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Leeds United could help answer Marcelo Bielsa’s prayers by finally signing Reading star John Swift in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to reports over from the summer by The Sheffield Star, Bielsa’s side, along with the likes of Newcastle United and Brentford, have got their eye on the attacking midfielder.

And now, former Arsenal star Kevin Campbell has delivered his seal of approval over a move, and suggested that his signing could be key for the Whites to recapture their form.

He said: “Yes, I think they’ll have to go in for a John Swift or someone like that. January is gong to be so important for Leeds. They need to recruit wisely.

“Swift is have an amazing season at Reading. I think he could be one of two or three players who come in to bolster that squad.

“I know there is good youngsters coming through but this is the Premier League. You need proven quality. The players coming in need to be ready to fight. It is a big month for Leeds coming up.”

Leeds need him

If Leeds were in need of a central midfielder in the summer, then they are absolutely crying out for one now given the extent of their Premier League performances and recent injury crisis.

The Whites find themselves firmly in the mix of a relegation battle heading into Christmas, while they received the massive blow that talisman Kalvin Phillips will be out for the next couple of months.

While Swift isn’t likely to be a like-for-like replacement for the England international, he does offer something much-needed in the Leeds engine room.

The Reading ace has a track record of being someone who can offer a goal-scoring threat from attacking midfield, managing an impressive 65 goal contributions in 185 games – in fact, his start to the current campaign for Reading has been impressive to say the least, netting eight goals in the Championship as well as chipping in with nine assists too.

Speaking back in August after a 2-1 win over Preston, Royals manager, Veljko Paunovic, said: “Now he’s back, it is important we keep him healthy and motivated as he is now because that will help us a lot.

“He is super talented and he showed an urgency that he wanted to decide the game. The first couple of passes to Azeez and Joao were fantastic vision and execution of the final pass – something we’ve missed in the past. We missed those slick combinations through the middle when we progress forward so that’s something we have to keep up.”

With a record of 40 senior goals to his name in his professional career thus far, Swift could help answer Bielsa’s prayers of needing a new midfielder this January.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star must be axed vs 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

An Aston Villa source has dropped a fresh injury blow on Trezeguet before they play Everton away from home in the Premier League on Saturday night.

As per Football Insider, the Midlands club are set to be without the Egypt international for a year after he had to undergo surgery following the knee ligament damage that he suffered in the 2-1 away loss at Liverpool.

An AVFC source has since told the news outlet that he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and is likely to be out of action for up to 12 months.

That is the usual timeframe for the most serious of knee ligament injuries, which have regularly ruled out players for around a year before.

Aston Villa will miss Trezeguet

Even though he has never really been a regular starter for Villa, Trezeguet will certainly be missed by Dean Smith’s team.

With Jack Grealish currently out injured as well, Smith’s squad is looking rather thin up top, and at least Trezeguet was a decent option to have even coming off of the bench.

Danny Drinkwater, who is a former teammate of his at Villa, recently described the 26-year-old as a ‘talented’ player after he grabbed a vital brace in their home game against Fulham in the top flight earlier this month.

Nonetheless, Trezeguet potentially being out for a year is a big blow for AVFC.

In other news, find out what Villa teenager has been heaped praise on by fans 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

As Harvey Elliott continues to sparkle, his call for a spot in the Liverpool squad next season grows louder and louder.

The winger, signed from Fulham as a 16-year-old nearly two years ago, is enjoying a stunning season with adopted employers Blackburn Rovers.

In 34 appearances for the Lancashire outfit this season, he has notched five goals and ten assists following his latest contribution against Norwich City on Saturday, a highly impressive count for a player so young.

This is even more eye-catching considering the responsibility he has taken on at Ewood Park, with just 20-goal Adam Armstrong being more productive in the squad at the time of writing.

It is a contribution and in fact understanding of his role that indicates an added maturity on his extremely young shoulders.

Elliott also has statistics that even rank him higher than some of his illustrious Anfield contemporaries.

According to WhoScorded, the youngster is averaging 1.1 shots per game which is more than the likes of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri.

His 1.7 key passes per game is also a truly outstanding number and ranks him joint-highest of the Liverpool squad alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane.

Whilst it is true that Elliott’s numbers have been accumulated in a much weaker league, those contributions bode extremely well considering that Elliott is unlikely to even hit his peak for at least another decade.

Jurgen Klopp is also certainly aware of the winger’s extreme promise and potential, labelling him as “special” just after his debut for the Reds.

Now rated at £13.5m, Elliott’s valuation is surely going to soar following his exhilarating season in the Championship, catapulting his chances of breaking into the Liverpool first team.

Those calls for him to be included won’t so much be shouts for much longer, they’ll soon be demands.

AND in more news, take a look at which former Real Madrid defender Liverpool must not sign…

Leeds United are ready to smash their transfer record to sign Cagliari and Uruguay midfielder Nahitan Nandez this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing up a summer move for the 25-year-old, who could be available for much lower than his release clause.

Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna has now claimed that the Whites are actually ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road, with Bielsa insisting on signing him. That deal would eclipse the club-record £26m fee that Leeds paid Valencia to sign Rodrigo last summer.

Bielsa will love it

Connor Clancy, editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football, has thrown his support behind a potential Leeds deal, saying in an exclusive interview with This Is Futbol recently: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

According to Sofascore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won an impressive 6.1 duels per game in Serie A last season, which favours well compared to Leeds talisman Kalvin Phillips – the Whites ace averaged 2.6 tackles and won 5.3 duels per match in the Premier League last season.

His performances for Cagliari even led journalist Mina Rzouki to say: “Cagliari’s Nandez is one of the most underrated players. God he’s been so amazing, especially in Cagliari’s last 3 games. He scored the equaliser against Napoli. Man of the match in the win against Udinese. Against Roma – just wow. Unstoppable.”

If Andrea Radrizzani sanctions a record-breaking move for Nandez, then Bielsa would surely love it, especially with reports claiming that he’s insistent on bringing him to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa would be furious with this unforgivable Leeds mistake…

Sheffield United have been dealt a blow in their bid to keep Aaron Ramsdale at Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Arsenal have made initial contact with the Blades regarding a deal for the goalkeeper, with Mikel Arteta said to have been on the hunt for a shot-stopper since the departure of Emi Martinez last summer.

However, a further report by The Star revealed that, if Slavisa Jokanovic was to sanction the sale of the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window, it would not be for less than a figure of around £40m.

Jokanovic will be gutted

Considering how impressive Ramsdale was for United last season, despite the fact the club finished rock bottom of the Premier League standings, if Arsenal do go on to land the ‘keeper this summer, it would be an outcome that will undoubtedly leave Jokanovic gutted.

Indeed, over his 38 top-flight appearances last term, the £10.8m-rated man helped his side keep five clean sheets, made an average of 3.9 saves and 0.3 successful runs out per game, as well as making a total number of 147 stops across the season.

These returns saw the £43k-per-week shot-stopper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as the Blades’ third-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, with Jokanovic facing the task of securing an immediate return to the top flight with Sheffield United next season, keeping hold of the man Jurgen Klopp dubbed an “incredible” goalkeeper this summer would appear to significantly increase the club’s chances of going on to achieve this feat.

However, with Arsenal having already made contact with the Blades regarding the possibility of the ‘keeper making a switch to north London, the chances of Ramsdale playing his football in the red and white of United next season seems like a rather unlikely prospect at present, unfortunately for the Bramall Lane faithful.

In other news: Fresh twist emerges on “unstoppable” 16 G/A Sheff Utd target, Jokanovic will be livid

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Frank McAvennie has told current caretaker manager John Kennedy that he must “liven up” and admitted the Celtic job is “too big” for him.

Kennedy joined the Hoops as first-team coach back in 2014, and has worked under Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon before being put in temporary charge following the latter’s recent sacking.

The former Scotland midfielder, who has remained unbeaten in his four games in the dugout, including the Old Firm draw with Rangers last month, is currently second-favourite behind former Bournemouth manage Eddie Howe to succeed Lennon.

Kennedy looks set to remain in charge for Celtic’s final five Scottish Premiership fixtures, and he’ll be desperate to salvage some pride and ensure the Glasgow giants avoid their first trophyless season since 2010 by winning the Scottish Cup next month.

But McAvennie has advised Kennedy to earn his stripes as a manager in the lower leagues before considering a job the size of Celtic.

He told Football FanCast:

“No disrespect to John, I think Celtic is too big a club. Neil Lennon done it, but Neil was such a legend. And he had that behind him, so the fans gave him time, but they won’t give John time because he’s not held in the same regard.

“I think he might be a good manager, but I don’t know him well enough to say what his persona is, but he has got to liven up. If you walked into a dressing room, I wouldn’t be inspired, I would want someone to come in and fire me up.

“I think he might be a good manager, but he’s seen off four managers. I would think it’s time to go away, do something different, manage a lower league team, like Hamilton, Dundee, Dundee United. You’re going to get time at other jobs, but you won’t get time at Celtic.”

According to an update by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, writing for football.london, ‘strong new candidates’ are ‘constantly emerging’ behind the scenes and ‘making their interest known’ for the Lilywhites job.

The Lowdown: Spurs still on the manager chase

It’s now been over a month since Spurs sacked former head coach Jose Mourinho and chairman Daniel Levy has still not announced his new manager.

It had been previously reported that the club were hoping to appoint Mourinho’s heir by the end of this campaign, but with Spurs’ last game of the season coming tomorrow, this now appears dead in the water.

The Latest: Gold drops encouraging behind-scenes update

Sharing an encouraging update on what is going on behind closed doors, Gold has claimed that ‘strong new candidates’ for the job are ‘constantly emerging’.

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As well as this, Gold believes that they are also ‘making their interest known’ in the position despite all the toxicity surrounding Spurs at the moment.

Indeed, the relationship between club hierarchy and supporters is arguably at a weaker state than ever and superstar striker Harry Kane is heavily linked with a move away this summer.

The football.london journalist also reports that Levy will attempt to speak to all of his managerial candidates face to face once the season ends, rather than over a video call.

The Verdict: Promising update for Spurs fans

The mere notion many ‘strong’ candidates are now displaying their fondness for the Tottenham job should come as music to the ears of some supporters.

Spurs have suffered many blows recently in the race for a new manager, with former top target Julian Nagelsmann turning down the job and instead opting for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Brendan Rodgers, said to be another one of Levy’s preferences, publicly ruled himself out for the Tottenham managerial vacancy and his move to north London seems more unlikely than ever after Leicester City’s FA Cup win.

In a breath of fresh air, Gold’s managerial update surrounding the ‘constantly emerging’ wave of candidates come as very encouraging, as it appears top dogs are queuing up for the gig, rather than Levy being forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

In other news: Spurs could be offered this £250,000-per-week star for Kane, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur demanded £40million for Everton target Harry Winks, according to The Times’ Gary Jacobs. 

The lowdown

Winks started just nine Premier League matches for Spurs last season, and has only played 61 top-flight minutes so far this term (via WhoScored).

It’s a tricky period for a player Mauricio Pochettino once compared to Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

The 25-year-old has two years left to run on his £50,000-per-week contract at the North London club.

Winks has racked up ten England caps since his debut in October 2017, but has yet to make the squad for a major tournament (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

The report states that both Everton and Aston Villa were interested in signing the Englishman during the summer transfer window.

However, Spurs’ valuation deterred both clubs from making a move.

Had Everton agreed to pay £40million, it would have been their second biggest transfer outlay of all time.

The verdict

It was inevitable that Everton pulled out when that figure was floated. £40million is a frankly extortionate price tag for Winks, a player who despite his ability on the ball lacks the athleticism to thrive as a true box-to-box midfielder.

In all honesty, you could question whether, even for a quarter of that price, he truly improves Everton. This is a player who has stagnated in north London.

Rafael Benitez is probably better looking elsewhere if he’s intent on bolstering his midfield ranks.

In other news, a contract extension for this midfielder has been predicted.