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Journalist Pete O’Rourke has provided an update regarding Leeds United’s reported interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers man, Adama Traore.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider revealed that sporting director Victor Orta is driving the pursuit of the dynamic Spaniard, following reports that the Elland Road outfit are interested in the 26-year-old.

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O’Rourke stated:

“Victor Orta, the Leeds United head of recruitment, is a huge fan of Adama Traore having previously worked with him at Middlesbrough and has been chasing him for a long time, so it’s a deal that he will definitely try and push over the line.”

The one-time Aston Villa man had spent the second half of last season on loan at La Liga giants Barcelona, although is set to return to his parent club this summer with the Nou Camp outfit unable to afford his reported £29m buy option, due to their ongoing financial crisis.

With just a year remaining on his deal at Molineux, the eight-cap gem is set to fetch in the region of £18m, with the Yorkshire side having previously been linked with a deal last summer during Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge.

Raphinha heir

The desire for a new attacking addition in the current window has been heightened by the seemingly imminent departure of talisman Raphinha, with the Brazilian ace looking set to join fellow Premier League side, Arsenal, this summer.

Replacing the 25-year-old’s 29 goal contributions from the last two top-flight campaigns combined will undoubtedly be difficult, as too will be replacing his influence on the game, with the £17m addition having posed a constant threat down either flank with his speed and trickery.

In Traore, however, Orta has identified a player who can perhaps offer an even greater attacking threat, with the “unique” colossus – as dubbed by former boss Nuno Espirito Santo – a simply rare asset for any side.

While his attacking output has been poor in recent seasons in truth, with just eight goals and 14 assists in his Premier League career thus far, the £18m-rated man did impress on his brief return to Catalonia, registering four assists in all competitions for Xavi’s side.

An improvement on that end product is needed, although it is his explosive pace and immense power that makes the £46k-per-week machine such an eye-catching and devastating presence, with the former Middlesbrough man a simply unstoppable force on the counter-attack.

Unsurprisingly, the statistics reinforce that claim, as he ranks in the top 1% for dribbles completed and in the top 3% for progressive carries among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, showcasing his brilliance in dragging his side up the pitch.

Described as a “freak” by journalist Tim Spiers, the 5 foot 10 menace would seemingly suit the often relentless, high-octane style that is on show at Elland Road, with it a mouthwatering thought as to the carnage he could cause while willed on by frenzied home support.

Undoubtedly, the loss of Raphinha would be a blow for next season’s preparations, although in Traore the Whites can find his perfect heir.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano now reveals “crucial” transfer development, it’s great news for Leeds

Leeds United appear to be leading the race to sign Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi, according to Goal.

The Lowdown: Nyamsi profiled

Primarily a centre-back, Nyamsi only made the move to the Ligue 1 club last summer. The 25-year-old was a regular last season, making 35 appearances in all competitions, with his performances taking his Transfermarkt valuation to a career-high £6.75m.

The Frenchman is under contract until 2025 and is represented by Wasserman, an agency that Victor Orta knows well as they look after six Leeds players, and it looks as if the Whites are keen on Nyamsi’s services.

The Latest: Leeds links

According to Goal France, Nyamsi is attracting interest from the Premier League, with Newcastle also keen on the player.

However, the report claimed that it’s Leeds who are ‘above all’ in the race for the 6 foot 5 defender after deciding to study his profile in greater depth.

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The Verdict: Needed?

The Whites are also keen on 6 foot 4 Club Brugge attacker Charles De Ketelaere, and out of the two, he is needed more at Elland Road over Nyamsi.

Jesse Marsch already has four senior centre-backs at his disposal and has Charlie Cresswell coming through at a rapid pace, so signing the Strasbourg giant may set the teenager back as he looks to break through at his boyhood club.

It looks as if Leeds are keen on the 25-year-old, but for us, the club should be looking at a centre-forward and replacements for Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha and not another centre-back.

Jacque Talbot has dropped a claim on potential Leeds United summer transfer target Weston McKennie.

What’s the word?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, Talbot claimed that he could see Victor Orta making a move for the Juventus central midfielder – whom Leeds were linked with back in January – in the summer transfer window.

However, the journalist then went on to state that RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams is perhaps a more realistic target for the Whites in the coming months.

When asked whether he could envisage Orta making a move for McKennie, Talbot said: “Yeah, I think so. I think there is the link, this sort of contingent that’s going on between Leeds United, America and the Bundesliga.

“I think there’s Tyler Adams as well. He played under Jesse Marsch last season before he was sacked in November, so that again is that link there. But I think [with] Tyler Adams [there is] probably a bit more of a chance for Leeds. He’d be a good player to get in.”

Orta must move for McKennie

While Adams is undoubtedly a player who would fit Jesse Marsch’s tactical setup at Elland Road extremely well, considering just how impressive McKennie was for Juventus in 2021/22, the argument that the 23-year-old would be a much better signing than the RB Leipzig midfielder is a relatively easy one to make.

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Indeed, according to FBref data, the £43m-rated USA international ranks in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 5% for non-penalty xG, the top 14% for shots, the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 2% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, the £37k-per-week talent’s defensive metrics are also extremely impressive, with FBref also ranking the 34-time capped international in the top 1% of attacking midfielders for clearances per 90, in addition to the top 4% for interceptions, the top 8% for aerial duels won, the top 10% for blocks, the top 16% for tackles and the top 40% for pressures over the past 12 months.

As such, with the player who Stephen Meyer dubbed both “unreal” and “irreplaceable” bettering Adams’ returns in almost every aforementioned metric over the course of the last year, and with McKennie reported to be available for £35m this summer – just £1m more than the Leipzig talent’s €40m (£34m) release clause – it is clear to see that, should an opportunity arise for the Juventus centrocampista, Orta simply must prioritise a move for McKennie over Adams.

AND in other news: “We are told..”: Beren Cross drops big Leeds transfer update that supporters will love

Despite finishing in 17th place in the Premier League table, Leeds United were still a very capable attacking side at times this season.

In fact, the Whites racked up a total of 711 shot-creating actions throughout the campaign, which is more than a number of teams that finished above them in the table such as West Ham United, Wolves and Leicester City.

One figure that played a massive part in Leeds’ season in an attacking sense is Raphinha.

With 35 appearances under his belt as well as 11 goals and three assists, no other Leeds player managed to equal the number of shots at goal (85) or successful dribbles (59) the Brazilian made.

Now that their turbulent campaign has come to an end and Jesse Marsch has guided them to safety, the focus can turn to getting ready for the next campaign and making sure they aren’t involved in another relegation battle.

One figure that the Yorkshire club have been linked with that could benefit from having such a deadly attacking player next to him, such as Raphinha, is Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton-Diaz.

Last August, Tony Mowbray said that he hoped the centre-forward would be “hungry for goals” for his current club, which is exactly what he turned out to be by finishing the season as their top scorer.

Specifically, the 23-year-old found the net 22 times in 37 league appearances, leaving only Aleksandar Mitrovic (43) and Dominic Solanke (29) scoring on more occasions than the Chile international in the entire division.

This shows just how capable he is of putting away goalscoring chances, which is why having a player like the Leeds star, who delivered 90 crosses in total throughout the campaign, could be so beneficial for him and the team in general.

With a reported price tag of £20m, it would surely be an investment worth making for Victor Orta as the striker would then give Marsch the chance to form what could be a formidable attacking duo in his side that could fire them to the top half of the table.

The opportunity to play at a big club like Leeds and show what he’s capable of producing in the Premier League would undeniably be a tempting prospect for the player.

In other news: Big update emerges on mega-money summer deal, Leeds United supporters will be fuming

TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has delivered an update on West Ham United’s pursuit of Rennes centre-back Nayef Aguerd. 

The lowdown: West Ham interested in Aguerd

This comes following a report from Le Parisien (via Get French Football News) last week claiming that the Hammers were progressing in their chase to sign the 26-year-old.

It has since been claimed that David Moyes views the Moroccan as a priority this summer, as the Irons manager attempts to bolster a problem area in the London Stadium squad.

One informed onlooker has now provided the latest situation surrounding this potential deal…

The latest: Crook on Aguerd

Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer specialist Crook claimed that West Ham could tie up a move for Aguerd in the near future, whilst also ruling out a swoop for one Premier League defender who has been linked with the east Londoners.

He said: “I’m not convinced Michael Keane would be that attractive for West Ham if they’re trying to challenge for Europe again. I don’t think he had a brilliant season for Everton, maybe his best days are behind him.

“But Aguerd, they’re keen on him, they’ve scouted him quite a lot towards the back end of last season, they sent people over to France, so I’m expecting that one to happen.”

The verdict: Could be a good fit

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, Aguerd has been described as a ‘monster in the air’ by football consultant and writer Jonathan Fadugba, and would therefore fit the mould of what Moyes wants from a centre-back.

Last season, the 19-cap Morroco ace scored four times and provided three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions in France, highlighting his prowess in the attacking third. He also averaged an impressive 3.1 successful aerial duels and four clearances per game whilst helping his team to keep 10 clean sheets in Ligue 1 (Sofascore).

Closely indexed to Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk, Lille’s Sven Botman and Barcelona legend Gerard Pique in terms of playing style (FBRef), signing Aguerd this summer would appear to be a superb piece of business from GSB and Moyes.

In other news: Journalist says West Ham are ‘in talks’ to sign an ‘amazing’ forward, find out more here.

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez could join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Previous agreement

As per a report by The Times, the Lilywhites had agreed a £60m transfer fee with the Serie A club last August, only for Antonio Conte’s former side to go back on the proposed deal.

With Romelu Lukaku making a £97.5m return to the Premier League with Chelsea, Inter decided to end negotiations with Spurs over a potential move for the Argentina international.

Whilst the 24-year-old has signed a new contract keeping him in Milan until 2026, The Times have recently reported that Inter have now set a new £70m asking price for the striker.

The Latest: Talbot’s claim on Martinez

With ENIC having announced a £150m investment into the north London club, Talbot believes that some of these funds could be put towards a transfer fee for Martinez.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed: “I’m told Martinez would be coming into Spurs, and I think it’s good because it’s down to (Daniel) Levy wanting to appease (Antonio) Conte.

“And there was a little bit of concern, would he do it, is he going to invest loads of money? But then they’ve just got Champions League, and now they’ve just got £150 million extra investment.

“And they’ve got Son (Heung-Min), who’s just won the Golden Boot with (Mohamed) Salah, and Harry Kane, who looks to be signing a new contract, then they’ve got (Dejan) Kulusevski, who will be staying as well.”

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The Verdict: Great signing

In 135 appearances in the Italian top flight, the Argentine has netted an impressive 58 goals (via Transfermarkt), illustrating his clinical nature in the final third.

When compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, Martinez ranks in the 99th percentile for total shots taken and in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals (via FBRef).

With the Inter marksman gaving established himself as one of the best strikers in European football, his international team-mate Lionel Messi piled on the praise, hailing the 24-year-old as a ‘spectacular’ player.

With the acclaim coming from one of the greatest footballers of all time, Martinez certainly must be the real deal. Therefore, this would be a fantastic signing for Spurs if they can get it done.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops significant transfer update on this reported Spurs target

Journalist Jacque Talbot is ‘sure’ that Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips will sign for Manchester City this summer.

The Lowdown: City move ‘in motion’

Pep Guardiola’s side have made the 26-year-old a top target this summer as they look to replace Fernandinho at the Etihad Stadium.

Reports have stated that the Premier League champions feel that the Leeds midfielder fits the profile of their current squad, with City journalist Tom Young believing that a move is ‘in motion’.

Phillips is entering the final two years of his Elland Road contract and hasn’t signed new terms since the club’s return to the top flight.

The Latest: Talbot’s claim on Phillips

Talbot shared his thoughts regarding Phillips’ future in Yorkshire via Twitter on Friday afternoon.

The journalist thinks that the ‘imminent’ pull of Champions League football, a ‘considerable wage increase’ and the World Cup in November could be enough for a move to go through, with Talbot ending his thread by admitting that he is ‘sure this one gets done’.

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The Verdict: Valuation must be met…

With Leeds avoiding the drop on the final day of the season against Brentford, they are no longer in a position where they need to sell any of their stars in cut-price deals.

Phillips is the Whites’ most valuable player alongside Raphinha and the only holding midfielder at the club, so they shouldn’t feel any pressure to cash in unless their valuation is met.

Reports have recently suggested that Leeds want more than £50m for the 26-year-old. Should he leave, Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch will need to act fast on bringing in midfield reinforcements or risk entering the new season extremely short of options in the middle of the park.

In other news: Phil Hay now drops big update on Raphinha’s Leeds future after what he’s heard from Elland Road

Journalist Alfie House of The Daily Echo has shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move for Edwards…

The exciting teenager has been on Spurs’ radar for quite some time, as revealed by Peterborough club director Barry Fry.

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Speaking in a recent interview, the Posh chief stated that Edwards is a player who has been watched by Tottenham for ‘a long time’ along with other clubs,including a ‘big’ German side (via football.london).

As per The Daily Echo reporter, that interest hasn’t waned as Spurs allegedly hold talks over a move for the 19-year-old.

The Latest: House makes Edwards claim…

Taking to Twitter, House explained that Tottenham are one of the Premier League clubs who have ‘talked’ over Edwards, although there is nothing yet ‘concrete’ in terms of a formal bid.

Sharing a corresponding report from The Daily Echo, he outlined: “On Ronnie Edwards, understand #SaintsFC interest is at a very early stage. The 19yo is expected to leave Peterborough this summer. Spurs, Villa, United and Palace all have talked but nothing concrete yet. One we will follow through the weeks.”

The Verdict: Don’t hesitate…

Edwards stands out as one of the most promising talents in England, with his former manager Darren Ferguson even calling him ‘incredible’.

His addition would also solve a glaring problem at Spurs in terms of their homegrown quota, in addition to ensuring that they have secured another real talent for the future.

According to WhoScored, despite his tender age, Edwards was one of Peterborough’s most reliable players in the Championship over the 2021/22 season as he averaged a colossal 3.7 clearances per 90, the second-highest of anyone in their squad.

He certainly seems like a brilliant talent and Spurs should be aiming to get at the front of the queue for him.

In other news: Journalist says Tottenham could sign £100m ‘big name’ this summer, find out more here

Manchester United have suffered a major transfer setback as fellow Premier League side Aston Villa have beat them to a key signing.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano relayed via Twitter that Aston Villa have secured the signing of Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer, something that was also confirmed by the club’s official channels.

Man United were perennially linked with the player as they looked to improve their midfield, but the Frenchman has snubbed them to embark on the project that Steven Gerrard is building at Villa.

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The 22-year-old has signed a five-year deal and it’s a deal that Man Utd will regret not pushing over the line.

Big blow for Erik ten Hag

With Erik ten Hag beginning his new role in the Old Trafford dugout today, it would appear as though the former Ajax boss has already suffered his first big blow in charge.

It’s no secret the job that ten Hag faces is massive. This season has been a terrible one for United and the Dutchman now faces a major summer rebuild ahead of what could be the side’s biggest campaign in years.

With the midfield being significantly weakened by the potential departure of Paul Pogba, the exit of Nemanja Matic, and the future of Donny van de Beek uncertain, there will be a gaping hole in the middle of the sides midfield.

Kamara would have been an excellent signing, especially on a free transfer and this just shows how far the club have fallen in recent years.

The Frenchman has been a revelation this season in France, ranking in the 97th percentile compared to positional peers in the big five leagues for passes attempted (78.91 per 90) and the 96th percentile for pass completion (91%).

This proves he can control the midfield and his passing ability is fantastic. Former teammate Rolando lauded him as a “phenomenon” previously, whilst journalist David Anderson labelled him as “the next big thing” and his stats and performances this season certainly back up this claim.

Man United’s loss is Aston Villa’s gain, and they could live to rue their mistake. Ten Hag needed a midfielder but he’ll now have to look elsewhere.

It will also leave supporters gutted who will no doubt have been eager to see the club replace Pogba quickly and with a like-minded player in the middle of the park. Boasting plenty of potential and on a free transfer, this should have been a no-brainer for the United hierarchy.

AND in other news, Man United are now the “frontrunners” to sign £35m “great leader”, ten Hag needs him

Celtic are already looking to get ‘business done’ behind the scenes, according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been crowned the new Scottish Premiership champions, following a wonderful first season with the Australian at the helm.

Celtic aren’t resting on their laurels ahead of an important summer transfer window, however, with reports already linking them with new signings.

Postecoglou clearly sees the importance of making significant reinforcements and he won’t be allowing this one season to get the better of his ego.

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The Latest: Ange not messing around

Whelan is of course a former pro in Scotland and England, but he is also now a Leeds United employee, so knows a thing or two about club operations.

Speaking to Football Insider, he hailed the manner in which Ange is going about his transfer business ‘behind the scenes’, focusing on the interest in Mohanad Jeahze:

“You can’t question his signings so far, can you? They’ve all done really well and fitted right into his system almost seamlessly. They’ve taken to it like a duck to water.

“I love it when teams and managers go out with purpose in the summer and get their business done early doors. It just points to good scouting and hard work behind the scenes that they’ve got this deal ready to go.

“They want him through the door and up to speed, ready in time for pre-season. I think it’s brilliant to see them not taking any time off, not resting on their laurels – Celtic want to make this title theirs next season as well.”

The Verdict: Exciting times for Hoops

With the title recaptured and Champions League football sealed, there is no denying that this is a wonderful time to be a Celtic supporter.

Qualifying for Europe’s top club competition massively increases their chances of signing higher calibre players, enhancing the Hoops’ hopes of more success in the process.

The dream is that the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota sign permanently this summer, while a sprinkling of magic in other key areas would also take Celtic up another level. A big-money striker wouldn’t go amiss, for example, with Liel Abada their top scorer in the league in 2021/22 with just ten goals.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly ‘desperate’ to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.