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Aston Villa are scouring the market for wide options before the culmination of the January transfer window, and might have found the answer to their quandary in the shape of Leeds United’s Jack Harrison.

A plethora of names have been thrown into the rumour mill at Villa Park since Unai Emery took the managerial reins in October, with the signings of Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran already tied up before the frenetic energy that comes with the closing days of the transfer market.

However, recent developments have linked the Midlands outfit with a swoop for Leeds’ Harrison, with talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook stating that Emery is set to rival Premier League rivals Leicester City and Newcastle United in the pursuit of the player.

The Foxes have already tabled an official £20m bid, but with Newcastle recently completing the £45m acquisition of Anthony Gordon from Everton, interest from Tyneside might fade out this month; regardless, Villan technical director Johan Lange must pounce now if he is to secure a proven asset in the English top-flight.

Forget Nico Williams…

Last week, Villan technical director attempted to launch an ambitious bid to prise Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams away from Basque Country, but the player rebuffed advances after a £44m official bid had been made.

Names such as Real Betis’ Luiz Henrique have also been considered, but by opting to traverse the Premier League route could be a path that bears fruit for Emery as he seeks clarity over the vigour and cohesion of his aspiring outfit.

And the former Manchester City youngster, who signed for the Whites in an £11m permanent deal following a three-year loan spell in Yorkshire, certainly knows the intricacies of the Premier League after starring for United’s robust outfit following promotion from the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign.

Never featuring for the Man City first team, Harrison has scored 30 goals and served 29 assists from 186 appearances for Leeds, including 30 direct contributions from 88 Premier League appearances.

And this season, the 26-year-old has scored two goals and provided seven assists from 18 starts across all competitions, evidence that his prospective arrival could spark the next level of creativity to lift Villa further up the table after clinching five wins from the seven league matches with Emery at the helm.

An “explosive” winger – as dubbed by Jesse Marsch – of Harrison’s calibre must be considered by Johan Lange, with his signature weakening Leeds’ aspirations and enhancing Villa’s own options.

And at less than half the price of Williams, an immensely talented but relatively unknown commodity, landing the gem could be the more prudent avenue for Emery to delve down in order to bolster his side before the business end of the current term.

Back in May 2022, new Tottenham signing Pedro Porro would have been sitting down comfortably for perhaps a few more years in Portugal.

After initially signing for Sporting Lisbon in 2020 on a two-year loan deal, the right-back left Manchester City behind having not played a solitary league game.

As such, his eventual fee was a small one, departing the Etihad on a permanent basis for just £7.2m.

It makes his rise all the more incredible, therefore, that not even a year later he would be back in England, joining Antonio Conte in north London.

Once more, there was a loan to buy involved, with a colossal fee of £39m in the pipeline if he impresses.

Such is his whirlwind journey in the last eight months that his debut for the Lilywhites could be against none other than his former employers, with Pep Guardiola’s side travelling to the capital for what should be a superb clash.

Conte, still recovering from surgery, is unlikely to be in the dugout with Cristian Stellini instead charged with motivating the team.

One decision the pair simply have to make is the introduction of Porro. A first outing against City would be a baptism of fire but in the words of prominent Tottenham journalist Alasdair Gold, it would be “mad” to start the underperforming Emerson Royal.

It was rather remarkable that the inconsistent right-back was kept on at Spurs amid a flurry of deadline day departures that saw fellow full-backs Djed Spence head to Rennes on loan before Matt Doherty’s contract was terminated so that he could join Atletico Madrid.

In the eyes of many, both should have been ahead of Emerson but he remained the last one standing.

The Brazilian may well be granted the opportunity to prove himself once again this afternoon but if the coaching staff have any sense, it will be Porro who starts.

The man currently ahead of him in the pecking order is currently averaging a disappointing Sofascore rating of 6.87 this term and despite scoring against City a few weeks ago, has been a “liability” in the eyes of many this season, particularly outspoken pundit Jamie O’Hara.

Therefore, the addition of Porro to this team could be truly game-changing, with the “special” 23-year-old – as dubbed by Zach Lowy – possessing all sorts of exciting tools.

Indeed, transfer insider Dean Jones told Football FanCast this week that he could “transform” the club and judging by the way Emerson has played, it’s not hard to see why.

The Spaniard has been seriously impressive this term, scoring twice and laying on six assists for his teammates as a marker of his attacking qualities in Portugal.

Defensively Porro has also been astute, making 1.4 tackles per match domestically, while making 2.8 in the Champions League. Comparatively, Spurs’ current option in that third of the pitch has made 1.8 in Europe’s premier competition and two in the league, an indication of just how inconsistent he can be.

As such, it is finally time for those behind the scenes at Tottenham to oust the former Barcelona talent; it is Porro they must put their faith in instead.

Leeds United did not struggle in the January transfer market, as their speed in decision-making allowed them to capture many of their top targets with minimal fuss.

They were seldom drawn into ongoing sagas, and even when they were heavily linked they refused to be caught up in a bidding war which would put them in financial peril. Therefore, they swiftly added their four new players and moved on.

However, one of the few transfer blunders that Victor Orta did make during the transfer window came in the form of tricky Croatian winger Mislav Orsic, for whom he neglected to bid despite the minuscule fee for which Southampton signed him.

Having originally taken an interest in the now 30-year-old in 2020, Leeds neglected to revive that interest last month amid the Saints stealing in for him. However, later that year, they did sign a little-known speedster named Raphinha for £17m.

The Brazilian went on to quickly become an Elland Road favourite, playing an instrumental role in their narrow escape from the drop last season before leaving for Barcelona in a £55m move.

It therefore makes the Whites’ decision to not secure a replacement in the form of Orsic all the more baffling, especially for just the £8m that the Saints paid for him.

He may only turn out to be a short-term solution at 30, but his guaranteed quality could have been integral in once again ensuring safety through his goalscoring exploits from out wide, much like the Brazilian a year ago.

Raphinha netted 11 times in the Premier League last season, including one in the pivotal final day win at Brentford which ensured top-flight survival, whilst his would-be successor was scoring 20 goals and setting up six in all competitions for Dinamo Zagreb.

He was been a consistently prolific attacker throughout his career and now seems poised to bring that to St Mary’s in Southampton’s bid to also survive the drop – potentially at Leeds’ expense, with only three points separating the teams ahead of today’s action.

During his time at Dinamo Zagreb, Orsic boasts 91 goals and 40 assists in 214 games, and his pedigree is futher boosted by his performances on the biggest stages.

His magnificent strike to secure Croatia a third-place finish at the recent World Cup springs to mind, along with his sensational hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur to knock them out of the Europa League two years ago.

Even his goal against West Ham United in December 2021, another English opponent that he terrorised, was dubbed a “stunner” by OptaJoe, while his hoodoo over London clubs continued with the winner against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this season.

Orsic manages to pair that finisher’s instinct with the creativity that Raphinha also boasted. In his final season in England, the Brazilian averaged 1.9 key passes per game, which is not a far cry from the 1.7 that his Croatian counterpart has recorded during the current campaign.

The two forwards boast striking similarities with regard to their goalscoring feats, and it begs the question as to why Leeds did not reignite their interest to secure such a coup to finally replace their former talisman, who could now make them regret that inactivity if the Saints finish above their relegation rivals.

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita could make a return to RB Leipzig this summer after they missed out on him in January, a new transfer report has claimed.

The Lowdown: Keita linked with exit

The 27-year-old’s Reds career has ultimately been a disappointing one, with injuries hampering him greatly and limiting him to just 127 appearances across five seasons.

Keita is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and he has been linked with a summer exit recently, as a new deal at Anfield looks increasingly unlikely.

Now, it looks as though a reunion with Leipzig could be on the cards.

The Latest: Leipzig reunion on the cards?

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], the Bundesliga side actually tried to sign Keita during the January transfer window but Jurgen Klopp ensured it didn’t happen.

The report says that it is ‘very possible’ Leipzig go back in for the Guinean in the summer.

The Verdict: Time to leave

In fairness to Keita, he has done a solid job in recent weeks since coming into the team, helping sure up the midfield a little while Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have been dropped, averaging 1.2 key passes per game in the Premier League this season.

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That being said, his performances are still far from the required level on a regular basis – he started in the 3-0 defeat at Wolves last weekend, losing possession nine times – and it is time for him to move on.

Too often, Keita is unavailable for long periods – his first appearance of 2022/23 didn’t arrive until December 22nd – and his influence when he is fit is nowhere near what many expected when he joined in 2018.

A summer departure feels like the best outcome for all parties, even though Virgil van Dijk has described his teammate as a ‘world-class’ footballer in the past.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that people within Glasgow Rangers think that goalkeeper target Angus Gunn would be a ‘good asset’ for the club.

The Lowdown: Rangers interest

It was reported earlier this week that Rangers are eyeing up a potential move for Gunn this summer.

He is a player that sporting director Ross Wilson knows well from his time at Southampton, and so could be one to watch once the window opens.

The Latest: Highly regarded

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that there are people within the club that think that Gunn would be a ‘good asset’ for them going forward:

“There are definitely one or two people within the setup that really do believe that he would be a good asset for the club going forward.

“They think he could lift himself to be a really good player for Rangers.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Lauded as a ‘really impressive‘ goalkeeper by journalist Simon Bajkowski, Gunn has proven himself at a high level, playing 31 times in total in the Premier League, while he has also been called up for the England national team, and been capped at each youth level for the Three Lions.

He ranks in the top 12% of all goalkeepers outside of Europe’s top five leagues in many key metrics over the past year, and at 27 years of age, is a long-term solution to the likes of 41-year-old Allan McGregor and 35-year-old Jon McLaughlin.

Nonetheless, having been dropped by manager David Wagner upon his appointment at Norwich City, will be wary that his number one spot is not secure, and so may relish a move to Ibrox in the summer.

Crystal Palace are thought to be interested in Bristol City’s Alex Scott, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Scott profiled

Scott is just 19 years of age but has already made 79 senior appearances for his current employers – 38 of which have come during the current campaign.

Primarily a central midfielder, Scott can also turn out in an attacking midfield role or on the right-hand side. He is under contract until 2025 and was of interest to Tottenham and Leeds last month, with Palace also now seemingly in the race.

The Latest: Palace interest

The Sun’s Alan Nixon shared a story on Saturday evening regarding Scott, where Palace were named.

The reliable reporter said that Palace and West Ham are interested in the teenager and have made checks on the player, with Bristol City valuing Scott at £20m.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Scott looks like a potential star in the making, so if Palace were able to secure a transfer, it could prove to be a shrewd move in the long run. Hailed as ‘deadly’ and ‘different class’ by his team-mate Kal Naismith, Scott has been one of Bristol City’s top performers this season, with no player registering more assists (4), as per WhoScored.

Scott also ranks highly when it comes to key passes and dribbles per 90, and with his versatility in midfield, he could be welcomed at Selhurst Park.

Patrick Vieira could have limited midfield options in the summer, with Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur and Jeffrey Schlupp all out of contract at the end of the season, so Scott could potentially replace one of those three.

Arsenal will look to maintain their position on the Premier League summit when they travel to the King Power Stadium this afternoon to face Leicester City and continue their exceptional campaign.

Manchester City, who sit one place and two points behind the league leaders, face Bournemouth away this evening and could return to the front of the pack should the Gunners drop points, although Mikel Arteta’s side hold a game in hand on the current champions.

The north Londoners will be wary of the Foxes, who got their bite back after initially struggling this season. Before losing to Manchester United 3-0 last Sunday, when Brendan Rodgers’ team performed admirably despite the result, they enjoyed successive four-goal hauls in wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. Arsenal will need to be wary of that danger, having failed to keep a clean sheet across their past six outings.

While Arteta will have faith in his defence, the best strategy might be to meet fire with fire and utilise the attacking vigour that he has in abundance within the Gunners’ squad. As such, Gabriel Martinelli must be given centre-stage this afternoon.

Should Arteta unleash Martinelli v Leicester?

In the reverse fixture between these teams this season, Arsenal clinched an emphatic 4-2 victory in the early weeks of the campaign in August and demonstrated their burgeoning collective strength, paving the foundation for the title challenge.

While £45m summer signing Gabriel Jesus rightfully stole the headlines after scoring two goals and setting up the other two for his team, his fleet-footed compatriot was exceptional in his wide play on the left, complementing a fine performance with the concluding goal of that triumph.

As per Sofascore, only Jesus bettered Martinelli’s rating on the afternoon, with the latter having completed 92% of his passes, made four key passes, created one big chance and succeeded with 60% of his attempted dribbles.

Industrious Foxes midfielder Youri Tielemans, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign and has piqued the Gunners’ interest, simply could not get close to the 21-year-old. The Belgian failed to make a single tackle, interception or clearance at the Emirates Stadium that day and contested just one ground duel, picking up a lowly 6.4 Sofascore rating as a consequence.

For someone who is normally so influential – Tielemans is Leicester’s second-best performer this season according to Sofascore – to be muzzled to such an extent illustrates how commendably his opponent performed on that afternoon.

Despite the calibre of the Belgium international, Martinelli will hope to add to his eight league goals and two assists from 22 outings this season, having netted off the bench against Aston Villa last time out.

Considering that he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders for touches in the attacking box and top 18% for progressive carries per 90 among Europe’s five main leagues, Tielemans and his team-mates will have their work cut out in trying to hinder the unrelenting Martinelli.

Leicester certainly possess an attacking threat, but their backline has been flimsy as plywood on multiple occasions this term, their tally of 41 goals conceded the second-worst in the top flight.

Given the Gunners’ robust firepower (51 league goals, second-highest in the division), they should be able to bypass the Foxes’ threat and secure another resounding victory to continue their surge towards a potenteial Premier League title.

Martinelli, who left Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp waxing lyrical and proclaiming him a “talent of the century” in 2021, can play an integral role in ensuring that Arsenal’s upward trajectory continues.

Chelsea are ‘definitely’ interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Chelsea need a striker

Chelsea will no doubt need to sign a new striker in the summer transfer window, with it recently being reported that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ‘mentally’ already left Stamford Bridge amid limited game time in recent weeks.

Kai Havertz has started 17 games at centre-forward this season, but he has only managed to score five goals, while the Blues’ other option in attack, David Datro Fofana, is only 20-years-old, with very little first-team experience.

The Latest: Ferguson eyed

According to O’Rourke, Chelsea have existing links with Ferguson due to both Graham Potter and sporting director Paul Winstanley knowing him well from their time together at Brighton & Hove Albion.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “It’ll definitely increase Chelsea’s interest in Evan Ferguson.

“They will know all about him from having worked with him at Brighton, then having recruited him when they signed him from Irish side Bohemian just last summer. But yeah, Ferguson has been a breakout performer for Brighton this season.

“There wasn’t much known about him before he got into the side just after the World Cup break, but he’s really impressed.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as a ‘complete’ striker by football scout Jacek Kulig, the 18-year-old has forced his way into the Brighton team since the back end of 2022, scoring three goals and bagging two assists in the Premier League.

Given his age, that is a fantastic return for the starlet, who is also being eyed by Spurs, and it indicates that he could go on to be a top player, so it would make perfect sense for the Blues to target a summer move.

However, as Ferguson is still inexperienced, it is important that Potter also looks to bring in a proven top-level striker in the summer, with Goncalo Ramos being linked in recent days, after scoring 19 goals in 32 games for Benfica this season.

Lautaro Martinez is also an option, having netted 13 Serie A goals this term, and he could go some way to alleviating the Blues’ very poor record in front of goal.

West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd ‘has not gone unnoticed’ at Liverpool ahead of a potential move for him this summer, according to journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Aguerd impresses at World Cup

Morocco had numerous heroes during the 2022 World Cup on their shock path to the semi-finals, with Aguerd undoubtedly one of his country’s most important players.

The 26-year-old started four matches in Qatar but cruelly missed the semi-final defeat to France through injury, with the West Ham man a big loss during the game.

Aguerd has also shone for the Hammers this season, winning an average of two aerial duels per game in the Premier League.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing up move

According to Goal‘s Jones, the Moroccan is someone who Liverpool are monitoring, as Jurgen Klopp eyes up potential centre-back additions this summer:

“The emergence of Morocco international Nayef Aguerd at West Ham has not gone unnoticed.”

The Verdict: Could be a strong addition

Liverpool simply must sign at least one central defender at the end of the season, with both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez flattering to deceive these days and coming in for criticism.

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Aguerd could therefore be an excellent option to come in and bolster Klopp’s options, having been hailed as an ‘exceptional’ player by Gary Lineker.

His average of four and three clearances per game in the league and World Cup respectively highlight his defensive expertise, and at 26, he is at a good age in his career.

The 30-cap Aguerd also has Premier League experience at this point, albeit limited, which could appeal more to Klopp, in terms of hitting the ground running from the off.

Sky Sports have shared a new name in the frame to replace Antonio Conte as Tottenham shortlist Fulham boss Marco Silva.

The Lowdown: Conte exit looms?

The Italian looks set to leave at the end of this Premier League season with reports suggesting Spurs are not eager to negotiate an extension.

They do have the option to prolong his stay by an additional 12 months, but according to recent claims, there is currently zero appetite for that either.

Many managerial candidates have been mentioned in the last week, including former fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino and other big names like Luis Enrique.

The Latest: Spurs eye Silva…

As per Sky Sports (via Football Daily), ‘it’s understood’ that Whites boss Silva is on their list of managerial candidates with the former Hull City head coach now ‘in the equation’ to succeed Conte.

This comes amid mounting pressure to re-appoint Pochettino, and while the north Londoners will consider their ex-boss, there are also other targets on the agenda.

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The Verdict: Magic Marco?

Called ‘magic’ by members of the media for his work at Craven Cottage, it’s quite safe to suggest that Silva could be a silent contender for manager of the season.

Fulham are currently contending for Europe after earning promotion back to the top flight last campaign, putting past failed Premier League seasons behind them.

They’ve won an impressive 11 games this season whilst boasting a better defensive record than the likes of Man United and, of course, Spurs.

Losing just once in their last five, Fulham are in brilliant form, leaving little surprise Silva has turned heads in north London.

As well as this, beyond his work in west London, Silva also has experience winning silverware – having clinched a Greek Super League title with Olympiacos in 2016.