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Leeds United put on an impressive defensive performance against Newcastle United on New Years’ Eve at St James’ Park where they earned a well-fought point and Jesse Marsch will surely be hoping it’s the confidence boost the team needs to inspire improved performances in 2023.

The West Yorkshire outfit are now 14th in the Premier League and three points clear of the relegation zone heading into the new year, however, the Leeds boss will surely be searching for ways to even further improve the side’s points tally to ensure they finish in a more comfortable position and don’t get sucked into a relegation scrap over the second half of the season.

Luckily for Marsch and Victor Orta, the January transfer window is now open for business so he could be given the golden opportunity to strengthen key areas of this squad during the next few weeks should the powers at Elland Road sanction moves for new additions.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to the club is Villarreal ace Alfonso Pedraza, a talented left-back who could be exactly what Leeds needs to add depth to the position.

At present, Marsch only has one natural left-back in Junior Firpo, however, the former RB Leipzig manager has been leaning on centre-back Pascal Struijk to occupy the position.

As a result, the signing of Pedraza would be an important addition for Leeds heading into the remainder of the season, especially considering how efficient the La Liga star is on the left side.

The 26-year-old – who was dubbed “powerful” and a “machine” by BT Sport’s Simon Harrison – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, progressive passes and touches, and this season so far has continued to shine in the Spanish top-flight.

Over 11 league appearances, Pedraza has registered one assist, created two big chances and completed 52% successful dribbles, as well as averaging 1.5 tackles, 1.4 shots on goal and winning 4.4 duels per game, proving that he has the ability to not only win possession of the ball but also pose an attacking threat.

Marsch could even land his own Ivan Perisic with the Tottenham Hotspur full-back named as one of the most comparable players to the Villarreal player, according to FBref.

The positional peers have shared many similar attributes over their season so far including pass completion (75.7% v 66.1%), goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.33 v 0.39), tackles won (16 v 11), aerial duels won (9 v 9) and clearances (14 v 11). On that evidence, it provides an indication that they are both comfortable in possession while demonstrating equal offensive threat.

With that being said, if Leeds could secure the signing of Pedraza – who has a transfer valuation of €15m (£13m) – there is no doubt that he could have a positive impact on the team and their Premier League campaign, as well as giving Marsch a left-sided full-back he can trust to deliver in the position.

Manchester City have been linked with both Rafael Leao and Bukayo Saka recently and the two wingers could potentially form an incredible partnership at the Etihad for years to come.

According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, the AC Milan winger doesn’t want to extend his contract at the San Siro beyond 2024, which has alerted City, Chelsea and Real Madrid to his availability.

While 90min have also claimed that City are keen to recruit Arsenal star Saka as he is yet to agree to a new contract at the Emirates, which could force the Gunners to cash in on him ahead of his contract expiry in 2024.

Riyad Mahrez will turn 32 next month so Pep Guardiola may soon be in the market for a new winger and if the Citizens were to recruit both Leao and Saka, they could be set for wingers for easily the next decade.

Leao has contributed an impressive eight goals and nine assists in all competitions for AC Milan this season, with only Erling Haaland registering more goal contributions in the City squad.

Saka, meanwhile, boasts seven goals and six assists for the Gunners, which again is more than any of City’s current winger options have managed in the Premier League.

Guardiola has managed some impressive inside forwards in his time but the prospect of having Leao and Saka on either side, both cutting onto their stronger foot and adding a serious goal threat, would surely excite the Spanish manager.

According to WhoScored, both Leao and Saka excel at finishing, while both like to cut inside, which could make them more reliable finishers in the final third for City, which is something the likes of Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling have been guilty of not being in recent seasons for the Citizens.

Rio Ferdinand was full of praise for the Arsenal academy graduate after his performance against Germany at Euro 2020.

He said:

“We talk about being fearless as a young player, he’s got no qualms about going and roaming around the pitch.

“He picked the ball up all over the pitch and what was great about him is that he had the confidence to go at them.”

This highlights Saka as exactly the sort of player that would excel in Manchester City’s system and the concept of him dropping deep to collect the ball, while Leao stretches defences with his pace, would surely be a hugely effective one in the Premier League, so Txiki Begiristain should do all he can to bring them to the Etihad this year.

Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to keep Bryan Gil in north London this month despite some suggestion he was set for a loan move away.

What’s the latest?

There has been reports going into this month’s window suggesting that Spurs would allow the Spaniard to leave on loan with the likes of Valencia said to be interested in taking him back to La Liga.

This comes after the 21-year-old was expected to leave on a season-long loan deal in the summer but the plug was pulled on his potential exit with Spurs unable to bring in a possible replacement.

And going into this month’s market, there was the presumption Antonio Conte would allow Gil to leave in search of some regular first-team action – as he did last January.

However, journalist Alasdair Gold has now claimed there has been a U-turn at Hotspur Way with the Italian now keen to keep Gil in north London this month:

“From what we understand, the likelihood of him going out on loan is just shrinking by the week. I mean, it was already getting a bit lower, I think with the Lucas Moura injury,” he said on the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast.

“But why send him out? I think if as long as you’re gonna use him, I think it would probably be mad now to let him go.”

Here to stay

This has been quite the U-turn for Gil who made his first Premier League start of the campaign in their defeat at home to Aston Villa on the weekend.

And what is ironic about this is after the game there was the feeling that the Spaniard had missed a big opportunity to prove his worth to Conte, with Gold writing in his player ratings:

“Worked hard and showed some nice touches early on in his first Premier League start, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact.”

However, it seems as if the mood around the winger may have suddenly changed after his performance on Wednesday night against Crystal Palace.

Gil was able to provide Harry Kane with the assist for the England captain’s second goal of the afternoon which saw the Spaniard awarded an impressive 9/10 rating from Gold after the game.

What will be interesting to see is what lies ahead of Gil when the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison return from their respective injuries.

There is the wide criticism of Spurs not being the same side when their Swedish winger is not on the pitch, which does make us wonder what will happen with Gil when Kulusevski inevitably returns to the XI.

Phil Hay has admitted Joe Gelhardt is attracting interest from the Championship and knows he could leave Leeds United this month.

The Lowdown: Unclear short-term future

Despite only starting five league games last season, Gelhardt still played a hugely important role in their season as he scored goals against Chelsea and Norwich City, as well as an important assist against Brighton.

However, Jesse Marsch clearly hasn’t been impressed enough by Gelhardt as he’s handed him a sole start in the league this season amid various fitness issues, and coupled with the potential arrival of Georginio Rutter, Gelhardt’s future is far from certain.

The young striker signed a long-term deal with Leeds not too long ago which tied down until the summer of 2027, so he may not be shipped out permanently just yet, although a loan move isn’t off the table, according to Hay.

The Latest: Gelhardt attracting Championship interest

Gelhardt is reportedly a target for Swansea City this month if Leeds manage to sign a striker, as Hay confirmed on The Phil Hay Show.

He said: “It definitely wouldn’t spell the end for Gelhardt at Leeds.

“Leeds see him as a pretty big part of what will happen further down the line and he has a pretty long contract here, I think it’s until 2027.

“There is fair substantial Championship interest in Gelhardt; Swansea, in particular, are one of the clubs who’ve been mentioned to me and would like to take him.

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“There’s been no decision on that because clearly, Leeds don’t have a striker in the door as it stands, but if a striker comes in and given the players who seem to be a little bit ahead of Gelhardt in the pecking order – Gnonto, in particular, but there’s Rodrigo in there as well and there is forever this perennial discussion about Bamford’s return and when he’ll be back and fit.

“To give Bamford the benefit of the doubt, if he does return and if he is fit, I think that squeezes Gelhardt out in the short term a little bit more again. So I suspect that if and when a new forward arrives, that is a discussion that is going to have to take place.”

The Verdict: Game time is the priority for Gelhardt

Given Gelhardt is at a tender age being just 20 years old he needs to be playing regularly because sitting on the bench and seeing his teammates such as Crsyencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Sam Greenwood getting regular minutes will just frustrate him.

Swansea would be an interesting move for Gelhardt as they are sitting just four points off the play-offs so it could be an interesting second half of the season they’ve also already scored 36 goals which is the fifth most in the entire division, so he’d get chances and he has the ability to finish them off having been labelled as ‘tremendous’ after his assist against Brighton last season.

A lot will depend if Leeds can push through their big money deal for Rutter with the French youngster said to be costing Marsch’s side around £35.3 million, which would make him the club’s record signing.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly closing in on the signing of West Ham United defender Craig Dawson, having missed out on the Englishman during the summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, with the transfer insider revealing that an agreement has been reached to bring the 32-year-old to Molineux for a fee of around £3.3m.

Writing on Twitter about that impending move, the respected source stated: “#Wolves have agreed a £3.3m fee with #WHUFC for defender Craig Dawson and are hoping to get the deal completed in time for Sunday’s trip to #MCFC. Dawson is a long-term target who came close to joining in the summer.”

As noted by Crook, reports in the summer had suggested that the experienced centre-back was keen on joining the Midlands outfit, only for the Hammers to ultimately pull the plug on deadline day after failing to secure a replacement.

Coady 2.0

While the Old Gold did recruit Republic of Ireland international, Nathan Collins, during the summer window, the club were left somewhat depleted defensively after the reliable trio of Romain Saiss, Willy Boly and Conor Coady were all allowed to depart under Bruno Lage’s watch.

The exit of the latter man, in particular, proved particularly surprising as the long-serving skipper was allowed to join current relegation rivals Everton on loan, after having racked up 317 appearances for Wolves since 2015.

The old-school defender was undoubtedly something of a leader for the club both on and off the pitch, having led “by example” according to Lage, who also described him as “one of the best” back in March.

That importance to the side was laid bare last season as the England international started all 38 games for the club in the Premier League, keeping 11 clean sheets in that time and averaging 3.7 clearances per game to illustrate his defensive prowess.

The 29-year-old also proved something of a threat in an attacking sense in the 2021/22 campaign, having recorded a respectable haul of four league goals from his centre-back berth.

Current boss Julen Lopetegui could well find Coady 2.0 by bringing in the aforementioned Dawson, with the no-nonsense “warrior” – as lauded by West Ham boss David Moyes – also proving influential in both boxes.

The versatile rock – who can feature at the heart of the defence or at right-back – is evidently a player willing to put his body on the line for his side, with the former Watford man ranking in the top 6% among his European peers for blocks made.

Equally, the £45k-per-week brute – who has averaged 3.3 clearances and 1.3 tackles in eight top-flight games this season – is also something of a weapon in the opposition penalty area, having scored nine goals in 87 games for the Irons in all competitions.

Although, like Coady, the Rochdale-born machine may not be the most glamourous of names, he does offer that workmanlike and hard-nosed defensive resilience that could well prove vital in the scrap for survival.

On the evidence of his form at the London Stadium in recent years, Dawson could well emerge as a truly astute, bargain capture for Lopetegui and co.

Liverpool have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham, as the midfielder has no plans of extending his contract with Borussia Dortmund.

The Lowdown: Liverpool targeting Bellingham

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently claimed that the England international is Jurgen Klopp’s ‘top priority’ to bolster his midfield, although he added that the race is ‘very much open’ due to the interest of Real Madrid and Manchester City.

The 19-year-old’s contract with Dortmund is set to expire in June 2025, so the Bundesliga giants have no pressing need to sell him in January, but there will soon come a point when they need to begin thinking about cashing in.

The Latest: Bellingham preparing to leave?

According to Football Insider, the midfielder has no intention of signing a new contract to remain at Signal Iduna Park, despite his club being set to offer him a new contract.

It is claimed that this is a huge ‘boost’ for his potential suitors across the continent, with both Liverpool and Man City pushing hard to secure his signature.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Liverpool are in dire need of a new option in midfield, considering that Jamie Carragher expressed concern about Fabinho’s form earlier this season, and that captain Jordan Henderson – while a fantastic servant to the club – is now 32.

That’s not to mention that the trio of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be out of contract at the end of June as things stand.

There is perhaps no better midfielder that Klopp could bring in than Bellingham, given just how impressive he has been for Dortmund at such a young age. The 2021 Kopa Trophy runner-up has weighed in with ten goals and four assists in 23 games so far this season, an unbelievable return from central midfield.

Hailed as ‘sensational’ by Gary Lineker, the starlet has also captained Dortmund, becoming the youngest player ever to do so, an indicator that he has the leadership qualities to be a long-term successor for Henderson to go alongside his evident ability on the ball.

It will be difficult to win the race for the Englishman’s signature given the firm level of interest in him and the unlikelihood of the Reds achieving Champions League football for 2023/24. However, Klopp will now be hoping for a much-improved second half of the season so that Liverpool will remain an attractive proposition in the summer.

Leeds United target Weston McKennie could miss Juventus’ clash with Monza on Sunday, amid ongoing transfer speculation, Sky Sports report.

The Lowdown: Opening offer

The Whites appear to be open to the idea of bringing in a new midfielder before Tuesday’s deadline and seemingly have McKennie on their radar.

An opening bid worth €28m (£24.6m) has reportedly been made by Elland Road officials, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that personal terms have already been agreed.

Juventus are thought to be holding out for an agreement closer to €35m (£30.8m), and it looks as if a transfer may gather pace over the coming days.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports Italy shared a story late on Wednesday evening regarding McKennie’s future, highlighting Leeds’ opening offer.

They added that ‘the deal could reach a turning point and that the right day for closing could be that of Monday 30 January’, which may see the midfielder miss Juventus’ meeting with Monza a day earlier.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Mateusz Klich sealed an emotional Elland Road exit earlier this month, so there definitely appears to be room for another midfielder in Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Tyler dams, Marc Roca and Adam Forshaw are the club’s only senior defensive and central midfield options on the books, with Adams and Forshaw potentially both missing this weekend’s FA Cup trip to Accrington Stanley.

Therefore, McKennie, who can play in a variety of midfield roles, could be a shrewd signing late in the window as he would offer plenty of experience at the highest level for both club and country and has already played alongside Adams and Brenden Aaronson for the USA.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is keen to agree on a contract extension at Elland Road, according to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett.

The Lowdown: Final 18 months…

Harrison was of interest to Newcastle United over the summer, with the Whites rejecting two offers from the Magpies. The 26-year-old is now into the final 18 months of his current deal but has continued to be a regular in Jesse Marsch’s side.

He has failed to feature in just two matches in the current Premier League campaign, although his future has been a hot topic of conversation following speculation of a move to Leicester City.

The Latest: Harrison keen to stay

Dorsett took to Twitter on Wednesday to share what he knows about Harrison. He said that the Foxes are interested in the attacker, although Leeds don’t want to sell and the player is keen to agree on new terms in Yorkshire.

The Sky Sports reporter tweeted: “LCFC interested in LUFC Jack Harrison as they search for a winger. Leeds don’t want to sell, especially to a relegation rival and I’ve been told Harrison keen to agree new contract at Elland Road. Currently has 18 months left. Brazilian Tete likely to be half the cost for Leic.”

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The Verdict: Talks to open?

Now appears to be the perfect time for Victor Orta and co to sit down with Harrison and his representatives over a new contract following this update. Continuing to allow his contract to run down may only result in rumours persisting up until the summer.

Harrison has shown his worth this season and is the club’s joint-fourth best player in the Premier League, as per WhoScored ratings, winning two player of the match awards.

You could say that he is in the peak years of his career at the age of 26, so extending his stay for another three or four years could be a wise move for all involved.

Fulham have made a last gasp ‘move’ for Queen’s Park Rangers star Sam Field, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Whites in talks…

The Whites, lead by manager Marco Silva, have displayed some ambition in this transfer market with reports of talks to sign Torino star Sasa Lukic.

There have also been links to the likes of Sander Berge in this January transfer window as Fulham seek to back Silva and maintain their excellent start to the Premier League season.

The Latest: Fulham make Field move…

According to journalist O’Rourke, writing for Football Insider, the club have made a deadline day ‘move’ for QPR star Field alongside Crystal Palace.

The 24-year-old is seen as an insurance option for Silva in case of missing out on other targets but the report adds that contact has been made over Fielf.

The Verdict: Great player…

The defensive midfield ace has been one of QPR’s shining lights and a pretty key player at Loftus Road over the 2022/2023 Championship season.

According to WhoScored, Field ranks top of QPR’s squad for both successful tackles made and successful interceptions made per 90 – not to mention joint top for blocks made.

His importance for the west Londoners is backed by just how often Field is played – with only goalkeeper Seny Dieng playing more second tier minutes than the midfield man.

If Fulham can pull off this signing, it would be a brilliant little addition to Silva’s squad.

West Bromwich Albion are already looking at Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore as a possible replacement for Carlos Corberan, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Corberan speculation

The 39-year-old has made a huge impact at The Hawthorns since taking over in October, guiding the Baggies from the relegation zone to the play-offs in just 13 games in the Championship.

The Spaniard has won 10 leagues games and appears to be a top target for Leeds United after they sacked Jesse Marsch on Monday. Corberan is believed to be open to talking to the Elland Road hierarchy, and West Brom chiefs duly appear to be making contingency plans amid the speculation, with former Albion manager Moore a possible target.

The Latest: Moore eyed for West Brom return

The Daily Mail shared an update on Monday evening, stating that West Brom – and by extension owner Guochuan Lai – are aware of speculation regarding Leeds and Corberan.

They claimed that Albion are assessing potential replacements, and Moore – who has won 24 games in all competitions this season with the Owls – ‘will be one of the names at the forefront of their thinking’.

The Verdict: Good thinking…

Corberan might end up staying in the Midlands, but it is a good idea for West Brom to look at potential candidates in case he does leave for Yorkshire.

Moore, who was hailed as an ‘honourable’ manager by Gareth Ainsworth, left the Baggies after 11 months in permanent charge of the club in 2019 but has been enjoying a positive 2022/23 season at Hillsborough, with the Owls currently top of League One.

He likes to play a 3-5-2 system and appears to be getting the best out of Wednesday’s current squad, and having accrued valuable experience elsewhere, he could enjoy a better second stint at The Hawthorns, making this one to watch for the Albion faithful.