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Leeds United supporters would be ‘devastated’ if Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester United, former Elland Road man Paddy Kenny says. 

The lowdown

Samuel Luckhurst, Chief Manchester United writer for The Manchester Evening News, reported this week that The Red Devils are ‘working on’ a summer move for Phillips.

They intend to sign a defensive midfielder in the summer and the Leeds man features on their shortlist, along with West Ham United’s Declan Rice.

In the words of talkSPORT’s Sean O’Brien, there’s a long-running ‘feud’ between Leeds and Manchester United, and so it may be particularly hurtful for Whites fans if he makes this move.

Phillips is under contract at Elland Road until the summer of 2024 and is valued at £45million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Kenny feels that Phillips is in a similar situation to Jack Grealish last summer, who left boyhood club Aston Villa to join reigning champions Manchester City in a £100million deal.

He thinks the temptation of moving to Old Trafford may prove to be too strong for Phillips.

Kenny told Football Insider: “He’s Leeds through and through but we saw that with Jack Grealish didn’t we?”

“He’s Villa through and through but he decided to sign for Manchester City last summer.

“If an offer like that comes in, it might never come again. Can you afford to say no?

“It’s like Lampard at Chelsea. He didn’t know if it was going to work out but that offer might not come again, you have to take it.

“It will be interesting to see if this move happens. The fans will be devastated if he does go.

“As a player, you have to look to the future and Leeds are a big club but Man United are one of the biggest in the world.

“It’s a difficult one to turn down, that’s for sure.”

The verdict

Leeds players have, of course, crossed the divide before. The likes of Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand have been lured to Manchester in recent decades.

Even last summer, the two clubs did business, with Dan James moving to Yorkshire in a £25million deal.

But in reality, the Leeds faithful may have nothing to fear. Insider Dean Jones recently revealed that Phillips is becoming ‘more and more convinced about staying’ and signing a new contract.

He’s apparently ‘really impressed’ by the work new manager Jesse Marsch has done, and he may well envisage a bright future in his current surroundings.

In other news, an insider has shared this further update on Phillips.

As per the club’s official website, Premier League outfit Crystal Palace sealed a last-gasp move for Michy Batshuayi late on in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old had been playing his football at Spanish club Valencia on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea in the first half of the season, only for struggles in front of goal at the Mestalla to call into question his future at the club as the winter window progressed.

And it was Roy Hodgson’s Palace who officially sealed a Deadline Day move for the striker as they sought the reinforcements they desperately needed in the final third of the pitch, with the arrival of the Belgium international potentially going some way to securing the Eagles another season of Premier League football.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while one look at the Palace squad suggests a side full of talent and one that shouldn’t be in relegation trouble, their evident struggle for goals means that the Londoners are indeed embroiled in a battle near the bottom, what with Hodgson’s men currently sat 15th in the table and just four points clear of safety.

And their meagre tally of 24 goals from their 24 matches is without doubt a key factor in their struggles to put daylight between themselves and danger this term – after all, their top-scoring striker this season is on-loan man Jordan Ayew with a paltry two goals to his name.

But with supremely talented attackers in Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, the Eagles are always likely to create ample goal-scoring opportunities just waiting to be converted by the predatory and lethal striker the club have been crying out for – and they may finally have that man in Batshuayi.

Yes, the 25-year-old has endured a tricky time in Spain recently with only one La Liga goal to show for his endeavours in Valencia, but one only need look at his goal-scoring record at Chelsea, Marseille, and Borussia Dortmund to suggest that Palace appear to have pulled off something of a masterstroke.

The Belgian ace has netted 19 times in just 53 appearances for Chelsea following his move from Marseille back in 2016, which given his lowly number of starts at Stamford Bridge equates to a goal every 93 minutes of action – that is a staggering return.

And with 33 goals in only 78 appearances in France for Marseille, and then nine goals in 14 games for Dortmund last season, it’s pretty clear that his time at Valencia was a one-off – on the whole, the 25-year-old will more often than not have an impact when on the field.

And that ability to get into the right place at the right time in the penalty area, and thus get on the end of goal-scoring opportunities, is exactly what Palace need to start moving up the Premier League table – it’s difficult to see where the goals were coming from were they not to sign the striker.

As it happens, the 25-year-old made the Deadline Day move to Selhurst Park, in turn equipping Hodgson with the goal-scoring forward the Eagles so desperately need to move clear of danger – thus, his arrival might well have just saved their season.

Crystal Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham have held talks with Valencia over a loan move for Bryan Gil, AS report.

The Lowdown: Gil’s struggles

Gil was brought to the club during Nuno Espirito Santo’s time in charge but has struggled to make an impact in north London.

The 20-year-old is yet to start in the Premier League and has had to make do with appearances in various cup competitions. The left-winger is still awaiting his first goal as a Spurs player and has registered just one assist in 20 games.

It now seems as if he could depart on loan in the final days of the January transfer window in what could be a busy end of the month.

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The Latest: Spurs demands

According to AS, Spurs want a £1.5m loan fee for Gil, with Valencia reluctant to pay that.

Tottenham also want them to pay a percentage of Gil’s salary, with Conte now giving the green light for the Spaniard to depart.

Valencia have maintained contact in recent days and have held talks, however, it seems as if a possible loan fee without an option to buy could be a stumbling block.

The Verdict: Correct call?

It hasn’t worked out for Gil in his first season at the club, so allowing him to gain regular first-team football ahead of the 2022/23 season could be a shrewd call in the long run.

The club signed the young playmaker for a reason, so they are absolutely correct to be seeking a mere temporary exit with no additional buy option.

That said, Fabio Paratici could do with bringing an attacking player in before signing off on a loan for Gil.

Moves for Adama Traore and Luis Diaz seem to have collapsed, so an exit for Gil may be one that has to wait until the final hours on Monday to go through, providing there is an attacking arrival before that – perhaps a certain Dejan Kulusevski?.

In other news: ‘Agreement reached’ – Spurs breakthrough as player Conte and Paratici love now ‘happy’ to sign.  

Leeds United could discover their next Stuart Dallas in the form of academy utility man Charlie Allen.

Capable of playing anywhere in the starting XI, the 30-year-old midfielder has earned the tag of being the Whites’ ‘Mr. Reliable‘ due to the quality of performances he’s able to display despite seemingly fitting in at any role.

His form at full-back, both on the left and right, has also seen him nicknamed ‘the Cookstown Cafu’ after legendary Brazil and AC Milan right-back. Indeed, that’s where he has played the most this campaign, with 73.5% of his 34 appearances coming on either side of the defence.

Good things don’t last forever, though, but Leeds should be able to move on from the Northern Irishman in the future, thanks to their investment into the academy.

Allen, 18, was signed from NIFL Premiership champions Linfield in July 2020, where he became their youngest-ever player at 15 years and five months, but is yet to make his senior bow, though he has been given a squad number (#70) and a professional contract.

Like Dallas, the teenage gem is capable of playing a variety of positions, as explained by his international elite performance director Jim Magilton after Allen was named in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ list in 2020.

“Charlie is one of those kids you can play anywhere and he’ll probably still be the best player on the pitch,” said Magilton. “He can play right back, central midfield, on either wing, at No10 or at centre forward.”

He is also described as ‘two-footed, blessed with adhesive close control, impressive vision, passing range and finishing ability’ by the newspaper.

Recently called up to the Northern Ireland U21 squad alongside fellow Thorp Arch prodigy Alfie McCalmont , it’s surely only a matter of time before we see more of his exploits in west Yorkshire.

“Fans have compared him to Billy Gilmour [Chelsea teenager] in terms of playing style, he’s got game intelligence and at first-team level for Linfield he’s been disciplined,” claimed Patrick Van Dort, deputy sports editor for JPIMedia.”People say he’s a dream to coach, a good listener and ticks the boxes you’d expect of someone so highly rated.”Already putting in “excellent” and “really impressive” displays for the U23 squad as a promising teen, first-team boss Jesse Marsch could well discover Leeds’ new Dallas in Allen.Heading into the 2022/23 campaign, the 18-year-old is a player that he must consider unleashing when the time is right.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Marsch heading for Leeds nightmare over “explosive” £13.5m-rated gem…

Back in January of 2019, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side were reported to be extremely interested in the signing of a relatively unknown right-back, who went by the name of Timothy Castagne.

Indeed, The Daily Record claimed that the Hoops had made the Atalanta full-back their top priority in the winter window, with Rodgers viewing the Belgium international as a direct replacement for Mikael Lustig – who looked as if he would be leaving Parkhead at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

However, despite offering £8m for the then-23-year-old’s services, the Bhoys failed to get a deal over the line for the promising defender, with Atalanta believed to be looking for a figure in the region of £12m in order to sanction the right-back’s sale.

And, in May of 2019, after finding himself much more involved with Gian Piero Gasperini’s first-team squad, Castagne himself revealed just how close he came to joining Celtic, stating: “It’s incredible how quickly things in football can change.

“In December, I wasn’t starting any games and there was an £8m move to Celtic on the table. It looked like I was leaving, but the club wanted £12m and the deal collapsed.

“Since then, having not played for 13 games, I played just about every other game and we qualified for the Champions League. So it’s been an unbelievable turnaround for me.”

However, flash forward 16 months and Castagne would eventually find himself playing for Rodgers, although not at Celtic Park.

Indeed, in September 2020, Leicester City parted with £21.5m in order to bring the then-24-year-old full-back to the King Power, since which time the Belgian has gone on to establish himself as a first-team regular with the Premier League side.

Furthermore, his prominence in the English top-flight has also seen his market value soar, with the £63k-per-week defender now being worth around £25m in today’s market – something that will undoubtedly leave an incredibly sour taste in Celtic mouths.

Indeed, while £12m certainly would have been an eye-catching fee for the Hoops to cough up for a little-known right-back, the 26-year-old who Gerry Taggart dubbed a “proper player” has since proven he would have been well worth the outlay – both financially and in terms of performance – leading us to believe that Celtic had something of a nightmare when missing out on the full-back in 2019.

AND in other news: “Understand that…”: Journalist drops big transfer update, it’s bad news for Celtic

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Brennan Johnson to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Leeds have now joined Brentford and Newcastle United in the race for the signing of the Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder, who is yet to agree a new deal at The City Ground – with his current contract set to expire next summer.

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The report goes on to state that, while Victor Orta is plotting a £20m offer for the 20-year-old, this move is on the basis that the Whites remain a Premier League side next season, as well as Forest failing to secure promotion to the top flight.

He’s better than Aaronson

Considering the fact that Leeds have also been linked with a move for Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson this summer, it is clear that Orta and Jesse Marsch are targeting the signing of a new attacking midfielder ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

And, while it is undeniable that the USA international is a fantastic young talent – having scored four goals, provided four assists and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.90 over his 22 Austrian Bundesliga appearances this season – there is an argument to be made that Johnson could well be the smarter choice for Leeds.

Firstly, the 20-year-old has experience in the English game, proving himself to be one of the most exciting young prospects the Championship currently has to offer.

Indeed, over his 43 second-tier outings this season, the £900k-rated talent has been one of Steve Cooper’s standout performers, scoring 15 goals, registering ten assists and creating 14 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £2.5k-per-week sensation who Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” player average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as the Reds’ fourth-best outfielder in the league – playing a key role in his side’s late push for an automatic promotion spot.

Secondly, with Salzburg having already rejected a £20m bid for Aaronson in January, as well as the likes of AC Milan and RB Leipzig reportedly interested in the 21-year-old, it would appear likely that the Austrian side will demand a great deal more than Johnson’s own £20m price tag this summer.

As such, while Aaronson would certainly be a fantastic coup for Orta and the Whites, the signing of Johnson may well prove a better deal for Leeds to pursue – as the Wales international would not only be a cheaper option for the Spanish sporting director, considering their respective returns this season, he could also a have a brighter future than the Salzburg starlet.

AND in other news: Deal close: Agreement now in place for £63m talent, Leeds supporters will be gutted

Aston Villa are preparing to offer striker Ollie Watkins a new contract to fend off interest from Arsenal, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: New deals

Steven Gerard appears to be making preparations ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park, with a number of key men penning fresh terms in the Midlands.

Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash and Kortney Hause have all signed new contracts at Villa in 2022, with reports recently suggesting Gerrard could move on eight players this summer.

It looks as if Watkins could follow Martinez, Cash and Hause in extending his Villa Park stay after missing just one game since Gerrard took over in November.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared an update regarding Watkins on Tuesday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that Arsenal are interested in the England international, and, as a result, Villa are preparing a new bumper deal which would see Watkins become one of the club’s top earners.

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Watkins has been the club’s best-performing attacker this season, as per WhoScored, and is the top scorer with eight goals.

He is also Villa’s joint-highest valued player according to Transfermarkt at £31.5m, so a new contract appears to be a smart call from Villa chiefs.

Gerrard hailed Watkins back in December, describing him as a player who has ‘got the lot’, so he could be key under the Villa boss next season, providing he remains at the club beyond the summer.

In other news: Source: Villa now open to selling 2022 star this summer despite Gerrard being a big fan. 

West Ham United are leading the race to sign Joe Worrall in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the Hammers insider revealing in a recent post that David Moyes’ side hold an advantage over the likes of Burnley, Leicester City, Everton and Newcastle United in the battle for the Nottingham Forest centre-back, as Steve Cooper is keen on signing West Ham’s 21-year-old left-back, Emmanuel Longelo.

In the update, Claret & Hugh said: “West Ham appear to still have a small edge as the chase looks set to hot up for Nottingham Forest’s sergeant major central defender, Joe Worrall.

“We understand that no new contract talks have been held with the player, despite his contract expiring in two years’ time.

“In the meantime, we have learned from sources close to Forest boss, Steve Cooper, that he remains keen on Hammers academy left-back, Emmanuel Longelo – who has now been scouted on several occasions by the club and they told us [Cooper] will start new talks with the Hammers in the summer.”

Moyes must axe Longelo for Worrall

While Longelo is undoubtedly an exciting up and coming prospect in east London, should the youngster prove to be the key that unlocks West Ham’s move for Worrall, it would appear an extremely wise move for Moyes to sacrifice the 21-year-old in order to get a deal for the former England U21 international over the line this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Championship appearances this season, the £3.6m-rated defender has been in imperious form for the Garibaldi, helping his side keep 11 clean sheets, as well as making an average of two interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 3.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 63% – per game.

These returns have seen the £10k-per-week talent who Matt Davies comedically claimed is “made out of the same stuff as Wolverine” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Cooper’s fifth-best player in the second tier of English football.

And, with 33-year-old Angelo Ogbonna having spent the last four months on the sidelines with an ACL injury, Issa Diop having been generally below-par ever since his £22m arrival and Craig Dawson turning 32 in May, it is clear to see that West Ham are in need of a freshen up in the heart of their defence.

As such, should Longelo indeed be desired by Cooper as a makeweight in West Ham’s reported £15m move for Worrall this summer, Moyes simply must axe the 21-year-old in order to secure a deal for the Forest titan.

AND in other news: WHU can land dream signing as GSB plot fresh bid for £17m ace dubbed “the next Mbappe”

West Ham United have been dealt a major blow in their bid to secure a deal to bring Gabriel Barbosa to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Anton Toloui, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing on Good Morning Transfers that, despite there being an offer on the table from West Ham, Gabigol’s agent has stated that the 25-year-old is happy in Brazil, and will only leave Flamengo for a bigger club than the Serie A side.

Speaking about the Hammers’ interest in the centre-forward, Toloui said: “You can see that a need [for a new striker] is increasing [for West Ham]. Gabriel Barbosa is the man they’ve targeted, the former Brazilian wonderkid who went to Inter [Milan] early in his career. It didn’t quite work, [he] went back to South America with Flamengo, won the Copa Libertadores and his stock is high again now.

“West Ham came in with a loan deal at the beginning of January – an 18-month loan with a view to a permanent move. Interestingly, his agent has come out over the weekend, Junior Pedroso, [and] told Globo in Brazil: ‘An offer did come in, the player is happy at Flamengo [and] he will only move back to Europe for a project that is bigger than the one he has currently at Flamengo’.”

Fans will be livid

With the signing of a new centre-forward very much being the priority for West Ham over the remainder of the January transfer window, the news that Gabigol appears to be unconvinced of a move to East London this winter is sure to have left Hammers fans livid.

Indeed, considering just how impressive the 25-year-old has been for Flamengo in recent seasons, the £23.4m-rated man would have appeared to make a fantastic addition to David Moyes’ current options in attack.

Over his 18 Serie A appearances last season, the Brazil international bagged 12 goals, provided five assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.6 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £49k-per-week hitman earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as Flamengo’s fourth-best player in the league.

The former Inter Milan forward also highly impressed over his 13 Copa Libertadores outings last term, scoring 11 goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates – with these returns seeing Gabigol average an even more remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.57.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the signing of the 25-year-old would have been something of a coup for the Hammers, however, following Toloui’s latest update, whether Moyes will be able to convince the Brazilian of a move to the London Stadium this month appears very much up in the air at present.

In other news: “Special” 56-goal “fighter” gives West Ham transfer the green light, GSB must now act

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has addressed the absence of Nir Bitton from the matchday squad in the Hoops’ 2-0 victory over Ross County on Sunday. 

The lowdown: Bitton’s importance to Celtic

The 30-year-old has endured an injury-ravaged time at Parkhead, missing 99 matches in a nine-year stint as a Bhoy with varying degrees of problems including a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee issue.

Despite the injuries, the Israel international has still amassed 269 appearances for the Hoops and has been a favourite of several managers at Parkhead over the years.

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Following the player’s latest non-appearance, Postecoglou has explained the situation surrounding the defensive midfielder…

The latest: ‘Slight issue’ for Bitton

Speaking to BBC, as quoted by the Daily Record, the 56-year-old has revealed the latest on the Israelim saying: “He’s got a bit of an issue. A slight issue.”

Bitton has not been seen in action since a fleeting 28-minute appearance in the 2-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox on April 3, having been an unused substitute in the subsequent 7-0 rout of St Johnstone.

The verdict: Worrying signs

Although Postecoglou seems undeterred by Bitton’s latest issue, unfortunately the problems keep mounting up for the 39-cap ace.

So far this season, the man who has been described as ‘fantastic’ by the Celtic manager has scored twice and provided two assists in 36 appearances across all competitions.

With Bitton out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), the upcoming summer is a pivotal one for him, as the experienced midfielder will likely be hoping to receive a new deal, whilst the club could be considering selling him in order to avoid losing their man for nothing.

To that end, the Israeli will be desperate to play a part in this season’s run-in to try and secure a new contract.

In other news, one expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.