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Leeds United are still interested in making a move for Cagliari and Uruguay midfielder Nahitan Nandez, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Nandez a long-time target

Arguably no player in the last year has been linked with a move to Elland Road more often than Nandez, who has hotly tipped for a move to the Whites all throughout last summer.

The 26-year-old has remained at Cagliari for the time being, continuing to be a regular starter in Sardinia, but he could be allowed to leave in the January transfer window.

With Kalvin Phillips out injured, Leeds may be eyeing up a move for a midfielder, and an update has been provided on their pursuit of Nandez.

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The Latest: Journalist provides fresh hope

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Leeds could still get a deal done, whether it is this month or in the summer.

He said: “Nandez at Cagliari has been a long-term target for Leeds. They tried to sign him in the summer so I’m sure they’ll be looking to revisit that one as well.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer for Leeds

Nandez looks to be a tailor-made Leeds signing who could well suit Bielsa’s infamously intense style of play, and he could be the ideal man to come in and fill the Phillips-shaped void in the Whites’ midfield.

Hailed as a “machine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, the £16.2m-rated Uruguay international has won 2.4 aerial duels per game in Serie A this season, as well as averaging two tackles per match and chipping in with a couple of assists, showing what an all-round presence he offers.

Nandez’s tenacious style, coupled with his quality on the ball, would bring much-needed experience and poise to Leeds’ midfield at a time when Phillips’ absence could hurt them so much. Hopefully O’Rourke’s suggestion that the Whites could go back in for him proves accurate.

In other news, Leeds have also been backed to sign a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa forward Cameron Archer, regarding interest from Sunderland…

What’s the talk?

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has claimed that the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs vying for the youngster’s signature this month.

He Tweeted: “Lots of EFL interest in #AVFC striker Cameron Archer including from #Pompey and #SAFC.”

Get it done

Lee Johnson must work hard to ensure that he is able to secure a deal to sign the striker in the coming weeks as he could be an excellent addition to the squad.

He has an impressive record at youth level and has been a standout in the EFL Cup for Villa in their first team this season. Archer has scored four goals in two League Cup outings and has been rewarded for his fine form with three appearances in the Premier League this term.

The 20-year-old has produced 16 goals and seven assists in 35 games for Villa’s U23 side and has been called up by England at U20 level. This shows why he was handed a chance in the first team this year, with the attacker grasping his chance with both hands in the cup.

Ashley Preece has been quoted as calling Archer “sensational” and hailed his finishing, saying: “Villa need to get his contract sorted now. His development since the summer has been staggering. The boy’s some finisher.”

This shows that he has the potential to improve as he has been showcasing his growth at Villa in recent months. Johnson could work with him on the training pitch to aid his progress to turn him into a top player for the Black Cats.

Therefore, the £450k-rated beast could be a superb signing for the Black Cats. He is untested at League One level, but he has now experienced Premier League football and shown that he can score in the League Cup – suggesting that he has a good chance of being able to find the back of the net in the third tier.

This means that he could come in and add an extra goal threat to Johnson’s side heading into the second half of the campaign. He could improve Sunderland’s chances of fighting their way out of League One and back up to the Championship by joining on loan and providing a few goals to help out alongside the likes of Nathan Broadhead and Ross Stewart at the top end of the pitch.

AND in other news, Johnson could seal masterclass in SAFC deal for 10 G/A predator who “guarantees goals”…

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Marseille striker Bamba Dieng with the Eagles looking to push for a top-half finish in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet La Provence, the 21-year-old Senegalese forward is on the shortlists of a handful of Premier League clubs, including Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham United.

The Marseille striker has scored four goals in 14 league appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit so far this campaign, having made just five league appearances all season last term.

It’s fair to say that this has been the youngster’s breakthrough season.

Dubbed to be “a Didier Drogba” with “great potential” by his fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf, Dieng is certainly an exciting talent who is starting to catch the eye of Premier League outfits.

The £7.2m-rated striker is currently with the Senegal national team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Zimbabwe on Monday afternoon.

Palace fans will be buzzing

After an impressive first half of the campaign, Patrick Vieira will certainly be targeting a top-half finish for his Palace side with the South London club sat in 11th after 20 games, two points off of 10th placed Leicester. However, the Foxes have two games in hand.

Christian Benteke has had a decent campaign thus far, contributing four goals and an assist in 19 Premier League appearances whilst on-loan midfielder Conor Gallager is the club’s top scorer so far this campaign with six goals.

However, Palace could do with some extra firepower up front.

Jordan Ayew has been a popular option for Vieira, despite scoring just one goal all campaign whilst there are reports that Jean-Philippe Mateta could leave Selhurst Park this window.

Moreover, with Ayew now 30 and Mateta a loanee, signing a young striker like Dieng with bags of potential would be a shrewd move from the Palace hierarchy.

In other news, Patrick Vieira has delivered a major update…

Arsenal are lining up a shock move for Youri Tielemans this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Goal journalist Charles Watts delivered an exciting update to supporters on Twitter this week, claiming that the Gunners’ are ramping up their plans to sign a new midfielder before deadline day.

“Arsenal and their search for a midfielder:

– Contact made over Arthur

– All sides open to a loan

– Tielemans a long-term target

– Talks have taken place with his agent at London Colney,” he tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

The reliable reporter went on to explain how the north London giants have already held talks with the 24-year-old’s agents about a potential switch from league rivals Leicester City.

Outstanding addition

What an incredible signing this would be for Arsenal and as surprising as it would be, it has to be realistic considering their form under Mikel Arteta this campaign.

On the cusp of the top four, the Gunners are some ten points clear of the Foxes, who finished above them last season. The prospect of offering the Belgian dynamo Champions League football is becoming increasingly possible each game.

The need for a new midfielder is paramount to those chances, so landing Tielemans could come hand-in-hand.

Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations and are unavailable for selection for the rest of the month, whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been shipped to AS Roma on loan.

Meanwhile, Arteta is thought to be missing the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool, so there’s somewhat of a big engine room crisis going on at London Colney at the minute.

After securing the FA Cup last season, Tielemans won Leicester’s ‘ Player of the Year’ award, by both the fans and his peers.

He is capable of providing goals from midfield, having bagged five times this season but he also offers attributes in the defensive third too. He has averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

On the above evidence, Arsenal fans will surely be absolutely buzzing by this transfer bombshell.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops huge transfer update on the Gunners’ striker search…

Writing on his personal Twitter profile, Spanish reporter Hector Gomez of Tribuna Deportiva has made a major Tottenham Hotspur exit claim involving Fabio Paratici summer signing Bryan Gil.

The Lowdown: Conte makes ‘evaluations’…

Spurs manager Antonio Conte has been making evaluations on his squad whilst deciding who should go in this month’s transfer window.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon are all currently linked with a possible move away from the club before transfer deadline day, as explained by reliable reporter Alasdair Gold.

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This comes as the Italian also aims to strengthen his options and build his own Tottenham team which can challenge for silverware, with reason to believe that Paratici is set for a busy end to January.

Sharing some surprise exit news, Gomez claimed that one La Liga side have set their sights on signing Spurs starlet Gil.

The Latest: Valencia ‘trying to close’ Gil signing…

According to the reporter’s information, as he explained on Twitter, Valencia are now trying to ‘close the transfer’ of Gil from Spurs as they eye an agreement for the 20-year-old.

The Spaniard has played precious few Premier League minutes since being signed by Paratici last summer, with the majority of his playing time coming in cup competitions (WhoScored).

The Verdict: Not permanently…

While Gomez is unclear whether this ‘transfer’ is on loan or a permanent deal, Spurs should green-light a move for Gil if it is merely temporary.

The 20-year-old displayed plenty of promise last season in the Spanish top flight, even drawing comparisons to Netherlands footballing icon Johan Cruyff. Shining on loan at Eibar over 2020/21, the talented playmaker averaged a brilliant 2.4 completed dribbles per 90 over his 28 league appearances, more than any Spurs player in the concurrent Premier League campaign (WhoScored).

To continue his development, Tottenham should consider a possible loan to Valencia, but letting a player of his potential leave permanently would be foolish to say the least.

In other news: Spurs edging closer to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

Newcastle United have been dealt yet another setback in their bid to bring Dan Burn to St James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Luke Edwards, with The Telegraph journalist revealing on Twitter that Brighton have rejected the Magpies’ new and improved offer for the versatile defender, believed to be in the region of £10m.

Edwards added that, should PIF fail to bring a new centre-back into the club this month, it will have been “a failure” on the part of the Newcastle board, as their priority in January has always been strengthening the heart of their defence.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Brighton, like every club in Europe, know Newcastle are desperate to sign a centre-back. Two bids [have been] rejected for Dan Burn. To fail to sign at least one CB in this window would be a failure, whatever else happens. The priority on January 1 was CBs.”

Howe will be fuming

As Edwards suggests, Newcastle’s main objective in the January transfer window was to bring in at least one if not two new centre-backs. Should the Toon ultimately miss out on Burn despite two hefty offers, it will undoubtedly be an outcome which would leave Eddie Howe fuming.

Indeed, it is easy to see why the heart of the Magpies’ defence is an area of the pitch where the club are eager to strengthen this month. Aside from Norwich City, no Premier League team has conceded more than Newcastle’s 43 goals this season, an average of 2.05 per game.

Considering just how impressive Burn has been over his 13 Premier League appearances, the £3.15m-rated defender would appear to make a fantastic addition to Howe’s current options at the back. The 29-year-old has helped Brighton to keep three clean sheets, in addition to making 1.8 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game and winning 52% of his duels.

These returns have seen the 6 foot 7 colossus average a SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Graham Potter’s 10th-best performer in the top flight.

However, with Edwards revealing that the Seagulls have now rejected Newcastle’s second approach for the centre-back – who is also more than capable of playing on the left of a back four – it very much seems doubtful whether PIF can complete a deal for the defender prior to Monday’s transfer deadline. That would be extremely frustrating for the 44-year-old Toon manager.

In other news – “Been told”: Kaveh Solhekol drops “behind the scenes” transfer update which NUFC fans will love

Aston Villa have not been shy when it comes to adding new players to Steven Gerrard’s squad during the January transfer window, highlighting just how capable and willing the club’s owners are to make the team stronger wherever possible.

However, with the transfer deadline on the horizon, it seems as though the Villa fans and Gerrard can rest easy regarding the immediate future of one of the club’s key players.

What’s the news?

According to a recent tweet from Fabrizio Romano, after being linked with a move in recent days, Tottenham will not make a bid to sign Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this evening. The journalist then added that the Brazilian will be staying at Villa Park for the time being.

He simply commented: “Douglas Luiz will stay at Aston Villa.”

Villa signed the 23-year-old from fellow Premier League club Manchester City in 2019 in a deal worth a reported fee of £15m. Since then, the midfielder has gone on to cement himself as a central figure for Villa by racking up 94 appearances across all competitions, with three goals and eight assists under his belt.

Gerrard will be delighted

This season has seen the former City ace start 16 of the 17 league games in which he has appeared, with three assists added to his overall record, including one against his former club in December.

With that in mind, and Gerrard saying that Luiz is a player he rates “extremely high,” the Villa manager will surely be delighted to have the midfield maestro at the club until the end of the season.

Having missed out on the chance to sign Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus before he ultimately made the move to Tottenham on deadline day along with Dejan Kulusevski, it will be an additional bonus for Villa to have kept hold of one of their current midfield options.

Moving forward, with the £31.5m-rated midfielder’s contract at Villa set to expire in the summer of 2023, it would be worth the club making an approach to the player and his representatives at the end of this season to see if he would be willing to sign a new deal at Villa Park and continue his career there.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big AVFC deadline day update which will surely have fans thrilled

Nantes forward Moses Simon has revealed that he received a ‘strong offer’ from Leeds United in January.

The Lowdown: Quiet January

The Whites were fairly quiet during the winter transfer window, with young forward Mateo Joseph Fernandez the only player to arrive at the club.

Leeds did try to bring in RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson and made two bids for the American, but as we know, a move failed to materialise in the final weeks of the month.

Victor Orta and co reportedly made an approach to sign Simon in the final days of the transfer window, and the Nigeria forward, who has 61 goals in his club and international career, has now spoken out on Leeds’ interest.

The Latest: Simon comments on Leeds offer

Talking to CKD Media in his homeland, Simon confirmed that his agent informed him of Leeds’ offer, but his current employers wanted him to see out the remainder of the season.

The 26-year-old revealed:

“Yes, it is true, my agent told me about some offers among all is Leeds United who came calling with strong offer and well intention of sealing the deal immediately.

“My club want me to finish the season with FC Nantes and I really want to contribute my own quota to ensure we secure Europa League ticket at the end of the season, we are pushing hard for that.

“Already we are in the quarter finals of French Cup and presently we are among the top ten teams on the league table, hopefully Europa League will not be a bad achievement.”

The Verdict: Summer move?

Crysencio Summerville saw a loan move to Hamburg collapse earlier this week, and if he does seal a temporary move away from Elland Road in the summer, Simon could once again be a player of interest to Marcelo Bielsa and Orta.

Leeds were also linked with Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino and Chelsea’s Kenedy in the final days of the January window and were ready to act if Summerville left, so the youngster’s future could hinge on any summer wide attacking arrivals.

Simon can also play as a centre-forward when required and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £8.1m, so the Nigerian appears to be a shrewd target for Leeds.

In other news: Two more Leeds injury boosts emerge at Thorp Arch during international break after Cooper and Phillips

David Moyes has been promised a number of summer signings by the West Ham United hierarchy.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, after failing to land a single target in the January transfer window, David Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Daniel Kretinsky have promised the 58-year-old manager that he will be backed to land his priority transfer targets this summer.

Speaking about West Ham’s summer business, Jones said: “I think, from what I understand, that there’s an absolute promise that, in the summer, they attack the market properly and they really do give [Moyes] what he wants, and they work closely together to make sure it happens.”

Too little too late

If there is one thing West Ham fans learned during the January transfer window, it is that words are cheap.

Indeed, Moyes continually stated throughout the month that he was hoping to land a new centre-back following the season-ending ACL injury sustained by Angelo Ogbonna, a new centre-forward to provide backup and competition for the injury-prone Michail Antonio and a new left-back in order to bring greater depth behind Aaron Cresswell in the position.

Furthermore, the Scotsman also made it clear that the West Ham board would be willing to heavily back him in the winter market, in order for the 58-year-old to attract the calibre of player that would not only plug the gaps in his first-team squad but either improve upon or severely strengthen his current options in a particular position.

However, despite all of the above, the Irons appeared to leave the vast majority of their January business until the final days of the market, seeing late £50m offers for both Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips rejected by Leeds United, making Benfica an offer totalling £58m for Darwin Nunez – despite the fact the centre-forward had no interest in joining the club – failing to stump up the fee required to get a deal for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car over the line and missing out on the 11th-hour signing of Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata as the required paperwork was not completed before the transfer deadline.

As a result of these failed bids – many of which could well be perceived as being token offers to appease a concerned West Ham fanbase – Moyes’ squad remains seriously short in a number of key areas, something which very much damages the Irons’ chances of securing a top-four finish this season – with failing to do so being an outcome that would all but confirm the likes of Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen pushing for a move away this summer.

As such, while it is all well and good for the West Ham board to come out in February stating their ambitions for the summer transfer window, their failures in January mean their latest transfer promise will come as being too little too late for the London Stadium faithful.

In other news: Bye-bye Diop: Moyes can finally solve major WHU problem with “powerful” £6.4k-p/w ace

A late relief has been handed to Newcastle United over defender Jamaal Lascelles…

What’s the latest?

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery has relayed the latest team news from Eddie Howe’s pre-match press conference, with it being revealed that the centre-back is now available to face West Ham this afternoon.

He missed out on the 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend through illness and is now back in contention to make the starting XI against the Hammers.

Delight

This update will delight Howe, as Lascelles’ availability is a major boost for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the manager will be buzzing to have his captain back in the fold. The 28-year-old’s leadership skills could provide a big lift in the dressing room, even if he is not selected in the XI. He is the club captain for a reason and having his voice in the warm-up, before the match and at half-time could be vital for Howe as he potentially looks to give his team a boost if the performance is not up to standards.

Secondly, the head coach will be pleased to see him available after his excellent performance against Everton. He was desperately unlucky to concede an own goal and barely set a foot wrong for the rest of the match. As per SofaScore, he won nine of his 11 aerial battles and made five clearances, one block and an impressive five interceptions throughout the match.

This shows that he dominated the opposition physically whilst also reading the game brilliantly to cut out Everton attacks. It was a solid defensive display and one which Howe could be keen for the ex-Forest defender to build upon against West Ham and in upcoming matches in Newcastle’s bid to avoid relegation to the Championship at the end of the campaign.

Finally, the 28-year-old’s return offers the flexibility to change the formation to a back three. With Kieran Trippier and Javier Manquillo both suffering knocks against Villa, the Magpies could look to deploy a wing-back system in order to compensate for the loss of their two first-choice right-backs.

Lascelles could come in at centre-back alongside Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, which would then offer the protection required to play Jacob Murphy or Ryan Fraser at wing-back. The attack-minded wingers could be exposed defensively in a back four, but their skipper’s return could allow Howe to make the change in formation to fit them in.

AND in other news, ASM 2.0: NUFC must land deal for “beyond talented” flyer, he “impressed” Kylian Mbappe…