Leeds United have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of a huge European star.

What’s the latest?

Although the Whites reportedly remain interested in his services, Fabrizio Romano has issued a crushing statement on Cody Gakpo and his future.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian transfer insider said: “Leeds were closing on the deal, but it collapsed.

“Leeds tried to keep the deal open for January, and are still dreaming of [signing] Cody Gakpo, but the situation has completely changed.

“Now, the feeling around the player and PSV Eindhoven is that Gakpo will not end up at a club like Leeds or Southampton.

“It’s probably going to be a different level (of club). Top, important clubs around Europe, and England especially, are monitoring Cody Gakpo.”

Bad news for Orta

Having tried so profusely to attain his services over the summer, Victor Orta’s failure now stands out even more given how the forward has excelled this season.

The fact he was so close to moving, as Romano notes, will make the pain even greater.

This campaign has seen the Dutchman truly explode, with the tricky winger having put up ridiculous stats in nearly every competition he has featured in.

He has scored nine and assisted nine more in 11 Eredivisie games, bagged three goals and assisted two in five Europa League fixtures and notched one and assisted two in one Johan Cruijff Schaal game too.

In total, that makes 26 goal contributions in just 17 games.

These numbers are distinctly unnatural, especially for a 23-year-old.

Leeds had their chance in the summer, but after performances like this, there is little chance they could tempt him. It is likely the very top of the game where he is destined now.

His performances and impact on the team have even led to Gakpo being named captain on multiple occasions this season; a glowing endorsement of his character as well as his quality.

This Romano update will be a hammer blow to Victor Orta, who tried his best but ultimately fell short over the summer to secure the deal.

Now, they will likely have to watch him go on to dominate European football and command fees the Whites could only dream of. It might be the Spaniard’s biggest blunder yet.

With the World Cup set to kick off in Qatar later this month, England manager Gareth Southgate might want to consider calling up West Ham stalwart Aaron Cresswell.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season and was recently named in SofaScore’s European team of the month after his impressive displays for the Hammers in the month of October.

While Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen will be the main contenders from West Ham’s squad to make the cut in Qatar, Cresswell’s chances have been significantly boosted in the past week.

Much has been made about the plethora of top-quality right-backs available to Southgate in the England squad but there aren’t too many contenders on the other side.

Luke Shaw seems the likely choice to start there after his great European Championships, which saw him score England’s goal in the final, however, he has lost his starting place at Manchester United to Tyrell Malacia at times this season, with just seven Premier League starts under his belt.

Ben Chilwell’s injury struggles have come to the fore at the worst possible time again, as a hamstring injury picked up for Chelsea in midweek could rule him out of Qatar, which may open up the door for Cresswell instead.

The 32-year-old, who earns £50k-per-week at West Ham, does have three England caps to his name but last made the squad in 2017, despite some impressive form for the Hammers in recent seasons.

Paul Robinson was full of praise for Cresswell in 2021 and suggested that only Shaw and Chilwell were ahead of him in the pecking order for England.

He said:

“Cresswell is an amazing player. Consistency is the word with him. You know what you are going to get week in, week out. He never lets the team down.

“It is just unfortunate for him that England have got so much strength in that position with the likes of Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell. He has been the unsung hero at West Ham over the past couple of seasons.”

So far this campaign, the former Ipswich Town man has made 12 appearances in the Premier League and averaged a strong 6.84 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranks him ahead of the likes of Shaw, Chilwell and Crystal Palace man Tyrick Mitchell, who could be another outside shout heading into the tournament.

Therefore, considering the injury suffered by Chilwell and their respective form so far this campaign, Cresswell should definitely be in contention to board the plane to Qatar in a few weeks’ time.

Aston Villa owners NSWE will back new manager Unai Emery with investment in the playing squad in 2023, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Emery announced

Villa officially confirmed on Monday evening that Emery will take over as head coach. The club didn’t reveal the length of contract for the 50-year-old, however, they did add that Emery ‘will take over from November 1st after his work permit formalities are completed’.

A move for the Spaniard has moved extremely quickly, and Romano has shared what he knows on the appointment.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to share further ‘details’ on Emery following the announcement. He stated that it is a long-term project and that Villa paid Emery’s €6m (£5.2m) release clause to Villarreal.

The transfer expert stated that there will be ‘investments in 2023 to improve the squad’, with Emery set to pick up a yearly salary of around €7m (£6.1m).

The Verdict: Exciting

NSWE haven’t taken long to find Steven Gerrard’s successor, and Emery arrives off the back of a successful period with Villarreal, where he won the Europa League.

It is exciting to know that the owners are set to back the new manager in the transfer market even though they have spent over £400m since returning to the Premier League in 2019.

It will be interesting to see where Emery wants to strengthen in 2023, and he’ll have plenty of time to assess his new squad during the break for the World Cup which starts next month.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that the new injury to Kemar Roofe is ‘very frustrating’ for him and Glasgow Rangers, although not ‘alarming’.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed in late October that the 29-year-old had suffered an injury setback and would be missing for a couple of weeks.

The striker had been carrying a knee injury from last season, although he did make his return in the 1-0 win at home to Dundee in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals last month.

Roofe then made another substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw at home to Livingston in the Premiership, but this latest injury has kept him out ever since.

The Latest: ‘Very frustrating’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and also contributes for Sky Sports – has claimed that Roofe’s latest injury setback is ‘very frustrating’, but not ‘alarming’.

He stated of the Jamaican’s woes: “I wouldn’t say it’s alarming, it’s more frustrating in terms of where the player wants to be.

“We know the associated risk of players returning from long-term injury, regardless of the work you are putting in on the training pitch.

“Nothing quite prepares the body for the rigours of competitive first-team football. That’s why you see players suffer minor setbacks and niggles because you need to adapt and integrate.

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“This latest setback puts a pause on him being involved but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a minor issue.

“Unfortunately it’s one that he will be used to. You need to be in a really strong mindset to get you through that. You just focus on hitting those milestones in recovery and getting back in the team.

“It’s very frustrating, very disappointed but not totally unexpected. The break eases the pressure. Usually, everyone is asking when you are back and you push yourself.

“This allows the process to take its natural course, you can ease back and go through a thorough programme, so you arrive in the second half of the season in a really good place.”

The Verdict: Cannot catch a break

Roofe simply cannot catch a break, as he has been suffering from constant injury problems since the last campaign.

With Alfredo Morelos strongly linked with leaving Ibrox over the next few months, there is a place in the Rangers squad for an understudy to Antonio Colak, and Roofe would be confident that he can eventually surpass the new signing as the Light Blues’ main focal point.

He finished as the club’s third-highest scorer last season with 16 goals across all competitions, and when fit, he has shown that he can be a consistent threat in front of goal.

However, these constant injuries are hampering his chances of getting more game-time for the Light Blues.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Premier League meeting with Liverpool this weekend.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dan Kilpatrick, with the Evening Standard journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, after suffering a fracture around his eye in the 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille on Tuesday night, the 30-year-old is set to undergo surgery in the next 48 hours in order to repair his break.

In a further report for the Evening Standard, the journalist went on to state that the South Korean is a near certainty to miss the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, while it is also claimed that the forward’s availability for both the Nottingham Forest and Leeds United fixtures, as well as his participation in the World Cup, very much depends on his recovery from surgery.

In his tweet, Kilpatrick said: “Son to have surgery in the next 48 hours, with his hopes of featuring in the World Cup dependent on its success, his recovery & how quickly he is comfortable playing in a mask.”

“Huge blow”

Considering just how important a part of the Tottenham side Son has become since his £22m move to north London back in the summer of 2015, the news that the forward could be ruled out of the club’s next three Premier League fixtures, as well as the World Cup this winter, is undoubtedly a “huge blow” – in the words of Jim Bulley – for Antonio Conte.

Indeed, over his 344 appearances for the Lilywhites, the £67.5m-rated attacker has been a consistent source of both goals and assists, hitting the back of the net on 136 occasions and setting up a further 76 – averaging a direct goal involvement every 112 minutes of football played for Spurs.

And, while the £190k-per-week talent has not been at his deadly best over his 13 Premier League outings this season, he has nevertheless impressed going forwards, bagging three goals, providing two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the 30-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.23, not only ranking him as Conte’s third-best player in the top flight but also as the joint 30th-best player in the league in its entirety.

As such, it is evident that the loss of the 105-cap international would come as a devastating blow for the Italian manager – who will undoubtedly be hoping for Son’s swelling to go down as quickly as possible in order for the forward to undergo successful surgery in the next two days – as the sooner the attacker goes under the knife, the sooner he will be back on the pitch.

Arsenal would be ‘willing to pay’ £56m to sign Shakhtar Donetsk forward Mykhaylo Mudryk in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Mudryk wants to join

Premier League side Newcastle, with Sevilla, Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen, have all been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old, creating competition for the Gunners who are believed to have recently held talks.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Igor Jovicevic’s side have now increased their asking price from €40-45m (£34-39m) to €60-65m (£52-56m), though this isn’t said to have put Edu off his target.

CBS’ Ben Jacobs also claimed that the winger told him that he ‘couldn’t say no’ to moving to the Emirates should he be given the opportunity.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Asked by GiveMeSport whether Arsenal would be happy to pay the required fee to land Mudryk given how much financial demands are constantly increasing in football, Jones said:

“I think they would, yeah. And I think they know that they’ve got to.

“So, we think €65 million (£56m) is traditionally a lot of money in football, but it’s actually becoming a reasonable figure in the transfer market for the players with a high ceiling. And I think that that is an amount that Arsenal will be willing to pay.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Mudryk has been dubbed the ‘Ukrainian Neymar’ by Jacek Kulig, and Mikel Arteta bringing him to England is a no-brainer given his impressive record in the final third.

The 5 foot 7 dynamo has registered 16 assists and scored ten goals in 41 appearances for Shakhtar, and is a versatile individual with the ability to operate in midfield as well as on both flanks (Transfermarkt).

Emile Smith-Rowe being sidelined with a long-term injury has highlighted Arsenal’s lack of options out wide so Mudryk would be a fantastic addition in the capital.

Liverpool head into the World Cup break in sixth place, and with their hopes of securing Champions League football fading, the transfer window in six weeks’ time will be rather timely.

What’s the word?

The Reds have been after an elite midfielder for a great deal of time now with Jurgen Klopp’s men missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer, as he joined Real Madrid.

Jude Bellingham has also been a long-term target for the Anfield outfit but with a seemingly astronomical price tag, they didn’t make their move in the previous window.

The Borussia Dortmund sensation has previously been touted at a whopping £103m in some circles, but according to CIES Football Observatory, his true value in 2022 sits at £218m.

That would be a world-record fee and something FSG simply won’t be able to afford, so their negotiating hats will have to go on over the winter.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the club are locked in talks with the player’s entourage with the hope of finally concluding a deal. The Italian journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “Liverpool will be in the race, 100 per cent.

“They’re already in contact with people close to Jude Bellingham, so Liverpool will be there.”

The best of our generation

Bellingham is one of the finest young players on the planet right now with his rise to stardom in Germany quite the story.

Poached from Birmingham City when he was just 17 years of age, the Midlands side decided to retire his shirt number due to his remarkable talent.

That seemed a bizarre thing to do at the time but as the weeks and months tick by, that is a decision justified.

His numbers since moving to the Bundesliga have been truly outstanding, with the central midfielder scoring 19 goals and registering 21 assists in 112 outings while still a teenager.

The majority of those goals have come this season as Bellingham has found the net on nine occasions, with four strikes coming in the Champions League.

A rangy figure in the middle of the park, the 19-year-old is a phenomenon, putting in a level of performance on Europe’s elite stage that very few others have at this stage of their career.

Indeed, speaking of those displays, Rio Ferdinand once said: “What he’s doing in his position at his age, we haven’t seen. The best of our generation, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, them guys – Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren’t doing this.”

It’s hard to argue with that point either. At Bellingham’s age, Scholes had only just turned professional, Vieira was playing for Ligue 1 mid-table side Cannes, Lampard was beginning to become a first-team regular at West Ham and Keane was a year into his spell with Nottingham Forest.

Evidently, it is Dortmund’s current sensation who has enjoyed the most meteoric of rises out of those midfielders, with his impact far greater at his youthful age compared to some of the best we’ve seen in English football over the last two decades.

On that evidence, he would be a mighty fine signing for Liverpool, especially when you consider their problems in that area of the pitch.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are no spring chickens while Fabinho’s form this term has been questionable at times. Thus, not only would Bellingham offer them reliability in that role for the best part of the next ten years, but he’d also bring extreme quality.

The youngster ranks in the best 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top leagues for touches in the attacking penalty area and dribbles completed while he sits in the top 10% for passes into the penalty area.

This is a player who always thinks positively, with his best qualities undoubtedly being an eye for a pass, the ability to burst forward with the ball at his feet and his finishing ability.

There isn’t a more perfect player in his position for his age and whoever ends up signing him will be incredibly lucky. He is a generational talent.

Manchester City have joined the race to sign Youssoufa Moukoko as the Sky Blues ‘set sights on beating Liverpool’ to his signature.

The Lowdown: City eye new additions…

The Sky Blues have enjoyed a brilliant start to this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to retain their domestic crown for the third successive season.

No top flight side has scored more goals than City with their only loss coming against arch rivals Liverpool at Anfield, with summer signing Erling Haaland taking England by storm.

However, it has been reported that the Blues could still be in the market for fresh additions, with links emerging to the likes of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham among others.

The Latest: Man City join Moukoko transfer race…

According to Football Insider, City have now ‘set sights on beating Liverpool’ to a new target as an update comes to light involving another Dortmund sensation.

It is believed club chiefs and the City recruitment team are eyeing a move for Moukoko as they join the race for his signature.

Guardiola’s side are now ‘targeting the forward’ who has earned rave reviews from their star striker Haaland in the past.

The Verdict: Make the move?

Called an ‘incredible’ talent by reporter Ed Aarons, Moukoko has indeed also attracted praise from Haaland in recent years with the Norway international once calling him the ‘biggest talent in the world’.

Over his 11 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund this season, the scintillating 17-year-old has netted four goals whilst assisting three others – totalling a brilliant seven goal contributions in total (WhoScored).

Going by the numbers, Haaland’s verdict certainly still adds up, leaving little wonder City have taken a serious interest.

Aston Villa have scouted Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Contract situation

Hailed as an ‘extraordinary talent’ by his former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray, the 23-year-old will soon be entering the final six months of his Ewood Park deal.

The Chile international recently admitted that he would ‘hopefully’ be staying with the Championship outfit until the end of the season as they push for promotion.

He has scored nine goals in 20 league games during the current campaign, with his form seemingly catching the eye of Villa Park officials.

The Latest: Villa linked with Brereton Diaz

90min journalist Graeme Bailey provided an update regarding Brereton Diaz on Tuesday.

The reporter claimed that Villa are among a number of Premier League clubs who have scouted the forward, with a £10m offer in January potentially enough to tempt Blackburn into selling.

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The Verdict: Good idea?

Brereton Diaz can play anywhere across the front three, so he could fit into Unai Emery’s plans after the new manager played a 4-2-3-1 system in his first game in charge at Villa Park.

Described as the ‘face of Pepsi’ in Chile due to massive marketing campaigns following his international success, the Blackburn gem appears to be going from strength to strength and is still just 23 years of age.

Therefore, a cut-price move in 2023 could be a wise idea from NSWE, although they may face plenty of competition for Brereton Diaz’s signature.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Stefan de Vrij to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Antonio Conte has already opened talks with the Inter Milan centre-back – with whom Spurs have been heavily linked ever since the 53-year-old’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – regarding a potential switch to north London this winter.

The report goes on to state that, despite the 30-year-old being informed by Nerazzurri chiefs that he will be offered a new deal at the San Siro, the Serie A side are yet to put a new contract on the table, something that is said to see the Netherlands international become available for a knockdown price in the January market.

Conte’s dream

With recent reports suggesting that Conte is looking to strengthen his defensive options ahead of the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, it is not difficult to see why the Italian would be keen on sealing a reunion with his former centre-back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this winter.

Indeed, the 30-year-old was a crucial part of Conte’s title-winning Inter side back in 2020/21, with the £15.5m-rated talent helping the Nerazzurri keep 11 clean sheets over his 32 Serie A appearances, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 2.9 clearances and winning 3.3 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

The £118k-per-week defender also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal and creating one big chance, in addition to completing an average of 57.4 passes – at a success rate of 94% – playing 2.7 long balls and making 0.2 key passes per game – demonstrating his ability to play the ball out from the back.

These returns saw the player who Mauricio once dubbed a “monster” average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking the centre-back as Conte’s 10th-best performer in the top flight of Italian football that season.

De Vrij also caught the eye for all the right reasons over his six Champions League fixtures that year, helping Inter keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.8 interceptions, one tackle, 2.5 clearances and completing 65.7 passes – at a success rate of 95% – per game.

These metrics saw the 59-cap international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the Nerazzurri’s joint fifth-best performer in Europe’s most prestigious club competition in 2020/21.

As such, considering just how much success Conte has enjoyed with the Dutchman in a three-man backline, De Vrij would very much appear to be a dream signing for Fabio Paratici to bring to Tottenham in January – especially if the defender is available for as little as £10m this winter.