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Leeds United are thought to be looking at extending Luke Ayling’s contract at Elland Road beyond the summer.  

The Lowdown: Back as first choice…

Ayling missed the opening five Premier League games through injury, with summer signing Rasmus Kristensen featuring heavily under Jesse Marsch.

However, the 31-year-old appears to be first choice once again, starting the last four top-flight fixtures for the Whites, helping keep two clean sheets against Newcastle and Brentford. His contract is set to expire in the summer, however it looks as if Leeds officials are keen to finalise new terms.

The Latest: Contract update

MOT Leeds News provided an update regarding Ayling on Wednesday, saying that talks are ongoing with the defender’s representatives.

Leeds are apparently looking at a new deal until at least the end of the 2023/24 season, with the new terms proposed financially similar to his current package.

The Verdict: Alongside Harrison?

It looks as if Victor Orta could be a busy man over the coming weeks and months regarding new contracts, with talks also expected soon with Jack Harrison.

Ayling, who Marsch hailed for playing an ‘incredible part’ during his tenure, is clearly another player on the club’s radar, and an extension would be a wise move, although the club need to be aware of Cody Drameh’s rise after his fine spell on loan with Cardiff City last season.

The youngster is now out on loan with Luton Town and could soon be wanting regular game time in the top flight, but having Ayling, who can also provide cover at centre-back, in and around the squad for the foreseeable future appears to be a wise idea.

Newcastle United have welcomed cameras into their camp to produce a behind-the-scenes documentary, according to Keith Downie and George Caulkin.

What’s the latest?

It seems as if Newcastle are set to follow in the footsteps of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur by welcoming the cameras into their training ground:

Caulkin said: “At some point, there’s going to be a documentary coming about Newcastle which will be very interesting and will also bring more money into the club. So that will be good.”

Ironically, neither of the north London sides were able to secure a spot in the Champions League during the campaigns they were producing the documentary.

With this in mind, the Toon will be hoping the cameras do not provide a bad omen for the second half of the campaign as they aim to land a spot in the top four spots.

Speaking on the True Faith podcast, Sky Sports’ Downie revealed that the filming has already begun on Tyneside for the production:

“Are we allowed to say that now? But yeah, it’s already started [filming], hasn’t it,” Downie added.

Generating revenue

One of the issues Newcastle are struggling with at the moment is the FFP regulations which is believed to have hindered them throughout the January transfer window.

And one of the advantages of landing a spot in the Champions League is the revenue that the competition will bring into the club and allow them to spend more money on transfers.

This goes along with sponsorship money which the club are able to bring in which is believed to be another talking point at the club with potential investment from Saudi Arabia in the offing.

But little projects such as this documentary could also provide the Toon with some revenue which they may not have accounted for under the previous regime.

Reports suggest the Gunners saw a return in the region of £10m for their involvement in the documentary. Money which would certainly be welcomed at Newcastle.

It has been well reported the financial backing Newcastle has at their disposal under the Saudi-based ownership, but it is not as simple as just spending for the sake of it.

And it seems as if PIF are well aware of that and are seemingly putting plans in place to increase the revenue brought into the club over the coming months.

Sky Sports contributor and injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that Sean Dyche may be wise not to risk Dominic Calvert-Lewin after being rated ‘touch-and-go’ ahead of the Merseyside derby.

The Lowdown: Injury woes

Calvert-Lewin has had numerous injury problems throughout his career, and this season has been no different, as he’s only featured in 11 Premier League matches in the 2022/23 campaign so far.

This has severely impacted his goalscoring numbers, having only scored once for Everton in all competitions to date with only three months of the season remaining.

The 25-year-old was taken off during their last league game against Arsenal and manager Dyche claimed that it was a precautionary measure.

The Latest: ‘Touch-and-go’

Speaking on Premier FPL Injuries, Dinnery gave his take on the striker’s availability for the Merseyside derby based on Dyche’s recent comments.

He stated: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin is touch-and-go for the Merseyside derby. I say touch-and-go – touch-and-go at best, Sean Dyche said.

“It was a hamstring issue that he came off with against Arsenal. With some players, you may want to take that risk, but given the player’s injury history over the last 18 months, the slightest worry or concern with him, then you keep him out of that lineup.”

The Verdict: Limited options

We believe that Everton’s striking options, even with Calvert-Lewin, are fairly limited, but this potential injury blow, the situation could be even worse.

If the 25-year-old was to be unavailable for selection against Liverpool, Dyche would only have Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms as natural options up front.

Maupay has scored just once all season and Simms has only played three Premier League matches in his entire career – with two of those coming fairly recently after being recalled from his loan spell at Sunderland.

Our view is that there is not exactly a promising variety of options in the striker position, and this could have a long-term impact on Everton’s season.

Having said that, in their 1-0 win against Arsenal, their winning goal came from a set piece scored by James Tarkowski, so perhaps Dyche’s side will take a similar approach in terms of how they look to trouble Liverpool.

After all, that victory came against the league leaders, so they may fancy their chances against an out-of-sorts Liverpool on Monda amid their poor form and underwhelming season.

Aston Villa are considering a move to bring Rayo Vallecano forward Isi Palazon to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Planning for the future

Unai Emery recruited Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran during his first full transfer window in charge in January, but that hasn’t stopped him from already identifying targets for the end of the season.

The Spaniard’s contract in La Liga isn’t set to expire until 2025, but having been rated as his club’s top-performing player so far this season making him the standout star, has caught the eye of his fellow countryman in the Midlands.

The Latest: Emery requests Palazon

According to Spanish reports (via Sport Witness), Emery has ‘demanded an effort’ from Villa to sign Palazon in the summer, with the price set to be a fee in the region of €20m (£17m).

The 28-year-old is ‘catching the attention’ of the boss, with his side now reported to have ‘come into the picture’ for the winger’s signature in the months ahead.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Palazon has been dubbed an ‘artist’ of a footballer by journalist Josh Bunting and Villa need to act fast to complete a deal for him ahead of any potential fellow competitors.

The left-footed attacker has posted nine goal contributions in 20 league appearances this term and is currently averaging 2.4 shots and 1.7 key passes per 90 minutes (WhoScored).

The Cieza native is clearly a threat in the final third and that’s exactly the kind of firepower the manager needs to take his side to the next level, so this is a no-brainer of a move for NSWE to pursue.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly braced for offers from English clubs for Scott Wright this summer, after enquiries were made in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Winning streak continues

Rangers continued their winning streak in the Scottish Premiership with a 3-0 win away at Livingston on Saturday afternoon.

Two goals from James Tavernier and one from Kemar Roofe were more than enough to seal the points, as Wright came on for Glen Kamara for a small cameo in the 88th minute.

The Latest: Offers expected

As per Football Insider, the Gers are expecting offers for Wright in the summer, after knocking back interest from English clubs in January.

They were unwilling to let him go as they see him as a ‘valuable squad player’, but Wright’s future will be more uncertain come the summer, when he will only have two years left on his deal at Ibrox.

Clubs from the English Championship ‘made enquiries’ for the winger in January, and could return with formal offers in the summer transfer window.

The Verdict: Get rid

Michael Beale’s side must be ruthless this summer and look to get Wright off of the wage bill.

He has only started five games in the SPFL so far this season, and from his 28 appearances in total over all competitions, he is yet to score and only provided two assists (Transfermarkt).

In fact, Wright has only averaged a mere 26 appearances a season since moving to the Gers in 2020, and has not been able to cement a regular starting place under three different managers now, with both Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst coming before Beale.

Nonetheless, the Light Blues should be looking to get as much money as they can for the 25-year-old this summer.

As league leaders Arsenal continue to march on in their quest to win a first Premier League title since 2004, one man who has largely been a bystander to proceedings is defender, Kieran Tierney, with the Scotland international seemingly facing an uncertain future at the Emirates Stadium.

The 25-year-old had initially impressed after joining from Glasgow giants Celtic on a £25m deal back in 2019, having been described as a “leader” and a “warrior” by former Gunners man Ashley Cole as a result of his early showings in north London.

Having also been lauded as “incredible” by manager Mikel Arteta back in 2020, the dynamic left-back had appeared set for a bright future at the club, albeit with injury having routinely curtailed his chances of enjoying a run in the side.

As for the current campaign, despite having been largely available for selection, the £110k-per-week man has been usurped by summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko as the club’s starting option on the left side of the defence, having started just four league games this season.

That lack of action has sparked suggestion that the former Hoops star is now considering his future with the club ahead of the summer transfer window, with Newcastle United reportedly one of the clubs who are interested in signing the 35-cap machine – for a fee of around £30m.

Should Tierney be ditched ahead of next season, Arteta and co could well save the club millions by unearthing a dream replacement from the academy ranks, with 18-year-old Lino Sousa one such talent who has caught the eye at Hale End.

Who could replace Tierney at Arsenal?

The teen sensation has been making waves in the youth set-up since signing from West Bromwich Albion back in January 2022, having been lauded as “outstanding” by former youth coach Kevin Betsy last year.

The Lisbon-born sensation – who has represented England at youth level – has already racked up 18 appearances across all fronts so far this season, contributing one assist, having notably been named on the bench by Arteta for the win away at Brentford back in September.

While Sousa is yet to enjoy a taste of competitive, first-team action, the exciting talent has come up against senior opposition in the EFL Trophy run earlier in the campaign, notably averaging one tackle and 1.3 interceptions per game in his three outings in the competition, while also averaging one key pass per game as a marker of his attacking intent.

That record is greater than what Tierney has achieved in the Premier League this season, with the Isle of Man-born menace averaging 0.6 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game, as well as just 0.2 key passes from his 16 appearances.

As The Athletic outlined back in November, young Sousa also offers the benefit of having been coached in the youth ranks to try and replicate Zinchenko’s trait of taking on an inverted full-back position, potentially ensuring that he could prove a more suitable alternative and successor to the Ukraine international.

As such, should Tierney be moved on any time soon, Arteta appears to already have a perfect replacement lined up in the form of the emerging ace.

Everton will head to north London this evening for their Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates and tonight’s game will be Sean Dyche’s biggest test so far.

The Toffees have found themselves dropping back into the relegation zone following their defeat to Aston Villa at Goodison Park last weekend so Dyche will be feeling the pressure for his team to put on a performance despite facing the league leaders.

In terms of injuries, Andros Townsend, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson remain unavailable for selection with the Everton boss confirming the latter is still not ready to return to action as of yet.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the former Burnley boss gave an update on Patterson and his fellow young teammate James Garner:

“They’ve [Garner and Patterson] been out a while, and they both need games.

“Jimmy is going well, he is getting fitter and stronger. There’s another [Under-21] game this week, so I will try and get him in that one.

“Patto is just a bit behind (Garner), he will need a bit more.”

What is Everton’s predicted XI vs Arsenal?

With that in mind, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line-up against Arsenal tonight…

Jordan Pickford (GK), Seamus Coleman (RB), Conor Coady (CB), James Tarkowski (CB), Vitaliy Mykolenko (LB), Alex Iwobi (RCM), Idrissa Gana Gueye (CM), Amadou Onana (CM), Abdoulaye Doucoure (LCM), Ellis Simms (ST), Demarai Gray (ST).

We predict that Dyche will make just two changes to his starting side that lost to Villa, opting for a 4-4-2 formation to tackle the challenge against Mikel Arteta’s side.

After signing a brand new contract last week, we expect that Jordan Pickford will be joined by an unchanged defensive set up with James Tarkowski and Conor Coady resuming their centre-back partnership alongside club captain Seamus Coleman on the right and Vitaliy Mykolenko on the left.

The midfield personnel remains unchanged, however, with a change of formation we expect that Dwight McNeil will lose his spot to accommodate the return of Demarai Gray.

The £25k-per-week pacey forward – dubbed “electric” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks – has not had a chance to start since Dyche’s arrival at Goodison, however, tonight could be the perfect opportunity for the manager to change things up after an uninspiring display from Neal Maupay at the weekend, who lost seven of his nine duels.

Indeed, Gray is not a striker so in our second and final predicted change for the Everton team we expect to see Ellis Simms join the winger in the final third, allowing the pair to form a potential new attacking partnership.

Dyche will hope that combining Gray’s creativity and pace with Simms’ eye for goal will pay off against Arsenal.

Southampton manager Ruben Selles was spotted fuming at winger Mohamed Elyounoussi during Saturday’s vital 1-0 victory over Leicester City.

The Lowdown: Saints seal must-win…

Selles’ men secured a must-win over Premier League relegation rivals Leicester at the weekend, a match which could well be crucial in determining their top flight survival.

Midfielder Charly Alcaraz grabbed the game’s only goal ten minutes before half time with Southampton doing enough to shut the visitors out and confirm a huge three points.

During the match, however, Selles was spotted unimpressed with Southampton’s general play with one squad member in particular baring the brunt.

The Latest: Selles spotted angry with Elyounoussi…

At a time where the Saints were clinging on, resisting the Leicester onslaught, journalist Jacob Tanswell spotted Selles ‘really not happy’ Southampton’s carelessness in possession.

The St. Mary’s coach ‘slapped his thighs’ at Elyounoussi specifically after he sloppily lost the ball, especially with the home side sinking deeper and deeper in their half.

The Verdict: Unscathed…

The south coast side came through unscathed but came close to conceding on a number of occasions, with Leicester even striking the crossbar very, very late on.

Southampton supporters were dealt some scary moments as the Foxes also had a free kick right on the edge of the box and worked for corner after corner in the last few minutes.

Game management is a key aspect of football, especially in a division as ruthless as the top flight, and Selles will surely be addressing that to his team after a hard-fought victory.

Had Southampton retained the ball slightly better, there perhaps would’ve been fewer heart-in-mouth moments.

Manchester United are reportedly willing to offer €130m for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The Lowdown: Camavinga profiled

Camavinga made the move to the Bernabeu back in 2021 from Rennes and has gone on to make 79 appearances for the Spanish giants.

Still just 20 years of age, the France international can play as a holding or central midfielder and actually shares the same agency as United left-back Luke Shaw.

He has already won seven major honours during his career, including the Champions League, and has been hailed as ‘spectacular’ by Carlo Ancelotti.

The Latest: United interest

Defensa Central shared a transfer update in the last 48 hours regarding United and Camavinga.

The report states that the Red Devils are willing to offer €130m (£115m) for Camavinga after missing out on his services to Madrid back in 2021, but those at the Bernabeu view the player as non-transferable.

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The Verdict: Club record

A deal in that region would be a club record at Old Trafford, however, it looks as if United chiefs face an uphill task to bring the Frenchman to Manchester.

Reports have suggested that the club have made a new midfielder and forward a priority, so Camavinga would seemingly fit the bill and you’d expect he still has plenty of room for improvement before reaching his prime.

The Real Madrid young star has actually outperformed Marcel Sabitzer, Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Fred this season, as per WhoScored, so may represent a long-term upgrade in the middle of the pitch, however, a transfer could prove unlikely given Madrid’s current stance.

The Athletic reporter Patrick Boyland hailed Everton loanee Tom Cannon’s ‘great finish’ as he scored for Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Cannon scores

Cannon scored the opening goal of Preston’s 2-0 win at home to Cardiff City in the Championship, after he struggled off the defender in the penalty area before unleashing a ferocious effort into the back of the net.

That is his second goal in three games in a Preston shirt, as he looks to continue his development ahead of a return to Everton at the end of the season.

The Latest: Boyland praise

Taking to Twitter after footage of Cannon’s goal was shared, Boyland praised his ‘great finish’, and says that he is ‘developing well’ at Preston:

“Great finish from Tom Cannon. Developing well.”

The Verdict: Give him a chance

Cannon is showing what he is capable of on loan, and so the Toffees need to give him a chance in the first team next season.

He has only made three senior appearances for them, and his record at youth level is phenomenal, with 51 goals and 14 assists in 97 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The Goodison Park outfit have been goal-shy in the Premier League so far this term, with a total of just 20 goals scored, and Cannon deserves a chance to impress in the first team following his successful loan spell.