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Leeds United confirmed the appointment of Sam Allardyce as their new manager until the end of the season today and the survival specialist will have to pull off something of a miracle if he is going to keep the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League.

Why did Leeds hire Sam Allardyce?

The 4-1 defeat against Bournemouth last weekend was seemingly the final straw for Javi Gracia, who saw his side set a new Premier League record for the most goals conceded in a single month.

Their dreadful run of form has left them hovering dangerously over the relegation places with tough games to come against Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the arrival of Allardyce could just spark some hope among the Leeds fanbase and if he can reconstruct a Leeds defence that has fallen apart in recent weeks, it could just keep them in the top flight.

One man who could be key to that rebuild is captain Liam Cooper, as the centre-back has performed well when called upon this season and has the leadership qualities that could win over Allardyce at Elland Road.

How good has Liam Cooper been this season?

The 31-year-old's 6.66 average rating from WhoScored sees him ranked behind only Pascal Struijk and Max Wober as defenders in Leeds' squad, and yet it is Robin Koch who has been the most consistently called upon centre-back this season.

That said, the skipper is still a key figure behind the scenes, with former manager Jesse Marsch having been full of praise for the Scotland international and his leadership skills during his time at Elland Road.

The American said: “Liam is going to play a big role in the team no matter what. Diego and Robin have done well. I told Liam before yesterday he hasn’t trained much but when he does return from injury, he plays flawlessly.“In terms of mentality, a professional, a leader, he is the best I’ve ever seen. He will be used, he will be needed."

Injuries have meant that the experienced defender has featured just 17 times in the top flight so far this campaign but he impressively ranks first for interceptions, third for clearances and second for blocks per game in Leeds' squad, underlying his willingness to defend and put his body on the line for the club.

No-nonsense centre-backs such as Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins have all featured heavily under Allardyce in his career thus far and Cooper could be the next to prosper under the experienced English manager, becoming that combative force in the backline.

If the captain, who earns £25k-per-week at Elland Road, can rediscover his best form in the final few Premier League games, it could just inspire Allardyce's men to the masterstroke of keeping Leeds in the division.

Referee Kevin Clancy and his VAR team may have made a huge mistake in the most recent Celtic game after not awarding a possible penalty.

What’s the latest on VAR and Celtic?

There was plenty of drama to talk about in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend as the Bhoys played host to their most bitter rivals Rangers.

The home side managed to come away with all three points in a thrilling encounter that finished 3-2 in Celtic’s favour thanks to two goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and one from Jota, despite James Tavernier’s brace.

The away team did actually have the ball in the net first when Alfredo Morelos fired in from a corner, but this goal was controversially ruled out for a foul on Alistair Johnston.

But while that decision went against Rangers, another big call went against Ange Postecoglou and co later on in the game. Indeed, as seen in this footage shared on Twitter, Celtic were pretty unlucky not to get a penalty for a possible foul on Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Was it a foul on Celtic’s Oh Hyeon-gyu​​​​?

As you can see in the clip above, Oh races into the box and is then clumsily brought to the ground as John Souttar appears to give him a bit of a shove in the back.

Whenever you put your palm on a player to push him down in the box, you always run the risk of giving away a penalty and the Rangers man can count himself fairly fortunate it wasn’t spotted by referee Clancy and VAR didn’t intervene either.

With Connor Goldson out of the Old Firm, Souttar was actually making his first start for the Teddy Bears in eight months, so perhaps it’s understandable if he was a little rusty with this challenge – and that lack of regular minutes certainly could be blamed for his poor pass that allowed Jota in to score Celtic’s third of the game.

In the end, the Bhoys didn’t need to rely on a penalty to get themselves a win that keeps them 12 points clear at the very top of the SPFL table.

Had Rangers successfully fought their way back into the match, however, this controversial moment – which happened with about ten minutes left to play – could have been an even bigger talking point this week.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Declan Rice may no longer be keen on a transfer to Chelsea for three key reasons amid talk of a summer move.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Chelsea?

It's no secret that the Englishman is likely going to leave this summer, and a number of top Premier League clubs look to be in the race to land his signature.

Among those are Chelsea – the club Rice played for as a youngster before leaving when he was 14 years of age. He is known to be good friends with Mason Mount, but his England teammate may be leaving this summer amid contract issues and links to Liverpool.

If the West Ham United star does leave, he will surely do so for a Champions League club, with the 23-year-old previously stating that's the level he wants to be playing at

While talking about all this on his YouTube channel, Arsenal correspondent Watts explained why a move to Chelsea may longer be quite so "appealing" to Rice as it once was.

He said: "It's looking very unlikely – unless they go on and win it – they're going to be able to offer Champions League football, which is one of the big reasons that Declan Rice wants to leave West Ham now.

"We're not sure if Mason Mount's going to stay at Chelsea. He's obviously Declan Rice's really, really good mate. If he leaves, maybe that will stop [making] Chelsea quite so attractive to him.

"Whether he'd be willing to accept an eight-year contract as well – while that's appealing to some, it's certainly not appealing to others.

"So there's lots of reasons why potentially Chelsea isn't looking anywhere near as likely when it comes to Declan Rice as it did just a year ago."

Why would Declan Rice not want a Chelsea transfer?

Watts certainly is right on one front. Chelsea currently sit 10th in the Premier League with just 11 games to play. If they want to finish in the top four, they'll need to close the 11-point gap between them and the last Champions League spot with some incredible displays.

According to reports, Rice currently earns around £60,000 per week, but that will surely increase dramatically if he is to leave the Hammers in what could be a deal worth more than £100m.

Todd Boehly may well have that sort of money, and if he was to land the Englishman, he'd quite likely want to tie him to a long-term contract judging by the Blues' recent activity in that regard. However, that's been an issue with Mount – who supposedly doesn't want to commit to the club amid talk of a deal up for as much as eight years being tabled, and so Rice may feel equally hesitant.

Consequently, with no Champions League football, Mount, or a reasonable contract offer waiting for him at Chelsea, perhaps the 23-year-old will end up elsewhere.

Everton have picked up a much-needed victory at Goodison Park this afternoon in their Premier League clash with Brentford and Sean Dyche will be thrilled with the resilience his team showed throughout the performance.

The Toffees are now 15th in the league table after climbing out of the relegation zone following their 1-0 victory over the Bees, however, they are only two points clear of the bottom three and must continue to fight for more crucial points to secure safety over their remaining 11 fixtures.

Despite having far less possession of the ball (33%), Everton had more shots on target (6 v 4), more tackles won (25 v 10) and more clearances completed (26 v 11) – a testament to the outstanding defensive display that was perfectly executed to seal their sixth victory of the season.

It was a strike from Dwight McNeil in the opening minute of the clash that ultimately won the Merseysiders their first game in four, a player who has seen his game-time increase since the arrival of his former Burnley boss in January.

It has been a common theme throughout the team with another one of Dyche’s former players reprising their role as Michael Keane was once again deployed this afternoon in the back-line alongside James Tarkowski instead of Conor Coady.

However, not all the players at Goodison have been lucky enough to become one of the first names on the team sheet with Demarai Gray seemingly snubbed by the Everton boss upon his appointment.

How did Demarai Gray perform against Brentford?

Gray had been benched for two and made three appearances of under half an hour in each of the first five outings under Dyche but has finally been given the opportunity to prove himself in the latest two fixtures and has now rightfully earned his spot in front of goal.

The 26-year-old winger has been deployed in the most advanced position of Dyche’s 4-5-1 formation that saw the side draw with Nottingham Forest last week and win against Brentford today, proving his ability to adapt to a more central role in the final third.

Over his 86-minute performance, Gray – once hailed as ‘electric’ by BBC journalist Garth Crooks – won a whopping nine duels, created one big chance, made two key passes, and completed 100% of his dribble attempts, as well as winning three tackles, offering two shots on target and having a goal disallowed in the 43rd minute.

The wizard was a constant threat at the top end of the pitch and caused plenty of problems for the Bees defence to deal with, which allowed Everton’s defenders a breather whilst he was causing chaos in the opposition half.

It is clear the Everton star is shining in his new role, offering both a huge presence and lots of creativity to the attacking threat and could now be Dyche’s secret weapon in securing survival after failing to select Gray over the majority of his short tenure so far.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to continue to deploy Gray, and gives the Everton manager a real dilemma as to how Dominic Calvert-Lewin will fit into the team when he returns from injury, especially if the team continue to thrive.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United are “really keen” on signing youngster Luca Fletcher who is currently on trial with the club.

What’s the latest on Luca Fletcher and his West Ham injury?

While the January transfer window has come and gone this season and we are still many months away from the summer market, it seems as though the Premier League club are still eyeing up some new arrivals.

However, the latest linked names won’t be players to come in and sign for the first team. Instead, the Hammers have been tipped to hand 15-year-old Fletcher an offer to come in and play for the club’s academy whilst he is on trial having been with Reading earlier on in the season.

Indeed, while speaking about the situation, Ex told The West Ham Way podcast, that the teenager has impressed the club and seems to be the standout trialist.

He said (5:39): “So we’ve got two players, former Reading players, currently on trial.

“Apparently, Luca Fletcher is the one they really really like and so they’re tempted to bring him in soon.”

Who is Luca Fletcher and will he end up at West Ham?

Still only 15 years of age, it’s hard to know the full potential of the young centre-forward but the talent spotters at West Ham clearly feel as though he might be worth taking a punt on.

To be fair, he has impressed at international level with the England U16 side. Indeed, earlier on this season, he scored three goals in two games against Turkey’s U16 as the youth teams met twice in the space of a week.

Seeing as he’s in the Three Lions’ academy setup already, he must be fairly highly rated and so perhaps it would be a good move for West Ham to get him swiftly confirmed as one of their own.

Taking it all into account, Fletcher certainly looks like a name to keep an eye out for in the future.

Celtic are interested in signing Cliftonville winger Sean Moore this summer, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Moore impressing

Moore is just 17, but he has already managed to cement himself as a consistent first team player for Cliftonville, making a total of 26 senior appearances for the club.

As such, the youngster has already attracted the interest of suitors from the Premier League, with West Ham United failing to get a deal over the line after entering talks at the end of the January transfer window.

The Latest: Transfer battle?

According to a report from NUFC Blog, Celtic are interested in signing the teenage sensation, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham and Newcastle United.

It appears that Newcastle are the most serious about signing the Northern Irishman, however, having scouted him multiple times over the past season.

The Verdict: Exciting news

Northern Ireland U18 manager Gerard Lyttle has given an overview of what the winger’s main attributes are, saying:

“He has got that pace about him, with a drop of the shoulder and a trick to get away from players. I’ve played with and coached a lot of players that never understood how best to use their pace, but Sean does. He faces defenders up and goes at them. That gets fans out of their seats.”

Therefore, it is exciting news that Celtic are competing for what appears to be a very promising young player, and the experience that he already possesses in men’s football would stand him in good stead to soon make a push for the first team.

This season, Moore has two goals and two assists in 19 league appearances for Cliftonville, and he is only going to get better with age, so the Hoops will now be hoping they can fend off the interest from elsewhere and secure his signature in the summer.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has said that ‘multiple’ bids are expected from several clubs in the Premier League and Europe for Arsenal transfer target Ivan Fresneda.

The Lowdown: Arsenal moving ‘behind the scenes’

It has recently been reported that the Gunners, along with Borussia Dortmund, are moving ‘behind the scenes’ to try and sign Fresneda and are ‘leading the race’ for the Real Valladolid right-back.

Both clubs have reportedly already ‘agreed terms’ with the 18-year-old, with the deal expected to cost €15m (£13.1m) and the Spaniard set to be loaned back to Valladolid for the rest of the campaign.

However, it now looks as if that duo will not be alone in their pursuits of Fresneda in the final days of the January transfer window.

The Latest: ‘Multiple’ bids could be incoming

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth says that ‘multiple’ bids are expected from a ‘number’ of clubs in both the Premier League and in Europe for Fresneda in the final days of the month, which suggests that Arsenal and Dortmund could be dragged into a bidding war for the teenager.

The Sky Sports reporter stated: “I’m told that there are going to be multiple bids from a number of European clubs and Premier League clubs in what remains of this transfer window. I think Fresneda will need to make a decision if an interested club meets the €15m valuation simply because he’s playing at the moment for Valladolid – he’s getting first-team action, he will want to play.”

The Verdict: Urgency needed

If Mikel Arteta’s team are serious about signing Fresneda, then there needs to be some urgency in terms of getting this deal done, given that Transfer Deadline Day is tomorrow and other bidders are expected to come in for him.

Hailed by journalist and La Liga presenter Juan Arroita for his “beastly” ability to maraud forward and put in crosses, the teenager currently averages one key pass and 0.4 crosses per match in the Spanish top flight, ranking highly among the Valladolid squad in both metrics (WhoScored).

Fresneda also ranks in the top 11% for tackles, clearances and interceptions per match among full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year (FBref), showing how impressive he is defensively as well, and he already looks like the complete right-back at the tender age of 18.

Perhaps Arsenal’s bullish pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo is holding up a deal for the Spaniard, or possibly the fact that Cedric’s expected move to Fulham has not gone through yet, but the north Londoners simply cannot let their Fresneda pursuit fall through the cracks.

Glasgow Rangers are yet to make their first senior addition to their squad during Michael Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants.

The English head coach replaced Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the break for the 2022 World Cup break and this month is his first opportunity to bring in his own players.

Sky Sports recently reported that the Light Blues are ‘leading’ the race to sign attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell on a permanent deal from Championship side Norwich and he could be Beale’s first addition.

However, the Canaries gem may not be the only signing of the month for the Gers as they are also reportedly one of a number of teams in Europe interested in a deal to sign Romanian youth international Alexi Pitu from FCV Farul.

Beale could now form an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch by signing the 20-year-old gem and pairing him with his fellow countryman Ianis Hagi.

The pair trained, and played once, together when they were at Viitorul Constanta and Pitu recently responded to a question asking if reuniting with the Gers gem would interest him by saying:

“Yes I would very much love to play with Ianis again, but first I want to win the title with Farul Constanta.

“I focus on football, I do my training and in the matches, I try to give my best.

“I understand the interest in playing with Ianis at Rangers and of course, it would be very nice.”

Rangers must now convince Pitu to ditch his current club in favour of a move to Ibrox as his form this season indicates that he could be an excellent signing for the Gers.

The gem, who has been described as a “playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced five goals and five assists in 19 league starts for Constanta, which means that the forward has contributed with a goal contribution more than once in every two matches.

Hagi, meanwhile, is due to return from injury this month and has already proven himself in a Light Blues shirt, with 15 goals and 21 assists in 85 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Both players can play anywhere across the attack and this means that Beale could pair them together in a multitude of ways, with one out wide and the other in the number 10 role, or both of them lining up on the flanks to run at teams and cause them problems.

Therefore, the head coach could seal an exciting, Romanian, duo for the Gers in the second half of the season by signing Pitu to play alongside Hagi and deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has already moved to strengthen his charges with the signing of Spanish defender, Alex Moreno, with the 29-year-old having been snapped up on a £13m deal from Real Betis.

The former Villarreal head coach is no doubt seeking to put his stamp on the current squad at Villa Park, with there seemingly a potential for more new faces to arrive this month.

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, one player whom Emery is seemingly keen on signing is Udinese star, Gerard Deulofeu, with the fleet-footed winger having previously worked under his compatriot at Sevilla.

The former Watford man –  who made the move to Italy on an initial loan deal back in 2020 – could well be an attainable target with just 18 months remaining on his existing deal, having previously been valued at around £17m during the summer, as per the report.

Journalist Ryan Taylor – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now provided an update regarding a potential move for the 28-year-old, with the transfer insider stating that the 5 foot 10 dynamo is a player that Villa are tracking.

Taylor revealed: “Gerard Deulofeu is definitely one where there is interest. He’s done it in the Premier League before with Everton and Watford.

“Although he seems to bounce around clubs, I think Deulofeu is a player that is always going to have that quality. He’s a very direct winger with a decent end product.”

The one-time Barcelona man has warranted such interest as a result of his sparkling form in Serie A so far this season, having scored twice and registered six assists in the Italian top flight so far this term.

That follows his haul of 13 goals and five assists in the league last term, with the £22k-per-week playmaker having thrived since moving away from Vicarage Road just over two years ago.

Bringing such a “quality” asset into the fold – as lauded by former boss Javi Gracia – could well help Emery to find the Villans’ successor to Jack Grealish, with the England international having left a notable void following his £100m exit to Manchester City back in 2021.

The Birmingham-born hero had provided 75 goal contributions in 213 games for the Midlands outfit in all competitions after rising through the youth ranks, notably chipping in with 18 goal involvements in the Premier League during his final season at the club.

The 27-year-old had emerged as something of a talisman prior to his departure, proving truly influential with his creativity from his left-wing berth, having been lauded for such talents by Italian icon Gianfranco Zola, who previously stated:

“He always creates something important and, again, he never flinches. He always wants the ball and creates. These are qualities that will make him even more outstanding.”

Such traits could well be attributed to the aforementioned Deulofeu, with the former Everton menace also having that ability to create something out of nothing, notably earning praise from BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty for his “genius” goal in the FA Cup semi-final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers back in 2019.

Although currently thriving in a more central role, like the City man the Spaniard has typically done much of his damage throughout his career off the flanks, with the hope being he can replicate such impact amid his potential return to England.

To be able to secure a Grealish-esque talent in the coming weeks would surely represent a truly astute piece of business for Villa and for Emery.

Erik ten Hag could give Manchester United “an edge” by signing Ajax starlet Mohammed Kudus during the upcoming January transfer window.

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was discussing the Red Devils’ transfer interest in the Ghana star.

According to The Athletic, the Dutchman is thought to be keen on signing his former Ajax player as he looks to continue building his own squad at United, although reports earlier this month have claimed that the 22-year-old could cost in the region of £40m.

Speaking to Football FanCast about Kudus, O’Rourke stated: “I think there will be a number of clubs who will be monitoring his long-term situation at Ajax, and Erik ten Hag will know all about him having worked with him at Ajax as well.

“He will be hoping that might give him an edge in any pursuit of Kudus as well, but he’s a versatile player and he will be somebody who would definitely add options to United’s attack.”

Man United could have the edge on Kudus

Kudus has excelled this season for Ajax, scoring ten goals and registering two assists in 21 matches, netting four times in just six Champions League outings.

His sparkling club form saw him called up to the Ghana squad for the World Cup and the 22-year-old impressed in Qatar, notably scoring twice against South Korea in a 3-2 victory, and these performance on the world stage will surely have boosted his profile.

Previously described by Ten Hag as a player with “incredible potential”, Kudus’ statistics over the past year compared to positional peers in Europe’s major leagues have been excellent. As per FBref, he ranks in the top 5% for total shots, pass completion success, dribbles completed, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes.

These figures clearly prove that he is performing at a high level and that a move to United shouldn’t faze him.

His previous relationship with Ten Hag could well be a key factor in the Ghanaian choosing his next club, and as O’Rourke mentioned, potentially signing Kudus could give the Red Devils an added attacking impetus heading during the second half of the season.