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Leeds United have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to keep Kalvin Phillips at Elland Road amid Manchester United’s reported interest this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Florian Plettenberg, with the Sky Sports Deutschland journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that United are currently “dealing” with the transfer of the defensive midfielder – with Ralf Rangnick’s side having been heavily linked with a £60m move for the England international this summer.

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Concerning Manchester United’s interest in the 26-year-old, Plettenberg said: “Been told that the club “is dealing” with Kalvin Phillips.”

Supporters will be fuming

Considering how important a part of the Leeds United side Phillips has become in recent years, in addition to the historic rivalry between Manchester United and the Whites, the news that the Red Devils look as if they are in discussions regarding a deal to sign the Leeds academy graduate this summer is sure to have left supporters fuming.

Indeed, while Phillips’ 2021/22 campaign has been severely hampered by a hamstring injury, the £45m-rated maestro undoubtedly proved over his 29 Premier League appearances last term that he is one of the leading defensive midfielders in the game, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week regista also impressed in a creative capacity, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls, 41 passes, four chipped through balls, 0.7 dribbles and one cross per fixture.

These returns saw the player who journalist Ali Martin dubbed “unreal” average an extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Leeds’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 17th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear for all to see that losing the services of Phillips this summer would be something of a disaster for Jesse Marsch and his side, while the thought of the 26-year-old turning out for Manchester United next season is sure to be every Leeds supporter’s worst nightmare.

AND in other news: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for £20k-p/w “phenomenon”, it could be bye-bye Raphinha

Crystal Palace don’t have the best record in the transfer market in terms of incomings, with big-money arrivals such as Christian Benteke and Mamadou Sakho failing to find their best form at Selhurst Park, but the hierarchy has a much better history when it comes to sales.

The likes of Yannick Bolasie, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alexander Sorloth have all been offloaded for huge sums in recent years, allowing the capital club to overhaul their previously ageing first-team squad over the summer.

And another player who departed Palace for a relatively substantial fee was Dwight Gayle. The diminutive striker joined Newcastle United in a £10.8 million deal back in 2016 after three underwhelming years in south London.

In 74 appearances for Palace, the Englishman bagged just 25 goals and provided only three assists, highlighting his limited impact for the club.

Gayle was an initial success at St. James’ Park notching up a remarkable 23 strikes in 32 Championship outings for the Magpies, firing them back to the top-flight of English football at the first time of asking.

However, he failed to carry that sort of form into the Premier League. He recorded just nine goal contributions in 35 league games throughout 2017/18, leading to Salomon Rondon’s arrival the following summer.

A season-long loan move to West Bromwich Albion then revived Gayle’s career as he once again inspired a promotion push from England’s second-tier with 23 goals and eight assists in 39 Championship appearances for the Baggies, but it appears that is his level.

Upon his return to Newcastle, Gayle has only started 14 Premier League games since the start of 2019/20, contributing just five goals and three assists to a struggling side.

His struggles at the elite level has seen his market value plummet to £3.6m, proving Palace chairman Steve Parish was right to get rid of the forward when he did, earning the Eagles a healthy payday.

And, in other news…Parish must sanction Palace swoop for “powerful” £18m beast, Vieira would love him 

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah was close to joining West Brom on loan this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

With the European champions stacked in defence, having the likes of captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva to call upon, it looked like Chalobah would have to leave the club this transfer window in order to get some game time.

However, the 22-year-old has featured regularly since pre-season under Thomas Tuchel, contributing to his side’s UEFA Super Cup triumph against Villarreal earlier this month and scoring in their opening Premier League fixture versus Crystal Palace.

It comes as a huge blow to Valerien Ismael and West Brom, who Hatfield says came close to signing Chalobah earlier this window.

“It really hurts when you see him scoring the goal he did for Chelsea on the opening day as an Albion fan because by all intents and purposes, that deal was really close to happening,” the Express & Star reporter revealed.

When you look at how Chalobah has performed for Chelsea so far and the fact that he can also play in midfield, it is probably fair to say he would have been a great addition to this West Brom squad.

The philosophy since Fosun took on the ownership of Wolverhampton Wanderers has been to buy young players with sell on value.

If you excuse the likes of Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho then Wolves have quite evidently achieved that.

In signing vibrant young footballers like Adama Traore, Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto, the Midlands outfit could rake in a bucket load of cash over the next few years.

Traore was signed for £18m but Bruno Lage rejected an offer in the region of £30m from Tottenham over the summer.

Neves, meanwhile, has been touted at £40m and Pedro Neto has been talked about as a £50m player in some circles.

However, one player who goes under the radar at Wolves has also seen his value rise quite significantly since arriving in English football.

That happens to be Belgium international Leander Dendoncker.

The midfield brute signed for just £12.4m in 2018 and in the last three years his value, per Transfermarkt, has soared to the £27m mark.

That’s quite the rise for a player who is a regular among a Belgian squad thought to contain their golden generation.

Dendoncker is yet to start a match in the Premier League under new manager Bruno Lage but he played a key part under Nuno Santo after they were promoted from the Championship.

The 24-year-old didn’t miss a single league outing during the 2019/20 campaign and featured on 33 occasions last term, only sitting on the sidelines for five matches.

Rarely injured and versatile in terms of his positions, he has become a vital cog in the wheel at Molineux.

Initially a central midfielder, Nuno began playing Dendoncker as a centre-back last term and hailed him as “fantastic” in the process.

He did struggle in a clash with Manchester City but that wasn’t a fair litmus for a player starting in an unnatural position.

Wolves’ tough-tackling Belgian has improved since that clash and ended last term with 2.6 aerial duels per game – the third highest in the squad – and as their central defender with the most tackles per appearance at 1.6.

He is yet to show his true colours under Lage but his market value rise dictates that they have a player with enormous potential on their hands.

Fosun clearly played a blinder with this move three years ago.

AND in other news, Get rid: Wolves owned player who lost the ball every 3.4 touches endures UCL nightmare…

Kalvin Phillips is now expected to be fit for Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Southampton on Saturday, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds head to Saints

The Whites return to domestic duties with a trip to St Mary’s this afternoon, looking to build on their 1-0 win at home to Watford before the international break.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men will have to perform well to pick up all three points against Saints, though, with victory taking them further clear of the relegation zone.

Defeat will see Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side overtake Leeds, however, highlighting the importance of the match at the bottom of the table.

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The Latest: Phillips could be available

With kickoff fast approaching, The Athletic‘s Hay has provided a promising injury update regarding Phillips on Saturday morning.

He had stated earlier in the week that the midfielder had a ‘chance’, now upgrading that to a ‘good chance’ of playing at St Mary’s in this 12-word update:

“Kalvin Phillips is in with a good chance after his calf strain.”

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The Verdict: Potential huge boost

There is a strong argument to say that Phillips is Leeds’ most important player, dominating midfield battles with his tenacity off the ball and quality on it, averaging an 84.6 percent pass completion rate in the league this season.

If the 25-year-old is fit to start, it will be an immediate boost for Bielsa, who will be aware that his team’s season needs to get back on track.

In other news, Leeds could be able to sign one rumoured transfer target in January. Read more here.

Former All Leeds TV presenter Joe Wainman feels Leeds United were never in the running to sign Matheus Pereira, contrary to reports.

Pereira swapped West Bromwich Albion for a big-money contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal earlier this month.

The move came after the Baggies suffered relegation to the Championship despite the Brazilian winger notching 12 goals and six assists last season.

A number of clubs were keen to keep Pereira in English football, with Leicester City and West Ham United being named as two of the interested parties.

According to ESPN Brazil, Leeds were also courting the 25-year-old. The report suggests Aston Villa and Crystal Palace joined the race to sign Pereira before he opted to join Al Hilal.

However, JustJoe Football Show anchorman Wainman has rubbished claims a move to Elland Road was ever on the cards, although he does question why boss Marcelo Bielsa did not raise an interest in the winger.

He told Football FanCast: “I was quite surprised when we heard from Pereira’s agent that Leeds had not been in contact at all.

“I know some Premier League clubs were but the fact that we never actually opened up dialogue was a little bit surprising because I think he would have fit in nicely.

“I understand why he has gone abroad – it is what it is. It’s money for him and that kind of money can’t be sniffed at.”

After two weeks without a game, Tottenham are set to return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they host a Liverpool side who sit just one point off the top of the table.

A rise in virus cases in the Premier League saw Spurs’ matches against Brighton and Leicester postponed, but the game against Jurgen Klopp’s men appears set to go ahead.

With that being said, here is the line-up that Football FanCast believes will start for the Lilywhites, with two changes from the side which started their last match against Norwich a fortnight ago.

In terms of the back four, there are no changes as Cristian Romero remains sidelined with a serious hamstring injury. Both defender Eric Dier and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris have been ever-present in the Tottenham starting line-up so far this season, a record they should both preserve today.

There’s one change amongst the wing-backs as Emerson Royal appears fit to return to action after a recent positive virus test. The £22.5m-rated Brazilian has slowly settled into life as a Spurs player, admitting that he “has to be aggressive when attacking”.

On the other flank, Sergio Reguilón also appears to be fit, having picked up an injury in the 3-0 win over Norwich which required the Spaniard to be withdrawn.

In the middle, another ever-present in Pierre-Emile Højbjerg keeps his place, whilst there’s a change alongside the Dane as Giovani Lo Celso replaces Oliver Skipp.

The 21-year-old has been impressive this term, featuring in 13 of the Lilywhites’ 14 league games, and was voted man of the match last time out against Norwich. However, with Spurs set to play four games in nine days, it may be wise for Conte to rest the midfielder, particularly after he tested positive for the global virus.

Lo Celso has been cleared to play having missed the last month-and-a-half with a knee injury, and he could offer more offensive quality, ranking in the top five amongst Spurs’ squad for both shots and key passes per game.

The attack remains the same, with Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane all set to be available. Son and Moura both scored in the Norwich game, but Kane is suffering a barren run of six league games without a goal or an assist and has just two goal contributions in the top flight all season.

In other news: Conte can find his new Gary Cahill for Tottenham in “sensational” 19.8m-rated colossus

Back in the summer of 2019, when Neil Lennon’s Celtic side had lost the services of Dedryck Boyata, Marvin Compper and Filip Benkovic in the heart of their defence, the Hoops were in rather desperate need of one or two fresh faces at centre-back ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

By the time the transfer window closed in September, Celtic had secured the signings of both Christopher Jullien, for whom they paid £7m to Toulouse, and Hatem Abd Elhamed, paying Hapoel Beer Sheva £1.6m for the 28-year-old.

However, according to agent Adrian Aliaj, there was another player on Celtic’s wish list that year, in the shape of Amir Rrahmani from Dinamo Zagreb.

Indeed, shortly after the 25-year-old’s eventual €2.1m (£1.8m) switch to Hellas Verona that same summer, Aliaj informed Calcio Hellas that Lennon had registered his interest in signing the Kosovo international.

However, with Celtic not being forceful enough in their attempts to lure the player to Parkhead, Rrahmani decided that he would prefer a move to Serie A.

In the time since his low-key move to northeast Italy, the 6 foot 4 centre-back has quickly gone on to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the league – impressing so much for Hellas that, just six months after joining the club, Napoli parted with a considerable €14m (£12m) in order to bring the Kosovan to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in January 2020.

The £48k-per-week titan has continued his remarkable rise over his 27 Serie A appearances this season, helping the Azzurri to keep 11 clean sheets and scoring three goals, along with averaging 0.5 interceptions, 0.7 tackles and 2.5 clearances and winning 3.9 duels (at a success rate of 62%) per game.

These returns have seen the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed “imposing” and Josh Bunting labelled “commanding” record a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Luciano Spalletti’s fifth-best player in the Italian top flight, with the 28-year-old playing a key role in Napoli’s title charge.

As such, considering the fact that the £25m-rated Rrahmani would have cost Celtic just £200k more than Abd Elhamed back in 2019 – a player who would spend just 18 months in Glasgow before returning to Israel – it is clear to see that the Hoops had a nightmare when missing out on the Kosovan sensation.

AND in other news: Postecoglou now closing in on eight-figure deal, it’s a huge coup for Celtic

Everton want to sign Iddrisu Baba from RCD Mallorca in January, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net.

The lowdown

25-year-old defensive midfielder Baba has featured in all 12 of Mallorca’s La Liga fixtures so far this season, starting 10.

Baba has been even compared to his compatriot Thomas Partey, who joined Arsenal in 2020, by Sports World Ghana.

He has three years to run on his contract and is valued at just £2.25million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Benitez has asked Everton to bring in Baba, say reports in Spain, and the club are aware that his performances will soon catch the eye of ‘several’ other teams, so they want to tie up a deal at the first opportunity.

It will apparently take a ‘significant amount’ of money to convince Mallorca to part with him.

The player, for his part, considers the Premier League a ‘very attractive’ proposition, so he’d be open the move.

The verdict – Possible Gbamin replacement

Former Mallorca manager Vicente Moreno has hailed the ‘reliable’ Babu for the industry and defensive protection he provides.

The stats attest to this: he’s averaging 2.8 tackles, 1.4 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per 90 minutes so far this season (via WhoScored).

For Everton he could represent a cheap replacement for Jean-Phillipe Gbamin, who’s yet to show he can be a dependable option.

The injury-riddled midfielder made his first league start under Benitez on Monday against Wolves, only to be taken off at half-time.

In other news, Everton are also keen on this Ligue 1 star. 

Leeds United may finally have the perfect chance to sign Reading midfielder John Swift amid a major update on his future…

What’s the story?

Reports back in late October from The Sheffield Star, suggested that the Whites, along with fellow Premier League teams Newcastle United and Brentford, have got their eye on the attacking midfielder.

And now, Leeds Live have claimed that Swift is set to end a six-year stay with Reading by leaving the club on a free transfer come the summer.

The report adds that there has been no progress in terms of a new contract being signed, and that Premier League interest has remained over the past few months.

Leeds could axe Mateusz Klich

With Klich now set to turn 32 in June, and having had a very disappointing season by his standards – he’s managed just one goal and two assists in 31 games across all competitions (he had nine goal contributions in the Premier League alone last year) – it could be time for the Whites to finally move on from the Pole.

And in Swift, they could find the ideal goal-scoring midfielder to replace the £20k-a-week ace.

The Reading ace has a track record of being someone who can offer a goal-scoring threat from attacking midfield, managing an impressive 72 goal contributions in 202 games – in fact, his current campaign for Reading has been impressive to say the least, netting 11 goals in the Championship as well as chipping in with a whopping 13 assists too.

Speaking back in August after a 2-1 win over Preston, Royals manager, Veljko Paunovic, said: “Now he’s back, it is important we keep him healthy and motivated as he is now because that will help us a lot.

“He is super talented and he showed an urgency that he wanted to decide the game. The first couple of passes to Azeez and Joao were fantastic vision and execution of the final pass – something we’ve missed in the past. We missed those slick combinations through the middle when we progress forward so that’s something we have to keep up.”

With a record of 43 senior goals to his name in his professional career thus far, Swift could help answer Marsch’s prayers of needing a new goal-scoring midfielder this summer.

AND in other news – Leeds could strike gold with £42m teenage sensation, he follows Raphinha on Instagram