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Leeds United have now been handed a boost in their pursuit of Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer, with Burnley recently dropping out of the race for his signature, according to a report from LeedsLive.

Is Gustavo Hamer staying at Coventry?

Coventry have a real fight on their hands as they try to keep hold of Hamer this summer, with a number of clubs already making bids for the midfielder, who is set to be out of contract next summer.

When asked whether any offers have been made for the 26-year-old, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins admitted he has fielded some proposals, saying:

“The honest answer is yes, we have had offers but they haven’t been acceptable. That could change, who knows. He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about it, and other clubs covet them and put things in his head and that’s something that you can’t remove from his head.

I think really what I would like to see is us finish our recruitment and then see what’s what, but ultimately it’s his decision."

It is unclear which teams have come forward for the Dutchman, but Fulham previously been named as potential suitors, while Football Insider report that Premier League side Burnley have already had a player-plus-cash bid rejected this summer.

The same report claims that Coventry are set to demand at least £12m for the Brazil-born midfielder, as they are desperate to keep hold of him.

Read The Latest Leeds Transfer News HERE

While Burnley were interested earlier in the transfer window, Leeds Live report the Clarets have now dropped out of the race for the Coventry star, as they are closing in on two other signings which would rule them out of contention.

As such, Leeds have been handed a boost in their pursuit of the former Feyenoord man, who they are understood to be admirers of, however they are yet to test the waters with an official offer.

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

With the Whites aiming to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, they need to strengthen their squad with some top players at Championship level, which could make the £6.5k-per-week maestro a perfect addition to the squad.

Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has recently lauded the defensive midfielder as "one of the best in the Championship", while former teammate Marko Marosi has described him as "unbelievable."

It is clear to see why the Championship star has received such rave reviews, as he ranks in the 99th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 95th percentile for non-penalty goals.

Not only is the playmaker a real threat on the front foot, but he is also very much capable defensively, averaging a total of 2.6 tackles per game in the Championship last season, which could make him a solid replacement for Tyler Adams, who registered 89 tackles in the top flight last term.

It is exciting news that Leeds are still in the race for Hamer, and they should look to launch a move once Adams is sold, with Chelsea now closing in on the American's signature.

Everton remain interested in Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia, despite the recent news of an agreed deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign 19-year-old striker Youssef Chermiti.

Is Boulaye Dia signing for Everton?

That's according to Italian outlet La Citta di Salerno – via Sport Witness – who believe that even though Dia has shown a willingness to remain with the Serie A side for at least one more season, he could be charmed by the Toffees, who can offer him a starring role in the Premier League.

It was previously claimed that Sean Dyche's outfit had offered €18-20m (£15-17m) plus Neal Maupay for the Senegalese striker, though negotiations do not appear to have entered the culminating phase.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Everton survived relegation from the top-flight by the skin of their teeth last season, and with Wolverhampton Wanderers the only side to score fewer goals than the Merseyside club's 34, owner Farhad Moshiri's present focus on the frontline this window is more than rational.

Who is Boulaye Dia?

Everton's endeavours were certainly hampered by the squad's inefficacy in front of goal; this year, Dyche will be determined to eradicate the past maladies and chart a course for success.

One of the few bright sparks was Alex Iwobi, who looked reformed and revitalised in his new role as a central playmaker, as opposed to his previous deployment as a winger.

Across his first three Premier League campaigns on Merseyside, Iwobi mustered just four goals and five assists from 83 appearances; this term, despite Everton's woes, the 27-year-old scored twice and produced eight assists in the Premier League.

As per FBref, the 63-cap Nigerian ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90.

By signing Dia and deploying him in front of the £120k-per-week Iwobi, a continuous flow of offensive energy would rekindle the Goodison Park side's attacking impetus, with the 26-year-old scoring 16 goals and supplying six assists in the Serie A last season.

Described as a "handful" by journalist Josh Bunting, Dia ranks among the top 16% of forwards for goals despite ranking among the bottom 6% for total shots per 90, which highlights his clinical ability, something that Iwobi could latch onto as he channels his creativity into the former Villarreal striker's lane.

The marksman only penned a permanent deal with Salernitana this summer, for a reported €12m (£10m), after dazzling on loan, but that has not stopped Dyche from advancing negotiations.

With his ability to find the back of the net at ease an attribute that has been sorely missed on the blue half of Merseyside in recent years, Dia could be a first-rate acquisition to send Goodison Park into cacophonous cheer once again.

And with Iwobi pulling the strings behind him, driving into the danger area and serving opportunities into Dia's path on a silver platter, the verve of this Everton team might just return.

Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent.While Walker, the Kent head coach, had previously indicated to the England team management that he was keen to take the opportunity to join the coaching unit during the T20 tournament, he contacted head coach, Trevor Bayliss, on Friday night to inform him of his unavailability. Kent are intending to spend February playing cricket overseas as part of their pre-season plans.”I have been asked. But I’m unable to do it because of my commitments with Kent. It coincides with hopefully going abroad,” Walker told Kent Online. “You can’t have your head coach not being around for the whole of that pre-season trip. It makes no sense to me, so yes, great to be asked, really honoured and hopefully another opportunity will arise in the future.”It’s very flattering absolutely. I’m chuffed to bits. It’s a shame I can’t do it, I would’ve loved to have been involved with England over that period but my priority is with Kent.”The original plan was for Walker to replace England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, for the tri-series section of the tour allowing Farbrace a month off during a hectic winter. It is understood England will continue to search for a suitable stand-in.

Manchester United are still keeping a close eye on the Harry Kane situation, with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that the Red Devils have been keeping tabs on the saga over the England captain's future.

How many goals has Harry Kane scored?

The striker has been with Tottenham for the entirety of his career, having come up through the ranks and spent various loan spells away from the side before establishing himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League.

In 2022/23, he once more plundered 30 top flight goals, with three assists to boot, making it one of his most prolific campaigns yet. That's in spite of the fact that the forward is now 30-years-old – he is showing no signs of slowing down. The England international has managed at least 20 goal contributions in each Premier League season since 2014/15.

He now has 227 career league goals to his name and 213 in the top tier in total. If he stays in England, there is every chance he could continue in this vein and could potentially rack up 250 to perhaps even 300 strikes before his time in the division comes to a close.

When you consider that his efforts this year also led to him finishing second in the goalscoring rankings amongst the Top Five Big Leagues in Europe – only Erling Haaland had more – he is certainly one of the best options in attack in world football right now.

It's led to more interest in his services this summer though – Bayern Munich appear to be the frontrunners for his signature, with the German side prepared to make a bid for the attacker in order to get a deal done.

They also feel that the player himself fancies a move to the Bundesliga – which, if true, would mean a transfer is much easier to complete. In addition, another report states that Tottenham themselves are willing to offload him to the side because they don't want to risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

However, United have also been linked this summer, with the Premier League outfit one of the main suitors for him earlier this window.

Are Manchester United signing Harry Kane?

Now, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, the Red Devils are still keeping tabs on the ongoing situation with Kane. They haven't made another bid for the striker yet and didn't feel as though Daniel Levy would be willing to sell him on to another English outfit.

However, he states that they are "watching" on as Bayern try to do business – but that it may take an "astronomical" offer for them to land him. He said: "MUFC haven't returned for Kane to date having felt he would not be sold to a Premier League club, at least not unless an astronomical offer was tabled. They explored the deal and had low optimism anything was possible. They are currently only watching the saga unfold from afar."

If United did decide to launch a move for Kane – whether astronomical or not – signing the striker would be an excellent move. His end product in the Premier League shows that he basically guarantees goals, and that is something the Red Devils would love.

He's also been praised highly by some of the best in the game, with Pep Guardiola calling him "exceptional" and even added that he is one of the "best strikers" he has ever seen.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing up Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as the defender prepares for a move away from Craven Cottage this summer, according to Dean Jones.

Is Adarabioyo leaving Fulham?

Marco Silva's Fulham were one of the surprise stories of last season in the Premier League. The newly-promoted Cottagers were supposed to struggle on their top-flight return but instead shone right from the outset, managing to secure a 10th-placed finish.

One of the standout stars of the Cottagers' campaign was Adarabioyo, a former Manchester City academy graduate who has blossomed since arriving permanently at Fulham in 2020.

The 25-year-old has attracted attention from other clubs in the Premier League as a result of his consistent performances and growing wealth of experience.

The 6ft5 colossus has reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign a new contract with Fulham, with his current deal expiring in June 2024. As a result of Adarabioyo's uncertain future at the Cottage, the likes of Inter and Monaco have been sniffing around and expressing interest in bringing the England youth international on board.

However, they are not alone. Tottenham have hinted at exploring a move for the defender, while it is now reported by Dean Jones that Wolves are upping their interest in the player.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones stated: "Wolves are going to market in search of at least one centre-back, maybe two depending on how the Kilman situation plays out. There is quite a lot of excitement around the rebuild that Lopetegui is looking towards and the foundations need to be in place soon so that the side has a solid look to it for next season.

"The defensive record was a bit of a mess last term, they conceded 14 goals in their final five games of last season and they are looking for some good value players now, ideally with Premier League experience."

He added: "One player that I’ve heard there is a bit of interest in is Tosin Adarabioyo at Fulham. Wolves actually first looked at him a couple of years ago but the player is currently looking for a new club.

"Ideally he is looking for a step up, he wants to join a Tottenham-sized club and those links are already there, but if his top options don’t come through soon then this could become an interesting alternative. It could be one to look out for down the road."

With Adarabioyo keen to take the next step in his career, the centre-back may not be too enthused by a move to Molineux given Fulham finished three places above Wolves last term.

A move to Spurs or Inter may be his priority this summer, especially given Fulham's rather low £13m valuation of the defender.

Wolves do need to bolster a defence that conceded 58 goals last season, especially given they have lost Nathan Collins to Brentford and Conor Coady has joined Leicester City.

Wolves have only added former Northampton Town goalkeeper Tom King to their squad on a free transfer, while also making obligatory loan deals for Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore permanent.

How did Adarabioyo fare last season?

Adarabioyo boasted a solid 6.89 Sofascore rating in the Premier League last season in the 11th sternest defence in the division.

Naturally, the giant centre-back uses his advanced height and physicality to win aerial battles but is less comfortable when balls are played in behind him.

In the 25 games he played in the league, the defender ranked in the top 6% for clearances per 90 among centre-backs (averaging 6.04), as well as boasting a 69.4% success rate in aerial duels.

One potential issue for bigger clubs looking at Adarabioyo is his passing accuracy, ranking in the bottom 36% of centre-backs. While he has a better accuracy when it comes to longer passing distances and ranks fairly high in progressive passes per 90, he may not be the prime candidate for a team wanting to play out from defence.

Liverpool have wasted no time in getting their midfield rebuild started with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining this summer but now a fresh update has emerged on another potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Marcos Llorente?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are competing with Manchester United for the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente.

As per the report, it is claimed that the two Premier League giants and bitter rivals are both interested in snapping up Llorente's services ahead of next season and it would take an offer of €60m (£51m) for Atletico to part ways with their player this summer.

Is Marcos Llorente a good player?

Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled with the business that has already been completed at Anfield, however, there is definitely still work to be done and potential moves to be made during the summer transfer window to ensure Liverpool can get back to competing at the highest level.

Following the departures of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner it has paved the way for a full refresh in midfield, and it is not only the recent who Klopp will need to consider replacing in the near future.

Both Thiago Alcantara and club captain Jordan Henderson are well into their 30s at this point and reaching the latter stages of their careers, so if an opportunity arises to bring in worthy successors for the duo it should be taken.

As a result, the signing of Llorente could be a fantastic piece of business for Liverpool and would not only provide them with an experienced winner but an ideal heir for Henderson.

As per FBref, the 28-year-old – who has become an "incredible footballer" in the eyes football talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for progressive carries, progressive passes received and touches, as well as ranking in the top 25% for shot-creating actions too. Such a play style means he's a far more mobile asset than Henderson.

As it happens, though, when comparing the Spaniard's output last season to the Liverpool skipper, Llorente offered many similarities in key attributes to Henderson including pass completion rate (80.9% v 83%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.17 v 3.13), tackles and interceptions (49 v 53), successful take-ons (44.4% v 52.2%) and crosses (44 v 45), despite playing 13 fewer league games.

Not only that, Llorente is an incredibly versatile all-action talent who could be the perfect utility player for Klopp as the German coach tries to navigate the best way to deploy Trent Alexander-Arnold; who has become a revelation in a new role that has seen him play as an inverted right-back for Liverpool and also deployed successfully in a midfield three for England in recent months.

The 18-cap Spain international is experienced in several positions including defensive, central, attacking and right midfield, as well as also making 11 appearances at right-back too, demonstrating a similar diverse skill-set to that of Milner which would be a huge asset and attractive prospect to Klopp.

With that being said, a move for Llorente would certainly provide the club with an experienced and worthy heir to succeed Henderson, so if FSG could sanction a move this summer it could further improve Liverpool's midfield presence.

After spending the second half of last season on loan from Bayern Munich at Manchester United, Marcel Sabitzer’s future remains up in the air, amid transfer speculation.He never really seemed to do enough to truly impress Erik ten Hag and warrant a definite permanent stay at Old Trafford, playing only 627 minutes in the Premier League – the equivalent of just under seven games.Still, there are some who think he will be staying in England after his name and his number were made available to be printed on the new 2023/24 MUFC home kit via the official club website.But with his future yet to officially be decided, the midfielder finds himself at a slight crossroads. And so, an alternative move this summer looks to potentially be on the cards.

What’s the latest on Marcel Sabitzer?

With Barcelona trying to find a Sergio Busquets replacement this summer, the European giants have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Sabitzer, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

It remains to be seen whether Barca take up the offer, however. At this moment in time, a deal admittedly looks unlikely.

It must be said, though, that going from Bayern to United to Barcelona would be some trio of moves for Sabitzer, given that he never really impressed enough at the first two, certainly not enough to obviously attract interest from a team as big as Barcelona, that’s for sure.

Football is a strange game, that’s for sure. Perhaps it would be in La Liga where the Austrian rediscovers the form that earned him a move to the Bavarians from RB Leipzig in the first place.

What did Marcel Sabitzer say?

Taking to Instagram to respond to a post by Transfermark, which linked him with a move from Bayern to Barcelona this summer, Sabitzer simply responded with: “Hola, que tal?”

The comment translates to “Hello, how are you?” in what is a rather cryptic message from the midfielder, who has perhaps shut down any rumours linking him with a move to the La Liga champions.

There could, of course, still be an opportunity at Bayern for the 29-year-old, with a new manager to impress in the form of Thomas Tuchel.

Perhaps a fresh start under a new boss at the club could result in a return of Sabitzer’s best form. The Bavarians as a whole will be looking to return to their best form, themselves, too, after almost missing out on the Bundesliga title last season, only rescuing their crown on the final day of the season.

They’ll be looking to their dominant best with or without Sabitzer in the next campaign. Maybe he’ll stay at Old Trafford after all this anyway…

Pakistan endured a day of frustration at the MCG, as light but persistent rain twice prevented them from pressing on with the game just when they seemed perfectly placed to do so.Only 50.3 overs were possible on a day that first featured a three-hour break in play, from just before lunch, and then an early finish 20 minutes before the scheduled close. It was the first break, ten minutes before lunch, when the drizzle was at its mildest, which seemed to visibly annoy Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur the most.Pakistan had negotiated an extended morning session until then without losing a wicket. Australia were on the verge of the second new ball at the time, though the decision to take it was made trickier by the risk of it getting wet on the outfield.Australia captain Steven Smith was in communication with umpire Ian Gould during this little period and, though there is no suggestion the chat led to the decision to take an early break, it did halt the momentum Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq had been building up.The second break, which ended play, came just as Mohammad Amir had helped take away the momentum Australia had built with the new ball, adding 42 quick runs with Azhar.”Obviously when the team is doing really good and something like this, the rain comes out, it is frustrating because we were going really well,” Wahab Riaz said. “We were scoring runs and it was a time to score runs.”Anything which doesn’t go well for the Pakistan team [Arthur] does get frustrated obviously because he is the coach. But he has said nothing to me about it.”With the forecast not looking brighter for the remainder of this Test, the chance for Pakistan to level the series is also dwindling. Pakistan will take their cue in the morning from the captain and coach, Wahab said, possibly trying to add a swift “70-80 runs”.”We are still into our first innings and there aren’t many runs on the board yet,” he said. “We can’t ask Australia to bat straightaway. There are still three days remaining in the match and we know that we have to take 20 wickets.”I am not sure how much we are going to need. It is the captain’s decision when to declare. Maybe we will look to score 70-80 more runs before putting Australia to bat and then we will try to get them out as cheaply as possible.”

Arsenal could be set to bolster their attacking ranks this summer, having taken a huge forward step in the pursuit of one target in particular.

What’s the latest on Elye Wahi to Arsenal?

That’s according to reports in Spain, who suggest that the Gunners are now leading the race for young marksman Elye Wahi.

The Montpellier striker has enjoyed a standout campaign in Ligue 1, understandably drawing widespread interest. However, the main competition for the north London outfit remains French giants AS Monaco.

It is also noted that only a fee of around €35m (£30m) will be enough to tempt the 20-year-old to the Emirates, although the possession of Champions League football could play a big factor in forcing this switch.

Who is Elye Wahi?

The France U21 international has been a steady performer in his home country for two years now, having built upon last term’s tally of ten goals with a 17-goal haul this campaign married with a further six assists.

It is this proficiency that has likely caught the eye of Mikel Arteta, as for all his benefits Gabriel Jesus has struggled this season to showcase a killer instinct.

Despite injuries hampering what promised to be a fine debut year, the Brazilian still posted 11 goals and seven assists. However, that goal tally is somewhat marred by the fact he actually underperformed on his expected goals (xG), as it was assumed he would instead notch 14.16 times.

For a forward to better their xG tally with actual goals is to mark themselves out as a truly great finisher. For example, during his record-breaking year, Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland has scored 36 goals in the league from an expected goals tally of just 28.66.

This trend is followed by Wahi, who clearly cements himself as a better finisher than Arsenal’s 26-year-old number nine with these figures.

His 17 goals were a huge overperformance from the expected 11.50, suggesting that his introduction in north London from the bench could provide that clinical nature to grab key goals in games where they would otherwise drop points.

To emphasise this gulf in finishing quality, Jesus has missed 16 big chances this term from a total of 2075 minutes in the Premier League, with a goal conversion rate of just 14%. Meanwhile, his potential new rival has missed just 12 big chances from 2449 minutes in the French top flight, seeing his goal conversion rise to an impressive 28%.

His physical assets also make him an attractive proposition for someone like Arteta, seeking to diversify his options and bolster his squad depth.

Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo, under whom Wahi spent two years of his youth career, noted: “He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next.”

In order to find a level of depth akin to Man City’s, to now compete with them for a full season, the likes of Wahi will prove vital in maintaining a title charge, with his goals sure to be vital.

West Ham United are safe. An inconsistent, erratic, and stressful season has seen the Irons occasionally flirt with the devastating fate of relegation.

However, the Hammers finished relatively comfortably in 14th position and have the Europa Conference final next week.

Whatever the result of that European showdown, the east London outfit will undoubtedly be active in the summer transfer window, especially when considering their £179m outlay prior to this campaign.

For the quality of the squad, their league place was unflattering, and their underwhelming nature in front of goal hindered their progression.

David Moyes’ side netted an uninspiring 42 Premier League goals in 38 outings, drawing blanks in 32% of their domestic fixtures.

Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma were the club’s top scorers, sharing six goals a piece, to underline a mind-boggling lack of potency.

As a result, the Guardian has reported that West Ham are interested in Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes, which would be a huge statement of intent to resurrect their offensive woes.

Why should West Ham sign Harvey Barnes?

The Englishman is deliciously talented and has offered fantastic levels of output in a hideously disjointed Leciester team that suffered relegation back to the Championship after Everton defeated Bournemouth.

The one-cap international scored 13 goals this season, which is more than Phil Foden, Son Hueng-Min, and Roberto Firmino.

From a wider perspective, this is even more impressive as the former West Brom loanee ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals, which begs the mouthwatering question of what the winger could achieve in a more functional team.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has previously heaped noticeable praise on the £35k-per-week star and said: “Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I’m not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product.”

Barnes’ explosive style of play, combined with his ruthless productivity and commendable judgement of when to run in behind is reminiscent of Bowen’s feats last term.

Although not exactly at the race this season, scoring just six league strikes, during the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old was utterly phenomenal, recording 22 goal involvements in 34 starts, as he was an integral part of a Clarets side that came sixth and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

For the Irons to produce a more fruitful return in front of goal and reclaim a spot in the top half of the league, then the signing of £35k-per-week Barnes could be a stroke of genius and one that replicates Bowen, just from the opposite flank.