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Leeds United will be well aware of the looming Championship season that draws ever closer, making their reluctance to appoint a new manager somewhat concerning.

With Daniel Farke the frontrunner, it seems that the confirmation of the 49ers' takeover is stalling the official announcement that would allow the German to actually get to work not only with the current squad but in adding to it too.

Despite that, there have already been numerous transfer targets that have seemingly been drawn up by the club. One such example is Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, who continues to be linked with an Elland Road switch despite Premier League and other top-flight clubs from across Europe having shown an interest.

The Swedish marksman has already shown his ability to dominate the English second tier, so it would take an almighty task for the Whites to convince him to stay for one more season.

However, should they earn a promotion at the first time of asking, this 25-year-old marksman could star up front for them for the next decade. This would make his reported £25m price tag more than justified.

Should Leeds United sell Brenden Aaronson?

Should this hulking, pacey front-man decide on a move to Yorkshire, he could not only revolutionise their attack in an instant but have a transformative effect on those around him too.

At last the wingers would have a true focal point with which to play off, and the midfielders can now seek to push on knowing the chaos this 6 foot 2 finisher will bring.

However, should such a move accelerate, it is perhaps Brenden Aaronson that would be most excited to welcome this classic number nine into the side.

The American only joined last summer for a mouth-watering £24.7m fee, but struggled under the weight of his price tag and the physicality of the Premier League.

What did not aid matters was that Patrick Bamford, Leeds' usually-reliable striker, endured one of his worst seasons in recent memory. Rodrigo had to pick up the pieces, and whilst his 13 league goals marked an outstanding year, he plays without those physical assets that make Gyokeres so frightening and tricky to defend.

Should he join up with the 22-year-old attacking midfielder, perhaps the two could strike up a fine partnership that revitalises the former RB Salzburg maestro at last.

After all, in his final year in Austria, he did record 16 goal contributions across all competitions.

Not only would Aaronson be able to feed off the carnage his new teammate would provide, but the space he would be afforded would multiply massively as Gyokeres wrecks his way through defenders.

His tally of 21 goals and ten assists in the Championship last term somehow dwarfed the 17 he scored the year before even that, with it being no surprise to see former teammate Maxime Biamou brand him "unplayable".

It could be argued that this level is now beneath him, and therefore a move to Yorkshire makes little sense. However, should he look to the long-term, and was to be the man to spearhead their promotion the Sweden international would remain a hero at this famous club for many years to come.

Reigniting Aaronson though, who could only muster one league goal all last campaign, would still remain his most impressive feat though should he manage both.

اختار لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي، ماتيو كوفاسيتش، أفضل 3 مدربين لعب تحت قيادتهم خلال مسيرته الكروية.

وانتقل كوفاسيتش قبل بداية الموسم الحالي من تشيلسي إلى مانشستر سيتي ولكن كانت له تجربة مع ريال مدريد في الفترة من 2015 إلى 2018 تحت قيادة، زين الدين زيدان.

ولكن على الرغم من ذلك تجاهل كوفاسيتش مدربه الفرنسي السابق رغم حصوله معه على 3 بطولات لدوري أبطال أوروبا في أعوام 2016، 2017 و2018.

ورغم هذه الألقاب إلا أن كوفاسيتش لم يشارك في أي دقيقة من النهائيات الثلاثة وبعد نهائي كييف ضد ليفربول في عام 2018 رحل إلى تشيلسي معارًا قبل الانتقال النهائي.

اقرأ أيضًا | بيكيه: ميسي مختلف تمامًا عن رونالدو.. ويوضح سر نجاح جوارديولا ووجهة تشافي الأقرب

وتحدث كوفاسيتش عن أفضل 3 مدربين خلال مسيرته في حواره مع صحيفة “Sportske Novosti” الكرواتية، وقال: “جوارديولا، توخيل وساري”.

وتابع: “كل مدرب كانت له صفات مختلفة ولكنهم مميزون للغاية، لقد قضيت وقتًا رائعًا مع ساري ومازلت على تواصل مع توخيل الذي تطور أدائي معه، كما فزنا بلقب دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

واستمر: “لكن جوارديولا هو أكثر مدرب أبهرني وأتفهم لماذا يعتبره الكثيرون الأفضل في العالم، ربما في تاريخ كرة القدم”.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:20

Isam: Broom made all the difference

Ninety-somethings from Kane Williamson and Neil Broom ensured New Zealand whitewashed Bangladesh with a crushing eight-wicket victory in the third ODI in Nelson. Their fluent 179-run stand, which came after Martill Guptill had retired hurt on 6 because of a hamstring strain, helped the hosts ace their chase of 237 with 52 balls to spare.New Zealand were also aided by poor shot selection from Bangladesh, who suffered a collapse of 7 for 77 after opting to bat on a slow surface. After Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes put on 102 for the first wicket, their middle and lower order fell away. That the visitors lasted 50 overs and reached 236 for 9 was down to rookie Nurul Hasan’s cameo of 44 off 39 balls.Mustafizur Rahman then trapped Tom Latham in front in his first over, and Bangladesh might have sensed an opening when Guptill retired hurt for 6 at the start of the third over in the chase.Imrul Kayes, an iffy choice at slip, then dropped a dolly and reprieved Broom on 0. Broom and Williamson combined to slam the doors on Bangladesh. After playing out a few quiet overs, Williamson kick-started the chase when he struck Shakib Al Hasan for back-to-back fours through point in the 10th over. Four overs later, the New Zealand captain lofted Shakib for a straight six.Taskin Ahmed wasn’t spared either and was taken for back-to-back fours. Williamson moved to his fifty off 56 balls and continued to pepper the point boundary.Broom, meanwhile, reached his fifty off 66 balls. He profited from pulls, drives, and sweeps and raced towards a second successive century. He moved into the nineties with a pulled four, but fell three short of a century when he was caught by Mashrafe at gully off Mustafizur in the 35th over.With him needing six to reach his ninth ODI hundred and the team three for the series sweep, Williamson took a single off the first ball of the 42nd over before Jimmy Neesham completed the win with a four over mid-on.Broom had sparkled on the field earlier in the day. He ran back from short third man and pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to send Imrul Kayes back for 44 off 62 balls. Luke Ronchi, the wicketkeeper, took a good catch and effected a crucial run out of Shakib, while Jeetan Patel, playing his first ODI after more than seven years, also made his presence felt with a fine running catch at long-off.Kane Williamson and Neil Broom put on a 179-run stand to deflate Bangladesh•Getty Images

Sabbir Rahman had an eventful 14-ball stay in which he struck four boundaries, copped a blow on the chest, and then got strangled down the leg side. Two overs later, Mahmudullah pulled Southee to short midwicket to finish the series with only four runs, rounding off the worst ODI series of his career.Tamim was next to go in the 31st over when Broom ran back from point and tracked a top-edged slog. The shot encapsulated his frustration; he had not scored a boundary in ten overs leading up to the dismissal. The wickets of Shakib, Mosaddek Hossain and Tanbir Hayder then hastened the collapse.Mashrafe and Nurul negotiated the next 6.3 overs for the addition of 33 runs. The stand ended when Mashrafe holed out to long-off. Nurul, however, boosted his team with sensible batting before opening up in the slog overs. He moved Matt Henry over midwicket at the start of the last over of Bangladesh’s innings, then hooked him over square leg. He fell to an excellent return off the next ball, but proved a bright spot for Bangladesh amid the gloom in New Zealand.

Burnley have sealed an instant bounce back into the Premier League and Vincent Kompany will be working hard to build a team fit to compete comfortably in the top flight next season.

The Clarets have already secured two permanent signings ahead of their return; however, after confirming this week that 18 players will leave the club this summer, there is still plenty of work to be done in the transfer market.

Indeed, their attacking threat has been one of the most tenacious in the Championship, with no other team scoring more goals (87) over the 46-game campaign.

However, with Ashley Barnes heading to Norwich City and top scorer Nathan Tella’s future at the club uncertain due to his imminent return to his parent club Southampton, it could potentially leave a gaping hole in the forward line.

The Saints are facing a spell in the second tier after their top-flight relegation, which means that Tella’s success in the Championship could entice the south coast side to retain his services for their promotion challenge.

As a result, bolstering the options in the final third will be massively advantageous to Kompany, and bringing in a player with experience at a top-flight club would be an even bigger boost.

One player who has been linked with a move to Turf Moor this summer is former Chelsea academy graduate and current Troyes striker Ike Ugbo.

Who is Ike Ugbo?

The 24-year-old has been at a number of clubs over his career so far, including MK Dons, Barnsley and Genk. However, his rise through the Cobham academy is most notable.

Despite never making a senior appearance for Chelsea beyond pre-season friendlies, Ugbo tallied up 25 goals and four assists in the U18s and U21s before venturing on a number of loan moves and eventually settling in Ligue 1 with Troyes.

Over 23 league appearances, the £13k-per-week dynamo – dubbed as ‘decisive’ by the Belgian media – has only scored two goals and registered one assist, however, has only averaged 32 minutes per game and earned just seven starts.

According to FBref, Leicester City goal machine Jamie Vardy is the second most comparable forward to Ugbo over the last 12 months, with the pair sharing similarities in their output this season, including shots on target per 90 (0.50 v 0.63), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.12 v 1.66) and goal contributions delivered per 90 (0.37 v 0.34).

Whilst the ideal signing would be for a Premier League-proven striker that can offer consistent goal contributions next season, it's an endeavour that won’t come cheap for the Clarets.

Instead, the signing of Ugbo could be a great opportunity for the Burnley boss to flex his clear ability to improve and develop unpolished talent without sacrificing crucial finances that will be needed in other areas of the pitch.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Burnley as they prepare to return to the Premier League, and Ugbo could be Kompany’s answer to Vardy if he can get the very best from him next season.

ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United will target domestic players in the summer transfer window if David Moyes is in charge.

What are the latest West Ham transfer rumours?

It's been a funny old season for the Hammers. What started out very slowly and looked potentially as though it could end its relegation, could now finish with sheer joy.

Indeed, the Irons have secured Premier League safety with ease, finishing 14th in the division, and have the Europa Conference League final to enjoy next month.

It's crazy how much the mood has changed in East London but maybe it's because their star signings have taken some time to adjust to life in England but have now hit their stride.

After all, the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Nayef Aguerd, and Thilo Kehrer arrived from overseas in the summer so it would make sense if they've taken time to find their best form in a new environment.

While discussing this on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex suggested that Moyes will look to sign players from England in the summer to help avoid similar issues occurring next term.

He explained (2:58): “I have been told if David Moyes remains the manager, the main focus is going to be on players with domestic experience over foreign signings.

"Although he has made it clear that if he feels that there's better value in the foreign signing than the domestic signing, then he will do whatever the best value is.

"Often people say you have to add British tax on to British signings or domestic-based signings because they tend to be more expensive than the foreign signings, when you're getting pretty much a like-for-like player.

“But they do want to sort of balance out that between the value and having domestic experience because I think they've pinpointed a lot of the reason a couple of players took their time to adjust to the league this year [is] because they hadn't played the league before."

How much could West Ham spend this summer?

With Declan Rice expected to leave this summer, the Irons could have somewhere in the region of £120m to spend on new signings.

This means, the club could potentially shop from any side in the world but if they do look closer to home, they can afford to sign players with a potential premium due to the "English tax" Ex refers to.

Of course, though, it remains unclear if Moyes will even still be their manager. If he loses the final against Fiorentina, he could be sacked – having been under the threat of losing his job earlier on in the season – and a new manager could have completely different transfer ambitions.

Only time will tell.

Leeds United have failed to keep their battle against Premier League relegation in their hands after suffering a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium this afternoon.

The Whites will need to take nothing less than three points from their final fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road next weekend, and even so, if Everton secure a victory at Goodison Park against Bournemouth, it won't be enough to save them.

Leeds struggled to deliver on their visit to East London with just 41% possession and fewer shots on target (3 v 9), which was a testament to yet another uninspiring performance from the side.

In the first half, the fight for survival looked very much back on for the west Yorkshire club when Rodrigo found the back of the net in the 17th minute, however, from that moment on it turned into a nightmare.

The Hammers had no trouble getting back into the game, with the defensive quality of Leeds getting worse as the game went on with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini all taking advantage to snatch all three points.

Indeed, it would be unfair to pinpoint the blame on just one individual for increasing the chances of relegation, but Luke Ayling's inability to retain possession or even just accurately pass the ball certainly contributed to the huge pressure Leeds now face.

How did Luke Ayling get on vs West Ham United?

The right-back has been on the entire journey with Leeds from Championship strugglers to the Premier League promotion highs, but his more recent performances this season have dampened his legacy at the club.

The Elland Road faithful are loyal to their team but would expect a player who has been with them on the rollercoaster ride that has been the last few years to put up a fight when needed most.

The £20k-per-week liability – who has been slammed for his lazy "ball-watching" by Sky Sports commentator Andy Hinchliffe this season – lost possession of the ball 20 times, misplaced all eight of his crosses and completed just 67% of his passes in a dismal display with the ball at his feet.

Furthermore, the defender lost 100% of his aerial duels and didn't make a single interception on a torrid afternoon.

The experienced full-back unsurprisingly picked up a terrible 4/10 match rating from Leeds Live's Beren Cross, who said of his display: "He left the team exposed down his flank when they were countered on."

It is clear that no matter what happens when Leeds' fate is sealed next weekend, there needs to be big changes in the squad personnel and adding quality in key areas of the pitch will be absolutely imperative to improve their performances.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Sam Allardyce makes some much-needed tweaks to his team on the final day of the campaign, but either way, Leeds will now have to hope other teams can do them favours in their pursuit of safety.

Newcastle United are on course to secure Champions League football as they currently sit third in the table and nine points clear of fifth, with five games left to play.

The Magpies were able to avoid the drop down to the Championship after PIF completed their takeover and provided Eddie Howe with the funds to sign the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier.

Last summer, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, and Nick Pope were among those added to the group to push on, and they have played key roles in the club's European charge.

However, their success this season has not all been down to recent funding from PIF and one of Howe's crucial players is a player who cost the club nothing – Sean Longstaff.

The local lad came through the academy system at St. James' Park and was handed his first-team opportunity by former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez, who saw the potential in him.

Newcastle gave the academy graduate a four-year professional deal in 2018 with the Spanish coach saying that the Englishman has "great potential" and is "keen to learn".

Since then, the midfielder has made 135 first-team appearances for the Toon Army and contributed with eight goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

How much is Sean Longstaff worth?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that Longstaff should be valued in the region of £50m. That merely illustrates the ace's meteoric rise since coming into the senior team in 2018.

This season, the 25-year-old has made 32 Premier League outings and has been a reliable operator in midfield – completing 83% of his attempted passes.

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson praised his "outstanding" play and the role the dynamo has in the Magpies team, saying: "He's probably one of the first names on the team sheet. People might raise and eyebrow there and say 'don't be silly.' He's got the legs in midfield, he's an unsung hero.

"He does a lot of the hard graft for them and that's why they are where they are. Defensively, when Southampton really asked the questions they were solid as a rock."

Longstaff's rise to prominence in a team on course to secure Champions League football this season is vindication for Benitez and the faith that the Spanish boss had in the youngster five years ago.

The former Liverpool coach believed in the maestro's potential and Eddie Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce in the dugout, has been able to unlock his quality in the top flight this term.

Hopefully, there is more development to come from the Englishman, and he can continue to be a key player for Newcastle moving forward.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a difficult season in the Premier League this term and have needed three wins in their last five matches to move clear of the relegation scrap heading into the final month of the campaign.

Julen Lopetegui's side have the third-worst goalscoring record in the division, having found the back of the net 29 times in 34 outings, but are eight points clear of the bottom three.

The Spanish head coach may be hoping for more quality in the attacking areas, in particular, next season and one player who could help in that regard is left-back Ryan Giles.

How has Ryan Giles performed this season?

He is currently out on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship and has been in phenomenal form for Michael Carrick's side in a left wing-back role.

Bringing the 23-year-old into the first-team picture next season would allow Lopetegui to ruthlessly ditch 20-year-old left-back Hugo Bueno, who has created just 0.8 chances per game and provided one assist in 18 Premier League appearances this term.

The Spaniard has offered little in the way of creativity from that position but Giles' form in the second tier suggests that the Englishman has the potential to be a significant upgrade.

In the Championship this season, the Boro defender has racked up two key passes per game and created 23 'big chances' – assisting a remarkable haul of 11 goals – in 44 appearances.

During his time at Blackburn in 2021/22, then-Ewood Park boss Tony Mowbray heaped praise on the youngster, saying:

"He’s got a wonderfully cultured left foot, he’s a good footballer and he’s athletic, he’s just what we require."

The coach added: "Give him the ball and watch him dance inside like Riyad Mahrez. He can run past you on the outside and if you overcommit then he just chops it back onto his left foot and whacks it in the top corner.”

Giles produced ten assists in 32 Championship outings that season and these statistics, over the course of two campaigns, show that the youngster is an incredibly creative defender who can cause huge problems for opposition defences with his crossing and passing from the left-hand side.

The Boro star has consistently delivered excellent creativity, whereas Bueno has been unable to do so for Wolves in the Premier League, and his return next season could provide a much-needed attacking boost to Lopetegui's struggling attack.

Therefore, the end of Giles' loan with Middlesbrough could open the door for the manager to ditch the 20-year-old Spaniard in favour of the English chance creation machine, to see if he can translate his form over to the top-flight.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in making Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim their new manager at Stamford Bridge and the young Portuguese boss could prove to be the next Jose Mourinho.

Could Chelsea appoint Amorim?

According to The Guardian, Chelsea have already spoken with the 38-year-old manager as they consider a long-term replacement for Graham Potter.

It is claimed that Amorim isn't their first choice and is yet to be convinced that Chelsea is the right move for him, but the prospect of taking over the plethora of world-class talent at Stamford Bridge may prove difficult for him to turn down should the Blues make an official approach.

The arrival of Frank Lampard as interim manager until the end of the season has given Todd Boehly and co plenty of time to find their next main man at Stamford Bridge, with Amorim one of four who they have already been spoken to.

The young manager has earned a lot of plaudits for his work with Sporting Lisbon, having led them to the Portuguese Liga title in 2021 and impressing in the Champions League and Europa League since then, memorably knocking Arsenal out of the competition earlier this season.

Could Amorim be Mourinho 2.0 for Chelsea?

Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique are both name-checked as other potential options for the Blues but Amorim could see Chelsea return to the Portuguese league in search of an up-and-coming manager, having done so when appointing Jose Mourinho from Porto in 2004.

The special one had a big reputation, having already won the Champions League with Porto at the age of 41, but like Amorim, he had never managed outside of Portugal before arriving at Stamford Bridge.

Amorim earned a sensational 2.38 points per game in his 13 matches in charge of Braga, before impressing with Sporting Lisbon, averaging a superb 2.19 points per game there.

For context, Potter would manage just 1.42 points per game in his time with Chelsea, which suggests that the 38-year-old could be a big upgrade on the Englishman should he take over in the summer.

Although it might be seen as a risky appointment by some, Amorim has delivered unprecedented success with Sporting Lisbon, steering them to their first title in 19 years in 2021 and helping them to the Europa League quarter-final stage this season, with wins against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in this campaign.

The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke rates him as "the most exciting young manager in European football" and for that reason, he could potentially follow in the footsteps of his Portuguese compatriot Mourinho, should Boehly bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici views former Barcelona boss as a ‘strong candidate’ to succeed Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte succession plan…

The 53-year-old has been repeatedly linked with an exit from Spurs in the last few weeks with Paratici already drawing a list of candidates to replace him long term.

While some noises suggest Ryan Mason will take interim charge for the remainder of this Premier League season if Conte is sacked, there could be many names to watch out for afterwards.

Sky claim some Spurs players have contacted former boss Mauricio Pochettino to return and other candidates in the frame include Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Enrique.

Conte’s seemingly inevitable exit from the north London club was accelerated by an astonishing rant after Spurs’ 3-3 draw with Southampton last weekend.

The Italian launched a scathing attack on the squad, chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s very culture – stating:

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why?”

The Latest: Luis Enrique a ‘strong candidate’ for Spurs hot seat…

According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, speaking to CaughtOffside, ex-Spain boss Enrique is viewed as a strong candidate by Paratici.

The transfer chief will apparently lead Tottenham’s chase for a new manager, even if Levy’s opinion carries huge weight, with Jacobs adding Enrique could be a ‘popular’ choice for Spurs supporters.

The reporter said:

“Pochettino is extremely open to a Spurs return and retains a strong professional and personal relationship with Levy. But Levy isn’t the only decision maker, even though his opinion carries huge weight. Fabio Paratici will lead on any appointment and he views Enrique as a strong candidate. Both options would be popular choices amongst the fanbase.”

The Verdict: Big pedigree…

Enrique shares a lot of similarities with Pochettino in the sense they both encourage open, attacking football and currently stand out as attainable free agents.

The 52-year-old has also worked with some of football’s most mega superstars, like Lionel Messi, potentially meaning he could handle a few egos in the Spurs dressing room.

Enrique has even been called ‘underrated’ by members of the media with the European coach coming as a really good potential choice.

However, we believe Pochettino still stands out given his Premier League experience.