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The Athletic’s Adam Crafton has dropped a fresh update on Leeds United’s plans for the rest of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Writing initially via his official Twitter account, Crafton said: “Leeds won’t do loads this summer but still want young centre mid + closing on Bamford extension.”

And then via a piece for The Athletic, he added: “This summer, therefore, had always been intended to be a little more measured, particularly as several of last summer’s deals are spread across several years. In this summer’s market, Leeds’ spending will be more reserved but sporting director Victor Orta has now closed two deals.

“It is not expected to be the end of the business, as Leeds are also searching for a young central midfield player with the potential to develop under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa. As things stand, it is unlikely to be the Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, who has represented Uruguay at the Copa America.”

Bielsa may be frustrated

Having only seen Amari Miller and Junior Firpo come through the door thus far – the former will hardly be expected to make an impression on the first-team either way – Bielsa may be slightly worried at where things stand with Leeds in the transfer window.

Having seen reports for a number of months linking them with the likes of Nahitan Nandez and Rodrigo de Paul, news that Leeds want a younger central midfielder, and that it won’t be the Cagliari midfielder, will surely frustrate the Leeds boss.

The Whites could do with some more first-team quality signings in the middle of the park, both as competition for the likes of Kalvin Phillips or even to ease out someone like Mateusz Klich.

Younger signings with an eye to the future is all well and good, but Bielsa will feel that next season in the Premier League they could really make a go of finishing in a European place having finished inside the top half in their first campaign back in the top-flight.

That requires a bit more work on Orta’s part like last summer when he snapped up the likes of Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Rodrigo and Raphinha to come straight in and boost the starting line-up.

Firpo’s arrival solves one problem at left-back, but they need a couple more at least. It’s exactly why Bielsa may be worried with this latest transfer update.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a dream De Paul alternative in this star…

Leeds United are not looking to sign former midfielder Ronaldo Vieira this month, according to The Mirror’s David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Italian reports

The Whites are looking to bring in two midfielders before the end of the month, with numerous updates emerging from Italy regarding Vieira.

The 23-year-old has recently returned to Sampdoria’s matchday squad following a lengthy period out through injury, with reports towards the end of 2021 suggesting Vieira was ‘ready to return home’ with his bags packed.

A recent story went as far as to say Leeds are ready to sign Vieira over the coming weeks, however, it doesn’t seem as if that will materialise after all.

The Latest: Anderson’s post

Anderson took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the Englishman.

This is what he had to say, revealing the Whites are not making a move for Vieira.

“I know Leeds fans would rather hear who they are trying to sign, but it is my understanding that they are not attempting to re-sign old boy Ronaldo Vieira.”

The Verdict: Correct call?

Leeds currently have Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton out injured, leaving them with just two out-and-out midfielders available.

Vieira’s last competitive appearance came way back in February though, so it wouldn’t make sense to bring an injury-hit midfielder to rescue Leeds’ injury-hit squad.

There’s no denying that the Whites need additions in the middle of the pitch before the month is out, however, they need to be the correct ones in both the short and long term, so it seems to be the right move to not pursue Vieira going off his recent injury woes.

In other news: ‘This is huge’ – BBC pundit reacts to ‘massive’ Leeds news he’s heard from Elland Road. 

Everton could create a formidable attacking partnership by partnering Dele Alli with Dominic Calvert-Lewin…

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Toffees have got their sights set on the Spurs star, and that Rafa Benitez’s side could well make a move for the England international later on in the January transfer window.

Imagine him and Calvert-Lewin

While Alli hasn’t enjoyed the greatest of times at Spurs in the past couple of seasons, his partnership with Harry Kane when the duo were in full flight was something to behold.

In fact, as per Transfermarkt, the duo have combined for a whopping 33 goals between them ie. directly setting each other up for goal – which is by far the highest of any teammate Alli has had in his career thus far.

His ability to break into the box and get on the end of things is what led former Spurs man Darren Anderton to previously suggest that Alli was comparable to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes in terms of his talent.

He said: “I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent. I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

And, more recently, former Scotland boss Alex McLeish tipped him to enjoy a renaissance, saying: “In those days he was looking like an absolute wonderkid then all of a sudden it plateaued and then dipped. Hopefully, he’s coming back up the hill again. Back in the day, I thought he was a kid of enormous talent and was going to be an absolute superstar.

“That’s not quite happened yet but there’s still a chance for him to resurrect his career and be that superstar. His recent form with Tottenham has been excellent.”

With another leading England striker in the ranks on Merseyside in Calvert-Lewin, Alli could thrive in that support striker role that saw him flourish alongside Kane.

Calvert-Lewin and Alli could work off each other both with their ability in the air, and their movement inside the box – the kind of double act that could fire Everton up the table.

The £100k-a-week earning star could well replicate his old partnership with Kane at Spurs, by teaming up with Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park.

Meanwhile, Everton are considering a swoop for this Premier League outcast…

Ben Davies will be one of the players sold as part of a clearout at Tottenham Hotspur, according to Football Insider pundit Paddy Kenny.

The lowdown

The 28-year-old has played every minute so far under new manager Antonio Conte, operating as a left centre-back in a defensive three. He had only started one Premier League game under Nuno Espirito Santo before the Portuguese’s sacking.

Spurs insider John Wenham has labelled Davies ‘the real winner under Conte so far’, given how he has been ‘shoehorned’ back into the team due to his strong left-footedness.

The £14.4m-valued Welshman still has nearly three years left to run on his £60,000-per-week Tottenham contract.

The latest

Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Kenny namechecked Davies alongside Dele Alli and Harry Winks as players who are likely to be offloaded by Spurs under the new regime, saying that all three could use a ‘fresh start’ at another club.

“Winks has not been involved a lot, Alli has been in and out, Davies isn’t getting many games,” the Irishman told Football Insider.

“Alli is such a wasted talent. It’s time for him to go somewhere and get a fresh start. That’s been clear for a while now. The same goes for the other two. I think they’ll go.”

The verdict

It’s a bold claim from Kenny given that, in the early days of Conte’s reign, Davies does appear to be one of the main beneficiaries of the change of manager.

However, it should be acknowledged that this isn’t Conte’s team, and you’d imagine that the Italian would hope to truly leave his imprint on the starting XI ahead of the 2022/23 season through transfer window recruitment.

Still, Davies for now has a chance to prove his worth, and his performance in the 0-0 draw against Everton, where he won a team-high nine duels and made three tackles, should be seen as a solid starting point.

In other news, Conte has given his approval for this swoop

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ridvan Yilmaz to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish media outlet Turkiye Gazetesi (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has submitted an €8m (£6.75m) offer for the Besiktas left-back, with the player himself thought to be extremely keen on a move to the Premier League side.

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The report goes on to state that the 20-year-old has asked his current team not to stand in the way of his proposed switch to Spurs, however, it is believed that the Super Lig outfit are hoping to receive an offer closer to €10m (£8.5m) before sanctioning the Turkey international’s sale this summer.

There’s no one “identical to him”

Considering how impressive Yilmaz has been since breaking into the Besiktas first team as a 17-year-old back in 2019, coupled with the fact that left wing-back has been something of a problem position for Antonio Conte this season, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move for the defender this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Super Lig appearances this season, the £4.95m-rated full-back has been a constant threat for Valerien Ismael’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £3k-per-week dynamo has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Besiktas keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player about whom was it was claimed in comments made to Breaking The Lines that “there isn’t really a well-known full-back that’s identical to him” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as his club’s ninth-best player in the top flight of Turkish football.

And, with recent reports suggesting that Sergio Reguilon could be on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, as well as Ryan Sessegnon continuing to struggle with injuries, the signing of a new left-back could very much be one of Paratici’s priorities ahead of 2022/23.

As such, considering his tender age, undoubted ability and huge potential – not to mention his extremely reasonable asking price – it would indeed appear as if landing Yilmaz this summer would be a fantastic piece of business for the Tottenham sporting director to get over the line – as the 20-year-old’s unique abilities would certainly be put to extremely good use in Conte’s left wing-back role next season.

AND in other news: “From what I understand…”: Gold drops transfer claim that Spurs supporters will love

West Brom were relegated back into the Championship last season as they were unable to retain their Premier League status. It was a disappointing year which saw them finish 19th, 13 points off safety.

The Baggies were second in the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign. It is a division they know very well. This time the club will be hoping they can claim the title as well as promotion back into the lucrative land of the Premier League.

The Midlands club have made a positive start to their season. They have won seven of their opening 13 matches, which leaves them second in the standings, behind only Bournemouth. West Brom have English Championship betting odds of 17/10 for the title. They are odds-on at 2/5 in the promotion betting, such is the confidence behind them.

Valerien Ismael’s side have lost just two games so far through the opening three months of the Championship season. They lost 0-1 to Stoke in a tight Midlands derby, while more recently they were defeated by Swansea City.

Summer Signings Have Bolstered The Squad

West Brom did some smart business during the summer and they have added players who have not only strengthened the squad, they have also added depth in all areas. Alex Mowatt was one of their new additions. He arrived on a free transfer from Barnsley to hook up with his former head coach again.

Mowatt has been impressive for the Baggies, scoring three goals in the league. He has scored two fantastic goals, both of which could be contenders for the goal of the season. Those strikes came from outside the box and have been on the volley. They are a great example of how technically gifted the midfielder is.

Another notable signing for the Baggies came through the loan market. They signed Norwich’s Jordan Hugill until the end of the season. The forward played an instrumental role in helping Norwich win the Championship title last year. He played 31 games for the Canaries during their promotion campaign.

Goals Spread Amongst Team

Unlike some of their promotion rivals, West Brom have shared the goals amongst their squad so far this season. This means they are not reliant on one player. Karlan Grant leads the way with six Championship goals. He is a striker who is proven in this division as the last time he played in the second tier, he scored 19 goals for Huddersfield.

Callum Robinson and Matt Phillips have both had good starts to the season. They have supported Grant well, operating as a front three in many games. Both players have lots of experience of playing in the Premier League so should find this level much easier.

At the other end of the pitch, West Brom did well to retain goalkeeper Sam Johnstone over the summer. He was their Player of the Year last season. If they can make a quick return to the Premier League, he will get to prove himself again as one of the best ‘keepers in England.

Promotion is the minimum aim for West Brom this season but if they can do it as the champions this time, it will be the cherry on the cake at the end of the campaign.

According to a report by Centotrentuno (via Sport Witness), Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez is now ‘at the top of [Fabio] Paratici’s wishlist’ and it is believed the player is now open to joining Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Nandez chase…

There have been no shortage of claims over the past week linking Tottenham with a swoop for the Uruguay international.

Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports are just two reliable sources who say Spurs are indeed eyeing a swoop for Nandez as they make an approach to Calgliari.

Meanwhile, Calciomercato state that Paratici has even made an offer to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy – an operation totalling around €30 million (£25.5m).

Now, another claim from Italy has emerged with Paratici now seemingly pinpointing Nandez as a priority target.

The Latest: Nandez ‘top of Paratici’s wish list’…

As per Centorentuno (via Sport Witness), the Italian transfer chief has placed Nandez at the top of his wishlist this summer and a Tottenham bid could come soon.

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Spurs are apparently very keen on signing the 25-year-old this summer and ‘confirmations from London are constant’ over the player.

It is said that the Lilywhites are ‘attracted by the versatility and characteristics’ of Nandez that ‘perfectly match the style of the team’.

In another enticing claim, Centorentuno believe that the midfield ace ‘would like’ Spurs as a viable destination and wouldn’t say no to a move.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 41-cap star could certainly come as a real bargain for Spurs and Paratici, especially considering he can also play as a right-wing back and solve their lack of depth defensively on that side.

This report claims Spurs could seal a move to sign Nandez for just a paid loan of €10 million (£8.5m) with a future fee of €15-20 million (£12.7m-£17m) – arguably pocket change for a player who has been called ‘powerful’ and a ‘machine’ by Serie A critics (Conor Clancy to This is Futbol).

At just 25, Nandez also holds the potential for plenty of sell-on value in years to come.

In other news: Nuno U-turn: Spurs pull plug on move away for player as source shares news, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Joe Rodon is attracting increasing interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to a number of reports (via One Football), the 24-year-old defender is being monitored by both West Ham United and Newcastle United ahead of a potential swoop for the Wales international in the winter market.

An earlier report by Football Insider claimed that a Spurs source had revealed the centre-back “100%” wants to secure a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January, after Antonio Conte informed the defender that he views him as backup to Eric Dier in the club’s defensive pecking order.

Paratici heading for disaster

While Rodon has been a bit-part player for Spurs since his £11m move to North London – starting just 13 games for the club thus far – it is undeniable that the Welshman is a player who possesses the traits to become an extremely important part of Antonio Conte’s side.

Indeed, despite only featuring in 12 Premier League fixtures last season, the £17m-rated man nevertheless impressed, helping his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.8 interceptions – the most of any Spurs player – 1.2 tackles, 31.5 passes and winning 73% of his duels per game.

These returns saw the player who BBC reporter Rob Phillips dubbed a “colossal” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the club’s seventh-best player in the league, as well as their second-best performing centre-back behind Toby Alderweireld.

So, Rodon’s efficiency in passing, interceptions and tackles would appear to make him a fantastic candidate for a starting role in Conte’s back three, leading us to believe that, should Fabio Paratici go on to sanction the departure of the centre-back in the upcoming January transfer window, it would undoubtedly be something of a disaster on the part of the managing director.

In other news: Paratici must seal Spurs swoop for £287k-p/w “phenomenon” who’s “better than Mbappe”

Reports have suggested that Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips could favour a move to Liverpool instead of Manchester United, due to the Whites’ rivalry with the latter club.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the move?

The 25-year-old has matured into one of the most influential midfielders in the country, not only thriving for Leeds but also winning England’s Player of the Year award and playing a central role in their run to the final of Euro 2020.

Phillips’ quality, couple with the Whites’ struggles so far this season, may suggest that his head could potentially be turned by a move at the end of the campaign.

The Leeds midfielder has been tipped to join Liverpool in the past, and a fresh rumour has now emerged regarding the situation.

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The Latest: Liverpool over United?

According to The Daily Star, Phillips believes that a mooted £60m move to Manchester United would leave too much bad blood at Leeds, considering the dislike that both clubs have for one another.

It is mentioned that Liverpool could duly be viewed as a better option, with the midfielder potentially joining the Jurgen Klopp revolution at Anfield.

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The Verdict: Hard to keep him

While it is painful for any Leeds fan to accept the idea of Phillips wanting to move on – England manager Gareth Southgate has hailed him as ‘magnificent’ – he may feel that he has come as far as he can at Elland Road.

His loyalty cannot be questioned and it wouldn’t be a massive shock if he saw out his contract until 2024 out of respect for the Whites, but it feels most likely that he will move elsewhere soon.

Having acquitted himself so well on the big stage for England during the summer, Phillips belongs at a Champions League-playing club in order to go up another gear. Liverpool would be ideal, with their pressing and possession-based game perfect for the Leeds hero, who is averaging an 83.7% pass completion rate and 2.6 tackles per game in the league this season.

In other news, another Leeds player has been tipped to join Liverpool. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United are interested in Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara this summer, according to Give Me Sport.

The Lowdown: Kamara profiled

Kamara has been with Rangers since 2019 and has made over 100 appearances for the club, 51 of which came last season.

The 25-year-old, who Neil McCann described as ‘lightning-quick’, is under contract at Ibrox until 2023.

He played at Euro 2020 for Finland over the summer and the defensive midfielder, who can also play in a central role, appears to be on Leeds’ radar.

The Latest: Leeds’ interest

According to Give Me Sport, who shared a story on Monday evening, Leeds are keen on deals for both Kamara and long-term target Ryan Kent.

The report claims the Whites are considering moves for the pair as they chase European qualification this season.

Huddersfield’s Lewis O’Brien and Manchester City’s Yangel Herrera are two central midfielders linked with a move to Elland Road recently, but it seems as if Kamara could be on the club’s list as well.

The Verdict: Sign

With Kamara capable of playing in a defensive and box-to-box role, he could be a perfect addition at Elland Road.

He is at the very top of his game, with his Transfermarkt valuation standing at a career-high £5.4m.

A central midfielder is a “priority” (Phil Hay) to strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, and Kamara can also cover Kalvin Phillips in front of the back four when required.

His versatility as a number six or number eight could work well in Yorkshire, so it’ll be interesting to see if Leeds firm up their reported interest with an official offer soon.

In other news: ‘We have been in contact with Leeds’ – Source drops big update involving ‘integral’ 25-goal ace.