Brentford
Relegated Premier League sides get fixtures as 2020-21 Championship schedule released
Bournemouth will start life back in the Championship at home to Blackburn Rovers, while Watford host Middlesbrough and Norwich City travel to Huddersfield Town. The Cherries were relegated after a five-year stay in the Premier League, while Watford and Norwich were also demoted in a top-flight campaign that was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. That halt means the new Championship season starts on September 12, with beaten play-off finalists Brentford travelling to Birmingham City on the opening day, while south Wales rivals Cardiff City and Swansea City – who also made the top six – host Sheffield Wednesday and visit Preston North End respectively. Wycombe Wanderers – playing in the second tier for the first time – welcome fellow new boys Rotherham United for their first game, while ...
Report: Villa to ‘lodge a formal bid’ for £25m Smith’s top target
According to reports from Express and Star, Aston Villa are expected to make a formal bid for Ollie Watkins in the coming weeks. The report claims that Villa are poised to step up their pursuit of Watkins as they prepare for the new Premier League season. Brentford striker Watkins is Smith’s No.1 striker target. The 24-year-old forward was in spectacular form last season where he scored 26 goals and provided three assists for the club. However, despite his heroics, Brentford failed to secure promotion to the Premier League. Bolstering the forward department is one of Dean Smith’s top priorities this season. And it seems Villa have earmarked Watkins as an ideal figure for that role. He is Smith’s top transfer target this summer. Villa are expected to lodge a formal bid, though it is likely ...
Report: Leeds ‘set to start the bidding’ for in-demand £25m star, Bielsa is a ‘big fan’
Report: Leeds 'set to start the bidding' for in-demand £25m star, Bielsa is a 'big fan' – originally posted on Sportslens.com According to reports from the Express, newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United are ‘set to start the bidding’ for Brentford attacker Said Benrahma in the summer transfer window. The Algerian was one of the key performers for Brentford in the Championship last season. However, after losing to Fulham at Wembley in the play-off final, Benrahma is now expected to leave the club. The 24-year-old was in sensational form for the Bees last season. He scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in 43 appearances. Brentford value him for around £25m, but Leeds are willing to pay £20m for the attacker. Marcelo Bielsa is a ‘big ...
New report claims club will sell ‘unbelievable’ player amid Leeds and Arsenal speculation
New report claims club will sell ‘unbelievable’ player amid Leeds and Arsenal speculation – originally posted on Sportslens.com Leeds United and Arsenal have reportedly received a boost in their alleged pursuit of Brentford star Said Benrahma. According to The Mirror, Leeds are interested in signing Benrahma from Brentford in the summer transfer window. The Whites, who will play in the Premier League next season after winning automatic promotion from the Championship, are ready to make a move for the 24-year-old winger, according to the report. It has been claimed that Leeds are ‘pushing hard’ for the Algeria international, who can also play as a forward and is rated at £25 million. ESPN has claimed of interest in the Brentford attacker from Arsenal, who have just won the FA Cup this...
Leeds United reportedly want 24-year-old who has been compared to Jermain Defoe
Leeds United are interested in signing Ollie Watkins from Brentford in the summer transfer window, according to The Sunday Mirror (print edition, page 67, August 2, 2020). It has been reported that that the West Yorkshire outfit – who will play in the Premier League next season after winning automatic promotion from the Championship – will make a move for the 24-year-old if Brentford fail to go up. Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa has reportedly been impressed with the Englishman, who can play as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. The Bees are in the Championship playoff final this season and could find themselves in the Premier League for the 2020-21 campaign as well. Stats According to WhoScored, Watkins has played 48 times in the Championship this season, scoring 26 goals and provi...
Report: Leeds ‘confident’ of signing 24 y/o for less than £20m…but there’s a catch
After securing promotion to the Premier League, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has assured the fans that the Whites will be active in the summer transfer window. According to reports from The Athletic, Leeds are expected to sign four to five players this summer, with Marcelo Bielsa surely looking to make necessary additions. Signing a striker, a midfielder, a central-defender, and an attacking midfielder are top priorities. Phil Hay of the Athletic has claimed that Leeds could be looking to sign Brentford duo Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma this summer. Watkins is the division’s second-highest scorer this term with 25 regular-season goals and would suit Bielsa’s tactics. He does the same job as Patrick Bamford, but with a better conversion rate. The report claims that Le...
Report: Leeds preparing £23m bid for priority target in scintillating form
Leeds United are back in the Premier League after a sixteen-year absence. The Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani has made it clear that they are not aiming to be a passenger in the Premier League to fill the quota of clubs, rather they have a long-term vision in place. Instead of following the routes of Fulham and Aston Villa in the transfer market, the Yorkshire outfit are likely to follow the trajectory of Sheffield United. The club are confident that Marcelo Bielsa will stay and sign a new deal. It will be exciting to see how Leeds approach the summer transfer window as they would be looking to bolster their squad with talented players. According to reports from Le Buteur, Leeds boss Bielsa has made Said Benrahma a priority signing for the club. The 24-year-old attacking midf...
Leeds beat Derby 3-1, Barnsley score late to keep survival bid alive
Champions Leeds United mounted a second half comeback to win 3-1 at Derby County while Barnsley’s hopes of staying up in the second-tier Championship were given a huge boost when they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 with a stoppage time goal on Sunday. Leeds, who sealed promotion on Friday and won the title on Saturday after West Bromwich Albion and Brentford failed to close the gap, extended their lead to eight points with one more round of fixtures left. Derby, who gave Leeds a guard of honour, took the lead when Chris Martin pounced on a pass inside the box and curled his shot past the keeper. The visitors struck back two minutes later when Pablo Hernandez fired home from the edge of the box. Tyler Roberts then threaded a weighted pass through the Derby defence to find Jamie Shackleton and t...
‘No favours’: Some Leeds United fans react to Brentford result tonight
Some Leeds United fans have taken to Twitter to give their reaction to the win for Brentford against Preston North End on Wednesday evening. Brentford have got the better of Preston 1-0 at Griffin Park in the Championship this evening. Ollie Watkins’s goal as early as the fourth minute proved to be the difference between the two sides. The result means that Brentford remain third in the Championship table with 81 points from 44 matches, just a point behind second-placed West Bromwich Albion. Leeds are at the top of the standings with 84 points from 43 matches and have a game in hand. That match is against bottom side Barnsley at Elland Road on Thursday evening. Leeds need just four points from their final three matches to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, had Brent...
David Ornstein: Southampton and Crystal Palace closely monitoring £18m player in red-hot form
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Brentford forward Ollie Watkins is likely to be in-demand in the transfer market. The 24-year-old forward joined Brentford in 2017 and has established himself as a key player for the club, alongside Said Benrahma and Bryan Mbeumo. This season he has taken his game to a whole new level, becoming the joint leading scorer in the Championship with 23 goals. Premier League clubs have been alerted about the existence of a buy-out clause, and this would potentially make the prolific striker an appealing addition this summer. Watkins, who joined Brentford for £1.8 million from Exeter City in 2017, had a release clause of £10m in his previous deal. However, no suitors took the plunge to secure his signature. The exciting attacker had signed a n...
Report: Leeds keen on 9-goal attacker, but face competition from Championship rivals
Leeds are thought to be keeping tabs on the Nijmegen forward Ole Romeny. According to Voetbal International (via Sportwitness), Premier League side Norwich City and another Championship side Brentford are keen on the player as well. The 20-year-old has had a good season with the Dutch outfit this year and he has 9 goals and 2 assists to his name this season. It will be interesting to see if Leeds make an offer for the player anytime soon. Romeny is a talented young player and Marcelo Bielsa could groom him into a first-team player. The Whites need more depth in their attack and the interest in Romeny is hardly surprising. That said, Leeds should look to invest in a more proven forward now. They are on the brink of promotion and they will need players who can come in and make an immediate i...
Report: Leeds United and QPR target has already rejected offer from his club
According to Fussball Transfers, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers target Patrick Erras has turned down the offer of a new contract from Nurnberg. It has been reported that Championship trio Leeds, QPR and Brentford are interested in signing Erras on a free transfer this summer. The report has claimed that the the 25-year-old turned down an offer from Nurnberg to extend his stay in early April. Stats Erras made 12 starts and six substitute appearances in the second division in Germany this season, scoring two goals in the process, according to WhoScored. During the 2018-19 campaign, the 25-year-old made 13 starts an six substitute appearances in the Bundesliga for Nurnberg, providing one assist in the process, according to WhoScored. Leeds United have advantage? Leeds, QPR and Brentford...
