Man Utd rival Liverpool in 'shock transfer move' for £40m-rated Leeds Utd star
With just over two-and-a-half weeks left of the January transfer window, the pressure is mounting for teams to get deals done and strengthen their squads for the second half of the season.
In the Championship, clubs also have to deal with a hectic schedule while managing their incomings and outgoings and keeping tabs on how potential targets are performing.
It is a delicate balance for managers, who can risk leaving their squads either too short or overly bloated for the second half of the season. There has still been plenty of transfer action so far this month, though, with the likes of Middlesbrough, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers all strengthening their squads.
Here is the latest EFL transfer notebook along with expert analysis from our EFL72 newsletter, which you can sign up to using the form below.
Man Utd in shock link to Leeds United star
Archie Gray is enjoying a breakout year at Leeds United, with the 17-year-old midfielder having made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Whites. Naturally, this has led to transfer links to other clubs, with Liverpool recently said to be eyeing a £40m move for the England under-20 international.
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The latest club to be credited with an interest in Gray are Leeds’ arch-rivals Manchester United, with Spanish website Fichajes claiming that the Whites’ academy product is on the Red Devils’ radar after they opted against turning Sofyan Amrabat’s loan into a permanent deal.
However, with Man Utd undergoing a restructure following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment into the club, it is unlikely that any move for Gray will be forthcoming in the short-term.
EFL72 says:“File this one under unlikely. Whilst Gray is having a fine season at Elland Road, the chances of Leeds agreeing to sell one of their top prospects to their biggest rivals seem unlikely. Having been with Leeds since under-9 level, you’d assume the grandson of Whites legend Frank Gray and great nephew of Eddie Gray, would not be interested in a move to Old Trafford, either.”
Bristol City hand Hull transfer boost
Bristol Live report that Bristol City view Burnley’s asking price for Scott Twine as too expensive, leading the Robins to reconsider their interest in the midfielder, who is currently on loan at Hull City.
The Robins are keen to add a goalscoring midfielder to their ranks and, having missed out on Finn Azaz to Middlesbrough, it was speculated that they would step up their pursuit of Twine, who joined Burnley from MK Dons for £4m in June 2022.
Yet the Clarets are said to be asking for £5m for the 23-year-old - a price viewed as too much by many Championship clubs due to Twine being on the periphery of Vincent Kompany’s squad and also being more than Burnley signed him for.
That is a view said to be shared by Hull but, in the short-term at least, Bristol City’s stance means the Tigers are likely to be able to retain the services of Twine on loan this month.
EFL72 says:“Hull pulled off a coup earlier this week by nabbing Fabio Carvalho on loan from Liverpool. Carvalho would be an excellent replacement for Twine but, if the Tigers manage to also keep hold of the ex-Swindon star, it would set them up very well for the second half of the season.”
Why Leeds allowed Ayling to leave
Daniel Farke has revealed Leeds United allowed Luke Ayling to join Middlesbrough on loan due to the defender’s service to the club.
Ayling played 268 times for the Whites and his departure was a sad moment for a number of fans but Farke says the 32-year-old was keen for first-team football.
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Speaking to Leeds Live, the Leeds manager said Ayling was someone he would have liked to have kept but that the club owed it to such a long-serving player to respect their wishes.
Farke said: "With Luke it was a special situation, I spoke a lot about my public admiration for him and us as a group. You definitely want to keep a player like Luke Ayling. You want to have him as a human being in the group.
Luke Ayling has joined Middlesbrough on loan"He came to see us after the cup game. We talked with him. It was not the moment to think about it selfishly. We wanted to have him as a leader and as a full-back option. We listened to him. He has done so much for the club. We have done a lot for him. He has given so much back.
"He was the oldest player in the group and his contract runs out in the summer. He wanted more minutes and we couldn't guarantee him this and he asked if he could leave."
EFL72 says:“With his contract up in the summer, there’s a good chance Ayling may have played his last game for Leeds. Yet it’s a sign of both what he has done for the club - and also Farke’s man-management skills - that Leeds were willing to grant his request.”
Beale on Clarke interest
Sunderland boss Michael Beale has insisted that he hasn’t heard of any concrete interest in Jack Clarke despite reports linking him with West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Clarke has enjoyed an excellent campaign for the Black Cats, which is said to have piqued the interest of a number of Premier League clubs, with Brentford also said to be keeping an eye on the winger.
Yet Beale is far from resigned from losing Clarke and, whilst he says he is not surprised by speculation over the 23-year-old’s future, the Black Cats boss says he wants the player to stay.
He said (via Keith Downie): “When you are doing what he is doing every week at the top end of the Championship there’s going to be speculation. I want that for my players — I want them to thrive.
“I’ve not heard of any inquiries come directly into the club for him, and I’d be lying if I said they would be welcome.
“We want Jack here playing for a strong Sunderland team and trying to see out what we are trying to do this season.
“I’ve been super impressed by him.”
EFL72 says:“Clarke’s 12 goals in 28 league matches this season comfortably make him Sunderland’s top scorer, with Daniel Neil and Jobe Bellingham the next highest scorers with four goals each. Whilst the Black Cats are looking for a striker to ease the burden on Clarke, they simply cannot afford to allow their star player to leave if they have designs on a play-off spot this season.”
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