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Last season saw Arsenal take another step forward, as while they failed to take the Premier League title from Manchester City, they did push them to the final day of the campaign.

Improvements were evident across the board from Mikel Arteta's men, be it the best-in-class defence, Martin Odegaard's leadership qualities, or Bukayo Saka registering an outrageously impressive 34 goals and assist in 47 appearances across all competitions.

However, Gabriel Martinelli was one of the few players who seemingly took a step backwards.

The good news for him is that the latest star touted for a move to the Emirates this summer could turn his fortunes around and revive his attacking output.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from The Daily Briefing via Caught Offside, Arsenal have reignited their interest in Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer and are now ready to make an offer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that cross-city rivals Chelsea are the team most keen to land the Swedish goal machine, while Atlético Madrid have also shown some interest.

The report has revealed that once the North Londoners have sold Eddie Nketiah, they will test their luck with an offer in the region of £55m to £60m. While that is substantially less than his £86m release clause, other reports this week claiming the striker is keen to return to England could help move things along.

Overall, Arsenal will have to spend a lot of money to sign Gyokeres this summer, but given his incredible form last season and the impact that could have on a player like Martinelli, he's worth the money.

How Gyokeres could improve Martinelli

Now, there are likely a plethora of ways in which Gyokeres could help Martinelli get back to his best next season, from acting as a role model off the pitch to helping him practice his finishing on the training pitch, but the main reason the Swedish international would be so useful for the Brazilian is his raw output.

In just 50 games last season, the 6 foot 2 "powerhouse", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists to boot, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 0.86 games, or in other words, provided 1.16 in every match.

This frankly outrageous rate of return completely exceeds Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus' averages of 0.41 and 0.44 per match, respectively.

Appearances

50

51

36

Goals

43

14

8

Assists

15

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

0.41

0.44

If the former Ituano gem was playing alongside a number nine as clinical as the Sporting Ace, then it seems only logical that the number of assists he registers every season would significantly increase, especially as Understat have concluded that he underperformed his expected assists figure by 1.32 in the league last season and by a whopping 4.35 the season prior.

However, it wouldn't be just the 23-year-old's assists that would likely increase, but his goalscoring as well.

With 15 assists to his name last season and 12 the year before that, the former Coventry City ace is clearly more than just a poacher. He could, in fact, become a provider for the Gunners' other attackers, akin to Harry Kane's creative contribution to Tottenham Hotspur over the years.

Ultimately, while it would be incredible to sign Gyokeres for less than his asking price in the coming weeks, he's such a gifted striker that even paying the full amount would likely be worth it in the long run, especially if he can help revive Martinelli next season.

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Therefore, if they have the chance, Edu Gaspar and Co should absolutely bring the Swedish goal machine to the Emirates this summer.

علق تييري هنري، مهاجم آرسنال ومنتخب فرنسا الأسبق، على وضع الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي مع فريقه ريال مدريد خلال الموسم الحالي.

وانضم كيليان مبابي إلى صفوف ريال مدريد في الصيف الماضي، قادمًا من باريس سان جيرمان في صفقة انتقال حر.

ووجه تييري هنري، انتقادات لاذعة لمبابي في نوفمبر الماضي، حيث أكد أنه سوف يتحسن لأنه لا يمكن أن يكون أسوأ من ذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة سيلتا فيجو في كأس ملك إسبانيا.. غيابان

وقال هنري في تصريحات جديدة لإذاعة “راديو مونت كارلو” مدافعًا عن مبابي: “يعتبر الكثيرون أن مستوى مبابي مع ريال مدريد أقل مما توقعه الجميع، لكن عندما تنظر عن كثب إلى مستوى الأهداف، لا يمكنك القول إن بدايته في مدريد لم تكن جيدة”.

وأضاف: “يستغرق الأمر وقتًا لتعلم اللعب، لكنني آمل أن يتطور ويجب أن يحرز تقدمًا مع ريال مدريد”.

وأشار: “نحن هنا نحكم فيما يتعلق بما فعلته من قبل، فمن الطبيعي تمامًا، عندما لا تكون معتادًا على ذلك، تجد نفسك في موقف معين، يمكننا أن نرى فيه نقاط ضعفك، بينما لم نكن نراها من قبل”.

واختتم: “في وقت ما، اعتقد الجميع أنه روبوت، إنه ليس إنسانًا آليًا، إنه إنسان لديه مشاعر مثل أي شخص آخر، ومن وقت لآخر، يغضب ويرفع يديه”.

Leeds United may have known that their failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League would leave them at risk of losing some of their best players.

The Whites were beaten 1-0 by Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final in May and are now preparing for a second season in the Championship.

Daniel Farke has already had to watch on as one of his star men completed a move away from Elland Road, with Archie Gray having signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a £40m deal.

Joe Rodon signed on a permanent deal for £10m, after spending last term on loan at the club, but they still lost one of their regular starters at right-back.

Leeds forwards likely to move on

According to Football Insider, three Leeds players could be set to follow Gray out of the door at Elland Road before the summer transfer window slams shut.

The report claims that the Whites are 'expected' to lose three of their stars, with Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter, and Crysencio Summerville said to be 'likely' to be sold.

It adds that the club could accept 'big offers' for all three of them and that money would be reinvested back into the squad if any of them depart.

This comes after Football Insider recently reported that Brighton & Hove Albion are preparing a second bid for Rutter, after their initial £30m offer was turned down by Leeds.

Losing the French "monster", as he was described by Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie, would be an even bigger blow than the departure of Summerville.

Why losing Georginio Rutter would be a bigger blow

Leeds selling Rutter to Brighton, or any other interested party, would be more harmful to Farke's side than losing the Dutchman would be to how central he is to the way the German wants to set the team up.

The 22-year-old magician is, essentially, the heartbeat of the attack and everything flows through him, due to his fantastic ability to link up play and create chances for his teammates.

Summerville was able to thrive, with 19 goals and nine assists in the league, because of Rutter's ability to consistently feed him the ball in dangerous areas.

Passes into final third

1.78 (bottom 47%)

2.07 (top 11%)

Progressive passes

4.40 (top 27%)

4.46 (top 25%)

Assists

0.23 (top 15%)

0.39 (top 3%)

Successful take-ons

2.52 (top 9%)

3.06 (top 4%)

Progressive passes received

9.44 (top 18%)

6.50 (top 50%)

As you can see in the table above, the former Bundesliga ace provided more than the Dutch sensation in build-up play, with more passes into the final third, more progressive passes, more assists, and more take-ons.

Meanwhile, Summerville received far more progressive passes and this illustrates the point that Rutter was the one progressing play forward to allow the winger, and the other attackers in the side, plenty of chances to showcase their quality.

Therefore, the 22-year-old Dutchman may not be able to influence matches and provide as many goals and assists as he did last term without the help of the 6 foot magician, who orchestrated the attack.

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This is why selling Rutter, who created 22 'big chances' and registered 15 assists in the Championship, would be an even bigger blow than an exit for Summerville, as his departure would have an impact on the rest of the team, rather than one specific position.

Liverpool have contacted a Premier League rival over bringing a new defender to Anfield in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are preparing for life under Arne Slot, with a host of players continuing to be linked with new signings before the 2024/25 season gets underway.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold's position having the potential to change with Slot in charge – he is reportedly going to be used as a midfielder for England during Euro 2024 – it could be that Liverpool look to sign a new right-back to provide competition for Conor Bradley.

Bayer Leverkusen hero Jeremie Frimpong has been backed to seal a move to Anfield in the summer, having excelled as a right wing-back in 2023/24, winning two trophies along the way.

Lutsharel Geertruida is another player in that position who could be an option, having shone under Slot at Feyenoord, while further up the pitch, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is seen as an alternative option to Reds-linked Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon.

Now, another player is also emerging as a target for Liverpool, with Klopp wanting to snap him up during his time in charge at Anfield, even holding talks with him last summer.

Liverpool make contact with "fantastic" player

According to a fresh update from HITC, Liverpool have made contact with Chelsea over defender Levi Colwill: "Liverpool have again spoken to Chelsea to enquire about the availability of one of their key players this summer.

"A new defensive addition as well as an attacker looks to be Liverpool’s priorities in the summer transfer window under new manager Arne Slot."

Colwill arguably didn't progress quite as much as some predicted this time last year, at which point many thought he would be a strong contender to start at the Euros. That's not to say that the 21-year-old didn't enjoy a solid campaign, though, making 23 appearances in the Premier League and averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.9 aerial duel wins per game in the process.

Still only 21, the English defender has been seen as a huge young talent for some time now, with Lewis O'Brien hailing him during their time together at Huddersfield Town back in 2022: "When people like that come in, he’s a young player and you question is he going to perform? But he has stepped into the Championship unbelievably well – I’m sure he’s got a fantastic career ahead of him at the highest level."

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Colwill could be viewed as a massive part of Liverpool's defence for many years to come, potentially even being viewed as Virgil van Dijk's long-term replacement, which will admittedly be an enormous void to fill.

As a bonus, he can also play at left-back, as was the case at Chelsea at times this season, and while he will likely cost a lot of money, he could be worth every penny over time.

Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are part of the squad for the defending champions

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2020Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are part of New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield squad that will depart earlier than planned for the hub in Adelaide following a return of Covid-19 cases around Sydney.On Wednesday, three new cases of community transmission were confirmed ending a 12-day run of zero cases outside of hotel quarantine in New South Wales.There is currently an open border between New South Wales and South Australia so Peter Nevill’s squad will head into the Shield hub on Thursday to avoid any potential tightening of restrictions.The defending champions do not start their campaign until October 22 with their first-round match against Victoria pushed back to mid-November due to the need for Victoria’s players to undergo 14 days quarantine in Adelaide.While it is yet to be confirmed how many games Starc will play ahead of the international season, which is due to begin in late November, coach Phil Jaques was hopeful than Lyon would be available for all the Shield matches in the first block of fixtures.Starc, Lyon and Sean Abbott recently completed two weeks quarantine in Adelaide following their return from the limited-overs tour of England but were able to train at Adelaide Oval during that time.Chris Tremain, who moved from Victoria over the winter, is included in the squad as is 18-year-old legspinner Tanveer Sangha.”At times when you win a Shield, there can be a little bit of complacency within the camp, I’ve seen it in teams I’ve played in, but I certainly haven’t seen it at all through this whole off-season,” Jaques said.”There continues to be a real hunger to keep improving and take our cricket to the next level. [During the preseason] we were operating in groups anywhere from four up to full squad training, but changing weekly, so the guys have had to be really adaptable throughout the preseason.”I can’t commend them enough for how adaptable they’ve been to get a really good body of work done and be as prepared as we are.”New South Wales squad Peter Nevill (capt), Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques, Daniel Solway, Jason Sangha, Matthew Gilkes, Sean Abbott, Trent Copeland, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon, Liam Hatcher, Harry Conway, Jack Edwards, Tanveer Sangha

A Manchester United scout was reportedly left "bewitched" by the performance of one of the club's summer transfer targets, having flown to watch him in action earlier this week.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have had such a disappointing season, having gone into the campaign as contenders to finish in the top four in the Premier League. Instead, they have rarely looked like achieving that goal, and crashed out of Europe after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.

For that reason, it is paramount that a number of new signings come in during the summer transfer window, with improvements, from their ageing defence to their goal-shy attack, needed all over the pitch.

RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko is a reported target for United at the end of the season, having scored 14 goals in just 17 Bundesliga starts this season. He is seen as a player who could provide much-needed competition for Rasmus Hojlund in the centre of attack, especially with Anthony Martial expected to move on.

Another top target appears to be Crystal Palace maestro Michael Olise, whose quality and end product have consistently caught the eye this season – when he has been fit. Fabrizio Romano has said of the situation: "Olise remains a player who is really appreciated at Manchester United, also by people on the scouting team since one year ago."

Man Utd "bewitched" by target

According to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) a Manchester United representative was left "bewitched" by Gleison Bremer when watching him in action for Juventus against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday, as they won 1-0 thanks to a Dusan Vlahovic goal.

The individual in question "flew to Italy specifically" to watch the Brazilian in action, and the Red Devils are now "ready to get serious" with regards to a move for him. A bid of €70m (£60m) is expected to be enough to get him.

Bremer is precisely what United need this summer in terms of a dominant centre-back who is at a good age to come in and be Lisandro Martinez's long-term partner at the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old has impressed for Juve throughout this season, averaging 4.1 clearances and 2.9 aerial duel wins per game in Serie A across 35 appearances. He has even chipped in with three goals for good measure. Meanwhile, former Brazil manager Tite once waxed lyrical over him after calling him up for international duty, saying:

"Bremer had this opportunity to be called up thanks to his career and performances of a high level at Torino and Juventus. Perhaps we got it wrong and didn’t observe him closely enough, because he deserved more of our attention a lot earlier. When he arrived here, in the games and the training sessions we did together, he gave such a sense of certainty. He really is a player of great quality."

At 27, Bremer is younger than the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans – the former has confirmed that he is leaving United this summer – and he arguably possesses the physical attributes to adjust to the Premier League with ease.

It's been a real up-and-down Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

They started with a miraculous ten-game unbeaten streak but then lost four on the bounce in the last month or so.

Ange Postecoglou hasn't got everything right in his first year in England, but there are certainly signs that he could lead the Lilywhites to glory if given the proper backing, and based on recent reports, that might happen, as the club have been linked to a star who could be their very own Robin van Persie.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Spurs are 'pressing ahead' in their pursuit of Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report has revealed that the North Londoners have been sending scouts to watch the Mexican international play throughout the season, and as things stand, Postecoglou has 'pinpointed the Feyenoord star as a priority.'

The bad news for the Lilywhites is that they are likely to face stiff competition for the marksman's signature, as previous reports have linked fierce rivals Arsenal to the 23-year-old, and if they do get ahead of the Gunners, they'll have to stump up around £87m to get the deal done.

It would certainly represent a massive investment from Daniel Levy and Co, but with Richarlison still underwhelming in White with just 15 goals to his name in 66 Spurs appearances, it would be one worth making, especially with the parallels to Van Persie.

How Gimenez could be Spurs own Robin van Persie

Now, comparing a player yet to test himself in Europe's top five leagues to a striker who scored for fun in England and won the Premier League to boot is undoubtedly a lot, but there are some similarities.

For example, both forwards have found their feet in European football with Feyenoord. In the 76 appearances the Dutchman made in his initial spell with the Rotterdam side, he scored 21 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.4 games.

In comparison, Gimenez has an even better record with the Eredivisie side, scoring 49 goals and providing 11 assists in 86 games so far, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.4 games.

Gimenez vs Van Persie's initial stint in the Netherlands
Player	Gimenez	Van Persie
Appearances	86	76
Goals	49	21
Assists	11	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.69	0.40
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The next significant similarity is their deadly left feet. In the last two seasons, the Mexican "nightmare," as talent scout Jacek Kulig vividly described him, has scored 22 of his 38 league goals with his left, nine with his right, and seven with his head, showing that while he's not entirely one-footed, he does heavily favour his left.

Similarly, while the former Arsenal forward could use his right, he would more often than not go with his left and, as things stand, he has scored the third most left-footed Premier League goals in history at 94, behind only Mo Salah and Robbie Fowler.

Players with the most left-footed goals in PL History
Place	Player	Goals
1	Mo Salah	125
2	Robbie Fowler	105
3	Robin van Persie	94
4	Ryan Giggs	83
5	Riyad Mahrez	65
Via ESPN & the Premier League for Salah's latest tally

Lastly, if the Lilywhites were to get their man, then he would be following in the footsteps of the 102-capped Dutchman by moving to north London, and based on his impressive goal tally over the last two years, it looks likely that he would also become a goal machine in England.

Ultimately, Gimenez might not quite reach the level of Van Persie, but there are apparent similarities, and if he can even replicate a fraction of his output, then Postecoglou will have a very useful striker on his hands next season.

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Bruno Fernandes praised Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for his impact in their Nations League win against Scotland on Sunday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ronaldo scored winner from bench against ScotlandMarked 901st professional career goalInfluence hailed by FernandesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Al-Nassr forward was introduced from the bench in the second half with Portugal trailing 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League to Scotland. After Bruno Fernandes equalised, Ronaldo was the one to step up and bag the winner with only a few minutes left on the clock, prompting praise from his former Manchester United team-mate.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT FERNANDES SAID

Speaking after the match, Fernandes said: "The influence is always the same, regardless of whether he starts on the bench or not. Everyone who came on made a difference. Cristiano has a goal, today he scored his 901st and now he is on his way to a thousand, which is what he wants."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Fernandes highlighted the fact that Ronaldo is now on his way to 1000 goals and despite the football icon being 39, you would not bet against him to get there before he retires. Ronaldo had a huge influence on the Scotland game when he came on and once again proved he can still be the difference-maker for his country, having also netted the winner for Portugal against Croatia in their first Nations League outing on Thursday to bring up 900 career goals.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Fresh off a prolific week with Portugal, Ronaldo will now return to Saudi Arabia as Al-Nassr look to pick up a second successive win in the Saudi Pro League. They will face Al-Ahli when the international break finishes and Ronaldo could line-up against new signing Ivan Toney.

Darren Gough thinks England’s pace-bowling stocks are as strong as they have been since 2005, and has backed Chris Woakes to replace James Anderson as their “figurehead” in the next 18 months.England’s 30-man training group arrived at the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday afternoon ahead of next month’s Test series against West Indies. There are 18 seamers within the group, including a handful of out-and-out quicks who can regularly hit speeds of 90mph in Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Olly Stone and Mark Wood.And Gough, who worked with the touring squad as a bowling consultant during last winter’s series in New Zealand, thinks that the current crop is as strong as England have had since the 2005 Ashes.”They’ve got top quality there from that bowling attack,” Gough told ESPNcricinfo, “whether it be from Anderson and [Stuart] Broad – who are getting on now, let’s be honest, but they’re still quality – [Ben] Stokes is working on his batting more now, but can still do a job.”You’ve got pace now too, where you can alternate Wood, Archer, Stone and [Saqib] Mahmood. You’ve got Woakes, who possibly in the next year-and-a-half will replace Anderson as the figurehead at the top. The bowling attack is tidy – tidy indeed. All the tools are there for this England team.”ALSO READ: Quiet achiever Woakes finds his feet overseasGough spent two weeks working with England’s Test squad ahead of their series in New Zealand last year, and was particularly impressed by Woakes’ attitude and desire to improve in overseas conditions.Woakes’ record away from home has come under scrutiny throughout his Test career – he averages 51.68 overseas compared to 23.45 in England – but Gough said he had seen signs of improvement that could help him become the leader of the attack over the next couple of years.”I think Woakes is a top-class performer,” he said. “I sat him down in New Zealand and I said to him: ‘Do you want to be known as a bowler that’s good in England? Or do you want to be in the team all year round? And how much do you want it?'”And he wants it, he really does. I was impressed. In New Zealand and in South Africa, he bowled quicker. He can afford to bowl at 90% in England on most pitches, because they’ll always do a bit and every bowler will be in the game.”But when they go abroad, they try and do the same thing and they wonder why they’re not in the game. For Woakes, he can bowl quickly. I’d like to think it’s clicked now with him. This summer, now he’s in England, he’ll be able to step off the pedal and rest the body.”Gough, a skilled exponent of reverse swing in his own playing days, said that he expects the ICC’s saliva ban will bring spinners into England’s Tests this summer, and force seamers to use other skills to what they are used to in home conditions.Jofra Archer has declared himself fully fit ahead of the West Indies series•Getty Images

“Teams will be more reluctant to go in with out-and-out pace attacks,” he said. “They’ll look to play a spinner, because good ones will play a part. [England] have got options in spin now too: they’ve got Moeen Ali – he’s not a world-class spinner, but he’s a performer and he bowls oppositions out. You’ve got Jack Leach as the left-arm option, you’ve got Dom Bess, the youngster.”It’s as good as they’ve had since 2005. It’s got everything. They’ve got a great chance of winning in Australia [in 2021-22], they really have.”England’s hopes for the series against West Indies were further boosted on Tuesday by Archer declaring himself fully fit following his elbow injury. Archer had scans on his right elbow last week which confirmed the injury was fully healed, and wrote in his column that he could play all three Tests in the series if required.”Bowling has been a gradual progression but despite the fact that I was resting my elbow injury when we went into lockdown in March, I have followed similar loads to the other England Test bowlers,” he wrote. “So far everything feels like clockwork. Crunch in, crunch out, my body feels fresh, and there are no issues with my right elbow whatsoever, touch wood.”Despite the fact that the three matches of this series are played in such a short space of time, I actually think I could play all three. But obviously everyone will be a bit cautious in terms of workload, thinking about the body and what lies ahead.”

Leeds United could still have a chance to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League on Saturday when they welcome Southampton to Elland Road.

They are currently second in the table but Ipswich Town face Coventry City on Tuesday night, which is their game in hand, and anything other than a loss would see them move back into second.

A loss for the Tractor Boys would put the Whites back into the driving seat and leave their fate in their own hands, with a win over the Saints this weekend guaranteeing promotion in that event.

If they fall short of the automatic places, however, then Daniel Farke's side will have to go into the play-offs and potentially play West Bromwich Albion, who are currently sixth, over two legs for a place in the final at Wembley.

The uncertainty over their league status for the 2024/25 campaign has likely made planning for the summer transfer window difficult for Leeds chiefs.

However, there is one player the club are reportedly hoping to add to their squad whether they gain promotion to the Premier League or remain in the Championship.

Leeds United's interest in Liverpool giant

According to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror, as relayed by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Farke is lining up a swoop for Liverpool giant Nat Phillips to bolster their defensive options.

The report claims that the Yorkshire-based outfit want to sign the central defender regardless of the division that they are in, seemingly believing that he would be an asset to him in either of the top two divisions.

It states that the English titan was on the club's transfer wish list for the recent January transfer window but a move did not materialise, with Connor Roberts joining on loan from Burnley as the only incoming piece of business for Leeds in the end.

Phillips ended up signing on loan for Championship rivals Cardiff City until the end of the season, and his form for the Bluebirds has seemingly tempted the Whites to go back in with another swoop for his services this summer.

The report adds that his future at Anfield remains unclear, with Arne Slot set to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season, particularly with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2025.

It did not reveal, however, how much the Reds would demand for a player who will only have 12 months left on his deal, unless they pin him down to an extension.

If Leeds and Farke could secure a deal for Phillips then they could land a dream partner for Joe Rodon, who they reportedly want to sign on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur.

Joe Rodon's form for Leeds this season

The Wales international has spent the season at Elland Road on loan from the Premier League side, who are now reportedly willing to cash in on him for a fee of up to £15m.

He has been a rock at the heart of the Leeds defence throughout the Championship campaign, and has showcased his quality both in and out of possession in the second tier.

The Whites have the second-best defensive record in the division this season, with 41 conceded in 45 games, and Rodon has played a big role in their success at that end.

23/24 Championship

Joe Rodon

Squad rank

Sofascore rating

7.19

7th

Tackles per game

1.1

11th

Interceptions per game

1.2

2nd

Clearances per game

4.6

1st

Accurate passes per game

65.6

2nd

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old brute ranks highly in several defensive statistics for Leeds, and has been one of the most consistent performers with his high Sofascore rating.

Rodon has also provided quality with his ability to break lines and find his teammates in advanced positions to build attacks and break down stubborn defences.

He ranks within the top 16% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (4.36), and the top 7% for pass accuracy (90.8%), which shows that the Welsh star is one of the best in his position at progressing play and being efficient in doing so.

These statistics show why signing him on a permanent deal could be a fantastic piece of business, due to his quality on and off the ball, and Phillips could be brought in as a dream partner for him at the back.

Why Leeds should sign Nat Phillips

The 6 foot 3 giant, whose development was once branded "insane" by Klopp, is a no-nonsense defender who could act as a traditional stopper alongside the ball-playing Rodon.

Phillips joined Cardiff in January and has displayed his defensive strength across 17 appearances in the Championship during the second half of the season, having spent the first half of the campaign with Celtic in Scotland.

He has dominated opposition attackers in the second tier for the Bluebirds, with a duel success rate of 68% and 5.4 battles won per game so far.

23/24 Championship (per 90)

Joe Rodon

Nat Phillips

Tackles

1.19

1.62

Blocks

1.16

1.50

Shots blocked

0.87

1.37

Aerial duels won

3.02

3.74

Clearances

4.83

4.56

Percentage of dribbles tackled

67.7%

85%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old colossus has the edge over Rodon in a host of defensive metrics, which suggests that he has been better at cutting out attacks and dominating opponents as an individual.

However, Phillips ranks within the bottom 4% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (1.37), and the bottom 10% for progressive carries per 90 (0.12).

This suggests that the English star struggles to progress the ball out from the back, through passes or carries, on a regular basis for his team.

Rodon, as aforementioned, excels at that area of the game as a progressive passer from centre-back, which is why they could make for a perfect defensive pairing.

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The Welsh ace can provide mobility, defensive awareness, and passing quality, whilst Phillips can be a dominant brute who can marshall the backline with his superb defending.

This would then allow Ethan Ampadu to return to his more natural defensive midfield role on a regular basis next season, rather than being shoehorned in at centre-back due to Pascal Struijk's unavailability.

It is now down to Farke and the club to ensure that they win the race for Phillips' signature if Liverpool make him available to sign this summer.