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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.

Newcastle United are keen on bolstering their goalkeeper options in this January transfer window, with Arsenal star Bernd Leno now being name-checked as a target.

What’s the story?

While the Magpies are keen on sealing a deal for Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, they are also actively seeking a new number one shot-stopper, and Sport BILD journalist Christian Falk has revealed that Leno is someone who the club are interested in.

Howe can finally axe Dubravka and Darlow

Both Dubravka and Darlow have come in for heavy criticism for their performances this season in the Premier League, with some fans dubbing the duo as liabilities following a couple of poor performances against Manchester United and Brentford respectively.

The latter in particular has arguably been the biggest source of frustration, and the stats point to why that is the case. As per FBREF, he has let in 3.4 goals more than he has been expected to keep out, which ranks him as the fourth-worst performing goalkeeper in the entire division.

Indeed, following that performance against Brentford, Martin Keown slammed: “Darlow, the goalkeeper, had a nightmare. It goes through him, it’s really poor. You want everyone to do everything right in those first few minutes when you score.

“I think everyone just got carried away in the euphoria of the goal. You just need that period to settle. You want your goalkeeper to do the basics, and he didn’t do that.”

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In Leno, the Magpies would be getting someone who has got vast experiences of playing at the highest level, having competed in the Champions League with Bayer Leverkusen and winning FA Cups with Arsenal in his time of England.

Despite losing his place towards the back end of last year to Aaron Ramsdale, Mikel Arteta was quick to insist that Leno has been as professional as ever, something that should impress Howe.

He said: “No that’s not true. He was top with his teammates in training and everything. That’s not true.

“Bernd was not pleased when I told him he wasn’t playing. But he is a top professional and a top person. He should be disappointed and he should support his teammates like they all have with him. That’s exactly what he’s done.”

Dubbed an “incredible talent”, the £100k-a-week earning Leno could provide Newcastle with a reliable first-choice goalkeeper that can finally axe some of the liabilities they’ve had in goal previously.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are keen on a deal for this Ligue 1 star…it’s not Bruno

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over the news that Dominic Calvert-Lewin has withdrawn from the England squad.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the striker has sustained a thigh strain from the 2-0 away win at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League over the weekend, and thus will not be able to play a part in the Three Lions’ upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

This means that he will be given some extra time to rest and recover before hopefully returning to play for the Merseyside club after the international break has finished, rather than risk worsening his issue with England.

Rafa Benitez would not have wanted Calvert-Lewin to endure any additional stress in training with Gareth Southgate, and so it will come as a relief to him that he now has time to recover, especially with the addition of Salomon Rondon offering some extra depth too.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin news

These Toffees supporters buzzed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that the injury withdrawal is ‘good news’:

“Yerrrrsssss”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“Yessss”

Credit: @JoeEfc171

“A deserved rest for the big fella.”

Credit: @the_street_end

“Good news”

Credit: @EFCNovaScotia

“Good stuff”

Credit: @Toby_Hoskins2

“Thank god. Pointless games anyway”

Credit: @EFC_Lucy

In other news, find out what EFC talks stalled on Deadline Day here!

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has claimed that VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis is weighing up a move between Celtic and Werder Bremen.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s summer

CEO Dominic McKay has been a busy man in his first summer at the club.

Seven new first-team signings are already through the door, with two more expected in Shamrock Rovers’ Liam Scales and Legia Warsaw’s Josip Juranovic.

Striker Thomas Henry of OH Leuven was recently linked with a move to Glasgow, however, it seems as if McKay and co are now looking at Giakoumakis, who enjoyed his most productive season in front of goal last year with 26 Eredivisie goals in 30 appearances.

The Latest: Joseph’s post

Joseph took to Twitter on Thursday to provide an update on Giakoumakis and a potential Parkhead switch.

He admitted that the 26-year-old is weighing up a move between Celtic and Werder Bremen, with £3m set to be enough for his services.

The Sky Sports reporter then added more details regarding the striker.

“I’m told that Giakoumakis & his agent visited Bremen last night to see the club’s facilities and held informal discussions. Bremen had a bid of £1.7m rejected by Venlo, but have not given up hope. Celtic have made initial contact with the player’s representatives & the club.”

The Verdict: Sell Edouard

If Celtic are successful in their pursuit of Giakoumakis, then they should be looking to offload Odsonne Edouard in the final weeks of the window.

The French forward has been the Hoops’ main man in recent years, contributing to 124 goals in his 176 Celtic appearances.

However, he will be free to talk to sides in January ahead of a potential pre-contract agreement, with his Hoops deal up next summer and is working on a Parkhead exit.

So, should Giakoumakis, described as ‘very special’, arrive for £3m, then Celtic should explore selling Edouard for a decent fee before the end of the month instead of risking losing him for nothing over the next 12 months.

In other news: Joseph shares more Celtic transfer news, but this one isn’t positve. 

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Southampton target Joakim Maehle has confirmed that he would be interested in a move to the Premier League in the summer in a report by Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness.

The Saints lined up an €11.5million (£10m) bid for the Genk right-back in January, per Het Belang van Limburg via Sport Witness, but no transfer came off.

What’s the word?

Southampton’s reported interest in Maehle came after the Saints allowed Cedric Soares to join Inter Milan on loan.

Maehle has made 64 appearances for Genk since joining the club from Aalborg BK and has won two caps for Denmark’s Under-21 side.

And he admits that he was interested in moving to St Mary’s, while admitting that he hopes to complete a similar transfer in the summer.

Speaking to Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness, he said: “I’m not going to say that I wasn’t interested. This was a nice proposal from a big club from a top competition.”

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Asked if he could move in the summer, he added: “We will see that. If I keep on performing, this opportunity definitely needs to happen again. But whether that will be at the same club or in the same competition, you cannot predict now.”

Reignite interest in summer

This sounds very much like a come-and-get-me plea from Maehle.

The right-back would have the opportunity to link up with fellow Danes Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jannik Vestergaard for the south coast outfit.

And it makes complete sense for the Saints to pursue a deal, particularly now that Cedric has been allowed to depart St Mary’s.

If Saints stay up – they are currently two points clear of 18th-placed Cardiff City in the Premier League – their interest may well be reignited, as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to shore up his defence.

Indeed, the club have conceded 42 goals thus far this season, only four fewer than rock-bottom Huddersfield Town.

Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on speculation over Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa’s future.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds midfielder, Palmer, has allayed fears that the club could lose manager Bielsa to Barcelona.

The Lillywhites head coach has been linked with the top job in Catalonia recently, but Palmer believes that he will stay at Elland Road for at least another season.

He told This is Futbol:

“Well, like I say, you can never say never, but there’s always going to be rumours. If you’re a manager that’s done well or if you’re a player that’s doing well, there’ll be rumours about you.

“I think Bielsa is one of those people. He seems a pretty straight up, straight down type of guy. He’s committed to Leeds for another season and he works from season to season.

“I think unless something drastically happens in terms of his arrangements with the hierarchy at Leeds in terms of recruitment and bringing players in and being able to do the job the way he wants to, I see Bielsa staying at Leeds for another season at least.”

Fans will be buzzing

Leeds fans will surely be buzzing to read this claim from Palmer following speculation over Bielsa’s future at the club. Losing the ex-Marseille manager would be a gigantic blow for the Whites and one that could leave fans feeling devastated, given what he has achieved in his time in Yorkshire.

He has taken the club from years of wallowing in the Championship to playing fast-paced, exciting, football and thriving in the Premier League.

Instead of turgid, boring, football in the second tier playing the likes of – with all due respect to them – Barnsley, Rotherham and Wigan each week, Leeds are going toe to toe with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea as they compete in the top tier week-in-week-out and that is largely down to Bielsa’s work.

The head coach led Leeds to a third-placed finish – averaging 1.80 points per game – in his first campaign at the club in the Championship, losing in the play-offs to Derby. He was then able to build on that and secure the title the following year, averaging 2.02 points per game as Leeds won the league ahead of the likes of West Brom, Fulham and Brentford – highlighting his influence over the years.

The Argentine was then able to take the next step at Premier League level by keeping Leeds in the top-flight following their promotion. Leeds finished ninth in the 2020/21 season, averaging 1.55 points per game across the campaign.

This is why fans will be buzzing at the prospect of Bielsa staying at Leeds for the rest of this term and then potentially for another year, at least.

He has shown that he is an influential figure at the club as he has achieved relative success in both the Championship and Premier League, which is why supporters will surely want him to stay at Elland Road and would be gutted if he left to join Barcelona.

AND in other news, Fresh development emerges on “unlimited energy” beast that’ll leave Leeds fans excited…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Arturo Vidal to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to reports from Chile (via Sport Witness), which claim that Antonio Conte has made contact with the Inter Milan midfielder regarding a switch to North London in the winter window.

The report goes on to suggest that, after speaking with a source close to the 34-year-old, the Chile international would be open to a move to the Premier League side, as one of his dreams has been to feature in the top flight of English football.

Speaking about Tottenham’s interest in Vidal, the source said: “His former Inter coach, Antonio Conte, contacted the player to find out his availability to arrive in London. Arturo has always wanted to play in England and the option of arriving in London is something that he doesn’t dislike either.”

Spurs must move

While it is true that Vidal is a player who is very much already well into the twilight years of his career at the top level of the professional game, it is undeniable that the midfielder would nevertheless make a fantastic addition to Conte’s current options in the middle of the park.

Indeed, the £8.5m-rated man played an important role for Inter over his 23 appearances Serie A appearances in the club’s title-winning campaign last season, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 0.4 key passes per game.

The £86k-per-week central midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 27.8 passes and winning 2.8 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the player who himself said “many try to imitate” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.80, with his performances playing a key role in helping I Nerazzurri seal their first scudetto in 11 years.

As such, with Conte looking to repeat his work at Inter by also restoring Tottenham to glory in the current campaign, it would indeed appear highly advisable for the 52-year-old coach to bring a player who played a key role for him in Italy to North London this January.

Under the management of the Italian, it is not difficult to imagine the midfielder going on to play a crucial role for Spurs in the middle of the park in the second half of the season.

In other news: Conte could save THFC millions by unleashing “quality” 18 y/o gem who has “great feet”

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”

Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes there is no chance that Manchester United will allow Jesse Lingard to return to West Ham.

The Lowdown: Lingard excels at West Ham

The Hammers enjoyed an excellent 2020/21 season and Lingard ended up being one of their star men, despite only arriving on loan in January. The midfielder scored nine goals and registered four assists in just 16 Premier League appearances, becoming an instant crowd favourite in the process.

The 28-year-old returned to United at the end of the campaign, but he has again struggled for playing time at Old Trafford, failing to start a single league game in 2021/22.

The Latest: O’Hara has his doubts

Despite rumours linking Lingard with a return to West Ham, O’Hara doesn’t see it happening for a second time.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Monday [via Read West Ham], the 35-year-old insisted that Manchester United wouldn’t sell to the Hammers now that they are a direct rival. He said:

“As if Man United are going to allow Jesse Lingard to go to West Ham – they are above them in the table. That’s not going to happen, that’s competition.

“There is no way they are going to allow a top player, who was brilliant for West Ham when he went there. They aren’t going to allow him to go on loan there this season when they are in direct competition. That’s never going to happen.”

The Verdict: Ideal January arrival

David Moyes’ Irons are on fire at the moment, sitting third in the table and having the strongest group of players at the club in years. If Lingard were to come back in January, it would arguably feel like the icing on the cake, giving West Ham even more quality in midfield and attacking areas.

It is sad to see him getting so little game-time at Manchester United, with the 28-year-old someone who should be starting regularly for a top-flight club based off his performances at the start of 2021. He has been described as ‘brilliant’ by Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite the Norwegian continually overlooking him from his team selection.

However, as O’Hara says, it would be a surprise if Lingard were to return to the London Stadium this season considering that the Hammers are in a top-four battle with Manchester United.

In other news, some West Ham fans love a recent update on a key Hammers player. Find out who it is 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.