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Leeds United’s Championship promotion bid will receive an incredible boost if they manage to pull off a deal for Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

What’s the word, then?

Leeds are on the verge of sealing a deal for experienced stopper Casilla, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

The 32-year-old actually started his professional career with Real Madrid, but left in 2007 without making a first-team appearance.

The goalkeeper re-joined the Spanish giants from Espanyol in 2015, however, and has since appeared on 43 occasions in all competitions.

Casilla dropped to third choice at the Bernabeu when Thibaut Courtois arrived last summer though and has not been involved for the club this term.

Leeds are seemingly on the cusp of sealing Casilla’s signature, which will send a huge message to the rest of the Championship heading into a vital period.

Why is the deal so huge?

Leeds have been linked with a new goalkeeper for some time. Indeed, they lost on-loan Chelsea stopper Jamal Blackman to a broken leg in November and desperately need competition for Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Peacock-Farrell has been first choice all season, but the 22-year-old’s form has not always been terrific and a new stopper is a priority for the Whites.

Casilla was outstanding in the latter stages of his time with Espanyol and is a player with Champions League experience.

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Casilla, who also made his Spain debut in 2014, will bring pedigree and knowhow to Leeds as they chase a return to the Premier League.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the deal will go through this week and the arrival of the 6ft 3in ace will certainly make Leeds the favourites to hold onto first position in the Championship table.

After QPR slumped to a humiliating 4-1 loss to Preston North End at the weekend, their fans must be desperate for some of their stars to return. 

The Rs are now without a win in their last four Championship games, highlighting the players that are in absentia currently, and surely giving manager Steve McClaren a picture of who his most important players are.

It is no coincidence that during QPR’s lean spell in the league, central midfielder Massimo Luongo has been aware with Australia in the Asian Cup. Likewise, Geoff Cameron has been out for almost two months now, and without those two, The Hoops look a shell of the team that rapidly climbed up the league table over the first half of the season. The club issued a statement last week saying that the American may feature before the end of the month, but that surely cannot come soon enough for either McClaren or the fans.

The defensive solidity of Cameron and Luongo allows players like Luke Freeman and Ebere Eze much more freedom in attack, and as a consequence, QPR’s performances are far more impressive. Josh Scowen and Jordan Cousins lack the composure that the Australian and American have, and are far less reliable.

QPR sit in 14th place in the Championship, in a mid-table battle that is very tight indeed. However, the top six are slowly pulling away from The Rs, as sixth place Derby are now seven points ahead. QPR just need to ride the storm until they see their midfield rocks return.

Rafael Benitez’s cries may finally be about to be answered with the arrivals of some fresh faces at Newcastle United seemingly imminent. 

Sky Sports reports the Tyneside club have agreed a club-record fee of around £20m with MLS side Atlanta United for attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron in a move that should delight Benitez.

And while it is, of course, better late than never, the Spaniard, alongside Newcastle supporters, will still be questioning why it has taken Mike Ashley so long to get the wheels moving in this transfer window.

By doing so, the Newcastle owner has not done himself any favours to say the least. He has now shown Benitez and everyone associated with the club his hand, a good one which everyone happened to know about anyway.

Benitez’s ultimatum (Telegraph), which has prompted Ashley into entering the transfer market, shows that doing such was always possible and that he opted against it because he simply did not want to and not because Newcastle do not have the funds — something no one would believe given the amount of money Premier League clubs are now reaping in.

Ultimately, the cat is now out of the bag for the whole of English football to see, not just the Newcastle faithful, with Benitez’s threat having firmly put the spotlight on what is currently going on at St. James’ Park. For Ashley, there is no longer anywhere to hide.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in defensive fashion after West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini publicly called out their manager Jurgen Klopp, following the 1-1 draw between the two sides at the London Stadium on Monday night.

The Reds missed the opportunity to go even further ahead of Pellegrini’s former side Manchester City as a result of the draw, although they can probably count themselves lucky they didn’t lose as their goal should have been ruled out for offside.

Hammers boss Pellegrini, who appeared to still have his former side Malaga’s last gasp defeat to Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League quarter-final on his mind, was not happy with the decision.

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The Chilean said: “Klopp is used to winning with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with a goal seven metres offside – so he cannot complain about anything.”

Naturally, Liverpool fans on Twitter have leapt to the defence of their beloved boss after the war of words…

Tottenham Hotspur’s games as of late have been filled with thrills and last-minute drama. Despite missing key players in Harry Kane and Dele Alli, they’ve shown unrelenting spirit to dig out victories in the dying moments. Spurs have won their last three bouts in dramatic fashion, displaying unmatched resolve into finding the winner late into the games.

Following the frustrating loss to Manchester United at home, Mauricio Pochettino’s been reinvigorated into reigniting the players’ belief. They might be missing their captain, but Spurs always have an encouraging manager whose urging his players forward even when games feel finished.

The Argentine manager’s ability to reinvigorate his players’ never-say-die attitude has been exemplified in the last couple of weeks. Spurs snatched victories from the jaws of dropped points, maintaining their discreet surge towards an unlikely title challenge.

Be it a very late winner at Craven Cottage, an inspired come-back against a resolute Watford or carving open an impenetrable Newcastle at home, Pochettino’s side has won their last three games after the 80th-minute mark. Late goals are their new favourite thing.

Be it inspired substitutions or moments of brilliance from talented individuals the recent victories have truly brought to light Pochettino’s motivational ability. If not anything, he’s proven that it’s not only the Kanes’ or Alli’s who can come up with goals.

Having etched a must win at all cause attitude into every single player, irrelevant or crucial, it seems the Argentine’s coming up with his own version of “Fergie Time”. Indeed, perhaps he could have added yet another string to his bow and the most important time possible, helping Tottenham to really challenge for the title.

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Mauricio Pochettino handed Oliver Skipp only his second Premier League start of his career on Sunday afternoon when Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Leicester City to Wembley.

On the chalkboard

Skipp, just 18 years of age, started on the left side of central midfield at the weekend alongside Harry Winks and a slightly more advanced Moussa Sissoko.

It was a big call from Pochettino on a day which saw Youri Tielemans – a rumoured target for Spurs in January – line up for the visitors in midfield.

The academy product was relatively quiet before he was withdrawn after 71 minutes, but fleeting bursts of energy and desire to recover possession pointed towards a natural ability to thrive at this level.

Pochettino’s show of faith is key

That Pochettino trusted Skipp to start in the centre of his midfield against a side of genuine quality speaks volumes about how highly he is regarded.

His performance may well have been mediocre but he was facing a strong set of players with James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi and Tielemans all starting for Claude Puel’s side in the centre of the park.

The learning curve can be long and arduous for any aspiring player, and the fact Winks is only managing to establish himself as a first-team regular at 23  suggests that Skipp is an incredibly precocious talent to watch for the future.

Spurs fans cannot expect instant fireworks from their next aspiring academy talent, but the level of trust Pochettino has already placed in the youngster proves the Argentine is expecting him to rise through the ranks and evoke the type of enthusiasm for his performances that Winks has been producing of late.

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…

Leeds United have relied heavily on loanees this season, but next summer represents a chance for the Whites to make some of those moves permanent.

The Yorkshire club are already tied into a deal that will see them pay £15m for Helder Costa at the end of this season, while they also have an option to buy Jack Harrison at the end of the campaign.

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It’s unknown how much United’s option to buy the winger will cost them, but Phil Hay has suggested that Harrison could be available for around the £10m mark.

This is a deal that Leeds simply have to do, no matter whether they go up or not.

Of course, if they are promoted the financial aspects of the deal won’t be a problem, but even if they don’t it’s a signing they should look at making, even with their limited room for spending in regards to FFP.

Ok, FFP may not allow the Whites to outlay £10m on one player this summer as they’re already committed to spending £15m on Costa, but there is a small loophole that Leeds could benefit from.

The higher-ups at Leeds could do worse than following Wolves’ example from a few seasons ago when they triggered Benik Afobe’s option to buy, only to sell him a few days later for a profit.

If Harrison is indeed available for the price Hay mentions, Leeds would be foolish to not trigger his option to buy, even if they just sell him on.

Man City valued the 23-year-old at £10m coming off the back of a season where he contributed to just eight league goals, and that value is likely to have increased as he’s contributed to that many efforts in just his last 11 games, scoring four goals in total this term.

It’s not too far-fetched to say that the winger’s actual value could be well north of Leeds’ current reserve price if he continues the form he has been showing in recent weeks.

If Harrison keeps up his good form, Leeds simply must trigger this clause, regardless of whether it’s financially viable for them to keep him or not.

In other news, one Leeds man has openly criticised a Championship referee on social media.

Despite an upturn in fortunes against Aston Villa on Saturday, Southampton’s season hasn’t been going well.

The Saints are struggling to keep hold of their place in the English top-flight and currently sit just a place above the relegation zone.

Maybe all of that could change come the January transfer window if they manage to snatch a quality reinforcement or two, but there are still players in their squad that they should be looking to get rid off.

With that in mind, here are two players that Ralph Hasenhuttl should axe in the new year…

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Maya Yoshida

The clock seems to already be ticking for the 31-year-old centre-back. After all, his contract is due to run out in the summer of 2020 and Yoshida is one of the fringe players scarcely used by Hasenhuttl.

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The Japanese defender can only boast with 678 minutes in the ongoing campaign and with the likes of Jan Bednarek, Jannik Vestergaard and Jack Stephens ahead in the pecking order, separation in January might be both inevitable and desirable.

He has been a good servant to the Saints over the years but the club may as well try to get a few pennies for the centre-back while they still can.

Sofiane Boufal

One of Southampton’s most expensive purchases ever back in 2016, Boufal has largely failed to meet the expectations that come with such transfer fees.

Even though glimpses of potential have been here and there throughout his stay with the Saints, four goals and five assists in 73 games is not enough of an impact for an attacking player.

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Hasenhuttl should waste no time in trying to recoup some of the money that was invested all those years ago and reinvest it back into the squad.

Seeing how he’s only tallied 641 minutes in the ongoing campaign, providing two assists in return, that particular course of action wouldn’t really come as a surprise or seriously impact the strength of the first-team squad.

Spurs have struggled to find consistency this season and much of that is due to the performances of certain individuals, who have shown their best qualities on too few occasions.

One man who epitomises that is Tanguy Ndombele. The Frenchman arrived in the summer with big expectations after impressing at Lyon, and although he has showcased his ability, it has been far too infrequent.

As such, he is yet to cement his place in the first-team ahead of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko, which is quite disappointing, particularly because it’s not due to a lack of ability.

The 22-year-old has only completed one full match in the league and has struggled with his fitness throughout, due in part to concern over previous injuries reoccurring.

That led Jose Mourinho to leave him out of the matchday squad against Brighton, a bold move that is a typical Mourinho gesture and one which should act as a warning that he must work on that area of his game, as some fans note.

While fans and management are frustrated with the midfielder, it is certainly worth preserving with him.

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Ndombele has two goals in eight Premier League starts and has demonstrated the power he possesses by averaging 2.6 dribbles per game in the Champions League, providing a drive from midfield which neither Winks nor Sissoko can emulate.

His fitness issues are a worry but he has already shown how effective he can be, so when he does fully get up to speed he should be a real danger for the opposition and perhaps even a pivotal member of the team.

Right now though he has work to do in order to win over the Tottenham faithful, some of whom believe he has displayed the wrong attitude thus far, which is a little harsh considering he has had his fair share of injuries.

Other supporters have urged for patience with Ndombele. After all, this is his first season in English football and is having to adjust to the rigorous demands of the league.

Their sentiments are fully vindicated and it may just be better to wait until next term to see him at his best.

Meanwhile, Spurs are reportedly targeting a 24-year-old Championship player which would be very interesting given he wouldn’t be a typical Mourinho signing.

After ending 2019 on a high with victories over the likes of Tottenham and Manchester City in the month of December, Manchester United were brought crashing back down to Earth with a 2-0 defeat away at rivals Arsenal on New Year’s Day.

It was hardly the best way to start off a new decade, but United have an immediate chance for some respite when they compete in their fourth competition of the season with the FA Cup kicking off on Saturday. The Red Devils face Wolves at Molineux in the third round, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side know full well the perils of such a trip after getting knocked out by them last year.

But whilst making it through would undoubtedly be well-received, Solskjaer already admitted in his pre-match press conference that he would be forced to make changes due to injuries. And with that in mind, below is a look at how United may line up at Wolves.

With it being a cup competition, Sergio Romero has been confirmed to start by Solskjaer, whilst the make-up of the back four in front of him could see major changes too. The likes of Brandon Williams and Ashley Young are all set to come in after giving way for the clash against Arsenal, whilst Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof may keep their places due to injuries to the likes of Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Axel Tuanzebe and Marcos Rojo.

In midfield, Solskjaer may decide to bring in Juan Mata alongside Nemanja Matic in the deeper role, not only to give Fred a rest, but to also add a sense of control in possession – the Spaniard has a career average of 42 passes per game at an accuracy of 87%. Further forward, the Red Devils could field a number of academy prospects including the likes of Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong.

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With trying to achieve Champions League football the focus this season, Solskjaer may deem Saturday afternoon’s game against Wolves as the perfect chance to rest both Martial and Rashford. It’s a gamble he deems completely necessary in the grand scheme of things.

Meanwhile, this former Manchester United star has delivered his verdict on what he wants to see more of from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.