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Leeds United could soon turn their attention to Rafael Benitez as they continue their search for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Interim appointment?

Owner Andrea Radrizzani and Paraag Marathe, the president of investors 49ers Enterprises, appear to have the key say when it comes to deciding on Jesse Marsch’s successor, but have been dealt a number of setbacks so far.

Indeed, Raul, Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot have all reportedly turned Leeds down, and reports have suggested that the club could consider an interim manager until the end of the season should they fail to land any of their top targets.

Benitez, a Champions League and FA Cup winner with Liverpool, is currently out of work and may well be on the radar in Yorkshire.

The Latest: Benitez named as candidate

The Guardian shared a story on Thursday after Iraola rejected a move to Elland Road.

They said that even though Leeds are looking at managers currently in jobs, the Whites could still look at coaches out of work, with Benitez name-checked as a potential option.

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The Verdict: Short-term solution?

Benitez has plenty of experience in the Premier League, taking charge of 359 top-flight fixtures. He has averaged 1.69 points per game in England, and a similar record could be enough to keep Leeds in the division, with another fight for survival seemingly on the cards.

The 62-year-old has also never lost to the Whites in five games, so if Leeds continue to suffer issues in their pursuit of managers in work, then perhaps Benitez could be an ideal short-term solution until the end of the season.

Everton are reportedly ‘keen’ on signing Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech before the transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Toothless attack

The Goodison Park outfit were toothless in attack once again in their 2-0 loss away at West Ham United in the Premier League, having recorded just two shots on target despite having 68% possession.

The result leaves them as recording the second-fewest goals in the division with just 15, and in desperate need of some extra reinforcements in the transfer market before the end of the month.

The Latest: Ziyech interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Sami Mokbel says that the Merseyside club are ‘keen’ on signing Ziyech, alongside AS Roma:

“Chelsea face decision on Hakim Ziyech’s future amid interest in the winger. Everton and Roma, among other clubs, keen.”

Expanding in his corresponding article for The Daily Mail, Mokbel adds that it is ‘unclear’ whether Ziyech would be willing to join them in the midst of a relegation battle, while Frank Lampard is a ‘huge admirer’ of his, having played a ‘key role’ in Chelsea’s move to sign him when he was their manager.

The Verdict: At all costs…

The Toffees need to be bringing Ziyech in at all costs, as he could make a big difference in them potentially staying up.

Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson claimed that he is ‘world class‘ on his day, and that was evident at the World Cup, where he was Morocco’s third-best performer on their way to reaching the semi-finals, scoring one goal and supplying one assist in his seven games (WhoScored).

Sports broadcaster Vai Bhardwaj has previously hailed his ‘magical left foot‘, where he ranks in the 94th percentile of his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted per game, as well as the 93rd for shots and progressive passes (FBref).

Nonetheless, even if the Blues could only get him on loan, Ziyech would still be an excellent signing if they can get a deal done.

West Ham United’s underwhelming campaign has fallen into dangerously murky territory, with the slide in stability and performance seeing them plummet into the dreaded relegation zone in the Premier League.

Having clinched European qualification across the past two seasons under David Moyes and reached the Europa League semi-finals last year, losing to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt – optimism was at the brim when the campaign commenced, with a spendthrift summer transfer window only bolstering hopes that previous successes could be emulated, if not surpassed.

Languishing in 18th place in the league with a paltry 15 points, the Irons are in dire need of some respite. According to Voce Giallorossa, that could come in the form of AS Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo, with the report stating that West Ham are among the interested parties for the forward.

The Hammers will face stiff competition from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the player’s signature, with other reports stating that Antonio Conte’s outfit currently lead the race to clinch the 23-year-old.

This season, Zaniolo has scored two goals and supplied three assists from 15 starting appearances, failing to live up to the heights of last season when he returned eight goals and nine assists.

Quite simply, the 23-year-old would be a “frightening” – as lauded by CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs – force in West Ham’s team, capable of lifting them away from near the bottom of the Premier League table and back towards a loftier position, navigating a course back towards success.

Zaniolo could emulate the feats of Manchester United’s in-form talisman Marcus Rashford, who has scored in all seven matches since the resumption of club football following the World Cup in Qatar – where he also netted three times for England – taking his total for the Red Devils this season to 16 goals and six assists across 26 appearances.

With FBref ranking the English phenomenon among the most comparable players to Zaniolo, West Ham fans could be buzzing with cautious optimism over the feasibility of a transfer, which would represent a monumental coup for a club desperately seeking to assert themselves again after a woeful season so far.

Indeed, the Italian ranks within the top 5% of attacking midfielders/wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for total shots, and in the top 13% for progressive passes received. While Rashford ranks considerably lower across both of those metrics, he does perch within the top 7% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals, primarily thanks to his recent purple patch.

If the £79k-p/w Zaniolo can rediscover his goalscoring touch, he could nicely supplement the natural instinct, physicality and electric bursts of pace to emulate Man United’s endeared talent.

Moyes will have the proposition of Europa Conference League football as a carrot to try and lure Zaniolo to the London Stadium. It’s a competition that the 11-cap Italian knows well, having won it with Roma last season, scoring the solitary goal in the final against Feyenoord.

Should the West Ham manager prove successful in a bid for the 23-year-old, the Irons might just have a new star in their ranks, capable of leading the charge towards the upper end of the Premier League table once more.

Julen Lopetegui is reportedly eyeing up a Wolves move for Stoke City central defender Harry Souttar in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Impressive World Cup

Souttar has come off the back of an impressive FIFA World Cup with Australia, where he ranked as their best-performing player and helped them qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, before they were lost to eventual winners Argentina.

Lauded as ‘huge, quick’ and an ‘absolute monster’ of a defender by The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell after his heroics in Qatar, and ‘like superman’ by pundit Danny Murphy after a stunning late challenge in a 1-0 win over Tunisia in the group stages, Souttar is now concentrating in firing Stoke up the league table in the Championship, although he may have just earned himself a move to the Premier League come January.

The Latest: Lopetegui interest

As per TEAMtalk, Lopetegui is eyeing a January move for Souttar in order to bolster his team’s defensive options.

The report outlines his ‘remarkable’ performances at the World Cup, considering that he only recently recovered from a serious knee injury, which ruled him out for over a year.

Souttar was attracting interest from clubs in the top flight prior to his injury, and Stoke are bracing themselves for interest again in January.

West Ham United are also thought to be eying up a deal, and Stoke would find it hard to resist any sizeable offers.

The Verdict: Get it done

After letting the likes of Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker go in the summer, the Old Gold have left themselves fairly short in the centre-back area.

Souttar would surely relish the opportunity of the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, where he has excelled as Stoke’s best performer, despite missing a large chunk of the campaign through injury.

Nonetheless, the six-foot-six colossus has been a standout performer for both club and country, and at 24 years of age, deserves a chance to prove himself in the top flight.

West Ham United could offer Gianluca Scamacca some striking relief, and potentially ditch Michail Antonio this January…

What’s the latest?

As per Alan Nixon, speaking to his Patreon, the Hammers are one of several English clubs eyeing a swoop for Viktor Gyokeres.

Looking to prey on the financial troubles of Coventry City, it is thought that the Sweden international could be snatched at a cut price.

As such, Everton, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Southampton are all referenced in the report as keen on his signature.

Ditch Antonio

It was thought that their £35.5m summer expenditure on Scamacca would see him prove to be the natural successor to their Jamaican marksman, but he has struggled to find his feet in England.

The Italian has just two goals in domestic competition this season and looks unlikely to replicate his 16-goal campaign in his final year in Italy.

Given his youth, it was expected that he would not become an instant success, but with Antonio at 32 years old now the Irons do need someone to make up for his inevitable decline.

Despite being their all-time top scorer in the Premier League, he has been known to suffer from injuries, and his seniority will likely see this exacerbated.

In Gyokeres they could add a consistent stream of goals, given how he already has 107 across his career at just 24 years old.

This season has seen him bag nine times in the Championship for a struggling Sky Blues side, using his 6 foot 2 frame to good effect.

His signing would also mark one of a few times where West Ham have dipped into the division below for talent, with Jarrod Bowen the outstanding example.

Last season saw the former Hull City wide man record an outstanding 31 goal contributions for his east London outfit.

When speaking to the press, Gyokeres’ manager Mark Robins has been vocal in his praise for the finisher but has also yielded they are at “the mercy of predators” when the transfer window rolls around.

He said: “He has some unbelievable ability – power, technique. He has got everything in his locker and that desire and hunger to score goals, and he’s also got a really angry side as well…”.

With Antonio entering the twilight of his career, this hulking frontman could step in to shine in his place at the London Stadium.

Unai Emery will be given his first opportunity to stamp his own mark on the Aston Villa squad when the January transfer window opens next month.

He may want to bring in a few fresh additions to improve the squad in order to push up the table and compete in the top half, instead of against relegation.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece told supporters to “keep an eye” on Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha when asked who the club will look to sign during the upcoming window.

When asked about whether or not the Villans should swoop for the attacker, former player Gabriel Agbonlahor told Football Insider:

“Wilfried Zaha is a top player. Any club in the Premier League would love to have him.

“If Villa can get him on a free transfer it would be a great signing. He is what we are missing on that left side.”

Emery must now push the Villa board to sign the attacker, who is reportedly on £130k-per-week, as he would be a phenomenal addition to the side.

He is a proven Premier League performer, thanks to his many years of experience with Palace, who would add a huge goal threat out on the left flank.

Tony Cascarino previously told talkSPORT that the winger is almost “unplayable” and “causes havoc” when he is at his best, which he has been regularly over the past 18 months.

The Ivory Coast international has plundered six goals and two assists in 13 Premier League appearances for the Eagles this season, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.95. Meanwhile, Danny Ings is Villa’s top goalscorer with five strikes and no attacking midfielder or forward has averaged a higher rating than 6.88 in the top flight.

This comes after the former Manchester United winger produced 14 goals and one assist in 33 outings in the division, averaging a score of 6.98 last term. No winger, or number 10, managed more than six goals for the Villans in the league last season and this suggests that Zaha is, as Agbonlahor claimed, what Emery is currently missing out wide.

The 30-year-old wing wizard is out of contract at the end of the campaign and the club must now swoop for him in January by convincing Palace to part ways for a fee instead of risking losing him for nothing in the summer.

His statistics suggest that he would be a huge upgrade on Emery’s current Villa wingers, due to his ability to score goals in the Premier League, and that is why he is a player who is worth pursuing in the next window.

Chelsea will make the trip to the North West tonight to take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the third round of the EFL Cup, and Graham Potter will be hoping his team can leave their poor Premier League form behind.

The Blues have failed to secure a win in their last four league outings and have now fallen into seventh in the league table which will be frustrating for new manager Potter as he attempts to lead Chelsea to better things following the departure of Thomas Tuchel.

As a result, a great performance and run in domestic trophies should be a huge priority for the manager considering Chelsea went to both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup final last season so expectations will be high when they face Pep Guardiola’s side this evening.

One player who could be set to make his senior Chelsea debut this evening is former Arsenal wonderkid, Omari Hutchinson, with Potter hinting about the player’s potential inclusion during his pre-match press conference yesterday.

When asked about the idea of Hutchinson and other youngsters featuriing in the EFL Cup, Potter responded:

“He’s in the squad. Lewis Hall is in the squad. They’ve impressed, They’ve been training with us for a while now, and we’ve got some good quality young players we just need to nurture and take the right steps with. They will be in the squad and involved.”

It comes as The Athletic reported that Hutchinson was asked by the club not to report for Jamaica duty and it is clear now that the request was made based on an opportunity to play against Man City this week.

The London-based club signed the Redhill-born talent from the Gunners after rising through the ranks at the Emirates for seven years, but Arsenal’s loss could now be Chelsea’s gain.

Hutchinson scored a whopping 17 goals and registered 16 assists from his attacking midfield position in Arsenal’s U18 and U21 teams but did not a senior appearance before making the move to West London, where he has continued to shine in the Chelsea youth set-up this season.

The 19-year-old, who was hailed “outstanding” by Mark Worrall, has scored six goals and delivered six assists in the U21s, with a goal contribution every 101 minutes so far proving that he is deserving of taking the next step in his career.

With that being said, Potter could hand Hutchinson his first-ever senior appearance tonight and it could be the perfect opportunity for both the manager to get an initial impression of how the talented teenager can become a part of the future at the club.

Either way, it’ll be the biggest test of the youngster’s embryonic career to date, as with no prior senior experience, he could come up against the best the country has to offer on Wednesday evening.

Leicester City have been handed a fitness boost after Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Marc Albrighton is set to return for the Premier League game vs Wolves this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Concerns over absence

The Foxes secured a 2-0 victory over Leeds in midweek so should be travelling to Molineux with a bit more confidence having picked up a much-needed three points.

The midfielder was noticeably absent from the matchday squad against the Whites, though it’s now been revealed that it wasn’t due to an injury, eliminating any concerns that supporters may have had.

The Latest: Albrighton fitness update

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Rodgers confirmed that Albrighton was missing due to illness, and should be back in contention to face the Old Gold later today.

As quoted by the club’s official website, he said:

“He was off ill. He’s been ill for a few days. I saw him [on Thursday] morning and he was feeling much better so hopefully he’ll be back in [on Friday] and available for the weekend.”

The Verdict: Boost for Rodgers

Albrighton being available for selection again will come as a huge boost to Rodgers who will know how much of a valuable member of the squad he is.

The ‘superb’ 32-year-old, as hailed by sports journalist Josh Bunting, has racked up 46 assists and 18 goals during his time at the King Power, highlighting the impact he can have in the final third (Transfermarkt).

The Tamworth-born talent has made zero starts this season, but with Leicester still in the relegation zone, it’s worth thinking about making some changes, and Albrighton is someone who more than has the ability to change a game on his day.

Aston Villa managed to continue their unbeaten run last night on the road at Nottingham Forest but will feel somewhat aggrieved that they could not find a winner against a side wallowing in 19th.

Depending on how you view their results, it actually marks just one win in their last seven now, and Steven Gerrard will certainly be feeling the pressure.

In what was a feisty affair, few stood out in a game that never really seemed to find its rhythm.

Despite dominating 61% of the ball, the Villans managed just two shots on target. One of which was Ashley Young’s scorching equaliser. The full-back impressed and would have been the standout player for the visitors if not for Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentine was one of few who continued to pry at the Forest defence, and his workmanlike yet classy performance was clearly noticed by SofaScore, who gave him a 7.5 rating for the game. This was only beaten by the extra 0.1 handed to the goal scorer.

Compared to his team’s average of 6.83, it further outlines him as one of the star players of the game.

Having been handed his first start since August, his desperation to have the ball was outlined in his 66 touches. However, he was not wasteful with it.

He was 100% accurate with his long balls and even gave two key passes, showing how creative he was throughout.

However, it was his defensive display which will have impressed his manager even more.

To combine such talent with an attitude like Buendia’s suggests that he has all the tools to become a really outstanding talent in the Premier League.

He was involved in a mammoth 13 ground duels, of which he managed to win nine. For a winger, the 25-year-old did not shirk his defensive duties to help out Matty Cash, who was returning from injury.

His five tackles further compound his all-around display, which could only have been capped off had he scored or assisted the winner.

Pundit Jack Collins noted back in January of this year about the “stunning performances” he had been putting in. It seems that if he is given a run now, with displays such as this, he certainly could recapture that form.

Although his side were not at their best, Gerrard can at least look to Buendia as the shining light for his side on another disappointing night.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) reportedly sent Newcastle United scouts to watch Mykhaylo Mudryk in action for Ukraine.

The Lowdown: Mudryk tracked

The St. James’ Park outfit are reportedly ‘tracking’ Mudryk ahead of a potential move for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger in the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe is thought to have given the green light for a deal, and so this will be one to watch once the window opens.

The Latest: Scouts sent

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that scouts from the North East club were sent to watch Mudryk in action for Ukraine in their 3-0 loss away at Scotland in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night.

However, scouts from Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton, Leeds United, West Ham United, Wolves, Arsenal and Chelsea were also in attendance, meaning that the Tynesiders will likely face a lot of competition for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done

Hailed as an ‘absolutely phenomenal’ player by Tottenham pundit John Wenham amid links to Spurs, Mudryk has exploded onto the scene this season, with two goals and three assists in five games in all competitions at club level, including four goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League already (Transfermarkt).

If there is a chance that a deal can be done in January, then the Magpies must look to take it with open arms.

Howe was keen to sign an attacking midfielder in the summer, and Mudryk could certainly be the answer to his prayers with his rapid dribbling abilities and end product.