Football League World

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Archie Gray only joined the North London club this summer from Leeds United, and he showed that he still has the Whites on his mind in the aftermath of Spurs' late 2-1 win over Coventry City in the EFL Cup last night.

The 18-year-old joined Spurs from Leeds in July for a fee believed to be around £30m, and has seemingly settled into life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium relatively well with three appearances from the five games that the club have played so far this season.

He was deployed as a midfielder by Ange Postecoglou in his first two Premier League appearances as he came on as a late substitute against Leicester City and Everton in the opening games of the campaign, and was handed his first Spurs start last night in the third round of the EFL Cup against Mark Robins' Sky Blues.

Archie Gray makes Leeds mishap in post-match interview

Gray completed a stellar 90 minutes at right-back as Postecoglou's men battled back from going a goal behind to win in added time courtesy of Brennan Johnson's neat finish, but he had a slip of the tongue in the post-match interview at the CBS Arena that proves he still holds the Whites close to his heart.

Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of their late win, Gray explained how he knew facing Coventry would be a tough clash, having played against Mark Robins’ side twice for Leeds last season, but in doing so accidentally referred to Elland Road as "our ground."

He said: “It's a difficult place to come, you know. I played here last year, and even at our ground last year when I was playing, they always bring a tough game and (have) lots of transitions.

"They did well in this game and the fans got behind them. Credit to them.”

Despite his slight mishap that shows that Leeds is still important to him, it is no surprise that Gray refers back to those previous encounters against the Sky Blues in the aftermath of another hard-fought game.

In the two games that Mark Robins' side faced off against the Whites last season, Leeds failed to win either match and picked up just one point across the two encounters, with a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in December, and then a 2-1 loss at the CBS Arena in April as the 18-year-old played a full 90 minutes in both games.

Gray is Leeds through-and-through

It should hardly come as a shock that Gray still has the Whites on his mind, as they are his boyhood club and he has grown up around everything Leeds for his whole life up to joining Spurs.

Gray joined the club at under-nine level, and featured across all youth levels before he made his senior debut for the club in the opening game of the Championship season last year, then went on to play 52 times throughout the campaign and pick up the Championship Young Player of the Season, and was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year.

His dad, Andy, played for the club 38 times across two spells in his career, while his grandad Frank, and his great-uncle Eddie both starred for Leeds in their glory years of the 1970s and 1980s, while the latter was voted as the third-Greatest Leeds player of all time in 2000.

To this day, Archie's three younger brothers all still play for the Whites' academy, and could follow in his footsteps to come through and play for the senior team in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur will be bitterly disappointed by Sunday afternoon's home defeat in the North London Derby against fierce rivals Arsenal.

But Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou remained in a bullish mood following his side's loss, and indicated that this will be a good season for him, insisting that he 'always' wins trophies in his second season.

One of the available pieces of silverware for Spurs is the EFL Cup, a competition they won in 2008, the last time they lifted a trophy.

Tottenham's EFL Cup campaign gets underway on Wednesday night, as they travel to Championship side Coventry City, who have not won a second tier game since mid-August.

But Mark Robins' side know how to cause upsets in domestic cup competitions, as proven by their improbable run to the FA Cup semi-finals last term, where they lost to eventual champions Manchester United in dramatic circumstances, so it will not be an easy task for Postecoglou and co to defeat the Sky Blues.

Football League World predicts Spurs' starting 11 to take on Coventry:

Goalkeeper: Fraser Forster

Spurs' usual number one, Gugliemo Vicario, has proven to be a solid presence between the sticks since his arrival from Serie A outfit Empoli in 2023.

But we can expect Vicario to be rested for the EFL Cup clash with the Sky Blues, just as he was during last season's round two tie with Fulham, when he was replaced by Forster.

Forster has been on the bench during three of Spurs' four Premier League games this campaign, and we could see him step up to the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Right-back: Archie Gray

The Sky Blues faithful will be familiar with Tottenham's summer signing Archie Gray, who lit up the Championship while plying his trade for Leeds United last season.

While Gray was undoubtedly impressive during his first season in senior football last term, there is a gulf in class between the second tier and the Premier League, which is why we haven't seen the 18-year-old handed a start by Postecoglou just yet.

But Wednesday's fixture with familiar opponents offers the Spurs boss the perfect chance to hand Gray the opportunity to play a full 90 minutes for his new club.

Centre-back: Radu Dragusin

After joining Spurs from Serie A side Genoa back in January, centre-back Radu Dragusin, who impressed during the Euros with Romania, has only started five Premier League games for the north London outfit.

An EFL Cup clash against Championship Coventry seems like the ideal scenario for Postecoglou to select a talented player who has not enjoyed as much game time as he would have liked.

Centre-back: Micky van de Ven

After publicly sharing that he 'always wins' trophies in his second season with a football club, Postecoglou will be intent on backing up this claim with Spurs, and the EFL Cup is a competition he should be targeting.

As such, the Spurs boss will want to maintain a strong lineup heading into the Coventry clash, and the selection of regular starter Micky van de Ven could help ensure that his side can retain their usual defensive solidity.

Left-back: Djed Spence

While Tottenham will be keen to progress in the EFL Cup, Postecoglou will also use this test against lower league opposition to take a closer look at players in his squad who do not play week in, week out in the Premier League.

So far this season, Spence has made two top-flight appearances, but both of them have come from the bench, while he could be named in the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Central midfield: Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur is the metronome at the heart of the Spurs midfield, and boasts an illustrious career 2hich includes the three Serie A titles he won with former club Juventus.

It is highly likely that we will see Bentancur in the Spurs starting 11 come Wednesday, while the Sky Blues midfield will find his presence tough to deal with.

Central midfield: Pape Sarr

Similarly to Bentancur, Pape Sarr is key to Tottenham's ability to retain possession, while the fact that he did not start on Sunday could be indicative that he is likely to be named in Postecoglou's 11 on Wednesday.

In fact, since being named in Spurs' starting 11 for a 1-1 draw with Leicester City during the Premier League's opening weekend, Sarr has only appeared as a substitute since, so it will be important for him to earn plenty of minutes against Robins' men.

Lucas Bergvall

Spurs signed 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall from Swedish outfit Djurgarden for a fee of around £8.5m during the summer, and so far he has made three Premier League appearances, but hasn't made a start.

During the recent international break, the youngster appeared for Sweden in Nations League match-ups with both Azerbaijan and Estonia, which showcases his potential.

Postecoglou should be keen to hand Bergvall a starting 11 opportunity in the EFL Cup, while the Spurs faithful will be excited to see the starlet in action.

Right-wing: Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson adjusted well to life at Spurs following his move from former club Nottingham Forest during the summer of 2023, and scored five goals as well as creating 10 assists during 32 Premier League outings last term.

During his final top-flight campaign with Forest, he scored eight goals and provided three assists, but he is still yet to find the prolific form he established with the east Midlands outfit in the Championship.

An EFL Cup tie with second tier opposition could prove fruitful for Johnson, who is capable of causing the Sky Blues plenty of problems.

Striker: Timo Werner

While Germany international Timo Werner performs better for Spurs out wide than as an out-and-out striker, he could be set to be given the nod up front on Wednesday night, as Postecoglou is unlikely to select recently injured new signing Dominic Solanke.

Furthermore, now that Heung-Min Son is 32 years old, Tottenham could look to manage his minutes this campaign more so than in previous seasons.

Should Johnson also be selected, then both Werner and the former Forest man could interchange between the wing and the central role, which could prove tough for the Sky Blues to cope with due to the duo's pace.

Left-wing: Wilson Odobert

Wison Odobert produced a return of three goals and two assists in the Premier League for eventually relegated Burnley last term, a feat Spurs were clearly impressed by as they opted to buy the wideman for £25m.

The 19-year-old is yet to make a goal contribution for his new club in three top-flight outings and two starts, so Wednesday evening's meeting with Coventry could see him get off the mark for Postecoglou's men.

Sunderland have carried out some exceptional business over the last few seasons, with a number of cheap deals evolving into key first team players.

Under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman, the club have been shrewd in the transfer market, and although some have been critical of their spending, nobody can question the quality they have brought in at minimal cost.

While the likes of Trai Hume and Luke O'Nien have flourished since their inexpensive moves, Dennis Cirkin has emerged as a considerable talent since his move from Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs might regret letting Dennis Cirkin leave for Sunderland

Having never made a senior appearance for the club, Tottenham were willing to depart with Cirkin in the summer of 2021. At 19 years of age, the Black Cats pounced on the opportunity to sign the left-back, who had vast potential.

Although Cirkin moved for a reported undisclosed fee, as per BBC Sport, the figure to bring the defender to Wearside cannot have been much, considering the club were in League One.

Indeed, Lee Johnson, who was Sunderland manager at the time, spoke extremely highly of Cirkin on the club's official website: "To get a player of Dennis' quality at 19 speaks wonders in terms of what we're trying to do. He is a top talent, and he's very highly regarded within the game."

Sure enough, Johnson was right and the left-back continued to develop into an outstanding player. Considering his significant potential, Spurs may be rueing the decision to let Cirkin leave.

Dennis Cirkin has showcased his talent despite injury setbacks at Sunderland

Upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light, Johnson wasted no time in slotting Cirkin straight into his side. In the left-back's maiden season at the club, the defender became a stalwart in the Sunderland team and made 37 appearances in their 2021/22 League One promotion campaign.

Cirkin made the leap from League One to the Championship look seamless and benefited from Tony Mowbray's free-flowing system; the left-back was encouraged to get forward and thus contributed five goals and one assist during the 2022/23 season.

Despite his contributions in the 2022/23 campaign, Cirkin could have contributed even more if it were not for a series of injuries that disrupted his season. The left-back suffered a muscle injury, knee injury and concussion which kept him out for several spells.

Unfortunately, Cirkin's luck with injuries got no better and during the 2023/24 season, the left-back underwent surgery on his left hamstring; the injury kept the defender out for the remainder of the season, meaning he was only able to make eight appearances.

Although he had endured a stop-start stint on Wearside, there was never any doubting Cirkin's talent. When fit, he was first choice and had demonstrated his all round ability at left-back.

Dennis Cirkin has been a standout performer in the 2024/25 Championship season

This season, Cirkin has performed at the very top of his game and credit must go to Regis Le Bris for getting the best out of the left-back.

In Sunderland's first game of the season against Cardiff City, the 22-year-old put in a mesmerising performance, which included an assist. Although Luke O'Nien was awarded man of the match, Cirkin was certainly in the running.

Cirkin continued his attacking prowess and got on the scoresheet in the Wearsiders' 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. After four games, the left-back has been one of the standout players in the league and is developing at an alarming rate.

If he can remain fit, then the sky is the limit for Cirkin, and with such a high ceiling, Spurs will be watching on with clenched fists.

Cirkin is creating an incredible story line at Sunderland. Having joined the club in League One, he has risen with the club to the top of the Championship.

Despite a series of injuries, the left-back has continued his meteoric rise and is contributing at both ends of the pitch in red and white.

Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray left the club after just one season to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs may also be keen on adding his brother to their ranks, Harry Gray.

Archie will hope to realise more of his potential under Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs could reunite the two brothers after reports from TBR Football report that Harry is being eyed as another star to bolster their ranks, with Archie and Lucas Bergvall highlighting their push for more high potential stars.

Archie was Leeds' crown jewel and has penned a six-year deal with Spurs, after they agreed a fee of around £40 million with the West Yorkshire outfit for the 18-year-old, with Joe Rodon returning to Leeds in the other direction for around £10 million on a permanent basis, having been a hugely successful loan signing last year.

At the age of just 18, Gray is already a well-rounded player but with plenty more potential as well. His ability to carry the ball and his first touch is already top drawer. He is a player that is mature beyond his years and capable of imposing himself on a game at either right-back or in his preferred central midfield role.

He is calm and composed on the ball, and demands it from his teammates. Gray's decision-making and speed of thought will only improve in time, as will his physicality; but they are all strong areas of his skill-set for a player of such a young age.

Leeds starlet Harry Gray eyed by Spurs

The family name speaks to the talents of both Archie (pictured above) and Harry Gray at Leeds. They are in good company as the grandnephews of Leeds legend Eddie Gray, with another favourite with the Whites faithful in Frank Gray as their grandfather, and they are also Andy Gray's son; all of whom played for Leeds at one stage or another.

Spurs are reportedly keen to remain in the loop with Leeds when it comes to Archie's younger brother, with TBR Football reporting that they are already informing Leeds that they would like to sign the young striker.

The 15-year-old is the spitting image of his sibling, and has been linked with a move away previously, with Man City one interested party potentially. He is also said to be attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League, much like his older brother.

TBR Football understand that the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United are also very keen on the talented youngster and are monitoring his progress with Leeds.

He does not turn 16 until next month but is already playing in the U-18 Premier League and was involved in pre-season with Leeds' first-team as well.

He came on against the likes of Harrogate Town, but is a few years away from the first-team yet. However, if he's anything like his brother, then he has an extremely bright future as a footballer.

He would also become the fifth Gray to appear in a Leeds shirt if he plays a part this season, unless Premier League interest grows too strong to ignore.

Archie Gray and Harry Gray's potential

Crucially, both Gray brothers are only going to improve from here, but their priority should be with a club that will offer regular game time and a clear pathway into the first-team.

For Archie, Spurs could be the best of the Premier League's elite in that sense under Postecoglou. Regular enough game time is paramount for him to realise his enormous potential.

If they can offer Gray and his brother the footballing opportunities they require to continue their development and to continue improving, then this could be a perfect fit for either youngster.

Archie was almost ever-present with Leeds during their promotion push last season, which may tempt Harry into staying, knowing that Daniel Farke's side will offer him a pathway into the first-team fold with Leeds.

His family's legacy at Elland Road is also something he will be acutely aware of and the fact that he is one of the most exciting talents to have emerged through the club's academy in a generation, alongside Archie.

The 2017/18 season was not one that went at all well from a Stoke City perspective.

Heading into the campaign, the Potters were preparing for their tenth consecutive season in the top-flight of English football.

As a result of the financial benefits that came with their top tier status, the club were able to invest heavily in a number of new signings during the summer of 2017.

However, not all of those signings would work out for Stoke City, which come the end of the campaign would prove very costly indeed.

One player who certainly fell into that particular scenario in Staffordshire, was Kevin Wimmer.

Stoke paid big money for Kevin Wimmer

After spending the last two years at Tottenham, it was confirmed that Wimmer had joined the Potters in August 2017.

Despite the fact he had never been a regular for Spurs during his time there, it was reported that Stoke still paid a fee of around £18million for the centre-back.

In doing so, the Austrian became one of the club's most expensive signings ever, and it would prove to be an expensive one in many ways.

Initially, Wimmer was a regular feature in the Stoke side, often as a starter, under then manager Mark Hughes.

However, he struggled to impress with his performances, and came in for some significant criticism from the fanbase, as the Potters battled relegation right from the start of the campaign.

Indeed, after Hughes was sacked and replaced in January 2018 by Paul Lambert as manager, the centre-back did not make another appearance that season.

The new manager reportedly also put Wimmer on a special fitness regime, further highlighting his problems at the club.

The centre-back's removal from the side did coincide with some improved defensive performances, although Stoke could not muster enough in attack needed to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Even so, the drop-down a division did nothing to improve the Austrian's fortunes at the Bet365 Stadium.

If anything, things would only serve to get worse with regards to this deal, after the Potters dropped into the second-tier of English football.

Kevin Wimmer played no part for the Potters in the Championship

Not long after relegation was confirmed for Stoke, Wimmer was on the move, as he joined Hannover on loan for the 2018/19 season, with an option to buy.

However, the centre-back failed to make enough appearances for the club to secure a permanent move, as they suffered relegation to the German second-tier.

With Stoke themselves still in the Championship, he would again be loaned out for the 2019/20 campaign, this time to Belgian side Mouscron.

But with the season in Belgium ended prematurely due to the pandemic, Wimmer returned to the Potters, and spent the first-half of the 2020/21 season with the Championship side.

During that time though, he did not add another appearance to his tally for the club, before once again being sent out on loan to German second-tier side Karlsruher in February 2021.

That would all but prove to be an end to Wimmer's association with Stoke, as his contract with the club was terminated by mutual consent in May 2021, freeing him to move to Rapid Wien in Austria.

As a result, the defender's time with the club ended with the Potters having paid £18million for him to make 19 appearances in a season in which they were relegated from the Premier League.

After that, he remained on their books for three more years as the club languished in the Championship, without playing any part in their attempts to win promotion.

Following that he would then depart the club for nothing, denying them the chance to make any sort of return on their investment in him.

Leyton Orient are set to complete a deal to bring Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Josh Keeley to the club on loan.

That’s according to football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, who claims the Republic of Ireland under-21 international will be making the move to Brisbane Road before tonight’s transfer deadline, after signing a new deal with the Premier League club.

The 21-year-old is yet to play for the Spurs first-team, but has featured regularly for the club’s development squad in Premier League 2, as well as featuring for Barnet in the National League last season.

Richie Wellens has made the move for another goalkeeper to add to his ranks with the O’s, after some questionable performances from Middlesbrough loanee Zach Hemming.

Richie Wellens moves to address Leyton Orient goalkeeping issues

Much was expected of Hemming when he made the move from The Riverside earlier in the summer, but the early signs have been far from promising from the 24-year-old.

A howler on the opening day of the season against Bolton Wanderers handed the visitors all three points to start the campaign, with a number of shaky performances to follow.

The shot-stopper was also at fault for Birmingham City’s opener in the Blues' 2-1 victory over Orient last weekend, with a ball played out from the back being intercepted, before Keshi Anderson found the back of the net.

Wellens was left fuming post-match, with the former Doncaster Rovers boss not holding back in his analysis of his goalkeeper’s performance.

He said: “There is no hiding from it, our goalkeeper [Zach Hemming] has cost us points. We could easily be sitting here with six or seven points, so he needs to look at himself in the mirror and get better but I thought our response was fantastic.

"I thought we were the better team. They have quality, obviously, but for me, we were far better and the second goal was a bit of a killer for us.

"But we should have got something out of the game. I’m disappointed but proud at the same time. You only have to look at what they have and what we’ve got. We need more from our subs. I’ve been disappointed with them so far."

Josh Keeley can provide competition for Leyton Orient number one spot

While Orient already have Hemming, Sam Howes and Noah Phillips as options between the sticks, the decision has reportedly been made to add Keeley as another option for the season ahead.

The competition for the role of number one looks set to hot up over the next few weeks, with Hemming likely to face stiff competition from the Tottenham Hotspur man.

Having joined Barnet in the most-recent January transfer window, the 21-year-old kept three clean sheets in 18 appearances for the Bees, as they lost out in the National League playoffs.

With two further clean sheets for Spurs’ development side this season, the goalkeeper could be a handy pickup for the O’s to strengthen an area of the pitch which has been troublesome so far this season.

Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City are two of the clubs interested in a loan move for Tottenham attacking midfielder Alfie Devine after his proposed move to Birmingham City fell through earlier today.

Alasdair Gold reported via X that both Blackburn and Swansea will face competition from Parma, as well as sides in Germany and from others across the continent to seal a deal for the 20-year-old, with Spurs set to loan him out.

It looked as if Devine was set for a move to League One with Birmingham City, but it was reported by Football Insider earlier today that his proposed move to St Andrew's had fallen through, and that Saudi Premier League team Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard, were keen on a potential swoop.

Transfer interest in Alfie Devine

It was reported by Alasdair Gold that Spurs originally planned to keep Devine at the club, but that changed this month and that has led to plenty of loan interest in the youngster.

With the 20-year-old's deal to join Birmingham City collapsing, it's reported that other clubs have been alerted to his availability, and Championship duo Blackburn and Swansea are interested in a deadline day swoop.

Devine had two loan spells last season, starting the season on loan in League One with Port Vale, before joining Plymouth in the Championship, where he helped keep the Pilgrims in the Championship with his two assists in 15 appearances.

The youngster is highly-rated at Spurs, as seen by Ange Postecoglou planning to keep him at the club initially, and he'll really be looking to kick on this season after getting his first taste of Championship football last season.

However, with reported interest from Italy, Germany and across Europe, it means that Blackburn and Swansea face a battle to sign him, and it's set to be a tense end to the transfer window thanks to the number of clubs interested.

Alfie Devine would be a great addition for either Blackburn or Swansea

Swansea have made no secret about their desire to sign an attacking midfielder, and they have been linked with a move for Brentford's Myles-Peart Harris, but Devine could well be an upgrade on him thanks to his Championship experience.

Meanwhile, John Eustace is set for a busy end to the transfer window and is looking to bolster his squad with a number of exciting young options being lined up according to recent reports, including a move for Fulham's Martial Godo.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs would prefer to keep Devine in the English pyramid or whether they'd want him to experience football abroad, but they certainly aren't short of options, and it's set to be a busy end to the transfer window for the 20-year-old.

Birmingham City’s proposed move for Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine has fallen through.

According to Football Insider, talks between the two clubs have ended after they were unable to strike an agreement.

The Blues were looking to sign the midfielder on loan for the rest of the campaign as they set their sights on promotion back to the Championship.

Devine spent the second half of last season on loan with Plymouth Argyle in the second division, contributing two assists from 15 appearances in the league (all stats from Fbref).

It remains to be seen whether Birmingham will turn their attention to other midfield targets, or if this will end their pursuit of improving this area of Chris Davies’ side.

Alfie Devine transfer latest

Birmingham had been in talks to sign Devine from Spurs, but the two clubs have been unable to come to terms on an agreement.

The 20-year-old has yet to feature for Ange Postecoglou’s side this season, failing to even make the matchday squad in either of their two opening league games.

The youngster has struggled for competitive minutes with the Premier League side, making two competitive appearances for the club so far, leading to speculation over a potential loan exit.

It is understood that talks breaking down between Birmingham and Spurs has put other clubs on alert, meaning he could yet still make a move away from the London club before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

It is set to be a busy end to the market for the Blues, with John Percy reporting that a bid of around £9 to 10 million has been submitted for Fulham’s Jay Stansfield.

The League One side have already added a great number of signings this summer following their relegation from the Championship.

A total of 15 additions have been made to Davies’ side, with more potentially to come before 11pm this evening.

Devine deal could be impacted by Stansfield pursuit

Birmingham coming in with such a huge offer for Stansfield shows where their priorities lie this deadline day.

Devine performed well in League One last season while on loan with Port Vale, but he has yet to really impress at a consistent level.

It’s clear that he has a lot of talent, and Davies should know him well enough from his time working at Spurs, but this isn’t a huge blow to their promotion chances.

Given how close it is to the deadline, it’s no surprise that Birmingham have moved on to other targets if they can’t find an agreement with Tottenham.

Burnley have reportedly offered midfielder and club captain Josh Brownhill to Premier League clubs in the dying embered of the transfer window, in what continues to be somewhat of a potential Turf Moor exodus.

You wouldn't call Burnley's transfer window dull by any stretch, and GIVEMESPORT have claimed that another departure could be leaving the Lancashire outfit, with the Clarets hierarchy reportedly offering Brownhill out for a price-tag of £5 million.

Brownhill has been integral to Burnley since he arrived from Bristol City for a fee of £9 million in the January 2020 transfer window.

The midfielder has already started his return to the Championship in style with impressive performances and two goals to his name after three games, but the latest update on his future suggests that Burnley could be looking to sell him, continuing the Clarets' trend this summer of letting first-team players depart.

Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham are said to have been offered the chance to land Brownhill's services, and it remains to be seen if he departs or stays beyond Friday's 11pm deadline.

Josh Brownhill offered to Fulham, Tottenham and Everton amid Trabzonspor bid

It's a departure that certainly won't go down too well with the Burnley faithful, but Brownhill may favour a return to the Premier League following his performances in a disappointing season for the Clarets last time out.

The on-going trend continues for Burnley, as Brownhill's exit could see an extraordinary 13th first-team departure this window.

The Clarets have already rejected a £3.4 million bid for the midfielder, from Turkish outfit Trabzonspor a few days ago, who had a four-year deal on the table for the 28-year-old with increased terms.

After taking on the club captaincy last season, Parker sees Brownhill as a key part of his challenge to get the Clarets back into the top flight, after handing the midfielder captaincy once more this season.

Speaking to the Burnley Express, Parker said: "It was a decision where I probably see Josh and his stature within the squad. Also, a bit of fluidity in terms of where it was last year as well.

"There are probably many captains in this team, or certainly the team that started on Monday night, but it was obviously Josh who got that."

Brownhill had also previously been excited about Parker's ambitions at Turf Moor, praising his tactical style.

In another article from the Burnley Express, Brownhill said: "We’ve seen [his impact] early on. “We’ve obviously worked really hard in pre-season, we’ve learned a lot from him already.

"As I say, there are different tactics and against Luton it was a different setup. But I think from game to game it will be different and that’s what he’s really good at."

Potential Josh Brownhill exit would hit Burnley and Scott Parker hard

Now into his sixth season, Brownhill has performed consistently over the years, and his potential exit would be major to Parker's men.

Although Burnley have improved their squad various signings despite all the sales that have happened, the exit of Brownhill would be difficult to take at this stage of the window, and chairman Alan Pace will have a lot of work to do to find the right replacement.

With the deadline nearing its end, it's a massive risk from the Clarets to even consider the departure of such a fan favourite, who is reliable especially at Championship level.

However, with less than a year left on his contract, the hierarchy at Burnley may see it as time for them to cash in and could benefit Brownhill in the long run due to his own ambitions.

Whatever happens, it's set to be a cagey last few days of the window at Turf Moor.

Manor Solomon of Tottenham Hotspur is a reported target for Leeds United as they try to replace Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, but contrasting reports have emerged regarding the current likelihood of the transfer.

The departure of the aforementioned Leeds attacking pairing may have netted the club close to £65 million, but it also left them with plenty to do to find their replacements before the transfer window closes on Friday.

Leeds are looking to the Premier League for their next potential move, with the The Yorkshire Evening Post first revealing that Leeds have identified Solomon as a player that the Whites are said to be considering at this point in the window.

The Israeli international suffered with a meniscus issue for much of last term, restricting him to only six appearances in all competitions for Spurs.

With that, it's no surprise that he could leave Ange Postecoglou's team in the coming days in search of regular first-team football to get back up to speed.

Leeds United facing reported issues in pursuit of Tottenham winger Manor Solomon

Journalist Shay Lugassi is now reporting that the move for Solomon to move to Leeds may be in doubt.

He states that Solomon has completed the required medical tests, but there are quite significant financial differences between the clubs to iron out if a deal is going to be signed off on.

However, talks are continuing between the parties, but the player's camp is not ruling out alternative options before the window slams shut later this week, meaning it is not certain that he will move to Elland Road.

The attacking midfielder, who tends to play out wide on the left wing, suffered a season-ending knee injury last September, but he was involved with Spurs during pre-season, and has been an unused substitute so far this season.

Solomon has already snubbed a move to La Liga outfit Getafe, according to Fabrizio Romano.

However, it has been reported that his preference, if he is to move, is to stay in England. That's according to the The Yorkshire Evening Post, and Elland Road could present that opportunity for him.

According to other reports from The Yorkshire Evening Post, the player was set to undergo a medical over the weekend ahead of his season-long switch from the English capital.

Despite the latest claims from Lugasi, Graham Smyth is reporting that the deal is on track. He wrote that although the deal is taking longer than others have to complete, club sources insist it remains possible and ongoing.

Manor Solomon deal breaking down may not be the end of the world for Leeds United

The Whites have been linked with a number of wingers in recent times and they have already landed one in the last week, with Largie Ramazani officially joining from UD Almeria in Spain.

Coming in for an eight-figure fee, fans can expect him to be heavily involved this term, along with the likes of Willy Gnonto and Dan James. However, two of those prefer the left flank, which is the same for Solomon.

He has mainly operated as a winger during his career on the left, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him play out wide at Elland Road, which could mean a restructuring of the attacking line-up, with perhaps Gnonto coming centrally.

In profile terms, it may have made more sense for Leeds to look at securing a natural central playmaker to replace Rutter, as opposed to moving so many players around to accommodate another left-sided winger, which is why if this deal does not go through, it would not be the end of the world.

The other issue is fitness, and that's where some hesitancy may come into the thinking on this one, but Solomon is definitely above the quality required to be a Championship footballer in terms of pure ability.