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Leeds United could be set to receive an approach from Barcelona regarding a potential transfer move for Raphinha this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Sport (via Leeds Live), the La Liga club are ready to launch a move to sign the Leeds winger during the current summer transfer period.

Given Barcelona’s recent record of signing players from Premier League clubs such as Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore, it seems as though the Leeds star is the next figure they want to take from England.

After having spells in Brazil, Portugal and France, the 25-year-old joined the Yorkshire club back in October 2020 from Rennes in a deal worth £17m.

Leeds fans would be fuming

The Brazilian has become a crucial figure for the Whites since signing, having scored 17 goals and delivered 12 assists in 67 appearances across all competitions.

To further highlight his importance to Jesse Marsch’s side, the winger ended his latest campaign with the club as their top goalscorer in the league with 11 goals to his name as well as three assists in 35 outings.

Meanwhile, Raphinha topped the list for the highest average of shots, key passes and dribbles per game at the club.

His overall performances earned him a solid season rating of 6.97/10, making him the highest-rated outfield player at Leeds according to WhoScored.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why Barcelona would want to add a player like Raphinha to their ranks but it also shows why Leeds supporters would not be happy to see him leave this summer.

Should Xavi’s side make an approach to Leeds to sign their winger in the coming weeks, it would surely take a mega-money deal to take the Brazilian out of Elland Road with a £47m being mooted.

Couple that with Barcelona’s financial difficulties, and could be of some comfort to Leeds fans that a potential move to the Camp Nou may not be straightforward.

The Leeds hierarchy should be doing all they can to keep Raphinha at the club and convince him to continue his journey with the Whites and help Marsch take the team forward.

In other news: Deal close: Leeds on the verge of signing “impressive” dynamo, Marsch will be buzzing

There has been a fresh development in Celtic’s pursuit of Manchester City-owned defender Ko Itakura…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph offered the Hoops renewed hope regarding a deal, having revealed that they are now “back in the frame” for the Japan international.

He said: “Itakura is someone they’ve been tracking for quite some time and they wanted him in last season, actually, but he chose to go on loan to Schalke, and Celtic are back in the frame for him because Schalke weren’t able to pay the €6m option to buy. Celtic might look to do a loan with an option to buy there.”

The Old Firm outfit have been heavily linked with a swoop for the 25-year-old – whose contract expires next summer – in recent times, having first been tipped to make a move for the 12-cap gem last summer, prior to his eventual temporary switch to Schalke.

As Joseph alluded to, however, the versatile centre-back is not set to stay with the newly-promoted Bundesliga side next term, with the German outfit having confirmed that they cannot afford to pay the required fee.

Bye-Bye Jullien

It looks as if the Glasgow side could be set to prise yet another player from the Etihad, having previously brought in the likes of Patrick Roberts, Dedryck Boyata and Jeremie Frimpong – among others – from the Premier League champions over the years.

Like most on that list, however, Itakura can hardly even be considered a City player, having been shipped out on loan for the whole of his time at the club since joining from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2019.

Despite the lack of action at his parent club, the £3.15m-rated colossus has impressed during those temporary stints away from Manchester, first catching the eye at Dutch outfit Groningen, where he was dubbed “one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie” by pundit Haans Kray.

The most recent campaign saw him also flourish for Schalke in 2. Bundesliga, chipping in with four goals in his 31 league outings, while also averaging an impressive 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and three clearances, winning 61% of his total duels and enjoying a solid 87% pass accuracy rate.

His potential arrival could then ensure a departure for the Hoops’ current centre-back Christopher Jullien, with the Frenchman having fallen drastically out of favour since his return from injury at the turn of the year.

Despite his return to fitness, the 29-year-old only managed to make just a solitary appearance in all competitions under Ange Postecoglou, with the title-winning coach favouring the “immense” pairing – as dubbed by Chris Sutton – of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

With the latter man recently putting pen to paper to turn his loan stint into a permanent move, Jullien is seemingly set to remain on the periphery, with the potential incoming of Itakura likely to be the final nail in the coffin, amid reports of a possible return to Ligue 1 for the former Toulouse man.

IN other news, Deal Imminent: Celtic “very close” to big summer move, it’d be Ange’s best swoop yet

Tottenham Hotspur could finally axe Davinson Sanchez amid interest in Pau Torres this summer…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the north London outfit are more likely to land the Villarreal centre-back than mooted top targets Alessandro Bastoni or Josko Gvardiol.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claim that Spurs are weighing up a swap deal involving Giovani Lo Celso after the £55m club-record signing enjoyed a successful loan spell at the Yellow Submarines in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea have also shown interest in the Spaniard, too.

Sanchez at risk

With Ben Davies being preferred to him in Antonio Conte’s strongest XI, it appears time is running out for Sanchez, who has previously been slammed as being a “real liability” to this squad.

Once a club-record arrival at £42m in 2017, the 6 foot 2 colossus has struggled to maintain a place in the starting lineup under every manager since Mauricio Pochettino.

Aside from his debut campaign in 2017/18, the 25-year-old has failed to start more than 27 league games in every top-flight campaign since, so adding another central defender to the mix will make it even harder for him to compete.

Torres would be a major upgrade on the calamitous Colombian, too.

Described as being an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javi Calleja, the 6 foot 3 centre-back – who is the same age as Sanchez – helped steer the LaLiga outfit to triumph in the Europa League before being a mainstay in their run to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Compared to his positional peers across Europe’s elite leagues, Torres ranks favourably.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Indeed, he sits inside the top 1% for dribbles completed (0.8 per 90), top 10% for progressive passes (4.39 per 90) and progressive carries (4.71 per 90), and has proven to be a threat in the final third, averaging 0.13 non-penalty xG+A, putting him in the top 4%, via FBref.

Considering Sanchez has been deemed to be a liability, it’s evident that Torres is much better with the ball at his feet and as such, would be a fine addition to Conte’s armoury.

It’s time to sign the £60m-rated titan in a bid to move the struggling Colombian on.

AND in other news, Spurs given green light to seal “outstanding” £25m signing, it could be Kulusevski 2.0…

Liverpool could lose Sadio Mane this summer but they may well have had his replacement already lined up if a mega-money deal went their way.

What’s the word?

James Pearce’s latest column for The Athletic this week revealed some interesting transfer lines with the Reds supposedly shortlisting Jarrod Bowen and Jonathan David ahead of possible summer moves.

However, the most intriguing line from Pearce was a swift mention of a certain Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman’s contractual situation at PSG had been a controversial saga but it is finally put to bed now with Mbappe eventually turning down Real Madrid and signing a new deal.

That said, he could have ended up at Anfield. Pearce wrote: “Senior Anfield figures held talks over a potential free-agent deal for Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but it soon became clear that they just couldn’t make the numbers work financially.

“It became a straight shootout between staying at Paris Saint-Germain and joining Real Madrid after his contract expired. The France international opted for the former.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

Surprising news

There have been murmurs beneath the surface of potential interest from Liverpool in Mbappe for a while now.

The World Cup winner has admitted his intrigue with the Merseysiders before, calling them a “machine” but to hear that there was genuinely a move to try and get a deal done from a reputable source will surprise the entire fanbase at Anfield.

FSG haven’t spent a great deal in recent years with the only signing last summer being that of Ibrahima Konate.

The only acquisition in January, meanwhile, was attacking star Luis Diaz. That move, however, was fast-tracked due to interest from other parties.

Therefore, the arrival of Mbappe with Mane and Mo Salah’s futures with Liverpool uncertain would have been quite the coup.

Their title rivals in Manchester City have already signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and this is a swoop that would have usurped that considering his talents.

Valued at a staggering £213m by CIES, he is one of the best footballers on the planet having beaten the goalkeeper on 171 occasions in 217 outings for PSG.

39 of those goals came this season as he ran riot in the French top-flight throughout 2021/22. With that in mind, the arrival of Mr Mbappe in England would have been greeted with much fanfare.

It will come as no surprise that the finances were wrong for Liverpool but it is a shock that they even explored a move in the first place.

Perhaps Jurgen Klopp’s side will see this as one that got away in a year’s time.

AND in other news, FSG now plotting Liverpool bid for “astonishing” £34m signing, he’s Klopp’s next Mane…

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a potential move for Jack Harrison this summer.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ saviour

The 25-year-old scored the stoppage time goal for Leeds as they beat Brentford on Sunday to ultimately retain their Premier League status, with Rio Ferdinand drawing praise to how ‘brilliant’ the winger was on the day when the stakes were sky-high.

That was his 10th goal of the season in all competitions, while he also provided two assists (Transfermarkt) as he emerged as a pivotal player for the Whites.

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The Latest: Everton interest in Harrison

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Everton are now ‘taking an interest’ in Harrison and his situation at Elland Road, as the Yorkshire club may be reluctant to sell both him and Raphinha in the same transfer window.

However, if Harrison were allowed to leave, then the Toffees could face competition from Newcastle United and West Ham United for his signature.

The Verdict: Good coup

To take Harrison off one of their relegation rivals from this season would represent a good piece of business from the Merseyside club.

Frank Lampard is an admirer of the Leeds forward, even going as far as to claim that he is ‘one of the best wingers in the league’, which suggests that the 43-year-old would be keen to work with him at Goodison Park.

At 25 years of age, Harrison has not yet reached his prime, so the Toffees could be the main beneficiaries of that should they be able to get a deal over the line for him.

In other news, Everton are now ‘waiting’ to sign this colossus

Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move to bring one young talent to Ibrox during the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Wales Online, the Gers are among the clubs who are plotting a swoop to land 16-year-old winger Japhet Matondo ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as Ross Wilson looks to make moves in the market.

The report claims that the Glasgow giants, along with Leeds United and Premiership arch-rivals Celtic, are monitoring the teenager’s progress as they consider attempts to snap him up from English Championship outfit Cardiff.

It is stated that the player is going to wait until his current club offers him a new contract before deciding whether or not he wants to ditch Wales for Scotland.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be buzzing

The Rangers head coach will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are working hard to identify players who can improve the development teams. Instead of focusing solely on first-team arrivals and leaving the Glasgow catchment area to bring in youth players, Wilson is trying to snap up prospects from elsewhere.

This could save Rangers millions in the future, as any young player who can make the breakthrough at senior level will prevent the club from needing to make a signing in that position. For example, Alex Lowry’s emergence in the first-team could mean that Wilson does not need to go out and spend money on a transfer fee and wages for another central midfielder.

Journalist Mark Hendry dubbed Matondo a “teen talent” and he has been called up by Wales at under-16 and under-17 level in recent years, with the Wales Online article also claiming that he is ‘highly rated’ at Cardiff.

If he can reach a similar to his brother Rabbi, who has won nine caps for Wales, then he will be a useful player for Rangers to have in the future. Japhet’s 21-year-old sibling has scored nine goals in 23 starts for Cercle Brugge in the Belgian Pro League this term and, from his time at Schalke 04, has also played 30 Bundesliga games by the age of 21.

Japhet may now follow in his brother’s footsteps by leaving Cardiff to try his luck elsewhere in a bid to make it at first-team level. The 16-year-old has clearly caught the eye of the Glasgow giants with his performances at youth level, and his current club rate him highly, which suggests that there is potential there for Rangers to mould if they can land him.

This is why Van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with the Light Blues’ interest in Matondo and will be hoping that he is in a position to offer the youngster first-team chances at Ibrox in the years to come.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst eyeing Rangers swoop for “phenomenal” £1m destroyer, supporters would love him…

Leeds United have done it; they will be a Premier League team once again next season.It has been a torrid campaign for the Whites who under their legendary manager in Marcelo Bielsa endured trialling times at Elland Road.He was eventually given the boot and in stepped Jesse Marsch who through the help of Gandhi and Mother Theresa, found a way to keep Leeds in the top-flight.A 2-1 win over Brentford on the final day of the campaign was enough to seal their place among the country’s elite next season, condemning Burnley in the process.It felt like a victory against all odds at the beginning of the day but by the skin of their teeth safety was secured.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]Front and centre of the celebrations at full-time was Raphinha, who joined the away end to raucously celebrate with supporters. If that is to be his final act as a Leeds player, it was one jubilant way to wave farewell.Unsurprisingly, a certain Victor Orta was right in the thick of things too. The outspoken director has never been afraid to cause controversy and show emotions, something he did so strikingly on Sunday evening.

However, it wasn’t something that went down too well with supporters on social media. Indeed, Orta could be seen celebrating with Marsch but he was very quickly to get his point across; “I was the man to bring him to the club and I deserve the praise.”

It may have looked like he wanted to steer the congratulations Marsch’s way but arguably Leeds are in this mess because of his decisions.

The action on the field of play has been rather dismal but ultimately, the decision to sack Bielsa, someone held in such legendary status in Leeds, was his. His recruitment has also left a lot to be desired with the likes of Rodrigo, Junior Firpo and Dan James failing to live up to expectations.

Certain segments of the fanbase were rather livid with his actions at full-time too, with some on Twitter berating his attempts to show Marsch in good faith.

The fact of the matter is that the American does deserve to be backed heading into next season and implement his ideas. However, Orta’s off the field and on the pitch actions will both need improving.

If Leeds are to rise up the table again next term, they will need him in top form when it comes to player recruitment this summer.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: £45m-rated Leeds “destroyer” who had 92 touches stole show for Marsch…

Liverpool transfer target Robert Lewandowski has submitted a transfer request at current club Bayern Munich ahead of the upcoming summer window.

What’s the story?

As confirmed by Bayern’s director of football Hasan Salihamidzic, via the Liverpool Echo, the Polish striker has lodged a transfer request and intends to depart Bavaria this summer despite still having another year on his contract with the Bundesliga giants.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

Liverpool have recently been claimed to be interested in signing the 33-year-old after previous target Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City was confirmed this week.

With Divock Origi looking likely to depart Anfield whilst Roberto Firmino’s future hangs in the balance, Jurgen Klopp will certainly need depth amongst his strikers and reuniting with Lewandowski after the two worked together at Borussia Dortmund would provide the German would an even more deadly front line.

Liverpool must sign Lewandowski

Although Bayern are holding their cards close to their chest, with president Herbert Hainer stating: “Lewandowski has a contract until June 2023 and will play for us until then,” it seems likely that the Poland international will move on this summer.

It will be incredibly hard for the German juggernaut to keep hold of the striker following the submission of a transfer request, and Liverpool must pounce.

Striker Diogo Jota has had an excellent campaign for the Reds, scoring 21 goals for Liverpool. However, it seems as though the arrival of Luis Diaz, whilst being predominantly a winger, has seen the Portuguese fall down the pecking order slightly.

The 25-year-old started Saturday’s FA Cup final from the bench but was brought on to replace the injured Mohamed Salah and played a total of just 63 minutes across the two legs of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final tie against Villarreal.

Therefore, extra firepower up front is needed and Lewandowski has a mouthwatering pedigree in front of goal.

Labelled as a “freak of nature” by journalist Sam Tighe and “breathtaking” by Owen Hargreaves, the 33-year-old has scored a whopping 509 goals and registered 135 assists in 675 appearances throughout his club career, with 50 of them coming this season alone.

Moreover, in 374 appearances for Bayern Munich, the Polish forward has found the back of the net on 344 occasions whilst providing 72 assists, averaging 1.11 goal contributions every appearance.

Lewandowski is a serious goal machine and would provide Liverpool with an answer to City’s acquisition of Haaland, something that could propel them towards their second Premier League title.

AND in other news: Liverpool must now brutally sell £85k-p/w dud who’s lost possession every 4.5 minutes

Newcastle United have reportedly made a move to sign Juventus forward Paulo Dybala on a free transfer this summer, according to reports in Italy.

What’s the word?

Speaking to CMIT TV (via Sports Witness) Italian journalist Romeo Agresti revealed that the Magpies are the only club to have made a “concrete offer” for the Argentine ace, despite reported interest from the likes of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Agresti said of the 28-year-old – who is set to depart the Serie A outfit once his contract expires in June – that: “Where is Dybala going? Inter will not take him off. Inter have asked him to be patient, they must be sure to eliminate certain deadwood to free up the salary,” Agresti said.

“But I also keep the Premier League, he has instructed intermediaries to test the waters. Favourite destination? I say Manchester United. But Dybala has received only one concrete offer, from Newcastle. But it doesn’t look like a club that warms the Argentine.”

This follows on from previous reports that suggested that PIF had made an offer for his services, albeit there are lingering question marks over whether he favours a move to the Premier League.

Supporters buzzing

Although it is still far from a done deal, should Eddie Howe and co be successful in their pursuit of the 32-cap international, it would represent the first real marquee arrival of the club’s new regime.

The likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes did join in January, although the capture of Dybala would seemingly be a more statement addition and a marker of the rapid progression that the club intends to make in the coming years under their ambitious new owners.

The £220k-per-week man – who joined Juventus from Palermo on a £23m deal back in 2015 – has been one of the most coveted players in world football in recent years, having registered 115 goals and 48 assists in 291 appearances during his time in Turin.

This season, in particular, has been particularly eye-catching for the £36m-rated star, as he has netted ten goals and provided a further five assists in 27 league outings, creating 11 big chances and also averaging an impressive 1.4 key passes per game.

Those remarkable statistics have also contributed to the 5 foot 10 marksman recording a staggering 7.47 average match rating so far this term, the highest of any player in Max Allegri’s immensely talented squad.

Previously dubbed “one of the best in the world” by Mauricio Pochettino and “magical” by Dejan Kulusevski, Dybala has also performed superbly in other metrics, ranking in the top 1% for progressive passes and the top 8% for progressive carries among forwards in Europe’s top five leagues, showcasing his talent at building attacks, rather than simply finishing them off.

A link between midfield and attack, the creative playmaker could prove to be a real catalyst for Howe’s men, with it imperative that they fight off the other suitors to secure his signature. Should they do so, it will understandably leave fans in a state of delirium.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than ASM 

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their transfer plans for the summer…

What’s the talk?

According to i News, the Magpies are preparing to cash in on a number of first-team players in the upcoming window in order to streamline the squad.

The report claims that Isaac Hayden, Matt Ritchie and Karl Darlow are among those who are up for sale, whilst the club will also listen to offers for Jamaal Lascelles and Miguel Almiron.

First major disaster for PIF

PIF are now heading for their first major disaster since taking over at the club as selling Lascelles would be a mistake this summer.

They must not cash in on the former Nottingham Forest colossus as he is an important member of the squad, both in terms of what he offers on and off the pitch for Eddie Howe.

He is the current club captain and has been in that role since 2016. This shows that he is a strong voice behind the scenes and is respected by his teammates, as he has maintained his position as the leader in the dressing room over the course of a number of seasons.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports’ YouTube channel, winger Ryan Fraser named the skipper as the strongest player in the squad and claimed that he “eats weights” in the gym.

The £55k-per-week gem has shown off his strength in the Premier League for the Magpies this season. He has won an outstanding 73% of his aerial battles in the division as he has been able to dominate opposition forwards in the air.

For context, 6 foot 6 Dan Burn has won 66% of his aerial battles in the top-flight for Brighton and Newcastle. This illustrates just how impressive Lascelles’ success in that part of his game is, given that is four inches shorter than the January signing.

Therefore, selling the centre-back would mean that Howe loses an important voice in the dressing room and an experienced, solid, option on the pitch. Whilst he may not be a starter at the moment, with Fabian Schar and Burn ahead of him, he can still be a useful alternative for the head coach off the bench and continue to use his leadership to help the players behind the scenes.

This is why it would be a major disaster to let him go this summer and PIF must ensure that he remains at St. James’ Park next season.

AND in other news, Insider: PIF “aiming” to make major Newcastle signing that’ll leave supporters elated…