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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.”

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake in order to make up for the loss of Angelo Ogbonna.

The Lowdown: Ake struggling for playing time

The £100,000-a-week Dutchman joined City in 2020 but he has found regular football hard to come by, with the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones keeping him out of the team.

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Ake has only managed four starts in the Premier League so far this season, as well as just one in the Champions League, and he may want a fresh challenge soon. The 1.8m-tall (6 foot) defender was limited to just nine top-flight starts at the Etihad Stadium last term, too.

The 26-year-old has 23 caps to his name for the Netherlands and may want to be a key figure at club level ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The Latest: West Ham keen on move

According to 90min, West Ham have identified Ake as a transfer target in January, seeing him as someone who can fill the void left by Ogbonna, who is out injured for the rest of the season.

It is stated that a loan move is on the offing, with a potential to sign him permanently at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Strong Ogbonna alternative

Ake may not have cut the mustard consistently for City, but he is still a hugely competent centre-back who Premier League-winning manager Pep Guardiola claimed is a ‘joy’ to have in his squad.

At 26, the former Chelsea defender is also approaching his prime years and he could not only make up for the loss of Ogbonna in the short run, he may even represent a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old Italian.

Ake has averaged three interceptions per game in the Champions League this season, showing he can excel at the highest level – Declan Rice (1.9) is West Ham’s top performer in the Premier League in that regard, so the Dutchman may add something new to the Irons’ line-up if he makes the move.

In other news, West Ham have been linked with an audacious swoop for one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic journalist Kieran Devlin has expressed uncertainty about the return date of centre-back Christopher Jullien. 

The lowdown

The Frenchman hasn’t played for the Hoops since their 3-0 win over Dundee United at the end of December 2020. He was forced off in that game after injuring his knee when colliding with the post (via BBC Sport).

Former Scotland boss Alex McLeish has said it will be a ‘massive’ boost for Celtic whenever Jullien, a treble winner in 2019/20, eventually makes his comeback.

Ange Postecoglou said in late October that the 28-year-old would be back after the November international break, but there’s no sign of him as yet.

The latest

In The Athletic’s matchday discussion surrounding Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, a supporter asked Devlin if there was ‘any indication when/if’ the defender would be back.

The fan ‘thought by now we would have seen something of Jullien in training’ or in a youth team game.

Devlin replied: “It just keeps being pushed back. Briefed multiple times this season that he’d be back within a few weeks and it just hasn’t happened. Not sure what the new estimated date is.”

The verdict

Celtic initially expected to be without Jullien for a period of four months, but we’re now approaching a full calendar year of him being sidelined.

Devlin’s latest claim is worrying because it suggests that there may have been a setback, with the 28-year-old not able to meet the club’s revised timeline.

They were knocked out of the Europa League this week after a 3-2 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen, with Chris Sutton acknowledging that ‘defensively, Celtic have come up well short in Europe’.

It’s tempting to wonder whether they would have had enough to progress from their group with a fully fit Jullien, who was included in their squad for the competition – a sure sign that the Hoops had banked on him returning to action by now.

In other news, this defender is open to signing for Celtic

Liverpool could be set to witness the incredible skills of Mohamed Salah at Anfield for many years to come after an exciting update regarding his future was revealed.

What’s the story?

The Eygpt international has long been linked with a potential move away from Liverpool, but the Reds are now reportedly set to offer him an astronomical new contract to keep him at the club.

As per an exciting update from Liverpool ECHO reporter Paul Gorst, the Merseyside outfit are very keen to extend Salah’s current deal, which expires in the summer of 2023, following his several incredible seasons on English shores.

Gorst’s report states: “The club are eager to reward his 31-goal showing last term with an improved deal that will make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.”

Fans will be absolutely buzzing

News that the Liverpool hierarchy are set to offer Salah lucrative fresh terms over the coming weeks will surely have the club’s supporters absolutely buzzing.

The 29-year-old has been one of the Reds’ standout performers since his arrival back in 2017, scoring an incredible 125 goals in 203 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s charges.

Despite some accusations of him being selfish on occasion, Salah has also provided 47 assists for his teammates during his Liverpool career, playing a pivotal part in both their Champions League and Premier League triumphs in recent years.

However, he’s arguably never been as important to 19-time English champions as he is at this moment in time.

While the other members of Liverpool famed front three – Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – suffered their own losses of form throughout 2020/21, Salah continued to put the ball in the back of the net with alarming regularity.

His 31 strikes in all competitions, 22 in the Premier League, helped to drag an underwhelming Liverpool side to third place in the top-flight standings last term, a finish which looked beyond them for large periods of the campaign.

It remains to be seen whether Salah puts pen to paper on a new contract or seeks pastures new, but the fanbase will be delighted by the club’s plans to reward their attacking talisman for his magnificent efforts.

They’ll now be hoping he agrees to stay at the club and hopefully, lead them to even more silverware in the future.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Salah: Edwards must sanction LFC move for “intelligent” £42.7m gem 

Everton are talking to several managerial candidates, but former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is still favourite for the vacant position [Liverpool Echo].

As the Toffees get their ducks in a row ahead of 2021/22, plenty may have thought that the appointment of the Portuguese coach would have been nothing more than a formality, following reports of advanced talks last week [90MIN].

As anxiety grows over the direction of the Merseyside giants heading into the new campaign, alternative coaches Christophe Galtier, Roberto Martinez and ex-Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez have all been linked with the role [Football Fancast].

The Blues are not due back to Finch Farm for pre-season training until early July. Potentially, this could signify that they are biding their time to identify the most suitable candidate to replace the departed Carlo Ancelotti, who took up the reigns at Real Madrid earlier this month [Liverpool Echo].

As you can imagine, loads of Everton diehards took to Twitter to vent their frustrations over the state of limbo the club are currently in.

Everton fans react:

Replying to various Everton fan outlets, here are how some fans summarized their feelings after hearing the latest news, with one supporter lambasting it as ‘terrible’:

“He’s a terrible choice. How can we go from ancelotti to him.”

Credit: @Kyle1978MMA”We’re waiting for Martinez after the Euros aren’t we absolute joke”Credit: @Everton1878___”Nuno is the best of a bad bunch its getting to be a joke now just get it sorted Everton”Credit: @Wazefc83″I would rather give Dunc a go than Nuno”Credit: @BornABlue1878″So bored of this now me”Credit: @Ryanc10efc”Definitely something going on behind the scenes here.”Credit: @chriswatson187In other news, Everton fans react to a performance of a reported target.

Dele Alli isn’t the only player to benefit from Tottenham Hotspur’s change in management this season.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder was quickly becoming a forgotten man under Jose Mourinho, featuring in just 15 league matches for a total of 617 minutes.

Since former Wolves boss Nuno Santo has taken to the Spurs dugout, however, the Englishman has started 100% of their league games this far, already playing more than a third of his total minutes from last season.

Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez have looked an entirely different prospect too, keeping three straight clean sheets despite being lambasted as “one of the worst” partnerships in the Premier League by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara last season.

Another name who appears to have been given a major lifeline is academy graduate Harry Winks.

According to The Sun on deadline day, the 25-year-old has left an impression on the Portuguese coach throughout pre-season and he is expected to garner much more game-time than last term.

Winks’ lack of minutes on the pitch saw him miss out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020, despite being capped ten times by the Three Lions boss.

During the summer, he was regularly linked with a move away. There was £25m interest from Manchester United, whilst the likes of Leeds, Aston Villa and Everton were all mooted as potential destinations.

However, Winks has started both of Tottenham’s UEFA Europa Conference League matches and could well play a big part as the season goes on.

The £18m-rated ace made 15 appearances in the Premier League last season, playing a total of just 860 minutes. This is a player who Mauricio Pochettino once likened to Spanish legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi, yet he struggled to break into the squad under Mourinho.

Per the Evening Standard, Spurs’ former head coach said in 2018: “Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player. His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta, he’s like this type of player.”

This is surely the sort of profile of midfielder that Nuno would love, having had the pleasure of coaching Joao Moutinho at Molineux for the past few seasons.

That could be a big reason why he hasn’t allowed the deep-lying playmaker to leave in this transfer window, and as the report suggests, we could well see Winks as the latest Spurs player to be reborn under the new Spurs boss.

AND in other news, Dier out, Ndombele in? Nuno Santo’s best Spurs XI after Deadline Day…

Many Everton fans have been reacting to reports that the club are looking to sign Salomon Rondon before the end of the transfer window.

The Toffees have so far brought in four fresh faces to Goodison Park this summer in Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Andy Lonergan (Transfermarkt), and the former two in particular have played a role in Everton’s impressive start to the season. The Merseyside outfit have won two and drawn one of their opening three Premier League games (Sky Sports), with Gray scoring two goals and Townsend providing one assist (WhoScored).

In terms of centre-forwards, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the only real viable option for Rafael Benitez, but it seems that the Toffees are looking to bring in a new striker to provide competition for the 24-year-old. According to journalist Alan Myers on Twitter, Everton are in talks to sign 83-cap Venezuela international Rondon from Dalian Professional.

The news has been doing the rounds on social media and it attracted plenty of attention from Everton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Rondon links

“We could do with a good back up for DCL”

Credit: @thetomgibbons

“Inevitable really, but also makes a lot of sense.”

Credit: @sunscreemer

“Great like for like back up for Dom, and endeared himself to me after McCarthy’s leg break too be fair, was inconsolable”

Credit: @Sean84628518

“We were signing Isco a few months ago, the life of an Evertonian”

Credit: @jeffwintersok

“Sound. We don’t have any backup for Dom and we can’t afford to spend tens of millions getting one. He’s not exactly top drawer, but as a cheap short term fix, he’ll do.”

Credit: @Geof17773624

“I really don’t get this rant. Rather than focus on how well we’ve been playing, the focus is turned on to how bad we’re going to be. I’m sorry, but that makes no sense to me. What happened to just enjoy the moment?”

Credit: @NTylerVI

In other news, Everton want to sign this Premier League ace.

Noel Whelan isn’t convinced Tyler Roberts will remain a Leeds United player moving forward, as his Whites career hangs in the balance.

The Lowdown: Not a key man for Leeds

Leeds were superb back in the Premier League last season, with individuals such as Kalvin Phillips, Stuart Dallas, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford standing out, among others.

One player who was more of a peripheral figure was Roberts, with the Welshman only starting 14 out of 38 league games for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

He has been linked with a move to Newcastle United this summer, but a new contract has also reportedly been offered to him at Leeds.

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The Latest: Whelan discusses Roberts’ future

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan expressed doubts over Roberts’ worth moving forward, saying he finds it hard to see him becoming a regular:

“Yeah, that’s the thing with these international tournaments.

“They put people on the map and you can either make it or break it. With Leeds this season, he’s been given a long spell of games to convince Bielsa he’s worth keeping.

“In my opinion, I’m still undecided. I don’t think he affected the game during his time on the field.  As a number ten, you have to do more than he did. This is a massive tournament for him.

“The only thing tempting me to keep him at Leeds is the fact that he’s young. He may still have a bit of growth to come.

“If there’s interest from Newcastle and the contract isn’t signed, he might feel he needs a new start in his career. It’s massive to leave a club like Leeds.

“But once he comes back to Leeds I doubt he’ll start considering how Rodrigo finished the season.”

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The Verdict: Time for a change?

At 22, Roberts still has time to mature as a player, but it does feel as though a fresh challenge could end up suiting all parties.

The Wales international, who Tony Pulis once described as ‘very talented’, could start for a lesser Premier League team, but that looks increasingly difficult at Leeds.

Bielsa will likely be looking to bring in even more attacking quality this summer, which could send Roberts further down the pecking order.

In other news, one pundit believes Leeds could make one bargain signing this summer. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United are among the Premier League teams interested in signing Alex Scott this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football League World, who claim that the Yorkshire giants are now facing competition from Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur for the 18-year-old’s signature following his impressive breakthrough at Championship outfit Bristol City.

Earlier this month, the Mirror reported that both the Whites and Spurs had scouts in attendance of the Robin’s Good Friday clash with Stoke City, where the promising teenager played the full game at right wing-back.

He is thought to be valued at around £10m.

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The next Jack Grealish?

The versatile talent is capable of playing in a variety of roles, including out wide as a wing-back or winger, though his best position is thought to be as a creative midfielder or no.10.

Born and signed from Guernsey, Scott has emerged as a key player for former Leicester City and Watford boss Nigel Pearson, having made 36 appearances in the second tier.

He has provided four goals and two assists from those matches, with the bulk coming from an attacking midfield position.

Given his sparkling form and capability to play wide and centrally, it’s no wonder the Bristol City gem has already earned plenty of comparisons to Manchester City and England star Jack Grealish, to who he is thought to be very similar to.

‘The Guernsey Grealish’ could be an intriguing option for Whites boss Jesse Marsch and the squad heading into next season and for just £10m, it could be quite the steal indeed.

Scott has more than held his own at Ashton Gate this term, ranking as Pearson’s seventh-best player in the Championship – an average of 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game suggests he can do some defensive work, just as much as he likes to get forward, having also averaged 0.8 key passes and dribbles per outing too.

“Not only is he a very creative midfielder but he is incredibly hard-working, especially out of possession, and that’s one of his stand-out qualities,” claimed City’s player pathway manager Brian Tinnion to the BBC.

He also added in another interview: “His work rate and his desire to learn has been unbelievable.”

Whether Leeds will make their move for Scott this summer remains to be seen but the prospect of sealing the next Grealish-like talent for such a small figure should be too good to ignore.

AND in other news, Journo reveals where Leeds will look strengthen this summer…