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Leeds United have been linked with a move for Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard after a string of impressive displays at Euro 2020.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato (as reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post), the Whites have joined several other Premier League sides in the race for the 21-year-old’s signature.

The likes of Leicester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in Damsgaard, who reportedly has a £34 million price tag.

The next Raphinha

TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen labeled him “magical” during commentary back in January this year, and the youngster has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Since making the move from his homeland 12 months ago, Damsgaard has established himself as one of the most promising young talents in European football.

After bagging two goals and laying on four assists in 35 Serie A appearances last term, the Denmark international played a pivotal part in his country’s run to the semi-finals of the European Championship.

Two goals and one assist in five games for Kasper Hjulmand’s men seemingly caught the eye of several of the continent’s top clubs, and it seems as though Marcelo Bielsa is Damsgaard’s latest admirer.

No categories

The Leeds manager has achieved impressive results at Elland Road over the last few seasons with flying wingers occupying the flanks in West Yorkshire.

Brazilian wide man Raphinha took the Premier League by storm in 2020/21, excelling under the reign of Bielsa, and Damsgaard could be the next flying forward to benefit from the enigmatic tacticians tutelage.

A ninth-placed finish on their return to the top-flight was a magnificent achievement for Leeds, but the addition of the Scandinavian talent could propel them further up the table.

Damsgaard’s proposed arrival would see him lineup alongside the likes ofRaphinha and Patrick Bamford in the Elland Road outfit’s forward line, and that’s an attack that would strike fear into any Premier League defence.

And, in other news…Bye-bye Costa: Bielsa could sign Leeds’ new Harry Kewell in “magnificent” £20k-p/w gem 

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been dealt another frustrating injury blow this week…

What’s the latest?

Ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash with Premier League rivals West Ham United this afternoon, young striker Joe Gelhardt suffered an ankle injury during training on Thursday and is now expected to be out for three weeks.

“Marcelo Bielsa talking at his pre-West Ham presser – Joe Gelhardt is out. Injured [his] ankle in training yesterday and is out for three weeks. [Tyler] Roberts also out for similar period. Rodrigo not ready but [Patrick] Bamford likely to be involved on Sunday,” claimed The Athletic’s Phil Hay on Twitter.

“[Kalvin] Phillips, [Liam] Cooper, [Jamie] Shackleton, [Charlie] Cresswell and [Pascal] Struijk all still absent too.”

Another big setback

Just when will it stop?

The Yorkshire giants seemingly get a new injury every single week and it’s seriously stalling their progress under Bielsa.

Over the festive period, the 66-year-old head coach was missing as many as nine first-team players as his Whites side were demolished by the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal. It had gotten so bad that a 15-year-old – Archie Gray – was named on the bench.

Some of those absent have since made a return, helping United to a very crucial win over Burnley last weekend – Daniel James and Jack Harrison both found themselves on the scoresheet after a stint on the treatment table.

However, this latest blow puts pressure on Bielsa as he now has an important call to make upfront.

Patrick Bamford is likely to return from injury, having missed 15 of their last 16 league games but he is surely not ready to put in a full 90-minute shift just yet – though, he is the only striker available, leaving the Argentinian with a tough decision.

‘Patrick Bamford, at least, is expected to be available to play against the Hammers, but a 90 or even 120-minute performance is not only likely to be beyond him, it would be neglectful of Leeds to ask it,’ wrote Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth ahead of today’s encounter.

Gelhardt may have been in line to start down at the London Stadium this afternoon and as a player that supporters have already taken to, it will be a big blow to not see him in action today.

The young fan-favourite has already scored and provided three assists from his seven top-flight cameos this campaign and is clearly admired by Bielsa, too.

“He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage,” the manager told Sky Sports.

Therefore, his absence is merely another gutting setback to Bielsa, the squad and the fanbase, The 66-year-old must getting a little more worried as each day passes with his team picking up so many injuries this season.

AND in other news, Bielsa must ruthlessly axe Leeds’ “shocking” £47k-p/w passenger, he’s not good enough…

Manchester United manager will have a sizeable gap in his midfield to fill following the international break after Paul Pogba suffered a major injury blow.

What’s the story?

The 28-year-old picked up a serious thigh problem during a training session with France ahead of their World Cup qualification match against Kazakhstan on Saturday.

Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic’s United reporter, provided an update on Pogba’s situation, revealing he could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

He tweeted: “Paul Pogba at risk of being out until next year after French medics diagnose thigh injury as 8-10 weeks on sidelines. #MUFC still to assess Pogba, who is on his way back to England.”

With the influential engine room operator potentially being consigned to the treatment table until the new year, Solskjaer must find a solution to his enforced absence.

Forget Fred

Luckily for the Norwegian tactician, though, he has an array of talents at his disposal, and he may well have the perfect replacement already within his ranks.

Donny van de Beek has been desperate for a run of games to showcase his true potential since arriving from Ajax for £40m in the summer of 2020, but he’s only started four Premier League games since.

The creative talent has seen the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Pogba continuously picked ahead of him with mixed results, adding to his ever-growing frustrations.

Following a tricky maiden campaign on English shores, it was reported that the 24-year-old had bulked up over the summer after missing Euro 2020 through injury, and United teammate Bruno Fernandes lauded Van de Beek’s extra efforts during pre-season.

“As a professional player you always prepare for your season before you come back for training, you always do something before, and I think everyone was doing their jobs at home,” the Portugal star told the official Manchester United website.

“Yes, he’s (Van de Beek) working hard and working hard in the gym. Obviously, he is one of the quality players we know, and now he’s building up,” he added.

Van de Beek has also been dubbed “perfect” by former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

Nevertheless, the £22.5m-rated gem has found opportunities hard to come by at the Theatre of Dreams once again in the current campaign, featuring from the off on just two occasions in all competitions under Solskjaer.

But now, with Pogba believed to be unavailable for at least two months, United’s boss may place his faith in Van de Beek over the more defensively-minded Fred.

The Red Devils are in need of victories and convincing displays as the pressure continues to mount in the red half of Manchester, and the Netherlands international could be the player to release it.

And, in other news…Glazers can get Man Utd firing with 49 y/o boss dubbed “the best manager in the world” 

Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes would be an excellent signing for Wolves, as well as a show of ambition, according to Midlands reporter Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Nunes linked with Wolves move

Bruno Lage will be looking to bolster his options in the summer transfer window, ensuring his Wanderers side continue to head in the right direction next season.

One player Wolves have been linked with signing is Nunes, who is enjoying an impressive season for Sporting, starting 28 Primeira Liga games and chipping in with two goals and assists apiece.

The 23-year-old’s creative class has shone through in his central midfield role, with an 85.6% pass completion rate and an average of 2.4 dribbles per game.

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The Latest: Journalist talks up signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Holland talked up the idea of Nunes joining Wolves in the summer, saying it would be a statement of intent:

“I think it shows ambition and the fans will love that Bruno Lage wants players like that.

“Depending on where they finish, they need to be looking at players that will want to come to Wolves and help them get into the Champions League rather than a player who wants them to be in the Champions League now.”

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The Verdict: Neves replacement?

Nunes looks like a class act who could fit in seamlessly at Molineux, not least because of his Portuguese roots, and he is surely being viewed as a replacement for Ruben Neves.

The Wolves hero looks increasingly likely to move elsewhere at the end of the season and his compatriot could help the sizeable void left by him, considering he is not dissimilar in style, even hailed as ‘one of the best players in the world today’ by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

At 23, Nunes would be considered a long-term replacement who should improve further in the coming years, also making up for the loss of one of the club’s most influential players.

In other news, one player has emerged as a new Wolves transfer target. Find out who it is here.

As per allnigeriasoccer.com, a contract claim has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving yet-to-be-seen starlet Tobi Omole.

The Lowdown: Nuno blown away…

Since the Nigerian-born defender signed for Spurs’ academy from north London rivals Arsenal in 2020, the 22-year-old has been making waves behind the scenes, according to reports.

Football Insider claimed in October that ex-Lilywhites manager Nuno Espirito Santo had been blown away by the centre-back at Hotspur Way, apparently taking a liking to Omole and regarding him as capable of winning a new deal.

New Spurs boss Antonio Conte is yet to hand the player his senior debut after Nuno only selected Omole for the bench against Crystal Palace last September though, so Spurs fans are still waiting to see him in action for the first time.

Regardless, he appears to have now done enough at N17 to earn a new deal.

The Latest: Omole offer made…

As per allnigeriasoccer.com, Omole has now been offered a new contract at the club with Conte selecting him for Spurs’ main Premier League squad over the remainder of 2021/2022.

The Italian has called him up to countless training sessions with the first team despite not playing him yet with Omole now doing enough to earn possible fresh terms.

The Verdict: Exciting news…

Tottenham insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news on his Lilywhites Rose account, certainly rates the youngster after what he’s seen.

Speaking to Football Insider, the club source claimed that Omole is on his list of prospects to watch at Spurs and has also called him a ‘top young talent’ at the end of last year.

Among Spurs’ growing crop of talented youngsters coming out of N17, Omole could also be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Agent offers Tottenham out-of-window chance to sign £220,000-per-weel star! Find out more here.

Many Sunderland supporters were critical of Elliot Embleton following Saturday’s come-from-behind win at Gillingham, during which the midfielder was sent off.

Lee Johnson’s side trailed 1-0 before Aiden O’Brien equalised on the stroke of half-time and Tom Flanagan scored what proved to be the winner early in the second half, a result which ensured that the Black Cats remained just one point adrift of League One pace-setters Plymouth Argyle.

Embleton received his marching orders midway through the second half for a poor challenge on Jack Tucker, leaving his team-mates to dig deep in order to secure all three points at the Priestfield Stadium.

Even aside from the red card, it was an afternoon to forget for the 22-year-old. As per SofaScore, he lost five of his seven duels (71%) against Gillingham and found a team-mate with only two of his eight crosses. He also gave the ball away 17 times during his 67 minutes on the pitch, the highest figure of anyone in a Sunderland shirt.

Sunderland fans slam Embleton

A number of Black Cats supporters took to Twitter to vent their frustration at Embleton on Saturday, with one describing the midfielder as “overrated”.

“Tin hat on but Embleton is very overrated, apart from his decent start this season he’s done absolutely nowt. Wouldn’t bat an eyelid if he left”

Credit: @rosstitute73

“That was so poor by Embleton. We had complete control”

Credit: @Sunlunfan

“Pathetic tackle from Embleton.. red all the way for me. We would scream for it if it was the other way round”

Credit: @davey_lad

“Reckless challenge, didn’t need to make it, pure stupidity from Embleton, now missed 3 matches”

Credit: @44stu

“Stupid challenge by Embleton whether it was a red or not it was stupid, riddled with injuries already we can’t afford to lose another player”

Credit: @stephsherry92

“Really poor from Embleton. Poor tackle and a needless one. A red probably the right call. Puts us under pressure when we should have been able to see this game out and look for a 3rd”

Credit: @tongey93

“Embleton hasn’t touched the ball for about a month anyway”

Credit: @jakeyholyoak

“Embleton why? Stupid challenge.”

Credit: @DRiley_06

In other news: One of Embleton’s team-mates also came under fire from some Sunderland fans yesterday

Michael Ball insists that Harry Kane will end up at Manchester City before the end of the transfer window.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been at the centre of a transfer saga throughout the summer.

City are reported to be heavily interested in a deal to bring him to the Etihad Stadium and noted transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a new bid worth €150m (£127.3m) is being prepared by the Premier League champions.

The Times, by comparison, has reported that there is no direct dialogue between the two clubs over a deal to sign Kane this summer, and that he may well end up remaining at Spurs for another season.

Still, Ball believes that a deal will get done, with City having the money required to sign him, even after signing Jack Grealish for a British-record £100m.

Kane was left out of the Spurs squad to face City on Sunday but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side managed to win the game 1-0, thanks to a goal from Son Heung-Min.

Asked if he expected Kane to join City, Ball told Football FanCast: “I think so.

“To be honest, in the summer, I didn’t think they’d be able to afford Jack and Kane this summer but with Pep coming out strongly about the deal for Jack Grealish, probably means that they have got the money in the pot to bring Harry Kane to the football club.”

Tottenham Hotspur youth prospect Tobi Omole is in advanced negotiations over a new contract at the north London outfit, according to allnigeriasoccer.com.

The 21-year-old defender joined Spurs from arch-rivals Arsenal in October 2020 following a successful trial and it appears as if he’s already caught the eye of first-team boss Antonio Conte, who recently called the academy starlet up to training.

It was Nuno Santo who first handed Omole a call-up to the first-team squad, naming him amongst the substitutes in games against Stade Rennes, NS Mura and Crystal Palace.

He was even registered as a senior option in their Premier League and Europa Conference League squads, which only goes to show just how highly thought of he is at Hotspur Way.

But who is he?

The young dynamo is a versatile starlet capable of playing at full-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, and for the U23s this campaign, he has bagged two goals from 14 appearances across the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Omole could be the next youngster to break into the senior set-up, perhaps following in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp, who has become a key starter under Conte this term.

Omole, who has been described as a “top young talent” by Lilywhites insider John Wenham to Football Insider, could provide the Italian with valuable cover in defence, where he has been without Cristian Romero since the November international break.

He is not expected back until January, maybe February, at the earliest, so a player like Omole could be of huge value to Conte in the coming weeks and months, especially with the fixture list piling up this festive period.

It is certainly encouraging to see that Spurs are trying to tie him down to an extension as he is close to entering the final six months of his current deal.

Given his recent involvement in training alongside some of the club’s biggest stars, it could well be Omole who emerges as the ‘next Skipp’ and the latest success story from the academy.

AND in other news, Antonio Conte set for Spurs boost amid fresh contract claims…

With six defeats in their previous seven Premier League games, it’s safe to say that Everton are in a dreadful run of form at the moment.

Their latest match saw them lose 4-1 against their Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park, which ended with one particularly disgruntled fan expressing his frustrations at Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, one way that the Dutchman could help to get some of the more dismayed Everton fans back on his side and add some positivity around the club again would be to get rid of Cenk Tosun.

So far this season, the Turkish striker, who is currently picking up £69k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has made just one appearance. That came during the recent defeat against Liverpool, where he played a mere six minutes off the substitutes’ bench.

In fairness to the attacker, he had been suffering with a patella rupture and only made his first league bench appearance in their 2-1 defeat against Wolves.

Everton signed Tosun back in the 2018 January transfer window from Turkish club Besiktas in a deal worth a reported fee of £27m. Since then, the 30-year-old has had loan spells at fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace and a temporary return to Besiktas last season.

Overall, Tosun has made 59 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in the process, which probably isn’t the return that the club would have been hoping for when they splashed out so much cash on him.

Moving forward, with recent reports claiming that Besiktas are looking to free up their wage bill so that they can make a move to sign Tosun in January, perhaps this would be the right time for Brands to call time on the striker’s spell at Everton and get his wages off their books.

Also, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin hopefully returning to action soon after being out injured since August with a fractured toe, his return and the presence of Richarlison and Salomon Rondon would seemingly serve to merely push Tosun further down the pecking order and make his chances of getting regular minutes incredibly slim.

In other news: Report reveals latest update on Benitez’s future, Everton fans could be excited

Former Nottingham Forest defender Michael Dawson has announced his retirement from professional football. 

The 37-year-old was most recently with Chris Hughton’s side, but departed when his contract reached a conclusion at the end of the 2020/21 season.

But he didn’t make a single appearance for the Reds in the 2020/21 league campaign, as Forest finished 17th in the Championship table, in what was a disappointing season for the City Ground faithful.

In the campaign prior to that, Forest finished seventh in the second-tier standings, with Dawson making 19 appearances in total for the Reds in that campaign.

Dawson signed for Nottingham Forest in his second spell back in 2018, and made 121 appearances in total for the Reds over two separate spells with the club.

Speaking after his departure from the City Ground was confirmed this summer, Nottingham Forest Chairman, Nicholas Randall issued high-praise for Dawson, and labelled him as the ‘model professional’.

Now, plenty of Nottingham Forest supporters have taken to social media to react to the news of Dawson’s retirement, with many wishing him well for the future.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter, via the Nottingham Forest social media account, below….

Forest fans hail Dawson

“Need to find a space for him on the sidelines, the passion he shows is infectious.”

Credit: @PearceWh97

“Glad that he finished his career where it all began. All the best for whatever the future holds.”

Credit: @Willh1985

“Love the man. Get in the coaching staff!”

Credit: @NFFCRY

“Forest legend.”

Credit: @Hughtxn

“Legend. Great career and right time to bow out.”

Credit: @Trickyred1

“Absolute legend.”

Credit: @rbikysx

“Hero x.”

Credit: @mattnffc_

“My Captain.”

Credit: @carpo_yeah