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Leeds United caretaker Michael Skubala has had a full week on the training ground with the senior squad as the search for Jesse Marsch’s successor rumbles on.

The U21 boss will continue in his interim role for this afternoon’s clash with Everton, as well as next weekend’s six-pointer with basement boys Southampton.

The Whites walked away with just a point from their double-header against Manchester United but he did manage to get the side playing a little better, just without the returns they desperately need right now.

Skubala is now tasked with a large task of picking up a victory against their relegation rivals in what is sure to be a high-pressure encounter at Goodison Park, where then-league leaders Arsenal lost recently.

The 40-year-old could bolster his charges and throw his name into the hat to get the gig full-time by making some pretty big calls, starting with Marsch favourite Jack Harrison.

Will Jack Harrison start against Everton?

The former Manchester City starlet has been a key player for the west Yorkshire outfit since their return to the Premier League, managing eight goals and eight assists in 2020/21 before another eight-goal return in the following season.

Since then, also via Transfermarkt, Harrison has managed just the one goal this campaign, with the 26-year-old managing only one assist across his last 17 top-flight appearances.

That level of form hardly warrants a start, yet he continues to feature from the off every weekend, and considering Skubala has managed the U21s to great success, he could be better off opting for somoene like Sam Greenwood.

Deployed recently as a no.10, Harrison has failed to create a single big chance, making his place in the role all that more baffling.

It echoes comments from Sky Sports pundit and ex-pro Michael Dawson, who lambasted the £35m-rated winger as “non-existent” back in August, whilst in the past, he has also been described as “awful” by reporter Jake Winderman.

If Skubala wants to truly throw his name in the hat, then he cannot afford to carry Harrison for another outing, especially in a must-win game of this magnitude.

AND in other news, Approach made: Leeds eye move for “special” 52 y/o manager, it’s a big risk from Radz…

The January transfer window slammed shut on Tuesday night and Tottenham Hotspur saved their final piece of business of the month until almost the last minute.

Spurs officially announced the signing of “special” wing-back Pedro Porro – as labelled by Zach Lowy – from Sporting just ten minutes before the deadline, with an obligation to make his initial loan spell a permanent deal in the summer.

He became the second player to be signed by Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte in January after the arrival of Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Spanish side Villarreal.

The club’s business in the winter market came after they splurged on Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Fraser Forster, Ivan Perisic, among others, in the summer.

Now, how could the team’s line-up during the second half of the campaign look?

Here is Football FanCast’s predicted, post-window XI…

Whilst there is no set XI to be used in every match and Conte could regularly tinker with the side depending on the opposition and the competition, this sparkling new team could be an exciting watch for supporters if they line up on the pitch together in the coming months.

Starting with the players who were already at the club, Yves Bissouma may not be able to force his way into the side regularly after struggling in the first half of the campaign. The midfielder has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.68 across 19 appearances and this does not suggest that he should be starting ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (7.23) or Rodrigo Bentancur (7.20).

Emerson has started 13 matches at wing-back in the Premier League this term and has created a meagre 0.3 chances per match – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.87.

Porro, meanwhile, provided 2.4 key passes per game and averaged a score of 7.34 in 14 Liga Portugal outings for Sporting in the first half of the season, which suggests that the soon to be €45m (£40m) signing could provide a huge lift to the team from a creative perspective if he can adapt to English football.

In the front three, Conte could boldly ditch Heung-Min Son from the XI. The South Korea international has struck just once in 18 Premier League matches, outside of a stunning hat-trick against Leicester, and leaving him on the bench for the newly-signed Danjuma could give him the kick he needs to up his game.

The Netherlands international, who scored on his Spurs debut against Preston, netted 16 times and produced four assists in 27 starts for Villarreal in LaLiga and the Champions League in 2021/22 and this shows that the forward has the potential to offer more than Son has so far this season.

Now, imagine the Dutch forward and the South Korean star battling it out to land a place in the starting XI in the coming weeks. The competition for places could help players to thrive, by motivating them to give 110%, and the left wing position, in particular, could benefit from this.

Everton must compromise on their asking price for Anthony Gordon to make a deal happen, claims Luke Edwards.

The Lowdown: Gordon in demand

The Everton forward has been in high demand since his breakout campaign last year, where his performances helped keep the Goodison Park outfit in the Premier League, as he started 25 games in the top-flight, majority coming at the business end of the season.

This led Gordon to look destined for Chelsea in the summer, but the Toffees stood firm as he remained on Merseyside.

Talks regarding his exit are back again with Everton floundering in the drop zone, and the Daily Mail is reporting that he has missed training for a third consecutive day amid a potential switch to Newcastle United.

The Latest: Edwards’ comments

Speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily on Thursday morning, Edwards claimed that the only way a deal will go through is if a compromise on the price is met, with the Magpies believing Everton’s valuation is too high.

He said: “If the player wants to leave, which he certainly does – he’s not been at the training ground for two days; I think he may even have handed in a transfer request now – at some point, there’s going to have to be a compromise in those fees.

“Newcastle are not going to go that high, Everton may have to kind of wake up and smell the coffee a little bit and realise they’re not going to get that sort of fee for him.

“I would expect it to be closer to something like £35m, maybe rising to £40m or something like that.”

The Verdict: Interesting days ahead

With the 21-year-old’s public display of unhappiness on Merseyside, it begs the question of whether Everton will bow to his demands or stick to their guns on their £60m tag.

Despite Newcastle boasting the finances to pay £60m for a player considering their lavish spending in recent windows since their Saudi Arabian-backed takeover (as per Transfermarkt), the Toffees’ demands clearly don’t represent value for money for buyers.

With Gordon bagging just three goals and not registering an assist in the top flight this campaign, it could be argued that he’s far from an attractive figure to bring into a Champions League-chasing side for that fee.

It seems Everton are fixed on getting the full amount that was mooted last year, and with their current struggles and the limited amount of time left in the window, you wonder whether the Toffees should indeed cut their losses on an unhappy player given their situation.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a fresh move for Sporting CP defender Pedro Porro ‘today’, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Opening bid rejected

The Premier League giants were believed to have cooled their interest in the 23-year-old at the start of the month due to Sporting’s insistence on paying the full release clause, but it’s since been reported that he is in fact Antonio Conte’s number one target.

Romano has claimed that the Lilywhites saw their opening offer for the right-back turned down, with Sporting standing firm in their stance of only being willing to sanction a sale should they receive €45m (£39m) up front, as stated in his contract.

The player, however, is apparently personally keen to make the move to N17, and it sounds like Fabio Paratici isn’t ready to end his pursuit there.

The Latest: Second time lucky?

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday morning, Romano revealed that Spurs are preparing for a new round of negotiations for Porro in the hope of reaching an agreement before the end of the window.

“Understand Tottenham and Sporting will hold new round of talks for Pedro Porro today.

“Tottenham are offering €37m fixed fee plus add-ons, discussing about one player to be included as part of the deal.”

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The Verdict: Splash the cash

Porro has been dubbed a ‘special’ talent by Zach Lowy, and Tottenham may have to splash the cash should they not want to miss out on their primary target.

The Nike-sponsored star has racked up a mightily impressive 11 assists and three goals in 24 appearances this season and currently ranks in the 99th percentile of full-backs for six different statistics, including assists and shot-creating actions.

The Don Benito native also shares the same agent as Heung-Min Son and Richarlison, so this could potentially give Conte’s side an advantage when trying to get a deal over the line.

Manchester United just keep on churning out results at the moment, sinking opponents with regularity after hitting a golden vein of form, and all this despite an established centre-forward to lead the line.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are homing in on Burnley forward Wout Weghorst, who is catching the eye on loan at Turkish outfit Besiktas. 

Taking to Twitter, he said: “Manchester United have reached full, verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst! Understand deal will cost around €3m to Besiktas — Weghorst will join on loan from Burnley.

“Final step needed: Besiktas will only approve the deal if they find the right replacement.”

With moves being made to finalise a deal for the combative talisman, the prospective transfer signals an end to the search for a fresh presence in the centre to provide some respite for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who have been filling in the void following Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock departure from the club. 

The Netherlands international brings a wealth of experience and a newfound talismanic presence that could provide the cutting-edge United need in their exploits this season.

Ibra 2.0

While initial thoughts on the deal to sign a £12m striker, as he was valued when joining Burnley, that managed two goals in 20 appearances with the relegated Clarets last season might have been met with concern, Weghorst boasts a consistent goalscoring pedigree that signifies a shrewd deal bound to result in a short-term fix for the striking conundrum at Old Trafford.

This season, in the Turkish Süper Lig, the 30-year-old has extended his club career tally to 172 strikes after plundering an impressive eight goals and four assists from 16 appearances, starring as the established centre-forward for the outfit as they look to cement a title challenge, ten points off table-topper Galatasaray but with a game in hand.

And in Germany with VfL Wolfsburg, the nomadic ace tallied a stellar total of 70 goals and 22 assists from 144 appearances, including an emphatic 2020/21 campaign where he clinched 25 goals and nine assists from 41 total fixtures.

Once hailed for his “tireless” work rate by Bruno Labaddia, and indeed exhibiting tenacity and guile in abundance every time he takes to the pitch, the formidable forward could be the Red Devils’ next Zlatan Ibrahimovic, when considering the impact he could make at the Theatre of Dreams.

Both towering, physical athletes, standing at 6 foot 6, and the Swedish legend 6 foot 5, Weghorst could grasp the baton and continue the prolific brilliance of one of the modern age of football’s most prominent forwards.

With Weghorst winning a career average of 2.8 aerials per match, and the 41-year-old Ibrahimovic recording 2.5, there are discernible similarities between the two juggernauts.

For the Red Devils, Ibrahimovic netted 29 goals and served ten assists across 52 appearances, hampered by a serious knee injury during his stay but exuding excellence nonetheless.

The “pressing monster” Weghorst – as dubbed by United personality Mark Goldbridge – would do well to emulate this, and he could prove to be a striking sensation in Manchester, much like Ibrahimovic, endeared by the United faithful to this day.

West Ham United are eyeing a move to sign Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips after missing out on the midfielder last year.

The Lowdown: Long-term interest

The Hammers tried to sign Phillips from Leeds United last season, with a £50m move in January 2022 rejected by the Whites.

David Moyes is now once again in need of reinforcements in the centre of the park, as the Irons dropped to 17th place in the table this weekend thanks to a defeat against Brentford and Everton’s shock 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

And it’s the Etihad where Moyes is now looking, with GSBK apparently reigniting their interest in Phillips.

The Latest: Price dropping…

According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, West Ham have been alerted by Pep Guardiola’s recent criticism of Phillips’ fitness.

They ‘expect’ to lose Declan Rice this summer, while Phillips is admired by Moyes and ‘seen as capable of replacing Rice’.

The England international could even be available for less than the £45m Man City paid during the summer window.

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The Verdict: Wait and see?

There’s no questioning Phillips’ abilities on the football pitch. The former England Player of the Year was “unbelievable” at Elland Road – in the words of BBC pundit Alan Hutton – and shouldn’t be chastised for failing to budge the ever-present Rodri from Guardiola’s first-choice XI.

During his two top flight seasons with Leeds, the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ racked up 43 league appearances and played a significant role in making Marcelo Bielsa’s side one of the most exciting in the division.

All that said, the Irons may want to officially decide Moyes’ future before they splash any major cash in the January transfer window – a new manager may have a completely different philosophy and therefore completely different targets in mind.

GBSK can’t sit and linger though, so a definitive decision on the Scotsman’s role in the dugout needs to be made as soon as possible – one way or the other.

Everton will find it ‘difficult’ to land new sponsorship deals ahead of the opening of Bramley-Moore Dock, according to finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: Business collaborations wanted

The Premier League outfit have made significant progress in the construction of their new 52,888-seater stadium, recently offering a view into the business opportunities that will come with it.

Farhad Moshiri is also on the hunt for an investor to help fund the rest of the ground project that he was unable to cover after being dealt a blow following the withdrawal of Alisher Usmanov.

The Latest: Maguire’s update

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire claimed that Everton wanting to collaborate with local businesses expresses their desire to generate external income, but they may not find it easy.

“Everton certainly want to have a good relationship with prospective partners in the city.

“But at a time of economic downturn and existing macroeconomic challenges, it will be difficult to persuade sponsors to pay top dollar.

“Hopefully, they will be impressed by the facilities on offer to business partners at Bramley-Moore Dock. That is vital.

“This is part of a much longer-term in terms of focusing on commercial revenues that are significantly lower than the peer group that Everton want to be associated with.

“They have taken a huge hit with the withdrawal of Alisher Usmanov.”

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The Verdict: Start of a new era

Everton must avoid relegation between now and the opening of Bramley-Moore Dock because they can’t risk suffering financially even more than they already are.

The Toffees have recorded combined losses of over £370m in the last three years, and the bank would only feel the effects further should they drop down to the second tier over the next couple of seasons.

Goodison Park has been the home of Everton since 1892, but Frank Lampard and Co will be hoping that their side’s move will signal the start of a new era both on and off the pitch.

Aston Villa have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram.

What’s the latest?

As per Oliver Neuville, who is the assistant manager of the German outfit, he expects it will be tough for them to retain their French superstar, who they reportedly value at €30m (£25.5m)

Speaking to Radio Sportiva, relayed by Calciomercato, he said:

“He’s having a great season, he scored a lot of goals.

“I think it will be difficult for him to stay at Gladbach because if he continues to score so many goals it is certain that he will have many offers in Italy or Spain or England.

“You also have to be a bit realistic. I hope he stays here at Monchengladbach, but now he has also been called up by the French national team for the World Cup.

“It will be difficult for him to extend his contract, I hope so, but the chances are slim.”

Watkins upgrade

It goes without saying that Thuram would mark a huge upgrade on Ollie Watkins at Villa Park, with the two actually boasting some similarities.

Blessed with impressive speed for their respective sizes, they offer the aerial threat of a classic number nine, but the turn of pace of a wide man.

That has often led to both of them having featured all across the front line, to varying success.

What sets them apart however is the cutting edge that the Englishman clearly lacks, which has been painfully apparent this season under Steven Gerrard.

In 14 Premier League games the 26-year-old has scored just twice, enduring an eight-game barren run in the middle of this half-season.

This marks a huge drop off from his 11-goal haul last season, made even more significant by the 14 goals he scored during the 2020/21 season too.

Thuram however has already equalled Watkins’ career-best tally in the top flight this season alone, with 13 goals and four assists across 17 games in all competitions.

His incredible form has even led to a call-up to the French national team for the World Cup, although that was spurred on by the injury to Karim Benzema.

What further sets him apart from the former Brentford forward is just how technically gifted he is, despite his 6 foot 4 frame leaving Saudi Arabia boss Herve Renard to label him a “physical monster”.

He ranks in the top 8% for dribbles completed, offering a show-stopping excitement to pair with his clinical finishes.

In every possible way, Thuram outperforms Watkins, and should Unai Emery manage to get this deal across the line, it would be a huge statement of intent as well as a big upgrade.

Nottingham Forest will head to the Emirates this afternoon to take on Premier League high flyers Arsenal, and Steve Cooper will be hoping his team can deliver another giant killing.

The Tricky Trees took all three points from their meeting with Liverpool at The City Ground last weekend, so the manager will be hoping the confidence and fearlessness shown by his team against Jurgen Klopp’s side can translate into their performance against the Gunners today.

Forest are currently rock bottom in the Premier League table but after Leicester City lost and Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up a draw yesterday, taking all three points from their clash would see them climb into 18th, only in the relegation zone by goal difference.

In terms of injuries, Omar Richards, Jack Colback, Moussa Niakhate and Harry Toffolo remain unavailable for selection, however, Cooper did deliver a promising update on Lewis O’Brien who will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the game.

The Forest boss took to his pre-match press conference to give an update on the midfielder who has been absent through illness:

“Lewis and Renan are back training. Lewis has only come back in the past few days.”

With all considered, this is how Football FanCast expects Nottingham Forest to line up against Arsenal…

Dean Henderson (GK), Renan Lodi (LB), Scott McKenna (CB), Joe Worrall (CB), Serge Aurier (RB), Ryan Yates (CM), Remo Freuler (CM), Orel Mangala (CM), Morgan Gibbs-White (LW), Taiwo Awoniyi (CF), Brennan Johnson (RW).

We expect to see four changes to the team that beat Liverpool last weekend, with the manager sticking to a 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is Renan Lodi reprising his role in the left-back position after returning from injury and making an appearance from the bench last Saturday, replacing Neco Williams who had been covering the role in his absence.

Lodi will be joined by club captain Joe Worrall who will return to the side to replace Steve Cook alongside Scott McKenna and Serge Aurier as both will keep their places in the starting line-up.

In midfield, the third fresh face in the team we predict will earn a start at the Emirates is Orel Mangala who could replace Cheikhou Kouyate in an otherwise unchanged midfield that includes Remo Freuler and Ryan Yates.

The fourth and final change we expect to see is the return of Brennan Johnson in the starting line-up, stealing the spot in the front three from Jesse Lingard, a player who has been one of the weakest contributors by attacking threat.

The 29-year-old dud – who was dubbed “anonymous” by journalist Will Unwin – is more likely to lose his place than Morgan Gibbs-White who has been much more influential with two assists so far this term.

The odds will not be in the favour of Forest when they head to north London this afternoon but the team have proved in their most recent clash that they have the ability and quality to put up a fight when they come together and work hard. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the team responds to the inevitable threat Arsenal will pose.

Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk signing a new contract at Elland Road would be great news for the club, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: New deal for Struijk

The Whites have had a difficult start to the 2022/23 Premier League season, with a number of players either injured or underperforming, but Struijk isn’t of them.

The Belgian has been a reliable figure for Jesse Marsch, often being used in an auxiliary left-back role and making nine league appearances to date.

Recent claims from Struijk have suggested that he could be open to signing a new deal with Leeds in the near future, with his current contract expiring at the end of next season.

The Latest: Journalist positive about news

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones was positive about the 23-year-old extending his stay at Elland Road:

“Leeds fans have always liked the commitment he has shown. He’s always been a very good performer.

“I think this is what the club needs right now – players who are committing to them.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer for Leeds

A new deal for Struijk makes complete sense, considering he has become a key figure under Marsch and been described as ‘very important’ by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan.

His versatility has shone through at left-back in the absence of Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas, and at 23, his peak years should still be ahead of him.

It would be a big blow if Leeds now allowed Struijk’s contract to run down without extending his stay, with the defender someone who should be viewed as a long-term hero.