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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been handed a major boost in his hopes of signing Brest left-back Romain Perraud this summer.

What’s the story?

According to previous reports from The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Whites were eyeing a summer transfer move for the 23-year-old, before The Mirror’s David Anderson poured cold water on that suggestion by claiming recently that Bielsa’s side had actually moved on from their chase of Perraud, and that the Yorkshire club were “no longer trying to sign” him.

That was then followed up by reports from Football Insider that Leeds had actually pulled out of negotiations with the Ligue 1 club over the high price involved.

However, according to French publication L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), the Whites are actually in talks with Brest over a deal for Perraud, although they are set to face significant competition from the likes of Newcastle and Southampton.

Fans will be buzzing

What an incredible turn of events this is, following Hay’s initial suggestion that Perraud was a summer transfer target for Leeds, to the reports that Bielsa’s side had pulled out of a potential deal, and now the fresh twist that they’re actually still in touch with Brest.

Given just how impressive the 23-year-old was last season in Ligue 1, it’s no surprise that the Whites appear to have come back to the negotiating table to try and strike a deal.

Writing a profile piece for The Athletic, Hay said: “Perraud, 23, played for France up to under-20s level and his performance data shows characteristics which would meet Bielsa requirements: a creative edge and a high number of dribbles and shots for a player at his position, combined with a very active role in pressing defensively.”

As per WhoScored, Perraud outshone Gjanni Alioski in numerous key categories both offensively and defensively last season, averaging more interceptions, key passes, shots, dribbles and crosses, while also being dribbled past only half as often as the Leeds full-back.

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News that Leeds are back in for one of their prime transfer targets this summer will surely be music to the ears of Bielsa and the club’s fans, who must be absolutely buzzing at the latest update.

Meanwhile, Radrizzani must avoid Bielsa’s wrath with this big Leeds decision…

Aston Villa have suffered a major blow ahead of their Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, with Dean Smith confirming that the game has come too soon for Jack Grealish.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Red Devils, the Villa manager said: “It will be 12 games that he misses. He’s out on the grass loading the injury, so he’s on his way back, but this game will be too soon for him.

“He starts training with the actual group tomorrow. As I’ve said many times, we want him back as soon as possible, but we’ve got to do it right as well. We obviously had a spike in his loading last time and we had a reaction, so we have to make sure that we’re very conservative with our approach this time with it.”

The news comes as a major blow for Villa as the Premier League enters the closing stages of the season, with the Midlanders having understandably struggled in the absence of their talisman. In the 11 league games that Grealish has missed, Villa have won just three and scored only 12 goals in the process, putting a major dent in their hopes of securing a surprise European spot for next season.

With Manchester United flying high both domestically and in Europe – they clinched their place in the Europa League final on Thursday – Smith will have been hoping for some good news on Grealish to try and give his side a much-needed boost before the match.

It is a sign of his importance to their attack that his tally of 19 goal contributions (seven goals, 12 assists) is the joint-highest in the Villa squad alongside top scorer Ollie Watkins, per Transfermarkt.

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Instead, Villa will have to try and stop Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side without the 25-year-old, and that’s a tall order given how poorly they’ve performed without him.

Last week’s win over Everton at Goodison Park will give them hope, but Smith will no doubt be disappointed at missing his key player once again.

Meanwhile, Villa must land this £60m-rated star this summer…

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has blasted Ezgjan Alioski for his controversial behaviour against Burnley last weekend.

The Lowdown: Alioski in trouble

The Whites were in impressive form at Turf Moor last Saturday, cruising to a 4-0 win and keeping their faint European hopes alive.

There was an unsavoury moment in the game, however, with Alioski gesturing towards Burnley’s Dwight McNeil, while it is still not known exactly what was said between the two players.

The incident was reported to the FA by match official Graham Scott, with no decision made yet over the severity of it.

The Latest: Kenny lays into defender

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny was not impressed by Alioski’s behaviour, saying it could take the gloss off what has been a superb season for Leeds:

“This is the last thing they need after Casilla. It isn’t good and let’s hope it’s nothing racial. Leeds have had such an amazing season. They don’t want to get brought under the spotlight for stuff like this.

“A huge part of Bielsa’s approach is about discipline after all. What Leeds are trying to do is nothing short of extraordinary.

“They have proved how good they are this season. They don’t need players like him bringing these unnecessary things to attention and marring their extraordinary work.”

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The Verdict: Right time to part ways

Alioski is widely expected to leave Elland Road at the end of the season and incidents such as these make it clear that it is time to move him on.

The 29-year-old has been a good servant for Leeds, but he possesses both an erratic style of play and character, not always fitting the type of individual Marcelo Bielsa wants in his squad.

Alioski may yet be found to be clear of any wrongdoing in this instance, but it is sad to see the focus being taken away from this wonderful Whites side.

In other news, Leeds are believed to have scheduled talks with a potential new signing. Find out who it is here.

According to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has explained that the club and Daniel Levy will offer to triple Brendan Rodgers’ salary in an attempt to prise him from Leicester City – even despite the northern Irishman publicly distancing himself from the job.

Rodgers, who has guided the Foxes to a highly likely place in the Champions League next season, explained in a press conference that his focus was purely at the King Power Stadium (FourFourTwo).

Tottenham lining up big money Rodgers offer

Regardless, as per this new information from a Tottenham source speaking to FI, Levy is lining up a big money offer to treble Rodgers’ wages in the hope of tempting him away.

This comes nearly a decade after he was allegedly Levy’s ‘preferred choice’ to replace Harry Redknapp but opted for the role at Liverpool instead.

Spurs have not given up hope of landing Rodgers as per this report and are now willing to table a lucrative offer of £15 million-per-year including bonuses.

The source also explains that Levy is looking to ‘offer him the earth’ – and that is bordering on literate given the £15m-per-year wage is even more than previous boss Mourinho, who was on £12.5m-per-year.

Transfer Tavern take

Mourinho is still getting his full base salary whilst on gardening leave according to reports, so we advise to take this one with a pinch of salt.

Amid the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic, news of Levy being willing to offer a Mourinho successor £15m-per-season comes as very surprising – especially considering the club still haven’t found a deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights.

That being said, Rodgers would be a dream appointment for Spurs – with BT Sport pundit Robbie Savage recently dubbing him an ‘elite manager’ (via the Daily Mail).

In other news: Graham Roberts squashes links with this Champions League-winning boss, find out more here.

Conor Coady has taken criticism from some Wolverhampton Wanderers fans ahead of the trip to The Hawthorns for Monday’s Black Country derby.

Wolves head into the game in 12th place, a full seven points adrift of the top half. They are looking to make amends following a woeful 4-0 defeat against Burnley last time out.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have finished in a highly creditable seventh place in the last two seasons, but they have struggled this time around amid the long-term absence of last year’s top scorer Raul Jimenez.

What did Coady say about Wolves’ season?

Speaking to the club’s official website, Wolves captain Coady admitted that his side’s efforts hadn’t been ‘good enough’.

The £16,500-per-week centre-back went on to concede that they had regressed from their high-flying campaigns of the last two years.

Having led 2-1 when they last met Albion in January, Wolves were beaten 3-2 on home soil, but they know that gaining revenge on Monday would go some way to ensuring West Brom aren’t playing top-flight football next season.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Coady’s comments, and here’s how some supporters reacted.

Wolves fans call for Coady to do talking on the pitch

“Obviously scripted words. I’m sure the whole club is disappointed in this season, it’s just talking for talking sake. Just win on Monday.”

Credit: @richierooster69

“Unhappy is putting it mildly!”

Credit: @MichaelPoulter3

“Cue another gutless performance Monday”

Credit: @David44809679

“I wonder how long it took the press office to write that for you Conor, you’re better off telling #nuno you, Saiss and Donk aren’t defenders”

Credit: @mark_mcgrane

“Talk is cheap”

Credit: @purplefirefly

“You are the problem”

Credit: @leaoinwolves

In other news, many Wolves fans want to see this man start at The Hawthorns

According to a report by reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will make a move to sign RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.

Sabitzer, who has been at the centre of Lilywhites interest and heavily linked for a while, has recently been touted with a possible move to north London by Bild (via Sport Witness), with the German outlet stating there is a ‘75%’ probability he joins Spurs.

Tottenham will make Sabitzer move

Gold, writing for football.london, has backed up those claims whilst going a step further – insisting that the Lilywhites and Levy will make a move for Sabitzer this summer.

Firmly on the agenda, the reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent states that Spurs are certainly intent on moving for the 27-year-old ace – but the club must first sell an out of favour asset before swooping.

Gold also claims that, if Spurs can manage to land Sabitzer this summer, then four Tottenham players could be threatened by his arrival – with Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Moussa Sissoko and even Oliver Skipp’s places possibly tested.

Transfer Tavern take

Sabitzer has received no shortage of praise amid his links to Tottenham, with journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano calling him ‘perfect for Jose Mourinho’ when speaking on the Que Golazo Podcast back in January.

Elsewhere, former Leipzig sporting director and coach Ralf Rangnick hailed Sabitzer as a ‘leader’ who ‘never liked to lose’ (talkSPORT) – leaving little wonder why Tottenham are planning to make a move.

Valued at around €50million (£42.5 million) by the Bundesliga outfit according to Bild (via TEAMtalk), it’s safe to say Levy will have to pull out all the stops.

In other news: Tottenham could lose this ‘phenomenal’ player, find out more here.

Eddie Howe is edging ever closer to being appointed the next manager of Celtic Football Club…

What’s been said?

Speaking on this week’s ‘The Celtic Huddle’ podcast, reliable Daily Mail journalist Ian McGarry delivered an encouraging six-word update on the 43-year-old.

“It’s down to the minor details,” he claimed.

The former Premier League boss has emerged as the front-runner to take over from Neil Lennon this summer, following discussions behind-the-scenes with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

Great news incoming

This latest update should have many at Parkhead absolutely buzzing as it puts to rest several doubts that had started to creep in over the last week or so.

Football Insider suggested on April 3rd that Crystal Palace were plotting a late raid to seal Howe from Celtic’s grasp. They wanted him to replace the out-of-contract Roy Hodgson at the end of the season.

Similarly, it was thought that another factor holding up the move was the 43-year-old’s desire to have his trusted Cherries right-hand man Richard Hughes as Nick Hammond’s replacement for the director of football role.

But McGarry’s claim suggests that Howe’s move is all but done, barring that eagerly-awaited official announcement.

Despite being sacked by Bournemouth following relegation to the Championship, Howe would bring many qualities to Celtic Park. It’s easy to forget that he steered them from League Two to the Premier League in the first place.

As the Bhoys look to embark on a new era, he would surely be the perfect candidate to spearhead any rebuild.

“He is meticulous,” explained Simon Francis to the Daily Express. “He does not leave any stone unturned. And he instils that work ethic into the players. Because you know that he is buying into it. Not turning up late, not strolling out onto the training pitch late, he is always the first. You can never question anything he does.”

A stark contrast from Neil Lennon, who reportedly didn’t shift away from Brendan Rodgers’ methods, which is a little lazy, to say the least.

Also considering the club have been mooted with some very uninspiring names, such as Roy Keane and Steve Clarke, the Parkhead faithful have every right to get immensely excited for this appointment.

AND in other news, Howe could instantly save Celtic millions by unleashing THIS “special” 18 y/o gem…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have hit out at Trezeguet’s first half display against Tottenham on social media.

Dean Smith made two changes from the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United last time out, with Morgan Sanson and Matty Cash coming in for Jacob Ramsey and Ahmed Elmohamady respectively.

Trezeguet kept his place in the side, making his 11th Premier League start of the current campaign on Sunday night and his 20th appearance in all competitions.

However, his first half display didn’t hit the right note with some supporters, who took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at the Egypt international.

Villa fans react

The 26-year-old began on the left-hand side of a front three alongside Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore, coming up against Spurs’ Japhet Tanganga, with one fan comparing the clash between the two as to ‘League One’ level.

In the first half at Villa Park, the 26-year-old failed to register a shot or win an aerial duel, while also recording fewer than 10 accurate passes (SofaScore).

This is what some Villa fans had to say about the wide man’s performance in the first 45, with one describing it as ‘abysmal’.

“Trezeguet running around like a competition winner again”

Credit: @Okay170

“I really don’t enjoy being negative or slagging players, and I know we are missing Jack but Trezeguet is such an awful player! I genuinely don’t think he brings anything to table, very few players have ever left me feeling as frustrated in the 30 odd years I’ve been watching”

Credit: @AVFCRichard

“Trezeguet is abysmal”

Credit: @tomk1874

“Can someone please help me understand why @Trezeguet is preferred to El Ghazi? #avfc”

Credit: @GMP4AVFC

“Trezeguet vs Tanganga has League 1 vibes”

Credit: @vizzy9

“Other than effort, Trezeguet isn’t offering anything for us! #avfc”

Credit: @Mattes21_avfc

In other news: Many Villa fans make their feelings known at transfer update on 2020 target, find out more here. 

Tottenham Hotspur could look into signing Nicolas Gonzalez this summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas claims Spurs have been monitoring the 22-year-old forward for quite some time and could look to make a move when Gareth Bale returns to Real Madrid at the end of his season-long loan.

It’s thought that the Bundesliga outfit would want around €30m (£26m) for his signature. Gonzalez still has three years remaining on his current deal, which was only renewed in November.

Dream Mourinho player

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine forward has been in fine form – when fit – providing six goals and two assists from only 15 appearances, including strikes against Champions League clubs in Dortmund and Gladbach.

That’s a direct goal contribution every 116 minutes.

And the glowing endorsement from his manager, Pellegrino Matarazzo, could hint towards why Jose Mourinho would be so keen on securing him this summer.

“He’s got a lot of qualities, but what I like best about him is that he’s a winner. He wants to win at all costs. He always gives 100%, and gets stuck in. He’s very important for us,” the American said to Bundesliga.com.

We know from Spurs’ mooted interest in RB Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer that the Spurs boss loves a competitor – transfer guru Fabrizio Romano told the Que Golazo CBS podcast: “He has quality but he’s a fighter, so he would be perfect for Jose Mourinho.”

The same would surely have to be said for Gonzalez, going by Matarazzo’s praise.

“He reminds me of Mario Kempes,” claimed the 22-year-old’s former coach, Alfredo Berti.

Those comparisons to the Argentina legend reinforce such a view, the 1978 World Cup and Golden Boot winner was a perfect mix of pace and power, often breaking through the defensively lines with brute force and acceleration.

Kempes, aged 30, once had a trial at Spurs in 1984, featuring in a 7-0 pre-season win over Enfield but was never signed permanently.

Gonzalez sits top for shots at Stuttgart, managing 4.43 attempts per 90 minutes, over one more effort than any other player and similarly, he ranks fourth for goal-creating actions (0.67 per 90), as per FBRef.

Likewise, he’s clear for touches in the opposition’s penalty box too, managing 7.21 per 90, and the combination of the above certainly suggests he’s able to break free to create chances – not just for himself, but for others too.

Mourinho would certainly love this sort of presence in attack, which is why Daniel Levy must open the chequebook this summer. Gonzalez and the ‘Special One’ could be a match made in heaven.

AND in other news, Spurs star dealt “significant” blow on international duty…

Speaking recently to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker, Noel Whelan, criticised Marcelo Bielsa’s decision not to bring Pablo Hernandez on earlier in the club’s recent defeat, as well as urging the Argentine to alter his style of play.

In Leeds’ recent 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, Patrick Bamford touched the ball just 26 times over the course of the 90 minutes – the lowest number of any of United’s starting XI in the fixture, including goalkeeper Illan Meslier – with the centre-forward also failing to have an attempt on target, as well as receiving just 10 passes from his teammates.

And, speaking recently to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that Bamford’s struggles were down to a lack of creativity in the Leeds side, before calling for Bielsa to tweak his tactics going forward.

He said: “No one really got close to Patrick Bamford, no one really linked up as well as they should do with him. Only at the back end did Pablo Hernandez come on and we had a little bit of surge, but still we couldn’t find that little bit of quality in front of goal.

“I do think it could have been prevented if you just had the wingers a little bit closer, inside the full-backs, that changes the dimension. Then you’d be working the two centre-halves up against Bamford in a different way.

“We could still be playing now and I don’t think we would have scored a goal. When they play with a low block, that’s when you need that something different. You need to find that pick of the lock and only certain players can do that. I think Pablo should have come on a little bit earlier because he’s that player who’s always had that quality about him.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While Bamford’s struggles in the Villa game were clear for all to see, the fact that Leeds have scored 43 goals over their 26 Premier League fixtures so far this season – a figure more than six of the 10 teams above them in the league table – should not be ignored.

As such, while it could be argued that Bielsa perhaps could have made his substitutions earlier in the fixture against Villa, it would seem, in general, as if the 65-year-old’s set up of the newly-promoted side – who currently sit 11th in the Premier League standings, just nine points behind the Champions League places – has proven rather successful this season, despite Whelan’s concerns.

In other news, Phil Hay shed light on this Leeds star’s contract details – find out more here!