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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer heaped praise on Jesse Lingard for the level of influence he has had at West Ham since joining the club.

The 28-year-old arrived at the London Stadium from Manchester United on loan during the January transfer window and has not disappointed.

Lingard has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in just six appearances. One of those goals came against London rivals Tottenham in a 2-1 win, while his sole assist was conjured up versus Manchester City, showing the high level that he has been playing at.

For Palmer, it is no surprise that Lingard has been performing in the manner that he has been, with the retired England international convinced that he is a good player overall.

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Palmer said:

“I think Jesse’s a good player and I think he is suited to West Ham’s style of play. I think the balance of the Man Utd side, the way it was, didn’t suit Jesse in the end. I mean, you know, Jesse was playing for his country and he was playing very, very well. I think he’s a talented player. 

“I think going to West Ham, he’s a big fish there. At Man Utd, he’s a small fish in a big pond, whereas at West Ham, they’ll have been delighted that he went there. He’s given the whole place a lift and he can play, he can definitely play and in the position he’s playing, which is his favourite position, it can cause a lot of problems and he’s scored a lot of goals.”

If £75,000-a-week man Lingard maintains this current level of form, you would expect West Ham to try and make his loan deal a permanent one.

Alongside the likes of Michail Antonio and Pablo Fornals, Lingard has helped the Hammers to form an attack that is currently aiding a push for Champions League football.

Former Scotland international* (headline error) Davie Provan believes that Alfredo Morelos will soon leave Ibrox after his latest show of indiscipline.

Morelos set to leave

Morelos was lucky not to be sent off against Hibernian for a stamp on Ryan Porteous, and he has now been charged retrospectively for the incident (BBC).

Speaking to Go Radio (via The Daily Record), Provan believes that Morelos will soon be out of the door at Rangers. He said:

 “He deserves every one of them. This is a guy who just will not learn.

“Lashing out at Tannadice, and what he did the other night at Easter Road wasn’t just a case of getting himself needlessly suspended.

“It was also a kick in the teeth for Steven Gerrard who has stuck his neck out for him continually despite his indiscipline.

“I would imagine that once Rangers get this league title won, and it will happen pretty soon, then Rangers will look to move him on.

“He is a player who does not learn.”

Days are numbered

At his best, the Colombia international is a hugely important player for Gerrard. His brace against Aberdeen helped the Gers to a 2-1 victory, and he netted the only goal of the game at Easter Road to earn his side another vital three points.

However, it is getting to the point where he is not worth the trouble. Whether it is throwing tantrums when being substituted (Glasgow Live) or incidents such as the one against Hibs, he is too often in the headlines for the wrong reasons. The Gers have been by far the best team in Scotland this season, which means that he has not been too much of a distraction. In the long run, though, that is exactly what the £10.8m-valued 24-year-old (Transfermarkt) will be. You feel his days at Ibrox are numbered.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this author’s comments.

Speaking to the press, as shared by journalist Beren Cross, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa confirmed the ‘little slice of information’ that Victor Orta and co wanted to sign Brighton defender Ben White for £30 million in the summer-autumn window – with the boss revealing this was the price that was knocked back by the Seagulls for his services. 

Bielsa confirms £30m Leeds bid for White

White, who thoroughly impressed for Leeds when on loan last season in the Championship, becoming a big part of their promotion-winning team, was at the centre of interest thereafter from Orta as he looked to strengthen Bielsa’s options.

As a result, the Whites tried to make his move permanent, but as Bielsa has now revealed, even a £30m bid was not enough and Leeds ‘weren’t able to’ bring him to Elland Road (Leeds Live).

Transfer Tavern take

An injury to star midfielder Kalvin Phillips has resulted in Leeds reportedly drawing up options ahead of the summer window (Phil Hay), and White could be a good option to attempt a return for considering he can play both in defence and in central midfield.

Time will tell whether Bielsa approves a second swoop for White in the next transfer window, but judging by this news that £30m was not enough to sway Brighton, majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani may have to invest heavily.

In other news: BBC pundit has reacted to Leeds exit reports, find out more here.

Writing for the Athletic, reliable Aston Villa source Gregg Evans has tipped the club to make a move for ex-West Bromwich Albion forward Salomon Rondon. Evans named Rondon as a target ‘worth consideration’ despite such a move seemingly going against the Villans’ recruitment policy.

Villa, who are reportedly targeting a back-up centre forward, could move for the likes of Joshua King next month as they aim to continue their impressive start to the season – with Rondon now being touted as a viable alternative to the Norwegian.

Villa tipped for Rondon swoop

In the detailed Athletic article, Evans outlined all of Villa’s would-be and could-be January transfer targets – with the journalist going on to explain that King was a most likely option.

Odsonne Edouard, while targeted by Villa, is a less realistic move at this moment in time – with Evans and the Athletic suggesting some alternatives who the club should move for.

Rondon, as well as Lille attacker Jonathon Bamba, appear to fit the bill – with the former possessing Premier League experience, having shone for both the Baggies and Newcastle United in past campaigns.

Currently at Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional, getting Rondon would apparently go against the club’s pattern of recruitment due to his age, but he could be worth breaking that philosophy according to Evans.

Transfer Tavern take

Whether it would be a loan or permanent deal, the 6 foot 3 ace would certainly add more strength in depth going forward for Dean Smith’s men – with talkSPORT pundit Jim White having waxed lyrical over the ‘unbelievable’ forward.

If he does make a move for the ‘priceless’ star, there is little arguing the swoop would reinforce Smith’s options heading into the second half of the season.

In other news: Aston Villa have suffered a blow in pursuit of this ‘tenacious’ playmaker, find out more here.

With the January transfer window open, Leeds United’s director of football, Victor Orta, will no doubt be on the look-out for new signings.

Reports in recent weeks have linked Marcelo Bielsa’s side with a move for Fiorentina midfielder, Erick Pulgar, and if the the Whites had their eye on La Viola’s clash against Cagliari at the weekend, then they would surely be getting their cheque-book ready.

The Chile international looked in supreme form as his side claimed a 1-0 win, controlling the game in the middle of the park and protecting the back four with ease.

As per Sofascore, he won a mammoth nine of his 12 total duels, which was the most of any player on the pitch, whilst he also made a ridiculous six tackles – again a game-high.

But Pulgar wasn’t just a menace defensively, showing off his range of passing too. He completed three out of his five attempted long balls, and kept things ticking over in midfield.

Leeds know all about the kind of impact a truly dominant central midfielder can bring into a team, having seen Olivier Dacourt really shine under David O’Leary in the early 2000s.

Leeds Live described the Frenchman as a “vital lynch-pin” in that side, adding: “Dacourt was an all-action ball-winner who played right on the edge of the referee’s patience, continually prowling the middle third with the mind-set of seeing how much he could get away with.

“But this is to underplay his creative value; a mixture of precise long and short passing, intelligent use of the ball and steely composure.”

In Pulgar, Leeds could find a player most akin to the powerful Frenchman. At 6 foot 2, the Fiorentina beast could add some extra power and dynamism to Bielsa’s midfield, and not just be a midfield destroyer.

His performance at the weekend proved that he could be a real lynch-pin alongside Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds have a tough day ahead of them as they look to rectify their recent dip in form and get back on track in their returning Premier League season. The Whites will host Arsenal at Elland Road this afternoon, who are currently just two points ahead of them in the table.

A win will be a must for both sides and neither can afford to put a foot wrong. Spurred on by their north London rivals’ win over Manchester City, Mikel Arteta and his men will come out the blocks all guns blazing, so Leeds must arrive prepared.

The international break has hopefully allowed Marcelo Bielsa time to reassess his options and see some key players return to fitness. With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast has predicted the Argentinian to set up this afternoon…

Thanks to a promising boost from Bielsa in his latest press conference, Leeds could finally welcome back Kalvin Phillips after he has been on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. Providing he is fully fit, he will undoubtedly return to the starting lineup and the manager will resort to his 4-1-4-1 staple.

Without needing to play three at the back, Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas can return to their comfortable positions as full-backs to support regular choices Liam Cooper and Robin Koch.

Ahead of Phillips in the midfield could see a couple of changes from the recent defeat against Crystal Palace. Tyler Roberts made brief cameo appearances for Wales during the international break. In just three minutes against the Republic of Ireland, the 21-year-old created a goalscoring opportunity and made one key pass (via Sofascore).

Bielsa could opt to spice up his engine room and give Roberts his first start in four games. Playing alongside Mateusz Klich will allow him to roam forward and help Patrick Bamford pile the pressure on the Arsenal backline.

With regular choice Jack Harrison on the left-wing, we could see him paired up with Ian Poveda on the right rather than Helder Costa. The £70,000 per week summer signing was responsible for an own goal against Palace and has tallied just one assist in his last six appearances for the Whites. A fresh injection of personnel could be what Bielsa needs in order to grab this match by the scruff of the neck and bank three points.

In other news, Leeds-linked Steven Gerrard could put Elland Road back on the map…

Everton must move to sign Tottenham Hotspur outcast Dele Alli in the January window after Jose Mourinho ruled out a mid-season exit for Harry Winks.

What’s the word?

Mourinho has vowed there is “no way” Winks will be leaving north London in the upcoming market, despite the midfielder often being overlooked and considering a temporary move away in order to secure his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Winks has not played a single minute of Premier League football since Spurs drew 3-3 with West Ham United in October, shortly after which he admitted to finding it “difficult” being a reserve in Mourinho’s plans.

The 24-year-old’s discomfort has failed to force Mourinho into a change of heart, with Winks omitted from five of Tottenham’s seven top-flight matchday squads since entering the action as a 73rd-minute substitute at home to the Hammers.

Everton had been touted as a potential destination for Winks were he to be granted a loan move in January, but that route has now been slammed shut with Mourinho adamant the 10-cap international is going nowhere anytime soon.

“In relation to Winks on loan in January, no way,” Mourinho said, via quotes by the Evening Standard, before adding: “He came to me. Not just him, many players come to me.

“I have my office on the first floor, but I also have a little space on the ground floor next to the players’ dressing room where I used to be before and after training sessions to make it easy for them.

“So, it is easy for them to come around the corner to speak to me, so yes, Winks came to speak to me.”

Forget Winks, go for Alli

Everton chiefs are not only thought to be monitoring Winks’ situation at Tottenham but also that of Alli, who has similarly found game time a struggle to secure this season with Mourinho awarding the 24-year-old just 71 minutes in the Premier League thus far.

Alli earned the most recent of his outings as an 85th-minute substitute at Crystal Palace on Sunday, having returned to the matchday squad for only the third time this term and first since Spurs thrashed Manchester United 6-1 in early October.

The Milton Keynes-born maestro has featured more frequently in the Europa League, where he has netted his only goals and assist to date, but may force a winter loan to better establish himself in Southgate’s thinking ahead of next summer’s postponed Euros.

It remains to be seen if Mourinho will grant Alli an exit having only namechecked Winks, but former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy would urge the Toffees to try their luck at signing the £46.8m-rated midfielder once lauded as a “freak of a talent”.

“If you throw Dele Alli at his best into the mix with Richarlison, James [Rodriguez] and [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin, that starts to sound very appealing,” he told talkSPORT.

“Obviously, Everton’s problems more recently have been defensive but let’s look at it from an attacking point of view, what does Dele bring you when he’s at it?

“Tremendous movement off the ball, good finisher, good awareness in the box, assists were high in his first few seasons for Tottenham. He’s not become a bad player overnight.”

Carlo Ancelotti is yet to settle on his third central midfielder to partner Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure with Andre Gomes, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph all given minutes in the league. Alli, though, would bring a level of creativity above that of the aforementioned quartet, and round out what would be a potentially glorious front four.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti would tarnish his Everton record by luring one of his former stars to Goodison Park in January.

West Bromwich Albion may well be closing in on the signing of Karlan Grant before tomorrow’s deadline, but the door may have just opened to sign another mooted transfer target.

The Daily Mail have named the Baggies as potential suitors for AFC Bournemouth forward Joshua King along with Premier League rivals West Ham United.

However, it appears that Slaven Bilic’s former club is closing in on a different player – Brentford’s Said Benrahma.

According to the reliable ExWHUemployee, the Hammers will not move for any other player after securing the Algerian winger, who is currently in talks to join the club in a £30m deal.

This means Albion have a clear path to land King if they so wish.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to the 28-year-old in the past year, so it could well be quite the coup for the Midlands outfit.

King has proven to be a prolific goalscorer at this level having bagged at least six goals in each of the last five seasons, even last year during the Cherries’ relegation he contributed to a total of ten goals, via Transfermarkt.

It was only in the 2016/17 season where he netted a whopping 16 goals for the south coast club. He’d come with way more experience than Grant after playing 161 times in the top-flight.

Speaking to Match of the Day, via The Football Faithful, his former boss Eddie Howe said: “Josh is outstanding physically, technically and mentally – he has the complete package, a little bit of everything.”

It’s thought that Bournemouth would be willing to accept just £10m for the Norway international with the attacker in the final year of his contract, as per The Sun.

That low of a fee would certainly soften his reported £45k-per-week wages – landing him along with Grant could be the boost that’s needed at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, 2019 decision on controversial £25k-p/w man now looking a masterstroke by Dowling…

Wolverhampton Wanderers appear to have dodged one massive bullet with one of their former academy stars.

When trying to make it as a professional footballer, application and work rate is very much as important as ability, if not more.

During the summer, the Midlanders cut ties with their Championship-winning striker Bright Enobakhare, ending a six-year relationship with the club.

The 22-year-old, who came through the system at Molineux, scored three goals in 49 appearances for the Wolf Pack but could never really find his feet – even less so with Raul Jimenez pulling up trees.

Three loan spells away were not enough to convince Nuno Santo of his credentials in the first-team, though that didn’t stop the Portuguese dubbing him a “special player” soon after his departure.

He added: “He has so much talent, but Bright was one of the players that we were not able to be with as much as we wanted to keep on improving him. “I think he can be a top player, but he made mistakes and sometimes things don’t work out.”

That hasn’t turned out to be the case whatsoever…

Where is Enobakhare now?

The Nigeria U23 international signed for Greek Superleague outfit AEK Athens on a free transfer in June but by October, he’s back looking for a new club.

After signing a three-year deal in Greece’s capital city, Enobakhare scored on his debut against Lamia after coming on as a substitute – within a week, his contract was ripped up.

According to Greek newspaper To Vima, a ‘serious of disciplinary offences’ led to this surprising outcome. It very much seems like his attitude and behaviour has caused AEK manager Massimo Carrera to severe ties after just 14 minutes of action.

When you’re having to sign for the third-ranked team in Greece, you know your football career is bordering on desperation, so to waste such a golden opportunity is shambolic.

No wonder Nuno gave up on him and cited “mistakes” as a key reason.

He clearly had the potential – Coventry City boss Mark Robins told CoventryLive (via the Express & Star), that Enobakhare possessed “unbelievable” quality with his feet, also claiming that “he’s Premier League quality.”

The ex-Wolves grad only has himself to blame now.

AND in other news, Wolves must surely regret not signing Hwang Hee-chan

Aston Villa appear to be leading the race of one of the Premier League’s most promising talents, that’s if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to the Guardian, the Midlands outfit have opened talks with Chelsea over a potential loan move for talented midfield sensation Conor Gallagher this summer.

They claim that top-flight rivals Crystal Palace have dipped out of the battle to secure him, thus opening the door for Dean Smith to swoop in but they’ll have to do battle with newly-promoted Leeds United too.

Gallagher went out on loan twice last season, starting the season at Charlton Athletic before moving onto playoff semi-finalists Swansea City.

Shades of Lampard

It’s hard to gauge what sort of impact the 20-year-old would have at Villa Park considering John McGinn and of course skipper Jack Grealish will be the first names on the teamsheet.

But if the Englishman is going to remain out wide, then Smith is getting the perfect box-to-box option in Gallagher.

Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews has previously likened his playing style to that of both Lee Bowyer and Frank Lampard, claiming the midfielder is “a classic No 8.” who “has unbelievable energy” and “does the ugly side of the game.”

Last term across those two loan spells, Gallagher delivered six goals and 11 assists, and averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which only emphasises his ability at either end of the pitch.

Smith had a heavy reliance on his captain last term after he finished as the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League and whilst he’s still clear for chances created, the only other midfielder that could better Gallagher was McGinn, so clearly the rest of the squad isn’t doing enough to help out.

Bowyer rued his absence during the second half of the season as the Addicks were relegated from the Championship, claiming that he’s “impossible to replace” and it’s rare to find “a jewel like that.”

It might only be on loan, but the Villans could benefit from a midfielder as promising as this. Johan Lange must push for this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Aston Villa must add “nightmare” attacker to their Ollie Watkins capture…