As they enter into the New Year, Leeds United will hope that their fine form in the Premier League continues.

Daniel Farke’s Whites now no longer look resigned to the drop, with two wins and two draws heading their way across a memorable December so far, pushing them six points clear of West Ham United, occupying the final relegation spot in the division.

Of course, there is still a lot of action that needs to take place before the season is over, with 21 huge clashes yet to be played.

However, everything is now pointing in the direction of the West Yorkshire titans being able to secure survival without breaking a sweat, with the January transfer window also helping them strengthen here and there to achieve this goal.

Leeds could seal statement deal in January

Reports have come out to suggest that Leeds will be somewhat stunted with what they can spend in the bumper window to come, owing to PSR regulations.

Considering their position in the table, that will not be music to the ears of supporters or indeed Farke.

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However, as per an update from Sky Sports, there could be some wiggle room for Leeds to still operate, with the Premier League newcomers reportedly eyeing up some attacking reinforcements, particularly down the wing, as Harry Wilson’s name is touted again.

Leeds’ failed move for the Fulham star was well documented in the summer, and with the Welshman coming into his own at Craven Cottage this season, it does appear unlikely that Marco Silva’s side would entertain losing him anytime soon.

Yet, with his deal in London set to expire in the summer, Leeds could be prepared to make an audacious swoop once more for the Cottagers’ number eight, as they potentially win themselves their new Raphinha in the process.

How Wilson can be Raphinha 2.0

Leeds really did win themselves an almighty coup when they landed the services of the scintillating Brazilian for only £17m in 2020, with the much-loved winger at Elland Road going on to be a £55m purchase for Barcelona, after he garnered a reputation for being a game-changing presence on English shores.

Indeed, without Raphinha’s consistent brilliance during the 2021/22 season, Leeds would have surely fallen back down to the Championship with a whimper, with the sensational South American’s 11 goals making him a crucial individual who, very much singlehandedly, kept his team above the dreaded drop zone at times.

Wilson will hope he can be seen in the same glowing light if he makes the shock switch from Craven Cottage to Elland Road a reality.

Indeed, the Wrexham-born attacker has already been lauded as “world-class” this season by Sky Sports pundit Steve Sidwell, when delightfully placing an effort past Dean Henderson earlier in the month.

With five goals and three assists next to his name for the season, it’s clear that Wilson is managing to stand out in the Fulham XI in much the same way Raphinha did week, in week out when calling Leeds home.

Subscribe to the Newsletter for Leeds Transfer Analysis Craving deeper Leeds United transfer insight? Subscribe to our newsletter for expert analysis, rumor breakdowns and tactical context that explain what moves like a Wilson pursuit would mean for Leeds’ squad and survival hopes. Subscribe Subscribe to the Newsletter for Leeds Transfer Analysis Craving deeper Leeds United transfer insight? Subscribe to our newsletter for expert analysis, rumor breakdowns and tactical context that explain what moves like a Wilson pursuit would mean for Leeds’ squad and survival hopes.

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Blessed with a left foot made of gold, just like Raphinha, Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley has serenaded him as “the form player in the Premier League” right now, having picked up six of those goal contributions across a standout December.

Wilson’s numbers for Fulham

Stat

Wilson

Games played

165

Minutes played

9685 mins

Goals scored

30

Assists

41

Sourced by Transfermarkt

With a bumper 71 goal contributions under his belt for the Cottagers, too, Leeds should have no divine right, whatsoever to poach the 67-time Wales international from Silva’s grasp next month.

But Leeds punched above their weight when picking up Raphinha all those years ago, and if Wilson is available for a cut-price fee given his contract situation, it’s a deal that must be explored, no matter how fanciful it feels.

If he were to join, survival would surely be even easier to reach, with Wilson’s “incredible” ability – as he was once labelled by his former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – matched with the goalscoring prowess of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, making Leeds an even more tantalising prospect to behold in attack.

Related 49ers masterclass: Leeds star looks like their best signing since Raphinha

This Leeds United star looks like the club’s best piece of business since they brought Raphinha to Elland Road.

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Uttar Pradesh held all the aces at stumps on the second day of theirCentral Zone Cooch Behar Trophy (under-19) tournament game againstVidarbha at the VCA ground in Nagpur on Monday. Forced to follow on,177 runs behind, the home team were 35 for three in their secondinnings at close of play.Replying to UP’s first innings total of 354, Vidarbha were all out for177. Only AS Naidu (52) and opener AV Deshpande (47) put up asemblance of a fight. Following on, opening bowler Upadhyaya grabbedtwo wickets in his first over and a third in his third over. By stumpsVidarbha were struggling to avoid an innings defeat.

Prime Bank Cricket Club moved to second position in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League after beating Mohammedan Sporting Club by four wickets. Shuvagata Hom took three wickets and made 47 runs to ensure victory in Fatullah.Batting first, Mohammedan made 185-8 in 50 overs with Naeem Islam making 56. Apart from Shuvagata’s three, Dilshan Munaweera picked up two wickets. Prime Bank reached the target in 43.3 overs with Saikat Ali starting off with 46 before Shuvagata top scored.Abahani cruised past Partex Sporting Club by six wickets at the BKSP-3. Partex were bowled out for 170 in 49.2 overs with Nasir Hossain and Nazmul Islam taking three wickets each. Later, Litton Das hammered a 49-ball 64 with ten fours and a six as they reached the target in 33.1 overs.Kalabagan Krira Chakra crushed Old DOHS Sports Club by 90 runs to compel them to their fifth loss in a row. Batting first, KCA made 220-8 in 50 overs with Jehan Mubarak making 50 and Tasamul Haque’s 30. Later Abdur Razzak took four wickets as Old DOHS were bowled out for 130 runs in 37.3 overs.

ScorecardBen Duckett took his score to 145 at Canterbury•Getty Images

Kent’s hopes of salvaging any sort of result from their 164th Canterbury Week game with Northamptonshire rest squarely on the shoulders of Rob Key after the visitors continued to dominate proceedings at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.Key, the former England bat and Kent’s club captain, set out his stall to anchor the host’s second innings as they went in at stumps at the mid-point of the match on 81 for one – a match deficit of 150 runs.Having conceded a first innings lead of 231, Kent started their second innings a shade after 4pm but lost opening bat Daniel Bell-Drummond for 26 when he chopped a leaden-footed, back-foot cut against Ben Sanderson onto his off stump.Key and Joe Denly dug in thereafter, but Key should have gone with his score on seven only for Olly Stone to grass a sharp low chance at slip off the bowling of Ben Sanderson.As it was, Key, the leading all-time run scorer on the Canterbury ground, survived though to the close on 22 while Denly reached 27 not out.Earlier in the day Northamptonshire’s ninth-wicket stand of 82 between Sanderson and Mohammad Azharullah helped them secure an impressive first innings lead.Resuming on their first day total of 172 for 2, Northamptonshire lost their third wicket to only the fifth ball of the day when Rob Keogh drove back a return catch to Matt Coles. The bowler thrust out his right hand in the follow-through to cling on to an instinctive, reflex chance that sent Keogh packing without addition to his overnight score of 11.Moments later Ben Duckett, the diminutive left-hander, celebrated his fourth first-class century of the summer, his third in championship cricket, from 115 balls and with 13 fours.Duckett was apologising soon after however, when his suicidal call for a single to extra cover led to Richard Levi’s run out for 25. Darren Stevens’ direct hit with a sidearm throw demolished middle stump to complete the dismissal.Duckett followed just before the interval when he went back to cut, only to be snared lbw by a quicker arm-ball by James Tredwell. Duckett’s 145 came from 199 balls and included 16 fours.During the interval Kent’s Bell-Drummond and wicketkeeper Sam Billings were awarded their county caps by Kent president Lady Kingsdown.Having gone into lunch on 263 for 5, Northamptonshire added only another nine runs before Saif Zaib, the 17-year-old batsman making his first-class debut, played late across a full-length Coles inswinger to go for a 12-ball duck.Stone fenced at Coles’s next delivery to edge to the keeper and, at 272 for 7 and with barely a 100 runs separating the sides, the game appeared up for grabs once more.However, Kent’s decision to take the second new ball caused them to lose the control Tredwell’s off-spin had afforded them at the Pavilion End and with him out of the attack runs flowed freely at both ends in the face of some short and wayward pace bowling.Josh Cobb eventually went for 30, after following and feathering a Stevens’ awayswinger to the keeper, but then Sanderson teamed up with Azharullah to frustrate Kent for another hour.Sanderson, a former Yorkshire seamer and non-contracted player, chipped in with 42 before clipping a looping catch to mid-wicket, while Azharullah posted his maiden first-class 50 from 71 balls and with eight fours.Stone said: “We were all delighted for Azharulla hitting his maiden 50 but none of us really expected such a lavish celebration when he got there. It was all very funny. He’d said to me earlier in the season that if got a hundred he’d buy me dinner and I reciprocated, saying if he scored 50 I’d fork out for dinner. So I’ve got the treat of buying his dinner tonight because they were vital runs.”Northamptonshire’s fun ended when last man Maurice Chambers skied to mid-on to give Tredwell a third wicket and send the visitors in at tea with a lead of 231. Coles, despite occasional lapses in length, finished with 3 for 118.

Australia opener David Warner has been ruled out of the tour of Bangladesh in October because of the broken thumb he sustained while batting during the second ODI of the ongoing series in England. He does not require surgery on the thumb of his left hand, however, and is expected to be fit for the home series against New Zealand in November.”It’s really disappointing,” Warner said. “I never want to miss a match for Australia but I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to get back as quickly as possible.”Cricket Australia executive general manager of team performance Pat Howard said it would be about six weeks before Warner could bat and field again. “David has been told that the fracture will take at least four weeks to stabilise and a further two weeks before he can start batting and catching again,” Howard said. “He will be reviewed by the specialist at the end of the month to determine when he can resume playing. “Ideally we’d like him to play the Sheffield Shield round beginning on 27 October as preparation for the New Zealand series.”Warner’s absence means Australia need to appoint a new vice-captain for a Test side already shorn of tremendous experience following the retirements of Ryan Harris, Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin before and after the Ashes were lost in England. “When the selectors meet over the coming days to choose the squad for Bangladesh, they will be asked to nominate a vice-captain for that tour,” Howard said.Warner had suffered the broken thumb when he was struck by a bouncer from Steven Finn off the first ball he faced in the second ODI at Lord’s on September 5. He retired hurt immediately and was ruled out of the rest of the ODI series.With Warner injured and Rogers retired, Australia will have to pick a brand new opening combination for the series in Bangladesh. The first Test will be played in Chittagong from October 9 to 13, and the second in Mirpur from October 17 to 21.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:46

By the numbers – Malik stranded four short of record ton

Zimbabwe weathered a spirited fightback from Pakistan’s lower middle order to secure a tight five-run Duckworth-Lewis win in controversial circumstances in the second ODI at Harare Sports Club.Chasing Zimbabwe’s 276 for 6, Pakistan sank to 76 for 6 before Shoaib Malik and Aamer Yamin resurrected the chase with a 111-run stand for the seventh wicket. After a rain delay Malik was on 96, with 21 needed from 12 deliveries, when the heavy clouds prompted umpires Ruchira Palliyaguruge and Jeremiah Matibiri to take the players off. With the sun setting, the light only got worse, allowing a rare Zimbabwe win – much to Malik, and Pakistan’s chagrin.That they got so close at all was due mainly to Malik’s brilliance and it was once again left to Pakistan’s lower order to try to lift the team out of the mire when they slipped to 17 for 3 – their worst start of the tour. Malik responded with one of his finest limited-overs innings, and came within one shot of what would have been his ninth ODI hundred – and the first by a Pakistan No. 5 batsman in a run chase. He was also helped by Zimbabwe’s errors in the field, having been dropped by substitute fielder Tino Mutombodzi at backward point when he was on 37. That was just one of a number of errors from the hosts in the latter half of the chase.In the course of their own innings this morning, Zimbabwe had looked a completely different batting unit to the one that was bowled out for 128 in the first ODI. But this time it was in the field that the wheels had threatened to come off. The required run-rate was already above seven an over when Yamin joined Malik at the wicket, but the direction of the match changed completely with Yamin’s first boundary. He stepped down the wicket to hit legspinner Graeme Cremer back over his head, who leapt up at the ball and landed awkwardly to suffer a painful ankle sprain.Zimbabwe lost a bowler, but they also very nearly lost the plot as they dropped three catches, missed a stumping and let the game drift completely away from them in the following 16 overs. Malik and Yamin collected five sixes and nine fours during that period, Yamin celebrating a 54-ball fifty with a mid-pitch . His fearlessly attacking innings eventually came to an end when Elton Chigumbura was fortunate to have him caught down the leg side but, with rain falling intermittently, Malik continued undeterred.He found an able partner in Yasir Shah and, on either side of a dramatic rain break, took the equation down to 21 from the last two overs. But then the umpires called the players together and told them they could no longer see the ball. Chigumbura led his players off, and just over ten minutes later the match was called off, the result going in Zimbabwe’s favour.Chigumbura had played a strong hand with the bat for Zimbabwe earlier in the day, his 55-ball 67 building upon Chamu Chibhabha’s patient 90 to lift the hosts to a competitive 276 for 6. That was more than had been expected when Azhar Ali called correctly at the toss and sent the hosts in this morning. Harare Sports Club head groundsman Fungai Shanganya left plenty of grass on the track for this game and there was a noticeable twinge of green to it, suggesting swing, seam and bounce first up.The pitch was definitely firmer, but the movement on offer was not extravagant. For their part, the hosts promoted senior batsman Hamilton Masakadza to open the innings with Chibhabha, but his scratchy knock came to an end when he skied a pull off a Wahab Riaz bouncer.At the other end, Chibhabha displayed a sure-footed drive and favoured the off side to collect his first four boundaries on that side of the wicket. He took a particular liking to Yamin’s medium pace and played the spinners with measured assurance with Chari playing a perfect foil to the more attacking Chibhabha.When Chari edged Mohammad Irfan to Mohammad Hafeez at first slip against the run of play Pakistan had an opening, and enlarged it with the wicket of Sean Williams soon afterwards to reduce Zimbabwe to 132 for 3. A tiring Chibhabha needed treatment for cramp on a sweltering day – this being his longest international innings in terms of balls faced by quite a distance – but even as he struggled, Chigumbura asserted himself.Chigumbura had taken a little time to play himself in and was struck a fierce blow to the helmet by Riaz, but his riposte was emphatic. A muscular pull off the same bowler sent the ball onto the roof of the Tobacco Stand on the Western side of the ground, and he celebrated a 46-ball half-century by lifting a full toss from the same bowler almost as far. With Sikandar Raza also playing a busy hand, and Richmond Mutumbami and Luke Jongwe’s cameos ensuring an energetic finish, Zimbabwe took 96 off the last ten overs. It proved just enough.

Centuries from opener Stephen Cook and Alviro Petersen saw Lions gun down a target of 271 against Cape Cobras with eight wickets and 34 balls to spare in Johannesburg. Cook and Peterson struck 23 fours between them.Lions lost Rassie van der Dussen for 4 in the fifth over of the chase but Cook and Petersen got together, taking their side past 100 in the 20th over. After setting down, they kicked into a higher gear and added 213 in 33.1 overs. The big partnership ended when Petersen was bowled moments after reaching his eighth List-A hundred. The result by then was a foregone conclusion.Having been inserted, Cape Cobras were reduced to 27 for 2 inside nine overs but the innings was put back on track by solid middle-order contributions. Stiaan van Zyl and Omphile Ramela put on 86 before Justin Ontong and Vernon Philander took over. Both Ramela and Philander struck five fours during their half-centuries as Cobras were lifted to 270. However, Cook and Petersen ensured that Lions aced the chase.

Kevin Pietersen stroked his way to a fourth straight 50-plus score, taking his tournament tally to 364 runs, but could not prevent Dolphins‘ five-wicket defeat to Cape Cobras in Centurion. With scores of 115*, 100* and 68 already under his belt this season, Pietersen helped himself to six fours and three sixes as he blasted a 35-ball 59 after Dolphins opted to bat. Pietersen, though, received little by way of support from his team-mates, as Wayne Parnell (4 for 20) struck at regular intervals to restrict the team to 148 for 9. Besides Pietersen, only David Miller and Ryan McLaren managed double-digit scores.Cobras’ opener Richard Levi got the chase off to a blazing start, drilling 61 off 28 balls with five fours and sixes each. Such was Levi’s dominance on the pitch that by the time he was dismissed, in the sixth over, his opening partner Andrew Puttick had made just 2. Levi’s blitz ensured that despite a middle-order stutter – four wickets fell in five overs – the team was able to overhaul the target in 19.4 overs, with Puttick (33) and Sybrand Engelbrecht (21*) also chipping in with handy knocks.Dwaine Pretorius’ all-round effort and legspinner Eddie Leie’s five-wicket haul helped Lions register a 20-run win in a low-scoring encounter in Bloemfontein, and kept Knights winless.Electing to bat, Lions’ innings gained no momentum right from the start, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Pretorius, who came in at No. 5, scored 35 off 28 balls to take their total to 112 for 7. Seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk was the pick of Knights’ bowlers, as he registered figures of 4-1-19-4.Knights were off to a quick start in their chase, as openers Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw put on 30 runs in 3.5 overs, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Rossouw caught and bowled for 11. It triggered a collapse, as Knights first slumped to 40 for 3 and then 64 for 6. Leie and Pretorius, who finished with three wickets, ensured that Knights were bowled out with one over to spare.Quinton de Kock’s 34-ball 60 set up Titans‘ five-wicket win over Warriors in a fairly one-sided contest in Centurion.Set 150 to win, de Kock and Henry Davids put on 71 for the first wicket in 8.5 overs before seamer Lundi Mbane removed Davids for a 35-ball 43. Offspinner Colin Ackermann then dismissed de Kock and captain Albie Morkel in the same over, but by then Titans were well ahead of the asking rate. Farhaan Behardien eventually completed the chase with 17 balls to spare.Earlier, after being put into bat, Warriors were off to a racy start, as captain Colin Ingram smashed 28 off 15 balls. But, his dismissal in the eighth over slowed things down, and Ackermann, who made 40 off 49 balls, was the fourth man out in the 16th over. Christiaan Jonker, however, played a cameo of 31 off 21 balls, and took the Warriors score past 100 and set a platform for a strong total. David Wiese finished with three wickets for Titans, while Chris Morris and Tabraiz Shamsi picked up two each.Following their victories, Dolphins and Titans now occupy first and second position on the standings, while Lions, by virtue of the win, have moved up to fourth spot. Cobras are placed third on the points table.

An unbroken 78 run partnership for the third wicket between SKSushanth and Prajwal Raj helped Karnataka to make a fitting reply atstumps on the second day of their Coca Cola Trophy South Zone(under-25) tournament match against Andhra at the Chinnaswamy stadiumin Bangalore on Tuesday. Replying to Andhra’s first innings total of385, Karnataka were 116 for two at close.Karnataka started badly losing both their openers Shyam Ponappa (9) at20 and then MS Vinay (18) at 38. However Prajwal Raj and Susanthplayed some positive strokes while adding 78 runs off 21.2 overs. Atclose Prajwal was batting with 41 and Susanth with 39. While Prajwalfaced 76 balls and hit five fours and a six, Susanth faced 67 ballsand hit nine fours. Play could not restart after tea because of rain.Earlier, Andhra 324 for five overnight, were restricted to 385 thanksto some good bowling by medium pacer Aiyappa. He dismissed KA Fayazwith the third ball of the day. Fayaz did not add to his overnightscore of 140. Aiyappa also got rid of the other overnight batsmanVatekar who made 48. He faced 98 balls and hit six fours and asix. The rest of the batting offered little resistance and Aiyappafinished with three for 91 off 23 overs. The other medium pacer SunilKumar took three for 70.

A wretched last two sessions for Nottinghamshire left them 167 runs behind Middlesex on first innings and facing an uphill battle to avoid defeat after Justin Langer enforced the follow-on.In the opening 35 minutes of the second day’s play Notts captured the last two Middlesex wickets but soon last both openers themselves – Welton for 8 and Bicknell for 4.Jason Gallian and Usman Afzaal then both batted impressively before lunch but fell straight after, when in sight of half-centuries. The only man to go on and reach 50 was Chris Tolley – passing the landmark for only the second time this season.Dropped twice before tea, tolley had another life on 42. Edging Johnson to second slip he would have been as amazed as anybody when Mark Ramprakash squandered the invitation. The England discard would have still had burning fingers (and ears) when Johnson induced another edge, this time off AJ Harris. Ramps’ celebrated with his team-mates as Notts sank to 211-8.Tolley’s half century came off 114 balls with 9 boundaries but with only the tail for comapny he tried to up the tempo and fell sweeping to Tufnell for a season-high 60.In an entertaining little cameo David Lucas reached double figures but last man Matt Whiley hadn’t made a run in either of his two previous first class games and he was still looking to get off the mark when he edged simon Cook to Mike Roseberry at third slip. Notts had been bowled out for 245, with Fraser, Johnson and Tufnell all picking up three wickets.Asked to bat again for an awkward ten over session both Bicknell and Welton profited by playing in the ‘v’ against Fraser. Bicknell straight drove for 3 in the first over and then his younger partner three times hit down the ground. Richard Johnson, from the Pavilion End, began with three maidens before Bicknell crisply clipped him through midwicket. Both batsmen will have a lot to do on the third morning.