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Leeds United have been offered the chance to sign a new striker this summer…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Yorkshire outfit could look to sign New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos after being given the green light to do so.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT recently, the journalist revealed: “I think Castellanos is the one to look out for, they’ve definitely been offered him. They’re weighing it up at the moment.

“Again, it might not be a player that gets Leeds fans particularly excited, but he’s actually had a really good year in MLS.”

Marsch needs him

Whilst the Whites had the second-leakiest backline in the Premier League last season, one of their biggest problems was in the final third, where they sorely missed Patrick Bamford, who had bagged 17 goals in 2020/21.

His persistent injury troubles often left Jesse Marsch without a senior option up top, leading to players like Dan James and Jack Harrison playing out of positon, if not the pressure falling upon youngsters such as Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.

Truthfully, this has long been an issue at Elland Road, with the loan arrivals of Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin failing to work out under former boss Marcelo Bielsa.

Just as Jones states, Castellanos may not be an exciting name given the fact that he has only really delivered in the MLS, but the same hasn’t been said for Brenden Aaronson, an equally exciting talent who has only done the business in America and Austria.

As such, the 23-year-old Argentine should not be written off, not at least because prolific goalscorers tend to correlate that form elsewhere, given the right service.

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Across the course of his career in USA, Castellanos has bagged 58 goals, 53 of which have come in 126 appearances for NYCFC. He secured the Golden Boot last year on their way to a MLS Cup victory and has also been rather creative, providing 23 assists, via Transfermarkt.

Described as “exceptional” and “absolutely perfect” for Leeds by journalist Conor McGilligan, the 5 foot 10 frontman could be a viable and cheap solution to Marsch’s frontline woes as he is thought to be available for just £12.8m, though there is also competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United.

Victor Orta and co shouldn’t think twice with a swoop for Castellanos this off-season.

AND in other news, Orta in ongoing talks for “unreal” Leeds United deal, supporters surely buzzing…

Journalist Terry Flewers has shared the latest news regarding a potential move to West Ham United for Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: Broja transfer interest

According to a report by Goal, a host of clubs are queuing up to sign the 20-year-old this summer. It is said that Serie A trio AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli, alongside Premier League outfits Southampton, Newcastle and West Ham, are all interested in the forward.

The Albania international enjoyed a strong start to the season on loan at St Mary’s, having scored four goals in 13 games before Christmas. However, the second half of the campaign did not go as planned for Broja, with the player reportedly unhappy in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

The Latest: Flewers’ update on Broja

Taking to Twitter, Flewers has shared the latest update on Broja’s future, with the youngster currently set to return to his parent club Chelsea.

The journalist claimed: “Armando Broja to West Ham is ON”, adding: “West Ham started working on this deal in January. Nothing advanced yet.”

Flewers subsequently tweeted: “Chelsea have made no decision so it’s difficult for #whufc to do anything more right now. West Ham want on a perm. Very early stages right now.”

The Verdict: Go for it

Considering the striker’s raw athletic ability, this would be a great signing for David Moyes, who could utilise another centre-forward as competition for Michail Antonio.

Demonstrated by his rank in the 86th percentile for aerial duels won (4.28 per 90 minutes) when compared with positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues (via FBRef), Broja is dominant in the air, so the Irons would be getting a ‘dangerous’ threat in front of goal, in the words of Hasenhuttl.

With rumours linking 2021/22 top scorer Jarrod Bowen with a move away from the London Stadium, Moyes will need to bring in an attacker who can conjure up a similar goal tally to the 25-year-old.

Therefore, Broja could be the right man for the Hammers if they are able to persuade Chelsea to do a deal for the Albania youngster.

In other news: Journalist says West Ham could ‘listen to offers’ for this player

Tottenham Hotspur are set to step up their bid to sign right-wing-back starlet Djed Spence as The Telegraph share a big transfer update.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is keen on landing the 21-year-old who shone on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough over the 2021/2022 season.

Spence was a key player in helping to guide Forest back to the Premier League, standing out as a consistent threat on the overlap and finishing the Championship campaign as one of their best in terms of average match rating (WhoScored).

Able to solve Tottenham’s homegrown quota issue also, the Lilywhites have taken a firm interest in the Englishman, with The Telegraph now sharing a big update.

The Latest: Spurs step up…

According to their information, the north Londoners are ‘set to step up their attempts’ to seal the signing of Spence in a ‘£15 million deal’.

While Forest want to make his move permanent, they are ‘braced’ for real competition, with Spurs firmly in the mix.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Called an ‘incredible’ player who ‘massively fits the bill’ for Conte by ex-Tottenham man Alan Hutton (Football Insider), we believe signing Spence is an absolute no-brainer.

At just £15m, Tottenham could go some way to solving their homegrown player problem whilst also adding someone who is a proven threat at RWB.

Known for his pace, Spence also averaged the second-most crosses from out wide for Forest over his 41 second tier starts (WhoScored) – an aspect of his playing style that Conte could deem attractive.

In other news: Alasdair Gold suggests £122,000-per-week ‘genius’ is open to joining Tottenham! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of former star Christian Eriksen, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye reunion…

The Denmark superstar’s return to the grass after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 has been nothing short of a fairy tale story.

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Eriksen ended the 2021/2022 Premier League season in fine form on a temporary spell at Brentford with a return to Spurs becoming possible.

The Times add Antonio Conte’s former midfielder at Inter Milan is a target for the Lilywhites alongside Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans, and what’s more, he could be open to re-signing.

The Latest: Eriksen eyeing return…

According to Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, if the right conditions are met, Eriksen ‘would be keen on a return’ to Spurs this summer as he eyes a move back to north London.

He adds that Tielemans, Weston McKennie (Juventus), Joao Palhinha (Sporting Lisbon) and Idrissa Gueye (PSG) are also potential midfield additions at Tottenham.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Eriksen has displayed flashes of his best Spurs form under Thomas Frank across London.

According to WhoScored, he finished the campaign as Brentford’s best all-round performer by average match rating – making the most key passes per 90 for the Bees and displaying real creativity.

Indeed, the ‘big name’ attacker will also be available on a Bosman deal as things stand – arguably a snip given Spurs themselves valued at him at £100 million just three years ago.

Taking all of this into account, it may well be a no-brainer to get it done.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing shock move for ‘unplayable’ star who Pochettino called ‘huge’, find out more here.

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

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has provided an update on the fitness of Patrick Bamford ahead of the final Premier League game of the season. 

The lowdown: Final day showdown

The Whites head into the last day of the 2021/22 campaign with their top-flight status on the line at Brentford.

As things stand Jesse Marsch’s side sit within the relegation zone in 18th position and must pick up a positive result in London and hope Burnley cannot match their outcome to avoid the drop.

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Ahead of the match and after what has been a gruelling season with injuries to key players, there has been some positive news…

The latest: Last-minute meeting

Having been present at Thorp Arch for Marsch’s final press conference of the campaign, Hay relayed the important pre-match fitness news surrounding Bamford on Twitter, as the player is set to hold a meeting on Saturday to make a last-minute decision.

He shared the manager’s comments: “In training he’s looked quite good. He feels very different to how he did six weeks ago.”

The Athletic journalist added: “At the moment, Marsch feels like using Bamford wouldn’t be a risk to him. But they’ll have another meeting about it tomorrow (Saturday).”

The verdict: Welcome boost

Adding Bamford – who was praised in 2020 for his ‘superb’ form by talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent – to the match-day squad for this crucial match is an undoubted and much needed positive for Leeds as the Yorkshire giants attempt to get out of their plight at the last possible opportunity.

Last term, the 28-year-old netted 17 goals and provided eight assists whilst appearing in all 38 Premier League games. Compare that to this season, where the England striker has only managed five direct goal contributions in ten senior appearances across all competitions, and it’s not hard to understand the side’s struggles in front of goal.

After missing the last seven fixtures through a foot injury it seems unlikely Bamford will be called upon from the outset by Marsch, however, having the option to bring a once-capped England international from the bench is a luxury Leeds cannot afford to pass up in their current predicament.

In other news: Orta now eyeing transfer move for exciting winger even if Leeds are in the Championship. 

Rangers have shown that they are not averse to bringing players to Ibrox on temporary loan deals to help the team on a short-term basis.

For example, Giovanni van Bronckhorst currently has three players in his Gers squad that are there on loan – Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo and James Sands.

Looking ahead to the next summer transfer window, it seems as though the Ibrox outfit have identified another potential loan signing for next season, one that will already be familiar with the Glasgow club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Rangers are eyeing up a summer transfer move to sign Chelsea midfielder, Billy Gilmour, on loan.

The midfielder joined the west London club’s U18 squad back in 2017 from Rangers’ youth ranks in a deal worth an initial fee of £500k.

Since then, the 20-year-old has gone on to make 101 appearances for Chelsea across their senior and youth sides.

In those appearances, the Scotsman has racked up 20 goals and 14 assists along the way.

Van Bronckhorst will love him

This season has seen the former Rangers youth star spend his time on loan with Norwich City, who were relegated from the Premier League last month.

Despite the Canaries’ poor season, having secured just 21 points from 36 games, the £28k-per-week talent has shown what a capable figure he can be in the Premier League.

In terms of his passing, no other midfielder or attacker in Norwich’s squad has managed to equal the number of passes he’s completed (1173), and only one other player has made more progressive passes than him (95).

Also, only three other Norwich players have racked up more shot-creating actions than the Scotland international (47).

From a defensive point of view, Gilmour has made a combined total of 79 tackles and interceptions in the 23 league games he’s appeared in, the sixth-highest in Dean Smith’s squad, showing that he is capable of being useful for his side without the ball as well.

Labelled as a “fabulous” player by Graeme Souness and someone who “rises to the occasion” according to Petr Cech, Gilmour would be a solid addition to Rangers’ squad next season.

Given what he’s delivered for Norwich this season, Gers boss van Bronckhorst would surely love to have the former youth starlet back at Ibrox as a useful all-round midfield option.

In other news: £18k-p/w Rangers lightweight who lost 100% duels was a passenger on Wednesday

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Calvin Ramsay.

What’s the word?

In a recent Q&A on The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent revealed that, following reports of Victor Orta’s interest in a £4m move for the Aberdeen right-back, the 18-year-old is indeed a target of the Spanish sporting director in the upcoming summer transfer window.

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When asked for an update on the Whites’ potential summer targets, Hay said: “Calvin Ramsay at Aberdeen too.”

A big upgrade

Considering the sheer amount of potential Ramsay quite clearly possesses, in addition to the fact that Luke Ayling has endured a disappointing 2021/22 campaign for the Whites, the argument that the Scotland U21 international would be an upgrade on the 30-year-old is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £540k-rated talent has been in exceptional form for Jim Goodwin’s side, scoring one goal, registering five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

These returns have seen the £880-per-week prodigy average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Dons’ sixth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

In comparison, over Ayling’s 26 Premier League outings this term, the £3.6m-rated full-back has bagged two goals, provided two assists and created four big chances, in addition to making an average of 0.5 key passes, 1.1 interceptions, 2.8 tackles and winning 5.8 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These metrics have seen the £35k-per-week defender average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.61, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s eighth-worst player in the English top flight.

As such, while it is true that Ayling betters Ramsay’s returns in some areas of his game, considering the fact that the Englishman is 12 years the 18-year-old’s senior, it is undeniable that the Aberdeen starlet represents a long-term upgrade on the Arsenal academy graduate for the Whites.

However, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool also reported to be extremely interested in a move for Ramsay at the end of the current campaign, Orta must act quickly if he is to replace the potentially outbound Ayling with the Scottish sensation this summer.

AND in other news: “Someone they really want”: Hay drops huge Leeds transfer claim, Marsch surely buzzing

Wolves manager Bruno Lage is set to welcome back attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White this summer once the 22-year-old completes his loan spell at Sheffield United and could integrate him into his Premier League squad.

According to TEAMTalk, the Wanderers boss is ready to hand the England U21 international a chance with the first team during pre-season after impressing on loan in South Yorkshire.

The attacking midfielder, labelled as “outstanding” by former Barnsley boss Poya Asbaghi, has scored 11 goals and registered nine assists in 35 Championship appearances for the Blades this term which has seen them secure a play-off place. One of those strikes was even labelled as “filth” by Wolves reporter Tim Spiers.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side will take on Nottingham Forest across two legs, starting next weekend, for a place in the final at Wembley as United look to instantly bounce back into the Premier League.

Moreover, Gibbs-White was awarded with both Sheffield United’s Player of the Year Award and Young Player of the Year and promotion would cap off an excellent loan spell.

Given his success away from Molineux this term, it’s vital that Lage ensures that the 22-year-old is handed an opportunity to impress in the Premier League for Wolves next term, no less so than with Ruben Neves constantly linked away from the club.

In the pipeline

Prior to his loan spell, the £8.1m-rated attacking midfielder did score one of the first goals of the Lage era, netting in the 4-0 EFL Cup win over Nottingham Forest in August whilst also playing seven minutes of Premier League football across two appearances.

The current Wolves boss’ predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo was certainly a fan of the Englishman, recalling him from his loan at Swansea City midway through last term and handing the midfielder 11 appearances in the Premier League.

Having come through the youth ranks at Wolves, the Stafford-born playmaker was also a part of the U17 World Cup winning England squad in 2017 and has earned four U21 caps for his country.

Goals have been at a serious shortage for the West Midlands outfit this term, with just Burnley and relegated sides, Watford and Norwich, scoring fewer league goals than their 35.

Therefore, extra creativity in the final third is a must as Lage looks to build on his first season in England, which looks like a top-half finish will be secured at the very least with Europe still achievable.

Moreover, that creativity can be found for no extra money through unleashing Gibbs-White next term.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Wolves handed massive injury lifeline, it could help secure Europe

Newcastle United could be receptive to offers for captain Jamaal Lascelles this summer, The I’s Mark Douglas has reported.

The lowdown

The Magpies paid £4.5m to sign the defender from Nottingham Forest back in August 2014. He has gone to pass the 200-appearance mark for the club (211) and featured in the PFA Championship Team of the Year when they won promotion back to the Premier League in 2016/17.

Lascelles, who still has more than two years to run on his £40,000-per-week contract at St James’ Park, is valued at £9.9m by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Douglas wrote for The I that Newcastle have a surplus of players, and he named some of those who could be offloaded this summer to remedy the situation.

Lascelles is one of the players who ‘might go’, with Newcastle potentially set to consider any bids for the 28-year-old.

The verdict

An exit for Lascelles may have been unthinkable earlier in the season, with the Englishman starting 20 of Newcastle’s first 24 Premier League matches.

However, he appears to have fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of another centre-back in Dan Burn in January. Indeed, Eddie Howe has selected the 28-year-old Derby native for just two of the last 12 top-flight games.

Lascelles has said that he would ‘run through a brick wall’ for his manager, but with Financial Fair Play requirements a consideration for Newcastle, they may need to make a ruthless decision to offload their club captain.

In other news, Pete O’Rourke says the Newcastle faithful would be ‘licking their lips’ at this mooted signing