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Leeds United reportedly have former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl as a contender to replace Jesse Marsch, according to The i’s Mark Douglas.

The Lowdown: Hasenhuttl profiled

Hasenhuttl, once labelled as an “exceptional” manager by Pep Guardiola, is currently out of work after leaving Southampton back in November.

The 55-year-old, previously of RB Leipzig, was in charge of 173 games at St Mary’s, averaging 1.26 points per game. The Austrian likes to play a 4-4-2 double 6 formation, and it seems as if he is of interest to Victor Orta and co.

The Latest: Leeds claim

Douglas shared a story for The i in the last 48 hours following Marsch’s dismissal at Elland Road.

He stated that Hasenhuttl is an early contender to take over in Yorkshire, with reports since stating that the available manager has actually turned down the chance to return to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim.

The Verdict: Pros and cons…

Hasenhuttl would bring a wealth of Premier League experience to Leeds, something which could be crucial as the club look to avoid relegation once again.

However, on the flip side, the out-of-work manager struggled towards the end of his time with the Saints, losing six out of nine top-flight fixtures to leave Southampton in the drop zone before he was sacked, showing that a move could still be a gamble.

Therefore, in regards to the long-term project, it may well be wise to look elsewhere, with Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord’s Arne Slot thought to be contenders for the vacancy at Elland Road after impressing for their respective clubs.

Chelsea once wielded a bright young star from Belgium in their youth ranks, offering the starlet a pathway to prominence after signing him from Genk before eventually deeming his capabilities lay best elsewhere and cashing in.

That youngster was none other than Kevin De Bruyne, who forged a name for himself in Germany following the stuttering maiden period of his professional at Cobham, plundering 20 goals and 37 assists from 73 outings, announcing himself as one of Europe’s most formidable creative forces and consequently earning a move that would define his career as indeed a playmaker of supreme ability.

Receiving €20m (£17.8m) from German outfit VFL Wolfsburg in 2014, Chelsea sold the ace after he had failed to establish himself as a regular presence in west London, but the Premier League was certainly not finished with this creative outlet.

Indeed, Manchester City raised plenty of eyebrows when they signed the star for a then club-record £55m in 2015 – and the rest, as they say, was history.

Having cemented his role as the central talisman in Pep Guardiola’s esteemed Cityzen system, De Bruyne has recorded a remarkable 227 direct goal contributions from 335 appearances in City colours, winning four Premier League trophies, the FA Cup and five Carabao Cups – as well as being bestowed the honour of City’s Player of the Year on two occasions.

This season alone, the “Rolls-Royce” of a midfielder, as lauded by Fox’s Keith Costigan, has supplied no less than 17 assists across all competitions from just 28 appearances across all competitions, just seven behind his record of 24 assists across all competitions in the 2020/21 season.

The 97-cap international is now valued at £45m by the CIES Football Observatory, and at 31 years old he still has plenty left to offer, ranking incredibly well among positional peers across a plethora of metrics.

Indeed, as per FBref, De Bruyne ranks among the top 1% of midfielders for rate of goals, assists and shot-creating actions, also among the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 5% for progressive carries.

His irreplaceable stature at the beating heart of the Etihad Stadium has left him truly considered as one of the greatest players in the world, a figure of unmatched passing prowess and inexplicably fine-tuned vision.

Manager Guardiola once heralded him as “outstanding”, and he truly is one of the most dynamic and naturally gifted phenoms to ever grace English soil; Chelsea must rue the day he left west London.

Since De Bruyne’s departure from Stamford Bridge back in January 2014, the club has not quite found another player in the Belgian’s mould, a creative and central playmaker with an emphasis on enhancing the collective effort of his team, and they will surely be crying out for their former gem right now, languishing in ninth place in the English top-flight.

Chelsea have certainly enjoyed their fair share of success since the 31-year-old Belgian technician’s departure, but one can only imagine the incredible creative flair that could have been firmly embedded into the Stamford Bridge core had he been provided more time to nurture and develop his skills.

He is one of his generation’s finest players, one of the great Premier League midfielders, and Chelsea let him slip away, like sand through their fingers…

Aston Villa’s academy has produced a number of incredible young players over the years by developing local talent and turning them into first-team regulars.

The likes of Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill, Steven Davis, Jack Grealish, and Marc Albrighton all came through the youth set-up at Villa Park before going on to enjoy excellent careers in the professional game.

One player who is on his way to joining that illustrious list is attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey, who is currently starring in the first-team for Unai Emery’s side.

The England under-21 international has been the club’s fourth-best performer in the Premier League this season, according to Sofascore, and was tenth during his breakthrough campaign last term.

Could Tommi O’Reilly be Villa’s next breakthrough star?

Villa appear to have unearthed a diamond with Ramsey and Emery could find another one by unleashing U21 midfielder Tommi O’Reilly in the coming months or seasons.

The 19-year-old dynamo, who was once described as “a proper diamond” by journalist Ashley Preece, has been likened to Manchester City’s Phil Foden in the past and could be the next young talent to come off the production line.

He has been a regular in the U21 side this season, after making the step up from the U18s last term, and has shown signs of being able to make the next step in his career – with ten goals and four assists in 51 matches from central midfield for the academy sides.

His performances for the 18s and 21s have led to Preece also describing him as the youth team’s “star man”, whilst the reporter also claimed that the gem was “unplayable” and “running the show” against West Brom last month.

In the EFL Trophy earlier this season, O’Reilly showcased his ability against senior opposition by creating 1.7 chances per match and winning 53% of his duels, whilst assisting one goal, in three appearances, per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, no Villa player has created more than 1.3 opportunities per game in the Premier League this season and Douglas Luiz (1.3) is the only gem with more than 1.0 key passes per outing for the club.

This suggests that O’Reilly, who only turned 19 in December, has the potential to provide the creativity that Emery’s side are currently lacking if the gem can adapt to senior football and translate his form in the EFL Trophy, and at youth level, to the first-team.

Therefore, the Spanish head coach could unearth the club’s next diamond by unleashing the ‘unplayable’ teenage talent, whether that comes before the end of this season or in pre-season in the summer with a view to bringing him into the fold in 2023/24.

Sky Sports News presenter Tom White has revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to buy Manchester United was for a 69% share in the club, which is the same percentage currently owned by the Glazer family.

What’s the latest on United’s ownership?

Bids have arrived from Ratcliffe and from a Qatari consortium, with both interested parties expressing their desire to bring United back to the summit of football, as well as investing in the infrastructure of the club.

It has now been revealed that Ratcliffe’s bid will be for a stake high enough that the Glazers would be completely removed from the club, rather than bidding for a minority stake or joint ownership.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, White explained the latest news surrounding this revelation about the bid.

“Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for the club is for 69% of Manchester United. It’s interesting because it’s exactly how much is currently owned by the Glazer family,” he stated.

“The Glazer family would not be involved if Sir Jim Ratcliffe buys the club, the Glazers would be gone completely.

“Ratcliffe may also seek to buy the rest of the shares, they’re traded on the New York Stock Exchange, but that would be in the future. For now, it’s for 69% of the club.”

Good news for United?

This is good news for United, given that if the takeover from Ratcliffe and INEOS goes ahead, then the Glazers would be completely out of the club. Indeed, there has been much anger directed towards the Glazers in their 17 years at the helm of United, and new owners who do not place debt onto the club will be happily welcomed.

With the Red Devils now unbeaten in eight games in all competitions and a top-four place looking extremely likely, it would be brilliant for Ten Hag to get new owners in ahead of the summer to potentially have a huge transfer kitty to bolster key areas.

They are targeting a star striker in particular, with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen both linked with big-money moves to Old Trafford, and proper backing from a new owner could go a long way in their pursuit of a star forward to help propel the side towards major silverware.

Ten Hag’s side have been impressive despite only being able to add Wout Weghorst on loan as an attacking signing in the January window, and landing a star player could help them challenge for the Premier League next season.

Leeds United are thought to be leading the race to sign Barcelona teenager Ilias Akhomach. 

The Lowdown: Akhomach profiled

The 18-year-old and is primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle. The left-footed forward is valued at €3m (£2.7m) by Transfermarkt and is out of contract at the end of the season.

He made three first-team appearances at the Nou Camp last season, and it looks as if a move to Elland Road could be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Akhomach

LUFCFANZONE took to Twitter on Monday evening to share what they’ve heard on Leeds and Akhomach. They claim that the Whites are leading AC Milan in the race for the Barcelona gem.

The tweet added some more details about a potential move, stating: “A source close to the player has told us Victor Orta has met the player’s representatives on multiple occasions, however ‘the deal is looking good but not 100% complete yet’.”

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The Verdict: Next Gnonto?

The Whites struck gold by signing a teenage attacker last year in Wilfried Gnonto, who has gone on to become a regular in the first team in recent months. While the Italy international arrived in Yorkshire with more first-team experience under his belt than Akhomach, this could still be an exciting addition in the long run.

The Spaniard could well be a star in the making considering that he has captained his country at under-19 level, alongside the apparent interest from AC Milan.

You’d expect that Leeds will need to remain a Premier League club to persuade Akhomach to make the move to Yorkshire, so his name will be one to monitor heading into the summer.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United are not “actively working” on a transfer for Jude Bellingham due to uncertainty over the club’s possible takeover.

What’s the latest on Jude Bellingham and the Man Utd takeover?

It seems almost certain that a number of big clubs will make a move for Borussia Dortmund this summer with a fee in the region of £130m being quoted as the potential asking price.

From the Premier League, the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City are touted as possible destinations, while Real Madrid have also been tipped.

Of course, Man Utd are also in the mix but Romano has reported that it’s still unknown if they will have the appropriate budget to chase such a transfer with the Glazers yet to publicly decide whether to sell or keep the club.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the journalist explained (1:02): “The reality is that Man United, as of today, are not actively working on the Jude Bellingham deal.

“Because they love the player, they will be absolutely excited for Bellingham to join them. But the reality is that with the owner’s situation still in process and in progress – because we know that the Glazers received the proposals of the INEOS Group with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and of the Qatari group with Sheikh Al Thani – but at the moment there is still no full agreement to sell the club.

“This is a crucial part to understand how much will be the budget of Manchester United in the summer transfer window. This is really important. ”

What does the takeover news mean for MUFC links to Bellingham?

Amid bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, it was since been reported that the Glazers may not actually be looking to say goodbye to their asset.

Seeing as the club’s value has recently diminished –  with the latest stories stating that Man United’s share price dropped 9.6 per cent on Monday, going down 17 per cent in a week, wiping almost $1bn (£820m) off the club’s value – now might not be the best time for the current owners to sell up.

Amid all this financial uncertainty, it will certainly be difficult to plan for any £100m+ bid for Bellingham in the summer. And with a number of other teams in the race for the Englishman too, United may miss out on a possible transfer while the future of their club remains up in the air.

Seeing as the teenager was on the 26-man shortlist to make the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11, it’ll be a shame if off-pitch issues prevent the Red Devils from landing such a talent.

Tottenham have ‘jumped ahead of other suitors’ in the race to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked…

Spurs have been linked with a move for the Ivorian in recent seasons, including this campaign, as the Ivorian’s contract slowly winds down.

Zaha will be available on a free deal this summer as things stand with no sign of fresh terms being penned at Selhurst Park, potentially alerting Antonio Conte’s side to his availability.

Roma and Manchester United are other sides linked with a potential move, but according to a fresh claim, Spurs appear to be in pole position.

The Latest: Tottenham jump ahead in Zaha race…

As per London World, Spurs have now ‘jumped ahead of other suitors’ in the race for Zaha and it is believed the Lilywhites have been ‘in touch’ with his representatives.

The north Londoners are apparently ‘increasingly confident’ of signing the Premier League star as Spurs step up their interest.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

The 30-year-old has been a revelation for Palace under Patrick Vieira this season with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor even claiming he would start ‘over’ Dejan Kulusevski at Spurs.

Called ‘unplayable’ by members of the media, Zaha has stood out as the Eagles’ best-performing attacker by average match rating this season (WhoScored).

The former Man United forward has six goals and two assists to his name, averaging a higher rate of attempts at goal and completed take-ons per 90 than any Palace player (WhoScored).

On a free deal, Zaha would be a steal for any club, especially Spurs.

Journalists James Ducker and Daniel Storey have lambasted the antics of Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes during the 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, with Ducker calling him a ‘brat’.

The Lowdown: United abject at Anfield

The Red Devils suffered their heaviest-ever Premier League defeat on Sunday afternoon, quite simply mauled by their most bitter rivals at Anfield.

There was a spell during the first half when United seemed to have taken control of the game, but once Cody Gakpo opened the scoring just before half-time, they never recovered.

It was a day to forget for so many players and Fernandes, who had the armband, was arguably one of the worst individuals on show, both in terms of his lack of impact and attitude.

The Latest: Ducker slams Bruno

Taking to Twitter, The Telegraph’s Ducker didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Portuguese’s display at Anfield, telling Erik ten Hag to take severe action:

“Bruno Fernandes was less Manchester United’s captain than second half super brat at Anfield and Ten Hag cannot allow such a show of rank petulance and insolence to go unaddressed.”

Meanwhile, The i Paper’s Storey was similarly irritated by the midfielder’s abject performance:

“Bruno Fernandes has just totally stopped playing over the last 15 minutes – shoved the assistant referee, moaned about everything, stopped running after the ball. Embarrassment tbh.”

The Verdict: Stripped of the captaincy?

Frankly, this was an embarrassing showing from Fernandes, who wasn’t all the races all afternoon and ended up behaving like a spoiled child as the minutes ticked by.

The 28-year-old lost possession a total of 14 times on Sunday, also winning just two out of eight ground duels, and he didn’t rally the troops in the slightest.

Fernandes couldn’t have looked further from a captain at Anfield, giving up during the second half and resorting to playacting, and Ten Hag would be wise to even consider stripping him of the armband, at least temporarily.

A massive response is required from the 53-cap Portugal international, with supporters no doubt left angry by his antics in what is historically United’s biggest fixture of the season.

Andrew Musgrove believes that James Ward-Prowse would fit the bill perfectly for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle to bolster their midfield

It was reported back in January that midfield was the priority position for Newcastle to improve, but instead, they ended up weakening that area by letting Jonjo Shelvey depart on a permanent transfer.

Therefore, Newcastle will very likely have to strengthen their midfield department come the summer, so finishing in a European place will help their recruitment drive.

The Magpies have been linked with a move for England international and Premier League stalwart Ward-Prowse, which could be a lot easier if Southampton are relegated this season.

The Latest: Ward-Prowse could improve the Magpies

Speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast, Toon journalist John Gibson stated that Ward-Prowse could be the ‘locksmith’ that Newcastle need to go to the next level – and Musgrove couldn’t agree more.

He said: “Newcastle have been linked with James Ward-Prowse. I think people on the podcast will know I’m a huge, huge fan of him. Only 28, dead-ball specialist.

“You said there that they need a locksmith, someone who can pick the pass without even thinking about it. For me, he fits that bill absolutely perfectly.”

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The Verdict: Strength in depth will be key for Newcastle

While Newcastle have a solid core group of around 14 players, their lack of depth has certainly started to show in the second half of this season, with the Magpies winning just one league game in 2023.

Therefore, bringing in someone such as Ward-Prowse could allow Eddie Howe to have a choice of players for different sorts of games, although he would likely demand one of the bigger pay packets at the club, as he’s already thought to be on £100,000 per week on the south coast.

If Newcastle are to qualify for Europe next season, they will need a far deeper squad to be playing twice a week for a lot of the season, and to have someone such as Ward-Prowse, who’s come in for praise from Toon legend Alan Shearer in the past, would be a sign of Newcastle taking steps forward in their development under PIF and Howe.

Manchester City have made an out-of-window £10.5m proposal for Hadjuk Split centre-back Luka Vuskovic, according to a report from The Athletic.

The Lowdown: City eyeing centre-back

Man City are running the rule over a number of potential centre-back signings in the summer transfer window, despite the fact Pep Guardiola already has the likes of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake to choose from.

Josko Gvardiol is believed to be a major target for the Sky Blues, with the club recently sending officials to ‘remain in the loop’ regarding the RB Leipzig defender’s availability, while 21-year-old Micky Van de Ven has also emerged as a potential signing.

GiveMeSport have recently reported that Aymeric Laporte could be allowed to exit the Etihad Stadium in the summer window, which could accelerate plans to bring in another option at the heart of defence.

The Latest: Offer made for Vuskovic

As per a report from The Athletic, City have made a proposal for Vuskovic in recent days, which is believed to be worth an initial €10m, plus an additional €2m in potential add-ons which comes to £10.5m in total.

It is not detailed exactly who is interested in the 16-year-old, but the report claims there is fierce competition for his signature, and the Sky Blues have become the first team to formalise their interest with a serious offer.

The starlet has recently teamed up with prominent agent Pina Zahavi, and is yet to be revealed whether they will push for a move, with the offer itself yet to be either accepted or rejected.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Given the Croatian youngster’s age, he is very unlikely to come in and start challenging for a starting place anytime soon, but he appears to be a top talent for the future if his performances for the Hadjuk Split youth team this season are anything to go by.

The 6 foot 3 defender has made a total of 13 league appearances at youth level this season, and he has displayed his threat in the attacking third of the pitch to great effect, scoring six goals.

These performances have led to opportunities in the first team in recent weeks, starting the last four matches for Hadjuk Split’s first team, a phenomenal achievement for such a young player.

Football scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Vuskovic, describing him as a ‘truly amazing’ youngster who is ‘destined for great things’, so he could be an excellent addition for Guardiola, no doubt capable of one day establishing himself in the first-team.