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Leeds United managed to keep their place in the Premier League this season despite having a rather troublesome campaign.

Not that it would matter to most Leeds fans now given the club will be facing another season in the top flight, but the Whites did end the 2021/22 campaign with the second-worst defensive record in the league.

In 38 games, the Elland Road outfit conceded 79 goals in total, leaving only Norwich City (84) having let more in.

One of the many players to get their names on the scoresheet against Leeds was Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin.

Back in September, the Frenchman stopped the Whites from securing an away victory at St. James’ Park when he cancelled out Raphinha’s opening goal.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player in the entire league came close to equalling the number of successful dribbles he completed (140).

With the summer transfer window now open, this could give Jesse Marsch the chance to bring his own version of the £50m Newcastle dynamo to Elland Road.

That’s because the Whites have been linked with Wolves forward Adama Traore.

With 160 appearances in the Premier League, the £46k-per-week Spaniard certainly has enough experience under his belt at that level to hit the ground running if he does make a move to Yorkshire this summer.

Having a rating of 97/100 for progressive carries and 95/100 for dribbles completed by FBref, who also list Saint-Maximin as the number one similar player to the Wolves attacker, it’s easy to see why Leeds and Marsch could have the chance to land their own version of the Toon trickster.

Traore has also shown how much of a nuisance he can be against the top sides in the Premier League as Jurgen Klopp described him as “unplayable” after he previously ran riot against Liverpool.

If Wolves look to get rid of the 26-year-old on a permanent basis this summer, Leeds and Victor Orta should be the first in line to take Traore to see if he can reignite his career in England after his recent loan spell with Barcelona.

Should the winger find himself back in the Premier League, playing in an attacking side like Leeds who racked up 711 shot-creating actions in the league this season, it could give him the chance to reign terror on opposition defences once again.

In other news: Big update emerges on mega-money summer deal, Leeds United supporters will be fuming

Aston Villa are interested in signing West Ham United youngster Sonny Perkins, according to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: Rising star

Born in London, Perkins made the switch from the Leyton Orient academy to West Ham in 2019 before progressing through the ranks.

The 18-year-old striker has scored 19 times and provided five assists in 53 outings for the youth sides in East London, making three senior appearances under David Moyes last season.

However, as Villa continue to push for summer squad additions, Perkins appears to be the next on the radar of Steven Gerrard…

The latest: Romano on Perkins

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Romano has claimed that the Midlands club and a major Premier League rival have initiated discussions with the England youth international.

He said: “Leeds and Aston Villa have opened talks to sign promising forward Sonny Perkins. Perkins has made 3 appearances for West Ham. Both clubs want to sign him.”

The verdict: Faith in youth

Already heavily tipped to complete the signing of Rangers starlet Rory Wilson, the pursuit of Perkins – who was described as a ‘real talent’ by journalist Tom Clark following a goal for the West Ham Under 23 side – is another nod towards those in positions of recruitment at Villa Park looking to freshen up the ranks in the Midlands.

Last season, the teenage frontman scored 14 times and registered another two assists in 29 outings across the youth levels and three senior displays.

Seemingly prepared to make a move this summer following a contractual disagreement, Tottenham are also in the mix to land the six-cap England Under 18 sensation and therefore, Villa should be pushing hard to make this deal come to fruition ahead of domestic competitors.

Since arriving at the club, Gerrard has shown a penchant for giving youth a chance having blooded Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka and Tim Iroegbunam at various stages last term, a factor that could give Sporting Director Johan Lange the upper hand when attempting to persuade Perkins to join.

In other news, Aston Villa are eyeing a Champions League star Gerrard saw up close on a scouting trip

Manchester United are now in the running to sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Central midfield is a priority for Erik ten Hag ahead of the summer transfer window, with two additions planned in that position (via The Athletic).

The 23-year-old is a willing and effective dribbler who is also strong in the passing department (via WhoScored). He played most of his football last season as the left central midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Nunes’ contract is said to contain a release clause of €60m, which equates to £51.3m.

The latest

Correio de Manha reported (via Sport Witness) that United have ‘joined the race’ to sign Nunes, along with their crosstown rivals Manchester City.

The Red Devils have begun considering the Portuguese midfielder following the departure of Paul Pogba, but although both clubs are said to enjoy a good relationship with Sporting, City reportedly have the edge at the moment.

While the 23-year-old does have that aforementioned release clause, Sporting would listen to offers of €50m (£42.8m) in addition to taking a player on loan.

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The verdict

Nunes would be a good signing for the Red Devils.

He has won seven caps for Portugal, who are ranked eighth in the world, and he was named the Primeira Liga’s best midfielder for October and November this season.

He earned mighty praise from City manager Pep Guardiola, who called him ‘one of the best players in the world’ following their meeting in the Champions League round of 16 earlier this year.

United will no doubt be encouraged by the efforts of Bruno Fernandes since his move from Sporting in January 2020, with the 27-year-old scoring 50 goals and setting up another 39 in his first 126 appearances for the club, and hopefully they can land another top talent from the Lisbon outfit in Nunes.

In other news, read this journalist’s reaction to a crucial off-field development at Old Trafford

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring George Hall to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claimed that Leeds are leading the race to sign the Birmingham City midfielder this summer. Victor Orta is said to have already made contact with the Championship side, while the Spaniard is also believed to be lining up a seven-figure bid for the 17-year-old.

The report added that both Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the England under-18 international ahead of a potential summer swoop. The Blues are thought to be eager to keep hold of the teenager, who only signed a professional contract at St Andrew’s in November.

The next Bellingham

Considering just how exciting a talent Hall quite clearly is, coupled with Orta’s penchant for signing highly-rated prospects for the Whites (think Joe Gelhardt, for example), it is no surprise to learn of the Spaniard’s interest in a move for the Birmingham starlet this summer.

Indeed, the 17-year-old highly impressed for both the Blues’ under-18 and under-21 sides this season, scoring three goals and registering two assists over seven appearances in the Under-18 Premier League, also bagging three goals over 11 outings in Premier League 2.

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This form saw Birmingham under-18s coach Martyn Olorenshaw heap a considerable amount of praise on Hall, stating of the youngster last November: “He is explosive, dynamic and has the prowess to influence games. He is a really exciting player that has the ceiling to achieve whatever he wants to achieve. He has received international recognition recently which is a huge achievement, a testament to all his hard work and a reflection of his character.”

With the midfielder having already made his first-team debut for the Blues, it looks as if the teenager is on course to be the next big thing to come out of St Andrew’s after Jude Bellingham, the Borussia Dortmund and England playmaker who is currently valued at £128m.

As such, it would seem quite advisable for Orta to do all that he can to land Hall ahead of Newcastle and Brighton this summer. Should the youngster go on to fulfil his potential at Elland Road, he could well prove to be the next Bellingham – something which will undoubtedly be a hugely exciting thought for Marsch and Leeds supporters alike.

AND in other news: Phil Hay reveals Orta has “eyes on” next Leeds signing, supporters will be buzzing

Liverpool will look to offload either Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino this summer, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Liverpool’s legendary front three

The Jurgen Klopp era has been a glorious one at Anfield, with Champions League and Premier League glory achieved, and plenty more success in other competitions achieved along the way.

Salah, Mane and Firmino have been among the main poster boys at Liverpool during that time, becoming a legendary attacking trio together.

All three are out of contract at the end of next season, though, leading to speculation that their Anfield exits could be imminent.

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The Latest: Falk drops big claim

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Falk claimed that one of Liverpool’s world-renowned attacking heroes could be offloaded this summer if they win the Champions League final on Saturday.

The German reporter claimed: “If Liverpool win the Champions League on Saturday, there are plans to sell one of the players of the Trio Mané, Salah or Firminho. Klopp wants fresh blood and new competition for the offensive.”

The Verdict: Will any of them leave?

All good things have to come to an end at some point, and Liverpool fans will need to realise that one of Salah, Mane or Firmino will be likely to leave at some point soon.

Nonetheless, the trio all still have plenty of offer, particularly Salah and Mane, who continue to be world-class attacking players having scored 39 league goals between them this season and 54 in all competitions.

Firmino is not quite the player he was earlier in his Anfield career and has arguably slipped behind Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota in the attacking pecking order, so seeing him leave for a sizeable fee would make the most sense. The hope is that he stays, though, given how much he is admired by Liverpool fans and indeed by Klopp himself.

In other news, one player is set to play a ‘key role’ at Liverpool next season. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United’s failure to bolster the playing squad in January was down to former manager Marcelo Bielsa, according to journalist Beren Cross.

What’s the word?

During a recent Q&A on LeedsLive, the reporter was asked about the club’s decision-making during the winter transfer window and in particular, why they did not sign a new striker, given Patrick Bamford’s troubles.

He responded:

“Only the people party to those conversations will know for sure who said what when it came to January recruitment, but sources have continued to say Bielsa had the final say and he said no to reinforcements like [Donny] van de Beek and [Harry] Winks in that window.”

Indeed, both the Everton loanee and Tottenham Hotspur outcast were linked with moves, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post, but it is in attack where the Elland Road giants have suffered most.

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Bielsa’s big mistake

Heading into the final game of the season against Brentford, the Whites occupy the final place in the relegation zone, tied on points with Burnley, who face an in-form Newcastle United side, albeit one with nothing to play for.

A whopping difference of 20 goals is what keeps them in the drop over the Clarets and in the far weaker position heading into the weekend. Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds throughout the course of the 37 games played.

Meanwhile, only Raphinha (ten goals) has hit double figures in the Premier League this term, following on from Bamford’s 17-goal feat in 2020/21. This term, the 28-year-old has only managed nine top-flight appearances, scoring twice.

You’d imagine that if he had been available for even double that number of matches, they’d be out of sight of the drop zone by now. Even if that’s in hindsight.

The Elland Road faithful have long rued their unrelenting injury crisis throughout the season but this latest claim from Cross will do nothing to alleviate the negativity.

If anything, they will be furious to learn that Bielsa is said to have rejected reinforcements, a decision that is now looking very catastrophic indeed.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch dealt fresh blow in relegation fight…

Manchester United have already made an approach over a mega-money move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Lowdown: Attackers needed

Erik ten Hag is eager to get going at Old Trafford, so much so that he terminated his Ajax contract six weeks early.

A number of incomings and outgoings are expected over the coming months, with Edinson Cavani falling into the latter of the two categories.

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He looks set to become a free agent at the end of June and is likely to leave, while Marcus Rashford has been linked with an exit, which may leave Ten Hag extremely short of attacking options.

The Latest: Osimhen update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Osimhen on Wednesday. They claim that the Red Devils have already made an approach for the 23-year-old, who has a €110m (£93m) valuation.

A number of clubs in England are seemingly keen on the Nigeria international, however, only United have been name-checked in the update.

The Verdict: Osimhen or Nunez?

Benfica’s Darwin Nunez has been linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford, so it looks as if it will be one of the two forwards this summer, as United are also working on a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Midfield appears to be a big priority, so we can’t imagine the funds will be there to sign both strikers alongside de Jong, who is reportedly 95 per cent likely to join.

Osimhen, who former United striker Odion Ighalo described as ‘the future’, has scored 18 goals in 31 appearances this season, turning out impressively in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Nunez, a year younger than Osimhen, has scored a whopping 34 goals in 2021/22, has played in the Champions League and can also play on the wing or in a deeper role, so perhaps the Uruguay international could be the smarter buy.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Khalon Haysman will reportedly leave the club at the end of the season, according to a report published by Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Scholarship prospect

The midfielder first joined the Lilywhites’ U18s squad back in 2020 after signing a two-year scholarship deal, and following a successful spell, was hoping that he would be able to agree a professional contract with the Premier League giants once the training programme ends next month.

However, it seems like Fabio Paratici and co are currently in the process of letting the club’s second-year scholars know whether they are being released or kept, and it doesn’t appear to be good news for the 18-year-old starlet.

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The Latest: Haysman set to depart

In a new article by Football Insider, a Spurs source has told the site that Haysman has been made aware that he will be one of the players departing north London when his contract ends on June 30th.

After Paratici’s decision, the talented prospect will now be on the hunt for a new club.

The Verdict: One for the future

The maestro would have gained plenty of experience at Spurs, not just from the scholarship, but from his time in the academy side, where he has made 17 appearances across the U18s Premier League and also the FA Youth Cup this season, finding the back of the net twice, as per Transfermarkt.

Even though this news will come as a huge blow to Haysman, he has the ability to switch roles from a defensive midfielder to playing on the left-hand side in the middle of the park.

This type of versatility is rare and a very attractive trait for someone still at such a young age, so there’s no doubt that his future potential suitor is out there, but for now, it looks like he will be starting the next chapter of his career away from N17.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has dropped a huge Tottenham managerial claim.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a deal to bring Lautaro Martinez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent Gary Jacob report for The Times, with the journalist claiming that, after seeing a €90m (£75.5m) bid rejected for the Inter Milan centre-forward last summer, Antonio Conte’s side are once again interested in a move for the 24-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

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Jacob goes on to state that the Serie A side would be willing to part with the Argentina international this summer for a figure between £60m-£70m, however, it is claimed that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the striker ahead of a potential move of their own.

The final piece of Conte’s puzzle

Considering just how impressive Martinez has been for Inter in recent years, in addition to the fact that Conte already has a relationship with the 24-year-old, it is unsurprising to learn that Tottenham remain interested in a move for the centre-forward this summer.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances this season, the £101m-rated forward has been in electric form for the Nerazzurri, bagging 17 goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £177k-per-week Argentine average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s 11th-best player in the Italian top flight.

Furthermore, over the 97 fixtures in which Martinez featured for Inter during Conte’s own two-year spell at the San Siro, the centre-forward scored a quite remarkable 40 goals, in addition to providing his teammates with a further 19 assists – averaging a direct involvement in a goal every 116 minutes of football played under the 52-year-old manager.

As such, with Tottenham in rather desperate need of a forward who can provide both competition and backup for Harry Kane this summer, the 24-year-old sensation would very much appear to be a signing the Spurs boss would love to get over the line ahead of Spurs’ 2022/23 campaign – as Martinez could well be one of the final pieces in Conte’s puzzle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news: Conte can now axe “average” £43m dud as Spurs plot £16.75m bid for “young Gareth Bale”

Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara has heaped praise on Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate following the 2-0 victory over Villarreal. 

The lowdown: One foot in France?

The Reds took a giant stride towards their 10th European Cup final and a showdown in Paris with a relatively straightforward win over a resilient Villarreal outfit at Anfield.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was integral in the opener as the midfielder’s cross was deflected beyond former Manchester City goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli before Sadio Mane doubled the lead moments later.

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However, it wasn’t a member of the attacking fraternity that caught the eye of one particular onlooker…

The latest: O’Hara impressed

Speaking live-on-air, TalkSPORT show host O’Hara lauded central defender Konate for his display in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

“We talked about maybe if they got in behind Trent? But Konate tonight was just awesome, he was a machine. There is no weakness.”

Indeed, the 22-year-old won 5/5 (100%) of his aerial duels and 8/9 (89%) duels in total, also making two clearances in a 7.40/10 rated display (Sofascore).

The verdict: Unbeaten

As things stand the French Under 21 international is yet to taste defeat as a Liverpool player when featuring, playing in 23 unbeaten matches since signing from RB Leipzig for £36million last summer (Sky Sports).

With performances such as this, albeit the Reds were relatively untested in a defensive sense, it’s easy to see why Jurgen Klopp held refrained from spending big on a centre-back in January 2021 despite the desperate need for reinforcements.

Konate has been nothing short of a revelation on Merseyside and looks almost certain to play a huge part in what is an exciting run-in on the quest for a never before seen quadruple and beyond.

In other news, a key Liverpool update has emerged regarding a superstar player. Read more here.