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Leeds United have been handed an early boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Sheffield United with the news that Rodrigo is in line to feature.

Ahead of the match against the Blades, The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed via his official Twitter account that the Spaniard is “available” to play for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The former Valencia man has been a real hot topic around Yorkshire during the international break, with reports suggesting that he was unhappy at Elland Road and wanted to leave in the upcoming summer transfer window.

However, he moved to downplay those claims by making a statement on his situation, confirming his happiness at Leeds and that his relationship with Bielsa was all good.

That news should come as a major relief for Leeds fans who have yet to see the best out of the Spain international in his debut campaign in English football – he has managed just three goals in 20 Premier League games.

He has, however, shown flashes of the quality to convince the Whites to part with a club record £27m to bring him in from Valencia in the summer.

In fact, after an impressive display against Arsenal earlier in the season, former Leeds ace Noel Whelan explained just how important Rodrigo is to the side, telling Football Insider: “He’s always looking for it, he’s never ever standing still, he’s always on the move and that’s what I like about him. He can’t be marked, he’s always looking for a space – very much the next Hernandez.

“He is a player that looks like he can make things happen. He’s very intelligent, he brings other people into play and makes space for them.”

Whelan also delivered his verdict on why the Spaniard should always be starting ahead of Tyler Roberts, saying: “If you ask 100 Leeds fans who they would prefer in that position, Rodrigo or Tyler Roberts, they would all say Rodrigo all day long.

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“He’s your star signing, your record signing. He’s the one player that if he is fit then you’ve got to have him in your side to give you that extra opportunity. Roberts didn’t do anything wrong but I just think it brings a different dimension to the game when Rodrigo’s out there.”

It’s exactly why Hay’s reveal that Rodrigo is ready to take on Sheffield United today will surely have Bielsa buzzing.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this Premier League starlet…

Reports by Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, earlier this week claimed Everton are monitoring Bologna’s sought-after defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who could emerge as Carlo Ancelotti’s own Virgil Van Dijk if Marcel Brands can seal a deal.

The Toffees are claimed to be keeping track of Tomiyasu’s situation ahead of the summer transfer market, as his services are likely to become available.

Bologna would prefer to retain the 22-year-old but have begun to search for potential replacements, knowing that it will be a challenge to retain the Japan international after his impressive performances under Sinisa Mihajlovic this season.

Bayer Leverkusen have shown a frequent interest in Tomiyasu’s potential as the Bundesliga outfit continue their efforts to bring down the average age of their squad, but they could face competition from AC Milan.

The Rossoneri are believed to have previously lodged a €15m (£13m) offer for the 23-cap centre-half and may return to the negotiating table at the end of the season, with Bologna holding firm at a €20m (£17.5m) asking price.

West Ham and Newcastle United have also previously shown an interest in Tomiyasu due to his ability to play at right-back or in a holding midfield role, and Gazzetta dello Sport noted that it is not out of contention that he moves to the Premier League or the Bundesliga this summer.

Brands meeting Bologna’s valuation and acquiring Tomiyasu ahead of his European suitors could see Everton’s director of football land Ancelotti the Goodison Park natives’ own Van Dijk and reaping similar rewards to their Merseyside neighbours Liverpool.

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Tomiyasu was touted by Football-Italia as a suitable replacement for Van Dijk when it was confirmed that the Dutchman required surgery after damaging anterior cruciate ligaments in October.

The 6 ft 2 Bologna enforcer is regarded as one of the Serie A’s best young players as he is technically gifted and can wisely progress play out from the back, but has the awareness to close down attacking channels without rushing into a challenge.

Tomiyasu also prefers to sit back and assess the opposition’s moves before stepping in as the last man and was backed to become a star when signed from Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truidense for €9m (£8m) in 2019.

“He is a complete player and Bologna got a real bargain with Tomiyasu,” former Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told TuttoMercatoWEB, via quotes shared by Football-Italia, adding: “He’s a good player and was compared to Maya Yoshida, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. He’s got the quality to be a real star.”

Pressure is no issue for Tomiyasu either, but rather a source of excitement for the Fukuoka native, who has aspirations of being a leader.

“Yuto Nagatomo told me that there’s a lot of pressure playing in Italy, but that excites me, as it means the fans are passionate,” he said. “There are organised defences in Serie A and great strikers. I can play as a full-back or in the centre, but my objective either way is to become a leader at the back.”

Tomiyasu would have years ahead of him to become the leader of Ancelotti’s backline if Brands can seal a deal for the Bologna defender, in a move which would seemingly have plenty of upside for a smaller fee to what Everton paid Norwich City for Ben Godfrey (£20m) last year.

AND in other news, Everton have landed a huge boost in the race to sign an 11-goal striker subject to a potential £21.5m bid…

Sunderland fans are gutted after Lee Johnson revealed Dion Sanderson will miss the rest of the season due to injury.

After a number of poor results in recent weeks, the Black Cats will have to make do with the play-offs as they look to earn promotion from League One to the Championship. They have lost three and drawn two of their last five matches (Sky Sports), meaning it is almost impossible for them to catch Peterborough in second place.

In anticipation of the play-offs, it had been hoped that Sanderson would be available to play. However, prior to the Stadium of Light outfit’s clash against Blackpool in the third tier on Tuesday, Johnson revealed the 21-year-old will not play another game for the club this term – considering he is only on loan from Wolves, he could have already played his last match for the Wearside team.

The news was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Sanderson news below

“Yay another season in league one.”

Credit: @PAJUK19

“So basically it’s league one for another year, gerrrrin”

Credit: @HarryTindal1

“Gutted @SandowRs, all the best marra”

Credit: @Jamieparko203

“Sickening.”

Credit: @ScottDuffman

“Gutted for the lad, we are much weaker without him, get him signed for next season”

Credit: @christyzack

“Absolutely gutted man What a player he’s been for us”

Credit: @StephanieWooton

In other news, Sunderland fans react to this youngster’s latest performance.

Aston Villa should make a move for Chelsea star Tammy Abraham this summer amid Lee Hendrie’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have linked Dean Smith’s side with a move for the striker in this upcoming summer transfer window, with Abraham of course having worked under the Villa boss for a season when the Midlands club were earning promotion back to the Premier League in 2018/19.

Hendrie has now thrown his weight behind a potential move for Abraham, insisting that the £36m-rated centre-forward would be a “fabulous fit” at Villa.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I’m a big fan of Tammy, I really am. I just feel that he’s got great energy. When he was at Villa for that period of time, he was immense, he really was. He was a breath of fresh air, he gave it that belief, he gave fans a lot of pleasure and he scored a lot of goals. It might be that Tammy has to leave Chelsea, and I do feel that coming to Villa, I think it’d be a fabulous fit.

“He’s a player I’d have all day at the club because, at the moment you’re looking at the overload that Ollie Watkins has gone through this season, (he’s) played a hell of a lot of games. Imagine having those two in your squad. I just feel that’d be a massive positive push for Villa.”

Reunion with Dean Smith

Having netted a whopping 26 goals in 40 games during Villa’s Championship run in the 2018/19 campaign, it’s no surprise that Smith has previously raved about the striker.

Speaking after he netted against Swansea that season, the Villa boss said: “Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”

Called the “real deal” by former Villa boss Tim Sherwood, Abraham’s previous experience in working with Smith would likely see him hit the ground running at Villa Park as there should be no need for adjusting to what the manager wants or his style of play.

The 23-year-old has since had ample experience playing at Premier League level, and has shown he can handle the step up – last year saw him bag 15 goals in the top flight, while he has netted six in 20 league games this season despite not being a first team regular..

Villa would be making a shrewd move by landing Abraham this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a transfer move for this 6 ft 4 warrior…

Leeds United prospect Cody Drameh has been nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for February, as revealed by the club’s official website.

The latest on Drameh

The 19-year-old right-back, signed from Fulham last year, played his part in a perfect month for Mark Jackson’s side, who sit top of the Division 2 table after keeping three clean sheets in four successive victories.

Manchester City’s Liam Delap and Manchester United’s Shola Shoretire – who have both had first team exposure at their respective clubs this season – are also among the award nominees.

This is great news for Leeds

Drameh could be making his way into the first team soon if he continues to perform in this way. However, whether the England under-20 international is ready to come into Marcelo Bielsa’s still remains a huge unknown.

The teenager has played 17 times in Premier League 2 this season and picked up two assists (Transfermarkt). His performances at that level have seen him receive rave reviews from numerous Leeds fans, while club commentator Thomas Hill described his most recent display as “outstanding”.

The future certainly seems bright for Drameh, who is doing his chances of a first team breakthrough no harm with his deserved shortlisting for the Player of the Month prize. Keep an eye on this one, Whites!

In other news, Noel Whelan has discussed this Leeds duo!

Tottenham Hotspur produced a solid display to beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 knockout tie on Thursday night, although the Croatian side did cause some problems on their trip to north London.

Two goals from Harry Kane secured the win for Jose Mourinho’s side and some of the Spurs players who featured will be grateful for his brace, as there were a few too many passengers in the game for the Lilywhites.

One man in particular who disappointed with his performance was Dele Alli.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a 6.5/10 rating for his performance on Thusday, which was the lowest of any Spurs player who started the game. The former MK Dons man struggled to get involved in Spurs’ attacking play during his time on the pitch and managed no shots, no successful dribbles and no key passes on the night.

In the Europa League so far this season, Alli has averaged 1.4 shots, 1.4 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, which demonstrates that he was nowhere near his best against Zagreb.

The England international, who is currently valued at £34.2m by Transfermarkt, also had just 49 touches of the ball and completed only 33 passes, which again is fewer than the 36.4 passes per game he has averaged in Europe this season.

It was no surprise, therefore, that Mourinho subbed Alli just after the hour mark and his replacement, Steven Bergwijn, managed one key pass and one shot on target, as well as a 100% pass accuracy, which suggests that the Dutch winger was able to do a lot more than Alli in the game, despite only being on the pitch for around 30 minutes, per Sofascore.

It was a really poor display from Alli and nowhere near the level he has shown in recent Europa League and Premier League fixtures, so Mourinho will be hoping that he doesn’t slump back into a poor run of form, as Spurs will need every player on song if they are to finish the season strongly and secure a top four finish.

And, in other news… Mourinho masterclass: Jose has revitalised Spurs beast with one simple change

West Ham United co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold must rue their decision to pass on signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney from Peterborough United.

What’s the word?

While speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, Peterborough’s Director of Football Barry Fry has claimed that he told Gold and Sullivan to purchase Toney in 2020 before selling the striker to Brentford.

The 25-year-old joined the Bees last August in a £5m deal that could reach £10m with add-ons, and has proven to be a huge hit in the Championship.

Toney’s efforts at the Brentford Community Stadium, where he has provided 43% of his side’s 65 league goals, are thought to have piqued West Ham’s interest, with Eurosport claiming that he has emerged as an interesting option to replace Sebastien Haller.

But Fry claims the Irons had the chance to jump the queue and land Toney last year, having spoken in detail with the London Stadium hierarchy.

“I spoke to David Sullivan and David Gold last year at great length and I said he’s the best centre-forward we’ve had,” Fry told FFC.

“He’s not only a goalscorer, he scored 49 goals for us in 92 games in two seasons. But it wasn’t only his goalscoring efforts, he also made a lot of goals and he also was our best defender.

“He headed the ball out more than anybody else, from free-kicks and corners from the opposition. He was absolutely magnificent, and I recommended him highly.”

A huge blunder from GSB

Gold and Sullivan must surely now rue their decision to go against Fry’s advice and choose not to sign Toney last summer, with Moyes failing to get the best out of Haller before the striker joined AFC Ajax, with West Ham opting against hiring a replacement in January.

Toney leads the Championship Golden Boot race coming out of the international break with 28 goals to his name in 36 appearances, six more than any other player, while penning nine assists.

His efforts under Thomas Frank have seen the 25-year-old’s market value skyrocket in the seven-months since Toney’s arrival, with football.london suggesting the Northampton-born star is now valued by Brentford at around £30m.

That price is dependent on the Bees failing to secure promotion to the Premier League, with Frank’s side currently in the play-off pack, as it would take an ‘obscene’ offer to tempt the Greater London outfit to cash-in with top-flight football to come.

Toney also has suitors in Arsenal and Leeds United, per TEAMtalk, while Peterborough chief Fry added that “top” Premier League sides are watching the £21,000-per-week sensation and that every club he spoke with last year are “regretting not signing him”.

West Ham facing a £25m hike on the initial fee Brentford paid the Posh last year will come as an added blow for Gold and Sullivan, too, and they could be left kicking themselves for years if the forward were to now join a Premier League rival in the summer.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w dud with “wonderful feet” intends to quit West Ham this summer…

Tottenham Hotspur have seen many a starlet break into the first-team, but none have quite had the impact and transformation of Harry Kane.

We’ve seen the likes of Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tangana all make their debuts over the last few years while Jose Mourinho has twice broken the record for the youngest-ever player to feature for Spurs this season alone.

One of which being Dane Scarlett.

Back in November, he made a substitute appearance during the 4-0 thumping of Ludogorets at just 16 years, eight months and two days old.

For a long time, fellow academy hopeful Troy Parrott was touted to be one of Spurs’ brightest prospects, and he took the chance to follow in Kane’s exact footsteps earlier this campaign by joining Millwall on loan.

But things have not gone to plan for the 18-year-old Irishman.

In 14 appearances, he failed to score a single goal and only provided one assist which has resulted in him being recalled and subsequently shipped out to League One Ipswich Town instead.

His chances of becoming the next Kane are on the brink, though Scarlett could have far greater potential long-term.

Just like the leading Spurs talisman, the 16-year-old wonderkid has already been capped at international level for the U15s and U16s, but unlike him, he’s already made his senior debut for the Premier League giants.

That’s already a hugely encouraging sign.

His form in the youth set-up has been hugely remarkable too.

In 15 appearances this season across the Premier League 2, U18s Premier League and FA Youth Cup, Scarlett has bagged a whopping 20 goals which includes three hat-tricks, via Transfermarkt.

It’s no wonder he caught the eye of Mourinho, who said after his debut a few months ago:

“He played a few minutes in some of our pre-season matches. Of course, he went back to his [U18] team. He trains with them.

“Yesterday when I felt there was space for another young player in the squad, I didn’t decide by myself, I asked my football director and I asked the academy director and they contacted all the coaches. ‘Who deserves it?’

“There are of course a few names, especially the U18s because they are doing so well. They gave me his name and because I knew him already I thought if the opportunity would arise it would be a good chance for me and a good feeling for everyone in the academy.”

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, there’s a belief in the academy system that Scarlett can become a ‘real star of the future’ whilst fellow colleague Rob Guest claimed last month that the 16-year-old “has a big future in the game.”

Scarlett is still undoubtedly raw, but if Mourinho and the club play their cards right, then they could well stumble across their next Kane. And given his desire for trophies at 27, that could be a timely thing to uncover.

IN other news, Forget Eriksen: Spurs need £30m “goal threat”, he’s “perfect” for Mourinho…

Wolves have now finally waved goodbye to a rather inconsistent 2020 and with it, they can say hello to a January transfer window.

Jeff Shi spent big in the summer so will he be tempted to do again? Quite possibly.

On the chalkboard

The Old Gold have had a topsy-turvy few weeks and can’t seem to string two positive results together. They have beaten both Chelsea and Arsenal recently, also drawing with Tottenham.

However, Nuno Santo’s tinkering has seen them slip up against Burnley and Aston Villa. Those two results were pretty poor and thus, their form could see them exploit the transfer window in a bid to solve things.

One position they may look to improve is defensively, especially at left-wing back. That’s because they’re reportedly interested in signing Barcelona’s Junior Firpo.

That’s according to Spanish publication Sport who suggest the Catalan giants are searching for a fee of around €22m (£20m) in order to sell him.

Why is this important, though? Well, Jonny is still out injured and they lack athleticism from Marcal.

What will happen?

On paper, signing yet another full-back doesn’t make too much sense. Wolves added Marcal and Rayan Ait-Nouri to their ranks in the summer, also bringing in Nelson Semedo and Ki-Jana Hoever.

Of course, they did sell Matt Doherty and loan out Ruben Vinagre but there is clearly a sense that improvement can be made.

In Firpo, they’d find a pretty hefty upgrade too, especially for someone who is still only 24 years of age. Vinagre and Ait-Nouri are still both very raw while Marcal hasn’t overly impressed. For starters, the Brazilian has only managed 0.2 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game.

For someone that Nuno expects to run ragged down the left-hand side, it’s not the most eye-catching set of statistics. Though, Firpo could quite easily solve that problem. Described as “effervescent” by Spanish media outlet Marca (via Sky Sports), he really does define energy and excitement.

The wing-back has provided 1.3 key passes per match this season – the same as Adama Traore – and is fouled the same number of times. For context, that’s more than Daniel Podence a game and only 0.3 fewer times than Pedro Neto.

Firpo showed exactly what he’s capable of last Tuesday night when Barca drew 1-1 with Eibar. He completed three key passes, made two tackles and also blocked three shots.

This is an aggressive defender who is always keen to put his body on the line. Standing at 6 foot, crucially he’d also be a physical upgrade on the likes of Jonny and Marcal.

Possessing the ability to play as a left-back, left wing-back and as a left midfielder, his versatility and dynamism is an absolute dream for Nuno.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Wolves gem who “performed superbly” has given Nuno a huge headache…

John Stones bagged a brace to help inflict Crystal Palace’s first Premier League defeat of 2021 as Manchester City ran riot over Roy Hodgson’s side 4-0 at the Etihad on Sunday night.

After a promising start to the season for Palace, their early form has quickly deserted them. The Eagles have now lost two out of their past three games across all competitions as they find themselves 13th in the table, level on points with Leeds United, although the newly-promoted side still have a game in-hand over Hodgson’s side.

With Wilfried Zaha injured, Hodgson’s problems were compounded even further after City capitalised on a dreadful defensive performance from the visitors to smash home four goals and ensure Pep Guardiola’s side went second in the Premier League.

A trip to the Etihad was never going to be the easiest of tasks, but after suffering yet another embarrassing defeat following the 7-0 loss to Liverpool, questions surely have to be asked of both Hodgson’s tactics and the recruitment strategy of Steve Parish.

The Palace boss cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as his side were outclassed from start to finish on Sunday. There’s no shame in losing to City, but the manner of the defeat will have only increased the pressure on Hodgson and his men, with Andros Townsend particularly looking out of sorts.

Townsend struggled to have any real impact on the pitch and it was hardly surprising he was pulled off shortly before the 80th minute. However, Joel Ward arguably produced one of his worst performances in a Palace shirt this season on the right-hand side of the defence last night and he was lucky that Townsend took some of the post-game criticism.

Ward has done a decent job at right-back in recent weeks, being part of the side that kept a clean sheet against Sheffield United, whilst picking up his first assist of the season against West Ham. Unfortunately for Hodgson, the veteran defender endured a horror show against Guardiola’s side.

90min reporter Jude Summerfield delivered a brutal verdict after the game, noting it was a ‘tough outing for Ward, who was often chasing shadows. Two corners he conceded resulted in City goals. Hardly his fault of course, but worth mentioning.’

Similarly, football.london were equally scathing in their assessment, adding he ‘looked a little uneasy heading behind for a corner as City looked for a diagonal in behind him.’

Ward completed 24 out of 31 passes (77%) – fewer than James McArthur, who was their only real bright spark – and only made a solitary tackle as he was overrun by Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling on the right wing. Both players got themselves on the scoresheet as City enjoyed the majority of their success on the left-hand side of their attack.

The 31-year-old won just 40% of his duels overall, was dribbled past once, and committed three fouls – which was the highest amount committed by any Palace player on the pitch – to perhaps best sum up his frustrations as his performance was far below his usual standards.

He also lost control of the ball on 13 occasions, two times more than McArthur himself, which shows that he was rather wasteful in possession as well.

Ward has been a loyal servant for Palace since the start of this season but that doesn’t excuse his shocking display at the Etihad. With a clash against West Ham next on the horizon, Hodgson will be hoping Nathaniel Clyne will be fit to face the Hammers on Tuesday night.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace still want to sign Ismaila Sarr despite Watford demands…