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RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson is a player that Leeds United remain ‘very keen’ on signing, according to reporter Tim Thornton.

The Lowdown: Various bids for Aaronson

The Whites have seen the 21-year-old as a primary transfer target throughout the January transfer window, with various bids tabled for him.

His current club have continued to dig their heels in, though, seeing him as an important player during their current Champions League run. Aaronson has scored 10 goals and registered 12 assists in 51 appearances for the Austrian club.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds still want move

Speaking live on Sky Sports News on deadline day, Thornton claimed that a January move is out of the question, although Leeds ‘still remain very keen’ on signing him in the summer:

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-33/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Strong summer addition

It is a shame not to see Aaronson arrive at Elland Road this month, but if a summer switch is the next best thing, it will be worth the wait given his quality.

The USA international has been compared to Chelsea’s Champions League final hero Kai Havertz in terms of his style and he could add plenty of much-needed guile to Leeds’ attacking play. No Whites player has more than two assists in the Premier League this season.

At 21, he is also a young and maturing player, so he could grow into something formidable at Elland Road in the coming years if the Whites can finally get their man, either today or during the summer.

In other news, a positive update regarding one huge Leeds player has emerged. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United will make an offer for Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas in January, according to journalist Talha Arslan.

The Lowdown: Elmas profiled

Elmas is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in an attacking midfield role or as a left-winger. The 22-year-old has 37 caps to his name for North Macedonia and has been with Napoli since 2019.

He’s turned out on 105 occasions for the Italian side and has scored 22 goals during his club career.

And it now seems as if the Whites and director of football Victor Orta are plotting a January swoop for the £15.3m-rated midfielder.

The Latest: Leeds to make ‘offer’

Journalist Arslan took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to provide an update on Elmas ahead of the January transfer window.

He claimed that both the Whites and Borussia Dortmund made an attempt to sign the Napoli man over the summer and will now send an ‘offer’ during the winter window.

The Verdict: Two needed…

Leeds haven’t actually signed a midfielder on a permanent deal during Marcelo Bielsa’s time at Elland Road, but it seems as if they now need two over the coming weeks with Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton injured.

Orta is already laying the groundwork to sign a number six and number eight, and you’d expect Elmas would fit into the number eight category.

He’s capable of playing in a more advanced role and even out wide if needed and also has experience in both the Champions League and Europa League.

On paper, it seems as if Elmas could be a shrewd signing both in the short and long term. He has plenty of games under his belt in ‘astronomical’ asking price.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’ Leeds man may now need an operation after injury and could miss 12 games – expert. 

A big claim has been made on Newcastle United target Todd Cantwell, regarding his potential move to St. James’ Park…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ross Gregory has dropped a huge claim on the creative player. He Tweeted: “Todd Cantwell left out of #ncfc side today. A lot of talk at the Norwich end that he’s on his way to Newcastle. Plenty of interest in him from PL.”

It remains to be seen how far advanced the deal is at this stage, but the feeling in Norfolk appears to be that he will be in a black and white shirt come the end of the window.

The Sun recently reported a fee in the region of £15m will be enough to sign him this month. He is out of contract in the summer but Norwich intend to trigger their option to extend it by a further 12 months, taking him through to 2023.

Excitement

This news will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling excited as Cantwell could be an excellent addition to the squad this month.

The £18m-rated gem has not had the best of seasons for the Canaries, but he has previously shown what he is capable of performing both in the Premier League and the Championship.

In the 2019/20 campaign, he produced six goals and two assists as his side were relegated to the second division, before helping his boyhood club back to the top-flight with six goals and six assists the following season.

His former Norwich youth team coach, Gary Cockaday, once lauded the midfielder. He told The Athletic: 

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

Fans could get excited by this deal as Cantwell is a player, much like Allan Saint-Maximin, who is capable of dribbling with the ball and pulling off a skill to get supporters off their seats. He has averaged 1.3 dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game throughout his Norwich career, showing that he likes to take opposition defenders on and is able to tee up his teammates with end product at the end of his runs.

At the age of 23, he also has the potential to improve further and he could be someone who develops over time with Howe’s coaching. This means that he could make an impact on Tyneside in the short and long-term, making this an exciting deal for Magpies fans if it goes through.

AND in other news, “Is expected” – Keith Downie relays huge Newcastle setback, fans will be gutted…

Leeds United have entered the race to sign Penarol striker Agustin Alvarez as the transfer competition hots up for the Uruguayan starlet.

What’s the story?

According to La República (via Sport Witness), Marcelo Bielsa’s side are battling Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg for the 20-year-old’s signature, although a number of clubs across Europe are also said to be in the running.

The report added that Leeds, as well as Serie A outfit Fiorentina, could make a bid for him during the January transfer window.

Would be an exciting signing for Leeds

With Patrick Bamford remaining Leeds’ only senior centre-forward, the Whites could desperately do with some strength in depth up front.

In a scouting report done by HUDL, they revealed of Alvarez: “El Canario is much more than purely a penalty box poacher. While he is clearly a striker who benefits from getting good service into the area, he can also fashion and finish chances for himself.

“Another of Alvarez’s best qualities is his heading. At 1.80m, he may not be the tallest but has shown himself to have a great aerial ability, timing and a fantastic leap. His strength and physicality also make him very adept with his back to goal, while his time at youth level as a midfielder means he is also good at dropping deep to link the play too.”

Indeed, North American football commentator Maximiliano Bretos even declared that Alvarez “has a little Luiz Suarez about him”.

Despite his youth, he has been in electric form for one of Uruguay’s biggest clubs and has been particularly impressive in the Copa Sudamericana, South American football’s second-most prestigious club competition. In that tournament, he has bagged ten goals and provided another two assists in just 14 games.

That kind of all-action energy makes the 20-year-old a perfect fit for Bielsa and Leeds.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa should give this academy starlet a chance…

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has showered young midfielder Jacob Ramsey with praise. 

Speaking ahead of Villa’s Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday, Gerrard admitted that ‘outstanding talent’ Ramsey has developed further then he had by the age of 20.

He believes that the Englishman can ‘go all the way to the very top’ if he continues to improve.

Ramsey making headlines

Ramsey earned the compliment off the back of his starring performance against Norwich City in midweek.

His solo goal set the Villans on their way to a 2-0 victory, and he also won 70% of his duels and completed 86% of his passes. That was enough to earn him a SofaScore rating of 8.0/10.

Ramsey has started 11 PL matches for Villa this season, including five of Gerrard’s first six.

Is Ramsey’s long-term future at Villa?

The £7.2million-rated ace is under contract with the Midlands outfit until June 2025, having signed an extension in February (via Transfermarkt).

But Spanish outlet Fichajes.net reported in September that he was ‘catching the eye’ of reigning champions Manchester City, who took Jack Grealish from Villa Park in the summer.

Fan feed Villa Report relayed Gerrard’s comments, and here’s what supporters made of them.

Villa fans flock to Ramsey praise

“I’m gonna get my heart broken again aren’t I”

Credit: @MisterGuilbert

“With Villa”

Credit: @AndyServicel1

“Wow high praise indeed”

Credit: @dan54287301

“Hands off city”

Credit: @Gaz57333644

“Sold Jack for a 100mil because villa knew this is the man who’s going to take us to Europe… love it”

Credit: @MattFothers

“Starboy”

Credit: @JamesVilla73

In other news, Gabriel Agbonlahor reacts to a big blow for Villa. 

Despite losing defender Kean Bryan for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury during their recent 1-0 win over Hull City, it seems as though West Brom could be welcoming back one of their key players once the current international break comes to an end.

What’s the news?

According to Baggies manager Valerien Ismael, West Brom midfielder Alex Mowatt should be back available for selection for their upcoming Championship clash against Huddersfield Town later this month after picking up a foot injury during their 1-0 win over Birmingham City back in October.

If Mowatt is fit enough to play against Huddersfield, this would surely leave a lot of Baggies fans thrilled given how West Brom have only managed to win two of the five league games he’s missed in recent weeks compared to the one game they have lost with him in the side prior to the Birmingham game where he picked up his injury.

In the 12 league appearances he’s made for the Baggies this season, the 26-year-old, who is currently valued at £6.3m according to Transfermartkt, has managed to score three goals and provide one assist, proving himself as a useful goal threat from midfield.

From a defensive point of view, Mowatt has also managed to rack up an average of 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Championship, highlighting just how crucial he has been up and down the pitch and probably why West Brom have conceded six goals in the five games he’s missed.

In terms of his overall performances, Mowatt, who has been described as a “massive” player for the team by Ismael, has earned himself an overall season rating of 7.21, making him the third-highest rated West Brom player according to WhoScored, backing up what his manager had to say about him.

Taking all of this into account, this says to us that signing the midfielder on a free transfer last summer has been a great piece of business from the Midlands club.

Moving forward, taking into account what Mowatt has delivered for the Baggies on the pitch so far this season, he definitely would give them a better chance of beating Huddersfield if he’s on the pitch than if he isn’t, which is why everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that he will be able to use the time between now and the Huddersfield match to fully recover.

In other news: Time to shine: Ismael must unleash “vocal” rarely-seen 18 y/o after major WBA setback – opinion

Many Aston Villa fans have been left slamming the display of Emi Buendia in their game at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

The summer signing from Norwich City did not have the best game by his standards, and was subsequently subbed off for Ashley Young in the 74 minute when the score was still 0-0.

Buendia lost out on five of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or key pass, as he was also unsuccessful with all of his attempted crosses and long balls (SofaScore).

The Argentine also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 11 different occasions in the match, in what summed up a frustrating afternoon for him personally, despite the 2-0 win in the end.

Aston Villa fans on Buendia display

These members of the AVFC faithful slammed the midfielder’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘lightweight’:

“Buendia is all wrong right now”

Credit: @SandbrookNick

“Buendia biggest waste of money”

Credit: @DG_Villa1

“Get that Buendia off and onto the transfer market please”

Credit: @harry79050597

“Buendia is way too lightweight for this league. The pretty flicks and tricks are lovely…. when they work, the hard yards are needed and the basics and he’s left wanting.”

Credit: @Racingfan211

“Buendia poor so far. Think Bailey could work better in this system”

Credit: @Jacko_AV

“New manager….Buendia still gone missing! So frustrating”

Credit: @Timtimmedia

In other news, find out what Steven Gerrard insight Gregg Evans has dropped here!

Paul Robinson would like Mauricio Pochettino to replace Marcelo Bielsa when the latter eventually leaves Leeds United, although he has admitted how difficult it would be to lure the former Tottenham boss to Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Bielsa future always uncertain

This is Bielsa’s fourth season as Leeds boss, and he is of course hugely popular amongst the club’s supporters.

However, his future at the club is constantly up for debate. After all, he is 66 years old and therefore does not have too long left in the game, and his current contract is set to run out at the end of the season (leedsunited.com) as he continues to pen one-year deals.

The Latest: Robinson eyes replacement

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, former Whites star Robinson suggested Pochettino as Bielsa’s successor. He said:

“For me, Pochettino would be great.

“It’s a pipe dream at the moment because Leeds are nowhere near attracting a manager with the calibre of Pochettino to succeed Bielsa.

“If you look at where he is now at PSG and look at where Leeds are in the Premier League table, Leeds have to be higher to attract a manager of that calibre and at the moment, that’s nowhere near happening.

“It’s a pipe dream.”

The Verdict: Aiming too high

Bielsa is a legend of the game, with the likes of Pep Guardiola (Sky Sports) and Pochettino (via Give Me Sport) himself citing the Argentinian as an inspiration. As such, Leeds will need to replace with a top-quality manager when he does depart, but Pochettino is surely unattainable at this point.

As the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, he is in a privileged position as he is able to field a side including the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Even if the man hailed ‘a football genius’ by former Spurs player Heurelho Gomes were to be sacked by PSG before Bielsa departs, to then move to Leeds would be a substantial step down, with all due respect to the club.

Of course, the Yorkshire outfit would love to have him, but they may have to set their sights lower until they can compete for European competitions.

In other news, one former Premier League ace has made this Kalvin Phillips claim.

Livingston goalkeeper Max Stryjek has admitted that he would ‘love to play’ at Celtic Park, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Stryjek profiled

The Polish shot-stopper joined Livingston in July 2020 on a free transfer from Eastleigh and has since been hailed as ‘brilliant’ and a ‘leader’ by his manager David Martindale.

He has made 45 appearances in Scotland for his current employers, keeping 18 clean sheets, and is on just £1,000 per week.

It seems as if he would be open to the possibility of moving to Parkhead one day after watching the Hoops face Bayer Leverkusen from the stands in the Europa League in recent weeks.

The Latest: Penalty save; Hoops admission

Stryjek was the second-best performer behind Anthony Ralston on the weekend in a 0-0 draw, as per WhoScored.

He saved a Giorgos Giakoumakis penalty in stoppage time to salvage a point for Livingston and was talking to the media, cited by The Daily Record, following the stalemate.

The 25-year-old revealed his Glasgow trip at the end of September, before appearing to drop a transfer hint by admitting that he ‘would love to play’ at Parkhead, saying:

“I have been here with a friend to watch them against Bayer Leverkusen this season and the atmosphere was unbelievable. It was so loud and I was thinking: ‘I would love to play here.’

“And then when I got here I was thinking it was going to be really hard with 60,000 supporters shouting and singing.

“But as the game started and for the first 30 minutes I realised there was no singing and it was very quiet. “I didn’t know why but then I heard later there was a protest.

“It was a bit weird but then it all started getting very loud after 30 minutes and it was great. I really enjoyed it.

“We play football for days like these. How can you not enjoy playing in a beautiful stadium like this with 60,000 people watching you play.

“What can be better for a footballer?”

The Verdict: One to keep an eye on?

Joe Hart is Celtic’s number one at this moment in time, but he will turn 35 in April, so the Hoops may want to look at their goalkeeping options beyond the Englishman.

They have Conor Hazard coming through, but he’s been sitting on the sidelines at Parkhead and has made just eight appearances for the club. Meanwhile, Stryjek has already kept two clean sheets against Ange Postecoglou’s side and outperformed Hart on the weekend.

He is nine years Hart’s junior and has put in two impressive performances against Celtic already, so it could be worth keeping a close eye on his development over the coming years.

In other news: ‘It’s a small fee’ – BBC pundit reacts as Celtic make first move to sign ‘incredible’ defender. 

Crystal Palace and Wolves have been linked with a move for Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne by Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been reacting to the rumours on social media.

According to Konur, both Palace and Wolves are closely monitoring Insigne’s situation, with contract talks seemingly at a standstill with the Italian side.

The 30-year-old, valued at £43.2m by Transfermarkt, is into the final 12 months of his Napoli deal.

The left-winger has contributed to 199 goals in 404 appearances for Napoli during his 11-year stay, but he could be free to discuss pre-contract terms in the New Year, should his situation remain the same.

Patrick Vieira is short of out-and-out wide options at Selhurst Park, and it appears as if the Euro 2020 winner could be a target for the Eagles.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news regarding Insigne on Twitter. This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with many shocked and one labelling the links as ‘ridiculous’.

“lool what”

Credit: @palacejoe_

“Sorry?”

Credit: @rileyeagles

“what am I seeing?”

Credit: @tomjones2610

“Absolutely ridiculous”

Credit: @LukeRemnant

“Is this randomly generated?”

Credit: @TheEagleDC

“LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL”

Credit: @Wheddsta

In other news: Pundit excited by ‘deadly’ 29-assist star wanted by Palace.