Leeds United Transfer News: Leeds ‘Favourites’ To Sign Barcelona Star Rafinha

According to Friday’s top Leeds United transfer news columns, Leeds are the front runners to sign Barcelona midfielder Rafinha before the end of the summer window.

The Whites are preparing to face Liverpool on Saturday in their first Premier League fixture since 2004 but we could see more transfer activity at Elland Road in the coming weeks.

Rafinha is one of the players set to leave Barcelona this summer, with club officials making major changes after a disappointing 2019/20 season at Camp Nou.

Per Sport Witness, Leeds are now strong favourites to sign the midfielder this summer. The player would bring some valuable experience to Marcelo Bielsa’s young squad.

Rafinha has found himself in and out of the team at Barcelona and a switch to the Premier League could reignite his career, though he did make 29 La Liga appearances last season.

One of Barcelona’s more physical midfielders, Rafinha could add bite to a Leeds side that will want to rough teams up on their return to England’s top table.

Celta Vigo have also been linked with a move for the Brazilian but reports in Spain state that Leeds look set to beat the La Liga side to Rafinha’s signature before October.

In an exclusive interview with 888sport, former striker Ian Rush praised Leeds ahead of their return to the Premier League and Rafinha would further bolster their squad.

No Move Yet For Julian Draxler

French media outlet RMC Sport are claiming that Leeds have contacted Paris Saint-Germain over wantaway Germany international Julian Draxler.

According to reports, PSG sporting director Leonardo will let Draxler leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window after the German played just 22 matches in all competitions last season.

The chance to play first team football in the Premier League is likely to appeal to Draxler, though some reports state that he is keen to remain with the Ligue 1 giants as they look to challenge for Champions League glory.

Still only 26 years old, Draxler has plenty to give and would be a real asset at Elland Road as Leeds look to build a competitive Premier League squad. Rodrigo is their marquee signing so far but Draxler would be some coup.

It would be a real statement of intent from Leeds if they could bring Draxler to the Premier League but a deal looks some way off at this moment in time. However, Leeds fans will hope that Marcelo Bielsa can work his magic in the coming weeks.

Dinamo Zagreb Manager Bigs Up Gvardiol

In a rare move, Dinamo Zagreb boss Zoran Mamic has spoken to Scouted Football about Josko Gvardiol ahead of his impending switch to Leeds United.

Mamic heaped praise on Gvardiol, stating that he is a “totally modern centre-back”.

In addition, Mamic revealed: “His defensive skills, like one-on-one and aerial abilities, are amazing.

“There are centre-backs with those kind of qualities, but the things that make him different from others and better is the fact that he can play. He wants to play.

“His playmaking abilities are amazing. He’s left-footed too, which is always a very nice thing in football.”

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Manu Fernandez / AP Photo*

September 11, 2020
News

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
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Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

Alex McMahon
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Leeds United Transfer News: Hay Gives De Paul Boost

A prominent journalist has given Leeds fans renewed hope of landing one of their primary transfer targets. The Athletic’s Phil Hay is the go-to man for Leeds United transfer news, and his update on the Rodrigo De Paul saga will have Whites fans excited.

Speaking on his own podcast, The Phil Hay Show, he spoke positively of De Paul’s interest in a move to Elland Road. This is huge for Leeds, considering there had been some concern that he might be too keen on a move.

“He [Rodrigo De Paul] is keen, there is no doubt about that and Leeds from their part are very keen as well.

"But it’s interesting because Leeds haven’t really moved hard to get anything else done since Rodrigo and Koch were done that weekend and £40m went out.”

A Gazzetta Dello Sport article claimed Udinese are holding out for £36.9 million for De Paul, and they are in no hurry to sell him if no one meets the asking price.

It was also noted he would like to move to a club with Champions League football, but Hay doesn’t think that will get in the way if Leeds stump up the cash.

He said, “Any other transfers and signings will rely very heavily on what Bielsa feels he needs. He doesn’t feel like he needs surplus players.

"It would be hard to describe De Paul as a surplus player, he looks like a terrific signing. Leeds could do it financially. If Leeds decide to go for it properly, my gut feeling is that yes he will [join Leeds].”

Leeds are clearly right in the mix for the Argentina international, a player who would bring class and experience to their squad. Once again, the pulling power of Marcelo Bielsa is on show.

Leeds Made To Wait For Liverpool Youngster

The Liverpool Echo linked Leeds with Liverpool winger Harry Wilson earlier this month. The rumour has resurfaced on the BBC, but it’s unlikely will happen before the two teams meet this weekend.

Simon Stone of the BBC commented on the transfer in a video on transfer gossip.

Stones claims there is no way a deal happens before the start of the season, but believes they could continue negotiations next week with Liverpool wanting over £15 million for Wilson.

Leeds aren’t the first team to be linked with Wilson, an exciting young talent who showed flashes of brilliance on loan at Bournemouth last term.

Several other Premier League clubs have been mentioned as potential landing spots for the 23-year-old, though some may be put off by the transfer fee for a player with only one season of top flight experience.

Wilson is a good option for Leeds as they pursue another attacking player, though they might look elsewhere considering the competition for his signature.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Manu Fernandez / AP Photo*

September 11, 2020
News
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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox
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Which Premier League Managers Are Under Most Pressure This Season?

A new Premier League season should be about hope. For many, though, it is a time to exercise trepidation, a time when careers can be ruined.

Each season, several Premier League managers arrive at the new campaign not thinking of topping the outright winner odds, but already under the microscope, already a poor run away from the sack.

The managers discussed in this article are not all a month away from their P45. Some have a longer leash, some are dealing with changing expectations.

It could be argued that every Premier League manager is ‘under pressure’, but Jurgen Klopp has nothing to prove, and Chris Wilder will stick around at Bramall Lane as long as he wishes.

Starting with the turbulent Hammers, here are a few managers who face an important few weeks/months…

David Moyes

When isn’t the West Ham manager under pressure? The club that held such lofty ambitions a few years ago has been in disarray once again with a talented youngster in Grady Diangana sold, leading to Mark Noble publicly criticising the hierarchy.

Things are messy, and David Moyes’ ‘safe pair of hands’ nature will be tested this season.

Ahead of opening day, West Ham are in mid-table mediocrity if Premier League Odds is accurate. Their squad has plenty of talent to push for a top half finish, but after narrowly avoiding the drop last season, there will be some who fancy them to go down.

The unpredictable nature of West Ham has Moyes’ job under threat. A slow start, which is very much feasible with a difficult run of fixtures, will see questions asked about his future.

Key man Declan Rice could yet leave the club before the window shuts and they have made no notable additions to the squad.

The attacking talent is there for West Ham to be an exciting team. If they can get the balance of the side right, and be given freedom, this could be a fun team to watch, a team who could spring a few upsets.

Their football is too often turgid, and underachievement has become the status quo at the London Stadium.

Online betting has Moyes as one of the favourites to lose his job. It might not be the right decision, but the schedule has not been kind. After playing Newcastle on September 12th, they will be major underdogs in their next six.

No one can really predict what comes next at West Ham. It isn’t an easy job right now, and few will be jealous of Moyes’ situation.

Frank Lampard

Chelsea were a prominent top four betting team last season. Frank Lampard needs more than that in 2020/21 after an expensive offseason, which saw the west London club overhaul their first team squad.

Lampard still has plenty of credit. The media will be on his side for a while yet, and it will take something bordering on disaster for the Chelsea fans to turn on him. He should get the full season if he avoids a Mourinho-like collapse.

Eden Hazard’s departure and the transfer ban gave Chelsea the chance to play the underdog. Lampard gave young players opportunities and got satisfactory results along the way.

Those youngsters have a season of Premier League experience, Lampard had a campaign to learn from his mistakes, and a string of big-name players have arrived in west London.

Dropped points will be analysed differently this season. Spend like Chelsea have, and there’s an expectation of a title challenge.

Lampard doesn’t need to win the league, but he could do with closing the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City. There must be signs of progress as a team and in his management.

Having been fast-tracked into the dream job that so many managers have to wait years for, Lampard has quickly reached what could be a definitive point of his managerial career.

Chelsea will be more patient with him than they would be with others, but they surely aren’t going to tolerate subpar performances.

There are no excuses this season. The expectations have changed; Lampard has been heavily backed in the transfer market. Where last season was relaxed by Chelsea’s standards, 2020/21 is back to normal.

Lampard will be well aware of what Roman Abramovich wants – will he deliver it?

Steve Bruce

A bit like West Ham, it’s safe to expect strange things to happen at Newcastle.

The offseason didn’t turn out as many fans hoped it would, but they made some decent signings in Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser to bolster Steve Bruce’s attacking options.

Bruce did a more than solid job last term, keeping the Magpies up with plenty of time to spare. It was seldom pretty, aside from Allan Saint-Maximin’s dribbling, but it was effective, and treading water is okay for Newcastle at the moment.

Avoiding the drop would be a good season for Newcastle. It’s an uninspiring spot to be in. The fans would love something more, of course, and a run in a cup competition would be nice.

When the football is defensive, when goals are a rarity, there is less patience from fans.

Newcastle’s supporters tend to be realistic about what they can hope to achieve in a given season, but Bruce’s leash is shorter with the style of football he plays.

If they’re in the bottom three come Christmas (they play Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester between Boxing Day and January 2nd), Bruce will likely be out of a job or close to it.

Newcastle will not often be a football betting favourite in 2020/21.

Expectations are low, which should work in Bruce’s favour, but they rode their luck last season, they scraped points from matches they were outplayed in, and they overperformed their expected numbers.

Bruce, like Moyes, is in a challenging situation. The best he can reasonably do is what he did last season – there’s little upside for him.

A string of dodgy results and a change will be made in the dugout, and not necessarily because he’s at fault, but just because that’s how football is.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Rui Vieira / AP Photo*

September 11, 2020
Premier League
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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox
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