Celtic midfielder tipped to make Leeds United switch by club legend as 'viral' manager linked with Sunderland

Leeds United face a tough task in their next two away games with back-to-back trips to Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland before returning to Elland Road against Coventry City on December 16.

Rovers sit seventh in the Championship, just two points behind Hull City in sixth and they are 10 points behind the Whites after 19 games. Sunderland are 11 points adrift of Leeds but made the decision earlier this week to sack manager Tony Mowbray. It is unclear if the Black Cats will have their next permanent boss in the dugout ahead of the fixture against Leeds on Tuesday, with a number of names linked with the role.

First Daniel Farke and his players must overcome the challenge of Blackburn as they look to keep pace with the top two. And as the Whites continue their preparations for the visit to Ewood Park, we have rounded up the latest news from Elland Road and beyond.

Hartson tips Turnbull for Leeds move

Former Celtic and Arsenal striker John Hartson believes Hoops midfielder David Turnbull would be an ideal fit for the likes of Leeds United, or one of their main Championship rivals. The midfielder joined Celtic in the summer of 2020 from Motherwell but his contract with the Glasgow club is set to expire at the end of the season.

It could mean Celtic opt to sell the player in January instead of losing him on a free transfer if he does not sign an extension to his contract. He has already scored seven goals in 12 Scottish Premiership games this term, as Celtic sit eight points clear of rivals Rangers. And speaking about Turnbull's future, Hartson admits he can see the player moving to England.

“I like David Turnbull,” said Hartson on Go Radio. “I have always said it, he is a goal-scoring midfield player. He adds that 10-14 goals every year for you from midfield. I can see him going to a top Championship team, like a Leeds United.”

Talking about Turnbull's contract situation, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said last week: “If a player doesn’t want to sign then he doesn’t want to sign. I won’t lose sleep over it. There were talks back in the summer and I’m not sure how far they’ve gone but clearly they’ve not gone as well as David or maybe his representative have wanted. Either way, he’s at that stage of his contract where he can choose what he wants to do and decide whether his prospects are better elsewhere. But while he’s here and committed, working and running he’ll always be a valuable asset."

Will Still 'on Sunderland shortlist'

Reims manager Will Still is on Sunderland's list of candidates to replace Tony Mowbray ahead of next week's meeting with Leeds, reports the Guardian. The 31-year-old became a viral sensation last year as he led French club Reims on a 17-game unbeaten run to take them from relegation strugglers to European candidates. Interest in his tenure at Reims grew with every unbeaten fixture, as the club were forced to pay a €25,000 fine for each game Still managed as at the time he had not completed his UEFA Pro Licence.

Asked in May about the possibility of managing the Championship, Still said: “Vincent Kompany was at Anderlecht last year and has gone into the Championship and has done an unbelievable job. I think the Championship rivals many of the top leagues in the world. All the doors are open. I’m not closing anything at any time.”