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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.

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…

It would take a “ludicrous amount of money” for Aston Villa to get Allan Saint-Maximin out of Newcastle United, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

There is nothing to suggest that Saint-Maximin is currently a target for Villa. And having already signed Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey to strengthen the wide positions, that is unlikely to change before the transfer window shuts.

However, former Villa striker Stan Collymore reckons his old side, as well as the likes of West Ham and Everton, should be trying to sign the 24-year-old (Daily Mirror via Chronicle Live).

Given his importance to Newcastle, though, and the fact that he signed and a new six-year contract last October, for Hatfield, it is practically a non-starter.

“It would take a ludicrous amount of money to sign Allan Saint-Maximin now,” Hatfield told FFC. “He’s just signed a new deal. He’s obviously a very talented player; he’s probably Newcastle’s most talented player.

“He’s shone in the Premier League for Newcastle. He’d be a nightmare to replace for them, so you’d imagine they’d want top dollar for him.

“I’d be massively surprised if Villa were to show any kind of serious interest in Saint-Maximin.”

Indeed, Saint-Maximin is not the kind of attacker that is easy to replace. The Frenchman averaged 3.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season, more than any player bar Wolves’ Adama Traore (via WhoScored).

Leeds United can count their lucky stars that they managed to return to Yorkshire with a share of the spoils on Saturday evening.

In what was described as an “important point for us” by manager Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites were far from the better side in their late-evening Premier League clash at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Indeed, the Seagulls hit the woodwork three times and arguably, they deserved to go into the break with the lead.

The Argentine was quite clearly concerned with their play as he made a double change for the second half, and perhaps surprisingly Kalvin Phillips was one of the two casualties – as well as left-back Junior Firpo, who was a complete walking liability at the Amex Stadium.

He endured a torrid time up against Brighton star Tariq Lamptey, who continued his impressive comeback from injury.

The former Spain under-21 international, who is currently valued at just £12.5m following his summer move from Barcelona, picked up a very early yellow card in the fifth minute for his troubles up against the English dynamo.

Lamptey continued to be a nuisance as the first half went on, so much so that Firpo was walking a tightrope and could have easily received his marching orders – it’s no wonder Bielsa hooked him so soon.

Across the 45 minutes, he committed four fouls, which would go on to be double what any other player managed, even those who played the full 90 minutes.

The 25-year-old, who earns around £55k-per-week at Elland Road, was also lightweight as he won just six of his 12 duels (50%), and was wasteful too, losing possession eight times on top of a disappointing 68% passing accuracy, as per SofaScore.

It made the decision to bring him back into the starting XI over Pascal Struijk, who had done no wrong up until this point, a rather baffling one to make.

Elsewhere, Firpo managed fewer touches (37) than all but one starter, including goalkeeper Illan Meslier (54), further displaying his lack of influence on the side.

LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross ranked the 6-foot defender amongst United’s worst-performing players. ‘Did well to stay on as long as he did. Lamptey had his number from the start and once he was on a yellow you were fearing the worst. Did not justify the decision to drop Pascal Struijk. 3/10,’ he wrote.

On the above evidence, Bielsa may want to rethink his approach with Firpo. He was a total calamity down on the south coast, and with his team sat just one place above the relegation zone, he cannot afford many repeat performances heading into a busy festive period.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops big Leeds United managerial update…

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy has suggested that Adam Armstrong might end up at Fulham this window.

The Blackburn striker has established himself as one of the most lethal second-tier goalscorers in recent seasons, scoring 44 times in the Championship across the last two years combined, including 28 last term.

Armstrong’s form has led to plenty of Premier League interest, with the likes of Southampton, West Ham and others battling it out for his signature.

But the Rovers frontman has made just a handful of Premier League appearances during his teenage years with Newcastle and doesn’t have a top-flight goal to his name.

With that in mind, another season at Championship level could benefit the 24-year-old, especially in a Fulham side that are expected to score plenty and challenge for promotion once again.

New Cottagers manager Marco Silva currently has Aleksandar Mitrovic at his disposal, but the Serbian scored just three times in the league last season and didn’t look up for the challenge for the majority of 2020-2021.

And with Fulham desperately needing another name regardless of whether Mitrovic sticks around, the EFL insider exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Adam Armstrong from Blackburn could be one, similar to Dwight Gayle, but has more goals in his game in my opinion.

“He’s proven now and a good bid might get him to move to a big club like Fulham, with its wealth.”

Aston Villa are facing the prospect of losing out on Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith, having, of course, played under the Villa boss during their time in the Championship.

Football Insider delivered an update on the £50k-a-week earning defender’s situation, saying that: “A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have been given encouragement that United are planning to let Tuanzebe go in the current window. The 20-times champions have been sounded out by Villa over a potential deal and they will listen to offers if they can secure a replacement.”

But now, the same outlet have now claimed that fellow Premier League side Newcastle have leapfrogged Villa in the race to sign Tuanzebe on loan, with the Magpies increasingly confident of striking a deal.

Dean Smith will be livid

The £6m-rated ace came in for some big praise from United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season after a particularly impressive display against French giants PSG in the Champions League.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

While he may not have had too many minutes in the top-flight last year, Tuanzebe showed exactly why Villa are after him, averaging 1.4 tackles per game and boasting an impressive 88.6% pass accuracy – as per Whoscored, both of those stats are actually better than Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.

What will frustrate Smith is that given his previous ties to Tuanzebe, and the fact that reports suggested Villa had sounded out United over a potential deal much earlier, Newcastle swooping in at the last moment to sign him will sting.

With Bjorn Engels’ departure, Villa are left with a real shortage of centre-back options, and Tuanzebe on a season-long loan would’ve fit the bill to a tee given his Premier League experience and the fact he’s been at the club before.

This latest update will have Smith livid with the club failing to get his man in. News that he’s now closer to joining a fellow Premier League side at that, is unlikely to help how he feels either.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece drops Villa claim on Anwar El Ghazi…

The situation surrounding Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United is going to be something to watch this summer amid a new worrying claim…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, the 22-year-old midfielder is keen on making a return to his former club Chelsea, who are also thought to be interested in signing him.

And it’s something that Hammers fans have been warned to keep an eye on.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘London is Blue’ podcast, the reliable journalist said:

“I have to be careful with what I say on this, because I’ve got some information on this which will end up getting written at some stage which I can’t really talk about. Look, Chelsea are interested in Declan Rice and everyone knows that Declan Rice is interested in Chelsea.

“The problem’s West Ham, and the problem’s the asking price with West Ham. I mean, they’re telling everybody at the moment it’s £100m and Chelsea aren’t going to pay £100m for Declan Rice this summer.

“So it’s what happens from there, really, and I think there’s more to play on this. And it’s going to be an interesting summer, let’s say, around Declan Rice and Chelsea.”

Time to worry?

Rice, who is currently excelling for England at Euro 2020, has frequently been linked with an exit from the London Stadium, with both Manchester giants mooted with interest, on top of Chelsea, too.

Irons boss David Moyes has previously rejected the idea of selling the 6 foot 1 powerhouse, claiming: “Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good.”

However, this latest claim is a fresh sign that Rice is keen to go back to Stamford Bridge and whilst their London rivals won’t pay the £100m asking price, Law suggests that this saga is only just getting underway.

“It’s going to be an interesting summer,” he hints.

That would perhaps suggest that after Euro 2020, a bidding war could ensue – or at the very least, Thomas Tuchel’s side will ramp up their pursuit.

The fact that both parties are said to want this deal leaves the Hammers in quite a powerless place right now, they don’t want to risk heading into the new campaign with an unsettled player, especially with a historic Europa League campaign on the horizon.

This claim will also leave much of the West Ham faithful absolutely terrified as no one will want to lose arguably their biggest star.

As per WhoScored figures, Rice ended the 2020/21 campaign as Moyes’ fourth-best player (7.01) but topped the charts for interceptions (1.8 per game) and wasn’t far behind for tackles (1.8 per game), too.

Evidently, he’s a hugely influential player on the pitch for the East London outfit but this update suggesting he wants to leave is a huge bombshell that’ll leave many, many supporters truly worried.

But at the end of the day, Chelsea are still a level above the Irons, having just won the Champions League. This is far from a finished story yet.

AND in other news, Forget Kral: Moyes must sanction West Ham swoop for “complete” £10m “special talent”…

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!

Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to quit Wolves last week came as a big shock.

He seemed happy and content with the direction in which the Old Gold were heading but, following a dialogue with Jeff Shi, he decided to hand in his resignation.

You can hardly blame him, either. The Portuguese was going to have small resources to work with this summer and they would have to sell their best players in order to spend big.

The Molineux outfit have consulted Jorge Mendes in their bid to find a new coach, with former Benfica manager Bruno Lage the frontrunner. Paulo Fonseca has also been in the frame but, according to Wolves legend Steve Bull, they should consider Julen Lopetegui.

When questioned by Football Transfer Tavern about whether he would be a good appointment, Bull commented: “I think so, I think so. There’ll be names bandied left, right and centre. If [Jose] Mourinho was free, you would have dropped him in the hat as well. But, you know, it’s just a lottery at the moment.”

Lopetegui has had an interesting couple of years in management. He was set to lead Spain at the 2018 World Cup but was relieved of his duties on the eve of the tournament after agreeing to become Real Madrid manager after the competition had finished.

Following a string of bad results, he was sacked in October of that year after just a matter of months at the helm.

He has enjoyed a fabulous renaissance with Sevilla, however, winning the Europa League with the Spanish outfit in 2020.

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Lopetegui developed a system which involved wing-backs and turned the Andalucians into a defensive powerhouse. Considering how poor Wolves were at the back this term, he could prove beneficial in leading them back up the table.

The Old Gold kept just ten clean sheets from their 38 league games this term, letting in goals on a regular basis. In 14 league matches between October and January, they only maintained two shut-outs during a wretched run of form.

Lopetegui could ensure that this drastically improves. His Sevilla team kept an incredible haul of 25 clean sheets in 54 matches this season.

The 54-year-old dubbed Nuno a “great coach” when the two teams met last season in the Europa League and has enjoyed great success with a defensive duo of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos. Those two defenders arrived during his first summer in charge, proving that Lopetegui knows what he’s looking for in the transfer market.

Basing his philosophy on a possession-based brand of football, that would suit a Wolves team with plenty of ball-playing midfielders and defenders in their team.

Lopetegui endured a turbulent year in 2018 but has since shown great dedication and focus at Sevilla. He should definitely be considered by Jeff Shi and Fosun.

AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for “outstanding” 25 G/A beast, he could be their new Traore…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting negatively to James Pearce’s update regarding Jadon Sancho and Kylian Mbappe.

Jurgen Klopp and his Reds players are currently enjoying a breather, following a relentless season.

In the end, Liverpool’s campaign managed to finish in positive fashion, with a third-place finish sealed, despite so much going wrong throughout 2020/21.

Qualifying for next season’s Champions League is big financially for the Reds, but it also means top players are more likely to be keen on a move.

Two players who have been linked with joining Liverpool are Sancho and Mbappe – two of the most exciting young players in European football currently.

Unfortunately, The Athletic‘s Pearce has poured cold water on either player heading to Anfield, saying it has been ‘dismissed by senior club sources’.

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Liverpool fans react negatively to Pearce update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the news, although some weren’t exactly surprised.

“That’s because LFC are broke. Having spent nothing for 3 years”

Credit: @magicmasteryoda

“Shocker”

Credit: @Phenyo_

“I’m just gonna mute the word James Pearce this guy is nothing but bad vibes”

Credit: @danmarchh

“FSG OUT”

Credit: @Tjtrxcxy10

“Pretends to be shocked”

Credit: @vicxx18

“And in other news snow is white”

Credit: @george_forsythe

In other news, Pearce has also provided a key update on a current Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.