Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch believes Kalvin Phillips is missing being at Elland Road after making a slow start to his Manchester City career.
Phillips has made just four substitute appearances for City, totalling 54 minutes on the field, since joining from boyhood club Leeds in a reported £42million deal in July.
The 27-year-old has had a number of injury issues, though he recovered from shoulder surgery in time to be part of England's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
However, just when he appeared ready to make his mark at City, boss Pep Guardiola overlooked Phillips for selection against Liverpool last week for being "overweight".
As Phillips' new team prepare to travel to his old one in the Premier League on Wednesday, Marsch acknowledged both Leeds and Phillips are still adapting five months on.
"We still miss Kalvin," Marsch told reporters. "He came to one of our matches, Fulham, and you could see he felt the pain of losing that match with us after the match.
"He missed being here. Of course he misses being here – he misses the guys, he's got a lot of great friends here, this club is in his heart.
"Kalvin was such a good player, but for me he was a really likeable, heart-warming person to have around the team.
"He got along with everybody here, with the older players, as well was the younger players, with me as well as the academy coaches.
"The hardest part of replacing Kalvin was making sure that we still had the feeling of what Leeds United is, what it means to be from Leeds, what the history of the club means."
Phillips joined Leeds at the age of 14 and progressed through the academy, before going on to make 234 appearances for the first team, along with his first 23 England caps.
Should the midfielder feature at Elland Road on Wednesday, Marsch expects him to handle the occasion well and potentially use it as a turning point in his City career.
"It felt like he belonged here, that this was his home," Marsch said. "I'm sure that even when he made the decision to leave that was a big part of the difficulty.
"Coming back, I think he will revisit those emotions and I think it will bring the best out of him. That's the kind of person he is."
Manchester City must make a flying start on their return to Premier League action after falling behind Arsenal in the title race, says winger Riyad Mahrez.
City travel to Leeds United for their first league game since the World Cup on Wednesday, trailing leaders Arsenal by five points ahead of the Gunners' clash with West Ham on Monday.
Pep Guardiola's team lost 2-1 to Brentford in their last game in the competition, and are looking to avoid suffering consecutive league defeats for the first time since December 2018.
Mahrez, who was on target as City eliminated Liverpool from the EFL Cup with a 3-2 win on Thursday, is aware of the importance of Wednesday's trip to Elland Road.
"We have to hit the ground running," Mahrez told the club's website. "We are not currently top of the Premier League and that is where we want to be.
"We will take it game by game but our aim is to try to win another title.
"There are lots of strong teams in England who could still win the league so we are not just focused on Arsenal, although they have been very good so far.
"If we want to win the league, we will have to be ready as soon as the league starts again.
"Leeds are a big club and it's a hard place to go, but we know what to expect from them. We will be prepared for it and hopefully we can come away with the three points."
City won their two Premier League fixtures against Leeds last season by an aggregate score of 11-0 – including a 4-0 triumph at Elland Road. The champions are looking to win on consecutive trips to Leeds for the first time since September 2000.
Jose Mourinho is a man in demand at international level, with Brazil reportedly rivalling Portugal in pursuit of his signature.
The 59-year-old is currently employed by Serie A club Roma, having joined in 2021 on a three-year contract.
There are reports that Mourinho is not entirely happy in the Italian capital, specifically regarding player attitudes and the club's financial limitations.
TOP STORY – BRAZIL TO MAKE SHOCK MOVE FOR MOURINHO
Brazil will make a sensational swoop to make Jose Mourinho their new national team boss to replace the departed Tite, according to la Repubblica.
An intermediary of Brazil's national setup will fly into Italy to meet up with the Roma head coach – who has also been linked to the Portugal job – and begin negotiations face to face.
Brazil had been linked with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, having reportedly turned to super agent Jorge Mendes to aid their pursuit of a new head coach.
ROUND-UP
– Journalist Bruno Andrade claims Manchester United have "overtaken" Liverpool in the race to sign World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. United boss Erik ten Hag is willing the trigger his €120m release clause.
– Manchester United have commenced talks with PSV winger Cody Gakpo, reports The Daily Mirror. Gakpo netted three goals in three World Cup group games.
– Fabrizio Romano claims that Barcelona have no intention of selling midfielder Franck Kessie or full-back Hector Bellerin in January.
– Paris Saint-Germain are interested in Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio, reports SPORT. Arsenal have also been linked with the 26-year-old, while Ara claims Barcelona are monitoring the situation and may swoop.
– PSG are also interested in signing Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Fred, claims The Sun. That is despite United recently triggering a 12-month extension on Fred's contract.
– Bayern Munich have added Leeds United's French goalkeeper Ilhan Meslier to their transfer targets, reports MediaFootMercato. Bayern are looking for cover the injured keeper Manuel Neuer.
Jesse Marsch revealed a joke with his former Salzburg striker Erling Haaland ahead of Manchester City's visit to Leeds United on Wednesday.
Haaland – who spent half a season under Marsch before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020 – has scored 18 Premier League goals this season, six more than his closest rival Harry Kane.
The Norway international was born in Leeds, where his father Alfie Haaland spent three years as a player before himself joining City in 2000.
Haaland was perhaps the most high-profile player not to feature at the recent World Cup in Qatar, and Marsch is concerned about what that could mean for Leeds when they resume their Premier League campaign against the champions.
Asked if he had been in contact with Haaland ahead of the game, Leeds boss Marsch said: "He texted me as soon as the schedule came out.
"He said he's most excited for this, and I gave him permission to have a small hamstring injury for that match!
"He was born in Leeds, his father has history here, and he has the club in his heart because of that.
"We have talked about it. When I got the job, he and his father were supportive. We'll expect him to be fully ready, and that causes issues for us."
Leeds lost their two Premier League meetings with City by an aggregate score of 11-0 last season, and they have not won any of their last seven home games against reigning top-flight champions.
While City boss Pep Guardiola is waiting for several players to return, Marsch would have preferred to see more of their key men remain involved in the World Cup until the latter stages.
Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium and Ilkay Gundogan's Germany did not make it out of the group stage, while Spain exited in the last 16 and England, Portugal and Brazil in the quarter-finals. Argentina forward Julian Alvarez was the only City star involved from the semi-finals onwards.
"Right now, it is Man City we are focused on. I would have hoped their players would have gone deeper in the World Cup, but it is so competitive," Marsch said.
"They have a great squad and the best manager in the world. We are not afraid of the biggest opponents.
"We've proven we can compete and get points, but we need a good plan and execution to do that, and we know that."
Milan's Portuguese forward Rafael Leao will be a key player of interest in the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old helped Milan clinched the Italian Serie A title last term, netting 11 goals for the Rossoneri.
According to reports, Leao is unwilling to pen a contract extension with Milan, who failed to meet his demands.
TOP STORY - CHELSEA GET JUMP IN RAFAEL LEAO CHASE
Chelsea have emerged as the frontrunners in the hotly contested pursuit of Milan forward Rafael Leao, claims GiveMeSport's Dean Jones.
Leao enters the final 18 months of his Milan contract in January, with interest also reportedly coming from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Milan may be willing to let the Portuguese depart in January if they cannot convince him to sign a new deal, rating him at £86million (€100m).
ROUND-UP
– Chelsea's planned mid-year move for RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku will not be brought forward to January despite a season-ending ACL injury for Armando Broja, reports Fabrizio Romano.
– CBS's Ben Jacobs claims Dusan Vlahovic exiting Juventus in 2023 is a "very real possibility", including a possible January move, with Chelsea among the clubs in contact with the Serbian's representatives.
– Real Madrid have joined the race for Netherlands international Cody Gakpo, claims AS. Manchester United are also interested in the PSV forward, who was pursued by Leeds United in the last transfer window.
– ESPN claims Manchester United will enquire with Benfica about the status of Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, who netted a hat-trick against Switzerland at the World Cup.
– Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal, claims Sky Sports. The Czech, who is contracted until 2024 with the option of another year, also has interest from two other Premier League clubs.
Jude Bellingham is expected to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of this season, with numerous clubs lining up to sign him.
The England international, who has impressed during the World Cup, is contracted with Dortmund until 2025.
It has been speculated that Bellingham will cost English clubs more than £100million to fund the deal.
TOP STORY – CITY TO USE GREALISH IN DEAL FOR BELLINGHAM
Manchester City will dangle Jack Grealish to Borussia Dortmund as part of a deal to land Bellingham, claims Football Insider.
Grealish, who City signed for £100m from Aston Villa 18 months ago, has not fully convinced since his switch to the English champions.
According to the report, City are intensifying their interest in Bellingham and are willing to use Grealish.
Le10Sport have also reported French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in 19-year-old Bellingham.
ROUND-UP
– Liverpool are plotting a surprise move for Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, reports Calciomercato. The Serbian striker has scored six Serie A goals this term.
– Mundo Deportivo reports Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Meunier is willing to listen to offers from Milan, Juventus, Manchester United and two other Premier League clubs if Barcelona do not bid for him.
– Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is open to a Premier League switch amid interest from Chelsea, claims GiveMeSport transfer expert Dean Jones.
– Calciomercato reports that Arsenal are interested in a January move for Real Madrid's Marco Asensio.
– Leeds United are interested in a January move for Newcastle forward Chris Wood, claims Football Insider. Wood left Leeds for Burnley in 2017.
Manchester City will face Chelsea in the pick of the FA Cup third-round ties, while Manchester United meet fellow Premier League side Everton.
Pep Guardiola's top-flight champions visit Graham Potter's side in the league on January 5, just a matter of days before hosting the Blues at Etihad Stadium in the prestigious cup competition.
Everton will be another side travelling to Manchester as Frank Lampard's side face Erik ten Hag's United, with current holders Liverpool drawn at home to Wolves in another all-Premier League tie.
Arsenal make the trip to League One's Oxford United, while the in-form Newcastle United visit another third-tier side in Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Tottenham will also face League One opposition when they host Portsmouth, with Brighton and Hove Albion going up to Middlesbrough and Bournemouth facing a home tie against Championship leaders Burnley.
Two more all-Premier League clashes see Brentford at home to London rivals West Ham and new Southampton manager Nathan Jones will have to get past an away game against top-flight rivals Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa will welcome Stevenage, who are second in League Two chasing promotion, with Fulham and Leeds United visiting Championship sides Hull City and Cardiff City respectively.
Dagenham and Redbridge will invite Leicester City to Victoria Road if the National League side can defeat Gillingham in a December 6 replay.
All ties are scheduled to be played between January 6 and January 9.
FA Cup third-round draw in full:
Preston v Huddersfield Town
Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion
Chesterfield v West Brom
Manchester City v Chelsea
Charlton or Stockport County v Walsall
Boreham Wood v Accrington Stanley
Tottenham v Portsmouth
Derby County v Barnsley
Cardiff City v Leeds United
Brentford v West Ham
Bournemouth v Burnley
Coventry City v Wrexham
Norwich City v Blackburn Rovers
Aston Villa v Stevenage
Luton Town v Wigan Athletic
Oxford United v Arsenal
Fleetwood Town v Queens Park Rangers
Liverpool v Wolves
Grimsby Town v Burton Albion
Blackpool v Nottingham Forest
Dagenham and Redbridge or Gillingham v Leicester City
Forest Green Rovers v Birmingham City
Bristol City v Swansea City
Hartlepool United v Stoke City
Hull City v Fulham
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Millwall v Sheffield United
Shrewsbury Town v Sunderland
Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle United
Manchester United v Everton
Reading v Watford
Ipswich Town v Rotherham United
PSV's Cody Gakpo has become one of the early breakout stars at the World Cup, and will reportedly be courted by some of the world's biggest clubs in January.
Gakpo, 23, has spent his entire career with PSV after arriving at their youth academy back in 2007, and has risen through the ranks to become one of the Netherlands' top attacking options.
He has racked up nine goals and 12 assists in his side's first 14 Eredivisie fixtures, and has started his World Cup campaign with goals in each of the first two group stage matches against Senegal and Ecuador.
Having been linked to Leeds United before the season, he reportedly opted to remain with PSV to secure a move to an even bigger club – and now Champions League teams are said to be calling.
TOP STORY – EUROPEAN POWERHOUSES SET SIGHTS ON GAKPO
According to Dutch journalist Marco Timmer, the clubs who will make an attempt to sign the Dutch talent include Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
Having previously said he would be happy to remain in the Netherlands until the end of the season before exploring a move to the Premier League, Gakpo's value is said to have soared past the £50million mark.
There were reports early in the season that PSV's financial situation would force them to accept any further bids around £30m, so if a team with deep pockets comes with a serious offer in January, it will likely be hard to turn down.
ROUND-UP
– According to Fichajes, United have added 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby to their list of forward targets.
– 90min is reporting Milan are considering another bid for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in January after testing the waters in the previous transfer window.
– Memphis Depay could return to former club United in January as Barcelona are considering terminating the 28-year-old's contract to get him off their books.
– According to Sky Sports Germany, United are not considered a realistic destination for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.
– CBS is reporting multiple Premier League clubs, including Everton, Leeds and West Ham, are interested in 26-year-old Senegal forward Boulaye Dia, with the Villarreal-contracted player scoring against Qatar on Friday.
Manchester United will look to sign a replacement forward for Cristiano Ronaldo during the January transfer window, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The 37-year-old Portuguese's exit by mutual consent with immediate effect has opened up all sorts of possibilities for the Red Devils.
But Erik ten Hag's side clearly need to bolster their ranks as they look to finish in the Premier League's top four this term.
TOP STORY – MEMPHIS WALKING BACK THROUGH THE DOORS AT OLD TRAFFORD?
Spanish media outlet Sport claims that Manchester United are keen on Barcelona's Memphis Depay in January.
The Blaugrana, who have been linked with United's Diogo Dalot, are eager to offload the Dutchman, whose contract ends in mid-2023.
The Netherlands international spent two years at Old Trafford from 2015 and 2017
ROUND-UP -
- Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are ready to make moves for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to Calciomercato. The Frenchman almost joined Manchester United in the off-season and is contracted with the Bianconeri until the end of the season.
- Football Insider claims Aston Villa are interested in Sevilla's Morocco international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who is contracted until 2025.
- Fabrizio Romano claims RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer is determined to join Bayern Munich, meaning Chelsea and Liverpool will miss out on the Austrian.
- Leeds United have enquired about the availability of Milan's Belgian midfielder Charles de Ketelaere, reports TeamTalk.
- Atalanta are in talks with Stuttgart's Croatia international left-back Borna Sosa, claims Nicolo Schira.
Kylian Mbappe penned a new Paris Saint-Germain deal in May, extending his contract until 2025.
That came after a prolonged courtship from Real Madrid for his services, while several other top clubs were interested.
But Mbappe has again been linked with a move away from the French capital, despite re-committing only months ago.
TOP STORY – MBAPPE WANTS PSG EXIT, MAN UTD CIRCLING
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly pushing for an exit from PSG during the January transfer window, claims Sport.
According to the report, Manchester United are preparing an audacious bid to land the 23-year-old France forward, with Liverpool and Real Madrid also in contention.
Mbappe wants PSG to let him go if a reasonable offer comes in during January, although United may not suit his football aspirations in the short term.
ROUND-UP
- Tottenham are keeping a close watch on Everton winger Anthony Gordon ahead of the January transfer window, reports Football London. Gordon, who also has interest from Chelsea, still has three years left on his Toffees deal.
- Chelsea's strategy with Romelu Lukaku is set to change, meaning he is unlikely to remain with Inter, claims Calciomercato. The Blues want to sell him for a major transfer fee at the end of this season, rather than loaning him back to Inter, as the Nerazzurri had hoped.
- Bild claims Borussia Dortmund have no plans to sell Raphael Guerreiro in January, amid interest from Leeds United and West Ham. Guerreiro is out of contract at the end of the season.
- Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri looms as a January option for West Ham, according to Calciomercato.
The final round of Premier League fixtures before the World Cup break produced a huge shock at the Etihad Stadium.
After missing out on England's World Cup squad, Ivan Toney struck twice to give Brentford a sensational 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
That result confirmed Arsenal would be top heading into the World Cup interval, and they increased their lead to five points by cruising past Wolves at Molineux as Martin Odegaard scored both goals in a 2-0 triumph.
Tottenham and Leeds United played out a seven-goal thriller at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the hosts eventually running out 4-3 winners.
Elsewhere, Chelsea fell to a third straight league defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by in-form Newcastle United.
Here, Stats Perform looks through the best facts of the day.
Manchester City 1-2 Brentford: Toney double stuns Citizens
City had previously been unbeaten for 20 home matches in all competitions since a 3-2 defeat against Spurs in February, winning their last 16 at the Etihad.
But Toney, fresh from his England disappointment, scored his 21st and 22nd Premier League goals to end City's streak in dramatic fashion.
His winner came after 97 minutes and 16 seconds, the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since exact goal times started being recorded in the 2006-07 campaign.
The Bees were made to do a lot of defending to earn the three points, with City's 29 shots their most in a Premier League home game they failed to win since a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United in April 2021.
Phil Foden's equaliser in first-half injury time was his sixth home goal in all competitions, his joint-best return in a Premier League season. Six of his eight goals (75 per cent) this season have come at the Etihad, compared to 43 per cent last term (six of 14).
Wolves 0-2 Arsenal: Odegaard fires Gunners to five-point lead
Odegaard's double puts him up to six Premier League goals this season, the most of any Arsenal player, while only Kevin de Bruyne, James Maddison and Leandro Trossard have been involved in more away goals than the Norway international (five, four goals and one assist).
The three points, combined with City slipping up, gives Arsenal their biggest lead at the top of the Premier League since December 2013.
Mikel Arteta's men are the only team to have scored in every Premier League game this season and they will be top of the league on Christmas day for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign.
Another defeat for Wolves means new boss Julen Lopetegui has much work to do, with the Molineux club bottom at Christmas for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
They are seriously out of form, only winning one of their last 22 Premier League games, failing to score in 11 matches over that run.
Tottenham 4-3 Leeds United: Bentancur strikes twice as Spurs come from behind
Antonio Conte's side completed yet another turnaround to beat Leeds and have now rescued 13 points from losing positions, more than any other team.
Rodrigo Bentancur's late double was the first time he has scored twice in the same game within the main five European leagues, on what was his 164th such appearance.
Spurs were made to do it the hard way, as Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville became the first pair of team-mates to both score in four straight Premier League games.
But Leeds ultimately succumbed to defeat, their fifth straight league loss against London sides since thumping Chelsea 3-0 in August.
Spurs meanwhile have now scored 31 goals in 15 Premier League games this season, only bettering that tally at this stage of the competition in one season, when they netted 35 in 15 to kick off the 2009-10 campaign.
Newcastle United 1-0 Chelsea: Willock wonder strike downs Blues
Joe Willock scored a superb winner to earn Newcastle a fifth straight Premier League victory for the first time since 2014.
On the flip side, Graham Potter becomes the first Chelsea boss to lose three consecutive league matches since Jose Mourinho in 2015 as his side's poor form continues.
A key reason for the defeat was a dismal attacking display, registering just seven touches in the opposition box, their lowest since January against Manchester City.
The closest Chelsea went to scoring was Conor Gallagher forcing an acrobatic save from Nick Pope. No other goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Pope, with five of his seven coming at St James' Park.
The three points ensure Newcastle will be in the top three at Christmas for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign, when they were top.
Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch said he felt "like someone has ripped my heart out" after watching his side implode in Saturday's 4-3 loss at Tottenham.
The visitors took the lead three times in north London and were ahead with nine minutes of normal time remaining, only for Rodrigo Bentancur to score a late double.
Leeds have shipped 26 goals in 14 Premier League games this season at a rate of 1.86 per 90 minutes – only Nottingham Forest (2) and Bournemouth (2.13) have fared worse.
Marsch, who had seen the pressure on him ease following back-to-back league wins prior to the Spurs loss, admits it has been a familiar theme for his side this campaign.
"I'm gutted, I feel like someone has ripped my heart out," he told BBC Sport. "I thought we had control of the match but then we let it slip.
"There's obviously positives in there because in our good moments we look like we have quality, but in our bad, we still look vulnerable and naive.
"We get leads and then we give it away immediately because we don't stick to our principles. If we can then we can be a good team.
"Mentally, the guys have invested so much, there's been ups and downs. We need to gather ourselves, have a break and then come back and keep pushing.
"A little bit of everything needs strengthening, we need to learn to manage the game as a group at all moments."
Crysencio Summerville and Rodrigo both scored for a fourth straight game for Leeds, with the latter netting twice following Harry Kane and Ben Davies equalisers.
But Argentina midfielder Bentancur scored in the 81st and 83rd minutes – his first brace in Europe's top five leagues on his 164th such outing – as Spurs returned to winning ways.
Tottenham have trailed in 14 of their 22 games in all competitions this term, including the past eight in a row, but Antonio Conte was delighted with his side's fighting spirit.
"I think this game made many people very happy," he said at his post-match news conference. "If you're in the stadium you've seen a 4-3 score, with attractive football.
"In a lot of games we were losing and then we came back. I think we showed great character, desire and great will not to give up, to believe in the win.
"I try every day to transfer this concept. We need to fight and never give up. Never give up is our mantra. This is the positive side.
"The negative side is that we conceded three goals, which is never good. A team that wants to be competitive, to concede three goals is never positive."
Saturday's thrilling victory was Tottenham's 13th game since the beginning of October and their last until Boxing Day, with domestic top-flight football now pausing for the World Cup.
"If you want to reach a good result, you want to show stability," Conte added. "The last period was really tough for everybody, all the clubs, to play 13 games in 43 days is tough.
"It was impossible to work on the pitch on the tactical aspect. For sure, when you don't work on that you are going to lose something defensively."
Spurs have now scored 31 goals in 15 games in the Premier League this term – they have only bettered that tally at this stage of a season on one occasion, with 35 in 2009-10.
England international Kane has been responsible for 12 of those, making this his joint-best start to a campaign at this stage since the 2017-18 season.
"Harry has played a really important role in this period," Conte said. "If we finished this period in the top four and qualified for the top four, I think we have to praise Harry a lot.
"I think Harry honestly deserves great praise because he is always an important player, but in this period there was a lot of weight on his shoulders and he played in a great way.
"He's arriving at the World Cup with lots of enthusiasm, in a great physical condition and mentally stronger. He's ready. I can see in his eyes he's ready to be the protagonist."
Rodrigo Bentancur struck twice in the final 10 minutes as Tottenham battled back from behind three times to snatch a dramatic 4-3 victory against Leeds United on Saturday.
Spurs conceded the opening goal in a game for the eighth time in a row when Crysencio Summerville scored for a fourth Premier League match running inside the first 10 minutes.
Rodrigo Moreno matched that scoring streak when scoring either side of equalisers from Harry Kane and Ben Davies to give Leeds a 3-2 lead in the 76th minute.
But Bentancur equalised in the 81st minute and earned Tottenham a thrilling victory two minutes later as Leeds, who had Tyler Adams sent off late on, imploded in north London.
Barcelona forward Memphis Depay reportedly is looking to leave the club on a free transfer in January, and a trio of high-profile Premier League teams are mentioned as potential suitors.
Depay, 28, played 38 games for the Catalan giants in the 2021-22 campaign, but he has found himself on the outside looking in this season, appearing in only three contests.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, and Barcelona looking to shed his salary to increase their financial flexibility, the Netherlands international is hopeful his exit can be arranged mid-season.
TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMS CIRCLE OUT-OF-FAVOUR BARCA FORWARD
According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are paying close attention to Depay's situation with Barcelona.
If he is allowed to leave on a free transfer, United are said to have strong interest in bringing him back to Old Trafford, where he spent two seasons from 2015 to 2017 before being sold to Lyon.
The report also mentions Chelsea and Tottenham, who had interest in the previous transfer window before deciding against a move.
Depay has not played since a September 22 Nations League match for the Netherlands against Poland, but if he puts on a show at the World Cup, interest could skyrocket.
ROUND-UP
– According to The Guardian, Erik ten Hag plans on selling United captain Harry Maguire at the end of the season.
– 90min is reporting Arsenal are planning moves for Leicester City's Youri Tielemans and Palmeiras' 21-year-old Danilo in a bid to strengthen their midfield in January.
– Newcastle United will rival Arsenal in the chase for 21-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who will reportedly cost in the range of £100million, per Football Insider.
– The Daily Mail is reporting Chelsea have hosted 16-year-old Palmeiras prodigy Endrick on an official club visit, introducing him to fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva.
– Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund have shown interest in 20-year-old Leeds right-back Cody Drameh, per the Daily Mail.
A Leeds fan who was accused of racially abusing Jamaica and West Ham forward Michail Antonio has been banned from football events for 4 years.
The incident occurred during the teams defeat to West Ham at Elland Road in 2021. On that occasion Antonio scored a 90th minute winner to give the Hammers a 2-1 win.
Following the goal, Gary Hawkins, a 52-year-old male, was found to not have only abused Antonio from his seat but also threatened another fan who challenged him regarding the language.
Hawkins was found guilty of two offences after a trial at Leeds Magistrates' Court and given an eight-week sentence, suspended for 12 months.
The West Yorkshire Police were quick to condemn the action.
"Race hate crime such as this is truly abhorrent and can never be tolerated,” said Supt Russ Hughes.
"As we have seen with this incident, other fans will rightly take exception to this type of behaviour.”
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