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Leeds United are closing in on their third summer signing of the transfer window as a transfer update emerges on their pursuit of Wigan starlet Sean McGurk.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side were eyeing up a move for the 18-year-old, who has yet to make a single appearance for the first-team with the Latics.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, The Athletic journalist Phil Hay previously said: “The incomings are quiet, and that was what we expected. I never rule out academy signings at Leeds, because they seem to be recruiting on that front all the time. McGurk, the youngster over at Wigan, again, that you mentioned is somebody Leeds are still interested in.”

And now, Football Insider claimed on July 6th that McGurk was undergoing his medical at Elland Road as he looks to complete his permanent move to the Yorkshire side.

It’s added that “the terms of a permanent move have been agreed following a breakthrough in talks. An industry source has told Football Insider Leeds are confident the transfer will be completed in the next 24-48 hours.”

Bielsa will be excited

After the success of Leeds’ U23s in clinching the Premier League 2 Div 2 title last season, there’s a real feel-good nature to the club’s academy side at the moment, especially with burgeoning talents like Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt coming through.

Gelhardt in particular will know all about McGurk given that he too made the step up from Wigan to Leeds last summer, and it may well be just a matter of time before he’s reunited with the 18-year-old.

Able to play in central midfield or out on the right, McGurk has delivered signs of his potential, even scoring in consecutive games in the FA Youth Cup the season before last, including against Manchester United.

And, speaking earlier last year, Wigan’s U18s coach, Peter Murphy, said: “Sean (McGurk) was brilliant, he’s been amazing. He had a slow start to his scholarship with an injury in the summer, but since he’s been fit, he’s got himself into the team and stayed there. He’s so effective in games, he sets things up, he scores goals and he’ll always do that because of his ability.”

With both McGurk and Gelhardt at just 18 and 19 respectively, there’s a real chance for the duo to develop their previous off-pitch relationship at Wigan into an on-pitch partnership, especially given they play more offensively.

With deals already tied up for Amari Miller and Junior Firpo, Bielsa will surely be excited at the prospect of Leeds sealing their third summer signing in a talented prospect like McGurk.

You only have to look at Kalvin Phillips’ rise into an England international under his management to see the kind of work he can do with young players, and Bielsa will feel no different about working with McGurk.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a dream De Paul alternative in this star…

Lots of Everton fans have been left to buzz as an update emerged on their Premier League fixtures.

As per the official Twitter page of the Goodison Park faithful, the Merseyside club start off with a very favourable set of games for the first two months, in which they avoid all of the so-called ‘Big Six’ and both Leicester City and West Ham United as well, who finished in the European places last season.

The Toffees got off to a great start in the 2020/21 campaign, winning their first four matches in the top flight, and will be thinking that they are very much capable of repeating the trick come the new term.

Nonetheless, whoever the new manager is, they will surely be happy with the starting run of fixtures.

Everton fans on fixture update

These Blues buzzed as the fixture update was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘excellent’:

“Wow. Exceptionally good start to the season!! New manager should be flying”

Credit: @the_staveros

“Quite happy with that start.”

Credit: @LadShirts

“Roll on top of the league for the first 6 games again”

Credit: @jake_williams11

“September champs again”

Credit: @plee33

“An excellent opportunity to get a really good start to the season.”

Credit: @AlHart07

“27 points from our first 10 games be sound that”

Credit: @dh_5__

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Toffees fuming here!

Celtic are in the middle of a hefty period of transition.

The Hoops are swaying away from the experienced heads of Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown to a younger variety of player.

It’s a policy that has already seen the Bhoys welcome Liam Shaw to the club in time for the manager’s appointment at Parkhead.

On the chalkboard

Celtic’s migration in transfer policy is a timely one with players like Karamoko Dembele breaking into the senior set-up. They are fortunate to have young Celtic defenders Stephen Welsh, Leo Hjelde and Adam Montgomery rising through the ranks too.

Montgomery and Welsh made their first-team breakthroughs this term but Hjelde is yet to earn senior minutes for the Hoops. Instead, he enjoyed a loan spell at Ross County in the back half the campaign, earning lofty comparisons to a certain Virgil van Dijk.

With those three players in mind, it would appear that Celtic’s future in defence looks like a solid one.

That said, the Bhoys are aiming to bolster their ranks by bringing another special young talent to Paradise, with Barcelona defender Mika Marmol catching their eye.

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According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Celtic, Getafe and Mallorca have all enquired about his availability.

At the age of 19, Marmol is very much one for the future, and he’s a player who would be perfect for Howe and Celtic. Described as a “manager’s dream” by David Bravo of Barca Universal, he possesses all the modern-day qualities that any coaches would love in a defender.

Having progressed through the famous La Masia academy, he is adept at playing with the ball at his feet; an area where Hjelde has also shown encouraging signs.

This is important due to the large levels of possession Celtic enjoy per game, and because they’ve enjoyed great success with a ball-playing defender in their ranks such as Kristoffer Ajer. Coincidentally, they are both able to play in wide and central areas.

Capable of featuring at centre-back or left-back, Marmol offers great versatility and the ability to be a threat going forward.

Talking about the Spaniard’s strengths, Bravo added: “As a natural left-back, he continuously contributes to attack with his forward runs and, mostly, his pinpoint crosses. When he is in a static position, he’s able to raise his head, pick his target and deliver an exquisite cross with his delicate left foot.

“His biggest attribute is his positioning and reading of both offensive and defensive actions. His brain and positional intelligence is well above the average. His decision making is truly admirable, and this tends to be the difference-maker for footballers.”

When playing in the middle of defence, Marmol provides plenty of physical qualities, an area of his game where he has reportedly developed well this season.

An unknown quantity at senior level, this would be a shrewd addition from the Celtic hierarchy and it should play into the new manager’s hands nicely. The youngster’s playing style seems perfect for the 43-year-old.

AND in other news, Howe would be an instant hit if Celtic sign 45-goal bully who’s “impossible to beat”…

Noel Whelan believes Oli McBurnie could be “dynamite” for Glasgow Rangers if he were to make the move north of the border.

The Lowdown: Gers linked to McBurnie

The Gers have been linked with a move for Sheffield United striker McBurnie (The Daily Mail), who is known as a boyhood Rangers fan.

As of yet, there appears to have been no official bid from the 55-time Scottish champions for the 6 foot 2 colossus.

The Latest: Whelan urges Gers to make signing

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has suggested the capture of McBurnie would be a great signing for the Ibrox outfit. He said:

“He won’t be cheap for starters.

“He’s not had a good time at Sheffield United. There are a lot of question marks over him. 

“But Steven Gerrard will get the best out of any player who moves to Rangers, he won’t sign a player unless he thinks they can improve his side. 

“Defoe won’t give you a full season anymore and McBurnie gives you something different to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe. 

“He’s a focal point. He can play long balls up to him, he’s like Odsonne Edouard at Celtic. Players like Kent can then play off him. It could be dynamite.

“He’s strong and good in the air, they don’t have a forward who can do that at the moment. 

“It will be a smart move from Rangers if they can get him at the right price.”

The Verdict: Debatable

£10.8m-valued McBurnie (Transfermarkt) has displayed his goalscoring ability in the past. He had a marvelous record for Swansea’s youth sides, scoring 34 goals in 36 games in Premier League 2, and he even managed to strike 22 times in the Championship during the 2018/19 term (Transfermarkt).

However, his move to the Blades has not gone well, managing just seven goals in 65 outings.

It has been reported the Yorkshire outfit would want £15m to let him depart – an absurd amount for Rangers, whose record signing remains the £12m they spent on Tore Andre Flo at the start of the century (via The Daily Record). For that amount of money, they can surely do better than McBurnie.

In other news, Kieran Maguire has made this Ibrox claim.

Glasgow Rangers fans are livid at what FC Porto are reportedly prepared to offer for their star striker Alfredo Morelos.

Morelos, who is currently away on international duty with Colombia at the Copa America, has been a fantastic signing for the Gers, scoring 94 goals in 182 games since 2017 (Transfermarkt). However, it seems he could be on the move away from Ibrox this summer, with Cagliari having a bid of €8m (£6.9m) turned down for the 24-year-old according to journalist Bruno Andrade.

Andrade also provided an update on Porto’s interest in the forward – according to Maisfutebol (via Glasgow Live), Morelos’ agent Michael Gorman has travelled to Portugal to discuss a potential transfer. As per Andrade, Porto believe they can sign him for a fee of around €12m (£10.3m).

The news was shared on Twitter by Andrade himself, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Morelos news below

“Rangers rejected an offer of 16m last summer, and that was when Morelos was off boil. He ended second half of season in red hot form. €12m is an insult”

Credit: @simon1872

“€12m Considering we turned down €6m more than that less than a year ago. And I think he’s turned into an all round better player this season. He’s easily £25m now plus a sell on. Anything less shouldn’t even be looked at”

Credit: @Ranger55pares

“12 millions euros. They just after his right boot? Embarrassing.”

Credit: @BMCRangersRants

“You’re valuation is about half of the reality. So, so far off.”

Credit: @AmatoTheArcher

“€12m. Do some research.”

Credit: @WestEndBluenose

“12 MILLION AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA he got offers like that his first season”

Credit: @George_1872

In other news, Rangers fans rage at this Euro 2020 news.

Many Wolves fans have been left to blast the display of Joao Moutinho in their 1-0 away loss at Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men ended up coming away with nothing at Goodison Park as they were beaten by a Richarlison header.

The Midlands club really lacked a cutting edge, and some of their players did not really rise up to the occasion of having fans back in the stadium.

One of them was Moutinho, who lost out on four of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target or clearance, while he lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 21 separate occasions in the match, the third-most out of any player to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Wolves fans on Moutinho display

These members of the Molineux faithful blasted his performance on Twitter, with a couple of WWFC supporters even going as far as to claim that he is ‘finished’:

“I’m afraid Moutinho is finished, too old too slow and too negative. #wolves #wwfc”

Credit: @Jedimaster26044

“Sell Neves, Moutinho, Saiss and Dendoncker they offer absolutely nothing #wwfc”

Credit: @Adam11520205

“Moutinho out! #wwfc”

Credit: @glynntaylor

“Moutinho performance is tough to watch here. Awful. #wwfc”

Credit: @TomHiggsWWFC

“Moutinho off and in a retirement home asap #wwfc”

Credit: @wwfcltd

“I guess this what happens when Moutinho played so many games last season, he is finished #wwfc”

Credit: @ryharding_

In other news, find out whose display was slammed versus Everton here!

West Ham have been linked to an array of strikers ahead of the summer transfer window, although there is one name that could be of great appeal to David Moyes…

What’s the word?

Last month, TEAMtalk claimed the Irons were one of several Premier League teams monitoring Barnsley’s loan sensation Daryl Dike and that the Championship outfit could struggle to keep him permanently as a £17m option-to-buy seems out of their financial reach, unless promoted.

Competition for the 20-year-old appears fierce with top-flight giants Manchester United and Chelsea among the sides interested in the Orlando City striker, as well as Everton, Leeds United, Wolves and Newcastle United.

Shades of Yakubu

Over the course of Moyes’ lengthy managerial career, we’ve seen many different types of forward lead his line but there is often a recurring theme as he clearly likes a big, powerful presence up top – you only have to look at Michail Antonio in this current squad and perhaps most famously, Duncan Ferguson at Everton.

At 6 foot 2, Dike fits the bill as another prototype for the 58-year-old to develop into a goalscoring beast in attack. He has been in electric form since joining the Tykes in January, scoring nine Championship goals in just 17 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

His form recently led to former Salford boss Richie Wellens heaping praise on him. He dubbed the striker a “revelation” to Football League World.

The young Orlando gem offers more than just brute force, too. American site SBNation describe him as a ‘physical striker’ who has a ‘delicate touch and high levels of technical ability.’

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-transfer-rumours-gossip-latest-moyes-gsb-london-stadium” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Furthermore, his former college coach George Gelnovatch waxed lyrical about his mentality on and off the pitch, he told ESPN: “One of the things about him that nobody ever talks about is relentlessness. He is a relentless competitor, a ruthless guy on the field. You put that inside a body like his, and it’s pretty impressive.”

This all hugely reminiscent of Yakubu, who enjoyed four lucrative seasons under Moyes at Goodison Park, where he found the net 33 times in 107 appearances.

Dike has been compared to Romelu Lukaku, a player the former Everton boss was once desperate to sign, and is also cut from the same cloth as his cousin, Emmanuel Emineke, the former Hammers loanee.

If you throw Yakubu into the mix as those two, then you’ll soon see they are all a similar sort of presence upfront.

He was a natural finish and one that was capable of destroying the opposition with his pace and strength and that’s exactly what Dike seems like in the Championship right now.

Whilst a step-up to the Premier League is a big ask, Moyes would surely relish having a player of that ilk at his disposal, especially when Antonio struggles to play more than 22 matches each season due to injuries.

GSB must make a move for the two-time USA international.

AND in other news, Hammers must still rue Bilic’s 2015 failure to sign “big-game” beast…

Manchester United are back in Premier League action on Sunday against Aston Villa after a two-week break from domestic football.

Despite two clashes against AS Roma in Europe, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils have not had any league games since their 0-0 draw against Leeds United two weeks ago, with last weekend’s match against Liverpool at Old Trafford being postponed due to fan protests.

With that game now having been rearranged, United now face a strenuous schedule of six games in just 17 days.

Could Solskjaer be tempted to make many alterations to his team for this fixture against Villa?

Having made a few changes in Italy on Thursday, this game could likely be closer to a regular first-choice team from the Norwegian – boasting three changes from the clash in the eternal city.

The first alteration will be in goal where Dean Henderson will once again replace David de Gea.

There should also be a slight tweak in defence where Victor Lindelof will start once again, meaning Eric Bailly will drop out.

Both Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were substituted in Rome so that slight rest should see them start once again versus Villa. Harry Maguire will,l of course, be selected.

The Red Devils’ midfield should have a familiar look to it where Fred will partner Paul Pogba, with the irrepressible Bruno Fernandes pushed forwards slightly more.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-from-old-trafford-fofana-solskjaer-van-de-beek-wwodward” title=”The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

The final change to the team will occur in attack. Edinson Cavani should be a candidate to start after his four-goal and three assist haul over both legs against AS Roma.

He should be supported by Mason Greenwood who appears to have rediscovered his scoring touch having netted four goals in as many Premier League games.

However, Marcus Rashford could return after he started on the bench for the trip to Italy. He should replace £120k per week midfielder Donny van de Beek in the starting line-up.

AND in more news, find out which defensive powerhouse the Red Devils must be in contention to sign…

Plenty of West Ham fans have praised Pablo Fornals on social media for his display against Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

David Moyes knew prior to kick-off that just a point will be enough for his side to qualify for the Europa League next season, and the Scot made two changes to the side which beat West Brom 3-1 on Wednesday evening, with Lukasz Fabianski and Jarrod Bowen coming in for Darren Randolph and Said Benrahma respectively.

However, it was Fornals‘ performance which had a number of Hammers fans talking on social media following his starring role at the London Stadium.

He was making his 31st start of the Premier League campaign and 36th appearance in all competitions. The Spaniard only scored three league goals this season prior to the final game of the season but he netted twice in the opening 45 minutes to put the Hammers on their way to the 2021/22 Europa League. He also won several tackles and duels, as well as having a high passing completion rate, to give an all-round stellar performance against the Saints.

West Ham fans react

Here is what these Hammers supporters had to say about the attacking midfielder, with one fan describing him as ‘brilliant’ and another excitedly comparing him to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, who was renowned as a passing maestro and had a decent scoring record.

“Pablo Fornals has turned into some player”

Credit: @joe200953

“Pablo Fornals you are something else man”

Credit: @ewansm38

“Fornals is the new Iniesta”

Credit: @FloydWHU

“FORNALS IS QUALITY WE NEED TO KEEP HIM”

Credit: @datwag1

“Fornals has been brilliant”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“Pablo Fornals is such an intelligent player it’s always his end product that lets him down. Technically he’s terrific and that second finish was brilliant, he always has that knack of being in the right place.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

In other news: Hammers leading the race for Championship star, find out more here. 

Charlton Athletic return to League One action this weekend, looking to build on their unbeaten run under new manager Nigel Adkins and they’ll need to find a way past fellow promotion chasers Sunderland if they are to keep up their playoff hopes.

Last time out, the Addicks defeated Doncaster Rovers to move to within three points of the top six, whilst their Easter Monday encounter with Lincoln City was postponed.

The Black Cats need a victory if they are to move back into an automatic spot, so there’s certainly a lot at stake at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.

Adkins will need to get his team selection spot on, and he could well aid Charlton’s chances of picking up a result if he unleashes Chuks Aneke from the off.

On the Chalkboard

The 27-year-old has been a major source of goals for the Addicks, particularly under the recently-departed Lee Bowyer, so it’s certainly a surprise to see the £360k-rated dynamo named on the bench in both of Adkins’ lineups thus far.

No player has scored as many goals as Aneke this term, with the former MK Dons man finding the net 12 times. He’s also averaging the highest number of shots per game (2.3) in this squad, via WhoScored, proving to be a dangerous threat in attack.

The Addicks’ second top goalscorer (11) Conor Washington was ruled out of the Easter period, so there’s certainly a void to be filled alongside Jayden Stockley.

Right before Bowyer left, Aneke bagged his 13th in all competitions against Wigan and it left the new Birmingham boss in awe. He told London News Online: “He was immense up there again today. He’s unplayable, on his day he’s unplayable. The only disappointing thing, if I’m him, is that he didn’t score more.”

That only makes Adkins’ decision to omit him recently a little more baffling.

Sunderland have the best defensive record in the division, having conceded only 29 times in 38 matches. And that’s exactly why Aneke must be unleashed as no other Addicks player has been a greater threat this campaign.

The former Arsenal graduate must start on Saturday afternoon.

AND in other news, Gallen heading for disaster over “important” Charlton “leader”…