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With just a couple of weeks to go in the transfer window, Leeds United still have work to do.

The Whites may have won two of their opening three Premier League games, but there are areas the club still want reinforcements in, with one of those being a new winger.

The Yorkshire outfit have been linked with a number of wide players this window, with their pursuit of Ryan Kent being highly publicised, but the most recent player they’ve reportedly been tailing is an old target, Daniel James.

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Leeds famously failed to sign the winger in January 2019, but The Sun claimed last week that they were planning to go back in for him.

However, it seems as though that deal won’t come off as Sky Sports are now stating that the youngster has told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he wants to stay and fight for his spot in the team.

The report also states that Leeds have made a loan offer for the former Swansea City man, and while a move doesn’t look likely at the moment, Sky state that the situation could change depending on whether or not Man United make any more signings in the coming weeks.

With United apparently still chasing Jadon Sancho, the situation may end up changing on that front, but as of right now, James wants to stay at Old Trafford.

What a transfer window Everton are having. Carlo Ancelotti is still working hard to make the Toffees real contenders for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League season and so far, it has to be said the squad is looking quite sharp.

But the best thing about it is the fact that they are not done with their transfer business just yet. After sealing a couple of deals that will immediately improve the team, Ancelotti will turn his gaze towards the future a little bit.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Everton are set to battle Leicester City for the signature of St Etienne’s young prodigy, Wesley Fofana.

At the moment, however, the Foxes seems to be in pole position to land the ace and are willing to offer around £20m to acquire his services. The 19-year-old is seemingly open to leaving and the prospect of playing in the English top-flight could be tempting and perhaps enough to convince him.

Defensive reinforcements are still on both teams’ minds but Ancelotti will have to roll up his sleeves if he is to beat Leicester in the race. Fofana was excellent last season and is looking to continue this outstanding run of form into the new campaign.

Is that going to be in the Premier League or in France? We’ll simply have to wait and see.

Verdict

Needless to say, landing Fofana on top of all those transfers would be like a cherry on top for Everton’s summer transfer window. Of course, nothing is set in stone just yet and the youngster is, at this moment in time, closer to the King Power Stadium.

But seeing how he’s managed to seal so many deals already, betting against Ancelotti this summer is simply ill-advised. Let’s see if he can work his magic once again and land the coveted youngster.

After signing from PSV in the January transfer window, Steven Bergwijn had a mixed start to life in English football with Tottenham.

The Dutchman got his career off to the perfect start with a wonder strike against Manchester City on his Premier League debut, before netting a further two times in his next five games in the top-flight.

After that however, things slowed down considerably, with Bergwijn – earning a reported £25k-per-week – failing to score in his last eight games for the club, and managing only one assist.

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But with a few months to get adjusted to the differences of English football, Jose Mourinho must surely unleash the Netherlands international next season, and he could be the unsung hero in Spurs’ push for a Champions League spot.

When you look at the 22-year-old’s performance against City in particular, Bergwijn’s intelligent movement and directness caused Pep Guardiola’s side all sorts of issues – something Mourinho hailed in his post-match press conference.

He said: “It was a very solid performance against such a difficult opponent like Kyle Walker. He was also clever enough to appear in other zones and to try to create some problems for City.”

As per Sofascore, Walker lost possession on 11 separate occasions, whilst he also won just 50% of his duels and forced into making four clearances over the course of the game.

Despite only having 32 touches in the 70 minutes that he was on the pitch, Bergwijn made things count, and the fact his impressive display came up against the then reigning Premier League champions just proved the immense potential he has.

Amidst all this recent talk about Spurs potentially making a sensational move for Gareth Bale in this transfer window, the Lilywhites would be better off trusting those who they already have at the club. Bergwijn could step up to be the man.

Many Aston Villa fans have discussed a report claiming Dean Smith will be handed a transfer budget of £100m this summer.

The Midlands outfit narrowly escaped relegation in the 2019/2020 season, drawing with West Ham United on the final day of the season to ensure that they remained in England’s top flight.

Having spent a large amount on players last summer, Villa boss Smith will be once again looking to the transfer market to explore the potential of bringing in some new faces.

Signing in the likes of Wesley, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Trezeguet, Smith spent £143million in total on new arrivals last term.

The Sunday Mirror via Birmingham Mail have already started to discuss potential summer arrivals and have put together a report over the weekend which claims Smith will be allocated £100m to bring in four players.

Birmingham Mail also go a little deeper into who Villa could potentially bring in this summer with Brentford winger Said Benrahma emerging as a possible target.

Responding to the £100m claim, Villa fans took to Twitter via @villareport to give their opinion on who should be signed if that amount becomes available. One fan suggested that they would be in a relegation battle again having received a bigger budget last term only to end up near the bottom three, whilst another suggested they were ‘doing a Fulham’ again – last season many likened their spending to that of the Cottagers in 18/19.

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Who do you think Aston Villa should sign this summer? Let us know in the comments section below…

Former Premier League side Bournemouth have made an approach to Coventry City for manager Mark Robins, according to TEAMtalk.

After suffering relegation to the Championship in the 2019/20 season, the Cherries opted to mutually release Eddie Howe from his contract and the hunt for a new manager is now starting to begin.

Howe successfully guided Bournemouth from League Two to become an established Premier League but their five-year stay in the top flight ended, dropping down to the second tier with Watford and Norwich City.

With the 2020/21 season now upon us and the transfer window in full swing, bringing in a new manager is top of the club’s priority.

And, a potential new manager could be Robins, who has guided Coventry from League One back to the Championship, winning the league title in the process.

TEAMtalk report that Robins has been approached, whilst also claiming that Jason Tindall, Howe’s former assistant and Aston Villa number two John Terry are amongst the bookies favourites to take over at the Vitality Stadium.

Robins looks unlikely to leave the Sky Blues given that he has already signed a total of five players this summer which include Gustavo Hamer, Callum O’Hare and Ryan Giles.

Coventry should simply not allow Robins to leave and he would be mad himself to depart them now.

Given that Bournemouth are in the same league as the Sky Blues next term, it would prove more of a managerial challenge for Robins to stay with Coventry and see if he can ensure they become a solid Championship side.

Do you think Robins would be tempted to join Bournemouth? Let us know in the comments section below…

Former Spurs star Paul Robinson believes Troy Parrott’s latest setback will be a massive “personal blow” after sitting on the sidelines for so long.  

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the player-turned-pundit feels Parrott’s injury will frustrate the teenager, but urged the 18-year-old to bounce back stronger than ever.

Tottenham announced the youngster has undergone surgery to remove his appendix after scans revealed early signs of appendicitis, which will keep him out for a number of weeks, via the club’s official website.

The young striker will now begin rehabilitation and return to training later in June.

Robinson told Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs “it is a blow for him personally because he has been chomping at the bit and knocking on the door this season. He was so close without actually getting a proper chance.

“Fans and pundits have been calling for him to be given a chance so it is unfortunate timing for him.

“You just hope that he can get himself fit and right for the start of next season. He can take some time out now to get right and focus on hitting the ground running next season and put the disappointment of this season behind him.”

It is difficult to disagree with Robinson on this one, as Parrott recently signed a new contract with the club which will extend his time in North London until the summer of 2023.

Although the academy product has only played five minutes of Premier League football this season, he has enjoyed a prolific spell at youth level, scoring six goals in four UEFA Youth League appearances and two in a Premier League 2 game (Transfermarkt).

These performances have resulted in plenty of fans and pundits alike calling for him to be given a chance in the first team, although Jose Mourinho has been reluctant to use the Irishman so far, despite the fact he was Spurs’ only recognised centre-forward during Harry Kane’s absence.

The Lilywhites still haven’t signed a backup for Kane at the time of writing, which has definitely boosted Parrott’s chances of playing more regularly next season.

At this stage in his career, he needs to be testing himself on a regular basis, and this latest injury will surely throw a spanner in the works.

Spurs fans, do you think that Troy Parrott needs to go out on loan? Let us know below…

Newcastle United fans have been going through the wringer in the last week or so – whilst the club have been linked with fresh talks of a takeover, Mike Ashley’s decision to furlough the majority of their non-playing staff has caused a stir.

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ChronicleLive reporter Mark Douglas relayed some further news in that aspect with the Magpies’ media team now on the government’s job retention scheme despite the chairman being a very wealthy billionaire. The reliable scribe called it a “shame” and many supporters have echoed that.

He also makes reference to Liverpool, the runaway league leaders, for doing exactly the same as the St James’ Park outfit too.

Newcastle have also put the scouting and recruitment team on furlough leave and they were even the first Premier League club to make such measures.

According to Forbes, Ashley is worth around $2.4bn (£1.96bn) yet the Sports Direct tycoon isn’t prepared to fully support his staff during this time of uncertainty and danger.

A poor look, but did you really expect any better?

Here’s how fans have been reacting to Douglas’ information on Twitter…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to transfer links with “another Joelinton”…

Crystal Palace are stepping up their intentions to sign France international Olivier Giroud, according to reports.

FCInterNews have reported (via Sport Witness), that Italian side Inter Milan are also sniffing around for the available striker, however, the Eagles look to be making things difficult for the club.

Allegedly, Palace have ‘moved concretely’ for the 33-year-old, and are willing to satisfy the forward’s wages, which could put Inter’s move for him in doubt.

Within their report, Giroud is reportedly asking for one of two things from Inter; he wants either a two-and-a-half-year deal taking him to the summer of 2022 or a deal until 2021 worth a salary of €8m (£6.25m) for the season and a half. It is not clear as to whether the Eagles have had the same request.

Given that Chelsea will not allow him to leave for free as per the report, it seems finances could prove a stumbling block for Inter.

Palace will be hopeful that the Nerazzurri simply cannot afford the French striker as they could really do with some more reinforcements up top.

Even if the Italian side can afford him, you would presume that regular football is a must if he is to join, as he will want to impress as much as he can before Euro 2020. With the Serie A giants having the in-form strikeforce of Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku up top, it’s hard to see where he fits in as a regular starter.

Chelsea’s forward could offer more than one solution for the Eagles. Obviously, with just 10 goals scored from 12 games – the second-fewest amount of goals scored in the league – they will want more goals from a centre-forward. Being France’s third-highest goalscorer of all time and having 78 goals in 224 appearances in the Premier Leauge, there’s no doubt he could do that. After all, this is a man who won the FIFA Puskas Award for his strike against the Eagles while an Arsenal player back in 2017.

Furthermore, with a club legend in Wilfried Zaha struggling to find his feet this season – not scoring once so far – the hold-up play of Giroud could do wonders for the Ivorian winger.

The way in which the World Cup winner could bring the winger into play is something which could really kickstart his season. He is a selfless player, as shown in the World Cup, where his name was “among the first” on the teamsheet (per Stuart James in the Guardian) for his target man capabilities despite not scoring. Looking at what he did for someone like Antoine Griezmann, bringing him in to play and giving him the ‘freedom to flourish’ according to the Guardian, the ex-Montpellier ace does look to be a strong attacking weapon to use alongside a player in a free role.

As per Transfermarkt, Zaha has scored one goal from eight games as a support striker over the course of his career, a figure which could realistically be markedly improved on if he had a target man such as Giroud to float off, as the aforementioned Frenchmen have done.

While he might cost a fair bit of money, someone of the calibre of Giroud is only going to help Palace’s problems for goals.

Even if Jordan Ayew is having a really good campaign, he simply doesn’t have the experience of the 33-year-old.

Giroud’s talents may also be a huge help for Zaha as not only will he take more pressure off the Ivorian, as they will have another star to expect goals from, but he may also be able to form a partnership with the tricky winger which could benefit him hugely on the pitch as he has done at international level.

Could you see Giroud at Palace? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

West Bromwich Albion’s quest to return to the promised land of the Premier League is looking more and more likely under Slaven Bilic.

The Baggies currently occupy top spot going into the final international break of the calendar year, and they do so holding a two-point cushion over the chasing pack of Preston North End and Leeds United.

At their current rate, the west Midlands club should surpass a points total of 92, which has been enough for automatic promotion in four of the last five Championship campaigns.

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Integral to their season so far and their future ambitions is Matheus Pereira, who joined the club on deadline day on loan – he has since gone on to score three goals and provide six assists in 11 starts, per WhoScored.

Some of the Hawthorns faithful have been describing his season to date on social media this week.

One supporter claimed he was the best player in the league while another believed he was a better version of Cristiano Ronaldo, even though this was more than likely said tongue in cheek, both players did come through the academy system at Sporting Lisbon.

A further fan of the Baggies stated that Pereira was ‘a must signing’ in the January transfer window with one more calling the 23-year-old ‘very exciting’ on his day.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, there is a strong possibility that West Brom’s loan star Grady Diangana is recalled by his parent club in January.

But Slaven Bilic may already have his replacement lying in wait at the club.

What’s the word?

Reports claim that Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is ‘increasingly attracted’ by the prospect of recalling the 21-year-old in January.

Diangana does indeed have a clause as part of his loan deal that would allow the manager to do so.

Pellegrini has been kept up-to-date with his performances at the Hawthorns, but he will only be able to act on that option during the first two weeks of January.

A source told Football Insider that the chances of that happening are “genuine” given West Ham’s struggles in front of goal – they have netted just 12 goals from 10 matches this term.

Willock in wait

Diangana has been emphatic for Bilic’s Baggies this campaign, scoring four goals and providing three assists, per WhoScored, so there’s no doubting that his departure would put a huge dent in their promotion hopes.

However, the effect will be less severe once they realise that they already have his replacement lying in wait in Chris Willock.

The former Arsenal graduate has been in red hot form for the U23s this campaign but is yet to taste senior football up in the west Midlands, he has netted two goals and laid on four assists in the Premier League 2, via Transfermarkt.

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It seems daft to have brought someone in on deadline day only to force him to play youth football.

Bilic has claimed that the 21-year-old has to wait for his opportunity while his youth teammate Jack Fitzwater believes it is only a matter of time before we see Willock line up on a Saturday.

Albion reportedly want to keep hold of him despite the lack of senior game time, so they can boost his prospects by allowing him to thrive in Diangana’s absence.