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Leeds United winger Daniel James is a target for Serie A side Atalanta, according to a report from Calcio Atalanta (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Tough season

Reminiscent of the entire Leeds squad, James has endured a difficult campaign at Elland Road having made a £25million switch from Manchester United last summer when Marcelo Bielsa was still at the helm (BBC).

Overall, the young winger has directly contributed to nine goals in 35 appearances across all competitions for the Whites.

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Despite not setting the world alight in Yorkshire, as the threat of relegation looms large ahead of the final day, there is now believed to be interest from Italy…

The latest: Atalanta make contact

As per Calcio Atalanta, translated by SW, Atalanta have already made ‘contacts with the player’ ahead of a possible summer transfer swoop.

It’s claimed that the Serie A outfit and regular UEFA Champions League participants will look to negotiate a ‘low’ fee for the 30-cap Wales ace if Leeds are relegated.

The report also states that Atalanta chief Lee Congerton has James – who was described as ‘unbelievable’ by former top-flight goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel – in his ‘notebook’ following scouting missions to the United Kingdom.

The verdict: No deal

Regardless of whether Leeds can retain their Premier League status or otherwise, the club must do everything in its power to retain the Welsh speedster.

Capable of playing across a variety of attacking positions, the £16.2million valued 24-year-old has previous experience of the Championship with Swansea and would be pivotal should the Whites face the drop, whilst also being the level of player Marsch can build a team around in order to enjoy a more fruitful season next term.

Under contract in Yorkshire until 2026 (Transfermarkt), Director of Football Victor Orta is certainly well placed to rebuff any potential suitors in the summer transfer window as Leeds either look to strengthen their ranks or retain key assets.

In other news: Orta now eyeing transfer move for exciting winger even if Leeds are in the Championship. 

Rangers currently have a number of players in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad that are set to see their contracts expire at Ibrox in the coming days.

With that in mind, it seems as though a behind-the-scenes clue has emerged regarding the future of one of those Gers players.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge had this to say about Aaron Ramsey and his future once his current loan spell at Ibrox ends.

“I don’t think he will be back. We’ve seen a player who has had niggly injuries for his whole time there. He couldn’t get a run going, so I would be surprised [if he stayed].

“He put up an Instagram post on Sunday and it read to me like it was a bit of a goodbye. He hasn’t come here and been that consistent.”

Bad news for Van Bronckhorst

Rangers signed the midfielder on loan from Italian club Juventus during the previous January transfer window.

Since then, the Welshman made only 13 appearances for the Ibrox side, starting just nine of them across all competitions.

In those appearances, the midfielder scored two goals and provided two assists along the way. However, during the penalty shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, Ramsey ended up missing the penalty that led to the German side winning the trophy.

While Bridge is right in terms of the January recruit not getting a consistent run in the team during his time at Ibrox, it would still be disappointing for the fans and bad news for van Bronckhorst to not have the opportunity to keep Ramsey in the squad for next season.

With a summer break followed by a pre-season period under his belt, this could put the former Arsenal star in good shape to become a really important figure for the Gers and play on a consistent basis should he avoid any fitness issues.

Taking into account his knack for the occasional goal or assist, this and his vast experience could make him an incredibly useful figure for Rangers on and off the pitch.

With his current contract at Juventus set to expire in the summer of 2023, it could be worth Rangers seeing if the Serie A club would be willing to loan the midfielder to them again with an option for a permanent move next summer.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst heading for big Rangers disaster as worrying transfer claim emerges

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly interested in signing Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Amer Gojak this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Germanijak and relayed on Twitter by journalist Izak Ante Sucic, the midfielder could be on his way out of the Croatian club in the coming weeks.

It has also been claimed that Dinamo Zagreb would look for a fee of €2m (£1.7m) to sell him, with West Brom being one of many clubs looking at the player.

The 25-year-old joined the Croatian champions in February 2015 from Bosnian club FK Olimpik.

Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make 200 appearances for his current side across all competitions. In that time, Gojak has scored 18 goals and delivered 21 assists along the way.

However, this season has shown why it would be a mistake for the Baggies to launch a move for the player.

Bruce must avoid Gojak calamity

In 39 appearances this term, Gojak – who is currently valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt – could only score on two occasions and provided just one assist.

His eight performances in Dinamo Zagreb’s Europa League campaign ultimately earned the midfielder a rather uninspiring overall rating of 6.31/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players from his side to start more than one game in the tournament according to WhoScored.

Last season was rather dismal for the Bosnian too as he spent the campaign on loan with Torino. Having made just 15 appearances in Serie A, he again earned a rather poor overall performance rating of 6.33/10 from WhoScored.

Taking all this into account, Gojak’s recent history doesn’t suggest that he would be a good signing for West Brom, or that he would do much to help them reach promotion back to the Premier League. In fact, it could be calamitous for Bruce and his side if they do end up bringing him to The Hawthorns.

It also makes it easy to see why Dinamo Zagreb are reportedly looking to get rid of the player this summer.

Also, the Midlands club’s recent signing of John Swift from Reading suggests that adding another midfielder to their ranks may not be at the top of their priorities at the moment.

In other news: Bruce can secure the next Gallagher as WBA eye £3m dynamo who is a “constant threat”

Everton are reportedly interested in Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic, according to Greek newspaper editor Gerasimos Manolidis.

The lowdown: Experienced head

A veteran of 397 senior club appearances across spells at RSC Anderlecht, Red Star Belgrade, FK Rad, Olympiacos and current employers Palace, Milivojevic boasts a wealth of experience, racking up 53 goals and 27 assists across his career.

The 31-year-old Serbian has amassed 177 outings in total for the South East London club, 165 of which have come in the Premier League, scoring 28 goals in that time including 22 from the penalty spot.

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Despite his almost legendary status as club captain at Palace, it appears a summer departure is on the cards and Everton could be set to benefit…

The latest: Milivojevic will move, Toffees interested

Taking to Twitter, Manolidis, sports chief for popular newspaper Sportime, has claimed that the Toffees and newly-promoted Fulham are both ‘interested’ in bringing Milivojevic to Goodison Park and he ‘will leave’ SE25.

He stated: “There is no chance @CPFC Luka Milivojevic return to @olympiacosfc this summer. Most likely, he will leave #CPFC, but there are several teams that are interested in him. @FulhamFC and @Everton are among them. #FFC #EFC”

The verdict: Better options to be had

As the Blues plan for a new era under Frank Lampard having narrowly survived the drop in 2021/22, making moves for the likes of Milivojevic would have to be regarded as a sideways step given the Serbian’s profile.

Last season, the 39-cap ace – who was hailed as a ‘brilliant servant’ to the club by journalist Daniel Storey – made only 20 appearances for Palace across all competitions as they themselves attempt to freshen up their own ranks with Patrick Vieira at the helm.

Although Lampard and recruitment chief Kevin Thelwell need to find midfield reinforcements this summer to supplement regularly used trio Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes, making a move for a man being phased out from their competition seems like a pointless venture.

In other news: Everton: PSG ready to make move for Richarlison

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has shared his verdict on a change of approach from Leeds United in the transfer window this summer. 

The lowdown: Decimated

Leeds were badly impacted by injuries throughout 2021/22 as both Marcelo Bielsa and more recently Jesse Marsch felt the full effect of being without key players.

The likes of Patrick Bamford, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips all missed large parts of the campaign, whilst utility man Stuart Dallas was also ruled out of the Premier League run-in after suffering a terrible leg break against Manchester City.

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After surviving on the final day of the season in spite of the regular absentees, Marsch has already acted to bolster the ranks at Elland Road and one well-versed onlooker has had his say on the incomings…

The latest: ‘Absolutely huge’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, the man behind the popular Premier Injuries site and a contributor for Sky Sports, has suggested that the capture of Red Bull Salzburg duo Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen is ‘absolutely huge’ due to their durability – the pair have suffered just one and two career injuries respectively.

He said: “If you want to play in a set way, you need players who are fit for purpose. You need players who can deliver. Often overlooked in terms of a player’s attributes is availability.

“That’s absolutely huge. You could be the best player in the world, but if you’re only available for 50% of the time – you aren’t much use. I think that’s where Bielsa fell down, in my opinion. There never seemed to be any plan B.

“When you’ve got a solid nucleus of 13 to 14 players who are robust and can tolerate the demands of playing up to three times a week, then great. The problems for Bielsa occurred when he started to lose players like Phillips, Bamford, and Cooper. They just didn’t have the depth to compete – the demands were too much.

“Marsch has got an understanding of how he wants to play, and he’s going out to get players he knows can cope with the intense nature of the Premier League. It’s never going to be seamless for these new players, but he is mitigating the risk of being hit by injury again by making his squad bigger.”

The verdict: Spot on

Ultimately, the lack of reinforcements in the January transfer window would appear to have cost Bielsa his job when the squad was stretched particularly thin.

Perhaps somewhat set in his ways, Marsch’s innovative approach to the transfer market – which has already seen Orta land two players – is a welcome change from the Argentinian’s small squad mentality.

Time will only tell whether those new arrivals can flourish in the English top-flight, but there will at least seemingly be more options at the manager’s disposal in 2022/22.

In other news: Leeds now eyeing move for ‘lethal and sublime’ gem, read more here

Liverpool didn’t have much trouble when it came to scoring goals during their latest Premier League campaign under Jurgen Klopp.

With 38 games played, the Reds found the net on 94 occasions, 18 more times than Chelsea in third place of the league table.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, it seems as though the Merseyside club are close to adding another goalscoring threat to their squad after it was recently reported that they have agreed a deal to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica.

Having bagged 34 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions for the Portuguese club this season, it’s safe to say that the 22-year-old would certainly make Klopp’s side an even deadlier outfit.

However, having failed to score a goal in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup or Champions League finals that they played in this season, the Liverpool boss may feel the need to add another attacking figure to his ranks this summer.

One player the Anfield outfit have been linked with that could go on to form a deadly attacking duo with Nunez once his move gets confirmed is Arnaut Danjuma.

After scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists in 52 appearances for AFC Bournemouth, the attacker joined Villarreal during the previous summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £21.3m.

Throughout his debut season with the Spanish club, the Dutchman found the net 16 times and supplied four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Labelled as an “exceptional” player by Jonathan Woodgate, the former Bournemouth star reportedly has a price tag of £50m, presumably as a result of his solid season with Villarreal.

Having played as a centre-forward and on the left-wing at times this season, in the same way that Nunez has at Benfica, having two versatile attacking players in his ranks will certainly give Klopp the opportunity to have them both play together and form what would undoubtedly be a terrifying prospect for opposition defences.

Moving forward, once they get the Uruguayan officially announced as a new Liverpool player, launching a move for Danjuma could be a very exciting next step for the Reds.

In other news: Deal agreed: Klopp may be on the verge of repeating Liverpool’s Markovic disaster

Liverpool have been linked to Matthijs de Ligt on multiple occasions over the last few months, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player during the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Tutto Sport newspaper (via Sport Witness), Liverpool remain interested in signing De Ligt this summer.

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As per the report, the publication has said ‘pay attention to Liverpool’ in regards to a potential move for the Juventus defender, and claims that offers from the Merseyside giants would be hard for the player to refuse.

Imagine him & Van Dijk

The defence at Anfield is the last area you would expect FSG to strengthen with their accumulation of huge talent in the back-line, nevertheless, the idea of Virgil van Dijk playing alongside De Ligt for Liverpool would be a dream duo.

The £200k-per-week centre-back was hailed by the late Mina Raiola who sang the player’s praises in an interview with Sport Voetbal Magazine (via Goal):

“De Ligt is like an oil tanker, he will be unstoppable.”

This season for Juventus, De Ligt has been a solid force in the back-line for the Serie A giants, winning the majority of his ground duels combined (62%), made 3.1 clearances and won 1.3 tackles. He also made 48.4 accurate passes on average per game, with an impressive accuracy of 89% in total over 31 league appearances.

His phenomenal defensive performances are not the only thing that would’ve caught Liverpool’s eye as the player also scored three goals, contributed one assist and created three big chances in the Italian top-flight last season.

There is no doubt that the Merseyside giants have other areas of improvement that need to be addressed ahead of adding more depth to the defence, with a midfielder looking like the next priority for the club, however, it wouldn’t be a bad decision to add De Ligt into the squad as he is clearly a high-quality player.

With that being said, the powers at Anfield should carefully consider the potential of signing De Ligt this summer as it isn’t guaranteed he gets into the starting line-up and currently picks up the same wages as the top performers in the Liverpool squad.

AND in other news: Liverpool plotting bid for “electric” £60m star with “no restrictions”, he’s Salah 2.0

West Ham United have been handed a boost in their bid to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja…

What’s the word?

As per talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the Hammers are not set to be joined in the race for the 20-year-old’s signature by fellow Premier League outfit Southampton, despite the Albania international having impressed on loan at St Mary’s last season.

Writing on Twitter about the forward’s future, the transfer insider revealed that the potential financial package has put the Saints off, meaning the Irons are now in pole to secure his signature: “Understand #SaintsFC are not competing with #WHUFC for Armando Broja. They view wages and transfer fee as too high. Don’t think his form in the second half of the season helped either.”

This follows reports that GSB are set to make a £30m offer to the Blues for their academy product, albeit with possible involvement in Thomas Tuchel’s first-team squad next term at Stamford Bridge having also been mooted.

Payet 2.0

David Moyes and co have seemingly identified the highly-rated prospect as the man to solve their centre-forward woes, with the £19.8m-rated ace having caught the eye during that spell on the south coast, netting nine times in all competitions in what was his first full, Premier League campaign.

Prior to that, Broja had spent a year on loan with Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem during the 2020/21 season – netting solitary first-team appearance at his parent club, with that coming under Frank Lampard over two years ago.

That relative lack of experience may be a concern, although his eyecatching form under Ralph Hasenhuttl has illustrated just what a talent he is, with the £8.5k-per-week brute having been dubbed “devastating” by his national team assistant coach, Sergio Porrini.

The powerful, 6 foot 3 “machine” – as described by Simon Peach – proved himself a real handful up against top-flight defences last term, notably netting a stunning solo goal in his side’s 3-1 win over the east London outfit in the FA Cup back in March.

That lethal impact in the final third could see the Slough-born marksman blossom into something of a talisman for the Irons over the coming years, with that role having previously been assumed by French playmaker, Dimitri Payet.

Although it may be somewhat hard to compare the physical, young striker with the 35-year-old, creative genius, the pair are in fact noted as similar players, according to Football Transfers, with such likeness likely to set pulses racing at the London Stadium.

While his time in English football may have been brief, Payet certainly left his mark both on the Hammers fanbase and the league as a whole, serving up multiple moments of jaw-dropping quality, be it that outrageous rabona assist for Michail Antonio, or the gravity-defying, looping free-kick at Upton Park against Crystal Palace in April 2016.

In a class of his own, the 38-cap “magician” – as he has been dubbed by Carl Anka- was a truly joyous player to watch in his pomp, with the only sour note having been the nature of his swift departure in January 2017, just 18 months after joining the club.

The hope will be that young Broja can make a similar, yet longer-lasting impact in a claret and blues jersey, with the Payet case proving that West Ham can be a platform for top-class talent to truly shine.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Manchester United may be able to sign centre-back target Goncalo Inacio if they come close to matching the release clause in his Sporting Lisbon contract. 

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

United’s new manager Erik ten Hag has been assessing potential centre-back signings, with The Athletic reporting the 52-year-old’s admiration for Ajax’s Jurrien Timber and Villarreal’s Pau Torres.

Inacio made 45 appearances for Sporting last season across all competitions, while his agent Miguel Pinho also represents Old Trafford star Bruno Fernandes, who moved to Manchester in January 2020.

The latest

The report states that United’s strong relationship with Fernandes’ agent could be a crucial advantage in the transfer race for Inacio.

The Red Devils are one of three Premier League clubs to have ‘shown interest’ in the 20-year-old, along with Newcastle United and Wolves. La Liga giants Barcelona are providing some competition from mainland Europe.

Inacio’s release clause stands at €45m (£38.8m), and if United can get ‘very close’ to offering that amount, it ‘could tempt’ Sporting into a sale.

There is one potential problem for the Red Devils, though, with Inacio said to be keen to stay in Lisbon in order to be assured of regular game-time before the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

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The verdict

Inacio is clearly a highly talented young centre-back. He was named the Primeira Liga’s Defender of the Month for December 2021 and has already earned a call-up to the senior Portugal squad.

Excitingly for United fans, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the 20-year-old as a ‘sensation’.

Can they persuade him to join the Red Devils? Despite their recent woes, United should have plenty of pulling power given their historical success. They have won the league title 20 times, more than any other club in England.

Also, if Ten Hag can convince the youngster that he would get enough minutes to make his case for inclusion in Portugal’s World Cup squad, then perhaps that might tip the scales in the Manchester club’s favour.

Tyler Adams is eager to join Leeds United, according to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Phil Hay reported on Friday that the RB Leipzig gem features on the Whites’ shortlist of possible Kalvin Phillips replacements.

The £15.3m-rated American ‘is expected to move on’ from the Bundesliga outfit during the summer transfer window.

On Monday, Phillips sealed his £45m move to Manchester City, potentially triggering an Elland Road swoop for the 23-year-old Leipzig midfielder.

The latest

Jacobs tweeted that ‘Adams really wants a loan move to Leeds’ and has ‘already spoken to Jesse Marsch’.

The £38,000-per-week American ‘needs game time’ ahead of the Qatar World Cup at the end of the year.

It’s significant that Adams’ preference seems to be Leeds, because ‘Everton and Sevilla [are] also interested’.

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The verdict

Marsch will surely be a big part of the reason that Leeds is Adams’ favoured destination.

He was actually instrumental in his move from New York Red Bulls to their German counterpart.

They’d worked together in the Big Apple, and Marsch would oversee him again once again when he took over as Leipzig boss in 2021.

He’s previously described the player as a ‘special person, a special personality and a special talent’.

Adams, meanwhile, has expressed his gratitude towards Marsch and praised his ‘up front and honest’ coaching style.

“When you can have a good connection with your players they want to battle and fight for you on the field every weekends, so being able to sit down and talk to them, whether it’s about football or life, that connection is important,” he said.