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Sheffield Wednesday are among the teams chasing a loan move for Jarrad Branthwaite this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Owls are said to be one of several Championship sides lining up a temporary spell for the promising Everton centre-back, as per the ECHO.

The 18-year-old is thought to be open to the idea of a short stint away from his parent club to gain some valuable first-team minutes under his belt after a frustrating campaign.

League rivals Blackburn Rovers are the only other side mentioned in the report.

Shades of Michael Hector

With the Toffees teen down the pecking order, behind the likes of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey, a move to Hillsborough Stadium would certainly prove beneficial.

In recent weeks, Wednesday have suffered injuries to their backline, notably Chey Dunkley and Julian Borner, whilst last season’s Player of the Year, Dominic Iorfa, has been ruled out for the entire season.

The Owls have even lost central defensive loanee Aden Flint back to parent club Cardiff City, so there is a need for additions at the back.

Since his debut last season, Branthwaite has been restricted to a total of only five senior appearances and requires game time, and Wednesday know all too well how loans like this can turn out as Michael Hector was a massive hit in south Yorkshire only two seasons ago.

Many fans wanted his return after a successful loan spell from Chelsea, though he went on to sign for Fulham for £8m.

And the two bear some similarities – both are at least 6 foot 4 inches in height and have pacey attributes despite their towering presence.

Indeed, Branthwaite has been dubbed one of the fastest players at Goodison Park (Sky Sports, via the News and Star) whilst Hector was lauded for his speed by the Premier League’s official website after transforming Fulham’s backline.

The teenager’s former manager at Carlisle has previously waxed lyrical over his potential, claiming: “The truth is, I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer.”

Considering he’s only on a reported £15k-per-week, he could fit into the Owls’ wage bill nicely as Flint was thought to be on the same amount and he’s no longer at the club.

Dejphon Chansiri must swoop for Branthwaite before one of their rivals get to him this month.

AND in other news, How Sheffield Wednesday could look under managerial front-runner Paul Cook…

Christmas is here, which means 2020 is quickly drawing to a close, and what a year it has been for West Brom.

The Baggies clinched promotion from the Championship after a two-season absence from the Premier League, though since, things haven’t really gone to plan…

Captain of the ship Slaven Bilic received his P45 earlier this month with Albion second from bottom on just seven points.

The West Brom hierarchy have turned to Sam ‘the firefighter’ Allardyce in their time of need for yet another survival bid despite the 66-year-old being out of the game for two-and-a-half years.

In his first game in charge, the Midlands outfit were thrashed 3-0 by arch-rivals Aston Villa, so Big Sam has it all to do if they are to remain a top-flight team in 2021.

But forget those worries for now, and take a look back at some finer moments with this tricky quiz.

We bet only die hard Albion fans will get close to 75% on this one! Go on, give it a go…

AND in other news, West Brom Exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign former star in January swoop…

Tottenham Hotspur have relinquished their place atop the Premier League table as they were beaten by defending champions Liverpool at Anfield this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side had plenty of chances to win the game at 1-1 through Harry Kane and Steven Bergwijn, who both should have done better in front of goal.

Heung-min Son cancelled out Mo Salah’s fortuitous opener before half-time but Roberto Firmino popped up with a header beating Toby Alderweireld in injury time.

Indeed plenty of Spurs fans watching from home were desperate to see the Dutch dynamo hooked off earlier than he was, but arguably, another player cost them a result in Merseyside.

Kane was uncharacteristically lightweight and wasteful, missing two sitters during the second half.

The 27-year-old was graded as SofaScore’s second-worst player (6.4) having lost four duels (33% won) and possession ten times as well as firing four shots off-target, via SofaScore.

He had scored nine and assisted ten in the Premier League prior to kick-off this evening but his blank this time actually cost them the win, if not at the very least, a point.

Kane also made just 12 passes at an accuracy rate of 71%, failing to register a single key pass nor could he manage a successful dribble either.

A vast difference to his usual mean of 1.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored.

football.london lambasted Bergwijn in their post-match ratings but perhaps their attention should be averted to the England captain as he badly let Mourinho down with his missed opportunities.

The Express were more scathing over Kane, giving him a five out of ten – “Anthony Taylor likely touched the ball more times than the England captain, who had one glorious chance from a corner but completely fluffed his header.”

Valued at a whopping £108m by Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 2 powerhouse must be doing better.

As we say, it was so unlike Kane but still, a horrible night to forget.

AND in other news, £64m-rated Spurs sensation has become Mourinho’s incredible sacrificial lamb…

Toby Alderweireld’s muscular injury has gifted Japhet Tanganga a chance to prove Jose Mourinho wrong after the Tottenham Hotspur coach revealed his intentions for the academy graduate.

What’s the word?

Mourinho has revealed he sees Tanganga developing into a full-back rather than a centre-half, having assessed his options to replace Alderweireld with the Belgian ruled out for the next two to four weeks after being forced off in Saturday’s win over Manchester City.

The blow deprives Mourinho of a veteran option he had started in six of Spurs’ opening nine Premier League fixtures, and is now left with Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and summer signing Joe Rodon as his recognised senior options.

Tanganga earned his Premier League debut under Mourinho when fielded at right-back against Liverpool last term, but was later also awarded minutes at left-back and centre-half having graduated from the U23s after playing 45 times in a central defensive role.

But Mourinho does not believe Tanganga is best suited to playing centrally and has stated that he will now only look favourably on the 21-year-old in the event of an emergency.

“For me, he’s a full-back. Can he play centre-back? Yes, he can, of course he can, and he will if we need him,” Mourinho said, via quotes by football.london.

“He can play centre-back, but for me in the context of what high-level football is and especially [the] Premier League is, I see him more as a multi-functional defensive player, but I see him more as a full-back.”

Alderweireld’s loss is Tanganga’s gain

Given Mourinho’s comments on Tanganga’s future role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Alderweireld’s muscular injury may come as a blessing in disguise for the Spurs product who is now fit once again after being plagued by back and thigh injuries since March.

Tanganga’s issues have restricted the London-born defender to just 70 minutes of action in any competition this season, coming in September’s EFL Cup win over rivals Chelsea when fielded at centre-half in a three-man backline.

But he now has less competition to build on those minutes with Alderweireld on the sidelines, and a slack showing from one of Dier or Sanchez in the Europa League against Ludogorets on Thursday night could see one of the pair miss out at Chelsea this Sunday.

Struggles at Stamford Bridge may then open the door for Tanganga to feature at LASK next Thursday as Tottenham look to lock up their progression through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Mourinho has previously admitted to having great confidence in Tanganga’s potential, noting in February how he felt the young charger could become a first-team regular for years to come.

“Tanganga’s already in the dressing room, with [Oliver] Skipp,” Mourinho said, via quotes by BBC Sport. “Both are fantastic kids – both kids in which we believe a lot.

“The difference is with Japhet that the big opportunity appeared. With Skipp that has not happened yet – the big opportunity to start matches and play many minutes. But both are in the first-team dressing room. And our objective – what we are working on – is to make them Tottenham players for many years.”

Now is Tanganga’s chance to stake his claim to a more prominent role in north London and prove to Mourinho that his future can be at centre-half in the absence of Alderweireld.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy can complete Jose Mourinho’s dream Spurs unit in a £22m gem who’s “like Kai Havertz”.

Leeds United are enjoying being back in the Premier League after a long 16 years away. They’ve started their returning season strongly too, banking ten points from their seven games played so far. Their season opener saw them give holding champions Liverpool more than a run for their money in a thrilling 4-3 result.

The Whites also recently held league heavyweights Man City to a 1-1 draw, which will certainly be something to be proud of.

Star striker Patrick Bamford has been on song as usual, enjoying a run of fiery form. His six goals tallied so far puts him level with Harry Kane and just two behind top goalscorer Son Heung-min (via BBC Sport). The 27-year-old late bloomer is irreplaceable for Leeds right now, which takes us on to imagining a double strike force involving him and former Whites man Chris Wood.

Leeds should have kept Chris Wood

It was a short Elland Road career for the now Burnley superstar. Leeds signed Wood back in 2015 from Leicester City for a reported £3.2million, according to Transfermarkt. His two years in Yorkshire saw him bring in an impressive goal return of 44 goals to 88 games played.

Wood’s form naturally attracted some interest and before long, Burnley came knocking with a club record fee of £15million to snap up the New Zealand international. The 28-year-old made the move in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since, much to the dismay of many.

The striker has established himself as one of the Clarets’ key players and he has enjoyed playing in England’s top flight for three years now. But with Leeds making their grand return, Marcelo Bielsa will be looking at his recent form and imagining a partnership between him and Bamford.

The two senior forwards could produce masterful displays in the heart of the Leeds attack that will keep oppositions guessing. Had Wood gone on to achieve glory with his new club, it would be a different story. But to see him playing in a club of similar calibre to Leeds, it will have Bielsa up at night knowing that he could have created something magical had he got his hands on him.

In other news, Exclusive: Chris Kirkland believes Leeds should’ve signed a Championship keeper this summer…

After easing to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday night, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they renew their rivalry with Manchester United.

The Gunners are in the midst of a difficult patch in the top-flight, falling to defeats to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester in a short few weeks, leaving them stumbling.

And with United seemingly flying at the moment after a couple of huge Champions League victories, including over PSG and RB Leipzig, things look ominous for Mikel Arteta’s side when they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Below is a look at the line-up Arteta may put out as he seeks for a momentum-boosting win in the Premier League.

After dropping out for summer signing Runar Runarsson in midweek, Bernd Leno will surely reclaim his number one spot in between the sticks.

In front of the German, the Arsenal boss may revert back to a five-man defence in order to give his team more security, and having rested a few of his key first-team stars on Thursday, will surely all return at the weekend.

That could see Kieran Tierney, Gabriel, Hector Bellerin and Bukayo Saka come in, with Shkodran Mustafi keeping his place from the game against Dundalk.

With Granit Xhaka surprisingly named as a starter in the clash against the Irish high-flyers, the Swiss star may be the man to drop out against United, with Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos holding down the midfield.

And further forward, Arteta could make the huge call of giving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the nod up front, with a returning Willian and Nicolas Pepe flanking him on either side.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka; Partey, Ceballos; Pepe, Aubameyang, Willian.

Leeds United are in a difficult situation ahead of Friday’s game against Aston Villa.

The Whites have to navigate their next few games without their star man as Kalvin Phillips picked up an injury against Wolves that is likely to keep him out for the next six weeks.

Marcelo Bielsa has recently revealed that his plan is to use Pascal Struijk as a potential replacement for Phillips, but we can’t help but feel there is a better option in their youth ranks.

Struijk is not a defensive midfielder by trade, he’s only played there four times in his career, and that may get exploited against Villa on Friday especially with their tricky attack-minded midfield trio of Ross Barkley, Jack Grealish and John McGinn.

Nohan Kenneh may be the better option at this point despite being just 17 years old.

Kenneh has previously stated that his footballing idol is Kalvin Phillips, so that bodes well for potentially trying to replace him, but he’s also stated that he would watch videos of Patrick Vieira to look at his qualities in midfield.

The young star was asked who his footballing idol was, to which he replied:

“Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

The teenager describes himself as aggressive and hard-working, that’s exactly what a Marcelo Bielsa anchor-man needs to be, and while Struijk can also be described in the same way, he’s not a natural holding midfielder like Kenneh.

Of course, the main objection to Kenneh getting a game against Aston Villa is his lack of experience, but every player needs to make that jump to senior football at some point, and the teenager may never get such a clear pathway to the first-team.

We’re not saying that Kenneh should be the starting option for the next six weeks, but Bielsa should at least give him a run out on Friday to analyse whether or not he is worthy of playing ahead of Struijk.

Glasgow Rangers have completed the signing of Aaron Cervantes from Orange County SC.

Cervantes joins the Rangers academy

The Ibrox outfit have a partnership with the American side and they have made use of it with this signing. The 18-year-old goalkeeper, who has already represented the United States in their squad for the Under-17 World Cup last year, will join the Glasgow club’s youth set-up.

Speaking about the deal, ‘Gers academy head Craig Mulholland said:

“We are delighted to welcome Aaron to Rangers and have enjoyed watching his excellent progress with our partners at Orange County.

“He has been exposed at an early age to first team football and will now continue this with a loan in Europe as part of this creative agreement.”

European loan to continue Cervantes’ development

Despite his young age, Cervantes has already experienced first team football. He has made 18 appearances for Orange County whilst he also played in the the Four Nations Tournament and the Sportchain Cup as part of the USA’s under-17 side, both in 2018 (as per rangers.co.uk).

Between the sticks, Steven Gerrard already has plenty of choice. Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin are the first-choice options, with Andy Firth as a further back-up. That is not even including Robby McCrorie, who is currently on loan at Livingston.

As such, a short-team spell away from Ibrox would be the best thing for Cervantes. Hopefully, he can prove Ross Wilson and everyone at Rangers were right to take him to Scotland.

‘Gers fans, do you see Cervantes as a long-term successor to McGregor in nets for the first team? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has heaped praise on midfielder Grant Leadbitter for his recent performances for the Black Cats.

Parkinson’s side have started the season in superb form and sit fifth in the League One standings, having drawn one and won two games out of three.

The weekend victory over Peterborough came after a 81st minute penalty from Leadbitter, who started his second consecutive game in the centre of midfield.

The 34-year-old made 14 League One appearances during the 2019/20 season but was handed a spell of compassionate leave in February due to personal reasons.

“He really deserves it. No one is more determined to play a part than Grant Leadbitter,” said Parkinson via the club’s official website.

“He wants to have a big year for the club he loves, for the fans and for his family. He wears his heart on his sleeve. I am so pleased for him and he will have felt ten-foot tall on Saturday night, I am sure.”

Now that he is back in action, the midfielder will be looking to add to his tally of 539 career appearances.

Leadbitter’s role for Sunderland this term is vitally important and Phil Parkinson can be extremely pleased that the midfielder has returned to action and is playing with such good form.

Sunderland have started the season in superb form, and fans can be happy with how the club are progressing at the present time.

It will now be up to players like Leadbitter to ensure that it continues.

Do you think Leadbitter should start every game? Let us know in the comments section below…

When it comes to Arsenal, the last couple of weeks have been all about Gabriel and whether he will finally sign for the Gunners and make that long-awaited switch to the Premier League. However, it’s likely the defender won’t come cheap at all.

And for that reason, Mikel Arteta might have to sacrifice some other players in an attempt to balance the books and recoup some of that money they are likely to spend. According to a new report from The Times, Hector Bellerin is among five defenders who have been made available in the ongoing summer transfer market as Arsenal’s purge continues.

The 25-year-old right-back has been in and out of the squad due to various different injuries over the years but now seems to suddenly be expendable at the Emirates. This was echoed by an exclusive report from RMC Sport who claim Bellerin was even offered to Paris Saint-Germain who are also on a lookout for a new full-back in that area.

It was also said that even though the Parisiens are not an easy club to impress, Arsenal’s star fits the profile of what they need in their squad and that could prompt a move on their side.

However, despite the player having a contract until 2023, RMC mention it was the English side who proposed the player to the French outfit, meaning that Bellerin is indeed on the chopping list.

Verdict

He may not have had an incredibly successful run in the last couple of years but selling him at this point does seem like a weird move by Arteta. Since Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, that would leave Arsenal with only Cedric Soares available to plug those holes.

Of course, another option is to go into the market again and buy a new right-back as well. At this point, if both Niles and Bellerin are sold, the Gunners might indeed be forced to do exactly that.