All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United are back in the Championship after a three-year stint back in the Premier League, but the hope will be that they do not spend nearly as long in the division as they did after their 2004 relegation.

The club has so many things to sort out this summer, not least who will actually own the establishment, before then finding a new manager who can revitalise the playing staff. It is a domino effect that can only be kickstarted when Andrea Radrizzani decides if he is to leave Elland Road.

Uncertainty around his future breeds uncertainty within the club, and as such no progress towards a swift return to the top flight will be made.

Fortunately for the Whites, they boast a plethora of outstanding youth talent that should surely be knocking on the door of the first team for the new term, with the busy fixture list and mass exodus relegation often brings. Transfers will be necessary, but not as many as one might think.

The Athletic have already reported that names such as Weston McKennie, Illan Meslier, Robin Koch and Luis Sinisterra could all leave this summer, however, it can be assumed that players of Marc Roca's calibre will also seek a move. With this particular midfielder, youngster Morten Spencer would offer a more than capable replacement.

Who is Morten Spencer?

Having moved to Thorp Arch from Sunderland in 2019, the 19-year-old defensive midfielder has been ever-present for the U21s side in Premier League 2. With 14 appearances in the division this campaign and a further three in the EFL Trophy, the former Norway U18s international has been showcasing his talents all year long without much recognition.

Given the tumultuous nature of the first team's plight, it often meant that the academy was pushed to the wayside as survival came first. Now that this has been chalked down as a failure, it once again opens up possibilities for the youngsters to break through.

After all, Spencer's press-resistant and defensively resilient play style would thrive in the second tier, easily making up for the absence of their Spanish stalwart.

Having signed from Bayern Munich, many expected big things from the 24-year-old who boasted a pedigree beyond many others within the dressing room. However, a 6.81 average Sofascore rating is indicative of an average performer, with his one key pass and 2.1 tackles per game admirable but certainly not irreplaceable.

Especially with Spencer as an option, who was lauded by his mother, Heidi, for his starring attributes that are akin to Roca's:

"He’s very creative, he’s a good passer of the ball, good at dribbling and he’s got a helluva shot. He’s very strong, fit and fast and has grown quite a lot lately so he’s now around 5ft 10ins. He scores a few goals as well."

Pundit Paul Robinson had predicted that the initial move for Roca would be an "underwhelming" one, with his suspicions having since been proven true. At least now Leeds needn't worry about such a high-profile failure, as they can afford to trust in youth without the looming threat of the financial devastation relegation from the top flight brings.

Paul Scholes is not a fan of Manchester United target Matthijs de Ligt and labelled the Bayern Munich star as a "second-rate defender".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man Utd set to land De LigtWill shell out €45 million for the playerScholes not convinced with De Ligt's qualityWHAT HAPPENED?

United are reportedly close to finalizing a move for De Ligt, with the transfer fee believed to be around €45 million (£38m/$49m) plus an additional €5 million (£4m/$5m) in potential add-ons. The Dutch defender, currently 25 years old, has already built an impressive resume, having played for top European clubs such as Ajax, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. Despite his accolades, Scholes remains unconvinced that De Ligt is the right fit for Manchester United.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT SCHOLES SAID

Scholes, known for his straightforward opinions, did not hold back in his critique of De Ligt and during a recent discussion on The Overlap Fan Debate, hosted by Sky Bet said: "With Man Utd, we’re talking about players who can’t get into their team. He’s [De Ligt] not playing for them [Bayern], that has to be a big concern, especially when Eric Dier is playing in front of him. That is a massive concern for me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Rising through the ranks at Ajax, he quickly became a standout player, even earning the captain's armband at the tender age of 19 under the guidance of current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. His performances in Amsterdam caught the attention of Juventus, where he made a high-profile move. Following his stint in Italy, De Ligt transferred to Bayern Munich, further solidifying his reputation as one of Europe’s top young defenders.

However, Scholes is concerned that De Ligt's performances at Juventus and Bayern have not lived up to expectations and cautioned against signing players based solely on their past performances under Ten Hag. “You’re bringing in players for £40m, £50m just because he’s played for him [Ten Hag] two or three years ago,” Scholes remarked.

"Juventus got rid of him, he wasn’t good enough there and he obviously hasn’t been good enough at Bayern Munich. He’s coming to us almost like a second-rate defender."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Despite Scholes' reservations, it is undeniable that United require reinforcements in their defensive line. The club has seen the departure of key defenders Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala, while injuries have plagued the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. The arrival of De Ligt, alongside another potential signing, Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, could help bolster United’s defensive options. The duo’s arrival would add to a growing list of players who have previously thrived under Ten Hag’s leadership, including Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana, and Antony.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to the rumours linking Leeds United with a move for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.

The Lowdown: Watkins rumours

The Whites were thought to be monitoring Watkins over the summer and were also linked with a move back in 2020.

As we know, a transfer failed to materialise ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, with Watkins remaining in the Midlands.

Speculation over a January move to Elland Road has returned this month, with reports suggesting it may take a ‘huge sum of money to tempt Villa into selling’

The Latest: O’Rourke’s verdict

Talking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke was asked about Watkins and Leeds, with the journalist describing the player as a ‘different striker to Patrick Bamford’.

“He’s a different striker to Patrick Bamford. He’s somebody who can run the channels work hard and play up there on his own as well as he has done for Aston Villa. Probably the worry for Leeds fans is that he’s (Ollie Watkins) maybe not prolific in front of goal.

“He gets a lot of chances but maybe doesn’t put away enough of those chances that he maybe should do.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-9/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Unlikely

Watkins has had a tough start to the Premier League season, scoring just twice in 12 games. However, that is two more than Bamford, who is yet to net in 2022 due to injury issues and being out of form upon his return.

Watkins could therefore be a smart addition, but with Unai Emery taking over from Steven Gerrard and Leeds’ current position in the table, a transfer could be unlikely, should the 26-year-old feature heavily in the new Villa manager’s plans and the Whites continue to struggle.

Leeds United have been in contact with Spanish coach Paco Gallardo over a potential move to Elland Road to work alongside Jesse Marsch.

The Lowdown: Gallardo profiled

The 42-year-old has previous coaching experience with Sevilla, starting out as a coach for their C team back in 2017 and progressing to the first team as a technical coach and an advisor.

He then went on to manage Sevilla’s reserve team, where he played a 4-2-3-1 system, but he has been out of work for more than 12 months now.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Gallardo

Sport Witness relayed an update from Mucho Deporte regarding Leeds and Gallardo on Tuesday.

They claimed that the 42-year-old has spoken to Victor Orta and will be given a crucial role at Elland Road, where he is set to work with the first team, under-21 side and further youth teams.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Orta influence?

Phil Hay previously hinted that there could be some changes to Marsch’s backroom staff, and it looks as if Gallardo is now set to come in.

Orta may well have used his Spanish links and previous association with Sevilla to identify Gallardo, who looks set to be handed a variety of roles at Thorp Arch.

A move could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, which will give Gallardo the time to build relationships with everyone in Yorkshire, including Marsch.

Sheffield Wednesday took Premier League Southampton all the way on Wednesday night as they lost out in a penalty shootout at St Mary’s but the game wasn’t without its consequences for Darren Moore’s side.

What’s the word?

An impressive display from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, which included the assist for Josh Windass’ opening goal, was sadly cut short when the midfielder was forced off through injury.

Joe Crann shared the disappointing news on Twitter during the game, writing:

“Dele-Bashiru hobbling off here, doesn’t look good… Smith coming on to replace him.”

Moore then provided a more detailed update on the former Manchester City man’s problem following the game, confirming that he had suffered an injury to his Achilles.

He said: “Fizz had a sore Achilles, and Tyreeq was a bit of fatigue… Fizz’s is something that we’ll look at over the next 24 hours, it was a soreness – and I think it’s just the texture of the pitch. We’ll assess him in the morning and see how he is.”

Big blow for Wednesday

Dele-Bashiru has been one of the most impressive performers in Sheffield Wednesday’s squad so far this season, as, despite limited appearances in League One, he has five goals and three assists to his name in all competitions.

Since joining the club in 2020, the 21-year-old has made 61 appearances, in which he has six goals and four assists, so it is clear how much he has improved at the beginning of this season, so it would be a big blow if he were to miss the busy Christmas period through injury.

There are still concerns that, with Dele-Bashiru’s contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, he could leave Hillsborough for nothing in the summer.

However, midfield maestro Barry Bannan seems confident that the young midfielder will stay, and waxed lyrical about his ability as a footballer.

He said: “He’s a good lad, a top talent, and I’m quietly confident he’ll stay. If he does, it’s a big plus for this club. I think he’s going to have a bright future if he keeps going the way he’s going.

“He’s got everything a midfielder wants, really. He just needs to stay dedicated, work hard and listen to the coaches and the senior players who have been in the game a bit more.”Moore will be hoping that Dele-Bashiru’s injury is a minor one and that he can be fit for this weekend’s game against Accrington Stanley. If he isn’t, it’ll serve as a big blow to the Owls.

Glasgow Rangers stuttered yet again in the Scottish Premiership, relying on a late James Tavernier penalty to avoid defeat against St Mirren, with the goal securing a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

This means the Ibrox side have dropped points in three of their last five league matches, all but ending a potential title challenge.

The first half in Paisley saw a host of attacking chances come and go for the Light Blues as Scott Wright – making his first start in the league since August – looked up for it in the opening exchanges.

The away side couldn’t score, however, with a lack of composure costing them dearly. St Mirren netted shortly after the restart and this was a blow that Rangers couldn’t come back from. Centre-back Leon King was substituted off with a head knock and this will pile the misery on Dutchman, with the injury crisis ever-growing at the club.

Tavernier’s penalty secured a point, but it surely won’t be enough to keep Giovanni van Bronckhorst in a job, and the Ibrox side head into the winter break short of confidence and enthusiasm. There were far too many passengers today and Alfredo Morelos once again looked devoid of any ideas or attacking nous.

The Colombian striker, who was “off the pace” against Napoli according to Ally McCoist, was once again sluggish in his movement, while his first touch was woeful.

The player actually took fewer touches of the ball than Allan McGregor (35 to 38) and none of his three shots were on target during the tie.

Morelos also lost possession 13 times and won a grand total of just one duel, clearly demonstrating a poor attitude and one that certainly looked like he couldn’t be bothered.

Once a mercurial figure who the club relied upon in the previous few seasons, he has turned into a player who, if departed the club tomorrow, would not be missed, and this is a worrying situation for the club.

He will need to improve after the break, although with his contract expiring at the end of the season, the club might decide to cash in on him during the January transfer window.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has backed Everton in their reported pursuit of Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Everton interested in Loftus-Cheek

As per journalist Simon Phillips, the Goodison Park outfit are monitoring the midfielder ahead of a potential bid in January.

His current deal at Chelsea expires in 2024, meaning that he will only have one year left on his contract come the summer.

The Latest: Whelan backs Loftus-Cheek move

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has claimed that Loftus-Cheek is a ‘level above’ Frank Lampard’s current options in the middle of the park, adding that the 26-year-old would give Everton ‘stability and consistency’.

The former Leeds striker said: “I think this would be a case of just reinforcing that Everton squad. He’s not a game-changer. He’s not a number nine, or a number ten – positions they need to improve.

“He’s a quality player at a good age, but he would just be a figure who can drive forward with the ball and use that physical frame. But he certainly wouldn’t change the fortunes of that forward line.

“He’ll give them stability and consistency in midfield, which they need. He’s a level above what they have at the moment, so from that point of view, what a fine signing he will be for any club who get him.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Risky

Loftus-Cheek is a player that Lampard knows very well and trusts, having played under the 44-year-old when he was Chelsea manager.

However, his time at Stamford Bridge under the current Everton boss was disrupted by injury, and the midfielder has endured a history of fitness problems throughout his career.

Unfortunately, these problems mean that Loftus-Cheek has not really been able to fulfil his potential, having showed so much promise in his earlier years, even playing for England at the 2018 World Cup as a 22-year-old.

Now 26, the midfielder still has time to get his career back on track, and a reunion with Lampard could be a good fit, but the Toffees must be wary of the injury problems which have hampered his career so far.

Everton have four players out at the World Cup whilst the Premier League pauses for the prestigious international tournament, with Amadou Onana, Jordan Pickford, Conor Coady and Idrissa Gana Gueye all representing their respective nations.

Three out of the four named completed their opening fixture yesterday in Qatar and whilst Pickford and Coady will be thrilled with England’s 6-2 thrashing of Iran yesterday afternoon, the same emotions of elation won’t be shared by Gueye who lost 2-0 to the Netherlands.

The Everton midfielder featured in the starting line-up against the talented Dutch team, however, despite an uneventful first half that saw Senegal disciplined in their performance, it quickly unravelled over the latter stages of the second period.

Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for the Netherlands in the 84th minute to give his nation the lead over the current AFCON champions, which was followed up by a late strike from former Everton man Davy Klaassen in the ninth minute of extra time to well and truly bury the hopes of Senegal picking up crucial points in their opening game.

Unfortunately, Gueye’s contributions to the team were poor with the former Paris Saint-Germain star struggling to make his presence known in the centre of the pitch. Overall, he put in a rather lacklustre performance that left him with the lowest SofaScore rating (6.1) in the entire Senegal team.

The £80k-per-week ace lost possession of the ball every 4.3 touches, made 0 tackles and interceptions, as well as losing 87% of his duels and failing in 100% of his attempted crosses in a display that Gueye will be hoping Frank Lampard didn’t watch.

Everton have been struggling in the Premier League with a horrendous run of form that has left them now one point shy of the relegation zone, so the performance from the Senegalese midfielder in the World Cup won’t fill the Toffees boss with confidence as he plans for improved performance when top flight football returns after Christmas.

With that being said, there is still time for Gueye to make a positive impact on his national team as Senegal face Qatar on Friday and the midfielder will be hoping he can repair any damage done by losing to the Netherlands in the upcoming fixture.

Sunderland-supporting journalist Josh Bunting hailed Black Cats defender Danny Batth for his “colossal” performance in today’s Championship clash against Millwall.

The Lowdown: Sunderland ease to victory

Tony Mowbray’s side were back in action for the first time in three weeks as they welcomed the Lions to the Stadium of Light this afteroon.

The teams were level at 0-0 going into the interval but early second half goals from Amad Diallo and Alex Prithcard put the home side in the ascendancy.

Ellis Simms rounded off the scoring in stoppage time, with the victory pushing Sunderland up to 10th in the Championship table.

The Latest: Bunting praises “colossal” Batth

Bunting was in attendance at today’s match and he gave special praise to Batth for his performance at the heart of the Sunderland defence.

The journalist gushed on Twitter: “Danny Batth colossal this afternoon, he won everything in the air. He’s pivotal to this team and right now my player of the season for Sunderland. Won his battles and his duels and when Millwall did put pressure on he was the one stepping out and turning the ball over”.

The Verdict: Batth was immense

When looking at the performance metrics from Sofascore, it’s no wonder as to why Bunting was so glowing in his praise for Batth.

The 32-year-old won a mammoth 11 duels against Millwall, including 10 in the air, also making four blocks and a crucial goal-line clearance in the first half when the teams were level at 0-0. He was also composed in possession, completing 48 passes during a tremendous display.

It comes as no surprised based on Bunting’s tweet that Batth has won the joint-most headers per game (4.1) of anyone in Mowbray’s squad this season, and while the goalscorers may grab the headlines, much of Sunderland’s victory today owes to a brilliant performance from the former Wolves centre-back.

Southampton right-back Tino Livramento is edging closer to a return from injury, as seen in a new Twitter post from the player himself.

The Lowdown: Livramento’s absence

Livramento is yet to feature for the Saints this season, suffering a cruciate ligament rupture back in April, which has caused him to miss 22 games.

Having made 28 Premier League appearances during the last campaign after arriving from Chelsea in a deal worth £5m, the Englishman established himself as an important player at St Mary’s, and a promising update has now emerged indicating that he might be back soon.

The Latest: Injury update

Taking to Twitter, the player posted a picture of himself in Southampton training at a winter camp in Andalusia, captioned: ‘Light at the end of the tunnel. Getting closer and closer…”

As such, depending on how he progresses, the 20-year-old could stake a claim for a starting place to his new manager Nathan Jones in the New Year, the earliest time he was initially expected to return.

The Verdict: Big boost

In the absence of the youngster, Kyle Walker-Peters has largely got the nod on the right of defence, but he has been somewhat up and down, receiving an average SofaScore rating of just 6.66 in the league, ranking him 14th in the Southampton squad.

The option of having Livramento, who has been hailed as “superb” by journalist Josh Bunting, available again in the New Year will therefore be a big boost in terms of defensive options for Jones, particularly considering his remarkable intercepting ability, registering an average 1.89 per 90 minutes over the past year, placing him in the 97th percentile.

With the Saints looking to steer themselves clear of the relegation zone, it will be a relief for the new boss to have the talented youngster available soon, and he will be looking to ease him back in so that he can pick up from where he left off before his ACL injury.