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Leeds United director of football Victor Orta is no longer under consideration for Chelsea’s sporting director role.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sports journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite the Spaniard reported to be one of the names on new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s shortlist of candidates for the vacant position at Stamford Bridge, the 43-year-old is no longer an active target for the American.

In his tweet, Jacobs said: “Lots of candidates spoken to with various options explored. There may even be a ‘group’ recruitment head as/when Chelsea add other clubs to their portfolio allowing for a longer-term senior appointment. Luis Campos and Victor Orta are not under active consideration.”

Fantastic news for Leeds

Considering just how impressive a job Orta has done over his five-and-a-half-year tenure as Leeds’ director of football, Jacobs’ claim that the Spaniard is no longer being considered by Chelsea is undoubtedly great news for everyone involved with the club.

With the 43-year-old making the move to Elland Road some 13 years since the Whites had last been playing Premier League football, Orta took just three years to right that wrong through his managerial appointments and transfer business.

Indeed, the Spaniard’s first season at the club saw the arrivals of players such as Adam Forshaw, Pontus Jansson, Gjanni Alioski and Mateusz Klich – all of whom helped to elevate the quality of football played in LS11 almost immediately.

However, it was undoubtedly the director of football’s appointment of Marcelo Biela in the summer of 2018 that proved the catalyst for dragging Leeds out of the second tier, with the Argentine coach being key to the club’s 2020 promotion.

Indeed, following the further additions of players such as Patrick Bamford, Helder Costa and Illan Meslier, as well as Jack Harrison and Ben White on loan deals, the Whites would romp to the Championship title in 2019/20 – ending 16 years of hurt.

Since their promotion, Orta has continued to work hard in the transfer market to ensure that Leeds retain their top-flight status, with international players such as Raphinha, Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams and Rasmus Kristensen all making the move to Elland Road over the past two years.

However, it has not only been the senior side that Orta has strengthened, as the 43-year-old has also brought some incredibly exciting young talent to Thorp Arch in recent seasons, with the likes of Joe Gelhadrt, Sonny Perkins, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Lewis Bate, Darko Gyabi and Mateo Joseph all linking up in the Whites academy setup.

As such, with Orta very much having been the man to have taken Leeds back to where they belong, ensuring the club remained a top-flight team and having meticulously planned for the Whites’ future, the news that the architect of Leeds’ recent success will be remaining at the club for the foreseeable is most certainly fantastic news for all involved with the Whites.

Leeds United must pursue a January deal for Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner. 

The links

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs reported in August that the Whites were holding talks with the Major League Soccer club over a deal for the German, with Jesse Marsch the driving force behind that interest.

MLS insider Tom Bogert, who has worked for The Guardian and FourFourTwo, has recently spoken of the ‘expectation’ that Wagner ‘will absolutely be sold to Europe this winter’.

Leeds are interested in the 25-year-old, but they’re ‘far from the only club’ in the running. Therefore, while the deal will be ‘difficult’ to pull off, the Whites should push hard for it.

The manager

Wagner’s manager Jim Curtin regards him as the best player in his position in the MLS, and in addition to raving about the German’s quality, he has also hailed his attitude.

Curtin outlined how the 25-year-old has been able to retain absolute focus amid ‘constant noise’ around his future, something with which many other players would struggle.

He told the Philadelphia Inquirer last month (via Leeds Live): “He’s the best left back that we have in MLS, and we’re lucky to have him here in Philly.

“He continues to get better and better as the season goes. When there’s constant noise in and around, transfers and this and that, to be as professional as he’s been and just put his head down and play is not easy to do. He’s done a great job of that.”

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The sporting director

Philadelphia sporting director Ernst Tanner, who brought Wagner to The City of Brotherly Love, says that his compatriot stood out as ‘special’ when he was assessing a whole host of left-back options.

He told The Athletic: “I’ve known Kai since he was a youth, and I was checking so many left fullbacks and it was always the question of what you could get and what you want to sign. It made him in a way so special, and I’m always looking out for players that can do that next stage in their development. And that’s the reason I went for Kai.”

The former team-mate

Finally, Aurelien Collin – who played alongside Wagner from 2019 until his retirement earlier this year – said he was impressed with the battling spirit that the German has shown from a young age, believing that the defender’s willingness to put himself in the firing line is curicla.

He said of the 25-year-old, via The Athletic: “He has the mentality. He’s young. He’s a fighter. He’s not scared of the contact, which is something very important in this league, and I think that’s why right now he’s adapted very well.”

The verdict

It’s clear to see from these testimonies that Wagner would bring proven quality, a desire to get even better and a tremendous attitude with him to Leeds, if Marsch can lure the player to Elland Road.

From a Whites perspective, the 25-year-old would also bolster a part of the squad where the club are very light in the wake of Junior Firpo’s injury, with Leo Hjelde still quite raw and Pascal Struijk being shunted across from his customary centre-back role.

With all that in mind, Victor Orta simply must do everything within his power to convince Wagner to join the Marsch revolution in Yorkshire.

Leeds United could’ve signed Virgil van Dijk but controversial former owner Massimo Cellino turned down the chance in favour of another deal.

That’s according to Graham Bean, who worked as an advisor to the Italian supremo during his tenure at Elland Road, as he revealed that ex-manager David Hockaday suggested the Dutch colossus whilst he was at Celtic.

“I got on well with Dave and he was a really nice bloke, as was his assistant Junior Lewis,” he told the Daily Mail. “But the reality was they were both out of their depth at Leeds.

“Dave did, however, identify two outstanding players that would have transformed the club. One was a certain van Dijk, then at Celtic.”

Cellino went on to sign an unknown centre-back from the Serie A in Giuseppe Bellusci, who cost around £1.6m. “Unfortunately Cellino ignored him and signed Giuseppe Bellusci on loan from Italian side Catania,” he added.

“Bellusci thrived on an undeserved hard-man reputation. He made his debut in a 4-1 defeat to Watford and things didn’t improve much from there – he wasn’t liked by many of his teammates or the club staff.”

The 33-year-old went on to make 61 appearances for the Yorkshire giants, scoring just twice, before leaving for Serie A outfit Empoli on loan just two years later and then left the club permanently to Palermo on a free transfer.

Meanwhile, in that time, Van Dijk swapped Celtic Park for Southampton before sealing a then world-record £75m move to Liverpool in January 2018, where he has since won the Premier League and Champions League.

It’s widely thought that the Netherlands international, who has been lauded as a “monster” by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, is among the best defenders in world football, so had Cellino listened to the advice of his manager, Hockaday, then Van Dijk may well have been an absolute colossus for Leeds, rather than Southampton.

What a catastrophic blunder that has turned out to be, though it’s not the only or worst that the volatile Cellino made during his time at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Lost 100% of duels: 13-pass flop proved Leeds’ decision right in international defeat…

Nottingham Forest are ‘closing in’ on the signing of Wolves centre-back Willy Boly, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Boly avoids Wolves game

On Sunday, the Old Gold drew 1-1 at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League, with the Ivory Coast defender named in the matchday squad at Molineux.

However, the 31-year-old was nowhere to be seen at the stadium, and as was confirmed by Bruno Lage after the match, he hadn’t informed anyone of his decision to not attend proceedings.

It immediately threw Boly’s future into further doubt, having been strongly linked with a move to Forest.

The Latest: Forest close to completing signing

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning, Romano stated that the Reds are close to securing the signing of the 31-year-old, not long after making Renan Lodi their 18th recruit of the summer.

The Italian tweeted:

“Nottingham Forest are closing in on their 19th summer signing: talks now progressing to final stages for Willy Boly as new centre back, it’s really close.

“Forest hope to get it done in 24h to agree with Wolves and then complete medical.”

The Verdict: Strong summer addition

Boly would be an interesting signing by Forest, not necessarily coming in as a long-term addition but possessing a huge amount of experience over the years.

The centre-back has made 89 appearances in the Premier League and won 13 caps for the Ivory Coast, so he could an older head alongside a relatively youthful defence, aside from fellow 31-year-old Steve Cook.

Last season, the Ivorian averaged two successful headers, 2.5 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in the top flight. Those figures would place him in the top four (or better) for each metric among Cooper’s squad in the early weeks of the current campaign.

Boly’s recent injury problems are a concern, which makes signing him a risk, but even if he is used wisely as a squad player rather than being named in the team every week, there is no reason why he can’t be a shrewd signing at the City Ground.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign on Saturday afternoon, with Antonio Conte’s side running out 1-0 winners over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The three points did not prove easy to come by, though, as the visitors dominated the first half – taking 12 shots to Spurs’ one over the opening 45 minutes – with the hosts being somewhat fortunate to still be level at half-time.

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The second half was a different story, with Tottenham finally posing a threat in the Wolves third – taking 10 shots at goal, creating two big chances and hitting the woodwork twice – before Harry Kane notched his 250th goal for Spurs on 64 minutes to seal the victory for his side.

However, while the England captain will likely grab Sunday morning’s headlines, the player who provided the 29-year-old’s assist for his winner, Ivan Perisic, was very much the star of the show against Wolves.

Making his first start for Conte’s side, the £9m-rated wing-back was a bundle of energy on the left flank throughout the duration of his 76 minutes on the pitch. He enjoyed 52 touches, completed 24 passes (including three key passes), attempted five crosses (two of which found their intended target) and three dribbles (one successful) and created one big chance.

The £178k-per-week Croatia international also impressed in a defensive capacity, making five tackles – the most of any player on the pitch – winning seven duels, committing two tactical fouls and making one clearance prior to being withdrawn for Ryan Sessegnon in the closing stages of the match.

These returns saw the player who Paul Merson claimed “makes things happen” earn a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.5, ranking him as Conte’s joint-best performer on the day.

Indeed, should Perisic maintain this level of performance going forwards, the 33-year-old will undoubtedly become one of Tottenham’s key players over the course of the 2022/23 campaign – with his show-stealing home debut sure to have delighted both Conte and the Spurs faithful alike.

Burnley are going to have to fend off three of their division rivals to sign Liverpool youngster Sepp van den Berg on loan.

The Lowdown: Van den Berg on the move?

The Dutchman spent last season on loan at Preston, becoming an almost ever-present figure and making 45 Championship appearances in total.

Now back at Liverpool for the time being, it seems almost certain that Jurgen Klopp will allow Van den Berg to leave on a temporary basis once again.

The 20-year-old is behind Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips in the centre-back pecking order at Anfield currently, and reliable reports have confirmed Burnley’s interest.

The Latest: Hotly contested race

According to The Daily Mail, Burnley are indeed keen on snapping up Van den Berg before the end of the summer transfer window, but the Clarets are ‘vying’ with Watford, Blackburn and Sheffield United.

Vincent Kompany has admitted his admiration for the defender, describing him as a ‘really good player’.

The Verdict: Excellent temporary option

Van den Berg showed last season what a force he can be in the Championship, averaging 2.9 aerial duel wins per game and cutting a dominant and composed figure, despite his age.

For that reason, signing him on loan wouldn’t feel like a risk for Burnley, with the Liverpool youngster potentially learning hugely from working alongside a former centre-back great in Kompany.

The exits of Ben Mee, James Tarkowski and Nathan Collins have clearly highlighted the need for centre-back reinforcements at Turf Moor this summer, so snapping up Van den Berg makes complete sense.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of landing a deal for Arnaud Kalimuendo in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jacquee Talbot has revealed that the striker is one of the players PSG are willing to cash in on ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

PIF are said to be eyeing up a deal for the centre-forward after missing out on Hugo Ekitike and Talbot has claimed that they have been given the green light to sign him.

The reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “He’d [Kalimuendo] be absolutely amazing [for Newcastle]. I think Luis Campos has put together a list of around 15 players, with [Presnel] Kimpembe being one, who are able to leave and just really look to do a bit of a transformation and have a bit of an identity.

“I think that’s the idea, so all these players who are very talented but just don’t fit in with what he perceives to be the identity and the core principles of PSG are now able to go.”

Better than Ekitike

The 20-year-old gem, who has been touted at a fee of £20m, would be an excellent signing for the club as he would be better than Ekitike, who has – ironically – signed for PSG.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed Kalimuendo “prolific” and his form at youth and senior level has backed that up. He plundered an impressive 11 goals in 10 games for PSG’s U19s before spending two seasons on loan at RC Lens – scoring 21 goals in 65 matches, whilst also providing six assists.

Ekitike, meanwhile, scored six goals in 13 games for Stade Reims B and three goals in 11 outings for Vejle Boldklub on loan. Since making the step up to senior football, he has scored 11 goals in 27 matches for Reims’ first team, earning him a transfer to PSG.

Whilst this is an impressive return from the centre-forward, he has only proven himself in one season after an average return during his loan spell with Vejle. Kalimuendo, meanwhile, has played in two Ligue 1 campaigns and produced 22 direct goal contributions in 41 starts.

This means that he has been in superb form over the course of two years, compared to Ekitike’s one, despite the pair both being 20. The former Lens loanee would, therefore, be a better signing as he has more experience at the top level and has proven that he is not a one-season wonder, whilst they have a similar level of production at the top end of the pitch.

PSG’s mistake can be Newcastle’s gain…

AND in other news: Imagine him & ASM: Howe can form scary Newcastle duo by signing “magical” £117k-pw wiz

Tottenham Hotspur have made a ‘late move’ for Leeds United target Sonny Perkins following his departure from West Ham.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Perkins

Described as a ‘stand out’ player for the Hammers’ youth teams, the 18-year-old has been linked with a move to Elland Road this summer.

Phil Hay reported at the beginning of June that Leeds were lining up deals for both Perkins and Birmingham City’s George Hall.

West Ham confirmed on Friday evening that Perkins had left the east London club, but it looks as if the Whites have competition for the teenage forward.

The Latest: Spurs move for Perkins

According to ExWHUemployee, Premier League giants Spurs have made a ‘late move’ for the youngster, who is a boyhood fan of the north London club.

The Irons insider said that Perkins ‘was meant to be going to Leeds’, but it looks as if Tottenham’s move for the 18-year-old could throw a spanner in the works for the Elland Road hierarchy.

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The Verdict: Not ideal for Leeds

Perkins appears to be a future star and contributed to 11 goals in 22 games for West Ham’s under-23 side. Therefore, a move to Thorp Arch could be an extremely shrewd one by Leeds chiefs, where you’d expect he could initially start for the under-23s.

The Whites have reaped the rewards of bringing in young attackers in recent years, with Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood helping the club to stay in the Premier League last season, with 27 appearances and two goals on Friday evening between them in the top flight in 2021/22.

Perkins could become Leeds’ next main man in attack for the under-23s with a view to breaking into the first team, but it seems as if he could now join Spurs, which would be a blow for Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta.

Manchester United are reportedly closing in on securing a deal for Ajax winger Antony.

What’s the news?

According to a recent article from The Sun, the Red Devils are on the verge of completing their first summer signing of the window which will reportedly see the Ajax star make the move to Old Trafford in a deal worth £40m.

After working his way through Sao Paulo’s youth ranks and eventually scoring four goals and providing six assists in 37 senior appearances, the 22-year-old joined Ajax back in the 2020 summer transfer window.

Ten Hag will be buzzing

Erik ten Hag will surely be delighted to see a move for his former Brazilian prospect with the attacker a diverse player capable of terrifying defenders.

Since moving to Ajax, he has found the net 22 times and delivered 20 assists in 78 appearances, highlighting his deadliness in front of goal.

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His latest season with the Dutch club saw the attacker score eight goals and supply four assists in 23 league appearances.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, only Sebastien Haller (100) ended the campaign with more shots at goal than the Brazil youngster (79), who also delivered 100 crosses in total for his current side.

Having played under the management of ten Hag more than any other coach he’s played under, the pair will undoubtedly know all about each other, which could help the winger settle into life at Old Trafford a lot easier should he end up as a United player in the coming days.

Given the knowledge the new United manager will have of the player, who has been described as “unreal” by Andre Noruega, he’ll surely be elated to get the chance to work with him again and make him a Premier League star.

United have seen the likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata wave goodbye to the club since the end of the season, so it’s easy to see why the Red Devils have been looking to bring a young attacking figure like Antony.

Meanwhile, with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho only scoring seven Premier League goals between them last term, having someone like the Ajax star in the squad would give the English duo positive competition for a place in the starting XI, enabling them to hopefully raise their game as a result.

If United can get Antony through the door as soon as possible, this would not only give the fans something to shout about but also give the club the chance to move on to other potential targets.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: MUFC could sign de Jong alternative in £70.5m gem, he’s Fernandes 2.0

Leeds United target Sonny Perkins is under contract at West Ham United for a year longer than previously thought. 

That’s according to Irons insiders Claret & Hugh.

The lowdown

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday afternoon that Leeds had ‘opened talks’ to sign Perkins from West Ham.

Perkins is an 18-year-old centre-forward who’s also made 16 appearances on the left flank in his fledgling career.

It was thought that Perkins’ deal was up in a matter of weeks, potentially enabling his suitors to line him up on a free transfer. But now Leeds are forced to negotiate with West Ham to get a deal done.

The latest

A ‘key source inside the London Stadium’ told C&H that Perkins is ‘with us for another year’.

West Ham are hopeful of extending his contract, but they’re encountering problems with the player’s representative.

The source explained that ‘the agent wants silly money to extend his contract’, so perhaps Leeds could still look to capitalise on the situation.

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The verdict

If negotiations between the two parties break down because West Ham refuse to meet the demands, then it would be worth making an offer.

Perkins is an exciting prospect, scoring nine goals in 31 appearances at Under-18 level before adding ten more in 22 games for the Under-23s (via Transfermarkt).

He’s also earned international recognition, with seven caps and two goals to his name for England U18s.

David Moyes has been so impressed that he handed him Europa League group-stage minutes against Rapid Vienna and Dinamo Zagreb.

The noises from the academy circles, according to ExWHUemployee, are that he could be ‘the next Declan Rice’ in terms of his potential to break into the first-team and become a star.

Together with Joe Gelhardt, he could be part of the next generation of young attackers at Elland Road.

In other news, Leeds have made contact with a former Chelsea ace.