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Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Marcelo Bielsa’s presence at Leeds United should have a major impact on the club’s transfer business.

What’s the story?

The Argentine led the Whites to promotion to the Premier League, and in the club’s first season back in the top flight, they have more than held their own – they currently lie just outside of the top ten.

The summer transfer window will surely see Bielsa’s side look to further strengthen ahead of the new campaign, and it has now been suggested that the Leeds manager could hold the key to pulling off big deals.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano said: “When you have Marcelo Bielsa on your bench, you can attract a lot of players. A lot of players are attracted by the project. Leeds have an amazing project, with Marcelo Bielsa, the ownership, the partnership, the stadium, and what they are doing on the pitch.

“When you have Marcelo Bielsa you can attract players for just one season. It’s part of the person and the mystery, and they know about it. Having him with South American players and in this market, it is important to sign great players.  Look at Raphinha for example, he’s a great player, but having Marcelo Bielsa was key for Leeds to go for him.”

Radrizzani should be buzzing

As Romano suggests, Leeds find themselves in that very advantageous situation of having a manager at the helm who’s a real pull and lure for players around the world.

Even in the Premier League, you could probably count on one hand the number of managers who could just use the appeal of their name to sign players, and Bielsa surely figures among those given the respect he has earned over his long and illustrious career.

It’s exactly why Andrea Radrizzani should be absolutely buzzing with Romano’s claim, as it really sets Leeds up for a potentially important summer transfer window.

Transfer targets should already be excited at the prospect of making a switch to the Premier League, but when you add in the so-called ‘Bielsa factor’ then the Whites may well have a notable advantage when it comes to negotiations.

Meanwhile, Leeds must surely regret selling this star…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are absolutely delighted with comments from Alfredo Morelos after the Gers confirmed their status as Premiership champions.

The celebrations are in full flow in Glasgow after the Gers picked up their 55th league title over the weekend. They didn’t even need to do it themselves on Sunday as Celtic’s failure to beat Dundee United was enough to get them over the line. In truth, this has been a formality for weeks, if not months, and there are still six league matches to play this season (BBC).

After the confirmation, the Gers’ media team were working around the clock to speak to as many people associated with this triumph as possible. £10.8m-valued Colombia international Morelos rarely gives interviews, but he spoke after the title was confirmed to share his delight.

These Gers supporters were absolutely delighted to see him speak, and they took to social media to share their thoughts on the 24-year-old’s words after they were shared on the 55-time Scottish champions’ official Twitter account.

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

“WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT”

Credit: @SirFlanno

“I love you never leave”

Credit: @efan1872

“Cheers Rangers, that’s me greeting again”

Credit: @Razged1990

“The tweet that broke me for the 10000th time today”

Credit: @cee_geri

“Too much bro. Losing my mind here.”

Credit: @ChrisMillington

“here’s what we’ve all been waiting for”

Credit: @stuart723

In other news, one talkSPORT pundit says Rangers are just a “stepping stone” for this Gers man.

Southampton’s Premier League form may have fallen off a cliff in recent months but the Saints are still going in the FA Cup and have a great chance of reaching the last four as they face Championship side Bournemouth in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

In order to give his side the best chance of success at the Vitality Stadium, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider unleashing Mohammed Salisu at the weekend.

After a difficult first few months with Southampton, the centre-back finally made his debut for the club in the 2-0 win against Wolves in the last round and he has gone on to make a further five appearances for the Saints since then. However, he was left out of the line-up against Brighton last weekend.

The 21-year-old also showed his versatility in the recent 5-2 defeat against Manchester City, with Hasenhuttl selecting him at left-back and Ryan Bertrand moving to right-back as a result.

The former Chelsea man has been Saints’ first choice at left-back for the whole season despite a poor run of recent form, with his 6.42 average rating comfortably the worst of Southampton’s regulars in defence.

Therefore, it is perhaps time that he was dropped, with Salisu the natural replacement for the Englishman at left-back, especially after youngster Jake Vokins was sent on loan to Sunderland in January.

Earlier in the season, Jannik Vestergaard dubbed the former Real Valladolid man a “big talent” despite his lack of appearances, and his debut at Wolves certainly showed what he is capable of, as he earned an impressive 7.02 WhoScored rating for his performance, helping Hasenhuttl’s side to a rare clean sheet.

Bournemouth’s main threat on Saturday will arguably come down the wings, with both Junior Stanislas and Arnaut Danjuma having impressed for the Cherries this season. Hasenhuttl should arguably select his two most in-form full-backs to deal with them, and that should see Salisu start ahead of Bertrand on the left.

Playing the young centre-back out wide also allows Southampton to shift into a back three with Walker-Peters pushing forward on the right, so having a natural centre-back in that position could well prove to be a game-changer for Hasenhuttl, not just against Bournemouth but maybe for the rest of the season.

And, in other news… Forget Ings: Saints should hand new deal to £13.5m-rated beast who Ralph loves

Ben White would be a great signing for Liverpool, Rob Lee has told The Transfer Tavern, after reports emerged once more about a possible move to Anfield for the Brigton man.

Ben White still on Anfield wanted list?

The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool for a number of months now, after returning from his successful loan spell at Leeds United.

White has started all 19 Premier League games this season for the Seagulls but the South Coast side are still struggling down the bottom end of the Premier League table.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Lee explained why he believes that White would be a good addition to Klopp’s team.

“There’s no secret they need a centre-half,” he said. “It’s a case of ‘can they get who they want in this window?’ Which I doubt.

“Ben White, I think would be a very very good signing for them, can play with Van Dijk when he’s fit. They’ve had horrendous injuries at centre-half and it affects everything.

“Van Dijk not being in there affects the fullbacks. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and [Andy] Robertson have been nowhere as good as they were last year – for whatever reason.”

Lee’s comments came aftet the Liverpool Echo suggested that the Merseysiders may consider making a summer move for the young Englishman, despite the current fitness issues in their defensive department.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We agree with Lee on this one. White could have the opportunity to flourish alongside the Dutchman in defence. The only issue is that he would likely come at a hefty price due to being a promising young English player.

However, waiting until the summer to sign a new defender will not do much to appease the restless supporters at the minute, as many of them are desperate to see someone brought in before Monday’s deadline, especially after yet another injury for Joel Matip against Tottenham.

Time will tell what Liverpool choose to do – and what consequences that their actions, or lack thereof, have on the rest of the season.

In other news, Paul Robinson criticises Liverpool following David Ornstein update.

Whilst Southampton will be disappointed with the manner in which they were defeated against Wolves on Sunday afternoon, one positive they can take from the game is the performance of Stuart Armstrong.

The Scottish international was excellent in midweek and sealed the FA Cup win over the same opponents with a late goal, and he was on top form once again at St Mary’s.

He did superbly to create the opening goal of the game, skipping past two Wolves defenders before delivering an inch-perfect cross for Danny Ings to slam home on the volley.

The former Celtic man was at the heart of a lot of good things that Southampton did in the first half, and when he was replaced in the second half, they were unable to find a way back into the game.

As per SofaScore, Armstrong would earn an impressive 7.7 match rating for his display on Sunday, which was the best of any player on the pitch, with Ings earning a 7.5 rating by comparison.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old, who earns £50k per week at Southampton, would have 38 touches of the ball and complete 17/21 passes, which was significantly more than Ings, despite the striker playing the entire game.

Armstrong was also successful in all three of his dribble attempts against the Old Gold, which is an improvement on his season average of 1.9 dribbles per game in the Premier League.

Perhaps most impressively was the Scottish international’s ability to win duels, as he would win 9/10 of his duels during the game, resulting in an impressive 90% success rate, which was the best of any player who started the match.

Therefore, despite the disappointing defeat, it is clear that this was another excellent performance from Armstrong, and it is a shame that he was taken off in the second half, as the stats suggest that he was the best player on the pitch up to that point.

And, in other news… Semmens should seal Southampton swoop for 20 y/o who’s better than Djenepo

Tyrick Mitchell sent Roy Hodgson a timely reminder as Crystal Palace crushed Premier League strugglers Sheffield United in a 2-0 at Selhurst Park thanks in part to a sublime solo effort from influential substitute Eberechi Eze.

Hodgson’s side have suffered dire home defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Newcastle this season thus far, but they completely dismantled Chris Wilder’s side, who looked like a shadow of their former selves.

The Palace boss generally plays a gritty, compact and defensively sound brand of football, although they have had their fair share of problems over the past couple of months, but Hodgson will be particularly delighted with the performance of Mitchell, who has seamlessly transitioned into the first team after he burst onto the scene towards the latter stages of last season.

Mitchell has had to bide his time after Patrick van Aanholt recovered from injury with his eighth start of the season coming in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City, but he kept his place in the starting line-up and delivered with great aplomb.

He barely allowed United trio David McGoldrick, Lys Mousset or one-time Palace target Rhian Brewster any breathing room at all as he started ahead of Van Aanholt for the second time in as many games.

The 21-year-old was often called into action on the left flank as the Blades sought to hit back on the counter, only to be denied by the outstretched boot of Mitchell on several occasions.

As per SofaScore, the London-born £4.5m-rated full-back was given a decent grade of 7/10 despite losing possession on 28 occasions, as he made three tackles, one clearance and blocked one shot, whilst he provided five accurate long balls from eight attempts and didn’t commit a single foul throughout the entire game.

He also took 92 touches of the ball, which is more than James McArthur managed in the midfield, and clearly made the most of the possession as he produced one accurate cross from two attempts and 35 passes from 52 attempts, via SofaScore.

Palace moved a point clear of Arsenal in the table, for the time being at least, which will no doubt give Hodgson a huge boost of confidence ahead of the FA Cup trip to Wolves next week.

Hodgson will have been secretly pleased with his impressive performance, especially when you consider the fact that talks between Van Aanholt’s representatives and the club have reportedly broken down behind the scenes.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze stole the show vs Sheffield United…

Everton striker Moise Kean risks making a blunderous decision over his career by deciding to re-join Juventus at the end of his loan spell with Paris Saint-Germain.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Juve will resume their efforts to take Kean back to Turin in the summer after accepting defeat last year when the Italian’s wages proved an issue.

The Serie A heavyweight pulled out all the stops but matching the forward’s demands in hope of making Kean the fourth striker in Andrea Pirlo’s squad, and continue to believe the role is missing at the Allianz Stadium today.

PSG ultimately signed Kean on loan but do not hold an option or obligation to purchase the £53,000-per-week gem, and will have to hold negotiations with Everton should Mauricio Pochettino wish to retain his services after a strong season on loan.

Ancelotti has stated that he will not stand in Kean’s way should he wish to leave Everton in the summer, having made clear the Toffees will make the striker available for offers in excess of £30m as they look to make a profit on the £27.5m paid to Juve in 2019.

Kean has been in terrific form in France so far, netting nine goals in 13 Ligue 1 appearances to earn the praise of Thomas Tuchel, who claimed the 20-year-old is “hard to play against” prior to his sacking at Les Parc des Princes.

Think carefully

Kean must think carefully before deciding where to play his football in the latter half of 2021, as a return to Juventus could prove horrific for his future if the only role he will occupy will be as Pirlo’s fourth-choice striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata have often held down the attacking duties at the Allianz Stadium this term with the pair starting 12 and 10 of Juve’s Serie A fixtures to date, in which they have returned 15 and four goals respectively as Pirlo’s top-two scorers.

Paulo Dybala would likely be ahead of Kean in the pecking order in Turin, too, having opened eight of his 11 outings thus far in the central forward role to offer the second-most shots-per-game (2.6) behind only Ronaldo (4.8) to show his attacking threat.

Kean, meanwhile, is proving he can be a first-choice option at a title-chasing, Champions League side alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, where he has only failed to start one Ligue 1 fixture since departing Merseyside on a temporary deal.

The 8-cap Italy international has also scored four goals in his last five top-flight outings to help the French side enjoy their longest unbeaten run all season, so it would be hard for Pirlo to argue the benefits of the 20-year-old now sitting back on the bench.

A potential return to Everton cannot be ruled out yet, either, as Kean’s return to form after a challenging 2019/20, having scored just twice in 33 games, will have offered Ancelotti reason to believe the forward can rival Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park next term.

Ancelotti has no challenger to Calvert-Lewin following his decision to sanction Kean’s temporary spell, with Cenk Tosun clearly not favoured having played just 43 minutes of Premier League football this season after being overlooked against Wolves on Tuesday.

Going toe-to-toe with Calvert-Lewin for minutes in England will be far more beneficial for Kean’s long-term future than a seat on the bench at Juventus, so his decision must surely fall down to a return to Everton or permanent switch to PSG than a return to Turin in 2021.

AND in other news, Everton must refrain from making a knee-jerk decision to sign a £9m-rated target.

Kai Kennedy has been in such fine form for Inverness Caledonian Thistle that Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard may be forced to make a big decision over his future in January.

It was something of a surprise when the young left winger joined the Scottish Championship club on loan in the summer after falling down the pecking order with the 54-time Scottish champions.

Gerrard has heaped praise on the Scotland U21 international in the past, calling him a “fabulous little player” after he first burst onto the scene.

He made his first-team debut at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup win over Stranraer earlier this year but appeared to be heading for the exit after being told he could find a new club having failed to agree a new deal with his boyhood club. He signed for Inverness on a loan deal until January in the end instead, which cast doubts over his future at his parent club.

But Kennedy has been decent during the current campaign so far this season, which seems to suggest that Ross Wilson made the right decision in the end.

In seven appearances for Caley Thistle this season, the 18-year-old has already contributed to two goals in all competitions, including scoring a stunning opening goal against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park on Friday night.

The winger gave John Robertson’s side the half-time lead before Roddy MacGregor and Miles Storey both scored in the second half to secure the victory.

Robertson recently reserved special praise for his young charge after he admitted he is pleased with Kennedy’s progress at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. He said: “I’ll show my age – I think he goes back to the tanner ball player we know in Scotland, such as Jimmy Johnstone, Willie Johnstone and Davie Cooper. He beats people for fun and gets out of tight situations – he’s a crowd-pleaser.”

According to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, talks between the club and the youngster’s representatives are still ongoing as they are trying to reach an agreement before the winter transfer market opens in just a few weeks’ time.

European heavyweights Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Roma have all been linked with a move for the teenager in the past.

However, Gerrard may be forced to swallow his pride and recall the academy product, as he has proven that he is able to hit the ground running at a good level of the game.

With Ryan Kent’s future far from certain, Kennedy could be another exciting option on the left-wing and still has room to improve at the age of 18.

AND in other news, Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield can fulfil the role Gerrard has wanted for so long…

Southampton were amongst the favourites to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in 2019 and considering the winger’s impressive form with West Ham since joining, it could definitely be argued that the Saints made a mistake in not signing him.

The South Coast club were heavily linked with a move for the 23-year-old, rated then at £15m, in the summer of 2019, after his impressive performances with Hull City in the Championship, but he would end up joining the Hammers in January of this year in a £20 million plus deal.

It was no surprise that the young winger was attracting the interest of Premier League sides during his time in the Championship, as he contributed 22 goals in the second division in 2018/19, before notching 16 goals in the 2019/20 season before his January move to West Ham.

He has continued his impressive form with the East London club, having contributed five goals and six assists in 26 appearances for the club.

This season, in particular, has seen him catch the eye, as he has averaged a solid 6.83 rating for his performances in the top-flight, having contributed four goals and two assists in the opening 13 games, helping David Moyes’ side to eighth position in the Premier League ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

This sees him rated higher than both Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo, who the Saints would sign, potentially instead of Bowen, in the summer of 2019.

It could definitely be argued that Southampton are somewhat reliant on Danny Ings and Che Adams as the goalscorers in their squad, so Hasenhuttl will surely be disappointed that the South Coast club weren’t able to complete a deal for Bowen, as he has consistently shown his goalscoring ability in both the Premier League and the Championship.

The winger’s teammate at West Ham, Robert Snodgrass, was full of praise for the winger earlier this year, saying:

“First and foremost, Jarrod is a great kid, and he wants to learn. He wants to be better.

“He’s already building relationships with full-backs, strikers, and midfield men running in behind – it’s what’s got him there – so now it’s just little cute things he can add to his game to become a mainstay in the Premier League.

“He’s got all the attributes to do so and he’s got the right attitude. West Ham have got a terrific player.”

Bowen’s value has increased to £25.2 million during his time with the Hammers and if he continues to impress, and perhaps earns a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad, then you imagine his value will only increase further, so it could definitely be argued that Southampton made a mistake in not signing him in 2019.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl mistake: Saints should put faith in Long upgrade they can “have a lot of fun with” …

We can’t believe we’re about to say this after spending so much in the summer on new additions, but Leeds United have a centre-back problem.

Indeed, Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente have had injury problems as of late, while another injury to Kalvin Phillips will see Pascal Struijk taken away from his centre-back duty in order to play in a midfield role.

United need more options in that position, and luckily they have a young defender waiting in the wings who could fill that void perfectly.

Oliver Casey has had a small taste of first-team football at Leeds, impressing in his debut against Huddersfield Town last season, earning a number of plaudits from fans, but now it may be time for him to get more opportunities in the starting XI.

There’s no doubting that Casey has the talent to go a long way at Leeds.

Indeed, the defender received a glowing review from Danny Mills over the summer, and the former United star’s words on the 20-year-old should have every Leeds fan excited.

“He looked very much in the mould of Ben White in all honesty,” Mills said.

“When he came on, he looked calm, he looked assured and composed when he needed to be coming out from the back.

“And for a young player, he looks a really good prospect.”

We don’t need to tell you why Casey being in the mould of Ben White is a good thing, the Brighton man was a star under Bielsa last season. He started every single league game and won the club’s Young Player of the Year award.

It’s not just Mills who thinks highly of Casey either, with Carlos Corberan speaking highly of him before his departure to Huddersfield town over the summer.

“Olly’s a fantastic guy and a guy you enjoy coaching. He’s very focused and he’s very clear about his target of being a football player — but with an open mind about receiving the information he needs,” Corberan said.

This all sounds incredibly positive with Casey being a talented player who is open to learning new things and with Bielsa’s track record of improving players, it shouldn’t be a tough task to mould this 6 ft 2 centre-half into a Premier League level defender.