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There appears to be ‘growing confidence’ that Leeds United could beat a number of top clubs to the signing of Espanyol youngster Mateo Joseph Fernandez.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Fernandez move

The Whites may potentially be looking at January reinforcements and one player they have been linked with is 17-year-old Fernandez.

The striker is yet to make a senior appearance for Espanyol but he is considered an exciting prospect with a bright future ahead of him.

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The Latest: January move incoming?

According to The Daily Mail, the signing of Fernandez could be edging closer, with Leeds confident that a January move will come to fruition.

The Whites are believed to be fighting off interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona, highlighting the attacker’s potential.

Fernandez reportedly has a £1.2million release clause in his contract that lasts until next summer, giving clubs the opportunity to sign him on the cheap.

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The Verdict: One for the future

While Fernandez wouldn’t arrive as an immediate first-team squad member for Leeds, he is someone who could be viewed as a long-term project, along with the likes of Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt.

It is vital that the Whites plans for life long beyond Marcelo Bielsa, ensuring they don’t stand still and instead continue to cement their place as a reestablished Premier League outfit.

In other news, one Leeds player has ‘a lot to improve’, according to a pundit. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League footballer Dean Windass could see James Ward-Prowse going to Aston Villa, but says Southampton won’t want to lose him.

Villa have already signed Danny Ings from the Saints this summer and there has been plenty of speculation that they are interested in midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

Sky Sports reported last month that Southampton had rejected Aston Villa’s £25m offer for the player and that the south coast outfit have no interest in selling him.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Windass could see the transfer happening but also understands that Southampton won’t want to lose him, saying: “Another situation where Southampton won’t want to lose him, he’s the captain.

“I can see that happening obviously with the funds they get for Jack, he could be the one that can come in. [He’s] not a similar player to Jack but obviously similar quality in the sense he can get you goals from free-kicks. His wide free-kicks – he puts them on the money every now and then.”

Ward-Prowse featured in every Premier League game for Southampton last season and also in the clubs six cup matches (5 FA Cup and 1 EFL Cup), scoring nine goals and creating a further seven.

Both Villa and Southampton have looked to strengthen their sides this summer, with both making five new signings each. With under a month to go in the transfer window, will Ward-Prowse be the sixth Villa signing or will the Saints stand firm and keep hold of their captain for the upcoming season?

With Sunderland currently sitting in sixth place in the League One table, Lee Johnson’s side have conceded a total of 22 goals in 17 games, more than any other side above them in the table.

This could have something to do with the fact that the Black Cats currently have a number of injured defensive players such as Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin and Denver Hume out of action, leaving Johnson having to play the likes of Carl Winchester and Luke O’Nien in the full-back positions in recent matches.

With this in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is on the horizon, one player that the Wearside club should be looking to bring in to help ease their injury crisis is Eric Lichaj.

After being linked with a move for the full-back during the previous summer transfer window after leaving Turkish club Faith Karagumruk in January, it seems as though the club could be forced into securing the defender’s signature in this upcoming window on a free transfer as a result of their current injury worries.

The 33-year-old, who is currently valued at £450k according to Transfermarkt, has a total of 345 senior club appearances under his belt throughout his career, with 257 of them coming in the Championship, showing how much experience he has that he could offer Sunderland if he joins in January.

Despite predominantly playing as a right-back, Lichaj, who was previously described as “phenomenal” by Nigel Adkins during his time at Hull City, has also played a decent number of games in the left-back position, highlighting his versatility that could be a big help for Sunderland if they still have defensive injuries in the full-back positions heading into the New Year.

On that evidence, signing Lichaj on a free transfer should be at the top of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ priority list. With injuries aplenty, he could help the team push towards promotion by the end of the season.

In other news: Johnson must ruthlessly axe “unique” lightweight tonight, he could cost SAFC dearly – opinion

An update has emerged regarding the make-up of new Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst’s backroom staff at Ibrox as he aims to bounce back from the Gers’ crippling defeat last weekend…

What’s the talk?

According to Gazet van Antwerpen, via Sport Witness, the Dutchman is hoping to complete a deal to land Royal Antwerp talent coordinator Zeb Jacobs in the coming days.

The report claims that there is a concrete interest from Rangers in the 26-year-old, who currently works on youth development with the Belgian outfit, and they are looking to finalise a move ‘soon’.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that van Bronckhorst wants to place an emphasis on youth development at Ibrox. Jacobs is said to have impressed Gers chiefs with his work in Belgium – developing young players and helping them progress into the first team.

This means that he could come in and help to bridge the gap between the academy and the senior team. Whether that means he will come in and directly work with the starting XI with a specific focus on the younger players or in the academy helping the stars of tomorrow push on to reach van Bronckhorst’s side remains to be seen, but it is good news either way for supporters who want to see the next ‘one of their own’ play at Ibrox.

Nathan Patterson is currently part of the first-team set-up and playing a backup role to James Tavernier at right-back and Jacobs’ arrival could potentially help him kick on and nail down a starting berth.

The likes of Juan Alegria, Aaron Cervantes and Tony Weston could also benefit as they attempt to make the leap from academy football to making their Scottish Premiership debuts.

This is why the Ibrox faithful will be buzzing with this news as it could see a number of young players make their way at Rangers, should Jacobs have the desired impact upon his arrival.

They will also be delighted with van Bronckhorst wanting to make this a priority as it shows that he is willing to offer chances to younger players and will not rely on senior heads to get him out of every situation.

It is now down to Ross Wilson and the Dutchman to ensure that they can iron out a deal with Antwerp in the coming days to bring him to Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gio could save Wilson millions with Rangers beast who is a “winner and warrior”…

Graham Roberts has exclusively told Football FanCast that Hugo Lloris needs to extend his contract or leave this summer.

The Frenchman has about to embark on his tenth season in north London since signing from Lyon back in 2012.

However, the World Cup winner, who was ever-present for the first time in his Premier League career in 2020-2021, has entered the final 12 months of his deal and can therefore leave for nothing in 2022.

Nuno Espirito Santo has already reacted quickly and seemingly put plans in place for Lloris’ eventful departure by signing Pierluigi Gollini on loan from Atalanta.

Gollini, who would already appear to have moved ahead of Joe Hart in the pecking order, has been signed to become Lloris’ successor from next summer once he finally leaves, but Roberts doesn’t think Tottenham should miss out on a transfer fee for Lloris.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“If he doesn’t sign a contract, he has to go because we don’t want to lose him for nothing.”

Asked whether there’s a possibility Lloris could leave this summer, Roberts added:

“Maybe. If he doesn’t sign a contract, you don’t want to play a goalkeeper that at the end of the season is going to walk out.”

With Carlo Ancelotti no longer at the helm, Everton are unexpectedly searching for a new manager.

A number of coaches have been in the frame but the Toffees haven’t managed to conclude a deal just yet.

What’s the word?

Former Wolves boss Nuno Santo has been in talks with the club over the last two weeks and following a successful interview, he’d emerged as the favourite.

However, with discussions now stalling, Everton are beginning to turn their attentions elsewhere.

In a major update on the situation provided by Football Insider, it looks like they have now made contact with Antonio Conte about the position.

It’s not known at this point whether the Italian has any interest in succeeding Ancelotti but he is one of the candidates that Everton are seemingly talking to.

Bad news for Nuno

If the Toffees hierarchy do have a genuine interest in Conte then it should be bad news for all of the fellow candidates, including Santo.

That’s because the former Inter Milan boss has one of the best CVs in the modern game.

Bill Kenwright wanted to hire David Moyes but after he penned new terms at West Ham, it’s Conte who should be the best viable candidate for the Merseyside outfit.

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The 51-year-old recently won Serie A with Inter Milan and has enjoyed enormous success in England previously. His meticulous style and flexibility in terms of tactics really came across as he engineered a Premier league title win and an FA Cup victory.

When Conte first came to Chelsea, he endured a mixed period. They lost to Liverpool and were then battered by Arsenal using 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 formations.

However, he changed the formation to a three-man defence, a tweak that would eventually see them win the title. It was a turning point for the entire division as a number of sides looked towards a similar defensive shape.

Nuno is well versed with a three-man defence as well but his flexibility isn’t as seamless as Conte’s.

Wolves were promoted with a three-back but once the Portuguese attempted to make them more attacking with a four-man backline, things didn’t go to plan.

Wolves kept just two clean sheets in 14 league matches from October to January as the four-man backline ended up costing the Old Gold.

Conte’s accomplishments speak for themselves but in the words of Pep Guardiola, the 51-year-old is a “tactical master.”

There should only really be one candidate in mind here for Farhad Moshiri and co and if Santo’s stalling opens the door for Everton to hire Conte, then he’ll only have himself to blame if he finds himself not managing in the Premier League next season.

AND in other news, Major twist emerges in Everton manager hunt, Kenwright will be buzzing…

Ange Postecoglou has been incredibly busy this summer as Celtic strive to improve upon a dismal 2020/21 campaign.

The Hoops have signed no fewer than nine new first-team players but a further three could arrive before the window slams shut at 11pm.

What’s the word?

Celtic are looking to conclude deals for Jota and Giorgos Giakoumakis but those aren’t the only deals Postecoglou and Dominic McKay are wrapping up.

The Daily Record revealed earlier this morning that the Bhoys wanted to sign a centre-back on loan and they may have discovered their man.

That’s according to Sky Sports News who revealed during their deadline day broadcast (14:25pm) that they were interested in a defender from Spurs.

Their reporter Paul Gilmour provided an update on Cameron Carter Vickers, saying: “Celtic loan interest in him” before revealing that “Tottenham would prefer him to leave permanently.”

Fans surely buzzing

With Carl Starfelt and Nir Bitton struggling in the early months of the campaign, signing another central defender on the final day of the window should leave Celtic supporters elated.

Starfelt scored a shambolic own goal against AZ Alkmaar last week while Bitton was sent off against Midtjylland in the Champions League.

His shambolic marking also led to Hearts’ winner on the opening day of the season when he was beaten to the ball by John Souttar.

Consequently, signing Carter-Vickers in the remaining hours of the window could be an almighty boost to their chances of regaining the Premiership title.

The American centre-back has just recovered from an injury and therefore, would be able to slot straight into the team following the international break.

Vitally for Postecoglou, the defender is calm with the ball at his feet, which would allow the manager to continue his preferred route of passing the ball out from the back.

During a loan spell with Bournemouth last term, Carter-Vickers completed 84% of his passes. Furthermore, he won a tally of 2.8 aerial duels per game, a number that was only beaten by Jullien, Bitton and Welsh from centre-backs still at Celtic.

Therefore, he could give them an extra dose of physicality at the heart of defence. His experience of the British game should also be crucial in helping him to adapt to life at Parkhead.

This would undoubtedly be a smart signing and one that pleases the fanbase.

AND in other news, Journo reveals who Celtic may sign after Jota & Giakoumakis, it’s shrewd work by Ange…

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge believes West Ham United could make a deadline day move to sign Jesse Lingard.

The Manchester United creative midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan with the Hammers and rediscovered his best form, scoring nine goals and grabbing five assists in just 16 appearances.

Lingard returned to Old Trafford following the expiry of his temporary move to the London Stadium but has been granted just four minutes of action so far this term.

The 28-year-old has entered the final year of his £75,000-per-week contract and is set to see his first-team opportunities limited further thanks to the impending return of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

Reports suggest United would be willing to sell England international Lingard for £25million.

Bridge believes West Ham, along with a number of other Premier League clubs, could look to seal a late deal if the Red Devils confirm Lingard is for sale.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “The understanding I have is they’ve left it in his hands.

“Lingard had such a brilliant loan and I think if Manchester United do make him available, you’d get a lot of Premier League clubs after him.

“I think he did his reputation the world of good at West Ham.”

Some Liverpool supporters are desperate to see the Reds sign Leeds United star Raphinha this summer, following a report claiming as much.

Jurgen Klopp will be on the lookout for new additions in the next transfer window, as his side look to bounce back from a taxing season.

With Ibrahima Konate joining from RB Leipzig and bringing depth at centre-back, attention may now turn to signing another attacking player.

Both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino fell a long way short of their best last season and even more competition for places could be healthy moving forward.

According to Futbol de Ingelaterra [via the Liverpool Echo], Liverpool are considering a £32million bid for Leeds winger Raphinha, who chipped in with six goals and nine assists in the Premier League last season.

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A number of Reds fans took to Twitter to give their thoughts on Raphinha potentially heading to Anfield, with many fully behind the idea and one even calling the possible signing ‘amazing’.

Liverpool fans react

“Please be true”

Credit: @parkthebus8989

“PLEASEEEEEEE”

Credit: @lfc_rhys

“Finally, these are the players we need to go all out for. Would be brilliant to come in too when Mane and Salah go AFCON”

Credit: @lfcxcathal

“£35m + Harvey Elliott on loan should do the trick”

Credit: @Nabyesta

“That’s more like it. Top class baller”

Credit: @ShaunlfcT

“Amazing signing if true, another piece in the 4-2-3-1 puzzle”

Credit: @LFCYan

In other news, one divisive Liverpool player has been linked with a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United have been credited with an interest in Aston Villa defender Matt Targett, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Newcastle loan

Targett has been on the books at Villa Park since 2019 but made the move to Newcastle United on loan in January after Steven Gerrard brought in Lucas Digne.

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The 26-year-old, who Villa Park legend Gabby Agbonlahor believes is ‘really comfortable on the ball’, has made 12 appearances for the Magpies, helping them climb up the Premier League table under Eddie Howe.

Jamie Carragher has hailed the left-back during his time at St. James’ Park, and it looks as if his displays have now caught the eye of Leeds chiefs.

The Latest: Leeds links

90min shared a Newcastle transfer story on Tuesday evening, which involved an update on Targett.

They claimed that Leeds, Leicester City and Wolves all hold an interest in Targett, although his preference is to stay at Newcastle, who have a ‘broad agreement in place’ ahead of a £15m permanent deal.

The Verdict: Firpo replacement?

It is interesting that Leeds have been credited with an interest in Targett, as they have also been linked with Celta Vigo left-back Javi Galan earlier this month.

Junior Firpo was the club’s main marquee signing last year from Barcelona but has had a first season to forget, making just 15 Premier League starts and picking up more yellow cards than any other Leeds player.

Links to two left-backs this month could mean that the Whites are looking to replace the Spaniard ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, however, relegation back to the Championship could blow the club’s transfer plans wide open in regards to both incomings and outgoings.

In other news: ‘Big blow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to ‘dramatic’ confirmed Leeds news for run-in.