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Leeds United have already added two new midfielders to their squad this summer in the form of Brenden Aaronson and Marc Roca.

Another midfielder with whom the Whites have been linked is Nicolas Raskin of Standard Liege.

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With Leeds at risk of losing Kalvin Phillips this summer, in addition to having two rather senior midfielders in their squad in Adam Forshaw (30) and Mateusz Klich (32), it’s easy to see why this is an area of focus for strengthening the squad this summer.

In terms of Raskin, he could well be seen as the Whites’ ideal heir for Klich, given how the latter is currently the oldest player at Elland Road.

Back in 2017, the Yorkshire club signed the Poland international from FC Twente. Since then, he has made 179 appearances across all competitions, scoring 22 goals and providing 21 assists along the way.

As for Raskin, the 21-year-old has spent all of his career in Belgium and made 78 senior appearances for his current club. In that time, the Belgian has found the net four times and delivered nine assists, which highlights how useful he can be in front of goal on occasion, just as Klich has proven to be throughout his time at Leeds.

From a defensive point of view, the youngster won 50 tackles throughout his previous league campaign, which is significantly more than the 26 that Klich won in the Premier League last season.

To further highlight what sort of a player Raskin is, Bob Faesen of Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg said about him previously: “He is still only 19, but he has really shone. He is a box-to-box midfielder. He can play in every position in the middle of the park. He is technically gifted, but he is also a bit of a pitbull. He can run a lot, is powerful and has a good shot.”

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Leeds could have a real gem on their hands should they secure a deal for the £4.5m-rated midfielder this summer and ease the club’s potential concerns about finding a suitable heir for Klich in the near future.

In other news: Leeds now chasing “sublime” £9m-rated “incredible talent”, Marsch badly needs him

Despite winning two trophies and having a solid season overall, there is a strong possibility that Liverpool could see the departure of their much-loved Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah. The former Roma man reportedly wants a significantly improved offer from the club’s hierarchy, or he could search for a new destination to ply his trade over the summer.

While Salah hasn’t been the same since he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, he is still an important ingredient to the way in which Liverpool function. In recent times, without the goalscoring attacker, the Reds almost certainly wouldn’t have had the club’s success under Jurgen Klopp. Salah’s incredible form since he arrived at Anfield has seen him lead the goalscoring charts on numerous occasions, he has won several awards, whether or not he’s playing can determine someone’s football betting prediction, and he’s adored by Liverpool fans globally. While he might not have ended the season strongly, replacing Mohamed Salah feels like a tall order for Liverpool, especially if the club hopes to acquire a star who can hit the ground running and deliver the same type of return as Salah consistently does.

Liverpool will surely have a plan, though. Given the clubs’ impressive recruitment in the last few years, there are surely several names in the frame to succeed Salah should he end up leaving. Let’s take a look at three players. Liverpool’s hierarchy could be considered as a replacement for one of the best players to have ever played for the club.

Jarrod Bowen – West Ham

Jarrod Bowen could fit perfectly into Mohamed Salah’s role in the team. The Hammers hotshot swapped Hull for London back in January 2020 for just £20 million and hasn’t looked back since. His progression has been impossible to ignore, backed up by West Ham having a resurgence under David Moyes in the last year or so. Bowen has been integral to that, catching the eye of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate and earning his first-ever England call-up for the Nations League fixtures. West Ham would surely do everything in their power to stop Bowen from leaving for Liverpool should Jurgen Klopp’s side come calling, but a big offer would surely test their resolve. For Liverpool, bringing in Bowen ticks a lot of boxes.

Raphinha – Leeds United

Easily Leeds United’s most technically gifted player, Raphinha is another option Liverpool could assess should Mohamed Salah exit the club. One of the most exciting players in the Premier League, the Brazilian trickster has been one of the few bright sparks in a Leeds United side that only just managed to avoid the drop. Raphinha is consistent, too, averaging 5.21 dribbles and 2.28 key passes per 90 minutes and regularly looking like the Yorkshire clubs’ main threat in games. Although the former Rennes star doesn’t register the same amount of goals and assists as Salah has done previously, he could go up a gear at Liverpool, especially with the help of Jurgen Klopp. At the age of 25, there is plenty to work with there.

Antony – Ajax

A name that is also being linked with a move to Manchester United, Ajax youngster, Antony, is a 22-year-old with bags of ability. One of the most sought after talents in European football, Liverpool were reportedly keen on the Brazilian before he joined Ajax from Sao Paulo in 2020. As such, it would make sense if the club went back in for him, particularly as he’s progressed a great deal during his time with the Dutch giants.

Other options include Arnaut Danjuma – Villarreal, Serge Gnabry – Bayern Munich, and Joao Felix – Atletico Madrid.

Photos by Unsplash

Manchester United have in the ‘last hours’ emerged as suitors for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, according to Sky Sports Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

The lowdown: Rapid rise to prominence

A product of the academy system at Atalanta, Bastoni made the switch to Serie A giants Inter in 2017 and spent time on loan at Parma before enjoying a staggering breakthrough into senior action.

Having flourished through the youth international ranks, the towering centre-back went from strength to strength to become a fully-fledged member of the first-team plans at the San Siro and the senior Italian national team.

The 23-year-old has now amassed 118 appearances for i Nerazzurri with the Italian media saying he ‘plays with the personality of a veteran’, and he’s attracted serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur recently.

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However, it seems as though the Red Devils are throwing their hat into the ring for the possible big-name signing…

The latest: Di Marzio makes huge claim

In a report cited on Twitter, the Italian journalist has claimed that Manchester United have ‘been moving’ for Bastoni.

He says that the Old Trafford interest has surfaced in the ‘last hours’ after Tottenham boss Antonio Conte initiated contact regarding the defender once hailed as ‘world class’ by Italian football expert Kaustubh Pandey.

The report also states that United could compete with Tottenham and Newcastle for the signing of Lille defender Sven Botman.

The verdict: Make it happen

Valued at £54million and under contract in Italy until 2024 (Transfermarkt), any move for Bastoni would undoubtedly involve an eye-watering figure.

However, having conceded 57 times in the Premier League last term – more than eight other sides in the top ten – there can be little doubting that the defensive department needs addressing by new manager Erik ten Hag as a priority.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the 14-cap ace earned an outstanding 7.10 Sofascore rating in Serie A, winning 4.1 duels and making 1.1 interceptions on average per game whilst helping keep eight clean sheets in the process.

That elite level form, combined with his already superstar status and the astronomically high ceiling the Italian could feasibly reach as he heads towards his peak, make the 6 foot 2 star a superb potential capture for the Red Devils and one Ten Hag and John Murtough should be pushing hard to make a reality.

In other news, Erik ten Hag could be key in luring this star to Old Trafford.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has four positions at the forefront of his mind as he looks to strengthen his squad this summer. 

That’s according to Jordan Campbell, Gers correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

Van Bronckhorst has already added to his ranks with the signing of centre-back John Souttar on a free transfer.

Two players have left the club, meanwhile, with Cedric Itten sealing a £1.6million switch to Swiss outfit Young Boys and Leon Balogun departing at the end of his contract.

Rangers spent just £2.6million on new arrivals in 21/22 while generating £13.39million from player sales (via Transfermarkt).

They finished as runners-up in both the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League.

The latest

Campbell writes that Van Bronckhorst wants a new right winger, alongside the likes of Ryan Kent, Scott Wright and Fashion Sakala, who can provide width.

There’s also a need for a ‘creative, goalscoring midfielder’ and a ‘more direct’ striker.

Finally, a left-back may arrive, with Van Bronckhorst not entirely convinced by Borna Barisic and the club yet to discuss a new contract with the Croatian.

‘Rangers have money to spend on a fee for a key player’ and they ‘will look to add quality from the Bosman market too’, says Campbell.

The verdict

Who might some of the targets in these positions be?

Well, in terms of forwards, Rangers have been linked with £8.5million-valued Mateo Cassierra of PFC Sochi, who apparently wants to join, as well Sunderland’s Ross Stewart.

The club do already have Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe on their books in addition to Sakala, though they have lost Itten.

Perhaps, then, it wouldn’t be wise to direct the majority of funds towards this area of the team, even if Van Bronckhorst is said to be looking beyond the quantity options and thinking about stylistic suitability.

In other news, a journalist has been left amazed by this Rangers development.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have received a boost in their pursuit of Stade de Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, with the teenager set to be allowed to leave the Ligue 1 side.

What’s the word?

As per Chronicle Live, the French outfit have named their price for the young starlet, amid interest from the Molineux outfit and others, with the 19-year-old reportedly having been told he can move on this summer.

Speaking in an interview about the Frenchman’s situation, as included in the report, club president Jean-Pierre Caillot stated that it will cost a minimum of €20m (£17m), plus bonuses, for any suitor to be successful in their bid: “The amount should be more than €20million. Afterwards, you have to know how to be reasonable.”

Wolves have previously been tipped to sign the breakout star, while fellow Premier League side Newcastle United saw a deal collapse in January after the player opted against a winter departure.

Raul heir

Securing a new striking addition has become something of a priority for Bruno Lage and co, with current leading man Raul Jimenez having endured a frustrating campaign last time out, netting just six top-flight goals all season for the Old Gold.

The once prolific Mexican – who netted 30 goals in his first two Premier League campaigns combined – has perhaps understandably suffered a drop in form having only returned from a serious head injury at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The 31-year-old suffered a fractured skull following a brutal collision with Arsenal’s David Luiz in November 2020, the resulting injury ruling him out of both training and competitive action for over six months, such was the severity of the issue.

To his credit, the former Benfica man has bravely returned to action, although the time has perhaps come for someone else to shoulder the attacking burden, particularly with young Fabio Silva – who joined from Porto on a £35.6m deal in 2020 – having failed to make a telling impact, netting just four goals across all competitions for the club thus far.

Not that either Jimenez nor Silva must necessarily be dispensed with, but adding additional firepower in the form of Ekitike could solve Lage’s goalscoring woes, the Midlands outfit having netted just 38 goals in 38 league games in the 2021/21 season.

The man who has been tipped to be the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey netted ten league goals himself in a breakthrough campaign at his current side, with that electric form also seeing him dubbed “frightening” by the French media.

The subject of praise throughout Europe, the youngster has also been described as a “very special” prospect by Reims coach Oscar Garcia, with all the indications illustrating that he is a player destined to reach incredible heights in the game.

As for Wolves, the potential target also offers something different to the aforementioned Jimenez, with his speed and dribbling prowess allowing him to pose a threat on the counter and get in behind the opposition, as he ranks in the top 3% for dribbles completed and the top 16% for progressive carries among forwards across Europes five big leagues.

In truth, while Jimenez has for a long time been the main man at Molineux, in Ekitike, Lage could well have found the figurehead for the future.

IN other news, “Soon…”: Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update, Wolves supporters will be gutted

A twist in the tale has now come to light regarding Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United, as broken by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth.

The Lowdown: Rice summer saga…

Reports concerning the 23-year-old’s London Stadium future have been in no short supply over the last few months, with Fabrizio Romano even lifting the lid on a rejected third contract offer from the Irons.

According to some, David Moyes’ star asset has pledged to remain in east London until at least 2023, as explained by insider Claret & Hugh. Meanwhile, there have been other suggestions that Rice is more open than ever to leaving the Premier League club this summer as the likes of Manchester United hover for his signing.

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In a bid to keep Rice at the club and extend his deal, in what has been described as a ‘big’ story, Cudworth has shared a twist out of West Ham.

The Latest: GSB pull U-turn?

According to the reporter, a ‘sizeable shift in stance’ is on the cards surrounding a new deal for the 23-year-old, with West Ham now ‘ready to consider’ inserting a release clause.

This would hand Rice a route out of Rush Green, a contractual clause thought to be never on GSB’s agenda, but it may now be a possibility to entice him to put pen to paper.

Sharing a corresponding article for 90min, Cudworth explained on Twitter: “West Ham ready to consider including a release clause in improved Declan Rice contract. Would mark a sizeable shift in stance but increases agreement chances and preserves full value when the time comes to sell.”

The Verdict: Significant update?

The inclusion of a possible exit clause would relinquish West Ham and GSB’s control over stopping the 23-year-old from departing.

In this respect, Cudworth’s update comes as potentially significant, but much will depend on the size of the figure and whether any interested club will pay it.

In other news: Moyes now very likely to make major bid for ‘world class’ striker after claim that he ‘likes’ West Ham! Find out more here

Manchester United are plotting a move for Leeds United winger Raphinha as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his attacking options ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph (via Manchester Evening News), the Red Devils are monitoring the situation surrounding the Brazil international.

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This could all depend on whether or not Leeds are relegated from the Premier League, and with the 25-year-old’s market value currently sitting at £40.5m, Ten Hag might pay a lot more to secure his services for next season.

Imagine him and Ronaldo

Ten Hag faces a massive summer rebuild ahead of him at Old Trafford, and one of the priorities could well be to enhance his attacking options.

The United forwards have struggled massively this season, with only Cristiano Ronaldo scoring more than six goals (24).

Raphinha has scored 10 goals in the Premier League this season whilst also having 2.4 shots and making 1.9 key passes per match. These statistics show that the Brazilian is a major threat for a team who have struggled at the bottom end of the table for much of the campaign.

The service that the 25-year-old could provide to Ronaldo should be enough to convince Ten Hag to loosen the purse strings and go all-out to sign the Whites winger.

Perhaps the one significant obstacle to the proposed move could be the fractious relationship which has developed over the years between the two clubs. However, if Leeds are relegated to the Championship this weekend, it would surely give Manchester United a small boost in their pursuit of the winger, who will surely not want to play second-tier football with a World Cup looming in six months’ time.

Noel Whelan praised Raphinha by describing him as “magic”, and the 25-year-old’s ability would likely be welcomed at Old Trafford, where match-winning quality has been in short supply this season.

Ten Hag will surely be looking to make improvements to the Unites squad, and he will need to be smart in the transfer market if he aims to bring the glory days back to the red half of Manchester. Teaming up Raphinha with Ronaldo could be a good place to start.

AND in other news, Man United nearing the signing of “magic” £58m “unicorn”, he’s Modric 2.0

Sol Campbell is ‘apparently’ a shock contender to replace Mark Warburton at Queens Park Rangers, leaving The Sun journalist Alan Nixon baffled.

The Lowdown: Warburton out

Warburton’s departure became official at the end of the season as QPR missed the playoffs by nine points.

The 59 year-old was a steady presence during his time at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium though, winning 1.4 points per game across 150 matches.

Now tasked with finding a replacement capable of closing that gap to the top six next season, the Hoops leadership have been linked with numerous names, such as MK Dons boss Liam Manning, and after reports this week claimed former Arsenal legend Campbell is a contender, Nixon has now weighed in…

The Latest: Nixon shocked

According to the reliable reporter, news of interest in acquiring Campbell’s services is indeed true.

Asked by a QPR fan on Twitter about the validity of the links, Nixon confirmed the 47 year-old is ‘apparently in the shortlist’ and added a surprised emoji.

The Verdict: A huge risk

Put simply, one has to question the direction of the club if they truly feel Campbell is the right man to serve as an upgrade to Warburton.

The former centre-back averaged roughly half of Warburton’s win rate in his last role at Southend United – an incredibly poor 0.74 points per game, leaving the club relegated after just 23 matches (Transfermarkt).

With several key players approaching either the ends of their contracts or the last 12 months this summer (Transfermarkt), the board cannot afford to get this wrong and cast the squad into turmoil.

Newcastle United could look to replace Callum Wilson in the upcoming summer transfer window, according to former Premier League defender Danny Mills. 

The lowdown: Wilson’s fitness woes

Signed from Bournemouth for £20m (Sky Sports) in 2020, the England international has scored 18 times in 43 appearances for the Magpies.

Despite those exploits in front of goal, the 30-year-old has also missed 36 matches through a variety of injury issues since arriving at St James’ Park.

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Currently nearing a return to full fitness following a lengthy period out with a calf problem, Mills believes that Eddie Howe may still be on the lookout for further reinforcements at the end of the season.

The latest: ‘Concern’ over Wilson’s Newcastle future

Speaking to Football Insider, regular talkSPORT contributor Mills suggested that neither Wilson nor January capture Chris Wood are able to lead the line for Newcastle in the long-term.

The former Leeds defender claimed: “I think he’s ahead of Chris Wood by some distance. It just depends on whether Newcastle decide he is fit enough to lead the line for the whole season.

“That’ll be the only reason they decide to move him well down the pecking order. Yes, they’ll be looking to strengthen – but if you can guarantee his fitness for the whole season, they’ll probably be looking for a backup.

“But he’s had his troubles with injury – and therefore I can see him finishing up as the backup for Newcastle next season.

“He isn’t going to be fit for a full season – and that’s the concern.”

The verdict: Signings needed

Whilst few could doubt the quality of Wilson – who was described as a ‘menace’ by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer following a 2-0 win against West Ham on his Magpies debut – a wretched run with fitness issues has shown no signs of relenting.

Capped four times by England, the £18m-valued ace would be the perfect foil for target man Wood in a two-pronged central attacking partnership.

However, with the New Zealand international struggling for goals following his mid-season arrival from Burnley and Wilson’s push for prolonged fitness, it seems that Howe will almost certainly be looking to add at least one striker in the summer.

In other news, NUFC are now eyeing a move for this former Sunderland ace

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips will quit the club this summer, even if the Whites stay in the Premier League, with Aston Villa keen on his services, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Phillips interest

Phillips has become a man in demand since the turn of the year, with Villa, Newcastle, West Ham and Manchester United all showing an interest in his services.

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The 26-year-old is currently in the process of changing agents and was reportedly keen on extending his stay in Yorkshire.

However, that now looks to have changed in a worrying twist for the Elland Road faithful, with the Whites in real danger of being relegated back to the Championship in the next nine days.

The Latest: Source shares twist

FI shared a major update regarding Phillips on Thursday, claiming he is now planning to quit even if Jesse Marsch’s side remain in the top flight.

A Villa source informed the site that they are readying an offer for the England international and have been given encouragement over a transfer, with Leeds valuing the midfielder at £60m, which could see him become Villa’s most expensive signing.

The Verdict: Not good

It did appear at one point that there was a real chance Phillips would pen a new deal at Elland Road this summer, but it now seems as if an exit is inevitable.

Star attacker Raphinha also looks set to depart for Barcelona, so Leeds now look set to be without their two most valuable assets ahead of Marsch’s first full season in charge.

The Brazilian has a €25m relegation release clause, while you’d expect that Phillips’ current £60m valuation could also fall considerably, should the Whites drop back down to the Championship.

In other news: Leeds and Orta now planning for the Championship as contact made to sign £5k-p/w flop – opinion.