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Leeds United could sign their new Pablo Hernandez in West Brom play-maker Matheus Pereira amid a transfer update.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the Whites are interested in signing the Brazilian this summer, but it appears the Yorkshire club may face some significant competition.

According to ESPN Brazil, fellow Premier League side West Ham are very much in the race to sign the £13.5m-rated star, and that while Pereira is interested in a move to link up with Marcelo Bielsa’s side, he’s also keen on playing European football – something he would get with the Hammers.

Leeds’ new Pablo Hernandez

Hailed as a “genius” who “who has a technical ability that I have never seen before” by former Nurnberg coach Nate Weiss, Pereira enjoyed a superb campaign in the Premier League last season, netting 11 goals and provided a further six assists as he tried to rescue his Baggies side from relegation.

Former Leeds ace Noel Whelan has already raved about the thought of Pereira helping to form a dream attack at Leeds, saying: “It is a mouth-watering prospect. We missed out on certain players last season, and this is a player that excites everybody. I would definitely take him all day long.

“He’s a fantastic player, he’s great on the ball, he can turn people inside out. Pereira’s another option we can use right across that front three and maybe in a number 10 role as well. He’s the right age and he’s the sort of player we should be looking at. Imagine, if you put him alongside Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison etc, that’s pretty formidable.”

And, after a superb display against Aston Villa, BBC Sport pundit Jermain Jenas said of the 25-year-old: “He’s just silky. When he’s on it, he’s just got that lovely left-foot, (tucked) his penalty away, the delivery into the box for set-pieces was brilliant, and he wanted to showcase his skills.”

At his best, Hernandez was similarly creative and exciting to watch, with his nimble footwork and eye for goal being a huge part of the Whites’ resurgence in the last couple of years. As per Whoscored, in the 2018/2019 campaign in which he scored 12 and set up another 12, he averaged a whopping three key passes and 2.7 shots per game in the Championship.

In 175 games for the club, the little Spaniard netted 36 goals and provided another 41 assists, a remarkable feat given that Hernandez was well into his 30s when he joined up at Elland Road.

In Pereira, Victor Orta could bring about an instant Hernandez successor to Leeds.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United transfer update…

In a recent interview, former Southampton sporting director Les Reed has confirmed that Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy was once on the Saints’ transfer radar.

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview, Reed confirmed that Vardy is one of a number of Leicester players who was admired by Southampton during his time at the club.

Since signing from Fleetwood Town in 201,2 the striker has well and truly established himself as a legend at the King Power Stadium, playing a key role in their shock title win in 2015/16.

In 352 appearances for the Foxes, he has contributed an impressive 147 goals and 61 assists, whilst he also earned 26 caps for England.

Whilst he is now 34-years-old, he shows little sign of slowing down, as he managed 15 goals and nine assists in 34 Premier League appearances last season, earning a superb 7.11 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

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Although Southampton have a talismanic striker of their own in Danny Ings, the former Liverpool man has hit just 55 Premier League goals in his career, which is significantly fewer than the 118 scored by Vardy.

That Southampton were interested in the “unbelievable” Vardy during his time at Fleetwood, when he cost Leicester just £1m, then he surely would’ve proven to be a superb bargain signing at St Mary’s had they made a move for him,

It is difficult to know whether he would’ve enjoyed the same almost inconceivable success he has managed with Leicester City with the Saints, but it’s hard to think he wouldn’t have justified that £1m, at worst, so looking back with hindsight, Reed not managing to bring him to St Mary’s looks like a bit of a disaster.

And, in other news… Semmens signs Danjuma, no Djenepo: How Southampton could look under Hasenhuttl next season

Celtic’s interim boss John Kennedy has been urged to join Ross County if he leaves Parkhead.

Former County goalkeeper Michael Fraser told The Press and Journal that the 37-year-old would be well-suited to the managerial position at the Global Energy Stadium.

The lowdown

Kennedy took over from Neil Lennon when he resigned at the end of February, with Celtic’s title hopes having unravelled. Predominantly using a 4-4-2 diamond formation, he oversaw four victories, four draws and two defeats in total.

Celtic were 18 points adrift of Rangers when Kennedy took over and ended up 25 points behind their Glasgow rivals at the season’s end. The Gers also knocked them out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round.

According to the Daily Record, Eddie Howe will be announced as Lennon’s long-term successor this week. He is also poised to bring backroom staff from Bournemouth with him, so it’s unclear whether there’ll be any place for Kennedy under the 43-year-old’s regime.

Ross County finished third from bottom in the Premiership this season. John Hughes kept them in the division but has not been offered a permanent deal.

The latest

If Kennedy is looking to move into management permanently rather than return to a behind-the-scenes role, Fraser says that County would be an ideal destination for him, telling The Press and Journal:

“Personally I think, John Kennedy, should he leave Celtic, would be a really good shout. He is highly thought of and it would be a good job for him to start off with.

“I am pretty sure a guy like John would like this job. He’s just a name that leapt out at me.

“Roy [Macgregor, chairman] might be looking at a more experienced manager, but going left-field John would be a good pick.

“He is highly-rated by ex-players and maybe he will want to come in and get his hands dirty by coaching them to play in the way he wants them to play.

“It’s maybe the best of the smaller clubs to achieve that because you will get support.”

The verdict

Howe may well deem Kennedy surplus to requirements at Celtic, partly as a symbolic ‘out with the old, in with the new’ move.

While Kennedy didn’t do enough in his time at the helm at Parkhead to suggest that he had credentials to be the permanent boss, he faced an unenviable task in trying to salvage the wreckage of the Hoops’ season.

Centre-back Kristoffer Ajer was also full of praise for his ‘fantastic’ coaching methods, and a club further down the Premiership would certainly be wise to give him a chance to prove his worth.

In other news, there’s an update on the future of Oliver Ntcham. 

Newcastle United are reportedly in pole position to sign Kyle Joseph once the summer transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Newcastle eye Joseph

The North East club have been reported to be lining up a move to bring Joseph to St. James’ Park, with his current contract at Wigan Athletic set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Celtic have also shown interest in signing him, but Mark Douglas has given an update on the Tyneside club’s pursuit.

The Latest: Newcastle in pole position

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has claimed that the Magpies are currently in pole position in the race to sign Joseph once the market opens.

Sheffield United are also looking at the possibility of signing him, but the Toon have been tipped to complete the transfer.

The football journalist adds that Joseph ‘ticks boxes’ and would be ‘one to watch’ if he signed for NUFC.

The Verdict: Joseph one for the future

Joseph is certainly a player who can grow and develop into a fine striker in the future, especially if he is learning from Callum Wilson.

He scored a respectable five goals and supplied a further assist in 18 matches in total in the EFL League One as a teenager (Transfermarkt), and given that he is till only 19 years of age, he will surely only get better and better.

Latics journalist Paul Kendrick dubbed Joseph as a ‘shining light’ after a man-of-the-match performance back in November, and so he should be someone that Newcastle should be going all in for, especially if they can land him on the cheap.

In other news, find out which ace with an £88m release clause NUFC have enquired about here!

Everton are reportedly in pole position to sign Denzel Dumfries in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Coleman replacement needed

Given that Seamus Coleman is now 32 years of age, and will turn 33 near the start of the new season in October, the Goodison Park faithful really need to start thinking about replacing him for the longer term.

At just 25 and also captain of his own club in PSV, Dumfries could well be an ideal fit.

The Latest: Everton eye Dumfries

As per Il Mattino (via Sport Witness), the Merseyside club ‘seem to be on pole’ with regards to the potential signing of Dumfries, with Napoli also interested in his signature.

However, given that he has been picked for the Netherlands for their Euro 2020 squad, a lot more clubs are likely to join the race come the end of the tournament if he performs well.

The Verdict: No brainer

It is surely a no brainer for the Toffees to go out and sign Dumfries, as he could well turn out to be the perfect long-term replacement for Coleman.

The right-back, currently valued at £14.4m by Transfremarkt), showing just how much of a threat he is going forward from defence.

Being the captain of a club with huge domestic expectations in PSV, he would also bring extra leadership qualities, and at 25, he is also of a good age as opposed to the 32-year-old Coleman.

Marcel Brands is thought to be a big fan, and it is not hard to see why.

Nonetheless, it is surely a no brainer for the Blues to bring in Dumfries, before he starts to attract attention from top clubs during the Euros.

In other news, find out what manager update has left EFC fans fuming here!

Football.london writer Alasdair Gold has revealed Tottenham are not looking at Marcelo Gallardo to become their new boss despite him being similar to Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Spurs still in manager hunt

Although Ryan Mason is currently in charge at Spurs, it feels unlikely he will be given the job on a full-time basis due to his inexperience. As such, the search for a new boss goes on.

A number of names have previously been mentioned, such as Julian Nagelsmann (The Daily Mail) and Hansi Flick (Sport 1), but Daniel Levy appears to be no closer to getting a deal confirmed.

The Latest: Gold discusses Gallardo

During a Q&A with football.london, Gold was asked whether Gallardo or Julen Lopetegui had been considered for the role. He said:

“Gallardo is certainly growing his reputation and some people believe he’s similar to Pochettino in style and Lopetegui has plenty of experience now but as far as I’m aware they’re not in the mix.”

The Verdict: Plenty of experience

Gallardo may not be a household name as a manager in Europe – many European football fans will know him from his time with Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco as a player – but he is one of South America’s best coaches.

He has won the Copa Libertadores on two occasions with River Plate, adding to the one he won as a player, and has picked up 13 trophies throughout his managerial career despite only being 45.

As Gold went on to mention with his answer, a move from River to Tottenham would be a big culture shock, so it is unlikely he would be considered for the role at this point. In the future, though, he may be one to keep an eye on if he proves himself elsewhere in Europe.

In other news, Alasdair Gold drops this Mauricio Pochettino claim.

Crystal Palace return to Premier League action after a more than a two week break as they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday evening.

The Eagles’ most recent outing ended in defeat, Chelsea running out emphatic 4-1 winners at Selhurst Park.

Could Palace boss Roy Hodgson make many changes from that clash?

We are expecting only a couple of alterations for the trip to the East-Midlands.

Vicente Guaita will predictably be in net, with there being good news and bad news for the defence stationed in front of him.

£65k per week defender Gary Cahill is a slight doubt after missing training but fellow centre-backs Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins have returned from their serious problems.

It might be slightly too early to start each of them considering their long injury lay-offs so Scott Dann could earn a start as a consequence, his first since mid-February.

Meanwhile, there could be a slight alteration at left-back with Tyrick Mitchell coming in for Patrick van Aanholt. Former Fox Jeffrey Schlupp has also recently returned but the trip to the East-Midlands may come too soon for him.

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Away from those slight alterations, the team should have a fairly familiar look to it.

Cheikhou Kouyate will be selected at centre-back, with Jairo Riedewald and Luke Milivojevic paired in the centre of the park as usual.

Eberechi Eze should be selected on one flank whilst the mercurial Wilfried Zaha, who has scored on six occasions against Leicester throughout his career so far, is a shoo-in to start.

Meanwhile ,Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew will lead the line once again for the Eagles in the East-Midlands. The two have scored seven goals between them this season.

AND in more news, find out why the departure of Christian Benteke could be a crushing blow for Palace…

Many Everton fans have been left to gush as a Sunday report from The Athletic was shared following football’s social media boycott by @EvertonNewsFeed on Tuesday.

As per the report, the Goodison Park faithful are preparing a bid for Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window, but may find themselves in competition with Leicester City to sign the Brentford striker.

The 25-year-old has been nothing short of exceptional in the EFL Championship so far in the 2020/21 term, notching up no fewer than 30 goals and a further 10 assists in 44 games in total (Transfermarkt), and is clearly ready to make the move up to the Premier League.

The Merseyside club are in desperate need of some depth and firepower to challenge Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top come the start of next season, and Toney could very well be that man.

Everton fans on Toney transfer update

These Toffees supporters gushed as the news of the transfer bid was shared on Twitter:

“Get him in, raid the Championship for promising young, players who are prepared to graft and appreciate their opportunities.”

Credit: @ctayts

“Said for ages we should be all over this guy.”

Credit: @sarahmallory88

“Get it done Everton.”

Credit: @josh_smith10

“Yes please Everton”

Credit: @finn_noone

“Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Credit: @bittertoffee

“It’d be mad if we can pull this off. I’ve followed Brentford all season and he’s some forward”

Credit: @mannie_efc

In other news, find out whose display was slammed versus Aston Villa here!

Aston Villa could seal a dream deal in the summer transfer window by landing Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe, despite Lee Hendrie’s verdict on a potential move.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith and Villa after initially playing for the club during their time in the Championship.

However, Hendrie has poured cold water over a deal, raising question marks over whether Tuanzebe would be able to come in and command a first-team place, and queried whether the young defender would want to “fight” for his place.

He said: “It’s whether Axel wants to come in and actually fight for a place. The two at the moment (Mings and Konsa), basically they’re picked week in, week out if you look at it. I just think he isn’t going to overtake Mings and Konsa at this current time.”

Dream deal for Lange

With his previous history of working under Smith, and the fact he’s both young and English, Tuanzebe has got all the makings of being a real dream deal for Villa this summer.

The £7.2m-rated centre-back has earned rave reviews for his performances, and earned special praise from United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after helping to stop PSG and Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League earlier this season.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

While Hendrie is right to wonder whether Tuanzebe would come in and displace either Mings or Konsa, he would add the kind of necessary competition that keeps the two on their toes and ensures they don’t just rest on their laurels, plus he’d be a great option to have in case of injury.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Tuanzebe has already proven he can be a starter under Smith before, and he would be able to hit the ground running at Villa Park thanks to his previous experience. It’s a move Johan Lange should be all over this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa must unleash this academy sensation; it’s not Louie Barry…

Marcelo Bielsa has tipped Rodrigo to “immediately” shine for the rest of this season, following a tough time at Elland Road so far.

The 30-year-old joined the Whites last August, costing a club-record £27million from Valencia and looking a hugely exciting capture.

Rodrigo has suffered a first season to forget in England, however, scoring just three goals and registering one assist in 22 appearances.

Reports in March (via Sport Witness) claimed he wants to leave Leeds at the end of the campaign, with a return to Spain potentially on the cards.

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Bielsa hints at Rodrigo stay

Marcelo Bielsa has seemingly downplayed those claims, though, telling reporters [via Leeds Live] that he expects the striker to find his form again:

“Immediately he will be able to show all the resources that he has.”

Transfer Tavern take

Given Rodrigo’s huge experience and pedigree, the ideal scenario would see him find his feet and be an option at Leeds for years to come, rather than leaving this summer.

It can certainly be argued that injuries have played a part in his struggles, but if he can stay fit for a sustained period and get his confidence back, there is no reason why he can’t thrive at Elland Road.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for an exciting young attacker – find out who it is here.