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According to recent reports, Leeds United could land their reported summer transfer target, Lucas Vazquez, on a contract worth just £50,000-per-week.

The report by Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness) claims that Vazquez is demanding a salary of €3 million-per-year (£2.6 million-per-year, or £50k-per-week) after tax in his contract negotiations with Real Madrid, and that if Los Blancos do not offer him this amount, the winger has made it clear that he will be leaving upon the end of his current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu, which expires this summer.

This is where Leeds come in, with Victor Orta thought to be keeping a very close eye on the negotiations between Vazquez and Madrid, with the Whites director reported to be keen on landing the £13.5 million-rated 29-year-old on a free transfer in the summer transfer window.

Transfer Tavern Take

The fact that Madrid appear to be hesitant in offering Vazquez the wage the winger is demanding comes as slightly surprising news, as the Spain international has been one of Zinedine Zidane’s better players this season.

Over his 22 LaLiga appearances this term, the 29-year-old has scored two goals and provided four assists, as well as averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.17 – ranking him as Madrid’s fourth-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

As such, should Leeds go on to secure a deal for Vazquez this summer, it would appear as if Marcelo Bielsa will be welcoming the addition of a very fine player to his squad, as well as the potential move representing something of a bargain for Orta, who would reportedly have to pay the winger just £50,000-per-week after tax.

In other news: Leeds United have been urged to sign this “highly sought-after” £31k-p/w star this summer – find out more here!

Rangers play on Wednesday evening, where three points would put Steven Gerrard’s side on the brink of winning the title.

The Gers take on fifth-placed Livingston in the Scottish Premiership, as they look to take another step towards winning the SPFL title for the first time in 10 years.

The ‘Gers are fresh from progressing in the Europa League with a 5-2 win against Royal Antwerp to continue their impressive unbeaten run in all competitions, whereas Livingston suffered a 1-0 defeat against St Johnstone in the Scottish League Cup final last time out.

Although Gerrard may be tempted to rotate his side on Wednesday evening, he should perhaps go with his strongest side to ensure that they earn the three points at Ibrox and edge closer to their first title in 10 years.

Here’s how Football FanCast feels the English manager will set his side up on Wednesday, with two changes from the team that started against Antwerp in midweek…

Allan McGregor unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, with him having been superb so far this season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 21 Premiership appearances.

There’s one change in the defence, as Nathan Patterson warrants a start after his goal from the bench against Antwerp, with Leon Balogun looking uncomfortable in that position throughout the first half, so he drops to the bench, with the rest of the defence staying the same.

There’s one change in midfield, as Steven Davis drops out with new signing Scott Wright handed his first start for the club, having been limited to just substitute appearances so far.

Considering Livingston’s poor recent form, Gerrard’s side should attack from the start, and having the attack-minded Wright in midfield alongside Joe Aribo and Glenn Kamara could prove to be too much for David Martindale’s side.

Finally, the front three stays the same, with Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos having all been superb in recent fixtures.

And, in other news… Get it done: Gerrard should hand new Rangers deal to £18k-p/w beast

Many Everton fans have been left to hail some early team news ahead of their home game versus Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Speaking to evertontv (via the official website of the Goodison Park faithful), Carlo Ancelotti has claimed that he Republic of Ireland international “will be back” to play against Sean Dyche’s team at the weekend.

The Merseyside club greatly missed their captain in their last match, a 2-0 away loss at the hands of Chelsea, a side with whom they are currently fighting for to finish in the UEFA Champions League qualification spots come the end of the 2020/21 term.

Coleman will offer a much more attacking threat than Mason Holgate, who has been filling in for the 32-year-old at right-back and is predominantly a central defender by trade.

Nonetheless, it will be great to see him back on the football pitch for the Toffees once more.

Everton fan reaction to Coleman news

These Blues hailed the news of his return on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far to claim that it was “excellent”:

“Good news, 100 mph straight out the blocks on Saturday COYB”

Credit: @MrGriff1878

“Excellent news”

Credit: @nikkiharg

“Good. Will add a more attacking threat than Holgate. Give him a rest.”

Credit: @Rochey1878

“Great news that”

Credit: @JackWilliams_24

“He really makes whoever plays RW better, Iwobi looks like a different player with Coleman”

Credit: @baldoochi

“We’ve missed that link up on the right”Credit: @SJxH22In other news, find out what recent Everton update has been lauded by fans here!

If you cast your minds all the way back to the extended summer transfer window, you will remember Ross Wilson embarked on a big spending spree in a bid to stop Celtic’s ten in a row.

Rangers recorded a £10.35m net spend in the last window, per Transfermarkt, as Wilson brought in the likes of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe on four-year deals.

They also secured the signing of Bafana-Bafana midfielder Bongani Zungu on an initial loan deal with the option to buy. But it hasn’t quite worked out for him at Ibrox, as he has been limited to mostly substitute appearances from the bench.

Just because a player is a fully-fledged international, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will succeed in the Scottish Premiership; a league that has become known for its physicality.

Rangers also stumbled across former Brighton centre-back Leon Balogun, who has turned out to be a rare gem of a find.

Now, however, they have missed out on the chance to sign a player who was once considered to be the ‘New Gazza’ – 34-cap England international Jack Wilshere.

Rangers had a legitimate interest in signing the free agent after his £100,000-per-week contract was terminated by West Ham on transfer deadline day but a move didn’t materialise and he recently re-joined Bournemouth instead.

There’s no two ways of saying this – this has to be one of Wilson’s biggest regrets in recent memory. Steven Gerrard was on the hunt for a new central midfielder in the summer and he ultimately brought in Zungu as backup for Steven Davis.

However, it’s fair to say that they still arguably lack a technical operator in the midfield who can play second fiddle to Davis, as Zungu has failed to register a single goal or assist so far this season.

Able to play at the centre, on the left or on the right, Wilshere could’ve been exactly that. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once said: “He’s quality, he’s smart and has the quality on the ball. He has a special quality with the ball, dribbling as a holding-midfielder to attack central defenders — it’s not easy to do that.”

In his last season at Arsenal alone, he took 1.2 shots and made 1.8 key passes per game, via WhoScored, – successfully completing 3.2 dribbles on average.

For context, this would have put him top of the Rangers squad ahead of the likes of Joe Aribo (1.7) and Ryan Kent (1.9). In comparison, Zungu has shockingly only managed 0.1 dribbles per game this season, as per WhoScored.

This sort of attacking threat would’ve been most welcome in the Govan side of Glasgow, as he has shown a willingness to bring the ball out from the back to put his team on the front foot.

AND in other news, Rangers loanee Kai Kennedy showed his class against Hearts…

Manchester United’s new signing Amad Diallo has been likened to legendary Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o.

What’s the word?

Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has heaped praise on the 18-year-old right-winger, saying he shares certain similarities with the African great.

Agyemang-Badu told BBC Sport Africa: “Diallo is a mix of some quality African players.

“He has this quality of Eto’o’s of being very strong on the ball, knows how to hold the ball and is a good passer. (He is like) Gervinho when it comes to pace.”

Diallo made four Serie A top-flight appearances for Atalanta and bagged a brace against the Liverpool U23’s in a Premier League 2 game last month.

Upgrade on Daniel James?

Juan Mata has been a top performer for the Red Devils over the years but the former Atalanta kid could be just as good, if not better, than both Mata and Daniel James.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that United may have found themselves a gem floating above the Serie A youth system and are already polishing him into a player who could be a long-term replacement for Mata and a significant upgrade on James at the same time.

A lively, quick and energetic dribbler, he’s proven to be a hard man to combat due to how he can trouble the opposition in so many ways, whilst he has shown that getting up and down the pitch is no problem for him, having fired home 36 goals across all competitions for Atalanta’s development squads.

However, it should be remembered that he still remains relatively untested at the highest level, with one sole appearance for Atalanta in the Champions League this season.

But it’s fair to say that the Ivory Coast winger gave a rather good account of himself against FC Midtjylland – on the night, he took three shots and one key pass inside 22′ minutes, as per WhoScored.

By comparison, that’s more shots than the likes of James (1.3) and Mata (0.6) have averaged in all competitions this season. Given his age, it’s fair to say that Mata has entered the twilight of his career, and Diallo could be the man to fill his boots.

There’s certainly been a fair amount of hype surrounding Diallo, and for obvious reasons – after all, it’s not everyday you get a player at such a young age who has already been compared to Lionel Messi.

Whilst it’s still too early to judge whether or not he will be a success at Old Trafford, if his recent performances for Atalanta are anything to go by, we see no reason why he won’t be able to make the jump to the first team.

And given the fact the rest of the Premier League hasn’t seen what he can do, the £13.5m-rated gem could well be Solskjaer’s X-factor, surprising teams and catching them on the back foot with his raw ability and speed.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…

Manchester United versatile forward Marcus Rashford scored in injury time to snatch a last-gasp victory over Wolves at Old Trafford on Tuesday night as the Red Devils registered a crucial 1-0 win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to close the gap on Liverpool.

A deflected effort from Rashford in the closing stages of the game proved to be enough to secure the three points.

While Rashford will undoubtedly pick up most of the plaudits, United defender and club captain Harry Maguire arguably stole the show with a solid display at the back as he put in a workmanlike performance.

England international Maguire was colossal at the back for Solskjaer’s side against Wolves as they earned a clean sheet for the first time since the Carabao Cup clash with Everton and his latest showing was all the more impressive especially when you consider the fact that he has started 21 games across all competitions this season so far.

As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old centre-back was rewarded for his efforts with a high rating of 7.8 out of ten – only David de Gea scored higher – as he made two tackles, three interceptions, two clearances and blocked two shots to deny Wolves a share of the spoils.

Maguire, who earns around £189,000-per-week at Old Trafford, also took 87 touches of the ball, which was two more than even Paul Pogba managed, and clearly made the most of all of the possession as he attempted long balls over the top at almost free will, completing eight successful long balls out of nine attempts, via SofaScore.

The Sun seem to agree, claiming he ‘got his side on the front foot early on with some nice, crisp passes through the lines’ and provided an example of ‘perfect defending to stop Pedro Neto after a dangerous Wolves counter.’

It’s safe to say that Maguire has had his fair share of naysayers during his time at Old Trafford – we can count ourselves among that number – but this kind of performance has been so typical of him over the past couple of months.

He endured a torrid time at the start of the season but has benefitted from having Eric Bailly back alongside him to plug the gap in the leaky defence. United have now conceded 23 goals in the Premier League, seven fewer than Leeds United, with two clean sheets out of their previous three fixtures, via Transfermarkt.

As 2020 draws to a close, it finally looks like Maguire is starting to live up to his hefty price-tag and looks like a real talent. It might seem a bit of a stretch at first, but he could emulate Rio Ferdinand as he is already the club’s undisputed first-choice centre-back. He just needs to keep performing on a consistent basis.

AND in other news, Man Utd chief Ed Woodward can upgrade Daniel James in Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic…

In 2021, Leeds just haven’t been at the races. They have lost every single game this year and thus, Marcelo Bielsa is starting to feel the pressure.

This United side are still a bustling one full of intensive attacking energy, but they must ensure they get the balance right.

On the chalkboard

One of the big issues in recent weeks has been defensively. Leeds went through a period where they missed Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente – all three of the club’s senior centre-halves.

Thus, issues at the back were hardly surprising. Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk initially tried their best to marshal things and a clean sheet against Burnley typified how solid they can be.

Yet, with Kalvin Phillips part of a defensive trio when they played Crawley and then when he was suspended against Brighton, they floundered and didn’t look up to scratch.

Philips is often the heartbeat of this Leeds team but as Bielsa’s side were knocked out of the FA Cup, he was at fault for one of the goals and gave the ball away 24 times. It was an uncharacteristic showing from someone usually so reliable.

However, he isn’t the problem, something their 1-0 defeat to Brighton showed.

Struggling Struijk

Last month we issued rallying cries that the young Dutchman was finally Premier League ready. In terms of his contributions in a back four, that’s certainly the case.

Yet, two games in a row he has looked out of his depth while playing as a makeshift defensive midfielder.

It was bizarre he played in that role versus Crawley with Phillips playing further back, but he was the only one capable when they took on the Seagulls, predominantly because Leeds failed to sign another midfielder in the summer.

It’s safe to say that decision hasn’t been vindicated. The centre-back was dragged off after just 45 minutes in the FA Cup a fortnight ago, failing to win a single ground duel. For a holding player, that’s an essential part of the game so it speaks volumes about how poor his display was. It also says a lot about Bielsa’s feelings – he was clearly seething inside with how the game went.

Meanwhile, against Graham Potter’s team, Struijk gave the ball away 13 times – the sixth-worst tally on the Leeds side – and completed just 80% of his passes, a tally down 8% on his season average.

Though, it’s not just us that has noticed the youngster’s poor form. Speaking about Struijk this week, Leeds pundit Noel Whelan said:

“I think Struijk looks out of place, playing Kalvin’s role. I’ve got to say I don’t think there’s anyone that can play Kalvin’s role in the team which is worrying for me. When he’s out we don’t seem to have that flow in our game going forward and the discipline in the defensive role.”

For Leeds, this should be a huge concern. Although the Netherlands-born defender has proven himself to be adept among a back four, he has been anything but when pushed further forward.

Consequently, the £2.2m-rated centre-back must be reduced to the bench with immediate effect. He is not good enough to play in Phillips’ position, nor is he good enough to play over Cooper.

AND in other news, Leeds should rue not signing £72k-p/w “beast”, he’s better than Struijk…

If you’re a Newcastle fan who’s been sitting through games this season without giving into the urge of falling asleep or tearing your hair out, then fair play.

Make no mistake about it, the Magpies have been a bore to watch, almost too afraid to launch attacks in fear of getting a nosebleed. It’s no surprise that they rank bottom for both shots on goal and shots on target in the Premier League. That’s not to mention the fact they seem allergic to wanting to hold possession too, ranking third-worst in that.

Steve Bruce’s side are desperate for some excitement and energy to lift spirits, and even without fans being able to make their voices heard inside St James’ Park, the discontentment is growing immeasurably with each passing on-pitch disappointment.

The Newcastle boss however, could change the mood with a bold selection call. Namely, the introduction of summer signing Rodrigo Vilca.

The Peruvian arrived from Deportivo Municipal, and has been featuring for the Magpies’ U23s side, playing fives times. Speaking back when the club had confirmed his arrival, Chris Hogg, Newcastle United’s lead player development coach for the U23s​, said: “We’re delighted to have Rodrigo here. He’s an exciting attacking player, and we’ll be hoping to see that attacking ability. We’ll be looking to give him the opportunity to improve with us and be a part of Newcastle United’s future.”

It might be very early to bring him in, especially given that he has only played a handful of times for the reserves. But the first-team are absolutely crying out for someone to bring something new to the side, an unpredictability that gets fans off their sofas.

Capable of playing off the right or just behind the striker, Vilca can just help Bruce change things up a bit. The Magpies are aimlessly drifting at the moment, and the manager’s reluctance to freshen things up both in terms of personnel and tactics is holding them back. Unleashing their 21-year-old summer arrival could hold the key to fixing that.

With Wolves reportedly interested in signing Divock Origi from Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp must consider cashing in on the Belgian striker, after his less than impressive performances so far this season.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, the Old Gold have a long-standing interest in the former Lille striker and will consider a move for him in January as they seek a replacement for Raul Jimenez, with the Mexican currently recovering from the fractured skull he suffered against Arsenal.

It also suggests that the Merseyside club are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old, suggesting that an exit next month could be likely.

Not good enough for Klopp

Unfortunately for Origi, since his heroics in the Champions League in the 2019/20 season, he has never really been able to establish as a first-team regular at Liverpool.

This season, in particular, has seen him struggle for game time, as the arrival of Diogo Jota has meant that he was no longer the first-choice back up for whenever any of the front three have been injured or rested.

The striker has made just seven appearances in all competitions this season, with his only goal coming in the League Cup win against Lincoln City.

His disappointing performances in the two fixtures against FC Midtjylland, in particular, have perhaps emphasised that, on current form, the 25-year-old simply isn’t good enough for Klopp’s first team.

He has also made just two substitute appearances in the Premier League, suggesting that Klopp no longer has faith in the Belgian international to be an impact player in his side.

After Origi impressed in a 5-2 win against Everton at Anfield in 2019, Phil Neville praised the striker, saying:

“He’s got a taste for the big games. He has made big contributions in big games.”

Whilst he will always be remembered for those two goals against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, as well as his goal to seal the trophy in the final against Spurs, his performances this season have been far from good enough, and Klopp should cash in on the £14.4 million rated man in January if Wolves, or any other side, come knocking.

And, in other news… LFC liability has run out of chances under Klopp, he should be sold in the summer

Writing on Twitter, Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has reacted and shared footage of Son Heung-min asking Harry Kane if he got the assist during Tottenham’s 1-0 win at Burnley, with the journalist going on to savour a moment Lilywhites will love.Â

Son, who bagged the winner at Turf Moor on Monday night, once again linked up with Kane to devastating effect as Jose Mourinho’s men ground out a narrow victory in Lancashire.

Gold excited over Son footage

The pair have formed a devastating partnership this season under Mourinho, with Son currently placed top of the Premier League scoring charts, and his telepathic understanding with Kane is arguably key to his top scorer status.

Reacting to footage from the match which emerged on social media , Gold has declared his ‘love’ for the moment Son gleefully asked his teammate whether he got another assist for him.

If any moment sums up the duo’s understanding for one another, perhaps it is this one, with Gold sharing the enticing footage to Spurs supporters on Twitter.

Lauded as ‘very underrated’ by Tim Sherwood, it’s no surprise that Tottenham’s Korean forward has been forcing people to take notice with his stellar run of form.

Transfer Tavern take

Having scored eight goals whilst assisting two others already this season, Son is dramatically putting himself into contention for being one of the best players in the Premier League at the moment. This footage, as relayed by Gold, could serve as a reminder of just how effective the South Korea star and Kane are as a duo right now.

Time will tell whether they continue this run of form, but it could be an exciting few months ahead for Spurs supporters.

In other news: There is a been a twist in the Dele Alli saga, find out more here.Â