Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross has said there have been ‘encouraging noises’ coming from the camp of Whites target Arne Slot.

The Lowdown: Proposal already made

Owner Andrea Radrizzani and Paraag Marathe, the president of investors 49ers Enterprises, who have the key say when it comes to managerial decisions, appear to have made Slot their new main target at Elland Road after failing in moves for Raul, Carlos Corberan and Andoni Iraola.

Slot has reportedly received a proposal from Leeds, who ‘feel his intense and aggressive approach fits what the club want in this post-Marcelo Bielsa era’.

The Latest: Cross’ comments

Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Thursday, discussing a number of topics at Elland Road, including the search for a new manager. He said that there are ‘encouraging noises coming from the right places’ from Slot’s camp in what sounds a really positive update.

“Feyenoord’s Arne Slot, initially considered too difficult to extract, is now moving into view for the Whites.

“There are encouraging noises coming from the right places in the coach’s camp, but his club remain resolute in keeping hold of him.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-copy-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates (Copy)” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Leeds haven’t had much luck in their hunt for Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor, but Slot could be an ideal appointment.

He certainly plays attacking football, with Feyenoord having a remarkable 85 attempts at goal in their last two games, 50 of which came in Nijmegen in the week. The Dutch coach likes to play a 4-3-3 system and appears to be getting better and better, with Feyenoord currently top of the Eredivisie.

Therefore, he could be just what Leeds need as they look to the future, and although Slot doesn’t have Premier League experience, you’d like to think his attacking style of play could flourish in England, especially with Leeds’ strength in depth in the final third.

Arsenal have produced their fair share of wonderful talents over the previous 25 years.

The likes of Ashley Cole, who went on to become arguably England’s finest left-back of modern times, Jack Wilshere, and Serge Gnabry have all come through the ranks at Hale End in recent times and enjoyed success either at the Gunners or elsewhere.

Recently, Mikel Arteta has been developing and creating an accessible pathway for youngsters thriving in the academy which will allow them to gain the recognition they deserve and have an opportunity to gain first-team football.

This has given players like Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun the chance to showcase their talents, and the Spaniard must be applauded for his long-term vision.

However, perhaps the finest player to emerge from Hale End in recent years is Bukayo Saka, with the 21-year-old already accumulating more than 150 senior appearances for the north London club and has emerged as not only one of the best players at the club but also in the Premier League, as evident by his form in the current campaign.

Across 20 league appearances this term, Saka has achieved a mesmerising Sofascore rating of 7.29/10, not only ranking him as the third-best performer in the Gunners’ squad but also as the 12th-best in the league as a whole, proving his class.

With 14 goal contributions (seven goals and seven assists) along with creating three big chances, making 2.4 key passes per match and taking 2.1 shots per game, its no wonder that Arsenal are currently five points clear at the top of the table, and the winger hasn’t even hit his peak yet.

His performances of late has seen the player valued at a staggering €110m (£98.5m) by the CIES Football Observatory, and it certainly appears that Arteta has hit the jackpot on the talented Englishman. Although he would love for the youngster to remain at Arsenal and build a team around the him, there are already potential suitors lining up, with Manchester City recently being linked with a move for Saka.

His career could have been at a crossroads at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign after he missed a penalty in England’s shoot-out defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

However, he rebounded superbly and Arteta had nothing but praise for the youngster, saying: “That was a big boost for him, to realise: ‘in difficult moments, these people are really going to give me support’ and the club did the same as his team-mates. Then it is about giving him that space. At his age what he is doing is phenomenal.”

If Arsenal manage to win the league this season and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, that could be a major boost in their hopes of keeping Saka, a player on whom the club hit the jackpot by granting him a first-team passageway and offering him a platform on which to excel.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants the club to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Barella profiled

Barella is primarily a central midfielder who can also be deployed in holding or attacking midfield roles. The 26-year-old is valued at a career-high €70m (£61.6m) by Transfermarkt and has made 42 senior appearances for Italy.

He has been with Inter since 2020 and has made 166 appearances for the Serie A giants, 31 of which have come during the current campaign.

The Latest: Man United interested in Barella

Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding United and Barella. They claimed that Ten Hag is a ‘huge fan’ of the player and wants the club to pip Manchester City to his services.

The report also relayed a £70m price tag for Barella, who is under contract at the San Siro until 2026.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done

United have been short in midfield in recent months, with Christian Eriksen’s injury diagnosis on January’s transfer deadline day leading to Marcel Sabitzer’s temporary arrival. Therefore, bringing in a new marquee midfielder like Barella could be a wise move by United chiefs in the summer in looking to build on a hugely positive first season under Ten Hag.

Barella has been Inter’s third-best performer this season according to WhoScored metrics with a 6.97 rating, registering the joint-most assists at the club and outperforming the likes of Sabitzer, Eriksen, Fred and Scott McTominay at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, the Italian – who was called ‘world class’ by former Azzurri national team coach Marcello Lippi – could form a solid partnership alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes at United going forward, although the club will seemingly need to spend big to get a deal over the line for the Inter dynamo.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in the race to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, with Borussia Dortmund now out of the race for the 20-year-old, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eyeing a striker

Spurs are considering potential new centre-forward options, with Harry Kane yet to commit to a new contract beyond 2024, and Spanish sources have recently linked Romelu Lukaku with a move to north London (via The Boy Hotspur).

Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias is also being targeted by Spurs, with Antonio Conte keen to bolster his attacking options, while Wahi has recently been watched by the club’s scouts.

The Latest: Dortmund end Wahi interest

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Falk has revealed that Dortmund are out of the race for the Montpellier forward, which means that both Tottenham and Arsenal’s chances of signing him have received a boost amid winter transfer links with Wahi.

The journalist also took to Twitter to state that the Lilywhites have the 20-year-old on their transfer wish list, should Kane leave the club in the summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done?

Judging by Falk’s comments on Twitter, it appears as though the striker will only be targeted if Kane leaves, and surely no Spurs fan would want to see the club’s all-time record scorer departing.

However, if he does move on, then there are plenty of signs that Wahi would be a good long-term replacement. He has already reached double figures across a Ligue 1 season, netting on ten occasions last term, while he has struck eight times during the current campaign.

The youngster has been lauded by former Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo as a ‘powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills’, which would suggest that Wahi has the requisite attributes to go on and become a star.

That said, he is not currently at the level to replace Kane, and Spurs will surely be more concerned about the England captain signing a new contract this summer than looking for a replacement.

Manchester United are renowned for their production of young talent, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Alejandro Garnacho just a handful of the more recent examples of those who have emerged from the club’s academy ranks to become part of the first-team.

Current manager Erik ten Hag does appear keen to follow in the footsteps of those who have come before him by promoting deserving talent from within, with 17-year-old starlet Kobbie Mainoo having made his top-flight debut off the bench at the weekend.

The Dutchman will have to go some way, though, to replicate the success of legendary former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with the serial-winning Scotsman having notably brought through the much-celebrated ‘Class of 92’.

Arguably the most successful member of that talented bunch – which includes the likes of Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and David Beckham – was wing wizard Ryan Giggs, with the now-retired Welshman the first of those to make his mark at senior level.

Having been plucked from rivals Manchester City at the age of just 14, the dynamic ace went on to make his professional debut in 1991, eventually playing a key part in ending United’s drought with regard to league titles in the inaugural Premier League campaign in 1992/93.

That triumph was the first of 13 league titles that the 64-cap sensation won during his time at Old Trafford, having gone on to rack up 964 appearances for the club in all competitions, unsurprisingly ensuring that he leads the way in that regard in United’s history.

That remarkable consistency and quality has ensured that Giggs is widely regarded as one of the best wingers to have played the game, with his former boss David Moyes having stated back in 2013: “The Premier League has seen some outstanding players but because of his ability and his longevity Ryan has to be just about the best. “

While it will prove rather impossible for any youngster to be able to emulate such a talent, Ten Hag and co could well have found a suitable heir to the 49-year-old in the form of teenage gem Shea Lacey.

Who could be Man United’s next Giggs?

Much like Giggs – who was able to wreak havoc on the flanks or in a midfield berth – young Lacey also offers the benefit of being able to feature out wide or in a playmaking role, having already been making waves at youth level of late.

While still only 15, the precocious talent has already set tongues wagging with his quality in possession, with talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as a player who has a “left foot made of gold” – an assessment which could also have been made of the aforementioned Giggs.

Despite his youth, the exciting asset has already made six appearances for the club’s U18 side, notably scoring once and laying on two assists in just five appearances in the U18 Premier League this season.

A youngster who has been sparking a “lot of excitement” at the Theatre of Dreams, in the words of Goal’s Tom Maston, Lacey appears set for a bright future in the game, having also been described by Kulig as “one of the most interesting U17s in Europe”.

Also lauded as United’s answer to City star Phil Foden, the emerging superstar only recently set pulses racing among supporters after starring in the Rewe Junior Cup last month, showcasing his eye-catching trickery to produce a remarkable solo goal in the competition.

While there is always concern about hyping up a player who is still likely to be years away from earning a first-team bow, the signs are that the Red Devils do have a potential Giggs-esque diamond on their hands.

Arsenal take on Manchester City at the Emirates this evening in what could be a defining tie in the Premier League title race.

Mikel Arteta’s men have stumbled in recent weeks, firstly losing to Everton in what was arguably their worst performance of league season to date, while failing to capitalise on a 1-0 lead against Brentford at the weekend, having to settle for a share of the points.

Granted, City haven’t exactly been in the greatest form either, losing three times in 2023 already, although their recent Jekyll and Hyde nature will be of major concern to Arteta, who will have to be wary of which City will turn up tonight.

The Spaniard will likely start with the vast majority of the team that lined up against Brentford, although we at Football FanCast predict one major change…

What could Arsenal’s starting XI look like against Manchester City?

Aaron Ramsdale will keep his place in goal and has been in excellent form this campaign, conceding 18 goals while keeping nine clean sheets in 21 Premier League matches.

The back four will remain unchanged from the weekend. Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko will take up their usual spots on the right and left side of the defence respectively, while William Saliba and  Gabriel Magalhaes will form the central defensive unit. The Brazilian was impressive against the Bees, winning 70% of his total duels and Arteta will require this level of performance tonight.

The midfield triumvirate which has been so effective this season will start against the champions. Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have racked up 25 goal contributions between them and their chemistry has enabled Arsenal to leap to the summit of the league table.

Bukayo Saka will once again start on the right wing, with Eddie Nketiah leading the line through Gabriel Jesus’ injury absence, however there will be a change on the left flank ahead of the match tonight.

Gabriel Martinelli will drop to the bench, as the £90k-per-week fan favourite has struggled recently – despite Arteta keeping the faith in him regularly – and will be replaced in the starting XI by Leandro Trossard, the recent £27m January signing.

He was praised by Alan Shearer for a “magnificent” goal he netted against Brentford last season and having scored against the same opposition after arriving from the substitutes bench at the weekend, he deserves a start to give Arteta that extra attacking spark they have been lacking recently.

Manchester United are believed to be plotting a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong.

The Lowdown: Summer speculation

The Red Devils were busy last summer ahead of Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford, although they didn’t bolster their right-back ranks.

Frimpong appeared to be a player of interest in 2022, with Sky Sports Germany claiming that a move had at one stage been ‘becoming more and more apparent’. As we know, a transfer ultimately failed to materialise, but it looks as if United still want to sign the Netherlands international.

The Latest: Frimpong impresses Man United scouts

Football Insider shared an update regarding Frimpong on Saturday, revealing that United are plotting a move for the 22-year-old.

Old Trafford scouts have been raving about the player, and there is a belief that a deal can be done for a fee between £30m and £35m, despite Leverkusen valuing him in the £40m-£50m bracket.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Top performer

Hailed as a ‘special player’ by his manager Xabi Alonso and valued at a career-high €25m (£22.1m) by Transfermarkt, Frimpong has been in fine form this season, contributing to a career-best eight league goals already this season, and 12 in all competitions.

He has been Leverkusen’s second-best player with an average match rating of 7.10/10, as per WhoScored metics, which is better than United’s current two right-backs Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Frimpong has more assists than the Red Devils duo combined and can also play further forward if required, so a move could be a shrewd one by United. By the looks of it, they may go back in for the former Manchester City youngster, similar to how they brought Jadon Sancho back to England from Germany after an earlier spell in the Etihad Stadium academy.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has criticised Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison after a poor display as they were eliminated from the FA Cup.

How has Richarlison performed for Spurs?

The Brazil international joined from Everton in a deal worth around £60m in the summer, but is still yet to score a league goal for the club, and was particularly disappointing as Spurs were shocked by Sheffield United to all but end their chances of silverware this season.

Richarlison started as a central striker with Harry Kane on the bench, with a rare chance to play in the middle rather than on the wings, but could not make an impact as Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold claimed that despite the 26-year-old gaining more regular minutes recently, he looked in worse form than ever, and his contributions were incredibly poor.

(25:50) “I didn’t think Richarlison played very well at all,” he stated.

“And the most disappointing thing for me was, I think logic would suggest it, that’s now his third consecutive start, you would think he’d be getting sharper and a better rhythm to his game. I actually felt that was probably the worst he’s looked.

“He was pretty poor, to be honest. He looked like he hadn’t tried to take a shot on goal in about a month with ome of his efforts. They were really, really poor.

“There was one when he got away on the edge of the box, cut inside and you kind of thought ‘okay, he’ll try and curl this’. He sliced it so far wide, it was closer to the corner flag than it was the goal. It was dreadful. He played a couple of nice passes, but not enough. His hold-up play wasn’t good enough.”

Does Richarlison deserve more criticism?

The Brazilian has scored just twice in 23 games for the club, with both goals coming in the Champions League group stages.

Given that he was a big-money arrival to provide a strong rotational option to Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski, the lack of goals are concerning.

He scored 11 times for Everton last season, helping the Toffees avoid relegation, and perhaps his lack of consistent game-time is not allowing him to play to his full ability.

The majority of his appearances last season came as a central striker, a role he has played just four times this season, but his performance against Sheffield United will have done him no favours to justify his selection through the middle.

Just seven of his 16 league appearances this season came from the start, and he has only played 90 minutes once, which may have disrupted his rhythm in front of goal, but given his performance levels when he is playing, he has not done enough to justify a role in the side.

A number of Tottenham supporters are delighted by who Daniel Levy is eyeing to replace Antonio Conte, following a fresh update on the current managerial situation in north London.

The Lowdown: Pochettino a past hero

Mauricio Pochettino was a popular figure at Spurs during his five-year stint in charge between 2014 and 2019, guiding them to the Champions League final in that time.

They may have lost to Liverpool in the showcase event in 2019, with the Argentine departing later that year, but he is still held in high regard by the majority of supporters.

With Spurs struggling under Conte, and the Italian’s recent health issues not helping matters, The Athletic‘s Jack Pitt-Brooke has claimed that Pochettino is at the ‘top of the summer wishlist’ to replace the current boss, with a change now expected in the summer.

The Latest: Fans call for return

These Tottenham supporters took to Twitter to respond to the update, reacting positively to the news.

“This means more than a trophy” – @thfc_tyson

“It appeals to me too so let’s get it sorted” – @olliedugdale

“I was one who wanted Poch to leave in the end. I was wrong and realise it was Levy/ENIC and the players that were the problem. I would love to see Poch get a second chance, as long as he’s backed this time.” – @Terry01711833

“Sack Conte now and get Poch, at least we will get top 4″ – @deniro_uni

“Worst decision Levy ever made was sacking Poch after it was clear we needed a rebuild” – @Bofers2142

“My heart is ready again man” – @depressionftbl

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

There is a clear risk element in bringing Pochettino back to Spurs, with second spells at clubs not always going to plan, especially as Daniel Levy is still running things.

That being said, the 50-year-old is a hugely popular individual, as mentioned, and while he won no trophies in his first stint, Tottenham often played an exciting brand of football and made it into the Champions League regularly, also finishing second in the league in 2015/16.

Under Conte, things have grown horribly stagnant, with performances bordering on unwatchable at times, but Pochettino would bring a feel-good factor back, as well as more positive results.

Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos is still approximately three weeks away from returning to first-team action, according to journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Carlos missing most of the season

The 29-year-old was an exciting signing from Sevilla during last summer’s transfer window, with the hope being that would become the mainstay of Villa’s defence.

Unfortunately, Carlos managed just two Premier League appearances before rupturing his achilles back in August, and he hasn’t returned to action since then.

The Brazilian is working hard in his recovery, though, and it looks as though his comeback will arrive in March.

The Latest: Three weeks away

Writing in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that Carlos could be available in three weeks’ time:

“Carlos…I think he’s still 3 weeks away from putting himself in contention to start. He’ll need some training time and perhaps some behind-closed-doors games, possibly for the U21s.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Villa

This is great news for Villa, with Carlos someone with the potential to be an upgrade on the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, being hailed as ‘amazing’ and ‘big’ by Kevin Campbell.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418895″]

He averaged 1.5 aerial duel wins per game in his two league appearances so far, while 136 appearances for Sevilla are a further testament to his pedigree.

Granted, Carlos will need time to get back into match practice and rhythm upon his return, meaning he likely won’t be at his best until next season, but Unai Emery will be delighted to have him back.