Leeds given Nahitan Nandez transfer hope

Leeds United reportedly have the funds available to sign Cagliari and Uruguay midfielder Nahitan Nandez in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Constant Leeds links

Few players, if any, have been linked with the Whites more intensely than Nandez, with the 26-year-old endlessly tipped to move to Elland Road in recent months.

The 49-cap Uruguay international has been a key figure for Cagliari since joining from Boca Juniors in 2019, making 88 appearances to date for the Sardinian club.

A January exit looks possible for Nandez, though, and Leeds have again been boosted in their efforts to sign him.

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The Latest: Fresh update emerges

According to Cagliari News 24 [via Sport Witness], the Whites have the ‘necessary liquidity’ to get a deal over the line, even though they are yet to submit an offer for him.

Torino don’t want to pay the €25m (£20.8m) that Cagliari want for Nandez’s services, acting as a further positive for Leeds.

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The Verdict: Perfect January signing

With Kalvin Phillips out injured until at least March, it is essential that the Whites bring in at least one midfielder this month in order to fill the void left by arguably their most important player, as well as bolstering an area of the squad where they are rather light.

Of all the midfielders to have been linked with Leeds, Nandez arguably looks the most tailor-made to come in and be a hugely successful signing, with plenty of high-level experience down the years but also the prime period of his career possibly ahead of him still at the age of 26.

Nandez has chipped in with two assists and averaged 1.5 dribbles per game in Serie A this season, showing he possesses creativity, not to mention winning 2.4 aerial duels and two tackles per match.

The Uruguayan is also renowned for his tremendous work rate, a quality which will surely endear him to the infamously demanding Marcelo Bielsa, so that is why he could be perfect for Leeds.

In other news, one Leeds player has been linked with a move to a big-name club. Find out who it is here.

Everton: Van de Beek ruled out v Burnley

Patrick Boyland has now dropped another injury blow for Everton before they play Burnley in the Premier League tonight.

The Lowdown: Everton team news

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist shared that both Seamus Coleman and Fabian Delph are now back in the squad and could play a part against the Clarets.

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However, Nathan Patterson has had to go and see a specialist and is likely to have a small operation later in the week, which is estimated to rule him out for between eight and ten weeks.

The Latest: Van de Beek injury

Boyland has shared that Donny van de Beek ‘also misses’ the game at Turf Moor alongside Patterson.

The Dutchman has a small grade thigh injury but should be back for Everton’s match at home to Leicester City on April 20, as he is ineligible to play his parent club Manchester United on Saturday.

The Verdict: Big blow for Everton

To lose Van de Beek as well as Patterson for the clash is a big blow to the Toffees’ chances of getting all three points in Lancashire tonight.

They could have done with the 24-year-old’s creativity to help break down what could be a stubborn Burnley defence. After all, he has the best passing success rate (84.9%) out of any of his team-mates to have made at least five appearances in the top flight this season.

Nonetheless, Frank Lampard will now have to find a way to win without his midfield maestro.

In other news, Everton are eyeing a move for this ‘brilliant’ Kevin Thelwell favourite

Leeds: Dean Jones makes Phillips claim

Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a claim on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips following links of a move to Manchester United, as per GiveMeSport.The Lowdown: Man Utd ‘working on a deal’ for PhillipsPhillips, who is in the process of changing agents, has been linked with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham in recent weeks.[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]Manchester United have now become the latest club to show a serious interest and are thought to be ‘working on a deal’ for the Whites star.Despite links to multiple Premier League rivals, the 26-year-old is reportedly open to penning new terms at Elland Road, although his future won’t be resolved until the summer.The Latest: Jones’ claim on PhillipsTalking to GiveMeSport, Jones admitted that he can’t see a move to Old Trafford materialising for Phillips due to the ‘uproar’ and ‘backlash’ he could receive from fans of his boyhood club.The journalist outlined:

“I think Kalvin Phillips could fit in at Man United, I just don’t see it happening because I think there’ll be uproar, and I don’t think that Kalvin Phillips is likely to rock the boat.“I guess the closest comparison we could make to a player leaving would be Harry Kane when he threatened to leave Tottenham or looked like he was leaving Tottenham. The backlash that there was to him then, you would be risking something like that.”

The Verdict: Unlikely…Phillips chose to stay and extend his deal in Yorkshire back in 2019 after the Whites failed in their push for promotion to the Premier League.He had an offer from Aston Villa at that time and will now go down as a Leeds legend after playing a key role in taking the club back to the top flight.Therefore, it seems extremely unlikely that he’d risk ruining his Leeds reputation with a move across the Pennines, especially with Manchester United not as attractive proposition as they once were.In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer blow for Leeds as key 21 y/o target now set to move elsewhere

Leeds: Barcelona begin talks for Raphinha

A Spanish outlet has dropped a key update in Barcelona’s attempts to sign Leeds United star Raphinha this summer.

The Lowdown: Summer shake-up?

It looks as if there could be a major summer shake-up at Elland Road over the coming months, with Jesse Marsch hopefully preparing for a first full season as manager in the Premier League.

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Along with Raphinha, exit links have emerged on Kalvin Phillips, Jack Harrison and Robin Koch. Three Premier League sides are interested in signing Phillips, whereas Tottenham are keen on Harrison while Marsch and Victor Orta are apparently ready to move on Koch.

Raphinha could well be the biggest exit from Elland Road, though, with his agent Deco travelling to Barcelona over the weekend for talks.

The Latest: In the next few hours…

A Spanish outlet dropped an update on Barcelona and Raphinha, leading with a headline that negotiations are indeed underway for the Brazilian.

Barca chiefs Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff are set to meet with Deco ‘in the next few hours’ to lay the foundations of a deal, with Raphinha himself keen on a move to the Nou Camp.

The Verdict: Leeds still in control

For now, Leeds are still in complete control over Raphinha’s future and are doing the right thing by putting talks on hold until the end of the season.

Should the club remain in the top flight, they will hold the cards over a big-money move, with Raphinha under contract until 2024. However, if they drop back down to the Championship, a €25m relegation release clause will allegedly be active in the 25-year-old’s deal.

The next few weeks will be key, both on and off the pitch, but it seems as if Deco is doing all he can to get a deal in place ahead of the summer.

In other news: ‘Leeds fans won’t be happy…’ – Sky Sports man reacts to major update emerging from Elland Road

Seamus Coleman and Ademola Lookman can be key for Everton to bounce back

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Everton are stuck in a bit of a rut right now, with boss Marco Silva overseeing a dismal run of form that has yielded just three wins from their last 12 fixtures in all competitions – something must be done to amend the situation, and some key players at the club need to step up.

What’s the word, then?

In the Merseysiders’ last outing, an FA Cup fourth round defeat against Millwall on Saturday, there were certainly a lot of negatives to take from yet another disappointing defeat, and one that signalled the end of any silverware hopes for the Toffees.

However, one feature from the game at The Den showed that there are a couple of players who could be key to an immediate response against bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accesory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

Ademola Lookman’s performance against the Lions on the right of midfield, ahead of Seamus Coleman at right-back, provided a slight glimmer of hope from an otherwise abject showing in south London, but Silva should definitely focus on the pair’s link up and see how he can utilise that against the Terriers.

Why should they start against Huddersfield?

Lookman and Coleman both made one key pass against Millwall, as per WhoScored, and their partnership down the right was arguably the only positive for Silva on the day.

Many Everton fans have criticised Coleman at right-back this season, and feel that he is perhaps past his best with young Jonjoe Kenny taking his place at times throughout the current campaign.

In Lookman’s case, the 21-year-old has made just three Premier League starts this season, according to WhoScored, as he has struggled to dislodge the underperforming Theo Walcott from the right of midfield, but he is now getting a chance and grabbing it with both hands.

His dribbling skills and ability to attract a number of defenders make him an attractive option to play ahead of the Irish defender, who frequently overlaps down the right flank – by playing the pair together, there will be some excellent opportunities to get in behind a sturdy Huddersfield backline, who may see Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson as Everton’s main two danger men.

West Ham targeting Darwin Nunez

West Ham’s season could still end with silverware and a place in the Champions League for the first time in their history, with winning the Europa League becoming a real possibility.

Should the club achieve the feat, it’s likely manager David Moyes will be given a generous transfer budget to play with, and that could lead to a very busy summer transfer window. 

Leicester midfield maestro Youri Tielemans is the latest name to be added to a lengthy shortlist of potential targets, while the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Joe Worrall have all been quite heavily linked with a move to East London – but the latest name to be named as a target will really get Hammers fans excited.

What’s the news?

Speaking on the Hammers Chat YouTube channel, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that the club could return for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez this summer, having been keen on adding him to the squad back in January.

“West Ham are already planning to do something important,” said Romano. “In January the name they really really wanted was Darwin Nunez from Benfica, the interest was serious and concrete. I expect West Ham, again, to be on Darwin Nunez.”

The Daily Telegraph have claimed that he will cost up to £60m, and that other clubs’ hopes on completing a deal hinge on whether or not they qualify for the Champions League – which could eventually prove to be a stumbling block for the Irons, but given their chances in the Europa League, it is still a big possibility.

If they get CL, Nunez is a must-sign

It’s been a while since West Ham’s last South American icon, Carlos Tevez, graced East London, but Uruguay international Nunez could follow in his footsteps and become a fan favourite at the London Stadium.

This season, in all competitions he has made 31 appearances, scoring 24 goals at just 22-years-old, operating as a number nine as well as a left-winger and even as an attacking midfielder on occasion.

Averaging a 7.39 match rating in the Primeira Liga according to SofaScore, he has become one of the league’s top prospects – and if he does leave Benfica this summer, the Hammers need to be in the mix to secure his signature.

With Moyes currently experimenting with a number of different systems and formations at the moment, Nunez’ versatility would make him an exceptional summer signing – and he is the type of player who could help transform the club into a regular top-four challenger, something that will no doubt leave the Irons faithful elated.

In other news: WHU can seal dream deal as bid plotted for £25m gem with a “foot like a magic wand”

Tottenham: Conte vying to sign £126m star

Tottenham Hotspur are now vying to sign in-form Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler as manager Antonio Conte eyes yet more fresh faces, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte seeks major overhaul…

The Telegraph, sharing some pretty big news this week, lifted the lid on a scheduled Spurs sit down at the end of 2021/2022 between Conte, managing director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy.

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In the report, it is stated that Tottenham’s head coach wants as many as six major signings – including a reserve goalkeeper, right-wing-back, centre-half, two midfielders and a forward.

Conte’s ambition on the pitch is backed even more off it going by this latest update with there being no shortage of targets for his midfield.

Leicester City star Youri Tielemans and Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen are both on the Lilywhites’ agenda as they aim to maintain their climb up the Premier League (The Times).

The Latest: Spurs competing for Soler…

TUTTOmercatoWEB, sharing yet another midfield man on Conte’s radar, now claim Tottenham are one of the teams competing to sign Valencia’s star man Soler.

The 25-year-old has bagged a brilliant 12 goals and five assists in all competitions this season, attracting interest from both the north Londoners and West Ham.

Valencia’s number 10 could also leave for nothing in 2023 with his contract expiring next year, potentially making his 2022 summer transfer ‘cheaper’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Soler is still young, a proven final third threat and an alleged ‘highly respected’ figure in the Mestalla Stadium dressing room according to Radio Taronja journalist Alvaro Benzal (via La Liga Lowdown).

Bearing this in mind, the Spaniard comes as a seriously underrated option for Spurs.

According to WhoScored, only Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min have averaged more key passes per 90 in the final third than Soler over 2021/2022 – while Son and Harry Kane stand as just two Spurs players with a greater amount of league goals.

Taking into account his quality, it’s little wonder Valencia slapped a mammoth €150 million (£126m) release clause into his current deal, as the La Liga giants confirmed back in 2019.

Reports out of Spain, via Sport Witness, also back that he would be perfect for Conte – with claims emerging that Soler ‘fits the profile’ Spurs’ head coach wants in north London.

As time runs down on his contract, Paratici could also be in a strong negotiating position, so we advise Spurs to seriously consider a formal approach this summer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Tim Spiers makes Adama Traore claim

Wolves winger Adama Traore is likely to seal an exit from Molineux in the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Traore set to join Spurs

The 25-year-old’s Wanderers career looks set to have reached its conclusion, with various reports in recent days claiming that a move to Spurs is on the cards.

Antonio Conte sees Traore as a strong option to bring in and add quality to his squad, while Bruno Lage seems relatively content to allow the winger to leave.

The January window is not too far away from closing, though, so both clubs will need to act fast.

The Latest: Spiers expects move to happen

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Spiers was in little doubt that a move would still happen, delivering a telling six-word verdict.

When asked by a Wolves fan for an update on Traore’s future, the journalist replied: “Still talking, still likely to go.”

The Verdict: Get it sorted

In the interest of Wolves, Spurs and Traore himself, it is important that the deal is sorted as soon as possible now, with deadline day approaching next Monday.

Wanderers will need a little time to potentially sign a replacement for the Spaniard, or else Lage could risk having a lack of attacking options between now and the end of the season.

Granted, Pedro Neto will be back soon after a long-term injury absence but he can’t be expected to hit the ground running immediately after being sidelined for so long, so the Old Gold may need to strengthen their wide attacking ranks in the next six days while they still can.

In other news, Wolves have suffered a potential blow in their quest to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle interested in signing Mavididi

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Montpellier forward Stephy Mavididi…

What’s the talk?

Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor has confirmed that the Tyneside club are keen on a deal for the attacker as they look to strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad, although the ex-Arsenal man is not the only player they are considering with just under two weeks left to go in the transfer window.

He tweeted: “Been off the past few days – coincidentally in Newcastle – but can confirm there is legitimate interest from the Magpies in Montpellier’s Stephy Mavididi. He is one of several names on their shortlist as club consider signing another forward. More in tomorrow’s column. #NUFC”

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this news, as Mavididi could be an excellent and exciting addition to the first-team squad.

He is a versatile forward player who could fulfill a number of roles for Howe. The ex-Bournemouth boss could deploy him out wide on either flank or through the middle, as the 23-year-old could play in a variety of positions and strengthen the entire frontline.

Mavididi has produced 15 goals and three assists in Ligue 1 since the start of last season, which shows that he knows how to find the net at the top level. He could provide an added goal threat to Newcastle’s attack, whilst he also has the speed to improve their counterattacking possibilities.

Former Charlton manager Lee Bowyer previously lauded the forward’s pace, saying: “There was one time we broke and we had Stephy and Sullay (Kaikai) breaking and it was like two greyhounds in a race – look at how quick they are.

“We’re very fortunate, we’ve got these types of players at the club., if we can get them right and get them all fit for the remaining eight games, it’s going to be exciting times.”

This suggests that Mavididi would be an exciting player for Newcastle fans to watch, as he could use his speed to accelerate past opponents and score and set up goals. Therefore, the Toon Army must be buzzing with the news that he is a target for the club this month.

He also has the potential to improve even further. At the age of 23, Howe can work with the forward on the training field to improve his performances, and Magpies fans could enjoy watching his progress over the years, particularly if he is able to kick on and work his way into the England setup.

AND in other news, “Offer €30m+”: Newcastle could land their best signing since Saint-Maximin as Duncan Castles drops huge claim…

Calvin Ramsay: Liverpool’s next Alexander-Arnold?

Liverpool are looking to sign an understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window with Julian Ward potentially unearthing a £540k-rated gem.

What’s the word?

That is according to the latest reports from Christian Falk, who claims it is “true” that the Reds are interested in sealing the signature of young Aberdeen defender, Calvin Ramsay.

Since bursting onto the scene, Ramsay has attracted interest from some of Europe’s finest outfits, with his performances putting him on the radar of Jurgen Klopp.

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It is believed that the signing of Ramsey will seal the immediate future of Liverpool loanee Neco Williams, who could make his deal at Fulham permanent.

A solid buy

It is rare to advise a club to sign an 18-year-old who has only made 31 professional appearances, though in the case of Calvin Ramsay, it’s an exception we are willing to make.

Because in those 31 appearances, the Scotland U21 international has been involved in ten goals, scoring one and assisting nine.

For his first season at the top level, those numbers are outstanding and Klopp’s side would be right to snap-up what could be the successor of Andy Robertson or even Alexander-Arnold in years to come.

Certainly, a review from former Dons boss Derek McInnes showcases why he’s so like the latter: “His quality of delivery from set-pieces and open play has brought him plenty of assists for Aberdeen,” he commented.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack said: “There’s not many right-backs like him at that age doing what he does when you look at all the data. All these clubs look at the same systems. They will have seen the same things that we have: that he’s in the elite upper bracket for a young right-back in Europe. He’s right up there across Europe, and they are seeing that.”

Ramsay’s mentality and maturity above his years make him a useful asset to Liverpool, as the “wonderkid”, as described by Goal on Twitter, responded to his reported interest as per the DailyMail: “It’s all been good because growing up it’s all you want to do – play first-team football, then hopefully get a big move one day in the future.

“It’s all about learning and you’ve got to keep calm. You can’t let it get to your head. If you do then you can end up thinking you’re better than you are and not playing how you can.”

Wise words from a young player who seemingly has limitless potential.

Liverpool supporters will surely be urging the club into his signature.

In other news: Liverpool plotting £83m bid for “sensation”, he is Klopp’s next “leader” 

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