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Raphinha’s talks with Leeds United over a new contract are progressing well, according to an update from reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Raphinha Leeds’ star man

The 25-year-old has enjoyed another hugely impressive season for the Whites, standing out as their star player, especially with other key figures often out injured.

Raphinha has scored eight goals in 19 Premier League starts in 2021/22, consistently producing the goods in a campaign of struggle overall at Elland Road.

The Brazilian’s current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024 but Leeds are keen on tying him down beyond that amid interest from other clubs.

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The Latest: New contract incoming?

According to The Athletic’s Ornstein, publishing a report on the morning of transfer deadline day, talks are going well regarding the situation, with ‘positive steps’ made in recent times.

The journalist revealed: “Contract talks between Leeds and Raphinha have been on-going since the first half of this season and the club are understood to have made positive steps towards extending the deal he signed when he joined from Rennes in October 2020.”

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The Verdict: Huge positive for Whites

Keeping hold of Raphinha would feel like a huge moment for Leeds, considering the quality he possesses, already scoring twice in his first five caps for Brazil.

Not only would extending his stay be huge in terms of on-pitch matters – Danny Murphy has described the 25-year-old as a ‘wonderful’ player – it would also mean that clubs would likely have to submit an enormous bid to prise him away in the future.

In a scenario where Raphinha suddenly wanted to leave, Leeds would at least be safe in the knowledge that they would be financially strong after he exits, allowing top-quality signings to come in.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly ready to trigger one player’s release clause. Find out who it is here.

Everton are prioritising the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window next month, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Centre-back issues

The Blues are in a hugely disappointing run of form and it hasn’t been helped by a number of injuries in the centre of defence.

Yerry Mina is the most high-profile current absentee in that area of the pitch, but while Michael Keane has made 17 Premier League starts this season, Mason Holgate (five) is next up in terms of starts, with Ben Godfrey (14) often playing at full-back.

It highlights the need for a new centre-back to come in next month, and it appears as though that could happen.

The Latest: Journalist makes transfer claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke claimed that Rafael Benitez is eyeing up a central defender in January to help revive Everton’s fortunes.

He outlined: “I know Everton and Newcastle are both in the market for centre-halves in January. That’s the key position that they want to fill in the January transfer window.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

While the thought of relegation for Everton still seems unfathomable, they must make sure their current situation doesn’t get a whole lot worse.

They look weak at centre-back, conceding 29 goals in 17 league games in 2021/22, so the need for reinforcements is plain to see.

Bringing in an experienced head who can fill in alongside Keane, or in a back three, could help to plug the leak at the back and steer Everton away from the drop zone.

In other news, some Everton fans fuming after a revelation emerged. Read more here.

Writing for 90min, transfer reporter Graeme Bailey has shared a West Ham United transfer update involving Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter negotiations…

Sky Sports broke news that the Hammers and manager David Moyes had set their sights on the South American striker earlier this week with journalist Dharmesh Sheth revealing negotiations.

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It is believed that the in-form striker prefers a move to England as his next destination as he eyes a place in Brazil’s squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Barbosa apparently watches every West Ham game and it is a big admirer of how Moyes has turned the club’s fortunes around (Sky Sports), with Bailey now sharing what he knows for 90min.

The Latest: Bailey shares news…

According to his information, both West Ham and Newcastle are the ‘most advanced’ in negotiations to sign the 25-year-old who cost ‘in the region’ of £30 million.

The Irons have apparently ‘held talks’ with Barbosa’s entourage but manager Moyes would also like to consider other options before taking it a step further.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Scoring a 84 goals and 26 assists in total for Flamengo across all competitions since his move from Inter Milan, it is no secret that the Brazilian has resurrected his career following his forgetful Serie A spell.

Barbosa’s phenomenal 29-goal haul over 2021 would motivate most clubs to pay his possible £30m fee there and then with the fact he is still only in his mid-20s pointing to a possible bargain.

The 17-cap international could certainly be an astute option for Moyes and West Ham as they seek to end their year-long search for a Michail Antonio-alternative.

In other news: ‘Yes, yes, yes’, ‘Our best ever window’…West Ham fans flock to ‘sensational’ transfer claim, find out more here.

A fresh claim has emerged about injured Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero this week…

What’s the latest?

The 23-year-old centre-back suffered a hamstring injury playing for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Brazil during last month’s international break.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte described the problem as “very serious” and would not put a date on his return, though the Italian did rule him out for the remainder of the year.

“It will take time before we see him again. Surely next year, we have to check his injury week by week, but the injury is serious,” he said (via Sky Sports).

“Now he is trying to recover, but he needs a long time to recover. It is a pity because he is an important player for us, the injury is very serious. I don’t know, January, February. But for 2021, he has finished. We have to wait and recover well.”

But in a fresh development, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge provided some encouragement that it isn’t as ‘serious’ as expected. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I kind of thought the worst when Conte said we will know more in seven to 10 days, but I’m told it’s not a tear, it’s a serious strain. So, is that January? He did say January or February.”

A glimmer of hope?

Having Romero out until February would certainly be a devastating blow to Spurs and their chances of breaking into the top four – something they have a huge chance to do in the coming weeks as they sit just two points behind West Ham, with one game in hand, too.

Indeed, just as Conte claimed, the Argentina international is a crucial player for the club and you could argue that he is very much their best central defender.

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On the back of a player of the year campaign at Serie A outfit Atalanta, Romero had continued his fine form across to north London, where he is currently averaging 2.3 tackles (third-best), 1.7 interceptions (second-best) and 2.4 aerials won (third-best) in the squad, per WhoScored.

“This guy is an animal, I swear. He’s perfect for the Premier League,” claimed his teammate, Pierluigi Gollini, back in September. “He’s played for many years with three at the back and especially when you play with a very aggressive style and play man for man, it’s a completely different to thing to in a four.”

His absence has seen the 52-year-old head coach tryout both Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, as well as a very brief spell for Joe Rodon outside of the Premier League.

Sanchez along with Eric Dier were part of Spurs’ defensive error-prone backline last season under Jose Mourinho, so pairing them up again could be a recipe for disaster, especially with the change to a back three, rather than four.

But the fact that Bridge believes Romero’s injury isn’t as bad as what the club are saying, with the defender suffering a strain, rather than a more severe tear, is surely a glimmer of hope. Consequently, that should leave many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a little more optimistic and ultimately, quite excited heading into 2022.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal Conte’s dream Spurs signing in 6 ft 1 beast he dubbed “outstanding”…

Wolves have been dealt a blow in their quest to sign American starlet Ricardo Pepi, with Fabrizio Romano ruling out a move to Molineux.

The Lowdown: Pepi shines in America

The 18-year-old has emerged as the most exciting young player in the MLS, scoring 16 goals in 59 appearances for FC Dallas.

Pepi has been hailed as ‘absolutely lethal’ by former USA hero Landon Donovan and has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Manchester United, among others, implying his potential is enormous.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the attacker’s Dallas future but it is not a positive one from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Wolves receive transfer blow

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed the latest on Pepi – ‘his agent met with many clubs, from Wolves to Ricardo’s “dream club” Real Madrid’, but claimed he was set to join a Bundesliga side instead.

Since that tweet, Romano has also revealed that the club in question is Wolfsburg, with the German outfit at the front of the queue.

The Verdict: One that got away

It is exciting that Wolves were even in the conversation for Pepi alongside some huge clubs, perhaps highlighting the progress they have made under Bruno Lage.

It looks set to be a transfer that got away, however, and Wanderers must now look elsewhere for January reinforcements, especially if Adama Traore leaves.

Pepi’s continued rise will be interesting to watch and it could be that Wolves’ interest returns if he ends up eyeing a move to the Premier League further down the line.

In other news, Luke Hatfield has endorsed one potential Wolves signing. Find out who it is here.

Lots of Wolves fans have been blown away as news emerged involving Carl Ikeme.

As per the club’s official website, the 35-year-old was part of a selection of goalkeepers including Jose Sa and John Ruddy who helped to run a workshop to teach all of the ‘keepers in Wolves’ different age groups about their trade.

Of course, Ikeme is a legendary figure at Molineux, having had his number one shirt number retired from 2018 following his leukaemia diagnosis, until Sa took it this season, .

On the pitch, he made came through the club’s academy.

Given how his football career ended, and considering his status as a fan favourite at Wolves, many supporters were unsurprisingly left blown away by his renewed involvement with the club.

Wolves fans on Ikeme news

These Wolves fans were left blown away by the news as it was shared on Twitter:

“This is a brilliant picture”

Credit: @LouisGutto2000

“Wow, what a amazing photo”

Credit: @NormWolves1877

“Great to see the big man back at Wolves passing on his wealth of experience!!”

Credit: @WWFC09

“Fantastic”

Credit: @cork1973

“Love this..”

Credit: @heighwaykaren

“What a picture, absolute class”

Credit: @BallyJNR

In other news, find out which news involving these loan players has left many Wolves fans buzzing

Taking to Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared some ‘great news’ for West Ham, with an announcement expected in January.

The Lowdown: West Ham making behind-scenes changes…

Over the last few months, the Hammers have seemingly been undergoing somewhat of a staff overhaul behind the scenes, right down from the very top of the club.

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Indeed, their biggest announcement recently is arguably the acquisition of former chief Manchester City scout Rob Newman, who will now play a big part in the facilitation of transfers alongside David Moyes in a new head of recruitment role (whufc.com).

More recently, West Ham overhauled their under-23s setup, with former head coach Dmitri Halajko being replaced by former midfielder Mark Robson (whufc.com).

The Latest: Ex shares ‘great news’ for West Ham…

Sharing news on his ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon channel, the Hammers insider has shared a development from his ‘sources outside of the club’.

Indeed, it was claimed that former defender Kenny Brown Jnr should now also be returning to Rush Green in an academy coaching capacity and is expected to leave his similar post at bitter rivals Millwall.

Ex claims that this is ‘great news’ for West Ham as Brown Jnr is a ‘very highly rated’ coach, not to mention a respected former Irons player.

He also believes this shake-up could be announced in January as Brown Jnr looks set to replace current academy coach Jeremy Sauer – who is expected to depart over the next month.

The Verdict: Great move…

Judging by recent events, it appears that the club are nurturing a somewhat holistic feel at West Ham, with the return of many former faces in coaching roles.

As Moyes seeks to build his long-term vision for the club, a goal which he has publicly stated in the past, one big part of this may well be his staff in east London set to play an underrated role.

Another academy shake up could feed into the Scotsman’s previous admission of wishing to develop plenty of young talent at West Ham, leaving little surprise there has been a fair few changes at that level over these past months.

It appears he may well be serious about building a successful project at the club over many years and not just for the short-term, a prospect which should delight supporters.

As Ex shares this ‘great news’ of another highly-rated figure coming back to the club in a coaching role, this may well come as another small cog in Moyes’ masterplan for the Irons.

In other news: ‘Announce the league’, ‘Christmas sorted’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘fantastic news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Leeds United pundit Noel Whelan has been giving his thoughts for this weekend’s clash with Norwich City following Marcelo Bielsa’s early team news, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Raphinha and Shackleton expected to be fit

Raphinha suffered an injury last weekend against Wolves but posted a positive update on social media revealing his knock is nothing serious.

The Brazilian was left out of the squad against Arsenal in the week, with youngster Jamie Shackleton was also missing.

Bielsa admitted after the defeat at the Emirates that he ‘thinks’ both Raphinha and Shackleton will be fit to take on the Canaries, a potentially huge boost.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan was talking to Football Insider after learning of the two injury boosts ahead of the trip to Carrow Road.

This is what the BBC Radio Leeds man had to say, labelling who gets the first goal of the game as ‘massive’.

“They should be aiming for no less than three points.

“It’s so important that we take something away from the away games. They’ll be hurting after conceding seven, and they’ll have worked on defending after that defeat.

“We may have to stay patient during the game, but I do think that the first goal will be massive – especially away from home. We need to go there and take the confidence from last week – because that Wolves result felt like a win.

“The players should be full of confidence and belief that they can win the game.

“They’re a wounded animal but we need to step up and be better than the last two games.”

The Verdict: Good news

Shackleton, who Bielsa described as ‘important’ earlier this year, has started the last four Premier League games, and with Luke Ayling out, his availability could be crucial.

Cody Drameh made his debut in the week, but if fit, you’d expect Bielsa would select Shackleton over Drameh – the former has much more experience in senior football.

It seems as if Raphinha may also be available from the off, so the pair could play a crucial role as Leeds look to get their second Premier League win of the campaign – Dan James was disappointing in the Brazilian’s absence against Arsenal, so getting Raphinha back is massive.

In other news: Pundit spots Bielsa fury at something 18-cap Leeds man did. 

Manchester United are currently meandering towards a state of decline and despair after two-and-a-half years of progress under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Norwegian tactician has done a huge amount of good work during his time in the Old Trafford dugout and has brought the club to within touching distance of its former glory.

But the phrase ‘so close yet so far’ couldn’t be more apt for the current state of affairs in the red half of Manchester.

A successful mass overhaul of the first-team squad, consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and the re-sowing of United’s DNA throughout the club are all tangible marks of Solskjaer’s success.

However, a second-place Premier League finish and a Europa League runners-up medal is all the 48-year-old has to show for his efforts so far.

This season was meant to be different, though. The 2021/22 campaign was meant to be where the excuses stopped, the re-building process ended and the major trophies started to return.

Yet it hasn’t worked out that way in the early stages of the season. In fact, things have gotten considerably worse for Solskjaer and United.

Bar an impressive showing in the curtain-raiser encounter against Leeds United, the Red Devils have failed to put in a convincing display in any of their subsequent fixtures, losing five games in all competitions by the end of October.

Ronaldo’s summer arrival has arguably brought as many questions as solutions, and the Scandinavian at the helm appears incapable of finding the remedy. But one man who may have the answers is Zinedine Zidane.

The former Real Madrid boss was rarely considered for a job in England as it was believed he was holding out for the role of France’s national team manager or Paris Saint-Germain as he looked to return to his homeland.

However, El Espanol (as relayed by The Express), recently reported that Zidane turned down the role of Newcastle United manager as he was waiting for either the Manchester United role or the two aforementioned jobs.

Over his two spells with Los Blancos, the Frenchman won an astonishing three Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, two FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.

The 49-year-old’s astounding achievements with Madrid earned praise from several plaudits, including for United and England defender Rio Ferdinand.

“The guy has incredible ability,” Ferdinand said. “He’s done it in a short time. He’s come in and collected trophy after trophy. Three Champions League titles as a coach? He’s phenomenal.

“He doesn’t have much to say, but he’s never had much to say as a player. He lets his football speak, and he’s doing the same as a coach.”

BT Sport pundit Steve McManaman was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “He’s done an incredible job,” he said. “If he were any other coach, we’d be exhausted from applauding him.

“The fact that he’s so great, the fact he doesn’t want applause, the fact he’s nice and laid-back, people don’t think he’s a tactical genius, but he really is.”

Although some critics are yet to be convinced over Zidane’s credentials, his CV speaks for itself, and with bags of experience winning football’s most coveted prizes with a team full of superstars, United’s owners must consider his appointment if Solskjaer can’t turn things around in the weeks ahead. He stands a wonderful chance of getting Old Trafford rocking agin.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer big injury blow ahead of Man City, Ole will be absolutely devastated

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some early Team News emerged for their game away at Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Rafa Benitez has now revealed (via Patrick Boyland) that Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman, Richarlison and Andre Gomes are all ruled out through injury.

The Goodison Park faithful do not have a particularly big squad anyway, and being without four first-team players, especially those of that calibre, will make it an even tougher task to get something at Old Trafford, especially with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team bouncing off the back of a late 2-1 win at home to Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

With both Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison ruled out once more, it looks as if more pressure will now be put on new signing Salomon Rondon to step up in front of goal.

Everton fans on Team News

These Merseyside club supporters fumed as the Team New was shared on Twitter:

“Oh dear”

Credit: @KinseyEFC

“Fearing the worst”

Credit: @SteToffee

“Grim”

Credit: @bradabez

“Can’t deal with Rondon for another week”

Credit: @joebutler99

“Just call it a day.”

Credit: @lewissefc

“God tomorrow’s gonna be a massacre”

Credit: @dpoole101

In other news, find out what Premier League news has Toffees gushing here!