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Leeds United have been boosted in their potential efforts to sign Noa Lang, with the exciting attacker possibly leaving Club Brugge in January.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Lang

The Whites have been strongly linked with a move for the Dutchman for a number of months now, seeing him as a strong attacking option to bring in at Elland Road.

Lang has continued to impress for Brugge this season, chipping in with two goals and two assists in four league starts, taking his overall tally for the club to 30 and 29 respectively.

Leeds have now been given fresh hope of signing the 23-year-old, following a potentially pivotal update.

The Latest: Lang could be sold

Writing for Caught Offside [via Substack], Fabrizio Romano claimed that Brugge could sell Lang in January if the right offer comes along which meets his asking price of €30m-€35m (£26.3m-30.6m).

The Italian stated:

“Linked with Leeds United in the summer, Noa Lang has chances to leave in January, but Club Brugge are in very positive moment now and so they’d only sell in case they receive a good proposal.

“There’s still nothing concrete now, too early – asking price has always been around €30-35m.”

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The Verdict: Still a great option

Lang should still be viewed as a priority transfer target for Leeds, with the winger such an exciting prospect who is already performing so consistently for Brugge.

At 23, he should have many years ahead of him at a high level, and he could provide Jesse Marsch with more quality and end product in attacking wide areas.

Lang was once hailed as ‘incredible’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig during his Ajax days, and he is someone with the ability to light up Elland Road and further atone for the loss of Raphinha to Barcelona last summer.

Manchester City signing Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to play alongside Erling Haaland would be ‘very exciting’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The Georgian only arrived in Italy on a five-year deal over the summer, but his performances have already been catching the eye of potential suitors, with the Serie A giants reportedly ready to insert a £65m buyout clause amid interest.

The Sun claim that the Sky Blues, alongside Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, are all monitoring the 21-year-old, with Pep Guardiola considering bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones wasn’t surprised to learn of City’s interest in Kvaratskhelia, but despite being a highly-rated talent, believes that it could be too soon to be thinking about an approach. He said:

“If you were to look at players that have made the biggest impact across Europe this season, he’s in the top five, there’s no doubt about it.

“As soon as you are in that top five, then clubs like Manchester City are taking you very seriously as a prospect.

“It would be very exciting to see him alongside Haaland, but it might just be a little too early.”

The Verdict: Excellent competition

Other than Haaland, City have only got Julian Alvarez as a natural forward, so Kvaratskhelia would create some excellent competition for places.

The ‘unstoppable’ gem, as described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, already has 15 goal contributions to his name in the same number of appearances in all competitions, and currently averages 2.6 shots per league game.

The Citizens are only two points adrift from league leaders Arsenal, but the arrival of someone like Kvaratskhelia could help reduce the deficit and even potentially overtake their rivals before the end of the season.

Celtic have reportedly opened talks with manager Ange Postecoglou over a new contract at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Ange excels at Celtic

The Australian has been an inspirational figure since arriving last year, inspiring his side to Scottish Premiership title glory last season and getting them back into the Champions League.

Not only has Postecoglou got Celtic playing some wonderful football and winning trophies, but he has also carried himself with class and dignity in the role, becoming an almost instant fan favourite.

The 57-year-old’s current deal is set to expire next summer, however, and he has recently been linked with the vacant Wolves job.

The Latest: New deal incoming?

According to Football Insider, Celtic have ‘opened talks’ with Postecoglou over a new contract, with the Hoops ‘mindful’ of interest from Premier League clubs.

The report confirms he is on Premier League radars but says the Bhoys are are ‘planning to increase’ the manager’s wages, with one source stating that a “huge” offer could be coming his way.

They also hope to ‘insert a release clause into any new contract’, effectively meaning interested parties can pay a transfer fee to lure him away in the future.

The Verdict: Massive news for Hoops

Tying down Postecoglou to a new deal is arguably more important than any Celtic player’s future currently, such is the impact he has had during his time at Parkhead.

Losing him at this point would be a crushing blow during what threatens to be a great period in Hoops history, threatening to undo all of the team’s good work over the past year or so.

This is a hugely encouraging update, in that respect, and the idea of Celtic keeping Postecoglou on a longer-term deal is a mouthwatering prospect for supporters.

Newcastle United smashed their club transfer record in the summer to snap up Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a reported fee of £59m.

Dan Ashworth swooped to snap him up from the La Liga outfit last month to bolster Eddie Howe’s attack and he has rewarded them with two goals in three Premier League matches so far.

Things could have worked out differently for the club, though, as they heavily pursued another number nine to improve the team prior to signing the Swedish international.

The Magpies reportedly agreed a deal with Stade Reims to sign Hugo Ekitike for a fee in the region of £30m and the move then fell through due to ‘ridiculous’ demands from his agent and the attacker ended up joining Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain instead.

It may sound harsh, given that he only turned 20 in June, but the Frenchman has been a flop since his move to the capital in the summer.

Ex-PSG man Eric Rabesandratana recently criticised the centre-forward’s mentality, saying:

“I’m not convinced by Hugo Ekitike because he has shown mental weaknesses.“He’s young, but I find that, behaviour wise, he doesn’t correspond at all to what you expect from him as a young person, and especially as a player who should impose him at PSG over the years.“We need players who are focused on football, and I’m not sure that moaning every two seconds, half-bothering to do the exercises, because it bores him and he’d rather play games, is enough.”He went on to say that Ekitike is “more of a kid than a professional” and his lack of action on the pitch suggests that the manager does not believe he is ready for regular minutes.The forward has played five matches in Ligue 1 and failed to produce a goal or assist, with all of his appearances coming as a substitute, and he has not been used at all in the Champions League so far.Ekitike, who had scored 11 goals in 26 matches for Reims last season, has seemingly struggled with the step up to playing for PSG and his mentality may be playing a part in that, as per Rabesandratana’s comments.Therefore, Ashworth dodged a bullet on the Frenchman as these issues, including his accused his lack of focus and professionalism in training, could have been a stumbling block for him under Howe as they have proven to be in Paris so far.Instead, Newcastle brought in Isak and he has enjoyed a superb start to life at St. James’ Park in front of goal. Long may that continue and, hopefully, the Magpies will never regret failing to land Ekitike.

Manchester United could reportedly turn their towards Napoli playmaker Eljif Elmas before the end of the window, amid what is set to be a hectic week or so for the Premier League side.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet TUTTOmercatoWEB, the Red Devils are believed to be keen on the North Macedonia international, with the 22-year-old attracting interest from ‘several European clubs’ at present.

The report suggests that while United are currently in discussions regarding a move for Ajax winger, Antony, the club could also reach out to the Serie A side in order to try and land the 39-cap sensation.

Previous reports have suggested that the former Fenerbache man – who still has three years remaining on his existing deal in Naples – could cost in the region of €40m (£34m).

Ditch Van de Beek

The 6-foot playmaker has seemingly warranted that interest following his sparkling form in Italy of late, having notably chipped in with an impressive haul of seven goals and six assists in 46 games in all competitions last term.

Dubbed a “jewel” by his agent George Gardi, Elmas has particularly impressed due to his quality in possession, as he ranks in the top 3% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

Despite the recent capture of Real Madrid star Casemiro, further midfield additions are seemingly needed following the departures of the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic at the end of last season, while both Fred and Scott McTominay have been deemed “not good enough” by pundit Roy Keane.

The £21.6m-rated man’s arrival at the Theatre of Dreams could also, however, hasten the departure of a figure who has endured a torrid time of it in English football thus far in Donny van de Beek, with the once-promising Dutchman now a simply forgotten figure in Manchester.

Plucked from Ajax on a £35m deal back in the summer of 2020, the 24-year-old has never appeared the right fit for United since then, with commentator Gareth Wheeler suggesting that he appears “uncomfortable” whenever he plays and “looks half the player he was” during his time in Amsterdam.

In truth, the £120k-per-week dud – who spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton – appears surplus to requirements at Old Trafford at present, with even the arrival of his former boss Erik ten Hag yet to inspire a change of fortunes.

In his two-year spell at the club thus far, the £22.5m-rated man has been restricted to just 52 appearances – only 19 of which have come from the start – while producing a measly tally of just two goals and two assists in that time.

Although the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick must shoulder some of the blame for failing to hand him a regular role in the side, Van de Beek himself has hardly made much of an impact when he has featured, notably being dubbed “anonymous” by journalist James Ducker following the pre-season draw with Aston Villa back in July.

That word seemingly epitomises his time at the club, with it seemingly best for all parties if he is moved on in the near future, despite still seemingly retaining the backing of supporters.

The exit can be made all the easier by bringing in Elmas in his place, with the Macedonian gem offering a potentially more confident and also versatile option, such is his ability to feature both in a central midfield role, an attacking midfield berth or on the flanks.

In truth, if Van de Beek isn’t going to even get a look in under compatriot Ten Hag, then his race truly is run at United.

Journalist Michael Graham was left shocked with the officials failing to see a foul on Daniel Ballard in Sunderland’s draw 2-2 with Queens Park Rangers.

The Lowdown: Sunderland held by QPR

The Black Cats suffered a frustrating afternoon at the office on Saturday, as Championship football returned to the Stadium of Light once more.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead and being in complete control, Sunderland conceded twice in the dying minutes, with QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng scoring a last-gasp equaliser.

Unfortunately, Ballard only lasted nine minutes of proceedings after colliding with an opposition player, with the centre-back ending up in hospital after the incident.

The Latest: Journalist left fuming

Taking to Twitter after the game, Graham was shocked at the officials’ inability to see what happened in a response to Alex Neil’s post-game update on Ballard’s situation, describing it as ‘staggering’:

“Which the referee didn’t even SEE btw, never mind award a foul for. Staggering that a player can be hospitalised on the pitch without an official even seeing it. Bad look for the EFL, that.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

The hope is that Ballard’s injury doesn’t prove to be anything too serious, with the 22-year-old averaging two clearances and one tackle per game in the league so far this season, impressing at the heart of the defence.

The fact that the referee didn’t properly address the incident at the time is certainly an indictment of the current standards of officiating, as Graham alludes to.

Far more consistency is required from those in charge, even though the job is tough, and poor decisions are highlighted even more without VAR in the Championship.

Everton had a slow start to the summer transfer window but have now signed three new players to strengthen the squad at Goodison Park, and a reliable source has revealed a potential new target for the Toffees.

What’s the latest?

According to Everton insider and journalist Alan Myers, the Merseyside club are now interested in signing Conor Coady this summer.

Myers tweeted: “Everton want to sign Wolves defender Conor Coady. Frank Lampard is an admirer of the experienced centre-back, who’s been at Wolves for 7 years.”

Imagine him & Tarkowski

It is no secret that Everton struggled last term as they were embroiled in a relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League table until the penultimate game of the season, so it comes as no surprise that Frank Lampard is keen to strengthen his squad, especially in defence.

In March, Jamie Carragher gave a scathing assessment on Sky Sports of what he believed to be a huge problem for the Toffees following their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The pundit raged: “If Everton aren’t going to be good enough, it can be quality and they’re not. That back four is miles away, it’s Championship level.”

The Toffees’ poor defensive performances ultimately led to them conceding the fifth most goals (66) in the Premier League last term, and after signing James Tarkowski from Burnley last month, they could now strengthen their defence even further to ensure that they don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

Coady, who was dubbed “phenomenal” by former team-mate Dave Edwards, has been a reliable and solid performer for Wolverhampton Wanderers, earning the captaincy at the club with his sound leadership which has led to inclusion in the England team.

Over 38 appearances last season, the £62k-per-week titan scored four goals, made 3.7 clearances per game and won the majority of his duels (53%), becoming one of the standout performers in the division.

The Wolves captain ranked second for successful dribbles, third in conversion of big chances and fourth for blocked shots in the entire top flight.

There is no doubt that Lampard could form the perfect centre-back partnership between Tarkowski and Coady if Everton can secure a deal for the Wolves skipper before the transfer window shuts, as the pair are both renowned for their leadership skills and are both proven defenders who have been important players for the teams they have represented.

Both Englishmen are capable of playing either side in the centre-back role, which will again be very useful to Lampard if he can get them together at Goodison Park, as the strength and experience of the pair combined could help Everton to seriously improve over the course of this season.

The signing of Coady would be a huge coup for the Toffees and would put Lampard in a great position to deploy a defence that he can trust to compete and contribute in their efforts to retain their Premier League status more comfortably this time around.

Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds United’s pursuit of a new left-back in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the publication’s Leeds correspondent revealed that conversations between Victor Orta and his transfer team are now ongoing about signing a new player in that position this summer

That comes as a consequence of Junior Firpo’s hip injury after the 4-0 pre-season friendly victory over Blackpool last week, which will see the defender ruled out for eight weeks and subsequently miss the start of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how short Leeds have been on the left of their back four in recent years, Hay’s claim that Orta finally appears to be looking to address this issue ahead of the Whites’ upcoming campaign is sure to leave the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, following the exits of both Ezgjan Alioski and Barry Douglas last summer, and with 22-year-old Leif Davis being sent on a season-long loan to Bournemouth, Leeds were left with just one natural left-back for the 2021/22 campaign – £12.8m summer signing Firpo.

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To say that the 25-year-old enjoyed a poor debut season in LS11 would be something of an understatement, as the £10.8m-rated full-back scored no goals, registered two assists and created just three big chances over his 24 Premier League outings in 2021/22.

The £55k-per-week defender also did little to impress at the back, helping Leeds to keep just one clean sheet, in addition to being dribbled past 1.2 times, losing possession 9.2 times and committing 1.6 fouls per match.

These returns saw the Dominican Republic native average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.60, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s seventh-worst performer in the league last time out.

As such, the former Barcelona player’s injury could well prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Whites, as it is clear to see that they could do with a much more reliable option at left-back ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

AND in other news – “Soon…”: Insider reveals huge Leeds transfer development, supporters will be buzzing

Leeds United ended up scoring 20 fewer goals during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign (42) than they did in the season prior (62).

One reason for that could be down to the fact that they had to play the majority of their games without striker Patrick Bamford.

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After scoring 17 goals in 38 league appearances in 20/21, the Englishman only played nine times in the league last time out due to unfortunate injury issues.

Now that the season has ended and Leeds will now be facing another campaign in the top division, it’s safe to say that Bamford and everyone at the club will be hoping he can be more involved this time around.

In terms of the summer transfer window and which potential players could come in and strengthen Jesse Marsch’s squad, one figure that has been linked with a move to Elland Road recently that could form a deadly duo with Bamford is Manchester City youngster James McAtee.

As a product of City’s youth system, the midfielder has delivered 71 goal contributions in 93 appearances across their senior and youth sides with 44 goals scored and 27 goals assisted.

His latest season saw the 19-year-old find the net 18 times and deliver seven assists in 23 league appearances for City’s U23 side.

Labelled as a “young player with massive talent and huge potential” by journalist Jonathan Smith, McAtee has also been praised for his “stunning” attacking play by Jordan Elgott.

With all of this in mind, the youngster certainly knows how to be a nuisance for opposition defenders and goalkeepers and could now be ready to become a regular Premier League figure.

Taking all of this into account, if Leeds can seal the teenager’s signature this summer, Marsch can then work his magic and potentially form what could be a frightening duo alongside Bamford in terms of their attacking prowess, especially given McAtee’s ability to create goalscoring chances.

Moving forward, should an opportunity for Leeds to sign the Englishman either on a loan deal or permanent basis arise this summer, Victor Orta should be all over it and then give him the chance to prove himself in the top flight.

AND in other news: Marsch can land his own Richarlison with Leeds bid for “dangerous” £58m destroyer

Celtic have been linked with a summer move for Liverpool defender Ben Davies.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Liverpool Echo, both the Hoops and Middlesbrough have made contact with the Merseyside club over a potential move for the centre-back.

The Premiership champions were previously linked with a move for Davies in the summer of 2020 before he made his move to Liverpool from Preston North End the following winter.

Despite seeing the Reds pay £1.6m to secure the defender’s signature, the 26-year-old has not made a single appearance for the club, which makes it easy to see why he has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

Last season saw him spend the campaign on loan back in the Championship with Sheffield United.

During his time with the Blades, the centre-back made 22 appearances in total. In that time, the Englishman made 29 interceptions, won 18 tackles and ended the campaign with an average of 2.6 clearances per game.

Labelled a “Rolls Royce” of a player by Preston chief Peter Ridsdale, Davies would warrant an overall financial package of £4m to get him out of Anfield for good this summer according to the Liverpool Echo.

Postecoglou’s next Carter-Vickers

Taking into account how Celtic have a track record when it comes to signing players who have not been given a chance to shine with Premier League clubs, a recent example being Cameron Carter-Vickers, Davies could well be the next in line at Parkhead in that regard.

Following numerous loan spells away from Tottenham Hotspur, the north London club finally sold the American to Celtic this summer after his successful loan stint with the Bhoys last season.

Having ended the 2021/22 Premiership campaign with 43 interceptions, 22 tackles won and an average of 4.2 clearances per game, the 24-year-old certainly showed the defensive credentials to warrant a permanent move to Parkhead.

If Ange Postecoglou feels the need to strengthen the defensive area of his squad and add what could be another version of the former Spurs figure to his ranks, then securing a deal to sign Davies could be a smart move by the club.

In other news – After Siegrist: Ange can form a “deadly” duo as Celtic eye “exceptional” 37-goal gem