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Leeds United have been boosted by the news that rumoured transfer target Marcelo will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with audacious Marcelo move

The Whites were linked with a stunning move for the Brazilian earlier in the year, but he ended up staying put at Madrid for another year.

Marcelo has enjoyed a stunning career at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning four Champions League titles and five La Liga crowns, among other trophies.

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The Latest: Brazilian set to leave Madrid

There has now been an update on the 33-year-old’s future in Spain, with El Nacionel Web reporting that this will be his last season at Madrid.

When the campaign reaches its conclusion, Marcelo will then be able to leave on a free transfer, which could potentially alert Marcelo Bielsa.

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The Verdict: Box office signing

In truth, it is hard to see Marcelo ending up at Leeds, given his likely wage demands, but it would be hugely exciting he did make the move to Elland Road, with the Spanish media hailing him as a ‘genius’ in the past.

He would bring with him a winning mentality that few possess, following so much success in his career, and he still has a few years left in him at a high level.

The thought of him marauding down the left flank is a mouthwatering one, providing competition for Junior Firpo, but it would be a major surprise if it happened.

In other news, Phil Hay has revealed another Leeds player is struggling with an injury. Find out who it is here.

Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsmikas and Roberto Firmino were the standout performers as Liverpool drew 3-3 with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Anfield. 

Despite the draw, ultimately the Reds booked a place in the semi-finals owing to a 6-4 aggregate success, where Jurgen Klopp’s side will face the conquerors of Bayern Munich, Villarreal.

After netting a first goal for the club in the away leg, Konate headed home the opener before Goncalo Ramos equalised before half time. After the break, a Firmino brace looked to have sealed the deal on the night before Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez struck back late on, albeit to no avail.

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According to Sofascore, there were three Reds in particular who stood out on the night and we’ve taken a close look at the numbers that made up a successful night for Klopp’s men.

Konate 7.4/10

Not content with opening the scoring, the powerful Frenchman produced an outstanding defensive display in the face of the impressive Darwin Nunez.

The 22-year-old centre-back won 2/2 (100%) ground duels, 3/5 (60%) aerial duels and was accurate with 94/105 (90%) passes.

This was yet another coming of age performance from the ever-impressive youngster who signed for £36million last summer (Sky Sports).

Tsimikas 8.2/10

Understudy to Andy Robertson, Tsimikas certainly grabbed this rare opportunity to impress on the biggest stage.

Overall, the Greek left-back provided two assists, won an impressive 9/12 (75%) of ground duels, completed 56/65 (86%) accurate passes and made four key passes on the night.

The 25-year-old also won 1/2 (50%) of his aerial duels and found a teammate with 4/15 (26%) crosses.

Firmino 8.4/10

Second half brace aside, this was a typical Firmino performance as the workmanlike Brazilian allowed those around him to flourish whilst pressuring defenders throughout.

This was underpinned by the defensive statistics as the 30-year-old won 3/7 (42%) of his ground duels, blocked two shots and made one interception.

In an attacking sense, Firmino completed 39/48 (81%) of his passes and enjoyed 70 touches as Liverpool advanced through the tie.

In other news: Liverpool reportedly interested in Ligue 1 starlet

Leeds United have received a triple injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Brentford at Elland Road this afternoon.

What’s the word?

In Friday’s press conference, Marcelo Bielsa confirmed Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk will be available for selection once again over the weekend following their respective fitness woes.

“It’s likely Patrick and Luke [Ayling] will be available on Sunday. Pascal [Struijk] has a knock around his hip, but we think he’ll also be available,” Bielsa revealed to reporters during his pre-game press conference.

Marcelo Bielsa will be delighted

News that all of Bamford, Ayling and Struijk could return to the matchday squad against the Bees will leave Bielsa feeling absolutely delighted, given their importance to the first-team squad.

Leeds have a great opportunity to secure consecutive victories in the Premier League for the first time this season when they take on Thomas Franks’s newly-promoted charges over the weekend.

Raphinha’s injury-time penalty last time out snatched all three points against Crystal Palace, but their performance level still left significant room for improvement.

Therefore, Bielsa will be relieved that the returning trio will once again be at his disposal.

Last term, Bamford finished as the west Yorkshire outfit’s top scorer with a hugely impressive 17 strikes in the Premier League, while Ayling and Struijk also played a pivotal part in their success. ,

As per Whoscored, Ayling averaged 2.8 tackles per league game throughout 2020/21, bettering all of his teammates tallies, and Strujik notched up 3.1 clearances, also outperforming all of his colleagues.

With Leeds currently just three places and five points above the relegation zone having played a game more than 18th-placed Burnley, securing a positive result against Brentford could be crucial to the Whites’ season, meaning Bielsa will warmly welcome the trio’s comebacks.

And, in other news…Bielsa could repeat Gelhardt masterclass with Leeds swoop for 20 y/o “manager’s dream”

Rangers go into their clash on Boxing Day at Ibrox seeking a ninth consecutive win in the Scottish Premiership as well as extending their lead at the top of the table.

The Gers are six points clear of their fierce rivals Celtic at the summit and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will be looking to further boost their title credentials vs St Mirren on Sunday afternoon.

Here is the side Football FanCast believes will start for Rangers as the Dutchman makes three changes from the 1-0 win over Dundee United.

As expected, goalkeeper Allan McGregor keeps his place in between the sticks with three of last weekend’s back-four retaining their spots. In comes Leon Balogun who could return from injury after a month out.

The £720k-rated Nigeria international, who has been labelled as “unbelievable” by Rangers legend Barry Ferguson, has returned to training and could make his first appearance under van Bronckhorst at Ibrox.

The further two changes come in the midfield as Scott Wright and Joe Aribo come in for John Lundstram and Scott Arfield.

Lundstram was replaced by Wright at halftime of the Dundee United victory, with the score being level, and the latter was awarded man of the match after making a crucial impact, something that should be on van Bronckhorst’s mind.

Aribo was also introduced before the Gers found their equaliser and is the club’s third-top-scorer so far this season with six goals making him a key player.

On the left of the midfield three is Glen Kamara, who has been a regular all season making 26 appearances in all competitions.

As for the front three, it is the usual combination of Ianis Hagi, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent.

AND in other news, GVB receives huge Christmas injury boost at Ibrox that will leave Rangers fans buzzing…

West Ham United have opened talks concerning a deal to bring Patrik Schick to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato (via London World), who claim that David Moyes’ side have entered into negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen regarding a £40m deal for the 25-year-old centre-forward.

The report goes on to state that the 58-year-old manager is keen to bring in attacking reinforcements into his side this month, as, since the sale of Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January last year, the Scot has had to make do with only Michail Antonio as an out and out centre-forward.

Moyes can finally replace Haller

Considering just how impressive Schick has been in Germany so far this season, in addition to the fact that the 6 foot 3 Czech international resembles the 6 foot 2 Haller in physical stature, should Moyes be able to get a deal over the line for the Leverkusen striker this month, he could well have finally replaced the Ivory Coast international at the London Stadium.

Indeed, over his 16 Bundesliga appearances in the current campaign, the £36m-rated man has been in devastating form, having already bagged an astonishing 18 goals, provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.6 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £82k-per-week hitman who Bayer manager Gerardo Seoane dubbed an “incredible” talent average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.33, ranking him as the ninth-best performer in the top flight of German football.

As such, should Schick be able to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to East London this winter, the 25-year-old would not only fill the Haller shaped hole in Moyes’ West Ham squad, but he could well go on to take Antonio’s starting spot leading the Irons’ attack.

In other news: Moyes must now launch WHU bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon” as key transfer twist emerges

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Darwin Nunez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness), who claim that the 22-year-old’s agent, Edgardo Lasalvia, has revealed that a number of top European clubs – including Spurs – have made contact with Benfica concerning a move for the centre-forward at the end of the current campaign.

The report then goes on to state that, as a result of the Uruguay international’s spectacular form both domestically and in European competition this season, the Liga Portugal side will demand a figure of around €100m (£83.5m) in order to part with the striker this summer.

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Tottenham’s next Poyet

Considering how impressive Nunez has been for Benfica in the current campaign, it is hardly surprising to learn that Fabio Paratici has been in contact with the Portuguese giants in order to sound out a move for the youngster this summer.

Indeed, over his 23 Liga Portugal appearances this term, the £36m-rated forward has been in breathtaking form for Nelson Verissimo’s side, scoring 21 goals, registering three assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £31k-per-week goal-getter average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.40, ranking him as the eighth-best player in the Portuguese top flight.

The 22-year-old who James Dodd dubbed a “sensational talent” has also been in rather remarkable form over his nine Champions League outings this season too, scoring five goals and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.02 – firing his side to the quarter-finals of the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Nunez is one of the most exciting talents in world football at present, leading us to believe the centre-forward would make an excellent addition to Antonio Conte’s current options in attack – or even a potential replacement for Harry Kane, who continues to be linked with a move away from north London.

And, should Nunez be able to continue his impressive form after a theoretical switch to Spurs this summer, although they do not play in the same position, the Uruguayan youngster could well go on to become the club’s next Gus Poyet – Nunez’s compatriot and former Tottenham attacking midfielder who scored an impressive 23 goals over his 98 appearances in for the club.

AND in other news: Conte can form “dangerous” duo as THFC plot bids for £156m pair who “really get along”

Jamie Shackleton is the Leeds United youngster who has the best chance of earning regular minutes this season, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Shackleton impresses for Leeds

The 22-year-old has already made five Premier League appearances this season, including a start at home to Watford last weekend, as the Whites finally got their first win of the campaign in the competition.

With Luke Ayling out injured for the foreseeable future, it could be that Shackleton continues to fill in at right-back, hopefully making up for the loss of a key player.

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The Latest: Hay expects more minutes

That’s certainly the opinion of Hay, who took to The Athletic to claim that Shackleton is the standout youngster, in terms of getting minutes as the season progresses:

“Looking at Jamie Shackleton in the past two games, perhaps the door might open for him at right-back now, especially with Luke Ayling undergoing surgery on his knee.”

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The Verdict: Ideal Ayling replacement

Shackleton is capable of playing at both right-back and in midfield, but it looks as though he will get playing time in the former for now.

Ayling is expected to be out for around six weeks, so this is a wonderful opportunity for the Englishman to stake a claim and cement his place.

The signs are promising with Shackleton, with Leeds Live‘s Beren Cross handing Shackleton a seven-out-of-10 rating against Watford and Darren Bent calling him ‘superb’ last year.

In other news, Hay has also provided an update on Leeds’ potential January business. Read more here.

Keith Downie has now shared some interesting Newcastle United news involving Jonjo Shelvey.

The Lowdown: Misery under Bruce

Before Eddie Howe took charge at St. James’ Park, Shelvey was not having the best of times under Steve Bruce.

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A calf injury kept him out at the start of the season, and when he returned in the 3-2 loss at home to Tottenham Hotspur in October, he got himself sent off (Transfermarkt).

Bruce was sacked after that game, as the North East club made their second-worst ever start to a Premier League campaign (Sky Sports).

The Latest: Impressing Howe

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sky Sports journalist Downie shared that Shelvey has ‘impressed’ Howe in training ‘more than anyone else’:

“Without doubt, he’s enjoying playing under Eddie Howe. Eddie Howe picked him out in his opening news conference, and said that he’s impressed him greatly in training, more than anyone else.”

The Verdict: Reaping rewards

Shelvey is certainly reaping the rewards now by showing Howe what he is made of on the training pitch.

Before the Tottenham Hotspur clash, he had played in all but three matches under the former AFC Bournemouth manager since his arrival, scoring two goals and making one assist (Transfermarkt), and got the nod from the off again in north London.

Howe has even made him the captain in a number of those appearances, showing how much faith he has in the central midfielder.

The Tyneside outfit also lost all three games that he missed, showing just how key of a player Shelvey now is to the team under new management.

In other news, find out what fresh NUFC update this transfer insider has now given here!

Manchester United have entered talks to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.

That’s according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, and, as to be expected, a number of United fans have been reacting to the rumours on social media.

Zagadou is 22 years of age and is out of contract with Dortmund at the end of June. The French centre-back has made 80 appearances for the club, however, he has suffered from numerous injury issues, missing 77 games since 2017/18.

Despite that, it seems as if United are keen to take advantage of Zagadou’s contract situation, with Aouna revealing on Twitter that Ralf Rangnick has started discussions with the defender’s agent.

Dortmund want to extend Zagadou’s stay in Germany, but he is now free to pen pre-contract terms at Old Trafford.

United fans react

@utdreport shared Aouna’s claim on Twitter on Wednesday morning. This is what these United fans had to say in reply, with many not keen on a transfer and one describing his injury record as ‘awful’.

“A extremely injury prone CB? Please no”

Credit: @MrCampbell98

“This can’t be true.. Very laughable”

Credit: @Sir_Skippa

“awful injury record NEXTTTT”

Credit: @UtdRajj

“He’d be our worst centre back”

Credit: @JoleanMU

“Just had a look at his stats….. this man is never going to be fit”

Credit: @TotalUnited

“A midfielder is more important”

Credit: @ShawzzyUTD

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Many MUFC fans erupt at journalist’s swap transfer news. 

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t afraid to pay the asking price for mooted January target Weston McKennie, according to reports in Italy…

What’s the word?

Calciomercato.it claim the American midfielder is ‘on the list of potential exits’ from Juventus this winter and Spurs are amongst the teams monitoring his situation ahead of a possible swoop.

The Old Lady value him in the region of €30m (£25m) to €35m (£30m), with both sporting director Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte keen on his signature.

Premier League rivals West Ham United are also linked with interest by the report.

Bye-bye Alli

The 23-year-old has gone from outcast to a regular under Massimiliano Allegri, starting three of their last four Serie A outings and in return, he current rates out as his seventh-best performer, as per WhoScored ratings.

McKennie has been dubbed a “leader” and an “outstanding talent” by ex-Schalke boss David Wagner, one that is capable of playing any central midfield role required, making him a very intriguing fit for Conte’s system, which relies more on the middlemen than wingers.

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“In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga,” he added.

His versatility is reflected by his numbers across several key statistics, with WhoScored describing his strengths as primarily being his defensive contribution.

In the Serie A this campaign, he’s attempted 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions (third-best), 1.3 dribbles and 1.6 shots per 90 minutes, showing he’s all over the pitch contributing in abundance.

This makes the £22.5m-rated star a much better fit for the Italian boss than someone like Dele Alli, who has been much-maligned in recent times.

Last month, The Athletic revealed that for the very first time, Spurs would be open to offloading the struggling 25-year-old midfielder and after failing to start either of Conte’s first two matches in charge, it’s hard to imagine things have changed much.

McKennie could be his replacement in the engine room, one that would be of much more use to the 52-year-old.

AND in other news, £25m-rated flop has handed Antonio Conte a fresh dilemma at Spurs…