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Leeds United could answer Marcelo Bielsa’s prayers by signing Getafe’s midfield powerhouse John Patrick in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Last season saw Patrick become the youngest-ever player to play for Getafe in their history when he made his debut against Levante aged only 17 years and 42 days.

It’s no surprise then that recent reports from TEAMtalk claim that the Whites, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United are interested in signing the teenager.

The report adds that Patrick has pledged his international future to the Republic of Ireland despite being able to represent Spain and Cameroon.

Solving Leeds’ midfield problem

Make no mistake about it, the big problem facing Bielsa at Leeds at the moment is the worrying lack of depth in central midfield.

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window linked them with moves for the likes of Nahitan Nandez and Lewis O’Brien, but neither deal failed to materialise before the deadline.

That was of course in the midst of Andrea Radrizzani strangely responding to a fan’s question about a new midfield signing, by tweeting Adam Forshaw’s name.

For a player who had been injured for well over a year, and hadn’t played a single minute of Premier League football, it was simply unnecessary added pressure, and Leeds’ faith in the ace back-fired earlier this season when he suffered a setback.

The decision not to move for a new midfielder looks even more foolish by the day, but a January move for Patrick would go a long way to solving that problem for Bielsa and Leeds.

In the 6 foot 4 teenager, they could find the kind of player who looks perfectly suited for the rigours of the Premier League.

LaLiga TV pundit Andrea Orlandi said: “No disrespect to Getafe, he will play for bigger clubs. Last summer he was heavily linked with Atletico Madrid. He has everything a modern midfielder needs. He has enough pace to go with the physicality to be up and down and play the kind of game played in the UK. He’s got qualities, he’s got a great strike, and has scored some great goals — top corner finishes. He’s got confidence, he’s got the composure, he’s mature enough to make a big step.

“But he’s got that Uruguayan blood that makes him so competitive. It would be, if it happens, a very good signing. He’s a player I rate really really high. I think he is ready for the next step. He’s a very complete midfielder, very aggressive, but in a good way. He’s got aggression but also the quality when he has to play the ball.”

The fact Leeds are interested in signing Patrick suggests the Whites are keen on rectifying their summer mistake, and that will surely leave Bielsa delighted.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an update on Leeds United’s Elland Road plans…

Manchester United have suffered a potentially significant blow in their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.

What’s the story?

According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils have made the 22-year-old their primary engine room transfer target for next summer as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to build a side capable of competing for the title.

However, United could have a battle on their hands to secure Rice’s services after local rivals Manchester City reportedly joined the race for his signature, according to The Sun.

The current Premier League champions are believed to be lining up a move for Rice, who is valued at £100 million by the Hammers, as a replacement for the ageing Fernandinho.

Solskjaer will be gutted

Rice has become an integral part of West Ham’s side since making his first-team debut back in 2017, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 149 appearances for the capital club.

The England international’s magnificent performances in the centre of the pitch have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer.

“He’s still only 22, and this is what he does really well. I think he reads the game, he’s obviously got an excellent partnership with (Tomas) Soucek in the midfield,” said the former Newcastle United legend (as relayed by This is Futbol).

“He keeps it simple; he stops teams attacking, can play, can pass, breaks it up and then sets his team on the front foot. I think he’s an excellent player.”

Therefore, news that Pep Guardiola’s charges are also interested in signing Rice will surely leave Solskjaer feeling gutted.

The Norwegian tactician is known to be keen on bringing in a new defensive midfielder over the coming months, with 33-year-old Nemanja Matic no longer able to keep pace at the elite level, while Fred and Scott McTominay are better suited to a slightly more advanced role.

Rice’s arrival at Old Trafford would be in keeping with Solskjaer’s transfer policy since taking up residency in the United dugout, but it appears as though football director John Murtough will have to pull off a masterclass to snap him up from under City’s noses.

And, in other news…Reliable journalist provided exciting Man Utd update, fans will be absolutely buzzing 

Leeds United’s winless start to the new Premier League season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Newcastle United on Friday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side took the lead courtesy of Raphinha before Allan Saint-Maximin’s superb strike levelled things up for the Magpies.

While both sides were guilty of missing numerous opportunities – they had a combined 39 shots on goal – there was one man for Leeds who really struggled to get going offensively.

Dan James arrived on transfer deadline day from Manchester United, and after a couple of substitute appearances, he made his full Premier League debut last night against Newcastle.

But it was a game to forget for the Wales international, who was kept in check by Magpies full-back Javier Manquillo all night before he was eventually hooked just after the hour mark for Tyler Roberts.

As per Sofascore, the former United ace finished the game with a 6.5 match rating, which was by far the lowest of any Leeds player.

Both of his shots on goal failed to hit the target, his two attempted crosses didn’t find their mark, while he couldn’t get on the ball as much as he would have wanted in the first place either – in fact, his total of 31 touches and nine passes were both less than goalkeeper Illan Meslier, a real indication of just how peripheral he was.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “A very quiet full debut from James, who was either anonymous or nullified by Javier Manquillo when the ball did come his way.”

With Jack Harrison out of the squad yesterday, James had the perfect chance to stake his claim and show Bielsa why the Leeds boss should be starting him from the off.

Instead, the Welshman fluffed his big chance, and if things are all good with Harrison, it’s difficult to see how James’ performance warrants him getting in ahead of his teammate for Leeds’ next Premier League clash against West Ham next week.

The 23-year-old simply let his manager down against Newcastle.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star was superb vs Newcastle…

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of Porto winger Luis Diaz, with the Colombian looking likely to join Everton [Football London].

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye reinforcements out wide before the window closes

With 2021/22 well underway, Lilywhites boss Nuno Espirito Santo will no doubt be desperate to strengthen up any remaining weak areas as he sculpts a squad capable of challenging for Champions League qualification this campaign.

In particular, the north Londoners look to be in the market for a wide-man, with Jeremy Doku and Adama Traore linked with a switch to N17 in recent times.

However, one man who looks unlikely to pitch up at Spurs this summer is 24-year-old Diaz, owing to recent reports.

The Latest: Diaz looks set for Merseyside; Spurs and Chelsea miss out

Divisional rivals Everton are in talks to sign Diaz in what is a blow for Tottenham, with Toffees attacking midfielder James Rodriguez looking set to go the other way on loan to complete the deal [Football London].

Jose Mourinho was said to be interested in in bringing the Colombia international to Spurs last season, with the report from Football.London calling him a ‘long time’ target.

Chelsea were also mooted to be monitoring his situation heavily, nevertheless Diaz now looks to be on his way to Merseyside over London to work with newly crowned Blues manager Rafael Benitez.

The Verdict: Losing out on Diaz will leave a bitter taste

Held in extremely high regard after his four-goal haul at the 2021 Copa America, losing out on Diaz will come as a bitter blow to the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy.

In 2020/21, Barrancas-born Diaz starred for his current employers, registering 17 goal contributions in 46 appearances; 11 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, his individual quality was on show for everyone to see last term, picking up four man of the match awards in the Liga NOS due to his attacking flair [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘excellent’ by Colombia teammate Juan Cuadrado, who said he will achieve ‘great things’, the news that he will not be linking up with Tottenham will undoubtedly leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Spurs supporters, especially if he shines in the top flight with Everton.

In other news, Spurs have gained a huge boost in a transfer chase. Find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have urged the Reds to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella following an update regarding the Serie A champions.

Jurgen Klopp could be on the lookout for a new central midfielder this summer following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain. The 30-year-old was a hugely reliable figure for Liverpool, both in terms of performances and availability, so he could be a big loss.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Barella, who enjoyed a triumphant Euro 2020 campaign with Italy, winning the tournament with the Azzurri last month. He started six of their seven matches at the finals, scoring one goal and setting up another two (WhoScored), and he was also one of Inter’s best performers during their 2020/21 Serie A triumph.

According to The Daily Mail [via Transfer News Live on Twitter], Inter’s dire financial situation means that they could have to sell key players, with the 24-year-old one of those prized assets.

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Liverpool fans want Reds to sign Barella

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to call for the Reds to snap up Barella, seeing him as an ideal Wijnaldum replacement.

“Barella please, @LFC”

Credit: @281093_

“You know what to do, @LFC”

Credit: @_VintageTrent

“Martinez and Barella pls, @LFC”

Credit: @JoelGibbs_

“Liverpool should be ALL over Barella if this is the case”

Credit: @Shabbaz77

“Lautaro and Barella please!”

Credit: @KevinWard87

“Barella deal out of the blue”

Credit: @LFCaditya_

“Barella and Martinez, we’ll give you 50m, take it or leave it”

Credit: @Adam_B298

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a James Pearce prediction. Read more here.

A journalist has claimed that Newcastle United would have had a good chance of signing Lionel Messi if the proposed takeover went through last summer.

The Lowdown: Takeover problems

The whole takeover saga has been dragging on since last summer when there looked to be a great chance of getting it through. Delay after delay has meant that an arbitration case between the St. James’ Park faithful and the Premier League over the failed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is set to take place early next year.

Coinciding with the takeover whispers in the North East, Messi reportedly told FC Barcelona last summer that he wanted to leave, and has now made all of the headlines once more by signing for PSG this summer after problems with his contract.

The Latest: Messi claim

Replying to a fan on Twitter, journalist and TV anchor at Facebook, Joe Morrison, has claimed that there ‘would have been a VERY high probability’ of Messi moving to Tyneside last summer if the club were taken over by the KSA consortium.

They would have likely had the money to pay his wages, and it would have been up to the player if he fancied a new challenge by joining the Magpies.

The Verdict: What could have been

Had the takeover have gone through, Steve Bruce’s team would have no doubt been linked to some world superstars that they would never have previously had a chance of signing.

Above all, Messi would have been a truly unbelievable signing, and it would have been a dream for the Toon Army to watch him play in the Premier League in their black-and-white stripes.

However, they would have likely been competing with top sides in European football should he have definitely moved on, and so may have found it difficult to do a deal, even if they offered him more money than anyone else.

In other news, find out which £33.9m-rated ‘phenomenon’ NUFC could now sign here!

Aston Villa have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash against Brentford this afternoon.

Dean Smith’s side welcome the newly-promoted side to Villa Park as they look to register back-to-back wins in the top-flight, but will have to do so without one of their marquee summer signings.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece revealed that Leon Bailey will once again be missing from action, with the game against the Bees on Saturday coming too soon following his hamstring issue last week.

The news is sure to come as a bitter blow to Smith as he looks to mould this new look Villa side together, especially considering the kind of electric debut he enjoyed in the defeat to Watford.

The £31.5m-rated star came off the bench to great effect against the Hornets on the opening day, marking his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback.

Speaking before Villa officially confirmed the deal to sign the Jamaican, the club’s former defender Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the former Bayer Leverkusen ace.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

With Bailey now ruled out, Smith will have to keep the faith with Anwar El Ghazi, who of course enjoyed a fine week himself after netting against Newcastle from the spot, before bagging a brace against Barrow in the Carabao Cup second round.

While the Dutchman is in a mini streak of goal-scoring form, Bailey’s absence and the prospect of seeing their new signing make his competitive home debut for the club is sure to leave fans gutted.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on this Aston Villa transfer target…

As per The Daily Record, Connor Goldson has agreed to sign a three-year deal to stay at Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Goldson future up in the air

The defender’s deal was set to run out at the end of the 2021/22 campaign (Transfermarkt), and for a while it may have been doubted whether he would put pen to paper on a new contract.

It was also reported that West Ham United were interested in signing the 28-year-old (Football Insider), but now there has been an update on the former Brighton man’s future in Glasgow.

The Latest: Goldson agrees new deal

As reported by The Daily Record, the Scottish champions have been handed a major boost with regards to Goldson.

The centre-back has agreed a new deal with the club which will extend his stay at Ibrox for another three years following several days of talks with sporting director Ross Wilson.

The Verdict: Huge boost

With the Gers closing in on the start of an important new season, uncertainty over the future of Goldson was a cloud over their preparations. While this news has not yet been formally announced by the club, it will come a huge boost for Steven Gerrard if there are no late hitches – the manager called the 28-year-old “immense” earlier this year (via The Scottish Sun).

The £6.75m-valued defender (Transfermarkt) was a rock at the heart of the Rangers backline last term as the they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years. He played every single minute of every single game in all competitions as the Gers were defeated just three times, including once on penalties (Sky Sports).

In the league, Rangers conceded just 13 goals (thefishy.co.uk), illustrating his importance to the side. As the Gers attempt to defend their title and also qualify for the Champions League group stage, having Goldson’s future secured is exactly what they would have wanted.

In other news, this Rangers ace has revealed he is flattered by interest from one Premier League club.

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Harry Kane this summer look to have taken a blow, with reports suggesting that Tottenham Hotspur will refuse to let him leave.

City have regularly been linked with a move for the England captain in recent months, with the 27-year-old keen on a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following a less than impressive season which saw them barely qualify for the European Conference League.

Despite Spurs’ poor form, Kane was still able to finish as the league’s top goalscorer and top assister, which emphasises that he would be a superb addition to Guardiola’s squad this summer.

Unfortunately for the Spanish manager, the Manchester Evening News have reported that Spurs won’t sell Kane to City this summer, despite his obvious desire to leave the north London club.

During his time at Spurs, Kane has contributed a remarkable 221 goals and 47 assists in 336 appearances, yet he is unable to boast a trophy in his club career thus far, something you feel he would almost be guaranteed should he make the switch to the Etihad this summer.

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He has also impressed at the European Championships this summer, scoring four goals en route to the final against Italy, and England teammate Jack Grealish was full of praise for him, saying:

“He is the best player I have ever played with. He is unbelievable. He is an unbelievable professional on and off the pitch.

“When you see him around the place, this is why he is England captain. The thing that sticks out is that he is not just a goalscorer.

“There are players from the past who just scored goals, goals, goals. In my opinion, he will break the Premier League one and the England one but he is not just a goalscorer. He is unbelievable.”

City are clearly desperate to bring in a striker ahead of the new season and this news on Kane comes as yet another blow for Guardiola, with the Citizens already ruled out of signing Romelu Lukaku, whilst previously linked Andre Silva joined RB Leipzig earlier this month.

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Therefore, he will be gutted if another of his targets is now off the market, and with the Premier League set to kick off next month, he will have to act quickly if he wants to bring in a top-class goalscorer in time for the season opener against Tottenham Hotspur.

And, in other news… Manchester City handed boost with “outstanding” star, Txiki must act

Fulham are interested in a deal to bring Matt Grimes to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that both Marco Silva’s side and Scott Parker’s AFC Bournemouth are keeping a close eye on the situation of the Swansea City midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that Fulham are interested in the 25-year-old as a replacement for Mario Lemina, while Bournemouth could also be in need of a more defensively-minded midfielder this summer, with Jefferson Lerma thought to be a target of LaLiga side Valencia.

Southampton and Newcastle United are also mentioned as potential suitors for the former England U21 international, who has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Liberty Stadium.

Fulham fans would love him

With the Daily Mail dubbing Grimes as “one of the most consistent performers” in the Championship, it is easy to see why Marco Silva is interested in a deal to bring the midfielder to the club this summer.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side last season, the £6.3m-rated man scored two goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £10k-per-week central midfielder also impressed in more typical metrics for his position, making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels per league fixture, as well as touching the ball an average of 70.3 times and completing 43.9 passes per match.

These returns saw the man Cooper dubbed an “excellent” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as the Swans’ fifth-best performer in the second tier of English football, playing a key role in his side reaching the Championship play-off final.

As such, with Lemina having returned to Southampton following his loan at Fulham last season, the argument could easily be made that Grimes would actually be an upgrade on the Gabon international, as well as certainly being a player Fulham fans would love to have in their side.

In other news: Romano drops Fulham transfer update on “decisive” £38k-p/w beast, Silva surely gutted