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A number of Leeds United supporters have been reacting to a contract update involving defender Robin Koch.

The Lowdown: Talks underway

Koch has made himself a regular at centre-back during the current Premier League campaign, turning out on 25 occasions in the top-flight and playing every minute under new manager Javi Gracia.

The defender’s current contract at Elland Road runs until 2024, however, the player himself has admitted that talks are underway over a new deal in Yorkshire. As relayed by The YEP, Koch said:

“During the season, I want to distract myself as little as possible with planning for the future.

“The first talks between the club and my advisor are currently underway. Towards the end of the season and during the summer break, I will deal with that. Now my focus is 100 per cent on our games and goals.”

The Latest: Fans react

YEP reporter Joe Donnohue shared the contract news regarding Koch on Twitter. His post received plenty of interaction, with a number of supporters hoping to see an agreement when it comes to new terms with Koch.

“We need to get this done.” – @ralph98bownas

“He is one of our better players. If we can keep hold of him after 2 relegation battles, that’s massive.” – @SamLocker1

“Been playing well this season. Wasn’t convinced but shows what staying fit and a run of games can do” – @WorsnopD

“I can totally get him not signing until safety is assured. Also his form has been a lot more solid since Wöber came into the side. Hopefully they can form a strong (Prem) base for next season.” – @aclr1972

“I hope he does. He’s been imperious this season.” – @whiterosedave

“Hes had a great season and if we stay up we should re-sign him. Defensively we have been much better this season….shame about the other end.” – @Jeffers0846

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Koch has made more appearances this season than his previous two thanks to remaining injury free and has seemingly caught the eye as a result.

Newcastle United are thought to be showing an interest in the 26-year-old, so securing him to a new long-term deal would be good news. It may put the Magpies off moving for the defender, or at worst, would keep his valuation at its maximum, meaning that Leeds could receive an eye-catching fee if they were to sell.

Hopefully, a new deal can be signed over the coming months and Koch can help the club remain in the Premier League, although he is ‘convinced’ the Whites won’t drop down to the Championship despite their current position.

Tottenham have been dealt a potentially major blow as a report shares some news involving Harry Kane’s contract.

The Lowdown: Kane future unsolved…

Kane has entered the final 17 months of his contract with the likes of Man United and Bayern Munich reportedly eyeing a move for the striker.

Antonio Conte’s star player is set to be a hot topic at Spurs over the next few months until chairman Daniel Levy either manages to agree an extension or opts to sell.

Kane had been subject to a proposed Man City move in the summer of 2021 but Pep Guardiola’s side were ultimately priced out of a transfer.

The Latest: Spurs dealt Kane contract blow…

The 29-year-old could have another chance to move on from Tottenham in the not-too-distant future with a claim from Italy sharing some contract news.

There had been reports of Kane leaning towards signing fresh terms, but there’s allegedly been a twist to the tale.

According to Calciomercatoweb.it, as translated by Sport Witness, Kane is apparently ‘extremely full of doubts’ over his Spurs future – dealing a blow to their hopes of keeping him.

As a result, the England international has apparently put contract talks on hold – mainly due to uncertainties surrounding Conte’s stay at the club.

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The Verdict: Worrying…

Tottenham’s lack of silverware was already an incentive for Kane to leave the club given he has made no secret of his desire to win trophies.

Conte’s arrival at the club indicated real promise in this regard considering the former Chelsea boss is a decorated serial winner at all of his previous sides.

As both men’s futures are closely linked, if Spurs were to lose the duo, it would come as a hammer blow.

In Kane’s case, the attacker is absolutely pivotal, as showcased by his outstanding league form over 2022/2023.

As per WhoScored, the Three Lions ace stands out as Tottenham’s best-performing player by average match rating – pitching in with a phenomenal return of 17 goals in 23 starts.

In terms of finding a potential replacement, there are very few strikers in world football on Kane’s level.

Leeds United are weighing up whether to make a second approach for Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Manager hunt underway

After sacking Jesse Marsch earlier this week, there have been several names linked with the vacant manager’s post, including Iraola, but a deal seemed to be off the cards, with Guillem Balague telling BBC Sport that his current club have blocked the move.

Other managers in the running for the job include Rafael Benitez and Arne Slot, however the latter has since ruled himself out of contention, and as a result Leeds could now go back in for the Vallecano boss.

The Latest: Second approach?

According to a report from The Guardian, the Whites have renewed their interest in the Spaniard, who is said to have a release clause of between £7m – £10m in their contract, an amount they are now prepared to pay.

It is detailed that Victor Orta has already been on an unsuccessful trip to Madrid in the hopes of securing the 40-year-old’s services, but the sporting director has reason to hope that he is still within reach.

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The Verdict: Right man?

Journalist Nick Emms has described the young manager as a ‘Bielsa disciple’, making reference to the fact that he played under the former Leeds boss at Athletic Bilbao, while he has also been hailed as ‘fantastic’ and a ‘really exciting’ option.

Vallecano were only promoted back to La Liga in 2021, but Iraola has already managed to lead a charge towards the Champions League places, with his side currently sat in fifth, just three points behind Atletico Madrid.

That is quite the achievement for the Usurbil-born manager, who has averaged 1.53 points per game in charge of the Spanish club, far more than the figure of just 1.16 averaged by Jesse Marsch during his time at Elland Road.

As such, it is fantastic news that Leeds could still bring in Iraola, and they will want to get the deal done as soon as possible, to give them the best possible chance of preserving their Premier League status.

Journalist Dean Jones has slammed the recent form of star Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah after a damning statistic has emerged.

What’s the latest?

After scoring over 20 goals in all but one of his Premier League campaigns since joining the Reds in 2017, a lot has come to be expected of the Egyptian.
However, with seven league goals in 19 games this season, Salah is clearly below his usual scoring rate and hasn’t hit the back of the net in his last six appearances across all competitions.
What’s more, in his past three league outings – coming up against Brentford, Brighton and Chelsea – he has managed just one shot in each of those games, failing to hit the target with any attempts (via SofaScore).
After learning of this stat on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones suggested that Liverpool may well regret giving Salah a new contract after this poor run of form.
He said: “That’s just insane. I don’t know what’s happened.
“I bet they wish they hadn’t signed him up to a new contract, they should have taken the money for him while it was there.
“He has fallen off a cliff.”

Player in decline?

Seeing as Salah was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 23 goals, it’s certainly fair to say his form has dropped off.
Coincidentally, he shared that accolade with Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min and the South Korean has struggled even more than his counterpart this term with just four goals in the English top-flight.
Worryingly for the Reds, they made Salah the highest-paid player in their history when he signed a new three-year contract worth around £350,000 per week during the summer.
Figures like that mean he will be extremely hard to sell if he can’t fix his form. However, he is still 30 years of age and his drop-off may be related to Liverpool’s bad performances this term, as opposed to any personal decline – after all, they do sit ninth in the league at the moment.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a partner for Bruno Guimaraes in Rennes midfielder Lovro Majer.

The Lowdown: World Cup heroics

The 24-year-old played in all seven games for Croatia as they came third in the World Cup in Qatar, albeit only starting in one match (Transfermarkt).

He has been dubbed the ‘new Modric’ in his homeland, a huge player in Croatian football who has also won many prestigious awards at club level, including the coveted Ballon D’Or.

The Latest: Majer transfer interest

As per French news outlet Media Foot, Newcastle are eyeing Majer as a potential new partner for Bruno in the middle of the park.

Both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are also thought to be interested in the Rennes midfielder, so the Tyneside club may face tough competition for his signature.

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The Verdict: Midfielder needed

Newcastle are in need of a new midfielder given that Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Ritchie and Matty Longstaff all see their contracts expire in the summer.

Hailed as an ‘extraordinary talent’ by sports agent Juanma Lopez, Majer is producing standout numbers at Rennes.

He ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive passes received, 97th for npxG + xAG, 96th for non-penalty xG and shot-creating actions, 95th for assists, 94th for non-penalty goals, xAG and dribbles completed, and 93rd for shots and touches per game among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBref).

Also, at 24 years of age he has still not reached his peak, so the Magpies would be signing a player who could be a mainstay in their team for years to come.

Aston Villa look set to receive a massive boost ahead of tomorrow’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez pictured back in training – something that will come as a huge boost to Unai Emery.

The Argentinian missed the Boxing Day clash against Liverpool due to his exertions for his country at the World Cup and journalist Pete O’Rourke also told Football FanCast that he may be missing until January, saying: “Obviously, we all know that their celebrations look like they will go on for a few more days in Argentina and get the players to switch back to domestic action.

“I think it is going to be pretty hard for all managers of players who have tasted success with Argentina at the World Cup so I think we probably won’t see Martinez maybe until January as well.

“And I’m sure Aston Villa have been preparing for that anyway, for the players who maybe went to the later stages of the World Cup.”

The official Aston Villa Twitter account shared a video of the goalkeeper arriving for training yesterday and Emery will be looking at starting the 30-year-old against Spurs.

Robin Olsen deputised against the Anfield side, however, he didn’t have the greatest performance, conceding three goals, while also conceding seven goals in just two Premier League matches this season.

Martinez was in inspired form during the World Cup as he played an integral part in helping Argentina win their third title.

He played in all seven matches for the winners, conceding eight goals while making 1.0 saves per match. He shone when it came to penalty shootouts, however, saving three penalties overall in the victories over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and France in the final.

Martinez has been in solid form for Villa this season, despite their obvious struggles. The £120k-per-week titan has kept three clean sheets and making 2.7 saves per match – a success rate of 67%.

Villa teammate Matty Cash hailed the keeper as “unbelievable” earlier this season and it’s clear that Emery’s men stand a better chance against Spurs with the World Cup winner in goal as opposed to Olsen and they could start off the New Year in positive fashion by claiming all three points.

Transfer expert Rudy Galetti says that Manchester United are ‘ready to raise’ their proposal for Cody Gakpo, and a ‘speed up’ in talks with PSV is expected.

The Lowdown: Talks opened

As per The Daily Mirror, the Red Devils have ‘opened talks’ with PSV over potentially signing Gakpo, and the Dutch club are ‘prepared’ to cash in on the winger for less than £50m in the January transfer window.

Newcastle United, Arsenal and Real Madrid are ‘also circling’ Gakpo, and personal terms are not thought to be an issue.

The Latest: ‘Ready to raise’ proposal

Taking to Twitter, Galetti has revealed that Erik ten Hag’s side are ‘ready to raise’ their proposal for Gakpo to between €45-50m (£39.6-44m), and ‘in the next few days’, a ‘speed up’ in talks with PSV is ‘expected’:

“#ManUnited are ready to raise the proposal for #Gakpo to €45/50M. On the personal terms side, no issue with the player’s entourage. #MUFC. In the next few days, a speed up on the negotiation with #PSV is expected.”

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The Verdict: Looks likely

It is now looking increasingly likely that United will be able to get a deal for Gakpo done in January.

Hailed as ‘something special‘ by renowned football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano after his heroics with the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the winger managed  three goals in his opening three matches, before his country were knocked out by eventual winners Argentina at the quarter-final stage.

Gakpo’s blistering form for PSV also speaks for itself, with no fewer than 13 goals and 17 assists in just 24 appearances in total across all competitions before the break (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the 23-year-old would certainly be a statement signing.

Liverpool could sign two of Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham in 2023.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with Football FanCast that, while it would appear almost impossible for Jurgen Klopp’s side to land all three of Rice, Mount and Bellingham – all of whom have been linked with the Reds in recent weeks – there is a very real possibility that Liverpool land two of the three midfielders.

Regarding the club’s interest in the midfield trio, Jones said: “We know that Liverpool are about to undergo a midfield overhaul, but I think we’re already entering silly season if we’re talking about Bellingham, Mount and Rice all joining Liverpool – that is absolutely not going to happen. One of them might, possibly two.”

Alonso & Mascherano 2.0

Considering just how impressive both Rice and Bellingham have been for their respective clubs so far this season, should Liverpool be able to land both of the generational midfield talents next year, Klopp could well have formed the club’s next Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano-esque pairing in the middle of the park.

Indeed, over Rice’s 15 Premier League fixtures in the current campaign, the 23-year-old has been Mascherano-esque in his marshalling of the midfield, with the £69m-rated talent making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.3 clearances and winning 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

The £60k-per-week star has also caught the eye in an attacking capacity, having bagged one goal, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.3 key passes, being successful with 0.5 dribbles and completing 55.5 passes – at a success rate of 90% – per game.

These returns have seen the England international average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.27, not only ranking him as West Ham United’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 16th-best player in the English top flight as a whole.

Meanwhile, over Bellingham’s 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £216m-rated starlet has been Alonso-esque in his playmaking, scoring three goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes, being successful with 2.0 dribbles and completing 42.8 passes – at a success rate of 83% – per game.

The £27k-per-week talent has also impressed when doing the dirty work, making an average of 3.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 9.7 duels – at a success rate of 63% – per game.

These returns have seen the 19-year-old average a breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.38, not only ranking him as Borussia Dortmund’s best performer in the league but also as the joint seventh-best player in the German top flight as a whole.

As such, while it is undeniable that the potential £70m signing of Rice and the possible £100m signing of Bellingham is a colossal amount of money to spend on two players in the same transfer window, the reward could be remarkable for Liverpool, with the English duo undoubtedly possessing the potential to go on and become the next Alonso and Mascherano at Anfield.

Glasgow Rangers sold two of their finest players from last season during the summer transfer window for massive profit, with Joe Aribo (£10m) and Calvin Bassey (£23m) departing Ibrox for pastures new.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, however, as Alex McLeish faced a similar conundrum way back in the summer of 2003.

He had led the Light Blues to the treble in 2002/2003 and hopes were high for the following campaign. The Ibrox side were facing a precarious financial situation though and this led to McLeish selling a few of his standout performers from that extraordinary season.

The one that hurt the supporters the most was the sale of club captain Barry Ferguson, who joined Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £7.5m and considering he came into the side through the club’s academy, it represented a massive profit for the Gers.

The midfielder had scored 16 league goals as he skippered his boyhood team to their 50th championship and many couldn’t fathom a Rangers side without him in the engine room.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that the true nature of the Glasgow side’s financial situation came to light, with administration the final outcome.

Ferguson – who also went on to win 46 caps for Scotland – was a natural winner and was a mainstay in the midfield for six years, winning nine major honours before his move to the Premier League.

Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews dubbed Ferguson as a “leader” and the 44-year-old will certainly go down as one of the finest-ever captains in the club’s illustrious history.

Although it didn’t go to plan for the player at Blackburn, a serious injury sustained in his first season reduced his game time, McLeish saw an opportunity to reunite with the Scot, resigning him in January 2005.

It proved to be an inspired move, with Rangers winning a further six major honours during his second spell in Glasgow, and although he was missed during his 18-month period down south, McLeish made a solid profit on the former academy graduate.

Leeds United secured back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon, with Jesse Marsch’s side running out 4-3 winners in a dramatic meeting with AFC Bournemouth at Elland Road.

Indeed, with the visitors leading 3-1 with 30 minutes left to play, the Whites’ shock 2-1 victory over Liverpool the week prior was beginning to look like a one-off result rather than the start of a surge up the top flight standings.

However, the introduction of Sam Greenwood on the 54-minute mark proved game-changing for the home side, with the club’s £1.5m signing providing Leeds with the spark they required to get back into the match.

Having been limited to something of a bit-part role in the senior squad so far this season – with the 20-year-old playing just 104 minutes of Premier League football over four appearances prior to Saturday – the England U21 international made a real stake for a starting spot in Marsch’s side in the win over the Cherries.

Indeed, over his 36 minutes on the pitch, the £3.7m-rated midfielder was electric going forwards, enjoying 36 touches of the ball, making three key passes, completing four of his eight attempted crosses and two of his four attempted long balls.

However, it was undoubtedly the £1.3k-per-week talent’s 60th-minute wondergoal that most caught the eye, with the former Arsenal starlet loitering on the edge of the box, picking up Pascal Struijk’s rebounded strike and curling the ball beautifully beyond Mark Travers at the far post – halving Leeds’ deficit in the process.

Rather understandably, the midfielder’s goal earned a significant amount of praise, with James Marshment stating in a post on Twitter:

“The beauty, and uniqueness, of Sam Greenwood’s strike yesterday is that he’s one of the few players in the game who are both left AND right-footed. A very rare breed. Curled home beautifully with his left, but could have done so equally from the other side with his right. Blessed.”

The youngster also played a crucial role in Liam Cooper’s equaliser, delivering an inch-perfect corner to the back post, with the centre-back heading powerfully home to level the scores.

These metrics saw the 20-year-old earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 8.2 – the best of any player to feature in the match – while Leeds Live’s Beren Cross also awarded the playmaker an eight in his own player ratings, as well as stating of the midfielder’s display:

“A stunning goal and equalising assist. Should not be forgotten in the hype around [Crysencio] Summerville and [Wilfried] Gnonto. Huge quality to pull the game back to Leeds.”

As such, while Greenwood has featured in the top flight for Leeds prior to the Bournemouth win, his outing against the Cherries very much felt like a breakthrough performance for the England youth international, with it appearing as if Victor Orta hit the jackpot when signing the youngster who is now worth 147% more than his £1.5m cost back in the summer of 2020.