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Leeds United are apparently interested in signing Glen Kamara in a deal that would cost the Whites at least £8m.

At least that’s what reports from Football Insider are saying.

This is a very interesting prospect as the Finland international is an experienced player at a very high level having played Europa League football regularly for the Glasgow outfit.

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He would certainly add a little bit more quality to the Championship side, and not only that, he’d provide more depth in the middle of the park as Leeds have struggled there due to ongoing injury problems affecting Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton.

However, signings from Scotland have proven to be rather hit and miss in the Championship in recent years with the likes of John McGinn flourishing at this level, helping Villa to the Premier League, but others such as Jason Cummings, scoring just once for Forest, have struggled to adapt to their new surroundings.

So would Kamara be a good signing for Leeds? We’ve asked our team of writers to give their opinions.

Matt Dawson “Leeds have multiple options in midfield but I think this has the potential to be a really smart signing, one that adds something to the Whites that has been missing since Adam Forshaw was injured earlier this season.“The former Middlesbrough man was enjoying an incredibly consistent season in the middle of the park, providing an element of safety and security. He kept things ticking over with a pass success rate of 89.7%, the highest of any Leeds player in 2019/20. Fans themselves admitted earlier in the campaign that they missed him but by acquiring someone like Kamara, they’d find themselves a player in a similar mould. “He hasn’t been spectacular for Rangers this term but there’s definitely a player in there who knows how to dictate the tempo of the game and keep things assured. The 24-year-old has completed 91.9% of his passes in the Europa League, creating chances against Porto and Feyenoord. That points to a man who knows how to perform against above-average opposition and there are few better managers to learn from when you’re a midfielder than Steven Gerrard. “It wouldn’t be a coup, but it could be a cunning piece of business that goes under the radar.” Lewis Blain “Leeds United chasing Glen Kamara has all the hallmarks to be a flop signing, in my mind. Marcelo Bielsa has a wealth of riches in the central midfield position – Mateusz Klich has only just signed a contract extension, Kalvin Phillips acts as the glue that holds it all together and that’s on top of having Adam Forshaw, Jamie Shackleton, and young prospect Mateusz Bogusz at their disposal.“The 24-year-old would find it hard to break into such a competitive role unless there are other forces at work here such as a Phillips’ possible departure – but for now, that remains to be seen. Kamara failed to make the grade at Arsenal and has found himself plying his trade in the Scottish Premier League, which isn’t comparable to the Championship let alone the top-flight, where Leeds ultimately want to be.“Against the big boys in the Europa League this campaign he has often lost possession, which is a worrying sign for a player that’s either an anchorman in defensive midfield or the general of the engine room. Leeds can do far, far better than settling for mediocrity, especially if they want to be true to their Premier League ambitions.” Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“A former academy product at Arsenal, Glen Kamara has re-built his career following his release from the Emirates.

The Finland international played 64 times for Dundee, before earning a high-profile move to Rangers.

“At Ibrox, he has not enjoyed the most productive of times when it comes to featuring in the Scottish Premiership, completing the 90 minutes just five times. However, his quality cannot be undenied, and Leeds must look past his struggles to force his way into Steven Gerrard’s side.

“In his four Europa League appearances, he has averaged an impressive 53.3 touches and 0.8 interceptions per game.

“That ability to dictate the play but also breaking up opposition attacks could be invaluable to Bielsa. His Rangers teammate Scott Arfied even described him as the “biggest steal of the century”. Leeds must snap him up as soon as they can.”

Charles Jones

“I think that Kamara would be quite a smart signing for Leeds United.

“The Whites don’t have all that much depth in the middle of the park, and he would alleviate some of the problems that have been caused by injuries to Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton in recent weeks.

“Marcelo Bielsa has got round these problems by playing Stuart Dallas in the middle of the park, and with all due respect to the Northern Irishman, he’s not a midfield player.

“Adding someone with Europa League experience to a squad pushing for promotion can’t be a bad idea, and if Leeds can get this one done it’d be a decent piece of business.”

It is fair to say that Sean Dyche and his Everton side have struggled so far in the 2024/25 campaign. The Toffees are currently languishing in 16th in the Premier League table, with five points to their name so far.

The Merseyside outfit have managed just one win, with their other two points coming from draws, and have lost a frustrating four games. That includes two different occasions in which they threw away 2-0 leads to lose 3-2. The sole victory so far came against Crystal Palace, a 2-1 win, and they drew against Leicester City and, most recently, Newcastle.

Jordan Pickford was the Toffees’ hero last Sunday against the North Eastern side, saving a penalty from former Everton man Anthony Gordon to ensure they got a point.

Gordon’s beginnings at Everton

Once the man who many Everton fans believed would help them reestablish themselves as one of the best sides in English football, it was a toxic end to Anthony Gordon’s time at Goodison Park.

The winger left in bitter circumstances, handing in a transfer request in the 2023 January transfer window after a failed move to Chelsea the previous summer. Newcastle came calling, so he moved to the North East for £45m including add-ons.

On the face of things, the England international did not really set the world alight for the Toffees during his time at the club. He played 78 games in the famous blue shirt, scoring just seven goals and grabbing eight assists. With that being said, he showed plenty of promise thanks to his direct nature and fearlessness on the ball.

Gordon has since excelled under Eddie Howe at St James’ Park. In 73 appearances for the North East side, he has 11 goals and 15 assists, with ten goals and 11 assists coming in 35 top-flight games last term.

Now, he is a hated figure on the blue side of Merseyside, largely thanks to the messy way he left the club, considered by many Toffees fans as toxic. However, Everton now have a star who is proving to be just as good, if not better, than their former number 10. That player is Dwight McNeil.

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How McNeil compares to Gordon

In what has been a bleak campaign so far for the Toffees, winger McNeil has had a superb time of things under Dyche. The 24-year-old already has three goals and two assists for the Toffees in seven top-flight games.

As per Sofascore, he leads the way for goal involvements in the Premier League from Everton players, by two goals and assists. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is second with three combined goal involvements to his name so far.

Not only is he statistically Everton’s most important player from a creative standpoint this term, but he is also comfortably outscoring their former winger Gordon. The Newcastle number 10 has two goals and is yet to register an assist this term in the Premier League, fewer than McNeil.

When comparing the underlying stats of each winger, courtesy of Squawka, NcNeil once again leads the way in several key metrics. For example, the Everton number seven averages 3.4 chances created per game, compared to just 2.3 from Gordon. He also competes an average of nine forward passes each game, with the Newcastle winger far lower at just 4.8.

Shots on target

0.8

0.6

Chances created

3.4

2.3

Crosses completed

3.2

2

Cross accuracy

45.83%

41.94%

Through balls

1.1

0.3

Forward passes

9

4.8

Take-ons completed

1.4

1.7

Take-on completion rate

52.94%

52.38%

The difference between the two this season is clear, and this is surely something Toffees fans can be happy with. After all, McNeil is an incredibly “underrated” player, as football statistician Statman Dave put it.

From an Everton point of view, they will be hoping the left-footed wizard can continue his stellar start to the season, as they look to continue picking up points and steering well clear of the bottom three once again.

Everton gem who lost 13 duels v Newcastle was worse than McNeil

Sean Dyche led his team to a draw against the Magpies, but one ace arguably had a day to forget.

ByRoss Kilvington Oct 6, 2024

Everton are now believed to be looking to bring in a “fantastic” manager to replace Sean Dyche as the Friedkin Group close in on a takeover from Farhad Moshiri.

Everton takeover latest

The Blues are still without a win in the Premier League this season, although Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to Leicester City did at least see them get their first point on the board. There was an element of disappointment about the result again however, considering Everton were leading through Iliman Ndiaye’s goal and because they were up against a team who were playing Championship football last term.

This terrible start to the campaign has understandably meant that there is huge pressure on Dyche to keep his job, with the Englishman seemingly losing admirers by the week among the Goodison Park faithful and a potential takeover sure to change his status as well.

On that note, it appears John Textor has taken too long trying to sell his stake at Crystal Palace, as it is now the Freidkin Group closing in on a deal, with reliable reporter Mark Douglas revealing on Monday that an Everton takeover is “very close” and Friedkin is plotting “significant” investment and an “immediate review of football operations” – something which may place Dyche’s position in danger.

Moyes favourite to be new Everton manager

A new report from Football Insider claims that Everton are now looking to bring David Moyes back to Goodison, should they decide that Dyche is no longer the right man for the job. The Scot is considered a “popular appointment” by both “the boardroom and the fans”, having enjoyed such an impressive stint in charge first time around, although it is unclear how much of that support is from the potential new investors.

Opinion may be divided among Everton fans when it comes to a Moyes return, with some no doubt happy about the potential for it happening, and others perhaps feeling that a younger option is needed. He enjoyed a good second spell at West Ham, not least because he won the UEFA Europa Conference League back in 2022/23, but has ironically struggled against Dyche in his career, barely averaging over a point per game against the 53 year-old and winning only 3 of 11 head to heads.

Legendary centre-back Martin Keown lauded him during his last stint with the Hammers, saying: “I think David Moyes deserves credit because you know he’s at the back end of his career but I think he’s getting ever-better. He’s actually showing improvements. Fantastic work they’re doing in Europe, and he seems to be relishing the battle right now.”

Moyes is known for adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, and while not necessarily the most attack-minded manager around, he could arguably play better football than has been on show under Dyche, with entertainment value severely lacking under his management and only four goals scored in the league so far this season.

West Ham

230

1.53

West Ham

31

1.19

Sunderland

43

0.72

Real Sociedad

42

1.21

Man Utd

51

1.73

Everton

518

1.54

Preston North End

211

1.72

Moyes’ vast experience could help Everton get themselves out of this current hole, in a period where avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season is paramount ahead of the move to Bramley Moore Dock.

The bleakness that engulfed Birmingham City after relegation down to League One was confirmed has now been replaced by an infectious optimism around St. Andrew’s, as the new-look side take the third tier by storm.

Chris Davies’ men will hope that their stay in the lowly division is a very swift one, and it looks like it’ll be a whistle-stop tour at best, with the rampant Blues only kept off the top of the early League One table currently owing to the fact they have a game to catch up on.

Jay Stansfield will be raring to go this weekend after netting twice last time out against an equally ambitious Wrexham side, with the bumper £20m amount splashed out to get him to relocate back to the West Midlands already paying off.

Stansfield's start at Birmingham

There were plenty of eyebrows raised amongst avid EFL fans when Stansfield linked back up with his former employers for such a lavish amount on deadline day, concluding Birmingham’s over-the-top spending methods in the window in some style.

Money does talk, however, and Stansfield will believe he can sharpen his goalscoring prowess in the third tier even more, having netted 13 goals in all competitions for his relegated side last season, before making this permanent move happen.

He had a dream debut back in the West Midlands, with his two important strikes helping Birmingham come out on top against Wrexham last time out, as more League One defenders now wait anxiously for how Stansfield could twist and turn them moving forward.

However, as much as winning the ex-Fulham youngster back was a major plus in the transfer department, Birmingham have also fallen victim to some poor decision-making with deals in and out of the club over the years, including letting Jobe Bellingham leave for just £3m last year.

Bellingham's increased transfer value

Bellingham’s transfer value has only gone up and up since leaving Birmingham behind for pastures new at Sunderland, as the impressive 18-year-old continues to star for Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats.

From 51 appearances playing in Wearside to date, the teenage sensation has managed to amass a respectable return of seven goals and two assists, leading to the attacking midfielder being touted for a move to Serie A titans Lazio, among other luxurious outfits.

He was even labelled as a “wonderful” talent by interim Sunderland boss Mike Dodds during the 2023/24 season, before further cementing himself as a key part of the first team under his new French manager this campaign.

Club played for

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Sunderland

51

7

2

Birmingham

24

0

0

Birmingham U21s

13

0

1

Birmingham U18s

12

5

0

Bellingham would unfortunately never blossom into a top first-team performer at St. Andrew’s, as can be seen looking at the table above, with no goal contributions coming his way from 24 men’s appearances for the Blues.

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Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Therefore, at the time, £3m must have felt like a substantial amount, but with his recent valuation coming in at around the £20m mark when clubs were sniffing this summer – the same as what Birmingham reportedly paid to land Stansfield – the Blues might have well been better equipped to exercise more patience.

Of course, hindsight is a funny old thing, but Birmingham would have loved to have got more out of their homegrown product when they could have, before he became a top performer in the Championship.

That’s the level the Blues will be striving to get back to as soon as possible, with Birmingham perhaps even facing off against their ex-midfielder next campaign if everything goes to plan.

Former Birmingham star would be worth more than Stansfield if sold in 2024

Birmingham City struck gold selling on this star when they did.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 15, 2024

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could be "snapped up by a Premier League team" this summer due to a release clause in his contract, claims journalist Alex Crook.

What is the latest Jack Harrison transfer news?

It has been a busy summer of transfer activity for the recently relegated Leeds this year, but perhaps not in the way fans would've been hoping, as the club have already seen 11 players go out the door, some on loan like Brenden Aaronson, but some permanently, like Tyler Roberts.

That list of departing players could soon have another name as Spanish striker and Leeds' top scorer last season Rodrigo Moreno has completed his move to Qatari side Al Rayyan.

The Peacocks won't even earn much for the move; his £3m price tag will actually represent a £27m loss on the former Valencia man. The fee is so low due to a release clause in his contract that could be activated after the team's relegation to the Championship last season.

In yet more bad news for new boss Daniel Farke, Football Insider revealed last month that exciting attacker Harrison also has a similar release clause in his contract that could see him leave for just £16m this summer.

With his performances for the Whites over the last few years and that appealing price tag, it shouldn't be a surprise if he ends up playing in England's top flight again next year, per Alex Crook.

He explained the situation on air, which was posted on TalkSPORT's YouTube channel, saying:

"Most of that squad have got similar clauses, I think Jack Harrison will be snapped up by a Premier League team."

Is Jack Harrison good enough for the Premier League?

Harrison has had an interesting journey to get where he is today, moving to the USA in his teens before playing in the MLS and signing for Manchester City.

Following that, he spent four seasons in Yorkshire, making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet for much of that time.

He has certainly proved that he has what it takes to play in England's top tier, and even last season, as the team around him was crumbling, he was able to put in consistently decent performances, with WhoScored giving him an average rating of 6.72 across his 36 appearances.

His underlying numbers were also solid, with FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, placing him in the top 8% for blocks, the top 15% for clearances, the top 21% for interceptions, and the top 32% for assists, all per 90.

His talents are clearly appreciated by his teammates, as left back Junior Firpo waxed lyrical about his teammate on the Leeds official podcast, saying:

"He's one of the best wingers I had, in terms of helping the fullback. This is really important for the fullback when you have a winger that is committed to the work and helps you with the 2 v 1's, especially here in the Premier League where every team has amazing wingers. It's unbelievable to have him."

While Leeds would undoubtedly miss him, for the reported fee of just £16m, he would represent outstanding value for any mid-table team in the Premier League, and it's likely just a matter of when and not if he makes that move this summer.

Arsenal are now considering a surprise move for PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, according to a recent report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Arsenal are still running the rule over a number of options to challenge for Bukayo Saka's spot at right-wing, with Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze being "monitored", amid "fierce competition" for his signature from Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Another attacking option for the Gunners is Fenerbahce's Arda Guler, having recently leapfrogged Newcastle in the race for his signature, with Dean Jones claiming that Mikel Arteta has "two more" signings up his sleeve this summer.

According to a report from Football Transfers, one of the club's more outlandish targets is Mbappe, with Arsenal, and by extension sporting director Edu Gaspar, currently weighing up whether to send a package to the representatives of the PSG forward ahead of what has been labelled a sensational 2024 move.

The Frenchman's contract is due to expire at the end of next season, so this summer may be the last chance PSG have to receive a transfer fee for their prized asset, who has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

At this stage, it is thought the La Liga side are leading the race for the 24-year-old, and they could make an offer this summer, should his current club reduce their asking price, but at the moment they are holding firm.

Arsenal are aware they are currently second-choice to Real Madrid, and they will have to hope the Spanish club fail in their pursuit of the attacker.

How much does Kylian Mbappe earn?

The France international is currently tied down to a huge £1.2m-per-week contract at PSG, so the Gunners will be well aware they must be willing to spend big if they are to secure his signature this summer

In truth, it does not seem very likely the Gunners will be able to compete for his signature, as while they do have Champions League football on offer next season, the PSG star will probably want to move to a side with a more recent history of winning major trophies.

However, if the former AS Monaco man is attracted by the prospect of being a part of the project at the Emirates Stadium, there is every indication he could be a fantastic signing, who could help take Arsenal to the next level.

Hailed as a "generational talent" by members of the media, Mbappe has recorded a remarkable 212 goals and 98 assists in 260 appearances for PSG, proving himself as one of the world's best players.

Brendan Rodgers will soon make the second signing of his return to Celtic as Melbourne City's Marco Tilio prepares for a move to Glasgow, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Having captured their first signing of the summer window, bringing in 20-year-old Odin Thiago Holm from Valerenga, Celtic are working towards a second deal under Rodgers.

Australian forward Tilio is expected to arrive at Parkhead soon enough, and is perhaps a signing influenced by previous manager Ange Postecoglou's knowledge of the A-League.

Having won the domestic treble last season under now Tottenham boss Postecoglou, expectations are high for Rodgers' return to the Scottish Premiership, and the Bhoys will be expected to repeat the levels of success they enjoyed during the 2022/23 campaign.

According to Dean Jones, Tilio could be one of the men to help them do that, arriving in Scotland with an already impressive record.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "His Melbourne City team at the moment have got an understanding that they're not going to be able to hold on to him that much longer. So I think this would be a good route to go down for him, he's got a wand of a left foot and I think it'd be really exciting for the Celtic fans."

Positive news for Celtic fans, Tilio is not the only man that has been linked with Parkhead. A trio of K-League names have been mooted with Gangwon's Yang Hyun-jun and Gwanju's Eom Ji-sung and Jeong Ho-yeon on the club's radar.

Celtic have been very successful in utilising the Asian transfer market, with Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Hyeon-gyu Oh all arriving in recent windows. The first on that impressive list even managed to pick up the Player of the Year award in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Who is Marco Tilio?

A 21-year-old attacker born in Sydney, Tilio is already a three-time Australian champion, winning two with Melbourne City and one with his hometown Sydney FC.

A left-footed winger who is comfortable on both flanks, albeit favouring the right, Tilio has scored 15 goals and registered 18 assists in 70 A-League appearances.

The youngster also went to the 2022 World Cup with Australia, replacing the injured Martin Boyle at the tournament, but was an unused substitute in all four of the Socceroos' matches. He has, however, still featured seven times for his nation, three of which were in qualification for the Qatar World Cup.

A-League expert Sacha Pisani described Tilio as a "really exciting player" who made a significant impact at Melbourne City last season, taking his game to a new level.

Arsenal are still very interested in Southampton's Romeo Lavia and he "remains" on their shortlist, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are Arsenal going to sign Lavia?

Having invested all their time and resources into securing deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal's recruitment team have barely been able to catch their breath over the past few weeks.

The Gunners want to build a team capable of going a step further and toppling Manchester City next season, and Mikel Arteta will need significant reinforcements to catch the champions, especially with the added pressure of Champions League football.

While Rice remains their midfield priority, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey's seemingly inevitable Emirates exits means that a second midfielder will be required as well. That midfielder very well could be 19-year-old Romeo Lavia.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Lavia remains firmly on the Gunners shortlist, despite interest from Liverpool ramping up.

"We already told you last week that Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list, that Arsenal had some positive conversations on club and player's side, but still no official bid," said the Italian.

"We know the priority is to resolve other stuff, like Timber, Rice and many others. Of course, Havertz will be official, but, guys, it is important to say that Romeo Lavia remains in Arsenal's list as one of the players they appreciate."

"So, Romeo Lavia is in Arsenal's list, but from what I understand, also Liverpool have opened talks to sign Romeo Lavia."

Romano also suggests that the Gunners may have to wait for Partey's future to be decided before they can act on their Lavia interest. However, by this time they could be behind other clubs in the queue.

Last season's Premier League runners-up had also shown a significant interest in midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who could have followed the path of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to north London, but the German has since joined Barcelona.

What could Arsenal expect from Lavia?

The fact that Lavia has taken inspiration from former Manchester City teammate Fernandinho can only be a positive thing for potential suitors, with the Belgian sharing some key characteristics with the 53-cap Brazilian international.

Lavia has great defensive awareness and reads the game well, being described as "head and shoulders" above any of Southampton's other players this season – albeit that is a very low bar – and being praised for his "professionalism" and "consistency".

Valued at more than £40m by the Saints per Romano, that could well prove to be a steal in an inflated transfer market, especially for a player who is just 19 with a year of top-flight experience under his belt already.

Lavia could provide Arsenal with significant defensive stability in the absence of Partey, as well as being a cheaper alternative should Declan Rice join Man City.

Arsenal are set to submit a record-breaking huge new move for West Ham United star Declan Rice, reports Sky Sports News transfer guru Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are perhaps the busiest team in the Premier League right now, having already moved for several new signings since the transfer window officially opened last week.

The most advanced of which appears to be a move for Chelsea star Kai Havertz, with Fabrizio Romano revealing this week that personal terms with the Germany international are already agreed and the club’s valuations are only about £5m apart.

A deal for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is also in the works, with David Ornstein revealing a £30m attempt from Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta on Monday evening, although the Dutch outfit want £50m, so that saga could rumble on for a bit.

According to Sheth, amidst all that, the north Londoners are also set to table their next offer for Rice, having been rejected in their advances so far: “Arsenal expected to make formal bid worth £90m for West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

He continued: “Arsenal bid would smash their club transfer record. Currently stands at £72m for Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.”

Is Rice worth the money?

Everyone knows by now what Rice can offer a team, having thrived for England and on the European stage, but it’s not until you dive into the underlying numbers you see just what an influential addition he could be at the Emirates Stadium.

The 24 year-old sits in the 95th percentile for all midfielders in Europe for interceptions per 90 minutes, also ranking highly for tackles, clearances, progressive passes, progressive carries and non-penalty goals.

This is a player then who can really do it all, reading the play, breaking it up, driving forward either with the ball at his feet or with a clever pass and even pitching in with the occasional goal.

With Granit Xhaka strongly linked with a departure and now Thomas Partey too, it seems Arteta is plotting a bit of a midfield rebuild ahead of the club’s return to the Champions League, and signing Rice along with Havertz – albeit for a more advanced role of course – would be an excellent place to start.

If they can then go on and strenghten the defence with a move for Timber, who provides depth both at centre-back and right-back, one has to think they'll be bang in the mix at the top of the table once again.

Leeds United's manager search has dragged on now, mainly halted by the progress of Andrea Radrizzani's sale of the club.

With new ownership now in place, and a brighter future promised at Elland Road, the 49ers' first move must be to secure a capable boss who can lead them back to the Premier League of which they struggled away from for so long last time.

To make things more beneficial, it would be useful if this new boss could also work towards keeping the top stars of this current squad before they are slowly picked off by various clubs, seeking a cut-price deal for a top-quality player.

One such example of this would be Wilfried Gnonto, who massively caught the eye in what was his debut year in English football. However, as his starts waned near the end of the season, the Italy international would likely have grown frustrated.

Therefore, to perhaps return to an old option they considered following the sacking of Jesse Marsch, Patrick Vieira might be one of a select few that could keep the 19-year-old in Yorkshire, citing his work with Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise as examples as to why he should stay.

Would Patrick Vieira help Wilfried Gnonto improve?

Whilst the Arsenal hero, and "legend" in the eyes of writer David Ornstein, might have seen his time at Crystal Palace cut short, the 46-year-old remains a man who earned huge success against all the odds during that first term at Selhurst Park.

Many viewed his time at New York City FC and OGC Nice as underwhelming spells, far from the requisite experience to thrive in a league where he dominated as a player. However, shrewd business allowed him to finish 12th and give his fans a trip to Wembley.

Zaha would notch 14 league goals that campaign, with Olise hitting 13 goal contributions in all competitions. It is clear that Vieira's 4-3-3 system is very conducive for wide men, suggesting Gnonto would also thrive.

Not just goal-scoring wide men, the two displayed their creative assets under Vieira too, with the Ivorian registering five assists to Olise's incredibly impressive 13.

By comparison, across all competitions of a tumultuous year for Leeds, Gntono recorded six goals and five assists, dressing his work up in that same flair and outlandish exuberance that has made the Ivory Coast international so loved by Palace fans.

When compared to other wingers across Europe, he even ranks in the top 16% for progressive carries per 90 (4.39) to further emphasise this dynamism, whereas Zaha and Olise registered 3.38 and 3.63 respectively.

Whilst the Italian's performances have understandably drawn interest from across the globe, should he be tempted to stay by this titan of the English game, he could be turned into a truly unplayable star who could propel the 49ers' club straight back into the top flight.

All he needs to do is look at how Vieira's progressed Olise's career at Selhurst Park.