Presenter Joe Wainman has expressed his concern that Nuno Espirito Santo may not be interested in a short-term role as Leeds United manager.

Could Espirito Santo join Leeds?

The former Wolves and Spurs manager has been linked with the vacant role at Elland Road as a replacement for the recently sacked Jesse Marsch, and he is currently head coach of Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

Leeds may turn to the Portuguese coach as a short-term solution to help keep them up before looking at long-term targets in the summer, but this may not be desirable for the 49-year-old.

However, Alfred Schreuder is in serious contention to become the Leeds head coach.

Speaking on the Just Joe Football Show, Wainman claimed that if Espirito Santo was to join and help Leeds survive, that he would want to stay at the club beyond the summer.

“It’s just difficult right now. That’s what I’m mean, if Nuno keeps you up, you have to keep him,” he stated.

“You have to keep him. I don’t know if he’d agree to an 18-month deal, he might want a longer one.”

A poor fit?

Although he was an overall success at Wolves, helping them get promoted and even reaching a Europa League quarter-final, the style of play he employed is a heavy contrast to the high-energy football Leeds played under Marcelo Bielsa, and Marsch.

Leeds have averaged the eighth-highest possession in the league this season, with an average of 50.3%, whilst Wolves came 13th in this regard in Espirito Santo’s first Premier League season with Wolves in 2018-19, with an average of 47.4%.

Leeds focused a lot of their recruitment in recent windows on players suited to Marsch’s style, with the likes of Brendan Aaronson and Tyler Adams arriving having previously worked with the American, and Espirito Santo may provide too much of a stylistic clash to have a positive impact with their current squad during this season.

Southampton hit the jackpot in signing Danny Ings from Liverpool back in 2019, signing the striker for £20m after injuries hampered his chances of success on Merseyside, and while his goal threat is missed at St. Mary’s to this day, recent exploits suggest the deal was heaven-sent in cashing in for the maximum.

After scoring 46 goals and supplying ten assists from 100 appearances for Saints, Ings was granted a £25m departure to Aston Villa in 2021, and ever since, he has failed to replicate the feats that left him in eminent standing among the expansive crop of Premier League strikers.

During his stay at Villa Park, the 30-year-old only scored 14 goals from 52 outings, despite the Villans finishing higher than Saints and out-scoring them last season.

The 5 foot 10 gem was shipped out to West Ham United for £15m last month, and despite being in the early stages of his spell with the Irons, the nomadic marksman has failed to score or assist from his first four outings, yet to receive a match rating higher than 6.7, as per Sofascore, in east London.

The innate predatory instinct will seemingly never abandon Ings, once heralded as “dangerous” by his former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, but there is no questioning the most prolific and fruitful period of his professional career stays with Southampton, something that appears set to remain intact as his value diminishes further and further.

How much is Danny Ings worth now?

At the height of his powers, according to Football Transfers, Ings was valued at £23m, but now, just three years on, he is considered a £10m player.

And considering former Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl sold him for £25m, his current value now represents a whopping 60% decrease, which is alarming considering he is still only 30.

Frankly, Ings should still be firing at full throttle, but having started just eight of his 22 Premier League matches this season across two outfits, he is clearly not entrusted to the same level that was once placed in his powers.

As per Whoscored, the former Burnley star has failed to record the same level of striking output since departing Hampshire, where he was a thorn in his opponent’s sides in averaging at least two shots per match, also only recording a better average rating across two Carabao Cup matches with Aston Villa this season.

As such, while Ings was a resounding success on the south coast, his decline in value over the past few seasons is evidence that Southampton perhaps banked on the forward at the opportune moment.

Current fortunes suggest a first-rate striker would be a coveted asset for the struggling outfit, but Ings might not be the same vibrant presence he once was, and a recent away victory over Chelsea offers hope for the remainder of the campaign.

The Celtic revolution under Ange Postecoglou only continues to motor on, full of steam with a seemingly never-ending supply of fuel.

Since the Australian took the reins at Parkhead, the Hoops have gone from strength to strength, bouncing back from a rocky and final term under Neil Lennon in 2020/21 to win the Premiership a season later before putting themselves in the driving seat for back-to-back titles in 2022/23.

It would be a fine reward for the incredible work Postecoglou has done in Glasgow and their Viaplay Cup final victory on Sunday was just another reminder.

In truth, it was another fairly straightforward Old Firm victory for the Bhoys who went 2-0 up thanks to strikes from the returning Kyogo Furuhashi.

Alfredo Morelos set up a potentially nervy final quarter with just his third goal in this fixture but it was ultimately too little too late.

It was just typical that it was Kyogo who came up with the goods. He was the first Japanese signing the manager made and since then, several have entered Paradise to varying levels of success.

But their centre-forward has always been the beating heart and energetic smiling force of this team. There is rarely ever an occasion where he isn’t sporting a colossal grin and after his brace on Sunday, he will likely now have one of the most beaming looks since his emergence in Scotland.

Yet, he will have another of Postecoglou’s old chums to thank for the third trophy of the current regime; Aaron Mooy.

How did Aaron Mooy play in the League Cup final?

The Aussie has “silenced” the critics – as per Charlie Nicholas – in quite some fashion this term.

At the beginning of his stint in Scotland, he was a slow figure who struggled to keep up with the pace of a frantic Celtic side.

An outfit that prioritises a relentless press and break-neck offensive play, it has taken him several months to get to grips with things.

Yet, since the break for the World Cup, he has played like a man-possessed, registering seven goal involvements to take his tally to six goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The £23k-per-week earner didn’t add to that total at Hampden Park on Sunday but his influence was still felt, finding himself involved in both goals.

It was the Australian’s pass that fed Greg Taylor to cross for Kyogo to fire home the opener and then it was Mooy again who was supplying the pre-assist for the second.

Indeed, the former Huddersfield Town man was “having some game” in the middle of the park – as eluded to by Australian journalist Adam Peacock.

This time the 32-year-old slid an inch-perfect ball in behind the Rangers defender that Reo Hatate got on the end of before sweeping a pass across to Kyogo once again.

It was a fine display from the Sydney-born ace who was simply “running the show” in the words of reporter Thomas Wynne Lewis.

Newcastle United have an opportunity to make history on Sunday as they face off against Manchester United at Wembley in the League Cup final.

The Magpies have not won a major domestic trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 1955 and Eddie Howe’s side can end that drought with a win this weekend.

However, they will have to do so without their first-choice goalkeeper after Nick Pope was shown a straight red card against Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend.

The £60k-per-week titan raced out of his goal and inadvertently handled the ball after attempting to head it clear and was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity, as Mo Salah would have been through against an empty net.

Loris Karius is now in with a shot at starting the final, due to Martin Dubravka being cup-tied, and the Daily Mail have revealed that Max Thompson, 18, will be in the squad as a backup to the German.

Who is Newcastle’s Max Thompson?

The teenage shot-stopper is one of the club’s U21 goalkeepers and could be the future long-term heir to Pope’s position in the team if all things go well for him.

Being in the squad on Sunday will be a terrific experience for the youngster and one that could give him added motivation to kick on and work his way into the senior set-up on a regular basis.

Thompson was the first choice between the sticks for the U18s last season – making 21 appearances in all competitions – and earned himself five U21 outings.

In the current campaign, the youngster has been competing with Jude Smith for a place in goal and has played in four Premier League 2 matches to date.

He was brought into first-team training in December, alongside Lewis Miley and Alex Murphy, and caught the eye for Newcastle’s youth team last term.

Journalist Mark Carruthers lauded his handling as “impeccable” and described the colossus as “reassuring”, whilst reporter Matty Hewitt hailed him as one of the club’s “bright talents”.

The gem has also been capped by England at U18 level and this, along with Howe’s decision to involve him in first-team training and now the squad on Sunday, suggests that the youngster has a lot of potential as coaches at international and club level are giving him great opportunities.

It is now down to Thompson to keep working hard to ensure that he is able to progress and develop to a point where the Newcastle head coach can pick him to play minutes in the first-team.

If the teenager can do that in the years to come then he could end up being the long-term heir to Pope, 30, and save PIF and Dan Ashworth millions in the process.

Liverpool are plotting a move to bring Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Luka Sucic to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

The Merseyside outfit have Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur Melo all out of contract at the end of the season, so reinforcements will definitely be needed in the summer.

Jurgen Klopp has already been linked with a couple of primary targets, including Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount, but a new candidate has now emerged in the form of the 20-year-old Salzburg sensation.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing Sucic

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool have put Sucic on a ‘preliminary list’ of central players that they want to target.

FSG are said to have already held internal ‘conversations’ regarding a move for the Croatian, who has a ‘low release clause’, believed to be somewhere between €15-20m (£13-17m).

The Reds are ‘intent’ on signing a younger star that they can develop in midfield and they do have ‘enough funds’ to bring someone else in alongside the likes of Bellingham.

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The Verdict: One for the future

Sucic has been dubbed a ‘joy to watch’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and he would be a hugely exciting signing for the future of Liverpool.

The left-footed gem has already made 23 goal contributions for Salzburg despite his young age and also ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks and 88th for interceptions per 90 minutes by midfielders outside Europe’s top five leagues, highlighting the impact he makes at both ends of the pitch.

The Linz native also has the versatility to operate in central, attacking, left and right midfield, which will be an extremely attractive attribute to Klopp.

With four senior international caps to his name, Sucic has bags of potential to offer and he would flourish under the lights should he put pen to paper at Anfield.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who is on loan at Inter Milan, as a potential replacement for Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Kane’s future in doubt?

The latter’s contract is currently set to expire at the end of next season, but there has been some good news for Tottenham fans in recent days, as it has emerged that talks about a new deal have already commenced.

That said, there is no guarantee that the Englishman will commit to a new contract, given that it has also been reported that he is ‘full of doubts’ about extending his stay in N17, so Antonio Conte may have to start thinking about replacements for the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

The Latest: Tottenham keen on Lukaku

According to a report from Spanish sources (via The Boy Hotspur), the Lilywhites are keen on signing Lukaku if Kane decides he does not want to sign a new deal with Tottenham.

It is explained that Inter Milan have no interest in signing the Belgian forward on a permanent deal this summer, while the player himself has no intention of returning to his parent club, perhaps opening the door for a move to north London.

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The Verdict: Avoid

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has hailed Lukaku as a ‘complete’ striker who ‘can win games on his own’, and his record in front of goal with Inter is fantastic, scoring 68 times in 109 appearances while also claiming 17 assists.

However, the 29-year-old did struggle the last time he played in the Premier League, only managing eight goals in 26 top-flight games for Chelsea, and the fact that he has only netted twice in the Serie A this season indicates that he is perhaps past his best.

Of course, Tottenham will be hoping that they have no need to sign a new striker this summer, given that contract talks with Kane seem to be progressing. However, if they do enter the market, Lukaku should not be one of Conte’s targets.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that there is “no truth” to recent transfer rumours linking West Ham United with a move for Brazilian forward Pedro.

What’s the latest on Pedro to West Ham?

According to some reporting in the Spanish media, the Hammers could be keen on bringing the Flamengo forward to the Premier League in the near future.

Indeed, reports suggest the 25-year-old is a target for West Ham who would have to potentially pay over €40m (£35m) if they want to land Pedro any time soon.

However, in an shared on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex stated that the club have had their scouts in Brazil but the striker is not a specific target they have any particular interest in.

He said: “There’s been links with a Brazilian striker called Pedro. There’s no truth. We haven’t approached anyone for him.

“We’ve watched many players in Brazil, a number of them came out in the January window, but that was all it was. Rob Newman was there looking for young talent to bring in.

“Luizao was a result of that – the centre-back that joined us in January.”

What does the Pedro transfer rumour mean for West Ham?

As mentioned by Ex, the club certainly have had their eye on that part of the world of late with young defender Luizao signing from Sao Paulo in the winter window.
Pedro may well be known to the club too. Although he will be known by many now having played two times for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And with nine goals and two assists for Flamengo this season, he’s certainly an impressive player.
Despite that, though, it seems as though this talk of a possible move to West Ham seems a little premature at this stage. Perhaps the club are targeting lower-profile younger Brazilians such as Luizao, as opposed to those already established at the international level.

While Jesse Marsch’s sacking from Leeds United a matter of weeks ago was unsurprising, the decision that was taken in order to replace him was somewhat of a shock.

The Whites cast their net out in search of a swift appointment but were knocked back several times, first by the disciple of Marcelo Bielsa – Carlos Corberan – who signed a new deal at West Bromwich Albion and then by Andoni Iraola who was blocked by his club, Rayo Vallecano.

As a result, Victor Orta and co were left with limited options, ultimately looking towards his fellow countryman in Javi Gracia.

A strange appointment it indeed looks, and when considering he reportedly doesn’t even have a work permit, the hire becomes even more perplexing.

The former Watford boss at least arrives with experience in English football and indeed the Premier League, but it will be an uphill battle to keep the Yorkshire side in the division.

Fortunately, he does have a number of talented young players to call upon, one of which is Giorginio Rutter.

What impact could Rutter have under Gracia?

The year of 2023 has been a troubling one not just for Leeds, who have not won a game since the resumption of the league following the World Cup, but also for new signing Rutter.

Signed from Hoffenheim in the winter, the 20-year-old looks a raw but exciting talent. That said, he is yet to find the net in his five Premier League games and 109 minutes of action.

Those are limited involvements indeed but under Gracia, he could well thrive.

After all, this is a manager who once coached a certain Richarlison to prominence all those years ago at Vicarage Road with the Brazilian – now a £60m footballer at Spurs – playing under Gracia’s tutelage for the Hornets.

Although he failed to score for the Spaniard, he is undoubtedly one of the most notable players the new Leeds boss has worked with.

The Brazil international is a master of the dark arts when it comes to his off-the-ball work, making himself a nuisance for opposition defenders.

But he is indeed a competent footballer too, using his pace and trickery to work openings for both himself and his teammates. It is those qualities that have seen him ultimately go on to score 48 times in the Premier League.

Capable of operating as a centre-forward or out on the flanks, there are clear parallels with Rutter who plays in similar areas of the pitch.

At Leeds, the Frenchman has exclusively played as a striker but with Patrick Bamford now back in the fold, could play out wide. That said, with Gracia previously favouring a 4-4-2, perhaps the duo could operate together in the same side.

But what makes this comparison to Richarlison all the more obvious is their skill set, with scout Jacek Kulig once hailing the “clinical finisher” for his “blistering pace.”

Described as ‘part centre-forward, part jet-heeled winger’ by the Bundesliga website, the 20-year-old was among the 50 quickest players in Germany’s top tier with a top speed of 21.46 mph, just 2 mph quicker than that of the current Spurs attacker.

Rutter’s ‘direct running and mesmerising dribbling’ as per Bundesliga.com only add further comparisons, with such a player only set to get better as the years go on.

Leeds, and Gracia, however, will just have to hope that progression happens in the next few weeks. He will be key to any chance the Elland Road outfit has of staying up.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to the club’s reported talks with sporting director Antonio Cordon.

The Lowdown: Cordon for Lange?

Johan Lange is the current sporting director at Villa Park and has been since 2020. The 43-year-old has worked alongside Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Unai Emery, but reports towards the end of 2022 said that his job is hanging by a thread.

Villa have now been linked with a move for Cordon and have held discussions with the sporting director after he announced he was to step down from his role at Real Betis.

The Latest: Preece reacts

Preece took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to share the news on Cordon. The Birmingham Live reporter described it as ‘quite a big deal’ and said Cordon is ‘the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons’, adding that there could be competition from Barcelona.

“Quite a big deal this as AVFC hold talks with Antonio Cordon, the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons, after he stepped down from his sporting director role this week. Villa face competition from Barca.”

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The Verdict: All change…

Christian Purslow is expecting an extremely busy summer at Villa in regards to incomings and outgoings, and it looks as if Cordon could help oversee those changes in place of Lange – he may have been in contact with Villa just last month in the transfer that took Alex Moreno from Real Betis to the Midlands.

As Preece mentions, Cordon signed a number of impressive players during his time at Betis, including Villa-linked Luiz Henrique, so it doesn’t come as a complete shock that Villa are in talks over a move to England, especially following speculation over Lange’s future in recent months.

Southampton interim manager Ruben Selles could ‘carry on’ if he impresses in the role, according to transfer reporter Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Selles placed in charge

After the departure of Nathan Jones last week, First Team Lead Coach Selles was placed in temporary charge of first-team training, and was in the dugout for this afternoon’s game against Chelsea.

With the Saints missing out on Jesse Marsch after a dispute over the length of his contract, their current coach claimed he is ready to take over as manager, and an update indicates that it is a real possibility.

The Latest: Could carry on

In an interview with GiveMeSport, transfer journalist Jones claimed that the 39-year-old could continue in the role if his side impresses enough in the upcoming matches, saying: “He’s kind of on trial to see if he can handle this job. It’s a really strange situation for him, but I think they quite trust him to steady things at the moment and, if he gets off to a good start, I wouldn’t even rule out the fact that he might carry on.”

The Verdict: Right call?

One potential advantage in offering the job to the Spaniard is that he knows the players well, having been working with them all season, after initially joining as part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s backroom staff back in June.

Furthermore, journalist Jacob Tanswell has claimed that Selles is ‘highly regarded’ amongst the players, and this existing relationship could mean they are willing to give their all for the manager during the rest of the campaign.

The Saints are currently battling Premier League relegation, meaning there is a lot of work to do to preserve their top flight status, and so giving the job to someone with little experience would be a risk, but it is probably a better option than bringing in someone from abroad who does not know the group.