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An update has emerged on Leeds transfer target Lewis O’Brien regarding his contract at Championship club Huddersfield.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the 22-year-old has a release clause in the contract that he signed in September at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The report claimed that Leeds failed to land O’Brien in the summer transfer window, with the Terriers then pinning him down to a fresh deal. However, as part of that agreement, the midfielder now has a £10m release clause which the Whites could activate in January.

Excitement

This update will surely leave Leeds fans excited at the prospect of the club being able to sign O’Brien in the January transfer window. The Whites are said to have made a £13m bid during the summer, which suggests that £10m is an affordable price that Victor Orta is willing to shell out on the midfielder.

Supporters would likely be buzzing with the arrival of O’Brien as he is a promising young player who seems to suit Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play and could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in the Championship for Huddersfield this term, whilst averaging an eye-catching 2.5 tackles per game. This comes after he averaged the same rating across 42 league outings last season, making three tackles and interceptions per game.

In terms of him possibly suiting Bielsa’s style, former Huddersfield goalkeeper Matt Glennon once lauded O’Brien’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

A player with “unlimited energy” in a press-orientated Bielsa side? It sounds like a match made in heaven and that is why Leeds fans will surely be excited by the news that O’Brien has a release clause in his Huddersfield contract, as it increases the chances of him arriving at Elland Road.

Without a clause in his contract, the Terriers would be well within their rights to reject any offers and that could have led to Leeds looking elsewhere. Instead, Orta could swoop in to secure a £10m January deal.

In other news: Reliable journalist drops Leeds United transfer claim which could leave Bielsa fuming

West Ham boss David Moyes risks making a massive blunder if emerging claims are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, the Irons do hold some interest in Liverpool striker Divock Origi but any potential move for him isn’t likely to happen until the end of the transfer window.

He tweeted:

“He is someone I’ve reported interest on before but I don’t think a move is close at this point but could be towards [the] end of [the] window.”

Last month, 90min listed the East London outfit among the sides that were monitoring his situation, with the likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, Rangers and Celtic mooted too.

Moyes mistake

The Hammers have been linked to several strikers throughout the summer but Origi would arguably be the most underwhelming of the lot.

It’s thought that Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham was the first-choice target for Moyes but it appears that he is against a move to the London Stadium, as revealed by ExWHUemployee last week.

Another more exciting name linked with the club in recent months is Danny Ings, but he has since signed for Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

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Barring his involvement in Liverpool’s Champions League-winning run, a brace in their come-from-behind win over Barcelona and another goal in the final against Spurs, Origi has done very little to warrant his whopping £77k-per-week wages at Anfield.

As per Transfermarkt, the Belgian forward played only 537 minutes across all competitions last season and that was even despite Diogo Jota suffering an injury and the indifferent form of Roberto Firmino.

In total, Origi, who was once dubbed a “monster” by former Man City captain Vincent Kompany, has only scored 35 goals in a far from impressive 157 appearances, averaging a goal every 4.4 matches.

That’s hardly prolific.

If Moyes is to find someone capable of providing the perfect foil to injury-prone Michail Antonio, then he simply must look elsewhere.

Origi has already proven to be a massive flop in the Premier League and that’s the last thing they need heading into a Europa League campaign. It would be one massive mistake.

AND in other news, Moyes could land West Ham another Antonio in 22-goal “machine” once likened to Mbappe…

While things at Wolverhampton Wanderers appear to very much be on the up in recent months, with Bruno Lage’s side picking up a highly impressive 16 points from a possible 20 over their last seven Premier League fixtures, there are nevertheless a couple of issues at Molineux that will be a cause for concern amongst fans.

Indeed, with Morgan Gibbs-White being sent out on loan at the start of the season and Bruno Jordao still being sidelined due to injury, the 45-year-old manager currently has just three options to choose from in the middle of the park – Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho.

And, with December soon upon us – famously the most hectic period of the Premier League calendar – should either of this trio pick up an injury or suspension, Lage’s lack of choice in central midfield could well derail Wolves’ push to secure European football come next May rather quickly.

However, the Portuguese manager may well possess a ready-made solution to this potential middle of the park Christmas crisis – in the shape of 19-year-old Luke Cundle.

Cundle could save Shi millions

It is easy to see why expectations of those at Wolves are so high for Cundle, as the teenager has continually impressed during his progression through the club’s youth ranks.

Indeed, over his 41 appearances for the U18 side, the central midfielder scored four goals and registered four assists, while, over his 43 fixtures after being promoted to James Collins’ U23 side, the youngster has bagged four goals and nine assists, as well as being made the captain of the team.

The latest of these goals for the U23s came on Friday evening, with the teenager scoring a stunning 73rd-minute winner for his side – playing a one-two with a teammate on the edge of the opposition penalty area, before jinking through a number of defenders and driving powerfully home – in a 2-1 Premier League 2 victory over Birmingham City.

Following this result, Collins was full of praise for his captain, stating: “He’s ready for that step up. Whether that’s with our first team or whether that’s a loan, because watching him out there, I thought he was magnificent.

“He’s got an outstanding brain and drives the game, he runs the game and dictates it which is a great skill. He’s intelligent, makes good decisions, can attack and defend and when you first see him, you wonder whether he could be a Premier League player because he’s slight and small.

“But once you’ve worked with him for a bit you can see how much of a good player he is. I’m delighted for him to get his goal because his performance deserved that. I thought everyone did well, but he was a real stand-out.”

Collins’ belief in Cundle’s readiness for first-team football is an opinion that the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield shares, with the journalist stating of the 19-year-old in an interview with GIVEMESPORT:

“They’re probably looking at who could potentially make an impact at first-team level and I think Luke Cundle is maybe one. He is probably one they are looking at and maybe he could break through if they need cover. If push comes to shove and they need an extra body in their midfield, Luke Cundle is one they may be eyeing up.”

As such, considering the midfielder’s abundance of potential, coupled with Lage’s rather desperate need for reinforcements in the middle of the park, it would seem highly advisable for the 45-year-old to finally unleash the youngster in his first-team, as, with a couple of impressive performances in the top flight, Cundle could well go on to save Jeff Shi and Wolves millions of pounds in January transfer fees.

In other news: “I spoke with my agent”: £51k-p/w Wolves target drops big transfer hint, Shi must act

With Dara O’Shea suffering a serious injury earlier in the season that will keep him out for the next few months and Kean Bryan suffering a season-ending blow recently, it’s safe to say West Brom will need as many defensive options as possible at their disposal for the time being.

With that in mind, it seems that the Midlands club could be set to lose one of their young defenders currently in their youth ranks.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by All Nigeria Soccer (via Birmingham Live) that Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Aston Villa and Southampton are interested in signing West Brom youth defender Kevin Joshua.

Despite only joining West Brom’s U23 side from Solihull Moors’ U19 side back in March for an undisclosed fee, the 19-year-old centre-back has played in six of their 11 league games, grabbing one assist in the process, showing how impressive he has been given the number of clubs reportedly eyeing up a transfer swoop for the youngster.

Ferguson 2.0

Even though Joshua hasn’t made an appearance for Valerien Ismael’s side this season, there is a possibility that Ismael could be forced into giving the teenager his senior debut for the Baggies given their defensive injury issues, and certainly if any of their other senior defenders get injured between now and the end of the season.

Therefore, it should now be one of Lai Guochuan’s top priorities to keep hold of Joshua and out of the clutches of the numerous clubs reportedly interested in signing him, which could be seen as a disaster if he were to leave the club so soon after joining them. That’s especially when you consider the way they lost a fellow defensive talent in Nathan Ferguson so controversially to the jaws of the Premier League.

Given his young age, there’s no reason why Joshua, who has been described as a player who is “aggressive, quick, and excellent on the ball,” by his agent Arfan Rehman when he joined the club, couldn’t go on to become a regular first-team figure at The Hawthorns in the future, giving the Midlands club even more reason to keep the defender in their ranks.

Moving forward, perhaps giving the teenager some first-team minutes could not only help Ismael’s side in the short term while O’Shea and Bryan are out injured but also in the long-term by proving that they feel Joshua will have a big part to play for the senior team. By doing so, they may also be able to avoid a repeat Ferguson scenario too.

In other news: 60% duels won: WBA’s “dangerous” £18k-p/w beast proved he can be Ismael’s main man – opinion

Matt Woosnam has revealed Everton are targeting squad players rather than first-team regulars to ensure they do not break Financial Fair Play guidelines.

Andros Townsend became Rafa Benitez’s first signing since taking over as the Toffees’ boss as the winger joined following the expiry of his Crystal Palace contract earlier this week.

The former Newcastle United man’s arrival was quickly followed by Asmir Begovic making the switch from Championship side Bournemouth, with the goalkeeper providing competition for England international Jordan Pickford by penning an initial one-year deal.

Ex-Leicester City winger Demarai Gray has also sealed his return to England, following a six-month spell with Bayer Leverkusen, by completing a £1.7million transfer to Goodison Park.

The Toffees have freed up some funds by not offering Joshua King, Theo Walcott, Muhamed Besic and Yannick Bolasie contract renewals.

Woosnam, of The Athletic, believes Everton are having to be shrewd in the transfer market to make sure they do not break regulations.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “When you look at the signings they’re making, they’re very much squad players because they’re probably quite close to the brink of Financial Fair Play and the wage cap.

“Because of that, they’re looking at players who can still contribute at that level but you wouldn’t necessarily want to play them every week and they probably haven’t got the legs or ability to play every week in the Premier League anymore.”

A major update has emerged on Rangers target Jonson Clarke-Harris, it could lead to Ross Wilson striking gold for Steven Gerrard this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, financial fair play rules mean that Peterborough striker Jonson Clarke-Harris is likely to be out of reach for any club outside of the Premier League in England. Bournemouth saw a £5m bid rejected by Peterborough in January and they will not be able to reignite their interest this summer.

The report claims that Rangers are interested in signing the English centre-forward, who is contracted to Peterborough until 2024. However, it remains to be seen exactly how much Peterborough will want for their star man.

Earlier this year, Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson hailed Clarke-Harris as a “leader” and emphasised how important he is to the team. He told Peterborough Today:

“Jonson’s goals have been valuable, but he’s more than just a goalscorer.“He is a leader, a winner and a real focal point for this team.“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an oustanding signing and a real pleasure to work with.” Wilson could strike gold

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson could strike gold for Steven Gerrard if he takes advantage of this situation by snapping Clarke-Harris up. It is difficult to improve upon a season where you managed to go unbeaten and win the league title, but Clarke-Harris could provide a level of consistent goalscoring that Rangers did not have from one player in the 2020/21 campaign.

The goals were shared out in the Scottish Premiership, with Ryan Kent, James Tavernier, Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe all on between eight and 11 league goals at the end of the season.

This suggests that there could be a gap for a prolific striker to come in and take on the burden of being a regular goalscorer for Rangers. Clarke-Harris’ incredible season for Peterborough in League One suggests that he could be the ideal target for that role. The 26-year-old found the back of the net 31 times in 45 League One matches for Peterborough, averaging a superb WhoScored rating of 7.36.

The £6.1k-per-week goal machine could, therefore, be a brilliant addition to Gerrard’s team as he could add an extra dimension at the top end of the pitch.

His goals could help elevate Rangers to the next level and allow them to go further in European competitions, whilst also attempting to maintain their dominance over Celtic from a domestic standpoint.

So, Wilson must take advantage of the lack of funds available to use by EFL clubs to pounce on Clarke-Harris whilst they can.

AND in other news, Rangers must avoid grave error with “wonderful” £18k-p/w ace after pundit’s claim – opinion

A mere bump in the road occurred in midweek as Celtic’s dominant run of form finally came to an end.

The Hoops have been fantastic over the last month or so, banishing memories of their opening day defeat and Champions League exit to hammer a number of opposition defences.

Before the Bhoys lost to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, they had won six on the bounce, kept four clean sheets and scored 24 goals in their last half a dozen outings.

However, it’s unlikely that loss will impact Ange Postecoglou too much because Celtic still made it into the group stages of the Europa League.

They did so after a host of defensive mistakes let them down. Joe Hart failed to clear the ball for the opener in bizarre circumstances and then Carl Starfelt unfortunately prodded into his own net for the second.

Postecoglou can never account for mistakes like those but what also made life difficult were a set of injuries.

James Forrest didn’t even travel with the squad to the Netherlands while Greg Taylor hobbled off on 24 minutes.

Yet, ahead of their biggest match of the season – the Old Firm derby – it looks as though the manager will be able to call on both of their services.

That’s because they have been included in Celtic’s provisional squad for the match, meaning they’ve passed relevant fitness checks.

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Forrest hasn’t been a regular starter this season but it will please Postecoglou to have him available again. After all, the attacker is a stalwart of the club and a man for the big occasion.

Taylor hasn’t been in the best of form this term, taking criticism from supporters, but with extremely limited options at left-back, having him fit and firing is crucial.

The manager brought on Adam Montgomery to replace him in midweek while Boli Bolingoli was also a viable alternative this weekend if the Scot wasn’t fit.

On top of that, Postecoglou will also have new signing Josip Juranovic available for the first time after his move from Legia Warsaw.

Unlike the multiple Old Firm clashes that took place last term, Celtic actually look in a good place heading into this encounter. On that alone, Postecoglou will be delighted pre-game.

AND in other news, Forget Starfelt: Postecoglou must seal late Celtic swoop for “mind-blowing” 27-cap gem…

Graham Roberts insists that Harry Winks has simply downed tools at Tottenham Hotspur.

The £50,000-a-week midfielder endured a torturous evening last week as Spurs lost 1-0 to Pacos de Ferreira in a Europa Conference League qualifier.

Winks was one of the senior players in an inexperienced starting XI for Spurs but he conceded possession in the build-up to the winner, and failed to inspire a comeback.

Winks was left on the bench in the win over Manchester City on the opening weekend and played a single minute in the 1-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux, as he came on as a late substitute.

Roberts believes that he is keen to leave the club, with various sides reported to hold an interest in signing him, including Everton, although he fears he may well decide to see out his lengthy contract at the club, which is due to expire in 2024.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fancast, he said: “He looks like he’s downed tools, he wants to get away, and then he comes out and says he doesn’t want to leave. He’s going to see his contract out.

“Well, that’s what Danny Rose said so just get on and play the best you can and you might get back in the team.”

Leeds United have been handed a major boost in their chase for Bournemouth starlet Ajani Burchall.

What’s the story?

Reports from Football Insider claimed that with Burchall having rejected a scholarship deal with the Cherries, Leeds had registered their interest in signing him this summer.

Now, the 16-year-old himself has confirmed via his Instagram that he will be leaving the Championship side, which comes as a major boost to the likes of Marcelo Bielsa’s side, Aston Villa and Arsenal, who are all said to be interested in him.

Mark Jackson’s dream prospect

Bournemouth’s official club website notes that Burchall is “predominantly plays wide and is an exciting forward player who likes to take opponents on and has an eye for goal, while also being a hard-working, tough-tackling winger” – exactly the kind of traits that will have U23s coach Mark Jackson grinning from ear to ear.

Meanwhile, Burchall’s teammate at the Cherries, Steve Cook, said after his debut: “You could see how special a player he is. His first involvement was checked his shoulder, cut across a player and won his foul. For a 16-year-old, that awareness, that knowhow, I think the club have produced a really good player.

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“On Saturday, we had a few players who have come through the youth system, so it’s terrific. The club’s been known for that and I think Ajani has got great talent. He obviously can’t train with us day-to-day because he’s at school! But I’m sure he’s got a very good future and a very proud moment for his family.”

Given the kind of player that has thrived under Bielsa – hard-working with a team-first attitude – Burchall seems exactly like the kind of prospect who could really make a name for himself for Jackson and the club’s U23s.

The Whites have made a conscientious effort to strengthen the club’s academy with the signings of the likes of Sam Greenwood in recent transfer windows. Burchall could follow in those footsteps and further add to the quality of the Leeds’ youth set-up under Jackson.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Bundesliga sensation…

Liverpool potentially have another Michael Owen within their ranks.

17-year-old Oakley Cannonier has been on fire for Liverpool’s U18 side this season, having surpassed the 40-goal mark this campaign.

Cannonier has been firing all season which has earned him mass plaudits from U18’s manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson as he told The Athletic:

“Oakley is really bright. He’s a good little footballer. His instincts for the game are very natural. It’s something we have to make sure he retains.”

Cannonier previously earned acclaim for his alertness as a ball-boy – giving Trent Alexander-Arnold the ball for the right-back’s quickly-taken corner which created the winner for Divock Origi in the Reds’ sensational Champions League comeback against Barcelona.

It was this act that bagged him an invitation to train with the Liverpool first-team, with Klopp telling the youngster: “I just need to thank you for what you did!”

Cannonier, who trained with the first team solely on merit, impressed Klopp during those sessions, with the German keeping tabs on his development with the U18’s ever since.

His goalscoring touch has earned him comparisons to Roberto Firmino, with many believing he is the future of Liverpool’s front line.

Whilst the latter is highly likely if he can keep up this form, his presence as a feared out-and-out forward is more reminiscent of Michael Owen, who also enjoyed a rise to fame via the Liverpool youth system.

Cannonier bagged his 39th and 40th goals of the season during Liverpool U18’s 5-1 victory over Wolves, which will have felt sweet for the lifelong Liverpool fan who told The Athletic: “I just always wanted to play for Liverpool. It was a no-brainer.”

The young Englishman’s rise to success is gaining traction and with the 17-year-old tipped to be moving up to the Liverpool U23s next season, we could well see the new Michael Owen donning the Liverpool shirt come next season.

AND in other news: Liverpool now plot £67m bid for “sensational” £76k-p/w “winner”, imagine him and Salah