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Jack Harrison should be dropped from the Leeds United team after a tough run of form recently, according to journalist Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: Harrison makes poor start to the season

The Whites have struggled so far this season, winning just twice in the Premier League, with too many players failing to replicate last year’s form.

One of those individuals is Harrison, with the winger yet to register a single goal or assist in the league in a total of eight appearances – last term he registered eight goals and assists apiece, so it is a stark drop-off.

The 24-year-old had a poor game in a more central role in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Norwich, receiving a measly four-out-of-10 rating from Leeds Live‘s Cross.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Cross says winger should be dropped

Following that showing, Cross took to a Q&A for Leeds Live on Wednesday to say a spell out of the team could do Harrison the world of good:

“I wrote a piece on Harrison’s situation this morning. Bielsa tried to shake his season into life on Sunday by moving him into the centre forward role.

“It did not work and Harrison was not out there long before he had to move over to the left for a marking job on Max Aarons. I would take Harrison out of the firing line for a refresh, but I suspect Bielsa will stick with him if he’s pain-free from that previous obliques issue.”

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The Verdict: Gelhardt’s time to shine

Harrison just can’t get going at the moment, despite being called a ‘big’ influence by Marcelo Bielsa in the past, so it makes total sense for him to be dropped, allowing someone else to come in and shine.

It would mean using Raphinha and Dan James in the wide roles and potentially playing someone like Tyler Roberts behind Rodrigo in attack.

Alternatively – and perhaps a more exciting plot as far as the fans are concerned – youngster Joe Gelhardt could even be given the nod up front, with Rodrigo in the No.10 role.

The former Wigan starlet impressed in his cameo against Wolves, winning a penalty, and has been hailed as ‘astonishing’ by talkSPORT host Adrian Durham.

In other news, a rumoured Leeds target has turned down a new contract. Find out who it is here.

Rangers sit top of the Scottish Premiership table after 13 games and are four points clear of their arch-rivals Celtic heading towards the end of the final international break of 2021.

The Gers have won nine of their 13 matches and racked up 30 points, with a number of players impressing across the pitch.

One interesting sub-plot of this season has been the competition at left-back, with Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic sharing the duties – playing seven and six games respectively.

Dream deal

Ross Wilson pulled off a masterclass with the signing of Bassey in 2020. The Gers landed him on a pre-contract agreement in January of last year, joining the club officially in the summer for a reported £230k in compensation upon the expiry of his contract at Premier League side Leicester.

Upon his arrival at Rangers, Gerrard said of him: “He’s a strong and dynamic athlete who is very much the modern day full-back. He’s left-footed, physically powerful and enjoys driving forward and is certainly equipped to thrive in the combative nature of Scottish football.”

In the 2020/21 campaign, the youngster made eight appearances in the Premiership, including three starts, and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85. This was a solid debut campaign for the young full-back, but he had not kicked on enough to be a regular contender for a starting place in the side.

Leicester City U23 manager Steven Beaglehole previously hailed him as phenomenal and said he was gutted when he left the Foxes. He told The Athletic:

“I remember him playing really, really well against Bayern Munich (in a 2018-19 Premier League International Cup quarter-final).

“Early on in the season, he wasn’t pulling up any trees, but then he kicked on, and he was phenomenal, and that’s when other clubs became interested. I was gutted when he left, as he’d probably have been playing in the Europe League for us by now.”

This season, he has lived up to these Europa League ambitions, albeit for Rangers instead of Leicester. Bassey has started seven matches in the Premiership and played three times in Europe, starting once. He has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.97 in the league, proving 1.6 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game, proving himself to be good enough to start for the club on a consistent basis and a player that potential new manager Gio van Bronckhorst would surely love to have.

Therefore, Wilson pulled off a dream deal with the Nigeria international as he picked him up from Leicester on a compensation deal, a paltry £230k, and he has now established himself as a genuine first-team option.

He is still competing with Barisic for the left-back spot, but he is currently ahead of the Croatian in terms of Premiership starts this season, suggesting that he is well on his way to earning his spot in the XI and becoming a genuine force under van Bronckhorst.

AND in other news, Deadline set: Report details Rangers manager timeline that’ll surely have fans excited…

Newcastle United are reportedly now interested in signing Nicolas Pepe in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Move away likely

With the emergence of England international Bukayo Saka on the right-wing, Pepe has become more of a bit-part player at the Emirates Stadium this season.

The former Lille star has only managed to make seven appearances in the Premier League so far, with two of those coming off of the bench (Transfermarkt). And with no European competition for Arsenal this season, there are fewer opportunities for fringe players to see regular minutes.

Considering this, a move away from north London in the winter, whether that would be on loan or on a permanent deal, appears likely for a player who cost the Gunners a club record £72m, and so would surely be expecting more game time.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per French outlet Jeunes Footeux, the St. James’ Park faithful are one of three teams in the top flight now ‘interested’ in signing Pepe, along with both Everton and Crystal Palace.

This would be on an initial loan deal in January, with the option to buy the Ivory Coast international in the summer.

The Verdict: Worth a punt

Pepe’s career in North London may not be all that impressive considering his price tag, given that he has only managed 25 goals and 18 assists in 98 matches in total over all competitions across the last three seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, he did not choose how much he was going to cost, and a loan deal with an option could make sense for the Magpies.

The 26-year-old will have a point to prove, and could make the right-wing spot in the North East his own with his ability to cut in on his left foot, with Allan Saint-Maximin coming in on his right from the opposite flank.

Even if things are not quite working out for Pepe, he still works hard on the pitch, as Mikel Arteta hailed his ‘phenomenal’ work ethic at the end of the last campaign. That is what the Toon Army expect from any player who dons the black and white stripes, and the winger certainly has the capabilities of getting them up off of their feet with his pace and directness.

Incidentally, he never lost a game against Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side, and so the Tyneside boss may already know plenty about him, and perhaps relish the chance to work with him rather than against him.

In other news, find out which £125.9m-rated poacher NUFC are in the mix to sign here!

Steven Gerrard has implemented a new code of conduct at Aston Villa, and The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has revealed some of the details.

The club’s new manager has apparently banned fizzy drinks, sauces, puddings and hot chocolate as he seeks to improve the condition of his players.

Gerrard inspired by Houllier as he puts stamp on Villa

The 41-year-old left Rangers during the international break to fill the vacancy left by Dean Smith’s sacking.

He spoke during his first official press conference about the influence of Gerard Houllier, his manager at Liverpool between 1998 and 2004. The late Frenchman apparently monitored what he was eating, an indication of ‘what it takes to stay at the top level’.

Gerrard enjoyed a successful start to his tenure at Villa Park, with late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings securing a 2-0 victory at home to Brighton on Saturday. He now has a full week of training to prepare for his next test – a trip to Crystal Palace.

Fan feed Villa Report shared McGrath’s reveal, and here’s what supporters had to say, with one enjoying the 41-year-old’s “ruthless” stance in comparison to the reign of his predecessor Smith and others poking fun at how John McGinn would cope without Irn-Bru, a beverage with which he has become renowned.

Villa fans react to Gerrard’s code of conduct

“John McGinn needs Irn Bru, though. It’s in his contract.”

Credit: @cratesofhippos

“Irn Bru have just gone bankrupt”

Credit: @Josh1874_

“John McGinn puts in transfer request as Irn Bru is dropped from Villa’s drinks menu”

Credit: @B6Nigel

“Ruthless”

Credit: @mrmglloyd

“Smith would give them the day off and a bag of Haribos each”

Credit: @Scott78273205

“Praying for McGinn”

Credit: @catrinavfc

In other news, Gerrard’s latest Rangers target has emerged.

After a disappointing previous season that saw them get relegated to League One from the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday had a busy summer transfer window bringing in a number of new players on free transfers and loan deals.

One player that Wednesday signed on a temporary deal over the summer from Championship club Queens Park Rangers was 24-year-old winger Olamide Shodipo.

With 14 appearances for the Yorkshire club under his belt but just six starts across all competitions, Shodipo has failed to score a goal or provide an assist, which is incredibly disappointing for all parties and not what anyone would have been hoping for when he arrived at Wednesday.

In the ten league games he’s played in, Shodipo has only managed to rack up an average of 0.9 shots per game and 0.4 key passes per game, exposing just how little attacking impact he’s had on the team so far this season and that he may not be ready to play regularly at this level yet.

In a recent Q&A with Yorkshire Live, Wednesday journalist Dom Howson said that he would not be surprised if QPR recalled their player in the upcoming January transfer window and then loaned him out to a club where he would potentially get more minutes.

With Wednesday recently signing winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing after he left Middlesbrough over the summer, this would presumably only put Shodipo’s chances of playing regularly throughout the rest of the season in doubt.

With that in mind, it seems as though the best option for all parties would be to bring Shodipo’s time at Wednesday to an end in January and hope that his next step will be one that would be more suitable for his career development where he would get regular playing time to show QPR what he’s made of.

If Shodipo does leave Wednesday in January, Darren Moore and everyone else at the club will have to hope that Mendez-Laing’s vast experience of playing in English football will have more of an influence and attacking presence in the team than Shodipo has so far this season as they aim to win promotion back to the Championship.

In other news: Big blow: Dom Howson drops SWFC injury update that’ll surely leave Moore fuming – opinion

With Leeds United only managing to win three of their 15 Premier League games so far this season, drawing seven and losing five, it seems as though the Yorkshire club could be looking to the upcoming January transfer window to help them strengthen their squad and have a better second half of the season.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, he has claimed that Leeds could be looking to sign a new midfielder to bring to Elland Road and join Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke had this to say on the matter.

He said: “From what I’m hearing, they might bring in a No.6 midfield cover in January, somebody to provide some backup to Kalvin Phillips with Adam Forshaw just returning from injury. So probably a more defensive midfielder or central midfielder rather than an attacking one.”

Fans buzzing

Given how Phillips was forced off the pitch with an injury during Leeds’ recent 2-2 Premier League clash against Brentford and the fact that Leeds only have three other central-midfield options in their squad at the moment, it probably isn’t a bad idea for the Whites to bring another midfielder to Elland Road in January to give Bielsa some depth in that area for the rest of the season.

Should they do so, it would understandably leave the Elland Road faithful buzzing given problems in that area this term.

With only three outfield Leeds players having played more minutes than Phillips in the league so far this season, this shows just how integral to Bielsa’s side and why it would be a big miss if he’s out of action for a significant period of time.

The 26-year-old’s importance to Leeds reaches back to last season where the team lost seven out of the nine league games he missed throughout the campaign.

Thinking back to the previous summer transfer window when Leeds were extensively linked with a move for Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien, it will be interesting to see if they will reignite their interest in him next month or look for another midfield option to help them get through the rest of the season.

Taking into account how Leeds have managed to concede 22 goals in the league so far this season, it would be a smart move if the club brought in a more defence-minded midfielder that could protect their backline and generally make them tougher to play against, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

In other news: Huge setback: Leeds struck with double injury blow that’ll surely have Bielsa fuming – opinion

Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on loan in January, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Wijnaldum at PSG

Wijnaldum, labelled as ‘incredible’ by journalist Connor Dunn, left Anfield over the summer to sign for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

The 85-cap Netherlands international is thought to be on over £300,000-a-week in France but has started just 10 games in all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino.

His representatives are thought to be working on a January exit as a result of his lack of game time, and a return to England could well be on the cards.

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The Latest: Spurs offered Wijnaldum’s services

90min shared a story on Thursday regarding Wijnaldum’s future and the chances of a possible exit.

Within their report, they claimed that the 31-year-old representatives have contacted several Premier League clubs over the possibility of a loan move.

Tottenham are one of those who have been approached, with Fabio Paratici and co not yet dismissing the idea of a January transfer.

The Verdict: Avoid?

It seems as if Spurs are still to decide whether or not to move for Wijnaldum, however, they could be better off looking at the bigger picture and snubbing the chance to take the Dutch international on a temporary basis.

Yes, he has plenty of Premier League, Champions League and international experience, however, he is on mega-money and is now the wrong side of 30.

Antonio Conte may want to add to his midfield ranks with Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks linked with exits, but moving for someone like Franck Kessie on a permanent cut-price deal could be the smarter option.

He’s seven years Wijnaldum’s junior and a winter window move could well be on the cards according to a Spurs insider, so prioritising the Ivorian over the PSG man could be a smart decision in the long run.

In other news: Conte could swoop for ‘devastating’ colossus after big Spurs source claim – insider. 

Steven Gerrard’s return to Liverpool as Aston Villa manager ended in a 1-0 defeat on Saturday. 

Mohamed Salah’s 67th-minute penalty proved to be all that separated the title-chasing Reds and mid-table Villa at Anfield.

Gerrard sits third on Liverpool’s all-time appearance list on 710, with only Jamie Carragher (737) and Ian Callaghan (857) ahead of him. He won 11 trophies with the Reds during his playing career, including the Champions League in 2005.

Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the former Liverpool midfielder would ‘definitely’ be managing the club himself one day, ‘and that is good for everybody’.

What did Gerrard say after the game?

When Gerrard emerged from the tunnel ahead of the match, he was greeted by applause from the Liverpool supporters at Anfield.

Asked about the reception from Kopites after the game, the 41-year-old insisted that his ‘priority is the support from the Aston Villa fans’.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed his comments, and here’s how a selection of Reds responded, with one branding the Villa manager’s words as “weird”.

Liverpool fans critical of Gerrard

“Stupid answer to be honest. He didn’t have to do that, no Villa fan would have been angry if he thanked the fans for their support. He’s putting up too much of an act it’s unnecessary. Maybe it’s a British thing, this is what Rodgers would do.”

Credit: @lfc_eddie

“He goes overboard to look professional like Carra.”

Credit: @sonofanfield1

“I know he has to be professional but he’s just being so weird”

Credit: @jurgeners

“Trying too hard, literally just say it was nice to hear and move on.”

Credit: @VigoGJ

“Trying so hard to be liked by Villa fans. Doesn’t need to hide the fact he loves Liverpool”

Credit: @Mike_Hampson10

“Wow, he’s really trying his best to be disliked by Liverpool fans.”

Credit: @AlexdelPaso

In other news, Liverpool have been backed to land this Barcelona star

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish thinks that incumbent boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will make an effort to keep Scott Arfield at the club. 

The lowdown

Arfield is among the Rangers players who are in the final year of their contracts at Ibrox. The £16,000-per-week Canadian joined the club on a free transfer ahead of the 2018/19 season, having left English Premier League side Burnley. He has gone on to make 163 appearances for the Glasgow outfit, scoring 31 goals and providing 18 assists.

This season, the 33-year-old has featured 23 times across all competitions, but only made six starts in the Premiership and one in the Europa League (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

Sky Sports pundit McLeish thinks that both the Rangers team and the manager ‘appreciate’ Arfield’s application and reckons that Van Bronckhorst will push for the Canadian’s contract to be extended beyond the summer.

“Let’s be honest, he’s a very trustworthy player, but it seems that Giovanni sees something in Scott that is important to the team,” he told Football Insider.

“He’s a grafter, he’ll go forward, he’ll check back, he’ll cover people. He does a lot of the things that we deem ugly.

“He’s also got a knack of getting forward and getting into good positions from deep positions.

“I think Scott Arfield is a player who the whole team really appreciate. I believe he’ll definitely try and nail him down and keep a guy like that in the squad.”

The verdict

How has Arfield done when he has played this season? While scoring two league goals, he has also been guilty of missing five ‘big chances’, so his goal return should really be higher. His creative contribution has also been limited at just 0.6 key passes per 90 minutes.

However, as McLeish suggests, it might be intangible attributes, like covering for team-mates, which make him so valuable to the club.

The Canadian will turn 34 next season, so perhaps the wisest course of action for the club is a short-term deal on slightly reduced wages. Whether Arfield accepts that is another matter.

In other news, read this injury expert’s Ryan Jack warning.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reliable journalist Keith Downie of Sky Sports has shared what he knows as Newcastle United eye a move for Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Magpies eye Trippier move…

As per numerous sources, PIF and Eddie Howe have placed the right-back on their wanted list for a January transfer, with Mundo Deportivo claiming (via Sport Witness) they are even willing to make a €30m (£25.3m) offer.

Meanwhile, other reports from both AS and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed that Newcastle are in contention to sign the player, who is apparently yearning for a Premier League return.

In a fresh update, Downie has shared what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Downie makes Trippier to NUFC claim…

According to his information, the 31-year-old is indeed a target for Newcastle, but the journalist admitted that there is still quite some way to go in this transfer saga.

He told GiveMeSport: “I certainly think he’s a top target, from what I’m hearing, for Eddie Howe. Whether they can get the deal done or not yet, there’s still a little bit of work to do.”

The Verdict: Priority signing?

Trippier would be quite an asset for Howe, judging by his endorsement from pundits and his experience on the biggest stages in world football.

Having brought joy to the nation with his sumptuous free-kick against Croatia at the 2018 World Cup, the England defender has continued to be an asset for Atletico.

Former West Ham and Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has lauded the 31-year-old as ‘sensational’ for his time at the La Liga giants and believes that the defender would be a ‘brilliant signing’ for Howe in particular (Football Insider).

However, given his age, the former Manchester City academy graduate wouldn’t come with much sell-on value, so a lot could depend on how much Atletico will demand for his services.

In other news: Newcastle willing to table eight-figure bid to sign ‘sensational’ star for Howe, he wants to move…find out more here.