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Leeds United could have a future star in their youth ranks and his surname could well be familiar to some of the older members of the Elland Road faithful.

Sebastien Carole featured for the Whites in a two-year spell back in 2006 and 2008 before foraging a career in England’s non-league pyramid but his son, Keenan, is setting alight Thorp Arch at just 17.

Earlier in the year, footage of the teenager scoring a sublime solo goal had fans hugely excited over his potential and some were very eager to see him involved more often, and since then, he’s featured twice for the U23 squad.

Meanwhile, predominantly playing as a left-back or a left-winger, Carole has contributed towards nine goals across 33 appearances for the U18s, via Transfermarkt, so he’s certainly catching the eye.

His form for the Whites’ academy setup has caught the eye of a few in and around the game.

“One to watch and a star in the making at Leeds United – Keenan Carole – son of former Leeds attacker Seb Carole,” claimed journalist Pete O’Rourke to social media in November 2020.

Whilst BBC reporter Adam Pope highlighted his pace and acceleration as one encouraging attribute following a starring role from the bench against Tranmere U21s back in September.

“Lots of positives all over the park including the sub Keenan Carole injecting real pace down the left side,” he tweeted.

There are several exciting talents emerging at the Yorkshire giants, including Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Charlie Cresswell, so perhaps the 17-year-old gem could be the next to attract the eye of Marcelo Bielsa.

Given the struggles of Jack Harrison and Dan James this season, the Argentine manager could do little wrong in handing players like Carole an opportunity in the cups in 2022.

If he’s good enough, the young winger could save Andrea Radrizzani several millions in the transfer market. Of course, it’s still early days but the signs are hugely, hugely encouraging.

AND in other news, Bielsa must brutally axe “explosive” £16.2m-rated lightweight, he’s holding Leeds back…

West Brom’s reputation as a “yo-yo” club could have been ended if the club made different transfer decisions to improve their squad over the years.

Having spent more than £240m on transfer fees alone in the last decade, it is hugely disappointing for Baggies fans to still find themselves an unestablished Premier League side, with them even struggling to push for promotion from the Championship this year.

They have lost a number of their talismans throughout recent years, like Brazilian playmaker Matheus Pereira, who left at the start of this season for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for £16.2m.

Albion could have made a club-transforming transfer back in 2011, as according to the Daily Mail, then-Baggies manager Roy Hodgson was targeting a move for a teenage Wilfried Zaha, who subsequently became a hero at Crystal Palace under the English coach for years to come.

He has made 420 appearances for the south London club, scoring 78 goals and providing 73 assists as he has consistently helped the team remain in the top tier of English football for nine years and counting.

Eagles assistant manager Osian Roberts praised the Ivory Coast international earlier this season for his positive influence off the pitch – something which would have greatly benefitted a “yo-yo” team in helping them secure Premier League survival.

Roberts said: “I can only go on personal experience of the last few months, and I think Wilfried is a top professional, who is hungry for success. He wants to be successful as an individual, and he wants to be successful in a team environment, and in order to do so you have to push yourself and you have to push your teammates.

“Patrick [Vieira] is always saying to our group of players ‘you must demand more from each other’ and Wilfried is one of the first to do that.”

Ranking in the top 9% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for dribbles attempted per 90 (4.86), top 11% for carries into the penalty area per 90 (1.84) and top 12% for pressures per 90 (21.75), the former Manchester United winger has proven himself to be one of the Premier League’s top forwards in recent years.

If West Brom had signed a clinical forward like Zaha, who would have not only got The Hawthorns crowd on their feet but kept them in the top flight right up to the present day, they could have shed their status as a “yo-yo” team by now. Instead, they’re left watching on as he’s done just that with Crystal Palace.

In other news: WBA could face disaster on “accomplished” 28 y/o who’s “getting better all the time”

West Ham remain interested in potential January moves for Burnley’s James Tarkowski and Liverpool’s Nat Phillips, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye up January additions

The Hammers may be enjoying another excellent season but there is certainly a need to bring in reinforcements in the January transfer window, such is the extent of their injury crisis in the heart of defence.

First-choice centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma are both currently out, and the former is expected to be missing for most or all of the campaign.

With David Moyes hoping his team can push for a top-four finish and go far in the Europa League, surely at least one new face in that area is required.

The Latest: Journalist makes key claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that there is interest in both Tarkowski and Phillips, even though signing the Burnley man could prove to be difficult:

“Everything I’m told about West Ham remains focused around the centre-back options that we’ve heard before.

“There’s Tarkowski, who will obviously be really hard to get out of Burnley, and Nat Phillips.”

The Verdict: Phillips an exciting option

If Burnley refuse to sell Tarkowski this month, Phillips could be a shrewd investment instead, with the Liverpool man clearly not a key figure at Anfield, making just three appearances all season.

The 24-year-old showed what he is capable of last season, however, filling in admirably in the absence of injured trio Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, earning plenty of praise from Jurgen Klopp, who called the young Englishman ‘absolutely insane’ after a win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Phillips averaged a whopping 5.6 aerial duels won and 4.8 clearances per game in the Premier League in 2020/21, highlighting why he could come in as an assured option for West Ham, still with plenty of potential left to fulfil as he is yet to enter his prime.

In other news, some West Ham fans are buzzing over a £200million claim. Read more here.

Merry Christmas, City fans!

Following a historic 2021, Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues are soon set to draw the curtain on what has been a thoroughly entertaining year at Eastlands.

City clinched a fifth Premier League title and third under Pep Guardiola, enjoyed yet another Carabao Cup win and played in a first-ever Champions League final, all whilst dazzling supporters with enthralling football and breaking even more records. Off the pitch, the Sky Blues and sporting director Txiki Begiristain smashed City’s transfer record by signing England star Jack Grealish for £100m.

It’s also been a phenomenal year for the academy as even more more top talent emerged following Phil Foden footsteps, with many of them making their senior debuts at the back end of the year.

As a thank you for reading our content as The Transfer Tavern aims to report only the most engaging news possible for Citizens, we’ve prepared a City-related quiz to break up your festivities.

Are you good with ex-players’ nationalities? If so, this challenge will really put your trivia to the test.

We’ve given you four options for each question in a multi-choice format – you just have to correctly select the home country of each of the following ex-Man City players. Starting off fairly easy and becoming harder and harder, some will make the hardcore Cityzens stand out.

Good luck and remember to share your score!

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have raved over a transfer update involving exciting young attacker Fabio Carvalho.

The talented teenager has continued to thrive at Craven Cottage since breaking into Fulham’s first team in 2020, clinching the EFL Young Player of the Month in August whilst continuing to show his potential.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

His current deal at Fulham expires at the end of the season, prompting clubs to take a serious interest in the England youth starlet, with West Ham apparently among his many suitors according to TEAMtalk. Indeed, they claimed that the Irons, and by extension owners GSB, have Carvalho in their sights as talks over an extension stall at his current club.

The Hammers are joined by Spurs, Liverpool and Southampton in being linked with the youngster, with that trio also believed to keeping tabs on the 19-year-old with a view to making a move.

West Ham fans rave…

Amid this development, plenty of West Ham fans have raved on Twitter, and it’s not hard to see why given Carvalho’s performances and high ceiling.

Check out some of their best reactions to the news that their club want him below, with one Hammers fan labelling the player a would-be ‘fantastic signing’.

“I’d take Fabio Carvalho. He’s the sort of signing we should be making, lots of potential but already proving he can score and perform at that level. Once the transfer window opens for us in about 10 days time … hopefully we make a move.” 

Credit: @RockyWhu

“Yes plz”

Credit: @IronsJoes

“Baller”

Credit: @jakewhu16

“please please please please”

Credit: @3ndtroducing

“This would be a fantastic signing.”

Credit: @WestHamUtdScout

“Wanted him years ago, would be perfect for Lanzini back up.”

Credit: @Icevain7

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers have been hit with a European concern ahead of the 2022/23 campaign…    

What’s the talk?

The Glasgow Times have dropped an update explaining what Villarreal’s progress in the Champions League could mean for teams in Scotland.

If the Spanish outfit go on to win the European title this season then it is would mean that Gers would need to go through the qualification stages in 2022/23 – if they were to win the Premiership title.

As it stands, the winners of the Scottish top-flight will immediately qualify for the group stages of the Champions League next season. This would result in a major £40m bonus for competing in the competition, but that is now under threat.

Their automatic qualification will be taken away if a team wins the tournament this year whilst failing to finish in the top four of their domestic league. Villarreal are on their way to doing this as they are in the semi-finals whilst currently sitting seventh in LaLiga.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be sweating…

This update will leave the Gers head coach sweating buckets as it gives him another Champions League concern to worry about.

Firstly, he is nearing the end of an exciting – for the neutrals – Premiership title battle as the Light Blues are attempting to catch up with Celtic in the table. They are six points behind their rivals as it stands and will not be giving up on their attempts to lift the trophy for the second season in a row.

Whilst it may seem unlikely due to the current gap between the two teams, all Rangers can do is continue to win games in the league and hope that the Hoops drop points along the way. If they can claw it back and secure a stunning title win then that would put them in a fantastic position to qualify for the Champions League, but that is now in danger.

Van Bronckhorst will now have to keep a close eye on results in the competition and root for Liverpool in the semi-finals against Villarreal. He will be desperate, as will Ange Postecoglou, for the Spanish side to fail in their efforts to win the tournament as it would dampen Rangers’ chances of hitting the £40m jackpot later this year.

Although they will still have the opportunity to access that cash fund if they make their way through the qualification phase, the Dutch head coach would surely prefer to go straight into the group stage instead of enduring the stress of play-off football.

AND in other news, From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

West Ham are incredible form this season, despite a loss to Wolves on Saturday afternoon, and there are many players in the team that have been hot topics of conversation for football fans.

England international, Declan Rice, has been one of the most talked-about players in the Premier League not only for his incredible season for West Ham that saw the side finish with Europa League football but at international level he played a key role in Southgate’s England midfield who got to their first final since 1966.

Despite Rice stealing the headlines as an England poster boy, Jarrod Bowen has come into his own alongside the popular midfielder to prove himself as an important and talented player in his own right too.

The £27m-rated 24-year-old is having an impressive season for the Hammers, with two goals and four assists to his name already in the first twelve games of the Premier League season, whilst topping up those stats with one goal and one assist in the Europa League too.

Due to his incredible form, he has caught the eye of one particular German coach, whose club have been heavily linked with the player;

“I like Bowen a lot,” Jurgen Klopp told in his press conference before the West Ham clash.

“He made his way up from Hull and took not too long to show exactly what kind of player he can be in the Premier League. He made big steps.”

Having been linked with Liverpool, this won’t be a set of quotes Irons fans would like to hear.

Thus, Moyes will need to do everything he can to keep hold of one of his important players, and qualifying for the Champions League this season could really play a hand in keeping Bowen’s eyes on the prize with West Ham for a bit longer.

Paul Merson was full of praise for the forward just before the international break, after West Ham beat Liverpool in a chaotic 3-2 victory;

“He’s a manager’s dream, an absolute manager’s dream. You tell him what to do and he will do it. You never see Moyes having to tell him to do his job. He’s a real good player and a good pro. He’s absolutely outstanding, I couldn’t talk highly enough of the lad.”

Moyes and West Ham will have work to do in the second half of the season to secure important and attractive positions in both league and European football to keep hold of the likes of Bowen, who is currently signed in a contract with the club until the Summer of 2025.

In other news: Moyes must revisit signing James Tarkowski in January

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via the official Tottenham website), Antonio Conte revealed that, despite withdrawing from the Wales squad ahead of their friendly against Czech Republic on Tuesday, Ben Davies will be available for tomorrow’s visit of the Magpies.

Regarding the current condition of the 28-year-old, the Spurs boss said: “Ben is okay. He had a little problem, but he’s available.”

Great news for Tottenham

Considering just how important Davies has been to this Tottenham side since Conte’s arrival in north London last November, the news that the defender has recovered from his knock in time for Sunday is undoubtedly great news for Spurs.

Indeed, following the 52-year-old’s move to the club, the £18m-rated left-back has featured in all but one of the Italian’s 27 games in charge, with 25 of these coming as starts, most often on the left of Tottenham’s three-man defence.

Of Davies’ 23 appearances as one of Spurs’ three central defenders this season, the £60k-per-week Welshman has impressed, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.81 – slightly better than his 6.79 rating over nine outings at left-back.

As such, the news that the 28-year-old will be fit to face Newcastle this weekend will certainly come as a huge boost to Conte and Tottenham, especially considering the club’s considerable lack of depth at left centre-back, with the position being one of Fabio Paratici’s priority targets in the summer transfer window.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £59m bid for 24 y/o “appreciated by Conte”, he’s “perfect” for Spurs

Ruben Neves ‘ran the show’ in Wolves’ incredible 1-0 victory away to Manchester United on Monday night, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Unforgettable Wolves win

Bruno Lages’ side picked up their best win of the Premier League season so far at Old Trafford, as well as their first triumph there in more than 40 years.

Wolves were exceptional throughout the game, outplaying United for the vast chunk of proceedings and eventually taking home all three points after Joao Moutinho’s late winner.

The victory has taken Wanderers back up to eighth in the table, as confidence continues to grow regarding a European finish this season.

The Latest: Neves hailed by Spiers

Taking to Twitter after the game, Spiers paid special attention to the outstanding Neves, delivering a simple seven-word verdict on the midfielder’s display.

The journalist gushed: “Neves ran the show. What a night.”

The Verdict: Magnificent performance

Spiers is quite right to laud a special performance by Neves, with the Portuguese midfielder arguably the best player on the pitch against a team he has been linked with joining.

He completed a team-high 55 passes (with an 81% success rate) and played seven accurate long balls, as per figures from Sofascore, not to mention chipping in defensively by winning two duels and making one interception and one clearance.

The calmness that Neves showed in the middle of the park alongside Moutinho allowed Wolves to dominate the contest. The 24-year-old proved to be the man for the big occasion last night.

In other news, Spiers has also hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United’s director of football Victor Orta can end the club’s ongoing nightmare over Kalvin Phillips by signing Derby County sensation Jason Knight.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of a number of teams interested in signing the 20-year-old, and now, according to ExWHUEmployee, West Ham have also entered the race.

It’s been suggested that the Hammers hold a strong interest in the midfielder, and that they will battle it out with the likes of Leeds, Newcastle and Everton among others.

The Kalvin Phillips nightmare

Since really breaking onto the scene during the 2016/2017 campaign – he made 33 appearances in the Championship that season – Phillips has become a cornerstone of this Leeds United midfield.

And while that has seen the Whites eventually get promoted to the Premier League and seen him earn great individual honours by getting recognised by England at international level, it has exposed a worrying issue at Elland Road: the lack of real cover for him.

Already this season Bielsa’s side have struggled without him, losing two and drawing one of the Premier League games that he has missed, while last year was even worse – they won just two of the nine top-flight matches he wasn’t involved in.

Not only do they miss his technical ability in the middle of the park, but also the kind of presence and leadership that he brings to the table too.

In the 20-year-old Knight, however, Orta could go a long way to addressing that void.

In fact, after making Knight captain just hours after he was appointed as the Rams’ permanent manager, Wayne Rooney has been very quick to shower the youngster with praise.

He said: “He’s very vocal, which is very rare for a young player these days. He gives everything in training – tackling, running. Very similar to the way I was at his age.

“He’s a manager’s dream. He gives everything. He’s the one, not just for the younger players in the dressing room but the older lads, who others can look at. He gives you energy, desire, runs non stop.

“I still want more from him quality-wise – in terms of crosses, shots, goals, assists – but in terms of what we are trying to build for this group of players he fully deserves it whether he’s 19 or whether he’s 30. To get the recognition and experience shows how highly we think of him.”

In his short career thus far, Knight has shown incredible versatility by playing all across midfield and in the wide areas, but has primarily played centrally.

With Rooney talking highly of his industry, leadership and tackling, the Derby starlet looks like he’s ready-made to fill in the shoes of Phillips not just for the long-term, but also in the short-term if the England ace is out injured.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has delivered an update on Leeds’ pursuit of this man…