Leeds United will now ‘go for’ a striker during the summer window, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Jesse Marsch has already made his first signing as Whites manager, kicking off the club’s summer business with a £25m deal for Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg.

The 48-year-old already has the likes of Patrick Bamford, Joe Gelhardt and Daniel James available as centre-forward options, but he may be unsure whether he can depend on the former over the course of the season after injury restricted the 28-year-old to just nine Premier League appearances in 2021/22.

Gelhardt may have been deemed too inexperienced to lead the line at this stage, having only turned 20 earlier this month and made just 22 senior appearances for the club; while James might lack the required potency in front of goal, having netted only four times in 37 outings in the most recent campaign.

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The latest

Jones expects three more significant signings to follow Aaronson through the door at Elland Road over the summer, saying that one of those will undoubtedly be a centre-forward.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think, realistically, four good signings is probably what you could expect because of the way the market is going to be in terms of the value of people.

“They’re going to go for a striker, there’s no doubt about that.”

The verdict

Who could the new striker potentially be?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously reported that the Whites would like to sign a Premier League marksman, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino and Chelsea’s Armando Broja, who spent last season on loan at Southampton, are potential targets.

Marsch may potentially lean towards Minamino because, according to O’Rourke, the Leeds manager ‘knows all about him from his time at Salzburg’. Indeed, the current Anfield ace played 22 times under Marsch in Austria, helping himself to 20 goal contributions in that time.

That surely wouldn’t be a bad thing for Leeds given that the Japan international bagged another 10 goals this season for Liverpool, impressively averaging one for every 101 minutes of action.

In other news, Leeds are the ‘most interested’ club in this transfer battle

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared a promising update on the club’s transfer plans after a ‘huge’ development this week.

The Lowdown: £150 million injection?

On Tuesday, some very significant news came out of Hotspur Way, with ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy announcing a seismic £150m capital increase ahead of the summer window.

After Spurs head coach Antonio Conte guided the Premier League club to a place in next season’s Champions League qualification pot, it now appears that he could be set for a financial windfall in his bid to attack the transfer market.

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Some members of the press, such as BBC journalist Simon Stone, have described this as a ‘significant’ development, given that the £150m can be invested into transfers and player salaries. Fabrizio Romano also described the news as ‘huge for Tottenham’, with Gold now sharing a ‘big’ update on the Lilywhites’ transfer plans.

The Latest: Gold shares promising update…

According to the football.london reporter, the ‘bulk’ of this £150m will be used to back Conte in the summer, as well as funds from player sales.

Sharing his article in a ‘big piece’, he explained (via Twitter): “Understand the bulk of the £150m, as well as funds from sales, will be ploughed into backing Conte in this coming window.”

The Verdict: Very important…

A list of potential targets have already been drawn up ahead of transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s crunch meeting with Conte in Italy, including the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus (The Telegraph).

If Spurs are serious about providing Conte with what he needs ahead of his first full season at Tottenham, the cash injection will come as massive for Paratici and co in what is shaping up to be a very exciting summer.

Indeed, few would have envisaged this positivity at N17 after the unceremonious sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo late last year.

In other news: ‘Told Spurs are ready…’ – Kilpatrick shares another exciting update for supporters! Find out more here.

Everton are renowned for their transfer disasters since the arrival of Farhad Moshiri back in 2016, and after spending over £500m the club found themselves battling with the chance of being relegated from the Premier League this season, so there is a lot that needs to change going forward to improve the stability.

Frank Lampard joined on Deadline Day and made two signings in Donny van de Beek on loan from Manchester United and a permanent move for Dele Alli, both of which have made little to no impact since arriving at Goodison Park, proving there is still room for improvement in identifying players even with a new manager in charge.

Dele will remain in Merseyside next term but he will need to drastically improve on his tally of zero goal involvements for the Toffees.

With that being said, Everton could repeat their disastrous trick of bringing a Tottenham outcast to the club this season. That’s because they’ve now been linked with a move for Harry Winks this summer, who is reportedly valued at £20m by his current club.

To put things simply, it’s another transfer the club should be looking to avoid.

The Spurs midfielder was blasted by Graham Roberts for his performances at his current side, with the former Spurs defender claiming:

“He’s gone Mr Conservative, he plays simple, and if I don’t give the ball away, I’m a great player.

“You’re not, he’s become an average player, and that’s being fair.”

According to SofaScore, Winks ranks 15th out of 23 players in the Tottenham squad this season and it’s no surprise when you look at his overall output in his 19 Premier League appearances.

The 26-year-old who was dubbed “sloppy” by Alasdair Gold has committed two errors that have led to shots, has only made 0.6 key passes, 0.8 tackles and interceptions, and is dribbled past 0.7 times on average per game. That proves that he lacks effectiveness and coasts through games with a mediocre output in defensive and attacking play.

Everton are in no position to add more players who are anonymous and lack dominance in the midfield at Goodison Park, and are desperately in need of adding more leaders in their team who can be direct and work hard to make sure the Toffees don’t find themselves in the same position as they did this season.

Lampard and Farhad Moshiri must work together to identify players who can come into the club and make an instant impact that can make drastic changes to the current team to inspire better results in the Premier League, Winks is not the player they should be spending their tight transfer budget on.

AND in other news: “Speechless”: Big Finch Farm transfer development will worry Everton supporters

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Romelu Lukaku to north London in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte is now in an advantageous position in his pursuit of the Chelsea centre-forward, as Tottenham have the money to close a deal for the 29-year-old this summer – unlike Inter Milan.

The report goes on to state that, while the Belgium international is keen on the idea of a return to Serie A, Lukaku would also find it difficult to say no to sealing a reunion with the 52-year-old at Spurs.

Meanwhile, from the Blues’ point of view, it is believed that Thomas Tuchel would very much welcome the money received from the permanent sale of the striker – even if it meant selling Lukaku to a direct rival in the Premier League.

“Out of this world”

While it is true that, following his £97.5m move to Chelsea last summer, Lukaku did not enjoy the best campaign of his career in 2021/22 – scoring 15 goals over 44 appearances for the Blues in all competitions – considering just how effective the 29-year-old was for Conte at Inter, it is not difficult to see why the Italian would like to work with the forward once more at Tottenham.

Indeed, over his 95 fixtures under the 52-year-old at Inter, the £76.5m-rated talent bagged a quite astonishing 64 goals and provided his teammates with 17 assists – averaging a direct goal involvement every 96 minutes over the course of his two-year stay at the San Siro.

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The £350k-per-week forward most impressed over his 36 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, scoring 24 goals, registering 11 assists and creating ten big chances, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.32 – ranking him not only as Conte’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 12th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, should Conte believe that he can help the player who Luis Miguel Echegaray dubbed both “out of this world” and “ridiculous” refind this form at Tottenham, the centre-forward’s reported £85m asking price would appear well worth paying, as a peak-performing Lukaku would undoubtedly help to transform Spurs from a top-four contender to a title challenger under the 52-year-old next season.

AND in other news: “As of today…”: Romano reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be gutted

The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers has provided an update on the possibility of the West Midlands club luring Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes to Molineux this summer.

What’s the story?

Speaking on the Talking Wolves YouTube channel, Spiers explained: “So he’s one, again, given who he is and his agency, he’s just constantly on Wolves’ radar, obviously because they know it’s a deal that they can do.

“So that link will perpetually be there, really. If a forward option came up this summer, he’d be right at the top of the list for them.”

The winger has one year left on his current deal with the La Liga outfit and is a client of Jorge Mendes, who represents numerous members of Wolves’ squad.

Therefore, the Portuguese agent’s association with Guedes could seriously increase the likelihood of the 25-year-old signing for Wolves this summer.

Wolves must sign Guedes

If Wolves are to strengthen any position this summer, you would argue that it would have to be in attack, with Bruno Lage’s side ending the campaign with one of the Premier League’s lowest scoring records.

Despite finishing 10th, the Old Gold scored just 38 goals in as many top-flight matches, with only the three relegated clubs scoring fewer goals.

Moreover, creativity from the flanks has been limited in the league this term, with Daniel Podence being Wolves’ most potent winger with two goals and three assists.

Guedes would undoubtedly improve Wolves’ front line, with the 29-cap Portugal international scoring 11 goals and setting up a further six in La Liga this season as Valencia finished ninth in the Spanish top flight.

This campaign has been a major improvement in front of goal for the winger, who scored just five goals in La Liga last season alongside six assists.

Guedes’ strong pedigree is clear to see, making him an excellent prospective signing for Wolves.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old can be accommodated straight into the team, with Francisco Trincao set to return to Barcelona after an unsuccessful loan spell, whilst Adama Traore could still leave despite Barcelona not taking up the option of making his loan deal permanent.

Wolves supporters will want to see intent from the board this summer, particularly after such a poor end to the campaign. With the prospective signing of Guedes, fans would certainly be appeased.

AND in other news: Wolves now closing in on “special” £23.4m-rated signing, it could be bye-bye Neves

According to Sky Sports injury expert Ben Dinnery, Manchester City could have an agreement in place with Gareth Southgate to make sure that right-back Kyle Walker isn’t too heavily involved whilst on duty with England this month.

The Lowdown: Walker’s injury concerns

The 32-year-old veteran sustained an ankle injury earlier in the season during the Sky Blues’ Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Pep Guardiola at one point even confirmed that the £150k-per-week star had been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Despite these fears, the defender managed to make a comeback and was named on the bench for City’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season, which clinched the Manchester outfit the Premier League title in dramatic style.

It was then revealed by the club’s media team just last week that the Sheffield-born talent had been included in the Three Lions squad for their upcoming Nations League games.

The Latest: Dinnery’s agreement claim

Speaking during an interview with Football Insider, Dinnery revealed that he thinks Southgate will be very sensible when it comes to Walker’s game time. He told correspondent Adam Williams:

“He is a very, very fit player.

“We saw that when he returned in the Champions League semi-final. He had done very little training with the group but he put his body on the line.

“Then, after being ruled out for the season, he made a surprise inclusion on the bench for the final day. The time between then and now will certainly have helped him.

“I’m sure Gareth Southgate will have agreed with clubs that he won’t be pushing players unnecessarily. I can’t see Kyle Walker playing every minute of every game.”

The Verdict: An integral England starter

The City gem first made his England debut under Fabio Capello 11 years ago and has since gone on to become an integral part of the Wembley outfit’s starting XI, having been capped 65 times to provide eight assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Walker has been equally as effective in and out of possession for Southgate’s team, where he averages 1.3 tackles and clearances apiece along with 6.5 long balls per game, via WhoScored, showing the impact he can have at both ends of the pitch.

The Three Lions are set to face Germany, Italy, and Hungary in their forthcoming fixtures over the next few weeks as they begin their preparations for the start of the World Cup in November.

In other news… a Manchester City first-team star has been told he is free to leave the club this summer.

Liverpool are willing to trigger Gavi’s €50million (£42.5m) release clause at Barcelona this summer, according to an exciting transfer report from Spain.

The Lowdown: Gavi’s future not yet decided

The 17-year-old is considered one of the most prodigiously gifted young players in world football, having been described as a ‘spectacular’ talent by Xavi.

Gavi is already featuring regularly for both Barcelona and Spain, registering six assists in 46 appearances for the former and winning nine caps for the latter.

The midfielder is yet to sign a new deal at Barca however and his current contract expires next summer, with Liverpool linked with a move in the recent past and Fabrizio Romano revealing on Friday there is still no agreement over a new deal just yet.

The Latest: Liverpool still keen on move

According to Spanish outlet Beteve, the Reds are still interested in signing Gavi this summer and are happy to pay his £42.5million release clause.

It is thought that his preference is still to remain a Barcelona player, but he is yet to be impressed with their contract offers and the Reds would be willing to give him €9m a year, which equates to about £147k-per-week.

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The Verdict: Feels unlikely

While the idea of seeing Liverpool sign Gavi is hugely exciting, it is a move that feels unlikely, given his ties to Barca and the loyalty he will likely show to his boyhood club.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

In Xavi, he has a legendary figure to learn from as manager and he and his representatives will surely feel that it is best for his development to stay put and mature at the Camp Nou.

It is great to see Liverpool even in the conversation for such a special talent, however, further highlighting the force Jurgen Klopp has turned them into.

In other news, one player is set for a Liverpool medical. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa are closing in on the permanent signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

As per the transfer insider, the Midlands outfit appear keen to exercise the buy option in the Swede’s loan deal, with the 32-year-old having joined the club on a temporary switch from Serie A side AS Roma back in January.

Writing on Twitter about the situation regarding the 56-cap international, Romano revealed that an agreement is close: “Aston Villa are getting closer to find full agreement with AS Roma on Robin Olsen deal. Buy option clause for €3.5m expected to be triggered soon, as Aston Villa want to keep Olsen at the club. Talks in progress, the deal could be completed soon.”

The £1.8m-rated giant had spent the first half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Championship outfit Sheffield United, prior to moving to Villa Park, having also played the role of understudy to Jordan Pickford at Everton the year prior.

Supporters delighted

It may not prove to be quite as exciting as the club’s other summer business – having already snapped up Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho – yet supporters will no doubt be delighted to see the proactive attitude to Steven Gerrard’s squad rebuild, with the former Rangers boss seemingly wanting to get his transfer dealings done swiftly.

With further additions also in the pipeline, amid links to soon-to-be free agent Luis Suarez, the former England skipper appears to be receiving substantial backing in order to put his stamp on the squad, with expectations for next term now likely to have sky-rocketed.

As for Olsen, there may not be too many fireworks over a player who was technically already at the club and had made just a solitary Premier League appearance during his six-month loan stint, although he will no doubt provide quality cover to undisputed first-choice, Emi Martinez.

The 6 foot 5 stopper’s solitary top-flight outing came in that remarkable final-day defeat to eventual champions Manchester City at the Etihad, with the visitors squandering a two-goal to help hand Pep Guardiola’s men the title.

The one-time Malmo man had hardly been culpable for any of City’s excellently crafted goals – nor did he deserve to be on the receiving of an awful, post-match assault from a home supporter – with Villa’s problems this term having largely been among the defence, rather than between the sticks – shipping 54 goals in the most recent campaign.

A veteran at international level, Olsen also provides valuable experience to a dressing room that is beginning to overflow with top-class talent, with his presence in the dressing room potentially set to prove vital next term.

As for supporters, they will likely be glad to see the deal wrapped up quickly, so that the club can prioritise other areas of need.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Liverpool are willing to trigger Gavi’s €50million (£42.5m) release clause at Barcelona this summer, according to an exciting transfer report from Spain.

The Lowdown: Gavi’s future not yet decided

The 17-year-old is considered one of the most prodigiously gifted young players in world football, having been described as a ‘spectacular’ talent by Xavi.

Gavi is already featuring regularly for both Barcelona and Spain, registering six assists in 46 appearances for the former and winning nine caps for the latter.

The midfielder is yet to sign a new deal at Barca however and his current contract expires next summer, with Liverpool linked with a move in the recent past and Fabrizio Romano revealing on Friday there is still no agreement over a new deal just yet.

The Latest: Liverpool still keen on move

According to Spanish outlet Beteve, the Reds are still interested in signing Gavi this summer and are happy to pay his £42.5million release clause.

It is thought that his preference is still to remain a Barcelona player, but he is yet to be impressed with their contract offers and the Reds would be willing to give him €9m a year, which equates to about £147k-per-week.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Feels unlikely

While the idea of seeing Liverpool sign Gavi is hugely exciting, it is a move that feels unlikely, given his ties to Barca and the loyalty he will likely show to his boyhood club.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

In Xavi, he has a legendary figure to learn from as manager and he and his representatives will surely feel that it is best for his development to stay put and mature at the Camp Nou.

It is great to see Liverpool even in the conversation for such a special talent, however, further highlighting the force Jurgen Klopp has turned them into.

In other news, one player is set for a Liverpool medical. Find out who it is here.

Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson has delivered an update on Lee Gregory’s future at Sheffield Wednesday during a fan Q&A session.

The Lowdown: Gregory’s debut season

The 33-year-old first made the switch to League One when he joined the Owls in a permanent move from Championship side Stoke City last summer, where he has become a regular feature in Darren Moore’s starting XI in his debut season at Hillsborough, racking up 39 appearances across all competitions.

When the striker put pen to paper on arrival, his contract was set to run until 2023, so with just 12 months now remaining on his current deal, the club will no doubt be sweating over his future after such a successful campaign.

The Latest: Howson drops Gregory update

In a fan Q&A session for Yorkshire Live, Howson was asked by a supporter whether Sheffield Wednesday are in negotiations over a new agreement for Gregory, confirming there are no talks yet but they will be in the pipeline:

“Not sure talks have taken place yet with Gregory but I am sure that is one Wednesday will be looking to sort out sooner rather than later. Gregory was superb in his first year at the club.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The former Potters star was a standout performer for the Owls during his opening campaign in the third-tier, so it wouldn’t come as any surprise to see the club wanting to extend his stay for as long as possible.

Throughout the 2021/22 term, the forward, who was once hailed an “instrumental” player by former Millwall teammate Tom Bradshaw, scored an outstanding 16 goals and provided six assists in League One, as per Transfermarkt, and was a pivotal figure in helping his side reach the play-offs.

Looking ahead to next season, Gregory will be pivotal if the club manage to go all the way and seal promotion to the Championship, so this update that talks are due is certainly an exciting one.

In other news… Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of a new defender.