Leeds United’s late show against Sunderland on Monday night handed Daniel Farke’s side a huge step towards ending their stint in the Championship come the end of the season.

The victory over their promotion rivals moved them seven points clear of third place, with just 13 games to go, extending their unbeaten run in the league to 15 in the process.

Pascal Struijk’s two efforts off the bench demonstrated the importance of substitutes for the Whites this campaign, with every player, whether it be a starter or an impact player having a say in their ambitions of returning to the Premier League.

It’s safe to say the disappointment of last season’s play-off final defeat is firmly in the rearview mirror, potentially going one better in securing automatic promotion given the current buffer they’ve built in recent weeks.

However, the fact Farke has been able to do so after numerous key departures over the summer has made the German’s job at Elland Road all the more impressive.

Crysencio Summerville’s stats at Leeds in 2023/24

After relegation to the second tier in 2022/23, winger Crysencio Summerville was handed a crucial role in the first team to try and secure Leeds an immediate return to the top flight.

He’d previously been an impact player in the Premier League the season prior but cemented his place as a key performer for Farke in his debut campaign at the helm.

The Dutchman would register 20 goals and nine assists in his 46 league outings, producing countless moments of magic and subsequently claiming the Championship Player of the Year award.

However, after such a successful stint, coupled with the failure to claim promotion, Summerville would depart to join West Ham United last summer in a deal worth £25m.

Losing such a talented player was always going to be a blow for the supporters, but it appears that the club have done a superb job in landing a replacement for the youngster – aiding their chances of returning to the top flight this year.

The Leeds star who’s now a £25m star in the making

Players like Summerville don’t come around very often possessing a skill set that not many talents are capable of replicating – making any replacement have a huge task on their hands.

However, Manor Solomon arrived on loan from Tottenham over the summer, with supporters not knowing what to expect after his lack of impact in North London.

Regardless of the expectations placed on his shoulders, it’s safe to say the Israeli international has exceeded beyond anyone’s imagination, registering seven goals and seven assists in his 26 Championship games to date.

The 25-year-old has popped up at key moments for Farke, including the 2-0 win over Norwich City, in which he registered a goal and an assist, playing a vital role in the triumph against the manager’s former side.

Despite his lack of impact in previous seasons, he was labelled as a similar player to Summerville in 2022/23 by FBref, matching or bettering the Dutchman in numerous key areas.

Solomon, who’s previously been dubbed a “monster” by one analyst, matched the former Whites fan-favourite for goals, whilst also posting a higher shot-on-target rate – showcasing his clinical edge in attacking areas.

Games played

19

28

Goals scored

4

4

Shot-on-target rate

64%

31%

Pass accuracy

85%

75%

Progressive passes

3.8

2.9

Take-ons completed

3

1.5

Take-on success rate

51%

40%

He also completed more take-ons per 90, subsequently achieving a higher success rate, evidently a better dribbler than Summerville – something which has aided his efforts in the final third this season.

Whilst he’s only on loan in Yorkshire this campaign, supporters will be hoping that, regardless of which division they will be playing in next year, Solomon joins the club on a permanent basis.

Should he do so, the Israeli could well be the club’s next big-money sale, following in the footsteps of Summerville – having a huge impact on the first-team, whilst also pocketing a pretty penny in the process.

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Wrexham are heading to Las Vegas for a third successive year, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney funding another promotion party.

Article continues below

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• First headed to Nevada in 2023
• Secured third successive promotion
• Coaching team will not join players

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons were first rewarded with a trip to Sin City on the back of their record-breaking National League title triumph in 2023. They returned to Nevada 12 months on, having secured a runners-up finish in League Two.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  More history has been made in 2025, with the Welsh outfit going back-to-back-to-back on the promotion front, and will be visiting the United States again courtesy of their Hollywood co-owners – who continue to deliver all-expenses-paid trips to America.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham defender Max Cleworth told BBC Radio Wales after seeing automatic promotion out of League One secured: "We will be going to Vegas. I can't wait. That's the main thing this week. The lads love it, I can't wait. I don't think I'll sleep until we go."

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  WHAT PHIL PARKINSON SAID

  Phil Parkinson has steered clear of rowdy parties in the U.S. and instead jets off with his coaching team for a more relaxed vacation. He will be doing that again after confirming when his squad will be travelling to Vegas.

  Wrexham’s manager told : "They deserve the trip. To create history, and the owners said at the start of the season that they'd go again. That's a good target as well during the season, not just getting promotion and what it means to everybody.

  "Having that group together next week [in Vegas] will be amazing. I'll be turning my phone off. I just want a message when they're all back in the country in one piece and that's all I need to know."

Following Trevoh Chalobah’s return to Chelsea, Crystal Palace are now reportedly plotting a complicated deal to sign a replacement before the end of the January transfer window.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have rediscovered their best form under Oliver Glasner in recent weeks, but have undoubtedly been dealt a blow by Chelsea’s decision to recall Chalobah. Leaving them short on central defenders, those at Selhurst Park must turn towards the transfer window where they could find their second reinforcement after already welcoming Romain Esse earlier this month.

The rumours have certainly been coming thick and fast as the window comes to a close too, with names such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain threatening to steal the headlines as he potentially seeks a return to the Premier League.

Alongside Esse, the former Liverpool man would undoubtedly add an extra spark to Glasner’s attack behind the clinical Jean-Philippe Mateta. Whether the Eagles swoop in and win the race to sign the Champions League winner remains to be seen, however.

First and foremost, the priority in South London may well be the welcome a central defender to replace Chalobah in the coming days.

According to BBC Sport’s Alex Howell, Crystal Palace are now plotting a deal to sign Tiago Djalo before Monday’s deadline, but could face a complicated move given that Juventus would need to recall their defender from his loan spell at Porto.

Crystal Palace now on red alert in race to sign "fantastic" PL midfielder

He’s been in impressive form recently…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 31, 2025

The 24-year-old has already enjoyed quite the journey around European football, swapping Sporting Club’s youth side for AC Milan’s before joining LOSC Lille and earning a move to Juventus. Now, following a mixed spell at Porto, Djalo could be on his way to Crystal Palace and the Premier League.

There’s certainly a lot of work to be done to complete any potential deal though and there’s no denying that all parties face a race against what is a rapidly ticking clock.

"Amazing" Djalo can replace Chalobah

A player who should only just be entering his peak years at 24 years old, Djalo has already gained some impressive experience around Europe’s top leagues – experience that Palace could now benefit from. Replacing Chalobah this late on will, of course, be no easy task either which makes their chase to sign the Juventus defender all the more worthwhile.

Throughout his rise, Djalo has earned plenty of praise from the likes of football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described the central defender’s performance against Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain as “amazing” as a young talent.

Three years on from that performance, Djalo’s rise has stalled somewhat after a frustrating loan spell at Porto which could yet see Palace play the role of heroes and come swooping in to revive the central defender.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Juventude divulgou uma nota oficial informando o desligamento de Eduardo Baptista do comando técnico alviverde. A decisão foi tomada após a derrota por 3 a 1 para o Atlético-GO, resultado que fez o time gaúcho cair para a lanterna do Campeonato Brasileiroapós 13 rodadas.

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O comandante esteve à frente da equipe por 17 jogos entre Gauchão, Copa do Brasil e Campeonato Brasileiro. Além de Eduardo Baptista, também deixa o clube o Executivo de Futebol Marcelo Barbarotti, que estava no clube desde o início de 2021 e foi peça fundamental na montagem do elenco que garantiu a permanência Alviverde na Série A na temporada passada.

Na nota divulgada, o Juventude agradece os serviços prestados e reafirmou a dedicação dos profissionais durante o período em que estiveram no clube, e finalizou o texto desejando “sucesso e sorte na sequência da carreira”.

Whilst competing for another yet another promotion, Wrexham have reportedly already turned their attention towards the summer transfer window and one particular forward.

Wrexham transfer news

By this stage, many believed that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would be long gone after a failed project. Almost four later and two promotions later, however, and the Welsh side are competing for yet another promotion to the Championship and stealing even more headlines on the transfer front.

Using their Hollywood fame once again, Wrexham welcomed their latest impressive recruit in Jay Rodriguez at the end of the January transfer window, with the former Premier League forward swapping Burnley for League One in a shock move.

Speaking to the club website, Rodriguez expressed his delight over the move, saying: “I’m made up to join the Club. I can’t wait to get out on the training pitch and meet everyone.

“I hope I can use my experience to help every single player in the squad and gain something from the group as well. To join the story that has evolved at Wrexham with clear targets is exciting for me.”

Meanwhile, as an experienced forward arrives, a rising star could follow in his footsteps. According to Football Insider, Wrexham are now battling to sign Oliver Lynch who’s enjoyed an impressive season on loan from Luton Town at National League South side Hemel Hempstead.

Scoring four goals in five games, the 19-year-old reportedly attracted the attention of Wrexham’s scouts who were sent to watch him in action alongside the likes of West Bromwich Albion. At 6’5 and in the mood for goals, Lynch is undoubtedly one to watch in the coming months.

"Unbelievable" Lynch could become Mullin heir

As impressive as Wrexham’s arrivals have been in recent years, the likes of Steven Fletcher, Rodriguez and Paul Mullin are not getting any younger. In fact, all are in their 30s – highlighting the need for younger, fresher faces in Wales. And that’s where Lynch could come in.

Following such impressive form at Hemel Hempstead, the teenager has earned deserved praise from manager Lee Allinson, who told Hemel Today after watching his forward score in a recent victory over Farnborough Town: “We do our due diligence on players and Lynchy was one I kept my eye on after I’d faced him with Hendon against Dulwich.

“I like him, he’s a handful and I thought he was immense today and him and Joe [Iaciofano] worked tirelessly to give people a moment’s rest. He also scored an unbelievable goal and could have had another one just before half-time as well.”

Whilst it would be easy to rule a League One side out of the race to sign a young forward who’s attracting interest from the Championship’s top six, Wrexham are no usual League One side and their power to attract players needs no reiterating around the EFL.

Western Australia continued their home dominance at the pace-friendly WACA with an innings-and-28-run thrashing of South Australia in the Sheffield Shield on Monday. The defending Sheffield Shield champions returned to the top of the ladder after their third straight win at their favoured ground to start the season.Unlike WA’s previous matches at the WACA, against New South Wales and Queensland, this went into a fourth day but only just, as the Redbacks’ struggling batting line-up offered little resistance. Quicks Matthew Kelly and Lance Morris combined for 16 wickets in the match as they stepped up in the absence of Jhye Richardson and Joel Paris impressively.”Really enjoying the extra responsibility I’m getting,” Morris, whose hostile burst late on day three tore through South Australia’s middle-order, said. “It’s known as a bowler-friendly wicket but if you stick to your basics for long enough, it definitely pays off.”South Australia, who are winless from four matches, rued a horror second day when they suffered a lower-order collapse before WA openers Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft took a stranglehold of the contest with a 308-run partnership.”The collapse absolutely killed us,” South Australia coach Jason Gillespie said. “There was nothing wrong with the surface. We were just completely outplayed and bullied out there.”We need to be better. It was an unacceptable loss.”Sam Whiteman was the Player of the Match for his 193•Getty Images

Gillespie confirmed that quick Jordan Buckingham had suffered a non-displaced fracture to his little finger on his bowling hand after a fielding mishap on day three. He was unable to bat in the second innings.”We don’t expect him to be out for very long. It’s probably the best case scenario for the injury,” Gillespie said.Staring down the barrel at a forlorn 6 for 66 in the second innings, South Australia’s slim hopes of avoiding defeat rested on captain Henry Hunt, who watched the carnage unfold from the other end late on day three.Opener Hunt was once again a bystander as Wes Agar fell on the third ball of the day, edging a length delivery from Kelly. Hunt, who top-scored in South Australia’s first innings with 71, has been tipped as a future Test opener and appeared a class above his team-mates as he prolonged an inevitable defeat.He decided to switch gears and go down swinging, counter-attacking Morris by slashing hard at wide deliveries. But Hunt’s cavalier approach didn’t last long, as he fell to the impressive Kelly as South Australia were still short of triple figures.Several lusty blows from Ben Manenti ensured they at least were spared of that ignominy, but their fate was sealed well before lunch as their players braced for an expected dressing down from an angry Gillespie.

Birmingham City are thought to have turned down a £5m bid for a young player and now think they can receive more, according to a new update.

Latest Birmingham news

Chris Davies’ side are flying at the moment, winning their last four League One matches in a row, and next up is a trip to Reading on Saturday lunchtime. Their opponents sit ninth in the table, looking to battle their way into the playoff positions, so it could be a tough assignment.

Victory for Birmingham would be another big step in the right direction, having already built up a six-point lead at the top of the table, not to mention with two games in hand. At this point, failure to win the title would be a shock, but the Blues cannot take anything for granted, continuing to be ruthless in their quest to return to the Championship.

When it comes to transfer news, Zaid Betteka has been linked with a move away from St Andrew’s, with the 18-year-old potentially not signing a professional contract at the club.

Now, it turns out that there was an opportunity for Birmingham to allow a young player to leave on a permanent basis recently, following a fresh claim that has dropped.

Birmingham rejected £5m bid for young player

According to Football Insider, Brentford saw a £5m bid for Romelle Donovan rejected by Birmingham, prior to him joining the Premier League side on loan instead for the remainder of the season, predominantly playing for their B team.

The report notes that the 18-year-old is ‘making impressive progress with the Bees and could be in the reckoning for a first-team promotion before the season ends’, with Birmingham now feeling ‘they could receive offers well in excess of £5m for him this summer’.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Donovan between now and the end of the season, in terms of whether Brentford decide to look at retaining his services or not.

The teenage winger has racked up 10 appearances for Birmingham to date, including one start and six outings in League One this season, while Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane has lauded his qualities, saying:

“Romelle will definitely add to our attacking options within the group. He is a player who has really good technical abilities aligned to our attacking style of play and he comes into a team that has been performing so well this season. We believe he can add goals and assists to further enhance the current group.”

At 18, Donovan is still such a young player, so there is no rush for Birmingham to sell him, but the lure of moving him on for a big fee must be tempting.

Birmingham City could now lose attacking gem in major blow, says reporter

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Should the attacker continue to shine at Brentford, the Blues will be able to justify demanding more than £5m for his signature, so there could be a big decision to make in the summer.

A “fantastic” Aston Villa player is now “close” to returning from an injury setback, in what could be a boost for manager Unai Emery.

Villa's injury struggles

Speaking ahead of tonight’s fixture against Liverpool in the Premier League, Emery has admitted he doesn’t know the reason behind Villa’s injury problems this season, having been forced to substitute a player in the first half of each of his side’s last five matches.

Emery said: “It’s difficult to know exactly the reason for the injured players. Normally, a lot of teams have a lot of injuries. Maybe some teams do not, like tomorrow in Liverpool.

“We are playing a lot of matches, which adds more risk to players. Kamara was ready to play (against Ipswich) but had some problems in his back.

“But the injury is not coming from his back, it is in his hamstrings. We are meeting with doctors, physios to see how we can get better at anticipating the circumstances like we had. But exactly why is difficult to have this information.”

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A number of key players have been sidelined in recent weeks, with Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Leon Bailey and Ezri Konsa all spending time on the treatment table.

However, Emery has now revealed Bailey is “close” to overcoming a calf injury and being available for selection, with the manager hinting he could be involved tonight against Liverpool.

The winger is said to be a “doubt”, alongside Cash and Konsa, who also returned to training yesterday morning, but the manager was coy on whether the trio would have any involvement against the league leaders.

"Fantastic" Bailey returning to form

The Jamaica international was a vital player for Villa last season, being lauded as “fantastic” by Emery, while also amassing ten goals and nine assists in the Premier League en-route to his side achieving qualification for the Champions League.

This season, the 27-year-old hasn’t quite had the same impact, but he had started to show some more promising signs prior to his recent injury setback, scoring in the 2-1 victory against Leicester City and creating two big chances against Celtic.

After just one win in their last five Premier League games, it could be a difficult task for the Villans to qualify for Europe once again, and there are some tricky games on the horizon.

Aston Villa’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (h)

February 19th

Chelsea (h)

February 22nd

Crystal Palace (a)

February 25th

Brentford (a)

March 8th

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

April 1st

As such, Emery will need his best players available if his side are going to mount a European push and remain competitive in the Champions League, so it is good news some key players are set to return, but Bailey needs to start chiming in with some more goals and assists.

West Ham United have submitted a late £20m+ transfer offer to sign a “world champion” for Graham Potter.

West Ham eyeing new forward before deadline

The Hammers appear to be in the market to bring in a new forward before the February 3 deadline, amid injuries to Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen.

Michail Antonio is also out for the foreseeable following a serious car accident, with Mohammed Kudus playing in a centre-forward role in the defeat to Crystal Palace and draw with Aston Villa recently.

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There have been plenty of attacking names mentioned as Irons targets, though. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson, RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey have all been linked with moves to West Ham, as has Galatasaray forward Baris Yilmaz. An offer has reportedly been made for Yilmaz, whereas talks have also been held for Evann Guessand of Nice.

Those at the London Stadium are yet to make a January signing following a busy summer spending spree, with the only piece of business being Maxwel Cornet’s new loan to Genoa after spending the first half of the season with Southampton.

However, it looks as if a midfield addition alongside a new attacker is wanted at West Ham in the coming days.

West Ham make £20m+ bid to sign Rodrigo de Paul

That’s because according to reports in Turkey, relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham have submitted an offer to sign Rodrigo de Paul from Atletico Madrid.

It is claimed that the Hammers have bid €25m (£20.9m) to sign the Argentine midfielder, who is out of contract at the Metropolitano Stadium in 2026.

However, Atletico Madrid have turned down the bid from West Ham. It is added they were tempted to cash in on De Paul, but due to his impressive performances in recent months under Diego Simeone, have decided to keep him.

De Paul’s career stats	Games	Goals	Assists
Udinese	184	34	37
Atletico Madrid	164	14	21
Racing Club	72	7	7
Valencia	44	2	4
Argentina	75	2	11

Talking about the midfielder, Simeone recently hailed De Paul, who has scored 59 goals during his career for club and country saying: “He’s an established footballer, a world champion. Surely, in this recent good period, he’s been performing at his best for Atletico, and it’s normal for people to appreciate what he’s giving.

“He’s very important for us, with a lot of personality, and we hope he continues this way. We’ll demand this from him because it’s what we need.”

Whether or not West Ham return with an improved offer for De Paul or chase alternative midfield targets remains to be seen, but a new attacking addition appears to be at the top of the to-do list over the coming days.

Journalist Miguel Delaney reports that Everton have tabled a £15m bid for an “unbelievable” player on deadline day, also revealing the response.

Everton transfer news

An air of positivity has returned to Goodison Park, with David Moyes doing a great job since returning to the club, picking up a superb 4-0 win at home to Leicester City in the Premier League last Saturday.

Everton have been linked with some late moves in the January transfer window, in order to give them added depth, not least in attacking areas. Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has struggled for playing time this season, due to the imperious form of Chris Wood, and the Merseysiders have reportedly been attempting to bring him to the club.

Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah has also been backed to seal a move to the Blues before deadline day, but time is now running out to get a deal over the line for the exciting 21-year-old.

Defenders have been mentioned as potential options for Everton, too, including Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert, with a loan move until the end of the season mooted. The 23-year-old has scored one goal in Ligue 1 this season, also averaging 1.6 tackles per game.

Everton bid £15m for "unbelievable" player

According to The Independent‘s Delaney on X, Everton have seen a £15m bid for Tom Fellows rejected by West Brom on deadline day, and there is now “likely to be competition from Brentford and Southampton” in the summer transfer window.

To miss out on the 21-year-old is an obvious blow for the Blues, considering he has been lauded by Baggies teammate Karlan Grant this season: “He’s an unbelievable young player. As soon as he does that step-over, I know the ball’s going to be arriving at the back stick and there’s going to be chances.

“I wasn’t here last year, when he played a lot. But he’s very grounded. And I’m learning quickly what to expect from him. If the defender wants to show him inside he’s going to take the opportunity. But he has that sharpness about him that no-one can read him.”

Fellows is enjoying an impressive campaign in a West Brom shirt, proving to be one of the creative hubs of his team, registering 10 assists in the Championship in 2024/25 to date.

Appearances

30

Starts

26

Minutes played

2067

Goals

2

Assists

10

Key passes per game

1.3

Shots per game

1.1

Dribbles per game

1.1

Understandably, the Baggies are clearly hesitant to lose such an important player midway through the season and without time to find a replacement, as they look to secure promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League.

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A summer bid for Fellows now feels like the next-best option for the Blues, at which point West Brom may consider the idea of accepting an offer for one of their most prized assets.