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Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing a move for Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Leeds boss was reported to have wanted to sign the 25-year-old prior to his £13.5m move to the south coast in the summer of 2018 and appears to have kept tabs on his progress ever since.

Football Insider claim that despite newly-promoted Norwich having agreed a fee with the Saints, Bielsa’s side are looking to “hijack” the deal.

The report reveals that Leeds have registered their interest in the goalkeeper as they look to swoop in late, and that Gunn is seen as the perfect cover for Illan Meslier as they look to offload Kiko Casilla.

Perfect back-up for Meslier

Hailed as being “tremendous” by former Southampton boss Mark Hughes, and someone who could eventually be an England international, Gunn could finally arrive at Elland Road after a few years of Bielsa wanting him.

Gunn is on around £4ok-per-week at St Mary’s, which isn’t much of a financial gamble for Andrea Radrizzani to take, and in signing him, he would give Bielsa someone who’s Premier League experienced and capable of providing back-up to Meslier.

The Saints stopper has played top-flight football with the Saints, as well as enjoying Championship stints with the likes of Norwich and Stoke.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

And, at 25, he still has plenty of years to develop and he could give Leeds and Bielsa a number of seasons keeping Meslier on his toes.

The Leeds boss will surely be buzzing at the prospect of seeing the club potentially landing a man he first wanted back in 2018.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a major Leeds United transfer update…

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, despite a number of reports claiming that the 52-year-old Spurs manager would be tempted by a move back to Juventus should Massimiliano Allegri be relieved of his duties, the Italian is currently happy in north London – suggesting that an imminent departure is not on the cards.

Gold went on to state that, even if the Serie A side were to make an approach for their former manager, Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici hold an option to extend Conte’s current contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which is set to expire at the end of the current campaign – for a further year – something that provides the club with an extra layer of protection regarding the coach.

Regarding the future of the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Italy manager, the journalist said: “Digging around, I’ve got confirmation today that it’s Tottenham that hold this option. So Tottenham are the ones who can decide to extend, and they can do so whenever they choose to do it before the end of the contract.

“So that gives Conte a little bit more protection, and if a side like Juventus do come in, they’d have to pay a lot more money. But from what I understand, Conte seems to be quite happy at the moment. He seems to be quite settled.”

Great news for Spurs

Considering the rather remarkable job Conte has done at Tottenham since his appointment in November of 2021, Gold’s claim that the Premier League side hold an option to extend the 52-year-old’s current deal for a further year, in addition to his suggestion that the Italian appears to be happy in north London, is undoubtedly great news for Spurs.

Indeed, following his arrival at the club, the tactician achieved an astonishing turnaround in form, with Tottenham winning 17, drawing five and losing just six of their 28 Premier League fixtures under his management, despite having won five and lost five of their opening 10 games of the season while Nuno Espírito Santo was at the helm.

These results saw Spurs climb from ninth in the table prior to the 52-year-old’s appointment to fourth by the end of the 2022/23 campaign, with the Italian ensuring that Tottenham would be playing Champions League football for the first time since 2020 – beating north London rivals Arsenal to fourth with a 5-0 win over Norwich City on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, Conte has also overseen a sensational start to Tottenham’s 2022/23 Premier League campaign, with the Lilywhites currently sitting third in the top flight standings – having won five, drawn two and lost none of their seven league fixtures so far this season – just one point behind the Gunners in first and level on points with reigning champions Manchester City in second.

However, the 52-year-old’s impact is even more impressive when looking at the bigger picture as, since the beginning of 2022, only Liverpool and Manchester City (60) have picked up more Premier League points than the Italian’s side, with Tottenham currently sitting in third on 58 points – while City (71) are the also only team to have outscored Spurs (65) this year.

As such, considering the fact that Conte has achieved these results despite having only been at the club for a little under 11 months, the prospect of the 52-year-old staying on for a further year and a half is sure to be an incredibly exciting one for everyone involved with Spurs – proving why Gold’s latest update is undoubtedly great news for the club.

Lots of Everton fans have been left to fume as Fabrizio Romano has dropped a transfer update on their pursuit of Max Aarons.

As per a tweet from the Italian football journalist and transfer guru which emerged on Wednesday afternoon, new clubs are joining the race to sign the Norwich City star, and the Goodison Park faithful are now looking at other players.

This has not been met very well by several supporters of the Merseyside club, given how excited some of they were over Romano’s last and much more optimistic update involving them and Aarons.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team are in desperate need of cover at right-back, especially given the fact that Seamus Coleman is now 32 years of age, and Aarons, being just 21 and off the back of a promotion-winning season with the Canaries, could well be an ideal fit, providing that a suitable fee can be agreed between the two clubs.

Everton fans on Aarons transfer update

These Toffees supporters fumed after Romano shared his transfer update on Twitter:

“That’s such a weak mentality, give up on your next right back for the next 10 years because other teams want him pathetic. He’s obviously very good. Make it happen @Everton”

Credit: @S34nR

“Nooooooo we want Maxxxx”Credit: @LouisMeliaEFC”Should have left this one in the drafts Fab x”Credit: @MainManMina”If we don’t get Aarons I’ll be annoyed we’ve been linked with since last summer”Credit: @jay_smith1″Centre-back is the least of our problems, looks like Aarons is off now as well.. typical.”Credit: @KaneEFCH”Are you having a laugh?”Credit: @lewissefcIn other news, find out what transfer update has left Blues gushing here!

Sunderland have reportedly edged closer to sealing a deal to sign Spurs left-back Dennis Cirkin, with a medical taking place this weekend, according to Football Insider. 

What’s the story?

Sunderland will have been looking to add additional strength in depth to their defensive options before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion.

The Black Cats have lost Callum McFadzean after he was released at the end of his contract with the League One side, after making 33 appearances in total for them.

Dion Sanderson also returned to his parent club after his loan spell at the Stadium of Light, which meant that Lee Johnson has found strength in depth hard to find in defence at this moment in time.

Football Insider have reported that Tottenham Hotspur youngster Dennis Cirkin is close to joining Sunderland as they look to add much-needed depth to their defensive options, with a six-figure deal reportedly being agreed.

‘Kid with a lot of quality’

Cirkin has clearly made a good impression whilst playing for the Tottenham Under-23s, and even though his lack of experience in senior football might be a slight concern to some supporters, the prospect of him improving every week should make it an exciting signing for the Black Cats, if the formalities of the move are finalised in the near future.

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho labelled Cirkin as a ‘kid with a lot of quality’, as he trained with the first-team squad earlier in his career.

“OK, he’s 17, but he’s a kid with a lot of quality, and I look forward to bringing him to train with us and to help his development.”

Cirkin has also had comparisons with Chelsea full-back Ben Chilwell in the pas, and will be hoping he can further his knowledge in senior football at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland.

The Athletic have also stated that Cirkin is ‘energetic’, and ‘strong in the tackle’ in previous reports, and Lee Johnson will be hoping he can see some of those attributes whilst with Sunderland this season.

If Cirkin can hit the ground running with the Black Cats, then Sunderland could have made a shrewd addition in signing the youngster on a permanent basis this summer.

Sunderland beat Wigan Athletic in their first match of the new League One campaign and will be hoping they can go from strength to strength moving forwards.

Lee Johnson’s side are set to return to action on Tuesday evening, when they take on Port Vale in the EFL Cup, in what could potentially be a tricky test for the Black Cats at Vale Park.

Many Aston Villa fans have been expressing their delight on Twitter after the club posted footage showing Danny Ings’ first goal at Villa Park in a 3-1 pre-season friendly win against Salernitana.

Producing commendable numbers in 2020/21, the 29-year-old registered 17 goal contributions in 33 appearances for Southampton, with 13 goals and four assists [Transfermarkt]. That fine return prompted Villa to swoop for his services in a deal worth £31.68m, and the early signs under Dean Smith are promising.

As his new club saw off recently-promoted Serie A outfit Salernitana, Ings converted from close range after a pinpoint pass from Jaden Philogene-Bidace. In an entertaining encounter, Anwar El-Ghazi and Ashley Young also got on the scoresheet after Joel Obi opened the scoring for the visitors [avfc.co.uk].

Aston Villa fans react to Ings’ goal

Replying to Aston Villa’s official Twitter account after it posted footage of Ings’ strike, here is what some fans had to say about the “awesome” finish:

“What a signing!! #SaintsFc are going to miss his goals so much, hopefully he’s our missing piece to fire us into Europe! Watkins x Ings #AVFC”

Credit: @VillaWatch1

“Ingsyyyy”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Feed the goal machine and watch Danny go”

Credit: @MerseMagic

“His movement in the box is first class”

Credit: @raffsteveraff

 “Absolute bagsman”

Credit: @DL1992_”Awesome”Credit: @sankeysaddleryIn other news, many Aston Villa fans react to an update on this transfer target

Aston Villa are lining up a £7m offer for Celtic midfielder David Turnbull, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Turnbull’s award-winning campaign

The Hoops may have not had the season they wanted, but Turnbull certainly made an impact in his first campaign as a Celtic player.

He netted nine times and provided eight assists in 35 appearances, booking his spot at this summer’s European Championships as a result.

Turnbull was also named the PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year recently, and it seems as his displays have caught the eye at Villa Park.

The Latest: Villa readying offer

The Scottish Sun claim that Villa manager Dean Smith is looking to add to his creative midfield ranks ahead of the 2021/22 season and has received glowing reports regarding Turnbull.

Villa representatives have watched Turnbull on numerous occasions and now thought to be readying a £7m bid.

Turnbull’s Transfermarkt valuation stands at just £1.62m, so the Hoops look set to be tested with a bid over four times that figure.

The Verdict: Hoops must keep Turnbull

Unless a club-record bid comes in (£24.3m), we think Celtic should reject all offers for the 21-year-old this summer.

There looks set to be a Parkhead rebuild both on and off the pitch this summer, and Turnbull has shown he can be an integral part of Celtic’s future with his displays in a struggling Hoops side this season.

He starred on his European debut, netting the winner against Lille and completed more key passes than any player in the Scottish Premiership (80), as per WhoScored.

On that basis, we think Celtic need to keep hold of the midfielder, who Frank McAvennie described as ‘incredible’, going forward and should snub a proposed £7m offer.

In other news: Celtic transfer U-turn comes to light; decision made at the end of the season, find out more here.

Aston Villa have been handed an exciting transfer update in their pursuit of Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe.

What’s the story?

Recent reports from The Athletic’s David Ornstein suggested that Dean Smith’s side had put in an initial £25m bid for Smith Rowe, before upping that offer to £30m – both were promptly rejected by the north Londoners.

Then, The Express and Star’s Matt Maher insisted that “Villa are refusing to give up their pursuit” of the youngster, “as they continue with an ambitious summer transfer strategy, aimed at bolstering Dean Smith’s attacking options.”

And now, via The Daily Mirror’s print edition (04/07, p76), the Midlands club now think that Arsenal are now ready to sell Smith Rowe this summer, and are ready to up their bid to £32.5m.

It’s added that Arsenal’s attempts to tie down Smith Rowe to a new contract has failed to come to fruition, and the Gunners are now considering reluctantly letting him go, with Villa now confident of striking a deal.

Fans will be buzzing

Well, well, well. Talk about a twist in the tale!

After initially looking like Villa were simply posturing with their offers for Smith Rowe, it appears Smith and the club’s transfer committee were right all along with targeting the England U21 international this summer.

After Villa’s first bid for the play-maker was revealed, The Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans said: “Villa’s ambitions are becoming crystal clear. Not only are they showing no signs of slowing down their spending spree under Sawiris and Edens, but they are also looking at ways to weaken clubs who could be direct rivals.

“Bidding for Smith Rowe is the most obvious sign yet of that. But this strategic approach of trying to pick apart big teams is taking Villa to a new level. That they feel Smith Rowe is an achievable target says everything about the way the club are moving forward. The very thought of taking away one of Arsenal’s most exciting young players just a few years ago would have been laughed at.”

The fact that Arsenal are now seemingly open to letting him go and that Villa are confident of getting a deal done is a major twist that will surely leave supporters absolutely buzzing at the prospect of Smith Rowe joining.

You only have to look at the kind of reaction Villa fans had when links emerged to the 20-year-old, and it now appears they have every reason to be excited for real.

Meanwhile, this Villa transfer target is a huge upgrade for Dean Smith…

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suffered a potential setback in his recovery from injury, posing further selection headaches for manager Rafa Benitez.

What’s the word?

The England international hasn’t featured since the 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on 28 August due to a broken toe and thigh problem.

Although the Toffees are yet to name an exact date for Calvert-Lewin’s expected comeback, there are growing concerns over a setback in his recovery.

A recent report in the Liverpool ECHO expressed such worries, claiming the versatile attacker could be on the treatment table for up to three months.

The report states that: “Rafa Benitez had hoped to be in a position to recall Calvert-Lewin to the squad in the coming weeks, but it is believed the 24-year-old may have suffered complications in his rehabilitation.

“Everton were asked about Calvert-Lewin’s fitness by the ECHO, but the club have yet to respond. There are some fears that the No9 could be sidelined for up to 12 weeks, but there is hope his absence will not be as long as that.”

Rafa Benitez surely devastated

News that Calvert-Lewin could face an extended spell on the sidelines will surely leave Benitez feeling absolutely devastated.

He has been their star man for a considerable period of time now, bagging 21 times last season and scoring three goals in his opening three outings this term. That was sandwiched by a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad as he played second fiddle to Harry Kane in the Three Lions side that reached the final a few months ago.

A fast start to the season from Everton is threatening to be unravelled due to a series of injuries to several key players, with midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure the latest to pick up a fresh problem.

The Goodison Park outfit suffered their first home defeat of the campaign last time out against West Ham United, and Benitez must fear more underwhelming results are inevitable as the list of absentees continues to grow.

And, in other news…Everton could be hit with a hammer blow after concerning report, fans surely worried 

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to some transfer news which has emerged on the future of Stoke City colossus Harry Souttar.

Writing in his latest piece for The Liverpool Echo, Phil Kirkbride has now revealed that the Goodison Park faithful have been scouting the Potters central defender, as Duncan Ferguson was sent to watch him recently.

There is certainly interest there from the Merseyside club ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

The 6 foot 6 Souttar is enjoying life in the Championship at the moment, and is actually averaging more clearances (5.8), passes (67.8) and a higher pass success rate (82.8%) than Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina are in the Premier League so far this season (WhoScored).

However, there are of course question marks over whether he can make the step up to the top flight, and the Blues already have the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Reece Welch coming through.

Everton fans on Souttar transfer news

These Toffees supporters gave some fairly mixed reactions as the transfer news was shared on Twitter:

“Makes no sense this imo. Reece Welch coming through looks a better prospect than this lad and he’s 5 yrs younger. Add Branthwaite in there as well”

Credit: @Tom_Riddle1995

“Read we are ready to offer £24 mil really hope not”

Credit: @tomf_1

“Duncan Ferguson now is our scout, state of it”

Credit: @ElliotB1878

“Ideal Yerry Mina replacement”

Credit: @Jase_1878

“Was decent when I’ve seen him play for Fleetwood”

Credit: @sebellis09

“Fella is like 6’8″”

Credit: @Shakeitupbaine1

In other news, find out what injury news has Blues buzzing here!

Wolves winger Adama Traore will probably cost £35-40m this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

Traore has been heavily linked with a move away from Molineux, with Chelsea thought to be one team currently circling.

According to The Athletic, the west London club have an interest in the 25-year-old, who could give Thomas Tuchel the kind of attacking threat down the right flank he is looking for.

Traore has just two years left on his contract, so this could be Wolves’ last opportunity to make good money off of the Spaniard.

When asked by FFC how much Wolves could sell him for, Hatfield of the Express & Star said:

“His contract makes it murky, doesn’t it? I’d say probably a similar amount to [Ruben] Neves, 35, maybe £40m.

“He’s a young player, so he can still improve. But the contract situation, as I said, makes it murky.”

It is not the £80m price tag that has floated around in the past, but selling Traore for half of that would still be good business from a financial point of view.

Wolves signed Traore for £18m from Middlesbrough back in 2018 after meeting a release clause in his contract, so the Midlands club would still obviously be making a profit.