Fulham have made another bid to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz.

What’s the news?

That’s according to David Ornstein who reported on Deadline Day: “Fulham have submitted an improved second offer to sign striker Ben Brereton Diaz from Blackburn Rovers. Latest proposal for 23yo Chile international believed to have been rejected immediately. Contracted until 2023.”

The Chile international originally joined Blackburn on a loan deal from Nottingham Forest in the 2018 summer transfer window before becoming a permanent fixture at Ewood Park in the 2019 January window.

With 134 appearances for the Lancashire club under his belt across all competitions, the 23-year-old has scored 33 goals and delivered 13 assists along the way.

Silva needs him

Last season saw the attacker find the net 22 times in 37 league appearances, leaving only Aleksandar Mitrovic (43) and Dominic Solanke (29) with more goals.

In the six league appearances he’s made so far this season, the player has completed the full 90 minutes on five occasions and scored two goals with one assist to his name as well.

This highlights just how important he is to the Lancashire club, as well as why Fulham are keen on signing him.

Hailed as an “extraordinary” player by Tony Mowbray, Brereton Diaz has played the majority of his league games this season on the left-hand side of the pitch rather than the centre-forward position.

This means that should he end up at Fulham before tonight’s deadline, this would allow Marco Silva to play him on the left and keep Mitrovic in the middle.

With Manor Solomon out injured, this could make it easier for the Chilean to get into the starting XI at Craven Cottage, meaning his addition could well be a crucial one for the London club to complete.

It strongly highlights the need for Silva to bring in a player like Brereton Diaz to help his side continue their strong start to the season, especially in front of goal as only five clubs having scored more goals than Fulham (8) at this stage of the campaign. Indeed, the manager certainly requires all the goals he can get his hands on in order to beat the dreaded drop.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the club can now get a deal over the line, with a previously reported price tag of £20m on his shoulders.

Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy has confirmed there has been talk of Leeds United registering their interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo.  

The Lowdown: Gakpo rumours

Gakpo, hailed as a ‘sensational player’ by Football Oranje editor and Dutch football expert Michael Bell, has been linked with the Whites for large parts of the summer.

Rumours cooled in recent weeks, but Dutch outlet FC Update said on Tuesday that Leeds have still been ‘following developments’ on the 23-year-old in recent weeks.

Primarily a winger who can play anywhere across the front three, Gakpo has averaged a goal in the Eredivisie every 55 minutes this season, and it looks as if he could be on the way to England before Thursday’s deadline.

The Latest: Reddy’s update

Reddy provided an on-air update for Sky Sports News (via Sky Sports Transfer Centre) regarding Gakpo in the last 24 hours.

The journalist said that the player’s camp feel like there is a ‘massive possibility’ of a transfer, adding that indeed ‘there’s talk of Leeds registering interest’ in the forward.

Arsenal, Southampton and Newcastle were also name-checked in the update.

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The Verdict: Forward needed

Another attacking addition is needed at Elland Road prior to Thursday’s deadline, especially following a new injury to Rodrigo on Tuesday evening.

The Spaniard was forced off with a shoulder problem against Everton, leaving Jesse Marsch with Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Bamford as central options.

Gakpo would provide cover in central and wide areas and has enjoyed a brilliant 12 months with PSV, so a move could be a wise one by Leeds officials, however, it could be a tricky one to complete due to time restrictions and Premier League competition.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Bryan Gil has been spotted in open training ahead of their crunch Group D clash with Marseille tonight.

The Lowdown: Spurs preparing…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is arguably preparing for one of the biggest matches of his tenure so far as his side gear up for their first Champions League appearance since 2020.

The Lilywhites were humbled in their Last 16 tie against RB Leipzig over two years ago but the mood around north London has undergone a dramatic transformation since then.

Tottenham are playing with a new-found confidence under Conte and remain unbeaten in the league this season, coming after the Italian was well and truly backed with eight major signings in the transfer market.

The Latest: Gil spotted in training…

As they also look ahead to Man City in the Premier League this weekend, tonight could be an opportunity for Spurs to hand rarely-seen players a chance to impress.

Gil may well fall into this category considering he is available again after his injury with journalist George Sessions spotting the Spaniard in open training on Tuesday.

He explained:

“At Hotspur Way for Tottenham’s open training session before Wednesday’s #UCL opener with Marseille. No Lucas Moura but Bryan Gil is there.”

The Verdict: Hand opportunity?

Depending on the developments in tonight’s game, Conte may well want to give Gil a chance to shine off the bench if Spurs find themselves in a comfortable position.

Lauded as a ‘raw’ and ‘exciting’ talent by members of the media, the 21-year-old needs minutes to further his development and he could even evolve into a crucial player over the next few seasons.

Having failed to seal a loan move away from Spurs, it will be interesting to see if he can fight his way into Conte’s plans.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will have some big decisions to make on a number of his first-team players in the next year or so as the club have a host of contracts expiring in 2024.

The Whites have four senior centre-backs with their deals set to expire at the end of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, with Pascal Struijk, Liam Cooper, Robin Koch, and Diego Llorente all in that bracket.

Llorente and Cooper will both be in their 30s by that point and Marsch may decide that moving them on and replacing them with youngster options may be the way to go, or the players themselves – including Koch and Struijk – may decide that they do not want to stay.

Either way, Leeds could find themselves needing to sign another centre-back either next summer, if they opt to cash in on one of them instead of allowing them to leave for nothing, or in 2024.

However, Marsch could prevent Victor Orta from needing to spend millions in the transfer market if he is able to unearth 18-year-old talent Kris Moore from the academy side.

The teenage gem does not turn 19 until November and has already racked up 31 appearances for the under-23 side, after featuring in 27 matches for the U18s.

U23 head coach Mark Jackson revealed that he and his staff never doubted the youngster’s quality and backed him to make the step up to the U23 side at the age of 17, saying:

“He’s been training with the group now since the start of pre-season, and last season as well. We had no doubts in Kris’ ability to deal with the situation and the step up and he did fantastically well against a tough opponent in Street up top, who was physical and good in the air. I thought we coped well with it.”

These quotes show that the staff at Elland Road have a lot of faith in his maturity and ability, which bodes well for a potential step up to the first-team in the future.

Whites journalist Joe Donnohue previously described him as “solid” at the back and the reporter hailed his performance against Mansfield earlier this year, writing:

“Encouraging display, leading the team from centre-back. Moore maintained his positioning well through the game, snuffing out danger by simply ensuring he was in the right place at the right time.”

The gem also caught the eye in a 3-2 win over Oldham in the EFL Trophy last season. He earned a SofaScore rating of 7.00 as he won three of his four individual duels, made five clearances, and completed 86% of his passes.

Moore, who was named on the bench in the Premier League during Marcelo Bielsa’s reign, is a promising young player who has shown signs of having the potential to make the step up to the first team, with his accelerated progress at youth level.

Therefore, Marsch could save Orta millions by bringing the youngster through to the senior side and offering him a chance to prove that he can be a viable option for many years to come.

There were certainly a few eyebrows raised when Wolves broke their transfer record to sign 18-year-old Fabio Silva from Porto in 2020.

The Old Gold paid a whopping £35.6m to sign the teenager, despite him having scored just three goals in 21 appearances for the Portuguese giants, in a deal that was later described as “increasingly baffling” by New York Times journalist Tariq Panja.

The teenager was thrown in at the deep end following the injury to Raul Jimenez and seriously struggled, hitting just four goals in 32 appearances in his debut campaign.

The following season was even worse for Silva, as despite Jimenez’s return and the pressure on him being eased somewhat, he would fail to score in 26 appearances in all competitions for Bruno Lage’s side.

During the 2020/21 season, Silva came under a lot of criticism, particularly from former manager Harry Redknapp. He was a pundit on Sky Sports when he said: “He’s a kid, he looks well short at the moment. Well, well short.”

Now 20, and Redknapp’s comments seem more true than ever, as Lage felt that he wasn’t needed at Molineux this season, despite seeing his side hit just 38 goals in the top flight last season.

Perhaps all he needs is a hair cut in order to improve his game.

That was certainly the view of club legend Steve Bull, who in an interview with Football FanCast commented: “I think if I had him in front of me, the first thing I’d say to him is get your hair cut because when he’s heading the ball it isn’t hitting him directly on his head, it’s hitting him on the side where his hair is and he isn’t getting the power behind it.

“Seriously, that’s not me being funny. Think when you head a ball at full power it’s off your forehead but when it comes to him, it’s gliding off his locks.”

However, while he has started well in his loan with Anderlecht, scoring seven goals with the Belgian side, it is a testament to how much Lage rates the youngster that he felt he would be better off on loan, despite Wolves’ issues in front of goal.

The Old Gold have scored the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League this season with just three from their opening seven fixtures, with Diego Costa brought in as an emergency reinforcement.

Those at Wolves will obviously be hoping that Silva can return from Belgium a much more confident and developed striker, as they will want to see a return on a significant investment that has so far cost them a mighty £8.9m a goal.

But it certainly does not bode well that he was loaned out this summer by Lage, and Redknapp’s historic thoughts on the signing in 2021 will still be a commonly-held one as we approach 2023. In this case, the former Spurs manager was absolutely right, but Wolves were quite evidently wrong in their decision to sign the striker.

West Ham United recorded yet another victory in the Europa Conference League last night, continuing their 100% record with a fine 3-2 win in Denmark.

Although their opponent Silkeborg staged a late comeback after leading first, the Hammers held on well to ensure they were not embarrassed.

There were a number of standout performers for David Moyes, with summer signing Gianluca Scamacca netting alongside Craig Dawson who returned to the side following an injury.

However, the one man who went under the radar for his classy workmanlike performance beside Declan Rice was Manuel Lanzini, who boasted an impressive 7.0 SofaScore rating.

Not only was he a fantastic presence in the engine room, with 80 touches, but he also dispatched coolly from the spot to open the scoring.

He adapted well to his slightly deeper role and acted as the metronome from which the Irons built their entire game. He averaged a pass accuracy of 94% and was 100% successful with his dribbling too.

Not only was he consistent, but he also produced a high quality of creation as he also gave two key passes during the game.

It was an all-around perfect performance from the midfielder, who allowed Rice to uphold more of the defensive work whilst he controlled the game.

His ability to do that as well as score sees him further support the claim that he is one of West Ham’s “mercurial gems,” as described by journalist Daniel Storey.

On a day when it was expected for Lucas Paqueta to star, starting just his second game since signing in the summer, it was the tried and tested Argentine who stole the show and reminded fans just why he has been around for so long.

The Brazilian offered just a 6.6 rating by SofaScore and struggled at times to get into the match. The exact opposite of the time Lanzini had.

Having signed permanently in 2016 for just £9m, he has more than paid that off with his contribution to the club. However, with mature performances like this, he proves that age will not be the deciding factor in his inevitable decline.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has outlined the ‘mistake’ that Glasgow Rangers may have made in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Seven new signings

The Ibrox outfit did make seven new signings in the summer, but also let go of experienced heads like Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun (Transfermarkt).

They have reportedly been exploring the possibilities of signing Fabian Delph and Gary Cahill as free agents since the window closed, which suggests they may not have been completely satisfied with their business.

The Latest: Rangers ‘mistake’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that it was a ‘mistake’ by Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side not to buy an extra central defender as well as a goalkeeper:

“I’m sure most managers would look at the window, you’re not going to land all your top targets, that’s never going to happen, it just doesn’t happen that way in football.

“And I’m sure Van Bronckhorst thinks he should have maybe brought in another new central defender after losing a few with the likes of Leon Balogun leaving in the summer.

“Maybe not bringing in another central defender was a mistake as well as perhaps a goalkeeper because (Jon) McLaughlin has struggled in some games this season as well, while (Alan) McGregor is not getting any younger.”

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The Verdict: Reinforcements needed

Given their start to the season, where they have lost 4-0 to bitter rivals Celtic and have also been defeated in both of their UEFA Champions League group stage games to Ajax and Napoli respectively, it is clear that the Gers need more reinforcements on top of the signings they made in the summer.

Cahill is still available as a free agent, and so would offer them that extra central defensive cover, but they could also do with upgrading the goalkeeping department.

McLaughlin has been criticised for some of his poor performances this campaign, while McGregor is 40 years of age and so does not have many years left at the top level.

Nonetheless, it could be a busier than usual January transfer window for the Light Blues.

Celtic were left to reflect on what might have been on Wednesday evening, as the Parkhead outfit were held to a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in what was a lively Champions League group stage encounter.

Although Ange Postecoglou’s side were finally able to get a point on the board after having slipped to a 3-0 defeat at home to 14-time champions Real Madrid last week, the overriding feeling will have been one of frustration, with the Hoops once again coming up short in front of goal.

As was the case against Los Blancos, last night’s clash in Warsaw saw the Old Firm side spurn a number of clearcut chances to surge ahead, after the explosive Mykhaylo Mudryk had cancelled out an early own goal from Artem Bondarenko.

Both Daizen Maeda and Giorgos Giakoumakis inexplicably fired wide late on with the Glasgow side having firmly taken control of proceedings, as the ‘visitors’ were ultimately forced to settle for a point against the Ukrainian outfit.

The aftermath of that stalemate has seen skipper Callum McGregor criticised for his “terrible decision” to chase the ball in the build-up to Shakhtar’s equaliser – in the words of Chris Sutton – although one man who also somewhat underwhelmed was usual talisman, Jota.

While the Portuguese magician did offer a typically devastating threat off the flanks, the 23-year-old was arguably far more wasteful in possession than usual, notably squandering possession on 20 occasions in his 90-minute outing – the most of any player on the night.

Arguably the most “infuriating” element of his performance, however – according to journalist Sam Tabuteau – was the former Benfica man’s failure to “pull the trigger” despite having a clear sight on goal, having twice fashioned a brilliant opening for himself.

In two almost identical scenarios, the fleet-footed gem had majestically weaved his way into the opposition box, only to then belatedly decide to shoot after seemingly doing too much to try and deceive the opposition.

While it may be somewhat harsh to criticise a player who has sparkled for the Hoops to date – with 35 goal contributions in just 48 games thus far – the £6.75m-rated man appears to still have a way to go to truly become the finished article.

Manchester United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has suffered an international break injury with Slovakia, The Mirror report.

The Lowdown: Summer move

The Red Devils secured Dubravka’s services late in the summer window on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy from Newcastle United.

The 33-year-old, labelled as ‘top class’ by journalist Josh Bunting and dubbed a leader by The Chronicle’s Mick Quinn, has been on the bench twice for United, missing a Europa League game with FC Sheriff last time out.

Dubravka’s absence didn’t prevent him from linking up with his national side, but it looks as if he has suffered an issue with Slovakia.

The Latest: Dubravka injury

The Mirror shared a story regarding Dubravka on Thursday afternoon.

They claimed that the goalkeeper has suffered an injury in training with Slovakia and has returned to Carrington for further tests, labelling it as a ‘concern’ for Ten Hag.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Dubravka was seemingly brought in to provide competition and cover for David de Gea, so this injury update isn’t ideal.

You’d expect that he could well be a doubt for the trip to Manchester City next weekend as a result of this news, which could mean that Tom Heaton will be required to take a place on the bench, as he did against FC Sheriff.

Hopefully, Dubravka’s issue isn’t too serious and he’ll be back sooner rather than later, as he could be needed when the games come thick and fast prior to the break for the World Cup.

A Tottenham Hotspur career blighted by injury, Erik Lamela was always a divisive player amongst the fanbase in N17.

The final signing of the ‘magnificent seven’ bought as a result of the Gareth Bale money, the Argentinian winger failed to deliver as an attacking option throughout his eight seasons at the club.

It was a total of just 37 goals and 47 assists across a whopping 257 appearances, averaging only an 0.39 G/A per game in the Premier League, though he did tend to show up for a ‘big’ game – such as that spectacular rabona goal against arch-rivals Arsenal or the game-winning penalty he won in front of the Kop.

At the time, he arrived as the Lilywhites’ – and chairman Daniel Levy’s – biggest-ever signing at around £30m from Serie A outfit AS Roma, but he never lived up to the hype, largely due to the fact that he was always on the treatment table.

As per Transfermarkt, Lamela missed a total of 133 matches, which works out to be around 16-and-a-half games per season. Not what you want from your club-record arrival or someone brought in to fill the void left behind by Bale.

Whilst some of his questionable antics often drew criticism. One bizarre incident involving Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, which saw the winger play-acting to get the Frenchman sent off and led to Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness to slam him as “pathetic.”

It’s perhaps no wonder that one of the first bits of business sporting director Fabio Paratici did was find a new home for him as he included the 30-year-old in a swap deal for Sevilla’s Bryan Gil.

Tottenham would pay £21.6m alongside Lamela, who was earning an eye-watering £85k-per-week at Hotspur Way, but swapping an injury-prone flop for a potential star of the future just made the world of sense.

And things haven’t really improved for the 25-time Argentina international as he’s only been able to muster up 30 appearances for the LaLiga side, where he has delivered a measly nine goal contributions – one every three games in the Spanish top-flight.

Such form and obvious question marks over his age – entering the wrong side of 30 – has seen his value plummet to a disappointing €7m (£6m), as per CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis.

Therefore, despite being capable of producing moments of the spectacular, it appears that Paratici was more than right to offload him and did so at the right time. He’d have only been part of the exiled group of flops under Antonio Conte this summer and that would’ve dented the appeal in signing him.

AND in other news, Left for £0, once worth £89m: Harry Redknapp had a mare at Spurs with 383-app machine…