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Liverpool appear to be keeping tabs on one of England’s emerging attacking midfield starlets.

According to a report by TeamTALK, Blackburn Rovers’ John Buckley appears to have caught the attention of the Premier League giants.

However, the Anfield outfit are not believed to be the only club to have taken an interest in the Ewood Park prospect recently, with the likes of Everton and Manchester United also checking in on him.

The 19-year-old is highly-regarded at the Championship outfit and the news of rumoured interest has promoted Blackburn to hold talks with the youngster about a new deal.

Yet to make his first-team debut under Tony Mowbray, Buckley is believed to be on the fringes of the senior squad following his impressive performances for the Developmental side, where he has one goal and one assist in his 15 matches.

The Verdict:

Liverpool already have a number of quality young players on their books at the younger levels and Buckley could fit in with them at Melwood.

The 19-year-old has shown plenty of promise for Blackburn over the years, having been at Ewood Park since he was just six-years-old, and is highly regarded as a player for the future at the club.

Whether anything happens in the near future regarding the truth surrounding the interest in Buckley remains to be seen, however, if he continues to impress, a move to a big club like Liverpool could certainly be on the cards in the future.

Liverpool fans – thoughts?

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips will sign a new long-term deal at Elland Road provided they are not relegated, according to Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Manchester United interest

Phillips has attracted plenty of interest over recent months, with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham all keen on his services.

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Manchester United have now joined the race for the England international and are thought to be ‘working on a deal’ which would take Phillips to Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old last signed a new deal with Leeds back in 2019 and is in the process of changing agents ahead of the summer window.

The Latest: Journalist’s update

Talbot took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon shortly after the major update on Manchester United’s interest.

The journalist believes Phillips won’t seek a move away from Leeds and will sign a new deal after what he’s been told.

“The way I’ve been told is that Kalvin Phillips is not seeking a move away from LUFC and will be signing a long-term extension with the club in the summer once the club’s Premier League status is secured. The midfielder loves Leeds so chance of a move to a close rival is scarce.”

The Verdict: Marsch gets his way

Jesse Marsch admitted last month that he would love to keep Phillips at Elland Road, and it looks as if he’ll get his wish, providing the Whites remain in the Premier League.

Phillips looks set to play a key role in the club’s attempts to avoid the drop too after making a long-awaited return from injury last weekend, so perhaps his motivation will be doubled.

He’s in contention for a first start since December against Watford tomorrow, where a win could go a long way to ensuring the club’s safety.

In other news: 5 key passes, 1 goal: Leeds target produces stunning midweek display as Orta eyes move – opinion. 

Spurs have been handed a major transfer boost in their chase to sign Inter defender Stefan de Vrij this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, Serie A giants Inter have slashed their asking price for the Netherlands international, who is attracting admiring glances from the Premier League in both Spurs and Newcastle United.

The report adds that out of the two of both him and fellow centre-back partner Milan Skriniar, it’s De Vrij who looks most set for a departure from the San Siro this summer.

Imagine him and Romero

Having arrived from Atalanta last summer, Cristian Romero has quickly set about becoming a cult hero at Spurs with his wholehearted performances and aggressive style of defending.

But while the Argentine has quickly become a mainstay of this Spurs side, he could certainly do with another genuinely quality defender besides him, and De Vrij fits that bill to a tee.

His former teammate, Mauricio, raved: “Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster. He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”

Conte of course knows the Dutchman well from his time at Inter, and the pair rekindling their successful partnership in north London could be a stroke of genius.

Indeed, De Vrij himself has previously spoken highly of the Spurs boss, saying: “Simone Inzaghi and Conte are two important coaches because they’ve won. I had already worked with Inzaghi at Lazio, Conte has had a great career because he’s always won.

“We won the title under Conte and you can see it now. Inzaghi has been working on a solid base and is doing an important season now.”

If Spurs are to take that next step from competing for the top four to challenging for the title like Conte will no doubt want, then signings of the calibre of De Vrij is the way to go.

Partnering Romero in defence with someone of De Vrij’s considerable experience and quality would give Spurs a formidable duo in the heart of their defence that no Premier League striker would relish going up against.

The £31.5m-rated centre-back could form a dream partnership at the back with Romero.

AND in other news – Left for £0, now worth £40m: Spurs suffered huge howler over “very explosive” U21 star

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Florian Grillitsch to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Leeds have joined fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Newcastle United, West Ham and Everton in the race for the Hoffenheim midfielder – who looks set to become available on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract with the Bundesliga outfit at the end of the season.

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The report goes on to state that the 26-year-old’s representatives have sounded out a number of top-flight teams regarding a potential summer switch, while several unnamed German and Spanish sides are also thought to be keen on a move for the Austria international.

Finally, the Daily Mail claim that Victor Orta has identified the defensive midfielder as a potential replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bye-bye Phillips

While it is undeniable that losing the services of Phillips this summer would come as a huge blow to Jesse Marsch and his side, should Orta be able to get a deal for Grillitsch over the line as the 26-year-old’s replacement, it would certainly ease the loss of the Whites’ academy graduate.

Indeed, over his 18 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £14.4m-rated midfielder has been imperious in front of the Hoffenheim defence, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, two clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

Furthermore, the £35k-per-week Austrian has also completed an average of 51.9 passes, 6.6 long balls, 4.2 chipped passes and 0.6 key passes per fixture – demonstrating his quarterback-esque distribution of the ball.

These returns have seen the 26-year-old average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Sebastian Hoeness’ second-best performer in the German top flight but also the joint 17th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise to learn that Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is a huge fan of the midfielder, with the 34-year-old stating back in 2020:

“Grillitsch is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, and he’s a bit under the radar. He still has a few construction sites, he knows that, I’ve told him that often enough. But he is an exceptional footballer and has an incredible gift for setting the rhythm of the game.”

Indeed, with this description also quite easily being applicable to Phillips, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be considering a move for Grillitsch to replace the England international this summer, although, a move for the Hoffenheim midfield marshal would all but confirm the £45m-rated man’s departure.

AND in other news: Sources: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for £42m “tank”, he “can be as good as Virgil”

Leeds United have another chance to move further away from the relegation zone on Monday evening when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their latest Premier League outing.

Their previous league game saw the Whites secure a 3-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road thanks to goals from Raphinha, Rodrigo and Jack Harrison.

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Heading into Monday’s showdown, it seems as though the Yorkshire club have been handed a boost regarding the fitness of one of their key figures.

What’s the news?

Speaking in his latest press conference ahead of the clash against the Eagles (via Phil Hay), Jesse Marsch had this to say about the current fitness of Kalvin Phillips.

He said: “He’s been great in training. He’s fully fit, he’s fully ready.”

Having not long recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for a significant period of time, the Englishman has made an appearance off the substitutes bench in both of Leeds’ two previous league games.

The Premier League results, particularly the defeats, Leeds picked up during Phillips’ absence between December and March highlight just how important the 26-year-old is for the team from a defensive point of view.

With 14 league appearances under his belt this season, the England international has won 29 tackles, made 30 blocks, 26 interceptions and 21 clearances, highlighting how key he is in the middle of the park.

Fans will be buzzing

Now that the Leeds boss has revealed that the midfielder is fully fit and ready to go in terms of potentially starting against Palace, this will surely be music to the ears of a lot of Whites supporters.

Furthermore, with Adam Forshaw recently picking up a season-ending knee injury, Phillips’ return to full fitness couldn’t have come at a better time for Marsch.

Heading into the game against Palace, the fact that Patrick Vieira’s side have scored five more goals than Leeds this season shows just how much they’ll need Phillips in the side for as long as he can take.

Looking beyond that, with the Yorkshire club having games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea left to play before the campaign ends, having Phillips in the team could be crucial for Leeds and their chances of securing a place in the top flight next season.

AND in other news: 150% hike: Leeds United hit the jackpot on “real technician”, he’s a “proper talent”

Some Everton fans have been left buzzing over transfer news involving Tanguy Ndombele.

Speaking live on Tuesday’s episode of Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show (via The Transfer Centre – Tue 17:24pm), journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed that the Goodison Park outfit are now among a number of clubs interested in signing the 25-year-old on loan for the rest of the season, although he is more likely to return to France, with Paris Saint-Germain in the frame.

Of course, Ndombele has largely been a disappointment since arriving at Tottenham, having only scored six goals and supplied five assists in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

However, there is talent there, enough for Spurs to have made him their all-time record signing in 2019, and he could add a shrewd option to Everton’s midfield.

He currently commits fewer fouls per league game than Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Andre Gomes, and also averages more dribbles, accurate passes and through balls per match than the Everton trio (WhoScored), suggesting that he would slot right in to the middle of the park.

Also, the deal would only be a loan, so if it does not work out, the Toffees can just send him straight back to north London without being locked into a huge financial commitment.

Everton fans on Ndombele transfer news

These Everton fans buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter going as far as to claim that it was ‘excellent’ to hear:

“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Yes defo take him, 100% what we need”

Credit: @Alanf_1878

“Be a brilliant signing that”

Credit: @Adi18781

“Take him all day long”

Credit: @sayantan_01

“Oh yes I want him”

Credit: @Evertoningen

“This really would be excellent”

Credit: @Eromilladuts

In other news, Sky Sports have dropped this big Everton managerial update

Callum Wilson may not be a ‘main player’ at Newcastle United going forward, insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Wilson hasn’t featured for Newcastle in 2022, having sustained a calf injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the end of December.

Prior to that, he’d started every game for which he was available in the early months of the campaign.

Despite his lengthy absence, Wilson remains the Magpies’ top scorer with six goals, and he also led the way last season with 12.

The Englishman said recently that he hoped to be back in action by the end of this month, or the beginning of May.

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The latest

Jones says that Newcastle are keen to get Wilson back in the side, but raised doubts about his longevity at St James’ Park.

“They obviously want him back, but I don’t think Callum Wilson is going to be a main player in this team next season, to be honest,” he said.

The verdict

This comes as something of a surprise given Wilson’s goalscoring exploits.

Graeme Jones, who took charge of Newcastle in the brief period between Steve Bruce’s sacking and Eddie Howe’s arrival, has labelled the ‘fantastic’ no. 9 ‘the best matchday finisher’ he’s coached.

What’s more, his £25million replacement Chris Wood has struggled, scoring only one non-penalty goal across his first 14 appearances.

However, the Magpies seem to have their eyes on recruiting younger talent in the position.

They’ve been linked with 19-year-old Reims striker Hugo Ekitike and 22-year-old Benfica hitman Darwin Nunez, and these may be the kind of forwards they want to build around.

In other news, Chris Waugh has a key update on Matt Targett.

It is ‘inconceivable’ that Kalvin Phillips will trade Leeds United for Manchester United at any point in the future, according to journalist David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Phillips linked with United move

Phillips has become arguably Leeds’ most important player during the Marcelo Bielsa era, maturing into a formidable presence for both club and country.

England’s reigning Player of the Year’s stock has never been higher and it could be that the Whites have to battle off interest in him during the summer transfer window.

Phillips has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, which given the rivalry between the two clubs, could cause huge controversy.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Journalist laughs off idea

Writing for the Mirror, however, Anderson has claimed that the 26-year-old will simply not entertain the idea of heading to Old Trafford, such are his Leeds ties.

While a move elsewhere isn’t ruled out, it is stated that Phillips ‘could never bring himself to play for the Reds’.

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The Verdict: Big boost for Leeds

This sums up the level of loyalty Phillips has with his boyhood club and it is undoubtedly good news that he won’t be moving to Manchester, which would be a tough transfer to stomach for Whites fans.

Not only that but it could also affect the midfielder’s great legacy at Elland Road – he has been hailed as ‘amazing’ by Jose Mourinho – as was the case when Alan Smith signed for the Red Devils back in 2004.

While it would be hard to begrudge Phillps a move to a Champions League outfit eventually, the report states that he is ‘happy’ for the time being and him staying put for years to come would be an almighty boost for everyone associated with the club.

In other news, a promising Leeds update has emerged regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers could be forced to sell Joe Aribo in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Pete O’Rourke, with the journalist revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, should the central midfielder fail to sign a new deal at Ibrox, Rangers may well have to cash in on the 25-year-old at the end of the season.

O’Rourke goes on to suggest that this would be the case as the reigning Premiership champions will want to receive a transfer fee that reflects the Nigeria international’s value to the club – as his current contract in Glasgow is due to expire in the summer of 2023.

Speaking about Aribo’s future, the journalist said: “Rangers will be keen to protect their assets, and if he’s not going to sign a new deal, they might have to sell him in the summer.”

Van Bronckhorst would be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the Rangers side Aribo has become since his £300k move to Ibrox back in 2019, should the club fail to agree a new deal with the midfielder in the next few months, and subsequently be forced to sell the 25-year-old this summer, it is an outcome that would undoubtedly leave Giovanni van Bronckhorst fuming.

Indeed, the £9m-rated man played a pivotal role in Gers’ title-winning campaign over his 31 Premiership appearances last season, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.2 key passes, 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 5.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the midfielder who Steven Gerrard dubbed a “dynamic” player earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as the joint 16th-best player in the entity of the Scottish top flight last time out.

The £14k-per-week dynamo has continued this fine form over his 22 league outings in the current campaign, having already bagged six goals, registered four assists and created six big chances for his teammates, with these metrics seeing the former Charlton Athletic prodigy average a SofaScore match rating of 7.14.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Aribo is an incredibly important part of Van Bronckhorst’s first-team setup at Ibrox, meaning his forced sale this summer would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to both the 47-year-old manager and his side – regardless of the transfer fee received from the midfielder’s departure.

In other news: “Have priority”: Fabrizio Romano drops key Rangers claim that’ll leave fans elated

Taking to Twitter, sharing a piece by Sky Sports, their reporter Lyall Thomas has broken some news on a brand new Tottenham Hotspur target in full-back Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new right-backs…

Strengthening at right-back is one of manager Antonio Conte’s major priorities for this January transfer window with the club in talks to sign Wolves star Adama Traore (Matt Law).

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They aim to convert the Spain international into a RWB for Conte’s system and he isn’t the only defender on that side they have been linked with this window.

Tottenham have also made an approach for Peterborough United full-back Benjamin Mensah as one for the future with news now emerging of yet another promising name on Fabio Paratici’s transfer radar.

The Latest: Spurs could move for Spence…

According to Thomas, Spurs are ‘interested in a deal’ to sign Middlesborough wing-back Spence – who is currently on loan at fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season.

Upon potentially signing the 21-year-old, Tottenham would have to immediately loan him back to Forest, but regardless, the Sky journalist says Spurs ‘could make a move’ before January 31.

The Verdict: Exciting player…

Spence has shone on a temporary spell at the City Ground this season, leaving little wonder he has now attracted Spurs’ interest.

The starlet has been a fixture in Steve Cooper’s side this season, with Boro boss Chris Wilder even taking note of his player from afar and calling him ‘outstanding’.

Making the third-most interceptions per 90 out of any Forest regular with more than five starts (1.6, WhoScored), Spence has also shone going forward.

Indeed, out of all of the English second tier side’s players with over two full starts, Spence has also averaged the most completed dribbles per 90 (WhoScored) – highlighting his obvious threat and how he could be an asset for Conte in future seasons.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for £220,000-per-week ‘jewel’ as he lays out transfer demand for Spurs chiefs, find out more here.