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AS Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo is thought to be keen on joining Leeds United today.

The Lowdown: Zaniolo misses training

The Italian has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this month, including Bournemouth and Tottenham. Reports from talkSPORT on Monday claimed that the player hasn’t been at training and has been receiving backlash from some Roma supporters, with critical banners of him visible outside of the city’s Colosseum and the club’s training ground.

The 23-year-old, who journalist Ben Jacobs lauded as a “frightening talent” last year, can play as an attacking midfielder or a winger and appears to be a possible replacement for Jack Harrison, with speculation continuing over a move to Leicester City.

The Latest: Zaniolo keen on Leeds move

Sport Witness relayed an update from Calciomercato regarding Zaniolo and Leeds on Tuesday morning.

They claimed that the Italy international has ‘made it clear’ that he likes the option to join Leeds, with the Whites presenting an offer to his agent Claudio Vigorelli.

The Verdict: Avoid

It looks as if a move could prove complicated, and with time ticking, Victor Orta and co will need to act fast if they are to sign Zaniolo before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

The report has claimed that Leeds want a loan with an option to buy, but Roma insist that the player is ‘only leaving on a permanent basis’.

Zaniolo has a long injury history despite being just 23 years of age, so a big-money move could be a gamble, especially as the Whites already have Harrison on the books.

The Leeds ace is thought to be open to the idea of extending his stay in Yorkshire, so that could make more sense instead of selling him to the Foxes and pursuing Zaniolo, with Harrison outperforming the Roma man in the majority of recent campaigns, as per WhoScored.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is set to sign a new contract at the club despite nearing a deadline-day move to Leicester City, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Harrison future?

Harrison’s future at Elland Road has been a topic of debate for months now, with the 26-year-old subject to intense interest from elsewhere in the summer, with multiple bids rejected by the Whites (via The Athletic).

Jesse Marsch was understandably keen to keep hold of the star, who bagged Premier League campaigns.

Harrison has struggled this season, though, potentially due to the demand put on him, with just one goal and four assists coming so far this season in the top flight, while completing the full 90 minutes in the league just five times.

The Latest: Deadline Day drama

After a quiet winter window regarding Harrison, it’s now been revealed that the Englishman was embroiled in a race against time move to Leicester, which ultimately fell through following Leeds’ 11th-hour offer for him to remain at the club.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett claimed: “I can tell you exclusively we expect Leeds winger Jack Harrison to sign a new contract at Elland Road in the coming weeks, and this after Harrison was recalled from a deal he was in the midst of signing with Leicester City on deadline day.

“He was actually in the process of undergoing a medical when Leeds decided to recall him to Elland Road.

“My understanding is that around mid-afternoon on Tuesday, with only about seven or eight hours of the window still remaining, Leicester managed to strike an agreement with Leeds United of £20m plus add-ons for Jack Harrison.

“He had already started that medical when Leeds rang up and said, ‘listen, we will match the salary offer that Leicester are making to you, so come back,’ and Harrison did.”

The Verdict: Stay at Elland Road?

With Harrison’s current deal in West Yorkshire set to expire in 2024, LeedsLive reported in December that the Whites were expected to begin discussions over a new deal.

It seems that it took Victor Orta almost losing the 26-year-old on deadline day to accelerate talks regarding a new contract amid a move to the Foxes forcing his hand, to the sure relief of Leeds fans, who must see this as an added bonus to the €41.25m (£36.2m) spent by the club last month, with Weston McKennie’s £30m (via Sky Sports) option to buy not included.

Although he’s seen marginally fewer minutes this season compared to others, with Harrison’s future set to be resolved, it could kick his Leeds career back to the heights he previously experienced which even earned him shouts for an England call-up from Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton (via GiveMeSport).

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been hailed for his display in their Premier League victory at the weekend.

What’s the latest?

The north London club narrowed the gap to the top four after taking three big points from their game against the reigning champions.

And the game was won through Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal assisted by the Danish midfielder, who did incredibly well to win back possession.

Hojbjerg was awarded the Player of the Match award for his display in north London after being awarded a 9/10 rating for his display against Manchester City.

Indeed, speaking on his podcast following the game, Gary Neville has hailed the 27-year-old for his display against Pep Guardiola’s side:

“[Rodrigo] Bentancur and Hojbjerg in midfield were outstanding.

“He was everywhere, wasn’t he? And actually, you don’t often associate with Hojbjerg the word quality on the ball. But what he did, we expect him to get in front of people like he did on that goal where he intercepts but then that little bit of a poked pass towards Harry Kane to put it right into his path was brilliant. And he was the best player on the pitch.”

Midfielder masterclass

On a day where Kane took a lot of the credit for breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record of 266 goals for the north London club, Hojbjerg certainly put in a lot of the dirty work.

And the hard work was summed up when the Dane was able to break up the City play deep in the visitor’s area before feeding Kane through on goal and the rest is history.

It was a monstrous display in the middle of the park from the 27-year-old who racked up some seriously impressive numbers against the reigning champions.

Over the 90 minutes, Hojbjerg provided his side with three tackles, two interceptions, two clearances and a blocked shot (via Sofascore).

On an afternoon where numerous Spurs players saw their names taken by the referee, Hojbjerg was able to maintain a clear record.

There has definitely been a recent dip in performance from the midfielder since the World Cup, however, there is a reason he has played 129 times across numerous managers in his two and a half years at Spurs.

And this season is certainly proving to be one of his best with four goals and now three assists to his name in 21 Premier League appearances.

Manchester City have hired renowned barrister, Blackstone Chambers’ Lord Pannick KC, to defend them against their Premier League charges.

The Lowdown: City charged…

The Sky Blues have recently been charged with over 100 counts of alleged English top flight breaches with the governing body publishing it’s accusations on Monday morning.

City supporters have since been informed of the possible punishments if found guilty, sentences which range from  points deductions and fines to expulsion.

Unlike their UEFA case in 2020, there are zero time-bars when it comes to alleged breaches and the champions cannot appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Nevertheless, City are reliably believed to be ‘confident’ in their position as their war with the Premier League begins.

The Latest: City make big behind-scenes ‘hire’…

According to The Lawyer, City have now turned to prestigious barrister Lord Pannick as they ‘hire’ the leading silk.

It is believed Pannick is ‘set to defend’ them in court after the Premier League’s charges – coming after he also leapt to their defence against UEFA during their 2020 appeal.

 The Verdict: Bold move…

The lawyer has amassed quite a reputation for his work in court – even advising former British prime minister Boris Johnson in relation to the Party-gate inquiry.

Lord Pannick is described as ‘one of the best barristers of his generation’, and that’s reflected in his potentially lucrative pay packets.

This report claims he could be paid up to £80,000-per-day for a case of this magnitude, which is around the same as star City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne earns at Eastlands.

Pannick’s presence representing City could not be a more ambitious move by the club going by his huge reputation and past clients.

Above all, this move signals City’s seriousness in fighting these charges and proving their possible innocence.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will no doubt have a number of selection decisions to make ahead of tonight’s mouthwatering Europa League clash away to Barcelona, with the Dutchman set to be without the likes of Antony, Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay due to injury – as well as long-term absentee Christian Eriksen.

With Marcel Sabitzer and Lisandro Martinez also ruled out through suspension, it does appear that United’s squad resources will be well and truly stretched, with this trip to Camp Nou coming amid what is a hectic run of February fixtures with the club still competing on all four fronts.

One area in which the Red Devils do appear to have some depth, however, is at right-back, with the return of Diogo Dalot having ensured that there is now a real battle for a starting berth amid Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s recent resurgence, the Englishman having started seven of the last nine Premier League games.

For all Dalot’s attacking quality – with the Portuguese gem having provided three assists across all fronts this season – this upcoming meeting with the in-form, La Liga leaders may well spark the need for Wan-Bissaka’s inclusion, such is the latter man’s defensive prowess.

Will Aaron Wan-Bissaka play against Barcelona?

The £50m addition was forced to sit out the draw with Leeds United at Old Trafford last week due to illness and only featured off the bench in the reverse fixture just a few days later, although this evening’s encounter could provide the opportune time for the 25-year-old to be unleashed yet again.

While the former Crystal Palace man has previously been branded “useless” on the ball by club legend Paul Scholes, it is hard to argue with his strength defensively, having been lauded as “the best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world” back in 2020 by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

That quality is showcased by the fact that the £90k-per-week machine ranks in the top 1% in Europe for interceptions made among those in his position, as well as the top 3% for tackles as a marker of his destructive brilliance.

The seemingly impenetrable full-back only recently illustrated that innate tackling ability in the draw with Palace at Selhurst Park last month, producing a vital, last-ditch challenge on former teammate Wilfried Zaha at the death.

The Eagles talisman subsequently voiced his praise for Wan-Bissaka for what was a “great tackle”, with United likely to be in need of such crucial interventions up against the attacking talents that La Blaugrana have at their disposal – such as Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha and Pedri, among others.

That stellar list of names could well prove frustrated, like Zaha, in their attempts to try and beat the one-versus-one specialist, with the Croydon-born ‘spider’ – as he has been affectionately dubbed – seemingly a wise choice on the right side of the defence this evening.

Although the 6-foot menace is far from perfect – having been culpable for Eddie Nketiah’s opener in the defeat to Arsenal after failing to track his man – he could well be the better option to face Xavi’s men, particularly with the aforementioned Dalot having been ‘caught cold’ by Crysencio Summerville last time out, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

While it will be a difficult decision for Ten Hag to have to make, this away leg could be a chance for Wan-Bissaka to shine.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery believes Leeds United defender Max Wober is a ‘major doubt’ for Saturday’s crucial fixture against Southampton.

The Lowdown: Everton injury

Wober once again got the nod at centre-back last time out against Everton but was forced off at the interval in a 1-0 defeat. The January signing appeared to dislocate a shoulder in the opening stages but managed to make it to half time before being replaced by Rasmus Kristensen.

Javi Gracia is the new man in charge at Elland Road and will hopefully be in the dugout this weekend, however, he may have to make do without Wober.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Wober’s injury. The expert said that he has been ‘red flagged as a major doubt’ for the game this weekend but did claim that the fact Wober played through pain at Goodison Park is a ‘good sign’.

“You certainly can’t rule him out for a long period because there have been examples of players who have been able to return within seven to 10 days, while others can stretch up to three, four or even five weeks. It comes down to the severity of the problem.

“The fact that he was able to continue through until half-time, although obviously painful and sore, should be taken as a good sign. The possibility is that they will be working on that shoulder this week and then maybe getting some kind of supportive brace to protect that joint as well.

“Obviously, he has been red flagged as a major doubt this weekend. But, in the grand scheme of things, it certainly isn’t something which is too long-term or serious.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Wober has been a regular in the side over recent weeks, so losing his services for the relegation six-pointer won’t be an ideal start for Gracia.

Hailed by Jesse Marsch as ‘very intelligent’, ‘gifted’ and a ‘real leader’, the Austrian has made the left-sided centre-back position his own in recent weeks alongside Robin Koch, making the biggest impact out of the club’s three winter window additions.

Therefore, Gracia may have to check on club captain Liam Cooper, who has also missed games in recent weeks through injury, or go with Pascal Struijk at centre-back, which will more than likely result in Junior Firpo continuing at left-back.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly ‘increasingly hopeful’ of agreeing a new contract for Ryan Kent.

The Lowdown: Kent attracting transfer interest

The 26-year-old’s contract at Ibrox expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

He has recently been linked with a move to English Championship leaders Burnley, who look set for automatic promotion back to the Premier League, as they sit 12 points clear at the top of the table.

The Latest: Contract agreement close?

As per Football Insider, Rangers are ‘increasingly hopeful’ that Kent will sign a new deal with the Premiership giants.

Their contract offer is currently the ‘best on the table’, and the latest round of talks has been positive, which represents a huge step forward after reports that discussions between the various parties has previously threatened to run aground at several stages.

The Verdict: Big boost for Rangers

Kent signing a new long-term contract would be a major boost for Rangers.

Hailed as an ‘incredible’ athlete by The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell, the winger can dribble with the ball at an immense speed, as he ranks in the 92nd percentile of all his positional peers outside of Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per game over the past year.

Furthermore, Kent has shown that he has a consistent end product as well, with no fewer than 88 goal contributions in total since he first came to Ibrox the 2018/19 season.

He is often trusted in big games, having been named in the starting line-up to play Celtic in today’s Viaplay Cup final, and at 26 years of age, he still has plenty to offer the Light Blues.

Joe Nicholson believes that Patrick Roberts will return to the Sunderland starting lineup this weekend.

The Lowdown: Mowbray will want a positive response

Tony Mowbray decided to take a risk on Tuesday evening by rotating his Sunderland squad as he dropped players such as Roberts, Aji Alese, Abdoullah Ba and Trai Hume to the bench.

Sunderland lost their first away league game in 11 matches against Rotherham United in midweek, but they are still one point off the play-offs as things stand, so a win this weekend would be huge as they look to bounce back.

The Black Cats are on their travels once again as they face Coventry City on Saturday lunchtime, with Mowbray likely to reinstate some of his regular starters as they look to respond to their disappointing defeat.

The Latest: Roberts to start against Coventry

Nicholson has hinted on The Roar podcast that Roberts will be back in the starting lineup this weekend after managing to make an impact off the bench last time out.

He said: “I’d expect him to bring Roberts back in. He went on the bench against Rotherham and perhaps he should’ve started.

“He made an impact when he came on, but he was a player that had started seven games in a row, and obviously, you’ve got to remember with Patrick Roberts, I think he’s had two bad hamstring injuries, so Sunderland wouldn’t have wanted to overload him too much and have another serious injury, but I expect Roberts to come back in against Coventry.”

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The Verdict: Sunderland could close the gap

After losing just their 10th league game of the season a few days ago, Mowbray and his players will be eager to get back out and prove they have the credentials to make a serious push for the play-offs.

However, if they don’t manage to achieve promotion at the first time of asking this season, someone such as Roberts may be on the move this summer – and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to Mowbray either.

This is because the Black Cats boss has openly claimed Roberts ‘shouldn’t be playing in League One’ and could be making thousands of pounds in the top tier of English football, which perhaps won’t have filled fans with much confidence in keeping him long-term.

Insider Dean Jones has slammed Everton striker Neal Maupay stating that he is “not good enough” for the club amid his poor run of goalscoring form.

What’s the latest on Neal Maupay and Everton?

At the start of the season, the French forward joined the Toffees, arriving from Brighton for a fee of around £15m. Since then, it’s fair to say he hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Indeed, Maupay has scored just one goal in all competitions for Everton and has seen the team struggle for form and consequently get caught up in the midst of a Premier League relegation battle.

While speaking about the player on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones claimed that he was not good enough to play for the club in the abased of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He explained (14:27): “If Calvert-Lewin does not play for Everton, absolutely ignore Everton at the moment, especially as an attacking force.

“Like Maupay is just not good enough to be even considered in the team I can’t believe he’s still there.

“So yeah, Everton, just forget about them. They’re a shambles at the moment.”

What do Maupay’s goal struggles mean for the Toffees?

Goals have been hard to come by for the Toffees this term and with 17 in 25 games they are the Premier League’s lowest scorers. Seeing as Maupay has contributed just one to that tally in 18 outings, it’s easy to see he’s come under scrutiny.

Worryingly, before he joined the club, he had netted one in his last 12 league outings for Brighton. With that in mind, you can’t help but wonder why Everton spent £15m on the forward.

To make things worse, first-choice option Calvert-Lewin hasn’t been able to keep himself 100 per cent fit in recent times and he too has just one goal all season.

With neither striker particularly reliable right now, it’s hard not to fear the worst when it comes to Sean Dyche’s men and their survival hopes.

Adama Traore proved his worth at Wolves last week as he smashed home the winning goal in the 1-0 win against Spurs.

Although the Spaniard has struggled to replicate the form he showed in the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, his pace and power mean he can always provide a threat in the top flight, particularly on the counter attack.

Could Adama Traore leave Wolves this summer?

Unfortunately for Julen Lopetegui, the former Barcelona man looks to have his heart set on leaving Molineux this summer when his £55k-per-week contract expires, just a few years after the Old Gold valued the wide man at an eye-watering £80m.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, transfer inside Dean Jones provided the latest on Traore’s situation at Wolves.

He said: “Wolves would give Traoré a new contract tomorrow if he wanted to stay. They would give him a big deal, no problem.

“But the fact a deal hasn’t been signed yet tells you everything you need to know and that’s that he has his eye on a transfer.”

How could Traore’s exit impact Wolves?

After the weekend’s win against Spurs, The Athletic claimed there were no ongoing negotiations between Wolves and Traore over a new deal, although Lopetegui is said to be keen on extending his stay at Molineux.

Since signing from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018, the La Masia graduate has gone on to make 183 appearances for the club, with an arguably disappointing return of just 14 goals and 19 assists.

His best season for the club was comfortably in the 2019/20 campaign, when he notched an impressive four goals and nine assists in the Premier League, attracting the interest of some of the top sides in England after some memorable displays.

Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo sang his praises in 2020, saying: “What a player… a fantastic player. We’re delighted to have him and to work (with him). So talented. Unique. Adama is amazing.”

Despite his form declining since then, with just two goals and one assist to his name so far this term, the 27-year-old’s raw pace simply cannot be replicated elsewhere and Wolves will definitely miss the uncertainty he can bring on the pitch should he depart this summer.

In that aspect for Lopetegui, the winger is arguably irreplaceable, as few players in world football can match his combination of speed and strength. Indeed, not even anyone in the squad at Molineux comes remotely close to matching his lung-bursting strides and brute force.

As such, the Spanish manager would surely be heartbroken to see his compatriot go after turning things around for the Old Gold in his time at the club. Indeed, Traore could well be a key cog in the wheel should he stay.