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Out of all the names that have played under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, one player that has been a regular figure for the Argentine with a total of 131 appearances for Leeds under Bielsa is midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Having been linked with a move away from the Yorkshire club in recent months with fellow Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly interested in him, it would be a disaster if Leeds were to say goodbye to their midfield star, especially to another top-flight side.

However, it seems as though Leeds have been handed a massive boost regarding Phillips and his future with the England international recently revealing that he would be willing to sign a new contract at Elland Road, even though his current deal isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2024.

He commented: “I just want to focus on getting back fit,’ he says. ‘But I speak to the owner regularly. I want a new contract. I’m very happy here.”

Phillips’ importance to Leeds was shown throughout last season with the Whites losing seven of the nine Premier League games he missed.

It’s been a similar story this season with Leeds failing to win any of the games Phillips hasn’t been involved in, highlighting just how crucial he is for the team.

In the 29 league games he played in Premier League last season, the 26-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £38k-per-week according to Salary Sport, managed to rack up an average of 2.6 tackles per game, 1.7 clearances per game and 1.6 interceptions per game, showing how important he is for the team, particularly from a defensive point of view.

With this in mind and his desire to sign a new deal with Leeds, Victor Orta now has the opportunity to start 2022 with a bang and delight plenty of Leeds fans by giving Phillips, who has been labelled as a “destroyer” on the pitch by former England manager Steve McClaren, what he wants.

Looking beyond that, another big hope for Phillips would be that he can get back to full fitness as soon as possible after picking up a hamstring injury earlier this month so he can help his side avoid relegation by the end of the season and not have to spend another campaign in the Championship.

In other news: Bielsa can finally axe Leeds’ “absolute disaster” by signing “spectacular” 5 ft 9 gem…

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action following a busy end to the January transfer window.

Antonio Conte’s side host Brighton and Hove Albion in north London for a fourth-round clash in the FA Cup, where Spurs will be looking to advance in the only piece of silverware on offer this season.

After such a long break without any action, the Italian head coach has been left with plenty of interesting dilemmas over team selection, not at least because he is able to welcome back key players from injury and now has two new signings at his disposal, too.

It’s in defence where there is a decision to be made after Argentina beast Cristian Romero returned to training during the winter break. He should come straight back into the side, taking the place of Japhet Tanganga, who has been a liability in recent games, in the back three.

Indeed, the young academy product has been at fault for a number of goals during their three matches against Chelsea last month and at one stage, looked set to depart for AC Milan.

During their Carabao Cup semi-final exit against the Champions of Europe, the versatile defender was dubbed the “weak link” of the side by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick as he walked a tightrope following an early booking. He struggled to deal with the threat of Callum Hudson- Odoi all game.

As per SofaScore, he was rated ever so poorly (5.8) as the only player to manage below a 6.3 rating. It was that bad that analyst Statman Dave described the outing as a “horror show” on social media.

Earlier in the season, he received his marching orders for getting into a tussle with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and that moment of madness was slammed by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“It’s a lack of experience and rush of blood. He’ll get over it but it cost them today,” he said during the game (via the Daily Mail).

Not to mention his role in League One outfit Morecambe taking the lead in the round prior to this one. He lost his man from a corner. It’s the basics and it happens far to frequently.

As such, Conte must be ruthless in his team selection and axe the £18m-rated calamity against the Seagulls this evening.

AND in other news, Conte concerns emerge at Spurs amid huge transfer claim…

Sheffield United have been linked with a move for Ryan Gauld recently and he could be an excellent addition to the Blades’ squad ahead of next season.

According to TEAMtalk, Sheffield United are among a number of English clubs, including Norwich City, Brighton, Brentford, Blackburn and Swansea City, who are interested in signing the Scottish attacking midfielder this summer.

After breaking through at Dundee United as a youngster, the 25-year-old has spent the majority of the past seven seasons playing in Portugal, but it is only at Farense where he has started to show glimpses of the talent which made him so highly rated as a youngster.

This season has seen Gauld contribute eight goals and six assists in 29 Liga NOS appearances, resulting in an impressive 7.22 average match rating from WhoScored.

If we compare his figures with the current Sheffield United squad, then Gauld would be the top performer, top goalscorer and leading assists provider, which suggests that the Blades are in dire need of a player of his quality ahead of next season.

If the Bramall Lane outfit are to have any chance of sealing an immediate return to the Premier League next season, they desperately need to add some quality in the attacking third. Goalscoring has been a serious concern this season, emphasised by the fact that 35-year-old Billy Sharp is their second top scorer with three league goals.

The £3.15m-rated Gauld has earned comparisons with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi in the past, whilst his former manager Sergio Vieira sang his praises earlier in the season, saying: “When I compare Ryan to the average Brazilian player, I think he has more. I know that because I coached in Brazil’s first division for three years.

“I can strongly say that Ryan is a top player even when compared to the best in Brazil. I’m pretty sure he’ll have his chance in the Scottish national team in the near future.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Gauld would be an excellent addition to Sheffield United’s squad ahead of next season, so the board should do everything they can to try and bring him to Bramall Lane this summer.

In other news… Just 3 passes: £10.8m-rated Blades flop let Heckingbottom down with an awful display

A French source has dropped a fresh update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the talk?

According to a recent report by Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), a close friend of the 52-year-old Spurs coach has revealed that, despite widespread claims that the Italian is in negotiations to replace Mauricio Pochettino as the Paris Saint-Germain manager this summer, no such talks are taking place, nor has Conte declared his interest in the position at the Parc des Princes.

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However, the source goes on to confirm that PSG are interested in the Tottenham head coach, although, considering the Ligue 1 leaders would be forced to pay a figure in the region of €15m (£12.5m) in order to release the former Inter Milan manager from his contract in north London, plus a similar fee to sack Pochettino, there would be a great many obstacles for the Parisians to overcome in order to get a deal done.

Big twist

Considering the sheer volume of reports suggesting that Conte is very much hoping to secure a move to PSG this summer, the news that a source close to the 52-year-old has all but rubbished this switch is certainly a big twist in the tale – albeit one that Tottenham supporters, as well as Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, will be delighted to learn of.

Indeed, the Italian has done a stellar job since taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November of last year, with Spurs climbing from ninth in the Premier League standings to currently sitting just two points off fourth – very much being in with a chance of securing Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018/19.

And, with Levy and Paratici having already committed the best part of £60m on the January signings of both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, it is clear that the Tottenham hierarchy are not only willing to back the 52-year-old in the transfer window, but they also have already done so.

As such, it is undeniable that this latest update is fantastic news for everyone involved with the club, however, with Conte not exactly being known for his longevity, it would appear wise for Spurs supporters to not begin counting their cockerels just yet.

AND in other news: “Not going to be at Tottenham…”: Gold drops update on £118m Spurs talent, time’s up

Leeds could land a potentially perfect centre-back partner for Diego Llorente in Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Reports in recent days have suggested that both Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and Premier League rivals Brighton have been closely tracking his progress ahead of a potential move for him in the summer transfer window.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 2, Harwood-Bellis has earned rave reviews for his performances whilst on loan at Ewood Park, with Rovers boss Tony Mowbray, saying: “What I see is a lad who needs some buttons pushing because when you challenge him he generally stands up to the challenge.

“You can feel the fire in his belly and the bigger the name that plays in front of him the higher he’s going to rise in his career. The big games are what are going to get his juices flowing and I like his character, he’s one I would call an old school central defender who wants to go to war, but he can play football if that’s the game in front of him.”

Dubbed as a “powerful central defender also blessed with excellent skills on the ball”, Harwood-Bellis looks like the archetypal player for Bielsa, both being strong in the tackle and composed in possession too.

In fact, a profile piece by The Athletic, hailed the teenager’s commanding presence, noting: “Kompany’s are big shoes to fill, but Guardiola may see similarities in Harwood-Bellis’ leadership qualities. The precocious youngster was the U-15 captain when Pep arrived in Manchester, and he wore the armband for England at the U-17 European Championship. Harwood-Bellis has confidence, superior technique, aggression, physicality and the ability to command from the back.”

And, given how Harwood-Bellis has predominantly played as the left-sided centre-back at Ewood Park this season, and Diego Llorente has played more on the right, the ingredients are already there for the former to just slot in alongside the Spaniard.

Having that balance of the two centre-backs playing on their preferred side can have a huge impact on how well they perform, and ensure they aren’t taken out of their comfort zone.

Harwood-Bellis would be the perfect compliment for Llorente, and with his own ability to play out from the back, would ease the pressure on the Spaniard when it comes to starting moves from deep.

Leeds could well build a formidable centre-back partnership by signing the City starlet this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds must reignite their interest in this star…

Recent European Championships have obtained a reputation for being goal-shy affairs, often without much in the way of highlight-reel worthy stunners. Arriving a year late has clearly allowed some pent up energy to build as Euro 2020 racks up the goals and a host of stunners to boot. As the tournament reaches the quarter-finals stage we’ve already been treated to outstanding strikes, including a long-range effort that will do down in the annals of football history – unless you’re a Scotland fan.

Let’s start with a man who wouldn’t have been on many people’s radar when it came to planning a Euro 2020 Squad Builder, Andriy Yarmolenko. The Ukraine and West Ham ace cut in from the right before delivering a trademark finish into the top right-hand corner from all of 25-yards.

Next up a goal with huge permutations as Wales reached the knockout phase for a second consecutive tournament thanks in many ways to an Aaron Ramsey delight. Running in behind a motionless Turkish defence, having already spurned numerous chances, the Juventus ace brought down an exquisite Gareth Bale pass before coolly slotting home from inside the area.

If there had been any doubts about whether the players could produce the quality after an arduous domestic campaign, they were put to bed when Turkey met Switzerland on the final matchday in Group A. After Haris Seferovic had opened the scoring with a driving left-footed strike from the edge of the box, Liverpool outcast Xherdan Shaqiri revved up his own left foot and produced two moments of sheer quality – the latter rounding off a sweeping counter-attack.

Despite ending up on the losing side, perhaps the brightest moment from a nightmarish campaign for Turkey came when Irfan Can Kahveci fired home a screamer after manipulating the ball inside with the sole of his foot.

Goals can be judged by many means, but one that can never go unnoticed is the importance of the moment. Fortunately for Andreas Christensen, his piledriver against Russia would be noteworthy regardless of scale. With the emotion of a nation and a full Parken Stadium in Copenhagen hanging on every moment, the centre-back seemed to appear from nowhere as the ball broke loose to fire home from all of 30 yards, sending Denmark through and the crowd wild.

Scotland fans look away now, and later. Another game on a knife-edge settled by a moment of pure genius as a man known for big moments, Luca Modric, produced once again. The Real Madrid man’s sumptuous strike with the outside of the right boot put Croatia back in control and ultimately broke the hearts of the Tartan Army.

Perhaps the shock of the tournament until now came when France were dumped out on penalties against Switzerland at the Round of 16 stage. Despite the disappointing night’s work, Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba found time to provide two memorable moments. The former produced one of the greatest touches ever seen at the Euros before chipping an onrushing Yan Sommer. Just 15 minutes later a dancing Pogba seemed to wrap up the tie with a postage stamp strike that almost took the net camera with it.

Many peoples in-tournament favourites, Italy were forced to go all the way to extra-time in their round-of-16 tie against Austria. With the prospect of penalties on the horizon, Juventus winger Federico Chiesa produced a much-need moment of magic with incredible control before unleashing an unstoppable volley from a tight angle.

Unfortunately, it’s time to look away again. No goal compilation that follows this tournament will be complete without a look at Patrik Schick’s quick thinking effort from inches shy of 50 yards out. Created by a fortunate deflection, Schick was playing in 4D after spotting David Marshall way off his line and sending a pinpoint effort curling over the back-pedalling Scot – creating meme-worthy content in the process.

Honourable mentions should go to certain Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin de Bruyne efforts, albeit not worthy of ousting any of the above.

As the competition reaches the last eight stage we can look forward to yet more memorable moments, goals, shocks and potentially even an effort worthy of beating Patrik Schick’s procession to Goal of the Tournament.

Everton are believed to have been left ‘stunned’ by Leeds United’s acquisition of exciting Birmingham City youngster Amari Miller.

The Lowdown: Leeds snap up Miller

The 18-year-old made the move to Elland Road earlier this week, agreeing a four-year deal and being seen as a long-term signing with bags of potential.

Miller made his first-team debut for Birmingham back in April and has caught the eye for their Under-18s, shining in a wide role.

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The Latest: Everton ‘stunned’ by move

According to a source who spoke to Football Insider, Leeds ‘came in strong’ for the youngster, following initial interest from Everton.

The Toffees are believed to be have been left ‘stunned’ by the speed at which the move happened, snapping him up from under their noses.

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The Verdict: One for the future

It is unlikely that Miller will be considered a first-team regular by Marcelo Bielsa next season, especially given his lack of playing time in the Championship.

That being said, the 5ft 10in wide man should be viewed as someone who could eventually mature into a formidable performer over time, initially playing for the Under-23s.

Building for the future is key at Leeds, ensuring a repeat of their relegation to the Championship in 2004 doesn’t happen, becoming an established top-level club for many years to come.

In other news, Leeds are expected to miss out on a player this summer – find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 150 appearances for Newcastle United, has claimed that the way Steve Bruce is handling Andy Carroll’s situation and the minutes he is giving him is being done to potentially just annoy the academy graduate.

Since joining Newcastle as a free agent in 2019, Carroll has been handed just eight league starts, four in each season thus far. This had yielded a reward of one goal and four assists across 35 Premier League games.

Carroll made his name at Newcastle during the 2009/10 Championship season under Chris Hughton when he scored 17 times in 39 appearances, leading the line at just 20-years-old as the Magpies won promotion straight back to the Premier League.

Speaking on why he can’t understand Steve Bruce’s substations, especially when they involve Andy Carroll, Howey told FFC:

“I don’t know why they play without a striker and I can’t understand what the point is in bringing Andy Carroll on for 30 seconds.

“What’s the point? Unless Bruce has done it to annoy him? If that’s the case, then he’s done a good job because it would annoy me.”

Carroll got his first goal since returning to Newcastle at the end of last year when the Magpies were beaten 3-1 by Leicester City when he volleyed home in added time.

This season the £75,000 per week striker has been afforded just 385 minutes and has not featured from the start even when Callum Wilson has been sidelined.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to CaughtOffside, the Red Devils are among a number of Premier League clubs interested in acquiring the 22-year-old’s signature over the summer.

The report also reveals that Chukwueze has a release clause of £69 million and that Liverpool and Chelsea are among his potential suitors.

Woodward must avoid

Chukwueze has impressed since joining the Yellow Submarines back in 2017, making 119 appearances for the La Liga outfit during his time with the club.

The Nigeria international’s dazzling displays earned praise from fellow African footballing star Samuel Eto’o last year, who lauded the 22-year-old’s talent and potential before adding that an improvement to his end product is required.

“He is an incredible player who is growing in leaps and bounds,” claimed Eto’o.

“He is a quality player and he needs to score more goals, but he has the quality and ability to be more than just a goal-scoring forward. Once he gets all of that he will be top.”

However, in the 12 months since the former Barcelona and Inter striker outlined where Chukwueze needs to improve his game, there has been little evidence of progress.

In 2019/20, the £18 million rated attacker (as per Transfermarkt) bagged four goals and provided six assists in all competitions. In the recently concluded campaign, he boosted those numbers only marginally to five goals and eight assists.

While Chukwueze is certainly a talented player with plenty of room to grow, it’s questionable whether he’s at the level that United currently need in order to close the gap to newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City, his goal and assist tallies suggest that he isn’t.

The Old Trafford outfit finished 12 points behind Pep Guardiola’s men in 2020/21 and were dumped out of the Champions League in the group stages, indicating significant progress is still required until they’ll be able to challenge for football’s greatest honours.

With Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho reportedly available for £75m this summer – just £6m more than the Chukwueze’s release clause – Ed Woodward would be making a huge mistake in prioritising the Villarreal man’s signature ahead of Sancho’s.

It’s highly unlikely that United can afford both right-wingers, or that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can find room for both men in his first-team squad, and therefore, Sancho must be the focus rather than Chukwueze.

And, in other words…James Cooper drops huge Man Utd transfer claim that’ll surely have fans buzzing 

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some injury news on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

As shared by the official Twitter page of the Goodison Park faithful, Rafa Benitez has revealed that the former Sheffield United striker has broken his toe after problems with training.

The Spaniard added that he has an injury to his quadriceps and so the Merseyside club will now have to wait between two and three weeks or more to see if he where his fitness is.

It is a big blow to the Toffees, given that Calvert-Lewin has already notched up three goals in as many games in the Premier League so far this season (Transfermarkt), and will be sorely missed ahead of their match away at Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin injury news

These Blues fumed as the injury news was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter going as far as to claim that it is a ‘huge blow’:

“WHAT?”

Credit: @blue_toffees

“That’s a big blow”

Credit: @cholphela

“Oh no”

Credit: @EFCHarry0711

“Nooo”

Credit: @donmaidonmaii

“Big, big blow”

Credit: @AdamEFC9

“Huge blow. Lack of depth instantly exposed”

Credit: @spirit_blues

In other news, find out which Evertonian has been blasted by this pundit here!