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Huddersfield Town head of football operations Leigh Bromby has confirmed he has spoken with reported managerial target David Wagner.

The Lowdown: Wagner links

The Terriers are still on the search for Danny Schofield’s successor, with a number of managers linked with the vacant role over recent days.

One of those has been former boss Wagner, with journalist James Nursey revealing that Huddersfield are ‘keen’ on Wagner, although he added that ‘it is not an easy deal to do’.

Wagner is currently without a job after leaving Young Boys back in March, with Bromby now addressing the rumours.

The Latest: Bromby’s comments

In a story relayed by Yorkshire Live on Thursday, Bromby admitted that Wagner hasn’t been offered the job before added that there has been contact.

“I think David is unbelievably well-respected through everyone at the club, particularly myself, particularly Dean, and he’s held in such high regard in terms of what he put in place at the club, and I was lucky to part of that and work with him as academy manager.

“That interest is naturally going to be there. Now, would David take the job? I don’t know. Have I spoken to him about the job? Have I spoken to him before and during this period while I’ve been in this role? Yes, because he’s someone we’re aware of and obviously there’s a lot of interest, he’s been linked with the job, but I haven’t offered him the job.”

The Verdict: Why not…

Wagner had a hugely successful period in charge at The John Smith’s Stadium, taking the club into the Premier League.

His following stints with both Schalke and Young Boys were short-lived, but he could still be a shrewd appointment back where he did his best work.

The 4-4-2 style manager knows Huddersfield inside out and has plenty of experience, so he could be just what the club need at this moment in time, making this one to keep an eye on.

Liverpool are refusing to go down without a fight in the race to sign Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig.

The lowdown

The Reds’ Premier League rivals Chelsea appear to be the heavy favourites to sign the 24-year-old from the Bundesliga club right now. The player has reportedly undergone a medical with Graham Potter’s side and reached an ‘agreement in principle’ to join in 2023.

Significantly, interested parties are able to trigger a €60m (£52.7m) release clause in the attacker’s contract.

The latest

RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins says that ‘Liverpool are there too’ in the battle for Nkunku, suggesting that the Anfield club may also be willing to pay the Frenchman’s buyout clause.

Meanwhile, Fussball Transfers report (via Sport Witness) that, even though they are currently ‘lagging behind, the Reds are ‘far from giving up’ on Nkunku.

Jurgen is a Red! Show how happy you are about it with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

The verdict

All of Europe’s top clubs should be queuing up to sign Nkunku at that price.

He put up some staggering numbers in the 2021/22 season, scoring 35 goals and providing 20 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions, and he has also started this season in strong form with six goals in his first 11 matches.

The eight-cap France international also offers immense versatility, able to operate as a midfielder, second striker, centre-forward or wide player. He is the reigning Bundesliga Player of the Season and also made the UEFA Europa League’s Best XI in 2021/22.

Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who is ‘close’ with Nkunku from their time together at Leipzig, has billed him the best player in the division, while another former team-mate Tyler Adams has called him ‘special’.

FSG and Julian Ward should do all that they can to hijack any deal from Chelsea by stumping up the funds for the release clause and trying to win over the player.

There have been some bizarre Rangers transfer tales over the years, although arguably one of the most memorable from Ibrox was that of the infamous ‘Newcastle five’, with the Glasgow outfit having loaned in five players from Newcastle United on deadline day back in February 2015.

Then in the second tier of Scottish football, the Old Firm giants had turned to the Magpies in order to help boost their hopes of promotion, utilising the club’s connections with Mike Ashley to help secure that raft of new additions.

That swoop ultimately backfired as few of those new arrivals were able to make an impact – largely due to lack of fitness or injury – with promising full-back Kevin Mbabu, as well as midfielder Gael Bigirimana, failing to even make an appearance over the next few months.

The former Servette man – who had been signed by the Tynesiders after a successful trial back in 2013 – was unable to force his way into the first-team reckoning despite the Gers’ struggles in their attempts to return to the top flight, admitting his bemusement at not being handed a chance:

“A new manager came up in with his own ideas and I didn’t even play a game or even make the bench. I don’t know why.”

As the 6-foot ace alluded to, the departure of manager Kenny McDowall in March 2015 – and the subsequent arrival of Stuart McCall – did little to help his cause with regards to game time, as he made his return to St James’ Park at the end of the season having only been restricted to outings in the reserves.

Mbabu has since gone on to prove his worth in the years since, with the Scottish giants potentially left to rue their inability to get the promising right-back on the pitch at senior level.

While the 22-cap gem was unable to secure a regular role after returning to his parent club – making just five appearances in all competitions for the Premier League outfit – he has since impressed during spells in his native Switzerland and in Germany.

A move to BSC Young Boys – initially on loan – in 2016 proved particularly fruitful for the talented ace as he went on to provide 21 goal contributions in 101 games for the club in all competitions, winning two league titles in that time and being named Swiss Footballer of the Year in 2018.

That form – which saw him lauded as a “very good player” by coaching legend Jose Mourinho – sparked an £8m move to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2019, while he only recently completed a £6.4m switch to Fulham in the recent window.

Such fees are a marker of the 27-year-old’s rise since being on the periphery at Ibrox seven years ago, with the dynamic ace having also become a key figure on the international stage, featuring in all five of his nation’s games at Euro 2020.

A solid performer who offers real attacking intent – as he notably ranks in the top 1% for dribbles completed among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues – Mbabu has surely left the Gers ruing their previous mistake with regards to his lack of action at the club.

Midlands reporter for The Daily Telegraph John Percy has claimed that Steve Cooper being given a new contract at Nottingham Forest is ‘fantastic news’.

The Lowdown: Was under pressure

Cooper was a man under pressure after a 4-0 loss to Leicester City left them bottom of the Premier League table.

Rafa Benitez was reportedly being lined up to replace him earlier this week, but Cooper has now signed a new deal which will keep him at the City Ground until 2025.

The Latest: Percy reacts

Taking to Twitter after the deal was announced, Percy labelled it as ‘fantastic news’ and added that CEO Dane Murphy is set to stay at the club as well, after he too was believed to be heading towards the exit door earlier this week.

The Telegraph reporter tweeted: “Fantastic news for #nffc and this should hopefully settle everything down. Cooper has been Forest’s best manager since Frank Clark and deserves this. Understand CEO Dane Murphy is also staying.”

The Verdict: Right decision

Despite Forest’s poor form at the start of this season, which has left them bottom of the table, it was certainly the right call to give Cooper a new contract.

They brought in a staggering 23 new players in the summer transfer window, and it is clear that they all still need time to gel on the pitch.

Nonetheless, Cooper helped the Reds to gain promotion to the Premier League from the Championship in the first place, so he deserves to be given more time to work with the squad that he now has at his disposal.

The new contract should help to block out any speculative noise too, as there are no longer any doubts over his future at the City Ground.

Leeds United’s fall from grace in the early 2000s is a story that the Elland Road faithful will not need repeating.

Indeed, after finishing fourth in the 2000/01 Premier League campaign, as well as reaching the Champions League semi-final that same season, the Whites were relegated to the second tier of English football just three years later – with the club in huge financial trouble after grossly overspending in the transfer market.

As a result of these financial difficulties, a number of the club’s biggest assets were sold off the following summer, including Alan Smith to Manchester United, Mark Viduka to Middlesbrough and Scott Carson to Liverpool, as well as one 18-year-old James Milner, who left Elland Road in a £5m move to Newcastle United.

Looking back on his departure in an interview with FourFourTwo in 2018, the now-Liverpool midfielder revealed his shock at then-owner Gerald Krasner’s decision to cash in on him, as well as claiming he would have liked to remain at his boyhood club for a little while longer before moving onto pastures new.

Milner said: “It was a very tough time to get relegated and there were a lot of financial things going on – things in the papers, off-field problems… you had to grow up quickly by watching the senior players and how they were dealing with everything.

“As hard as it was, I learned a lot very quickly. Within two years I’d had numerous managers, and highs and lows. By the start of my second season, Peter Reid had come in and I was sent on loan to Swindon. I did quite well there, went back to Leeds and started playing in every game.

“But then, in 2004, I turned up on the first day of pre-season thinking we were going to discuss a new contract, and someone said: ‘You’re going up to Newcastle for your medical tomorrow’. I was like: ‘Am I?’ That was tough. It was disappointing that I didn’t get to play for Leeds for longer, but to do it at all was pretty special.

“What little money the club owed me, I gave up to help them, and they got a transfer fee. So it was portrayed to me that it was in the best interests of the club [for me to leave] due to all of the financial difficulties. I thought I was going the right thing by the club.”

However, while Milner’s sale may have kept the financial wolves from the door for slightly longer, the club would ultimately go into administration once again under Ken Bates in 2007 regardless, resulting in the Whites being relegated to the third tier of English football having failed to secure promotion back to the top flight after dropping down to the second tier in 2004.

As such, with the benefit of hindsight, keeping a player of Milner’s ability at the club rather than cashing in on the teenager for a cut-price deal would have appeared to have been a much wiser move by Krasner, as the midfielder could well have made all the difference in Leeds’ 2005/06 promotion push – a season in which the Whites lost 3-0 to Watford in the play-off final.

Indeed, this loss marked a huge turning point in the history of Leeds, with the club suffering relegation to League One the following season, with it being a total of 16 years until they would return to the top flight of English football.

And, in this time, Milner enjoyed a stellar career at the very top of the professional game, going on to secure moves to clubs such as Aston Villa, Manchester City and his current side Liverpool – winning one Champions League, three Premier Leagues, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Supercup, two FA Cups, two League Cups and two Community Shields along the way.

As such, Krasner’s call on the then-18-year-old was very much a shocker by the former Leeds owner, as keeping hold of the £140k-per-week talent – who Darren Bent dubbed “ridiculous” and Jack Wilshere labelled a “legend” – could well have changed the course of Leeds’ history.

West Bromwich Albion seem to be finally narrowing down their manager search, with a few particular names standing out for Ron Gourlay…

What’s the latest?

According to the Express and Star, the Baggies are hopeful of naming their successor to Steve Bruce before this weekend’s clash against Millwall.

Whilst Carlos Corberan dominates the report, having been interviewed for the position, Birmingham City coach John Eustace is an outside candidate for the position.

He is said to be alongside other names such as Leam Richardson and Russell Martin.

Forget Corberan

The 42-year-old has earned huge praise for his wonderful work with the Blues, as he currently has a side that last season finished in 20th comfortably in mid-table. Thus, if the club are to take a different direction to Corberan – based on play style – Eustace could be perfect.

Having earned 20 points from his first 15 games of the campaign, he has brought a defensive solidity to a side that leaked goals for fun last season. They have conceded just 13 times in the league so far.

He has admitted that the style will have to wait whilst the results come first, admitting things would be “tough” before the “long-term success” arrived.

However, before moving to the Midlands he had earned a reputation for developing a wonderful brand for Kidderminster Harriers.

James O’Connor, who worked under Eustace during the second season, has been leading the praise for his management skills and feels he could go right to the very top.

He labelled their style of football “absolutely outstanding”, proving that he could mix results with an attractive brand. During his two seasons there he managed to lead them to the playoffs and the first-round proper of the FA Cup.

O’Connor also praised his personality, suggesting the now Blues boss was destined to go right to the very top. He said: “(Eustace) created an environment where there was every chance to succeed, that’s every day in training, sessions being good, intense, driven, knows what he wants.”

Whilst he may not have set the world alight with his style at Birmingham, the fact that his former side was dubbed the “non-league Barcelona” is a testament to how West Brom could soon be playing.

That factor could well place him above Corberan in the managerial pecking order and would be a dream given the misery fans at the Hawthorns had to suffer through under the previous regime. Eustace is certainly adaptable and West Brom need that after Bruce’s torrid tenure.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has backed Everton in their reported pursuit of Daniel Podence.

The Lowdown: Everton interest

It was reported earlier this week that Director of Football Kevin Thelwell is eyeing up a deal to sign Podence from his former club Wolves next year.

The Goodison Park outfit want to sign versatile attackers who are proven in the Premier League, and Podence’s agent Jorge Mendes is looking to find him a new club over the next few months, with his current deal in the Midlands expiring in 2024.

The Latest: Whelan backs move

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has backed the Merseyside club to sign Podence ‘on the cheap’, given his contract situation at Molineux:

“When I’ve watched him, I’ve really liked his pace and his direct style.

“He can play on the left and play up front – and he can come up with assists and goals.

“I think Everton can get him on the cheap, too, with his contract situation.

“He’s been in the Premier League three years, knows the demands, and can offer Everton something different out on the field.

“It’s a wise move. It will be well within the budget for Everton and freshen up that dressing room, as well as raise the game of other players in his position.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer

If Frank Lampard’s side can sign Podence for a cut-price, it is surely a no-brainer.

The winger fits the profile that they are looking for, and has plenty of experience in the Premier League, with eight goals and six assists over the last four seasons (Transfermarkt).

Incidentally, Podence has won all three matches that he has played against the Blues, so they know what he is capable of, and taking him from a direct rival would be a sweet bonus.

At 27 years of age, the Toffees would also be signing a player about to enter his prime.

Tottenham Hotspur could be without the services of Cristian Romero for their Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to SPURSPLAY after training on Friday, Antonio Conte suggested that, despite being available for the trip to the Vitality Stadium, the centre-back may be left out of his starting XI against the Cherries, as the 24-year-old “needed to recover better” after starting against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday – something the 53-year-old manager claimed was a “big risk”.

Regarding the current condition of the Argentina international, as well as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the Italian said: “First of all, we have taken a big, big risk [to play Romero and Hojbjerg vs Sporting], especially for Cuti, because he was really tired, and we risked a lot.

“You know, in this type of game, you have to take some risks, and the player gave us the availability to play. Now, we have to try to manage him very well, because he played and finished the game with great will and great desire. For this reason, I had to say thanks to him and Pierre.

“I think Cuti needed to recover better, but Pierre is okay 100% [for Bournemouth]. Cuti is okay, but we have another important game on Tuesday, and, for this reason, we try to make the best decision for him.”

Huge loss

Considering just how impressive Romero has been for Tottenham since his initial switch from Atalanta last summer – a move that Spurs turned into a £42.5m permanent deal this August – being without the services of the centre-back this afternoon would undoubtedly be a huge loss for Conte and his side.

Indeed, over his 22 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £68.5m-rated talent was in astonishing defensive form, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 3.3 clearances and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per game.

The Argentine also impressed with the ball at his feet, enjoying an average of 73.8 touches per game, in addition to completing 51.9 passes – at a success rate of 87% – 2.6 long balls, 0.3 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per fixture – highlighting his ability to both play and carry the ball out from the back.

These returns saw the £165k-per-week defender average an extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.15, not only ranking him as Spurs’ sixth best performer in the league but also as the joint 31st-best player in the top flight as a whole last time out.

It has been a similar story over the 24-year-old’s eight league outings in the current campaign, with Romero helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 2.8 clearances and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per game.

These metrics have seen the centre-back average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Conte’s joint seventh-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, it is evident just how integral a part of the Tottenham defence Romero is, leading us at Football FanCast to believe that the defender’s potential absence against Bournemouth would come as a huge loss to Conte and his side – especially considering the fact that Spurs are desperate to get back to winning ways after going three games without a victory.

Tony Mowbray has provided the latest update on Sunderland’s injury issues and it seems as if influential duo Ross Stewart and Daniel Ballard could soon be back in action.

What’s the word?

While the pre-World Cup matches are likely to be too soon for the centre-back and striker, the home game against Milwall on December 3rd could be a realistic return date for both, as Mowbray confirmed that they are both back on the grass after spells on the sidelines.

He said: “We are getting there. Ross was on the training pitch with the physios. Danny Ballard was out there too. We’re going to have options around the corner. Football is always a balance of what type of player you have.”

Great news for Mowbray

Ballard joined Sunderland from Arsenal during the summer transfer window and made a promising start to life with the Black Cats, starting in the draw against Coventry and win against Bristol City, before picking up an injury in the 2-2 stalemate with QPR in August.

The 23-year-old suffered a fractured foot and was expected to be out for the foreseeable future, so it can only be good news for Sunderland that he is closing in on a return, with his rehabilitation likely to continue during the World Cup break.

Stewart, meanwhile, has proven to be a big miss for Sunderland during his spell on the sidelines, as the Scottish striker enjoyed a superb start to the Championship season.

After firing the Black Cats to promotion from League One last season, the 26-year-old hit five goals and three assists in just seven Championship appearances, averaging a phenomenal 7.81 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as Sunderland’s best performer so far this term, so it was a massive loss when he was injured in the warm-up ahead of their game against Middlesbrough in early September.

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The fact that Mowbray’s side have won just twice since Stewart picked up his injury emphasises how important he is at the Stadium of Light, so it is undoubtedly great news that both he and Ballard are edging closer to a return.

With another month of recovery under their belt, there seems no reason why both can’t return after the World Cup interval.

Former Everton manager David Moyes is reportedly eyeing a move to sign Michael Keane for West Ham United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Lack of game-time

The 29-year-old has suffered from a lack of game-time under Frank Lampard so far this season, having made just three first-team appearances (Transfermarkt).

The last of those came in the 4-1 loss at Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in midweek, where he put in a disappointing performance.

The Latest: Approach made

As per Football Insider, West Ham have made an ‘approach’ to sign Keane in January and have officially ‘registered their interest’.

The Irons were interested in signing the Everton defender in the summer and are now ‘back in’ for him, with Moyes thought to be a ‘huge admirer’ of the 29-year-old.

The Goodison Park outfit are ‘willing to listen to offers’ for Keane of around £10m.

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The Verdict: Sell him

Given his lack of game-time, the Toffees should be looking to cash in on Keane in January if they get the chance.

Having brought in both Conor Coady and James Tarkowski in the summer, Frank Lampard has no fewer than six senior centre-back options in the Everton squad at the moment, which is more than enough to be able to let Keane go.

He is currently earning £80,000 per week at Goodison Park, making him one of the higher earners in the squad, and getting him off of the wage bill could also free up some significant funds for one or two January moves.