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Leeds United need to tie down manager Marcelo Bielsa so that they can make progress on transfers, according to Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The lowdown

Leeds enjoyed an exceptional return to the Premier League in 2020/21, finishing ninth in the table on 59 points. That was the highest-ever tally for a side promoted as Championship winners, surpassing the previous record of 57 set by Wolves in 2018/19.

However, Bielsa only agreed a one-year deal ahead of the season and is still yet to sign a new contract, so theoretically, this delay may be placing transfers on hold.

According to Football Insider, the Whites are hopeful of signing left-back Romain Perraud from Stade Brest. The 23-year-old could be their first signing of the summer and is viewed as a replacement for Ezgjan Alioski, who is poised to leave Elland Road as a free agent.

The latest

Agbonlahor warned that, if the delay over Bielsa’s future drags on, picking out targets would be a waste of time for Leeds.

“They need to know what players they can get in,” he told Football Insider.

“If he’s not signed in the next month it’s wasting time identifying players for transfers. I’m sure he’ll want to get that sorted and Leeds will want to get that sorted as soon as possible so they can start planning for next season.”

The verdict

If Bielsa has given Leeds verbal assurances of his commitment, then they’re probably cleared to proceed on recruitment anyway.

Although the lingering uncertainty isn’t exactly ideal, the club’s hierarchy surely know by now that having the Argentine in the dugout means accepting his unique way of operating. Despite Agbonlahor’s concern, Leeds fans need not panic, particularly after such a strong 2020/21 season.

In other news, Leeds are also said to be keen on this midfielder. 

Rangers have been hit or miss in the transfer market over the previous few years, with the Premiership side often reluctant to splash out on transfer fees and in turn, this results in free transfers and loan signings at Ibrox.

This campaign has been no different, under both the ex-manager and Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Some players such as John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala have turned out quite well after a slow start, whereas Juninho Bacuna was back down in the English Championship after only five months in Glasgow.

With the club six points clear at the top of the league in January, the onus was on the new manager to strengthen, which he didn’t.

Bringing in Amad Diallo who is young and raw hasn’t paid off and the club should have moved for a player former Rangers legend Brian Laudrup called a “crowd-pleaser”, the Denmark international Andreas Skov Olsen.

The Ibrox side were perennially linked with Olsen during the summer and January transfer windows to no avail, as Club Brugge’s Champions League riches won the battle as they signed him for £6.3m from Bologna.

The right-winger’s stats have been fantastic since moving to Belgium, scoring five times and laying on seven assists for his teammates in only 12 matches since January.

Compare this to Diallo’s stats since his arrival; eight matches, one goal, and no assists and you can see which player Rangers really should have pushed the boat out for.

Hopefully, this is a lesson for Ross Wilson, although the Ibrox side are now traditionally a selling club, signing players who will immediately improve the first team will more often than not pay the club back with performances and excellent stats.

Club Brugge prevailed where Rangers didn’t take their opportunity and it was a poor choice from Wilson.

AND in other news, Gough 2.0: Van Bronckhorst could save Rangers millions with “superb” rarely-seen 18yo

Marcel Brands must seize an ideal chance to sell Moise Kean to Juventus with the Everton striker reportedly unwilling to return to Goodison Park this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, Kean has decided that his future is away from Merseyside and that he does not want to play for Everton once his season-long loan spell with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

Kean, instead, would willingly return to Juventus just two years after the Serie A side sold him to the Toffees in a £25m deal that does not include a buy-back clause.

Juventus are eager to take Kean back to Turin in the upcoming off-season as the Allianz Stadium natives work on improving Andrea Pirlo’s offence, with a particular need for a new centre-forward should Cristiano Ronaldo leave.

PSG are also keen to sign Kean permanently at the end of his loan spell, having seen the 21-year-old offer 16 goals in 34 games across all competitions and establish himself ahead of Mauro Icardi in Mauricio Pochettino’s pecking order.

But the Parc des Princes natives are thought to have a distinct disadvantage to Juventus in the race for Kean’s signature, as the Italian powerhouse has an excellent relationship with the striker’s agent, Mino Raiola.

It is understood that Juventus’ stronger connections could see Raiola facilitate a move if the financially-stricken outfit are able to raise the funds needed, with Everton reportedly valuing Kean at €50m (£43m).

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PSG would intend to negotiate a discount deal as they are currently reluctant to match the Toffees’ demands, despite Sporting Director Leonardo having a persistent interest in acquiring the eight-cap Italy forward.

Should Everton sell Kean to Juventus?

If the reports from Italy are correct and Kean does not envisage his future being at Goodison Park, Brands must seize Juventus’ interest in their former striker as the ideal chance to sell him for however much Everton demand.

Seemingly, PSG are unwilling to pay what the Toffees feel Kean is now worth after a successful season with the Ligue 1 giants, but severe interest from Turin could either force the Parisian outfit to up their offer or see the Old Lady present a more appropriate bid.

Everton’s Director of Football agreeing a deal to allow Kean to leave Merseyside would not be a hindrance for Carlo Ancelotti, either, after the Blues head coach admitted talks over his future would be accepted if the forward decided to leave.

“All the time we have to take into consideration what the player thinks because the players are human,” he told Sky Sports in January. “If the player wants to come back, we will be happy to have him. If the player wants to stay with Paris Saint-Germain, we have to talk with Paris Saint-Germain.”

Those talks may now be with Juventus as well, but rival interest should leave Everton in a win-win situation this summer either having two worthwhile suitors to consider offers from or have another option to support Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison next term.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti could have Everton’s next Idrissa Gueye on his hands in a “terrific” academy talent…

Taking to Twitter, Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis has broken some West Ham United transfer news involving RC Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

In perhaps the worst-kept secret of the January transfer window, Irons manager David Moyes and new transfer chief Rob Newman have their eyes firmly placed on bringing in a new striker alongside other additions.

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There have been plenty of names linked with a move to east London, including Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa and Blackburn’s Ben Brereton-Diaz, with Moyes and Newman seemingly looking under every rock.

The latter has been tasked with assisting West Ham in the transfer market after leaving his role of chief scout at Manchester City, coming with a big reputation from his time at Eastlands (The Athletic).

As of yet, the head of recruitment has been unsuccessful in clinching any West Ham deals, but he has now set his sights on a new target.

The Latest: Newman eyeing Ajorque…

According to French journalist Denis, West Ham and by extension Newman have set their sights on Strasbourg’s in-form talisman Ajorque amid their drawn-out search for centre-forward options.

The journalist explained on Twitter: “Looking for a 9 for many months, West Ham is interested in Ludovic Ajorque, the Strasbourg serial scorer, current 2nd top scorer in L1 with 10 goals.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Reliable West Ham insider ExWHUemployee recently claimed that the Irons were looking for talent in Ligue 1, with the French top flight potentially becoming a solution for Newman (West Ham Way).

It is therefore no surprise to see another name from France linked with a move to West Ham, but going by his numbers, Ajorque could be a shrewd option.

Alongside his impressive strike rate this season, the 27-year-old has notched an impressive total of 79 senior career goals and is an imposing threat going forward.

Compared to West Ham’s current squad, the towering 6 foot 5 striker has averaged a colossal 3.7 aerial duels won per 90 over 17 league starts – far more than any Irons player this season (WhoScored).

An aerial threat and proven in front of goal, it’s little wonder the Hammers and Newman now hold an interest in Ajorque.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman also moves to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Sheffield United take on Crystal Palace at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side looking to build some momentum ahead of their return to the Championship next season.

Although the Blades are rock bottom and already relegated, they showed some resilience with a 1-0 win against Brighton in their last home fixture and will be looking to re-establish Bramall Lane as a place to be feared ahead of next season, with their home form having been a key aspect of their promotion to the top flight and their impressive 2019/20 campaign in the Premier League.

There is likely to be plenty of changes from Heckingbottom after the Blades were thrashed by Tottenham in their last Premier League fixture, after a Gareth Bale hat-trick and Heung-min Son stunner earned the hosts a 4-0 win.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Heckingbottom will line up on Saturday, with two changes from the starting team which lost in north London…

Aaron Ramsdale keeps his place in goal, with the summer signing one of few players to escape this season with little criticism, as he has made some impressive saves and looks set for a bright future.

Due to a lack of defensive options, Heckingbottom goes with the same back five, as Ethan Ampadu and Jack O’Connell are still sidelined, with the latter having been a huge miss for the Blades this season after an excellent 2019/20 campaign.

There is one change in midfield as Sander Berge earns a start after making his return from injury as a substitute against Spurs. He replaces Ben Osborn, who struggled in North London, losing six of his 10 duels and giving the ball away 13 times.

David McGoldrick continues up front as Sheffield United’s main goal threat and he is partnered by the energetic Oliver Burke, who replaces Rhian Brewster. The youngster, who reportedly earns £27,500 per week at Bramall Lane, was anonymous once again in the defeat against Spurs, completing a pathetic total of three passes. The £23.5m signing is still awaiting his first Blades goal after 28 appearances.

In other news… Sheffield United should swoop for “top-class” £3.15m-rated gem likened to Messi

The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth has dropped an update on Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton’s future.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old made 13 appearances in the Premier League last season for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, but with reports linking the club to midfielders like Nahitan Nandez, Smyth has suggested that this is now an uncertain period of time for him.

He said: “Jamie Shackleton is almost exactly a year older than (Oliver) Casey and also penned a new deal at Elland Road last summer. The pathway to the first team was a lot clearer for Shackleton than the departed defender at that time, thanks to 22 Championship appearances in the title-winning season.

“As the Whites plot the capture of another central midfielder, with Stuart Dallas and Klich already ahead of Shackleton in that position and with Cody Drameh the obvious long-term successor to Luke Ayling at right-back, the paucity of the local lad’s match minutes in the second half of last season has left the pathway looking a little less clear.”

Leeds fans will be worried

Having come through the Leeds academy, Shackleton is very much ‘one of their own’ at Elland Road, and so Smyth’s latest update may have fans worried.

With Casey already taking matters into his own hands and making the move to Blackpool, Shackleton may feel that he may need to do the same if he doesn’t get too much of a look-in in the first-team next season in the Premier League – the fact he played just one minute in the last 14 top-flight games to end the season certainly doesn’t bode well.

This is still a player who Bielsa rates highly however.

In fact, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Southampton in the Premier League, Bielsa said: “I believe in Shackleton as an important alternative for Leeds United. He’s in a similar process to that of Pascal (Struijk).

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“The only thing is that Pascal has a continuity that Shackleton hasn’t been able to have. I conisder him a player that I can trust and I’m satisfied with what he has brought to the team. Apart from that, he is a very serious player, very applied and very conscious of what is needed to play at this level.”

And, speaking after his cameo in the 5-0 win over West Brom earlier last season, the Leeds boss said of the 21-year-old: “Good organisation, energetic, he’s quick, he can surprise opponents, plays in a position which has many varieties as a box-to-box midfielder.”

The only way Bielsa can show Shackleton just how much he rates him, is through his actions, and giving him more first-team minutes next season.

If not, he could potentially follow the same path that Casey did and leave for pastures new and that will be a worry for Leeds fans, who’ll love to see one of their own wearing the famous white shirt.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have been handed a major boost…

Barry Fry believes Aaron Ramsey would be a superb, if expensive, signing for West Ham United this summer.

The Juventus midfielder has been heavily linked with a potential departure from the club this summer amid links with the Premier League.

The Hammers have again been touted as potential suitors, along with Crystal Palace and, potentially, former club Arsenal.

Ramsey, of course, made his name in the Premier League, making 371 appearances in total for the Gunners, and scoring 65 goals, while also registering 65 assists.

However, he is reported to earn £400,000-per-week in Turin following his free transfer to Serie A, though he has made just 46 appearances for Juve.

Fry does not believe that the Hammers will give him anything close to those wages at the London Stadium but he feels that if they can make a deal happen, it would be a superb signing for them.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “They could possibly make it happen but I’m sure they wouldn’t pay him 400 grand a week.

“Ramsey’s been outstanding for Wales, he makes fantastic runs from midfield, he’s a perfect player to fit into that West Ham style of play and he would be a great asset and a great signing but they won’t go to that much, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

The return of the Premier League this weekend after the latest international break sees Southampton take on Leeds United at St Mary’s on Saturday, with both teams having had rather disappointing starts to the campaign.

The Saints’ previous league outing before the break saw them fall to a 3-1 defeat against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Djenepo should start for Southampton on Saturday

One player who did not feature in Southampton’s starting XI against Chelsea but who should come in against Leeds is Moussa Djenepo, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £55k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Southampton signed the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window on a four-year contract from Belgian club Standard Liege in a deal which could rise to £15m.

Since then, the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt – has made 58 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, in which he has scored four goals and provided two assists along the way.

So far this season, Djenepo – who was described by teammate Nathan Redmond as being a “super-talented” player – has played in all but one of Southampton’s league games, starting four of them, but has yet to score a goal or provide an assist.

Nonetheless, he has managed to rack up 1.2 shots per game so far this season in the Premier League according to WhoScored, showing that he is still very much an attacking threat for the Saints whenever he’s on the pitch, and he could therefore be a potential game-changer against Leeds. Only four players can exceed that tally and there is a strong chance that two of them won’t feature on Saturday through either suspension (James Ward-Prowse) or injury (Che Adams).

After replacing Nathan Tella in the second half of the Chelsea game, Djenepo made two successful dribbles and won five ground duels and two tackles in just 17 minutes, ultimately seeing him earn a match rating of 6.5/10. That was higher than the likes of Tella and Redmond, both of whom started the match according to SofaScore.

Looking ahead to the Leeds clash, we feel that Hasenhuttl should go with Djenepo over Tella on the left wing to see if the Mali international can help the Saints secure their first league win of the season against Marcelo Bielsa’s side – who they would overtake in the table if they manage to do so – based on the decent showing the 23-year-old delivered off the bench against Chelsea.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer

Writing on Twitter, Sportitalia TV journalist Gianluigi Longari has dropped a big transfer update involving Tottenham Hotspur and long term target Cristian Romero.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Romero talks…

Spurs, and managing director Fabio Paratici by extension, have been in crunch talks to sign Romero over this last week with Sky Sports even detailing an original offer of ‘at least’ £34m (€40m).

Negotiations remain ongoing over the player as it stands but Atalanta seem unwilling to grant his move to England too easily.

Tottenham, however, are apparently leading the chase for his signature and it is even said that personal terms have been agreed (Fabrizio Romano).

The Latest: Longari drops big update…

Taking to Twitter, journalist Longari has now shared an update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Romero.

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The Italian reporter explains that Spurs are ‘very confident’ of signing the Argentine this summer and are even ‘ready’ to increase their offer to around €50 million (£42.6m) plus €5 million in bonuses (£4.2m).

“Tottenham ready to increase their offer to around 50M plus bonus (5M),” he explained.

“Spurs very confident to find an agreement with Atalanta. Talks on.

“Barcelona still pushing and studying structure for their new bid (payed loan with obl to buy).”

The Verdict: Encouraging?

Spurs feeling ‘confident’ of signing Romero could come as an encouraging sign for on-looking supporters who are desperate to see Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence strengthened at last.

There is little doubt the 23-year-old would add plenty of steel to Tottenham’s backline, especially going by the fact he averaged far more interceptions per 90 (3.1) than any Lilywhites player over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

He has also been called ‘spectacular’ by Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni (archysport.com), leaving little wonder why talks have been tough to prise him away from Atalanta.

In other news: Talks underway: Nuno green lights yet another Spurs exit as update emerges, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest have been handed a major boost in their bid to bring Max Lowe to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that, despite having seen an initial offer rejected for the Sheffield United left-back, Dane Murphy is now close to completing a season-long loan deal for the defender.

Further reports had claimed that both Swansea City and Reading were also interested in the former Derby County man, however, it would now appear as if Forest have won the race for the 24-year-old.

Murphy will be buzzing

Considering just how short Chris Hughton’s side currently is at left-back, as well as having seen an initial offer for Lowe turned down by the Blades, the fact that the Reds now appear to be close to landing the defender is sure to have left Murphy buzzing.

Indeed, while summer signing Jordi Osei-Tutu had been filling in on the left-hand side of defence, his recent injury has once again left Hughton with only Gaetan Bong as a viable option in the position – with the 33-year-old having been informed he was free to leave the club earlier this summer.

As such, it very much appeared a priority for Murphy to bring in a fresh face in the position prior to the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday, and, in Max Lowe, it would appear the Forest CEO has landed an extremely capable player.

While it is true that Lowe failed to establish himself in Sheffield United’s starting XI last season, making just eight Premier League appearances over the course of the club’s campaign, the 24-year-old nevertheless proved during his time at Derby that he will be a very useful player for Hughton this season.

Indeed, over his 29 Championship appearances for the Rams in 2019/20, the £2.7m-rated defender helped his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 3.7 tackles, 1.6 clearances and winning 6.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Danny Law dubbed an “impressive” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking the £14k-per-week left-back as the club’s 14th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, should Forest indeed go on to complete a deal for the former England U20 international in the coming days, it would undoubtedly come as a massive boost for Hughton, who is very much in need of one following the Garibaldi’s diabolical start to the season.

In other news: Murphy heading for grave Forest error over “unbelievable” ace, fans will be fuming