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Leeds United fans should be buzzing with the latest transfer update to emerge from Thorp Arch.

What’s the story?

Having ended the Premier League season in superb style – Marcelo Bielsa’s side racked up four wins on the bounce to finish in the top-half of the table – all eyes will be on how the Whites go about strengthening their squad.

And, according to Football Insider, they’re intent on really refreshing the team with a host of additions.

A Leeds source has claimed that not only will the club step up their efforts to sign Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang, but “Marcelo Bielsa has also sanctioned the club to work on deals for a new left-back, specialist central midfield cover for Kalvin Phillips, a back-up goalkeeper and potentially a centre-forward who can compete with Patrick Bamford.”

Fans will be buzzing

If Bielsa gets his way, and there should be no reason for him not to given the kind of success he has enjoyed at Elland Road over the years, then Leeds fans could be looking at the arrivals of six new signings this summer.

What will please Whites supporters the most is the areas in which they are reportedly planning on strengthening too.

Bringing in that much-needed cover for England international Kalvin Phillips will no doubt be crucial, especially given how they performed without him in the team – in the nine Premier League games that he missed, they won just twice.

And, adding in a striker to compliment Patrick Bamford will ease the goal-scoring burden on the striker and allow Bielsa to give him a rest here or there to ensure he doesn’t get burned out.

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After the success of the last summer transfer window, which saw the likes of Raphinha and Diego Llorente join the club among others, Leeds fans will be relishing the prospect of Bielsa and Victor Orta getting their heads together to find these six new players for their squad.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a major Leeds United update…

Alasdair Gold has shared some bad news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters involving midfielder and homegrown sensation Oliver Skipp amid his recent injury woes.

The Lowdown: Skipp setbacks…

The 21-year-old, who recently put pen to paper on fresh terms with the club, hasn’t been able to contribute for manager Antonio Conte since late January due to ongoing fitness issues.

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Skipp’s last minutes for Spurs came during a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea in the first month of 2022 with his pelvic injury keeping him sidelined.

The Englishman has suffered setbacks in his return to action since, coming as a source of real frustration for Conte, who has remained in the dark over his starlet’s recovery timeframe.

After the Lilywhites confirmed brilliant news of his new contract, Gold has now shared a damning update on Skipp and his injury, coming as the player himself admits it’s been a real problem.

The Latest: Gold shares Skipp update…

The reliable football.london correspondent, taking to Twitter, says that he’s still no closer to returning to Conte’s starting eleven.

Sharing an update on his recovery, in response to Skipp’s official reaction to signing fresh terms, Gold explained:

“Understand he’s not closer to a return yet.”

The Verdict: Bad news…

The promising youngster’s continued availability delay will come as bad news for both Conte and supporters as Spurs fight to finish in the Premier League top four.

Currently locked in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification with north London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham will need any quality at their disposal to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, no Spurs starter has averaged a higher pass accuracy than Skipp (90.1%) in the top flight this season, backing his real composure and assurance in Conte’s midfield.

Tipped as a future club captain, those inside and outside N17 will be hoping he can return to the grass as soon as possible.

In other news: Big name source: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 ft 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.

Manchester City are once again being heavily linked with a move for Inter striker Romelu Lukaku and the Belgian could prove to be a dream heir for Sergio Aguero in Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, Guardiola wants the Belgian international at the Etihad next season and even sees similarities between the former Manchester United striker and Aguero, who is leaving City in the summer when his contract expires.

The report suggests that Guardiola believes Lukaku and Aguero share the same goalscoring instincts, whilst they are both effective at linking up play, which would obviously suit the way City play.

Would he be a good signing?

Although Lukaku perhaps wouldn’t be the most popular choice for a lot of City fans due to his time at Manchester United, which many see as a failure, his form in the Premier League with the Red Devils wasn’t exactly poor and you feel that issues behind the scenes at that club played a huge part in him struggling to perform at his best.

In 96 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit, the powerful striker contributed 42 goals and 13 assists, whilst he also impressed in his other Premier League spells with West Brom and Everton.

There were questions over his commitment at times at United but former manager Jose Mourinho was quick to rule that out, saying:

“So when I say to a striker, ‘Go there and do that job for me’, then he is a sergeant. He is a guy that you can trust. His attitude is phenomenal.”

Since his move to Inter, however, he has proven himself to be a truly world-class striker, scoring 61 goals and providing 15 assists in 92 appearances for I Nerazzurri.

This season,n he has managed 21 goals and 10 assists in 33 league appearances, averaging a superb 7.48 rating, which has put Antonio Conte’s side on the brink of the Serie A title, so it seems clear that he has the ability to score goals should he make the move to the Etihad this summer.

If Guardiola desperately wants Lukaku as his replacement for Aguero this summer then City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should do everything he can to bring him in, as he could prove to be a huge success in the Spanish manager’s side next season.

And, in other news… Forget Torres: £63m-rated Man City beast who played 109 passes stole the show vs Palace

Edinson Cavani’s time at Manchester United appears to be up, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that the club have “no intention” to hand him a contract extension past the end of this season, along with Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford could also be heading through the departure doors of Old Trafford, with Arsenal interested in offering him a way out of Manchester this summer – according to The Daily Mirror.

With the duo both potentially lining up for other clubs next season, and Anthony Martial not yet impressing or beginning to show signs of resurrecting his career on-loan at Sevilla, the Red Devils could find themselves short in the striking department – and thus, a move for Roma star Tammy Abraham could be on the cards.

What’s the news?

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) have claimed that United are “ready to make a big investment” in Abraham, who has scored 19 goals for club and country in all competitions this season, impressing since moving to Italy.

The report also states that “many clubs” have asked about the £40.5m-rated striker, including Tottenham – who have been linked with making a move for the Englishman should another United target, Harry Kane, depart the north London club this summer.

Made for Manchester

United fans are longing for a clinical, natural striker who can emulate the great Wayne Rooney and be the team’s primary goal-getter, and should Kane not be available this summer or choose to stay with Spurs, Abraham would be an excellent alternative.

Managing editor of The Athletic’s Tifo Football, Joe Devine, said that Abraham currently “owns the big stage”, which is evident by him netting two goals in Roma’s fierce ‘Derby della Capitale’ game with Lazio on their way to winning 3-0.

That’s as well as scoring the goal against Vitesse that sent the Serie A giants through to the next round of the UEFA Conference League – both coming in the club’s last two fixtures.

Among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, the 24-year-old who was dubbed “Drogba-esque” by Rio Ferdinand, ranks incredibly highly in some key barometers.

He is in the top 2% for xG per 90 (0.69), top 16% for through balls per 90 (0.18) and top 15% for tackles per 90 (1.28) – proving that he is a complete striker still in the making, who will only get better and better – and would most likely be a huge success in Manchester.

Made for the big stage, this is exactly the type of forward that United need heading into next term. Not only will he provide more goals; but he could also be the Premier League’s next Drogba. A very exciting prospect indeed.

In other news: Man Utd now plotting bid for £90m-rated “animal”, he’s even better than Haaland

Aston Villa finally unveiled new signing Leon Bailey on Thursday after he penned a four-year deal at Villa Park earlier this month.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters were quick to react to the club’s official post on the winger on social media.

The 24-year-old cost Villa £28.8m from Bayer Leverkusen and was pictured holding up a Villa top on Thursday.

Bailey had the number 31 on his training attire and also met Dean Smith, with Villa sharing his first day at Bodymoor Heath.

The Jamaica international is one of three big-money signings made by Villa this summer, alongside Emi Buendia and Danny Ings.

Bailey also posted pictures of himself in Villa colours on his personal Twitter account on Thursday evening with the caption ‘the wait is finally over’.

Villa fans react

The club shared a picture of Bailey on their official Twitter page with the caption ‘signed, sealed, delivered’.

This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with none describing it as ‘beautiful’.

“oh my god finally”Credit: @avfcdom2″LETS GOOOOO”Credit: @maxavfclove”Fantastic, welcome to the pride Leon.”Credit: @1966wall”what a beautiful tweet”Credit: @catrinavfc”AHHHHHHHHHHHHH”Credit: @DG_Avfc”Love to see it”Credit: @GW_94

In other news: £10m offer made: Villa first club to make bid for versatile international at the top of his game.  

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Nantes striker Randal Kolo Muani ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Le10Sport, the Eagles are amongst a number of clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old after an impressive season at the Stade de la Beaujoire.

Kolo Muani has scored nine goals and provided a further nine assists in all competitions throughout 2021/22, with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Lyon set to rival Palace for the youngster’s signature.

Heir to Zaha

With changes expected to be aplenty at Selhurst Park this summer, the capital club need to ensure their recruitment is an unequivocal success, otherwise, a fight to ensure their Premier League status could be on the cards.

Over a dozen first-team players are approaching the end of their current contracts at the capital club, while Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson have been ruled out with Achilles injuries until the new year, at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the club’s talisman Wilfried Zaha has once again opened the door to a possible exit. It means Palace chairman Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson’s successor have an almighty task on their hands over the coming months.

One man who could make that assignment somewhat easier is Kolo Muani. The £6.3m-rated forward (as per Transfermarkt) has earned an impressive reputation for himself this season, despite finishing in the bottom three with Les jaunes et verts.

The France Under-21 international particularly caught the eye in an outstanding 2-1 victory over former Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes back in March.

Kolo Muani was unplayable on the day, bullying centre-back pairing Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe all game long, recording a WhoScored rating of 8.23 as he scored the opening goal before setting up Moses Simon for the memorable winner.

Although the youngster’s efforts weren’t enough to prevent Nantes from entering the relegation play-off, he showcased his top-class potential in a struggling side, and Palace must sanction a move over the summer.

When comparing Kolo Muani’s statistics to Zaha’s it’s clear the Frenchman shares many similarities with the Ivory Coast international’s game.

As per WhoScored, Zaha managed 0.4 dribbles and 0.4 shots per league game more than Kolo Muani, and also managed 1 more key passes per league game and outscored the Nantes man by two goals.

However, Kolo Muani provided two more assists than Zaha and miss controlled the ball on 0.5 fewer occasions per game than the 28-year-old.

Considering Kolo Muani is six years Zaha’s junior, the potential for the young striker to grow and potentially succeed the former Manchester United man’s ability is clear for all to see.

Palace need attacking reinforcements ahead of 2021/22, and Parish is going to have to make some tough decisions over the comings months, but deciding whether to sign Kolo Muani or not isn’t one of them.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than Guaita: Palace flop who lost 67% of his duels let Hodgson down 

Tottenham Hotspur hold an interest in Franck Kessie, according to his agent…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb Radio, the 24-year-old’s representative, Massimo Brambati, claimed Spurs were one of two Premier League teams keen on signing the AC Milan midfielder this summer.

He said:

“Today, having a contract expiring in 2022 with an important player, one of Milan’s strongest, is a danger. Here is a basic error by the club. Now [Kessie] is the one who holds the knife by the handle and can decide what is best for him rather than the club.

“I know that in addition to Inter [Milan] there are two Premier League teams interested in him, including Tottenham.”

Fabio Paratici, the newly-appointed sporting director at the North London club, should know about the 44-cap Ivory Coast international more than most, having witnessed his talents whilst at Juventus, so perhaps these reports should come as no surprise.

Shades of Dembele

In Kessie, the Italian supremo could well find Tottenham another Mouse Dembele type figure for the engine room.

Whether the Lilywhites need another central option remains to be seen but the box-to-box powerhouse is certainly a very talented player and one that could present an upgrade to either of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko, with both their futures seemingly in doubt.

The £36m-rated star emerged as one of Milan’s most reliable players throughout 2020/21 and even begun to add goals to his game, making him a very threatening prospect in midfield – even if much of these came from the spot.

As per WhoScored, Kessie ranked as Stefano Piolo’s fourth-best player (7.15) and ended the season with a whopping 13 goals and four assists. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored more (15) in Serie A.

In terms of other output, the 6-foot dynamo proved to be an intelligent and powerful presence in the heart of midfield, where he averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per league outing.

It’s no surprise to see that Kessie has been lauded as an “extraordinary player” with “sublime intelligence” in the past, by his former Rossoneri boss Vincenzo Montella.

Pioli has also dubbed him the “complete” midfielder as he gives the Italian giants “physicality, energy, quality, protects the defence and knits the moves going forward too.”

In some ways that can draw comparisons to the monstrous presence of Dembele when he was in a Spurs shirt.

The Belgian beast loved to get on the ball and drive forward but he had a tough nature to him that made him a force to be reckoned with – for example, during the 2016/17 season, he averaged 2.6 dribbles and 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League.

Kessie is doing that and offering goals, which makes him a mouthwatering target to consider this summer.

By comparison, neither of Sissoko or Winks can match up to these numbers, in any of their top-flight campaigns in North London, so if either is to leave, then Paratici could strike gold with the Milan maestro.

The Italian and subsequently chairman Daniel Levy must look to Kessie for what appears to be an massive midfield upgrade.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals fresh twist in Nuno Santo pursuit…

The return of the Premier League this weekend after the latest international break sees Southampton take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both teams having had rather disappointing starts to the campaign.

The Saints’ previous league outing before the break saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Djenepo should start for Southampton on Saturday

One player who did not feature in Southampton’s starting XI against Chelsea but who should come in against Leeds is Moussa Djenepo, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £55k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Southampton signed the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window on a four-year contract from Belgian club Standard Liege in a deal which could rise to £15m.

Since then, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 58 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has scored four goals and provided two assists along the way.

So far this season, Djenepo – who was described by teammate Nathan Redmond as being a “super-talented” player – has played in all but one of Southampton’s league games, starting four of them, but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Nonetheless, he has managed to rack up 1.2 shots per game so far this season in the Premier League according to WhoScored, showing that he is still very much an attacking threat for the Saints whenever he’s on the pitch, and he could therefore be a potential game-changer against Leeds. Only four players can exceed that tally and there is a strong chance that two of them won’t feature on Saturday through either suspension (James Ward-Prowse) or injury (Che Adams).

After replacing Nathan Tella in the second half of the Chelsea game, Djenepo made two successful dribbles and won five ground duels and two tackles in just 17 minutes, ultimately seeing him earn a match rating of 6.5/10. That was higher than the likes of Tella and Redmond, both of whom started the match according to SofaScore.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that Hasenhuttl should go with Djenepo over Tella on the left wing to see if the Mali international can help the Saints secure their first league win of the season against Marcelo Bielsa’s side – who they would overtake in the table if they manage to do so – based on the decent showing the 23-year-old delivered off the bench against Chelsea.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur club source John Wenham has made an exit claim involving 2020 signing Matt Doherty.

The Lowdown: Doherty flounders…

Brought in as one of former boss Jose Mourinho’s major signings of his last summer window at Tottenham, it’s safe to say the Republic of Ireland international hasn’t exactly set the world alight on a consistent basis.

He has displayed flashes here and there since his move from Wolves last year, with Mourinho himself branding the 30-year-old ‘impeccable’ at one point, but those instances have been few and far between.

As new managing director Fabio Paratici seeks to reform Spurs in the transfer market, Wenham has now made a claim involving the right-back.

The Latest: N17 source makes Doherty exit claim…

Speaking to FI, the Lilywhites ‘insider’ has had his say and believes Doherty leaving is certainly a real possibility barring drastic change in his game time/performance level.

“Doherty isn’t getting a look-in,” Wenham explained.

“Japhet Tanganga and Emerson Royal are the two designated right-backs at the club.

“Do we need three right-backs? I would say ‘no’. He’s just come back from international duty where he did really well.

“Now he doesn’t even make the bench. He is really struggling for game time.

“Everyone thought he would get more game time under Nuno. But it was Nuno who was happy to sell him to Tottenham in the first place.

“I think Doherty will be asking himself some questions in the coming weeks.

“That’s another one where I can see a permanent exit if things don’t change.”

The Verdict: Time to go…

It’s safe to say that Doherty is certainly in contention for a move away based off his lack of chances in north London so far, having made just five appearances in all competitions.

Even this week, when a chance is certainly there to make an impression in the Europa Conference League, the defender is injured and will not travel to face Vitesse.

Paratici and co may want to recuperate any form of sell-on value they can muster for the player in January and call time on what has been an underwhelming spell at Spurs.

In other news: Talks ongoing: Paratici now working hard to sign ‘really exciting’ player for Spurs behind the scenes, find out more here.

With the new Championship season fast approaching, West Bromwich Albion still have a considerable amount of work to do in the summer transfer window if they are to have any hope of securing an immediate return to the Premier League come next summer.

One of the positions most in need of reinforcements is central midfield, with Okay Yokuslu, Conor Gallagher and Ainsley Maitland-Niles returning to Celta de Vigo, Chelsea and Arsenal respectively following the expiry of their loan deals at The Hawthorns, as well as Rekeem Harper and Sam Field leaving the club on permanent moves.

Yokuslu, in particular, highly impressed during his time with Albion, with the defensively-minded midfielder ranking as the club’s fourth-best performer in the top flight last term.

As such, with a deal to bring the 27-year-old back to The Hawthorns looking unlikely following the club’s relegation to the second tier, Valerien Ismael faces the challenge of finding a suitable alternative to the Turkey international this summer, with the recently linked Trevoh Chalobah appearing to be a fantastic candidate for the Frenchman.

Yokuslu 2.0

While Chalobah has ultimately failed to break into the Chelsea first team, with Thomas Tuchel’s side reported to be more than happy to part with the former England U21 international this summer, the 22-year-old nevertheless demonstrated during a loan spell in France last season that he is a player with a significant amount of potential.

Indeed, over his 29 Ligue 1 appearances for FC Lorient last term, the £3.15m-rated man made an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and won 5.2 duels per game.

He also chipped in for Christophe Pelissier’s side going forwards, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes and taking 0.5 shots per match.

These returns saw the man Paul Lambert dubbed a “complete” midfielder earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as Lorient’s joint fourth-best performer in Ligue 1.

For comparison, over Yokuslu’s 16 Premier League appearances for West Brom last season, the £6.75m-rated midfielder made an average of 2.2 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, two clearances and won 7.9 duels per game.

Going forwards, the 27-year-old failed to score for the Baggies, although he did manage to provide one assist and create one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.4 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the £31k-per-week gem earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, a rather remarkable feat considering the Baggies were battling at the wrong end of the top-flight table.

As such, while Yokuslu’s statistics do better Chalobah’s, there are nevertheless quite clear comparisons that can be drawn between the two players, and, considering the Turk is five years the Englishman’s senior, the argument could even be put forward that the youngster has a higher ceiling than the Celta Vigo midfielder.

So, it is easy to understand why competition for Chalobah’s signature is so high this summer, as well as why we believe Ismael must do all he can to land the £12k-per-week midfielder ahead of next season.

In other news: Transfer update emerges on “world-class” £41k-p/w beast, West Brom fans surely gutted