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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa can sign a dream Kiko Casilla replacement in Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

What’s the story?

The Yorkshire club confirmed in recent days that Casilla has jetted back to his native Spain to join Elche on a season-long loan, thus leaving them short of a number two goalkeeper ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Whites are targeting a move for Magpies shot-stopper Woodman, with the club said to be “admirers” of the 6 foot 2 ace.

Time’s up for Casilla

Given his off-field controversy, along with Illan Meslier’s emergence onto the scene as Leeds’ number one, it’s safe to say things haven’t gone quite so well for Casilla over these past couple of years.

Speaking after Leeds’ FA Cup loss to Crawley Town last season, journalist Daniel Storey raged: “I think Kiko Casilla was the other game-changer in a negative sense because I don’t think he should be playing for Leeds for non-football reasons, but he probably shouldn’t be playing for Leeds for football reasons after today.”

Meanwhile, Leeds TV podcaster Oscar Mario simply branded him a “complete liability”.

The £9m-rated Woodman, on the other hand, has previously been described as “unbelievable” by Lee Clark, who coached him at Kilmarnock and was very effusive in his praise of how he has developed.

He told The Athletic: “I knew he was an outstanding young keeper and had all the attributes. The tough thing was I had an experienced goalkeeper in Jamie MacDonald in the team — that was causing one or two issues in terms of what I wanted to do. 

“But I knew I was bringing a talented goalkeeper in. Freddie’s communication, his shot-stopping and his distribution skills are second to none. He’s an unbelievable professional and works extremely hard at his game.”

Woodman didn’t miss a single game last season for Swansea during his loan spell with the Championship club, keeping 21 clean sheets in his 48 outings for the Swans.

The goalkeeper’s form in recent years has also earned calls for him to be included in Gareth Southgate’s England setup – a real indication of the kind of high esteem in which he is held.

At only 24, he’s a decade younger than Casilla – who earns £40,000 per week – and would offer Bielsa a much fresher option to compete with Meslier for the number one jersey at Elland Road.

With Casilla’s contract at Leeds only expiring in the summer of 2023, a loan spell at Elche won’t see him depart for good when he returns next year. However, if the Whites manage to land Woodman this summer, then Bielsa can finally let Casilla go permanently.

Meanwhile, Adam Pope has dropped an exciting Leeds United update…

Leeds United are among the teams taking a look at Aaron Ramsey this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

90min claim the Wales international is available for a transfer having fallen out of favour under Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus this season, and despite having 18 months to run on his current contract, the Serie A giants are prepared to let him leave for nothing.

Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also keen, whilst Everton, Wolves and Leicester City are mentioned too.

It’s thought that the former Arsenal maestro, who is valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is earning over £200k-per-week at the Allianz Stadium.

Pablo Hernandez 2.0

It would not be the first time that Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa has had a vastly experienced and ageing playmaker in attacking midfield.

After nearly five years at the club, Spanish maestro Pablo Hernandez departed Elland Road at the age of 36 last summer. He played an integral role in their rise up into the Premier League and it could be argued that the Argentine misses his presence in the final third.

There has been a serious lack of creativity and goalscoring this season. Only Raphinha (eight goals) has found the net more than twice for Leeds in the top flight, whilst no player has provided more than two assists either, as per WhoScored.

Ramsey was one of the Premier League’s most feared midfielders during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

The 31-year-old provided 65 goals and 65 assists in 371 matches in north London, in which he recorded a career-best tally of 13 goals and ten assists during the 2013/14 campaign, via Transfermarkt. That’s not to mention his three FA Cup winners medals, too.

Such form earned comparisons to Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, whilst another former Gunner in Martin Keown has previously waxed lyrical about his ability and leadership qualities.

“He continues to mature as a player and develop. He’s a real leader now in this Arsenal team,” he said to BT Sport in April 2019 (via the Daily Mail). “Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so imp to everything to do. It’s the energy – the box to box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

Capped 71 times by Wales, Ramsey could well become Bielsa’s new Hernandez in west Yorkshire should Victor Orta and co win the race to sign him on a bargain free transfer this month.

AND in other news, Leeds eye £20m midfield “machine” who’s “so powerful”, he’d be Bielsa’s dream signing…

Journalist Rahman Osman believes Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira could drop Vicente Guaita to stick with Jack Butland against Chelsea this weekend.

The Lowdown: Palace’s run to the semi-final

Palace have enjoyed a solid and sometimes exciting first season under Vieira and are now preparing for a Wembley showdown with their London rivals.

The Eagles have defeated Millwall, Hartlepool United, Stoke City and Everton on their way to the last four, conceding just twice.

Butland has played every minute of domestic cup action this season, with Guaita first choice in the league, and Osman thinks the Spaniard, who Roy Hodgson labelled as ‘excellent’, will be dropped following the 2-1 loss to Leicester last time out.

The Latest: Guaita to be axed?

Osman shared a story on London World on Wednesday, looking at three Palace stars Vieira may leave out this weekend.

One of those was Guaita, with the reporter believing Vieira will ‘break the heart’ of the 35-year-old by sticking with Butland at Wembley.

The Verdict: Right decision?

Some managers decide to bring back their first choice ‘keeper in the latter stages of cup competitions, but it only seems fair for Vieira to leave Guaita out and stick with Butland – just look at how Caoimhin Kelleher rewarded Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final this year.

Butland made a big blunder against Millwall in the third round but hasn’t been troubled much in the FA Cup since then, though he could be a much busier man on Sunday.

We will soon find out what Vieira decides in regards to selection, however, bigger calls may have to be made outfield, especially with injury concerns to Tyrick Mitchell and Michael Olise.

In other news: Vieira now wants Parish to bring 25-assist star to Palace; club preparing to lose their player

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their attempts to bring Jota to Parkhead on a permanent basis this winter.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness), who claim that Benfica would be more than happy for Celtic to activate their €7.5m (£6.5m) option to buy clause for the 22-year-old winger in the January transfer window.

Previous reports have suggested that, as a result of the Portugal U21 international’s success in Glasgow, Ange Postecoglou is eager to tie up the permanent signing of Jota this winter, in a bid to ensure the forward is not tempted by a more enticing offer from another club come the end of the season.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since his switch to Parkhead this summer, the news that Benfica appear to be more than willing to wave goodbye to the winger on a permanent basis is sure to have left Bhoys fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, while, over his five Europa League fixtures, the £7.1k-per-week winger has bagged a further two goals, two assists and created four big chances.

These returns have seen the player, who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” talent, average a SofaScore match rating of 7.38 in the league and 7.40 in Europe, ranking him as the Hoops’ fifth-best and best performer in the respective competitions.

And, while it is true that Benfica’s stance on the forward’s potential transfer is not overly important – as Celtic can activate their option to buy clause without the Portuguese side’s permission – should the Liga NOS club have informed Jota that he could be in line for a starting spot at the Estadio da Luz next season, this may well have influenced the 22-year-old’s decision as to whether or not he would be willing to accept Celtic’s offer of a permanent deal.

As such, the news that Benfica will not stand in the way of Celtic’s swoop for the player who Postecgolou “wants to keep” is sure to come as a major boost for everyone involved with the club, as the Portuguese starlet remaining at Parkhead beyond the end of the current campaign is something that bodes incredibly well for the Bhoys’ future.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Robbie Keane with swoop for “bright” 18 G/A machine

Everton manager Rafa Benitez needs to turn things around quickly at Goodison Park to avoid being sacked, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

What’s the story?

The Toffees got off to a sensational start under the 61-year-old’s tutelage, losing just one of their opening seven Premier League games to move into a European qualification spot.

However, significant injuries to key players sparked a dramatic drop-off in results and performances in recent weeks, with Benitez’s charges picking up just a single point from a possible 12 over the last month.

And Brown believes the Spanish tactician will have until the festive period to mastermind an upturn in fortunes before he gets relieved of his duties by the Everton hierarchy.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Unless Benitez turns it around quickly in the next couple of games, by Christmas, if they are at the wrong end of the table fighting and struggling, I don’t think the owner can allow it to go on for very long because it’s too big a season financially for them to be struggling.”

Everton fans may be worried

Although Benitez wasn’t a universally popular appointment amongst the Everton fanbase due to his previous connections with fierce rivals Liverpool, a large section of the club’s supporters may be worried about his potential departure if Farhad Moshiri takes the ruthless decision to axe yet another head coach.

Throughout his career, the experienced boss has showcased his ability to claim the sports most coveted prizes, claiming one Champions League crown, two La Liga titles, one FA Cup, one Italian Cup, one UEFA Cup, one Europa League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

Benitez’s success at Valencia, Liverpool and Napoli, in particular, have cultivated an enviable reputation and given time, he could achieve similar things at Goodison Park.

His fast start illustrated what could be to come throughout his reign, and with the lack of stability that Everton have experienced in the dugout in recent years, Benitez is likely to have a lot of supporters hoping he turns things around soon. Moshiri deciding to sack him after such a long managerial saga only a few months ago would surely only cause more worry at Goodison.

And, in other news…Brands could find Rafa’s next Pablo Aimar at Everton in “very clever” £22.5m-rated ace

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash.

What’s the latest?

In pre-match press conference comments cited by Express & Star journalist Liam Keen, Bruno Lage revealed that left-back Fernando Marcal will once again be unavailable for selection for the visit of Everton on Monday night, as the 32-year-old is yet to recover from a calf injury which ruled him out of last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

In his tweet, Keen said: “Bruno Lage presser is underway and we start with injury news: ‘Boly is back but Marcal is not ready’.”

Lage will be gutted

While it is indeed true that Rayan Ait-Nouri impressed while filling in for Marcal in the draw at Elland Road last week, the Brazilian very much appears to be Lage’s first choice at left wing-back, so his absence on Monday is sure to have left the 45-year-old feeling gutted.

While further Premier League game-time for Ait-Nouri will undoubtedly help in the 20-year-old’s development as a first team regular, it would be naive to suggest that Marcal has not impressed over his eight top-flight fixtures so far this season.

Indeed, the £1.62m-rated man has helped his side to keep two clean sheets, as well as making 1.5 interceptions, 2.9 tackles and 1.9 clearances and winning five duels per game, as per SofaScore.

These returns have seen the £29k-per-week left-back earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.86, ranking him as Wolves’ joint 11th-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, Marcal’s injury will certainly come as a blow to the Portuguese boss, who will undoubtedly be hoping to put right the disappointment of conceding a last-minute equaliser against Leeds when Everton come to Molineux tomorrow night.

In other news: Wolves handed major boost over “special” £41k-p/w beast, Bruno Lage will be buzzing

While things at Wolverhampton Wanderers have undoubtedly improved under the leadership of Bruno Lage in recent weeks, with the club picking up ten points from a possible 15 over their last five Premier League fixtures, Ruben Neves’ injury prior to Saturday’s 1-1 draw highlighted something of a problem for the 45-year-old manager.

Indeed, with Lage currently only having the options of Neves, Leander Dendoncker, Joao Moutinho and the injured Bruno Jordao in central midfield, the position is one in which the Portuguese boss lacks significant depth.

However, rather than spending big in the January transfer window on a fresh face in the middle of the park, it would be wise for Lage to consider recalling Connor Ronan from his loan spell at St. Mirren, as the midfielder has highly impressed during his temporary stint at the SMISA Stadium.

Indeed, over the 23-year-old’s six Scottish Premiership appearances for Jim Goodwin’s side, the £405k-rated man has scored three goals and registered one assist, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots and making 1.3 key passes per game. That’s led to Goodwin describing him as “outstanding.”

And, while the Scottish top flight is undoubtedly a completely different standard to Premier League football, Ronan’s return of three goals and one assist would nevertheless rank him as the top scorer and joint top assist maker out of Wolves’ current midfielders, while his average of 1.5 shots and 1.3 key passes per game would also rank him first and second in the Wolves midfielder rankings.

Furthermore, it is not only the number of goals the £4.4k-per-week academy prospect has bagged that have made him stand out, but also the quality of his strikes – as his most recent finish against Rangers earned praise from both Tim Spiers and Talking Wolves on Twitter, with the latter dubbing the midfielder’s long-range thunderbolt as a “beauty.”

As such, with Wolves lacking in both goals and assists from the middle of the park, it would indeed appear smart for Lage to consider bringing the 24-year-old back to Molineux this winter, as Ronan could end up saving Fosun millions in transfer fees.

In other news: Nixon drops worrying claim on “authoritative” £62k-p/w ace, Wolves fans will be gutted

Everton fans on social media have been left pleased with their third round draw in the Carabao Cup.

As shared by the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, they have been drawn away from home to Queens Park Rangers for a place in the fourth round of the competition.

Considering that teams from the Premier League who are involved in Europe came into this next round, along with the many other sides from the top flight they could have drawn, the Merseyside club have done well to draw a club outside of the top flight.

They should be favourites to get through against QPR, and thus hopefully progress into the next round and really go for the trophy in order to try and give new manager Rafa Benitez some silverware in his debut season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-5/” title=”Everton updates! (5)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Everton fans on cup draw

These Toffees supporters were left pleased as the Carabao Cup draw was announced on Twitter, with one Blue claiming that they were ‘happy’ with it:

“Winnable. Can’t ask for anything more. Hopefully a few new faces in for it”

Credit: @ItsOnlyJk

“Sounds good to me. Keep it going!!”

Credit: @DarthVGaming

“COYB”

Credit: @AlexClerc_EFC

“What a draw that is”

Credit: @jamietierney_78

“I’m happy with that draw”

Credit: @Adamefc95

“Got lucky with this one”

Credit: @IAToffees

In other news, find out which confirmed exit has Evertonians fuming here!

Everton are on a dire run of form and Rafa Benitez has been not been dealt any favours when it comes to injuries at Goodison Park.

According to The Athletic, Richarlison is set to be out for a number of weeks with a calf tear after he was substituted in the second half of the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Toffees have lost seven of their last nine Premier League matches, having won just five of their 16 matches in the division this season.

Revival

They are in desperate need of something to kickstart their revival under the Spaniard and Richarlison’s injury could open up the door for the spark they need to come in. Ellis Simms could be called up from the academy to come in and make his senior bow.

The 20-year-old is yet to make his first-team debut for Everton but his record in the youth teams and out on loan suggests that he has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Blues.

He scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 24 League One games for Blackpool last term and has scored 55 goals for the Toffees across the U18’s and U23’s, meaning he has 65 career strikes to his name at senior and youth level combined.

In the 2018/19 campaign, he scored a sensational 32 goals in 21 under-18 Premier League matches – scoring 41 times in 44 games at that age bracket overall. Since moving up to the 23’s, he has scored 17 in 37 outings – with his loan spell with the Tangerines coming last season.

Everton U23s Assistant John Ebbrell previously heaped praise on the young attacker, saying:

“What I do know with Ellis, if he ends up one-vs-one with the goalkeeper, he’s scoring.

“From experience, I know if you have time to think for that finish it can be difficult but Ellis is really calm and composed in those situations. He very rarely misses.”

His goalscoring statistics and Ebbrell’s comments on his finishing suggest that he could be able to make the grade in the first-team if he is given a chance by Benitez in the coming weeks. Richarlison’s injury could be the perfect opportunity to throw him in at the deep end to see if he is able to swim or not.

If Simms is able to come in and score goals at Premier League level then it could kickstart Everton’s revival and see them begin to move up to the part of the table where they want to be, rather than struggling in the bottom half.

AND in other news, “What I’m hearing…”: Greg O’Keeffe drops big Everton update, fans surely buzzing…

Shields Gazette reporter Liam Kennedy has confirmed Newcastle United are looking to sign Hamza Choudhury before the transfer window slams shut.

It appears as though the Magpies are closing in on their first signing of the summer after the club agreed a fee in excess of £20million for Arsenal’s Joe Willock.

The midfielder is set to head to St James’ Park on a permanent basis after enjoying a successful loan spell with Newcastle last season. During his temporary stay on Tyneside, Willock became the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League outings.

But Magpies boss Steve Bruce wants to strengthen his midfield further by poaching Leicester City’s Choudhury, who saw a loan move to Newcastle fall through at the end of the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old made just four Premier League starts last term and Kennedy has revealed the central midfielder remains on Bruce’s wishlist after narrowly missing out earlier this year.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “He is a player who hasn’t ever come off the wanted list. He was a hair’s breadth away from signing in January on a loan deal.

“Hamza Choudhury is a player that Steve Bruce rates and they were very close to signing. They thought it would happen but Brendan Rodgers pulled the plug in January and kept him on at Leicester.”