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West Ham could land one of their reported summer transfer targets for a lot less than first expected…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic has been offered to the Irons but they could face competition from Serie A rivals Juventus.

It’s claimed that the 23-year-old defender will not renew his contract in Florence as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract, meaning the club will likely be forced into selling him this window.

They are currently asking for between €15m (£12.8m) and €20m (£18m) but that could decrease considerably as we head closer towards the new campaign as they don’t want to risk losing him for free, with Milenkovic able to discuss terms with other clubs about a free transfer in January 2022.

At one stage, his price tag was reportedly around €35m (£30m).

The Hammers’ interest in the Serbian powerhouse was confirmed by the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee on this week’s ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, where he said:

“The latest is a guy called Milenkovic from Fiorentina. There is interest in him, but I don’t think they’ve put any concrete offer in for him at all, but he is on the potential radar.”

Time to strike

If this latest development is to be believed, then it’s time for GSB to put in that concrete offer, otherwise they’ll risk Juventus coming in and swooping him from their grasp.

It’s thought that David Moyes sees the addition of a new central defender as a big priority, as per Football Insider, who also suggest that the club’s hierarchy have set aside funds to do so.

At less than £20m, Milenkovic seems like an ideal candidate to sign this summer.

He may not have played outside of Italy or his home country but comparisons to a Premier League great suggests that he could well fit right in.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field,” Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic told ESPN FC. “He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – both are fearless.”

Former Serbia head coach Mladen Krstajic has also likened the Fiorentina star to the Manchester United legend, whilst his ex-manager at Partizan, Ivan Tomic, believes he “has [the] physical characteristics of a beast.”

Standing at a whopping 6 foot 5, Milenkovic certainly offers the physical presence to be a nuisance to many a top-flight attack and that’s backed up by the fact that he averaged three aerial duels won per game in 2020/21.

Also via WhoScored, the £18m-rated monster managed a seasonal 86% passing accuracy, proving to be equally adept with the ball at his feet – another factor that suits the Premier League.

Furthermore, Milenkovic also averaged 3.6 clearances, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league outing, only further bolstering his claims of being an all-round animal at the back.

After this exciting update, Moyes and co would be foolish to not try and sign the Serbia international.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano delivers encouraging West Ham transfer claim, fans must be buzzing…

This January transfer window will be a pivotal one for Leeds United and their top-flight status.

It may also be a crucial one for Marcelo Bielsa who is under pressure to keep his job following a torrid season so far.

What’s the word?

Leeds headed into Christmas in 16th place and although they still have a cushion to the foot of the table, it might not be too long before they get dragged into a relegation battle.

Thus, the Whites must go against their winter traditions of rarely signing anyone by strengthening significantly next month.

One player who is a potential target for Victor Orta is Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leeds’ recruitment director had already spoken to him about a move and now the Express suggest that their chase of the attacker could be reunited in 2022.

He is currently valued at £16.2m via Transfermarkt.

Forget James

Last summer, Leeds finally managed to bring Dan James to Elland Road as he departed Manchester United for pastures new.

The zippy Welsh forward was in the building and was set to sign for the Elland Road outfit back in 2019 but a move fell through at the 11th hour despite documents being signed and James posing with a Leeds shirt.

Yet, two years on, they finally got their man a few months ago.

Sadly, his performances since moving to Yorkshire haven’t really been up to scratch. The Wales international has featured 16 times for Bielsa’s side but has only registered a solitary goal and two assists.

That form has led to considerable criticism, particularly from Darren Bent. He told Football Insider:

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless.

“He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

Though, with Leeds’ mass injury problems, it’s been hard to ignore him in the starting XI.

That said, by signing Kvaratskhelia this winter, Bielsa could finally be granted the license to axe James from the starting XI.

The 20-year-old currently plays his football in Russia for Rubin Kazan and has proven to be a particularly tricky customer.

Although he’s only bagged one goal, he’s registered three assists and registered a whopping 2.7 dribbles per match. For context, that’s more than any player at Thorp Arch, including Raphinha who has managed 2.4 per game.

Described as a player with “crazy technique” by Russian coach Denis Bushuev, he has also been compared to two of the trickiest wingers we’ve seen in football.

“He is from the same constellation of players as Ribery or Robben,” Bushuev admitted.

Consequently, it would appear as if Kvaratskhelia would be an eye-catching signing for Leeds this winter. Not only would he add greater quality to the squad but it would give James a chance to rest on the sidelines and reapply himself.

AND in other news, Orta masterclass: Leeds struck dream deal with £36m-rated “magician” who’s “a storm”…

A number of West Ham fans have been showering Ben Johnson with praise after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Hammers picked up a sweet win against Spurs at the London Stadium, prevailing 1-0. Michail Antonio was on the scoresheet, and the Irons have now moved up to fourth place in the Premier League table. David Moyes and co will surely be confident of improving on their sixth-place finish last season after this result.

Johnson was included in the starting line-up for his third league outing of the campaign (Transfermarkt) as he continued to deputise for the injured Vladimir Coufal. Once again, the 21-year-old helped the Irons keep a clean sheet as he kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon quiet down his right flank, and lots of fans were absolutely delighted with what the youngster had to offer.

West Ham have not conceded a goal whenever he has been on the pitch this season (Transfermarkt), with Johnson starring as he won all seven of his duels and made five tackles in a tremendous defensive display (Sofascore).

These Hammers fans took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on Johnson’s “class” performance.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson

“Ben Johnson has been wonderful this season. 5 games he has started in he has kept a clean sheet in every single one of them. Still a few things to work on going forward but he kept Son quiet expertly today, his awareness and urgency is superb.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“Ben Johnson was immense today.”

Credit: @aldredtj

“Ben Johnson ain’t put a foot wrong defensively yet, been class”

Credit: @DraigCawson

“Remember when we were all fuming when we let Ngakia go? Moyes got it spot on once again. Ben Johnson unreal talent”

Credit: @antonymmartin84

“How amazing has Ben Johnson been by since he has come into the side the way!? I thought he was so good yesterday. Never thought I’d say this but Coufal might not even get back in straight away”

Credit: @W_Bellow

“Ben Johnson was superb – but can’t underestimate how the arrival of Zouma has improved confidence and skill of whole back line”

Credit: @Tony_McNulty

In other news, many West Ham United fans loved this Jesse Lingard news

An exciting summer transfer claim has emerged on Leeds United, regarding Nottingham Forest gem Brennan Johnson…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has confirmed that the Whites have been scouting the young forward in the Championship this season.

The Nottingham Forest attacker is a player of interest for the Yorkshire outfit and the reporter has suggested that he could be brought in to cope with the potential loss of a current first-team star…

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “I know Leeds scouts have been watching Johnson for a while, so I’m sure they might be thinking he could be a good addition to the team, especially if they lost someone like Raphinha.”

Jesse Marsch would love him

This claim will surely leave the Whites head coach buzzing as Johnson would be a terrific signing for the club in the short and long term.

In the short term, the Welsh international has shown that he has the quality to potentially stamp his mark on the Premier League next season.

He has produced an impressive 14 goals and eight assists for Forest in the Championship this term, averaging an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 throughout the campaign as he has been able to consistently make an impact on the pitch.

Johnson has also created 11 big chances and made 1.2 key passes per match, whilst he has only missed three big chances all season on his way to his 14 strikes. These statistics suggest that he is ready to make the step up to the top flight as he has been delivering outstanding displays in the second tier, which is why he can be a superb addition to Marsch’s squad ahead of 2022/23.

In the long term, he has the potential to explode in the future. At the age of 20, he has the majority of his career ahead of him to develop into a quality player at Premier League level. He has shown incredible maturity to make himself a key player for Forest in the Championship at such a young age and this suggests that his scope for development is massive.

Therefore, Leeds would be bringing in a player who is an investment, whilst also an immediate boost to the squad, as he has the room to increase his value over time by improving on the pitch. Victor Orta could then make a huge profit on him in the future and Marsch will surely love coaching him on the training pitch to help the youngster fulfil his potential.

AND in other news, Marsch must ruthlessly axe “awful” Leeds star adored by Bielsa, he’s not good enough…

Tottenham Hotspur have received a frustrating setback ahead of the north London derby…

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Spurs will be without central defender Cristian Romero for their Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday evening, despite the Argentina international making good progress on his return from injury.

“He’s obviously going to miss the derby, which is a real blow. I thought he might be back for that,” he revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

A little over two weeks ago, Romero was spotted back in first-team training, which was well ahead of his scheduled return in February, at the very earliest.

Meanwhile, in midweek, manager Antonio Conte revealed to the club’s official website that the 23-year-old was ” very close to coming back.”

Huge blow

The Atalanta loanee has proven to be an important member of the starting lineup, providing the backline with a ruthless edge alongside the more error-prone Eric Dier and full-back Ben Davies, who has looked decent out of position.

That much has been reinforced by Conte recently.

“We are talking about another important player for us. We lost him for almost two months, and I think we faced this situation in best possible way because Cristian, for sure, is an important player for us,” he added before their Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

The £31.5m-rated colossus has featured only 13 times for Spurs since arriving in the summer, largely due to persistent injuries but whenever he’s played, he has excelled.

Indeed, his average WhoScored rating exceeds that of the two aforementioned Lilywhites defenders, whilst no other centre-back averages more tackles per game (2.4) and he also leads the squad for interceptions per game (1.7).

Arsenal have been in better form this season and are actually ahead of Spurs in the race for a top-four finish, so to not have Romero available, as Bridge thought he might well be, will certainly come as a huge blow to Conte and the fanbase.

You’d imagine that the Spurs faithful may be getting a little annoyed by these continuous setbacks, too.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops worrying behind the scenes Antonio Conte claim…

Leeds United have been name-checked as one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Arsenal starlet Eddie Nketiah.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Ekrem Konur on Twitter, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in the race to sign the England under-21 international, with the likes of Brentford and Aston Villa also mentioned.

He added that Nketiah wants to leave the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window due to a lack of game-time, and is keen for more first team football elsewhere.

He loves Marcelo Bielsa

While he may only have played half a season under Bielsa – he featured just 19 times (mostly off the bench) and scored five goals for the Whites – the £13m-rated forward made a real impression at Elland Road during a loan spell in 2019/20, not least with the manager himself.

The Argentine said of the 22-year-old: “He’s a specialist great player with a lot of resources and our play is a collective way of playing and one player needs to adapt to this style.

“For this reason when we felt he was part of the team we thought that we were going to feel the same and that he would continue with us. He didn’t take this decision but he is a great player, an excellent professional and he had very good behaviour, he is a gentleman in every sense.”

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has also waxed lyrical about Nketiah, claiming that his style of play is very much reminiscent of Jermain Defoe.

The 46-year-old said: “He reminds me of another Jermain Defoe and look at how well he did at West Ham. He’s very much that similar sort of player. He plays off the shoulder, very dangerous in the box. He’s a player you can’t take your eyes off because his movement’s so good.”

Crucially, despite the lack of consistent game-time at Elland Road, Nketiah left Leeds clearly feeling like he learned a lot in Yorkshire, and he paid tribute to Bielsa in particular after his recall.

The striker said: “I’m grateful for my time at Leeds. Bielsa is a very demanding manager, so every day I was pushing myself to the limit in training, and I feel that mentality has stuck with me at Arsenal, to always give my all in training and in matches.

“I also learned a lot defensively off the ball with the way Leeds play, I learned a lot about the importance of pressing from the front, defending from the front and the impact it can have to the team and the way we play.

“I definitely learned a lot, I put myself out of my comfort zone which was a good thing for me, it’s made me a lot stronger mentally and has improved me as a player. I’m grateful for my time there.”

Given the recent injury to Patrick Bamford and the lack of cover up front at Leeds, a fresh move for Nketiah would surely have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Wayne Rooney has admitted that Derby County’s Lee Buchanan is unlikely to feature in their Championship clash this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Derbyshire Live, the 35-year-old revealed that the defender, who missed both Derby’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town and the Carabao Cup victory over Salford City due to a thigh injury, could be set to sit out once again against Peterborough United this weekend.

Rooney claimed that despite the left-back having rejoined training with the first team on Thursday, it is clear he is not back to 100% fitness, and feels that playing the 22-year-old would be something of a risk.

The Rams manager said: “Lee has trained with us [on Thursday] morning, he has improved a bit more but these are the decisions now where I have to evaluate my squad and see if it is worth taking a risk.

“If I had a full squad of senior players then I maybe can play him but at the minute I can’t afford to lose a player through injury, I have to make sure they are fully fit before they can come back into the team.”

Big blow

Considering their struggles over the summer, Derby have nevertheless impressed in their opening two fixtures of the season, with Rooney’s side heading into Saturday’s clash as favourites against a Peterborough United team who were resolutely beaten by Luton Town 3-0 on the opening day of the new Championship campaign, as well as being trounced 4-0 at home in the Carabao Cup by League One side Plymouth Argyle earlier this week.

However, with the Salford game being a particularly hard-fought 3-3 draw – which the Rams eventually won on penalties – there is a real risk that Derby’s threadbare squad could start to show signs of fatigue at the Weston Homes Stadium this weekend, particularly at left-back, with Craig Forsyth having played the full 90 minutes in both of his team’s fixtures so far this season.

As such, that Buchanan does not seem to have recovered in time for the Peterborough clash is sure to come as a blow for Rooney, not only because his recovery would have allowed the manager to bring some fresh legs into his Derby defence but also because the 20-year-old is one of the most exciting talents in the Rams’ squad.

However, while Rooney may be gutted that the left-back has once again been ruled out, there is nothing more he can do but try his best to get a result with the players who are available for selection, and hope that Buchanan’s injury does not keep him out for much longer.

In other news: Morris heading for grave Derby error over “excellent” beast, Rooney would be fuming

Aston Villa have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on the club website, Aston Villa’s players can be seen being put through their paces at Bodymoor Heath ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, with central midfielder Morgan Sanson looking sharp after missing last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion due to an injury picked up while on holiday.

A further report by Birmingham Live also commented on the 27-year-old’s involvement in training, with John Townley writing:

“Now under the stewardship of a midfield legend and a global football icon in Gerrard, Sanson will be hoping to get fit and impress in training. He looked energetic and mobile in the latest Villa video – he’ll need to prove that he can get back up to speed in order to carry out Gerrard’s intense demands on the pitch.”

Gerrard will be buzzing

Having made a £14m move from Olympique Marseille to Aston Villa in January of this year, Sanson’s career at Villa Park has somewhat struggled to get off the ground thus far.

Indeed, since joining the club, the £14.4m-rated man has so far gone on to make just 10 first-team appearances, with 27-year-old still being yet to feature in the Premier League during the current campaign.

However, the £48k-per-week midfielder did impress during Villa’s Carabao Cup loss against Chelsea back in September, making one key pass, three tackles, one clearance, creating one big chance and winning all six of his duels – with these returns seeing the Frenchman earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5 for his efforts.

As such, should Sanson be able to refind this form upon his return to Premier League football, he will undoubtedly provide Gerrard with a major boost in the middle of the park, one that surely leaves him buzzing. The possibility of seeing the 27-year-old back in action against Palace appears to be very real following the club’s recent video.

In other news: Gerrard can save NSWE millions by unleashing AVFC’s “excellent” 19 y/o “natural talent”

Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing as Giovanni van Bronckhorst was officially unveiled as their new manager on Thursday evening.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the Dutchman has now joined the Light Blues subject to receipt of a work permit.

The club acknowledges his past achievements in the statement, both as a player with the Teddy Bears and of course his accomplishments while managing Feyenoord.

Van Bronckhorst won two Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup while making 118 appearances and scoring 22 goals for the Gers, while he won the Dutch Cup in his first full season at Feyenoord.

He then went on to triumph in their first league title in 18 years in 2017, along with a Johan Cruyff Shield, and added another Dutch Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield the following year (Rangers).

Several RFC supporters seem to think that the 46-year-old was an inspired appointment, and he will be hoping to carry on the great work that Steven Gerrard left behind.

Rangers fans on van Bronckhorst news

These Rangers fans buzzed as the appointment was confirmed on Twitter, with one claiming that they were ‘delighted’ and another calling it ‘brilliant’:

“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @Andrew_GWilson

“Brilliant news, welcome home Gio”

Credit: @julie_blue55

“Absolutely delighted!! Welcome home!”

Credit: @RRRodgA

“SIUUUUU”

Credit: @Bryansbunda

“Over the moon with that!! Let’s crack on!”

Credit: @steviechef76

“Best news in such a long time!!! Welcome home”

Credit: @davieorr

In other news, find out who could join van Bronckhorst at Rangers here!

Former Tottenham star Paul Stewart likes the idea of Pedro Neto joining his old side and replacing Gareth Bale, going as far as to say he would take the Wolves player over the Welshman.

Following the end of Bale’s loan and his return to parent club Real Madrid, Tottenham have been linked with Neto.

According to 90min, the north London club have made an enquiry as Wolves contemplate a sale.

Last season, Neto was one of Wolves’ best performers before picking up a serious knee injury. He scored five goals and provided six assists in the Premier League and came in for huge praise from pundits such as Jamie Redknapp.

“He’s got all the attributes to go right to the top,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports last year when discussing the 21-year-old.

As for Stewart, who is a Spurs hero after scoring in their 1991 FA Cup final win, when asked if he would take Neto as a replacement for Bale, he told TT:

“Yeah. I’d rather have him than Bale if I had the choice. Would I have both? Yeah, Gareth’s experience and I think he can do a job, but I just like the look of that Neto.”

As also referenced in that 90min report, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore could both be leaving Molineux this summer, so it would be a shock if Wolves sold those two then allowed Neto to go as well.