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Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams may be wanted by Manchester United but he is unlikely to leave the Whites, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Adams linked with Man United

The £57,000-per-week American has enjoyed a strong start to life at Elland Road since his arrival in the summer, starting 11 games in the Premier League and bringing bite and tenacity to the Leeds midfield.

Adams has been linked with a move to Man United recently, though, with Erik ten Hag viewing him as a potentially strong target for the Red Devils.

One journalist has now given his take on the situation, and it’s one which makes for pleasant reading for the Yorkshire faithful.

The Latest: Adams expected to stay at Leeds

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has backed Adams to stay put with the Whites, rather than joining Man United so soon after arriving in England.

The journalist said of the USA international:

“He’s full of energy, has got a great engine on him as well, and as I said, I think he’s been one of Leeds’s better performers so far this season.

“So, obviously those performances have caught the eye of Manchester United, but I’m sure Leeds are pretty confident that they’ll be able to keep hold of Tyler Adams going forward.”

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The Verdict: Already a crucial figure

Losing Adams so soon would be an almighty blow for Leeds, with the 23-year-old already so influential, averaging a highly impressive four tackles per game in the league this season – the second-highest in the squad.

He was outstanding in last weekend’s 2-1 win at Liverpool, winning three tackles and five duels, and manager Jesse Marsch is a big fan, having said in the aftermath of that game that his compatriot is having a ‘great season’ for the Whites.

The fact that a club of Man United’s stature are already keen on signing Adams highlights how good he has been and this is hopefully only the start for him in a Leeds shirt, with the upcoming World Cup also a great chance to showcase his brilliance in the biggest stage of all for his nation.

Manchester City have been urged to do all that they can to get Pep Guardiola to sign a new deal at the Etihad Stadium. 

The Lowdown: Guardiola’s current contract

The 51-year-old’s current deal at the Premier League champions is set to expire at the end of June, which would take him to seven years in charge of City.

Prior to the 2-1 defeat against Brentford on Saturday, the Spaniard revealed that the situation regarding his future is “under control” and will be discussed with the club’s hierarchy at the right time.

With no definitive answer over whether Guardiola will put pen to paper on a new deal at City, one former top-flight player has urged the club to make sure it happens.

The Latest: City urged to seal new deal for Guardiola

Speaking to Football Insider, Alan Hutton implored City to retain the 51-year-old’s services beyond the end of this season.

The ex-Tottenham defender said: “Just give him what he wants. You can see what he has done. The Champions League is the holy grail, that is what they are searching for and that is what they want.

“I do not think he will be happy until he wins that. He has done an incredible job. He is one of the best managers in the world, if not the best. Why would you not want to keep him at the club?

“He just keeps churning it out. He keeps changing the squad in little bits and all of a sudden it all just clicks. They are unbelievable.

“They will be absolutely desperate to keep hold of him. He is the main man at the club and there is no doubt they will want to tie him down long term.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer for City

In 374 games in charge of the Citizens across all competitions, Guardiola has seen his side win a mammoth 276.

Taking into account how successful the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager has been during his time at the Etihad in terms of the number of trophies won and the records his team have broken, it should undoubtedly be the club’s number one priority to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

Also, if the club can get the Spaniard to sign a new deal during the current World Cup break, this should put to bed any concerns that some City supporters may have regarding Guardiola’s future.

Aston Villa return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Brighton in their final match before the World Cup break.

Unai Emery won his first game in charge of the club last weekend as he watched his side put Manchester United to the sword with a 3-1 win at Villa Park.

However, the Spanish coach then made a raft of changes for their trip to Old Trafford to play the Red Devils in the League Cup during the week, which led to a 4-2 defeat in Manchester.

The former Villarreal boss may now alter his side again in an attempt to head into the break off the back of successive victories in the top-flight.

How many alterations will he make to the XI from the defeat in the EFL Cup? Here is Football FanCast’s predicted XI…

Emi Martinez (C); Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendia; Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey.

We are predicting that Emery will make six changes to his team, with Robin Olsen, Calum Chambers, Ashley Young, Ludwig Augustinsson, John McGinn, and Danny Ings all dropping out.

The cup clash with United represented a chance for the fringe players to prove to the manager that they deserve a place in the first XI but too many of them completely wasted their opportunity.

Olsen made a huge error leading to Bruno Fernandes’ goal as his wayward pass out from the back allowed the hosts to overload Villa in their own box, which seems unlikely to convince Emery that he should be dropping Martinez as his number one.

In midfield, Kamara could keep his place in the team, replacing Leander Dendoncker from the Premier League clash with United last week, as his early season form showed plenty of promise before he picked up an injury. He has averaged 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, compared to the Belgian’s 2.7, and could provide a solid screen in front of the back four.

Emi Buendia, who was once dubbed “magical” by Racing Post’s Jack Reeve, could return in attacking midfield in place of McGinn – who failed to create a single chance against United.

The Argentine gem has created two ‘big chances’ in six league starts as he has proven that he has the ability to create quality chances for his teammates.

Ings could also be ditched up front for Leon Bailey to return after the Jamaican forward scored in the 3-1 win over Erik ten Hag’s side last weekend, whilst the Englishman failed to find the target in midweek.

Glasgow Rangers are yet to pull the trigger with regards to the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox, although the Dutchman remains under intense pressure with the Gers following what’s been a miserable start to the season thus far.

The Glasgow side went into the World Cup break having slipped to nine points behind their bitter rivals in the Scottish Premiership table, with Ange Postecoglou’s side now seemingly on their way to retaining their league crown ahead of Rangers.

The Gers were notably held away to St Mirren at the weekend to maintain the doom and gloom surrounding the club, with that disappointing result having come just a week on from Van Bronckhorst’s men having slipped up against St Johnstone in Perth.

That limp start to the season on the domestic front has been compounded by what was a truly dismal Champions League campaign, with the Light Blues finishing bottom of the pile after losing all six games in the competition.

Supporters had been eagerly awaiting a return to life on the continent’s biggest stage after a 12-year absence, only to witness their club suffer the embarrassment of completing the worst record in the group phase in the tournament’s history.

Unsurprisingly, that mix of woes – which also includes a 4-0 defeat away to the Hoops earlier this season – has cranked up the pressure on the man in the dugout, with pundit Graeme Souness suggesting it will be “difficult for him to recover” moving forward.

Despite that uncertainty, the latest suggestion is that the former Feyenoord boss will still be in place when club action resumes at the end of next month, having perhaps built up goodwill with the board after guiding his side to Scottish Cup glory last season, as well as securing passage to the Europa League final.

If the powers-that-be are to part ways with the 47-year-old any time soon, the belief is that Mick Beale could be the ‘top target’ to replace him, as per Football Insider, with the Englishman having previously worked at the club as assistant to Van Bronckhorst’s predecessor, Steven Gerrard.

As pundit Alan Hutton stated, the 42-year-old could well help to bring back that “winning mentality” to Ibrox having played his part in the title success under Gerrard during the 2020/21 campaign.

While Beale was the number two at the time, he was seemingly the “brains behind” the operation, according to former Gers striker Kyle Lafferty, with the latter man also stating that “tactically he’s amazing”.

That sentiment was echoed by Gerrard himself, with the former England international having previously noted: “It would take me 15 to 20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick Beale because he’s the expert.”

Although there may be doubts over his ability to make the step up to the top job in Glasgow amid his managerial inexperience, Beale has made a fine start to life in his first gig as the main man in England, with his QPR side seventh in the table.

Clearly a tactician who is highly regarded in the game, the Bromley-born visionary was only recently close to taking over at Premier League bottom club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, although ultimately opted to stay put in his present home.

Whether he can be tempted to return north of the border to replace Van Bronckhorst at the helm remains to be seen, although it could well be a no-brainer as far as Rangers are concerned such are his coaching credentials and previous ties to the club.

Arsenal have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Ibrahima Bamba to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Tutto Salernitana, who claim that, following a number of reports linking the Gunners with a move for the Italian defensive midfielder this winter, Vitória Guimarães SC would be willing to part with the 20-year-old for a figure in the region of €6m (£5.2m) – despite earlier claims the youngster is valued at around £26.5m.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side are not the only club believed to be tracking the midfielder, with Atalanta BC, Villarreal CF, US Salernitana and Paris Saint-Germain also reported to be keen, while Vitória are not thought to be against parting with Bamba in January – as long as they were to receive a satisfactory offer for the talent.

The next Tchouaméni

Considering the sheer amount of ability and potential for future development Bamba quite clearly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Edu would be interested in a deal to bring the 20-year-old to The Emirates this winter.

Indeed, over his 12 Liga Portugal appearances so far this season, the £3m-rated talent has been in sensational defensive form, making an average of 2.7 tackles – the joint 14th-most in the league – 1.2 interceptions, 4.3 clearances and winning an astonishing 4.8 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per game.

However, it is not only in a defensive capacity in which the £2.5k-per-week youngster impresses, as he is also adept at launching attacks for his side, playing an average of 2.9 long balls, 1.5 chipped passes and completing 29.8 total passes – at a success rate of 85% – per game.

These returns see the player who journalist Zach Lowy dubbed “one to keep an eye on” and “intriguing” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, currently ranking him as Vitória’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of Portuguese football – playing a key role in his side getting off to a fantastic start to their 2022/23 campaign.

As such, with Bamba being a player who is excellent in his reading of the game, extremely strong in the tackle and more than capable of launching counter-attacks for his side, there are quite clear comparisons between the 20-year-old and Aurélien Tchouaméni – the 22-year-old who joined Real Madrid in a €100m (£85.3m) deal this summer.

Indeed, the France international also excels in his anticipation, tackling and ball-playing, with the £126k-per-week defensive midfielder making an average of 1.8 interceptions, 2.3 tackles and playing 1.3 long balls per game over his 12 LaLiga fixtures this season.

As such, should Edu manage to get a deal over the line for Bamba in January, not only would the sporting director be landing Arsenal an incredibly promising young talent, but he could also have unearthed the next Tchouaméni at The Emirates – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for both supporters and Arteta alike.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Glen Kamara and interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Tutto Salernitana, the player is in the sights of Serie A sides Salernitana and Monza, along with unnamed French and Spanish outfits.

The report adds that Kamara has submitted a transfer request in to the Light Blues as he attempts to force a way out of Ibrox in the coming weeks.

However, it remains to be seen how open the Gers are to selling the Finland international and how much they would demand for his services if they were to part ways with the 27-year-old.

Ditch him

New Rangers boss Michael Beale must make a huge call early on in his career in the dugout by brutally ditching Kamara during the upcoming January window.

The English coach will not want any negativity in the dressing room or players who are not fully committed to the cause as he attempts to build something special at Ibrox and that is why Kamara must be binned.

If the Finnish midfielder does not see his future with the Light Blues then the manager must sanction his exit, alongside Ross Wilson, and work to bring in a player who is willing to buy into the long-term project in order to take the club forward.

The £21k-per-week dud was branded “disrespectful” to the Gers in October, by pundit Noel Whelan, after telling Helsingin Sanomat that he dreams of playing in a ‘top-five league’, with the Premier League being mentioned as a potential destination.

However, his performances this season have not been outstanding and it is hard to envisage a big-money exit to England for the midfielder, which means that he could have to settle for an Italian side, like Monza or Salernitana, in January.

Kamara has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.57 across seven outings in the Premiership and a score of 5.9 in four Champions League appearances. He is currently ranked 20th in the squad in the former and 22nd in the latter, which illustrates how much he has struggled this term.

Therefore, Beale can afford to cut ties with the former Arsenal man at the start of 2023 as his current form indicates that selling him would not be a major blow to the team.

The manager must brutally ditch the midfielder because of his desire to leave and the dud’s disappointing displays on the pitch before replacing him with a new signing in January.

Nottingham Forest had an ambitious transfer window in the summer ahead of their return to the Premier League with 23 new players joining the squad at The City Ground, however, the expectations set haven’t been met by the newly-built team.

The Tricky Trees have spent the majority of their long-awaited top-flight campaign in the relegation zone due to a difficult and disappointing start to the season, which led to Evangelos Marinakis sacking his head of recruitment and head scout in October.

Indeed, Steve Cooper had seemingly started to build some positive form in the last five outings Forest had before the World Cup break but even going unbeaten in four out of the five fixtures hasn’t been enough to secure safety as of yet.

Although Forest managed to acquire as good as an entirely new squad during the last transfer window, remarkably there were still some transfer targets that were missed during the £150m spending spree, something that clearly irked Marinakis due to his dismissal of his recruitment team.

One player who the newly-promoted club tried to sign was Valencia and USMNT star Yunus Musah, with a £25m bid submitted for the midfielder during the summer but it was quickly rejected by the LaLiga club.

Since then, Musah has been capturing the attention of the football world after making a standout appearance at the World Cup in Qatar with his national team and has quickly become a hot prospect for many elite Premier League clubs.

According to 90min, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all expressed an interest in the young talent with the two latter clubs even making contact with the player’s representatives after his impressive displays for USMNT.

Over four World Cup appearances, the 20-year-old – who was hailed the “real deal” by journalist Ives Galarcep – tallied up an 87% pass completion rate, as well as averaging one shot on goal, 58.3 touches, two tackles, one successful dribble and 4.5 duels won per game.

In fact, Musah would have been the perfect upgrade for Forest’s Ryan Yates in the centre of the pitch, with the Valencia wonderkid having been superior to his positional peer in many attributes.

Over the season so far, Musah has outperformed Yates in his assists (2 v 1), pass completion rate (80.4% v 80.1%), shot-creating actions (23 v 14) and tackles won (14 v 12).

With that being said, the signing of Musah would have been a great piece of business for Forest, however, it is looking like that ship may have sailed for the club as the competition for his signature has tightened significantly and after a fantastic international campaign, his transfer value will likely soar.

Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous in January and the Scottish centre-back could be a dream signing under Tony Mowbray.

According to Football League World, the 23-year-old is extremely likely to leave Easter Road in January after failing to agree a new contract with the Scottish side, with the Championship his most likely destination.

The Black Cats, as well as Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion, and Watford are all mentioned as interested parties in the report, while Celtic and Rangers are said to have been keen in the past.

Porteous’ contract situation means that the Black Cats would be free to approach him on a pre-contract deal in January but it seems as if Hibernian want to sell him ahead of the summer, which means he could arrive at the Stadium of Light next month.

During his time at Hibernian, the young defender has gone on to make 151 appearances, contributing 12 goals and eight assists but he clearly feels it is time for a new challenge.

Teammate Chris Cadden was full of praise for Porteous’ ability and attitude after he played a big part in earning a draw against Celtic last season. He said:

“He goes out there, gives 100 per cent, wears his heart on his sleeve. Every time he pulls on the jersey he gives 100 per cent and you can see that week in, week out.

“It’s a pleasure to play alongside him. He’s been brilliant and he just keeps putting in those performances. It’s standard for him now.”

Although Mowbray has plenty of centre-back options to choose from at the Stadium of Light, especially with Daniel Ballard returning from injury and Bailey Wright returning from the World Cup, Porteous could be a great option for the future.

Wright is 30 and Danny Batth is 32 and while both have been impressive at times, they cannot be expected to start at centre-back forever, so Porteous could join Ballard and Aji Alese as the natural heirs in the heart of the Black Cats defence.

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The Hibernian star has averaged a strong 7.00 rating from WhoScored for his performances this season and if he can continue that fine form with Sunderland in the new year, he would surely be a dream signing for Mowbray.

Liverpool are still leading the charge to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham, according to a report by The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Fernandez agreement

Liverpool are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson looking past their best while Thiago and Naby Keita continually struggle to stay fit for extended periods of time.

Reports from Argentina on Monday evening brought good news in that regard, with the South American press (via The Liverpool Echo) claiming the Reds have reached an agreement in principle to sign Argentina star Fernandez.

The Benfica youngster missed a penalty against the Netherlands at the weekend, but his stock has no doubt risen in Qatar, while his release clause sits at £103m. And while some may suspect a deal for the 21 year-old means no Bellingham, the latest reports suggest the Englishman could follow Fernandez to Anfield.

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The Latest: Leading the race

In his report on mooted transfer dealings around some of the World Cup’s most talked about stars, esteemed journalist David Ornstein has dropped an exciting revelation for Liverpool fans.

Stating that his rise has made him a dream transfer target for the majority of football’s biggest sides, Ornstein says other clubs believe the Reds are in front for the 19-year-old’s signature. 

Liverpool are expected to be among the small number of outfits who can meet Dortmund’s asking price, which may be inflated as a result of his recent performances for England.

The Verdict: Get them both in!

Ornstein’s latest update bodes very well for optimistic Liverpool fans. 

Having already endured a beautifully consistent rise to the top of the footballing food chain over the last few seasons, Bellingham has added to his stardom with an eye catching World Cup campaign in which he asserted himself as one of England’s brightest stars.

Aforementioned, the Reds’ engine room could well need a complete overhaul in the next 18 months, and while signing both Fernandez and Bellingham could prove a very costly venture, it would turn an ageing weakness in Jurgen Klopp’s squad into an exhilarating strength.

Tottenham Hotspur return to action today with a trip to face Brentford as the Premier League gets back underway.

Having entered into the World Cup break off the back of an unconvincing 4-3 win over Leeds United, Spurs face a tough test away from home against the 10th-placed Bees.

Welcoming back a host of players who featured in Qatar, it remains a tough task to predict who will be given extra rest by Antonio Conte, and who will be thrown straight back into the fold.

With that in mind, here’s the starting XI that we’re predicting for today’s clash at the Gtech Community Stadium (3-4-3):

(GK) Forster; (RWB) Royal, (CB) Davies, (CB) Dier, (CB) Lenglet; (LWB) Doherty; (CM) Hojbjerg, (CM) Bissouma; (RW) Kulusevski, (ST) Kane, (LW) Son

Conte is expected to make just four changes from the team which defeated Jesse Marsch’s side, all of those set to be enforced alterations.

Following the disappointment of losing the World Cup final, this game will come just too early for the returning Hugo Lloris. As such, their £13m-rated “leader”, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor, will drop out for Fraser Forster’s first Premier League start of the season.

The £75k-per-week shot-stopper has only made one appearance in all competitions since his summer move and is yet to make his Premier League debut for the Lilywhites.

Cristian Romero is also likely to be absent today, having been on the other end of the result in that unforgettable World Cup final in which Argentina triumphed over France.

Therefore, the back three will again be made up of Eric Dier, Clement Lenglet and Ben Davies, who should all return well-rested having either exited the World Cup before the semi-finals or not gone to the tournament at all.

Ivan Perisic made it to the third-placed play-off, therefore featuring as deep into the World Cup as Lloris and Romero. This will see him drop out of the team from the win over Leeds. In turn, Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty are expected to take up the wing-back roles, with the latter coming in for Perisic on the left.

Due to their team’s group stage exits in the World Cup, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur returned to north London with little fatigue. However, with the latter suspended, he will have to be replaced, with Yves Bissouma the likeliest candidate to fill the void.

In the front three, despite thriving in Qatar with three goals, Richarlison will be unavailable following his injury for Brazil two weeks ago. He will be replaced by Heung-min Son, who continues to play in a mask after fracturing his eye socket in the autumn.

That leaves Dejan Kulusevksi and Harry Kane to take up the final attacking places, leaving Conte with a strong team despite the various absentees.