Leeds United transfer news readers will know that Barry Douglas is likely to leave the club before deadline day and Watford are now front runners to sign the Scotsman.

Douglas made just 15 appearances for Leeds last season, failing to hold down a regular spot in Marcelo Bielsa’s Championship-winning squad.

The 31-year-old has failed to make the matchday squad for all four of Leeds’ Premier League fixtures this season and a move away from Elland Road could be on the cards.

The Athletic have confirmed that Watford are considering a move for the Scotsman as they look to bolster their squad with Championship experience.

Douglas was part of the Championship-winning Wolverhampton Wanderers squad in 2017/18 so he knows what it takes to win in the second tier of English football.

As of Saturday evening, an official bid has yet to be confirmed by either club but Douglas is likely to push for a summer exit as he enters the final year of his contract with the club.

There is no urgent need to enter negotiations though, with an extended deadline until later in October for domestic deals between Football League and Premier League teams.

Douglas isn’t the only Leeds player linked with a departure in the near future as Bielsa looks to focus his squad around a small group of core stars.

Bielsa is likely to sanction a departure for Douglas, with the Scotsman falling out of favour in recent months. Watch this space for Leeds United player rumours updates…

Rennes Star Raphinha Latest Name Linked

According to Goal France, Leeds have made an official move for Rennes winger Raphinha as the summer transfer window comes to a close.

The report states that Leeds are on the ‘offensive’ in their pursuit of the Brazilian and Marcelo Bielsa has spent a considerable amount of time trying to tempt the Ligue 1 side into a sale.

Leeds have made an initial offer for the 23-year-old but the transfer fee is unknown at this stage – though the Whites are unlikely to break the bank for Raphinha’s signature.

The winger had nine goals and five assists in 35 appearances in all competitions last season but it might be a tough challenge to force a deal through before the window slams shut.

Per Goal France, there is no agreement yet on the financial side of the contract with Rennes insinuating that the first offer failed to meet their valuation of the player.

Furthermore, a deal is reportedly complex due to work permit issues and a number of other problems that could arise. Rennes have been open with Leeds regarding a potential issue with the switch.

Leeds fans will be following the transfer news closely ahead of deadline day – Raphinha would be some coup as the Whites look to secure their Premier League status.

Credit for the main photo belongs to Oli Scarff / Pool via AP*

With just days remaining in the summer window, Leeds United transfer news sources report that the Whites are set to sign Arsenal youngster William Saliba.

According to reports in France, Leeds are considering a late move for the £20 million centre-back though Le10Sport claim fellow Premier League newbies Fulham are also interested in the Frenchman.

Marcelo Bielsa has a number of defensive options at his disposal but Saliba is some prospect and the 19-year-old could leave the Emirates Stadium on a loan deal this summer.

Arsenal Mikel Arteta showed immense faith in Saliba when he handed him the number four shirt earlier this summer – a decision that suggests he could play a key role for the Gunners in the near future.

However, Saliba is still only 19 years old and he could gain Premier League experience out on loan at Elland Road before returning to his parent club.

Saliba was once compared to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk by one of his former coaches and he would be some coup if Leeds could sign him for the rest of the campaign.

While he may have to fight to secure a spot in the Leeds starting line-up, there is intense competition for places at Arsenal and Saliba could earn himself more game time elsewhere.

With Monday’s deadline edging closer, Leeds will need to act quickly to force a deal through – especially with Fulham also lining up a move for the talented Frenchman.

Fresh Approach Could Accelerate Cantwell Switch

Football Insider claim that Leeds have made a new advance for Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day.

Cantwell was one of the few bright sparks for Norwich last season, scoring six goals and two assists in 37 Premier League appearances for the Canaries.

Leeds are one of three top flight clubs linked with the Norwich man, with reports suggesting that Canaries star has already agreed personal terms over a move to west Yorkshire.

Leeds missed out on Bayern Munich’s Michael Cuisance this week and Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping to avoid a similar situation in their pursuit of Cantwell.

The Canaries value the midfielder at around £18 million and reports state that Leeds believe that is a fair request for the England under-21 international.

This transfer benefits all parties. Norwich receive a hefty transfer fee, Leeds get a reliable player and Cantwell returns to the Premier League.

Leeds have spent £80 million already this summer and Cantwell’s move will take their total spending to almost £100 million. With that kind of money, comes great expectation.

The Norwich man looks like an ideal fit for Bielsa’s style and he could thrive at Elland Road. Leeds fans will be hoping that the club get this one over the line by Monday night.

Credit for the main photo belongs to Oli Scarff / Pool via AP*

After the disappointing Leeds United transfer news regarding Michael Cuisance’s move, Whites fans will be relieved to hear that Xherdan Shaqiri is a possible target.

When one door closes, another opens and reports suggest that Leeds are interested in the wantaway Liverpool winger.

Shaqiri was left out of Liverpool’s squad for Thursday’s Carabao Cup clash with Arsenal and the Switzerland midfielder may be deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

Undoubtedly, the 28-year-old has slipped down the pecking order at Liverpool, with injuries and tough competition limiting him to just 42 appearances at the club since 2018.

Football outlet Goal claim that two unnamed clubs are in talks over Shaqiri, with Liverpool looking for a fee of around £20 million to seal the deal.

Leeds are lacking Premier League experience throughout the squad and Shaqiri would tick that particular box, as well as bringing creative quality to Elland Road.

With the Cuisance transfer falling through, Leeds could swoop for Shaqiri before Monday’s transfer deadline – providing they are willing to match Liverpool’s valuation.

Leeds have just four players with previous Premier League experience and Shaqiri could be as influential off the pitch as he is on it.

The Whites may have missed out on their main midfield target but Shaqiri can help Leeds to build for a long and successful future in England’s top division.

Leeds Consider Raid For Cagliari Star

Nahitan Nandez has been linked with a move to Leeds United for some time now but new reports suggest that the Whites could finally get their man in the coming days.

According to Sport Witness, reports in Italy state that there are ‘contacts in progress’ for a switch before the end of the summer transfer window.

Cagliari’s sporting director Pierluigi Carta has claimed that the club will not be able to reject a significant bid for any player, revealing: “I don’t want to be a hypocrite, if important offers arrive, you can’t refuse them. But the transfer market thrives on balance.”

Marcelo Bielsa is reportedly very fond of Nandez and the Leeds manager is likely to push for the Elland Road hierarchy to sanction a huge bid for the Cagliari midfielder.

According to Centrotentuno, the Serie A side have already rejected an offer from Leeds but Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani is friends with the higher ups at Cagliari and he could be influential in a potential deal.

Obviously, friendship can mean little when it comes to transfer business but Radrizzani may be able to tempt Cagliari to consider a slightly lesser fee.

Leeds fans will be following developments closely over the weekend as deadline day edges closer. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the Whites try one last time to acquire Nandez before the October window slams shut.

Credit for the main photo belongs to Oli Scarff / Pool via AP*

The shock piece of Leeds United transfer news this summer is in – Michael Cuisance’s move to Elland Road is off after the Bayern Munich star failed a medical.

The Whites had already started to agree personal terms with the midfielder but Leeds opted against signing Cuisance after an issue relating to one of his feet.

The Athletic journalist Phil Hay reported that the club pulled out on advice of Rob Price, the head of medicine at Elland Road.

Writing in The Athletic, Hay revealed, “The plan was to unveil Cuisance on Thursday. He took a flight from Munich on Wednesday and began undergoing a medical.

“Leeds were ready to meet his wage demands and finalise a long-term contract. They started putting together promotional material for his unveiling but the move came to a shuddering halt when scans turned up an issue with one of his feet.”

This news sent shockwaves across the Leeds fan base, with supporters expecting the Bayern Munich man to be playing for Leeds before the end of the month.

Marcelo Bielsa refused to comment on the deal in his press conference on Thursday, though it is highly likely the Leeds manager knew about the issue at that point.

There are no winners here. Leeds miss out on a potential superstar while Cuisance misses out on his dream move to the Premier League.

Leeds Urged To Reconsider Benrahma Bid

Said Benrahma was strongly linked with Leeds this summer and the Brentford star did his chances of a move no harm whatsoever with a superb performance against Fulham in the Carabao Cup.

Benrahma notched a brace in Brentford’s 3-0 victory over the Cottagers and supporters took to social media to hint at a potential move for the striker before the end of the transfer window.

Leeds are familiar with Benrahma after competing against Brentford in the Championship last season but The Athletic journalist Phil Hay states that the club have cooled interest in the striker.

With doubts over whether Benrahma fits Marcelo Bielsa’s philosophy and style, Leeds may look elsewhere if the Whites plan to make another signing before deadline day.

Fortunately, Premier League clubs can sign Football League players until October 16th so the Whites have an extra period of time to push for Benrahma’s signature.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Phillips claimed that Leeds should make a late move to sign the Bees forward – stating that Benrahma looks a class above the Championship.

However, Brentford have slapped a £30 million valuation on the 25-year-old and that might be out of Leeds’ price range, particularly if the Whites are looking to sign Rodrigo De Paul.

Benrahma scored 17 goals and recorded 10 assists for Brentford last season, helping the club reach the playoff final. A move to the Premier League looks likely at some point in the near future.

Credit for the main photo belongs to Oli Scarff / Pool via AP*

The League Cup is often criticised. Where the FA Cup has prestige and romance, the League Cup is all too often viewed as an inconvenience, a tournament that clutters early season schedules with little reward.

Winning the Carabao (or whatever sponsor’s name it holds) Cup is downplayed. It is a cliché to not care when you’re knocked out, but there’s some truth in that.

Clubs, focused on the millions at stake for promotion, in the Premier League or in Europe, often show no more than a token interest in English football’s least-valued competition.

The ‘big six’ have won 14 of the last 16 League Cups. Birmingham’s shock win in 2011 and Swansea’s thrashing of Bradford in the 2013 final are the only exceptions to the supremacy of England’s richest football clubs.

Remove Premier League Big Boys

The European teams already get a benefit of joining the competition late, a favourable bye aiding their chances of lifting the trophy.

There are legitimate reasons for this – helping the teams competing in the Champions League and Europa League is something done around Europe. Partly because of their power, partly to improve coefficients.

The teams with greater resources than everyone else, receiving yet more finances from their European jaunts, already have sufficient advantage.

Manchester City can already take players from the majority of Premier League clubs at their will. Chelsea can splash the cash on Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell. When their world-record goalkeeper underperforms, they simply buy another.

It would be naïve to pretend those clubs will have their bye taken away. Given the additional fixtures they play in Europe, taking a match off their schedule is justifiable to a degree.

There are other means to attempt to level the playing field, however. The most drastic option would be to remove them from the League Cup altogether.

That would give a brutal hit to the prestige of the competition, and it would only further its image as a second-rate trophy, but it opens up possibilities.

Bottom half Premier League teams and the best Championship sides will still be underdogs when they face Everton or Wolves.

They are still fighting against a financial disparity, but their chances of overcoming either of those sides are much greater than they are of beating even a weakened Manchester City or Liverpool.

If that is too crude a measure, some form of handicap could be imposed on the European teams.

We’re not talking about starting two goals behind or anything like that, but they could have a quota of under-21 players they have to start, or maybe they can only use players who have played below a certain percentage of Premier League minutes this season.

It’s still imperfect, of course. The ‘big six’ often throw a group of youngsters into League Cup action anyway, and even players who are rarely used in the league, such as Olivier Giroud, are more than capable of beating most top flight sides.

One Leg Semi-Finals

This takes us onto a more subtle tweak. Semi-finals being played at Wembley is often a hot topic in FA Cup betting.

In the League Cup, the round has previously been played over two legs in January. With the 2020/21 season starting late, they have moved to a one-leg semi-final, a change that should stick long-term.

The timing of the matches can cause some manic schedules. Throwing a two-legged tie in just after the unhealthily intense festive period is silly.

More importantly, though, having two matches will favour the stronger team. They have the chance to redeem from a poor performance, or to throw their best players into the tie in the second match if it’s heading in the wrong direction.

Aston Villa defied this logic to beat Leicester in the semi-finals in 2019/20, but for the most part, it makes upsets less likely.

Hull, Everton and Sheffield United have all fallen at the semi-finals to superior opposition since 2014/15 despite winning or drawing one of the legs. Perhaps one of them sneaks into the final if it’s a one-legged tie.

It’s rare the ‘big six’ fall before the semi-finals without facing one another.

Removing one of the semi-final matches seems an obvious, and frankly overdue, move, but it probably doesn’t do enough to bring unpredictability to the League Cup without other changes to the earlier rounds.

Does It Serve A Purpose?

There are alterations that can make the League Cup better. Perhaps, though, it’s just a competition that has run its course, a cup unable to grasp any relevance amid the hundreds of millions on offer for promotion and European places.

Having more silverware for teams to win seems like a good thing, but that only works if there’s a degree of randomness.

The League Cup, in its current guise at least, doesn’t have that. It’s a competition for the top teams, and even they are barely interested in it a lot of the time.

Too often the League Cup betting favourites are left fighting it out in the last four. There are concerns with top team dominance in the FA Cup too, but it’s just as prevalent in the League Cup.

How can the League Cup be improved? #CarabaoCup

— 888sport (@888sport) September 15, 2020

The strength in depth of the country’s wealthiest sides is important, of course, as is the timing of the competition.

Teams are still finding their feet when the League Cup begins. In some cases, players are still working up to match fitness, and the majority of teams are yet to understand what the season holds for them.

The lure of resting and rotating for the uninspiring midweek ties is too great. The competition needs changes. One-leg semi-finals is a step in the right direction.

Ultimately, though, how many fans would miss the League Cup? It’s not a tournament that excites supporters, and that sentiment appears similar among many involved with clubs.

Maybe the League Cup is just living on borrowed time. It could be gone, or it could be unrecognisable in five years’ time.

Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Dunham / Pool via AP*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 1st October 2020