As they look to use the January transfer window to their advantage in the race to avoid Premier League relegation, Leicester City are reportedly plotting a move to welcome back a familiar face this month.

Leicester City transfer news

The Foxes were at least given some reprieve away from Premier League action when they squared off against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup and swept past the Championship side in a 6-2 thrashing, but there’s no doubt that they’ll be fully focused on escaping the dropzone rather than domestic glory. And with Crystal Palace up next, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side must take that goalscoring form from QPR into a crucial relegation six-pointer.

Of course, alongside a flurry of fixtures this month, Leicester also have the chance to strengthen courtesy of the January transfer window. In that regard, the Foxes have already been linked to names such as Miguel Almiron, as Newcastle United look to cash-in on their struggling winger in what could be a move to boost Leicester’s survival chances.

Before any fresh name, however, those at The King Power Stadium could welcome back a familiar face. According to The Boot Room, Leicester are now plotting a reunion with Ben Chilwell, who is desperate to leave Chelsea after becoming an outcast at Stamford Bridge under Enzo Maresca, who has admitted the player will probably go.

The left-back would certainly have to hit the ground running to get fans back on side after swapping Leicester for Chelsea in 2020 in deal worth a reported £45m, but there’s no doubt that he still has more than enough left in the tank to drag his former side to survival.

Leicester leading the race to sign "promising" 6 foot 6 defender this month

The Foxes are now willing to match his club’s asking price.

By
Dominic Lund

Jan 7, 2025

Potentially a full-circle moment, Chilwell should take the opportunity to complete a return with both hands if Leicester come calling this month, but he will of course have to take a significant hit to his current £200,000-a-week wages.

Chilwell desperately needs Chelsea exit

Once a Chelsea vice-captain and Champions League winner, Chilwell now desperately needs a move away from Stamford Bridge like a number of his teammates who have been cast aside and shown the door at the London club. At just 28 years old and with a World Cup coming up next year, the Englishman has the perfect chance to return to his best and earn back his England place as Thomas Tuchel looks to make his mark.

In doing exactly that, the defender would be making up for his previous discretions at Leicester too, whose survival chances would only increase by welcoming such experience.

Speaking to reporters, Maresca revealed that Chilwell will be allowed to leave Chelsea this month, saying via TNT Sports: “Because players want to play more so there’s probably chances for them to leave.

“But Ben has been top. I have to say that, he has been top. Very professional, works hard. I feel shame because of that situation, but in terms of behaviour, he has been very good.”

Before the end of the month, Chilwell simply must move on from his recent Chelsea struggles, whether that results in a Leicester reunion or a move elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Pick which players you think Delhi Daredevils should keep, if they are given a limited choice ahead of next year’s reshuffle

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2017Next year, the IPL will see another reshuffle, with most players going back into the auction. Teams may be allowed to retain a few players – a maximum of four retained players were allowed in 2011 and five in 2014. If Delhi Daredevils can keep some of their players, who should they use their quota on? Swipe right for the players you think should stay and left for those who should go back into the auction.

يواصل نادي برشلونة الإسباني، هز شباك خصمه دايجو في المباراة الودية المقامة بين الفريقين، حيث عزز تقدمه بهدف رابع.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على خصمه دايجو في مباراة ودية تستضيفها كوريا الجنوبية، حيث تقام على ملعب دايجو، ضمن استعدادات البلوجرانا للموسم الجديد.

وسجل أنطونيو فرنانديز الهدف الرابع لصالح برشلونة في المباراة، وقد أحرزه في الدقيقة 54 من عمر اللقاء. هدف أنطونيو فرنانديز في مباراة برشلونة ودايجو

🎉 17-year-old Toni Fernández makes it 4️⃣-0️⃣ for Barça against Daegu. A moment the youngster will never forget 😍

GLOBAL HOME OF FOOTBALL | All Summer Long | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb pic.twitter.com/PWgzsOlEeI — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) August 4, 2025

الهدف جاء بعد تمريرات متبادلة أنهاها داني أولمو بتمريرة لزميله فرنانديز الذي سجل في شباك دايجو، ليعلن تقدم برشلونة بهدف رابع.

وكان برشلونة تقدم بثلاثة أهداف خلال شوط المباراة الأول، عن طريق جافي (سجل هدفين)، وروبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

da realbet： With just one win picked up from their last five Championship games, Danny Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday continue to fall short of the second-tier playoff spots.

da spicy bet： If the Owls were to string together a patch of positive results, they could still leap into those coveted top six spots, with the South Yorkshire outfit only three points off Blackburn Rovers who hold that final position in the playoff picture.

For now, Rohl will just have to make do with how inconsistent his side can be, with the potential for promotion to still be on the cards if a number of his top performers turn on the style between now and the close of the campaign.

The numbers behind Sheffield Wednesday's top performers

The most obvious place to start here is with top scorer Josh Windass who is enjoying one of his finest seasons to date donning Wednesday blue and white.

Windass has already surpassed his second-tier goal tally from last season this time around, with the former Rangers man now up to ten league strikes from 29 games, compared to a lesser total of six when Wednesday were battling against the drop.

One of those goals even saw the entertaining 31-year-old score from inside his own half on New Year’s Day, with Rohl hopeful that more moments of magic like this audacious strike from his number 11 can see the Owls sneak into playoff contention.

He will also be well aware that other attackers will have to step up to the mark too, with Michael Smith another face that has been a source of goals this campaign so far.

Despite being regularly linked with a move away from South Yorkshire, the experienced EFL head boasts an impressive record of seven goals and four assists from only ten league starts.

There is also Barry Bannan of course who is a spectacular star on his day with four goals from 29 league encounters, but the Scotsman could now face a long time out on the sidelines owing to injury.

To add further insult to injury, there is one attacker who left Hillsborough in the summer and he is now outscoring both Bannan and Smith in League One surroundings.

The ex-Sheffield Wednesday man now outscoring Smith and Bannan

During Wednesday’s recent promotion heroics up to the second tier, the aforementioned Smith was often helped up top by an equally deadly partner.

Lee Gregory now finds himself back at the level where he shone with the Owls and it’s as if the 36-year-old has never been away judging by his lethal campaign to date with Mansfield Town.

Gregory’s goal record in L1 by season

Season

Team

Games played

Goals scored

24/25

Mansfield

20

10

22/23

Wednesday

38

10

21/22

Wednesday

36

16

16/17

Millwall

37

17

15/16

Millwall

41

18

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, Gregory is ageing like a fine wine under Nigel Clough’s wing at the Stags, with a sublime ten goals coming his way from 20 League One encounters.

Amazingly, that means the veteran centre-forward has already matched his 2022/23 output for Wednesday from 18 fewer clashes, whilst also managing to better both Smith and Bannan’s 2024/25 numbers when lining up with confidence at Field Mill.

He was the division’s leading goalscorer during the fledgling stages of the season, with the “outstanding” 36-year-old – as he was once heralded by Rohl for his attitude behind the scenes – continuing to show there’s life in his legs still after walking away from Hillsborough on a free transfer.

It’s unlikely that Wednesday hold many lingering regrets over the way Gregory departed the club though, considering the ageing striker was in dire need of game-time.

The German will just pray there’s enough in his team’s tank to challenge for the playoffs for the rest of the campaign, whilst Gregory aims to keep putting in some top goalscoring displays in the division below.

Related Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

Posts ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

Arsenal may have already struck a deal to sign an “exceptional” £70m striker in the summer, after missing out in the winter transfer window, according to a report.

No new arrivals at the Emirates this winter

The Gunners have taken a gamble in the Premier League title race by opting not to bring in any reinforcements during the January transfer window, despite widespread demand for a new striker.

Mikel Arteta’s side were ruthless in front of goal in the 5-1 victory against Manchester City on Sunday, but Thierry Henry expressed concern that the manner of the victory may indicate a new striker is not necessary.

The club legend said: “There’s one thing I wanted to mention as an Arsenal man. Always, Arsenal fans say to me, we need a nine. Nobody is going to ask for a nine after this game. Yeah, they should still ask. It’s not because you won 5-1 that you don’t need a nine.”

Arsenal have struck gold on "special" star who's a bigger talent than Tel

Arsenal have hit the jackpot on a certain teenager who is shining this season

1 ByRoss Kilvington Feb 4, 2025

The north Londoners had a number of options in mind this winter, submitting a bid in the region of £45m for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who was desperate to complete a deadline day move to north London.

RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who is valued at £70m by some reports, has also been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for quite some time, and there has not been an exciting new update involving the striker.

According to a report from Football London, the Gunners have continued to watch Sesko closely after their failed pursuit last summer, retaining an interest in getting a deal done.

Despite the 21-year-old agreeing a new contract with the German club last year, there is a feeling he could move on in the summer, and it is even possible Arsenal have already struck a deal, such is expected to be the case with midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Doubt over Kai Havertz continues

After the emphatic 5-1 victory against Manchester City, the Gunners are six points behind Liverpool, but their failure to bring in a top striker could cost them in the race for the Premier League title.

Despite scoring against City, Kai Havertz was subjected to criticism from Jamie Carragher after squandering a good chance, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: “That has to be the game, he [Havertz] has to score that. That’s a lack of confidence but also a lack of quality,

“Almost every centre forward in the Premier League would look at a situation like that and fancy themselves to score.”

As such, Arteta may be disappointed Sesko was unavailable this winter, given that the Slovenian has been lauded for his finishing by freelance scout Ben Mattinson.

However, there will also be hope that Havertz’s goal at the weekend gives the German renewed confidence after going through a tricky spell.

Chelsea are coming off the back of one of their worst performances of the season, holding 57% possession in the match against Brighton, taking just seven shots, and creating zero big chances in the game, going on to lose 2-1, being knocked out of the FA Cup.

Enzo Maresca was without his only natural senior centre-forward against the Seagulls, with Nicolas Jackson missing through injury, which saw Christopher Nkunku start the game up front.

Despite his immense form in cup competitions this term, it heavily impacted the team’s overall play both on and off the ball in a negative fashion.

Nkunku didn’t manage a single on Saturday, only took one touch in the opposition penalty area and lacked pressing intensity from the front, making it much easier for Brighton to manipulate Chelsea’s press throughout the game.

This shows the value in having a top level centre-forward, much like Newcastle currently do in Alexander Isak.

Alexander Isak's incredible season in numbers

So far this season, Isak has been in virtually unstoppable form. In the process of making 28 appearances in all competitions, the Swede has scored 19 goals and provided five assists.

The 25-year-old is effective in all phases of play, pressing well from the front with intensity, dropping to help link play, but also being a good target for direct balls forward with his 6 foot 4 frame.

Newcastle’s talisman has been subject to a lot of interest from other Premier League clubs, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly very interested in the Sweden international, having enquired about his services in the past.

But, according to player valuations from Football Observatory, Isak is valued at around €95.8m (£79.8m) by CIES Football Observatory and would cost a pretty penny, potentially even more than that sum, to bring him to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Remarkably, that fee is actually lower than one of Chelsea’s current options, who was signed for just £32m back in 2023.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Chelsea star who's worth more than Isak

It’s safe to say that Todd Boehly’s recruitment in recent years has been rather hit or miss. For every Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, there’s been a Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Alas, in a certain Nicolas Jackson, they have struck gold.

Jackson has made 68 appearances since joining the Blues, netting 26 goals, providing 11 assists and totalling 5,312 minutes already. Despite being inconsistent, the 23-year-old has already shown his overall quality in all phases, pressing well from the front – which has been praised by Maresca himself – and contributing to the team’s build-up phase, receiving in deeper pockets to help link play and carry the team forward.

Well, such has been his remarkable rise to stardom over the last few years that according to CIES, he is currently valued even higher than Isak at a staggering £88m, making him the 22nd highest-value player on the list.

For reference, another striker who has been linked with a move to Chelsea is the highly rated Liam Delap from Ipswich. He doesn’t make this top 100 estimated transfer values list by CIES but was being touted at around £50m over the winter.

Goals

0.47

0.82

0.45

Assists

0.26

0.21

0.10

xG

0.59

0.70

0.37

xAG

0.21

0.19

0.09

Progressive Carries

2.12

2.90

2.09

Progressive Passes

1.40

2.90

1.02

Shots Total

3.26

3.45

2.01

Goals/Shot

0.14

0.23

0.18

Key Passes

1.30

1.75

0.97

Shot-Creating Actions

3.21

3.65

2.40

Aerial Duels Won

0.67

0.90

1.79

When comparing the three strikers’ underlying numbers, Isak does tend to come out on top in many, showing his clinical levels, and ability to contribute in the build-up with his progressive actions and create for his teammates.

However, Isak is also much closer to his prime, with Jackson and Delap still having a few extra years of development before they hit those levels.

Peter Crouch and Joe Cole both praised Jackson as an “unbelievable” player who deserves more recognition from outside the Chelsea fan base, after scoring two against West Ham earlier in the season. Whilst his form has dropped off in front of goal since then, he has still managed to provide some important assists, and Maresca clearly values his overall work in the team extremely highly, which was yet again proven with his absence against Brighton.

Another striker to compete with Jackson and add a different skill set is still much needed, but the Blues will be hoping the 23-year-old is back for their next game, as Chelsea clearly look like a much better side when he is on the pitch than when he isn’t.

He lost the ball 21 times: 4/10 Chelsea dud was as bad as Nkunku v Brighton

Chelsea were poor in the FA Cup fourth round as they slumped to defeat against the Seagulls.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 9, 2025

Newcastle United chief scout Steve Nickson has reportedly been spotted on a scouting mission to watch a player who has been likened to Luka Modric.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have been linked with an exciting move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, but now Wolves star Matheus Cunha has reportedly been lined up as an alternative option in attack, as rumours persist over Alexander Isak’s future at St James’ Park.

At the other end of the pitch, Barcelona centre-back Eric Garcia has been mentioned as an option for Newcastle, having struggled to be a key player for the Catalan giants. He has Premier League experience from his stint at Manchester City, making 19 appearances in the competition.

Sepp van den Berg is believed to have impressed Magpies scouts, too, having enjoyed an eye-catching season for Brentford. He made the move from Liverpool last summer, averaging four clearances and 2.9 aerial duel wins per game across 19 Premier League outings in 2024/25 so far.

While there have been reports linking Isak with a move to rivals Arsenal in recent months, the Gunners are also reportedly eyeing a move for Anthony Gordon, which will be a concern. He only recently signed a new deal at Newcastle, however, so surely only a huge transfer fee would have a chance of turning their heads.

Newcastle scouting Modric-esque youngster

According to a new report from Newcastle World, Newcastle chief Nickson was spotted scouting Lille midfielder Hakon Arnar Haraldsson earlier this month, along with star teammate Jonathan David.

In fact, the 21-year-old scored in his side’s 2-1 victory over Nice, not doing his chances of sealing a move to the Magpies any harm, and he has been compared to Real Madrid and Croatia legend Modric due to “his ability on the ball”.

Haraldsson is a player with an enormous amount of potential, hence him being likened to one of the best midfielders of the 20 years in Modric, creating in attacking areas with his guile. At 21, he already has 19 caps and three goals to his name for Iceland at international level, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “complete and quality” footballer.

This season, Haraldsson has scored once in the Champions League, and started in his side’s 2-1 defeat away to Liverpool last week, completing all four of his attempted dribbles and more than holding his own against arguably Europe’s best team this season.

Newcastle considering a "sensational" alternative to striker target Sesko

He was Man of the Match against Man City earlier this season.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 28, 2025

Eddie Howe could see him as a long-term investment who can come in initially as a squad player, prior to hopefully maturing into the creative attacking hub of Newcastle’s team, should he reach his potential.

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2016While the Lord’s groundstaff cleaned up, England got into the Euro 2016 spirit•AFPAfter a minute’s silence for former TCCB secretary Donald Carr, play got underway in the afternoon•AFPAlex Hales rode his luck after resuming on 41 not out…•AFP…going on to record his third half-century of the series•AFPSteven Finn did not last long as nightwatchman, pinned lbw by Shaminda Eranga•AFPAlastair Cook was fit to bat after a blow to the knee, coming in at No. 7•AFPSri Lanka thought they had removed Hales for 58…•Getty Images…only for Rod Tucker to call a no-ball. Replays suggested the bowler, Nuwan Pradeep, was unlucky•AFPCook unfurled the lesser-spotted reverse-sweep as England built their lead•Getty ImagesWith Hales nearing a maiden Test century, Angelo Mathews came on and trapped him lbw for 94•AFPHales reviewed but his luck had run out and he departed short of the milestone again•Getty ImagesCook hit out after a further rain delay, smashing the 11th six of his Test career•Getty ImagesHe did what? And Cook even brought out the scoop•Getty Images

da roleta： Where do Manchester City go from here?

da betsul： On Sunday, the Sky Blues were steamrollered 5-1 by Arsenal, completely capitulating after Erling Haaland had headed home a second-half equaliser, conceding a few seconds after kick off and then three times more after that.

This is the first time Man City have conceded five open-play goals in the same Premier League match since 2008. It is the heaviest defeat of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career and means the Citizens have now conceded more goals this season than Manchester United, despite the fact their neighbours are languishing in 13th.

Related Pep Guardiola's 9 worst defeats at Manchester City – ranked

Pep Guardiola has endured some tough defeats as Manchester City manager, and is now in the worst run of his career.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Nov 27, 2024

After Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Leyton Orient, they’ll face Real Madrid twice, Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs and then Nottingham Forest, so things certainly don’t get much easier, with opposition teams continuing to exploit Man City’s right-sided weakness.

Manchester City's current right-back options

In early January, following the 8-0 demolition of Salford, Guardiola revealed that club captain Kyle Walker had asked to leave the club and “explore options abroad”, with the 34-year-old joining A.C. Milan on loan a week or so later, debuting for I Rossoneri by starting Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina, which ended 1-1.

In terms of arrivals during the winter window, as noted by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, Man City spent £178m, which he points out is more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, and “four times” as much as the next highest-spending side, who were Wolves.

The Sky Blues recruited centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah, the latter immediately loaned out to Lens, as well as striker Omar Marmoush and central midfielder Nico González, the Spaniard arriving on deadline day from Porto for a reported £50m.

However, no right-backs were signed, neither to replace Walker in numerical terms, nor to fix a position that had already been problematic.

20-year-old Rico Lewis is the most obvious option for this position, and earlier this season Guardiola praised the youngster, labelling him “so intelligent”, adding “he’s playing because he’s playing really good”.

Well, in more recent weeks, he hasn’t been playing, seeing just 18 minutes of action across the last four Premier League games, introduced at Ipswich with the score already 6-0, not starting any of the last seven matches in any competition.

Instead, having been trialled as a left-winger earlier in the campaign, Matheus Nunes has started all seven of those fixtures at right-back, with Guardiola claiming the Portuguese international is making a lot of progress as a full-back.

However, Michael Cox of the Athletic describes Nunes as an “uncomfortable… makeshift right-back”, while Graham Ruthven of Forbes adds that he “doesn’t have the defensive instincts of a natural full-back”.

In short, Manchester City’s right-back situation is a mess, exacerbated by the fact they may have sold their best option for this position last summer.

Manchester City may have let their best right-back depart

Back in August, João Cancelo joined Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal for a reported £21m, but his Man City career had been over long before this, loaned out to both Bayern Munich and then Barcelona following a falling out with Guardiola, with Richard Martin of Goal believing the “final straw” came in January 2023.

In his pomp, Cancelo was “one of the best if not the best attacking full-backs in world football”, as noted by Phil Foden, and there are signs that the Portuguese defender is rediscovering his best form in Saudi Arabia.

Cancelo has impressed in an Al-Hilal shirt, with an article in Breaking the Lines claiming his “consistent performances” have “validated the investment”, the right-back himself saying “I am at home… people have shown me very important love and hospitality, and this is something I appreciate”.

While on international duty with Portugal in November, Cancelo claimed he “thought [the Saudi League] would be much easier”, adding that the perceived lack of intensity “is a myth…you wouldn’t know because you’ve never played there”.

So, let’s see how his statistics this season compare to Nunes.

João Cancelo vs Matheus Nunes 24/25 comparison

Statistics

Cancelo

Nunes

Appearances

16

27

Minutes

2,164

1,717

Goals

2

3

Assists

10

8

Big chances created

16

10

Tackles won

30

32

Interceptions

29

17

Aerial duels won

53%

50%

Ground duels won

50.4%

53.7%

Crosses

94

53

Average Sofascore rating

7.65

7.47

Statistics courtesy of FBref.com, Transfermarkt and SofaScore

As shown in the table, Cancelo comes out on top in most metrics, both in and out of possession, with the obvious caveat being that he is playing at a lower level; global football rankings believe the Premier League to be the strongest league in the world, with the Saudi Pro League ranked at 31st.

Nevertheless, only one defender has accumulated more assists in the Saudi Pro League, while much of Cancelo’s best work has come in the AFC Champions League, racking up five assists in seven appearances, scoring against both Al-Rayyan and, most recently, Persepolis on Tuesday night.

Thus, these performances suggest Guardiola may rue the day he cast Cancelo aside.

Related Forget Gonzalez: Man City must regret letting their next Rodri leave for £0

It could have saved them a fortune on the Gonzalez deal

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 4, 2025

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this evening as they prepare to travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in a huge clash at the top of the table.

Defeat for the Whites in Lancashire will see their opponents move level on points with them in the division, although it would take a four-goal or higher victory for the Clarets to put them on top due to goal difference.

A win for Daniel Farke’s men would place them four points clear of Sheffield United, who lost 3-0 to Hull City on Friday night, in second place, leaving them in a great position in the race for automatic promotion.

The West Yorkshire outfit beat Norwich City 2-0 in their last match at Elland Road, thanks to goals from Manor Solomon and Dan James, and it is fair to say that scoring goals has not been a huge problem for Leeds.

They are the top scorers in the division, with 53 goals, but Farke is still keen to add more attacking quality to the group, with a reported interest in Emiliano Buendia, but they look set to miss out on the midfield magician…

Why Leeds could miss out on Emi Buendia

Firstly, it was recently reported that Leeds are playing the long game with the Argentina international and have been hoping that the later it gets in the window the bigger chance they have to sign him.

A transfer that would comprise of an initial loan move from Aston Villa with an obligation to make it permanent upon promotion to the Premier League has been touted for the former Norwich City star.

Buendia scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists in 39 Championship appearances in the 2020/21 campaign under Farke, which was their last season working together, to win the league title.

The German head coach may want to work with the Argentine talent again with the hope that he can get back to that form, although the winger was out for almost a year with an ACL injury and only returned last August, which means that it may take time to get back to his best.

Leeds, however, may not have to worry about whether or not Buendia can get back to his best because interest from a Champions League side has emerged.

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed that Bayer Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga title last season, are exploring a deal to sign the midfielder, and are interested in an initial loan with an option to make it permanent in the summer.

It could be incredibly difficult for Leeds to convince the 28-year-old ace to turn down interest from a Champions League and Bundesliga side, competing for major trophies, to return to the Championship, which is why they look set to miss out on his signature as it stands.

If that turns out to be the case and Leverkusen secure a deal for Buendia ahead of Leeds, Farke could move on from his former sensation in a late swoop for Aston Villa starlet Louie Barry.

Leeds United's interest in Louie Barry

The 21-year-old forward is set to leave the Premier League side on loan before the end of the January transfer window. Unai Emery recently confirmed that their plan is to tie him down to a new contract before sending him out on loan for the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough have all been linked with an interest in the former Stockport County loanee, as they look to bolster their respective attacks.

Scottish giants Celtic were interested in a permanent deal for the English winger and saw an offer of £10m turned down by Aston Villa earlier this month, leaving them out of the race for his signature.

Emery’s confirmation that the forward will be leaving on loan before February’s deadline will come as a boost to Leeds, Wednesday, and Middlesbrough, although Boro completed a deal to sign Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle last week, so it remains to be seen whether or not they are still in the market for a winger.

Why Louie Barry could be a good signing for Leeds

If the West Yorkshire outfit can win the race for Barry’s signature in the next week or so, Farke can forget about Buendia by signing another supremely talented attacker.

The Argentine winger has failed to provide a goal or an assist in 11 Premier League matches so far this season, which suggests that the Whites would not have been signing the same player who was in the form of his life for the German in the past.

Whereas, Barry is coming off the back of an incredible time on loan with Stockport County in League One. Albeit at a lower level, he is a player full of confidence and could step straight into a thriving Leeds team to hit the ground running, which may not have been the case with a low-on-confidence Buendia.

The English ace, who was once hailed as having “incredible” composure by Declan Rice, scored nine goals and provided four assists in 17 starts in League Two in the second half of last season with Stockport, and made the step up to the third tier this term.

24/25 League One	Louie Barry
Appearances	23
Goals	15
Big chances missed	6
Big chances created	5
Assists	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Barry racked up 20 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 23 appearances in League One, which shows that he can adapt his game to higher levels, going from League Two to League One.

He has scored five more goals than any other Leeds player at league level this season, with Joel Piroe currently leading the way for the Whites with ten, which suggests that he has the potential to provide a big goal threat in the second half of the season.

Whilst he has not enjoyed a Championship season as successful as Buendia’s 2020/21 campaign, Barry is an in-form player who could come in and hit the ground running and that is why Farke could move on from the Aston Villa outcast by signing his teammate.

Joseph upgrade: Leeds considering bid to sign "powerful" £4m striker

Leeds United are one of the clubs reportedly interested in the striker in January.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 21, 2025