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Leeds United have agreed on personal terms with 17-year-old Espanyol attacker Mateo Joseph, according to reports in Spain.

The Lowdown: Starlet from Spain

The teenage sensation’s contract is ending at Espanyol at the end of the season and numerous clubs have made their move to lure him away from the Catalan side, including rivals Barcelona and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Yet to make an appearance for the Espanyol first team, Joseph has been described as ‘one of the pearls’ of the Espanyol youth set up and could now be set for a move to the Premier League, as it seems Victor Orta is making use of connections in his homeland.

The Latest: Personal terms agreed

According to Diego Balbontin (via @leedsutdacademy) on Twitter, United have agreed on personal terms with the attacker, but are yet to agree a fee with Espanyol regarding a transfer fee.

Joseph has a £1.2million release clause inserted in his contract and Leeds have fallen short with their attempts so far, with their latest offer of roughly £425k missing the mark by about £775k.

The English-born talent was on Manchester City’s radar following the departure of Sergio Aguero in the summer, but Leeds look set to lock up a deal if Orta ups his offer.

The Verdict: Good signing?

Leeds’ progression and fine track record of recruiting young players and either selling them on or nurturing them into first-team players look set to continue with this signing.

However, with Patrick Bamford leading the Leeds frontline now, Bielsa has Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood already at the club and we are still waiting for their chance in the first team.

Learning from a striker like Bamford, who has experienced a tricky rise to where he is now, will provide Joseph with a good starting step in English football, but don’t expect to see him in and around the senior squad any time soon, with a path through the under-23 set-up most likely.

In other news, this Leeds United youngster has received backing to appear for the first team. Find out more here.

After giving Aston Villa fans a glimpse of what he could do, Leon Bailey must surely be given the chance to make his full debut for the club when his side take on Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Dean Smith’s side travel to the reigning Champions League holders at Stamford Bridge, hoping to kick-start their Premier League season following a mixed start thus far.

One way that they could certainly cause the Blues some major problems is by unleashing one of their marquee summer signings in Bailey.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star has barely had any chance to show the Villa support what he is capable of producing following his move from Germany, with him missing the last two matches in the top flight due to a hamstring injury.

However, after coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – Bailey showed just what he can bring to the table.

Speaking before Villa officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

Former Ajax youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of the Jamaican: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voller added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

Bailey has the kind of pace, as both De Boer and Voller will testify, which would surely frighten Chelsea and make their wing-backs think twice about constantly trying to bomb forward.

The Jamaican could hurt Thomas Tuchel’s side on the counterattack if the Blues decided to push a bit further forward, and Smith could give his team a devastating weapon by starting him for the first time in a Villa shirt.

And, with Emi Buendia out due to travelling with Argentina, Bailey has the perfect chance to ensure Villa don’t miss one of their other summer signings.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa delivered a transfer masterclass with this ace…

Everton may have only spent £1.7m on new players during the summer transfer window but the Toffees have a plethora of selection dilemmas and quandaries.

Rafa Benitez will not have expected injuries to Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to occur which has left them in a sticky situation.

Yet, with the aforementioned duo out, it’s called for a few players to stand up and be counted.

Demarai Gray has caught the eye with three goals and Andros Townsend has also netted three times since his arrival.

Sadly, others haven’t fared too well. Salomon Rondon has now endured two shoddy performances leading the line as he struggles to achieve match fitness after a lack of pre-season.

Alex Iwobi has also gained two successive starts for the club but has failed to impress.

The Nigerian was signed for £34m from Arsenal in 2019 but has only ever found the net on five occasions after penning terms.

It’s a disastrous record but it only seems to be getting worse for the attacker. His performance against Championship opposition, QPR, on Tuesday evening was extremely poor.

As Benitez’s men crashed out on penalties, he only completed 75% of his passes.

Furthermore, the winger won just 22.2% of the defensive duels he was involved in and lost the ball every 3.1 touches.

With that in mind, the manager should consider casting his attentions elsewhere.

One player who deserves more of a run is Anthony Gordon. The 20-year-old has played for the Everton first-team on 23 occasions but very rarely have any of those outings been starts.

He did play from the off against QPR and looked mightily impressive. No one created more than Gordon’s four key passes while the youngster also showed his nerve by scoring from the spot in the penalty shoot-out.

He is yet to score a senior goal but if Benitez focuses on his development instead of Iwobi’s game time, he’ll surely begin to improve rapidly.

After all, the traits he possesses would cause trouble for a whole host of defenders.

Speaking to The Athletic, David Unsworth commented: “His balance sprinting with the ball and his balance going past people is something you don’t see every day. He’s got unbelievable pace and he’s a Scouser too, so he’s tough.”

Iwobi is quick-footed as well but ultimately, his end produced eludes him on a regular basis. He is incredibly frustrating and Everton would surely benefit more from unleashing one of their young prodigies instead.

AND in other news, Kenwright masterclass: £100k-p/w gem sees his value fall by £23m after leaving Everton…

Flocking to Twitter, many Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been in full voice following an update on defensive target Nikola Milenkovic.

The Serbian powerhouse, who has been linked to Spurs throughout the window, was reportedly on the verge of a move to West Ham at one point with that deal thought to be advanced.

However, in a stunning turn of events, it appears his move to east London has stalled for the time being and managing director Fabio Paratici is attempting to take full advantage.

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Spurs have now entered talks to sign Milenkovic as Nuno Espirito Santo seeks to add two new defenders to his ranks.

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Lilywhites supporters have already seen 2020/2021 Serie A MVP award winner Cristian Romero come through the door from Atalanta, and it’s safe to say many have been in full voice over this update on another defensive target.

Given he could leave Italy for as little as €15 million (£12.7m) according to some reliable sources, it’s little wonder some see the 23-year-old as a possible ‘bargain signing’.

Find a flavour of the best verdicts from Spurs fans, in reply to The Spurs Express and The Spurs Web, down below.

Tottenham fans erupt over Milenkovic talks…

“Yesssssss get him in to partner romero he’s cheap”

Credit: @petermo65841775

“He’s perfect and cheap”

Credit: @oliver_grant24

“Please tell me this is true”

Credit: @TheirishY

“Really hope we get him, perfect partnership”

Credit: @_Just_A_Guy1

“€15m and just get it done”

Credit: @wymondTHFC11

“Perfectó.”

Credit: @GicaCALCIO

“He’s built for the prem”

Credit: @jasper96693650

“This could be a bargain signing- massive upgrades on last season’s CB’s”

Credit: @cillian_gm

In other news: Agreement reached: Tottenham confirm another N17 exit in social media announcement, find out more here.

An update has emerged about Ipswich winger Armando Dobra, regarding the interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Andy Warren of the East Anglian Daily Times, a number of teams are keen on landing Armando Dobra on loan from Ipswich.

The report claims Leyton Orient and Salford are both interested in signing Dobra, who Ipswich are open to the idea of letting leave on a temporary deal.

Fans will be buzzing

Fans will be buzzing by this news and surely hoping that Paul Cook sanctions a loan exit for the young winger before the end of the window.

The 20-year-old is a promising prospect at Portman Road and is in need of a move away to play regular football to aid his development.

He played 17 games in League One, eight starts, last season and has started one game so far in the current campaign. This suggests that he remains on the fringes of Cook’s first-team plans, rather than being a player who is going to end the season with 25 to 30 starts under his belt in the third tier.

Therefore, sending him out on loan to a League Two, or even a League One side, could be a shrewd decision by the club, one that the fans would be delighted with. It would be brilliant to see the youngster head out on loan and enjoy a terrific campaign, scoring and assisting goals whilst playing week-in-week-out and he could achieve that if he joins a club like Leyton Orient or Salford.

The least Ipswich can do is afford him the opportunity to go out and prove that he can do just that. Experiencing senior football on a regular basis will be better for his development than being sat on the bench each week for the Blues.

Former Ipswich coach Stuart Taylor once lauded the youngster and said that he is ‘full of energy’ and has the confidence to make it at first-team level. He said:

“He was very impressive during pre-season, which is why he was in and around it at the start of the season. He was excellent.

“He’s come in and got the respect of the dressing room without a doubt and has shown he’s more than capable of playing in a first-team environment.

“He’s bubbly, lively and full of energy. He’s certainly a confident boy and you need that certain amount of arrogance to come on and play the way he plays and go about things the way he does. He’s a great kid with a great attitude.”

This suggests that he has the potential to eventually breakthrough into the first-team, which is why fans will be happy to see him go out and get experience on loan as it could help him make the senior side in Suffolk in the future.

AND in other news, Ipswich must avoid disaster over £10k-p/w dud who struggled with English “physicality”…

Queens Park Rangers’ Championship campaign of did not get off to the best of starts on Saturday afternoon as Mark Warburton’s men were held to a 1-1 draw at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

An 11th-minute Jed Wallace strike gave Millwall the lead in the fixture before Rob Dickie levelled for the home side just after the half-hour mark.

However, despite dominating possession of the ball – 59% to be precise – taking more shots, winning more corners and stringing together nearly 150 more passes than the Lions, the home side failed to make their superiority count, with the fixture finishing all square.

Neither of QPR’s starting front two particularly impressed, with Charlie Austin and Lyndon Dykes managing just one shot on target between them, receiving SofaScore match ratings of 6.6 and 6.5 respectively, but arguably the club’s worst performer on the day was new signing Moses Odubajo.

The former England under-20 international made two key passes over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, but in almost every other department, the 28-year-old badly let Warburton down.

Indeed, the £7.5k-per-week man was wasteful with the ball, completing just one of his four attempted crosses, one of his four attempted long balls and losing possession for his side on a whopping 17 occasions.

His metrics from a defensive standpoint do not provide any better reading, with the £630k-rated right-back winning just one of his nine duels, being dribbled past twice and conceding one foul.

All in all, Odubajo’s performance saw him earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.0, the worst of any player from either side to feature in the game.

As such, should the former Sheffield Wednesday man wish to keep his place in Warburton’s starting XI going forwards, he will undoubtedly have to improve on his debut display against Millwall, which certainly left a lot to be desired.

In other news: Bhatia masterclass: QPR confirm major development that will leave fans buzzing

Leeds United must seize a perfect chance to finally sign Rangers star Ryan Kent this summer.

What’s the story?

Last summer saw Marcelo Bielsa’s side have bids rejected for the former Liverpool winger, and recently, The Daily Mirror claimed that “Leeds are also keeping a watching brief on Rangers’ Ryan Kent and he is also someone Bielsa has liked for a long time.”

Now, The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell has raised the possibility of Kent’s exit from Ibrox this summer following the Gers’ shock Champions League exit to Malmo on Tuesday night, claiming that the club could cash in after missing out on the financial windfall of qualifying for European football’s premier competition.

He added that: “Leeds United have watched Kent for two years — they will have taken a keen interest in events at Ibrox.”

Bielsa would be buzzing

After enjoying another impressive campaign in the Scottish Premiership last season – Kent bagged 13 goals and provided another 15 assists – it’s no surprise that reports have suggested the Whites remain interested in a move for him this summer.

The £20k-a-week winger has earned rave reviews for his performances, not least from teammate Conor Goldson, who hailed him as “magnificent” and said: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

And, Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England under-17 level, said: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger, the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good. But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

Campbell’s latest update on the £12.6m-rated flier raises the possibility that Leeds could finally get their man, and that would surely have Bielsa buzzing given the Whites failed to bring him to Elland Road last summer.

Meanwhile, Joe Wainman has dropped an exciting Leeds United transfer claim…

Gabriel Agbonlahor has made an interesting claim in regards to Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips… 

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool are looking at Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The ex-Villa attacker has stated that he will be on everyone’s radar and labelled the England international as “outstanding”. 

He told Football Insider:

“It’s not just Liverpool, I think he’ll be on everybody’s radar.

“He’s an outstanding player and was one of England’s stand-out performers at the Euros. Every team in the Premier League and teams in Europe will be looking at him and will definitely try to sign him.

“It’s going to be a bit of a headache for Leeds to try and keep hold of him because he’s been outstanding.

“I’m sure Liverpool are definitely looking at him. But the price tag will be high to get him out of there.”

Bielsa needs him

Victor Orta must avoid making a huge howler this summer by rejecting any interest in Phillips. He must ensure that the local lad is still at the club come the start of September as he is a crucial player for Marcelo Bielsa and should only be sold if a ridiculous amount of money was thrown at him, which could then allow the Argentine coach to bolster his squad.

Only three outfield players averaged higher WhoScored ratings for Leeds than Phillips last season in the Premier League. Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Liam Cooper were the only players who could better the midfield’s score of 7.01, whilst Phillips also topped the midfield ranks for tackles and interceptions per game to emphasise his dominance in the middle of the park.

This shows how important he is to Bielsa as he is the best defensive midfielder at the club and has proven that he can perform consistently, to a high level, in the top-flight. He also proved his worth at the European Championships for England, starting seven times on their way to a penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in the final at Wembley. The 25-year-old averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.82, showing that he can compete at the very highest level.

The £35k-per-week beast is, therefore, still needed by Bielsa at Leeds and Orta must work hard to keep him at the club next season. If Leeds harbour any ambitions of pushing on and challenging for Europe they will need to keep hold of their top players and Phillips’ statistics certainly suggest that he falls into that category, meaning that selling him would be a nightmare for the club.

And, given his ties to the club, selling him to a fellow Premier League club would have fans absolutely fuming.

AND in other news, Get rid: Leeds must finally axe £70k-p/w “massive flop” who’s rinsing Radrizzani dry…

Rangers’ hopes of signing Northampton Town striker Caleb Chukwuemeka this summer have taken a blow as Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign him, which suggests that Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson will have to work fast if they want to bring the 19-year-old to Ibrox.

What’s the word?

Rangers were one of the clubs linked with the young striker recently, with the Daily Mail claiming that the Gers were keen on bringing him to Ibrox, although Norwich City, Aston Villa and Club Brugge were also credited with an interest.

However, it now seems as if Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign him from the Cobblers, with Football Insider suggesting that they have opened talks with the League Two club over a potential swap deal.

Despite Chukwuemeka rejecting the offer of a contract from Northampton Town, which means that he will be available on a free transfer next year, it seems as if Spurs are very keen to bring him in and have offered one of their own fringe players in order to try and secure a deal.

A blow to Rangers’ chances of signing Chukwuemeka?

Although Spurs have regressed in recent seasons, they still boast some of the best training facilities in world football and are regulars in European competition, so it would arguably be difficult for Chukwuemeka to turn them down.

Northampton are in a precarious situation in terms of potentially losing one of their brightest young prospects for nothing, so they may well be tempted to accept Spurs’ offer should they find a player willing to join the Cobblers on a swap deal.

Therefore, unless Rangers act quickly, they may end up missing out on Chukwuemeka, which would undoubtedly be a blow as he appears to have plenty of potential.

The 19-year-old has made 28 appearances for Northampton’s senior side, contributing two goals and one assist thus far, and he is perhaps likely to be much more of a regular next season following their relegation to League Two should they keep hold of him this summer.

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The “gifted” forward – in the words of former Northampton boss Keith Curle – looks destined for bigger things, though, and if Rangers are truly keen on bringing him to Ibrox, then Wilson must act quickly to try and negotiate a deal with Northampton Town before Spurs move in for the kill.

In other news… Gerrard set for huge boost with “next level” beast, Rangers fans will be buzzing

Everton are among a number of other clubs ‘expected’ to make an offer to sign Denzel Dumfries in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Dumfries wanted

There have been a number of different reports throughout the summer transfer window so far about the Merseyside club wanting to sign Dumfries.

They need to start thinking about replacing the ageing Seamus Coleman soon, and the PSV talent certainly fits the profile that they should be seeking in a new right-back.

The Latest: Dumfries latest

As per PSV journalist Rik Elfrink, Everton, Inter Milan and a number of other clubs remain interested in signing Dumfries.

An offer to sign the Netherlands international is ‘expected soon’, and it could well come from Rafa Benitez’s side.

The Verdict: Sign

The Toffees saw a glimpse of what Dumfries could offer to them while he was on international duty at Euro 2020. He scored two goals in the group stages (Sofascore) and was a real menace along the flank, with Paul Robinson recently claiming that he was ‘brilliant’ in the tournament despite Netherlands’ early exit at the hands of the Czech Republic.

He has also impressed at club level, he scored four times and supplied a further nine assists in 41 matches across all competitions in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

As the captain of PSV, and having not yet reached his peak at 25 years of age, Dumfries would seem to be an ideal long-term replacement for Coleman at Goodison Park, so Everton need to do their utmost to try and bring him in.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Everton fans buzzing!