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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

It may not be the most exotic name, but it could be just what Leeds have been looking for.

What’s the story?

According to a report in Le Buteur, Leeds are one of three teams that are chasing the signature of Algerian forward Baghdad Bounedjah.

The 27-year-old currently plays for Al-Sadd in the Qatari Stars League and boasts an impressive tally of 97 goals in 78 appearances for the side.

Whilst a record like that should always be taken with a pinch of salt because of the level of competition, you have to at least give him credit for knowing where the goal is.

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The ultimate risk?

One of the main reasons that there hasn’t been much headway in negotiations is that Leeds, and the other clubs involved, seem rather hesitant on paying the asking price of €15m (£12.9m) for the player’s services.

It is always possible that the fee can be negotiated down but even at something slightly lower, it would pose a significant risk for Leeds to take. They showed their hand in how tight the purse strings are this summer by not paying a fee for any of their players this summer just gone.

With reports circulating that Eddie Nketiah could be recalled by Arsenal in the January transfer window, this move could very well be a case of killing two birds with one stone.

Marcelo Bielsa gets a player to backup or rotate with Patrick Bamford, and they don’t have to worry about a parent club breathing down their neck worried about a lack of minutes.

It’s well known that Leeds have had troubles this year when it comes to finding the back of the net, scoring just 15 goals from a total of 16.6 shots per game, via WhoScored.

As mentioned earlier, it’s not the most prestigious of leagues to be scoring in, but even if he produces at 50% the rate that he did in that league, Leeds could find the answer to their biggest problem this season.

The question is though, are they willing to fork out the money required to do so? Given the fee and the league he has been playing in, it would be a big risk.

Nathan Holland scored twice as West Ham United’s Under-23 side recorded a 4-0 win over Stoke City Under-23s in the Premier League 2 on Monday night.

The 21-year-old featured in West Ham’s EFL Cup clash with Oxford United at the end of September but has not been involved in the Premier League this season.

His performance on Monday night made a huge impression on a number of the club’s fans, though, and some have even called for head coach Manuel Pellegrini to include the attacker against Sheffield United in the Premier League this weekend.

The Blades will head to the London Stadium full of confidence after a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Monday night, making it an even tougher test for the Hammers.

Holland has only made two first-team appearances for West Ham since arriving from Everton in the middle of the 2016/17 campaign.

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However, many of the supporters want him to be involved in the senior squad going forward.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Sheffield United defender George Baldock has been included in Alan Shearer’s Premier League Team of the Week for the 10th round of fixtures (via @SheffieldUnited).

The right-back was part of the Blades team which secured a 1-1 draw against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday, playing the whole 90 minutes (via Transfermarkt).

Baldock produced an impressive display against the Hammers, making four defensive clearances whilst also completing one successful dribble and even taking two shots at goal, one of which was on target (via WhoScored).

It is the second week in a row that the marauding full-back has been included in Shearer’s best 11, with his performance against Arsenal also catching the eye (@SheffieldUnited).

Like many of Sheffield United’s players, the former MK Dons man appears to have taken to the Premier League like a duck to water following promotion from the Championship last season.

He has been an ever-present for the Blades so far, starting all 10 league fixtures (Transfermarkt), and as implied by his multiple Team of the Week inclusions, he is playing very well.

Several supporters have been reacting to Baldock being one of the weekend’s top performers in the Premier League, and they too have been impressed with the 26-year-old, with some suggesting that he could even be good enough to play for England…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Manchester City will clash with Liverpool this Sunday at Anfield in what is set to be the biggest game of the season so far. The Reds currently sit six points ahead of the champions and a win could put them nine points clear after just 12 games.

Pep Guardiola is going to need his best men at the ready and, with Liverpool in such relentless form, it will need to be a gargantuan performance to walk away from Merseyside with all three points. However, at left-back, it seems the Spaniard has a bit of a problem.

The injury to Oleksandr Zinchenko has ruled him out for up to a month, forcing him to miss crucial games such as Liverpool and perhaps even the Manchester derby clash. In Zinchenko’s absence, the go-to man would usually be Benjamin Mendy. However, the Frenchman, who is finally injury-free, is struggling this season.

Mendy has often been caught out defensively and has averaged just 0.3 tackles in his three league games so far. Going forward, the 25-year-old has not made a key pass and averaged just 0.7 crosses each league fixture this season.

This has forced in Angelino, who has since taken his opportunity with both hands. The Spaniard made 118 touches against Southampton at the weekend, attempting 18 crosses and making one tackle. In truth, in the two games against the Saints, Angelino has looked a lot more of a threat than Mendy, however, he is not well versed in titanic Premier League clashes.

Up against Mohamed Salah at Anfield, the last thing Guardiola is going to want to do is to field an inexperienced player to nullify his threat.

Salah has 59 goals over the past three Premier League season – more than anybody else in the division. As a result, the Liverpool man will be licking his lips at facing such an inexperienced man in Angelino, but the alternative option in Mendy is also the type of player the Egyptian will feel he can get the better of.

The problem Guardiola faces is a stark contrast to his right-back situation, which is looking competitive and healthy this season.

Kyle Walker’s goal and assist in his game-winning display at the weekend provided a subtle reminder of his ability to the footballing world during a tough time for the full-back. Joao Cancelo, who joined the Citizens in a £27.6m summer deal, has stepped into the side of late and impressed, leaving some fans questioning Walker’s future at club level as well as international following his recent omission from two of Gareth Southgate’s England squads.

But Walker, who signed for £50m in 2017, doesn’t appear to be submitting to the challenge and his performance on Saturday attested to that.

Guardiola’s right-backs provide him with a desirable conundrum to unpick, but the left-back situation provides him with an altogether different dilemma as the champions prepare to face off with the fiercest challengers to their supremacy.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Lee Wallace’s debut showed a lot of promise but his return to action could also produce a much-needed lift for Mark Warburton and Queen Park Rangers.

On the chalkboard

QPR’s defensive woes are no secret this year. They have conceded the second-most goals in the division – behind only second-from-bottom Barnsley – and therefore changes are needed to solve the issue.

Warburton has varied between 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2 this season without much success, but operating with the latter against Leeds, which included Wallace as a left-side centre-back, did lead to a little improvement.

Yes they conceded twice, which could have been more but for a brilliant Wallace tackle, but Leeds are one of the best sides in the league, and therefore QPR’s defensive performance deserves some recognition.

If Warburton can settle on a chosen back three it could be the way to go. The former Rangers captain would provide much-needed experience as well as supporting Ryan Manning in the left wing-back role.

That should reduce crosses into the box and passes in behind, with the level of leadership he provides important in organising a defence.

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Finding the right system

QPR’s inconsistency is likely due, in part, to Warburton’s continuous chopping and changing of formation, as it prevents players from growing accustomed to their role in the team, and how they work with their teammates.

Now Wallace is fit, Warburton has several options to choose from at centre-back, and he can afford to operate with three centre-backs whilst keeping the error-prone Yoann Barbet on the bench.

A 3-5-2 allows the R’s to deploy Jordan Hugill, Nahki Wells and Eberechi Eze in the same team, with the latter given the freedom to exploit the opposition in a way which perfectly suits his dribbling style, with 3.3 successful ones per game this year.

Another who could directly benefit is Manning. He has been very effective going forward this term and with added cover in defence he should have the confidence to make the most of his attacking threat, thus allowing him to build on the 2.2 key passes he has managed so far.

Whilst that doesn’t directly impact the defence, Wallace did manage three tackles against Leeds, whilst also achieving 3.6 interceptions per game during his last spell playing regularly for Rangers in the 2016/17 season.

That highlights the defensive solidity he can provide when fit, and if Warburton gives the team time to adjust to a 3-5-2 formation then it could soon reap the rewards.

It was a highlight in an otherwise dreary day down in South Wales.

Although, if he keeps setting the bar like this, Birmingham City fans might just be in for a bit of a downfall if he starts scoring tap ins.

Ivan Sunjic came in with a bit of a reputation when he signed in the summer, with one Croatian journalist comparing the 23-year-old to Internazionale midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

Quite high standards indeed, and those standards only got higher after his first goal for the club against Derby County, earning him the Goal of the Month award in the process.

He’s since gone about trying to better himself, and his second goal for the Blues might have been more impressive than the first one.

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That’s why Bluenoses can’t seem to get enough of it, taking every opportunity to watch the goal over and over again whilst drooling over the strike.

Indeed there were some who were rather annoyed that it didn’t get more recognition from those outside the club.

If he can make it three like this, it would possibly be the three greatest goals to start a club career since Wayne Rooney’s first three for Manchester United.

Lots of Liverpool fans have been reacting online after the Reds revealed on Twitter that Sunday’s 3-1 win over Manchester City made it 46 Premier League games since they were last beaten at Anfield.

The run stretches back to when Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace in April 2017, when a brace by Christian Benteke overturned Philippe Coutinho’s 24th-minute opener.

Since then, 46 top-flight games have been held on the red side of Stanley Park, with Liverpool only dropping maximum points in ten of those as Southampton, Burnley, Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Stoke, Manchester City and Leicester were able to claim a share of the spoils.

Liverpool have not been forced to settle for a draw on home soil since hosting the Foxes on January 30, though, as they have continued to make Anfield a fortress with 13 straight league wins.

The Reds have not failed to score more than twice in the top-flight at Anfield since the 1-1 draw with Leicester last season, as well, with Jurgen Klopp’s side firing home a total of 42 goals in the 13 fixtures held since.

Here are some of the reactions offered to Liverpool sharing that Sunday’s win over Manchester City was their 46th consecutive league game unbeaten at Anfield…

Mauricio Pochettino is currently hanging on by a thread at Tottenham Hotspur and looking at their situation in the Premier League at the very moment, it’s not really difficult to see why. Spurs are sitting in 14th place in the table and the Argentine, for all his brilliance that was on display throughout last campaign, doesn’t seem to have the answers.

Unsurprisingly, however, some names have come out recently as potential replacements should the Argentine really get axed soon and Julian Nagelsmann was one of them. Unfortunately, according to The Athletic, Spurs’ interest has come one year too late.

With that in mind, here are actually three Nagelsmann alternatives Tottenham should consider if they really miss out on RB Leipzig’s coach:

Jose Mourinho

Mourinho is actually one of those coaches that have been linked with a gig at Spurs but just the thought of having him at the helm made a lot of their fans say they don’t want him. But looking purely at what the Portuguese coach can do and turning a blind eye to his previous stints, he does look like a solid choice.

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After all, Mourinho is proven on virtually every stage in football, collecting trophies for fun throughout his career. If someone has the ability to stir things up at a club that has seemingly reached its peak, then it’s him.

And besides, he’s currently without a club and reportedly even interested.

Daniel Levy shouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone.

Massimiliano Allegri

If Mourinho was the pragmatic choice that seems attainable but not as attractive when taking the overall picture into consideration, then Allegri definitely ticks all the boxes.

The ex-Juventus coach is very much on the same level as our former pick and even though he couldn’t clinch that Champions League title with Juventus despite getting to two finals, Allegri is still a winner.

Just like Mourinho, the Italian is also a free agent, albeit on a football sabbatical at the moment, but if he was offered such an interesting project of bringing Tottenham Hotspur back to life, he could definitely be tempted to cut the holiday short and get back to business.

With him at the helm, who knows how far Spurs could go.

Quique Setien

As far as wildcards go, Setien could be a pick not many would even think about putting in here. The former Real Betis man is another coach that’s currently out of a job and one that would definitely be attainable if Spurs wanted to get him.

He doesn’t have the experience of leading a big club, granted, but the things he did with a relatively small club in the form of Real Betis is still admirable.

His teams play attractive, attacking football and are always active and brave on the pitch. Maybe that’s exactly what Tottenham need right now.

Setien is far from a big name that would make shockwaves upon appointment but he still seems like an effective option, and could be worth a shot.

Some Liverpool fans have been discussing the idea of bringing Sander Berge to the club and many of them are hoping to see the Norwegian at Anfield.

Berge has been in impressive form for Genk this season and has played in 20 games so far for the Belgian giants, scoring twice from midfield.

The 21-year-old has also been a regular for Norway over the past year and helped his country finish third in Group F of the European qualifiers.

Given that he has emerged as a transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur in the past, it seems that Berge is beginning to establish himself as one of the most coveted youngsters on the continent.

It does seem like some Liverpool fans want this deal to go through, as one fan alluded to Berge’s defensive nature within Genk’s setup.

The supporter stated that the defensive midfielder could be a backup for Fabinho or perhaps even a replacement for Adam Lallana.

Another fan said he is “ridiculously talented” and hopes that Jurgen Klopp can get the deal over the line.

Here’s what some of the Liverpool faithful have had to say on sealing his signature…

Patrick Bamford is the definition of a marmite figure. You either love him or you hate him, and in the eyes of many supporters at half time on Saturday afternoon, the feeling was one of disdain.

The 26-year-old had struck the post in the opening 45 minutes before being berated by fans over the interval.

At times this term, he’s received staunch criticism but he’s also been applauded for his work rate. However, come full-time at Kenilworth Road, there must have been a feeling of love.

Not only did Bamford open the scoring but he also slid the ball home to win his side the game on 90 minutes.

For someone who hadn’t scored in ten games prior to netting against Blackburn before the international break, his movement oozed of someone with confidence.

The former Middlesbrough man is very much a form player. He bagged four in his first five outings of the season but after a run of dreadful outings, there were calls for Eddie Nketiah to start.

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He is still yet to achieve that in the league and he’s made his feelings all too clear. It didn’t seem to matter how poorly Bamford performed, he’d always get the nod.

A recent injury halted his chances just as it looked as though he may be due a run of starts but with his competition for a place in the side now back among the goals, he should be fearful.

The above image is from Bamford’s first goal against the Hatters on Saturday. He took the ball in his stride and then fired it unerringly past James Shea in goal. It was a tidy finish and one that should strike fear into Nketiah’s body.

Coming back from injury is never easy but now it’ll be even harder given Leeds’ number nine is fit and firing.

For Nketiah, his chances of breaking into the team look at an all-time low.