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Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy has confirmed there has been talk of Leeds United registering their interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo.  

The Lowdown: Gakpo rumours

Gakpo, hailed as a ‘sensational player’ by Football Oranje editor and Dutch football expert Michael Bell, has been linked with the Whites for large parts of the summer.

Rumours cooled in recent weeks, but Dutch outlet FC Update said on Tuesday that Leeds have still been ‘following developments’ on the 23-year-old in recent weeks.

Primarily a winger who can play anywhere across the front three, Gakpo has averaged a goal in the Eredivisie every 55 minutes this season, and it looks as if he could be on the way to England before Thursday’s deadline.

The Latest: Reddy’s update

Reddy provided an on-air update for Sky Sports News (via Sky Sports Transfer Centre) regarding Gakpo in the last 24 hours.

The journalist said that the player’s camp feel like there is a ‘massive possibility’ of a transfer, adding that indeed ‘there’s talk of Leeds registering interest’ in the forward.

Arsenal, Southampton and Newcastle were also name-checked in the update.

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The Verdict: Forward needed

Another attacking addition is needed at Elland Road prior to Thursday’s deadline, especially following a new injury to Rodrigo on Tuesday evening.

The Spaniard was forced off with a shoulder problem against Everton, leaving Jesse Marsch with Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Bamford as central options.

Gakpo would provide cover in central and wide areas and has enjoyed a brilliant 12 months with PSV, so a move could be a wise one by Leeds officials, however, it could be a tricky one to complete due to time restrictions and Premier League competition.

Newcastle United have been gifted an injury boost before they play Manchester City at home in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Tough ask

Despite their good start to the season, from which they have collected four points from their first two games in the Premier League, getting anything out of Man City will be a tough ask for the St. James’ Park outfit.

City have also started the season off strongly, with maximum points from their first two matches, and look hungry to retain their top-flight title once more.

The Latest: Fraser update

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Eddie Howe has revealed that he hopes that Ryan Fraser will be ‘fit and available’, after he was withdrawn from the squad that drew 0-0 away at Brighton and Hove Albion last week:

“Ryan Fraser we hope will be fit and available. He had a back spasm late last week so he was a late withdrawal from the Brighton game.”

The Verdict: Boost

The North East club will need all of their experienced players available to give them the best possible chance of getting anything from City, and so having Fraser back would be a boost.

The Scotland international picked up a handy two goals and three assists in the Premier League last season, and ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes and crosses per game (WhoScored).

His delivery could be key against Pep Guardiola’s side, especially if Chris Wood is thrown on from the bench late on.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Alexander Isak in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Spanish outlet Diario Vasco have claimed that the club are on the verge of bringing the Swedish international to St. James’ Park.

Journalist Colin Millar translated the article, tweeting:

“Newcastle set to sign Real Sociedad striker and Sweden international Alexander Isak in a £59million deal, rising to £63million, saw local Basque media. Offer accepted and deal imminent.”

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has backed up their claim and Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano has provided a fresh update, Tweeting: 

“Newcastle have already agreed personal terms with Alexander Isak and his agents. Final details discussed on add-ons structure and then deal completed with Real Sociedad, set to be signed. #NUFC Club record fee for Newcastle, also record sale for Real Sociedad.”

Forget about Callum Wilson

Although Wilson has scored two goals in the first three games of the Premier League season, the signing of Isak means that it could now be the time to forget about the Englishman.

Eddie Howe confirmed that the striker is set for a scan on a hamstring injury and it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined for.

This should come as no shock to Magpies fans, though, as the attacker has missed 35 competitive matches since joining the club in the summer of 2020, compared to Isak’s five since 2019.

Wilson is an unreliable player when it comes to his availability and, at the age of 30, he is not getting any younger, which is why replacing him with Isak as the first-choice number nine could be a good move by the club.

Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has claimed that the Swedish will suit Howe’s style of play “as he is very fast” and “good driving the ball”.

These attributes could allow him to thrive in the manager’s pressing system as it creates counter-attacking opportunities and he can use his speed to burst forward – not giving opposition defenders a chance to catch up with him. Rio Ferdinand once dubbed him a “nuisance” and he could use his work rate and pace to force errors out of teams.

Wilson has scored 22 goals in the top-flight since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, whilst Isak has found the back of the net 24 times in La Liga in the same timeframe.

This suggests that he could offer a similar level of quality in front of goal, whilst suiting the team’s style of play, and having the scope to develop further.

His former teammate Chinedu Obasi previously said that Isak has “enormous potential” and he has plenty of years to prove him right, at the age of 22. He could be Newcastle’s starting striker for many seasons to come and it will now be down to Howe to get the best out of him.

Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has been reacting to what he’s heard on Patrick Bamford’s latest injury, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Bamford injured

The England international endured an injury-hit 2021/22 season, with ankle, hamstring and foot issues limiting him to just seven Premier League starts.

The 28-year-old suffered his first injury problem of 2022/23 against Southampton last Saturday when he was forced off with an abductor problem.

Bamford, who has begun the season as captain in Liam Cooper’s absence, was replaced by Dan James at St Mary’s, although Jesse Marsch confirmed after the game that the striker’s injury is “not bad” and claimed that he could be back in training before the match against Chelsea this coming Sunday.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan was reacting to the update on Bamford’s problem not being too serious, describing it as a ‘massive’ boost for Leeds.

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The Elland Road ambassador said:

“We don’t want to be missing Patrick – he’s the captain by rights at the moment.

“He gives us a different dimension when he’s playing. We’ve got that focal point that allows Rodrigo to take up good positions and allows Jack Harrison to push further forward.

“He’s very important to this side, so to hear that he’s back in training soon and it’s not a serious injury – it’s massive.

“This might be a season where he needs time to rest and recover a bit more. He’s just come back from a really horrible season filled with injuries.”

The Verdict: Phew…

Joe Gelhardt didn’t travel to Southampton due to an issue of his own, highlighting Leeds’ lack of depth in attack, so having Bamford out for the foreseeable future would’ve been a major blow, not least because of the 19 Premier League goals that he has scored since the Whites returned to the top flight two years ago.

While it looks as if he could feature on Sunday, it could still be wise for the Leeds hierarchy to explore a new signing in the final third before the September 1 deadline.

Hopefully Bamford will avoid any serious injury issues this term, but as Whelan mentions, the club may need to be especially careful with him as the season goes on given the troubles of 2021/22.

Christian Benteke left Crystal Palace earlier this week but Patrick Vieira may already have a natural replacement for the Belgian in Luke Plange.

After six years at Selhurst Park, the former Liverpool man departed for D.C United, leaving Vieira with Odsonne Edouard, Jordan Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta as his main striking options at Selhurst Park.

However, the Frenchman could call upon 19-year-old Plange, who featured in pre-season and remains in the squad, taking his place on the bench for the opening day defeat against Arsenal.

The youngster is yet to make his first team debut for the Eagles, and only has one appearance for the academy side thus far, so it is no surprise that Vieira gave him a chance in pre-season to get a proper look at him, and he certainly impressed, scoring a hattrick in a 4-2 win against Ipswich Town

Last season saw the teenage forward join Derby County on loan, where he made 26 appearances in the Championship, contributing four goals and two assists.

Wayne Rooney was a big fan of the former Arsenal forward and sang his praises after he scored on his full debut against Blackpool.

He said:

“Luke Plange has a bit of everything in his game.

“He can run in behind teams, he’s quick and he is also strong enough to hold the ball up. As well as that, he’s a clever player and also a finisher.

“With players like that, you know that if they get a chance that they are more than likely going to score.”

Rooney certainly knows what he is talking about when it comes to strikers, considering he was one of the best of his generation in the Premier League, so to hear him talking so highly about Plange will no doubt delight Palace fans.

Rather than Vieira spending millions on a new striker to replace Vieira, the French manager might consider promoting Plange to his first team and giving him some chances this season.

Everton had a slow start to the summer transfer window but have now signed three new players to strengthen the squad at Goodison Park, and a reliable source has revealed a potential new target for the Toffees.

What’s the latest?

According to Everton insider and journalist Alan Myers, the Merseyside club are now interested in signing Conor Coady this summer.

Myers tweeted: “Everton want to sign Wolves defender Conor Coady. Frank Lampard is an admirer of the experienced centre-back, who’s been at Wolves for 7 years.”

Imagine him & Tarkowski

It is no secret that Everton struggled last term as they were embroiled in a relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League table until the penultimate game of the season, so it comes as no surprise that Frank Lampard is keen to strengthen his squad, especially in defence.

In March, Jamie Carragher gave a scathing assessment on Sky Sports of what he believed to be a huge problem for the Toffees following their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The pundit raged: “If Everton aren’t going to be good enough, it can be quality and they’re not. That back four is miles away, it’s Championship level.”

The Toffees’ poor defensive performances ultimately led to them conceding the fifth most goals (66) in the Premier League last term, and after signing James Tarkowski from Burnley last month, they could now strengthen their defence even further to ensure that they don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

Coady, who was dubbed “phenomenal” by former team-mate Dave Edwards, has been a reliable and solid performer for Wolverhampton Wanderers, earning the captaincy at the club with his sound leadership which has led to inclusion in the England team.

Over 38 appearances last season, the £62k-per-week titan scored four goals, made 3.7 clearances per game and won the majority of his duels (53%), becoming one of the standout performers in the division.

The Wolves captain ranked second for successful dribbles, third in conversion of big chances and fourth for blocked shots in the entire top flight.

There is no doubt that Lampard could form the perfect centre-back partnership between Tarkowski and Coady if Everton can secure a deal for the Wolves skipper before the transfer window shuts, as the pair are both renowned for their leadership skills and are both proven defenders who have been important players for the teams they have represented.

Both Englishmen are capable of playing either side in the centre-back role, which will again be very useful to Lampard if he can get them together at Goodison Park, as the strength and experience of the pair combined could help Everton to seriously improve over the course of this season.

The signing of Coady would be a huge coup for the Toffees and would put Lampard in a great position to deploy a defence that he can trust to compete and contribute in their efforts to retain their Premier League status more comfortably this time around.

West Ham United are still pressing on with their bid to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star, Filip Kostic, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per club insider ExWHUemployee – via the West Ham Way Patreon page – the Hammers are hoping that the Serbian international’s agent, Alessandro Lucci, can tempt the 29-year-old into making the switch, with the player currently said to be “indecisive” about the deal.

The respected source stated: “It is believed that Lucci is trying his best to convince the player to be open to a move to West Ham if the Italian move does not happen and that a new improved financial offer has been made to him as of today to try and persuade him to sacrifice the Bosman option,” he wrote.

“It is expected that we will be clearer in the next few days although the player is very indecisive at the moment and as a result, no one in the club knows definitively whether we have a chance or not.”

The 48-cap gem – who has spent the past four seasons in Frankfurt – is reportedly set to be available for a cut-price fee of around €20m (£17m), with just a year remaining on his existing deal with the German outfit.

Unreal signing

It would appear then that a decision over the former Hamburg man’s future could well be imminent, with supporters likely praying that the east Londoners are able to make what would undoubtedly be an unreal signing for the club.

Comfortable anywhere down the left flank, the £43k-per-week sensation would offer a real potent attacking threat to David Moyes’ side, having been in truly sparkling form both domestically and in European competition in recent seasons.

The 2021/22 campaign saw the £21.6m-rated menace register an impressive tally of seven goals and 15 assists in all competitions, notably recording three goals and six assists in just 11 appearances during the Bundesliga side’s triumphant Europa League run – beating the Irons en route to the showpiece.

That haul also ensures his overall record at his current side now stands at 33 goals and 63 assists in 169 games across all fronts, with that stunning form unsurprisingly seeing him dubbed an “assist machine'” by journalist Ronan Murphy.

The one-time Stuttgart man also compares favourably to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues in a number of metrics, ranking in the top 2% for progressive passes received, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Having largely featured in a wing-back berth at the Waldstadion, it remains to be seen just where the 6 foot wizard would line up at the London Stadium were he to be plucked in the coming weeks, although his versatility could potentially see him usurp Aaron Cresswell at left-back or feature ahead of the Englishman in midfield.

With his cliched wand of a left boot, there is no telling as to the damage that West Ham can inflict with Kostic swinging in inch-perfect deliveries to 6 foot 5 summer arrival Gianluca Scamacca, with that attacking threat a truly mouthwatering prospect.

AND in other news, Moyes can now form “unreal” duo as West Ham given green light for “limitless” £13m signing…

Celtic could use their ‘good links’ with the City Group to sign Manchester City midfielder Claudio Gomes this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The lowdown: Hot prospect

Signed from the Paris Saint-Germain academy in 2018, the former France youth international has spent time on loan at PSV Eindhoven and Barnsley, whilst also making 34 appearances for the Premier League champions’ under-23 side.

The 22-year-old had been linked with a move to the Hoops recently, although some reports have dismissed the prospect of Ange Postecoglou wanting to bring the youngster to Parkhead.

Shedding some further light on the situation, one well-informed onlooker has now suggested that the transfer would be an eminently possible one due to the pre-existing relationship between the respective champions of England and Scotland…

The latest: ‘Good links’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke – who writes for Football Insider – has claimed that Celtic could feasibly land the France under-19 starlet.

He said: “That’s one to keep an eye on. I think Celtic and Manchester City do have good links they have had players go from Manchester City to Celtic in the past as well. And then they do have links through the City Group where Ange Postecoglu was working before he moved to Celtic as well so yeah, there’s obviously good links there.”

The verdict: Smart move

Although the Bhoys made a winning start to their Premiership title defence on Sunday, adding another midfield option to the Lennoxtown ranks would be a welcome piece of business.

Despite only making three senior outings during his time in Manchester, Gomes – who was dubbed a ‘really exciting’ signing for Barnsley by radio presenter Joe Beardsall – boasts a supreme pedigree, having come through the youth ranks at two European superpowers in PSG and Man City.

Last season, the combative French defensive midfielder scored once and provided one assist in 32 Championship outings, earning a 6.65 Sofascore rating whilst winning 2.8 duels, making 1.1 clearances and completing 25.8 accurate passes per game in the English second tier.

Valued at £900,000 and under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2023 (Transfermarkt), loaning in Gomes and paying a portion of his £22,000-a-week salary would be the ideal move for Celtic at present, potentially with a view to landing him on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Fabrizio Romano has handed Manchester City supporters an update on their pursuit of Brighton star and top target Marc Cucurella.

The Lowdown: Cucurella talks begin…

Following the departure of former fan favourite Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal, the Premier League champions have opened talks to sign Cucurella, who is seen as a priority for manager Pep Guardiola.

However, as backed by the BBC, City’s opening bid of around £30m has been rejected by the Seagulls, who are believed to privately deem that opening offer as far short of their expectations.

Guardiola arguably needs to find a successor for Zinchenko following the Ukrainian’s exit to north London, and as per Romano, it is believed that negotiations are still well and truly on for Cucurella.

The Latest: Romano shares Cucurella update…

Taking to Twitter, the reliable transfer reporter claims that the player’s stance is well and truly in favour of the Sky Blues.

Sharing news in the last 48 hours, Romano states that the 24-year-old is eyeing a move to Eastlands.

He explained:“Cucurella, pushing to join Man City – talks on with Brighton.”

The Verdict: Keep pursuing?

It is hardly surprising that Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain have prioritised a move for Cucurella.

As per WhoScored, the Spaniard stood out as one of Graham Potter’s key players last season, finishing 2021/22 as one of their top three performers whilst also playing the second-most league minutes behind goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

A mainstay at the Amex Stadium, Sky Sports analyst Statman Dave best summed up the 24-year-old’s quality by drawing attention to Cucurella’s ‘unbelievable’ attributes both going forward and defensively.

Indeed, the former Getafe star is certainly worth pursuing for city, with just over a month of the transfer window remaining.

Despite West Ham United looking likely to be bringing in Chelsea striker Armando Broja in the near future, speculation persists regarding additional centre-forward targets who could also potentially join the Albania international at the club.

Recent reports coming out of Spain (via Caught Offside) have suggested that one name who is of interest to the Hammers is that of Espanyol marksman Raul de Tomas, with the Spaniard also said to be attracting interest from fellow Premier League side, Everton.

The 27-year-old has courted attention following a standout campaign last time out in La Liga, in which he plundered 17 league goals for the Catalan outfit, having helped drag his current side out of the second tier the year prior with 23 league goals.

With the one-time Real Madrid man – who reportedly has a £60m release clause in his current deal – there are perhaps concerns about his lack of regular top-flight football, having spent much of his career thus far in the lower divisions.

That is somewhat reminiscent of one of his compatriots who failed to deliver during his time in east London – Lucas Perez – with the now 33-year-old having also taken something of an unconventional route to England, after stints in Ukraine, Greece and his homeland.

It was, however, Arsenal where the 5 foot 11 dud was plucked from by the Irons in 2018, with then-boss Manuel Pellegrini deeming it wise to sign a player who had made little impact during his two-year spell with the Gunners, scoring just one league goal in 11 outings.

Perhaps as expected, Perez went on to join a long list of strikers who have struggled upon pulling on the claret and blue jersey, scoring just three goals in 15 league appearances for the club, before being quickly moved on to Alaves at the end of his debut season.

While the current Cadiz man only cost GSB a reported £4m, the sums being mentioned with regards to De Tomas are far heftier, with it no doubt set to be an even greater mistake if the £13k-per-week man is signed this summer.

What is perhaps most concerning is that – much like Perez – he has seemingly only been at his best in Spain, having endured a brief, dismal stint at Benfica in his solitary move away from the country thus far, in which he lasted just six months before returning back home.

For all the desperation to bolster Moyes’ forward ranks, supporters would not want the Scot to make the same mistake as his predecessor and agree to what would seemingly be a doomed, Perez-like signing.

AND in other news, Contact made: Moyes can unearth a new sensation as West Ham move for “complete” £39m target