Football League World

Cardiff City are braced to receive a flurry of transfer interest in much-sought-after teenage duo Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor, with the pair attracting attention from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool and more after establishing themselves as key performers under Brian Barry-Murphy.

According to a report published by TEAMtalk on Tuesday evening, a number of leading Premier League outfits have joined the ever-intensifying hunt for Kpakio and Lawlor, leaving the Bluebirds to sweat over their immediate futures within the Welsh capital.

Both products of Cardiff's now-glowing youth academy system, the defensive duo were on the periphery last season as Cardiff suffered relegation to League One but have flourished as a result of Barry-Murphy's inclination to entrust, and indeed promote, young talent since taking the job over the summer.

Kpakio and Lawlor are gaining recognition outside of South Wales now, however, and with their reputation as two of the EFL's most promising prodigies only continuing to grow, so too is their list of respective admirers ahead of the upcoming January transfer window and beyond.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool eyeing double Cardiff City transfer raid for Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor

Recent reports have fuelled speculation surrounding the futures of Kpakio and Lawlor, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming via X that Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are the latest clubs to join the transfer race for the exciting pair.

Bailey describes that the Bluebirds are now facing a "huge battle" to retain their services, which City supporters may well have anticipated would be the case sooner rather than later.

As per Bailey's actual report, more than half of the Premier League - including the traditional top-six - are regularly watching Kpakio and Lawlor.

It's said that Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are all emerging as potential destinations for ball-playing central defender Lawlor, whose modern and mature style at a remarkably young age has left him hardly short of admirers.

The 19-year-old even has interest from overseas, with German trio Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig all reportedly monitoring his progression in League One, too.

Kpakio, who only celebrated his 18th birthday back in May, is also the subject of growing interest from elsewhere, with the dynamic full-back finding himself tracked by the majority of Premier League clubs in recent times.

Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor are vital - Cardiff City must resist top-flight transfer interest in January

Cardiff, the report adds, are "well aware" of mounting interest in the club's two prized assets, with the sanctioning of high-profile January exits firmly not on the agenda for the league leaders as they bid to return to English football's second-tier at the very first attempt.

It's worth noting that Cardiff have handed themselves security over the futures of Kpakio and Lawlor, too, with the latter having been set to see his contract expire next summer before the Bluebirds moved swiftly to tie him down to a new three-year deal.

Kpakio, meanwhile, put pen to paper on a fresh four-year contract, alongside fellow academy graduate Isaak Davies, back in September. Taking such contract action represented extremely shrewd business from the Bluebirds, who now have every right to hold out for significant sums when the phone rings for Kpakio and Lawlor.

For the meantime, Cardiff simply cannot afford to lose either in their pursuit of promotion.

Kpakio and Lawlor are, quite evidently, a few classes above League One - despite the occasional blip, which is only to be expected of two inexperienced campaigners in their first seasons of regular first-team football - and are establishing themselves as top-grade prospects for both club and country, having also entered Craig Bellamy's Wales squad together in recent months.

Kpakio has outmuscled experienced right-back Perry Ng to clamp down the spot as his own this term and has repaid Barry-Murphy's faith with a return of six assists, the joint-highest tally in League One alongside Bolton Wanderers' on-loan hotshot Amario Cozier-Duberry.

Electrifyingly quick with a menacing delivery and ever-sharpening defensive instincts at the other end, the attack-minded right-back has proved his worth as a vital cog in Cardiff's promotion push.

Lawlor, equally, is imperative to Barry-Murphy's possession-based brand of football, with his calm and assured ball-playing qualities as one of the Bluebirds' most integral assets.

Those qualities are now putting him on the radar of England and, indeed, European football's elite, and while it may only be a matter of time before Kpakio and Lawlor graduate onto bigger and better things elsewhere, such is their potential, the immediate focus will be on retaining their services for the season's full duration.

Midfielder Andy Reid was described as one of the "worst January signings since the transfer window was introduced in 2003" after his 2005 transfer to Spurs, but Charlton spent £3 million on him nevertheless.

A club that had flirted with extinction in the early 1980s and had spent seven years away from The Valley between 1985 and 1992, won promotion to the Premier League in 1998 - following relegation and promotion straight back - and had enjoyed six uninterrupted years in the top flight without too many fears of relegation.

But this was also a period of change for the club. The man who'd overseen all of this, Alan Curbishley, left the club after 15 years at the end of the 2005-06 season and replaced by Iain Dowie, and Dowie was given a hefty transfer budget that summer as the club sought to shore up their Premier League status in the absence of his long-time predecessor.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Djimi Traore, Scott Carson, Ben Thatcher and Souleymane Diawara respectively were amongst those to arrive at The Valley that summer, along with a midfielder who'd already been the subject of a protracted transfer which had led to a move which turned out to be disastrous.

Andy Reid had already been the subject of one of the "worst January transfers" by the time he arrived at Charlton from Spurs

Although born in Dublin, Andy Reid started his career in the youth system at Nottingham Forest.

Graduating to the senior squad with his first professional contract in 1999, he made his Forest debut in November 2000 and went on to make 158 appearances in all competitions for the club over the next five seasons.

But in the summer of 2004, Reid handed in a written transfer request, saying that: "I feel I have no other choice than to formally state my desire to leave the club."

Tottenham Hotspur had been interested in taking him to White Hart Lane, but Reid said: "You only have to look at the fees other clubs have paid this summer for experienced internationals who have only ever played in the Premier League to realise that I have been vastly priced out of a move."

Negotiations stretched out throughout the first half of the 2004-05 season before a deal was agreed for Reid and another Forest player, Michael Dawson, to move to Spurs for a combined fee of £8 million at the very end of the January 2005 transfer window.

To say that it didn't go well would be something of an understatement.

In a 2008 list of the 25 best and worst January transfers since the introduction of the January transfer window published by The Times, Reid's move to Spurs was in the number seven position.

Over the next season-and-a-half, he'd only make 26 appearances for Spurs, of which twenty would be starts.

Charlton Athletic had a chaotic 2006-07, but still turned a profit on Reid in 2008

Charlton Athletic paid £3 million to take Reid to The Valley in August 2006.

It was clearly a gamble. He'd failed to replicate the performances he'd made for Nottingham Forest at Spurs.

But it turned out that Charlton's problems throughout the 2006-07 season were greater than any one player. By the time Iain Dowie was sacked on the 13th November, they were rock bottom of the Premier League, having lost eight of their 12 matches to that point.

And the club's choice of his replacement was mystifying. Les Reed had previously been involved in the England team's coaching set-up, but he had no managerial experience and the club was clearly in a dangerous position.

Reed's brief spell in charge of the Addicks that season has gone down in infamy as one of the most disastrous in the history of the Premier League. He lasted just six weeks in charge, winning just one match and getting them knocked out of the League Cup by Wycombe Wanderers, 1-0 at home.

The press treatment of Reed was savage. He was sacked on Christmas Eve after just 41 days in the job, the shortest managerial spell in the history of the Premier League at that point, with the Daily Mirror describing him as "Santa Clueless." He was replaced by Alan Pardew.

As Charlton's season slid towards relegation, Reid's role at his new club was peripheral. He made just 16 appearances for the Addicks all season, scoring twice. They were eventually relegated in 19th place in the table, four points from safety.

But the following season, back in the Championship, his form did pick up again. The club had kept faith with Pardew despite the previous season's relegation, and by the latter stages of November 2007 they were second in the table behind West Bromwich Albion.

This upturn in form hadn't gone unnoticed. He scored six league goals in the first half of the season, including two penalties in two minutes to give Charlton a 2-0 win against Norwich in November 2007. By this time, Pardew had appointed him as Addicks captain.

He made his final League appearance for them on the 15th December 2007, in a 4-2 defeat to West Brom, and at the very end of the January 2008 transfer window he returned to the Premier League with a £5 million transfer to Sunderland, with Sunderland's Greg Halford going in the other direction on a six-month loan as part of the deal.

It represented a decent profit for a player who'd only cost them £3 million in the first place.

Reid's time at Sunderland wouldn't be especially successful, but in 2011 he returned to Nottingham Forest, the club at which he'd started his career, and would play for them for a further five years, making a further 130 appearances for them before retiring in 2016.

Speaking to The Coaches' Voice in 2023, Reid shone a light on his time at The Valley, and in particular the strong bond that he had with Alan Pardew. He even admits in the article that he didn't want to leave Charlton in January 2008, but that the club's financial position meant that they had to accept Sunderland's offer.

And it's unsurprising that Reid divides opinion among the club's supporters. On one hand, he was a supremely talented player, with an outstanding passing range, and he always played with his heart firmly on his sleeve.

On the other, he was also part of a chaotic season, one which marked the end of their most successful spell since the 1940s and the beginning of more than a decade of problems under more than one owner, with some fans also expecting more from the midfielder given the fee they paid for him.

With no international breaks until March, all 24 clubs across the Championship will aim to build as much momentum as possible ahead of the final weeks and months of the season.

At the beginning of the campaign, both West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City were the subject of intriguing predictions made by those willing to stick their heads above the parapet.

It was all change at The Hawthorns over the summer, with Ryan Mason installed as the latest man to take up the position of leading the Baggies on a permanent basis after a chaotic campaign in terms of permanent or interim bosses, which was one of many factors which led to a disappointing end to last season and a ninth-place finish overall.

Blues, meanwhile, continued to spark major discourse, as has become customary ever since Chris Davies walked through the door at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park in June 2024 ahead of their record-breaking League One campaign, with Knighthead Capital Management continuing to heavily back the 40-year-old in the transfer market.

Three-and-a-half months of football have since been played, and it is Birmingham who hold a three-point advantage ahead of Wednesday's fixture in B71, which is set to generate another hostile and electric atmosphere between the two sets of supporters.

Aside from their own aims for the season and the local pride at stake, there is bound to be a showing of mutual respect between the duo on the touchline, which also means their former Tottenham Hotspur boss, Ange Postecoglou, could be keeping across developments with a high level of intrigue.

Ange Postecoglou has spoken highly of both Ryan Mason and Chris Davies amid Tottenham Hotspur stints

Despite being the subject of recent ridicule for how his two-year spell in North London drew to a close despite a UEFA Europa League triumph before a disastrous 38-day tenure with Nottingham Forest, Ange Postecoglou remains a very-much respected figure in the game.

The Australian was hugely successful with Celtic between 2021 and 2023, a club which Davies is also no stranger to, having worked at Parkhead under Brendan Rodgers beforehand.

Despite there being no prior crossover between the two, Postecoglou moved to appoint the former Liverpool and Leicester City assistant at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the 2023/24 season, where he would also link up with Mason, whose association with Spurs needs very little introduction, having played for, coached and taken interim charge of Spurs throughout his career.

Spurs, of course, developed a reputation for playing an extremely notorious brand of football throughout Postecoglou's tenure, which resulted in a fifth-place finish in his first season, missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification, before returning to the competition for this season through beating Manchester United in the Europa League final despite a 17th-place finish.

In the midst of the most contrasting of seasons in North London, Davies was breaking all kinds of records at St. Andrew's in his first season as a manager with Blues, and he certainly caught the eye of his former boss after promotion was initially secured against Peterborough United on April 8th.

“I really enjoyed working with Chris. He was only with me for a short time last year, but I really enjoyed working with him. He was a big part of what we built last year. It was ground zero in terms of building a whole football programme in a different direction and he was a big part of that," Postecoglou said.

“Your first job is pretty important when you’re trying to embark on a career as a senior manager, and he’s done brilliantly well, which is not surprising."

Throughout Spurs' Europa League triumph, Mason emerged as a key reason behind their run to the final in Bilbao against the Red Devils, as well as a prime candidate for several vacancies, before eventually departing the club alongside Postecoglou in June, days before taking over West Brom.

The Athens-born man was also extremely complimentary towards the ex-England midfielder when links to the Anderlecht vacancy arose in November 2024, saying: “I have always worked on the premise that part of my role is also developing coaches and it is something I take great pride in.

“Ryan is obviously someone who sees himself as one day taking that opportunity. It’s a really important decision for the guys. It’s not like we want them to leave and certainly with Ryan, he is doing a great job for us here.”

Chris Davies and Ryan Mason enter West Brom vs Birmingham City clash in differing circumstances

With both Mason and Davies in their first full-time managerial roles, not exactly every aspect has gone smoothly, as evidenced across varying points of the season.

The Blues boss debunked theories of back-to-back promotions whilst facing pressure in a patchy run of form between August and mid-October after yet another high-profile recruitment drive at St. Andrew's.

However, a run of four victories in six games has since changed the mood completely, with the 40-year-old making some extremely smart tweaks that have resulted in 12 goals being scored in the past three home games, as he attempts to back up such developments with a third away success of the campaign.

After an intriguing summer of recruitment and departures at The Hawthorns, Albion were among the early-season pace-setters, with the likes of Isaac Price gaining plenty of attention for his performances.

However, in the past two months, Baggies supporters have continuously bemoaned a lack of identity and style, with many already calling for Mason's job despite continued backing from owner, Shilen Patel, for the 34-year-old to turn the club's fortunes around over time.

Just two clean sheets and as many victories since August haven't helped the aforementioned cause, which suffered yet another setback in a 3-2 defeat to Coventry City on Saturday after being 2-0 up, meaning an immediate response will be on the agenda.

Therefore, with plenty of context provided in the lead-up, Postecoglou will certainly have one eye on the performances of his ex-colleagues.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Jamie Donley tore apart League One with Leyton Orient last season, but since joining Stoke City on loan this summer in the Championship, things haven't exactly panned out the way anyone would have hoped.

Born in Northern Ireland but having grown up in Colchester, Donley joined the youth system of Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and has progressed through the ranks with the Lilywhites, emerging as one of the club's hottest prospects.

The 20-year-old had scored prolifically for Spurs' youth side and earned a move to League One outfit Leyton Orient at the beginning of last season, in what was his first full taste of consistent senior football, and he did not disappoint.

Donley hit eight goals and ten assists in 39 third-tier games across the season, as Orient narrowly lost out in the play-off final to London rivals Charlton Athletic.

The highlight of his stay at Brisbane Road had to be his long-range effort against Manchester City in the FA Cup, which looped over Stefan Ortega in the Citizens' net, crashing off the crossbar on the way in.

Following his strike, City manager Pep Guardiola said, "When you concede this goal, it is just to congratulate the guy. I think it was Donley. He is an incredible left-foot player.

Expectations were set high for Donley, who drew interest from numerous Championship clubs this summer, but it would be Mark Robins' Stoke side that would get his signature. Though, since his move, it hasn't at all worked out.

Jamie Donley has barely featured on loan for Stoke City this season

Football League World's Stoke fan pundit, Pete, has shared their thoughts on whether they can see Donley heading back to Spurs this January, given his lack of game time, and how he has performed in the limited minutes that he has received.

Pete said, "I think it's widely expected by Stoke fans that he will be recalled by Spurs in January.

"He's found himself behind Lewis Baker, Bae Jun-Ho, and even Tomas Rigo, who can play in the number ten position, and I just don't see, barring any injuries, how he's going to get into the team, which obviously isn't going to suit Spurs; that's the reason why they sent him out.

"In terms of his actual performances, he's only played once, and that was at home to Bradford in the League Cup. We lost 3-0; it was easily our worst performance of the season, and other than the assist that he got on the opening day against Derby, he hasn't really shown anything in the very limited time that he has had.

"I think it would probably make sense for all concerned if he were to go back to Spurs and probably head out on loan to a different club for the rest of the season."

Jamie Donley will likely be recalled in January following an underwhelming spell with Stoke City

It is more likely than not that Donley will be recalled from his loan spell with Stoke this January.

The attacking-midfielder has made just four league appearances for the Potters this season, accumulating just 77 minutes of Championship football in that time.

His last appearance came in Stoke's 2-0 away defeat to Millwall in October, and since then, he has either been named on the bench or, more recently, not been named in the squad at all.

Donley has been left out of the matchday squad for the Potters' three most recent league fixtures, against Bristol City, Oxford United, and Coventry City. With no news surrounding any potential injuries, it merely appears as though he has fallen out of favour under Robins.

Each of Lewis Baker, Bae Jun-Ho, and Tomas Rigo have all appeared in the number ten role on occasion this season, leaving Donley's minutes severely limited.

Should this not change upon the return of the international break, it is difficult to see a scenario where the Northern Irishman remains in the Potteries for the rest of the campaign.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

After a slow start to the season, it has been an excellent few months for Notts County in League Two.

Notts County picked up just one point from their first three games of the season, and that led to many supporters expressing doubts about the appointment of head coach Martin Paterson, who was a controversial choice to replace Stuart Maynard in the summer given his poor previous managerial record at Burton Albion.

However, the Magpies have been one of the form teams in the division since then, and they picked up their fourth win in five games with a 2-1 victory at Cheltenham Town on Monday to move into the automatic promotion places, with goals from Alassana Jatta and Tyrese Hall securing all three points for Paterson's men.

While Jatta's recent form is no surprise, Hall's performances have been one of the biggest positives for Notts this season, and the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder netted his sixth goal in just 16 appearances for the club in the win over the Robins.

The 20-year-old has come up with a host of crucial contributions for the Magpies in recent months, including scoring a brace in the 4-0 win over Crawley Town in September and hitting a last-minute winner in the 1-0 victory at Barnet last month, but fears are increasing that he could be recalled by Spurs in January and sent out on loan to a higher division.

It is not the first time Notts have business with the Premier League outfit, with midfielder George Abbott scoring six goals and providing seven assists in 44 appearances during a temporary spell at Meadow Lane last season, and they will be hoping to convince Spurs to allow them to keep hold of Hall for the entire campaign.

Notts County concerns outlined over potential Tyrese Hall, Spurs recall in January

When asked if he is worried that Hall could be recalled in January, FLW's Notts County fan pundit Gareth Parr admitted he is concerned about the possibility of losing the midfielder, but he urged Spurs to consider the progress Abbott made during the second half of last season at Meadow Lane before making a decision on the England Under-19 international's future.

"Obviously there's always a chance," Gareth told FLW.

"He's still very young, and I don't think he'll ever feature in the Spurs first team, so there's no real risk in that regard.

"They could recall him, whether they will or not is the real question.

"Notts have a very good development relationship with Spurs, especially following on from what happened with George Abbott last season.

"In the first half of last season, George Abbott was actually quite quiet, it wasn't until the second half of the season where he truly blossomed and became the player that he ended the season.

"There's always hope that the same sort of thing could happen with Tyrese Hall.

"Yes, he's got half a dozen goals already this season, he seems to be linking up well with someone of the senior players, especially Alassana Jatta, but who's to say he can't go on and score 12 goals in the second half of the season and develop even more?

"Especially with Notts pushing for promotion, he could potentially be in a position to be playing the very best teams in the division for a properly competitive promotion spot.

"It could go either way.

"They could recall him because they feel he's developed enough already and move him on somewhere else or they could keep him in place and see just how much better he can get in the second half of the season like Abbott did."

Martin Paterson will be sweating about Tyrese Hall, Notts County situation

It has been an impressive few months for Notts County as Paterson continues to prove his doubters wrong, and Hall has been one of the standout performers during their current strong run of form.

When players perform well on loan in League Two, it is a common occurrence for their parent club to recall them midway through the season and send them to a higher level, but if Spurs were to take up that option with Hall, they could risk stalling his development if he does not receive the same level of game time elsewhere.

Hall has thrived working under Paterson at Meadow Lane so far, so Spurs should resist any temptation to recall him in January and allow him to remain with the Magpies for the rest of the season, particularly given the way Abbott improved last term as the campaign went on.

Former Bristol City attacker Antoine Semenyo is attracting interest from Premier League heavyweights Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City heading into the January transfer window, which will be of interest to the Robins as they hold a 20% sell-on clause.

As per Sky Sports journalists Lyall Thomas and Mark McAdam, the top-flight trio are all monitoring Semenyo’s situation at Bournemouth, as the Ghanian international continues to transform himself into one of the biggest talents in England’s elite division.

Semenyo emerged and broke through the youth ranks at Bristol City back in 2018, taking on loan spells at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland for the first two years of his time with the Robins.

His breakthrough at Ashton Gate would arrive in the 2020-21 season, where he featured in 44 of their 46 Championship games, scoring two and assisting four under the stewardship of Nigel Pearson.

The following season would see a significant surge in his attacking contributions while playing fewer games, as he netted eight times and provided 12 assists from 31 matches, as a knee injury disrupted some of his campaign.

The 25-year-old’s final term with Bristol City would come in 2022-23, playing half of that campaign as he registered six goals and two assists from 23 appearances. He secured a move during the January transfer window to Bournemouth for a reported £10.5m fee.

Since his move to the South Coast, Semenyo has gone from strength-to-strength, most notably improving under current boss Andoni Iraola.

For the Cherries, Semenyo has provided 26 goals and 12 assists as he approaches a century of appearances for the club, and has already scored six times in 11 top-flight matches this season to raise the eyebrows of some Premier League giants.

In the near future, the winger could be making a big-money move to test himself at the very top of the game, with Bristol City set to be beneficiaries of this.

Antoine Semenyo linked with January move to Premier League heavyweights, as Bristol City hold commanding sell-on fee

As per a report by Sky Sports on their Transfer Centre page, journalists Lyall Thomas and Mark McAdam have outlined that Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring a move for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo ahead of the January transfer window.

Semenyo signed a new contract in the summer amid interest from a number of clubs, including Spurs and Manchester United.

Reports began to surface that Semenyo had asked to leave Bournemouth at the turn of the new year, but they are believed to be false and the attacker is annoyed by those claims.

This is particularly of interest from a Bristol City perspective, as a report by Bristol Live in 2023 revealed the club will receive 20% of his next transfer fee when he eventually departs the Vitality Stadium.

A report by TeamTalk has revealed that Liverpool are considering submitting a bid of £70m to secure Semenyo’s services, meaning the Robins could recieve upwards of £14m if a deal is struck – a sensational amount for a Championship club.

Bristol City will be excited about a future Antoine Semenyo sale

Bristol City chiefs obviously saw what a talent Antoine Semenyo was from his time in the Championship with the Robins.

At the time, a £10.5m fee was almost too good to turn down as the game continues to be dominated from a financial point of view, with Championship clubs needing to find a way to sustain themselves without the blessing of parachute payments.

The hierarchy were very savvy to include such a high sell-on clause, and this decision is turning out to be a very smart one later down the line, particularly if the club can land that eight-figure sum.

Receiving those funds could be such a bonus for Bristol City this season, as they would be able to bolster the squad in January by adding it to their budget, as well as having the potential to trump rivals to transfer targets by having those extra financial resources.

Currently, Gerhard Struber is doing a fabulous job keeping the club on an upwards trajectory after he succeeded Liam Manning, and this added influx of cash could be exactly what they need to help them break into the play-offs or even push for an automatic promotion spot.

The Robins are certainly in a good place on the pitch, and their former academy graduate could prove to be a massive helping hand for their promotion hopes, provided he can seal a move away from Bournemouth in January.

It has been a magnificent start to the campaign for Preston North End, with loanee Alfie Devine showing quality throughout the opening couple of months, and now details have emerged with regards to how much the Lancastrians would have to pay to sign the Tottenham Hotspur man on a permanent deal.

Having narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, following a collapse in the second-half of the campaign, Paul Heckingbottom was entrusted with an overhaul of the Preston squad over the summer.

That has seen Preston transform themselves from a perennial Championship also-ran to, seemingly, a potential promotion challenger as they sit tucked inside the top six and the play-off places after 13 matches of the campaign.

With a brilliant defensive record, whereby only Stoke City and Charlton Athletic have conceded fewer than North End, moments of quality in the final third are providing Preston supporters with plenty of reasons to finally get excited about.

At the heart of their attack, and all-round game, is Tottenham loanee Devine, but Preston would have to smash their club-record fee to bring in the 21-year-old on a permanent basis.

Preston would have to break club-record fee for Alfie Devine

Having beaten off competition from fellow apparent promotion contenders Millwall over the summer to sign him on loan, Alfie Devine has had a magnificent start to life at Deepdale.

It has now been reported by George Hodgson, of the Lancashire Post, that the buy option in Devine’s loan deal is worth £4 million.

The Wigan Athletic academy graduate, who has made a couple of first-team appearances for Spurs, has been highly regarded throughout his young career and now he is beginning to show it on a regular basis for a Preston side that would widely be regarded as punching above their weight.

With a couple of goals and a couple of assists so far this season, Devine is playing a key role as the creative outlet in an all-action midfield that consists of Ben Whiteman and Everton loanee Harrison Armstrong.

Devine, who has also had loan spells with Port Vale, Plymouth Argyle and Westerlo, is developing an industrious and hard-working edge to go with his excellent and now effective technical ability.

It may still be too soon for Preston to be certain they should take the plunge on a hefty fee for the youngster, but he is going some way to make it a must do deal for the club.

Alfie Devine would surpass the Milutin Osmajic transfer

Preston’s current club-record transfer fee paid is £2.15 million, which was the fee that they paid for Montenegro international striker Milutin Osmajic from Spanish side Cadiz in the summer of 2023.

The controversial 26-year-old is a fan favourite at Deepdale, having notched 26 goals in 90 matches for the club across all competitions since his arrival, including a career best season of 15 in 41 games last season.

Preston have often been frugal but smart with their recruitment and managing to poach Devine on loan has been another excellent example of that.

Heckingbottom has been given a gem of a player and is coaching and moulding him in to becoming a seriously effective asset at the top end of the Championship table.

Should Devine continue his form then Preston may well find their breaking their club-record transfer fee for the England youth international becomes a necessity, rather than a temptation.

Newcastle United are set to beat out Tottenham Hotspur and other top-flight interest to the signing of 15-year-old Barnsley centre-back Josh Kenchington.

According to Craig Hope from the Daily Mail, the Barnsley native has agreed to a deal with the Premier League side, which will allow him to continue his development with the Magpies.

There's plenty of hype around the young defender, who already stands north of six feet, with many dubbing him the 'next John Stones,' not only due to the two being born in South Yorkshire, but also for his potential to become one of England's best centre-backs in the future.

Having already made multiple appearances for England in his age group, the sky is truly the limit for Kenchington, and Eddie Howe's side will be hoping that he can realise that potential at St James' Park.

Newcastle United agree deal for 15-year-old Josh Kenchington

According to a Q&A by Craig Hope in the Daily Mail, Newcastle are set to bring in highly-rated centre-back Kenchington from Barnsley.

The Magpies have been reported to have beaten out the interest of a number of top-flight sides, including Tottenham, for his signature.

Despite being just 15, Kenchington has progressed rapidly throughout his short career at his boyhood club. Standing at over six feet already, the England U15 international is said to be "extremely comfortable on the ball," leading many to already compare him to Manchester City star John Stones.

Stones spent a season in the first team at Oakwell before he made his move to Everton in 2013, aged just 18, but Kenchington is making his Premier League switch already.

Despite the deal not formally being agreed just yet, a deal has been agreed with the Tykes, and anticipation is growing around the 15-year-old's arrival at St James' Park.

The sky's the limit for Josh Kenchington at Newcastle United

Whilst a lot of these deals that see academy stars switch between youth squads usually get swept under the rug, plenty of noise is being made about Kenchington's immediate arrival at Newcastle, and for good reason.

The 15-year-old has an enormous amount of potential, having dominated his age group at both domestic and international levels. The demands will increase now that he's at a top Premier League club, but plenty expect him to be able to exceed those expectations.

To be compared to one of England's best central defenders in recent times at such a young age is a big indication of where Kenchington's career is set to go, and you'd expect that, in a few years, those who lost out to Newcastle would be wishing they had increased their interest.

Kevin Danso won the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season, having joined the club on loan from French side Lens in January. However, what people may not know is that this wasn't his first move to England, nor even his second.

Having been born in Austria, Kevin Danso and his family moved to England whilst he was still only six, and he would join the academy of MK Dons at Under-9's level.

He'd leave the club in 2014 without ever making a senior appearance for the Buckinghamshire outfit, joining German side FC Augsburg, where he would begin his professional football career.

He made his Bundesliga debut in March 2017 at 18 years and 165 days old, becoming the youngest-ever player to make their debut for the club, and just a week later, he signed his fresh four-year deal with the German side.

Despite his early promise, the Austrian failed to truly nail down a place in the starting eleven at Augsburg for the next two years, with a combination of injuries and competition from Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Martin Hinteregger keeping him out of the side.

Despite his lack of game time, this did not deter then-Premier League side Southampton from signing Danso on loan with an option to buy in August 2019, with compatriot Ralph Hasenhuttl bringing him to the club.

MK Dons and Southampton never saw the best of Kevin Danso

Danso's time at St Mary's did not exactly go to plan, to say the least.

The Austrian's start to life on the South Coast could not have gotten off to a better start, playing the full ninety minutes in a 2-0 away victory at Brighton and Hove Albion on his debut, but unfortunately for him and Southampton fans, it was not a sign of things to come.

Danso would start the season playing as a left-back, and in only his second game for the club, he was sent off for two yellow cards in a 1-1 home draw to Man United, which was the beginning of his downfall.

Having missed the next game due to suspension against Sheffield United, Danso returned to the lineup at home to Bournemouth, but would be replaced at half-time by Ryan Bertrand in their 3-1 defeat.

He'd play just a combined eight minutes in the next three matches as he fell out of favour, but would be reintroduced to the starting eleven at home to Leicester City. What happened next effectively ended his Southampton career.

Southampton found themselves 5-0 down before the break, with Bertrand having been sent off in the 12th minute, and Danso was replaced at half-time in what was damage limitation for the Saints.

They'd end up losing 9-0 at home in what is the joint-biggest Premier League defeat of all time, and Danso would play just once more for the club before spending the rest of the season either out of the squad or warming the bench.

MK Dons never saw what Danso was capable of; Southampton saw him at his worst, and neither could have predicted the trajectory he would go on thereafter.

Kevin Danso has become a solid Premier League player since leaving MK Dons and Southampton

Danso spent the following season on loan with Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German second tier, where he found regular playing time, missing just two league games all season, followed by a move to Ligue 1 side Lens in August 2021.

The 27-year-old spent three-and-a-half years as an important player in the French side's back line, playing in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League during his stay in the North East of the country.

He'd join Ange Postecoglou's Spurs on loan in January 2025 and would make 15 appearances in all competitions as Spurs endured their lowest top-flight finish in 48 years, but would achieve European glory by lifting the Europa League.

Danso's move became permanent this summer for a fee of around £21 million, but under new boss Thomas Frank, he has so far been used sparingly, playing just 16 minutes of Premier League football so far this season.

James Maddison has taken a dig at Ipswich Town following their victory over Norwich City.

The two sides met to compete in the East Anglian derby last time out at Portman Road, with the Tractor Boys running out 3-1 victors.

Kieran McKenna’s outfit looked more likely to claim victory from minute one, controlling the ball and slowly breaking down Norwich’s defence. This pressure culminated in an opener courtesy of Cedric Kipre, who smashed home from a corner.

The Canaries responded almost instantly, as Oscar Schwartau’s strike from outside the box deflected past Alex Palmer to level the scoring.

Ipswich continued to enjoy the majority of chances however, and were back in front just before half-time due to a wonder strike from star winger Jaden Philogene.

Jack Clarke increased the Suffolk side’s advantage 13 minutes from time, which subsequently secured them all three points, boosting McKenna's men up to ninth in the standings and six points behind league leaders Coventry City.

This victory marked the first time in 16 years that Ipswich had beaten Norwich in the league, which has led to increased celebrations from all those involved with the club.

Norwich, of course, have endured a difficult start to the season under head coach Liam Manning, who is coming under ever-intensifying pressure, and suffering defeat in such an important fixture where, historically speaking, they've held the bragging rights, has only compounded the frustration surrounding Carrow Road at this moment in time.

Such acts of jubilation have caught the attention of people connected to the Canaries, including ex-player James Maddison.

Ex-Norwich City star James Maddison hits out at Ipswich Town following derby triumph

Maddison made over 50 appearances for Norwich City during the formative period of his career after joining from boyhood side Coventry City, with his 14 goals and eight assists during the 2017/18 Championship campaign enough to convince Leicester City to acquire his services.

It was at Carrow Road where the England international really blossomed as a player, and he still holds a large amount of good feeling for the Norfolk side as a result.

When Norwich beat Ipswich 1-0 in April 2024, in which the winning goal was rather ironically scored by no other than Marcelino Nunez, Maddison took to social media to revel in the victory, stating: "Just in case anyone needed reminding…East Anglia is & always will be yellow and green. 15 years now?"

Following the Tractor Boys’ recent win, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was reminded of this by an Ipswich fan, who quoted Maddison’s original post saying: "Any update on this?"

Never one to back down from confrontation, the former Norwich star replied: “1 win in 16 years. Have some shame son.”

Ipswich Town supporters will hope to have the last laugh this season

As Maddison stated, Ipswich have only just bested Norwich for the first time in 16 years, with the Canaries enjoying many more victories to celebrate in that time period.

The Tractor Boys have good reason to celebrate though, with this triumph a rare source of joy in an otherwise dismal 2025.

Although the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder can boast now, it may be McKenna and Co. who have the last laugh after 46 matches.

Ipswich’s squad is filled to the brim with talent, and they finally look like they are gaining some momentum in this Championship campaign.

If the Suffolk side can put their quality to good use and climb up the table further, there may be much less for Maddison and Norwich to fight back with, especially as the Canaries' struggles continue.