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Leeds United journalist Graham Smyth has shared some behind-the-scenes details regarding the Yorkshire club’s plans for the remainder of the summer transfer window.

What’s the news? 

In a recent report for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Smyth had this to say on the matter.

He said: “The Whites are hopeful of getting one of their targets [striker and left-back] through the door before the Premier League opener against Wolves on Saturday August 6 but are currently tight-lipped on the identity of targets and whatever deals are being worked on are yet to leak out.”

So far in the summer transfer window, Leeds have been busier than most of their Premier League colleagues in terms of the number of deals they’ve been involved in.

In terms of their incoming transfers, the Whites have brought in players such as Brendan Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Luis Sinisterra, Darko Gyabi and Rasmus Kristensen.

The club have also seen some big names leave Elland Road this summer such as Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

Great news for Marsch

Now that Smyth has shared this news about the club’s hopes that a new face will arrive, on top of the new players that have already signed, before their next Premier League season kicks off, this will surely have Jesse Marsch and a lot of Leeds fans buzzing.

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Bearing in mind how current Leeds left-back Junior Firpo is out of action through injury and is likely to miss the first few weeks of the season, it’s easy to see why the club would be keen on adding a new player in that position as soon as they can.

As for a new striker, the fact that Patrick Bamford’s numerous injury issues kept him on the sidelines for the majority of last season suggests that a new centre-forward coming in would not only provide back-up for the Englishman in that position but also add some competition for the spot as well.

Moving forward, if Leeds can wrap up their summer transfer business as soon as possible, this will give them an advantage in terms of seeing all their new players settle in quick and get used to playing in the Premier League.

AND in other news: Orta could sign Leeds’ perfect Raphinha heir in £4.2m “animal”, Marsch wants him

Nottingham Forest made their return to Premier League football yesterday in a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United, but there was one player who was noticeably missing in the team and manager Steve Cooper has now given an update.

What’s the latest?

Forest centre-back Steve Cook was missing from the matchday squad yesterday, and Cooper was quick to address the player’s absence in the post-match interview at St James’ Park.

Cooper told the reporters:

“Cook has picked up a bit of an injury, he picked something up in the preparation. It’s still settling down, but hopefully he’ll be back in a few days’ time.”

Cooper surely gutted

There is no doubt that Cooper will surely be gutted that Cook was unavailable through injury, as the defender has always been a reliable and consistent force in the Forest backline, and offers unrivalled Premier League experience in the team.

The 31-year-old has made 168 top-flight appearances over his career so far, and having him in the team against Newcastle yesterday could have put Forest in a much better position to fight off the Magpies’ advances on their goal. His experience would have been vital as they crumbled to a disappointing 2-0 defeat on the opening weekend of the season.

Last term, Cook played an important role in Nottingham Forest’s promotion success after joining in the January transfer window, showing his leadership skills and defensive dominance in the Championship.

Over 17 appearances, the defender made 1.6 interceptions and produced 4.5 clearances clear game, while winning the majority of his duels (64%), demonstrating solid defensive attributes.

The Forest boss is a huge admirer of his player and lavished praise on Cook hailing him “fantastic” after the Englishman secured his move to The City Ground:

“We feel this is an important signing as Steve is a fantastic player and brings a good level of experience, both in the Championship and the level above.

“He’s played in a team that has won a lot of games and I think that’s important.”

With that being said, Cooper will surely be hopeful that Cook can return to fitness and join the team in their first Premier League game at The City Ground next weekend against West Ham United, as the absence of his reliable impact and experience in defence was a big blow on Saturday.

West Ham United have ‘held initial talks’ with Paris Saint-Germain over defender Thilo Kehrer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Defensive additions

The Hammers have already welcomed a fresh centre-back to the London Stadium this summer with the arrival of Nayef Aguerd from Rennes in a deal worth £30m.

However, during pre-season, the new Irons ace suffered an injury to his ankle, limping off the pitch in his side’s 3-1 defeat to Rangers.

After undergoing successful ankle surgery, The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas revealed that there is “no timeframe on how long Nayef Aguerd will be sidelined”.

With Issa Diop set to join newly-promoted Fulham, the need for an extra central defender has arisen once again at West Ham.

The Latest: Sheth’s news

Sheth has shared an update on the Hammers’ centre-back situation, touting interest in a Ligue 1 star.

Taking to Twitter, the Sky Sports journalist claimed:

“West Ham United have held initial talks with PSG over the signing of defender Thilo Kehrer. Sevilla are also interested – they can offer Champions League football. West Ham looking to bring in a central defender before Sunday’s game at Nottingham Forest.”

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The Verdict: Fantastic signing

Having arrived in the French capital in 2018 after joining from Schalke in a deal worth £33m, the Germany international has gone on to make 85 appearances in Ligue 1.

Analysing his underlying stats, it becomes obvious as to why David Moyes would like to see him in a claret and blue shirt this summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion, in the 91st percentile for passes attempted, in the 89th percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 84th percentile for aerials won, coupling a real physical presence with elite ball playing skills.

Hailed as one of Germany’s fastest players by SportsMob, it appears Kehrer has all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League.

Therefore, with big competition on their hands for the defender, this would be a brilliant coup for West Ham if they get a deal over the line.

Newcastle United have been hit with a setback in their pursuit of James Maddison in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that he is “pretty sure” that the Foxes want to extend the Englishman’s deal and that the 25-year-old has been in discussions with the club over fresh terms.

When asked if the midfielder is in contract talks with the club, the 49-year-old said: “I believe they’ve spoken. Yeah, Jon’s (Rudkin, sporting director) spoken to them a number of times.

“If a player — not saying James — doesn’t want to sign it, then it can be a stalemate. Both sides have to be able to find an agreement.

“But absolutely, he’s an outstanding player and of course, Leicester City would benefit from keeping him longer.

“He’s been brilliant. He’s a top-class player. He’s improving, developing and happy. Of course, he’s a top player at the level, so people will be interested in him, but I’ve seen no change in him whatsoever.”

Big blow for Eddie Howe

This comes after Newcastle had a £40m bid turned down for the mercurial playmaker, and it was reported that the Magpies would go back in for him if Leicester lowered their valuation, which has been placed at around £50m.

However, it appears as though the Foxes have opted to push for him to sign a new contract to ensure his future at the King Power Stadium, rather than dropping their demands.

Therefore, Newcastle’s chances of signing Maddison look increasingly slim, and missing out on him could be a big blow for Eddie Howe, as the 25-year-old has the quality to be a huge upgrade on Miguel Almiron.

Gareth Southgate once dubbed his set-pieces “world-class” and former Foxes defender Gerry Taggart used the same phrase to describe the playmaker’s touch, which highlights the quality that he can provide.

Since the start of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, Newcastle’s Paraguay international has played 32 matches – starting 21 – and produced one goal, whilst failing to register a single assist.

Meanwhile, Maddison has played 37 times (starting 30) in the same period and chipped in with a stunning 13 goals and nine assists, playing in central midfield and out wide on the right like Almiron.

Over the last 365 days, the Newcastle man ranks in the bottom 15% or lower amongst positional peers in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions, non-penalty goals, and xG assisted per 90. This shows that he does not offer much in front of goal and does little to help his team-mates score, as he is not creating high-quality opportunities.

By contrast, the Leicester man ranks in the 59th percentile of xG assisted and in the top 21% for shot-creating actions and non-penalty goals per 90.

Along with their respective goal contributions in the Premier League, this suggests that Maddison would be a huge upgrade on Almiron, and that is why this news could be a big blow for Howe.

Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update by reliable journalist Adrian Kajumba.

The Lowdown: Semenyo stars for Bristol City

The 22-year-old has been one of side’s best players in recent times, proving to be a regular supplier of end product in the final third.

Semenyo chipped in with an impressive tally of 20 goal involvements last season (8 goals, 12 assists), Nigel Pearson also described him as a ‘nightmare to play against’.

It could be that the Ghanaian has outgrown City, with Premier League interest now emerging, including from Everton.

The Latest: Everton linked with move

According to Kajumba, writing for The Daily Mail, the Blues are eyeing up a summer move for Semenyo, with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth also battling to acquire his signature.

The Eagles are ‘prepared to pay £12million’, although City are likely to demand £15million.

The youngster’s current deal expires at the end of next season, which could force his club to sell this summer, rather than risk losing him for free in 2023.

The Verdict: Exciting attacking option

While some may turn their noses up at a move for Semenyo, due to him being a Championship player and never playing in the Premier League, someone like Ivan Toney is proof that players can make the step up to the top flight.

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Semenyo could be an exciting young addition for Everton, adding more vibrancy to the attack and bringing versatility, such is his ability to thrive both out wide and centrally.

The City man is coming into the best years of his career and he could provide Frank Lampard with much-needed squad depth, given Richarlison’s exit, Anthony Gordon’s potential departure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s current injury.

West Ham United are targeting Chelsea forward Armando Broja as talkSPORT have shared some transfer news in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Irons keep busy…

Irons head coach David Moyes is still well in the market for further additions after sealing the signings of Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Thilo Kehrer.

West Ham are looking to challenge for a European spot again after failing to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League last campaign, instead having to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League.

The east Londoners have just under a fortnight to strengthen their options ahead of a long Premier League season with news now emerging on Broja.

The Latest: West Ham eyeing Broja…

Indeed, according to reports, it is believed the Albania international remains of interest to West Ham following their links earlier in the window.

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TalkSPORT claim that Broja is on the ‘radar’ of Moyes’ side as they chase more incomings before September 1 – coming after claims that the 20-year-old was ‘keen’ on a London Stadium move last month (Charlie Gordon, Daily Express).

The Verdict: Make the move?

Having signed Scamacca from Sassuolo, coming with real potential, a move for Broja could perhaps be seen as a luxury.

It was once believed, before West Ham sealed the transfer of their new Italian, that Moyes could have ended up signing both him and Southampton’s former loanee in a double swoop (Dharmesh Sheth).

Called a ‘sensational’ striker by Saints legend Francis Benali, if head of recruitment Rob Newman and co try to push again for Broja, then Moyes may well end up with an abundance of depth in the forward areas.

Time will tell if they can bring him through the door before the end of this summer window and will certainly be an interesting final stretch.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted that the Premiership champions may sign one more player before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s transfer window so far

The Hoops have been busy in the transfer market this summer, having welcomed seven permanent additions to Celtic Park after spending £20.4m. In addition, the Glasgow giants have added Moritz Jenz on loan players to Postecoglou’s squad.

Going the other way, Celtic have allowed seven players to leave Parkhead for good this summer, along with sanctioning a number of loan exits.

The Latest: Postecoglou teases possibility of signing

In a recent press conference, Postecoglou has admitted that there could be a few departures from the club this week. However, he went on to add that this could mean the Hoops may secure another addition before the transfer deadline on Thursday night.

As quoted by Football Scotland, the Celtic manager claimed: “I’d be very surprised if anyone wants to leave this place at the moment. We’ll see how the next few days go. There’s the possibility of a couple of outgoings.

“And that could give us the opportunity to bring another one in. But there’s nothing fixed. If the right opportunity came along, we might add one more.

“If we don’t – I’m happy with the business we’ve done. It was great to get Sead finally done. I’m pleased to get a player who will fit in well with us. He’s only 23 but already has great experience with clubs and at international level. He’ll be a great asset for us.”

The Verdict: Could still be deals done

As mentioned by Postecoglou, the Premiership champions secured a great coup when they signed Haksabanovic from Rubin Kazan last week.

The 23-year-old winger has already made 28 appearances for the Montenegro national team, having previously represented Sweden at youth level, and he boasts 78 goal contributions during his senior club career.

With the Montenegrin having already played for the likes of West Ham United and Malaga, Postecoglou will be hoping to bring in another player of the same calibre who could prove to be an important addition for the Hoops this season.

Therefore, even with just a few days remaining in the transfer window, we may still see multiple incomings and outgoings at Parkhead before Thursday night’s deadline. Either way, it’s refreshing to hear that the Celtic boss is content with the business done so far, while not ruling out the possibility of further additions in the coming days ahead of their Champions League group stage return.

Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici enjoyed a spectacular summer transfer window, with the Italian sporting director landing a number of impressive signings who should undoubtedly improve Antonio Conte’s squad.

Indeed, with Spurs welcoming the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence, Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium prior to the transfer deadline on September 1, Conte now boasts squad depth that he infamously claimed he was lacking over the course of the club’s 2021/22 campaign.

However, while Paratici very much looks to have done a stellar job in the transfer market, there was nevertheless one position that Conte was reported to be extremely keen on strengthening where the 50-year-old sporting director failed to bring in a fresh face – that of a new attacking midfielder.

Despite being heavily linked with moves for a number of players in that position, there was one target in particular who would have undoubtedly been a magnificent signing for Paratici to land – Lazio sensation Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has been a continual attacking threat in the heart of the Lazio team over the past eight seasons, scoring 48 goals and registering 44 assists over his 236 Serie A appearances for the club.

The £63m-rated talent was in particularly fine form over his 36 league outings in 2021/22, scoring 11 goals and registering 11 assists in the Italian top flight. The Serbian’s returns were more than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Harry Winks, Rodrigo Bentancur, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso managed between them in the Premier League last time out.

Furthermore, as per FBref, the £98k-per-week sensation also ranks in the top 5% of midfielders among Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 2% for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for passes attempted and the top 14% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days – proving his all-round forward-thinking ability from central midfield.

As such, with Conte clearly lacking a midfielder in Milinkovic-Savic’s mould, the fact that Paratici did not pull the trigger on a £38m bid for the player who Hesham Bilal dubbed “insane” and David Amoyal labelled “unreal” this summer appears something of a shocker by the Italian.

It seems evident that the Serbian would have solved Conte’s biggest – and perhaps only – issue in his Spurs side at present.

Glasgow Rangers have been surprisingly linked with a former Premier League midfielder who has 20 international caps for England…

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Rangers are interested in signing former Everton midfielder Fabian Delph on a free transfer following his summer release from the top-flight club.

There are a host of Championship sides clambering for his signature, amongst them Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield United.

Signing Delph would be a big mistake

Rangers have struggled recently, losing three successive matches in the Premiership and Champions League, shipping 11 goals and scoring zero.

Despite their apparent struggles, all over the pitch not just in the midfield area, manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst would be making a big mistake bringing Delph to Ibrox.

Firstly, he would command a high wage, despite being 32 and this could be invested in someone a lot younger and who could offer much more in the future.

He only made 11 appearances for Everton last season, helping Frank Lampard’s men avoid relegation by the skin of their teeth

The Englishman ranked 12th in the Everton squad last season with a WhoScored rating of just 6.61 and this would have placed him at 21st position in the Rangers squad last season, proving that he wouldn’t justify the high wages he would inevitably demand.

All in all, due to a series of injuries, he has featured just 41 times since making the move from Manchester City in 2019.

Not only would he fail to improve the starting XI at the Ibrox side, but it would also be a big blow in confidence for the academy talents who are seemingly so close to breaking through at the club.

The likes of Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann are incredible talents and with more game time being awarded to them this season, they can significantly improve their development.

Even though sporting director Ross Wilson has had previous failings in the transfer market, a move for Delph will hopefully not materialise in the coming days, otherwise, it could just alienate the fanbase even more.

This surprise move could be the latest in a string of big decisions that the chief has mismeasured in recent times.

Everton signed a number of new players to strengthen the team after their problematic campaign last season where the team endured a tough relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League table, and so far the transfer window has been a success for the Toffees.

Frank Lampard will be delighted with the impact that his new signings are making as the team has taken points from their last five outings in the top flight tallying up four draws and one win, but it’s not just the hard work done with incomings that has put Everton in a much better position.

The powers at the club have been cut-throat in getting rid of the deadwood too with Dele Alli, Andre Gomes, Cenk Tosun, Jean Philippe-Gbamin, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fabian Delph all sent packing, and there could be one more player to make a late exit from Goodison Park.

It has been reported by Football Insider that Brazilian midfielder Allan is in talks to make a move to the United Arab Emirates via Al-Wahda before their transfer window closes on the 4th of October.

Football Insider tweeted: “EXCLUSIVE! Everton midfielder Allan has opened talks to join Al-Wahda before the UAE’s 4 October deadline.

“The 31-year-old has been given the green light to leave Goodison Park two years after joining from Napoli for £21m.”

It comes after the Toffees boss hinted at a potential departure for the out-of-favour midfielder after the West Ham United clash last weekend (via Liverpool World): “We’ll see, we’ll see. He was out of the squad because you have got those decisions sometimes.

“So we will see over the next week or two.”

The £120k-per-week dud is one of the highest-paid players at the club but with James Garner, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Amadou Onana all joining the ranks to improve the quality in the centre of the pitch for Everton, the improved performances from the team without Allan has led him to fall further and further down the pecking order.

It is not hard to see why the Brazil international has been missing out on the action with a number of reckless decisions including a red card during the crucial stages of last season and a string of lacklustre performances.

Indeed, one performance saw Allan only complete two passes in the Merseyside Derby, inviting criticism as BBC journalist David Downie who rather cruelly branded the 31-year-old an “imposter”.

With that being said, Lampard won’t lose any sleep if the midfielder does move on in the next few weeks as he clearly favours his new talent in the central roles moving forward.

In short, Allan hasn’t been up to scratch in the blue of Everton and must be set free. His time at Goodison is surely up.