English Championship
Phil Hay claims 17y/o youth player is ringing Bielsa’s bell as Leeds eyes Brazilian
According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, teenage winger Stuart McKinstry is the next Leeds United youth player to look out for given his huge talents and potential, and he is already catching the attention of head coach Marcelo Bielsa. “The next one to look out for might be Stuart McKinstry, the teenage winger who Leeds signed from Motherwell,” Hay replied when asked which youngster Bielsa might see as potential first-team squad reinforcements. “He’s creeping up the rails and has been more and more involved in first-team training and murderball sessions. He’s only 17 but is ringing Bielsa’s bell, so to speak.” The Scottish kid is a regular for the under-23s and has impressed Bielsa since arriving at Elland Road on a three-year deal. McKinstry joined Leeds last August, and was watched by the A...
Report: Leeds looking to land Senegalese striker as they prepare for the EPL
According to Turkish newspaper Takvim (via Sport Witness), Leeds United are preparing for life back in the English Premier League and are keeping tabs on Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne as boss Marcelo Bielsa looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the huge task ahead. The Senegalese is currently on loan at Belgian side Club Brugge but could have been at Elland Road already as Leeds wanted him in the summer of 2018. Diagne is also wanted by Watford and Nottingham Forest, and the availability of Premier League football would likely play a huge role in his next transfer decision. While he didn’t particularly impress at Brugge before they were declared league winners, the striker bagged 30 goals in 29 league games for both Kasımpaşa and Galatasaray last season and is far from finished. Work p...
Report: Gerrard hopes to beat Hammers to striker’s signature a yr after Liverpool links
According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are hoping to beat several English Premier League sides to the signature of West Bromwich Albion striker Rayhaan Tulloch this summer as manager Steven Gerrard looks to stop Celtic’s 10-in-a-row bid. West Ham United and Brighton are very much keen on the 19-year-old after he forced his way into manager Slaven Bilic’s plans this term, and the Baggies are looking to convince him to sign a deal as he is out of contract next month. Liverpool were one of the clubs linked with an interest in Tulloch last summer, but the speedy striker could be lining up for their former skipper at Ibrox if Rangers play their cards well. West Ham know the teenager well having watched him first hand during their FA Cup clash against Bilic’s side in January, and it appears he d...
46y/o interested in buying Leeds United named as football’s most influential person
Qatar Sports Investments chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been named as football’s most influential person by France Football. The Paris Saint-Germain President, who is still very much interested in buying Leeds United, has topped the Top 50 most powerful/influential people list drawn up by the Ballon d’Or organizers. Al-Khelaifi has established himself as one of the most important people in the game, and having him as Leeds owner will definitely boost the fortunes of the Elland Road outfit. According to 90min, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are aware of QSI’s interest in Leeds and aren’t looking to be left behind when it comes to buying clubs. While QSI are yet to own the Whites, it appears that a prospective takeover is still very much on the cards. Talks aren’t ongoing at the...
‘That is unfair’: Harry Redknapp makes bold claim on Leeds promotion chances
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager turned popular football pundit Harry Redknapp has suggested that it would be unfair to promote Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion to the Premier League next season, if the remaining games are not played. Leeds are currently top of the Championship table with one point above West Brom. While the Premier League are desperate to resume the season amid the coronavirus pandemic, it is not clear what approach the EFL will take. Redknapp feels that it would be unfair if Leeds secure promotion without playing the remaining games. “You’d have to look at that and maybe bring up the top two but even that is unfair, really,” he told Sky Sports’ Football Show. “The top two, Leeds this time last year were walking away with the Championship and blew up, so yo...
‘Spurs have good links with that agency’: Journalist makes transfer claim on £20m target
Irrespective of where Tottenham Hotspur finish this season, there’s no doubt that Jose Mourinho will be looking to make some changes to the current squad. Ideally, he would want Daniel Levy to hand a massive transfer kitty so that he can rebuild the squad to his own taste. However, the global economy has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and clubs will struggle to spend freely. Mourinho may have to operate on a low transfer budget and that is a big challenge for Spurs. One of the players they could be targeting in the summer is QPR’s attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. In a Q/A session with Tottenham fans, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that Spurs have scouted Eze during the season. They have a good relationship with the fellow London club and that could help in any p...
‘The new Alan Smith’: Phil Hay provides transfer update on Leeds interest in £8m player
While players continue to be linked with Leeds United with no assurance of what the outcome of the season will be, the transfer speculations seem like just a fun-engagement to fill the pages. It was always like that, mostly, but given the global situation, talks of potential transfers look premature. Moving on. Recently, reports from The Mirror claimed that Barcelona are showing keen interest in signing Juan Foyth whose future at the north London club remains unclear. The 22-year-old was signed by former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2017 from Argentine side Estudiantes in an £8million deal. However, following the arrival of Jose Mourinho, he has struggled for regular game time, and a move away from the club cannot be ruled out. Leeds had previously shown interest in Foyt...
‘It would be an interesting signing’: Phil Hay claims what he has heard about Leeds target
In times like these when there is uncertainty over whether the 2019-20 season will at all be completed, talks of transfers look premature. The reason being, there are so many factors at stake. However, Leeds United are probably one of such clubs who find themselves in a better position than some other clubs. Unless the season is declared null and void, Leeds are going to benefit if the season fails to resume and PPG decides the outcome of the league. When Phil Hay was asked to comment on a transfer update in a recent Q/A session, he started up with an honest confession – ‘I haven’t followed that one up recently’. However, Hay being Hay, arguably the best in the business when it comes to covering Leeds, has clarified the situation of Yan Couto who is a reported target of the Whites. It was ...
‘Kept their powder dry’: Phil Hay delivers verdict on potential outcome for Leeds
Although the Premier League are determined to get their remaining games underway in the near future, there’s no assurance whether the EFL can take the same route. According to Dan Roan of BBC, League Two clubs are unanimous in wanting to end the season via PPG now. They have agreed to cancel the remainder of the season and instead settle the final table via a weighted points-per-game system with 2-legged play-off semi-finals and then a final. I think some are jumping the gun a tad on League Two. They’ve held an indicative vote. It was unanimous but it’s not final & binding yet. That requires an EFL vote, with a 50+1 majority AND a majority in Championship. I suspect that’s where we’re heading but we’re not there yet. — Matt Slater (@mjshrimper) May 15...
Report: Leeds remain keen on €12m defender, but face competition from PL duo
Leeds United remain interested in signing the Freiburg defender Robin Koch. As per Record (via Sportwitness), West Ham and Spurs are keen on the player as well. Benfica were thought to be keen on the player but they have backed out due to financial reasons. It will be interesting to see if Leeds can sign Koch this summer. The 23-year-old could prove to be a solid addition to Bielsa’ back four. Leeds will need better defenders if they are in the Premier League next season. Also, if they fail to sign Ben White permanently, they will need someone to fill his void. Koch is talented and Bielsa could develop him into a star. The young defender needs to join a club where he can play regularly and develop as a player. A move to Leeds seems ideal at this stage of his career. He might struggle to ho...
‘Up in the air’: Phil Hay sheds light on Leeds’ promotion situation
While the governing body in the UK is hopeful that football will return amid the coronavirus pandemic, the situation is still far from ideal. Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber has called for Championship sides to not be promoted to the Premier League if the football season fails to complete. It’s a complex scenario, and things could get messy if clubs opt for legal proceedings. It has been reported widely that clubs in the Championship want to complete the current season. But despite their desire to do so, whether they will be able to complete it remains a different issue. The Athletic’s Phil Hay has shed light on the matter on his personal Twitter account. He has claimed that the situation is very much “up in the air” with many teams feeling that it won’t be possible ...
Report: Leeds keen on 27-yr-old Spaniard, Orta has been following him closely
Leeds United have been linked with the Elche left-back Juan Cruz this summer. As per AS, the Championship outfit have been keeping tabs on the 27-year-old and Victor Orta is following him closely. Cruz has impressed for Elche this season and several other clubs are keen on him. It will be interesting to see if Leeds submit an offer for the player anytime soon. They are vulnerable at the back and that needs to change next season. Marcelo Bielsa’s men could be in the Premier League soon and they will struggle to cope with that defence. Someone like Cruz will add depth and defensive quality to the side. Furthermore, the Elche ace is at the peak of his powers right now and he could make an immediate impact for the Whites. The player has a €4m release clause but that could double if the Spanish...
