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Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Ismaila Sarr to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that, following Raphinha’s €58m (£48.5m) move to Barcelona earlier in the summer transfer window, Victor Orta is looking to replace the Brazilian in Jesse Marsch’s squad ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League campaign – with the Watford winger said to be one of the Spaniard’s targets.

The report goes on to state that the recently relegated Hornets are believed to only be willing to part with the 24-year-old for an offer in the region of €35m (£29m), a figure it remains to be seen whether Leeds will meet.

“Unbelievable” signing

While it is true that £29m would be an extraordinarily large fee for the Whites to pay a Championship side for one of their talents, considering just how impressive Sarr has been for Watford ever since his £40m signing from Stade Rennais back in the summer of 2019, the argument that the Senegal international would be an unbelievable signing is an easy one to make.

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Indeed, over his £24.3m-rated forward made an instant impact, scoring five goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per game.

However, with the Hornets finishing 18th that season, a spell in the Championship followed, with Sarr once again impressing – bagging 13 goals, providing 10 assists and creating 11 big chances over his 39 league fixtures in 2020/21, helping Watford secure an immediate return to the top flight with numbers akin to that of the departed Raphinha.

Yet again, the £71k-per-week attacker impressed over his 28 Premier League outings last time out, totalling numbers that would certainly make a great deal of difference to the Leeds side, scoring five goals, registering two assists and creating five big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.5 dribbles per match.

As such, considering the fact that Sarr achieved these returns as part of a side who have suffered two relegations in the past three years, it is not difficult to see why Troy Deeney dubbed the 24-year-old an “unbelievable” talent, nor is it hard to understand why Orta is reported to have made the Senegalese sensation his “top target” this summer, as the Watford star would undoubtedly make an unbelievable addition to Marsch’s attacking options at Elland Road next season.

Everton have been linked with a move for Conor Coady this week, and a reliable source has given an update on the player’s future ahead of the final few weeks of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC journalist Fraser Fletcher, the Wolves captain “would like” a move to Goodison Park this summer.

Fletcher tweeted: “Conor Coady has told Wolves he would like move to Everton. Wolves are willing to sell the club captain and Everton confident of striking deal quickly.”

Lampard will be delighted

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard will be delighted to find out that Coady wants a move to Merseyside this summer, as the Liverpudlian defender could be a great addition to the team in order to strengthen the Everton back-line this season.

The Wolves star has been a consistent and reliable performer for his current club and has been lavished with praise for his leadership from the back by his manager Bruno Lage.

The 46-year-old has said of his skipper (via Molineux News): “He is one of the best guys I know in football. Every time with the big ambition, every time first in the building in the morning.

“Every time, bringing motivation to everyone. The leadership is by example. He is one of the best and I am very happy to work with him.”

In 2021/22, Coady made the second-most successful dribbles and ranked fourth for blocked shots and third for conversion of big chances in the Premier League, along with scoring four goals, tallying a 90% pass completion rate and winning 53% of his duels.

Lampard can strike a formidable centre-back partnership between Tarkowski and Coady to improve Everton’s defence this season after the Merseysiders conceded the fifth-most goals in the top flight last term, and the £62k-per-week target could be the perfect signing to enhance the back-line.

Everton have made three signings so far this summer, with James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre and Dwight McNeil all coming in, but they have only a few weeks left in the current transfer window to continue improving their squad to ensure that they don’t endure another disastrous Premier League campaign like last time around.

There are many areas that Lampard will surely want to improve to give Everton their best chance of competing in the top flight this season, but if Coady comes to Goodison Park and leads from the back like he has at Molineux, it would be a serious coup for the Merseyside club.

Newcastle United are reportedly among the clubs to have made an ‘enquiry’ about signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, report 90min. 

The lowdown: Wanted man

Following a stellar loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, Gallagher has been the subject of interest from numerous clubs this summer.

The 22-year-old England international has attracted attention from Everton, Aston Villa and indeed Palace once again, with another loan exit on the cards prior to the mid-season World Cup.

Now, having only made a brief appearance from the bench in the opening day victory over Everton it appears as though Newcastle and a host of Premier League rivals are testing the water surrounding Gallagher…

The latest: ‘Enquiry’ made

As per 90min, Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace have all ‘enquired about the availability’ of the four-cap star.

The report states that the Magpies have ‘reached out’ to the capital city outfit with a view to signing the man hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Thomas Tuchel either on a temporary or permanent basis.

However, it’s claimed that Chelsea ‘currently have no plans to allow’ Gallagher to leave the London club on loan or otherwise.

The verdict: Keep pushing

Whilst at present it appears as though a switch could be off the cards, a continued lack of game time could see the Englishman push for a move away, particularly with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad on the line.

Linked elsewhere to James Maddison, it appears as though Eddie Howe is desperate to bolster the midfield department at St James’ Park, especially having lost Jonjo Shelvey to an injury that will rule out the ace for three months.

Last season, Gallagher scored eight times and provided five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for Palace, earning an impressive 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst winning 5.9 duels, completing 1.3 dribbles and making 1.1 key passes on average per outing in the league.

A combative presence, sharing similar stylistic traits to Newcastle star Joelinton (Fbref), adding the talented midfielder with seemingly boundless energy to Eddie Howe’s ranks would be a superb piece of business from the North East club.

Therefore, both Dan Ashworth and PIF should remain attentive to any opportunity to sign Gallagher before the September 1 deadline passes.

Celtic have a track record when it comes to signing players from Premier League clubs during previous transfer windows.

One player in England’s top division that has recently been mentioned with a move to Parkhead this summer is Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.

However, Sky Sports journalist, Anthony Joseph, recently took to Twitter to play down these rumours, suggesting he wasn’t a player that would be arriving in Glasgow.

With that in mind, another midfield option that has been touted with a move to Celtic Park that should take the club’s attention away from Barkley is Edouard Michut.

Having made 17 appearances for the French club, the 19-year-old already has eight senior games under his belt, showing just how highly they rate him there.

In those eight appearances, the midfielder has managed to provide one assist, which came during PSG’s 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyon last season.

Hailed by football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, as a “highly technical and creative playmaker”, as well as a “fantastic product” of PSG’s youth academy, Michut could be a better option for Celtic to sign ahead of Barkley given his young age and the potential he has to grow and develop into a top player.

The young Frenchman could reportedly be signed by Celtic for a fee of £5m which could make him a cheaper option than the £10.8m-rated Chelsea midfielder should the west London club look to sell him this summer.

The fact the Englishman currently picks up a weekly wage of £100k-per-week, means any deal materialising is incredibly difficult to envisage.

In comparison, Michut reportedly only earns £730-per-week at his current club, which would surely make a potential move for him a better financial option for the Hoops.

In addition to that, with players such as Tom Rogic, Luca Connell, Ewan Henderson, Kerr McInroy, Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton all making moves away from Paradise this summer, life could well be pretty easy for the PSG prodigy when it comes to working his way into Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Therefore, if an opportunity to strike a deal with the French giants to sign their young midfielder arises before the summer transfer window closes, the Hoops should spring into action and secure his signature, putting to bed the idea of signing Barkley at the same time.

Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is being linked with a move away from St Mary’s and it could prove to be a mistake by Ralph Hasenhuttl if he is allowed to leave.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spain, via Sport Witness, Girona are currently in negotiations with Southampton over a move for the former Chelsea man.

He suggests that Michel, the Girona manager, is very keen to add Romeu to his squad before the transfer window shuts and considering his contract at St Mary’s is set to expire at the end of this season, a deal could well be on the cards.

A big mistake?

While Southampton have recruited Romeo Lavia as a new defensive-midfielder this summer, the former Manchester City man is just 18 and it feels like a big risk for Hasenhuttl to put his faith in so many youngsters.

At 30, Romeu is one of the few experienced heads in Southampton’s dressing room right now and has shown in recent seasons how important he can be to the Saints.

Last season saw the midfielder make 36 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.87 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was only bettered by James Ward-Prowse in Southampton’s squad.

This emphasises how important he can be to Hasenhuttl, and yet the Austrian manager favoured Lavia in midfield in last weekend’s draw against Leeds United, which suggests that he feels Romeu doesn’t have a long-term future in his side.

The average age of Southampton’s lineup in both Premier League games thus far has been 24.7 and if Alan Hansen’s famous remark that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ is true, then Hasenhuttl’s side could be in real trouble this season.

Romeu has been a key player at Southampton in recent seasons and has consistently impressed, with Pep Guardiola dubbing him “one of the best” defensive midfielders in the league, while Hasenhuttl also sang his praises in 2020, saying:

“I have never seen a professional like him before in my entire managing career.

“He’s one of the most professional guys I’ve ever seen.

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“When you see him as a professional, how he reacts when he’s not first choice, it’s unbelievable.”

Romeu is exactly the sort of character you would want to have in the squad when things aren’t going your way and letting him leave could be a big mistake by Southampton if they continue to struggle this season.

There has been a surprising lack of interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown

After it had become clear that he was excess to Antonio Conte’s requirements at Spurs, the former England international was placed on the club’s transfer list.

With the Italian only willing to work with players who will be involved in his first-team going forward, the 26-year-old has been training away from the squad at Hotspur Way in an apparent snub from his manager.

According to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, Winks has received interest from Leeds United and Everton, but neither of those two clubs have pushed any further, leaving the midfielder’s Lilywhites future surrounded by uncertainty.

The Latest

Barclay has been left surprised by the apparent lack of interest in both Winks and his Tottenham team-mate Sergio Reguilon this summer.

When questioned by GiveMeSport over whether any enquiries have been made for the Spurs duo, the journalist claimed: “Not that I know of in the last two days or so. Harry Winks, it feels like it might go to the end of the window, but I’m surprised about the lack of interest in both of them really.”

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The Verdict

Winks certainly appears to be out of favour in Conte’s squad, given his lack of playing time since the manager arrived in north London.

Under the Italian, the midfielder has amassed 17 bit-part appearances in the Premier League, and he is yet to even make it into a matchday squad so far this season.

With a couple of top-flight clubs interested in his services earlier on in the summer, as mentioned above, it does seem a surprise to see the 26-year-old still at Hotspur Way this late on in the transfer window.

Therefore, if no fresh interest emerges between now and 1 September, this could end up being a long season for the 10-cap England international.

Tottenham Hotspur face stern competition from Chelsea in the race to sign defender Ronnie Edwards from Peterborough United.

The lowdown

Football Insider claim that Spurs have ‘registered their interest’ in the 19-year-old after their scouts delivered some ‘rave reviews’.

The teenage centre-back has made 49 appearances already for the League One club, with the England under-19 international under contract with Peterborough for another three years.

The latest

Spurs could face some competition from the capital, though, with The Peterborough Telegraph reporting that Chelsea recruitment staff watched Edwards in action on Saturday.

The Blues said to be preparing an offer which they hope would see them beat Spurs, Crystal Palace and Southampton to the teenager’s signing.

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The verdict

Spurs should fight hard to win the race for Edwards ahead of their London rivals.

He was part of the Young Lions squad which won the European Under-19 Championships in the summer, playing every minute of the semi-final against Italy and the final against Israel.

One of his team-mates in the tournament in Slovakia was Spurs youngster Alfie Devine, who could perhaps try to convince him to choose the Lilywhites.

Henry Winter of The Times has called Edwards a ‘gem’ who looks destined for a big Premier League move, while Peterborough director Barry Fry has branded him a ‘Rolls Royce’ with ‘unbelievably accurate’ passing.

The 19-year-old may not be able to make the step-up to the top flight just yet, but Peterborough are insistent that they take him back on loan as part of any sale, which could end up working out quite nicely.

After all, Spurs did the same when they signed Pape Matar Sarr from French outfit Metz last summer.

Galatasaray are interested in making a move for Manchester United forward Anthony Martial before their transfer deadline this week.

The Lowdown: Martial out of favour

The Frenchman has had an up-and-down seven years at Old Trafford, producing moments of quality but also struggling to match the hype when he arrived in 2015.

Martial has still only featured for 45 minutes in the Premier League this season, admittedly not helped by injuries, and it appears as though he could be down the attacking pecking order under Erik ten Hag, especially after the signing of Antony from Ajax.

A new claim even suggests that his time as a United player could be coming to an end in the very near future.

The Latest: Galatasaray keen on move

According to Yeni Acik TV on Twitter, Galatasaray are keen on signing Martial before the Turkish transfer window closes on Thursday evening:

“Galatasaray is interested in Anthony Martial of Manchester United and Adama Traore of Wolves. Galatasaray wants to add one of these two players to its squad.”

The Verdict: Right time to leave?

In truth, Martial’s overall spell at United should be deemed a disappointment, given the money spent on him and the expectations that many had when he joined.

That’s not to say that the 26-year-old hasn’t shone at times, with Robin van Persie describing him as ‘world-class’ not long ago and the forward scoring 79 goals in 270 appearances.

With injury problems not going away and consistency still lacking, however, selling Martial makes sense, though perhaps they would be best placed waiting until January when Ten Hag can bring in an adequate replacement.

Nottingham Forest had a very busy summer transfer window, signing 22 new players at the City Ground to bolster their squad ahead of the Premier League season, but it hasn’t been the fairytale start that their supporters, manager and team would’ve hoped for.

The Reds are currently 19th in the table after seven games, with consecutive losses in their last four outings. That record must drastically improve as soon as possible if Steve Cooper has any chance of retaining the club’s top-flight status at the end of the campaign.

The influx of new signings could be one of the contributing factors to Forest’s tricky start to the season, with the manager desperately trying to establish which players work well together to build relationships and connections on the pitch to inspire positive results.

Although the club wasted no time or resources in delivering the depth needed in the squad following their promotion from the Championship, they appear to have lost their identity since losing a number of their key players who worked together to deliver the successes of last season.

Brice Samba, Lewis Grabban, Djed Spence, Philip Zinckernagel, Keinan Davis and James Garner all played an integral part in their positions to secure promotion via the play-offs and send Forest back to the Premier League after 23 years out of the top tier, but they have now all left the club.

Garner in particular was one player who stayed in the conversation to return to the City Ground throughout the summer transfer window. However, he eventually moved to Everton in a £15m deal on deadline day after Manchester United decided to sell the player, and there is no doubt that Cooper will be full of regret that club owner Evangelos Marinakis could not secure the player’s signature.

The 21-year-old former Red Devils talent – who was dubbed “really creative” by Martin Keown – had a fantastic season-long loan spell at Forest and played a massively influential role in the team throughout.

In 41 Championship appearances last term, Garner scored four goals, delivered eight assists and created seven big chances, making 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and two key passes per game. He also won the majority of his duels (53%) and completed the majority of his dribbles (58%), showing that he is a complete midfielder effective in both attacking and defensive play.

Cooper now needs him more than ever as this Forest team struggles to work well together to earn positive results. With so many new players occupying important roles in the team, the Reds manager could use some familiarity and experience in the system which thrived in the Championship.

The permanent signing of Garner would’ve provided some continuity in the middle of the park, offering the 42-year-old an experienced focal point around which to structure the team, as it is clear from last season’s statistics that the Everton midfielder works well under the manager and understands his philosophy.

Arsenal could bring in two players during the January transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Summer business

The Gunners enjoyed a productive summer, spending just under £120m on five players. Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira were the marquee arrivals and have already made an impact on Mikel Arteta’s side, registering nine goal contributions between them.

The north Londoners go into the international break top of the Premier League with six wins from a possible seven, with both Jesus and Vieira netting in a 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

Romano was talking to Caught Offside regarding the club’s January plans. The transfer expert said that Arsenal chiefs could look to bring in a midfielder and a winger, provided that the ‘opportunities’ arise for the ‘right player’.

The Italian said: “I think their priorities will be the same as August: a midfielder and/or winger, but it will depend on the opportunities in the market and if they find the right player.”

The Verdict: Good to see

It is good to see that Arsenal’s technical director Edu will be scouring the market over the coming months ahead of two potential additions in the New Year.

The north London club could have seen the positive start to the campaign and believe that they already have the perfect squad for the whole campaign.

However, it looks as if they are open to the idea of another midfielder and wide attacker coming in, which appears to be a wise idea, especially with the Gunners potentially still having plenty of football to play in 2022/23 in domestic and European competitions alongside their Premier League push.