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Kevin Campbell has claimed that he can see Leeds United being ‘interested’ in signing Diego Costa along with Wolves.

The former Everton and West Brom striker was reacting to an update from the Italian football journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who told  Sky Sports earlier this week that the former Chelsea ace wants to return to the Premier League.

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell claimed that he can only see the Elland Road faithful as well as Nuno Espirito Santo’s team being ‘interested’ in signing him:

“Wolves or Leeds. Those are the two clubs in the Premier League that I can see being interested in Diego Costa.

“I do not think the top clubs would be interested because he is not the same Diego Costa that was at Chelsea. While he is still a handful he has had his fair share of injury problems of late. It is a case of when you can get him out on the pitch.

“You would have to pay quite a significant price to sign him and I also think there are only a couple of clubs who need a striker like him. I think Wolves are one and the other is Leeds.

“If Patrick Bamford loses form or suffers an injury, Leeds are stumped. Signing Diego Costa could be a good move for them.” 

Costa could be a good signing for Leeds

Costa could well be a good signing for Marcelo Bielsa’s side as Campbell points out. Although his wage demands may be a stumbling block for the Whites, he would not cost them a penny in transfer fees being s free agent, and so may well be an ideal low-cost option.

The Spain international still has a lot that he can offer too despite being 32 years of age now. Previously labelled as a ‘beast’ by his old Atletico Madrid coach in Diego Simeone, he certainly has a physical presence and could be a good alternative to Patrick Bamford if Bielsa would like to go a bit more direct if the Peacocks are chasing the game.

The striker would also give valuable top flight experience to the newly-promoted Yorkshire club, having scored no fewer than 52 goals and supplied a further 18 assists in 89 matches over three consecutive terms in England’s highest division at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt).

In other news, find out what Romano has said about one LUFC target here!

Everton are currently undergoing a revolution under Carlo Ancelotti.

They signalled such intentions during the summer when director of football Marcel Brands and the Toffees decision-makers pretty much secured the Italian an entirely new-look midfield, bringing in the likes of Allan, James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure in one window.

However, plenty of ghosts from former reigns are still haunting Goodison Park – even dating back to the Ronald Koeman era in 16/17.

Whilst the Dutchman is now in charge of his former club, Barcelona – its anyone’s guess on how he managed to clinch that – one of his mega-money signings continues to fester away in the depths of despair.

That, of course, is £25m winger Yannick Bolasie.

The 31-year-old has gone out on loan three times since 2018 alone and now finds himself an outcast under Ancelotti. In fact, his time in Merseyside is pretty much done as he was left out of their Premier League squad of 25 for the current campaign.

Now it is on Brands to deliver once more. They need to get him out of the club considering he’s earning a reported £75k-per-week, via Spotrac.

That is quite the sum for a player that has not featured for Everton since a 3-1 defeat to West Ham in May 2018.

It means the winger has cost the club in excess of £41.25m to this day, an extortionate and truly shocking amount of money – all for 32 appearances, two goals and four assists, per Transfermarkt.

When you break it down, Bolasie has cost around £1.2m per appearance and £20.6m per goal.

Bolasie may well be a “lovely” and “genuine” character, as Palace chairman Steve Parish once said, but it’s ever so clear to see that his time at Goodison Park has reached its end.

It’s time for Bolasie and the Toffees to part ways this January, and any departure must be a permanent one otherwise he’ll continue to bleed Farhad Moshiri dry.

AND in other news, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti could revitalise £62.5m-rated “freak of a talent” with Jan swoop…

After seeing their brief turnaround in form stopped by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton, Newcastle entered the international break with a lot less optimism.

The Magpies held high-flying Wolves to a draw at Molineux, before picking up their most impressive result of the season when they took down Everton 2-1 at St James’ Park.

But that loss to the Saints stopped Steve Bruce’s side in their tracks, and with Chelsea on the horizon on Saturday, Newcastle have got a tall order to get things going again.

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One man who has faded out of first-team contention in recent weeks, is Isaac Hayden. After starting and completing the full 90 minutes in each of the Tyneside club’s first four Premier League games of the season, Bruce has slowly eased him out, with the midfielder even failing to come off the bench in two out of the last three matches.

But with a free-scoring Chelsea team – they head into the game as the division’s top goal-scorers with 20 – Hayden’s extra defensive nous is surely needed.

The Magpies’ duo of Sean Longstaff and Jeff Hendrick got completely overrun in the engine room as Southampton came away with a 2-0 win a couple of weeks ago, and having a bit of protection to the back four could go a long way to making sure Chelsea don’t just carve open Newcastle’s defence with ease.

It was Hayden and Longstaff’s partnership in a 2-1 win over Manchester City back in January 2019 that led to Pep Guardiola admitting that his side “could not deal with Newcastle’s holding midfielders”.

The pair can cover the ground well, and Hayden’s ability to read the game and shield the defence – he averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match in the Premier League last season – will be absolutely vital to Bruce.

Dropping Hendrick – who had a nightmare whilst on international duty with Ireland – and bringing the £9m-rated Hayden in, could be the key to picking up a huge result at the weekend.

Celtic have regained their footing at the top of the Scottish Premiership table temporarily following a 2-0 victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn’t an easy three points by any means.

In fact, the defending champions looked particularly poor as substitute duo Leigh Griffiths and Patryk Klimala came off the bench to salvage the win in injury time.

The Hoops had three shots on target all game as Neil Lennon persisted with a 3-5-2 formation which was pronged at the top by Odsonne Edouard and Saints loanee Mohamed Elyounoussi –  and the latter’s display may highlight a massive cause for concern.

In 76 minutes of action, the Norweigen attacker failed to record a single shot, successful dribble or cross. He also lost possession 12 times and won just 21% of his duels both aerially and on the ground, as per SofaScore.

Whilst playing as a striker is not his natural position, he can still deliver the goods as shown in outings before this one – he’s bagged two goals from four games in this role.

But with Griffiths back in the mix and Klimala pushing for a place in the team too. His days starting could be numbered, especially within this system as Greg Taylor is preferred at wing-back.

Lennon is even in the market for a new left-sided player too, according to reports, so it could certainly spell trouble for Elyounoussi very soon.

The 26-year-old winger is valued at £8.55m by Transfermarkt, which is only bettered by Edouard within this Bhoys squad and whilst it remains to be seen how much he’s making here at Parkhead, he was on £60k-per-week wages at the Premier League outfit.

Given their financial problems this summer, they surely wouldn’t have let him return to Scotland if Celtic weren’t paying a substantial chunk of his pay packet.

So if Elyounoussi’s performances continue to be as poor as this one, then the lightweight is immensely letting down his manager and the club.

AND in other news, Nick Hammond cannot afford to have a John McGinn 2.0 scenario over EFL “diamond”…

Liverpool have been handed a major boost ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City. The recent round of injury updates have confirmed that Joel Matip could be in contention to start against Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.

After being named on the bench against Atalanta, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to see enough from the Cameroonian in training to deploy him alongside Joe Gomez at the weekend. Indeed, whilst youngster Rhys Williams has done a superb job of stepping up to the plate, familiarity and seniority will be key for Klopp against City.

The Cityzens are without star striker Sergio Aguero, which already weakens Guardiola’s attack. Despite their 3-0 win over Olympiakos last time out, their recent Premier League form proves they are struggling.

City have fallen victim to some shock results over the last few weeks, including a draw against both West Ham and Leeds. In their last four league games, they have scored just four goals – one per match. This stat in itself will have taken Klopp’s fancy and he will be looking for ways to further force his rivals into trouble.

With both Gomez and Matip in the heart of the defence, they will make it their mission to ensure that City barely get a sniff of a chance. Matip’s 6 ft 4 stature will prove difficult for 5 ft 7 Gabriel Jesus and 5 ft 5 Raheem Sterling to counter against, especially if long balls are played in towards the attackers.

The Cameroon international uses his height to his advantage and is very strong both in the air and on the ground when battling for possession. Last year, Ian Wright waxed lyrical over the 29-year-old and his “absolutely brilliant” performance against Sheffield United.

If he pulls off a solid shift on Sunday, Klopp and many others will feel a huge sense of relief knowing that he is up to the challenge of stepping up in the absence of Virgil van Dijk. A win over their main title competitors will be a massive boost for Liverpool, who are already making strides towards their second Premier League success story.

In other news, Exclusive: Chris Kirkland tips Joe Gomez to be Virgil van Dijk partner for “next 10 years”…

Jan Vertonghen has refused to rule out staying in the Premier League following his departure from Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports. 

According to The Sun, the Belgian defender has hinted he could stay in England after his eight-year spell with Spurs ended this week. Recent reports suggested that he would reject offers from Premier League rivals like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City but this no longer seems to be the case.

According to Il Messaggero, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Wolves have entered the race to sign Vertonghen this summer, amid interest from Atletico Madrid and Roma. The Italian publication claimed that his representatives have held talks with Diego Simeone’s side while Roma have registered their interest in the Belgium international.

The former Spurs star is not short of potential suitors as he is now a free agent, so it is hardly surprising that he has attracted attention from across the globe.

Clubs around the world are fighting back against the financial pressures of these unprecedented circumstances and many will have to resort to hunting for bargains, signing free agents and organising swap deals in the summer.

Vertonghen was a firm favourite of Mauricio Pochettino but fell out of favour under his successor Jose Mourinho, earning his last start for the club during the dull 0-0 draw with Bournemouth earlier this month before being dropped to the bench.

The 33-year-old arguably still has plenty left in the tank as he earned the same WhoScored rating as his former Spurs teammate Davinson Sanchez this season.

While Wolves narrowly missed out on a spot in the Europa League, as Spurs staged a remarkable comeback to usurp them for sixth place, Nuno Espirito Santos knows that he needs to sign defensive cover sooner rather than later. However, the Molineux outfit could become embroiled in a transfer battle as they face stiff competition from the European giants.

Seasoned veteran Vertonghen is a versatile player who is capable of playing in the centre or on the left flank and Daniel Levy may live to regret his decision to let him leave in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy has made a mistake by letting Vertonghen leave? Let us know your views in the comments below!

A transfer report has emerged linking James Garner with a move away from Manchester United, with Coventry City and Millwall keen on the midfielder.

After a title-winning League One campaign, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins has been busy in bolstering his squad options ahead of the new Championship season.

The likes of Gustavo Hamer, Julien Dacosta and Callum O’Hare have all come in and it now looks like the Sky Blues boss is set to make a move for another talented young player.

Teenage Man United talent Garner has emerged as a potential arrival with the midfielder said to be available on a season-long loan deal.

Highly regarded as one of the brightest talents at Old Trafford, the 19-year-old has so far made seven first team appearances for the Premier League side.

With the new Championship season starting this weekend, Manchester Evening News reported that both Coventry and Millwall are interested in making a move. The report added that Huddersfield Town have already held talks with the youngster, whilst claiming that Blackburn Rovers are also keen.

Robins has worked wonders during the transfer window to improve his squad with multiple additions secured and Garner would add further gloss to that.

Of course, it depends how much pulling power Coventry have against the likes of Blackburn and Huddersfield, offering a potentially tasty transfer tussle.

Do you think Garner would be a good signing for Coventry? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

According to the latest reports, Leeds are keen on bringing in Tottenham defender Danny Rose this summer as they look forward to their first season in the Premier League after more than a decade.

The Daily Star claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen on bringing some top-flight experience ahead of the new campaign, and has been handed a significant transfer kitty by Andrea Radrizzani to spend.

As well as targeting a move for Everton midfielder Fabian Delph – who could well strike up a great partnership with Kalvin Phillips – the Whites are interested in bringing Rose back to Elland Road as well.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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But whilst Leeds could potentially sign Rose for a reasonable fee, he simply isn’t the kind of player he was in his prime at Spurs a few seasons ago.

Such has been his decline, that Jose Mourinho even allowed him to join fellow Premier League side Newcastle on loan. When Spurs were at their best under Mauricio Pochettino, the likes of Rose and Kyle Walker would be flying up and down the left and right-flanks and creating dangerous attacking situations.

But at 30-years-old, his form has dropped off considerably. As per Whoscored, he averaged just 0.3 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in his time on loan with Newcastle this season, and managed only 0.2 crosses per match too.

Compare that to Stuart Dallas, and it becomes clear that Victor Orta would be heading for a £60k-per-week nightmare with Rose.

In Leeds’ Championship-winning season, Dallas averaged 1.7 shots, one key pass, 0.6 dribbles and 0.4 crosses per game, and proved his attacking instincts with five goals and three assists.

Simply put, Rose just isn’t the kind of upgrade that would make a move for the hometown man a necessity. Orta would just be wasting Leeds’ money and letting Bielsa down with a player who isn’t at the required level anymore.

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with many players this summer, particularly in defence, and this week one fresh report has angered many supporters in north London.

According to La Voix du Nord, via Sport Witness, Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan could arrive at Spurs and team up with his old goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.

They also claim that the Ligue 1 outfit have already prepared for the 24-year-old’s departure by signing Brazilian shot-stopper Leo Jardim last year.

Maignan, who is valued at £15.75m, has kept 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances this term, via Transfermarkt, but failed to keep the ball out of the net in all six of their Champions League group games.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Spurs’ current first-choice Hugo Lloris has endured an indifferent campaign, suffering from a string of injuries and blunders, which has restricted the skipper to only 18 appearances and a ton of flak from the north London fanbase.

Though it appears as if the fellow French goalkeeper isn’t the man that supporters want between the sticks next season.

Here’s what has been said in response to the report…

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold believes Spurs will regret selling 22 y/o this summer…

In a season that has had its fair share of ups and downs at Manchester United, one moment that will live long in the memory of Red Devils fans is the club’s 2-1 victory over noisy neighbours Manchester City back in December 2019.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had up until that point only beaten newly-promoted Norwich away from home, and so stepping into the Premier League champions’ own backyard was no doubt an intimidating prospect.

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But a breathless attacking performance – particularly in the first-half – saw United race to a two-goal lead thanks to a penalty from Marcus Rashford and a fine strike from Anthony Martial.

A Nicolas Otamendi goal five minutes before the end only proved to be a consolation, as United claimed all three points.

And despite it being a few months since that game, fans of the Manchester side have taken to Twitter to reminisce about that night on Twitter.

One United fan in particular questioned how fellow supporters could still want Solskjaer out, and insisted “these are exciting times”.

The Red Devils have enjoyed some impressive performances and results against some of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ under Solskjaer – their 4-0 victory over Chelsea on the opening day of this season certainly set the tone for it.

And this triumph over City gave the current United boss some added respect and credentials.

Meanwhile, Man Utd fans discuss this key aspect about Jadon Sancho’s potential arrival.