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Off the back of two successive agonising defeats – and both for different reasons – Leeds United face the daunting task of games against Arsenal, Liverpool and a resurgent Aston Villa before the end of the year.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were hammered 7-0 by Manchester City in their latest outing, and host Arsenal knowing that they are firmly in that battle to beat the drop.

Injuries have derailed the Whites’ hopes of enjoying another impressive year in the top-flight, but while that is understandably a cause for concern, it can also be a blessing in disguise in other respects: namely, handing an opportunity to some of the club’s brightest young prospects.

Joe Gelhardt has already had his share of first-team football in recent weeks, and now, Cody Drameh should surely be in the frame for a starting spot.

Jamie Shackleton occupied that right-back slot against City before being taken off, and when you consider Bielsa ought to be putting square pegs in square holes, Drameh must figure into the equation for that role going forward.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has even suggested that the 20-year-old could well be the long-term heir to Luke Ayling.

He said: “The point about Drameh was that he could be a natural successor to Ayling, who still has time left but is clearly not in his first flush of youth. Drameh is well thought of and I do feel like he’s got a serious chance here if he’s patient.”

While naturally much of the excitement of Leeds fans will be surrounding Gelhardt, Drameh is another from the U23s group who could really make a name for himself at Elland Road.

At just 20, the versatile ace has got plenty of time to grow and develop, but first-team minutes could be more on offer now that the Whites find themselves in such an injury crisis.

Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson was quick to rave about his potential and how good he is already, saying: “Defensively so impressive! His mind works quicker than most right-backs I’ve seen in a naturally defensive mindset. Tactically very aware of what is being asked of him, times his engagements well, needs to add a little more unpredictability going forward.”

Meanwhile, LUTV commentator Tom Hill described the 20-year-old as a “box of tricks” after an impressive performance against Sunderland at U23 level, and that bodes well for his future as a more adventurous full-back.

With the busy festive schedule taking its toll on Leeds’ players, Drameh could finally be unleashed by Bielsa in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this South American star…

Craig Hope has revealed some fresh Newcastle United transfer news involving Dean Henderson.

The Lowdown: Burn on his way?

As per Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, the St. James’ Park faithful have now agreed a £13m fee with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Dan Burn, adding that he is travelling up to the North East in order to undergo a medical.

He looks set to join Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and the imminent Bruno Guimaraes on Tyneside, meaning that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium can now focus on other targets before the deadline hits.

It seems as though the priority is still on improving the defensive record even after the move for Burn, judging by the latest news from Hope.

The Latest: Attention on Henderson

According to The Daily Mail journalist, talks have begun this weekend to bring Manchester United’s Henderson to Tyneside on loan:

“Talks have taken place in past 24 hours.”

However, after previously reporting that there was a ‘strong chance’ of a deal, Hope is no longer so positive.

“Never say never, but I’m told Henderson/NUFC now looks unlikely.”

The Verdict: Not a priority

Henderson is undeniably talented – during his incredible spell on loan with Sheffield United, when he kept 35 clean sheets in 86 appearances, his Blades teammate, Sander Berge, hailed him as ‘insane’ and ‘exceptional’.

However, the Toon are already stacked in the goalkeeping department with Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman, and so they should not be prioritising bringing in a new one – even if Woodman leaves, Eddie Howe will still have two senior shot-stoppers at his disposal.

Furthermore, Henderson currently earns a whopping £120,000-per-week at Old Trafford, and while money is not an object to the new owners, they would probably be expected to pay a large chunk of that on top of a potential loan fee.

Nonetheless, they should focus on other positions, with another striker mooted with Callum Wilson’s injury, and the likes of Alvaro Morata and Dominic Calvert-Lewin still reportedly seen as options.

In other news, find out who NUFC have made enquiries over here!

Southampton fans are delighted after it was revealed two Premier League clubs are interested in signing Mario Lemina this summer.

Lemina made the move to the Saints in 2017 from European giants Juventus – such a transfer meant there was much expected from the Gabon international. However, he ended up making just 52 appearances across two seasons, and didn’t manage to play more than 25 games in either of those campaigns (Transfermarkt). Since then, he has been on loan at Galatasaray and is now at Fulham on a temporary basis.

It seems he has no future at St. Mary’s Stadium. Fortunately, both West Ham United and Newcastle United are believed to be interested in purchasing the midfielder. The Guardian says that the south-coast outfit are looking for about £7m to let him go.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsfcViews, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their delight, with fans clearly feeling the absolute best thing they can do now is cash in and forget he ever existed…

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Lemina news below

“Result”

Credit: @SpencerHoughts

“Feel free”

Credit: @RichardStowell2

“£7m? please please please”

Credit: @Chris_FN_Ward

“I will drive him there”

Credit: @snwilliams10

“On my knees”

Credit: @IngsIsKing

“Money in the bank – get the deal done.”

Credit: @justinaminute

In other news, Ralph Hasenhuttl reveals this failed Southampton swoop.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will face a Burnley side without Ashley Westwood in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Clarets midfielder was forced off on a stretcher in their 1-1 draw against West Ham last weekend and has since had to have surgery on his ankle, after fracturing and dislocating it.

Caretaker boss Mike Jackson said to the media, as quoted by Birmingham Live: “It is a fracture and a dislocation. The operation went really well.”

Although, Jackson did provide a positive update on left-back Erik Pieters, saying: “Erik Pieters is doing a lot of running on the grass and is where he needs to be.”

However, after surgery, the 32-year-old now faces a long period on the sidelines and will certainly be absent for Wolves’ meeting with the Lancashire outfit at Turf Moor this afternoon.

A boost for Wolves

It goes without saying that we wish Westwood the very best in his recovery from a serious injury but given his importance to the Clarets, it will be a boost to Wolves that he is missing for this encounter.

The significance of today’s match for both sides is of serious magnitude with both fighting at different ends of the table.

Burnley boosted their survival hopes on Thursday evening with a 2-0 win at home to Southampton but still find themselves one point off safety with 17th-place Everton having a game in hand.

As for Bruno Lage’s men, European qualification is still very possible but will require a strong run of form to close out the season, with the West Midlands outfit currently eighth but five points behind sixth-place Manchester United with two games in hand.

Wanderers are also battling with West Ham, who currently occupy seventh, for a European place with the Hammers three points ahead, although Wolves do have a game in hand.

Lage’s men are in a good position, however, they are slightly reliant on results elsewhere going their way whilst also needing to win their own matches.

At 32, Westwood boasts plenty of experience whilst making 27 appearances in the top-flight for the Lancashire outfit this term, making him a key fixture in their plans.

Therefore, the knowledge that Burnley will be without one of their regular players in Westwood for a crucial match will be a major boost for Lage and co.

AND in other news: Wolves now plot bid to sign “unique” £31.5m-rated livewire, just imagine him & Jimenez

Southampton goalkeeper Harry Lewis has failed to make a single appearance under Ralph Hasenhuttl thus far and the Austrian should ensure that the 23-year-old leaves the club this summer.

Lewis is an academy graduate at Southampton and made three FA Cup appearances for the senior side in the 2016/17 season, in which he conceded seven goals, and he has not been seen in the first-team since.

His record with the Southampton B team is not overly impressive either, with the shot-stopper having shipped 64 goals in 35 appearances there, keeping just six clean sheets in the process.

Lewis is unfortunate that Hasenhuttl has both Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster available to him in his squad, meaning that his lack of experience was always likely to mean that he was going to struggle for regular game time.

Although the ‘keeper was a regular for Dundee United in the 2017/18 season, he hasn’t left the club on loan again since then and has been forced to settle for academy football in the three years since.

Considering Southampton also have Angus Gunn out on loan at Stoke City in the Championship, it is difficult to see Lewis ever making it as a regular with the South Coast club.

Fortunately, his contract is set to expire in the summer, so it seems likely that he will depart his boyhood club and, hopefully, find a side that is willing to offer him regular first-team football.

According to Sportrac, Lewis earns more than £20k per week at Southampton, which seems ridiculous when you consider he hasn’t made a single first-team appearance in Hasenhuttl’s two and a half years with the club.

Therefore, you can definitely argue that he is stealing a living with the Saints at this moment in time, and the club should make sure that he leaves when his current contract expires in the summer.

And, in other news… Southampton signing £7.2m-rated beast could be bad news for £55k-p/w Saints regular

Leeds United full-back Niall Huggins has been told he’s free to leave the club, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

The 20-year-old only signed a new contract at Elland Road last December, seemingly tying him down until 2023.

The Welsh Under-21 international has made one senior appearance, coming off the bench for the final 37 minutes of the 4-2 Premier League defeat to Arsenal in February. He also played 17 Premier League 2 Division Two matches for the under-23s last season, scoring twice and providing one assist.

Primarily playing at left-back, the prospect can line out anywhere across the defence and even throughout the midfield (Transfermarkt).

After a 4-1 victory for the Leeds youngsters against Burnley in January, former Whites left-back Ian Harte hailed Huggins as ‘fantastic’.

The latest

Leeds have apparently decided that Huggins doesn’t have what it takes to force his way into the first team. As a result, he’s been urged to find a new club during the summer transfer window.

Transfermarkt value the 20-year-old at just £180,000 despite his contract extension in recent months.

The verdict

The report describes the news as a ‘bitter blow’ for Huggins, and it’s hard to disagree. Just six months ago, Leeds seemed to indicate that he was an important part of their future by handing him a new deal.

With fellow left-back Ezgjan Alioski just days away from reaching the end of his contract, the young Welsh talent may even have sensed an opportunity to make a step up to more regular first team contention.

Instead, this has the air of a decision that Leeds could come to regret if the 20-year-old can go on to prove himself in the men’s game elsewhere and the Whites find themselves short of full-backs at some point next season.

In other news, this Leeds man is being eyed by a Serie A outfit. 

David Moyes and the West Ham hierarchy will have Champions League qualification as a goal this upcoming season, says Peterborough director of football Barry Fry.

The Hammers surprisingly came close to achieving that in the last campaign, just missing out after finishing two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in sixth.

They were, however, able to qualify for the Europa League, meaning European nights will be coming to the London Stadium this year.

Going forward, though, Fry believes Europe’s elite competition will be the aim for West Ham.

“Knowing the three Davids as I do, they’ll want to improve on this year’s position and really have a right go at getting in the Champions League,” Fry exclusively told TT.

“I think again with the right recruitment, signing three or four players that can add to the strength in depth in the squad, then they’ll give it a good go.”

West Ham supporters will surely be delighted to hear about the lofty ambitions of Moyes, David Gold and David Sullivan.

With the likes of London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal really struggling last season, there does look like there could be room for new names to enter the conversation for Champions League qualification. And based on what they have recently shown, West Ham should certainly be aiming to be one of those clubs.

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that James Milner would be open to a return to Leeds this summer.

Milner, who reportedly earns £140,000-a-week, left his hometown club almost 17 years ago as a teenager, and has regularly been linked with a move back to South Yorkshire, although a return to Elland Road has never quite materialised.

The midfielder, who could face Leeds when Liverpool visit Elland Road later this month, previously refused to rule out the possibility of re-signing for the Whites when quizzed about the topic earlier in the season.

“You never know in football what’s around the corner” was Milner’s answer, although the experienced midfielder still has more than 12 months remaining on his contract at Anfield.

Milner turned 36 in January, but remains a regular in the Liverpool side and captained the side to a 3-0 victory at Arsenal last weekend, his 14th start in all competitions for the Reds this term.

And Windass told Football FanCast that he believes Milner would only sign for Marcelo Biesla’s team providing he’s a starter:

“Being a local lad, would he go back to Leeds? Yes. To end his career.

“But does he want to go back as a squad player, because that’s what he’d be. Bielsa would he go, ‘come in, but you’re not going to play week in week out, but I need you in the changing room’.

“Does James want to continue playing for another two seasons? If so, it won’t be at Leeds United. He’d get into any Premier League team outside the top-four because of his experience.

“I’ve known him for a long time, he’s teetotal the lad. You can tell by the way he’s lived his life and looked after himself.

“He might want to go back home to Yorkshire and enjoy his life, but he might want to go and play for another two seasons.”

Southampton have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney recently, and the 29-year-old could be the man to finally replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

According to ESPN, Southampton are keen on the Denmark international, with Dortmund expected to demand just £8.6m for his services this summer.

The 29-year-old’s contract at Signal Iduna Park is set to expire at the end of next season, and along with the rise of teenage sensation Jude Bellingham, that could see the former Werder Bremen midfielder et go for a cut-price fee this summer. Southampton could be the ones to benefit, especially as he suits Hasenhuttl’s transfer plan of targeting players under £10m.

The Denmark international also admitted when signing for Dortmund that it was his “big wish” to play in the Premier League, so a move to Southampton could certainly be on the cards.

If he were to arrive at St Mary’s, he could be the man to step up as Hojbjerg’s replacement after his 25-year-old international colleague completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

Following his arrival from Bayern Munich in 2016, the midfielder went on to make 134 appearances for the Saints, contributing five goals and six assists, whilst he was also appointed as captain of the club. However, he made it clear that he wanted to depart last summer and he duly joined the north Londoners, with Kyle Walker-Peters heading the other way.

Ibrahima Diallo arrived last summer as his potential replacement but was limited to very little game-time until Oriol Romeu’s injury. After a positive start, the 21-year-old has struggled to perform in recent weeks, with a notably poor performance in the FA Cup semi-final perhaps highlighting that he isn’t ready for a regular starting berth.

Whilst Romeu has been one of the Saints’ top performers this season when fit, they have struggled in his absence, which suggests that they need a more experienced head in midfield to step in should he be unavailable.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

Therefore, Delaney could be the ideal man for Southampton this summer, and he could arguably fill the hole left by Hojbjerg, who he will know well from their time playing together with Denmark.

The Dortmund midfielder has averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, along with an 83.3% pass success rate, in the Bundesliga this season, whereas Hojbjerg has averaged 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, with an 88.5% pass success rate.

WhoScored suggests that both Hojbjerg and Delaney’s main strengths include their ability to win aerial duels and their concentration, whilst both are more than willing to commit tactical fouls.

Therefore, the 29-year-old could be the man to finally replace Hojbjerg in Hasenhuttl’s side, as this season has perhaps emphasised that Diallo is not yet ready for a regular starting spot, and someone of Delaney’s experience could be a very useful acquisition for Southampton ahead of next season.

In other news… Semmens can end Hasenhuttl headache with Southampton swoop for “explosive” beast

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has hit back at criticism towards Patrick Bamford following his England debut.

The Lowdown: O’Hara on talkSPORT

The 28-year-old, who famously replied to a talkSPORT post last year after they questioned him leading the line for Leeds in the Premier League, made his England debut on Sunday.

He started in the Three Lions’ 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley but made way for Harry Kane just after the hour mark.

Speaking live on talkSPORT on Monday, Jamie O’Hara said that Bamford ‘shouldn’t’ be in the England squad and hit out at Gareth Southgate for ‘handing caps out like confetti’ in reference to the Leeds marksman.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider about the negative comments on Bamford, Kenny was quick to defend the Leeds striker, saying:

“Some of the criticism is ridiculous, 100 per cent.

“Give the lad a chance, for God’s sake. It’s his first cap and it’s a big occasion. He’s never been in that position before, it’s brand new to him.

“England weren’t that good in the first half anyway. And every time I’ve seen him play, I’ve always thought ‘Wow’.

“You just have to give him a better crack of the whip, give him time. Everyone is too quick to jump on people’s backs these days.”

The Verdict: Kenny is spot on

Kane was the only English striker to score more Premier League goals than Bamford last season, with the Leeds marksman netting more than Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings.

On that basis, an England debut was the least the 28-year-old deserved. Yes, he was the worst-rated starter at Wembley as per WhoScored, but it was always going to be tricky for the forward to make an impact against a team playing a low block with three central defenders in a much-changed England side.

His first appearance as an England player shouldn’t be his last, and as Kenny rightly says, time will be required when it comes to his international career.

In other news: Ian Doyle thinks another Liverpool regular may now miss Leeds game alongside three Brazil stars.