Russell Martin didn't take long to find his feet at Southampton and could yet take the Saints back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

With Ipswich Town slipping up in recent weeks, drawing against rivals Norwich City and then suffering a 4-0 thrashing against Leeds United before drawing against Leicester City, Southampton could be primed to take charge in the race to go up. As the January transfer window swings open, Martin could look to secure a number of new faces who could go on to define Southampton's season. And among those potentially arriving may well be one particular Premier League player.

Southampton transfer news

Despite losing both James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia in the summer transfer window, Southampton did well to keep hold of a number of solid performers. The likes of Che Adams and Adam Armstrong stayed put to hand Martin an early boost in his tenure. Now, however, the manager can turn his attention back to reinforcements ahead of the winter window opening in a matter of days.

Reports suggest that the Saints are even eyeing a move to sign a player on loan from a rival club in the top flight. According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, Southampton want to sign Bournemouth winger David Brooks on loan in January.

Facing competition from Leeds for Brooks' signature, if Bournemouth decide to sanction a January move, Southampton could land themselves a major advantage in the race for promotion over Daniel Farke's side. The Wales midfielder certainly has the quality to make all the difference and could have a big decision to make next month.

"Intelligent" Brooks could help Southampton seal promotion

After returning from a battle with long-term illness, Brooks has shown glimpses of nearing his best for Bournemouth this season so could help the club push for promotion. First, however, the 26-year-old needs consistent game time – something that may not come at the Vitality as Brooks' stats show.

The winger has started just twice in the Premier League this season and could look to a side like Southampton to gain first-team action. With three goal involvements in that time too, the Welshman may burst into life with more action, something which has been seen with another loanee in Ryan Fraser, who is growing into life at St Mary's.

Earning plenty of praise during his time at Bournemouth, former boss and current Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe said back in 2018:

"It has typified his introduction to the club. He has played ever so well for us, he has got a creative flair, non-stop energy and he took his goals really well today. He is a player that can do a little bit of everything, he is very good offensively, is creative, turns well with the ball and is very intelligent. His first goal was sublime and his second was very clever because he was running at an angle and just directed it backwards behind him which was really impressive."

نظم نادي الوحدة الإماراتي حفلاً لتكريم مسئولي نادي بيراميدز بمناسبة فوز الأخير بلقب بطولة كأس مصر.

وكان نادي بيراميدز، نجح في التتويج بالبطولة الأولى في تاريخه، عقب الفوز على زد بهدف نظيف في نهائي كأس مصر.

طالع..ممدوح عيد: سعداء بالدعم الإماراتي لـ بيراميدز.. وغالبية جمهورنا “صعايدة”

وجاء حفل الوحدة لتكريم بيراميدز، في إطار اتفاقية التعاون والتوأمة بين ناديي بيراميدز والوحدة الإماراتي في مقر نادي الوحدة في أبوظبي.

وتكون وفد بيراميدز، الذي تواجد في الحفل من ممدوح عيد، رئيس النادي وهاني سعيد، المدير الرياضي، وعمر مدحت، المدير التجاري، ومصطفى طنطاوي، مدير الإعلام والعلاقات المؤسسية، والثنائي محمد رضا بوبو ودودو الجباس لاعبي الفريق.

 يذكر أن بيراميدز يستعد لمواجهة فريق الجيش الرواندي، ضمن منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال أفريقيا عقب تخطي كي جي بطل زنجبار

Manchester United appear to be keen to get deals over the line this window and are now reportedly willing to trigger the release clause of a key target at Old Trafford.

Man Utd look to secure new arrivals…

Differing verdicts have emerged over the potential Manchester United have to bring in players this window despite football director John Murtough hinting that business may be minimal at the Premier League giants over the course of the month as they look to comply with Financial Fair Play concerns.

Erik ten Hag clearly needs bodies in the door to rectify his side's erratic start to the campaign and Sky Sports News journalist Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his associates will have had a say on potential incomings and outgoings.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

He told GIVEMESPORT: "So just going back to INEOS with regard to any kind of decision that gets made, even though the deal hasn't been formally ratified, they would have to be consulted about any deal that happens. I'm told that when they signed that agreement, even though as I said it hasn't been ratified, the transfer strategy was relayed to them. So, they would have had a say in what will be happening in this January transfer window."

This news may come as a relief to Red Devils supporters; however, there is still no clear indication of who could arrive in the North West this window as their side quietly ponder who to pursue according to their specific needs. Now, fresh information has emerged claiming that Manchester United are willing to meet the release clause of a talented midfielder this month, as per reports.

Man Utd ready Javi Guerra move

According to Catalan reports, Manchester United are keen on Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra and have already initiated first contacts regarding a move for the Spain Under-21 international this month.

Javi Guerra key statistics in 2023/24 (Sofascore)

Tackles per game

1.4

Clearances per game

1.2

Balls recovered per game

5.6

Accurate passes per game in own half

9.6 (85%)

Shots per game

1.2

Big chances created

2

The outlet claim that Guerra has a release clause worth in the region of €40 million (£34.4 million) that the Red Devils are willing to pay that sum to bring the playmaker to Old Trafford. Viewed as someone who could be very important to the future of Ten Hag's engine room, the Valencia-born man is seen as a value-for-money option and would be guaranteed a high salary in England should he move to Manchester United.

Labelled a "deep-lying orchestrator" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Guerra has made 19 appearances in all competitions this term for Valencia, registering three goals and one assist (Guerra statistics – Transfermarkt).

Manchester United may need more variation on the field to try and reverse their inconsistent form and Guerra could add a different dimension to their engine room moving forward, both in the short and long term, making this a deal to watch.

Celtic were handed a boost earlier this month as Japan decided not to call Kyogo Furuhashi up alongside teammates Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda for the 2023 Asian Cup.

However, fellow centre-forward Hyeon-gyu Oh has been selected to feature for South Korea at the tournament and will be unavailable for the Hoops until the end of his country's involvement.

Kyogo is still searching for a return to the peak of his powers as the Japanese striker has only found the back of the net eight times in 22 Scottish Premiership appearances.

Last season, the 28-year-old plundered 27 goals in 31 league starts and averaged one strike every 87 minutes of action for the Glasgow giants.

His scoring frequency has dropped to one goal every 190 minutes of league football this term, which illustrates his drop-off in form since Brendan Rodgers arrived.

This, along with Oh's involvement at the Asian Cup, looks to have caused the club to want to dip into the market to add another number nine to their squad during the January transfer window.

Celtic transfer news – Joe Gelhardt

The Daily Mail have reported that Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt is attracting interest from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers this month.

Rodgers appears to be eyeing up a swoop to land the former Wigan prospect, who has struggled for game time with Daniel Farke's side so far this season.

They could face competition from England for the talented ace, though, as journalist Alan Nixon recently reported – via his Patreon – that Championship side Blackburn Rovers are also pursuing a move for him, alongside his teammate Charlie Cresswell.

However, the Daily Mail report does not reveal whether it would be a loan or a permanent deal for the English youngster, or whether or not the Whites are prepared to let him leave before the end of the window.

A permanent deal could be the way to go for the Hoops as it would allow them to bring him in as a long-term addition with the potential to develop over the years to come.

At the age of 21, Gelhardt is still in the infancy of his first-team career and has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve and grow as a player, which Celtic may not benefit from if they are only able to sign him on loan until the end of the current campaign.

With a long-term deal for the talented youngster, Rodgers could unearth the club's next version of Gary Hooper by securing a deal for the Leeds gem.

The former Hoops marksman, like Gelhardt, was a stocky and undersized centre-forward who made a name for himself through his prolific scoring ability in Scottish football.

Gary Hooper's record for Celtic

Celtic signed the English finisher from Scunthorpe United in the summer of 2010 and he went on to enjoy three fantastic years at Parkhead.

The 5 foot 9 attacker, who did not cut an imposing figure for opposition defences at the top end of the pitch, hit the ground running with 22 goals and nine assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.

That included a staggering return of 20 goals and nine assists in 26 Scottish Premiership appearances, which is more than one goal contribution per game on average.

Hooper followed that up with 29 goals and 11 assists in 50 matches in all competitions for the Hoops – including two goals and one assist in five Europa League outings.

His final campaign in Scotland ended with a sublime return of 31 goals and ten assists in 51 games for Celtic. He scored two goals in seven Champions League clashes and two goals in four qualifiers for the competition.

Hooper's haul of 20-plus goals in three consecutive seasons for the club was not matched until Odsonne Edouard achieved the same feat by 2021.

In total, the impressive ace plundered 82 goals and 30 assists in 137 appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions. This means that the English ace averaged a goal or an assist every 1.22 matches.

He then sealed a permanent switch to Norwich City in England and went on to score 20 goals in 70 games for the Canaries, with six goals in 32 Premier League appearances.

During his time with Celtic, Hooper was a prolific scorer who also had the ability to bring his teammates into the game with a solid return of assists, despite his short and stocky build as a number nine.

The statistics that show why Celtic should sign Gelhardt

Rodgers could unearth a striker with similar qualities to the ex-Norwich star by signing Gelhardt, who also stands at 5 foot 9 with a stocky build.

At the age of 21, the Leeds youngster is far from the finished article and there is no guarantee that he will be an instant hit at Parkhead this season. However, if they can land him on a permanent basis then the potential is there for him to develop into Hooper 2.0.

Gelhardt has only made six appearances in the Championship for the Whites this season and spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Sunderland.

Appearances

18

Starts

16

Goals

Three

Assists

Three

Duel success rate

42%

As you can see from the table above, the former England U20 international struggled to provide consistent quality as a scorer or a creator for the Black Cats last term.

However, Gelhardt did show promise in his limited Premier League minutes with Leeds earlier in his career. He plundered two goals and six assists in 35 appearances, despite only six of those coming as a starter.

The Celtic target's record at youth level, however, is what Rodgers may be looking at as an indication that he could develop into a lethal scorer for the club.

Gelhardt scored five goals in five games for Wigan at U18 level and then went on to produce 20 goals and six assists in 31 outings for Leeds' U21s.

This means that the £14k-per-week marksman, whose movement was hailed as "impressive" by journalist Josh Bunting, racked up 25 goals and six assists in 36 youth team games before making a first-team breakthrough.

That is a return of one goal contribution every 1.16 matches on average, which is a very similar level of production in comparison to Hooper's time with Celtic.

Therefore, Rodgers could unearth the club's new prolific English marksman by striking a deal for Gelhardt and helping him to unlock his potential at first-team level.

Price’s first challenge will be to try and take USA to the T20 World Cup qualifiers in Scotland in August

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2019

Getty Images

Former Australia international Julia Price has been appointed the head coach of the USA women’s team. Price was part of the Australia women’s World Cup-winning team in 1997 and 2005. The appointment follows a process that ended with interviews of three candidates, with Price emerging the winner.USA are looking to qualify for the women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia next year, and Price’s first task will be to identify a squad of 14 players – the selection process will take place on March 23 and 24 in California.Her first assignment will be a three-match Americas qualifying tournament against Canada in May, with the winners progressing to the eight-team T20 World Cup qualifier to be held in Scotland in August.”I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed as head coach for the USA Cricket women’s national team,” Price was quoted as saying in a press release. “I believe that the potential for growth of cricket in America, particularly in the women’s game, is quite phenomenal. We have a huge year coming up so I can’t wait to get going with the squad and hit the ground running from this weekend.”Price was until last month the head coach of WBBL franchise Hobart Hurricanes. In the past, apart from coaching the Australia women’s team, she has served as a consultant with USA Cricket Combines, a partnership between USA Cricket and Cricket Australia.

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the charts when it comes to Forbes’ run down of the 10 highest-paid athletes, with Lionel Messi having to settle for third.

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Portuguese superstar out in frontEternal rival trailing in his wakeNeymar & Benzema also in top 10WHAT HAPPENED?

For the first time, every entrant on the star-studded chart is pulling in over $100 million (£79m) on an annual basis. It comes as no surprise to find that Portuguese icon Ronaldo occupies first place, as he is working on the most lucrative contract in world football.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo earns £157m ($199m) a year at Al-Nassr – where he has plundered 48 goals this season – while making up a further £48m ($61m) in a wide range of endorsement and sponsorship deals. His eternal rival, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, makes £107m ($135m) per year – with the Argentine superstar, who is now plying his club trade in MLS for Inter Miami, earning more away from the field than he does on it.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kylian Mbappe, who is expected to link up with Real Madrid this summer as he prepares to leave Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, occupies sixth spot on £87m ($110m). His former PSG team-mate Neymar, who is now in Saudi Arabia with Ronaldo at Al-Hilal, brings in £85m ($108m) while former Madrid striker Karim Benzema – another of those in the Middle East at present – fills eighth spot on £84m ($106m).

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The biggest mover on the chart is golf star Jon Rahm, who now sits second on £172m ($218m) courtesy of his lucrative LIV deal. NBA greats LeBron James (£101m/$128m) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (£88m/$111m) occupy fourth and fifth respectively, while Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry sits ninth on £81m ($103m). The top 10 is rounded off by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (£79m/$100m), with a £57m ($72m) signing bonus received when penning the new contract that he negotiated – while acting as his own agent – in 2023.

Mike Dodds' interim spell in charge of Sunderland looks to have ended in a whimper rather than a bang, the Black Cats losing 1-0 to Bristol City last time out with the Tyne and Wear side now gearing up to announce Tony Mowbray's successor imminently.

Mowbray's successor looks as though it could be former Rangers and QPR manager Michael Beale, a potential appointment met with many detractors owing to the 43-year-old's recent failures with the Gers and the fact he walked out on the Hoops just months into his tenure at Loftus Road to move to Ibrox.

Failing to get a deal over the line to secure the services of a left-field manager from afar in both Will Still and Kim Hellberg, Beale could still freshen things up and give the entire Sunderland squad a boost on his suspected arrival.

Jewison Bennette in particular will welcome the new appointment, a fresh set of eyes in the dug-out who could give the dynamic Costa Rican forward more first-team opportunities at the Stadium of Light soon.

Frozen out by Mowbray, the 19-year-old has shown glimpses of his quality for the Black Cats when used sporadically in the past.

Jewison Bennette's numbers for Sunderland

Rumoured to be loaned out in the coming transfer window, owing to just 79 minutes of senior action, Beale could give Bennette a lifeline by playing him in the first team more.

Described as a "flamboyant winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on social media, Bennette has shone in patches on rare senior occasions for the Black Cats.

This season, the 19-year-old tricky attacker entertained the Sunderland masses with a dazzling cameo versus Southampton in a comprehensive early campaign 5-0 win.

Bennette had a part to play in adding more salt to the Saints' wound, only amassing seven touches – as per Sofascore – but assisting Chris Rigg's goal late into the game to make the scoreline even more embarrassing for Russell Martin's visitors.

Skilfully taking it past two Southampton defenders with outrageous showboating, his cross after pulling off the skills was also floated in expertly for Sunderland's 16-year-old midfielder to head home.

Bennette is yet to experience more first-team action this season, but has been impressive in the Premier League 2 during his short time at the Stadium of Light too – scoring two goals and assisting a further four from ten U21 appearances to date.

The bold left winger could be given a chance to impress in the first-team fold under Beale however, who has previously enhanced players in that very position at other clubs he's managed.

Why Bennette could benefit from Beale

In his previous job post at QPR, the divisive 43-year-old got the best out of former Arsenal man Chris Willock down the flanks who plays where Bennette operates.

Willock would become a man possessed under Beale, scoring six goals and picking up one assist under Beale's guidance in west London before Rangers came calling.

The goal output dried up after for QPR's number seven without the 43-year-old in the dug-out, only helping himself to one more assist during the entire rest of the 2022-23 season with zero goals scored.

Football journalist Jack Austwicke described Bennette as "hungry" and having a desire to "want to learn earlier in the year when speaking to Football League World, and so the Costa Rican forward will hope he can push on and advance his game under new potential Black Cats boss Beale by showing his eagerness and willingness to make strides.

Bennette won't come in and displace the likes of Jack Clarke – the ex-Leeds United winger into double figures for the season already with ten goals – but the new Sunderland manager will want to utilise his squad more effectively than Mowbray.

He can start that by giving Bennette far more first-team chances, hoping to work his Willock magic on the promising attacker.

Imagine being one of the biggest names in world cricket, but still unable to find a place in the playing XI when it comes to the IPL. Dale Steyn is a prime example. Given that an IPL team can field a maximum of four overseas players each game, Steyn – arguably the greatest fast bowler of this era – has been left cheering his side from the dugout on many occasions in the past.Martin Guptill may not hold the same cult status as Steyn, but his T20I record is right up there with the very best. While he didn’t get any bids during the auction ahead of the 2017 season, Guptill, the second-highest run-getter in T20Is, was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for his base price of INR 1 crore (USD 140,000) this time around. Guptill, though, knows he might have to wait to make his Sunrisers debut.”It’s funny. When I come here I don’t expect to play straight away,” Guptill said on the eve of Sunrisers’ first home game of the season, against Rajasthan Royals. “It was the same when I was with Kings XI [Punjab in 2017]; I didn’t play straightaway. Just sit back and watch, and try to do as much as I can to help the guys who are playing.”I got an opportunity to play with Mumbai a couple of years ago and Kings XI the next year. I had the year off last year, and coming here this year, I am looking to forward to hopefully getting an opportunity when the time comes but it’s one of those things; you bide your time until you get selected.”However, Guptill doesn’t get too worried about what happens during auctions.”I have been up in the auction a few times and I have been picked up but when I go into the auction, I go in with reasonably low expectations. If I get picked up, that’s great and if I don’t get picked up, then I am not too disappointed.”Of late, Guptill’s form has been a bit up and down. During the ODI series against India at home, he managed just 47 runs in four innings. A disc injury then kept him out of the T20I series, before he regained fitness and struck form with back-to-back ODI hundreds against Bangladesh.Guptill revealed that a couple of flaws had crept into his batting which he ironed out with the help of his Auckland coach Mark O’Donnell.”I had a few issues with something in my game during the India series at home. There were a couple of balance issues. I wasn’t loading up properly in my sit up and that was causing me to play different lines than what I would have liked to. But I watched a lot of footage of what I was doing at that time and what I was doing previously that was working for me.”I managed to work on those hard and come on the other side and got a couple of centuries against Bangladesh. I am just looking to carry on that sort of rhythm and form that I had there and if I get an opportunity to play, hopefully I can translate that in the middle.”While he may or may not get a chance to play for Sunrisers soon, Guptill is looking forward to facing the likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi at the nets, which he believes will help him firm his plans for the World Cup.”I haven’t faced Rashid yet but I have played with him in the CPL a couple of years ago. He’s an amazing bowler, very hard to face because he bowls so quick. I am looking forward to batting against him in the nets and figuring out how to play him because we got them [Afghanistan] second [third] game at the World Cup this year. So I will be trying to face him in the nets so that I can put some plans in place before I face him at the World Cup.”

One thing that became clear in the summer transfer window is Arsenal's desire to ensure that last season was no one-off and that the days of struggling to even reach the Premier League's top four are long behind them. They splashed the cash to welcome Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya in the hope of competing for the title once again.

And months later, whilst they may not sit top of the tree, the Gunners are in contention for England's top prize, remaining just five points behind Liverpool, who still have to come to the Emirates early next month.

Premier League Top Four

Matches

Wins

Draws

Losses

Points

GD

1. Liverpool

20

13

6

1

45

25

2. Aston Villa

20

13

3

4

42

16

3. Man City

19

12

4

3

40

24

4. Arsenal

20

12

4

4

40

17

With that said, those in North London may well be looking to repeat their transfer genius by welcoming one particular young defender, having already reportedly made contact.

Arsenal transfer news

Such is the extensive planning that goes on at The Emirates these days from the likes of Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's focus has seemingly extended beyond the January transfer window and already onto the summer, when they'll be hoping to tempt players into a move as freshly crowned Premier League champions. Among those who could be swayed is a young defender currently starring Portugal and attracting plenty of interest.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Arsenal have made contact with the family of Ousmane Diomande over a potential summer move from Sporting, who will likely be looking to receive the defender's £70m release clause in full.

The 20-year-old is reportedly set to become one of the most in-demand players in Europe this year, however, meaning that the Gunners may need to act quickly if they want to secure his signature in the summer transfer window, with Newcastle among those also interested.

Adding Diomande to Arteta's centre-back options would certainly take Arsenal up a level. Suddenly, they'd have William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and, indeed, Diomande to call on in what would be seen as the type of depth that results in the highest honours in both European and English football.

"Elite" Diomande can become better than Gabriel

By signing Diomande, Arteta could form one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League in the form of Saliba and the Ivory Coast man. Given that the Sporting defender is just 20-years-old and Saliba only 22, the Gunners would be getting themselves a duo capable of carrying Arteta's backline for the next decade, making that £70m price tag all the more worthwhile.

Diomanande's stats also show that he is on course to become even better than Saliba's current partner Gabriel.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Ousmane Diomande

17

78

14

6

William Saliba

11

81

14

12

Gabriel Magalhaes

9

65

10

17

A young gem in Portugal, Diomande has been at the centre of praise, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who posted on X: "Ousmane Diomande. You rarely see a player with such high ball-playing and pure defender skills. There are some tactical improvements but I'm quite sure this kid will play for the best teams in the world. The signs of elite talent."

Leeds United will want to get back to winning ways at the weekend immediately, the Whites hosting last season's Championship playoff finalists Coventry City in front of an expectant Elland Road.

Daniel Farke's side weren't anywhere near their free-flowing best away at Sunderland last time out, succumbing to a disappointing 1-0 defeat which put an end to Leeds' seven-game unbeaten streak in the division.

The popular German manager in West Yorkshire could soon not be liked as much by this usually dependable first-team star if he's dropped for the game on Saturday however, Joel Piroe second-rate throughout the away contest at Sunderland with his spot in the team up for grabs consequently.

Joel Piroe's game vs Sunderland in numbers

Piroe's performance at the Stadium of Light was noticeably flat compared to his recent displays, the Dutch striker scoring in Leeds' last home match before this defeat against Sunderland.

He barely troubled Anthony Patterson in the Black Cats' goal all night away from the comforts of Elland Road – the former Swansea City forward registering just one shot on target in the narrow defeat as per Sofascore.

Piroe and the rest of his Leeds teammates just couldn't get into their natural groove up against a staunchly organised Sunderland team, the Whites firing a blank unusually over the 90 minutes.

The 6 foot 1 attacker would only amass 28 touches in total in a quiet showing, with Patterson in the Black Cats net even coming away from the game with more touches at 32.

It would lead to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth giving Piroe a 5/10 rating for his efforts in a post-match article, stating that the ex-Swans man wasn't 'incisive' enough when bombing forward.

Leeds' number seven wasn't the only player having an off-day for the visitors, Daniel James was in blistering form before this clash but was poor in the 1-0 loss – inaccurate with all three of his crosses into the area with Daniel Ballard barely having to flinch to clear the ball away from danger for the hosts.

Farke could shake up the Leeds personnel in attack therefore for this weekend's encounter with Mark Robins' underperforming Sky Blues, Wilfried Gnonto edging closer to being in line for a start after a promising cameo off the bench on Tuesday night.

Wilfried Gnonto's game vs Sunderland in numbers

The diminutive Italian figure has managed to turn his Leeds career around quickly, with Gnonto at one point refusing to play for the club owing to transfer interest from the Premier League.

He's by no means a consistent first-team presence under Farke now – only starting six games this season – but he's a useful squad member as he proved away versus the Black Cats.

Given a 'second chance' by his manager after a notable falling out behind the scenes, the "pocket rocket" – as he once was dubbed by Tam McManus was fully committed to attempting to help his team pull off a comeback against Sunderland when on the pitch.

The 20-year-old would fail to have a single shot on goal, but the tricky Italian forward was successful with his only dribble attempt of the contest.

In contrast, James didn't attempt a single dribble past his Sunderland marker over 75 minutes in a bid to unlock a dogged Black Cats defence.

Moreover, Gnonto launched himself into numerous ground duels to try and win contentious balls and spring an attack – winning 66% of his ground duels, full of energy and life when introduced into the game.

Farke could start the "dangerous" forward – as he once was referred to by ex-Manchester United striker and current football pundit Michael Owen – ahead of a misfiring James or he could reshuffle the forward line altogether and start the ex-Zurich man in a number ten role.

Piroe could miss out as a result, Farke potentially unafraid to make big judgement calls to try and boost his team to then pull off more vital victories.