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Leeds United are reportedly battling with two other Premier League clubs to acquire the services of Espanyol forward Raul de Tomas.

The Lowdown: De Tomas shines for Espanyol

The 27-year-old has made a flying start to the season, scoring six goals and registering two assists for Espanyol in 11 La Liga appearances.

The former Real Madrid marksman has an impressive overall record for his current club, netting 34 times in just 64 matches. De Tomas’ form could eventually see him snapped up by another club and it appears as though Leeds could be a potential destination.

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The Latest: Leeds keen on De Tomas

According to Fichajes, the Whites are eyeing up a move for the €45m-valued (£38m) attacker, along with Premier League rivals West Ham and Tottenham.

His current Espanyol deal runs until the summer of 2026, though, so it is unlikely that Leeds will be able to sign him on the cheap.

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The Verdict: Would be an excellent addition

De Tomas could be an ideal addition for Leeds at a time when Patrick Bamford’s absence has led to a lack of firepower, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side scoring just 10 times in as many Premier League games this season.

At 27, the Spaniard has the experience to come straight in and make an immediate impact, providing competition for Bamford and offering some much-needed squad depth at a time when the Whites are contending with several injuries.

There is also no guarantee that the ex-Chelsea ace will necessarily perform at last season’s level again, so De Tomas could even be considered a long-term upgrade given his current performances.

In other news, one pundit has made a plea to Leeds regarding their January transfer business. Read more here.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery believes Celtic won’t have a fully fit Kyogo Furuhashi until the summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Spotted at Lennoxtown

Furuhashi has been out since December with a hamstring problem but has recently been spotted back on the grass at Lennoxtown.

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He was seen in the background of a training video with a ball at his feet and there is hope he could make a return to action against Rangers following the international break, leading to much excitement from those in the media.

The Japanese forward was enjoying a fine first season in Glasgow prior to his injury issues, starring in the Scottish League Cup final against Hibernian at Hampden Park.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI and had this worrying ‘pre-season’ view in regards to Furuhashi and ‘that hamstring’ making a full recovery.

“It will depend on how much he is playing and the environment at the time.

“He has spent over three months on the sidelines. It will take a while before he gets to pre-injury levels in terms of sharpness and match fitness.

“It may be that we don’t see Kyogo hitting those pre-injury levels this season.

“It might just be an opportunity to get some minutes in his legs and test that hamstring.

“But ultimately, we won’t see a fully fit Kyogo back in that Celtic team until pre-season.”

The Verdict: Caution needed

The last thing anyone would want is for Furuhashi to come back too soon and suffer a fresh hamstring problem. On that basis, having the top scorer on the bench at Ibrox could be a wise move, with a view to a brief cameo display as an impact substitute.

There is still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season, with a domestic treble still a possibility, and hopefully, Furuhashi will get better and better in the final weeks of the campaign and will have his opportunity to start against Rangers in two more Glasgow derbies in all competitions.

In other news: ‘Worrying…’ – Sky Sports man claims ‘brilliant’ Celtic ace may now have suffered ‘bone damage’. 

A number of West Brom supporters have been showing their love for injured Albion ace Dara O’Shea following a social media update from the defender.

The Baggies have made a strong start to the season as they look to make a swift return to the Premier League following relegation in the spring.

Valerien Ismael’s side sit top of the Championship table after picking up 14 points from their opening six matches, and they look like genuine promotion contenders.

The biggest setback West Brom have suffered is a long-term injury to O’Shea, however, with the centre-back an ever-present in the league this season before being ruled out for several months following an injury on international duty recently.

On Monday, the Republic of Ireland defender posted on Instagram [shared via his club’s official Twitter account] to confirm that his surgery was complete as his recovery continues.

West Brom fans react to O’Shea post

These Baggies supporters were quick to show their support for the 22-year-old on Twitter, with the defender hopefully returning stronger than ever and as quickly as possible given the nature of his injury.

“King Dara”

Credit: @AlexSkidmore17

“Come back stronger lad”

Credit: @KyleJnes

“Future captain”

Credit: @dizzysnade

“Love you king”

Credit: @wbanath

“Goat”

Credit: @leo_woodfield

“Best CB in the championship”

Credit: @electrodecay

In other news, some West Brom fans have reacted to Ismael’s recent comments. Read more here.

Many Everton fans are desperate for the club to sign Jesse Lingard after they were linked with a move for the Manchester United and England ace.

The transfer deadline is fast approaching, and the Toffees have made four new signings during the summer window (Transfermarkt). So far the new arrivals, in particular Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend, appear to have given the Merseyside outfit a boost – the Goodison Park outfit have won two and drawn one of their opening three Premier League matches (Sky Sports).

There is now likely to be a mad rush in the final few hours, and it seems the Toffees are to looking to get involved. According to The Daily Star, Rafael Benitez’s side are considering making an offer for Lingard.

The 28-year-old, who earns £75,000 per week, enjoyed a good spell at West Ham during the second half of last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 16 appearances (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @ToffeeTVEFC and it attracted plenty of attention from Everton supporters. These fans to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Lingard links

“I would love this move”

Credit: @tomkilimanjaro

“Please make this happen, we should have got him 2 years ago”

Credit: @Finley45598217

“I’d take him. Hungry players is what’s needed at this club”

Credit: @NSNOCOYB

“I beg we get Lingard, his pace and dribbling would be unreal for the counter attack”

Credit: @Ryan_loves_

“Wouldn’t be against this move if we get the West Ham performance and not the Utd performance”

Credit: @CalumGahan

“I can just his dance offs with big Yerry. I welcome him to the club”

Credit: @BabyJohnMc

In other news, many Everton fans react as the Toffees are linked with this striker.

A transfer specialist has revealed that Ousmane Dembele is the ‘first name’ on Newcastle United’s list ahead of a potential move to St. James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Dembele promise

Dembele was a player of such promise when he was first breaking through at Borussia Dortmund, earning him a whopping £121.5m move to FC Barcelona back in the summer transfer window of 2017.

His early spells with the Catalan giants even earned praise from the great Lionel Messi, who dubbed his then teammate a ‘phenomenon’.

The Latest: Wanted on Tyneside

As per Pedro Almeida, who is verified on Twitter as an ‘insider specialising in transfers’, Dembele is the ‘first name’ that consortium member Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) wants to bring to the North East.

However, a move in January seems unlikely, as he would prefer to sign the France international as a free agent, given that his current deal at the Camp Nou expires in the summer.

The Verdict: Sign

Dembele needs to rejuvenate his career, as he has never really been able to hit the ground running since arriving at Barca, with 30 goals and 21 assists recorded in 118 games in total over all competitions across the last four seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, at 24 years of age, he still has the potential to fulfil the promise that he had early on in his career, and could combine well with fellow French winger Allan Saint-Maximin.

Nonetheless, to get him for free, given that he currently has a market value of £45m, would represent exceptional business by the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out which ‘fantastic striker’ is now on NUFC’s list here!

Sunderland are closing in on a deal to bring Jack McIntyre to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by Chronicle Live, the Black Cats development coach Elliot Dickman revealed that his side are keen on the signing of the former Everton goalkeeper, who has been in training with the Mackems since his release by the Toffees at the end of last season.

Dickman said: “Jack has been with us for most of pre-season and he has done very well. We’re trying to make it a permanent move, but it’s not easy sometimes.

“He’s still got things to work on, but he missed a lot of football due to an injury when he was at Everton. I’ve been really pleased with some of his games in pre-season, and with some of the things he did [on Monday].”

Fans should be buzzing

While many Sunderland fans may fail to see the importance of McIntyre’s signing, the fact that the Black Cats appear to be taking a very keen interest in adding a number of youth prospects to their ranks this summer should have the Stadium of Light faithful buzzing.

Indeed, while it has been a long and arduous fall from the Premier League to the third division of English football for Sunderland fans to have to endure – something that was caused by a lack of genuine leadership in the boardroom, with heinous overspending on transfer fees and player wages – under the leadership of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, it appears as if the Mackems are beginning to put this chapter of the club’s history in the past.

Having already signed the promising 18-year-old Jacob Carney following his release from Manchester United this summer, the further addition of another highly-rated prospect in McIntyre is yet further evidence that Louis-Dreyfus and his transfer team are not just planning for the here and now, but also considering the club’s long-term future.

In the past, it’s something that they have very much struggled with – one big example being the Josh Maja saga back in 2019. He’s since gone onto thrive with Bordeaux in the French top-flight, whilst he enjoyed a half-season loan at then-Premier League outfit Fulham back in January.

Long-term planning is something that has, quite clearly, been lacking at the North East club for a considerable amount of time, and, while the signing of an 18-year-old free agent may not get many Mackems excited just yet, should McIntyre go on to develop into a first-team regular – as Dickman clearly believes he has the potential to do – in a couple of years time, the hard work of the Sunderland scouting, transfer and development teams will become evident.

In other news: Lost possession 20x: Sunderland’s sloppy £653k-rated ace cost Johnson dearly vs Burton

West Ham have set their sights on a January move for Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: El Ghazi’s forgettable 2021/22 so far

The 26-year-old has struggled to become a regular under both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard this season, starting just four Premier League fixtures.

His only league goal came against Newcastle back in August, with reports suggesting that Villa could look to offload the Dutchman in January in an £18m transfer to Roma. However, it seems as if El Ghazi is now a wanted man at the London Stadium.

The Latest: Source shares news

Football Insider shared a story on Saturday morning regarding El Ghazi.

They were informed by a Hammers source that the 6 foot 2 winger is back on their radar, with David Moyes viewing the Netherlands international as a versatile attacking option.

Villa would prefer to listen to permanent offers, although they would also entertain any loan bids.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Reports at the end of November suggested that two of El Ghazi, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet were set to move on this month, so now could be the time to cash in on the former.

Villa podcaster Cole Pettem said last year that ‘a lot of people are complaining that he looked like he put on a lot of weight’, and he hasn’t been as effective as he was in 2020/21, when he plundered 10 league goals.

It doesn’t look like Gerrard fancies El Ghazi as he is yet to hand him a start, so a permanent move away over the coming weeks could be best for all involved.

In other news: ‘Exciting’ – Many Villa fans react to big transfer update on ‘quality’ Gerrard target

Rangers have a mountain to climb at Ibrox next week after they lost 1-0 in the first leg of their European quarter-final on Thursday night.

The Gers were unable to fly out of the traps in the same way that they did in their last two Europa League ties as Gio van Bronckhorst’s men were caught out by the quality of their opponents.

Braga thought they had taken the lead in the opening half an hour when Horta’s shot deflected in off James Tavernier, but a VAR check allowed the referee to spot a foul on Ryan Jack and the goal was swiftly disallowed.

It was second time lucky for the hosts 10 minutes later, though, as Leon Balogun failed to clear his lines and Abel Ruiz pounced to fire past Allan McGregor. Rangers could not find a way back into the game and will now need to turn it around in Glasgow in the second leg.

In the absence of the injured Alfredo Morelos, Fashion Sakala was handed the opportunity to start through the middle as Van Bronckhorst’s number nine. He had the chance to make the position his own for the rest of the season with a strong showing in Portugal but failed to make the most of it as he struggled badly throughout the night.

The attacker was dreadful and surely left the Dutchman scratching his head over what to do in that role with Morelos out for the foreseeable future. Kemar Roofe was disappointing against Celtic last weekend and now Sakala has let him down against Braga, with no other recognised strikers in the squad on Thursday night.

Off the ball, the Zambian was unable to cause any real problems for the opposition. As per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels as he came out second-best in all seven of his aerial battles and also his three on the ground, which shows that he was physically dominated throughout the game.

Sakala was also abysmal in possession. As per SofaScore, he only completed three passes at a success rate of 43%, whilst giving the ball every once every 1.8 touches (11/20). He did not create a single chance for his team-mates and missed both of his attempted shots, with one of them going down as a ‘big chance’.

Therefore, the 25-year-old failed Van Bronckhorst’s big test as he was unable to prove that he is capable of effectively leading the line for the Gers in Europe, struggling in and out of possession all night.

AND in other news, Smith endured big Rangers howler over “world-class” £7.5m gem who was “admired by all”…

Newcastle United have been sent a clear message by Philippe Coutinho’s entourage ahead of the transfer window. 

The lowdown: Record breaker

Coutinho still holds the record for the biggest transfer involving a Premier League club, having left Liverpool to join Barcelona in January 2018 for a fee of £121.5million.

He’s started five La Liga matches so far this season, making a further six substitute appearances. The 29-year-old has scored two goals from 22 shots and also recorded 16 shot-creating actions (via FBRef).

Coutinho is under contract until June 2023 and is valued at £18million by Transfermarkt. His £380,000-per-week salary makes him the highest earner at the Camp Nou.

New Barca manager Xavi adores the playmaker, saying Coutinho is a player he ‘likes personally’ and stressing that he possesses an ‘innate talent’ (via ESPN).

The latest: Fresh update emerges

Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) have again named Newcastle in connection with Coutinho, perhaps unsurprising given his uninspiring time since leaving England and the Magpies’ new-found riches.

However, the position of the Brazilian’s camp ‘to this day’ is that ‘he will not move from Barca in January’.

The verdict: Assist machine, but too risky

Coutinho has racked up a series of honours in his career. He’s won the Champions League and Copa America, whilst at an individual level, he’s been named in the PFA Team of the Year and even led the way for assists at a World Cup.

But according to Xavi, he’s now facing ‘psychological’ obstacles, preventing him from demonstrating that ‘innate talent’.

When you also consider his eye-watering salary, perhaps it would ultimately be for the best if Newcastle missed out on signing him, as signing a hugely costly player who is down on his luck and confidence would be an incredibly risky first marquee signing of the new era.

In other news, Newcastle have offered a record deal to this big-six ace.

Sunderland will host Shrewsbury at the Stadium of Light in a Good Friday clash that could put Sunderland in a very comfortable position to secure a play-off spot keeping their promotion dreams alive.

The Black Cats are currently sixth in the League One table matching Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe Wanderers for points, so a win today is important to keep their hopes of promotion to the Championship in their hands.

Although their opponents have nothing to play for as they are comfortably 16th, 11 points clear of relegation, they will not be an easy team to beat as they currently have the third best defensive record in the entire league conceding just 40 goals in 42 games, so Sunderland will need to deploy their best attack to break down Shrewsbury.

In terms of team and injury news, Alex Neil has confirmed that Leon Dajaku is still not available for selection after falling ill, however Alex Pritchard could be in contention to start as the Sunderland manager gave an update on his fitness in his pre-match press conference.

Neil told the press;

“Alex is making good progress.”

Long term injuries remain unchanged with an update on Aidan McGeady’s chances of playing again for the side this season, the Black Cats boss said on Thursday;

“I’m hopeful that in the next week, he might start joining in training again, but it’ll be really reliant on how he goes over these next few steps in terms of what he looks like over the next couple of days.”

With that being said, this is how Football Fancast expects Sunderland to line-up this afternoon…

We expect to see just one change to the team that won against Oxford United to keep the victorious momentum in the team against Shrewsbury, with the same 3-5-2 formation.

We predict that Elliot Embleton will start in the team after his hugely important impact on Sunderland’s last two games, with the player being the linchpin in securing a playoff spot late in the season following a late assist against Gillingham that secured the three points and an 89th minute winning goal against Oxford last weekend.

The 23 year old, who was hailed “excellent” by the Mackems manager, has definitely proved he deserves a spot in the starting line up and Neil’s selection of the midfielder could prove a huge boost if he can make a third consecutive goal contribution in today’s game.

To make way for Embleton’s start, we expect to see Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead dropped from the central attacking role, but he could easily make a late appearance in the team if Sunderland find themselves chasing a goal in the latter stages of the clash.

The £2.9k-p/w gem, who was hailed “fantastic” by Lee Johnson, has scored nine goals in 20 appearances this season proving to be a consistent attacking threat in the Sunderland forward line, despite suffering a hamstring injury that has limited his ability to make a larger impact this season.

Neil will be hoping to continue his impressive record in League One going eight games unbeaten in his 10 games in charge at the club so far, and promotion to this season would be a massive achievement for the Scottish manager in his short term so far.

In other news: Neil must avoid disaster on £1.4k-p/w “young Paul Gascoigne”, he’s SAFC’s biggest hope