Bielsa was happy to bring home three points after the team’s win at the weekend. Leeds beat rock-bottom side Norwich City on Halloween afternoon.

Ireland’s Andrew Omobamidele got a comeback goal for the Canary’s but Raphinha and Rodrigo strikes were enough for the Whites to clinch a victory. This win now puts the club in 17th place level on points with Watford and Aston Villa.

With only two wins in ten matches, most Leeds fans will not be happy with their start of the season. Now the club will look for new signings in the winter transfer window to bolster their squad and fix their problems.

Raul de Tomas

Leeds will join a transfer battle with Tottenham Hotspur for Espanyol forward Raul de Thomas. The 27-year-old striker has made a big impression in La Liga in the last few seasons.

He has scored six goals and got two assists in 11 appearances so far this season. He has an estimated transfer value of just under €15 million so he could prove to be a good deal for the Yorkshire club.

Leeds’ main man Patrick Bamford spent much of the last few months on the injury table. This problem has taught Bielsa an important lesson in Premier League management. The Spaniard relied too heavily on Bamford last season and has not found a suitable replacement for him.

RDT delivers once again!

Espanyol take the lead just before half time through Raúl de Tomás pic.twitter.com/VM1NuyaqW7

— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) October 18, 2021

John Swift

Bielsa is also looking to improve his midfield line. The club has shown interest in signing Reading’s talismanic central midfielder Swift.

They will need to fight with Brentford and Newcastle for the Englishman’s signature. The 26-year-old has an estimated transfer value of just over €4 million but probably will go for more in January.

He has found the net eight times and provided six assists in 15 appearances in the Championship this year.

Swift would be a very welcome addition to Bielsa’s team, giving a much-needed rest to Dallas, Klich, and Rodrigo.

John swift… that’s it pic.twitter.com/tz8nVSOmmV

— Josh Laurent (@JoshLaurent28) September 11, 2021

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This move sounds very familiar. Arsenal are interested in a young, fierce defensive midfielder that plays for Borussia Monchengladbach and the Switzerland national team.

Although former captain Granit Xhaka has split the opinions of much of the Gunners fanbase there is no doubt that Zakaria is a very promising talent.

The 24-year-old born in Genf in Switzerland has been a very bright spark in the Monchengladbach defense since he broke onto the scene a few years ago.

He is currently valued at around €30 million but BILD reports that could be looking to sign a pre-contract with the player. His contract runs out at the end of the next season so this deal would suit each club best.

According to @cfbayern, #Arsenal are 'hot' for Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria. pic.twitter.com/ddDnXhUwKg

— Gurjit (@GurjitAFC) October 27, 2021

This is not the first time that the London club have been linked with the midfielder. Arsenal attempted to sign Zakaria during the summer transfer window but a deal did not materialize.

The Swiss player made a good start to the season, scoring two goals in seven league games. These are strong numbers for a player capable of playing center back as well as central midfield.

Last season was not as productive for the Swiss man. He only made 15 starts and scored one goal as Monchengladbach finished eighth.

The young player first made his name at Servette in Switzerland before moving to Young Boys. He has been with the Gladbach since 2017, making 136 appearances.

Mikel Arteta will have to compete with Athletico Madrid and AS Roma if they want his signature. This could be a very promising move for Arsenal if they can pull it through.

6ft3 tall, quick and can play in a 4 3 3 defensive role plus in 2 men midfield. Should we sign Denis Zakaria ? pic.twitter.com/Ks5rK32138

— BFA (@FlertBFA) October 27, 2021

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Championship leaders Bournemouth are looking to strengthen their chances of reaching the Premier League next season with their new signing. Robbie Brady has been without a club since the summer transfer window after he was released by former club Burnley.

Four months on and the Irish winger has now found a new home in the Championship. Since he was a free agent, he signed for nothing in a deal that will last until the end of the season.

Next summer, they will discuss a new contract and if the club is happy to keep the player on long-term.

Brady has said that he turned down the opportunity to play for other clubs because he was so impressed with Scott Parker’s team.

Speaking to Bournemouth’s website, Brady said:

“For where I’m at now and my idea of wanting to get back playing football, this is a better opportunity that most to come and play.

“From watching the manager and seeing the style of football he plays, I think it will suit me.

“Hopefully I can help the club going forward. It is a good opportunity and I think it’s going to be a good fit.”

Welcome to #afcb, Robbie Brady pic.twitter.com/IXkpg1iuHs

— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) October 18, 2021

How will Brady fit in at Bournemouth?

It is obvious that the Irishman would bring a very different style of play to the club than their current wingers. Brady is not a fast player but has a very keen eye for long passes and short dribbles.

The 29-year-old still made 12 league starts for Burnley last season, scoring once and assisting once. He was never known for being a great goal threat in his career. His best season consisted of four goals and four assists while in the Championship in 2017.

The Dublin man will hope that he can find new life while in the Championship and push himself back into Stephen Kenny’s setup for the remaining World Cup qualifiers.

ON THIS DAY…

4⃣ years ago, Robbie Brady did this and we still get shivers up our spine!

v #COYBIG #OTD#OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/aK9VlQQTVl

— FAIreland (@FAIreland) June 22, 2020

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Roman Abramovich has spoken optimistically about the chances that Eden Hazard will return to his club. According to outlet El Nacional, the Belgian winger will try to rejoin Chelsea by the start of next season.

There are high hopes of the deal going through with Abramovich ‘increasingly convinced’ of the star’s return to Stamford Bridge.

Hazard left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 for a price of around €100 million with plans of becoming the new Ronaldo figure at the club. Injuries and what seems to be a lack of motivation have really hampered his chances at the club.

In his first two seasons at the club, he could not manage more than 15 starts in the league, only getting 4 goals and five assists in total. This year has not started much better with him picking up a muscle injury on international duty.

Even if he is not sold for much, the club will want him off their wage bill. Hazard’s highly lucrative deal will last for another two years so it is best that they sell him now.

"When I am finished here in Madrid, I will come back to Chelsea. They are doing well, they are young.

I do my job here and I return."

– Eden Hazard in 2019 pic.twitter.com/DXDZfID7H9

— Sporting Index (@sportingindex) October 11, 2021

How would the deal work out?

If the deal happened, Madrid will want Chelsea to part with a reported €40 million. This would be a €60 million profit for the Blues but is it still worth their money.

There is another option on the cards for the London club. Rumors have circulated that Real Madrid would be interested in a swap deal where right-back Reece James would move to Spain.

This option would help the Galacticos with their defensive options. Their main starter Dani Carvajal has been hit with spells of injuries in recent years. James would be a great steal for the club if he can get over the language barrier.

Although the move is unlikely, it is of much interest and debate amongst the Chelsea fans.

Eden Hazard in his prime was just unplayable pic.twitter.com/ANv0Hh9Ius

— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) October 12, 2021

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Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso has confirmed to the press that Vlahovic and his agent have not accepted any of the club’s contract extensions so far.

It is still very early in the season so the owner has said that they will try to find ‘feasible, appropriate solutions’ to his negotiations.

The Serbian international has shown some great quality this year at the club. The Gunners already showed interest in the forward with rumours in the summer that they would attempt to buy him.

Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano made his opinion clear that he did not think the deal would go through. This will still not stop Arsenal from trying to complete the deal this January or summer.

You can hear the Atalanta fans chanting towards Vlahovic “Zingaro” (Gypsy) while he was interviewed.

This is quite sad as it’s not needed. This shouldn’t be tolerated but once again Serie A did nothing. Very sad.

pic.twitter.com/BrEjGHv56e

— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) October 5, 2021

Vlahovic is a 21-year-old Serbian forward that has spent three years at the Florence club. Standing at just under 6’3”, he has proved to be a problem for many defenders in Serie A.

So far this year he has scored four league goals and got an assist in seven games. This puts him on track to equal his tally of 21 goals last season.

The left-footed striker has an estimated value of €42 million but most Premier League clubs will try to get him for cheaper. With only a year and a half left on his contract, Fiorentina will want to get their money’s worth by the end of this year.

Arsenal is still on the hunt for a new star striker. So far this season, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that Alexandre Lacazette is not in the club’s long-term plans.

The Gunners will now want a decent replacement for the 30-year-old Frenchman. Reports have said that the club is also interested in signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ollie Watkins.

For now, Arteta will focus on the team he has at the moment to get a high finish in this year’s league.

21 – Dusan #Vlahovic has scored the most goals (21) in Serie A in 2021. Predator. pic.twitter.com/MpOxA4ZeKv

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 5, 2021

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The Stamford Bridge outfit is looking to improve its youth academy setup. Tezgel currently plies his trade for Stoke City U18s but has already been compared to the England captain, Harry Kane.

According to the Daily Mail, the Championship side will be struggling to hold onto their prized prospect this season as a few Premier League clubs will want his signature.

The report suggests that Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City all want the teenager. Each club is continuing to track the centre forwards progression.

Stunner from Emre Tezgel against Portugal u17 last night!

Plays for Stoke City pic.twitter.com/dfeizDhOqu

— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) September 6, 2021

Why does everyone want Emre Tezgel?

The teenage striker only turned 16 in September but has been causing a stir at Stoke for some time.

He scored seven goals in his first five games for the youth team in the Under-18 Premier League. These goals also included a hattrick against Liverpool in recent weeks.

After these performances, the Burton-born forward was called up to the England U17 team. For the Three Lions, he scored four goals in three matches during their September international break.

Stoke face fight to keep 16-year-old starlet Emre Tezgel with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City tracking striker likened to Harry Kane.

– @MailSport pic.twitter.com/g4TFlT2Jw2

— Simon Phillips (@siphillipssport) October 6, 2021

These statistics surely make Tezgel one of the brightest talents in the English youth leagues. Soon he will have to decide if he thinks Stoke City is the right place to progress his career.

Although not many players get the chance to progress from the youth side to the Premier League first team, some Chelsea players have shown it is possible.

If Tezgel chooses to move to Stamford Bridge then he will hope to follow the paths of Reece James, Billy Gilmour and Mason Mount.

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Mikel Arteta is still in the rebuilding process at the Gunners. After a very shaky start, they are now unbeaten in four games in the league and now sit in 11th place only six points off the leaders.

The Spaniard spent around £150 million in the summer transfer window a few months ago. That money brought him a centre half and midfielder in Ben White and Martin Odegaard but he failed to secure another striker.

The club has relied heavily on their aging forwards who have shown patchy form in recent months. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back in the goalscoring charts but his partner Alexandre Lacazette is struggling to get on the starting team.

The 30-year-old Frenchman has only appeared in two league games this season and with only one year left on his contract, it is very unlikely that it will be renewed. Last year, he scored 13 goals in 31 games so it would still be possible to sell him in January. Otherwise, the player will most likely leave for free in June.

Expecting a goal from @LacazetteAlex @arsenal #ARSTOT#NorthLondonDerby pic.twitter.com/E76cfT9yKL

— Thee Trendeneur❁︎ (@ItsTheeRay) September 26, 2021

How will they replace Lacazette?

Instead, the Gunners have already started looking at younger English alternatives to replace him.

The two men that the club wants to pick between would be Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Both players are 25 or younger and scored more than Lacazette did last season.

Arsenal’s main problem is that they cannot promise European football to these players that want to further their careers. Going by last season’s results, Arsenal would be a step up for the young players but they have both shown enough quality to get called up for England’s national team along with Champions League winners.

Although this so far is still only an unlikely rumor, the more probable signing for Arsenal would be Watkins.

Calvert-Lewin is the star striker at Everton and has grown up in their ranks. Watkins, on the other hand, is now in competition with the new signing Danny Ings and has only been at the club for two years.

The English striker would be a very promising signing for Arsenal. He will be able to partner or compete with Aubameyang for a striker position.

Would you prefer Calvert-Lewin or Watkins to replace Lacazette? #AFC pic.twitter.com/6LpfctJVPX

— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) October 5, 2021

For now, Arsenal will focus on their next game in the league. They play Crystal Palace at home at 20:00 on Monday 18th October.

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The Reds have signed the 24-year-old for the 2021/2022 season in hopes of bulking up their squad.

The hooker was born in New Zealand but lived most of his life in Australia. He first made a name for himself while he was playing for Sydney University Rugby Club.

He signed for Melbourne Rebels in 2020 but failed to make an appearance in any competition for them. He will now compete with Niall Scannell, Kevin O’Byrne, and Diarmuid Barron for the number two shirt in Thomond Park.

The young forward can also qualify for Ireland but will need to prove himself before being handed the green shirt.

SIGNED Congratulations to Declan Moore who signs with @Munsterrugby after a stellar season in the blue and gold! #upthestudents @theshuteshield pic.twitter.com/3OtJlchvEm

— Sydney University Football Club (@SUFC1863) September 14, 2021

Munster are now preparing for their first competitive game of the season against Cell C Sharks. The game will kick off on Saturday, 25th September at home in Limerick for the United Rugby Championship.

The club has very few injury concerns to deal with as Ian Costello has almost a full squad to pick from. Chris Farrell is undergoing rehabilitation for an abdominal injury while RG Snyman and John Hodnett are both following modified training programs and progressing well.

Conor Murray and Tadgh Beirne have now rejoined the squad after taking a break due to being on the British and Irish Lions duty.

Fans are optimistic as they hope that this will be a prosperous year for them with a very talented squad.

As we enter our final week of inter provincial training, we are sincerely grateful to the clubs and schools who facilitated @Munsterrugby squads last week and this @BallincolligRFC @CBC_rugby @CorkConRugby @GarryowenFC @HighfieldRFC @UCCRFC @ULimsport #munsterstartshere pic.twitter.com/AKE0xnImlV

— Keith Murphy (@KeithMurphyCPDM) September 7, 2021

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The team finished in ninth using Bielsa’s distinctive energetic style of play to surprise many teams last year.

The Whites were able to lock down five new and returning players to permanents contracts before the closing of Deadline Day.

5. Kristoffer Klaesson – €2.2 million

This is not necessarily a bad signing but it has excited the Elland Road faithful the least. Leeds signed Klaesson from the Norweigan league side, Valeranga.

The 20-year-old goalkeeper signed for a relatively small amount and is most likely to be the new backup stopper for Leeds behind club favorite Ilan Meslier.

Last season Klaesson made 14 appearances for the Norweigan club, keeping two clean sheets. So far at Leeds, he has found game-time playing for the youth team.

4. Leo Hjelde – €1 million

This is another signing for the future as the 17-year-old is highly rated by his former club Celtic. While on loan last year at Ross County, comparisons were made to star Virgil Van Dijk due to some strong performances.

The deal was only confirmed on Saturday but the defender has already been molded in the Leeds U19 team.

He is yet to make an appearance but has shown his flexibility to play in any position across the backline.

𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄

Leo Hjelde, welcome to Leeds United #LUFC pic.twitter.com/gMIg8jWj0v

— Leeds United Live (@liveleedsunited) August 27, 2021

3. Junior Firpo – €15 million

This was Leeds’ first big new signing of the summer window. Firpo signed from Barcelona where he had mixed three years.

The fans have shown their awe for the Spaniard after he said his love for football was rekindled after weeks in Yorkshire.

The left-back has made appearances in Leeds United’s three opening games but is yet to show his real quality.

Junior Firpo.#LUFC pic.twitter.com/uQB8A7aWZf

— LUFC Photos (@LUFC_Photos_) August 26, 2021

2. Jack Harrison – €16 million

Harrison signing a full-time deal at Leeds was an important move for the club. The Whites already know how good he is after a great season last year in which he scored eight and got eight assists in 36 appearances.

He has joined from Manchester City for a relatively cheap price for a young English winger. At 24 years old he is expected to have a few strong years for Leeds in the future.

1. Daniel James – €29 million

The only player that could excite more than Harrison will also be competing for a position against him. James has signed on Deadline Day for a Leeds transfer record from Manchester United.

Bielsa has been a major admirer of the Welshman before his two-year stint at the Reds and was very close to signing him in 2019. Although he never managed to get a proper run in the United starting lineup, he has still shown his fitness, energy, and tenacity down the wing.

He will now challenge Raphinha and Tyler Roberts for the right-wing spot but is also able to play on the left if needed.

I always wore the @ManUtd shirt with honour and pride.

Thank you to everyone at the club who I have worked with over the last 2 years.

I’ve made fantastic friends and memories, but now is time to move on to the next step.

All the best for the future! pic.twitter.com/vnSBDRekwS

— Daniel James (@Daniel_James_97) August 31, 2021

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The Gunners have agreed to sign Tomiyasu who plays in Serie A with an announcement imminent after his medical.

According to Italian reporter Fabricio Romano, personal terms have been discussed and decided on with Bologna receiving €20 million and a potential €3 million in add-ons. The medical will take place this afternoon in Italy and an official announcement will be made once the player is given the all-clear.

To push the deal through in time, the Gunners have sent a doctor to complete the medical. Arsenal have stolen this deal from under the noses of their biggest rivals Tottenham who were heavily linked with the player.

Takehiro Tomiyasu to Arsenal, agreement reached and here we go! Personal terms agreed and Bologna will receive €20m plus €3m add ons. #AFC #DeadlineDay

Medical during the afternoon and then official announcement. Here-we-go.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2021

Arteta believes that Tomiyasu will fit in perfectly in defensive Arsenal’s setup, being comfortable to play at right-back and centreback.

He appears to be a great player for the future, only 22 years old and willing to play out from the back with either foot. He has made 60 appearances in the league over the last two seasons for the midtable club Bologna. In his mainstay at the side, he also scored three goals and provided three assists.

He also enjoyed his summer playing at the home for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He plays like a defender with ten years of experience at the highest level and now he has a great chance to challenge himself in the Premier League.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is a Gunner! Here's what you need to know about the 22-year-old fullback/center back hybrid. (1/x) pic.twitter.com/TPMewavwcN

— Adam Rae Voge (@adamvoge) August 31, 2021

The Gunners have been in need of more reassurance in their defense this year having conceded nine goals in their first three games of the league. This signing will also give Arteta a chance to offload some players that are no longer needed at the club.

Reports claim that Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles could still leave the club before the closing of the transfer window.

Tomiyasu might make his debut for the club in their next match against Norwich on Saturday 11th September in the Emirates Stadium.

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