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Luke Edwards has dropped a huge update on the San Fransico 49ers’ proposed takeover of Leeds United.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for The Telegraph, the journalist revealed that, following the Whites dramatically securing Premier League survival on Sunday, the American franchise are now likely to take full control of the club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Edwards went on to state that, while Andrea Radrizzani has always claimed it is his decision as to whether he would be willing to sell his controlling stake at Elland Road, the 49ers appear as if they will purchase a controlling share of Leeds sooner rather than later, with further news regarding the takeover expected to emerge in the coming days.

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In his piece, the journalist wrote: “Is this the end of the Andrea Radrizzani era? The San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise is likely to take a controlling stake in the club sooner rather than later.

“They have been edging towards a full takeover ever since they took a 10 per cent stake four years ago. They could well be in full control before the start of next season. We can expect some sort of news on this to filter out in the coming days.”

Supporters will love Edwards’ update

While the Elland Road faithful will undoubtedly still be riding the high of seeing their side secure their Premier League status on the final day of the season, once the dust settles, questions must be asked as to how Leeds found themselves battling relegation after such an impressive return to the top flight last time out.

Two answers to this question point towards the current Leeds hierarchy, with Victor Orta’s poor record of recent recruitment coupled with Radrizzani’s lack of spending in the January transfer window playing a huge part in the Whites’ fall from being a top-half team in 2020/21 to one that narrowly escaped relegation just 12 months later.

Indeed, since Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League back in 2020, the vast majority of the Spaniard’s big-money signings have proven to be disappointments, with none of Junior Firpo (£13m), Diego Llorente (£17m), Robin Koch (£11.7m), Rodrigo (£27m) and Dan James (£25m) having particularly lived up to their price tags.

Meanwhile, despite sitting just five points above the relegation zone and being in the midst of a catastrophic injury crisis at the turn of the year, the only movement in or out of Elland Road in the winter window was the departure of highly-rated right-back Cody Drameh – who joined Cardiff City on a short-term loan deal.

As such, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that Leeds supporters made it clear on a recent poll ran on Football FanCast that they would like to see Radrizzani sell up this summer, and, following Edwards’ latest update, it looks as if they could well get their wish in the not too distant future.

AND in other news: “Leeds are closing…”: Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has dropped another major update on Manchester United’s attempts to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: De Jong links

De Jong appears to be a key target for new United boss Erik ten Hag, with Romano revealing in the middle of May that there was contact between the two clubs.

Ten Hag and De Jong worked together at Ajax, with the latter moving to Barcelona in 2019 in a deal worth £77.4m.

The 25-year-old has made 139 appearances at the Nou Camp over the last three seasons, but due to Barcelona’s financial situation, a move to another of Europe’s super clubs could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Romano’s next update

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to share his most recent update regarding De Jong and Manchester United.

He revealed that United have ‘opened direct talks with Barca’ for the Dutch midfielder, who has a price tag of around €85m (£72m). De Jong ‘wants’ Champions League football, however, Romano once again cited Barcelona’s ‘financial issues’ and said the Red Devils will try to ‘push again’.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

United have clearly not given up hope when it comes to De Jong and have now opened direct talks, which can only be a positive sign.

Hopefully, we’ll hear that talks have progressed in the coming days and should a move eventually materialise, you’d expect De Jong could be a direct replacement for Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman will become a free agent at the end of June after the Red Devils officially confirmed his imminent exit, so De Jong, who has enjoyed success under Ten Hag in the past, could be the ideal signing to bolster the club’s midfield ranks.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag now hold talks over yet another target; interest ‘serious’. 

Journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has just shared a significant West Ham United transfer update involving Brentford star Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Eriksen courted…

The Denmark’s footballing legend looks set to be one of the big name free agents of this summer window with no sign of an extension being announced at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Eriksen appears to have his pick of suitors, including West Ham’s arch London rivals Tottenham among others across Europe.

The Irons have now been touted with a potential move to sign the 30-year-old for manager David Moyes as the Scotsman gears up for what will be an interesting 2022/2023 Premier League season.

The Latest: West Ham officials dispatched…

According to The Star, West Ham officials were dispatched midweek to run the rule over Eriksen and Denmark teammate Joakim Maehle ‘with a view to a double swoop’.

The report goes on to state that the Hammers, and by extension club owners GSB, are ‘considering a bid’ for the ex-Inter Milan playmaker who has shone on a return to Premier League football.

The Verdict: Ideal?

Amid links with a return for Jesse Lingard, West Ham could land an ideal creative alternative in Eriksen going by his numbers over 2021/2022 and ‘superstar’ status – as labelled by Bees teammate Pontus Jansson.

According to WhoScored, he finished last season as Thomas Frank’s best player by average match rating whilst also averaging their highest rate of key passes per 90 in the final third.

All of these facts point towards a potentially brilliant West Ham signing.

In other news: ‘Indicated to me…’ – Journalist hints West Ham could now sign ‘big name’ striker Moyes loves! Find out more here.

Leeds United winger Raphinha has turned down a summer move to Liverpool.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication SPORT (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite receiving a “succulent” offer from Jurgen Klopp’s side, the 25-year-old has rejected a move to Anfield in a fresh twist, as the Brazil international has his heart set on securing a switch to Barcelona this summer.

The report goes on to state that Victor Orta was more than willing to do business with the Premier League and Champions League runners up, something that SPORT suggest is down to the Reds possessing greater financial muscle than the Catalan outfit, as well as the fact that Liverpool were willing to offer the Whites Takumi Minamino in a player plus cash deal.

However, it is said that Raphinha – who has already agreed personal terms with Barca – is only interested in a move to the LaLiga club, and is waiting for Xavi to strike a deal with Leeds in order for his proposed switch to the Camp Nou to go through – with it being claimed the Premier League side are demanding a figure of €65m (£55m) to part with the winger.

Orta will be gutted

While there is an argument to be made that Raphinha joining Barcelona would be preferable to the winger securing a move to Liverpool this summer – as this would dramatically reduce the Whites’ chances of lining up against the forward in the coming seasons – the fact that the 25-year-old has now turned down the chance to join the Reds is more than likely to have left Victor Orta gutted.

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Indeed, not only does it appear much more feasible that Klopp’s side would be able to stump up the £40.5m-rated talent’s asking price in an upfront payment, but the prospect of also landing Minamino – a player who the Whites have been reported to hold an interest in signing this summer – as part of the Brazilian’s deal would undoubtedly have been viewed as a huge bonus by the Spanish sporting director and Jesse Marsch alike.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s well-documented financial difficulties have cast serious doubts as to whether or not the LaLiga side will be able to afford a move for the winger at all this summer – with the Catalan club already being unable to register new signings Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen due to their dire accounts.

As such, Raphinha’s apparent adamance on a move to Barcelona above any other club could well, in time, prove to become a source of great frustration for Orta and Leeds, as it is obvious that receiving £55m from the forward’s sale towards the start of the transfer market as opposed to the nearer the end – if at all – would be much more beneficial for the Whites’ own planning and shopping in the summer window.

AND in other news: Surprise: Orta must boldly axe “special” £60k-p/w Leeds ace, Marsch doesn’t need him

Enrico Camelio has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments made while speaking on Italian radio station Radio Radio (via Sport Witness), the Italian journalist revealed that, according to a source in London, both AS Roma and Lazio are interested in a move for the 26-year-old – who has been deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte – in the summer transfer window.

Regarding the interest in the France international, Camelio said: “We received a message around 1.30 am from a London source, and informed us of the interest of Rome and Lazio in the midfielder.

“We then crossed paths, certainly finding confirmations on the Biancocelesti, while we are working on the Giallorossi. [Jose] Mourinho wants a powerful player and he is the ideal figure. He would come on loan.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering just how poor Ndombele has been for Spurs ever since his £63m move to north London in 2019, the news that both Roma and Lazio are interested in taking the midfielder off Tottenham’s hands this summer is sure to have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, over his nine Premier League appearances in 2021/22 – only three of which came under the 52-year-old manager – the £27m-rated talent was in disappointing form. He scored just one goal, provided one assist and created one big chance for his team-mates, completing an average of just 0.1 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 25.6 passes and winning 3.6 duels per game.

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These returns saw the £200k-per-week Frenchman, who John Wenham dubbed “laughable”, average a shocking SofaScore match rating of 6.58, ranking him as Spurs’ second-worst performer in the league.

However, it was not only last season in which Ndombele turned in largely below-par performances, with the 26-year-old also earning uninspiring seasonal SofaScore ratings of 6.85 in 2019/20 and 6.90 in 2020/22.

As such, considering his hefty weekly wage and his disastrous returns on the pitch, the news that both Roma and Lazio seem serious in their interest in the former Lyon starlet is undoubtedly fantastic news for both Tottenham and the player, as it is clear that a parting of the ways would best suit both parties this summer.

AND in other news: Huge Bastoni transfer twist now emerges, Spurs supporters will be buzzing

Newcastle United are reportedly now in the mix to sign Lisandro Martinez this summer.

The Lowdown: Centre-back wanted

The St. James’ Park outfit are reportedly in a ‘strong position’ to sign central defender Sven Botman from Lille, but with interest from Serie A champions and UEFA Champions League qualifiers AC Milan as well, it may still be a difficult deal to get done.

Thus, they may have to look at other targets in the centre-back position, and a few new names have now been cropping up.

The Latest: Martinez interest

As per 90min, the Magpies are now in the mix to sign Martinez from Ajax, although Arsenal are the favourites at this moment in time.

Nonetheless, they are thought to be keeping a close eye on his situation, as are Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan.

The Verdict: Botman alternative

Martinez would certainly be a good alternative to Botman, should they not be able to get that deal over the line.

Nicknamed the ‘butcher of Amsterdam’ for the way he battles at the back, the Argentina international is not afraid to get stuck in, but is also comfortable at playing out from the back.

Only his teammate Daley Blind (83.2) made more passes per match than him (81.8) in the Eredivisie last season (WhoScored), and so the £28.8m-rated defender would slot in nicely under Eddie Howe.

In other news, find out who is now ‘set to leave’ NUFC here!

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell believes Liverpool defender Joe Gomez should leave the club this summer if the right opportunity comes in.

The Lowdown: Fallen out of favour

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a hugely successful seven-year spell in the Premier League, having first joined the Reds from Charlton back in 2015.

However, the centre-back has recently fallen out of favour under Jurgen Klopp, with the likes of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate leapfrogging his place in the German’s pecking order.

Even though the 6 foot 1 powerhouse still has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, The Mirror‘s Simon Mullock revealed just last week that he has become frustrated at a lack of game time, leaving his future on Merseyside up in the air.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Reacting to the news from Mullock in a chat with Football Insider, Campbell said: “I think he will look to leave if a good offer comes in.

“The fact of the matter is, he is not playing enough football.

“It is one thing being first reserve but it is another when you are third or fourth choice. He is probably the fourth choice centre-half.

“Liverpool have also signed another right-back as well. The writing is on the wall as far as I’m concerned.

“If he has any ambition of getting to the World Cup, he needs to leave. He needs to be playing.

“The key is to go to a club where he will play regularly. Hopefully a deal can be done and he can play football. There is nothing better than playing.”

The Verdict: Regular minutes needed

When Gomez hasn’t been used in his natural position in the Liverpool starting XI, Klopp has typically placed him as cover at right-back, but with the new arrival of Calvin Ramsay as a backup option to Trent Alexander-Arnold, he’s now got even less of a chance of nailing down regular minutes.

Last season, the 11-cap international only made four top-flight starts for the Reds, so it’s no wonder that he might want to look elsewhere in a bid to find some much-needed game time.

As Campbell said, if Gomez has any hopes of regaining a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the World Cup later this year, then making the move away from Liverpool would be the best option for his career at this moment in time.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Daniel Ballard during the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, the Black Cats are one of the teams pursuing a deal to sign the centre-back for the 2022/23 campaign as Kristjaan Speakman plots a swoop for the 22-year-old.

The report claims that a number of Championship sides are now looking at the Arsenal man as a target after Burnley pulled out of the race.

Vincent Kompany’s outfit agreed a fee with the Gunners and the player arrived to complete a medical before the move broke down due to personal terms.

Alex Neil needs him badly

Speakman must get a deal over the line for the defender in the coming weeks as he would be an excellent, much-needed, addition to the squad.

Journalist Josh Bunting has claimed that the machine would be an “outstanding” player for the club and explained why the head coach needs him, tweeting: “Good ball player out from the back something that Alex Neil requires in a player of that position.”

The gem has proven that he has the quality to be a consistent performer in the Championship after an impressive season on loan at Millwall.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Ballard averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 across 31 appearances as he established himself as a regular fixture at the back.

He made 3.5 tackles and interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game as he showcased his ability to read the game and his positioning week-in-week-out in the second tier. The youngster also showed off his physical strength as he won 64% of his duels throughout the campaign – dominating the opposition the majority of the time.

Ballard also caught the eye in the recent international break as he impressed in the Nations League for Northern Ireland. In three games for his country, he averaged a brilliant SofaScore rating of 7.17 and won a whopping 72% of his duels.

The 22-year-old also completed 88% of his attempted passes and has proven that he can be reliable in possession of the ball. As Bunting pointed out, Neil needs a centre-back who can pass the ball and Ballard has shown that he can do that, whilst also being a strong defender at Championship level.

Therefore, the head coach needs him badly as he would be a superb signing to bolster his options at the back and Speakman must now work hard to get a deal done.

AND in other news: Speakman eyeing SAFC swoop for “fabulous” £5.1k-p/w titan, just imagine him & Batth…

Leeds United could be set to take on their next Premier League campaign without their Brazilian talisman, Raphinha, in the squad.

After initially rejecting a bid from Arsenal for him, the winger’s immediate future at Elland Road is still up in the air as things stand.

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While it would be hard to find a like-for-like replacement for the attacker given how he’s scored 17 goals and delivered 11 assists in 66 appearances for the Whites, one figure that the club have been linked with recently that could become their next version of Raphinha is Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter.

As a product of Hull’s youth system, the winger has made 121 senior appearances for the Championship club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 21-year-old has found the net 30 times and provided 12 assists in the process.

His latest campaign saw the youngster demonstrate just how impressive he is by playing every minute of league action for his side across numerous positions while scoring 12 goals and supplying four assists.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player at Hull managed to have nearly as many shots at goal as the 21-year-old did (103).

He also delivered 129 crosses, made 36 interceptions and won 17 tackles, showing how capable he is with and without the ball.

This shows just how prolific the Englishman is for his current side, in the same way that Raphinha was for Leeds last season, as he racked up more shots (85) and dribbles (149) than any other player in Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Lewis-Potter’s talent has been known at his current club for some time, as Grant McCann said this about him back in 2020.

He said: “He can be anything he wants to be. He’s quick, he’s getting stronger. If you see him physically now compared to where he was this time last year, he’s head and shoulders above in terms of his physique. He’s got all the tools to be anything he wants.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the club have reportedly placed an £18m price tag on him and why Leeds have their eye on the starlet.

Moving forward, even if Raphinha does end up staying at Elland Road, securing a deal for the Hull prodigy should still be up on Victor Orta’s priority list.

AND in other news: Orta can land his own £72m-rated star as Leeds plot bid for £7.4k-p/w “serious talent”

Pundit Frank McAvennie has claimed that Rangers star Ryan Kent needs to be more consistent amid reported interest from the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Kent linked with England return

As per journalist Dean Jones, further relayed by the Daily Record, the 25-year-old winger is a target for clubs south of the border.

The reporter claimed that Jesse Marsch’s Leeds will make a move for the Rangers ace if Raphinha ends up leaving the Yorkshire club this summer. The Brazil international is at the centre of a transfer saga between Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, with a reported outlay of £60m needed to secure the player’s services.

After signing for the Light Blues on a permanent deal in 2019 following an initial loan spell at Ibrox, the Englishman now has just under a year left on his Rangers contract, so there is a real possibility that he could leave Glasgow on a free transfer next summer, or for a reduced fee in the current transfer window.

The Latest: McAvennie questions Kent

McAvennie, who has five caps for Scotland, has claimed that Kent needs to become more consistent if he is to make the move to the Premier League.

When questioned whether the Rangers attacker would make Leeds’ first XI, the 62-year-old told Football Insider: “Yeah he’ll get a game at Leeds. They’re talking about selling players as well, if the right players go at Leeds I’m sure he’d get a game. If they’re going to pay money from him they’ll want him to do something.

“Kent will go for a bit of money just because he came from Liverpool. There’s no doubting the boy’s ability but my biggest problem with Kent is that he has to be more consistent. You have to have a standard.

“The good players aren’t great every week but they don’t go under a seven out of ten, they work their socks off and they try hard whereas Kent, when he’s having a bad game, he tends to be out the game and he’s got to work on that. But there’s no doubting his talent.”

The Verdict: Rangers must keep him

When looking at Kent’s underlying statistics, it is easy to see why he is so important to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and why they need to try and keep him if Leeds’ apparent interest is ramped up.

When compared with positional peers across Europe’s major leagues over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 92nd percentile for dribbles completed and the 91st percentile for tackles (via FBRef).

Since coming to the Premiership, the forward has accrued 23 goals and 26 assists in 101 league appearances for the Light Blues.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was a big fan of Kent, having labelled the former Liverpool winger as a ‘sensational’ player during his stint in Glasgow.

Therefore, if Leeds are forced into the market for a winger this summer, Rangers fans should be worried, because it could be Kent heading out of the door.