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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. 

Rangers enjoyed a busy January transfer window as they brought in a number of players to bolster Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad at Ibrox.

Ross Wilson was hard at work as he secured deals to bring in James Sands, Amad Diallo, Aaron Ramsey and Mateusz Zukowski, with John Souttar also set to join at the end of the season.

The Gers are two points clear of Celtic at the top of the Premiership table and these additions could help them to land a second successive league title.

How could van Bronckhorst’s best XI now look? Here is our take on it…

The back four may remain exactly the same, with Zukowski the only addition to the head coach’s immediate options for the rest of the season.

James Tavenier has averaged an outstanding SofaScore rating of 7.81 for the Gers, with the skipper popping up with five goals and ten assists from right-back in the Premiership. This shows that there is no need for the Polish recruit to come straight into the XI and he could spend the next few months learning from the club captain and developing his game on the training pitch.

In midfield, Ramsey could replace Scott Arfield as one of the three, playing alongside Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo. The £16k-per-week Canadian gem has popped up with some important goals this season, scoring three goals in 15 Premiership outings this season.

However, the arrival of the former Arsenal man could force him to be resigned to a place on the bench for the rest of the campaign. Ramsey is a proven performer at the top level, having scored in the Premier League and Serie A for the Gunners and Juventus throughout his career, and could – therefore – bring an added level of quality to the side.

This could also leave January signing Sands on the bench, with Kamara starting in the dictating midfield role slightly behind Aribo and Ramsey. The Finland international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.03, completing an impressive 91% of his attempted passes, whereas Sands has recorded a score of 6.95 and completed 87% of his pass attempts.

Whilst there may not be a great deal between them, statistically, Kamara has been at Rangers longer and could have van Bronckhorst’s trust for now. However, the USA international could work his way into the XI and keep his place if he continues to put in solid performances when called upon.

In the front three, Diallo could be the club’s best option on the right-wing. He had a dream debut as he scored in the 3-3 draw with Ross County, whilst also creating one chance and completing one dribble.

Rangers have struggled for goals in the right-wing position, with Scott Wright and Ianis Hagi managing just four between them. This is why Diallo could end up being a regular starter as his competitive bow for the club suggests that he could be the goal threat they have been lacking.

AND in other news, Body blow: Rangers dealt big injury setback ahead of Old Firm, Gvb will be gutted…

Tottenham Hotspur are in line to receive a huge boost amid fresh claims from Alasdair Gold this week…

What’s the word?

The ever-reliable football.london journalist delivered an update on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele after his recent omission from the starting XI in consecutive matches.

He wrote: ‘[Ryan] Mason swerved a question from football.london in the week about Ndombele’s omission but what is important this time for the Frenchman is that he is very happy, settled and comfortable at Tottenham now and he’s been here before in trying to win over a manager.

‘The 24-year-old will see it as a challenge rather than the affront it was in his first season at the club and it should push him to better things.’

Key part of the future

Gold alludes to the Frenchman’s morale and attitude now in comparison to last season.

Under Jose Mourinho, the club-record £55m signing struggled for game-time and very much was on the periphery of the first team setup. He averaged just 47 minutes per game from his 21 league appearances last term.

It led to Ndombele seriously considering his future in north London after less than a year, as he revealed to football.london.

“To be perfectly honest with you I don’t know how close I was to leaving,” he said. “What I know is that I did want to leave. I spoke about this with people at the club and particularly with the chairman.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-managerial-update-levy-mason-mourinho-sacked” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, managerial gossip and more!”]

The 24-year-old would eventually stay, thanks largely to Daniel Levy, and he hasn’t looked back as he’s enjoyed a very fruitful campaign despite all of Spurs’ poor fortunes. He has played around double the number of minutes in the Premier League this term (2,072) and has contributed six goals and four assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

The £45m-rated dynamo has played just one of Ryan Mason’s three matches in charge but what is most positive is that it won’t faze him like his omission under Mourinho, and that’ll come as a huge boost to the club.

He’s a big part of their future, whether that be under the 29-year-old interim or whoever is appointed next and, after he convinced him to stay last year, Levy will be delighted by his change in attitude.

Mason should also be rather pleased as his decisions should not cause disruption or disharmony in the dressing room, something that the Spurs chairman feared was happening under Mourinho, according to The Athletic.

As we know by Joe Hart’s comments during their FA Cup clash with Wycombe earlier this year, the box-to-box maestro is “unplayable” on his day.

Ndombele is happy at Hotspur Way and those in north London will no longer need to worry if he’s in and out of the team.

AND in other news, Forget Ten Hag: Levy could completely transform Spurs by hiring 62 y/o “architect”…

Monday night’s affair between Crystal Palace and Leeds United saw both sides share the spoils.

Coming into this tie, the Eagles and the Whites will have been cautious, knowing that they are dangerously close to the relegation battle taking place just a few places below.

In theory, Leeds would have wanted the points more, sitting just five points above Everton who are in 18th place. But, on the pitch, it was Vieira’s side who were the aggressors – almost doubling the visitors’ total amount of shots, with 17.

Although Palace failed to score and consequently secure a win, a draw was much needed for the Eagles, who had conceded five and scored just one coming into this fixture in all competitions.

The clean sheet was much-required too, and the goal could have happened for the home side, which is why a section of the fanbase will be disappointed with one player in particular.

With a total expected goals tally of 0.97 xG across his four shots, Jean-Phillippe Mateta will have been astonished that his name somehow evaded the score sheet.

In fairness to him, his movement made him a thorn in the side of the opposition defence, though he failed to take one of his four chances which included an opportunity along the lines of a tap-in.

That chance alone came with an xG total of 0.73, meant that the Frenchman had a high chance of burying that opportunity based on previous shots from that vicinity.

Excluding his runs, the £53k-per-week earner did not offer anything else to the game and rarely helped his side in the build-up play, instead relying on through balls.

His ten passes and fewer touches (32) than goalkeeper Vicente Guaita are a reflection of his failure to assert himself in other aspects of the game and his 25% shot accuracy is perhaps the overall indicator of Mateta’s night against Leeds.

Though it’s the 71% ground duels lost that Eagles fans will be frustrated with the most.

The 24-year-old won just two of his seven ground duels last night and was a hindrance to his side in their attempts to win back possession.

It was not the best night for Mateta, though on another day he could have left with at least a goal to his name.

It’s now been four games without a goal for the Frenchman.

In other news: Vieira must finally unleash CPFC’s £15.3m “delight” today, he will terrify Leeds – opinion

Reports linking Roy Keane with the vacant Celtic managerial role seem to be gathering pace.

On Thursday morning, Football Insider revealed that the Hoops had ‘sensationally’ opened talks with the Irishman and were ready to offer Keane a return to management 10 years on from his last position.

Fresh Keane update

The Daily Mail, cited by the Daily Record, have now had their say on the former Celtic midfielder.

They also claim that the 49-year-old has held discussions with the Hoops hierarchy, with Keane seemingly interested in becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

However, the latest report added that Keane is just one of a “number of candidates” in the frame to take over in Glasgow, meaning there could be more twists and turns to come yet.

Transfer Tavern take

With more than one outlet now sharing details of Keane’s reported Celtic discussions, it seems as if the Sky Sports pundit could well be making the move back to Scotland.

If he does, we feel it would be a risk, purely based on his lengthy absence from the dugout.

Yes, it would be sensational – causing huge public interest to shift towards Glasgow – but a 10-year gap from being the main man on the touchline could be a cause for concern.

Perhaps some fans will be hoping that one of those other candidates steals the show.

In other news: Report shares who Keane’s number two could be after Wednesday news, find out more here. 

Southampton have announced the signing of Romain Perraud from Brest, and the French left-back could prove to be a key addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

It was confirmed by BBC on Friday that the 23-year-old had joined on a four-year deal, and it seems likely that he will be a regular starter for Hasenhuttl next season as the Saints begin life without Ryan Bertrand.

The Austrian seems delighted with his second addition of the summer – following Theo Walcott making his switch from Everton a permanent one – as he was full of praise for Perraud, saying: “This is an important first signing for us. Clearly, left-back is an area in which we were looking to strengthen and we have tracked Romain for a long time because he fits our profile for this position very well.

“He is a high energy, robust guy with good aggression who will bring lots of energy to our play. He has good quality with his delivery from wide and is very competitive with his defending.

“Completing the transfer before the start of pre-season allows him to start training with us immediately, learning our way of playing and tactical behaviours. I think Romain will fit in well with us and we can help him develop his game further and maximise his potential.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

The young defender was in excellent form for Brest last season as he made 36 appearances in Ligue 1, contributing three goals and seven assists and averaging a solid 6.84 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

James Ward-Prowse, who also supplied seven assists, was Southampton’s top creator in the Premier League last season, so Saints fans will be hoping that Perraud can add some attacking threat to their team.

When you consider that Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters managed no goals and just three assists between them in the top flight last season, it seems clear that the Saints needed to strengthen at full-back, and hopefully the Frenchman will be able to add some more attacking impetus down the left-hand side.

A few more signings might be needed if Southampton are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle next season but Perraud certainly looks to be a promising addition at Staplewood, and Saints fans will surely be delighted to see him join up with the squad.

In other news… Offer rejected in January, now wanted by Spurs: Saints missed out on £18m “warrior”

With Rafa Benitez’s arrival at Everton on the verge of completion, the Spaniard can begin thinking about how he can strengthen this squad for an assault on the top six.

It will be no easy task for a club that has fallen short of qualifying for Europe. Not since the days of Roberto Martinez have they managed to come anywhere close to ending up in the top four.

What’s the word?

With Robin Olsen heading back to Roma after the conclusion of his loan spell, it might be argued by the Everton hierarchy that they need to bring in a goalkeeper.

According to Football Insider, that could well be Sergio Romero.

The Manchester United stopper is out of contract tomorrow and thus, can be acquired on a free transfer by any willing suitor.

The report states that the Toffees have offered him a lucrative contract in order to move to Merseyside this summer.

Everton tried to sign the 96-cap Argentine on loan last summer and have now renewed their interest.

Rafa’s first mistake

At first glance, signing someone like Romero to play back up to Jordan Pickford is a smart idea.

The Argentina international has had a fabulous career at the top level and is still very much a dependable figure between the sticks.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-transfer-nuno-conte-wood-marcelo” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]

Commenting on the ‘keeper’s qualities, his United teammate Eric Bailly stated: “Sergio has immense talent. Being number two to David [de Gea] is very difficult but in spite of the small number of matches he plays in when he does he proves himself and shows that at any given moment the coach can count on him.

“It’s very important for us to have a keeper who is always ready to take advantage of an opportunity and he does that every time.”

Romero would prove a useful form of council for Pickford as he strives to improve his game after an impressive European Championships.

However, rather than handing out a lucrative contract to someone reaching the end of their career, Benitez must look towards the future when he becomes the new manager.

21-year-old goalkeeper Joao Virginia earned three starts for the Toffees last term and is now in a position where he should be earning more opportunities.

The Portuguese has had an unrivalled football schooling, developing within the Arsenal youth academy and training under Arsene Wenger to learning from Carlo Ancelotti last term.

Though, if Romero arrives then it’s difficult to see how the youngster ever breaks through on a regular basis. Virginia would save the club a hefty sum of money, particularly if the Everton target’s salary is going to be expensive.

Benitez should forget about this deal and focus his attentions elsewhere.

AND in other news, Benitez can make an instant impact at Everton by signing “exceptional” 33-goal monster…

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to news regarding midfielder Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on social media.

The club revealed on Monday morning that the 18-year-old has signed a professional deal with the Eagles.

Rak-Sakyi becomes the fifth Palace youngster to sign pro-terms with the club this season, following in the footsteps of David Omilabu, Tayo Adaramola, Fionn Mooney and Jadan Raymond.

Roy Hodgson included the young midfielder in the Palace squad for the first time in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea over the weekend.

He was a target for Bundesliga sides Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke, as well as Scottish giants Celtic and Premier League duo Everton and West Ham.

Rak-Sakyi is reportedly regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from Palace’s academy since right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Palace fans react

These Palace supporters were all delighted at the confirmed update regarding Rak-Sakyi on Monday morning, with one describing the professional deal as ‘huge’.

“Let’s goooooo”

Credit: @J_CPFC

“Wow, what a relief………I mean…….I mean…….of course he did, everyone wants to be Palace right?”

Credit: @gazbod

“Huge”

Credit: @mitchweaver_

“Great to see this young man commit to our club. This is what palace is about as a club and what we all love to see.”

Credit: @BrakePaul

“Content you love to see”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“Good job, best talent we have imo”

Credit: @RodriguesJayJay

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to links to World Cup winner, find out more here. 

It’s been a turbulent few weeks at Tottenham Hotspur. As one of six clubs who attempted to enter the European Super League, Spurs’ owners incurred the wrath of the football fraternity even before they sacked manager Jose Mourinho.

A subdued team subsequently lost the EFL Cup Final by a solitary goal to Manchester City but, in truth, the margin of defeat could have been much wider. It’s been an unsettling period to say the least but Mourinho’s premature departure might just lead to a significantly positive development.

Bale Boost

With former Tottenham player Ryan Mason in temporary charge of the club, Spurs have won their last two league games. Home victories have come against Southampton and Sheffield United with four of the six goals coming from the boot of Gareth Bale. The Welsh winger has scored six goals of his own in his last six starts for the club but will that contribution have any bearing on his immediate future?

Back in March, Bale was quite clear in regards to where he would be playing his football next season. Currently on loan at Spurs, he claimed that his mission is to return to parent club Real Madrid and see out the final year of his contract.

His current form should please Real manager Zinedine Zidane but there are reports that the La Liga club are less than impressed. Having endured a frustrating season in 2019/20, Bale returned to Spurs in a bid to regain form and fitness but suggestions are that if he does go back to the Bernabeu, he will get no further than the substitute’s bench.

About Turn

There is a theory that Gareth Bale is a stubborn player and he may be happy enough to take Madrid’s money and return to the golf course as he sees out his contract. One of his biggest aims was to be fit for the European Championships and, with that quest complete, there is no immediate need to be playing week in, week out.

However, the winger does appear to be enjoying his football once again. His Spurs side failed to win a trophy once again but, with a new manager and new outlook, that could finally change next season.

Elsewhere, former Spurs defender Graham Roberts had earlier claimed that Bale wouldn’t stay at the London club if Jose Mourinho remained in charge. That particular obstacle has been removed so could that have any effect on the Welsh international’s decision?

With Mourinho gone, temporary manager Ryan Mason showed more faith in Gareth Bale and has been rewarded with those four goals in two league games. Around the same time, reports began to emerge that Tottenham were keen to negotiate a one season extension on their existing loan deal with the player.

New Era

Spurs will have a new manager in charge by the start of the 2021/22 campaign but most coaches, with the possible exception of Zidane and Mourinho, would surely want to work with Gareth Bale.

It’s a new era and an important period for a club which needs to win silverware in order to hang on to its biggest stars. Spurs are always up among the favourites for every knockout trophy and football betting markets supplied from arabianbetting.com will attract extra interest if Gareth Bale remains in the Tottenham squad.

Options to bet on the Premier League will also be in place along with a host of domestic and European trophies. Updates and opinion pieces on Spurs’ chances can be accessed along with sign up promotions from a host of sportsbooks.

It will be a fascinating summer for Spurs fans whether they are backing their team in the markets or simply watching their progress. With a new manager and new signings, Tottenham can enjoy a more productive campaign but much will depend on the future of Gareth Bale.

Some Wolves fans have been left fuming at Gabby Agbonlahor after his prediction involving them emerged on talkSPORT.

Speaking on talkSPORT’s Sunday show, the former Aston Villa and England international striker has now predicted that the Midlands club will be in a relegation battle this season after their 2-0 home loss at the hands of Brentford in the Premier League at Saturday lunchtime.

As Agbonlahor put it, the performance was ‘shocking’, but some members of the Molineux faithful believe that he is being too reactionary as it is still very early on in the campaign.

There are also his past connections with AVFC to contend with as well, and so it is not a surprise at all to see so many WWFC supporters disagree with his opinion despite the poor result and disappointing performance.

Wolves fans on Agbonlahor prediction

These Wanderers were left fuming as the prediction made by Agbonlahor was shared by talkSPORT on their official Twitter page:

“What a surprise a former Villa player and Villa fan saying his team’s rivals are going to be in a relegation battle after 1 bad performance”

Credit: @JaysonGibbons2

“…and last week you said wolves would be fine this season. You just go with the flow Gabby”

Credit: @dave_golding

“Shock, Villa fan says Wolves are in trouble. Every team in the league has off days. Villa gave taken 1 point out of a possible 6 against newly promoted teams so far.”

Credit: @charlie_bish93

“Bore off”

Credit: @salopwolf

“As bad as we were yesterday one game doesn’t make a season. First 4 games we could have easily had 12 points! On to the next one”

Credit: @Leicesterwolf

“Gabby giving his opinion that nobody asked for again”

Credit: @DanWWFC89

In other news, find out what John Percy update has Wanderers buzzing here!