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An update has emerged on Leeds transfer target Lewis O’Brien regarding his contract at Championship club Huddersfield.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the 22-year-old has a release clause in the contract that he signed in September at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The report claimed that Leeds failed to land O’Brien in the summer transfer window, with the Terriers then pinning him down to a fresh deal. However, as part of that agreement, the midfielder now has a £10m release clause which the Whites could activate in January.

Excitement

This update will surely leave Leeds fans excited at the prospect of the club being able to sign O’Brien in the January transfer window. The Whites are said to have made a £13m bid during the summer, which suggests that £10m is an affordable price that Victor Orta is willing to shell out on the midfielder.

Supporters would likely be buzzing with the arrival of O’Brien as he is a promising young player who seems to suit Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play and could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in the Championship for Huddersfield this term, whilst averaging an eye-catching 2.5 tackles per game. This comes after he averaged the same rating across 42 league outings last season, making three tackles and interceptions per game.

In terms of him possibly suiting Bielsa’s style, former Huddersfield goalkeeper Matt Glennon once lauded O’Brien’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

A player with “unlimited energy” in a press-orientated Bielsa side? It sounds like a match made in heaven and that is why Leeds fans will surely be excited by the news that O’Brien has a release clause in his Huddersfield contract, as it increases the chances of him arriving at Elland Road.

Without a clause in his contract, the Terriers would be well within their rights to reject any offers and that could have led to Leeds looking elsewhere. Instead, Orta could swoop in to secure a £10m January deal.

In other news: Reliable journalist drops Leeds United transfer claim which could leave Bielsa fuming

Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo could finally seal a move away from Anfield, with Club Brugge and Olympiakos both keen on signing him on deadline day.

The Lowdown: Ojo unwanted at Liverpool

Ojo has become a forgotten man for the Reds, not playing for them since the 2016/17 season and barely having an impact with Jurgen Klopp at the helm.

Now 24, the wide man has had numerous loan spells elsewhere, including at Wolves, Fulham and Rangers.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: European duo linked with move for Ojo

With Ojo having no chance of earning playing time at Liverpool moving forward, considering the standard of those in the squad by comparison, he could leave before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night.

According to the Liverpool Echo [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], both Brugge and Olympiakos are eyeing up a last-minute deal to sign the English winger.

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The Verdict: Fresh challenge required

Seeing Ojo stay put at Liverpool once again wouldn’t be beneficial for anyone, with the winger at an age where he should be starting regularly for a team, or at least battling for playing time.

In truth, he never quite looked good enough to make the grade at Anfield, scoring just once at senior level for the Reds, but he will always have a lovely curled effort in front of the Kop against Exter City to remember.

In other news, another Liverpool player is set for a deadline day move. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, regarding Tottenham’s interest in the Frenchman.

What’s the talk?

According to MEN, fellow Premier League side Spurs have retained an interest in Martial.

The report claims that Spurs are still keen on the French forward, three years on from Daniel Levy enquiring about a potential deal for the ex-Monaco man.

Time to go

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must sanction an exit for Martial either in this window or the next. If Tottenham’s interest in the striker is genuine then the Red Devils chief must ruthlessly axe him from his squad and allow him to join Spurs – provided they offer a reasonable fee for his services.

Martial scored four goals in 22 Premier League appearances last term, including 17 starts, which highlights the struggles he has had at Old Trafford of late. He has not been able to provide consistent performances and nail down his spot in the XI, which was further emphasised last weekend.

The attacker was given the opportunity to stake a claim for his place in the side against Southampton, but failed to take it. He played 59 minutes in the 1-1 draw and received a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.13 as he managed one shot, zero key passes, and was dispossessed twice.

After the performance against the Saints, Jamie O’Hara was scathing in his criticism of Martial. He told TalkSport: “But Martial was shocking, it was a really bad performance from him.

“He just plays like he’s not bothered whether he plays well or not. It’s a weird attitude to have.

“When I used to go on a football pitch, I was just obsessed with trying to be the best player out there.

“Martial just plays like he doesn’t care whether he’s good or not. It’s just it’s weird how he plays because he’s got so much talent.”

Therefore, £180k-per-week dud should be moved on as quickly as possible for United to then replace him, or afford more opportunities to younger players in the squad.

United should not have any players in the team who are not 100% committed to the cause, as it sets a bad example to other players. Tottenham’s interest in Martial gives the club the perfect opportunity to cash in on him and make some of their money back.

AND in other news, Man Utd make contact over £27m-rated “complete midfielder”, Ole would love him…

Ex-professional footballer Nigel Jemson believes it’s a very difficult decision for Xherdan Shaqiri to make this summer, which is whether or not to leave Liverpool.

L’Equipe have previously reported that Shaqiri has agreed personal terms with Lyon but the clubs need to find an agreement on a price. Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reported that Lyon’s offer was €6m, but Liverpool want €8m for their player.

The 29-year-old featured in 63 games in total, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists, and Jemson believes it’s a difficult decision for him to leave the club but understands due to him not featuring a lot of late.

In an exclusive interview with the Transfer Tavern, Jemson said: “I think it’s very difficult, I mean you look at Liverpool, massive, massive club.

“They’ve got a great squad together. I think that they’ve got to look at it from the players point of view, he’s not played the greatest amount of football in the last couple of years, he impressed in the Euros for Switzerland, but I think at some point, he’s going to turn around and say I need to be playing, you know, it is a short career.”

Whist it appears that Shaqiri will possibly leave Liverpool this summer, he has had a successful spell with the club, having won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Some Everton fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Moise Kean.

Speaking on his Twitch channel (via The Everton End), Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Goodison Park club will not allow the striker to go out on loan again before the summer window shuts.

Kean impressed while on loan at PSG in the 2020/21 season, scoring 17 goals in 41 matches across all competitions (Transfermarkt), and under a new manager in Rafa Benitez, some Everton supporters feel that he deserves a chance to prove himself on Merseyside.

Given that he has already had the experience of going out on loan, another temporary deal would not really suit the player or the Toffees.

Everton fans on Kean transfer update

These Everton fans were buzzing as the transfer update was shared across Twitter, with one supporter even describing Romano’s revelation as ‘great news’:

“Great news if true, if he wants that move next summer hopefully he’ll get his head down and bag us a load of goals”

Credit: @efc_alex18

“Good, he’ll get goals. Good back up for Dom.”

Credit: @thbluenurse

“I’m glad, I like Kean”

Credit: @mattycampbell44

“Good. 4-4-2 with Dom….!”

Credit: @LD5679

“Absolutely the right call from Benitez – Ancelotti letting Kean out on loan last season almost certainly cost Everton a place in Europe this season!”

Credit: @jkeithgibson

“Good”

Credit: @leylandCal94

In other news, find out what James Rodriguez comments has Evertonians fuming here!

Queens Park Rangers midfielder George Thomas is attracting a significant amount of interest this summer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with West London Sport, Mark Warburton revealed that he has turned down a number of approaches for the 24-year-old in the summer transfer window, with clubs thought to have been looking to secure the services of the Wales international on a season-long loan deal.

However, the 58-year-old manager appears adamant that Thomas will not be leaving the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, suggesting that the attacking midfielder is very much part of his plans for the Rs 2020/21 Championship campaign – despite appearing to be behind both Ilias Chair and Chris Willock in the attacking midfield pecking order.

Warburton said: “He had a lot of involvement towards the end of last season and if you look at how we play, in terms of Chris and Ilias, George is right there with them – at Middlesbrough we played all three of them.

“He provides energy, quality and he’s got that lovely ability to run beyond defenders as well. I’ve had a lot of enquiries; will we let George out on loan? Absolutely not. He’s got a big role to play for us this season.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is true that Thomas has not featured all that much since moving to west London from Leicester City last summer, having made just 18 appearances for QPR last season – only five of which came as starts – the fact that Warburton appears eager to keep the 24-year-old at the club this season should have fans buzzing.

Indeed, despite averaging just 28 minutes on the pitch in each of his 17 Championship appearances last term, the £540k-rated man nevertheless provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an averaging of 0.4 key passes and taking 0.6 shots per match.

Furthermore, while Chair and Willock may well be two players more likely to start in the QPR XI, with someone as talented as Thomas breathing down their necks, it will only help improve the performances of the duo, as they will be well aware that if they find themselves in a run of poor form, they will be displaced by the former Leicester man.

As such, the news that Thomas will not be leaving this club would appear to be fantastic news for all involved, as his mere presence will help raise the standards of all of QPR’s attacking midfielders this season.

It also gives the Rs fanbase something to be very excited about, as he’s very capable of doing damage from the bench, too.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “excellent” QPR gem which will be music to the ears of fans

Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson has exclusively told Football FanCast that Tammy Abraham needs to be playing regularly again – and said that Southampton could afford him by paying in instalments.

Abraham has been linked to several Premier League sides with his future at Chelsea now in serious doubt, especially with Romelu Lukaku close to returning to Chelsea.

But Southampton’s need is greater than most of their Premier League rivals after losing talisman and topscorer Danny Ings to Aston Villa earlier this week following months of uncertainty over his contract situation at St Mary’s.

However, whilst Saints banked around £25m for Ings’ services, Chelsea have set a £40m asking-price for Abraham, who’s just 23-years-old and has several years remaining on his Blues deal, which would appear out of their reach.

Ironically, Southampton’s record-signing was when Ings joined permanently from Liverpool back in 2019 for just under £27m, some way below what Chelsea are demanding for Abraham.

But Jemson suggested that Saints could fund the deal in instalments. He told FFC:

“They could pay £10m every four years, then they may be able to afford him. For Tammy Abraham, he’s got to get out, he’s missed out on England in the Euro’s.

“He’s got to get back playing, there’s nothing worse for a player. He may have to take a step back and take two steps forward again.”

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has revealed just how close he came to joining Manchester United before signing for Liverpool in January 2023.

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• Gakpo could have joined United
• Player spoke with Erik ten Hag
• Joined Liverpool and won Carabao Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gakpo had seemed poised to join United in the summer of 2022 when Erik ten Hag was appointed manager at Old Trafford, but the move never materialised. Ten Hag was then made to rue a missed opportunity as Liverpool gazumped United and signed Gakpo the following winter. The Dutchman has now opened up on the transfer tussle between the clubs and how close he had been to joining Liverpool's fierce rivals.

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  WHAT GAKPO SAID

  Speaking to , Gakpo said: "I think it was the summer before that I was in contact with the club [Manchester United] and spoke to the manager as well, obviously he's Dutch. But, at the end it didn't go through and that's just it. And in the winter Liverpool came. [It was the] Best decision for me."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  One can only sit and wonder what might have happened had United got their man in the summer before Liverpool. Instead, the Red Devils had to watch as Gakpo scored a brace against them in the 7-0 rout in March 2023. As for Ten Hag, he ended up signing Antony from Ajax who could leave United as one of the worst signings in the club's history.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GAKPO?

  Gakpo's Liverpool travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday hoping to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League. The recently-crowned Carabao Cup winners are dreaming of winning even more silverware this season.

The forward's pending departure could lead to a rebirth for the Parisians, who have already hinted at a new team-building strategy

In a pre-season speech to the Paris Saint-Germain squad, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi laid out his message for the new campaign. He spoke of the power of the manager, the pride of suiting up for the Parisians, and his desire for hard work in training. Notably, he also asserted: "The club is bigger than anyone here."

That was July 2023, and it seemed to be a shot at Kylian Mbappe – then in open warfare with the French champions regarding the status of his contract after infoming the club that he would not be picking up the extra year that had been placed into his deal a year earlier. Back then, it seemed unlikely that Mbappe, the last Parisian Galactico left, would be playing his football at Parc des Princes for the 2023-24 season.

But things changed. Mbappe came to an agreement with the club hierarchy, pledged his loyalty for the upcoming season, and re-joined the squad after a month in exile. Now, though, his departure is confirmed. He told the club last week that he wishes to leave Paris at the end of the season, while talk has accelerated about his desire to join Real Madrid – with a massive contract all-but agreed with Los Blancos.

Things, then, look bleak for PSG. Mbappe is a generational talent, one of the best in the world, and the face of French football. You'd struggle to spin this in an overwhelmingly positive light, and yet it does present an opportunity.

For years, the Qatar Sports Investment-run club have sought out the biggest stars in world football: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe himself. All of those intergalactic names were brought in not only as shirt-sellers, but also to form the foundation of a side that demanded Champions League success.

Now that they have gone, with Mbappe serving as the final departure, PSG can refocus. The Champions League can be worked towards, and approached organically. For the first time in recent memory, the Parisians finally have the chance to develop Galacticos of their own, rather than buying ready-made superstars in search of instant European glory.

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  Saga to end all sagas

  Eighteen months ago, Mbappe leaving so soon seemed unlikely. At the very end of the 2021-22 campaign, he shocked the world by turning down Real Madrid's massive offer before he was paraded around Parc des Princes while holding aloft an 'Mbappe 2025' shirt to mark him becoming the best-paid footballer in the world.

  Any hope of him joining Madrid over the course of the next three years was seemingly gone. Yes, Mbappe would have another chance to leave in 2025, but Madrid's ego had been bruised, and Mbappe's new salary presumably put him out of reach for any interested parties.

  Things change quickly when it comes to Mbappe, though. He never stopped flirting with Madrid, keeping the possibility of a move open. and last summer, Mbappe went about sealing the deal. Refusing to pick up the extra option was the first step; announcing it to the world – or ensuring it was leaked – was the second; and declining a move to the Saudi Pro League was the third. It was all tied up – albeit six months later than he might have hoped – last week, when he officially communicated his decision to leave Paris.

  Somehow, a season-and-a-half after signing the kind of deal that had the potential to keep Mbappe in Paris for life, he has now engineered an amicable exit.

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  Champions League misery

  Mbappe's pending departure brings the curtain down on a PSG era that promised so much, but instead saw them become an almost-annual punchline in the Champions League. Since Al-Khelaifi took charge in 2012, the club has acquired superstar after superstar, all in the hope that spending vast sums of money could bring the European Cup to Paris. It hasn't worked.

  The Parisians' European failures have come in all shapes and sizes, from blowing massive leads to lifeless showings, penalty heartbreak, and an unfortunate final loss in 2020. From La Remontada to Marcus Rashford's VAR-assisted spot-kick, PSG just haven't been able to get it right on European nights.

  The weight of expectation has certainly played a role. Big names are supposed to win big trophies – especially when they're coached by marketable man-managers or tactful tacticians. Parisian failures look worse because of the individuals in the line-up.

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  Superstars fall short

  None of PSG's failures felt as catastrophic as those in 2022 and 2023. Messi has since revealed that he never really wanted to be a PSG player, but his reluctance does little to explain the fact that a team containing the Argentine maestro, Neymar and Mbappe never managed to make it past the last 16 of the competition.

  There were admittedly failures around them, as first Mauricio Pochettino and then Christophe Galtier could do little to wrangle a turbulent squad into something coherent. While Messi, Neymar and Mbappe all had their moments in PSG shirts, focusing the bulk of club's finances on the forward line meant that the rest of the team wasn't up to the required standard, and thus the much-vaunted trio largely became little more than merchandise-moving commodities and sources of YouTube highlights.

  A superstar-first approach seldom works; the presence of Neymar, Messi and Mbappe in Paris proved that.

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  Change of strategy

  While the Mbappe saga grabbed most of the headlines around PSG last summer, the club hierarchy were simultaneously overseeing a much-needed change in strategy. Their transfer activity was lavish – the Parisians spent nearly €400 million (£340m/$430m) – but they focused on young players.

  In came forwards Goncalo Ramos (22), Randal Kolo Muani (24) and Bradley Barcola (20), as well as midfielders Lee Kang-in (22) and Manuel Ugarte (22). Even their more experienced new arrivals, Ousmane Dembele (26) and Lucas Hernandez (27), were far from being over the hill, even if they both have patchy injury histories.

  The managerial appointment sent a similar message. Luis Enrique is not the kind of manager a club hires in order to maintain dressing-room harmony and pander to stars. This was the coach who forced Xavi out and willingly dropped Neymar on a number of occasions at Barcelona, and he immediately told Marco Verratti that his services were no longer needed upon his arrival in France.

  The potential in PSG's new-look squad couldn't be denied, but the plan seemed to be more aligned with the club's status as just below the true elite, and with one eye on the future.

Legendary Manchester United defender Gary Neville will be part of plans to renovate Old Trafford after being brought on board by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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• Neville to advise on Old Trafford rebuild
• Stadium renovation a priority for Ratcliffe
• Former defender built hotel in area

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former United captain will be part of a committee that will analyse the various options for the future of Old Trafford, according to Ratcliffe has pledged to invest $300 million (£238m) into developing the stadium in addition to buying a 25 percent stake in the club, which was finally completed on Tuesday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There are two main options available to the club, renovating the current stadium or building a brand new arena on the land next to it. Ratcliffe is reported to be in favour of constructing a new stadium, which has been described as 'The Wembley of the North'. Old Trafford is the biggest club stadium in Britain, hosting more than 73,000 people at each game, and one of the largest in Europe. But it feels rusty and dated in comparison to new grounds such as the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium or the recently expanded Anfield.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since retiring from football, Neville has combined his work as a pundit for with major property investment. He co-owns Hotel Football, which is next to Old Trafford, and the 92 Academy education institute also in the area, in addition to other developments in Greater Manchester.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Neville and Ratcliffe must now decide whether to renovate the ground or build a new one. A renovation is estimated to cost around £800m ($1bn), while a brand new stadium could cost anything between £1.2bn and £1.6bn ($1.6bn to $2bn).