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Leeds could sign an ideal midfield partner for Kalvin Phillips by signing Rangers star Glen Kamara in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

It was reported back in October that Gers boss Steven Gerrard was concerned about losing the midfielder back in January, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

TEAMtalk claimed that even more clubs have watched him recently, including Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and other Premier League sides like Everton and Southampton.

GIVEMESPORT have now revealed that Arsenal are eyeing up a return for their former academy prodigy, so the Whites look set to face significant competition to land the 27-cap Finland international this summer.

Imagine him and Kalvin Phillips

While Phillips has been the one constant in the Leeds engine room whenever he’s been fit, Bielsa has used the likes of Stuart Dallas and Mateusz Klich among many others in midfield.

In Kamara, Bielsa could find someone who could help Phillips anchor the midfield and even allow the England international to be pushed slightly forward if needed.

Neil McCann, Kamara’s former boss at Dundee, has said: “If you asked Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack and young McCrorie if Glen would be the type to make them play better then, I think, they’d say yes. Glen is great at seeing a pass and once he builds up an understanding with someone, they can enjoy that.

“He looks small but he’s strong and he’s a playmaker. When Rangers signed Glen, I sat there thinking he would smash it. Glen will end up back in the English Premier League. I’ve no doubts about that.”

McCann added: “He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

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If Bielsa is looking for someone to partner Phillips in the engine room, then landing Kamara could be the perfect signing. His ability to screen the back four, handle the pace and physicality of the Premier League and then pass the ball off to those in front of him surely makes him someone who could fit into the Leeds jigsaw without too much of a problem.

With Arsenal now lurking over him too, however, the Whites have to act quick if they want to get a deal done.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a summer move for this Premier League starlet…

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves during his career, has claimed that Ainsley Maitland-Niles is not a player his former club will be looking to sign.

Wolves were in pole position to sign Maitland-Niles for £20 million last summer, however the 23-year old didn’t end up joining Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as he wanted to try and force his way into Arsenal side.

He went on to join West Bromwich Albion on loan in January but it has been reported that Wolves may seek to reignite their interest at the end of the season, and that Nuno is an admirer of his versatility.

After Wolves missed out on Mainland-Niles, who was described as a “Rolls-Royce” player by Martin Keown in December, they opted to sign 32-year old Marcal from Lyon but he has been one of the many players to suffer an injury-plagued season at Molineux.

Speaking on why Wolves don’t need to sign Maitland-Niles this summer and how Marcal is a good enough wing-back for Wolves, Bull told The Transfer Tavern:

“Last summer I think Wolves fancied him and thought he could do a job, but they went for Macal over Maitland-Niles in the end and I think he’ll slot straight back in when he’s fit.

“So, Maitland-Niles is not for me, I think he’ll go back to Arsenal and try to get in their side.”

Maitland-Niles spent the first half of the season as a fringe player under Mikel Arteta before joining Sam Allardyce at West Brom to try and help them fight off relegation.

Fosun International are reportedly looking to take a step back in terms of their spending on transfer fees from this summer.

This season has been a disastrous state of affairs for Celtic and if anything typified that, it would be the Bhoys’ defeat on Sunday.

Having already been usurped by their biggest rivals in the league, the Hoops were left to rue shambolic defending and poor finishing as they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup.

Does that sound familiar? Of course it does. Time and time again this term we’ve witnessed defensive mistakes let the manager and indeed the club’s supporters down.

We’ve also seen a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. That was perfectly summed up when Benjamin Siegrist made 12 saves in a 0-0 draw with Dundee United.

On this occasion, everything went wrong again as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in the fourth round to Rangers.

Odsonne Edouard missed a simple chance in the second half from a matter of yards out and then saw his spot-kick saved later on. A good chance for Moi Elyounoussi also went begging after the break.

Though, had they been better from a defensive point of view they wouldn’t have been left chasing their tails.

John Kennedy must have been left fuming with his two full-backs; Jonjoe Kenny and Diego Laxalt.

The duo were described as “abysmal” by The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin and it was clear to see why. Kenny reacted too slowly for the opener and then struggled to track the run of Ryan Kent for the second, diverting the ball into his own net.

Unfortunately, it was Laxalt who was considerably worse. The Uruguay international has been rather inconsistent this season and this match summarised perfectly why the Hoops shouldn’t be lusting after a £7.2m permanent switch.

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As Rangers broke forward down the right for Steve Davis’ opening strike, Laxalt wasn’t even in the frame. He vacated his role down the left and Steven Gerrard’s men were able to profit.

When the ball was finally swept home, Laxalt was standing in the centre of the pitch just outside the penalty area.

Speaking in his half-time show on the A Celtic State of Mind channel, Paul John Dykes said he was “horrifically out of position” and “nowhere to be seen.”

Though, Laxalt was worse for the second goal. Joe Aribo got down the right again and then led the left-back a merry dance. The Rangers winger produced a tremendous piece of trickery that sold the Uruguayan completely.

Aribo then whipped a ball in which Kent managed to divert home with the aid of Kenny.

John Harton was scathing in his assessments during Premier Sports’ live coverage of the match. The former Celtic striker said it was “such a poor attempt” at trying to mark Aribo for the second.

He then claimed it was a “horror first half” from Laxalt, suggesting he “does nothing.”

With his woeful opening 45 minutes in mind, it was not a surprise to see him dragged off at half-time in favour of Greg Taylor.

Perhaps the £57k-per-week earner ought to be dropped for good next time out.

AND in other news, Forget Hjelde: Celtic could have their new Ajer in 17 y/o never-seen in the first team…

Less than a week before their biggest game of the season, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy pulled the trigger and sensationally sacked Jose Mourinho.

The timing of the move is quite bizarre, given the small matter of their Carabao Cup final clash with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon and perhaps in an even stranger decision, inexperienced former midfielder Ryan Mason, 29, has been given the reins as caretaker boss until the end of the season.

At the start of December, Spurs were sat top of the Premier League and had everything to play for – nobody could’ve predicted the Mourinho era unravelling like this, so quickly and so abruptly.

The Athletic have revealed a long list of reasons why Levy has reacted in this manner in a recent column, most notably how the players were bored of Mourinho’s training methods and how they were unhappy with his scathing criticism.

Dressing room, lost. Effectively.

Levy is also to be said to have feared the loss of as many as ten first-team stars if Mourinho was still in charge come the summer, according to Eurosport’s Dean Jones.

Mason’s shock appointment should instantly change this to bring a breath of fresh air to things around Hotspur Way, and forgotten players such as Dele Alli and Gareth Bale could be handed a lifeline ahead of the summer window.

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But forget about either for now, as it is Harry Winks who could benefit most from his former teammate’s involvement.

Both are – or were – very much in the same mould of player, though it is the current Spurs midfielder who is still teeming with untapped potential.

“Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player,” claimed Mauricio Pochettino to the Evening Standard in September 2018. “His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta, he’s like this type of player. He has this capacity but he needs to take my words in a very positive way — he needs a lot of work.”

Under Mourinho, Winks went from a starter, featuring from the off in their opening three Premier League outings this term, to an outcast, subsequently recording only 398 minutes of game time in the top-flight since then.

Given they both came through the academy system, and have featured together before, it would not be a surprise to see the new interim boss turn to the 25-year-old this week.

If Winks features more regularly before the summer transfer window, then his long-term future at the club could well be saved. Reports had emerged suggesting that he would look to force an exit in the summer, but that was under Mourinho, who clearly no longer fancied him.

The £26m-rated maestro, who is under contract until 2024, may well benefit most from this week’s developments. Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Levy hits Spurs with hammer blow after fresh Super League update, Kane will be furious…

Crystal Palace face a tough test on Monday evening as they travel to Champions League chasing Leicester City.

The Eagles have only won one of their last six matches and come into the game off the back of a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Chelsea over two weeks ago.

It will certainly be a big ask for Roy Hodgson’s men to get back to winning ways at the King Power Stadium but their chances will certainly be bolstered by the inclusion of Tyrick Mitchell at left-back.

Having recently penned a new £28k per week contract at Selhurst Park, it is somewhat of a surprise to learn that the 21-year-old has not played a single minute of Premier League football since mid-February.

However, the statistics suggest that he should certainly have been afforded more opportunities.

Mitchell leads the Eagles in tackles per game in the Premier League this season with a huge 3.6 according to WhoScored, whilst he is only marginally beaten by fellow left-back Patrick van Aanholt on interceptions – 1.4 to 1.2.

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The youngster’s 2.5 clearances though sees him rank above the Dutch international. He also commits marginally fewer fouls per game than Van Aanholt – 0.5 to 0.6.

Whilst it could be argued that Palace would lose a considerable amount of attacking invention by including Mitchell at the expense of the former Sunderland man, his added defensive solidarity would surely be more crucial in getting a result against high-flying Leicester.

After all, only Manchester City and Manchester United have scored more goals than Brendan Rodgers’ men this season.

Either faced up against Timothy Castagne or Ricardo Pereira down the Leicester right, Mitchell’s defensive numbers suggest that he would be better equipped to deal with the respective threats of the Foxes’ wing-backs than Van Aanholt.

Hailed as “exciting” in the past by Palace defender Gary Cahill, Hodgson simply has to include Mitchell at the King Power Stadium if the Eagles are to pass what is surely going to be a tough test.

AND in more news, the Eagles have been handed a massive boost over the future of the managerial hotseat at Selhurst Park…

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Danny Ings would be a good addition for the Toffees.

Ings still hasn’t signed fresh terms at Southampton, and with his St Mary’s contract expiring in just over 12 months, a summer move away from the South Coast is becoming a real possibility.

Manchester City, Leicester and Tottenham have all been strongly linked with the striker, whilst January reports included Everton in the chase for Ings.

Ings has been one of the most lethal Premier League frontmen in recent seasons, although an injury-hit campaign this time around has seen him fail to hit the heights of previous years.

Despite Ings’ stop-start season, his opener at Spurs last Wednesday was his tenth in the league, allowing him to reach double figures in consecutive seasons for the first time at this level.

While none of those 10 came in the 2-0 win against Everton at St Mary’s back in October, Ings did assist both of the goals on the day for Che Adams and James Ward-Prowse as he gave Carlo Ancelotti and his side nightmares.

“He’s 29 in the summer, he’s had a few injuries, but has been scoring goals and you want someone to come in and hit the ground running,” Bent told Football FanCast.

“I think it would be a good move for him and a good move for the club, but it would be down to the price tag.”

Former Manchester City Michael Ball has waxed lyrical over the ability of Phil Foden in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast after some mesmerising displays for the club in recent weeks.

Foden has developed into one of City’s most important players and has been a regular under Pep Guardiola this season.

The 20-year-old is still rotated, much like the rest of the Catalan’s squad, but he has made 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and registering nine assists.

That includes a goal in each Champions League quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund, along with strikes against Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

Now firmly a big-game player, Foden, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, could also play a central role for England this summer in the rearranged European Championships.

And Ball has been wowed by the youngster’s displays, as he kicks his game up a notch, with City now on the verge of winning the Premier League title and 90 minutes away from the Champions League final, after beating PSG 2-1 in the first leg of their last-four encounter.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Ball said: “Foden just looks unbelievable right now, he’s on fire, teams are putting two or three players around him.

“He’s just going about them the way he is, he’s just got that awareness about him, and he’s playing alongside top, top players and that does help.”

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes a power struggle at Sheffield United is partly to blame for Chris Wilder’s Bramall Lane exit.

Wilder left the Blades in March after five years at the Yorkshire club and, while their league position was obviously a huge problem for the higher-ups, Palmer has suggested a reluctance to accept a director of football coming in is what arguably made the 53-year-old’s job untenable.

Paul Heckingbottom has since taken over on an interim basis, although the club have confirmed that the former Leeds United boss is in the running to get the gig full-time.

On Wilder’s departure, Palmer told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“I know the one thing that he wouldn’t have allowed is if they wanted to bring in a director of football to control football matters over him. He wouldn’t have liked that and I think there was a lot of that going on behind the scenes.”

The decision to part ways with Wilder and replace him with Heckingbottom and Jason Tindall has done very little, with Sheffield United going on to see relegation.

It will now be interesting to see how the Blades bounce back next season after an extremely disappointing 2020/21 campaign.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa could create a terrifying duo at Elland Road by signing Borna Sosa this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Sosa’s agent, Franjo Vranjkovic, the Whites have submitted a bid to Stuttgart to sign the left-back in the summer transfer window, saying: “The most important thing for him is to make a transfer to England because he has an offer from Leeds United.”

Imagine him and Harrison

With Jack Harrison the man Bielsa has relied upon on the left-flank, the Leeds boss could help his winger cause even more havoc by bringing Sosa to the club this summer.

The Croatian’s ability to deliver superb crosses into the box has been a real feature of his game, and something very much akin to former Manchester United and England star David Beckham – and that comparison has been echoed by Stuttgart’s own sporting director, Sven Mislintat.

He said: “Borna’s said himself that David Beckham is his role model, and I think he has the same qualities. He puts in crosses from every angle: sometimes chipped, sometimes drilled, sometimes flat, sometimes in behind, sometimes to the front post, other times to the back post. His left foot is a real weapon.”

You only have to look at Leeds’ last game in the Premier League against Spurs to see the kind of damage and chaos Harrison can cause when he’s got a flying full-back providing quality from behind him, with the 24-year-old linking up superbly with Gjanni Alioski for the Whites’ opening two goals.

As per Whoscored, Sosa averages a whopping 2.3 key passes and two crosses per game in the Bundesliga this season, which are both comfortably higher than any Leeds player has averaged – that’s not to mention the 23-year-old’s tally of ten assists also being higher than any Whites star too.

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Harrison could dove-tail extremely well with a player of Sosa’s calibre, with both their pace and menacing deliveries causing nightmares for opposition defences up and down the country.

While Raphinha has been a sensation on the right-hand side, giving Harrison a partner in crime like Sosa could give Leeds an even more potent attack, and that’s the kind of duo the Leeds boss would surely love to create.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have been handed a boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

After Tottenham Hotspur announced the establishment of a Club Advisory Panel and subsequent fan representation on the board (official), Alasdair Gold has relayed this news whilst lifting the lid on a crucial detail. 

The Lowdown: Super League shame…

Tottenham faced unrelenting criticism for their involvement in the European Super League saga, with the Lilywhites opting to join the breakaway division as a founding member alongside Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

After the backlash from supporters, Spurs quickly announced their withdrawal from the project and have been attempting to rebuild bridges ever since.

ENIC out protests have occurred outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the relationship between supporters and Spurs seems in a very delicate state.

The Latest: Gold relays Spurs board news after big announcement

In a move to garner trust with supporters, Tottenham officially announced and confirmed there will be fan representation on the board coupled with the establishment of a Club Advisory Panel.

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The head of this panel will be elected to the Tottenham Hotspur board as a non-executive and have full voting rights on all subjects brought forward affecting the club.

Gold, going into more detail, shares that these voting rights include all football-related matters on and off the pitch.

“The chair of the new Club Advisory Panel of fans, who will be elected to the Tottenham Hotspur board as a non-executive, will have full voting rights on matters decided by the board,” he explained on Twitter.

“For those asking, I’m told that also means the right to vote on all football matters put to the board.”

The Verdict: Good move, but still a way to go…

This move by the club will go some way to building bridges with supporters who have arguably lost a degree of trust after the ESL saga.

Tottenham fans being able to have a voice at the very top of Spurs could be huge in terms of major future decisions, especially Gold’s detail that the chair of this advisory panel will have full voting rights on every club topic, even matters on the pitch.

A step in the right direction to move on from what was a bleak week in the history of Tottenham, and Lilywhites can only hope this will go on to mark historic change.

In other news: 47-year-old now pushing strongly for Tottenham job, find out more here.