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Leeds United have been boosted in their efforts to sign Rodrigo De Paul this summer, with Udinese manager Luca Gotti admitting he could move on.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be looking at possible reinforcements at the end of the season, as he looks to take his side up a further gear.

Leeds have enjoyed a productive first year back in the Premier League, currently sitting 12th in the table and rarely looking relegation-threatened at any point.

The next step for the Whites may be to finish in the European places next season, but some new faces will be required if that is to happen.

Udinese boss fails to rule out De Paul exit

De Paul is one player who has been linked with a move to Leeds, with Liverpool also believed to be interested in snapping up the 26-year-old.

In an interview with DAZN [via TEAMtalk], Gotti, the Argentine’s manager at Udinese, was asked about the midfielder’s future and failed to rule out an exit:

“De Paul has been here for five years. Every time he gets his head down and works harder than ever before. We’ll eventually sit down and work out a common strategy [on his future].

“He is mentally so strong as he goes on international duty with Argentina. He shares a locker room with players from Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Yet every time he comes back here and works harder than anyone.

“You couldn’t blame him for being tempted (by a move away). Alongside the growth of the player, which everyone has been able to witness on the pitch, I also saw De Paul grow as a person over the last two years.

“He has this leadership within the squad that comes from a place of positivity. There are different ways to be a leader, some are authoritarian. But he has this sort of halo of positivity that spreads out and envelops everyone around him.”

Transfer Tavern take

De Paul could be an outstanding addition to Leeds’s midfield, possessing the all-round game to excel under Bielsa. He has scored six goals and registered five assists in Serie A this season, also averaging 1.2 tackles per game, showing he is effective on and off the ball.

At 26, he is very much in the peak years of his career, too, so bringing him in this summer could represent a long-term signing, rather than a short-term fix.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to leave Elland Road this summer. Read about who it is here.

David Sullivan pulled off a masterstroke in the transfer market with West Ham United’s agreement to sign Watford defender Craig Dawson on a loan-to-buy deal.

What’s the word?

While speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, Frank McAvennie has urged the London Stadium outfit to go all-out in efforts to retain Dawson beyond his season-long loan.

The former Irons striker believes the centre-half transformed David Moyes’ defence following his introduction, and will be the best signing they can make at the end of the season.

West Ham had only kept four clean sheets in the Premier League before Dawson made his debut for the club at Southampton on December 29, but have since recorded six shut outs over his 14 appearances.

It was a long wait for Dawson to step foot onto the field in claret and blue, with Moyes even omitting the 30-year-old from his first seven available top-flight squads, but his importance to the side has McAvennie now urging a permanent move.

“The biggest thing for me, with West Ham, is the defence, it’s solid,” he told FFC.

“The biggest signing they will make is Dawson. They have got to get that boy’s name on the paper, he’s been outstanding.

“For £3m for a centre-half like that, he complements the other defenders because the other defenders want to play football and look good, and he just puts his body on the line, gets in front and it’s [a] good balance for the team. That’s the biggest signing that I think will happen this year.”

A masterclass by Sullivan

Luckily for McAvennie, Sullivan hit gold in 2020 by reaching an agreement with Watford that saw Dawson join West Ham in a £1m season-long loan that carries a £2m obligation to buy after his 15th Premier League start, per The Athletic.

Barring Dawson sustaining an injury during the international break, the 30-year-old should make his 15th start against Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 3rd, when the Irons will strive to get back to winning ways after losing ground in the race for Champions League football.

Dawson has proven to be a huge factor in the Hammers’ surprise push for European action just the season after staving off relegation to the Championship, thanks to his no-nonsense approach that McAvennie lauds.

The £42,000-per-week enforcer has also provided a number of crucial goals, with Dawson netting a vital third at Crystal Palace in January and West Ham’s second to deal Leeds United a quick double blow at the start of this month.

His experience and leadership proved extremely beneficial for Issa Diop against Sheffield United last month by guiding the Frenchman through the game, in what was only the centre-back’s second Premier League start since September.

Sullivan deserves the plaudits for Dawson’s arrival as an initial back-up option, as he is far from that now and that’s why he’s deserving of an imminent permanent move to West Ham at a bargain fee.

AND in other news, a West Ham ace who joined at the “perfect moment” has seen his market value of crash by £16.5m…

Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic has unfortunately spent the entire season sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury and Steven Gerrard has now confirmed that the Croatian won’t make his Ibrox return until at least next season.

The 24-year-old sadly picked up the injury in pre-season and has been recovering throughout the entire campaign but he will, no doubt, be delighted that his teammates could deliver title number 55 in his absence.

The defender has been a key part of Rangers’ side since joining from Slaven Belupo in the summer of 2018, making 59 appearances for the Light Blues and contributing six goals and three assists.

It was suggested recently that Katic was making good progress with his injury and that he was back training on the grass, giving some hope that he might be back before the end of the campaign. However, Gerrard has now sadly confirmed that Katic won’t be able to make his return this season, and it will likely be pre-season before Rangers fans see him back on the pitch.

The 40-year-old suggested that it was a ‘career-threatening’ injury and that Rangers have had to be extremely patient with Katic as he recovers, whilst also delivering the worrying update that the Croatian still has a lot of hurdles to get over before he can make his return.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/rangers-news-ibrox-steven-gerrard-ross-wilson-gers-rfc” title=”Latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The centre-back, who reportedly earns £10k per week at Rangers, is clearly admired by Gerrard, who was full of praise for him after he scored in a 2-1 win against their Old Firm rivals back in 2019, saying:

“The kid is a winner and a warrior. We know what he gives. Anyone his age, after giving the penalty away, might have gone into their shell. It might have affected their performance.

“But if you knock Niko Katic down, he’s gonna get back up and come again. That’s the man, that’s the player.”

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Hopefully, those words ring true as the young centre-back continues to work hard on his recovery, and whilst he wasn’t able to be part of their excellent season, he will almost certainly have a big part to play next year if he can get himself back to full fitness.

And, in other news… Wilson must swoop for 12-goal gem who had £36m star on toast

A lot of Everton supporters have flocked to the latest tweet involving an update from Carlo Ancelotti which recently emerged on social media.

The official Everton Twitter account posted some comments from Ancelotti and he talked about the fitness status of Tom Davies and James Rodriguez ahead of the Toffees’ Premier League game against Chelsea on Monday evening.

Ancelotti said he is hopeful that Davies recovers in time for the Stamford Bridge clash, but he revealed that Rodriguez might not be available and he might need to check his situation. However, the manager believes that the Colombian will be fit for the next game against Sean Dyche’s Burnley.

Rodriguez wasn’t in the squad in their recent games against Southampton and West Bromwich Albion. Earlier in the season, the former Real Madrid man has missed games due to a groin injury and a calf problem (Transfermarkt).

He last played in the league against Liverpool, picking up an assist in a 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby. He also scored a goal each against Manchester United and Leicester City – two teams who currently occupy places in the top three (Transfermarkt).

While that is reflective of how important his contributions can be, some Everton fans made their views clear about Rodriguez’s litany of fitness concerns, which one supporter described as “annoying”.

What did Everton fans make of the news about Rodriguez?

“James is quality but so frustrating how often he’s injured.”

Credit: @shaun00012

“Unreal player James, but these phantom calf Injuries do become annoying.. Sir Gylfi is in good form tho.”

Credit: @seann1878

“Rodriguez isn’t somebody who only misses one game is he, yes he can pick a pass better than anybody else we have but I’ve always been a bit lukewarm on him, we need somebody who is available more often, dons tin hat.”

Credit: @Leeefc56

“Why tweet that this late and ruin my evening.”

Credit: @MattyArnoldEFC

“HOW IS HE INJURED AGAIN.”

Credit: @HamesBond19

“I love him, but when isn’t James hurt? Good lord.”

Credit: @tblick10

“Omg the man is literally made of glass. Shambles.”Credit: @harryreynolds96In other news, Everton are at the risk of losing a young star – read more here.

Leeds United have confirmed that elusive striker Rafa Mujica is set to part company with the Yorkshire club. That’s according to Radio Marca Lanzarote, who report that the 22-year-old has reached full agreement with the Whites amid advanced talks with Las Palmas.

The forgotten forward will return to his native country to represent the La Liga 2 outfit in what can only be described as an ideal move for all parties involved.

Las Palmas will gain a new attacking option, Mujica could finally be guaranteed regular first team minutes and Andrea Radrizzani no longer has to have him on his pay roll.

Leeds must have grown frustrated with the Spaniard after he joined the club back in 2019 on a free transfer from Barcelona. Eyed as a promising young up and coming talent, the Whites brought Mujica to Elland Road where he started in the youth ranks of the club.

However, he was never able to showcase his ability whilst in England. According to Transfermarkt, the striker didn’t make a single appearance for Leeds, senior or otherwise. This is hugely disappointing for a player with such potential, but with Patrick Bamford pulling the strings and the likes of Joe Geldhart vying for his opportunity in the first team, there was simply no room at the inn for the former Barca man.

Indeed, it seems Marcelo Bielsa wasn’t particularly wowed by his training performances as he never even gave him a cameo opportunity whilst at Leeds.

The forward, who was once dubbed to be a “satisfying” player by Villarreal B coach Miguel Alvarez, will now have to ply his trade with a new club. Regardless of his salary, Radrizzani will be pleased that he no longer has a deadweight player taking money from his pocket.

In other news, Phil Hay update on Alioski could turn Leeds away from transfer target…

Manchester United play host to Everton in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday night, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side set to play their first league game since they humiliated Southampton at home.

The Red Devils ran riot over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, putting nine goals past the nine-man Saints, with Anthony Martial ending his eight-game goal drought after the Frenchman bagged a brace in the second half.

Unfortunately for Solskjaer, it wasn’t all rosy, as both Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw were substituted at half-time having struggled with injuries, with Eric Bailly a doubt ahead of the game against the Toffees.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has predicted how United may line up for tonight’s action, which sees Solskjaer make three changes to the team that thrashed the Saints.

Solskjaer’s side are currently second in the table, just three points behind Manchester City, who have built up a tremendous head of steam.

In defence, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka should start as usual, with Victor Lindelof and Alex Telles making up the rest of the numbers.

This game may come too soon for Shaw after he appeared to suffer a knock against his former club, so it’s likely Telles will slot into place alongside the club captain instead.

Paul Pogba is likely going to return to the midfield, which means Scott McTominay will be forced to settle for a spot on the bench.

After a goal drought stretching to 12-and-a-half hours, Anthony Martial ended it with a double against the Saints, and his return to form was warmly welcomed by manager Solskjaer.

As such, Solskjaer will have to decide whether to opt for experience and go with the £49.5m-rated Martial and Marcus Rashford out wide or the fresher, younger option in Mason Greenwood on the right wing.

With Cavani expected to be fit to face the Toffees given Solskjaer’s pre-match press conference, the United boss could start the Uruguayan, drop Martial and have Greenwood to his right and Rashford on the left.

It would certainly be a bold call to move Martial to the bench given his double against the Saints, but that was against a side who ended up going down to 9-men.

Solskjaer will recognise that an Everton side who beat Leeds away from home last time out will surely prove a sterner test of their title credentials, and will need his most reliable and consistent players on the pitch, and Cavani has delivered him for whenever he’s played – the Uruguayan has bagged five goals and provided two assists in just 663 minutes of Premier League football.

Predicted XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Telles; Pogba, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Cavani.

AND in other news, Man Utd can find perfect Harry Maguire partner in Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane…

Leeds United have been linked with Adama Traore for some time, and the club might be excited to hear the latest update surrounding the player.

The latest on Traore

According to The Daily Mail, Wolves will listen to offers for Adama Traore in the summer after they knocked back an offer from Leeds in January, but it won’t be easy for the Whites as sides like Manchester City and Barcelona are also being linked.

This is great news for the club

The 25 year-old ‘big talent’, as hailed by Jurgen Klopp, who is valued at £36m (Transfermarkt), is known for his great strength and ability to dribble pace, and such assets could be ideal in a Marcelo Bielsa side.

This season in his 26 appearances in the Premier League (eight from the bench), the Spaniard has managed 1.4 key passes and 4.2 successful dribbles (WhoScored) per game, and his ability to carry the ball forward at tremendous speed and take defenders out of the equation could benefit the fast-flowing Bielsa-ball Leeds fans have become accustomed to – even if his end product hasn’t necessarily been there this term.

It was reported earlier in the season by Graeme Bailey that Leeds Director of Football, Victor Orta, “loves” the winger after previously signing him for Middlesbrough. The link with Orta also helps massively and it would not be surprising to see a move come to fruition in the summer transfer window if he is up for grabs.

In other news, Phil Hay has dropped an injury update on this Leeds star!

Manchester United completed a remarkable turnaround to their tricky start to the season with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, a win which saw them move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves immense credit for the way he has transformed the team’s fortunes The hosts prevailed at Old Trafford, earning them their tenth win in the top flight this season thus far, which extended the Red Devils’ unbeaten run to seven consecutive games in a row across both domestic competitions.

Despite their good run, Solskjaer will no doubt be looking to strengthen in January to try to keep them in the title race.

Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is one transfer target who has become synonymous with Solskjaer’s time in charge.  The winger was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer, but the Red Devils refused to meet Dortmund’s demands, and a move failed to materialise.

United are reportedly still eyeing up a move for Sancho and it’s claimed that the club are confident that their gamble may pay off.

The 20-year-old has provided 39 goals and 52 assists in 118 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Goals have not been easy to come by this season thus far for the ex-Manchester City youngster however, as Sancho had scored four goals in 18 games prior to the Bundesliga clash with Wolfsburg at the weekend.

However, as the old adage goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Questions had been asked of Sancho as he’d failed to score in his previous 11 top-flight appearances but he passed the test with flying colours.

Dortmund have enjoyed the talents of a number of a number of exceptional players over the years, including now-Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, but one that has remained steadfast in recent years especially is Sancho, who earns around £190,000-per-week at the Signal Iduna Park.

Described as a “fantastic” footballer by his teammate Erling Braut Haaland, he delivered a masterful performance against Wolfsburg.

He proved to be a constant threat and completed a staggering six dribbles successfully from eleven attempts. By comparison, Daniel James has only managed one dribble per game, as per SofaScore.

Sancho didn’t stop there, either, as he scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season and set up another to start his New Year with a bang with a 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg. He also made four key passes and created one big chance as he tried to dictate play and bring others into the game.

Valued at a whopping £100m by Dortmund, it remains to be seen if Ed Woodward will be able to drive down their colossal asking price at the second time of asking. However, he simply cannot afford to let Sancho slip through his fingers again. The board must go back to the drawing board and try to get a deal over the line in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Manchester United may forever regret not signing Aston Villa star man Jack Grealish…

Germany were ultimately dismantled on Tuesday night at the hands of a resilient Spanish side. Luis Enrique’s men were out for blood as they hit the four-time World Cup champions for six in the Nations League.

Despite fielding the likes of Timo Werner, Toni Kroos and Leroy Sane, the Germans were unable to register a single shot on target at the Estadio de la Cartuja. After 17 minutes, Spain opened up the scoreline and went on to really carve open a fragile-looking Germany defence.

One man who looked completely out of his depth was recent Leeds signing Robin Koch, who seriously struggled to handle the threat of the Spaniards. His performance will be one that has attracted Marcelo Bielsa’s attention, and not in the way he would have liked.

Bielsa may need to reconsider stance on Koch

Koch’s stats would indicate to anyone that he had a strong game if they weren’t made aware of the mammoth scoreline. According to Sofascore, the 24-year-old completed four tackles, two interceptions, two blocks and one clearance. His numbers indicate that he threw his body on the line for his team and left nothing out on the pitch.

This would be admirable if his country didn’t lose the game by six goals to nil. The fact that Koch was able to put in so many defensive manoeuvres and yet Spain still managed to score a hatful just further highlights how strong Enrique’s men were and how badly they outplayed Germany.

Defence is something that is a problem over at Elland Road, too. Leeds are currently looking at facing Arsenal after being dealt back-to-back 4-1 defeats at the hands of Leicester and Crystal Palace. The Whites have the joint-worst ‘goals against’ record this season so far, matched only by West Brom, who are currently in the relegation zone.

Whilst Koch isn’t solely to blame for Germany’s loss, nor Leeds’ current situation, Bielsa will be looking at his team and wondering what is going wrong and how it can be fixed. The summer signing’s international performance only proves that he can be exposed as a defender, which the Whites must patch up before it’s too late.

During Germany’s recent fixture against Ukraine, Joachim Low switched up his tactics and deployed Koch in a defensive midfield role. This suited both the team and the £50,000 per week grafter down to the ground – the Germans won 3-1 and fans were pleading with Bielsa to follow suit and give Koch a new role in the Leeds set up.

If their poor run of form continues, it’s definitely an option Bielsa should consider.

In other news, Signing out of favour Dele Alli will transform Leeds’ midfield…

A political development in the Middle East may excite Newcastle United fans amid speculation that the proposed £300m takeover of the St. James’ Park faithful by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium may still happen.

As per NBC News, the KSA and Qatar are expected to reach an agreement within a matter of days that will help ease a standoff between the latter and other countries in the Gulf region, which has existed since 2017.

The Chronicle have highlighted its potential relevance to the prospective deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA group, tweeting that the possible rapprochement is ‘being watched by takeover observers’.

In their corresponding article, the news outlet also highlighted the political dispute between the two countries involved added an extra element to the takeover debate, given that the Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports were heavily against any KSA involvement with the Premier League.

The KSA consortium are also reportedly keeping their own eye on the political developments in the Middle East, and what it could mean for their chances of taking over the Tyneside club.

What does this mean for the Newcastle takeover?

This latest development may well excite members of the Toon Army given that the two countries seemingly have softened their disputes with each other, and this latest agreement could play a part as to whether the takeover of the Magpies could still go ahead, assuming that there are still any piracy issues that still need to be settled.

In other news, find out why takeover hopes have been boosted here!