Following a few weeks of disappointment, Leeds United fans received some good news from the club.

Luke Ayling, who has become a favourite at Elland Road, has signed a new four-year contract until 2021.

The 26-year-old full-back only joined the club in the summer of 2016, signing from Bristol City, but he has already made himself a crucial member of the squad and has even captained the team on occasion.

In total, Ayling has made 58 appearances in all competitions for the Whites, and he has established himself as a regular for manager Thomas Christiansen given that he has started every game so far this season.

Not only has the Englishman been pivotal in the Championship, he has also played in all three Carabao Cup matches.

Leeds had a blistering start to the campaign by going on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league and they kept six consecutive clean sheets in that period.

However, the Whites are currently in a dip having lost their last three games on the trot, which has dropped them to sixth in the standings.

The club are only six points adrift of leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the recent run has slightly affected the mood of some fans.

News about Ayling committing his future to Leeds, though, has certainly perked them up.

Tottenham Hotspur were knocked out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against London rivals West Ham United at Wembley, and Spurs fans weren’t impressed with Fernando Llorente’s performance.

The summer signing from Swansea City was handed just his third start of the season in all competitions with Harry Kane left out of the squad against the Irons, and even though the striker produced the flick header for Moussa Sissoko’s opening goal he offered little threat up top and was replaced by Mousa Dembele 18 minutes from time.

The 32-year-old is still yet to score in nine appearances for the north London outfit so far this term, and he will be hoping to get off the mark soon to prove that he is able back-up to Kane.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on his showing via social media, and while some said he “let the team down”, others simply said “he was shocking”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has said that former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho would thrive if he made the move to Camp Nou.

Coutinho, 25, was strongly linked with Barcelona during the summer, and handed in a transfer request at Anfield in a bid to force the move.

Liverpool were not prepared to do business with the Catalan giants, however, and rejected at least two bids in excess of £100m for the Brazil international.

Coutinho is expected to push once again when the January transfer window opens for business, and Suarez has spoken of his admiration for his former teammate.

Suarez told Mundo Deportivo:

“Obviously he must have because he’s a player who has ambition and any player would want to come to Barca.

“I know him as a person and as a player because I played with him, but everyone knows what Coutinho can contribute. He is a footballer, who today, plays at a very high level.”

Coutinho, who is valued at £58.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has scored four times and provided three assists in nine appearances for the Reds this season.

Barcelona eventually signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund after missing out on Coutinho, but it is thought that the La Liga leaders are still in the hunt for the former Inter Milan playmaker.

Ivan Cavaleiro was amongst the first batch of signings after Wolves’ takeover in summer 2016 and the Portuguese enjoyed a productive if somewhat unspectacular debut season at Molineux, netting five times across all competitions.

But the acceleration of that scoring rate this season highlights how much Wolves have improved from their 15th-place finish in 2016/17. The Black Country outfit are now the firm front runners for promotion, extending their lead at the top of the Championship table to four points last night with a 4-1 victory over Leeds.

It involved a fine performance from Cavaleiro who is now one shy of the five-goal total he amassed in 31 appearances last season after netting the second goal on Wednesday, finishing off a fine flowing move that started in Wolves’ own half by rolling one defender and stepping beyond the flailing leg of another before powering an effort into the bottom corner.

What will perhaps impress Wolves fans more though is the immense industry the wide forward showed off the ball; he actually made the joint-most tackles of any Wolves player last night, while ranking joint-second for interceptions.

It was a committed and dynamic performance from Cavaleiro, who Transfermarkt value at £6.75million, that encapsulated how drastically Wolves have improved since last season. They already look like an outfit ready for the challenge of Premier League football.

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Mauricio Pellegrino has struggled to convince the entire Southampton following that he is the right man to lead the club.

So far this season, the Saints have picked up just four wins in the Premier League and they currently reside 11th in the table, five points from safety after 16 games.

Only one victory has been recorded in the club’s last seven top-flight outings, but performances have improved.

The team almost restricted Manchester City to a 1-1 draw before Raheem Sterling nabbed a winner in the sixth minute of injury time.

In the following game, Pellegrino’s men came from behind to secure a draw with Bournemouth and at the weekend, the team took a point off Arsenal.

There may have been a tinge of disappointment that the Saints did not come away with a victory on Sunday at St Mary’s following Charlie Austin’s early opener.

The coastal club were on course for a win until Olivier Giroud grabbed an equaliser with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has impressed in recent games, and he did so again at the weekend.

The midfielder has made just four Premier League appearances this season and the fans are hoping that he will feature much more from now on.

Although his status is yet to be confirmed, Alberto Moreno is at the very least a doubt for the Merseyside derby on Sunday after being subbed off during Liverpool’s 7-0 win over Spartak Moscow in the Champions League yesterday evening.

While some Reds supporters won’t exactly be disappointed by the news, it does leave Jurgen Klopp with a key decision to make ahead of one of the biggest fixtures on the Liverpool calendar.

Whereas summer signing Andrew Robertson is arguably the obvious choice to fill Moreno’s void as a natural left-back, it was versatile veteran James Milner who replaced the four-cap Spain international during Liverpool’s romping at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Milner’s experience could prove vital in what will likely be a foul-tempered game, but many Reds fans would like to see Robertson – who Transfermarkt value at £6.3million – given more opportunities by Klopp, having been a largely peripheral figure since moving to Merseyside.

So, Liverpool fans, which player would you pick to fill the 5 foot 7 defender’s void this weekend? Let us know by voting below…

Aston Villa are interested in signing Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham according to The Scottish Daily Star, as cited in The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

The 27-year-old was previously on the books of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Swindon Town before moving north of the border to Rangers in 2015.

The shotstopper has been their no.1 since moving there but according to the report, Steven Gerrard is now set to drop him to third choice behind Allan McGregor and Jak Alnwick.

Has this been the best World Cup ever? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice?

The Gers are willing to listen to offers and Aston Villa and Ipswich Town are set to battle it out for the ‘keeper.

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A safe options for the Villans

After having Sam Johnstone on loan last season, Villa are desperately in need of signing someone for the season ahead, with only Mark Bunn and Jed Steer currently on their books.

Foderingham is valued at £700,000 on Transfermarkt but would likely be available on the cheap considering he wants to leave and the club are listening to offers.

The 6ft1 goalkeeper would be a sensible option for Steve Bruce and has a lot of experience to offer for Villa.

According to a report from The Daily Mirror, Everton are finding it tricky persuading Crystal Palace ace Wilfried Zaha of a move to Goodison Park. The 25-year-old has proven to be one of the best attackers outside of the Premier League’s top six in the last few years and would certainly add a great deal of quality to Marco Silva’s ranks at the Merseyside club, although a deal looks like it’ll be tough to strike.

Yet given that landing the Ivory Coast international would go down as one of if not their biggest signing in many a year, the Toffees must do all they can to convince Zaha of a move to Everton.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a wonderful few years at Selhurst Park in twice playing a key part in keeping the Eagles in the Premier League, bagging nine goals and laying on five assists to inspire Roy Hodgson’s men to safety last term, adding to the seven goals and 11 assists he contributed the season before in their survival mission.

Thus, Zaha appears to have found a consistency in both performance and indeed contribution in the last few years that wasn’t always seen in the early phase of his career, thus suggesting that he is now ready to make the step up after failing to do so at Manchester United back in 2013.

And with Everton looking up and seeking to break into the top six in the coming years, alongside their evident need for attacking reinforcements especially down the flanks, Silva’s side simply have to get a deal done for the 25-year-old.

What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know

Zaha’s former teammate Yannick Bolasie has looked a shadow of his former self since returning from injury back in December, netting just once in the second half of last season, while Theo Walcott made a fine start to life after moving from Arsenal in January, only for things to tail off somewhat – Zaha is an upgrade on both.

And while the Everton hierarchy were deservedly criticised for their transfer policy last summer, not least in signing three number tens, going after Zaha is a clear statement of intent from owner Farhad Moshiri that the Toffees are serious about challenging the country’s elite in years to come.

Yes, convincing Zaha of a move up north appears to be something of a problem, but it is imperative that Everton pull out all the stops to land the winger this summer, as doing so would without doubt be their biggest signing in many a year.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Wolves will be hoping to take the Premier League by storm this season, with strong financial backing and a boisterous fanbase driving them to what they hope will be a successful season.

The Molineux club romped to success in the Championship last term and were by far and away the best team throughout the season, and this year represents another chance for their talented squad to show what they can do at the highest level.

To do so, manager Nuno Santo is going to need to sign some players with Premier League experience, and one man we here at the Transfer Tavern think would be an excellent addition is Chelsea stalwart Gary Cahill.

Cahill has been a class act at the Bridge for nigh on a decade now, and has the experience needed to really thrive at a club like Wolves. The England defender is too good to be sitting on the bench like he has been at Chelsea for much of the last 12 months, and he would bring an element of class and title winning mentality to the Midlanders.

Cahill would bring a steady head to the back four at Wolves, and alongside Wily Boly, could form a formidible and crucial partnership to help Wolves ensure Premier League survival.

Wolves fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

Liverpool fans have been enjoying a busy transfer window, with manager Jurgen Klopp bringing in four new faces so far.

The club have addressed some problem areas, with Fabinho coming in following Emre Can’s move to Juventus, while Alisson is set to take Loris Karius’s number one spot after the goalkeeper signed from Roma last week.

Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri have also finalised moves to Anfield to provide some strength in depth in midfield and attack.

The defence has always been a concern for Liverpool, but Virgil van Dijk’s arrival from Southampton in January certainly tightened things up at the back.

There is still a question mark hanging over the Dutchman’s centre-back partner Dejan Lovren, and now that Joel Matip has suffered an injury, some fans are worried that Klopp does not have enough decent options.

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The centre-back picked up a muscular problem 22 minutes into the Reds’ pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund in the United States on Sunday.

If Matip is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines, then it leaves Lovren and Ragnar Klavan as the two main options, as well as Joe Gomez, who tends to play at right-back but can also play centrally.

On Reddit, some Liverpool fans made suggestions on how to combat this, with a handful urging Klopp to buy a new defender.

Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.Comment from discussion Matip injured. Walks straight off. #LFC.