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Raphinha’s arrival at Leeds United 12 months ago has to go down as an inspired piece of business.

The Brazilian arrived from Rennes and has settled into English football with absolute ease.

He has bought into Marcelo Bielsa’s ethos and has improved his game in unorthodox ways. Bielsa doesn’t do things by the book, something his vicious game of murderball proves.

It’s not every day you find a flashy winger who’s willing to work hard, press and track back all at the same time.

However, that’s exactly what he’s brought to Elland Road. Raphinha contributed to 15 Premier League goals last term and was mesmerising with the ball at his feet.

The winger was successful with 1.9 dribbles per game and was emphatically creative, providing 2.1 key passes a match.

In terms of his work rate, only seven more players at Leeds recorded more presses to the opposition than the 24-year-old.

He has been a ball of fun on the right-hand side of the pitch but they could find a similar player for the left this summer.

That’s because Bielsa and Victor Orta are eyeing a move for Hertha Berlin attacker, Matheus Cunha.

Valued at around £26m, the Whites would have to spend a significant outlay on him but it would surely be worth it.

Like Raphinha, he knows where the goal is and he’s capable of picking out his teammates with a defence-splitting pass. Last term, the 22-year-old contributed to 11 goals in the Bundesliga.

Speaking about Cunha last year, former Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.” 

That’s evident in the youngster’s game as he recorded a dazzling three dribbles per match and was fouled on 2.8 occasions per appearance.

Tricky with the ball at his feet, he’s exactly like Raphinha in the way he takes on an opponent.

He’s also not afraid to work hard for the team. For instance, no player at Hertha last term applied more pressures (492) than the Brazilian.

It’s safe to say that Bielsa would absolutely adore a player of his qualities in Yorkshire. He is perfectly suited to Leeds’ way of playing.

AND in other news, Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 17-goal “phenomenon”, he’s a big upgrade on Harrison…

Goalkeeper Liam Kelly has been tipped to potentially make a move to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side in the future…

What’s the talk?

Livingston boss David Martindale is convinced that the shot-stopper would be able to compete whilst playing with the Gers or at Celtic.

He told The Daily Record:

“Could he go on and play for Celtic or Rangers? I do believe he could.

“I’m glad to see Liam playing every week, I’m gutted it’s not at Livingston.”

Key problem

Allan McGregor is out of contract at the end of the season and this leaves Gio van Bronckhorst in a difficult position in January. Does he sign someone to replace him now or wait until the summer to fix the issue?

The veteran Scotsman will be 40 next month and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be willing to play for another season. If he opts to hang up the gloves in 2022 then it would leave the Gers without a first-choice between the sticks, with back-up Jon McLaughlin also out of contract at the same time.

In Kelly, they could find their new number one for the foreseeable future and solve this big problem months before it becomes even more worrying. The 25-year-old, who started his career at Ibrox, has an impressive 76.9% save percentage in the Premiership this season, compared to McGregor’s 74.2%.

Graham Alexander also praised the “fantastic” goalkeeper earlier this year, saying: “He’s a great leader on and off the pitch, he’s brilliant on the training pitch, the will-to-win I want is epitomised by Liam in how he approaches the game.”

This shows that he has the quality to perform well by Premiership standards, which is why Rangers must take Martindale’s advice and swoop for Kelly in January.

At his young age, for a goalkeeper, he could take over from McGregor in the summer and spend the next decade as the club’s first-choice if he plays his cards right. He has plenty of time left ahead of him and his form for Motherwell this season shows that he is on the right track, which is why he could be an ideal target for van Bronckhorst.

Of course, it must be stressed that there are no official rumours linking Rangers with a move for Kelly, but the club need to be in the market for one, given McGregor’s contractual situation, and he appears to be someone who suits what they need.

AND in other news, “I’m sure”: Reporter drops exciting Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

While Leeds United starlet Illan Meslier has firmly established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Elland Road, had things turned out slightly differently a decade ago, it may well have been a certain Kasper Schmeichel holding the gloves.

Reports claimed that the Whites sold Schmeichel for less than £1m, with then boss Simon Grayson making it clear that the call to sell the Denmark international was one that was in the “best interests” of the Whites, and that it was the “right deal for the club”.

Speaking after a move to the Foxes was confirmed, the Denmark international let it be known that the decision for him to leave Elland Road was taken out of his hands, and that it was well and truly against his wishes.

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He said: “I want to put on record that I have never asked to leave the Leeds United, nor did I reject an offer for a new contract, since one was never put to me. I was enjoying being a Leeds United player and was looking forward to winning promotion this season with the club.

“I have spoken to the manager Simon Grayson and he has made it clear to me, that, in spite of having played well for him, this is something he believes is a good deal for Leeds United. I have been put in a very difficult situation and will spend some time considering my options for my future.”

Since then of course, Schmeichel has developed into a Premier League stalwart, having earned promotion to the top-flight with Leicester and being part of that now historic side that clinched the title against all odds in 2016.

Then, the goalkeeper added to his credentials as a Foxes icon and legend by delivering an impressive display in the FA Cup final victory last year, leading manager Brendan Rodgers to dub his performance as “special”.

All in all, he’s now played 466 games in total for Leicester, including featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and the Europa Conference League too.

The big Dane has also picked up 80 senior caps for his country, while he was even named by FIFA as one of the three finalists for the world’s best goalkeeper award back in 2018.

While Meslier has finally offset the impact of Schmeichel’s departure, you can’t help but feel a sense of what if with the goalkeeper.

Leeds suffered a bit of an embarrassment in letting the Dane go.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

Antonio Conte wants to bring Gareth Bale back to Tottenham Hotspur for a third time, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda has told Spanish outlet El Chiringuito, via OKDARIO, that the 52-year-old rejected the opportunity to sign Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard on loan following a suggestion from chairman Daniel Levy and instead asked for the former Spurs star.

“He wanted to sign Eden Hazard, but Conte has told him no because he knows him from when he trained at Chelsea and says that he has little intensity and that he is not a very hard worker,” he claimed.

“The most striking thing is the player that Conte has asked Levy to take him to London is Gareth Bale. Bale ends his contract at the end of the season, but in winter it would not be free.”

There are no plans to extend the Welshman’s contract at the Bernabeu, so there is an increasing possibility that he will be looking for a new club come to the summer and after a successful loan stint in N17 last term, perhaps another reunion could be on the cards.

Imagine him and Kane

This would be an intriguing decision from Conte and co but one that does make sense. You could argue that the Lilywhites failed to replace Bale during the summer as he actually provided plenty of goals and menace in the final third.

And that’s where the Italian’s biggest issue lies right now.

His side have not registered a shot on target in the Premier League in nearly four hours, with their last goal coming over five hours ago.

Only one team has scored fewer goals (nine) this season, Norwich City (five) and similarly, the north Londoners rank last for average shots per game (10.1), as per WhoScored.

Last season, Bale was their third-highest goalscorer with 11 goals in the Premier League and three goals in the Europa League, with only Heung-min Son and Harry Kane managing more.

After the trio, no other player found the net more than three times in the league, which is rather damning. It seems that is a problem that still lingers in N17 as Son has scored four goals in the top-flight, with four other players sitting on the solitary goal.

In total, Bale found the net 16 times and averaged a direct contribution once every 87 minutes, via Transfermarkt, which is pretty outstanding and is more reason to suggest why he could fix Conte’s big issue.

After a hat-trick against Sheffield United, former Premier League marksman Alan Shearer waxed lyrical about the 32-year-old on Match of the Day. “It was a magnificent performance. It was the very best of Gareth Bale, it had everything, the running off the ball, work rate and his finishing was lethal,” he said (via football.london).

Even ex-manager Jose Mourinho dubbed the 6 foot 1 winger “remarkable” for his “incredible” impact at the club, both on and off the pitch, so that’s certainly another factor that bolsters Spurs’ claims to re-sign him for the third time.

Capped 99 times by Wales and valued at just £9m by Transfermarkt, Bale could be exactly what’s needed to help get Kane and co firing again.

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici could form a deadly duo up top by bringing the Wales star and the England skipper together again.

AND in other news, “One of Conte’s requests”: Spurs plot “extraordinary” signing, fans should be thrilled…

Leeds employee Noel Whelan has been reacting to an injury update regarding Jamie Shackleton, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Shackleton close to Thorp Arch return

Jesse Marsch has had a number of injury issues to deal with during his short time as Whites manager, one of which has been with Shackleton.

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The 22-year-old was named on the bench in Marsch’s first three games but hasn’t been involved in the previous three fixtures due to a knock.

Marsch confirmed prior to the win at Watford last weekend that Shackleton was close to making a return to training, whereas Junior Firpo was also set to return on Tuesday.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments on Shackleton

Former Leeds striker Whelan, who is now an employee of the club, labelled Shackleton’s absence as a ‘huge miss’ and described his imminent return to as ‘massive’ due to his versatility.

He told Football Insider:

“A huge miss.

“You mention the word versatility, I think he can play about three or four different roles in that team. Very much like Stuart Dallas. “He definitely gives you options and somebody that is very valuable on the bench. He’s somebody that can play those different roles and can adapt to it very quickly. A right-sided midfield player, right wing-back, central midfield, the left side too.

“He gives you those massive options where you don’t need to change anything around too drastically. If there are any injuries to a certain player, you know you’ve got someone that you can trust.

“He gives you 100 per cent and he’s got that tenacity about his game. Right now, after the couple of seasons that he’s had, he’s one of the more experienced young players that we have.

“He can come into the team. You can throw him in there and know that he can go do a job.”

The Verdict: Good news for Leeds

At the age of just 22, Shackleton has already racked up 78 appearances in a Leeds shirt, making him very much a senior member of the squad, especially when you look at Marsch’s substitutes at Vicarage Road.

Therefore, his return to the squad – along with Firpo – is a timely one ahead of the final six games of the season. He will be able to provide another option for Marsch at right-back and in midfield and hopefully will be able to make the trip to Crystal Palace on April 25.

With that match still nearly a fortnight away, it should give Shackleton ample time to get up to speed after his recent convalescence.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Journalist says Orta now ‘thinking’ of signing 28-goal midfielder alongside Aaronson

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as the 28-year-old nears the end of his current contract with the club.

What’s the story?

The World Cup winner has been attracting the attention of a host of top European clubs for several months after refusing to put pen to paper on fresh terms at United.

And now, according to Spanish outlet AS (via Manchester Evening News), La Liga giants Madrid are eager to sign Pogba and will try to sign him on a free transfer next year.

He will be available to sign on a pre-contract agreement over the winter window which is good news for Los Blancos who want to secure his signature as soon as possible.

Solskjaer will be worried

Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain were heavily linked with a move for Pogba in the previous window before their shock move for Lionel Messi meant his arrival was no longer a financial possibility.

Since then, United are believed to have offered their academy graduate a new contract worth close to £400,000 per week, and although he’s open to re-signing, Pogba’s taking his time over what is a huge decision at this stage in his career.

However, United’s chiefs are set to face a battle to keep the France international on their books after Madrid reportedly rekindled their interest in the box-to-box dynamo over the international break.

Pogba’s impressive displays for Les Blues during their Nations League triumph were just the latest in what’s been an impressive 2021 for the engine room operator, with club teammate Bruno Fernandes lauding him after his magnificent tally of four assists against Leed United on the opening day of the season.

“I’m pretty sure Paul could do five or six (assists) in one game! Paul is a quality player; we all trust him, we all know his qualities,” Fernandes told MUTV after the emphatic victory.

“The point is making those performances and to help the team do better and I’m pretty sure Paul is here to do that.”

Therefore, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to be very worried about this latest revelation, and the Norwegian tactician will be hoping one of his star players remains at Old Trafford for many years to come. After all, it would be a hammer blow to lose a player as good as the France star.

And, in other news…”They expect” – Romano delivers big Man Utd update, Red Devils fans may be concerned 

Lee Bowyer has seen his Birmingham City side get off to something of a mixed start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Blues winning one, drawing one and losing one of their opening three fixtures of the season.

Indeed, after a highly impressive 1-0 away victory at Sheffield United in their league opener and a solid 0-0 draw with Stoke City, things appeared to be looking on the up at Birmingham.

However, Bowyer’s side were brought back down to earth with a bump by AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday evening, as Scott Parker’s side rather comfortably secured a 2-0 win at St. Andrew’s, with the Cherries enjoying 65% of possession, creating two big chances and completing 272 more passes than their hosts.

And, while defeat to a Bournemouth side who will more than likely be there or thereabouts regarding promotion come the end of the season is no reason for Bowyer to panic, there were nevertheless a couple of players who particularly disappointed in the fixture, one of whom was Jeremie Bela.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.25m-rated left-winger completed just two of his eight attempted crosses, managed no shots on target, made a grand total of nine passes and completed just one of his five dribbles.

The 28-year-old also gave away possession of the ball on 18 separate occasions, won just four of his 12 duels, conceded two fouls and touched the ball 40 times – an amount fewer than Matija Sarkic’s number of touches between the Birmingham sticks.

These returns saw the £15k-per-week forward earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.4, ranking him as Bowyer’s second-worst player to feature in the match, with only Gary Gardner receiving a lower rating than Bela.

As such, with Birmingham undoubtedly hoping they can get back to winning ways in their clash with Luton Town this weekend, if Bowyer’s side are to have any chance of doing so, the Angola international will certainly have to up his level of performance against the Hatters.

In other news: “Outstanding” £5k-p/w gem drops transfer hint which will leave Birmingham fans gutted

Aston Villa and Manchester United are just two of the sides who are willing to make a January move for Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Previous Trippier links

This isn’t the first time that Trippier, who Gareth Southgate described as a ‘warrior’, has been linked with a move to Villa Park.

Reports last year claimed that Villa wanted to sign the full-back to the Midlands, either on loan or in a permanent transfer. As we know, that never materialised, with Trippier still at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, where he has made 83 appearances under Diego Simeone.

However, links of a move to Bodymoor Heath have re-surfaced, with owners NSWE promising Steven Gerrard a huge transfer kitty for January.

The Latest: 90min’s report

90min shared an update regarding Trippier’s future on Wednesday afternoon.

Sources confirmed to the site that the £77,000-a-week full-back remains keen on a return to the Premier League, with Newcastle set to offer the England international a club-record contract.

A move to St James’ Park would cost in excess of £39m, with Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and Manchester United also willing to move, should the La Liga side be willing to sell.

The Verdict: Club-record deal?

With Newcastle needing to pay over £39m for Trippier, you’d expect Villa would be in the same boat, meaning the defender could become Villa’s most-expensive signing of all time.

It would be a lot of money to bolster an area of the pitch that is nailed down by Matty Cash at this moment in time, so perhaps Villa should instead look at adding a defensive midfielder, a position Gerrard wants to add to in the New Year.

Adding Trippier’s quality would be a shrewd move, but for a fee over £40m, the club could be wise to use those funds elsewhere for now.

In other news: ‘Surely not?’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt at NSWE’s plans. 

Celtic have been dealt a late injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish Premiership clash.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report by The Herald, Celtic centre-back Carl Starfelt will be unavailable for selection against Hearts this evening, as the defender does not look to have recovered from a hamstring injury that has seen him miss the Bhoys’ last six fixtures – despite the defender being pictured in training at Lennoxtown on Wednesday.

Postecoglou will be fuming

With the fixture against third-placed Hearts tonight being an extremely important one for Celtic, with a win reducing the gap between the Hoops and the current Premiership leaders to just four points ahead of the busy Christmas schedule, the news that Starfelt will not be available for selection is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, the Sweden international has highly impressed over his 11 league appearances so far this season, helping his side keep five clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning 6.3 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £2.7m-rated man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.23, ranking him as the Bhoys’ joint fifth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who still remain in Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

What makes his time on the sidelines even more problematic is that since his time out, the Hoops are yet to keep a clean sheet in Premiership action, conceding to both Dundee FC and Aberdeen.

As such, the continued absence of the centre-back will undoubtedly come as a major blow to the 56-year-old manager and his side, who will be desperate to secure all three points against Hearts in order to keep pace in the Premiership title race.

In other news: Postecoglou axes £14k-p/w “terrible flop” in 2 changes: Predicted Celtic XI v Hearts

A number of Manchester City fans are far from happy after it was revealed that Phil Foden is set to miss the first month of the new season with an injury picked up at Euro 2020.

The Citizens will kick off their Premier League campaign on Sunday against Tottenham. Pep Guardiola’s side did not get their new season off to their best start against Leicester City in the Community Shield as they lost 1-0 courtesy of a Kelechi Iheanacho penalty, so the boss will be hoping for better starting from next weekend.

The £72m-valued Foden (Transfermarkt) did not feature in that match, having missed England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy through injury. As per The Telegraph, the 21-year-old is set to miss the first month of the new campaign.

While the Premier League champions have brought in Jack Grealish (mancity.com), they will be disappointed to lose Foden for such a spell. The youngster excelled last season, with 16 goals and 10 assists in all competitions – only Ilkay Gundogan exceeded his goal tally among Guardiola’s squad.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Foden’s continued absence.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Foden injury news

“Edozie it is then”

Credit: @MCFC_GS11

“That’s Tottenham, Arsenal, Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool”

Credit: @GrealishProp_

“Annoying but least we are giving him time not rushing him back”

Credit: @Billy_Bennison

“Fuming”

Credit: @MangenaMisho

“Pain”

Credit: @Taguero_10

“Great, so misses about 3-4 games, luckily we got Grealish”

Credit: @dylanjackkwest

In other news, some Man City fans fumed over this pre-season incident.