the director of football evening likening the emergence of Gray to that of Sergio Aguero.

In an interview with La Media Inglesa (via Leeds Live), Orta said: “I want to say the name of Archie Gray on La Media Inglesa. Hopefully nobody takes him away from us. Nobody is going to do that, he has [Leeds] in his blood. So that’s why I want to say the name of Archie Gray on here because every time he takes a step forward you’ll see him.

“He’s one of those players you see every, I don’t know. I remember Kun Aguero and saying, ‘what is this?’ It’s something that happens once in a long time. [It] has actually happened only a few times – in the South America U20s tournament, Kun scored 10 or 12 goals or something like that, you could see he was different. Archie gives me the same feeling.”

So, considering just how highly Gray is evidently thought of at Thorp Arch, coupled with the fact that Bielsa is extremely short of options in the middle of the park, it would appear a very wise move for the 66-year-old to unleash the teenage sensation in his first-team over the coming weeks and months, as the 15-year-old could end up saving Andrea Radrizzani tens of millions of pounds in January transfer fees.

In other news: Phil Hay drops January transfer claim which is sure to leave Leeds United fans fuming

Crystal Palace are reportedly ‘lining up’ a move for wantaway AS Roma striker Borja Mayoral ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Eagles are planning a swoop for the 24-year-old over the coming months after his game time has been severely limited in the Italian capital.

He tweeted: “Crystal Palace lining up transfer swoop for Roma striker Borja Mayoral given lack of playing time under Jose Mourinho”.

Patrick Vieira will surely be buzzing

News that the capital club’s hierarchy are making plans to strengthen their forward line even further will surely leave new manager Patrick Vieira buzzing with excitement.

Loanee Jean-Philippe Mateta has been linked with an early return to parent club Mainz, while the in-form Christian Benteke is set to turn 31 in a matter of days, meaning Vieira needs to plan for the future.

And Mayoral could be the ideal candidate for the French tactician to do just that.

After rising through the ranks at boyhood club Real Madrid, the £12.6m-rated gem was awarded game time in the senior setup by former manager Zidane Zidane, who lauded his performance after he bagged a brace in a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad a few years ago, dubbing him “complete.”

However, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema ahead of him in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu, Mayoral embarked on a series of loan spells before joining Roma on a two-year loan move in 2020.

The 6-foot beast impressed throughout his maiden campaign in Italian football, bagging 17 goals and providing seven assists in 47 appearances for the Giallorossi.

But Mourinho’s arrival has seen Mayoral consigned to the bench for large spells of the current campaign. He’s been awarded just 114 minutes of action across all competitions this term, indicating his time in Rome is drawing to a premature end.

A permanent move to Palace could be the ideal scenario for all parties then, and Vieira would surely be grateful for the added firepower at his disposal.

And, in other news…82% duels lost: Palace lightweight who lost possession 23 times badly let Vieira down

It’s been one hell of a ride for Tottenham Hotspur supporters in 2021.

Jose Mourinho was sacked back in April after 17 months in charge and it’s another former Chelsea boss now at the helm in Antonio Conte.

He’s won a Premier League and FA Cup, so many around north London will be hoping he’s the man to finally end their barren 13-year wait for a piece of silverware.

Things do look up for the Lilywhites, however, as they have a real shot at finishing inside the top four for the first time in nearly three seasons – not bad for a side that has been through more managers than Harry Kane has Premier League goals this term.

Now Christmas is upon us, can you remember everything that has happened in what has been a whirlwind 12 months at Spurs?

Here are 15 questions that only the most die-hard fans will be able to answer. Think you can get more than ten right? We bet you can’t…

Crystal Palace have rebuffed a ‘host’ of loan bids for youngster Jack Wells-Morrison, according to TEAMtalk. 

‘A number’ of clubs in the second and third tier have approached Palace about taking Wells-Morrison on a temporary basis, among them London rivals Charlton Athletic.

But Patrick Vieira has ‘no intention of letting him go’ and instead wants to integrate him into the first team squad.

The lowdown on Jack Wells-Morrison

Wells-Morrison is predominantly a central midfielder but he can also play in slightly deeper or more advanced roles.

He’s still awaiting a senior debut for The Eagles, but he was named on the bench for Saturday’s FA Cup third round trip to Millwall.

Having scored eight goals in 24 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League, the 17-year-old earned a swift promotion to the Under-23s and has now racked up 15 PL2 outings (via Transfermarkt).

As noted by TEAMtalk, Morrison has been with the club for 11 years and his family are season-ticket holders at Selhurst Park.

Fan feed Palace Xtra relayed the news, and here’s what supporters made of it, with some feeling he could come into the first-team more next season when Conor Gallagher departs.

Many Palace fans flock to Wells-Morrison news

“Can only mean he’s involved in first team setup surely. Maybe just backup needed during AFCON”

Credit: @Joe_LT59

“Damn this kid must be good”

Credit: @JacobMozz

“Would be amazing if he can get a few sub appearances before the end of the season. Vieira must rate him to keep him from going on loan”

Credit: @jdmcpfc1990

“Championship??? Bro we must rate him so highly”

Credit: @SWPalace

“Gallagher replacement already at the club”

Credit: @joelcpfc_

“I’ve been SO impressed with him at U23 level and it excites me massively that Vieira sees him as someone we could potentially use this season”

Credit: @liamb0117

In other news, Palace are interested in this forward.

A Newcastle transfer update has emerged, regarding Lille’s Sven Botman and Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard as PIF aim to seal the first signings of their era with the club.

What’s the talk?

According to Fabrizio Romano in The Guardian, the Magpies are hoping to land both players in January to bolster their squad in a bid to avoid relegation.

The report claims that Botman could cost them a fee in the region of £30m-£40m, whilst they are open to signing Lingard on loan or permanently.

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be elated by this update from Romano as it shows that the club are making serious plans to strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad in the market.

They have identified two players with recent experience of thriving at the top level and both of them could come in and make a positive impact on the team. Transfermarkt value Lingard at £19.8m and Botman at £25.2m, which means that the club could bring in a £45m-rated duo to improve their side midway through the campaign.

The Magpies have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season and the signing of a defender could be crucial in their efforts to remain in the division. Botman helped Lille to keep an outstanding 20 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last term as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08, showing that he has the talent required to keep shutouts as part of an organised defensive set-up.

Fans would surely be buzzing to see a defender with an impressive, recent, record of performing consistently as a centre-back in Ligue 1. He has helped Lille to multiple clean sheets in France and he could now head to England to do the same for Newcastle, which the supporters – and Howe – would love to see if it helps them to pick up more points.

Last season, Lingard produced nine goals and six assists in 16 Premier League appearances. He averaged 1.1 key passes per game as he showed that he has the quality to produce consistent end product in the final third during his loan spell with the Hammers.

Therefore, he could potentially come in and be a match-winner for Newcastle as he has proven that he can score and create goals at this level. His finishing and playmaking could be the difference for Howe’s side in tight games and that is why fans would be delighted with his arrival too.

Overall, these two players would appear to be high-class potential additions and Newcastle simply must swoop.

AND in other news, Possession lost 110x: Howe must brutally axe “fantastic” NUFC dud with 66% pass rate…

Norwich are set to appoint Dean Smith as their new head coach at Carrow Road imminently.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to explore the possible starting eleven that the former Villa boss will set up with in his first fixture when the Canaries host Southampton next Saturday afternoon.

Daniel Farke lost his job at Norwich after the side gained their first three-pointer against Brentford last weekend, with pressure mounting on the German coach after an abysmal start to the season that has left the side sitting at the bottom of the table.

Possibly the most notable and unpopular decision that Farke made when setting up his Norwich side this season, was the snub of two young and promising players that have been destined for greatness in their careers – Todd Cantwell and Billy Gilmour.

Norwich loan player, Gilmour, has been hailed “world-class” by former Rangers boss Mark Warburton whilst Cantwell has been on the radar of top Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool for some time now.

Smith is sure to have his eyes on both promising players to place into his starting eleven, as both possess qualities that emulate those of Smith’s Aston Villa prodigy, Jack Grealish.

This would see the likes of Kieran Dowell and Kenny McLean potentially axed from the side if Smith did decide to go with the two popular youngsters, however, it may be the right move considering the lack of presence and possession Norwich have displayed in their Premier League campaign so far. Heading into the latest international break, they’d enjoyed just 43.3% of the ball in the top-flight.

With that in mind, this is how Football Fancast predicts Smith’s best starting XI could be once he’s settled in at Carrow Road…

With a typical Norwich 4-3-3 formation, we predict that Smith will line up in a similar, if not identical, set up as his 11th place finishing Aston Villa side of last season.

The ex-Villa boss has never really played with ball-playing defenders with his first choice at Villa being Mings and Konsa, which as a result, we predict that he will drop Ozan Kabak out of his team.

Instead, their incoming boss may opt to play a pairing of Grant Hanley and Ben Gibson who offer more experience and defensive qualities than the young Turkish centre back, especially in a regulation dog fight.

The 50-year-old ex-Brentford boss is yet to confirm his acceptance of the new role but is expected to become head coach in a matter of days with a rumoured two and a half year contract on the table.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Smith: NCFC can save their season with 58 y/o who’s been “top marks”…

West Ham remain “focused” on recruiting a new centre-back in the January transfer window, with Burnley’s James Tarkowski among the names being discussed…

What’s the story?

The Hammers have seen a number of injuries hit their central defenders over the course of this Premier League season, so it’s been no surprise to hear that David Moyes has got his sights set on strengthening that area of the pitch.

Now, transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered an update on where things currently stand.

He said: “Everything I’m told about West Ham remains focused around the centre-back options that we’ve heard before. There’s Tarkowski, who will obviously be really hard to get out of Burnley, and Nat Phillips.”

Premier League proven

The 6 foot 1 colossus has made 175 appearances in the Premier League alone since joining the Clarets in February 2016, and has earned some rave reviews for his performances,

Danny Murphy once hailed him as a “super player” after an impressive performance in a victory over Everton, while Tony Philliskirk, former Head of Academy at Oldham, once told The Athletic: “He became the main man on defensive and attacking set pieces, that as a player makes you think you are an integral part of the team.

“He became that because of his level of performance. He was humble and never got ahead of himself. His confidence increased and he became a leader which we discussed with him, organising those in front of him.”

Also described as “exceptional” by his peers, the £50k-a-week earning Tarkowski is the kind of proven Premier League option that would surely be able to hit the ground running at the London Stadium were the Hammers to make a move in these final couple of weeks of the transfer window.

With Moyes’ side well in the hunt for a Champions League spot, ensuring that any new signing can acclimatise quickly and help them in that push will be crucial, and Tarkowski’s years of experience in the top-flight would make him a very shrewd acquisition.

Given the injuries they’ve had at the heart of defence this season – not least to the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma – and the fact they’ve got the Europa League knockout stages and FA Cup latter rounds to come too, it’ll be a very busy end to the season.

It’s exactly why Moyes badly needs someone like Tarkowski.

Meanwhile, West Ham are monitoring this Ligue 1 star…

Leeds United missed out on the signing of now Liverpool star Luis Diaz according to claims made by Stewart Downing…

What’s the story?

He said: “Diaz has been brilliant. The first thing I look at when a player comes to the Premier League is the physicality. How do they handle all that? But he looks like he likes it. He gets stuck in, he bounces straight back up, he goes again.

“He looks like he’s been here for years. It says a lot about him that he’s been able to do that. A lot of clubs were chasing Diaz – I know Everton, Spurs, Leeds were all looking – but it couldn’t have turned out better for him, I don’t think. He’s got the best move and Liverpool have got a great player.”

Bielsa’s last blunder at Elland Road?

Marcelo Bielsa is, and always will be, a Leeds United icon.

The Argentine took the Whites from the Championship to the riches of the Premier League, and guided the club to an impressive first season back in English football’s top-flight.

His start to the current campaign though, went downhill rapidly, and his departure came amid a torrid run of results that left Leeds staring down the barrel of relegation.

But while on the whole, he got so many things right, missing out on Diaz may go down as final mistake at Elland Road.

The exciting winger joined Liverpool in the January transfer window, and while Diaz choosing the Reds would have been understandable if it was a straight battle, Leeds may have shown a bit more pro-activeness and tried to get a deal as soon as they were left impressed by him.

Instead, they chose not to act on their interest, and Diaz has proven to be a superb signing in his short time at Anfield thus far.

The 31-cap Colombia international was in scintillating form for his former side Porto this season, registering a very impressive 16 goals and six assists in only 29 appearances for the Liga NOS giants.

It was no surprise that he would earn a high-profile move to the Premier League in January, and he has certainly hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring two goals in his first six games for Liverpool.

Now valued at £58.5m by CIES, the 5 foot 10 star has been dubbed a “livewire” and as being “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves – exactly the kind of rave reviews that would have had the Leeds faithful very excited.

Having Diaz and Raphinha line up on the flanks would have been a frightening prospect, but Leeds’ loss is very much Liverpool’s gain.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Leeds United could sign Barcelona youngster Francisco Trincao as Raphinha’s replacement this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Trincao on loan at Wolves

The 22-year-old joined Wolves on loan last summer, with first-team opportunities looking hard to come by at the Camp Nou.

Trincao hasn’t exactly set the world alight during his time at Molineux, however, only scoring and assisting once apiece in 22 Premier League appearances this season.

Ironically, both of those goal involvements came against Leeds earlier this month, as the Whites sealed a memorable 3-2 win at Molineux.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds keen on move

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Victor Orta and co. view Trincao as a possible replacement for Raphinha, should the winger head to Barca himself this summer.

The Whites’ transfer team ‘would be open’ to making the youngster part of a deal, helping fill the void left by the Brazilian.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-40/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Is he good enough?

Ideally, Raphinha would stay put at Leeds, but if not, the idea of gaining a Barca player or two in the deal is at least a positive. That being said, Trincao’s lack of end product has been evident this season, so bringing him in certainly wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement.

There would be a risk element and it would be preferable for Jesse Marsch to sign someone who guarantees a similar stream of goals and assists to Raphinha, in order to fully make up for the loss.

Acquiring that player as well as Trincao would make some sense, but only the latter arriving would feel like Leeds’ squad has only got weaker, despite the young talent drawing praise as ‘unbelievable’ by Wolves journalist Tim Spiers.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Andrea Radrizzani claim. Read more here.