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West Bromwich Albion host Swansea City this afternoon, and Steve Bruce will be fairly confident that his side can claim what would be just their second victory of the season.

They are in desperate need of another win, as they are currently wallowing down in 21st place.

Fortunately, the Swans are only two points ahead of them and in similarly disappointing form.

Whilst Bruce has a few small injuries to contend with, his squad should be strong enough to suitably trouble Russell Martin’s side. He might spring a few surprises because of this, however.

With that in mind, here’s the side we’re expecting for West Brom this afternoon…

Bruce’s side represents just two changes from the side that battled to that 1-1 draw with Norwich City last time out.

David Button again is unlikely to be displaced, however, his back four might be provoked into a tactical shift due to missing personnel.

Dara O’Shea will continue at the heart of the defence, but we expect the experienced Erik Pieters to slide into centre-back to cope with the absence of Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley.

The former suffered quite a serious injury that has resulted in surgery, whilst we think the latter might continue to be rested after a small hamstring injury.

In midfield, a recall for the “quality” 28-year-old stopper Okay Yoksulu will bench Jake Livermore, who will partner Jayson Molumby.

We also think the toothless Grady Diangana may be dropped, with the winger having only scored once this season. Matt Phillips should take his place, with the 24-year-old reduced to having to make his impact from the bench.

Jed Wallace will take up a position on the other flank, with John Swift hoping to provide the driving force and creativity to take his team to victory.

Bruce has something of a headache up front, with the in-form Brandon Thomas-Asante vying for a spot over the tried and tested Karlan Grant.

We expect the former to continue to start, as he looks to add to his two goals in his opening three Championship games.

Despite the injuries, Bruce has a side more than strong enough to compete fiercely for an all-important three points.

Leeds United could still sign Cody Gakpo in January after a summer deal ‘collapsed around him’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown

Fabrizio Romano reported on Transfer Deadline Day that Leeds had reached an agreement on personal terms with Gakpo and indicated a willingness to out-bid Premier League rivals Southampton for his signature.

However, his club PSV Eindhoven ultimately blocked his exit, leaving the Whites looking to the mid-season market for their next opportunity.

Leeds did manage to do one Deadline Day-deal, with Wilfried Gnonto arriving from FC Zurich, but he’s viewed as a long-term project rather than an immediate upgrade on their existing options.

The latest

Jones told Leeds fans to ‘look out for’ Gakpo in the January transfer window because everything has already been ‘set up’ for the deal and Victor Orta and co. had even printed off the paperwork.

“I think Gakpo is the most essential one to look out for.

“The deal was set up, the plane was ready and the paperwork was printed, ready to sign. It just collapsed around him.”

The verdict

Leeds may hope to use the framework of their existing agreement with Gakpo once again in the winter, but there are no guarantees.

Gakpo will be playing in the Europa League with PSV and more significantly, looks poised to feature heavily at the World Cup in Qatar after starting two of the Netherlands’ last three matches.

If he shines on the continental and global stage, his stock will climb even higher, and that may give him the platform to secure Champions League football.

He looks ready to take both competitions by storm, topping both the goal and assist charts in the Eredivisie after a flying start.

The ‘superb’ Gakpo has won some rave reviews from European football expert Alex Barker, who has called the ‘playmaker’ a ‘fun’ and ‘unique’ option, likening him to Kai Havertz, except with more ‘speed and power’.

As such, there’s bound to be significant competition for his signature once the transfer window opens.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer and he could prove to be Pep Guardiola’s next £85m talent at the Etihad.

According to reports from Italy, City are interested in signing the Algeria international after an impressive few seasons at the San Siro. It has even been suggested that Aymeric Laporte could be included in a potential swap deal for the 24-year-old, as City have been monitoring him for some time and are keen to bring him to the Premier League.

Any deal without Laporte is likely to cost City around £5om according to the initial report from Calcio Mercato Web.

Last season saw Bennacer make 31 Serie A appearances for AC Milan as they won the title, with the midfielder contributing two goals and one assist, averaging a solid 6.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Following the departure of Franck Kessie to Barcelona, he looks set for a more regular first-team role this season and has started the new campaign in impressive form, averaging a superb 7.83 rating across his two appearances in Serie A.

Bennacer earned a lot of praise from manager Stefano Pioli last season, as he said:

“He’s certainly not underestimated by me, my managers and teammates. He knows how to interpret the two phases well, he’s a complete midfielder.”

According to FBref, the second-most similar player to Bennacer in terms of style of play is new Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni.

The France international completed a €100m (£85m) transfer to Los Blancos this summer after some incredible performances with AS Monaco in Ligue 1, earning a place in the team of the season before his move to Madrid.

As per FbRef, the two midfielders registered extremely similar numbers in terms of expected goals and assists per 90 minutes (both 0.16), shots on target per 90 minutes (0.35 vs 0.31) and pass completion percentage (86.9 vs 86.5).

This emphasises that they are very similar players and given Tchouameni’s reputation as one of the top youngsters in world football, City would surely be foolish to turn down a player of his ilk.

WhoScored also suggests that both Bennacer and Tchouameni excel at tackling, and that quality in midfield is something that Guardiola doesn’t possess too much of, other than Rodri and Kalvin Phillips.

Therefore, the Spanish manager should definitely consider a move for the Algerian star this summer, as he could prove to be another £85m valued talent in City’s squad.

Arsenal are still mulling over a potential move for Youri Tielemans this summer transfer window but their failure to act could see technical director Edu Gaspar repeat a previous blunder…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Gunners are still keen on signing the Leicester City midfielder but are yet to officially make a move, as he revealed in a fresh update on the situation to GIVEMESPORT.

“Tielemans is definitely still someone they’re considering an offer for.

“Leicester definitely do not want this one going down to deadline day and losing him then because that would leave them in trouble.

“And the player, to be fair, hasn’t really pushed for anything at the moment, but at the same time he hasn’t had any firm offers.”

Big mistake: Kante 2.0?

Tielemans’ current £33k-per-week contract expires at the end of the season, so this summer could be the last chance that the Foxes garner a substantial fee, with some reports suggesting that £25m would be enough for them to sell.

However, they clearly do not want it to go down to the wire, meaning the north London giants are running out of time if they are truly interested in the 25-year-old as there are less than two weeks until that 11pm deadline on September 1st.

Whilst there are plenty of sufficient alternatives out there – namely Brighton and Hove Albion gem Moises Caicedo, Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali – Arsenal may not want to miss out on another Leicester man, seeing as they’re still paying the price from last time.

Tielemans is also potentially the most realistic target, given his relatively low fee and experience in the Premier League.

Back in 2016, the Gunners’ hierarchy pulled the plug on a deal to sign N’Golo Kante due to the agent’s own financial demands and despite getting there ahead of arch-rivals Chelsea, it was the Blues who signed him for what now seems like a bargain £32m.

The France international has since gone on to win a Premier League, a Champions League, an FA Cup and the World Cup.

Arsenal opted for Granit Xhaka instead and in that time, he’s been named captain, stripped of it and rewarded with the vice-captaincy, not to mention his spats with supporters off the pitch and the numerous red cards on it.

They could well regret not following up their interest in Tielemans, who has been lauded as a “phenomenon” by ex-Sweden midfielder Par Zetterberg and an “outrageous talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

The Belgian international returned six goals and four assists for Brendan Rodgers in the Premier League last season, which was more than Arteta’s current deep midfield options of Xhaka and Thomas Partey combined.

As such, Arsenal cannot afford to repeat their Kante mistake with Tielemans, he could well go and rip it up with a rival club and that’ll leave them with many years of regret, just like with the Frenchman.

Edu Gaspar, the Gunners’ technical director, and his staff must now avoid this blunder by getting a deal over the line in the coming days.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal eyeing £38m “special talent”, he could be Arteta’s own Jarrod Bowen…

Glasgow Rangers are closing in on a deal for a Turkish left-back, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Yilmaz’s season

Ridvan Yilmaz made 27 appearances in the Super Lig last season, bringing his overall tally for his current club Besiktas to 62 games played – an impressive feat for the academy graduate.

The full-back even made two appearances in the Champions League, featuring against European giants Ajax and Sporting Lisbon in the group stage.

As a result, a number of clubs have been alerted to the 21-year-old’s presence this summer.

The Latest: Campbell’s news

After rumours emerged linking Yilmaz with a move to Ibrox, Campbell has now shared the latest update on the potential transfer.

Taking to Twitter as he shared a link to a corresponding report from The Athletic, the reliable journalist claimed: “Rangers closing in on a deal for Besiktas left-back Ridvan Yilmaz. 21yo Turk fits into Van Bronckhorst’s direct style.

“Frankfurt were close three weeks ago but talks broke down. Interest from Germany and Italy but the player has heart set on Ibrox.”

The Verdict: He’d be a great signing

With such interest in the youngster, this could be a huge swoop for the Light Blues, who have been looking to add fresh talent to their ranks.

Calvin Bassey’s £20m club-record sale to Ajax raised concerns over Rangers’ potential replacements for their star defender.

However, with the Gers closing in on a deal for Yilmaz and after Ben Davies’ arrival from Liverpool, the Glasgow outfit have wasted little time in finding a solution.

With six Turkey caps to his name since making his debut against Azerbaijan in May 2021, this could be a shrewd piece of prospective business from Van Bronckhorst and co.

Leeds United are believed to have made an enquiry regarding the signing of Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz, as the club’s search for a new centre-forward continues.

What’s the word?

According to AS, the Elland Road outfit have made contact regarding a move for the 23-year-old this summer, albeit with the report suggesting that no formal offer has been made for the Chile international as yet by any club.

The 14-cap gem – who is also said to be of interest to West Ham United – is reportedly available for a fee of around £20m in the current window, even though he has only a year remaining on his existing deal at Ewood Park.

That potential price tag is believed to have put off any potential suitors thus far, despite the former Nottingham Forest man attracting a lot of attention following his impressive displays for both club and country.

“Extraordinary”

The Stoke-born marksman has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the last 18 months or so, emerging as something of a cult hero in Chile after making a bright start to life at international level for La Roja, while also starring in the Championship.

The £14.4m-rated sensation netted a stunning 22 goals and provided three assists in just 37 league games in a remarkable goalscoring spree last season, with that tally leaving him behind only Dominic Solanke (29) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (43) in the second tier’s goalscoring charts.

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That prolific spell has also seen him dubbed “extraordinary” by former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray, while Jaquob Crooke has labelled him a “superstar” for his explosive breakout form of late, with a step up into the Premier League seemingly a natural progression.

As for the Yorkshire side, manager Jesse Marsch could well do with a player of his talents leading the line, having been left with a dearth of attacking options due to the ongoing injury problems involving Patrick Bamford.

The 28-year-old was restricted to just nine appearances in the top-flight last term due to his lengthy spells on the sidelines, with that absence ultimately playing its part in the club’s woes, as the lack of another senior option up top left the Whites noticeably short on alternatives.

Bringing in Brereton Diaz would then add increased competition for Bamford as well as provide a figure who could also potentially usurp the Englishman, with it no doubt time to shoulder the goalscoring burden on the former Chelsea man.

AND in other news: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for “formidable” £19m sensation, he’s “one of the best”

Manchester United have reportedly made an offer to out-of-contract midfielder Christian Eriksen this summer, and if he were to arrive at Old Trafford, he would arguably be an upgrade on the departing Paul Pogba.

After some impressive performances with Brentford in the second half of last season, the Denmark international isn’t short of offers from Premier League clubs ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, with United, Everton, West Ham, Newcastle and Tottenham amongst those reportedly interested in the 30-year-old.

Eriksen signed for the Bees in January after he was released by Inter due to Serie A restrictions on players with heart monitors, and the bold move certainly paid off as his excellent displays inspired Thomas Frank’s side to a strong end to the season, which helped them secure their Premier League status with comfort.

In 11 appearances for Brentford, the former Spurs playmaker contributed one goal and four assists, averaging a superb 7.37 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which certainly justified Frank’s claim of the player being “world-class” when he signed earlier this year.

It is easy to see why United are interested, and Erik ten Hag certainly needs some midfield reinforcements after the departures of Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Pogba.

The Frenchman was rarely able to demonstrate his immense ability in a United shirt and was far from consistent enough, with injuries and perceived attitude problems limiting him to just 20 appearances in the top flight last season.

Eriksen has been a consistent performer throughout his career for both club and country and has enjoyed spectacular seasons in the Premier League before, contributing eight goals and 12 assists in the 2016/17 campaign.

He was certainly a fan favourite during his time at Spurs, with former team-mate Dele Alli singing his praises in 2019 by saying: “He’s got unbelievable technique. He’s a maestro and he’s a magician on the ball.”

Eriksen averaged more key passes, more shots and fewer dispossessions per game than Pogba last season, so with a full pre-season under his belt, the 30-year-old could be the perfect man to replace the Juventus-bound midfielder in Ten Hag’s side next season.

In other news… Forget Antony: Glazers can land Ten Hag his own Robben in deal for £65m “phenomenon”

Everton are in need of big changes to make a positive impact after a disastrous season in the Premier League, however a new update has emerged on the future of a key player that could cause a huge problem at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte, Richarlison has given an update on his stance when it comes to his future at Everton and what he expects from the summer transfer window.

The Brazilian winger told the publication:

“I’ve already made it clear to the board, I’ve already talked to Lampard too, with my managers and they know what I want. Let’s wait for June.

“Now I can’t talk, because when I talk about leaving a club I’m kind of like this, because of the history I have at Everton, the affection that the fans have for me when I talk about leaving I’m kind of speechless.”

Supporters will be concerned

When it comes to the relegation fight Everton found themselves in this season, Richarlison has been one of, if not the most crucial player for the team in their successful survival in avoiding the drop into the Championship so supporters will rightly be concerned by these comments.

Not only was the forward the top goal-scorer for the Toffees this season, he scored six goals in his last nine appearances over the final ten games of the season when the battle was at its tightest, proving that he is such a key player for the team and would be a massive loss to the squad if he were to leave Goodison Park this summer.

The winger has become a fan favourite for his consistent output since he joined four years ago scoring 53 goals and contributing 14 assists, proving that he has been a reliable player for the supporters to get behind and his departure would likely be something the Goodison faithful would prefer not to happen.

Ultimately, if Richarlison is serious about leaving the club this summer Frank Lampard and Farhad Moshiri must come together to find a like for like replacement as losing the player’s attacking threat could be massively detrimental to Everton next season.

AND in other news: Everton plotting move to sign “world class” £97k-p/w gem, Lampard needs him badly

Thiago is set to undergo a scan on the injury suffered in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Wolves on Sunday, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Thiago injured in win

The Reds suffered Premier League heartbreak on Sunday afternoon, beating Wolves at Anfield but missing out on title glory to Manchester City in dramatic fashion, but all supporters really care about now is the issue with Thiago.

He left the field just before half-time and didn’t return for the second half, in what was a hugely concerning moment ahead of the Champions League final.

The 31-year-old now faces a race against time to be fit for the clash with Real Madrid on Saturday evening due to what was believed to be a right hamstring injury.

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The Latest: Pearce provides update

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic‘s Pearce shared a comment from Jurgen Klopp that the news is ‘not good’, before offering the update everyone’s been waiting on.

Thiago needs a scan to determine the severity of the issue, which certainly doesn’t bode well with less than a week until Paris:

“Thiago set to undergo a scan. Would be a massive blow if he misses the CL final.”

The Times’ Paul Joyce has added his own update at lunch-time, claiming it is actually an achilles problem and it will be a ‘battle’ to make it in time.

The Verdict: ‘Massive’ indeed…

Not having Thiago for the Champions League final could be a genuinely game-changing moment, given the Spaniard’s brilliance and importance in midfield this season – he started seven of the last nine Premier League games and played 120 minutes in the FA Cup final.

Liverpool would lose so much control without him around, and with Fabinho arguably coming back slightly undercooked, Madrid could suddenly have a big advantage.

It certainly feels as though Thiago is now more likely to miss out, considering the final is only five days away, and it would be a horrible blow for him and the Reds, especially after he missed the Carabao Cup final through injury, too.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a midfielder. Read more here.

According to ESPN, Manchester United are emerging as the favourites to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. 

The lowdown: Rice a wanted man

The 23-year-old has quickly become one of the hottest properties in European football following a rapid rise to prominence for both club and country.

Having left the acclaimed Chelsea academy to join West Ham in 2013, Rice has become an established member of David Moyes’ side, and also for Gareth Southgate at international level following a switch of allegiances from the Republic of Ireland.

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With interest previously mooted from Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, a fresh update has suggested that Old Trafford could be the most likely destination for the midfielder…

The latest: United frontrunners to sign Rice

As per ESPN sources, the Red Devils could have a ‘clear run’ at the 29-cap England star this summer.

The report states that United want Rice to become a ‘modern-day version’ of Paul Ince and will look to snap up the enforcer at the end of the season.

It’s also claimed that incoming manager Erik ten Hag will view the man likened to United legend Roy Keane by Stuart Pearce – who also called the 23-year-old “dynamic” – as a ‘statement signing’ as the Dutchman attempts to stamp his authority on the Premier League.

The verdict: No brainer

With United set to wave goodbye to Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, there are certainly spaces to be filled in the Old Trafford squad.

Despite a lofty £150m price tag handed down by Moyes, Rice could be worth the investment in the long run owing to his tender years and already top-class productivity.

So far this season, the powerful midfielder has earned an outstanding 7.17 average Sofascore rating whilst boasting a 92% passing accuracy and winning five duels and 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League.

Therefore, it seems a no-brainer for United to try and bring him to Old Trafford, particularly if they are now in such a dominant position to win the race for his services.

In other news: Spanish source makes La Liga transfer raid claim…find out more here