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Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan is hugely excited at the prospect of the Whites signing Real Madrid legend Marcelo this summer.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Marcelo

Marcelo Bielsa is expected to sign a new left-back in the coming months, as Ezgjan Alioski’s Elland Road adventure seemingly reaches its conclusion.

On Monday, it was claimed that Marcelo has emerged as a shock target for Leeds, with the 33-year-old an iconic figure over the last decade or so.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Madrid, winning an incredible five La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

The Latest: Whelan amazed by links

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claims Marcelo would be a great signing for Leeds, gushing at what could be a ‘massive’ development:

“That would be a massive coup if Leeds can pull that one off. He’s a very professional player who has played at the top level pretty much since he started his career.

“That would be very exciting. He’s someone who can pass on a lot of experience to the younger players there.

“But he’s someone who no doubt would improve that left-hand side. He loves to get forward, he’s a great defender and a set-piece specialist.

“If that’s something the club are looking at doing, that’s very exciting for Leeds fans and fans of the Premier League.”

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The Verdict: Unlikely but exciting

The idea of Leeds signing Marcelo is a scarcely believable one, considering his standing in the game as arguably one of the best players of all time in his position – he is certainly one of the most decorated.

In truth, his wage demands, coupled with potential offers from bigger clubs, could put paid to a move, with Bielsa looking at other options instead. The Brazil star is on £266k-p/w in Madrid.

However, it says so much about Leeds’ remarkable progress that they are even being linked with Marcelo, and if a move can’t be completely ruled out then that alone is reason for fans to be excited about this one.

In other news, one Leeds hero has been linked with a shock move away from Elland Road. Find out who it is here. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Leander Dendoncker might have to leave the club this summer according to insider Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said that if the club end up keeping Bruno Neves and Joao Moutinho then Dendoncker “might have to move on.”

This is due to the fact that in the past it has been suggested that in order to buy new players Wolves have had to sell first. Whilst there has been a lot of interest in Neves, there has also been interest in Dendoncker from Italy.

As we reported last week, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Inside Futbol), Serie A side Lazio are interested in signing the midfielder who rated at £27m.

Supporters will be gutted

We urged the club not to sell Dendoncker because he has been a key player in the side this season, and if he does end up leaving, supporters will be gutted as well.

In an ideal world they would be able to keep hold of all three players and still add to their squad, however this is looking increasingly less possible. Over the past few seasons they have built a side capable of challenging for Europe, and if they are to keep in the mix for those place they will need Dendoncker.

The Belgium international joined the club permanently from Anderlecht in 2019 for £12.4m after having spent the previous season on loan at Molineux. His value has since more than doubled as he has become key since the arrival of manager Bruno Lage.

He has the highest pass completion rate in the Wolves squad out of any midfielder that has completed more than two full games this season, which proves that he is good in possession and a key link between defence and attack.

Dendoncker also ranks in the top 3% for blocks made in comparison to other Premier League midfielders this season. He may not be a flashy or entertaining player but he is crucial to the teams performance.

If he leaves then the club do have cover in the form of youngster Luke Cundle, but it would still be a huge loss and it would likely see them struggle to finish in a European spot next season.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Sa: Wolves “hindrance” who made just 7 passes let Lage down…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been handed a major boost ahead of Southampton’s game against Liverpool on Saturday night, with Jannik Vestergaard available after his red card was rescinded earlier this week, meaning he is available to face Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield.

The Denmark international was sent off against Leicester in Southampton’s last game, as a heavy touch saw him come under pressure from Jamie Vardy, with VAR ruling that his challenge on the Foxes striker warranted a red card despite him winning the ball.

Thankfully, the Premier League have subsequently made the right decision, which should be a huge boost to Southampton’s hopes of completing a historic double against the Reds.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has been one of the most impressive performers in Hasenhuttl’s side so far this season, averaging an impressive 6.98 WhoScored rating for his performances in the top flight. Only James Ward-Prowse has scored higher in the Southampton squad.

Liverpool are desperate to pick up the three points as they look to maintain their hopes of finishing in the top four this season, and Klopp may well be concerned that Vestergaard is available to play due to his huge influence in this Southampton side.

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Not only has the 28-year-old been instrumental at the back, he has also shown a real threat going forwards, with three goals to his name in 25 top-flight appearances this season.

Considering that he stands at a mammoth 1.99m (6 foot 6), he could prove to be a real threat from set pieces at Anfield on Saturday night, especially with the quality that Ward-Prowse can deliver. Also, every one of Vestergaard’s Southampton goals has been scored with his head.

Liverpool have conceded 10 goals from set pieces so far this season, which is the joint-sixth most in the division, and is already more than the seven they conceded in the whole of last season, which perhaps emphasises that they are vulnerable without the towering Virgil van Dijk at the back.

Therefore, Klopp should perhaps be worried that the £16.2m-rated Vestergaard is now available to play at Anfield, as he looks to be the ideal man to expose a potential weakness in the Liverpool defence on Saturday evening.

In other news… Southampton suffer huge transfer setback with “exciting” £9m-rated gem, Hasenhuttl must be fuming

According to The Sun and reporter Tom Barclay, some promising transfer news has now come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Spurs favourites?

The Lilywhites have been very heavily linked with a move for Johnstone over this last week with reliable sources believing Tottenham are actually favourites.

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Indeed, football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold says Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are in pole position to sign the 29-year-old who is set to leave West Brom as a free agent this summer.

This comes as Spurs loanee Pierluigi Gollini seems set to return to parent club Atalanta with Antonio Conte now looking like he’ll have to take to the market for a back-up to Hugo Lloris.

The Latest: Barclay makes Spurs claim…

According to reporter Barclay of The Sun, Tottenham are ‘increasingly confident’ they will sign Johnstone, with those inside the north London club now believing he ‘will opt’ to join Conte.

Spurs apparently view the Three Lions ace as a potential future successor to Lloris, though will initially be used as a back-up option.

The Verdict: Ideal option…

On a free deal, Johnstone comes as a very ideal option for Spurs with international experience and proven performances in the Premier League.

Ex-Baggies boss Sam Allardyce was very up front in his praise for the 29-year-old last season despite West Brom’s eventual relegation with various pundits also proving to be big fans of Johnstone.

Wolves legend Steve Bull, for example, lavished the homegrown ace as a ‘world class’ shot stopper – leaving plenty of evidence to suggest he comes as an astute option for Tottenham.

In other news: Tottenham eye ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

Aston Villa have made a £10m offer for RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, according to Made in Lens, cited by Sports Witness.

The Lowdown: Doucoure profiled

Doucoure is 21 years of age and already has seven caps for Mali under his belt.

He’s been with Lens since 2018 and has racked up 95 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, scoring seven times, mainly as a holding midfielder.

He can also play at centre-back, has three years left on his Lens contract and appears to be at the top of his game with his career-high £5.4m Transfermarkt valuation.

The Latest: Villa bid

Made in Lens, relayed by Sports Witness, shared the story on Wednesday regarding Doucoure.

Serie A side Atalanta and Premier League giants Arsenal are thought to be on Doucoure’s case, but it is Villa who are the first club to make a bid.

The report claims that the offer was worth £10m (€12m), however, Lens are holding out for a fee in the region of €15-€18m.

The Verdict: Doucoure in Nakamba out?

With Villa firming up their interest in Doucoure with an official bid, the future of Marvelous Nakamba could well be up in the air.

Nakamba is being monitored by both Everton and Watford, and should Villa cash in on the 27-year-old, they would be in line to make a profit on the £11m they paid Club Brugge two years ago.

Should Villa manage to bring Doucoure to Villa Park, Dean Smith may well be willing to move Nakamba on – only time will tell.

In other news: ‘Biggest own goal since Xia bought the club’ – Many AVFC fans fume as ‘awful’ news is confirmed. 

Tottenham Hotspur have their sights set on a new defender this summer, and one name has emerged from the Bundesliga…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan N’Dicka is on Spurs’ radar as they look to bolster their backline ahead of next season.

It’s thought that the German outfit could lose several of their best players after failing to qualify for the Champions League this term, and the north Londoners could clinch him for around €28m (£24m).

The Lilywhites’ current defensive options have flatted to deceive this year, with The Athletic suggesting that mistakes at the back have been a defining theme of Tottenham’s abysmal season.

Bye-bye Dier?

One name central to all their woes at the back is Eric Dier, considering he has started more league games (28) than fellow centre-backs Toby Alderweireld (24), Davinson Sanchez (16), and Joe Rodon (eight), as per WhoScored.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Alan Shearer lambasted the England international for his ‘big errors’ in Spurs’ defeat to Leeds United, going onto question his place in Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad.

Check out the latest transfer news on the GMS Live football Transfer hub

During commentary for that game, Danny Mills labelled Dier a “defensive calamity”, and that merely echoes the thoughts of ex-Spurs midfielder and fellow talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who urged Jose Mourinho to axe the 27-year-old back in February as he “looks lost” in defence.

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Clearly, things have not changed, but interestingly he has been linked with a summer exit – according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Mourinho wants to bring him to his new home at AS Roma.

Similarly, former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has tipped him to be sold by Spurs’ next manager, claiming to Football Insider that there’s “no place for him” at N17 anymore.

N’Dicka would be an ideal replacement, as he has emerged as a potential star in Frankfurt. The 6 foot 4 beast is not only dominant in the air, winning two aerial duels per game this season, but is equally adept with the ball at his feet, averaging an 84.4% passing accuracy. Crucially, he is a left-footer – a trait which is lacking in Spurs’ current centre-back pool.

His ability has been likened to Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, who is also left-footed and offers a pacy solution at centre-back.

The 21-year-old gem has hugely impressed his manager Adi Hutter, too. “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally,” the 51-year-old claimed, via Bundesliga.com. “He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

Former Eintracht Frankfurt star Alexander Schur believes that N’Dicka “shows no nerves” and “plays with great authority”, so that potentially suggests that he could be an improvement on the shaky Dier.

For £24m, it could be a very wise investment, and at the same time, Levy could well end Dier’s ongoing sticky situation in north London. The Tottenham chief must land N’Dicka for his next manager.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting claim on Spurs’ manager search…

Fulham are interested in a deal to bring Bright Osayi-Samuel to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Nigerian media outlet Today, who claim that Marco Silva is keen to make the Fenerbahce winger his first signing after taking over from Scott Parker.

The report goes on to state that the 43-year-old manager was close to joining the Turkish side himself before ultimately taking the Fulham job, and he has now shown an interest in a deal that would see the 23-year-old join him at the Championship club.

However, Today also claim that Osayi-Samuel is keen to remain with the Super Lig side, although Fenerbahce are thought to be willing to accept an attractive offer for the youngster.

Fans should be buzzing

While it would appear a fair statement to make that things have not exactly gone according to plan for Osayi-Samuel since making a move to the Turkish side back in January – with the £3.06m-rated man scoring just one goal and registering one assist over his 19 appearances for Vitor Pereira’s side – the winger’s form after breaking through at Queens Park Rangers should be enough to convince Fulham fans to be buzzing about the potential signing.

Indeed, over the 23-year-old’s 37 Championship appearances for Mark Warburton’s side back in 2019/20, the £6.5k-per-week forward scored five goals, registered eight assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man Warburton dubbed a “dangerous” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.73, ranking him as QPR’s 10th-best performer in the second tier of English football, with Osayi-Samuel setting up the same number of goals as Eberechi Eze that year.

Furthermore, his level of performance while at QPR often led to fans of the club heaping a considerable amount of praise on the winger, with one stating their belief that Osayi-Samuel was the future of their side, while another simply dubbed the forward “outstanding.”

As such, should Fulham go on to complete a deal for the 23-year-old this summer, their fans could well be watching an incredibly exciting player lighting up games at Craven Cottage next season – as long as Osayi-Samuel can recreate the fine form from his previous spell in west London.

In other news: Get it done: Silva must make “exceptional” £41k-p/w dynamo his first Fulham signing

Rangers are looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches as they host Aberdeen at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.

The Gers are have not lost a competitive match in October, with their last defeat coming at the end of September against Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

Their last game was a 2-1 win over St Mirren away from home on Sunday, with Steven Gerrard’s side coming from 1-0 down to secure the three points.

One change Gerrard should make to the team ahead of the clash with Aberdeen is bringing Glen Kamara into the side ahead of John Lundstram. The Finland international watched on from the bench on Sunday and must now be unleashed at Ibrox to take on the Dons.

Lundstram struggled against St. Mirren at the weekend and was partly to blame for the opening goal. He was caught out in the midfield and too easily shrugged off, with Connor Ronan then firing the ball into the top corner from distance.

As per SofaScore, he failed to make a single tackle in the match as he made one interception and lost two of his three ground duels.

This suggests that he was not strong enough to compete in the middle of the park and that is why Gerrard should forget about starting him and, instead, unleash Kamara.

Neil McCann, his former manager at Dundee United, once hailed him as being “made of iron”. He said of Kamara: “He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect.

McCann added: “He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

He has shown off these qualities for the Gers in the Premiership. Last season, the £6.2k-per-week beast averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.99 in 33 appearances, winning 59% of his duels over the course of the campaign and making 2.0 tackles and interceptions combined per game.

Therefore, he could provide the midfield stability Rangers need to control the game.

He is able to win the ball back off the opposition and come out on top in the majority of his individual battles, which is why he should start ahead of Lundstram tonight.

AND in other news, Gerrard must ruthlessly axe £18k-p/w Rangers dud v Aberdeen, he was shocking on Sunday…

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy after Neil Jones’ claim that Naby Keita could sign a new Reds contract this summer.

The Guinean has endured a hugely frustrating Liverpool career to date, having arrived with such big expectations on his shoulders in 2018.

While Keita has still produced good performances at times, playing a part in the Reds’ success, there is no denying that he has been underwhelming overall.

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Incredibly, Keita has still only made 76 appearances for Liverpool, with injury problems and patchy form both holding him back too often.

Despite this, Jones has claimed on The Kopite Podcast [via Anfield Edition] that he thinks the 26-year-old “will sign a new contract at Liverpool”, extending his stay at Anfield in the process.

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Liverpool fans unhappy at Keita claim

It isn’t a rumour that has gone down too well with these Reds fans on Twitter, however, with some questioning whether or not it makes sense, and one supporter going so far as to call the news ‘awful’ and ‘rewarding failure’.

“No contract for Hendo or Gini tho”

Credit: @calthegingerone

“You’ve got to be kidding me”

Credit: @starboyTAA

“So you’re telling me the likes of Jordan Henderson wouldn’t get his contract extended and were ready to give the most unfit player in our squad a new deal???”

Credit: @oilookitsian

“Hate this club”

Credit: @Tripeirooo

“If we give Keita a new contract but not Hendo we’re not serious”

Credit: @Declancarr96

“Just liquidate the club what an awful organization let’s reward failure”

Credit: @lfcbradd

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting negatively to a rumour regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

Sheffield United have been dealt a potential blow regarding Robin Olsen ahead of their upcoming Championship clash.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Star, Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that the on-loan AS Roma goalkeeper is unlikely to be available for the Blades’ fixture against Peterborough United on Saturday following the 31-year-old’s return from international duty with Sweden.

The 53-year-old claimed that he is yet to work with the shot-stopper in training, and that rules regarding the ongoing global pandemic and Brexit make it uncertain as to whether Olsen will be available for selection today.

Jokanovic said: “We have not had the opportunity to start working with Robin – new rules, [the pandemic], Brexit I cannot give you answer if I can use him immediately, I may have to wait a bit more before I can use him.”

Jokanovic will be gutted

With Jokanovic undoubtedly being desperate for Sheffield United to pick up their first win of the 2021/22 Championship campaign against Peterborough on Saturday, the Serbian is bound to be gutted that he will not be able to call upon Olsen for the visit of Posh.

Indeed, following the sale of Aaron Ramsdale, neither Wes Foderingham nor Michael Verrips have exactly demonstrated that they would be capable of being the club’s number one this season, with the 30-year-old conceding more goals than he made saves in the 2-1 loss to Huddersfield Town and the Dutchman making an error which led to one of the four goals he conceded against West Bromwich Albion.

As such, it would very much seem as if United could use a pair of safe hands between the sticks going forwards, but with Olsen highly unlikely to be available against Posh, Jokanovic may well have to make do with either Foderingham or Verrips for one more game.

In other news: Jokanovic must avoid January transfer disaster as reports emerge on SUFC “leader”