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Leeds United are in deep bother of losing a number of their first-team stars this summer.

Kalvin Phillips has been linked with an exit from Elland Road but one man that can’t keep the speculation away is Raphinha.

What’s the word?

Reports over recent months have suggested that the Leeds winger is being courted by Barcelona ahead of a possible summer switch.

However, another club have now entered the race to sign him in the shape of fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal.

That’s the news according to Fabrizio Romano who took to his ‘Here We Go’ podcast on Tuesday to reveal the following information:

“I can tell you that Arsenal also ask for information about Raphinha of Leeds. Barcelona are leading the race for Raphinha. But also Arsenal ask for information for Raphinha.”

Fans will rage

If Leeds do stay up under the guidance of Jesse Marsch and look to build towards next season, losing undoubtedly their best offensive player will come as a huge blow, one that will no doubt leave supporters full of rage.

Marsch is yet to take charge of the Whites during a transfer window and watching the Brazil international head for pastures new would not be the most ideal of ways to begin his summer.

Raphinha was signed from Rennes in the summer of 2020 and has been simply breathtaking for Leeds since being acquired by Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentine has a keen eye for talent and together with Victor Orta, the 25-year-old has become one of the club’s best buys in recent memory.

His estimations have soared since coming to the Premier League, helped by some simply stunning football. Not only is the winger capable of working hard for the team and pressing relentlessly, but his qualities on the ball are marvellous too.

He has scored 15 times and registered 12 assists in the top-flight of English football, with nine of those strikes coming this term alone.

As a result, Leeds would be drastically worse off without him. Indeed, it’s not too unreasonable to suggest that they’d be heading for the Championship without a prayer if he was not fit or even at Thorp Arch this season.

Consequently, they must do all they can to hold onto him. Admittedly it feels like a difficult task but everyone associated with the club will be rather upset if he does depart.

Combine that with speculation surrounding Phillips and this summer is looking a bleak one for the Yorkshire side.

AND in other news, £12m down the drain: “Shocking” Leeds flop has stolen a living from Radz for 216 weeks…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos will both be ‘missing’ for Glasgow Rangers on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Hagi timeframe

Van Bronckhorst revealed back in February that Hagi will likely even miss the start of next season, as well as the rest of this, after suffering a damaging knee injury.

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Of course, that timeframe could be shortened if the Romania international is able to speed up his recovery through rehab, but for now he will be ruled out for the foreseeable future, and he won’t be the only one missing on Sunday.

The Latest: Early team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their Old Firm clash against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, van Bronckhorst confirmed that both Morelos and Hagi will be ‘missing’.

The Dutch manager thinks that the striker will be out for at least a ‘couple of weeks’, after he was spotted on crutches at Glasgow Airport.

The Verdict: Double blow

Of course, it is a double blow for the Teddy Bears that they will be without two of their key players in what looks to be their biggest game of the league campaign so far.

Both Hagi and Morelos rank in the top seven performers for the Light Blues in the league this term, while the latter is their top scorer with 11 goals and has also contributed seven assists (WhoScored).

Hagi is more of a creative influence, having ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes, crosses and through balls per game (WhoScored), and both of them can form a formidable partnership when they are on song.

In other news, find out who Frank McAvennie thinks ‘will start’ for Gers here!

After PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United was confirmed a number of months ago, we were all expectant and excited to see the type of talent they could lure to St James’ Park.

Sadly, and rather unsurprisingly, however, they have found life difficult during the winter.

January is always a tricky time to recruit and the club’s new owners are finding that our swiftly.

What’s the word?

News broke on Wednesday that Newcastle were trying to complete a deal to bring Jesse Lingard to the club.

However, the Magpies have been rebuffed in their attempts to lands the Manchester United playmaker and it’s thought he’d prefer another move to the capital.

As a result, the Toon are considering making moves for two other players, one of which is Tottenham’s Dele Alli.

That’s according to 90min who report that the England international is an alternative to Lingard this winter.

It’s thought Spurs had set an asking price of £25m according to a separate report last year.

The new Gazza?

A few years ago Darren Anderton was incredibly effusive in his praise for Dele, hailing the creative midfielder as a “freak of a talent.”

Indeed, that talent is clearly still lurking in the 25-year-old but there is a sense that he needs a fresh start elsewhere in order to discover that.

After all, the playmaker has scored just twice in all competitions this term and has only registered one assist too.

That is a far cry from the numbers we saw him rack up in the early stages of his career. In 2015/16, Dele amassed as many as ten goals and nine assists in the top-flight, then went even better in the campaign after that, scoring 18 times with another nine assists to his name.

2017/18 was also productive for the attacking midfielder who racked up nine goals and 11 assists.

With that kind of dynamism in mind, he could well become Newcastle’s next Paul Gascoigne if he finds his form again.

Gazza was a wonderful player in his prime and scored 133 times during his career.

The duo have also been compared previously by none other than Barcelona manager, Xavi. He once said: “There are some very promising young English midfield players and there is no doubt he is very special.

“He is very talented, very technical. I can understand why the Tottenham fans are hoping he is the next Paul Gascoigne.

“For me, Gascoigne was an inspiration when I was developing, one of the best midfield players I have ever seen. It is important not to put pressure on Dele with these comparisons but I can see why fans are excited.”

Of course, his form has subsided since that comparison but there is certainly a belief that he can get back to his best with new tools and resources.

Newcastle must make that happen.

AND in other news, “From sources” – Fabrizio Romano drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge boost concerning Ben Davies.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Alasdair Gold, with the journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, following the versatile left-back’s return to north London after withdrawing from the Wales squad, there has been a positive update regarding the 28-year-old.

Gold went on to explain in a subsequent report for football.london that the defender pulled out of his country’s friendly against the Czech Republic tomorrow evening due to feeling tightness in one of his quad muscles, although it is expected he will be available for the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Good news on Ben Davies.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering how important a player Davies has been for Conte since the 52-year-old’s arrival in north London last year, the news that the Welshman should be available for selection this weekend is sure to have left the Italian buzzing.

Indeed, following the former Inter Milan manager’s appointment at Spurs back in November, the £16.2m-rated man has featured in all but one of the 27 fixtures the Italian has overseen at the club – with 25 of these outings coming as starts, primarily on the left of Tottenham’s three-man backline.

And, with Sky Sports reporter, Michael Bridge, recently stating in an interview with GIVEMESPORT that the position will undoubtedly be one which Conte and Fabio Paratici will be targeting a new signing in the summer transfer window, it is clear to see just how short Spurs currently are on the left of their defence.

As such, should the £93k-per-week Davies indeed be fit to face Newcastle this Sunday, it will certainly come as a huge boost to the 52-year-old coach – particularly with the race for a top-four finish being as close as it is.

AND in other news: Paratici can land THFC the next Vieira in “superb” 18 y/o with “world-class potential”

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Crystal Palace star Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been identified as a summer transfer target by Manchester United, who have reportedly drawn up a shortlist including the full-back, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic according to talkSPORT.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles’ academy graduate has not put a foot wrong since breaking into the first team at the start of 2018, going on to make the right-back berth his own ahead of former first choice Joel Ward.

As a result, a number of clubs have taken a shine to the England Under-21 international, including the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and now the Red Devils.

The 21-year-old is arguably the best defender in Europe right now, even earning the nickname of ‘The Spider’ as a result of his uncanny ability to use his long legs to wrap around the opponent and win the ball back.

Palace must tie him down to a new contract

Wan-Bissaka currently has three years left on the contract that he signed in April of last year, but given his rise in the game since then, it is imperative that Palace lock him into a monster new deal.

The aforementioned clubs who have taken an interest in him are giants of the game, and all possess the financial power to turn the youngster’s head.

Additionally, Wan-Bissaka is allegedly earning just £15,000-a-week right now, which is well below what he deserves – to compare, second-choice right-back Ward earns £35,000-a-week.

One would assume that Wan-Bissaka’s agent will be pressing the club to offer his client a much improved contract, and could easily point to the fact that a number of heavyweights in the game could easily offer him a significant rise on his current salary.

The south London-based side have a real gem on their hands and arguably one of Europe’s best young players right now, so they must tie him down as soon as possible to avoid losing him in the summer.

Liverpool have undoubtedly one of the strongest defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 20 goals in 30 games.

One man who has contributed a lot to the Reds’ impressive defensive displays is Joel Matip, who has appeared in 24 league games so far this season.

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To highlight just how significant the 30-year-old has been for Liverpool in this campaign, only Trent Alexander-Arnold (98) and Fabinho (95) have racked up a higher combination of tackles and interceptions than Matip (81).

Despite the Cameroon international’s effectiveness at the back, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be eyeing up a potential replacement for him.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Goal by journalist Neil Jones, Liverpool are interested in signing Torino defender Gleison Bremer.

Since joining the Italian club back in 2018, the Brazilian has gone on to make 105 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 13 goals and five assists along the way.

In terms of his defensive capabilities, the 25-year-old has the third-highest number of tackles and interceptions combined (144) throughout Serie A, showing how much of a unit he is at the back in a similar way to Matip.

Labelled a “powerful” figure by Forza Italian Football editor in chief Conor Clancy, Bremer eclipses the Liverpool defender in terms of the number of blocks, tackles and interceptions made this season in their respective domestic leagues.

Taking all this into account, and the fact that Matip is five years older than the £18k-per-week Torino brute, a transfer swoop for the Brazilian defender could be a great investment from the Merseyside club given his obvious talent and relatively young age.

However, the report from Goal claims that Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in signing the centre-back, which means that the Reds may have a challenge on their hands to get Bremer to Anfield.

That said, to get the opportunity to play in the Premier League under the management of Jurgen Klopp next to a player such as Virgil van Dijk at one of the biggest clubs in England could all be very tempting for the 25-year-old defender.

In other news: Liverpool now plot bid for “unbelievable” £45m-rated dynamo, just imagine him & Salah

West Ham United are among the leading candidates to sign Andrea Belotti this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, who claim the 28-year-old striker will leave Torino on a free transfer at the end of the season, though there are three other teams mooted with interest.

These are mentioned by the report as being Premier League rivals Newcastle United, Atalanta and Fiorentina.

They have also relayed comments from Torino president Urbano Cairo, who said:

“Belotti? He may have already signed up for another club. Maybe he could also tell us, but that’s okay. Let’s say that from February 1st he was free to sign, theoretically, he could even have done so … Disappointed? I no longer speak of this issue.”

Get it done!

By signing Belotti, the Irons’ head of recruitment Rob Newman could finally end one of David Moyes’ long-serving nightmares at the London Stadium.

It’s been over a year since Sebastien Haller’s exit from the club after the club-record flop joined Ajax in January 2021 and that’s a decision that left the Scottish head coach awfully light on options.

Indeed, he’s only had Michail Antonio available at his disposal and we know too well of his chequered injury past, whilst his form this campaign – particularly in 2022 – has been called into question.

But that’s hardly a surprise when you’re relying on a 31-year-old to deliver each and every week across multiple competitions without a break.

His only league goal this calendar year came on New Year’s Day, some 14 games ago, but he has no backup and no other alternative, so Moyes has to continually select him.

Belotti could be the perfect competition given his prolific goalscoring record in Italy. The Euro 2020 winner has bagged 110 goals in 247 appearances for the Turin-based side, including a season-best of 28 during the 2016/17 campaign, via Transfermarkt.

“Andrea is similar to all the great strikers, English and not. It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special,” once claimed his former teammate Joe Hart to renowned journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

“He’s Belotti and that’s it. He has [an] instinct for goals, personality and he’s a team player: he’s always focused on his team and plays hard to help it.”

High praise indeed from someone who faced the 5 foot 11 tank every day in training.

Now valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, the Hammers could well seal an absolute bargain in Belotti and given his talismanic-like record, he’d be a much welcome and much-needed addition to Moyes’ squad heading into next season, where they could well remain in Europe.

AND in other news, Time to go: Moyes must ruthlessly axe WHU’s £61k-p/w “monster” as big claim emerges…

Everton must finally offload Cenk Tosun amid a recent update on his future.

What’s the story?

According to Turkish publication Sabah, Besiktas were hopeful of re-signing their former star last month, but that a deal failed to materialise because Tosun wanted some money from Everton to cut his contract short.

Moshiri’s biggest disaster

It’s fair to say that Farhad Moshiri has had his fair share of transfer disasters during his time at Goodison Park, but Tosun certainly figures high up on that list, if not right at the very top.

Signed for £27m from Besiktas back in January 2018, the 30-year-old was tipped for big things by the man who signed him, Sam Allardyce, who said: “He is Turkey’s No 1 striker and has scored goals in the Champions League and the Turkish League but he is desperate to play here in the Premier League.

“We looked at the qualities of the player, his talent and goal-scoring, and his resilience, too. I do not think you can look any more than we have done and, for the price, he is the best in Europe at the moment.”

A big claim that has come to back-fire spectacularly on the Toffees in the years since.

In 60 games for the club in total, he’s scored just 11 goals and provided only six assists in that time too, meaning he has cost the club more than £1.5m per goal he has scored – it’s no surprise then that he was also shipped out on loan in recent seasons too.

Indeed, according to CIES, his transfer market value now is less than £1m – a real indication of the kind of decline the Turkish ace has endured at Goodison Park in his time at the club.

And, back in December, former Premier League ace Alan Hutton urged then Everton boss Rafa Benitez to have a discussion with Tosun over his Everton future and to try and move him on for the good of the club.

He said: “But I think that the only way you can really move forward and is to try and be open and honest. Have a sit-down with the manager and player.

“Say: ‘Look, you are not in my plans, you’re not going to be involved. You’re not going to be in matchday squads. All you’re going to do is train.’

“I think if you have an open and honest discussion, maybe that will help to move things along. If you don’t have these conversations, you just leave him to think and go in a bad mood. He will get in a huff and go: ‘Well I’ll just sit it out then.”

Given Tosun has not been in the reckoning at Goodison Park for a long while now, new Everton boss Frank Lampard must surely now call time on the striker’s time at the club and acquiesce to the striker’s demands and finally get him out.

Meanwhile, Everton facing a Rafa Benitez-esque howler…

Sky Sports have revealed live on air that Leeds United are ‘keen’ on Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Aaronson a key target for Leeds

The Whites have made RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson their key January target and have already made two bids for the American.

However, they are yet to make a breakthrough with just days remaining of the transfer window, and they could end up with fewer options than at the start of the month following Cody Drameh’s loan move to Cardiff City.

Another player linked with a move to Elland Road this month has been defensive midfielder Kamara, and Sky Sports have now confirmed Leeds’ interest with Monday’s deadline fast approaching.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim on Kamara

A Manchester United fan was giving his thoughts regarding a move to Old Trafford for Kamara on Sky Sports’ Good Morning Transfers show.

However, before that supporter shared his opinion, presenter Jo Wilson revealed that ‘we know’ Roma and Leeds are also ‘keen’ on the Frenchman.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Victor Orta was after a defensive and attacking midfielder ahead of the January transfer window, and he could secure both with moves for Aaronson and Kamara.

The Marseille player, who can also provide cover at centre-back, is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt and is reportedly available for just £10m this month due to being out of contract in the summer.

Leeds have reportedly spoken to the player’s agent, and still just 22 years of age, Kamara could be an ideal long-term acquisition who could possibly end up replacing Kalvin Phillips, who continues to be linked with a move away from Elland Road. Therefore, it seems like a no-brainer for the Whites to keep pushing for the Frenchman’s signature.

In other news: Leeds now open to offloading this centre-forward with ‘fast feet’ just days before January transfer window shuts

Frank McAvennie has become the latest pundit to have a say on Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford and his ongoing injury issues, Football Insider report. 

The Lowdown: Bamford’s foot problem

Bamford was involved in Jesse Marsch’s first four matchday squads as Whites boss, starting in wins over Norwich City and Wolves.

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The 28-year-old unfortunately suffered another foot problem at Molineux on March 18 which is set to keep him out for at least six weeks.

The striker did recently admit that he would look to return for the final two games of the season, should Leeds still find themselves in a relegation battle.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie, talking to FI regarding Bamford, believes the Whites have a ‘real problem’ when it comes to the forward and urged the club to leave him out for the rest of the campaign.

“I think Leeds have a real problem with Bamford.

“He’s barely played this season. I think there is a problem there. He has got the summer to get over this.

“He needs that. Leeds need to draw a line under him and say ‘you’re done for the season’.

“If they rush him back and he plays the last few games of the season, that won’t help him.

“With an injury like this, you need a long uninterrupted recovery period. He shouldn’t rush back, that’s wrong.

“So he’s out for the season, for me. I think Leeds are safe so that’s not too bad news but he definitely think he has a real problem that the club need to fix.”

The Verdict: One more win…

Leeds have picked up on the pitch in recent weeks, taking 10 points from a possible 12 to leave them nine points clear of the drop.

They now sit on 33 points with six games remaining, so you’d like to think that one more win would all but guarantee a third season of Premier League football.

They face Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea before their final two games against Brighton and Brentford, so hopefully, Marsch can guide his club to one more win before the last two to avoid potentially relying on Bamford.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford.