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West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice will be walking a tightrope in the first leg of the Irons’ Europa League clash against Lyon this Thursday.

The Lowdown: Hammers’ European run

David Moyes’s men will be over the moon with their run in this season’s Europa League as they prepare for Thursday night’s quarter-final tie against Ligue 1 outfit Lyon.

After losing 1-0 in the opening leg of the round 16 to a strong Sevilla side, who are the record six-time winners of the competition, Hammers fans waited in angst for the return leg at the London Stadium.

Following a first-half equaliser by Tomas Soucek, West Ham took the game to extra time, before Andriy Yarmolenko scored an emphatic winner, sending his side through to the quarter-finals.

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The Latest: Rice’s dilemma

As per club insiders Claret & Hugh, Declan Rice will be walking a tightrope in West Ham’s opener against Lyon.

The England international will be aware that if he receives a yellow card in either leg of the quarter-finals, this would result in him being suspended for a game, which would either come in the second leg or a potential semi-final first leg.

After the last eight, Rice’s disciplinary record will be wiped, meaning that he has to get through both legs of the Lyon tie without being booked in order to avoid a suspension.

The Verdict: Crucial for West Ham

Given this possibility, David Moyes will be very wary of pushing Rice too hard throughout the tie in case he makes a challenge warranting a yellow card.

However, Rice will be crucial if West Ham are to reach the next round of the competition. According to SofaScore ratings, the 23-year-old has been the Irons’ best player in the Europa League thus far.

Holding the midfield together, his ability to intercept opposition attacks, for which he ranks in the 94th percentile among players in Europe’s top five leagues (via FBRef), could prove to be pivotal for West Ham’s style of countering on the break.

In other news: West Ham interested in signing this Bundesliga beast

Newcastle United are poised to make a bid for Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are lining up a bid for the Torino defender, with the report suggesting an offer would need to be around €50m (£41m).

However, further reports suggest that Newcastle will have competition from at least one other Premier League club, with Arsenal also thought to be interested in securing the signature of the 25-year-old this summer.

A big upgrade

Eddie Howe kicked his work in rebuilding and improving the Newcastle squad with key signings in January – with the likes of Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier making an instant impact on the team following their arrival during the winter window.

However, there is still work to be done in making sure that the Magpies continue to push further up the Premier League next season, and a quality centre-back signing would surely be the key to a better defensive record.

And, considering just how impressive Bremer – who was hailed an “animal” by Torino winger Mergim Vojvoda – has been in Serie A this season – winning 51% of his ground duels, as well as making an average of 3.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, and 3.9 clearances per game – it is clear to see the defender would be a fantastic signing for PIF to get over the line.

Indeed, these statistics prove that Bremer is an absolute nightmare for opponents trying to break down Torino’s defence.

And, with the Brazilian’s former teammate, Luca Mezzano, stating his belief that “he can play in any team” in the world, the £18k-per-week defender would surely not find it difficult to fit into Howe’s backline at St James’ Park.

Despite contract talks reportedly being opened with Fabian Schar, the Switzerland international is currently set to be out of contract in June, meaning there is still a chance he doesn’t commit to a new deal.

This would represent a great opportunity for the club to make a move for the 6ft 1 Bremer, whose signing, aside from being a huge upgrade on Schar, could see Howe form a deadly centre-back pairing alongside Burn next season.

Newcastle will need to make the defender a solid offer in order to tempt him away from the stern competition for his services this summer, and the promising ongoing project at the club could be enough to convince Bremer to become a part of it.

AND in other news: Bid made: PIF in negotiations for £83m “diamond”, he’d be a huge coup for Newcastle

Chelsea may well be unable to sign players for the next two transfer windows after Fifa hit them with a transfer ban – though an appeal could help to delay proceedings somewhat.

The news comes as a massive blow to Maurizio Sarri and Roman Abramovich with the club falling way below expectations so far this season. Not being able to sign any players will hand a massive advantage to their Premier League rivals over the next two years. Luckily for the Blues, they have a huge amount of players on loan who could return to challenge for a spot in the starting eleven.

One man who could finally break into the first-team is wonderkid Mason Mount. Valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt, the youngster is a product of the club’s youth academy but has sent out on loan to Vitesse and most recently Frank Lampard’s Derby County. Mount made an impressive start to life in the Championship and looks good enough to take his place in the Chelsea side in the near future.

The England man has found the back of the net six times as well as registering three assists for his team-mates in all competitions. Aged just 19, Mount is blessed with excellent technical ability and the vision to carve open defences. With both Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley struggling to make an impact, his arrival in the engine room could give Sarri the offensive option he has been lacking.

With the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian ahead of him, Mount could blossom into one of the league’s best playmakers. He’s not the complete package yet, but if Chelsea are to navigate the choppy seas ahead of them, the return of Mount could really help the cause.

Chelsea fans, thoughts?

Being linked with something of a surprise summer switch to Celtic in recent days, Christopher Scott is a talent the Parkhead faithful should be extremely excited about.

Indeed, the 19-year-old boasts fantastic positional versatility, being able to operate in a number of positions across the frontline, however, his preferred role is playing just off a centre-forward in the number 10 role.

It is from attacking midfield in which Scott has proven most effective in youth football, scoring 29 goals and registering three assists over 48 appearances when deployed just behind the striker.

However, having also bagged seven goals and provided nine assists over 35 outings in central midfield, on the left-wing, at centre-forward and from left-back – amongst many other roles – it is abundantly clear just how adaptable the teenager is on the pitch.

And, with the Bayern Munich starlet also possessing electric pace, being exceptional in his progression of the ball and having a knack for finding pockets of space between defensive lines, it is no surprise that the youngster has drawn comparisons with Chelsea’s £102m-rated forward Kai Havertz.

Indeed, having represented his country from U15 to U20 level, it is clear that the playmaker is incredibly highly thought of in Germany, something that is only proven further by Bayern’s attempts to retain the 19-year-old beyond the end of the current campaign.

However, with Scott thought to be open to a move away from the Allianz Arena in a bid to secure regular first-team football, and Celtic already believed to be in talks over a €600k (£500k) deal for the youngster, there would appear to be a very real chance Ange Postecoglou’s side land the £1.08m-rated prodigy who Bhoys Analytics dubbed both “aggressive” and a “threat” this summer.

As such, while there is undoubtedly a long way to go before Scott is seen pulling on a Celtic jersey, fans of the Hoops should nevertheless be extremely excited about their links with the midfielder – as the Bayern starlet could be the next big thing in Scotland.

AND in other news: Signed for £540k, sold for 8 figures: Celtic struck gold on 23 y/o “Roy of the Rovers”

Leeds United midfielder Lewis Bate has been spotted back in first-team training ahead of Monday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

Bate was involved in the first seven Premier League matchday squads in 2022, however, he has been included in just one of six squads under new boss Jesse Marsch.

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The 19-year-old, who joined from Chelsea over the summer, was hit with an injury for the U23s last month and then suffered a setback after withdrawing from England’s U20 squad during the latest international break.

It looks as if he is now back up to speed, though, which could put him in contention for the trip to Selhurst Park.

The Latest: Bate’s post

As first reported by MOT Leeds News, Bate took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to share two images from training.

He captioned the post ‘focused’, with Kalvin Phillips and Pascal Struijk also visible, so it looks as if the midfielder is back in and around Marsch’s first-team sessions.

The Verdict: Good dilemma to have

Marsch has had to deal with a number of injury issues since replacing Marcelo Bielsa, but it looks as if he could have a near fully fit squad over the coming days.

The American confirmed last week that Junior Firpo was set to return to training, while Jamie Shackleton was also close to making a comeback prior to the 3-0 win over Watford.

As a result, the Leeds boss may now have some positive selection headaches for a change, as he looks to guide the club to safety with another positive result against Patrick Vieira’s side.

In other news: ‘Set to leave…’ – Journalist says Leeds midfielder will now quit Elland Road this summer. 

Everton have agreed to a ‘ridiculous’ deal for Dele Alli, says former West Ham and Celtic star Frank McAvennie. 

The lowdown

Frank Lampard’s arrival at Goodison Park was greeted with the signings of Dele from Tottenham Hotspur and Donny van de Beek from Manchester United.

According to a report from The Athletic, the possibility of recruiting Dele had been raised in Lampard’s interviews for the job.

The 43-year-old subsequently sanctioned the transfer, confident he could extract the best from his compatriot, and his endorsement was a ‘big factor’ in Everton’s willingness to meet Spurs’ demands.

If performance-related add-ons are triggered, Dele could wind up costing £40million (via Sky Sports).

The latest

McAvennie was left scratching his head at the price tag, telling Football Insider that Everton had taken a ‘risk’.

“That £40million though, how can Tottenham can ask for that,” he said. “Why did Everton sanction that?

“That’s ridiculous. He hasn’t kicked a ball for two years. I guess if he does well enough to hit those targets then the signing will be worth it.

“Obviously it’s a risk but I think we will see the best of Dele Alli again. He’s needed this move for a long time.”

The verdict

Perhaps Everton are paying for the player Dele once was. He made his name by winning landing back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards in 2016 and 2017.

His end product has dried up almost completely in recent times, though. Since the start of last season, he’s managed just one goal and one assist.

In the five previous campaigns, he’d managed a total of 50 goals and 36 assists.

It’s not quite fair to say he hasn’t ‘kicked a ball’, but his involvement has dropped off rather dramatically. From his peak of 3,044 Premier League minutes in 2016/17, he fell to just 617 last term.

At least the add-ons are performance-related, meaning Everton would theoretically get some bang for their buck.

In other news, Greg O’Keeffe reacts to a ‘disappointing’ sight at Goodison.

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United finally return to Premier League action this evening, with the Whites making the trip to south London to face Crystal Palace in Monday’s 20:00 kick-off – 16 days after their 3-0 win over Watford.

As a result of this time off, the 48-year-old manager has had plenty of time to work with his first-team squad at Thorp Arch, something that could well give Leeds the edge over tonight’s opponents – who were bested 1-0 by Newcastle United last Wednesday.

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The gap between fixtures will have also afforded a number of the Whites’ injured and fatigued players a much-needed rest from the hectic Premier League schedule, although, it is reported that the meeting with Palace will still come too soon for Patrick Bamford.

And, with Daniel James having once again struggled when playing through the middle at Vicarage Road, it would appear highly advisable for Marsch to finally unleash 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt from the off against the Eagles.

“Banging on the door”

Indeed, since the American’s appointment in the Elland Road dugout, Gelhardt is yet to be included in the 48-year-old’s starting XI, featuring just four times in the Premier League under the management of Marsch, in which time he has bagged one goal – the stoppage-time winner against Norwich City a little over a month ago.

However, looking at the campaign as a whole, the £4.5m-rated striker’s impact is clear for all to see, with the England U21 international having scored two goals and registered three assists over just 486 top-flight minutes – averaging a direct goal involvement every 97.2 minutes of football played.

For comparison, while James’ record of four goals and five assists over 30 Premier League outings does better the 19-year-old’s returns, when taking into account the Wales international directly contributes to a goal an average of once every 253.4 minutes played, it is obvious who is the more deadly.

Furthermore, over the last seven top-flight fixtures in which the £16.2m-rated winger has been deployed up front, James has failed to hit the back of the net, something which would very much suggest that he is simply not suited to a central attacking role.

As such, despite his tender age, Marsch must finally place his trust in the player who Beren Cross dubbed Leeds’ “next big thing” against Palace, as it is clear to see from his impressive record in the final third that Gelhardt is very much “banging on the door” – in the words of Phil Hay – for a start under the American.

AND in other news: Joe Donnohue drops early team news ahead of Palace, it’s a double boost for Leeds

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Oscar Mingueza to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Diario Sport (via Barca Universal), who claimed that Jesse Marsch has identified the Barcelona centre-back as one of his primary transfer targets this summer, with the American said to be hoping to beef up his defensive options ahead of 2022/23.

The report added that, with the Catalan club being very interested in getting a deal of their own over the line for Leeds winger Raphinha at the end of the current campaign, the 22-year-old defender could be used as something of a bargaining chip in the negotiations between the two clubs.

Marsch’s dream

Considering Leeds’ desperate need to address their defensive frailties ahead next season – the Whites have shipped a league-high 67 goals over their 30 Premier League games so far this term – it is not difficult to understand why Marsch would be interested in a move for Mingueza this summer.

Indeed, after making his Barcelona debut as a result of a defensive injury crisis at Camp Nou in 2020, the £25m-rated centre-back – who can also operate on the right – highly impressed over his 27 LaLiga appearances last season. He helped his side to keep seven clean sheets, scoring two goals and registering two assists, while also averaging 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.6 clearances and 54.9 passes and winning 3.3 duels per game.

These returns saw the £19k-per-week Spain international earn a very respectable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Barcelona’s 11th-best player in the Spanish top flight last term. That led to football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing the 22-year-old his “unexpected hero” of 2020/21.

Should Mingueza go on to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to Elland Road, he would certainly be an upgrade on a number of Marsch’s current options in the heart of his defence. That leads us to believe that Orta must do all he can to secure the signing of the Spaniard this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds United development, supporters will be devastated

While Jesse Marsch will quickly be making an assessment of his current group of players at Leeds United, he will no doubt also be keeping a close eye on the players who are away from Elland Road at the moment.

One of those is Helder Costa, who joined La Liga side Valencia on a season-long loan last summer with an option-to-buy included for the Spanish giants.

Reports last summer suggested that the Whites were open to letting him go on a permanent basis, seeing him as someone who could be sold for decent money to then be reinvested into the squad.

Costa had a woeful campaign in the Premier League last season for the Whites, scoring just three times and providing only three assists in 22 games – indeed, he has found the back of the net only eight times in 71 matches altogether for Leeds.

His time on loan at Valencia has been worse even than that, managing no goals and just the one assist in 19 La Liga games, with his poor form now seeing him completely drop out of the first-team picture and being restricted to stoppage time cameos in recent weeks.

After a particularly disappointing performance in the Premier League against Liverpool last season, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan criticised the Portuguese winger, telling Football Insider: “The one player that disappointed me was Helder Costa. Once again he was poor. There is something there that is not right because Poveda came on and did more in that short time than Costa did in the 60 minutes he was on the field.

“He is fourth in the pecking order in terms of wingers for me. Poveda has to come before him now. He plays it safe and he’s negative. For a player that cost £16m, I need to see a hell of a lot more from him. At least Poveda runs at people. He is positive and that is what a winger should do. Costa has been a massive flop. A real disappointment again.”

Indeed, former Leeds player Carlton Palmer has previously said of Costa to FFC: “You look at things and say, if you’re looking to spend the type of money that Leeds are looking to spend, if you’ve got someone there on decent money and they aren’t playing regular football, then those are the type to move on enable you to use his salary to bring in the players that you want, who are going to make your squad a better squad.”

Earning around £70k-a-week, Costa is one of the Whites’ highest earners at Elland Road, but he has done nothing to suggest that he is worthy of being in that category of players, and he is simply burning a hole in Andrea Radrizzani’s pocket.

Given that his record overall at Leeds has been shocking to say the least, this summer must finally see the end of Costa’s time at the club.

AND in other news: “We’re told…”: Graham Smyth drops big Leeds United update that’ll delight supporters

Liverpool are planning to strike a £50million-a-year shirt deal in a big financial upgrade on their current situation, according to a fresh rumour that has now emerged.

The Lowdown: Liverpool excelling in all areas

The Reds are enjoying a season to remember, as they lie on the cusp of potentially sealing a historic quadruple under Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool are not only excelling on the pitch, however, with the club being run in a sensible fashion, allowing them to be in an extremely strong financial situation.

Their current kit deal with Standard Chartered brings in approximately £40million per year, but with that deal expiring in 2023, a new sponsor is now expected to come in with even bigger rewards.

The Latest: Big shirt deal incoming?

James Pearce revealed earlier this week the club are in ‘talks’ with suitors, and now according to Football Insider, Liverpool are plotting to strike a £50million-per-year deal.

A source claims the club are ‘testing the market’ as they search for potential sponsors and look for a ‘big uplift’ in earnings.

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The Verdict: Magical time at the club

The fact that Liverpool are in such a strong bargaining position further highlights the incredible growth of the club during the Klopp era, with everyone seemingly pulling in the same direction.

The Reds are now one of the world’s most prominent and desirable sporting teams, and for that reason, a world-renowned sponsor will surely be keen on replacing Standard Chartered, bringing in more money in the process.

These are truly special times to be a Liverpool fan, and even if the quadruple chase is unsuccessful, there haven’t been many more fruitful periods in the club’s history.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Liverpool contract update. Read more here.