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The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered an update on Leeds United’s plans for the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Athletic, he revealed: “Selling someone such as Raphinha would raise substantial funds and I can’t see Leeds even entertaining Barcelona’s reported valuation of £30m (according to various Spanish outlets). His asking price is bigger than that.

“The money received would help with recruitment but a departure would leave a large hole in the squad too and if, as George suggests, Leeds look to bring in a clutch of new signings, they will need a budget beyond what they can raise by cashing in on existing players.

“One thing worth adding — they speak a lot about the Leicester City model at Elland Road, and the Leicester City model has never involved selling more than one key player in a single summer window. Leeds have to control any outgoings.”

Big summer for Leeds

With the likes of Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips and Illan Meslier all linked with an exit this summer, it promises to be a really huge period in Leeds United’s history.

Losing any one of them would be a massive blow to their chances of retaining Premier League safety next season, but any more than that would be almost unthinkable.

As Hay says, if Leeds are keen on replicating the Leicester model of buying cheaper, unproven players and then moulding them into stars who can be sold for big profit a la Harry Maguire for example, then the Whites are onto a smart strategy.

But, offloading more than just one of their most prized assets would be catastrophic for a side whose time in the Premier League even this season is still insecure.

Raphinha has been the man of the hour since his arrival from Rennes, Phillips remains the heartbeat of this Leeds team, and Meslier is the undisputed number one and at his age, has already got unprecedented Premier League experience.

Cashing in on one would certainly add a healthy amount to the transfer kitty though for Jesse Marsch, and Victor Orta will have plenty to work with in really strengthening this squad and adding some vital squad depth and first-team quality.

Either way, it’s the kind of seismic summer that should both worry and excite Marsch in equal measure.

Get it right, and the Elland Road faithful will be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news – Sold at £8m, now worth triple: Leeds had a nightmare over “fearless” 5 ft 9 magician

The January transfer window is fast-approaching and Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have his first opportunity to bring players of his own to Ibrox.

He has been working with a squad built by his predecessors but will now be able to make a few additions, if any at all, to stamp his own mark on the team.

The Dutchman may also have to deal with departures of current first-team stars with interest hotting up heading into the final days of December.

How could Rangers look come the end of the January transfer window? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that it could be a busy month for Rangers, both in terms of players leaving and others coming in from elsewhere.

Although Ianis Hagi has been linked with an exit, amid interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray, he appears set to remain in Glasgow. His father, Gheorghe, has confirmed that his son will not be leaving in the next transfer window, which should come as a big boost to van Bronckhorst’s plans.

However, one player who could be on his way out is Ryan Kent. He has been touted with a switch to Aston Villa to reunite with Steven Gerrard and it could make sense given that he was the man to bring the forward to Ibrox in the first place.

This would leave Rangers with a spot to fill out wide and the recently-linked Andreas Skov Olsen could be the man to come in. FFC recently published an article explaining why he could be the perfect replacement for Hagi, but the latest update on his future suggests that Kent is the player Olsen could replace – not the Romanian.

At centre-back, John Souttar may be signed to come in for Connor Goldson. The ex-Brighton man’s deal expires next summer and January may represent Rangers’ last chance to cash in on him before he leaves for nothing.

Souttar, who was previously dubbed as “aggressive” by Craig Levein, could replace the defender as his contract at Hearts running out at the same time as Goldson’s. Rangers have been linked with a swoop for the Scottish beast and they could take advantage of his situation in the same way other clubs may do with their own defensive rock.

Finally, Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman could arrive from Heerenveen. He is reportedly a target for van Bronckhorst heading into next month and he could add some extra attacking quality to the midfield.

The 23-year-old managed seven goals and ten assists in 31 games in the Eredivisie last term and is currently on three goals and six assists in 16 games this season. This shows the level of impact he could potentially have if deployed in the number 10 role in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

We are predicting that the rest of the side will remain the same, with Allan McGregor, James Tavernier, Calvin Bassey, Borna Barisic, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Alfredo Morelos completing the XI. Although, the likes of Scott Arfield, Juninho Bacuna, Leon Balogun and John Lundstram, among others, will also be competing for places.

AND in other news, Rangers Insider drops huge 8-word Ibrox transfer update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Pete O’Rourke has made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Wolverhampton Wanderers star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Links to the Spain international have accelerated in recent days as multiple reliable outlets claimed that Tottenham are seriously in the hunt for his signature this month.

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Indeed, Sky Sports backed that the Lilywhites are eyeing a January move alongside The Athletic, The Telegraph and The Times, who all claimed that Spurs are actively pursuing Traore.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is believed to be mapping out a special role for the Wolves winger as he aims to transform him into a makeshift right wing-back to solve the problem position, akin to how he utilised Victor Moses at Chelsea (The Athletic).

Sharing what he knows on the situation, O’Rourke has now made a promising claim regarding this hot transfer rumour.

The Latest: O’Rourke says Spurs can meet valuation…

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the journalist stated that Spurs could ‘come with an offer’ which meets Wolves’ asking price.

He explained: “Spurs could come in with an offer that meets their valuation. There’s a real possibility this deal could happen.”

The Verdict: Priority signing?

It is believed that Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are eyeing four ‘priority’ additions in a new striker, a left-footed central defender, a central midfielder and a right wing-back (Alasdair Gold).

For the latter position, we believe Tottenham could be chasing a tremendous candidate for the role in Traore, going by his impressive statistics. According to WhoScored, the Wolves beast has completed 4.5 dribbles per 90 on average this Premier League campaign – more than any Spurs player in that time.

This highlights his strong threat going forward, with Molineux legend Steve Bull also calling the 25-year-old a ‘world-beater’ in an interview with Football FanCast.

For a rumoured £22m, he could be a golden first signing of the Conte era.

In other news: Bid made: TV broadcaster shares news as Spurs table offer to sign ‘extraordinary’ £66.8m man, find out more here.

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans were critical of Florian Kamberi’s performance in their 0-0 draw at Portsmouth in League One on Tuesday night.

The Owls perhaps would have settled for a point in the end as Massimo Luongo was given a straight red card for violent conduct in the 69th minute, meaning that they had to hold out for more than 20 minutes with 10 men on the field.

However, when a team goes down a player, they really need the help of the forwards to hold the ball up and bring others into play whenever they can attack.

Alas, Kamberi struggled while Wednesday had 11 men, let alone 10, as he lost out on all seven of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on goal or dribble. In addition, he was guilty of losing possession of the ball seven times in total during the game (SofaScore).

Sheff Wed fans on Kamberi display

These Owls fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘poor man’s Stevie May’, referring to the Scottish striker who only managed seven goals in his 42-match Wednesday career:

“Kamberi not offering much at all!”

Credit: @ABKTowl

“Kamberi, poor man’s Stevie May”

Credit: @Elliott51084

“Kamberi & Gregory just can’t play together. Running the same lines, banging into each other. It’s embarrassing.”

Credit: @bensaavage

“Kamberi totally oblivious. Hook him.”

Credit: @mrpaulhank

“Kamberi ain’t good enough”

Credit: @LockStar9

“Just like to say, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone slip over on a football pitch as much as Kamberi. Reckon he might need bigger studs or something.”

Credit: @ReeceDaviesSWFC

In other news, one man’s display against Hartlepool was slammed by these Sheff Wed fans

Leeds United have been given a possible boost in their quest to sign Nahitan Nandez, with a report from Italy claiming that he may have played his last game for Cagliari.

The Lowdown: Nandez links continue

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Elland Road for some time, which suggests that there is genuine interest in his services.

Nandez has started 15 Serie A games for Cagliari this season and continued to be a key player for them, averaging two tackles per game for the Sardinian outfit.

As the January transfer window approaches, the rumour is still lingering, especially with Kalvin Phillips’ injury heightening the need for midfield additions.

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The Latest: Leeds offered hope

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Nandez’s appearance against Udinese on Sunday ‘may have been his last match’ for Cagliari after he went off injured in his team’s 4-0 defeat.

A January exit looks likely, with Leeds and Tottenham’s interest both mentioned in the report.

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The Verdict: Sign him up, Whites

From a Whites perspective, signing Nandez is a no-brainer, with Marcelo Bielsa desperate to bring in a quality midfielder at a crucial moment in the season. A spate of injuries are threatening to completely derail Leeds’ campaign, not least with regards to Phillips’ lengthy absence, and the Uruguayan seems to have the experience and ability to be a top-class signing.

Nandez’s next appearance for his country will be his 50th, as he has become a key figure in a team containing Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Meanwhile, at Cagliari he is averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game in the league this season.

In comparison, Phillips and Adam Forshaw are averaging 0.6 and 0.3, and 0.9 and 0.5, respectively for those metrics, which suggests that the Uruguayan could bring something different to Leeds in the middle of the park.

In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign one midfielder in January. Find out who it is here.

Some Wolves supporters would be happy to see Adama Traore leave the club after he was linked with a move to La Liga side Valencia.

It has been a solid start to the season for Bruno Lage’s team, who are eighth in the Premier League as we head into the final international break of the year.

The 45-year-old has done well as manager since coming in during the summer, but Traore hasn’t necessarily clicked with the Portuguese at the helm.

The Spain winger is still waiting to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League in 2021/22 and he has found himself left out of the starting line-up recently, while he has been questioned over his lack of end product in the final third.

According to journalist Ekrem Konur on Twitter, Valencia are preparing an offer for the 25-year-old as they eye up a possible move for him.

Wolves fans happy for Traore to leave

These Wolves fans reacted to the news on Twitter, admitting that they would have no complaints if the club decided to sell the out-of-form Traore to Valencia.

“Send Guedes the other way”

Credit: @Zack24296570

“I’m gonna be totally honest, I’d sell him if it would mean Botman and Sanches”

Credit: @wwfcBrendan

“If he is refusing to sign contract then sell”

Credit: @Sandhurstwolf

“If we can get £35m-£40m I wouldn’t be against it tbh. Would help us get Botman and Sanches”

Credit: @GeorgeTheStud

“Can see him going back to Spain. Ain’t done any good in England up to date”

Credit: @Shaunthegreat41

“Can’t help thinking that this will be for the best”

Credit: @TurnerA7x

In other news, a journalist has talked up the idea of Wolves signing one player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United manager David Moyes has some massive decisions to make as his side returns to Premier League action this afternoon.

The Irons head north to face defending champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a huge clash which sees third face fourth.

After a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, the east Londoners bounced back with a routine victory over Rapid Wien in the Europa League, a win which sealed top spot in their group and their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

Moyes rang the changes in Austria, so it will be interesting to see what sort of line-up he will select against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens today, especially after they sealed an impressive three points against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

Here’s the Hammers XI that we’re predicting…

There could be as many as eight changes from the side which won in Vienna on Thursday night.

Lukasz Fabianski did not make the trip, so he will be well-rested for his return between the sticks this afternoon, whilst Irons “monster” Issa Diop is the only defender to keep his place, meaning 31-year-old Craig Dawson is axed, having started twice in the last nine days and been unconvincing against Wolves.

The £12.5m-rated Frenchman will join his fellow countryman Kurt Zouma in the heart of defence, with Aaron Cresswell returning at left-back and academy gem Ben Johnson continuing to get the nod on the right over Vladimir Coufal, who got some much-needed minutes in midweek.

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Tomas Soucek is the second player to feature in back-to-back matches this week and he should be rejoined by Declan Rice, who will lead the team out in Manchester, taking the place of club captain Mark Noble.

Further up the pitch, Jarrod Bowen is another to keep his spot in the starting XI but he will be joined by his usual league allies, Pablo Fornals in the no.10 role and Said Benrahma on the other flank. They take the places of summer signing Nikola Vlasic and Manuel Lanzini.

Up top, Thursday’s goalscorer Andriy Yarmolenko is axed as Michail Antonio is due to return.

The leading £70k-per-week West Ham talisman, who was dubbed a “complete monster” by journalist Paul Brown earlier this season, didn’t travel to Austria, so he should be raring to go today.

AND in other news, “A definite target”: Ex drops big West Ham transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Fabrizio Romano has provided a major Newcastle managerial update regarding Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca.

What’s the talk?

The Italian journalist has claimed that the ex-Roma head coach is prepared to accept the Magpies job after talks with the new owners at St James Park. However, they are keeping their options open and have not yet decided whether or not they will go with Fonseca to lead the club forward.

Romano told the ¡Que Golazo! podcast, via Shields Gazette: “As we mentioned last week, they were beginning talks with Fonseca and going in with optimism around these negotiations because Paulo Fonseca is prepared to accept the proposal from Newcastle.

“It’s now up to Newcastle. They have everything set with Fonseca but they need to decide if they want to go with him or do something different, talk with other managers and consider other opportunities.

“So Newcastle have not one-hundred percent decided yet, but Fonseca is the front-runner, everything is ready for him, he would be prepared to accept. They’re discussing about money and final things but I’m sure that Fonseca is the front-runner now.

“Let’s see if they want to do something surprising because these [talks] are going on but they’re not signing his contract or not completing his agreement so this is why they are maybe thinking of someone else or something surprising.” Excitement

These claims from Romano will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling excited for several reasons. For starters, Fonseca being prepared to accept an offer from the club is a major boost, as it means that no matter what happens with their other targets, they know that an impressive manager is ready to join at any point.

Fonseca has 320 games as a manager under his belt, averaging 1.94 points per game across five separate leagues. Steve Bruce, who recently left the club, has managed 477 Premier League matches in his career and averaged 1.11 points per game. This suggests that the Portuguese coach would be a significant upgrade on Bruce, which is why the fans would be happy to see him at the helm.

However, Magpies supporters could also be excited by Romano’s last quote. He suggests that PIF may be stalling on Fonseca as they plot a surprise appointment, and that could get fans on the edge of their seats as they ponder who else could arrive to take charge of the club. If Newcastle believe that they can bring in a manager with a better record than Fonseca, whose aforementioned career has been impressive so far, that is a very exciting thought for the fans.

It will be quite interesting to see where PIF go with this. As Romano has explained, a deal for Fonseca appears to be close and they could sign off on that and bring him to Tyneside, or else they may go left-field and appoint another head coach…

AND in other news, “Comfortably spend…”: Chris Waugh drops big Newcastle claim which should delight fans…

Naby Keita’s long-term future at Liverpool remains up in the air as his injury woes continue, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Keita can’t catch a break

The Guinean has had a hugely frustrating Reds career, with injuries continuing to stunt his progress, having only made 86 appearances in three-and-a-bit seasons at Anfield.

Keita is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue after going off against Brighton last weekend, with another spell on the sidelines expected.

Having impressed so much in the 5-0 win at Manchester United, receiving a nine-out-of-10 rating from This Is Anfield, this is another cruel setback.

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The Latest: Pearce unsure over future

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, Pearce admitted it is hard to predict how Keita’s Reds career will pan out:

“I think that’s a decision for next summer. Tough call to make currently. I feel very sorry for Keita. He responded brilliantly to being taken off in Madrid with arguably his best performance for the club v United. He rightly got loads of praise.

“Then he avoids serious injury from that horrible Pogba challenge and you think his luck is changing. Then he pulls up holding his hamstring last weekend….. I just hope he’s back soon after the international break.”

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The Verdict: Last chance saloon

In terms of talent, Keita’s importance for Liverpool is undeniable, having averaged a cool and composed 90.9% pass completion rate in the Champions League this season and a tenacious 2.3 tackles per game in the league, the latter of which is the best in the squad.

Sadly, it is pointless persevering with him if he keeps getting injured, however, given the way it affects the Reds’ rhythm, in terms of team selection.

The hope is that Keita will eventually overcome these woes, but the current signs aren’t exactly positive – he has racked up 11 different injuries since arriving on Merseyside.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy at some key news that has emerged. Read more here.

Rangers managed to reclaim their spot at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they beat Hibernian 2-1 on Sunday.

Kevin Nisbet headed Hibs in front in the opening 10 minutes before Ryan Porteous was sent off in the 30th minute for a poor challenge on Joe Aribo.

The Gers were able to find the leveller in the 60th minute as Nathan Patterson put the ball on a plate for Kemar Roofe to nod home at the back post. Alfredo Morelos then won the match with his goal, assisted by Borna Barisic, in the 78th minute.

Roofe and Morelos may steal the headlines with their goals, but one player who was an unsung hero in the midfield was summer signing John Lundstram. He found a balance between defensive ballast and impressive play in possession to put in an all-around brilliant display.

Defensively, he was almost faultless for Rangers. Per SofaScore, he made four tackles, three interceptions and one block. He also won 62.5% of his duels on the pitch in the game, winning five of his eight 50/50 battles against Hibernian players.

This shows that he was able to snuff out Hibernian attacks with his defensive awareness and strength. He did not allow the opposition to pass by him easily, which allowed Rangers to dominate the game – contributing to the final result.

On the ball, he was composed and assured in possession to maintain the dominance. Per SofaScore, he had an eye-catching 118 touches of the ball – completing 99 of his 104 attempted passes (95%) and only giving the ball away six times from all of those touches.

Lundstram was efficient with his passing and did not give the ball away on a regular basis. Not only did this stop Hibernian from gaining the ball, but it also allowed Rangers to pile the pressure on the opposition goal and tire the midfield, which then created space for the Gers to work with.

Therefore, the midfield beast was Gerrard’s unsung hero in the match as he did the dirty work so that the forward players could shine in possession of the ball.

Hopefully, the summer arrival from Sheffield United will continue to perform to these standards and maintain his place in the starting XI to improve Gerrard’s side, which is – presumably – why he was brought to the club.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…