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Joao Felix would start ahead of Martin Odegaard for Arsenal, presenter Lee Gunner has sensationally claimed.

How has Odegaard performed for Arsenal?

The Norweigan has had a sensational campaign under Mikel Arteta, scoring 15 goals in the league as Arsenal battled to a second-placed finish, and the Gunners' captain was one of his side's standout performers.

However, it has now been claimed that Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix, who had a disappointing loan spell at Chelsea for the second half of this season, should be signed to start ahead of him.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, the presenter claimed that Odegaard did not score enough in big games, and when asked, he stated that he would drop the former Real Madrid man for Felix.

"Odegaard. People will say 'but he scored 15 goals', name one big team he scored against, one decent team this season he scored against. Newcastle, I'll give you that, other than that, what has he done?

"Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, teams like that, he doesn't score against the big teams. I'll take Felix at Arsenal in a heartbeat. And not only that, even when you say when they're all fit, we're trying to build a squad. Why can't Odegaard have a player challenge him?

"Why can't [Gabriel] Jesus or Eddie [Nketiah] have another player challenging? Why can't [Gabriel] Martinelli or [Bukayo] Saka have players challenging? People are saying I'm nuts, I couldn't care less at the end of the day. If Odegaard gets injured, we're putting Fabio Vieira in, are you telling me he's better than Joao Felix?"

Is Odegaard better than Joao Felix?

There is currently a huge contrast between Odegaard and Felix in both performance levels and status.

Odegaard has thrived since taking over as Arsenal captain last summer, and the former wonderkid has had the most productive season of his career, with 15 goals and 8 assists in 45 games across all competitions.

Felix, who earns a reported £195k per week, was loaned to Chelsea in January after a fallout with Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, and hardly pulled up any trees at Chelsea, with his four goals in 20 appearances failing to lift them from their stupor.

Chelsea have now decided that they will not keep Felix beyond his loan, and his future is up in the air again. Whilst he could be a useful addition to Arsenal's squad if reasonably priced, he has not shown enough in his performances or mentality to warrant replacing the Norway captain in the Arsenal lineup.

Watch more of The Football Terrace on YouTube now!

Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire opening batsman, has become the first player to land the two most prestigious honours at tonight’s NatWest Professional Cricketers’ Awards

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2016Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire opening batsman, has become the first player to land the two most prestigious honours at tonight’s NatWest Professional Cricketers’ Awards ceremony in London.Duckett, 21, is expected to make his senior international debut in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, and will fly out on Thursday having been named both the PCA Players’ Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year in the same season.”It seems to have been good news each week. I keep saying every week: ‘that has topped off my summer’ and then something else happens,” Duckett said.”I can’t keep the smile off my face. I wasn’t expecting this. To be nominated for both awards was an honour in itself so to win them both is something very special.”Most of the guys who have won the awards in the past have played for England or in international cricket so to follow them is a very great honour.”Duckett made 2,706 runs across all formats in 2016 and began the season by scoring a career-best 282 not out in Northamptonshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex at Wantage Road, and followed up with another double-century against Kent at Beckenham earlier this month.The left-hander also made a maiden List A double century, an England Lions record 220 not out against Sri Lanka A at Canterbury, one of three three-figure scores in one-day cricket, and helped Northants to win the NatWest T20 Blast for the second time in four years.He was voted Northamptonshire’s Players’ Player of the Year last week and he collected the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year Award at their annual lunch on Tuesday.”It’s a tough season but I think no matter what state your body is in, after being picked for England I would be more than happy to go and play for the next 12 months straight for my country. It’s a new thing for me and I am absolutely buzzing to get out there,” he said.Tammy Beaumont was voted Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer by her fellow England players after a breakthrough season in which she followed up a maiden ODI half-century against Pakistan with successive centuries against the same opponents.Her aggregate of 342 runs was a record for a three-match series and Beaumont followed up with 142 runs in the NatWest T20 Series. She also helped Kent complete a Royal London County Championship and NatWest T20 double and will fly to the West Indies with England on Friday to prepare for the forthcoming ODI series.”It’s been a bit of a breakthrough summer for me. I hadn’t really cemented my place before so to have a season like that was unbelievable,” Beaumont said.Somerset and former England batsman Marcus Trescothick was presented with the PCA Special Merit Award by the Association’s President, Andrew Flintoff, in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness of depression in sportsmen.Chris Woakes won the Investec Test Player of the Summer after a breakthrough year in red-ball cricket, while Glamorgan’s overseas star Colin Ingram joined Duckett in winning two awards – the NatWest T20 Blast Player of the Year and the Sky Sports Sixes award: he hit his first ball of the season for six and ended with 29 in total.Northamptonshire’s slow left-armer Graeme White was awarded the Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year after finishing on top of the MVP rankings, while former Durham batsman Michael Gough retained the Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year.”Huge congratulations to Ben who has made history this evening by being the first man to win the NatWest Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year in the same season,” said David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive. “He has had a remarkable summer with Northants and fully deserves all the plaudits that go his way, and I’m sure he will go on to show his talent in the international arena starting in Bangladesh next month.”Reg Hayter Cup for the NatWest PCA Player of the Year Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire)
John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire)
Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer Tammy Beaumont
ECB Special Award Mike Selvey
PCA Special Merit Award Marcus Trescothick
Investec Test Player of the Summer Chris Woakes
NatWest T20 Player of the Year Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year Graeme White (Northamptonshire)
England FTI MVP of the Summer Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)
Greene King PCA England Masters MVP Mal Loye
Sky Sports Sixes League Winner Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year Michael Gough
FTI Team of the Year Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Keaton Jennings (Durham), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Joe Root (capt) (Yorkshire & England), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire & England), Liam Dawson (Hampshire & England), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire & England), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)

Liverpool are interested in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, having just plucked Alexis Mac Allister from the Seagulls' ranks.

That's according to the Telegraph, who claim that while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United lead the charge for the Ecuadorian talent, Jurgen Klopp's Reds could enter the race.

Albion will demand more than £70m for their 21-year-old enforcer, with the Gunners failing with a bid of that value in January – with his club unwilling to sell at the season's midpoint. Previous reports stipulate it could well cost as much as £80m.

Caicedo penned a new deal at the Amex earlier this year, but this is not expected to dissuade his mounting pile of suitors, and while Liverpool will seek prudence in the market this summer, a signing of his calibre could be too sweet to resist.

How good is Moises Caicedo?

Only last season, the £60k-per-week Caicedo plied his trade out on loan in the Jupiler Pro League before earning a winter recall and starting Brighton's closing eight matches of the Premier League campaign, scoring one goal and supplying one assist.

He has replicated his direct return this year, starting 34 times in the league, and now stands as one of the most robust and unwavering midfielders in the division, and the interest from the division's top outfits is unequivocally warranted.

For Liverpool, he is exactly the kind of energetic and unflinching midfielder Klopp needs to rekindle the former verve, with the Reds falling by the wayside this term and finishing fifth, now facing a campaign in the Europa League.

Described as Ecuador's "crown jewel" by historian Enrico Castro-Montes, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, as well as the top 15% for attempted passes, the top 13% for rate of tackles and the top 11% for rate of interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

While he boasts a somewhat different skill set to Liverpool's pass master, Thiago Alcantara, he could be the perfect heir to return the Anfield centre to its more industrious roots.

Thiago, for all of his flair and elegance, is incessantly tethered to the medical department and is out of contract in one year's time. Indeed, at 32-years-old Klopp will no doubt be seeking a successor. The German could well find that in Caicedo, a brute capable of easily displacing Liverpool's number 6.

The £200k-per-week Spaniard ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for attempted passes, the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 4% for rate of tackles and the top 11% for rate of interceptions, illustrating the impact Caicedo could make, with Thiago heralded as "a special player" by teammate Andy Robertson.

Caicedo, who has been dubbed "terrific" by South American football expert Tim Vickery, has been riding the crest of a wave with the Seagulls this season and has led them to their first-ever European campaign with a sixth-place finish, and while Albion are on the up, the allure of playing a central role in the resurgence on Merseyside could leave Liverpool with an imperious new midfield enforcer.

A colder spring and an earlier start to the Perth Test season has provided challenges to Matt Page and his crew

Daniel Brettig in Perth02-Nov-2016Nobody wants to atone for last year’s road-like WACA pitch more keenly than the curator Matt Page. However, circumstances of climate and schedule have conspired to increase the degree of difficulty for the ground staff commissioned to restore a slowing surface to its former glory.The New Zealand Test began on November 13 last year, 10 days later than this one, providing extra time for the surface to harden under the Perth sun. Additionally, this year, an unseasonably cold Spring has prevented the WACA’s block of 10 pitches from baking in the sort of heat more commonly associated with the venue.Moving the WACA Test to the start of summer, after more than 20 years of opening Test matches at the Gabba in Brisbane, has complicated life for Page and his staff. That decision was based around Cricket Australia’s desire to hold a second day-night Test in the 2016-17 season while ensuring both visitors – South Africa and Pakistan – played one apiece. Perth is considered too late a time zone to host a match starting any later than a day Test.Nevertheless, Page has worked off the knowledge gained last season to try to produce a livelier deck. “We’ve done things a little bit differently this year,” he said on Wednesday. “We’ve left a little more green grass on it, we’ve also adjusted our water.”Being November, we don’t usually get the high temperatures we need to bake that surface to try to give us every possibility to get something that will go through and give the bowlers a good crack at the batters. [The weather’s] not been great, but we’ve tinkered with our prep to try to get a harder surface than we would normally see here this time of year and just try to help it go through a bit quicker.”Page feels the WACA square has not been baked enough by the sun•Abhishek Purohit/ESPNcricinfo LtdUnlike the WACA practice pitches, which have retained their traditional clay base and have thus remained arguably the quickest in the world, successive operations on the WACA’s square have left it less settled than it should be. So some strips are faster than others, with the central one not necessarily so, to suit the commercial demands of television. This year’s pitch is the same as last year’s.”The ones on this [east] side of the block seem to be a bit quicker, they’ve all got their own little characteristics, the 10 wickets out there, they all do little things,” Page said. “There are some that are a little bit quicker than others. This one is a normal Test-match wicket. We saw a couple of one-dayers here a couple of years ago with South Africa when it went through really well.”Last year was not so good, so we’re hoping that it’s more towards that South African wicket of a couple of years ago. Hopefully it’ll [also] be something very similar to the last Shield game we had. There was a bit of bounce there, there was a bit of seam, something there for the bowlers, something there for the batters, there were three hundreds. That’s sort of what we’re looking for this time of year, being November.”Page was philosophical about the chances of getting things back to the old days, even as the construction of Perth’s new multipurpose stadium meant many major matches will be shifted elsewhere. “It’s something we’re working towards and we’ve seen wickets here since the wicket that was reconstructed that have really gone through well,” he said. “Our biggest issue is our consistency, they’re not consistently quick. That’s what we’re working towards to make sure it happens.”There’s pressure with every wicket you produce at the WACA, there’s that reputation of the pace and the bounce and getting it back consistently to the way it was in the 1970s. That’s what we try to do with all our wickets, sometimes we get there, sometimes we don’t. I’m pretty confident we’ll have a wicket that will have a bit in it for both batters and bowlers.”One form of pressure that won’t be on Page is to tailor a pitch to the specific demands of the home team. Everyone knows what to expect at the WACA – the tricky bit is meeting those expectations.

Chelsea "really appreciate" Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia ahead of a possible summer move for him, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Lavia set to leave Southampton?

The 19-year-old had a tough season in terms of the team he is playing for, with Saints finishing bottom of the Premier League and heading back down to the Championship.

Lavia stood out as unquestionably one of Southampton's most impressive players, however, producing consistently impressive performances in the middle of the park. Despite his tenders years, he performed with real maturity, sitting in front of the defence and averaging 2.1 tackles per game.

The £25,000-a-week Belgian's displays haven't gone unnoticed in recent months, with many of the country's biggest clubs eyeing a summer move for him. Chelsea are one of those who have constantly been linked with snapping him up, but the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United are also believed to be in the conversation among others.

Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding Lavia's future, as the Blues' interest in him refuses to go away.

Are Chelsea keen on move for Lavia?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that Chelsea still rate Lavia highly ahead of a potential summer move, although there has been no real progress regarding a transfer of late:

"We know Chelsea really appreciate the player because of the director of Joe Shields. We will see where they go from that. But at the moment, this is not something advanced or imminent."

Lavia, who has been described as having a "supreme ability to pass" and has been hailed as a "monster", could be such a great long-term signing for Chelsea, potentially be viewed as the natural heir to N'Golo Kante, especially if the Frenchman's leaves when his contract expires this summer. The Southampton starlet's quality is summed up by the fact that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described him as "incredible", having left the Etihad to join Saints last summer.

At 19, Lavia's ceiling looks enormous, considering he is already proving himself as a key stater in the Premier League, and he is someone who could be Enzo Fernandez's midfield partner at Stamford Bridge for many years to come, making up for the disappointment of Sporting CP's Manuel Ugarte looking set to join Paris Saint-Germain instead of the Blues.

Whether Lavia picks Chelsea remains to be seen, though, with no European football certainly working against them, but it is encouraging to hear that they still rate him highly and haven't ruled out the idea of making a move for him.

Fast bowler Peter Siddle is set to make his return from an eight-month lay-off after being called into Victoria’s Matador Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016Fast bowler Peter Siddle is set to make his return from an eight-month lay-off after being called into Victoria’s Matador Cup squad. Siddle was originally not part of the Bushrangers’ 14-man group for the tournament but has now replaced fast bowler Matt Doric, and is expected to play in Thursday’s match against Tasmania at North Sydney Oval.Following Australia’s Test tour of New Zealand in February, Siddle was diagnosed with stress fractures in his back, and faced an indefinite period on the sidelines. He also had surgery on his ankle during the off-season, but has now been deemed fit to play in the remainder of the Matador Cup, having trained with Victoria for the past two months.”It’s really good to have someone of Peter’s experience and talent available to come into the squad at this important time of the tournament,” Victoria coach Andrew McDonald said. “He’s been travelling with the team so far this tournament and hasn’t missed a beat in training.”His progress in the nets has been impressive, and we’re happy to have him fit and firing. From Peter’s perspective, it’s obviously been a lengthy recovery period and he’s very keen to get back out there with his team-mates and he’s itching to play.”

Southampton are set to rival Premier League sides Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace for the signature of former Chelsea youth player Derrick Abu, according to reports from allnigeriasoccer.

Who is Derrick Abu?

Abu joined Chelsea in 2012 and went straight into the club's U11 setup.

The Nigerian gem progressed through the youth sides and at 16 years old the player made his debut for the Chelsea under-18's in 2020, and became a regular fixture in the following season, featuring in central defense, right wing-back, and left wing-back throughout the campaign.

The German-born defender made the jump to the Blues U21 side last season, however, he only made eight appearances before going on trial with fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, where he scored the winning penalty in the club's 5-3 victory over Spanish side Valencia in the Premier League International Cup semi-final.

According to allnigeriasoccer, the south London side was impressed with the full-back during his trial and was in pole position to sign the 19-year-old, however after revealing that Abu wouldn't be playing in his preferred position of right-back the defender decided to instead weigh up his options which include offers from Brighton and Southampton.

Despite Chelsea's retained list not being revealed yet, it is understood that the club will not be offering the published music artist a new deal.

Would Southampton be the right move for Abu?

It is hard to tell whether Southampton will be the right move, as the attack-minded full-back is expected to join up with the U21 side if he signs with the Saints.

The recently relegated outfit would most likely provide the clearest pathway to first-team football, with both senior right-backs Kyle Walker-Peters and Tino Livramento rumoured to leave the club this summer following relegation, however, Abu's lack of first-team experience may make the next Saints manager hesitant to utilise him next season until the full-back has acquired some experience via a loan move.

The fact that Brighton are keen on his signature is enough to get excited about the relatively unknown talent, though, particularly given the Seagulls' impressive scouting network and the St Mary's side could have a much clearer run at signing him, considering he is not keen on Palace's proposal to shift his position.

It will be interesting to see where Abu ends up this summer with the interest in him high, and a move to the Saints could be the wise move should he want a faster route to the first team,

A round-up of the second round of matches in the WICB Regional 4 day tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2016Anthony Alleyne top-scored twice for Barbados as his 88 and 186 helped them to a 292-run victory against Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain. Chasing 392 to win, T&T were bundled out for 99 with Kyle Hope top-scoring with 26. In the second innings, it was Kevin Stoute and Kemar Roach who did most of the damage – sharing six wickets between them.Alleyne’s 186 in the second innings was his maiden first-class century and helped Barbados to a position from where they could not lose. His partnership of 216 runs with Shamarh Brooks (76) for the second wicket took Barbados to 317 before the declaration came in the 72nd over.Montcin Hodge’s third first-class century helped Leeward Islands chase 369 against Guyana’s in St Kitts to win by four wickets on the final day.Guyana had earned a 135-run first-innings lead after Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 81* to lift their score to 293. Hayden Walsh’s four-for then helped Guyana then bowled out Leeward Island for 158.Hayden Walsh took 4 for 56 as Guyana declared their second innings after lunch on day 3 on 233 for 8.Leeward Islands’ chase started off well. Opener Kieran Powell – who top-scored with 79 in their first innings – stitched a 93-run partnership for the first wicket with Hodge before being dismissed early on the final day. Hodge then combined with Nkrumah Bonner (82) to add 155 runs for the fourth wicket to take the home side closer to victory. Both were dismissed in quick succession but by that time, Leeward Islands were 60 runs away from victory and Jahmar Hamilton (49*) saw them through to the win.Nikita Miller’s five-for helped Jamaica bowl out Windward Islands for 64 in their chase of 106 in a low-scoring contest in Kingston. Shane Shillingford’s five-for in the first innings, followed by Larry Edwards’ 6 for 20 in their second put Windward Islands in a strong position as they bowled the hosts out for for 151 and 159. John Campbell top-scored with a crucial 67 in their second innings.Jamaica needed just 27 overs to dismantle Windward Islands for 64. Damion Jacobs chipped in with 3 for 17 in eight overs.

Fast bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who has taken 38 wickets from 17 first-class matches, is the surprise inclusion in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Dec-2016Uncapped fast bowler Vikum Sanjaya is the surprise inclusion in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to South Africa, which also sees the return of captain Angelo Mathews, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal, and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.Sri Lanka’s Test squad for South Africa tour

Angelo Mathews (capt.), Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Kumara, Vikum Sanjaya, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Lakmal, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath
IN: Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Vikum Sanjaya, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera
OUT: Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Gamage, Asela Gunaratne, Kasun Madushanka, Lakshan Sandakan

Batsman Upul Tharanga, who made a successful return to Tests on the tour of Zimbabwe, was also named, but there was no place for allrounder Asela Gunaratne, who had also impressed in that series. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella was left out too.Among the five specialist quicks in the squad, also, is 19-year-old Lahiru Kumara, who made his Test debut in Zimbabwe, and Nuwan Pradeep, who made his return from injury during the ODI leg of that tour. Suranga Lakmal rounds out the pace contingent. Dhammika Prasad is unavailable due to having recently undergone shoulder surgery.Sanjaya, now 24, had played in Sri Lanka’s Under-19 team, and though inexperienced at the first-class level, has been on the top-level coaches’ radar for some time. Bowling at speeds of around 135 kph, it is Sanjaya’s outswing that had caught the coaches’ attention. He had been among the wickets in Sri Lanka’s recent Mercantile Tournament, and more recently, picked up 6 for 73 in Burgher Recreation Club’s first first-class match of the season. All told, he has 38 wickets at an average of 33.78 from 17 first-class games.”Vikum is a player we have been watching for some time, and a player who has done well in domestic and mercantile cricket,” chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said. “He’s also been in our 20-man fast-bowling academy squads. We thought he was bowling very well at the moment, so we should give him an opportunity. And for a young fast bowler, South Africa is one of the best places to tour.”Aside, perhaps, from Gunaratne’s exclusion, there were no major surprises elsewhere in the squad. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva are set to open the batting again. The middle order of Kusal Mendis, Mathews, Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, which had been successful during the home series against Australia, is set to stay in place. Kusal Perera will be considered for the No. 3 position again, and Tharanga is likely to be the reserve batsman.The selectors also opted for experience in the spin department; offspinner Dilruwan Perera picked ahead of younger wristspinners Lakshan Sandakan and Jeffrey Vandersay, to partner Rangana Herath.The return of both Chameera and Pradeep are a significant boon to the squad – that is if they can stay fit until the Tests begin. Chameera had sustained a stress fracture in the Headingley Test in May, and has been unavailable for Tests since then. He claimed match figures of 2 for 76 on a spin-friendly Nondescripts Cricket Club track in the last week, getting through 23 overs in total. Pradeep, meanwhile, had been laid low by a recurring hamstring injury, but had been sporadically effective in his comeback ODI series in Zimbabwe last month.Mathews, who had also been unavailable due to multiple leg injuries, will return to reclaim the captaincy from Herath, who had stood in during the 2-0 win over Zimbabwe. Chandimal has also recovered from his broken hand, and appears likeliest to take the wicketkeeping gloves.The team will leave Colombo on December 10, and is set to play a three-day warm-up match in Potchefstroom starting on December 18. The first of the three Tests begins in Port Elizabeth on Boxing Day, before the action moves to Cape Town, and Johannesburg.

Leeds United will make a "big play" to keep hold of key midfielder Tyler Adams this summer, according to reliable journalist Graham Smyth.

Is Adams leaving Leeds?

While the Whites have had a miserable 2022/23 season in the Premier League, suffering relegation to the Championship, the £57,000-a-week American stood out as one of the few positives to take from the campaign.

Adams was an influential part of Leeds' midfield from the moment he arrived from RB Leipzig last summer, starting 24 league games and averaging a huge 3.7 tackle per match, proving to be a tenacious presence. Unfortunately, an injury ended his season prematurely – his last appearance came on March 11th – and the Whites missed him badly during the relegation run-in.

The 24-year-old could well look to move away from Elland Road in the next few months, in order to avoid playing second-tier football in 2023/24, but a positive update has emerged regarding his future.

Could Whites persuade Adams to stay put?

Speaking in a Q&A for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Smyth said that Leeds are going to do all they can to retain Adams' services beyond the summer transfer window, as well as defender Max Wober's:

"I expect 49ers Enterprises to make a big play to try and keep both men and probably Max Wober too. It’s not really in their power to stop them if something too-good-to-be-true comes along, though.

"I would argue the most important thing is to determine the wishes of both players nice and early. What you don’t want is to build a summer recruitment plan around them and then suddenly face losing them late in the window."

This is certainly an encouraging update, showing that Leeds are not willing to leave Adams depart without a fight, although the decision may ultimately rest with the player himself as Smyth suggests.

If he demands to leave, it is pointless trying to keep hold of an unhappy player, with the Whites receiving good money for him and using it wisely to sign a strong replacement. That being said, the hope is that the 36-time capped USA international believes Leeds will only be in the Championship for one year, and that he can help lead them back into the Premier League in no time at all.

Should that happen, it would be a huge moment immediately enhancing the Whites' chances of securing automatic promotion back to the top flight, considering he has been described as a "menace" by former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock.