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Leeds United have reportedly joined the race to sign Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Abdou Harroui this summer, with Brighton also interested.

The Lowdown: Bielsa looks for new signings

Marcelo Bielsa has built one of the Whites’ strongest squads in many years, one which finished ninth in the Premier League last season.

That’s not say it can’t be improved upon, though, and Leeds could make a number of signings in the summer transfer window.

One position at which Bielsa could look is central midfield, with not a huge amount of depth currently in that area.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with Harroui

According to Football Insider, Leeds are among a number of clubs keen on Harroui, whose current deal expires at the end of next season, meaning that Sparta Rotterdam may want to receive a fee for him this summer and would be willing to do business if their asking price is met.

The 23-year-old played in the Netherlands under-21s’ defeat to their Germany counterparts in the semi-final of the European Under-21 Championship on Thursday.

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The Verdict: Shrewd investment

Harroui isn’t necessarily someone who would come in as an immediate starter, given his lack of experience, but he is a player who could grow over time.

His current international exploits suggest he is a top young prospect and he has already made 102 appearances for Sparta Rotterdam despite his tender years.

A total of 18 goals and 13 assists in that time also shows that Harroui could bring guile and end product to Leeds’ midfield, giving the team an extra attacking dimension.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key update on one Leeds star – find out who it is here.

West Ham United currently have the second-oldest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 28.9 according to Transfermarkt.

Two of the oldest outfield players in David Moyes’ squad are centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna (33) and Craig Dawson (31).

In terms of what sort of transfer business the east London club could be involved in during the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Hammers could be set to wave goodbye to one of their defensive players, but not one of their more senior ones.

According to a recent transfer report from L’Equipe, the recent Europa League meeting between West Ham and Olympique Lyon gave the two sides the chance to discuss a potential summer deal for Issa Diop that would see the defender swap east London for France.

Since joining the Hammers back in the 2018 summer transfer window for a then club-record fee of £22m from Toulouse, the centre-back has made 121 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Frenchman has managed to chip in with eight goals and three assists.

Despite being one of West Ham’s youngest players, it would be a good idea for the club to cash in on him this summer if they can.

Having started just 10 Premier League games in this campaign, the 25-year-old has found himself down in the pecking order behind Dawson and Kurt Zouma who have both played more often than Diop.

Also, when he has been able to get on the pitch, the defender has failed to show Moyes that he has what it takes to potentially become a first-choice centre-back.

With an underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored, Diop is currently listed as the third-lowest rated Hammers player to start more than one league game.

To highlight his lack of effectiveness at the back for his team, the Frenchman has only won three of the nine tackles he’s attempted and gotten dribbled past on eight different occasions.

Even though he was previously described as being a “monster” by Jose Mourinho in terms of winning his duels against Paul Pogba back in 2018, Diop has been anything but that this season, losing 20 of the 39 aerial duels he’s been involved in.

Taking all of this into account, this summer would be the ideal time for Moyes to finally axe Diop from the club and get his hefty £61k-per-week wages off their books.

In other news: “Gives West Ham the edge…”: Insider drops huge transfer claim, Moyes will be buzzing

Newcastle are heading for a major transfer disaster by signing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy in the summer.

What’s the story?

The Republic of Ireland international’s contract at Selhurst Park comes to an end following the conclusion of the Premier League season, and it seems that Steve Bruce is keen on bringing him to Tyneside this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are back on the trail of the 30-year-old and are looking closely at a player who they have followed for a number of years.

Given his contract status, the Magpies would be able to sign him on a free transfer.

Fans will be fuming

Whilst the 30-year-old McCarthy does have plenty of top-flight experience in his time with Wigan, Everton and Crystal Palace (269 Premier League games to be exact), his record with injuries and age just doesn’t make this a sensible move whatsoever.

He has a history of significant hamstring injuries and has played just over 3,000 minutes in four years’ worth of Premier League football, and it’s difficult to see which player in the Newcastle midfield he would actually supplant or who he would supposedly be an upgrade upon.

Add to that his reported £50,000-a-week wages at Selhurst Park, and the chances are that the Magpies will be paying considerable money for a player who is heavily on the decline. They would have got an ageing midfielder, with injury troubles and on big money. Not exactly the greatest of combinations.

Indeed, speaking after a Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, former Manchester United midfielder and outspoken pundit Eamon Dunphy slammed the Irishman for his display and his character, saying: “McCarthy is just a talking horse. Horses who are supposed to do great things on the gallops every morning but never produce it on the racecourse. This guy never produces a real performance for Ireland and he rarely produces it for Everton. He’s just no good.”

If Newcastle are to take any steps forward and avoid being dragged into relegation battles year upon year, signing players like McCarthy is not the way to go about it.

Numerous Magpies fans made their feelings clear about a potential move for the Irishman back in the summer of 2019 when links emerged at the time, and given that he is now even older, they surely would be just as livid now about him being signed.

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Bruce is headed for a major transfer nightmare if he signs McCarthy.

Meanwhile, this Newcastle flop dropped a disasterclass against Arsenal…

Wolves now have only a few days left to bring any new players into their squad before the January transfer window closes.

One potential deal that the Old Gold could look to finalise before the end of the month is for Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, a player with whom they have been linked in recent weeks.

With Adama Traore reportedly set to join the Spanish giants on loan until the end of the season with a view to a potential permanent deal waiting for him in the summer, these negotiations could give Wolves the opportunity to ask about the possibility of signing Puig, either before the upcoming transfer deadline or when the summer transfer window opens.

Having worked his way through Barcelona’s famous youth ranks, the 22-year-old – who is currently picking up £64k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has gone on to make 51 senior appearances for the La Liga club across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists along the way.

Despite his experience, the midfielder hasn’t been a particularly important figure for Xavi this season with just two starts amid a total of 12 appearances across all competitions. That would suggest that a move from Barcelona to somewhere that he would obtain regular playing time would be beneficial for his career and development.

With that in mind, and given his young age, it could be worth Wolves trying to sign Puig – who has been labelled an “intelligent” player by his manager Xavi – on a long-term permanent deal to give him sufficient time to get accustomed to the Premier League and potentially become a regular figure in their team.

Taking all this into account, Jeff Shi now has the chance to sign Wolves’ next version of Ruben Neves as a young midfielder from a top European club who could come in and make a name for himself in the Premier League. The Portuguese midfielder has done just that since joining Wolves from FC Porto back in 2017, making a total of 197 appearances for the Old Gold.

Also, with Neves having been linked with a move away from Molineux, it could be an important piece of business from Wolves to bring Puig in if they end up selling their current midfield star any time soon.

Having had previous experience of signing young players from Barcelona as they did last summer with Francisco Trincao, a move for the current Blaugrana gem should definitely be considered either in the next few days or at the end of the season if his situation at Camp Nou doesn’t change.

In other news: Wolves eyeing transfer swoop for £14k-p/w “man mountain,” Lage would be delighted

Graham Roberts is confident that Tottenham will complete a deal to sign Atalanta defender Cristian Romero, after it was reported on Wednesday that they’ve agreed a fee for the Argentine.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been desperately trying to add defenders to his squad this summer following Spurs’ difficulties under Jose Mourinho last term.

Tottenham have already moved on both Juan Foyth and Toby Alderweireld, meaning a centre-back is the priority for the Spurs boss, with one of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez also expected to be sold before the window shuts.

With that in mind, Romero has been identified as the club’s number one target, although the deal has ebbed and flowed, with Daniel Levy persistent on getting the right price.

The 23-year-old returned to pre-season training with the Italian outfit on Monday, but there was a growing increase that Romero would become a Tottenham player, according to Alasdair Gold.

And Roberts himself is optimistic that Romero, who was named  Serie A Defender of the Year last season, will become Santo’s third summer addition.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think what they’re looking at the moment is how much they give up front, it’s the minor details. I am quietly confident that will happen, the vibes I am getting are it’s going to happen.”

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County could consider a move for Gary Cahill this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who suggested that Rooney could be tempted to pick up the phone to his former England teammate in a bid to convince him of a move to Pride Park, with the 35-year-old’s contract at Crystal Palace expiring this summer.

The report added that Derby will look to bring Manchester United loanee Teden Mengi back to the club in the upcoming transfer window, with the Red Devils believed to be happy to let the 19-year-old move back to Pride Park after the Rams secured their Championship status on the final day of the season.

Imagine Cahill and Mengi

While Derby’s season was undoubtedly one which many of the Pride Park faithful would like to put behind them as quickly as possible, Mengi was one of the few promising aspects of Rooney’s side.

Indeed, Ryan Conway’s report for The Athletic praises the centre-back’s ability to “make smart interceptions,” as well as how comfortable he appears with the ball at his feet and how well the 19-year-old moves “into midfield to create overloads”.

However, with it being claimed that Matt Clarke does not look likely to return to the club on another loan deal, along with Curtis Davies’ contract expiring in a matter of weeks, experience could well be something which is required next to Mengi in the Rams’ backline as of next season.

Centre-backs do not come much more experienced than Cahill, with the £1.8m-rated defender having played 560 games over the course of his club career, with 392 of these coming in the top flight – in addition to the 35-year-old winning two Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues and one League Cup.

As such, a move for Cahill this summer could turn out to be something of a masterstroke by Rooney. What the Crystal Palace man has lost in speed and agility with age could easily be balanced out by Mengi, while the 35-year-old’s experience and knowledge of the game would more than compensate for that which the 19-year-old lacks.

Therefore, a move for the £65,000-per-week centre-back – whom Roy Hodgson dubbed a “leader” – would appear highly advisable for Rooney and Derby this summer, if the club can afford him.

In other news: Derby dealt huge transfer blow over 19-goal starlet that’ll surely leave Rooney livid – opinion

Marcelo should be a no for Everton, that is according to former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

The Real Madrid star is currently being linked with a move to Goodison Park, with the Mirror claiming the Toffees and Palmer’s old side Leeds United are both in the frame to sign him.

The 58-cap Brazilian only played 16 league fixtures last season, firmly behind Ferland Mendy in the left-back pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu. He is also now 33 years of age, so he is not exactly getting any younger.

Ultimately, for Palmer, Real Madrid letting him go is a huge red flag. Speaking about the reports linking Marcelo to Everton, the ex-Leeds player told TT:

“For me, I think Marcelo at 33, no. Why are Real Madrid letting him go? You’ve always got to question that. Why are Real Madrid letting him go? Why have Real Madrid let [Sergio] Ramos go? You’ve always got to ask yourself a question.”

At Everton, Marcelo could easily find himself behind another France international in Lucas Digne.

Going forward, the 27-year-old has really come up with the goods for the Toffees. He assisted seven goals last season in the Premier League and another seven the campaign prior, truly impressive numbers for a full-back.

West Ham United are back in Premier League action this afternoon as they welcome one of their local rivals to the London Stadium.

David Moyes’ men host Tottenham Hotspur in what is sure to be an exciting encounter, with both matches bringing plenty of goals last season.

The Irons will be looking to make it three wins on the trot, having sealed a resolute 1-0 victory over Everton last Sunday and extended their 100% record in the Europa League by defeating Genk 3-0 just a few nights ago.

Both teams occupy a spot in the top seven, with the north Londoners holding an edge in fifth place. A win for the Hammers could see them leapfrog today’s opponents into fourth.

That means Moyes must get his team selection spot on ahead of kickoff. And if Thursday night was any sort of test for some of his fringe stars, then Andriy Yarmolenko wouldn’t have passed with flying colours.

The long-serving Ukraine international has struggled for game time in the past 18 months and failed to take a rare opportunity to impress the Scotsman.

He has played only 33 minutes in the Premier League so far this season and started just the one game throughout the whole of the 2020/21 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

Yarmolenko started and played the full 90 against the Belgian giants this week but failed to provide a goal or assist. And he was just one of two players to record a rating lower than 7.0 by SofaScore.

The 31-year-old forward managed only one shot throughout the whole game and lost five of his eight duels (62.5%), so evidently, he struggled in front of goal and was rather weak against the opposition.

Much of his time in east London has been like this, however.

Across only 65 appearances since his £18m arrival in July 2018, the versatile attacker has only delivered ten goals and six assists, with injuries and inconsistencies a big factor.

Incredibly, there has often been a lack of effort on his part – as seen by his appearance against Manchester United in the Premier League, further proving why he cannot be starting in the competition.

“I’m not sure David Moyes was entirely happy with the efforts of Andriy Yarmolenko there,” said Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne during commentary. “Still the dialogue is ongoing between the West Ham manager and the Ukrainian forward, who he has just brought on. He certainly wants to see more from him.”

Once dubbed “special” by teammate Declan Rice, Yarmolenko has no right to be involved in the Irons’ starting XI when a team like Spurs come to town.

Moyes must axe the £3.6m-rated flop from his lineup, with Michail Antonio looking likely to return after his absence, along with Said Benrahama, who is surely the first-choice out wide.

He’s never been good enough for the Hammers.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

Arsenal have reportedly submitted a bid for Manuel Locatelli…

What’s the word?

That’s according to beIN Sports correspondent and Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri, who dropped the exciting claim on Twitter this week. He wrote:

“Arsenal have bid €40m for Italy European champion Locatelli.”

It comes after previous reports suggested that the Gunners had offered the Italian midfielder the best financial package amid interest from Serie A giants Juventus.

Technical director Edu Gaspar may have his work cut out as Locatelli has made no secret of his feelings over a potential switch to Turin, telling Sky Sports Italia (via the Daily Mail) that links to the Bianconeri are “pleasing.”

Bye-bye Xhaka?

Any move for a new midfielder would surely push Granit Xhaka closer to the exit door, especially after football.london’s chief Arsenal reporter Chris Wheatley revealed the Swiss international had agreed on a five-year contract with Roma.

Despite all of his previous controversies in North London, the 28-year-old does leave behind a huge void in midfield and one that leaves Thomas Partey without a long-term engine room partner.

This is where Locatelli can instantly make an impact after winning Euro 2020 only last week.

The £31.5m-rated enforcer featured in five of their seven matches, in which he bagged himself a brace against Switzerland in Italy’s second group A game of the tournament.

It continues on from an impressive domestic campaign at Sassuolo, where the 23-year-old provided seven direct goal contributions in 34 appearances, even donning the armband on a handful of occasions.

That would suggest that he’s capable of filling the likely leadership hole left behind by Xhaka in the heart of the pitch.

Furthermore, Locatelli was graded as Sassuolo’s second-best player as per WhoScored ratings and proved to be quite the box-to-box threat as he also averaged a squad-high 2.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.1 key passes each league outing.

It’s no wonder that one of his performances at Euro 2020 saw him earn the tag of being a “real dominator” in the middle. Those averages for 2020/21 would certainly go a long way in backing that up as he has the intelligence to read the game defensively and also get further up the pitch to contribute by creating key chances.

The “extremely talented” 6 foot 1 star would surely be the dream replacement for the seemingly departing Xhaka and as such, he would fit in right alongside Partey under Mikel Arteta next season.

Edu must do all he can to convince Locatelli to join the Emirates Stadium over the Turin front-runners.

AND in other news, David Ornstein relays exciting Arsenal update that is sure to excite supporters…

When Ciaran Dickson raced away after scoring for Celtic’s Old Firm rivals in 2019, he wouldn’t have expected to be scoring a goal whilst wearing Hoops’ shirt just three years later.

Dickson has always been a talented player but he was released this summer and looks to have joined the Bhoys following a few weeks without a club.

Though, a matter of years ago, he looked like one of the biggest talents to come through the Gers academy. He netted in a dramatic FA Youth Cup final at Hampden where Scotland’s two biggest teams met each other.

He had the world at his feet but his career hasn’t quite fully taken off. However, if things don’t work out at Rangers; just join their fierce rivals instead.

Dickson hasn’t been seen in the first team yet but earned his debut for the Celtic B team last weekend where he scored in the club’s SPFL Trust trophy defeat to Morton.

Playing in midfield, the 19-year-old was a threat going forward and adds to a wide array of promising young attacking players at the club.

Owen Moffat has already scored five goals in one game this season while Celtic are eagerly awaiting the return of Karamoko Dembele who should be a star in the Lowland League.

Ange Postecoglou has already spoken of the importance of bringing through homegrown players and after scoring last weekend, Dickson will now be on the Australian’s radar.

Continue how he’s going and he could be Celtic’s new David Turnbull. Comments made about the teenager back in 2019 show just how similar they are.

Graeme Murty said: “Ciaran is a really interesting guy because he possesses some wonderful technique, we are still building things onto him in terms of capacity and in terms of understanding but he deals with the ball very very well.”

Turnbull easily has one of the most aesthetically pleasing techniques in the squad and seems to be going from strength to strength.

Like Dickson, he’s capable of striding forward from midfield and scoring goals. The Scot already has five strikes to his name in 11 outings this term for instance.

Quotes from Steven Gerrard also tell a story of his excellent attributes: “I thought young Dickson was terrific. He played with energy, personality and character. He’s the type who will never let me down.”

On that evidence, it seems as if the Bhoys have got their hands on an incredibly promising player.

AND in other news, Forget Carter-Vickers: Celtic’s “walking joke” who won 100% duels starred last weekend…