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The 49ers Enterprises’ proposed takeover of Leeds United “is essentially done” but is “contingent” on the club remaining in the Premier League, David Ornstein reports.

What’s the latest Leeds takeover news on the 49ers?

The 49ers have the option to take full control in Yorkshire from Andrea Radrizzani until January 2024. Phil Hay stated last month that a takeover was looking likely this summer, although recent reports have suggested that there are genuine fears relegation could see the American investors walk away from a proposed deal.

Reliable reporter Ornstein was talking to NBC Sports Soccer prior to on Monday evening regarding Leeds’ future and a potential 49ers takeover.

Relayed by MOT Leeds News, Ornstein said that a takeover “is essentially done”, however, it is “contingent on Leeds being in the Premier League”, stating that financially, relegation would be “massive”.

“The cost of relegation would be massive for them and that’s why we’re on tenterhooks here: ‘If we’re interested in Leeds United not only from a financial perspective but from a football one as well.’

“I understand that the deal is essentially done but it’s contingent on Leeds being in the Premier League, retaining their status in the Premier League and that’s why it makes their survival so important.”

Huge few months both on and off the pitch

Leeds find themselves in a similar position to last season on the pitch with seven games remaining, and relegation could impact the club hugely going forward.

It appears as if there could well be a rethink from the 49ers if Leeds go down, but if Javi Gracia guides the Whites to a fourth season in the top flight, it would be all change at the top.

Therefore, it looks set to be an eventful few months both on and off the pitch no matter what, and Radrizzani may well be desperate for the club to stay up so he can sell and move on, possibly to a share in Inter Milan after recent speculation.

Arsenal's squad have been largely faultless this season, with a group of high-quality players all finally pulling in the same direction.

This is far from groundbreaking when challenging for a Premier League title, but given the tumultuous dressing rooms that the Emirates has played host to over the years, this turnaround has been sensational.

Mikel Arteta has fostered such an environment through the ruthless culling of those he did not deem worthy, and the additions of some experienced positivity in the form of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Some of the more notable casualties of the Spaniard's early regime were Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil, both of whom were at one point vital to the team and fan favourites.

However, their work-shy natures did not resonate with the revolution, and they had to go.

Whilst most of the business done since his 2020 appointment would deservedly be lauded, it is actually the first transfer of the Arteta reign that has arguably fallen the flattest. The decision to sign an unknown Spanish centre-back for £12m may have raised eyebrows at the time, but few could have predicted just how troublesome Pablo Mari would find adapting to the English game.

Subsequent loans have only served to elongate his failing spell in north London, which must come to an end this summer.

Will Pablo Mari leave this summer?

Having moved to the Emirates with little reputation, it quickly became clear that the 29-year-old would be nothing more than a squad player after making just ten league appearances in his debut campaign.

This is a figure that would only dwindle the season following, leading to the first of two loans he has endured.

Having spent the whole current season in Italy playing for Monza, his 6.85 average rating is solid if unspectacular. However, with the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for competition back at his parent club, it is far from the required level the defender needs to be at to actually challenge for a place.

At this rate, the £88k-per-week dud will leave north London having made a total of 22 appearances for the club, perhaps for the best.

The legacy left would be a virtually anonymous one, perhaps even marking him out as a worse signing than Shokdran Mustafi.

Although often ridiculed for his shocking performances, of which there were plenty, the German defender was far from as bad as people make out. In his debut season, fresh from winning the World Cup, the £35m stopper averaged a 7.14 rating.

Throughout the four full years he enjoyed at Arsenal, that average figure would drop no lower than 6.97.

Whilst the 30-year-old will always be remembered for his high-profile blunders, he was not nearly as "really poor" – as once claimed by football.london reporter Kaya Kaynak – as Mari has been.

Amid Everton's current battle to stave off relegation, one concern for manager Sean Dyche will be the lack of a reliable, experienced option at left-back, with Ben Godfrey having been deployed as something of a makeshift option in recent games.

While the recent draw with Tottenham Hotspur did see the Englishman impress due to his 'athleticism and physicality' – according to the Echo's Chris Beesley – the 25-year-old does need to show 'more composure at times', with that perhaps stemming from the fact that the former Norwich City man is typically suited to a centre-back berth.

The fact that the York native is starting ahead of usual full-back Vitaliy Mykolenko is a marker of the latter man's struggles during his time in England to date, with the former Dynamo Kyiv ace – who arrived at Goodison on a £17.9m deal in January 2022 – having been described as the "defensive weak link" in the side by journalist Richard Buxton.

Those woes are laid bare by the fact that the Ukrainian has won just 49% of his total duels this season and been dribbled past on average 0.6 times per game from his 28 Premier League appearances, having notably looked 'slightly out of his depth' in the Merseyside derby defeat earlier this year, according to 90min's Jude Summerfield.

The 23-year-old has also been unable to make his mark in an attacking sense after failing to provide a single goal involvement in the league this season, with it hard to see just what the 5 foot 11 man is offering to Dyche and co.

As such, the former Burnley boss no doubt wishes he was able to call upon a beloved figure of the club's past in the form of Leighton Baines, with the now-retired ace likely to have made a real impact on this struggling side when in his prime.

How good was Leighton Baines?

While the Merseysiders have also had Lucas Digne on their books in recent years, even the current Aston Villa man was unable to get anywhere close to emulating the brilliant consistency of Baines at left-back, with the former England international having enjoyed a stellar 13-year stint at the club as a player.

Now working with the club's youth stars following his retirement in 2020, the 38-year-old was initially snapped up from Wigan Athletic by David Moyes back in 2007, with the Scotsman able to strike a deal for what proved to be a bargain price of just £6m.

Despite attracting attention throughout his time at Goodison – having notably been the subject of an offer from Manchester United in 2013 following Moyes' move to Old Trafford – the Kirkby-born ace remained loyal to the club for over a decade, repeatedly churning out impressive displays down the left flank.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by ex-teammate Steve Pienaar in 2019, Baines was something of an attacking weapon from his full-back berth, having ended his Premier League career with 32 goals and 53 assists to his name – the latter tally currently the second-most of any defender in the competition's history.

With a "wand of a left foot" – in the words of pundit Kevin Phillips – the 30-cap menace was able to cause carnage both from open play and from set pieces, with Dyche likely to love having such a creative asset in his ranks.

As Phillips also noted, the 5 foot 7 machine is a true club "legend" and was always a "nine out of ten every week", with such consistency a rare commodity – particularly over such a lengthy period of time.

While Everton do need to look to the future and try and sort out the mess that they have found themselves in, it is rather frustrating that they can't call upon legendary figures of the past, like Baines, to revive their fortunes.

Leicester City are reportedly interested in making Graham Potter their new manager after Brendan Rodgers' exit over the weekend.

Who will replace Rodgers at Leicester?

The Foxes have found themselves in a terrible run of form recently, getting into a relegation scrap and now sitting in 19th place in the Premier League table. Saturday's 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace proved to be the end of the road for Rodgers, who left by mutual consent the following day.

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a successful stint at the King Power Stadium overall, famously winning the FA Cup in 2021, but it felt like the right time to make a change after things had grown increasingly stagnant.

The hard work now begins to find a successor to Rodgers, with the appointment needing to be nailed, in order for Leicester to avoid relegation to the Championship. A host of names are likely to be linked with the job in the coming days, but it looks as though the Foxes are potentially lining up one individual already, following a fresh update.

Could Potter head to Leicester?

According to The Daily Mail, Leicester "would be interested to know" Potter's plans after being sacked as Chelsea boss on Sunday night, in what was yet another managerial casualty. It is claimed that the 47-year-old was "admired by the Leicester hierarchy long before he moved to Chelsea" and he looks like a potential front-runner to take charge, with Khun Top on his way to Leicester.

It is "unclear" whether or not the Englishman would want a new job immediately, but if he is intending to wait until the summer, he is "likely be top of their long-term list".

Potter could be a perfect appointment by Leicester – hopefully as soon as possible – with the Chelsea job such a poisoned chalice that it is harsh to be too judgmental of his time there. Instead, it is better to assess how much he worked wonders at Brighton, playing some great football and earning praise for his tactical acumen, with one unnamed player during his Swansea City days hailing him as a "genius".

There is still the talent there at Leicester for a new manager to get the best out of, from Youri Tielemans to James Maddison, and Potter looks like the best available option to fill the Rodgers' shaped void, hopefully coming in straight away and steering them clear of dangers, or joining in the summer if they have avoided relegation.

Tottenham managerial candidate Mauricio Pochettino has been given an ‘advantage’ in the race to succeed Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs draw shortlist…

Spurs have reportedly got to work on finding a replacement for their current head coach behind-the-scenes with sporting director Fabio Paratici apparently mapping out a succession plan.

Among the names being considered for the role, Pochettino is a standout candidate given his Premier League experience, popularity at Spurs and proven record.

However, the Argentine faces stiff competition from a host of other names who could also be in contention for the Tottenham hot seat.

Indeed, it has been reported by reliable outlets that Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also in the frame.

This comes after Conte’s vicious post-Southampton rant last weekend, where he publicly attacked his Spurs squad, the Lilywhites board and very culture of Tottenham.

The Latest: Pochettino given Spurs ‘advantage’…

According to Football Insider, Pochettino may now be ahead of other contenders in the race to become Tottenham’s next boss.

Their sources claim ‘panic’ is setting in among the Spurs hierarchy which hands the 51-year-old an ‘advantage’ for the hots seat.

Pochettino’s return is seen as the club’s best opportunity to keep star striker Harry Kane from leaving.

As such, chairman Daniel Levy could make the tactician his top target in an ‘ambitious’ plan to sway Kane.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Regardless of the situation surrounding Kane, we believe Pochettino should certainly be Tottenham’s top managerial target anyway.

Spurs players have even reportedly called for the ex-Paris Saint-Germain boss to make a return to Hotspur Way, contacting him personally.

It appears the squad are heavily in favour of a Pochettino reunion and it’s not hard to see why given his brilliant record at the club on limited resources.

The former Southampton manager went a very long period without any sufficient transfer backing but still somehow managed to guide Tottenham to a 2019 Champions League final.

Pochettino, called a ‘ruthless’ tactician by members of the national media, would also come back to Tottenham with far better know-how.

Clinching a Ligue 1 title with PSG last year, experience working with some of football’s biggest superstars like Lionel Messi and Neymar will have only added to his credentials.

Pochettino’s status as a free agent also makes this potential move a very low-risk option financially bar contract and salary demands.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been left shocked at Leeds United head coach Javi Gracia for demoting Wilfried Gnonto to the bench in recent weeks.

The Lowdown: Benched

Gnonto arrived in Yorkshire on deadline day in the summer from FC Zurich and had to initially remain patient for a chance in the first team.

Former manager Jesse Marsch handed the 19-year-old his Premier League debut at the end of October in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, coming on from the bench to help set up Crysencio Summerville’s late winner.

Since then, Gnonto has featured in every top-flight game, contributing to four goals. However, Gracia decided to end the forward’s run of ten straight league starts by placing him on the bench against Chelsea and once again used him from the bench against Brighton last time out.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Gnonto, who he described as a ‘top player’ with ‘scary pace’.

The pundit admitted he could not believe Gracia has benched the forward for the last two games and said that he has to be in the team for the Whites ‘to have the best chance of staying up’.

“I think he can be the one to get them out of this. I can’t believe he’s on the bench.

“He’s a top player. He might not be on Raphinha’s level just yet, as he’s only 19 – but he’s got that directness, that scary pace.

“He could do better with his final ball or with his finishing – but that will only get better and better in the future.

“I can see him being at that Raphinha level in the next couple of seasons. Leeds United

“Leeds need him. He can turn up and produce big goals and big performances.

“It’s going to be a real battle, but for them to have the best chance of staying up – he has to be in that Leeds team. There’s no doubt about it.”

The Verdict: Needed

Gnonto has been a real right spark for Leeds this season in what has been another disappointing campaign on the whole.

He’s proven to be a shrewd signing and, as per WhoScored, has been the club’s most fouled player alongside Brenden Aaronson. Gnonto also ranks highly when it comes to key passes, dribbles and shots per game, and with Jack Harrison coming in for criticism, it could be time for Gracia to bring Gnonto back into the starting XI, potentially for this weekend’s trip to Wolves.

Whether or not Gracia will select the Italy international from the off remains to be seen, but as Agbonlahor says, he could be key for Leeds in their bid to avoid the drop.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to sack Antonio Conte and it is believed their former manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is pushing like mad to be the Italian's successor.

Will Conte make it till the end of the season?

A fiery press conference on Saturday could well have turned the tide for the Italian manager in north London with reports claiming the Spurs board are discussing his future.

And there is now a belief that Daniel Levy could be set to relieve the 53-year-old of his duties before the end of the week as Spurs' results fail to pick up on a consistent basis.

On the back of the reports on Monday, journalist Shaun Custis has told TalkSport that the Argentine is keen to make his return to north London after being sacked in 2019:

"As much as Pochettino's been pushing like mad to try and get this job back, Daniel Levy seems very reluctant to admit he made a mistake in the first place, or to bow to the pressure that's on him to have Pochettino back."

Is it time for Pochettino to return to Spurs?

A huge summer feels like it is closing in on Tottenham with, perhaps, the main concern being over the future of their talisman Harry Kane.

The striker's future is under significant questioning ahead of the summer as his current deal runs down towards its final year in north London.

Reports have even suggested recently that the 29-year-old is looking to leave the club over the coming months with Manchester United believed to be one of the interested parties.

And if Kane is to leave in the summer, then the project at Spurs which a new manager will take on will immediately become a much different task.

Pochettino became a favourite among fans during his time in north London, however, losing Kane in the summer could have a huge effect on the London side going forward.

In Kane, the club has a reliable source of goals every season and he has dragged a struggling Spurs side through their struggles this season.

Pochettino's time at Spurs was largely a success in terms of securing regular top-four football but without a player of Kane's quality, it would be interesting to see whether the Argentine could achieve similar success.

On the back of the reports, it would be interesting to see whether the 51-year-old's potential return could be something that could persuade Kane into staying put.

A lot could be set to unfold for the north London side in the coming months and it could certainly leave Pochettino with a major task to get Spurs back to challenging at the top end of the table.

Wolves will be looking to further distance themselves from the Premier League’s bottom three when they travel to take on Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Julen Lopetegui’s side picked up another vital three points in their battle against relegation when they beat Tottenham 1-0 at Molineux but they face another tough test against another top-four hopeful this afternoon.

However, with Eddie Howe’s side having struggled of late, while the Old Gold have looked much improved following the World Cup break, there is certainly the opportunity to leave St James’ Park with something.

How will Wolves line up against Newcastle United?

Here is how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up on Sunday, with three changes from the side that started against Spurs.

Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri, Neves, Lemina, Nunes, Traore, Sarabia, Jimenez.

After another clean sheet against Spurs, Jose Sa looks unlikely to lose his place in between the sticks for the visit to Newcastle.

Similarly, Craig Dawson and Max Kilman will continue their blossoming partnership in the heart of the Wolves defence, with Nelson Semedo keeping his place on the right, while Rayan Ait-Nouri comes in for Jonny on the left to provide some more attacking impetus.

Ruben Neves, Mario Lemina and Matheus Nunes have the makings of an impressive trio for the Old Gold and Lopetegui looks unlikely to change the midfield three that has worked well for his side in recent weeks.

After scoring the winner against Spurs, Adama Traore should be handed a start, coming in for Pedro Neto after the Portuguese winger struggled to have much impact on his return from injury last time out, producing no shots or key passes.

Pablo Sarabia also keeps his place in the side but moves to the left to accommodate Traore, and he supports the previously described “world-class” Raul Jimenez – as he was dubbed by Ilkay Gundogan – in attack.

The Mexican made another positive impact from the bench against Spurs and is set to start this time out due to Diego Costa’s injury ruling him out.

Although it’s been a year since a striker scored for Wolves in the top flight, Jimenez has shown he is more than a goalscorer with industrious and hard-working displays against Fulham and Spurs, so he should be given the nod at St James’ Park this afternoon.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has been speaking about the rumoured interest from Newcastle United in Folarin Balogun.

The Lowdown: Newcastle need more goals

After flying high in the top three earlier in the season, Newcastle and Eddie Howe have been brought crashing back down to earth in 2023 having slipped outside of the top four and lost in the Carabao Cup final.

Newcastle have failed to score two or more goals in a Premier League game since Boxing Day when they beat Leicester City 3-0, so Howe must start getting his attacking players to click in the final third if they are to rediscover their early-season form.

That is quite amazing to be saying, however, as Newcastle spent £63m on Alexander Isak last summer and £45m on Anthony Gordon in January. But to be pushing for the top four, they need quality and depth – which someone as young and talented as Arsenal loanee Balogun could provide.

The Latest: Balogun for both the present and the future

Talbot has been speaking on his YouTube channel about Newcastle’s interest in Balogun, who’s been tearing up Ligue 1 this season with 15 goals to his name.

He said: “I am bouncing off a report by Steve Kay, Balogun – he’s over at Reims, I think, doing very well in Ligue 1. Newcastle have got a bit of an eye on him, something that I heard as well, but again, he’s just one to consider, one to watch.”

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The Verdict: A youthful option could be useful

While Talbot doesn’t appear to consider Balogun as a transfer priority for Newcastle, given that the Magpies already have two strikers within their ranks who will be itching to start every week, recruiting someone a lot younger such as Balogun, who could learn from and eventually replace Callum Wilson, could be a smart move.

Wilson is exploring a tough time of things, with his body seemingly not able to cope with the demands of the Premier League having missed nine games this season, so the club may have to start looking towards the future.

Balogun is still very young and unlikely to get much game time back at Arsenal given they have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah on the books, but a departure could likely anger Arsenal fans, especially legend Ian Wright, who believes the youngster has ‘a lot of hype’ surrounding him following his stunning Ligue 1 season.

Tony Scott has admitted on the All Together Now podcast that Everton’s lack of goals and options off the bench could see them relegated.

The Lowdown: Relegation is a real possibility

Everton may well have thought they were creeping towards safety with Sean Dyche at the helm as well as two wins and two clean sheets from his opening three games in charge, but a crushing defeat against Aston Villa has seen them drop back into the bottom three.

The Toffees now face a tough fixture away to Arsenal this midweek and given they have scored just two goals since Dyche took over and both have come from defenders, it looks increasingly hard to see them getting anything from the game.

A lack of goalscorers in the Everton team with Dominic Calvert-Lewin continuing to be absent from first-team action is what could well see Everton drop down into the Championship after narrowly avoiding that fate last season.

The Latest: A lack of goals is worrying

Scott has slammed the lack of cutting-edge Everton have in the final third as they once again, failed to find the back of the net in the league.

He said: (9:15) “Arsenal is a write-off if you’re asking me, I think that is a free hit, it’s Nottingham Forest on Sunday which is the big one where it’s [about[ fine margins.

“If Nottingham Forest have got Chris Wood to call upon or Morgan Gibbs-White or whoever it may be off the bench and we’ve got five defenders and Tom Davies and Ellis Simms we’re done and these are the fine margins that will keep teams in the Premier League and relegate them.

“It looks as though, looking at our bench and what we’ve got to call upon to score us goals, Greg we’ve scored two goals from open play since October, it’s obvious why we will probably go down because we can’t score a goal for love nor money.”

The Verdict: Everton will continue to struggle with a lack of conviction

The fact that Everton’s main goal threat is a striker that’s started just 24 league games since the beginning of last season and over the last three seasons has found the back of the net just 22 times shows just how they’ve ended up in this position.

Calvert-Lewin simply can’t stay fit and Everton can’t pin their hopes on him to keep them up, Neal Maupay has one goal to his name since joining in the summer and Ellis Simms has never scored a first-team goal for the Toffees.

Therefore, it’s very obvious how Everton must be considered one of the favourites to go down because without a recognised goal scorer then they will always be relying on their defence to keep things tight before trying to steal a 1-0 win from a set piece perhaps.