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Leeds United have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Philipp Max to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite TSG Hoffenheim having been linked with a move for the PSV Eindhoven left-back in recent weeks, the Bundesliga side now look to have captured RB Leipzig full-back Angelino on a season-long loan deal – with a €20m (£17m) option to make the move permanent at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Following this news, the Express reported that Hoffenheim’s move for the 25-year-old Spaniard will come as a huge boost to Victor Orta and Leeds United, as the former Manchester City defender’s move to the Rhein-Neckar-Arena would now appear to give the Whites a clear run at Max – for whom it was reported that the Premier League side had submitted an €8m (£7m) bid earlier this summer.

The next Kolarov

With both Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas remaining sidelined due to injury, in addition to the fact that the former somewhat struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League last season – averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.60 over his 24 league fixtures – it is not difficult to see why Orta is targeting the signing of a new player in the position this summer.

And, considering just how impressive Max has been on the left of a back four throughout his professional career – particularly going forwards – it is also no wonder why the Whites’ director of football has earmarked the 28-year-old as a potential addition to Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad.

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Indeed, despite his position, the £7.2m-rated talent has proven something of a constant threat on the left flank for whichever club he has played, scoring 15 goals and registering 29 assists over 156 appearances for FC Augsburg, bagging three goals and providing 17 assists over 54 fixtures for FC Schalke II and notching eight goals and 18 assists over 93 outings for PSV.

As such, it is easy to see why Bundesliga.com compared the £33k-per-week Germany international’s style of play to that of the former Lazio, Manchester City, AS Roma and Inter Milan full-back Aleksandar Kolarov – the now retired defender who scored 52 goals and registered 69 assists over his 504 career appearances.

Indeed, the German website wrote: “Max is a solid defender, but much in the same way as Roma and Serbia counterpart, Aleksandar Kolarov, it’s going forward where he really shines.

“An ever-willing runner and the proud owner of a laser-guided left boot, the striker-turned-left-back is every centre-forward’s dream. He takes set-pieces and isn’t frightened to have a pop from range, making him one of the most dynamic and effective left-sided defenders in the Bundesliga.”

So, with Romano revealing that Hoffenheim are now out of the picture for the player Alex Chaffer dubbed “scrumptious” this summer, Orta now looks as if he has something of a clear run to bring Max to Elland Road prior to the closure of the summer transfer window this September.

And, should the Spaniard be successful in doing so, he could well have unearthed the Premier League’s next Kolarov – a prospect that is sure to delight both Leeds supporters and Marsch alike.

Nottingham Forest are on the verge of signing former Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, according to a significant transfer update.

The Lowdown: Kouyate linked with Forest move

Steve Cooper has had a relentless summer in the transfer market, bringing in endless new players to deal with life back in the Premier League.

Kouyate’s name emerged as a target earlier this week, with the 32-year-old leaving Palace earlier in the summer after his contract at Selhurst Park expired.

Now, the move to Forest looks like a matter of time, following a fresh claim.

The Latest: Transfer nearly done

According to Football Insider, Kouyate is now almost a Reds player, with the Senegalese in England on Friday to complete a medical at the club.

The ‘finishing touches’ are being made ahead of the move and he is expected to officially be named a Forest player sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Proven Premier League experience

Kouyate is a shrewd acquisition by Forest, considering he is an Africa Cup of Nations-winning stalwart with 258 appearances to his name in the Premier League.

That level of experience could be priceless for Cooper, with his squad full of players who are tasting top-flight action for the first time, and the ex-Palace man could be a calming figure who provides muscle in midfield.

That’s not to say that Kouyate is only a physical powerhouse, however, with his former teammate Scott Dann calling him a ‘top player’ and 28 goal contributions (14 goals and assist each) coming his way in the Premier League, showing that he is also capable of affecting games in the final third.

Leeds United may encounter a snag in their pursuit of Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner,  Forbes journalist James Nalton has warned.

The lowdown

Leeds are already in talks with the Major League Soccer outfit over a deal for Wagner, as per CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs.

Jesse Marsch is ‘driving’ this particular pursuit as he looks to bring in a new LB before the end of the transfer window.

Junior Firpo is currently injured, and Leeds lack specialist cover for the Spaniard even when he’s fit.

The latest

Nalton says he ‘hasn’t fully looked into’ Wagner’s prospective move to Leeds United but he imagines that he wouldn’t be able to secure a work permit.

It looks like a potential ‘stumbling block’ for the Whites, with Wagner uncapped by the German national team.

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The verdict

Losing out on Wagner because of circumstances beyond their control would no doubt be frustrating for Leeds.

It seems Marsch has identified the 25-year-old as the solution to his left-back issue, so this may disrupt his plans.

Wagner, a two-time MLS All-Star (2021 & 2022), is ‘very creative’, in the words of Jacobs, and his tally of 17 assists in 99 league games can attest to that.

A source close to the player said that he viewed Leeds as the ‘best option’, so it would be a disappointing turn of events for him too.

When you consider that he’s out of contract at the end of the year, a transfer to Elland Road might have been ideal for all parties, but now there’s a real degree of uncertainty.

Aston Villa have looked into the possibility of signing Jan Bednarek ahead of the summer transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who claims that the Midlands outfit are one of several teams to have fielded an enquiry for the Southampton centre-back.

“Bednarek is one they have looked into but at the moment they are just one of a few teams to have begun enquiries,” he revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

Reports in his home country, Poland, suggest that the 26-year-old is looking to leave St Mary’s Stadium and could cost any interested team around €15m (£12.6m).

Meanwhile, Bednarek is under contract until 2025, having thought to be earning around £20k-per-week on the south coast.

Gerrard needs him

After manager Steven Gerrard saw his £26m summer signing, Diego Carlos, ruled out for the next six months at least, the need for another central defensive addition has increased tenfold, particularly after allowing Kortney Hause out on loan.

In Bednarek, the former Rangers boss would be getting a proven Premier League colossus and one that would need little time in adapting to the top-flight.

Indeed, the Poland international has amassed 133 appearances in the big time, totalling 152 games for the Saints, where he ranked as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s fifth-best performer last season.

Praise for his professionalism from one source further highlights why he’d be a great fit at Villa Park – “If Hasenhuttl told him to run through a brick wall because it will result in three points, he’d do it,” they revealed to The Athletic.

Whilst the Southampton manager himself has previously lauded him as a “firefighter.”

“He is robust. He is one of the best defensive fighters, I say always he’s a firefighter who really does everything to protect his own goal,” he told the Daily Echo.

Bednarek has been something of a beast for the Saints over the last year or so. When compared to fellow centre-backs across Europe’s elite divisions, the Pole ranks inside the top 4% for interceptions, the top 10% for blocks and the top 13% for aerial duels won, via FBref.

That’s pretty good going considering the 6 foot 2 titan was playing for a side that finished 14th last campaign. He’s also a threat in the opposition’s box too, ranking inside the top 4% for non-penalty goals (0.13 scored per 90).

With Carlos out for the foreseeable future in what has been a truly gutting blow at Villa Park, it would make sense for sporting director Johan Lange to press ahead and find another option in the role.

Perhaps in Bednarek, he should look no further because on the above evidence, he could well be the ‘brick wall’ that Gerrard desperately needs right now.

AND in other news, talkSPORT journo: Villa “don’t want to sell” £48m duo, it’s the right call from Gerrard…

Newcastle United are keen on Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reports.

The lowdown

Alvarez, 24, is predominantly a defensive midfielder, but he also has 68 games’ worth of experience as a centre-back.

He joined Ajax from Mexican outfit Club America in the summer of 2019 for a fee of £13.5million, and is now valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt.

Alvarez, who has played 106 games for the club, is under contract for another three years.

The latest

Edwards took to Twitter on Monday evening to share an update on Newcastle’s transfer activity.

He says the Magpies are ‘still pushing for signings’ in the next week and a half.

And one of the players who’s ‘of interest’ to key figures at St James’ Park is Alvarez.

As it stands, though, the ‘gap in valuations remains too big to get any deals done’.

The verdict

If we take a look at Alvarez’s numbers from last season, we can see that he records high numbers of successful aerial duels (3.3 per game, 102 overall), tackles (2.0, 63), interceptions (1.4, 43), clearances (1.5, 46) and long passes (2.5, 76). It’s pretty much everything you would want in a holding midfielder player.

Indeed, he’s a prolific ball-winner, regaining possession a UEFA competition-record 19 times in a Europa League game against Young Boys in 2020/21.

Alvarez has been a regular for his country since the summer of 2017, with former manager Miguel Herrera calling his rapid progress up the international ranks ‘extraordinary’.

It seems as though he’s loved at Ajax, judging by the ceremony that was held at the Johann Cruyff ArenA last autumn when he extended his contract, with fans and players present.

Newcastle, then, might have a job on their hands trying to persuade him to depart.

West Ham United have been dealt a double blow ahead of their Premier League clash against Everton this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by BBC Sport, who claim that, having missed all six of the Toffees’ league fixtures so far this season with a knee injury, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is now in line for his first 2022/23 start at Goodison Park.

Abdoulaye Doucoure is also once again fit and available for selection against David Moyes’ side.

However, the report went on to state that Jordan Pickford will not be involved this afternoon, with the England international’s thigh injury looking set to keep him out of action until after the upcoming international break.

Moyes will be gutted

While it is true that Calvert-Lewin has endured something of a torrid 12 months as a result of injury – with the centre-forward starting just 15 Premier League games last season due to a series of knocks – it is undeniable that the 25-year-old’s return, coupled with Doucoure’s availability, will have left the West Ham manager gutted.

Indeed, the England international proved just how deadly a striker he truly is over his 33 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, with the £36m-rated talent scoring 16 goals, taking 2.5 shots (1.4 of which hit the target) and winning 7.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the £20k-per-week forward average a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as the Toffees’ third-best performer in the top flight that season.

Meanwhile, Doucoure has become an integral part of Everton’s midfield in recent years, scoring two goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances over his 30 league outings in 2021/22, in addition to making 2.5 tackles and 0.9 interceptions and winning 4.9 duels per game.

As such, it is clear to see that the return of the Toffees duo could come as a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of bringing all three points back to east London this afternoon, with Moyes undoubtedly being desperate for a win in order to kickstart the Hammers’ disappointing start to their 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Mohammed Kudus is reportedly still on the radar at Everton ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Went on strike

Kudus reportedly went on strike in order to try and force through a move to Goodison Park at the end of the summer window, but a deal never materialised, and he has ended up staying at Ajax.

Now, he is playing out of his skin, lighting up the UEFA Champions League especially with two goals and an assist in his opening two group stage games, including a ‘devastating’ finish against the Toffees’ Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

The Latest: Still on radar

As per The Daily Express, Kudus remains a player on the Blues’ radar ahead of the January window.

However, he may have priced himself out of a move after his recent impressive performances.

The Verdict: Unlikely

Performing like he has done on the big stage, it now seems unlikely that Frank Lampard’s side will be able to sign Kudus in January, with top clubs in Europe likely to join the race for his signature.

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Hailed as a ‘magical player’ by The Independent journalist Karl Matchett, the Ghana international already has six goals and one assist in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar coming up as well, Kudus’ stock is only going to rise further, which could well price Everton out of a move.

Celtic have made few wrong decisions with regards to recruitment during Ange Postecoglou’s impressive stint in charge, although one move the 57-year-old may well be regretting is the signing of midfielder, James McCarthy.

In particular, the Hoops boss will likely be rueing the decision to hand the Republic of Ireland international a four-year deal upon his arrival as a free agent last summer, with the Parkhead outfit potentially set to be stuck with what appears to be an unwanted asset until 2025.

It had been something of a bizarre call to hand such lengthy terms to a player who had been ravaged by injury prior to his move to Glasgow, with that ultimately backfiring as the 31-year-old has subsequently struggled for both form and fitness over the last 12 months.

The former Crystal Palace man – who is a boyhood fan of the Old Firm outfit – was restricted to just 22 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign last term, with only six of those outings coming from the start.

A bystander to proceedings during that remarkable title triumph – with only nine league appearances under his belt – the one-time Everton gem has struggled to force his way into Postecoglou’s side, having “hardly kicked a ball” in the words of pundit Frank McAvennie.

That limited role had sparked rumours of a possible swift exit in the recent window although the £1.44m-rated man ultimately stayed put, albeit with the early evidence in the new season suggesting that it could be a similar story to last term for the 42-cap dud.

The Glasgow-born ace – who had been linked with a move to the club during Brendan Rodgers’ time in charge – has been restricted to just a solitary appearance so far in the current campaign, with that coming as a late substitute in the League Cup triumph over Ross County.

With captain Callum McGregor the preferred pick in the defensive midfield role, McCarthy has found it particularly difficult to dislodge his teammate from the starting XI, particularly with the club having been in relentless form of late – having only seen a 38-game league unbeaten run ended last weekend.

The summer addition of 6 foot 4 loanee Oliver Abildgaard is likely to only further shunt the struggling dud down the pecking order, with it hard to see just how the 5 foot 11 man will be able to get regular minutes moving forward.

That will ensure that Postecoglou and co will have to continue to fork out the playmaker’s £20k-per-week wage as he remains restricted to the substitutes’ bench, with no real end in sight with still so long left on his contract.

Celtic made a winning return to Scottish Premiership action on Saturday afternoon following the recent international break, securing a narrow 2-1 victory over Motherwell in what was an eventful encounter at Parkhead on Saturday.

The Hoops had succumbed to a first defeat in 38 top-flight games away at St Mirren two weeks ago, although were able to maintain their two-point advantage over Glasgow rivals Rangers at the top of the table following the win over the Fir Park outfit.

Goals from Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate helped to steer Ange Postecoglou’s side to all three points, with the hosts surviving a late scare following captain Callum McGregor’s dismissal to make it seven wins from eight in what appears to be a relentless defence of their title for the Old Firm giants.

A key performer in yesterday’s clash was that of the aforementioned Hatate, with the 24-year-old once again proving his worth to the Hoops boss after netting a stunning second-half strike to seal the win, after Josip Juranovic’s calamitous own goal had drawn the visitors level midway through the first period.

The one-cap gem – who arrived in Scotland for a bargain fee of just £1.4m last summer – picked up the ball just outside the box before unleashing a fierce effort past a helpless Liam Kelly, with that the midfielder’s tenth goal contribution in just 29 games for the club to date.

The diminutive ace had warned the away side prior to that fabulous effort having seen another fierce strike canon off the woodwork from distance, with the £2.25m-rated playmaker developing something of a knack for a long-range stunner, having produced similar heroics in the win over the Gers back in February.

The 5 foot 8 machine recorded a stunning 7.6 match rating as a result of his performance, as per SofaScore, with that by far the highest of any player for either side, despite squandering possession on 19 occasions.

As that latter metric showcases, there is still perhaps improvement to be made in the player’s game – with Postecoglou suggesting that there is still a “lot more to come” from his star asset – albeit with this recent triumph showcasing yet again just what a key figure he has become at Celtic Park in such a short space of time.

Newcastle United have endured a number of transfer blunders over the years, with one notable example having been the failure to land prolific Frenchman, Olivier Giroud, during Steve Bruce’s time at the helm.

The former Arsenal man has been a constant nuisance for the Magpies over the years, particularly for former captain Fabricio Coloccini who felt his wrath in 2014, with the French forward scoring nine goals and laying on two assists in just 14 games against the northeast side in his career thus far, with it having been no surprise to see the club finally look to end that run by bringing him to St James’ Park.

Reports back in January 2020 suggested that the Tynesiders were looking to secure a loan move for the then-Chelsea striker, with the 6 foot 4 menace having fallen down the pecking order under Frank Lampard.

As it proved, however, the one-time Montpellier man ultimately rejected the chance to make the switch to Newcastle, with there no doubt a sense of frustration that both Bruce – and former owner Mike Ashley – were unable to tempt the striker into the switch.

Although the 114-cap genius was already well into his 30s at the time, he has proven since then that he is no fading force, with the Premier League side left to rue their inability to land the “dangerous” asset – as dubbed by Senegal defender, Kalidou Koulibaly.

The veteran ace would go on to finish his spell at Stamford Bridge last summer with a respectable tally of 39 goals and 14 assists in 119 games in all competitions, having previously scored 105 goals and contributed 41 assists in 253 games with the Gunners.

A proven asset in English football, the World Cup winner has since gone on to thrive for Italian side AC Milan over the past year or so, with 24 goal contributions in just 48 games to date, at a rate of one goal or assist every two games.

At 36, the £75k-per-week menace remains a hugely integral figure for both club and country, having only recently netted his 49th goal for France against Austria, ensuring he is now only behind the great Thierry Henry (51) on Les Bleus’ all-time scorer’s list.

A truly clinical presence in front of goal – as his record of 240 club career goals illustrates – Giroud is also a joy to watch as a result of his majestic quality, routinely producing something spectacular in an almost effortless manner.

That unique talent was on show earlier this season, as he netted an acrobatic volley in the Serie A side’s triumph over Bologna, proving that he can still make the difference – and in style – despite his advancing years.

While current Newcastle boss Eddie Howe now has Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson at his disposal in the forward ranks, he may well have loved to have had a pure poacher such as the Milan ace to call upon, had his predecessor been able to get a deal over the line.