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Leeds United are in a blistering run of form under Daniel Farke and could now look to strengthen one key area in the January transfer window, according to journalist Phil Hay.

Leeds United prepare for Sunderland…

Leeds United secured a precious three points at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers as goals from Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville secured a 2-0 victory and kept the Whites on track in their hunt for Championship promotion. Now, the Yorkshire outfit sit third in the league standings with 41 points from 20 fixtures played; however, they still find themselves seven points adrift of Ipswich Town in second ahead of their showdown at Elland Road two days before Christmas.

In the aftermath of their triumph in Lancashire, Farke was delighted with his side's resilience after keeping a clean sheet, as he said via BBC Sport: "I'm especially pleased that we travel back with a clean sheet against a really good and dangerous side. We didn't allow them to have much."

Farke could unearth his next Aarons in Leeds swoop for "unbelievable" teen

The Whites are reportedly keen on the impressive teenage full-back ahead of January.

ByDan Emery Dec 11, 2023

He then added: "They had their spells in possession but in terms of big chances, there was not too much. It was important after a few weeks where we have conceded one goal, sometimes even two goals, today to return absolutely rock solid defence with a clean sheet. It's a really good performance and a massive win for us. I'm pretty delighted."

Of course, stiff tests are on the horizon for Leeds United as Farke's men plot a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, with a trip to Sunderland next on the agenda.

Leeds United's next five fixtures – all competitions

Opponent

Venue

Sunderland (A)

Stadium of Light

Coventry City (H)

Elland Road

Ipswich Town (H)

Elland Road

Preston North End (A)

Deepdale Stadium

West Bromwich Albion (A)

Hawthorns Stadium

In light of this, journalist Hay has now taken to social media to provide an exciting update from the manager regarding an area where the Whites could potentially strengthen in the upcoming transfer window.

Leeds United could target a left-back

Taking to social media platform X, The Athletic journalist Hay has shared quotes from Farke's pre-match press conference ahead of their clash at the Stadium of Light that convey the message that Leeds are ready to target a left-back in January, as he stated the following below.

Of course, the German coach also intimated that Junior Firpo is now close to returning to the fold, in training at least, which will help to give the Whites' fans some added optimism that the Dominican Republic international can once again provide another option on the left-hand side of defence over the festive period.

Nevertheless, recruiting a left-back will be a top priority at Elland Road in January as they look to make sure they have sufficient squad depth to compete with their promotion rivals.

Coming through a clutch of difficult matches will be their first port of call; however, it is encouraging to hear that the notion of strengthening is already being spoken about directly ahead of the New Year.

Sri Lanka fast-bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake admitted it was rare to see so many instances of batsmen being hit on the helmet in one match

Melinda Farrell in Canberra03-Feb-2019Kusal Perera will likely bat in the fourth innings at Manuka Oval, despite being forced off the field after suffering a blow to the helmet, as Sri Lanka try to salvage a positive finish and some much needed confidence ahead of their next series in South Africa.*SLC confirmed in a press release late on Sunday night that Kusal had been “cleared of any injuries”, and that his participation would depend on an assessment done on the fourth morning of the Test.Earlier, Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling coach, Rumesh Ratnayake, was confident Kusal would be cleared to bat, after the batsman was hit on the side of the helmet as he attempted to duck under a Jhye Richardson bouncer. Kusal initially played on, but left the field in the following over. He was replaced by Dimuth Karunaratne, who had been struck on the back of the neck by a short ball from Mitchell Starc on the previous day, but was cleared to play by the Sri Lanka medical staff.There were two other instances in the match of batsmen being hit around the head. Kusal had already been struck by Richardson earlier in the day, while a Pat Cummins short ball hit Dhananjaya de Silva on the helmet. Ratnayake later admitted it was rare to see so many incidents in one match.The former fast bowler speaks from experience: he once forced West Indies batsman Larry Gomes to retire after striking him with a short ball in an ODI at the MCG and, most famously, broke the nose of New Zealand opening batsman, John Wright, with a ferocious bouncer during a Test in Wellington.”When it hits the head it’s certainly a huge concern for us but this match was a lot on the head, wasn’t it?” said Ratnayake. “More so than any other game. So we would like to say it’s just one of those games but you can’t take the bowling off.”I mean Starc, who was not even a surety of [playing] this match, bowled extremely well and he was really on fire. And so did the other two who supported him as well. It was quality bowling, you can’t just take that away. Quality bowling I felt [affected] two of our guys [getting] hit on the head.”You can’t put it as a pattern. I mean I’ve seen bowlers hit batsmen on fast tracks also and certainly if there isn’t much pace the ducking process becomes different and the inconsistencies of a pitch – I’m not saying this pitch is inconsistent at all – it’s just sometimes you tend to duck for a ball that you shouldn’t be ducking. And that we saw in Kusal’s thing, he ducked into a ball which was not as ferocious as the ball to Karunaratne.”Kusal was replaced at the crease by Karunaratne, who added only 13 runs to the 46 he had scored before retiring hurt, but Ratnayake praised the character shown by the batsman.”I thought that showed a lot of guts and character from Karunaratne,” said Ratnayake. “That showed a lot for the team and we really thought that could help the morale so to speak. Those are things which we would like to talk on and hopefully the second innings we’ll sort of capitalise on that. When I say morale, [I mean] confidence.”Since they embarked on a challenging Test tour that began in New Zealand, injuries have forced Sri Lanka to field a side with little experience and, with two Tests looming in South Africa, there is little respite in the near future. Ratnayake said Suranga Lakmal, who missed out due to a stiff back, will be fit for the first Test against South Africa later this month but Sri Lanka don’t expect to have Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera available. It places a heavy burden on the young bowlers who have been drafted in, but Ratnayake believes a strong finish to the match could provide a significant boost to their confidence.”It’s still a learning curve because the Test isn’t finished but I’m sure they’ve learnt a lot, especially Chamika Karunaratne , who’s in his first Test.”It was kind of a shock to him to know the standards of Test level and it just happened that he was just – I wouldn’t say he was forced into it – he was sort of taken into it in a rush but he has shown a lot of character, he’s shown a lot of confidence, he’s showed a lot of things which he did just prior to the game. It was really encouraging but I think watching the Starcs, the Cummins, all of them I think certainly helped him on and it’s a learning curve.”‘”It is very important to finish off strongly here. And a good strong close-out of the match would certainly be a big gain for the boys in confidence, which hasn’t been all that great in the recent past, if you take the tours we’ve had in the [past] two years even, and it would certainly be a strong thing for the boys.”GMT 1824 *The story was updated to include details from the SLC’s release.

Newcastle United are enduring their first real blip under head coach Eddie Howe since the PIF takeover two years ago which has been compounded by the increased weight of expectations.

More money equals greater expectations and given the Magpies have spent over £400m since Howe took charge of the club, four losses in five games could be deemed a crisis, particularly since the Geordie outfit exited two major competitions in that timeframe.

However, it seems as though the manager will use the January transfer window as a means to alleviate Newcastle’s difficult spell of form.

Newcastle United transfer news – Jonathan David

According to journalist Marco Conterio, Newcastle are set to do battle with Champions League rivals AC Milan for the signature of Lille attacker Jonathan David this winter. The Canada international has been in France for almost four years, even winning the title during the 2020/21 campaign, but now seems primed and ready for a move to English football.

David has been one of the most reliable goalscorers in Ligue 1 since arriving from Gent back in 2020 and was even described as a “silent assassin” by former Canada manager John Herdman.

“Jonathan is one of those silent assassins. He’s very clued up tactically and that’s what I really enjoy about Jonathan, he really wants to get into the details of the game and understand the pressing tactics.”

Now, this silent assassin could be on his way to the Premier League as Howe looks to bolster his attacking department ahead of the second half of the campaign, although a deal could be costly, with Lille reportedly holding out for €60m (£51m) for David’s services.

Jonathan David’s stats this season

David was one of the most prolific players in Europe’s top-five leagues last season, having scored 26 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions, including 24 in Ligue 1. The Canadian finished third in the French top-flight’s charts in the previous campaign, with only Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe converting more opportunities.

The 23-year-old scored more goals last season than both of Newcastle’s star strikers Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak who bagged 18 and 11 goals respectively.

However, this season, David’s output has declined as the young attacker has scored seven goals in 23 matches for Lille. This is less than both Wilson and Isak, although only six players have been more prolific than David in the French top tier this season.

While David may not be as potent this term as Newcastle’s two centre-forwards, he is scoring more frequently than £45m signing Anthony Gordon and right-winger Miguel Almiron, who have six and five apiece. Perhaps there is a chance that David could be brought to St. James’ Park as a wide player rather than in his favoured spot up top since Isak was signed for a club-record £63m and will likely be the Mags’ first-choice number nine in the long-term.

The likelihood would be that Howe could deploy Gordon on the right flank while David takes the position on the left-hand side. David has played as a winger before and even has an impressive record, having bagged six goals and three assists in eight matches in the wide areas.

While Gordon was signed for a lot of money, he may be forced to swap to his weaker right side if David arrives at Newcastle as the latter has been statistically better than Howe’s number ten in several key metrics for a winger.

Goals

0.37

0.28

Expected Goals

0.55

0.28

Assists

0.06

0.19

Expected Assists

0.11

0.13

Progressive Passes

3.17

2.95

Progressive Passes Received

7.45

7.41

Shots

2.73

2.04

Goals Per Shot

0.09

0.14

Key Passes

1.06

1.14

Passes To Penalty Area

1.3

1.35

Take-Ons Success Rate %

47.8

29.5

Stats via FBref

This could be an expensive, yet superb deal by Newcastle and would offer Howe’s attack more balance by having a goalscoring "phenom" on the left in David – as described by podcaster Tony Marinaro – and a more creative winger on the opposite side with Gordon.

Malik Tillman says he would be more than happy to stay with PSV, but the U.S. men's national team star is still unsure what's in his future.

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Tillman unsure of his futureOn loan from Bayern at PSVClub want to keep USMNT starGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Tillman has spent this season at PSV, having spent last season with Rangers on loan from Bayern Munich. PSV have a clause that would allow them to purchase Tillman, but the deal also reportedly included an agreement to allow Bayern to buy him back should the club choose to do so.

With Thomas Tuchel set to leave the Munich club this summer, his successor could alter any of Tillman's future plans. Because of that, the USMNT star is simply waiting to see what happens as he heads into what could be his final few weeks at PSV.

AdvertisementWHAT TILLMAN SAID

“It's a matter of sitting and waiting,” Tillman told . "For me, it's all about playing matches and getting minutes. If a club can give me that perspective on playing time, I will always listen. I love my time here, so if I end up at PSV I will be more than happy to stay."

He added: "I really can't say anything about it. Bayern will also get a new coach, it depends on that. The clubs must first find an agreement among themselves."

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Tillman has been a consistent presence for PSV, having grown into a starring role with the club this season after beginning the campaign on the bench. In total, the midfielder has scored nine goals while providing 10 assists, helping PSV run away with the Eredivisie title. He scored twice in the club's recent win over Heerenveen, putting the club in a position to claim the title this weekend.

Due to his contributions, PSV coach Peter Bosz says he'd like to keep hold of the American, who he sees as a special player.

"Malik is a beautiful mover, technically skilled," Bosz said. "He sees things faster than the average player and links that to a good team spirit. And he is incredibly football intelligent."

Bosz added: "I think he is a great person and a great football player. If he continues to develop like this, he will become a player for the absolute top. So I would like to keep him around, just like I would like to keep all the players in this team."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TILLMAN?

Any points in Sunday's clash with Sparta Rotterdam will be enough for PSV to officially seal the title, but Tillman says he won't get carried away celebrating. The club will still have matches against Fortuna Sittard and RKC Waalwijk to finish the season and the American has lofty aims for those matches, too.

"Maybe it's a German mentality thing," Tillman said. "In Bayern's academy it is only about winning. For me it works like this: if it is not official, then the job is not done yet.

"[Once we win] then we can celebrate, but we are also in the race for the points record and if I speak for myself: I want to achieve that too."

Ronchi, and later Samit Patel, ensured this win didn’t just bring two points, but also a statement of real intent from the two-time champions

The Report by Danyal Rasool23-Feb-2019How the game played outHaving gotten over their traditional slow start, Islamabad have begun cranking through the gears. A Luke Ronchi special – 67 off 35 – was more than enough to see off Karachi in a below-par chase of 144, in the process sending out a warning to all the other franchises. One of the most complete, all round performances by any side all season, Islamabad’s bowlers had their foot on Karachi throats from the moment Rumman Raees dismissed Colin Munro – perhaps Karachi’s version of Ronchi – in the first over.There was an element of self-destruction to Karachi’s innings. While they lost wickets to a relentlessly brilliant pace attack, Babar Azam succumbed to a needless runout, taking away Karachi’s last realistic chance of a seriously challenging total. Shadab Khan, captaining in the absence of Mohammad Sami due to a knock, was superb across his spell, conceding just 18 runs off his four overs (the same number Kieron Pollard smashed him for off his last over just yesterday). Before long, they were 74 for six, and it required the firefighting efforts of Ben Dunk and Aamer Yamin to make hay of a rare wayward spell by Islamabad’s bowlers. The pair put together 69 runs in the last 37 balls, ensuring the game would at least be competitive.Karachi needed a glut of early wickets, but following the early runout of Cameron Delport, Ronchi had set about putting a swift end to any hopes Mickey Arthur’s side might have harboured. He, and later Samit Patel, ensured this win didn’t just bring two points, but also a statement of real intent from the two-time champions.Luke Ronchi takes the aerial route on the leg side•PSLTurning pointWhen Cameron Delport was run out in the first over, it was a sign Karachi may have carried the momentum of the death overs into the second innings, determined to turn this into one of those nasty, low-scoring scraps. But a wayward over from Aamer Yamin that followed conceded 9 runs, and Mohammad Amir was smacked for three fours by Sahibzada Farhan in the third. This was before Ronchi had even got started, and when he did, the end was mercifully swift.Star of the dayThe joy of having Ronchi in your side is he bats in the second innings like he would in the first. Regardless of the target, the former New Zealand and Australia international attacks, literally, from ball one. Smashing Mohammad Amir over long-on off the first ball of the chase put his side in command from the outset. There was to be no let-up, with successive sixes off Usman Shinwari and one off Karachi captain Imad Wasim helping him hurtle to a 22-ball 50. By then, the asking rate was below six, and Ronchi could take a back seat while Samit Patel helped whittle down the runs.The big missColin Munro has the second highest strike rate among active T20I batsmen with 162. Like his New Zealand teammate Ronchi, he opens the batting, and tees off from ball one. He has three T20I hundreds; only Rohit Sharma with four betters that. In theory, he’s supposed to be a younger, fitter, sexier version of Ronchi, and that mini-contest promised to lend a fascinating subplot to this particular fixture. However, much like Glenn McGrath against Sachin Tendulkar in the 2003 World Cup final, this was a damp squib. While Ronchi’s heroics saw him win his side the game, Munro holed out at deep fine leg off the first ball he faced. Karachi’s trump card had been played and fluffed, and it was a hole Islamabad never allowed them to dig out of.Where the teams standTwo wins on the trot sees Islamabad leap to second place, with 6 points, while just one win in four means Karachi remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Playing three spinners “a theme that we would like to follow”, says R Ashwin

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2019The obvious question after the toss in Mohali on Monday was why Kings XI Punjab had picked three spinners when Delhi Capitals had three seamers in their bowling line-up? One of them must have got it wrong.The answer was a combination of the pitch, the form of the three main spinners – R Ashwin, Murugan Ashwin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman – and, importantly, the importance of taking the pace off the ball while defending a target, which, incidentally, captain Ashwin didn’t want to do – he said he wanted to bat first.In the last two matches in Mohali prior to Monday’s game, teams batting second had chased down big scores: Aaron Finch’s Australia chased down 359 with 13 balls to spare in an ODI against India in March, while Kings XI chased down 177 with eight balls to spare in their first home game of IPL 2019, against Mumbai Indians.According to Ryan Harris, the Kings XI bowling coach, the idea was to take the pace off the ball and make scoring as difficult as possible.

We were probably about 25 short and we backed ourselves to defend it against this batting line-up against our spinners and that’s why we played three spinners and we also got Sam [Curran] to open the battingR ASHWIN

“It’s really hard to defend, we’ve seen that over the last couple of weeks,” Harris told the host broadcaster after the victory. “You have to get a big score on the board to try and defend and even that’s too hard, we saw in a one-day here a few weeks ago as well.”I think (we took) a bit of pace off the ball. Chris Gayle didn’t play today so we thought bringing Sam [Curran] in as well helped, but with Mujeeb coming back in as well it took a little bit of pace off the ball.”According to Ashwin, once Gayle had been ruled out, the decision to promote allrounder Curran as an opener was taken quickly. Ashwin said placing Curran in the top order also allowed him room to play three spinners, who he was confident would play a dominant role defending the target of 166, which he said was well short of the desired total.”We were probably about 25 short and we backed ourselves to defend it against this batting line-up against our spinners and that’s why we played three spinners and we also got Sam to open the batting,” Ashwin said to the host broadcaster after the dramatic win, where Delhi lost a record seven wickets for just eight runs.”We wanted to bat first and we wanted to back our spinners, because M Ashwin bowled really well in the last game and that’s a theme that we would like to follow but hopefully it depends on the wicket. We thought there was a bit of grip on this one.”All said, the three spinners were the most expensive of the Kings XI bowlers – Ashwin went at 7.75 per over, but the other Ashwin, Murugan, had an economy rate of 9.50, and Mujeeb at 9. Ashwin got two wickets, but the others did not, and Curran (4 for 11) and Mohammed Shami (2 for 27) made the difference in the end, Kings XI picking up seven wickets for eight runs as Delhi sank from 144 for 3 to 152 all out.”We probably haven’t nailed our starts with the ball,” Harris agreed. “We spoke about that a lot as well. (But) we came back well at the death, as we did again tonight. So if we nail our starts, we should be a hard side to beat.”

Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson has warned the club about the seriousness of their 115 Premier League charges.

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Man City warned about their charges Could be relegated if found guilty Date set for the findings to be made public GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Man City head towards a record fourth-straight Premier League title win, however, despite their incoming glory, their season has been marred by the 115 charges that have been pinned on the club with regard to financial irregularities. It has been suggested earlier that the Citizens could very well be relegated if they are found guilty of those charges, and Borson has reiterated the same concerns.

AdvertisementWHAT BORSON SAID

Speaking to iNews, the former Man City advisor said: "If the charges are proven, it couldn’t be any more serious.

"Could Man City be relegated? That seems even more obvious after the way sporting advantage was appraised and dealt with in the relatively simple [Everton and Nottingham Forest] PSR cases.

"It feels as though there’s nothing left to say until the case is heard. I understand people want it to be quicker but it’s not possible and people are going over the same thing time and time again.

"I don’t know what the solution is in fairness. If you’re not familiar with litigation of this sort, why would you know how complicated it is or how long this would take?"

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It is still unknown as to when exactly the ruling will be made by the Premier League's independent panel regarding the charges. However, Premier League CEO Richard Masters has mentioned earlier that a resolution can be expected in the "near future". Masters has also stated that a hearing date has been scheduled; however, the date has not yet been made public since they intend to keep the proceedings confidential until then.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

The club still has two crucial clashes left this season on the field as they look to win the Premier League and the FA Cup. They will take on West Ham in the league on May 19 as they look to confirm their title win over Arsenal. They will then prepare to take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final on May 25.

Manchester United could face a fight on their hands to keep hold of an exciting youngster after it emerged that a club are ready to make a significant offer for his services.

Man Utd's potential outgoings…

Despite all the talk being about potential incomings at any given club with the transfer window nearing, outgoings are also a crucially important facilitator in paving the way for exciting new arrivals. United are no different in that regard and could be set to offload a number of players in January, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Casemiro and Jadon Sancho all linked with exits.

One other man who could depart Old Trafford in mid-season is Tunisia international Hannibal Mejbri, who is believed to be attracting attention from the likes of Seville, Olympique Lyon and SC Freiburg over a prospective loan deal after it emerged he wouldn't be travelling to feature for his country at the African Cup of Nations, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Outcast Donny van de Beek has already signed on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt and will join the 2022 Europa League winners once the window opens for business on January 1st, demonstrating the Red Devils' intent to get spare parts out of the door at Old Trafford.

Now, Erik ten Hag could have a fight on his hands to keep a bright young star at the club after interest has come to light in his services.

Borussia Dortmund keen on Dan Gore

According to Football Insider, Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund are lining up a significant offer to sign Manchester United youngster Dan Gore in the near future.

Dan Gore's brief cameo vs Aston Villa (Sofascore)

Tackles

1

Touches

3

Ground duels won

2/2

The 19-year-old made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and has received 30 minutes of senior action in total under Ten Hag. He is someone who has been earmarked as a long-term target by the German giants, and should he be unavailable in January, Borussia Dortmund plan on making a "big bid" in the summer of 2024 for the England Under-20 international.

The Manchester Evening News has recently claimed that Preston North End are also keen to sign Gore once the window opens on a loan basis, presenting several options for the Manchester-born midfielder to continue his development.

Intriguingly, there is also information in the copy that indicates The SEG International agency, who represents Red Devils boss Ten Hag, are keen to recruit him as a client despite the Carrington youth product's entourage being his family.

Looking ahead, United have a decision on their hands when it comes to Gore, and they may want to keep hold of him, given his status as a promising homegrown talent.

West Brom are interested in signing a "special" attacking player who is admired by Carlos Corberan, according to a fresh update from journalist Alan Nixon.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies could conduct some important transfer business this month, and they haven't been without suitors when it comes to potential new signings coming in.

Hertha Berlin ace Derry Sherhant is one player who has been linked with a move to the Hawthorns, with the attacker playing in the 2.Bundesliga this season, where he has been called "too good" for that division. Bristol City attacker Andreas Weimann is another individual who is a reported target for West Brom, having previously played for Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce striker Umut Nayir was seen as a target too, although he has now joined Pendikspor, so it appears as though Corberan would like to bolster his attacking options between now and the end of the month. Another name has now been thrown into the hat in that area of the pitch, in a move that could be considered exciting by West Brom supporters.

West Brom want Joe Gelhardt

According to reliable reporter Nixon on Patreon [via Leeds United News], West Brom are keen on signing Leeds United attacker Joe Gelhardt, with the youngster someone who Corberan would "love" a reunion with.

Scottish Premiership giants Celtic and Rangers are also believed to be in the mix to sign the 21-year-old, should the Whites grant him a move away during the January transfer window, with Leeds wanting any interested parties to pay Gelhardt’s £16,000-a-week wage in full.

Gelhardt is someone who could be such an eye-catching addition for West Brom this month, even though the fact that he isn't playing much for Leeds could raise eyebrows.

There is so much attacking quality on show at Elland Road that playing time is always going to be different, though, and the Englishman could enjoy a new lease of life at the Hawthorns. Back in 2019, former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Cook had this to say about him, highlighting his huge potential at the time:

"He's got that unique talent to find space in a telephone box. He's such a natural, good footballer. To get a goal like that in front of his own fans was a special moment. A lot of young footballers coming into the game are not very nice people. We're just lucky to have a boy with his humility playing for us – the game is easy for him."

Meanwhile, ex-Scotland international Alan Hutton has described Gelhardt as "unreal" in the past, too, and he is someone with the natural talent and eye for goal to make a world of difference at West Brom in the second half of the season.

West Brom eyeing signing of ace who is "too good" for his current league

The Baggies’ Championship rivals are also keen.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 14, 2024

Whether Leeds would be willing to allow him to join a Championship rival remains to be seen, but the Baggies should see him as one of the best options to snap up.

Inter Miami were hit with a severe weather delay ahead of kickoff vs D.C. United Saturday as Lionel Messi was also named to the starting XI.

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Messi back in XIMiami taking on D.C. UnitedHerons hit with weather delay in warmupsWHAT HAPPENED?

Due to a severe weather delay in the buildup to the match, Inter Miami players were not able to take the field for warmups at their normal time. As such, the kickoff time is up in the air.

However, the Herons did name their starting XI, and Lionel Messi is officially back in the mix.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The skies over South Beach do not look kind ahead of kickoff, with gray clouds, lightning and pouring rain taking center-stage at Chase Stadium.

Miami have asked fans in the stadium to "exit the seating bowl and seek shelter immediately."

They followed it up with status on the match, declaring "We will provide an update on the start of warm ups and kickoff when available."

DID YOU KNOW?

Luis Suarez and Christian Benteke are set to clash Saturday evening in a battle between the former Liverpool strikers. They are both tied at 11 goals scored in the race for the

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MIAMI?

Miami will clash with D.C. once the weather clears up, in a battle between two top Eastern Conference sides.