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Andy Appleby has in the last 48 hours delivered six very encouraging words on the Derby County takeover saga.

The Lowdown: Appleby submits Derby bid

The League One side went all the way back to square one earlier this month after it was announced that preferred bidder, Chris Kirchner, had withdrawn his offer to buy the Rams due to not being able to meet a financial deadline set by Quantuma.

As a result of this, the administrators have now gone back to the drawing board to try and find a new candidate to take over at Pride Park, with Mike Ashley and Steve Morgan just two of the names in the frame.

Despite their interest, it was the former County chairman himself who made the first official move after submitting a bid last week, and he has now dropped a big update on where his saga with the club stands.

The Latest: Appleby’s six-word update

Speaking to Crain’s Detroit Business (as quoted by Derbyshire Live), Appleby wasn’t keen to give too much away, but suggested that negotiations were moving in the right direction. In a promising six-word message, he said:

“It’s down to the final strokes.”

The source also claims that the American is ‘optimistic’ about his offer and that he expects to learn the outcome ‘this week’, leaving supporters with just days to wait.

The Verdict: Exciting

The Derby takeover has been a never-ending saga and one that fans, alongside all associated with the club, will want to be over as soon as possible, and after this fresh update, it sounds as though the Rams might hold a little bit of hope after all.

Appleby already spent seven years with the Midlands outfit, having been chairman from 2008 to 2015, so it comes as no surprise to see that he is eager to do everything within his power to stop his former club from entering liquidation.

He is up against some very strong competitors, but this would suggest that he is currently the leading contender to be the one to complete the takeover, and what a fitting way it would be for him to make his return.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has revealed that Celtic are ‘closely monitoring’ Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis ahead of a potential move to the Scottish Premiership this summer.

The Lowdown: Harwood-Bellis profiled

As per the Premier League club’s official website, the 20-year-old is an academy graduate of the Sky Blues after first joining at the age of just six. He’s worked his way up through the ranks, having been part of the U18s squad before being handed his senior first-team debut in 2020 in the 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Preston North End.

The £6.3m-rated centre-back spent the second half of last season out on loan in the English second tier with Stoke City, and having impressed during his spell with the Potters, appears to have caught the eye of multiple potential suitors, including the Hoops.

The Latest: Celtic ‘closely monitoring’ Harwood-Bellis

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Joseph revealed that Celtic still want to add another centre-back to their ranks, despite securing Cameron Carter-Vickers, and says that Harwood-Bellis could be the man. He said:

“I think after getting Carter-Vickers, Celtic would like to add another centre-back, because I’d imagine they feel Jullien may leave, or may need to take time before he gets back to first-team level. Taylor Harwood-Bellis is someone who they’re closely monitoring.”

The Verdict: An exciting prospect

Even though Harwood-Bellis is still at a very young age, he looks to be an exciting prospect and already has plenty of experience under his belt, making him a player that would slot nicely into Ange Postecoglou’s defence.

Standing at 6 foot 2, not only does the Stockport-born talent have the physicality required to jump into the senior game full pelt, but he also uses his presence smartly, having averaged 3.5 clearances and 1.9 interceptions per game for Stoke last term, via WhoScored.

The City starlet is additionally a regular feature in England’s U21s side, having captained the Three Lions in their recent European Championship Qualifiers, showing that he has natural leadership qualities, an attribute that would be the perfect addition to the Bhoys’ starting XI or squad.

In other news… Celtic could now be planning a loan-to-buy deal to sign one of their transfer targets.

Newcastle United have reportedly now positioned themselves to sign Roger Fernandes.

The Lowdown: Busy already

Having already confirmed the signing of Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa, it looks like the Magpies may now be close to securing their second signing of the summer in Lille defender Sven Botman.

That would cover two positions on the pitch, meaning that the Tynesiders could then look for other targets to further strengthen Eddie Howe’s starting XI.

The Latest: Fernandes interest from Newcastle

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are now preparing an offer of €20m (£17.1m) to sign Braga winger Fernandes.

The Portuguese club have already turned down offers from both Ajax and Borussia Dortmund, and the Tynesiders have now positioned themselves for a potential move.

Their offer could reach as much as €25m (£21.3m) if certain targets are met, and the Magpies could even let him stay in Braga to continue his development after signing him.

The Verdict: Worth a punt?

Indeed, Fernandes is still so young at just 16 years of age, so signing him would be quite a punt from Newcastle.

He became a record-breaker during the 2021/22 season when he became the youngest player to feature in the Portuguese top flight when he was just 15, but he has made an impression at that level, scoring three goals in 11 games (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, while spending as much as £21.3m on him would be a gamble, money is no object to the wealthy owners at St James’ Park, so Fernandes could be worth it in the long-term.

In other news, find out who is now ‘on verge’ of leaving St James’ Park

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Florian Grillitsch.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, with the 26-year-old’s contract at TSG Hoffenheim coming to an end in the coming days, the midfielder is now in advanced talks with ACF Fiorentina regarding a move to the Serie A side – with the Italian outfit said to have offered the Austria international a four-year deal at the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

Previous reports had claimed that Victor Orta was also keen on a deal to bring the former SV Werder Bremen starlet to Elland Road in the summer transfer window, however, it would now appear as if Vincenzo Italiano’s side are very much leading the race for Grillitsch’s signature.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Fiorentina are in well-advanced talks to sign Florian Grillitsch as a free agent. Austrian midfielder’s contract with Hoffenheim will expire in the coming days and it won’t be extended. Talks are underway – four-year contract on the table, valid until June 2026.”

Leeds supporters will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Grillitsch was for Hoffenheim this season, it is easy to see why Orta was reportedly keen on a deal to add the 26-year-old to Jesse Marsch’s current options in the middle of the park ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League campaign.

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Indeed, over his 18 Bundesliga appearances in 2021/21, the £14.4m-rated talent was in spectacular form in the heart of Sebastian Hoeness’ side, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 2.0 clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

The £35k-per-week midfielder also impressed in a creative capacity, creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 51.9 passes, 6.6 long balls, 4.2 chipped passes and 0.6 key passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the 26-year-old average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him not only as Hoffenheim’s second-best performer in the league but also the joint 18th-best player in the Bundesliga as a whole.

As such, with Kalvin Phillips’ future at Elland Road appearing very much up in the air at present, it is not difficult to understand why Orta was reported to have identified Grillitsch as a replacement for the England international, as the Austrian very much appears to be cut from the same cloth as the Whites’ academy graduate.

However, following Romano’s latest update, it would now appear as if the Spanish sporting director is set to miss out on the midfielder’s signing this summer – something that is sure to come as a gutting blow to Marsch and the Elland Road faithful alike.

AND in other news: “Travelling to Leeds..”: Phil Hay drops big transfer update, supporters will be elated

Reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has now shared his thoughts on the rumours linking Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Lukaku rumours

After enduring a difficult return to life in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, a whole host of transfer rumours have emerged linking the Belgium international with a move away from the West London club.

Back in April, 90min reported that Chelsea are prepared to let the 29-year-old leave this summer, amid interest from former club Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Italian media outlet La Repubblica claimed that Lukaku was more likely to join Antonio Conte at Tottenham, rather than making a return to the Serie A.

The Latest: Gold’s claim

During football.london’s latest QnA, Gold was asked if there is any truth in the Lukaku rumours. In his response, he claimed:

“Conte loves him but I’d have my doubts over whether Chelsea would deal with Spurs and also whether Lukaku would feel he’d get to play week in, week out with Harry Kane at the club. He wouldn’t be the main man.

“They may well be able to play together but what that would mean for Son and Kulusevski I don’t know. It’s a lot of money for a player who hasn’t had the happiest time back in the Premier League. I just can’t see Chelsea dealing with a London rival and their former manager, but who knows what could happen in this crazy summer.”

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The Verdict: Conte doesn’t need him

Hailed a ‘complete striker’ by Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, Lukaku was a dominant force under Conte at Inter, having netted an impressive 64 goals in 95 games.

However, the Italian boss now has Harry Kane at his disposal, whom he is also said to be an extremely big fan of.

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Kane ranks in the 86th percentile for non-penalty expected goals, whereas Lukaku comes in at the 68th percentile for the same statistic (via FB Ref), and it doesn’t take any such statistics to see the former is a superior playmaker too.

Therefore, with Conte’s preferred formation utilising just one out-and-out striker, it seems unlikely that Lukaku would join Spurs with Kane still at the club, ‘crazy’ summer or not.

In other news: Journalist says Conte will be ‘impressed’ by quick Perisic swoop

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Amer Gojak this summer, according to Germanijak. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Gojak enjoyed an eye-catching pathway to senior football after netting 20 goals as a teenager in a 2013/14 Under 17 league campaign in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Following a move to Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb in 2015, the creative maestro amassed 200 outings for the club, being scouted by Barcelona and Manchester City during the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League campaign.

Since then, the 25-year-old has spent a spell at Serie A outfit Torino on loan before heading back to Zagreb, where a permanent departure could now be on the cards…

The latest: Baggies’ interested

As per Germanijak, West Brom are believed to be in the mix to sign the Bosnian international.

It’s claimed that Gojak ‘wants’ to head to the Hawthorns this summer and the Midlands club ‘would have no problem obtaining a work permit’ for the 29-cap ace.

The report also states that Dinamo would sell the star for ‘less than’ €2million (£1.6million) this summer after Torino rejected an option to buy.

The verdict: No brainer

During the 2021/22 season, Gojak scored twice and provided one assist in 39 appearances across all competitions, winning 2.3 duels and completing 22.4 accurate passes on average per game whilst earning a 6.69 Sofascore rating.

Now predominantly operating as a defensive midfielder, the Bosnian has played in a plethora of positions during a stop-start career so far and would therefore provide Steve Bruce with much-needed versatility in the squad.

Having allowed Romaine Sawyers to leave the club, signing the £2.25million valued Gojak to follow the addition of John Swift from Reading would be a superb piece of business as the Baggies plan for a successful Championship campaign next term.

In other news, Joseph Masi has confirmed West Brom’s interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United may have a chance to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Mark Ogden, via The United Stand, who has proclaimed positivity over the potential signing of the England star.

The United Stand Twitter page relayed the original quote from their YouTube channel, in which Mark Ogden states:

“United have a chance [to sign Rice] this year. Chelsea are in turmoil with the ownership, City and Liverpool have said they aren’t interested, Spurs and Arsenal aren’t an appealing move for him. United might have a free run to Declan Rice.”

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Ten Hag needs him

With the likes of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic set to leave this summer in what is expected to be a mass clearout at Old Trafford, Declan Rice, who has been dubbed an “explosion” by David Moyes, is the exact signing that a club who lack motivation and direction need.

The acquisition of the defensive midfielder could make Ten Hag’s rebuild job a lot easier. His talent, desire and ability in possession is suited to that of a Dutch-orientated, mass-possession, total-football system that could also serve as a platform for Rice to elevate his game, whilst building towards success at Old Trafford.

The £150m midfielder’s match average of 54.29 passes completed per 90 bodes well, though it’s his 90.6% pass accuracy that makes him such a composed and reliable asset in the centre of the pitch.

With a match average of 6.60 passes into the final third, he poses threat even if his game is more defensive.

His ability to carry the ball makes for another case as to why the 52-year-old should sign him, with United lacking a forward-thinking and defensively sound asset in their engine room.

A large majority of United’s 57 goals conceded, at a rate of 1.5 per game, have come from poor organisation making for easy penetration through the midfield, so Rice, who is a natural leader, would have a licence to make his presence in the middle of the park known.

Out of the aforementioned clubs that Ogden mentioned, Rice would have the biggest impact at United.

In other news: Offer made: Man United have submitted bid to sign £85.4m “lion”, he’s Lewandowski 2.0 

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch will use Patrick Bamford against Brentford.

The Lowdown: Brighton absence

Bamford has been missing since March after suffering a ruptured foot against Wolves. The 28-year-old was expected to be available for the final few games of the season, if required, but he wasn’t included in Marsch’s squad for the final home match of the campaign against Brighton.

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Pascal Struijk’s late equaliser lifted the Whites out of the bottom three ahead of Burnley, but the Clarets have a game in hand, so it looks as if Leeds will need to come away from London with something on Sunday to guarantee a third season of Premier League football.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Jones, talking to The Transfer Tavern, had this to say on Bamford featuring on Sunday, believing Marsch will use the forward, who he thinks can get Leeds out of trouble.

“There’s just nobody in this team that can score goals consistently. There’s nobody that you can turn to in moments of trouble and hope they can get you out of it.

“That guy is Bamford still, so I think that if there’s any way they can get him out on that pitch in the starting 11 particularly, then Jesse Marsch will do it.”

The Verdict: Risk needed?

Marsch has already risked Bamford from the off against Norwich and Wolves back in March, a gamble which didn’t pay off and left the forward in tears at Molineux.

On that basis, he may well be reluctant to throw the forward in the starting XI on Sunday. However, having him travel with the squad and taking a place on the bench could still be a wise call, especially as 16-year-old Archie Gray has made the 18 in the last three games, highlighting how short the Whites are.

Defenders Struijk and Diego Llorente have scored Leeds’ last two league goals over the past five games, so if Marsch needs a goal late on, having Bamford to call upon for the second half could be the difference between relegation and survival.

In other news: Radz and Orta have had enough of Leeds ‘liability’; now set to be released from Elland Road. 

A Spanish outlet has provided a further update on Leeds United winger Raphinha and a summer move to Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Barcelona links

Raphinha has been Leeds’ best-rated performer this season, as per WhoScored, scoring more goals than any other Whites player.

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His starring displays may not be enough to keep the club in the Premier League, though, with Jesse Marsch’s side now in the bottom three with just two games remaining.

Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for the 25-year-old since the turn of the year, and it looks as if it is just a matter of time until a Camp Nou switch goes through.

The Latest: Advanced negotiations

Sports Witness relayed an update from Mundo Deportivo on Thursday regarding Raphinha and Barcelona, revealing the two parties are already in talks.

They claimed that the Brazilian’s agent, Deco, is in ‘advanced negotiations’ with Barcelona president Joan Laporta, whom he has a close relationship with.

Interestingly, they believe that there isn’t a €25m relegation release clause if Leeds go down, as has been suggested, however, they say that the Whites would let him go for a relatively low fee, should they drop down to the Championship.

The Verdict: Inevitable

Even if the Whites somehow manage to remain in the Premier League, it looks as if Raphinha has outgrown Leeds and needs to take the next step in his career over the coming months.

Survival would mean that the Whites could demand a bigger fee for the winger when talking to the Catalan giants, but a departure does seem inevitable either way.

Due to a number of injuries and suspensions for the final two games, Raphinha may have to drag Marsch’s side out of the bottom three single-handedly, and doing just that would be a parting gift money can’t buy.

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

Aston Villa will be without winger Leon Bailey for this afternoon’s trip to Burnley due to injury.

The Lowdown: Bailey’s season to forget

Bailey arrived at Villa Park over the summer from Bayer Leverkusen but hasn’t had a memorable first season in the Midlands.

The 24-year-old has scored just once in 18 appearances and has been limited to just seven Premier League starts.

Steven Gerrard was spotted fuming with the Jamaican in the 0-0 draw with Leicester City last month, and the attacker, who has been in the last 11 match-day squads, won’t be available at Turf Moor.

The Latest: Ankle injury

Bailey had to be withdrawn against Norwich City last weekend with an ankle problem.

Gerrard confirmed on Friday in his pre-match press conference that Bailey, along with Kortney Hause are unavailable, while Jacob Ramsey is also a ‘big doubt’.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Bailey made his third Premier League start in four games last time out, his best run of the season, so this latest injury blow isn’t ideal for himself or for Gerrard as preparations turn to next season.

He turned out in four different attacking positions in April, however, he may not start another game this season after this fresh update.

Hopefully, Villa will see a better version of Bailey in his second season, providing he stays at the club, with journalist Dean Jones believing Gerrard could cash in over the summer.

In other news: Villa now edging closer to summer move for ‘clinical’ ace as Gerrard gets his way.