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For the first time since joining Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa has something of a bloated squad.

The Argentine has always been adamant that he likes working with a smaller group of players, but after spending almost £100m in the transfer window, Leeds have a lot of depth in their key positions.

Having depth is always a good thing at a club, but a spending spree of those proportions is bound to bring with it some selection headaches, and it looks as though there’s a brewing dilemma at Leeds that could soon be keeping Bielsa up at night.

Leeds are now absolutely stacked at right-wing after the addition of Raphinha and the emergence of Ian Poveda.

Add into that the fact that Helder Costa has been United’s first choice for the past year or so, and you can see the problem that Bielsa faces.

Costa has been brilliant lately as well, netting two goals and contributing an assist in his first four appearances this season, but it’ll be hard to justify spending £17m on Raphinha if he’s just going to sit on the bench.

Poveda also has a case to make. He earnt a lot of praise for his showing against Manchester City, and even if he’s not a starter he will want a spot on the bench. However, with three players vying for one spot, it’s hard to imagine that two substitute spots will be taken up by one position.

Of course, there is the argument that Raphinha can also play on the left, but that just complicates things further adding Jack Harrison and Ezgjan Alioski into the problem creating an even bigger selection headache.

We can’t come up with the answer to this conundrum, and luckily we don’t have to, it’s up to Bielsa to keep up this juggling act between three very talented players fighting for one spot.

We certainly don’t envy the Argentine.

Liverpool may be one of the most successful teams in the world over the past two seasons, but they haven’t spent all that much as of late.Indeed, the only players the Reds have shelled out a fee for over the past 12 months have been Takumi Minamino and Sepp van der Berg, but that may change this summer.The Premier League champions have been linked with a sensational move for Napoli’s 6 ft 5 centre half Kalidou Koulibaly, as reports in Italy have stated that his asking priced has dropped from €100m to between €70-80m.The idea of the Senegal international partnering Virgil van Dijk at the back is a mouth-watering prospect, after all, Koulibaly was named Serie A’s best defender last term, and he received the third-most Ballon d’Or votes amongst any centre-backs in 2019, sitting only behind van Dijk and Mathijs de Ligt.However, despite the Napoli star possessing such pedigree, a number of fans were against the idea of signing him this summer, and you can understand why.Koulibaly may be fantastic, but he turns 30 next year, and such a hefty outlay for a side with the best defensive record in the division seems a little unnecessary.Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have proven to be a brilliant options at the back this season for Jurgen Klopp’s side, conceding just 26 league goals in 34 games, and due to this fact, some supporters believe that Koulibaly would be an unnecessary signing.

Other supporters weren’t happy with the fact the club are reportedly looking to spend such a hefty fee on the defender after reportedly being hesitant to make a move for Thiago who would apparently only cost them €33.5m (£30m).

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These supporters certainly have a point, the Reds’ defence is the best in the division, and it doesn’t really need bolstering, especially when Koulibaly will cost them at least double what Thiago is reportedly available for.

Liverpool have been linked with a summer move for Watford’s Ismaila Sarr as they search for attacking reinforcements. 

Sarr is name that has been on the Reds’ radar for a few weeks now, with murmurs on the wind that the Premier League champions could be looking to recruit him.

According to David Lynch of the Evening Standard (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), Liverpool are now considering a bid for the £40m-valued forward.

The 22-year-old winger could provide important cover for the Anfield front three, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri becoming an outcast last season. Sarr contributed five goals and six assists for the Hornets but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from being relegated from the Premier League.

Loads of Liverpool fans are hoping that the club give the Senegal international a ticket out of the Championship by snapping him up in this transfer window. One supporter believes he is the ‘perfect Klopp player’ whilst another has labelled Sarr a ‘monster’. Indeed, the winger averaged 3.8 successful ground duels and 1.7 dribbles per game last term, alongside his attacking contributions (via Sofascore).

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Would you take Ismaila Sarr at Liverpool? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

A fresh transfer report has left many Celtic fans fuming this week.

According to The Times Chile, Man City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is a target for the Scottish Premiership champions with the veteran set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

It’s safe to say that his arrival wouldn’t go down well with the Hoops’ faithful, here are just a few reasons why…

The 37-year-old was brandished everything from a “calamity” to being “shocking” with the Citizens backup stopper playing just 16 times this season, mostly from domestic cup competitions, fans at Parkhead really don’t want to see him make the switch north.

As per the aforementioned source, Celtic are also looking at Burnley’s Joe Hart and Watford’s Ben Foster yet it’s only one man they really desire – current loan star Fraser Forster.

How’s your Celtic knowledge? Always been a loyal fan? Well can you spot Stilian Petrov from John Hartson? Give it a go if you’re brave enough …

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The Saints loanee has been Neil Lennon’s regular glovesman this campaign, recording 17 clean sheets in 39 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Although it remains to be seen if they can land the 6 foot 7 giant permanently this summer.

Some members of the Hoops’ faithful are so adamant that they are better off without Bravo that they have suggested that backup goalie Scott Bain is even a better option.

The 28-year-old has been at Celtic since January 2018 and has made a total of 46 appearances.

Clearly, the overwhelming majority of the Bhoys fanbase would be against signing the veteran stopper. As per Spotrac, the 37-year-old is lavishing it up at City on £80k-per-week, something that Celtic could probably do without spending given Bravo’s age.

AND in other news, Celtic fans discuss Kristoffer Ajer amid fresh reports…

Tottenham Hotspur slumped to a disappointing defeat against Sheffield United on Thursday night. 

The Blades bounced back from a losing streak to inflict defeat on Spurs for the first time since the Premier League restarted.

Although most of the focus seemed to be on Tottenham’s Champions League hopes, one talking point stood out from all of the rest.

Tottenham ace Tanguy Ndombele was called into action as Spurs trailed Chris Wilder’s side 2-0 at the time.

Ndombele replaced his teammate Serge Aurier, although the damage had already been done, but he finally managed to get some minutes under his belt.

According to The Telegraph, as per @Daily_Hotspur, Spurs have turned down an approach from Juventus for the Frenchman.

Juve had offered former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey in exchange for Ndombele, but the Lilywhites rejected the swap-deal.

As it stands, this could be good news for Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has previously complained about a lack of creativity in the midfield and his side were crying out for some inspiration against the Blades.

Writing in football.london, Andrew Dowdeswell noted “there was plenty of pace, but little precision.”

While that’s not to say Ndombele would’ve been the cutting edge Spurs needed at Bramall Lane, as he has been benched for the past four games in a row, he has saved his best performances for the Champions League.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has supplied two assists, made 1.7 tackles per game, averaged one interception and completed 1.3 key passes on average (via WhoScored).

The Portuguese seems to have a problem with laid-back creative geniuses, as he famously clashed with Paul Pogba during his time in charge of Manchester United, and his fractured relationship with Ndombele has been well documented.

However, he may have to get over that hump, as the French international is still a top-class player who could make a massive difference if he is given the opportunity to prove himself.

Daniel Levy has made it clear the club’s record signing is not for sale and Mourinho will need him to be at his very best if they are to reach the top four.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Tanguy Ndombele another chance? Let us know down below!

Talk about getting value for money.

Part of the hugely memorable Leeds side in the early 2000s, Mark Viduka carved out an impressive career at Elland Road, and will surely go down as one of the club’s greatest ever pieces of business in the transfer market.

The Australian powerhouse signed for the Whites in a £6m deal in the summer of 2000 after it initially looked doubtful that the move would go through. Reports at the time claimed that the deal was in jeopardy following his initial work permit application being rejected by the Department for Education and Employment, but in the end, then Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale got his man.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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And what an excellent career Viduka enjoyed. In the 166 games that he played for the club, he scored a mammoth 72 times, and it was a four-year stay full of great memories both on an individual and team level too.

He was part of the side that reached the Champions League semi-finals and finished fourth in the Premier League, whilst his most memorable contribution, and arguably the game in which he will always be remembered by Leeds fans for, is his four-goal salvo in a 4-3 win over Liverpool.

All in all, Viduka’s goals means that he cost the Whites just £83.3k for every time he found the back of the net, and with Leeds fans now tearing their hair out at seeing Patrick Bamford toil in front of goal, it just puts into perspective how good the former was.

Ridsdale could quite easily have given up on signing Viduka once the first work permit was rejected, but he stuck to his guns, and kept faith in trying to get the Australian in. And all his hard work in doing so paid off big-time, with the striker leading the line with aplomb at Elland Road.

It may be two decades on, but the signing of Viduka will still live long in the memory of the most ardent of Leeds fans.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has revealed Leeds’ asking price for this man.

Everton’s summer plans have seemingly been put in motion whilst the Premier League has endured a downtime without any match action, and fans at Goodison Park have been reacting to the latest transfer news emerging this week.

According to Le 10 Sport, Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has asked the club to look at Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek as a potential signing.

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And the speculation has divided Everton fans completely with some believing he’d be a fantastic arrival whilst others were worried that he would be another Davy Klaassen.

The 23-year-old maestro has been a key figure for Ajax over the last few seasons – he was part of the squad to make the Champions League semi-final, and has scored ten goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions this term.

Newcastle United are said to hold interest in him whilst Mundo Deportivo suggest he could be available for €50m (£44m) before listing Juventus and Manchester United as other plausible destinations.

Here’s what those in Merseyside have been saying…

AND in other news, Everton backed to make a sensational move for ex-Liverpool STAR…

Matty Longstaff is still on a development contract and could be available for a cut-price fee when his deal expires next June.

Due to it not being a professional contract, other clubs would only have to pay the Magpies a compensation fee of £400,000, and that has sparked a reaction from the fanbase.

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Some supporters are concerned at the prospect of losing him on the cheap and have urged the club to sign him onto a new contract as soon as possible, as the 20-year-old has impressed since coming into the side.

Steve Bruce made the bold call to hand him his Premier League debut against Manchester United earlier this season, but he repaid the faith by scoring a fabulous winning goal.

It would not be surprising if there were several clubs already interested given his potential, and such a prospect has cause a little bit of worry to grow amongst the fans, who have taken a likeness to the England U20 international.

Here are some of the reactions to the news.

Patrick Bamford is the definition of a marmite figure. You either love him or you hate him, and in the eyes of many supporters at half time on Saturday afternoon, the feeling was one of disdain.

The 26-year-old had struck the post in the opening 45 minutes before being berated by fans over the interval.

At times this term, he’s received staunch criticism but he’s also been applauded for his work rate. However, come full-time at Kenilworth Road, there must have been a feeling of love.

Not only did Bamford open the scoring but he also slid the ball home to win his side the game on 90 minutes.

For someone who hadn’t scored in ten games prior to netting against Blackburn before the international break, his movement oozed of someone with confidence.

The former Middlesbrough man is very much a form player. He bagged four in his first five outings of the season but after a run of dreadful outings, there were calls for Eddie Nketiah to start.

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He is still yet to achieve that in the league and he’s made his feelings all too clear. It didn’t seem to matter how poorly Bamford performed, he’d always get the nod.

A recent injury halted his chances just as it looked as though he may be due a run of starts but with his competition for a place in the side now back among the goals, he should be fearful.

The above image is from Bamford’s first goal against the Hatters on Saturday. He took the ball in his stride and then fired it unerringly past James Shea in goal. It was a tidy finish and one that should strike fear into Nketiah’s body.

Coming back from injury is never easy but now it’ll be even harder given Leeds’ number nine is fit and firing.

For Nketiah, his chances of breaking into the team look at an all-time low.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

There is still a long way to go yet in this current Championship season, but you’d imagine Garry Monk and his Sheffield Wednesday side have an ambition to make it into the playoffs at the very least – a feat that hasn’t happened for two straight seasons.

The 40-year-old will need to rely on the likes of Steven Fletcher, Kadeem Harris, and Barry Bannan all continuing their form while also staying injury-free.

He may also look to use the January transfer window to strengthen in key areas that they are maybe lacking, Football FanCast have previously mentioned why a striker or a left-back may be high on their priority list.

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But there’s also a trend creeping into Hillsborough that leaves Monk with a dilemma as no player under the age of 23 has featured for the club in the league this season.

Breaking that stigma comes with its risks as any young player must justify a first-team position at the end of the day, and as we’ve seen with Jos Luhukay, it ultimately cost him his job as he tried to integrate their academy prospects.

Therefore, when January does swing around, it would be wise to send a few more of them out on loan rather than letting them play U23s football, which is far and away a different kettle of fish from the men’s game.

At least then, the youngsters will be getting valuable experience at a professional level without impacting Monk’s stance as first-team manager.

Alex Hunt may be a player to benefit most from such an agreement after the U23 captain signed a new three-year deal at the club only last month.

He made his first-team debut against Sunderland in the EFL Cup last season but has only been named on the bench in the league once this campaign.

The fact he has signed a new deal means he has at least some plaudits in south Yorkshire, but his development is only going to stall unless he gets out on loan or forces his way into the first-team, and given how Wednesday have the oldest squad in the league, the former seems more likely.

As a central midfielder, he has Bannan, Sam Hutchinson, Massimo Luongo, and maybe even winger Adam Reach ahead of him for that role.