da brwin： Leeds United youth prospect Alex Baird could depart West Yorkshire in the upcoming January transfer window.

da betsson： At the second time of asking, Daniel Farke led the Whites back to the Premier League last season, ascending as centurions and winners of the Championship. To prepare, the Whites made a number of summer signings, aiming to avoid the fate of all six promoted sides across the past two years, who were immediately relegated.

Unsurprisingly, Leeds have been linked with a number of potential incomings ahead of the January transfer window, in which they can reinforce their squad. Alongside Sunderland and Burnley, the 2025/26 season looks to be one in which, finally, promoted teams can compete in the Premier League once more.

It would appear, though, that the Whites may have to navigate the departure of a promising talent this January.

Baird could leave Leeds this winter

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Alex Baird could depart Elland Road for free in the upcoming transfer window. Though he is a promising player, currently in the ranks of Leeds’ Under-18s squad, Baird’s pathway to the first team is unclear.

Ahead of Baird in the youth academy’s pecking order are Darryl Ombang and Rory Mahady. The latter is particularly regarded as a star prospect and both have spent time, in recent months, on loan with clubs in the English football pyramid.

Given that both seem ahead of Baird, it makes sense that the youngster could leave and join a club with a clearer route to first-team football. Not only that, but Leeds are well-stocked in the goalkeeping department at a senior level too.

Illan Meslier, who has not played for Leeds since early 2025, looks set to leave the club sooner rather than later. The fact that Meslier did not, in fact, depart in the latest summer transfer window was rather surprising.

Elsewhere, though, the Whites signed Lucas Perri from Lyon to be their new number one in the summer. Karl Darlow has performed admirably when called upon as a back-up shot-stopper and Alex Cairns, now a veteran who is a Leeds youth academy product, is the club’s third choice keeper.

What Baird goes onto achieve as a player remains to be seen, though it would appear that these accomplishments will not be achieved at Elland Road.

"Indespensable" Leeds star now struggling for form

Australia’s stand-in captain said that a pink-ball Test is ‘just a completely different game’

Matt Roller30-Nov-2025

Steven Smith wears black tape under his eyes•Getty Images

Steven Smith looks set to emulate former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul by wearing ‘eye blacks’ on his cheeks during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. He trialled the anti-glare strips while batting in the nets during Australia’s floodlit training session on Sunday evening ahead of Thursday’s day-night, pink-ball fixture in Brisbane.Smith has played 13 of Australia’s 14 previous pink-ball Tests but has not taken to the format in the same way as red-ball cricket: he has only scored one hundred in 24 innings in day-night Tests, averaging 37.04. His record in daytime Tests is far superior, with 35 centuries in 190 innings and an average of 58.31.”The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith had said during Australia’s most recent day-night Test match, a 176-run win over West Indies in Jamaica in July. “Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one.”I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay.”Related

'I'll be wearing them' – Smith commits to anti-glare tape in day-night Test

Ten years since Adelaide, pink-ball Tests remain an Australian speciality

Bashir, Jacks in frame as England mull taking the pink for a spin

Root questions need for pink-ball Ashes Test

Head 'happy' to keep opening amid Khawaja debate

The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Chanderpaul is the most prominent cricketer to have used them previously. “I always used it whenever it was very glary,” he told in a 2018 interview. “I stick them on and it does help take 60-70 percent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me.”Alastair Cook, who played three day-night Tests for England, has identified focusing on the pink ball’s black seam as the biggest challenge for batters due to glare. “When the floodlights shine off the pink leather, it distracts from focusing on the black seam – and if you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in his column.”Whatever type of cricket you are playing, the seam is your clue as to how the ball will behave… At least you have a chance with a red ball. If it’s a pink one under lights, it’s nigh-on impossible to pick up the seam and, therefore, decide with confidence which way the ball might move.”Smith’s innovation came on the same day that Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test, comments which Travis Head dismissed.Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after beating England inside two days in Perth.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be pleased with how his side has adapted to Premier League football after their promotion from the Championship.

The last six teams to have come up from the second tier have all been relegated at the first time of asking, and the Whites, Sunderland, and Burnley are hoping to avoid making it nine from nine.

Leeds have racked up eight points in seven matches in the Premier League so far this season, lifting them above the relegation zone, in what has been an impressive start to the campaign.

They lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the top-flight at Elland Road, but they had a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth and a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, which included a stunning goal from Anton Stach, prior to that.

The German central midfielder smashed his free-kick right into the top corner for his first goal for the club after his move from Hoffenheim in the summer window.

Another signing from the summer transfer window who has impressed since his arrival at Elland Road is exciting wide attacker Noah Okafor.

Where Noah Okafor ranks among Leeds United's attackers

It may not be unfair to suggest that the Switzerland international is the best and most effective attacker within Farke’s first-team squad in the Premier League this season.

Okafor, who was signed from AC Milan, has hit the ground running in English football with two goals in four starts in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which is twice as many goals as any other player in the team has managed.

He is the only Leeds player who has scored more than one goal this season in the top-flight, with his strikes against Wolves and Spurs, and that suggests that the forward is, at the very least, the most effective goalscorer in the attacking ranks.

25/26 Premier League	Noah Okafor	Leeds attacker rank
Sofascore rating	7.06	1st
xG	1.16	2nd
Goals	2	1st
Minutes per goal	153	2nd
Big chances created	1	2nd
Dribbles completed per game	2.2	1st
Key passes per game	0.8	2nd
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Okafor ranks either first or second in a host of key attacking metrics for the Whites in the Premier League, which speaks to how influential he has been at the top end of the pitch in the early stages of the campaign.

The Swiss speedster, who scored in the 2-1 defeat to Spurs last time out, is an electric dribbler who can score goals and create chances for his teammates, which makes him an invaluable part of Farke’s attack.

Despite that, Transfermarkt have Okafor as the 13th-most valuable member of the squad, at £11m, and the seventh-most valuable winger or striker, even below Jack Harrison at £12m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Another player who is worth even more than the Switzerland international, despite his impressive form in the Premier League, is central defender Pascal Struijk, whom the Whites have hit the jackpot with since his move to the club from Ajax.

Leeds have hit the jackpot with Pascal Struijk

The Dutch central defender joined the club at U21 level on a free transfer at the start of 2018, as his contract with Ajax was due to expire, and he was able to rise through the ranks at Thorp Arch.

Struijk made seven appearances for the U21 team before he emerged as a regular first-team squad member in the 2020/21 Premier League season under Marcelo Bielsa, playing 27 times, per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed star has since racked up 166 appearances for the first-team in all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit, and has started all seven of the club’s league matches this season.

Struijk was particularly important to the club’s promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring five goals in 35 appearances, as he formed a reliable partnership with Joe Rodon.

The 26-year-old titan, who scored two late goals in a dramatic comeback against Sunderland, kept 14 clean sheets in 31 starts in the second tier last term, per Sofascore, which speaks to how defensively solid the team were with him in it.

Farke has kept his faith in both Rodon and Struijk, despite the signings of Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, in the Premier League so far this season.

The German boss described him as a “crucial” player back in 2023, and he still relies on the Dutchman, even if his performances this term have not quite been up to scratch.

25/26 Premier League	Pascal Struijk	Percentile rank vs CBs
Tackles	6	Bottom 34%
Duels won	19	Bottom 40%
Duel success rate	43.2%	Bottom 3%
Aerial duel success rate	46.4%	Bottom 13%
Interceptions	2	Bottom 9%
Blocked shots	2	Bottom 34%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Struijk currently ranks among the worst centre-backs in the division in a host of defensive statistics, which suggests that he needs to improve his performances if he wants to remain in the side.

Despite his slightly concerning form at this moment in time, the Dutch star is valued at a whopping £15.6m by Transfermarkt, which means that he is worth more than Okafor (£11m). He is also the joint-fourth most valuable player at the club, per Transfermarkt.

Considering that the Whites picked him up from Ajax’s academy and he started his career in England at U21 level, it is fair to say that Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed Struijk back in 2018.

He has developed into, at the very least, a Championship promotion-winning central defender, and one of the most valuable players in the squad at £15.6m.

Farke struck gold on Leeds star who came from "the school of Haaland"

Leeds United hit the jackpot on this star who Phil Hay compared to Erling Haaland.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 8, 2025

At the age of 26, Struijk also has plenty of time left ahead of him to increase in value, but he must first turn his Premier League form around and show that he is good enough to start week-in-week-out in a top-flight side that can avoid relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur have identified an alternative attacking signing to Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers after missing out on the England international, according to a new report.

Rogers was reliably reported to be an ambitious target for Spurs last summer following his imperious 2024/2025 season — which saw the forward bag 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 total appearances.

Fabrizio Romano even stated that Thomas Frank’s side, along with Chelsea, were prepared to pay “crazy money” for Rogers.

Following on from that statement, Villa have since confirmed Rogers has signed a new contract until 2031 — gifting Unai Emery a massive boost while dampening all hope of Spurs securing any deal for the foreseeable future.

Tottenham are still reportedly in the market for a new winger and could sign one as early as January, with Frank dealt multiple injury blows since taking over from Ange Postecoglou in the summer.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Other

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani and Mohammed Kudus are all on the treatment table right now. Only the latter appears fairly likely to feature against Arsenal in the North London derby on November 23, considering he was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United, but Kudus interestingly hasn’t been selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

Tottenham make approach to sign Everton star Iliman Ndiaye

With Rogers off the table as an attacking target, it is believed that Everton’s in-form star Iliman Ndiaye is now attracting their attention instead.

According to reports from Spain, Spurs view the Toffees sensation as an ideal alternative to Rogers, but they could have to fork out close to £70 million for his signature.

The Senegalese has been one of Everton’s players of the season and worth every penny of the £15 million used to bring him in from Marseille in 2024, bagging 15 goals in 50 appearances since joining the club and consistently standing out as a top performer.

Ndiaye has started all 11 of Everton’s league games so far and is one of the undroppables on David Moyes’ team sheet week in, week out.

However, while it may be difficult to convince the Merseysiders to sell, this hasn’t stopped Tottenham making an initial approach for Ndiaye ahead of 2026, according to one Spanish media source.

It is also believed that Spurs are “determined to move quickly” for the versatile 25-year-old who can play out wide, through the middle and even as a striker when required — potentially suggesting that an audacious January move could be on the cards.

The fast bowler talks about the responsibilities of supporting his family, and being a senior seamer in the squad in the West Indies

Firdose Moonda07-Aug-2024Lungi Ngidi had just turned 22, and earned his first central contract with South Africa and his first IPL contract, when his father, Jerome, died. Life had changed forever when he returned home to his mother and three older brothers.At the time Ngidi was only a year into his international career, a true South African success story: born shortly after democracy came to the country; to parents who worked as caretaker and housekeeper at his primary school; the recipient of a scholarship to the prestigious Hilton College; and a professional sportsperson.In eight games for South Africa, he spread stardust as a speedy fast bowler and brought unprecedented joy to his parents, who were for the first time in their lives able to take a flight and stay in a hotel to watch him play.Ngidi promised to take care of them financially now that he was earning more than they ever had. And when his father, suffered complications from a back operation and passed away, Ngidi found himself taking on the role of the head of the family sooner than he might have expected.Related

Breetzke gets maiden Test call-up for West Indies tour; Jansen rested

'It feels like we're starting again and again as a team' – Bavuma and SA ready for red-ball grind

Imraan Khan named new batting lead at Cricket South Africa

'Big, strong, strapping' Stubbs to be South Africa's new Test No. 3

“My dad passing helped me mature a lot quicker. I realised that cricket’s not the be-all and end-all for me. Life goes on off the field,” Ngidi says from Trinidad, where South Africa will play West Indies in the first of two Tests this month.Although Ngidi is the youngest of four sons, he was the one with the best-paying job. He had already bought his parents a house with his first provincial contracts, and went on to take greater responsibility after Jerome’s death. In South Africa there is a term that relates to this: “black tax”. The phrase stands for the money that people of colour, often the first graduates and white-collar workers in their families, use to support their parents, who were denied the opportunity to work high-paying jobs because of apartheid.It’s not something that weighs on Ngidi. “I’m in the position that allows me to support my family. It’s what has been put on my plate, so I’m happy to do it,” he says. “My family is my main priority, so making sure that they’re okay is always top of my list. And cricket helps me do that.”But while sport is a means to a bigger end for him, with time he has realised he can also allow himself to enjoy it. “If I’m going to let cricket drag me down every day – and this is something I do every day – then I’m going to be a very miserable person. There’s a lot more to my life than just cricket. That helped me take things into perspective and understand that at the end of the day, it is a sport.”It has taken six years, multiple injuries, missing tournaments, and being dropped from the national team for Ngidi to get to this point.

Look who arrived to watch the final test match, 1st time in a hotel, 1st time in joburg

Parents showing support #NgidiFamily pic.twitter.com/CodjQ0rZkt

— Lungisani Ngidi (@NgidiLungi) January 23, 2018