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Leeds United will again be without Robin Koch and Diego Llorente for their Premier League clash with West Ham this weekend.

The Lowdown: Crucial weekend clash

The Whites have made a disappointing start to their season, failing to win any of their opening five league games and losing two of them.

On Saturday afternoon, Marcelo Bielsa’s side welcome the Hammers to Elland Road, as they look to finally get their campaign going.

Leeds have been dogged by injury problems of late, playing a part in their struggles, and they will again be without a number of important figures at the back this weekend.

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The Latest: Hay confirms defenders are out

As well as Patrick Bamford missing the 3pm meeting on Saturday, the Whites will also be without Llorente and Koch, who missed the trip to Newcastle.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, The Athletic‘s Phil Hay delivered a six-word verdict of “Bamford, Koch and Llorente all out”, with Bielsa having to make do with major deficiencies at the back once more.

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The Verdict: Crushing blow

This is another big setback for Leeds, with Koch and Llorente’s respective absences meaning Bielsa has a lack of centre-back options at his disposal – Luke Ayling is also a doubt.

Pascal Struijk is still suspended after picking up a red card against Liverpool earlier this month, so Liam Cooper is the only established available player in that position.

It means Ayling will likely start in the centre again if he is fit, with Stuart Dallas showcasing his versatility at right-back. If the former does not pass a late fitness test however, then it could be dire straits, perhaps with Kalvin Phillips slotting back from midfield, which will of course have a knock-on effect further up the pitch.

In other news, a pundit has made a statement regarding Leeds’ interest in one player. Read more here.

It seems that football has been around for ever and has come along way to the multi-million pound transfers that we see now. The game has its roots firmly stuck in mid-nineteenth-century England. Earlier versions of the game do exist but are not quite the same as the game that we have all grown to love today. The precursors to what would one day become football originate in Mesoamerican cultures more than 3,000 years ago. The ancient Aztecs used the word “tchatali” to describe the game, which by 1600 BC had spread far and wide across the Americas. Some Mesoamerican cultures conducted elaborate rituals of sacrifice and splendour. In their ancient traditions the football represented the sun, so in order to appease the gods, a sacrifice was made – in most cases the losing team’s captain!

One of the reasons why Mesoamerican culture had such an appetite for football goes far beyond chance. The landscape at the time was covered by vast swathes of rubber trees, which gave the indigenous cultures everything they needed for a sustained exploration into the game. It was only after first contact was made by European colonists that they discovered the staggering benefits of the rubber tree and along with it the football.

Let’s Not Forget China

China has records dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC that detail a popular kicking game. It was called “cuju” and like the Mesoamerican version seemed to have religious and cultural importance. The ball was made out of a type of stitched leather and was generally stuffed with animal fur or feathers. The game consisted of a small square, usually etched onto an elaborately decorated paving stone, with the objective being to “score” a goal. The Chinese Han dynasty is credited with inventing the first goalpost-like openings, providing the basic structure and netting practises we see today.

One of the reasons why European civilisations of the time were not holding football with significant cultural importance is likely because the Ancient Greeks prohibited ball games in their amphitheatres. So the humble ball was banned from the larger arenas and was confined to the back alleys of the burgeoning city of Athens. The problem was the stigma attached to football; the game was seen as a sport for the lower classes. The fall of Ancient Greece saw the rise of Roman dominance in Europe. The Romans had an affinity for football and found the game amusing. They exported the game to Britain, along with much of Europe, who all developed their own versions. Surviving Roman texts and manuscripts speak fondly of the game and described epic matches taking place on palace grounds. These matches are described as lavish occasions with the whole family taking part in the fun. The game would have been played on top ornate mosaic tiles, which depicted the grandeur of the families playing their own versions of ancient football.

Punching Not Kicking

It is more than likely that the first versions of football saw players using their fists to punch the ball. The game saw dramatic development during the 12th century and was most likely played on streets and meadows before a designated pitch would become the norm. Football during this period was a lot more hands-on than it is today. Without many rules, the game often spun into complete chaos, with multiple football-related brawls recorded throughout the ages. The resulting violence of the daily brawls may have been a direct reason why using hands would eventually be outlawed. The lawmakers at the time often associated the sport with drunkenness and tomfoolery, so removed the use of one’s hands to provide some much-needed respite.

Football as we know it today was conceived by Charles Goodyear in 1844, after filing a patent for the invention of vulcanised rubber. For a while, there was no formal difference between football and rugby. This caused a problem for both the football association and the rugby union who wanted clear distinction to be made between the two sports in order for them to happily coexist. The guidelines at this time were sparse, which resulted in several different versions simultaneously hitting the streets of eighteenth-century England. There was a call for proper rules to be developed during a meeting in Cambridge during the winter of 1848. The administration set out to establish the fundamental rules and principles that would go on to govern the game. Everything from ethics, game length, and team size were all discussed, and a uniform structure was agreed upon.

Some of the first bets to take place in England during the 1800s were likely to have been informal in nature. This means that these bets took place between friends, with little or no securities for their wagers. This soon developed into often illegal back-alley bookmakers who would happily take bets on upcoming football matches. Fixed-odds sports betting wasn’t legal during this period and could land you a hefty fine and significant jail time. The football odds and bets we place today, and so love by the way, evolved over time, just as football itself has done over the course of many centuries.

The agent of Donny van de Beek has revealed that he was in talks with Everton in regards to a move during the transfer window, but a switch was vetoed by Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Business done on final day

On the final day of the transfer window, the Toffees completed the signing of Salomon Rondon from Dalian Professional.

However, it seems that they also were interested in capturing the services of the £27m-valued Netherlands international (Transfermarkt) from the Red Devils.

The Latest: Van de Beek speaks to Toffees

Speaking to Ziggo Sport (via The Daily Express), Van de Beek’s representative Guido Albers revealed talks with the Merseyside club. He said:

“We took the initiative to find a club and our search ended up at Everton. We opened talks with Marcel Brands and Farhad Moshiri.

“On Monday night [before deadline day] we received a call from Solskjær and the club who told us that a transfer was out of the question and that he had to report himself to training the next morning.

“The perspective now is that we stated that Donny is not a Carabao Cup player, or FA Cup player, or to play only in European games.”

The Verdict: Crying shame

Although he made the move to Old Trafford from Ajax in September 2020 for a fee of £35m (BBC), Van de Beek has had to make do with a bit-part role at the club. He managed just 36 appearances in all competitions last season, the majority of which came from the bench, and he has yet to feature for a single minute in the current campaign (Transfermarkt).

He has often impressed whenever he has featured, though, with Owen Hargreaves calling him “close to perfect” after a match in the Champions League against Istanbul Basaksehir last autumn.

At Everton, you would have thought he would be close to a guaranteed starter under Rafael Benitez. While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may eventually be ready to incorporate the midfielder into his plans, it feels like a transfer would have been the 24-year-old’s best chances of playing regularly, and he would have brought plenty of quality to Goodison Park judging by Hargreaves’ glowing praise.

In other news, Everton also wanted to sign this England international during the transfer window.

Crystal Palace are weighing up the future of on-loan forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to TEAMtalk.

Their report on Wednesday led to a number of Eagles fans sharing their thoughts on social media.

TEAMtalk claim that Patrick Vieira is considering ending Mateta’s loan early as he has other targets lined up.

The 24-year-old made the move to Selhurst Park back in January on an 18-month loan with the option to buy next summer.

Mateta, on £32,000-a-week with parent club Mainz, has scored just once in his seven competitive games as a Palace player.

Vieira has been busy when it comes to signings this summer but is yet to bring in a striker, and it appears as if Mateta’s future in London is up in the air.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared TEAMtalk’s claim regarding Mateta on Twitter on Wednesday.

This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with many seemingly wanting the Frenchman to stay.

“Wow!”Credit: @ianace0″Would be harsh to terminate this one. I feel Mateta has a lot to prove and is desperate to score goals for us”Credit: @Alexjackd”Don’t.”Credit: @cpfcboiling”Not surprising! Shows we are after someone else if true though!”Credit: @SeanPalace21″NO”Credit: @cosmoreed”I dont really want to unless the guy who comes in is really good. Mateta is class and your gonna bin him off after 1 pre season”Credit: @HAZZAMATTAZZ1

In other news: ‘Only we would do this’ – Lot of Palace fans react to ‘epic’ club post. 

Some Wolves fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Odsonne Edouard.

As per The Daily Telegraph, the Midlands club are one of a number of teams in the Premier League that have considered signing the Celtic striker in the summer window, along with Leicester City, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.

Edouard is a player who is likely looking to make the step up from the Scottish Premiership, having scored no fewer than 22 goals and supplied a further six assists in 40 games in total over all competitions across the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Molineux faithful could do with another experienced player up top to cover or play alongside Raul Jimenez, and the French 23-year-old may well fit the bill.

Wolves fans on Edouard transfer update

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update on Edouard was shared by Talking Wolves on their Twitter page:

“YESSSS”

Credit: @Ethan74917547

“Tears in my eyes”

Credit: @TobyMarshall__

“Yes. Yes. And twice on Sunday’s.”

Credit: @PaulLappage

“I beg of you get him in, I know we need players in other areas but I love him”

Credit: @Millenwwfc

“Get it done Jeff”

Credit: @JStanley_wwfc

“This would be an excellent signing. I’ve been wanting Edouard at Wolves for ages!”

Credit: @amarsmusicshow

In other news, find out what pre-Tottenham news has Wanderers fuming here!

Former Premier League defender Steve Howey thinks Jerome Boateng could have a Thiago Silva-like impact at Tottenham if he joined the north London club this summer.

Boateng is currently a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of his contract and The Athletic recently suggested a move to Tottenham would make a lot of sense.

Last summer, it was Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea who decided to snap up a high-profile centre-back on a free transfer when they signed Silva and it paid dividends.

The 36-year-old, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain, went on to help Chelsea win the Champions League and secure a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.

For Howey, if Tottenham brought in Boateng this transfer window, then they could be getting their own Silva.

“Look what Chelsea did with the lad at the back, Thiago Silva,” the ex-Newcastle central defender said in an exclusive interview with TT. “Very experienced and I thought he did quite well for Chelsea at the back end of the season.

“Boateng, we all know what he’s about and how good he is. So, of course, it could certainly be an option for Tottenham.”

German journalist Christian Falk reported back in April that Spurs were interested in signing Boateng going into this transfer window, so perhaps that is one they revisit if they cannot sign their other centre-back targets and the German is still available.

Manchester United have suffered a potential blow in their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been strongly linked with a move for the 24-year-old in recent weeks as United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to strengthen his first team squad.

However, Neves has now hinted that he would instead be happy to remain at Molineux next season after expressing his eagerness to work under new boss Bruno Lage.

“He (Lage) is a very good coach. I am really happy to work with him,” he told Wolves TV (as reported by The Mirror).

“I spoke with a few friends when he signed for Wolves – that were players in Benfica and are good friends of mine – and they said a lot of good things about him.

“I can see it now. He’s a very good coach with lots of good ideas. I think that when things are completely together, we’ll be a really hard team to beat.”

Solskjaer will be gutted

After arriving on English shores four years ago, Neves has played a key part in Wolves’ recent success, making 176 appearances for the Midlands outfit. He has helped the club claim the Championship title, record two consecutive seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League, reach the FA Cup semi-finals and the Europa League quarter-finals since his arrival.

Neves has cultivated a reputation for scoring the odd spectacular goal, while also showcasing an impressive array of passing throughout his career, earning praise from several pundits.

“It’s a magnificent pass; he’s a terrific player,” Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports (as per Daily Mail) in July 2020.

“I’m such a fan of Neves and the way he can just control the midfield. He can defend, he can attack, he’s so talented. He can do it at Wolves, but I think he’s going right to the top of the game; it’s effortless for him.”

With Paul Pogba yet to commit his future to United, Solskjaer is thought to be in the market for a new central midfielder this summer. Therefore, news that the £40.5m-rated Neves is looking forward to working under Lage at Wolves rather than clamouring for a move to Manchester will surely leave the Norwegian feeling gutted.

If Pogba departs Old Trafford over the coming months, then the 20-time English champions will need a readymade replacement. With Neves scoring more league goals and winning more tackles and interceptions per game than the Frenchman in 2020/21, he could well have been the ideal candidate, but his desire to remain in the Midlands may well put him out of Solskjaer’s reach.

In other news… Ole must move £7.2m-rated Man Utd ace this summer, he’s not been good enough so far 

There will be a lot of interest in Liverpool man and West Brom target Harry Wilson, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Wilson does not look to be in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans after multiple loan spells away from Anfield and he is now being linked with a move to West Brom.

According to Goal, the Baggies are interested in signing the 24-year-old attacker after a successful campaign in the Championship with Cardiff City last season.

In 37 appearances, he scored seven goals, including a brilliant hat-trick against Birmingham City, and provided 11 assists.

It makes him an appealing option for a second-division side like West Brom, though Hatfield has warned that the Midlands club face a lot of competition for his signature.

“I think there’ll be plenty of clubs interested in him with his clear track record of playing at Championship level,” Hatfield told TT.

“I suppose it depends on what the player wants, too. Does he finally want to depart for pastures where he’ll be playing week in, week out for good? What level does he see himself playing at? Does he fancy himself in the Premier League?

“There are a lot of interesting factors with that one it’s fair to say, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Albion were linked with players like that.”

Wilson also had a very good campaign back in the 2018/19 season with Derby County, where he scored 16 times, so the Wales international has certainly proved himself at this level.

Liverpool could form a dream attacking duo next season after being linked with a move for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr.

What’s the story?

The 23-year-old first attracted the attention of Jurgen Klopp last summer, with both the Reds and Manchester United reportedly making approaches to take Sarr on loan with a view to a permanent deal, although the Hornets refused as they preferred an outright sale.

However, according to 90min.com, Liverpool are now prepared to pay up to £40m for the Senegal international, who is aware of the interest and has told the Watford hierarchy that he wants to leave.

Imagine him and Salah

Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new forward over the current window after seeing Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggle for form throughout last season.

The German could revive his interest in Sarr following a string of impressive performances from Watford’s record signing since his arrival on English shores two years ago.

During his single campaign in the Premier League back in 2019/20, he bagged five goals and provided six assists in 28 appearances, earning praise from the likes of Gary Neville, who labelled him “a big, big talent”.

Unsurprisingly, Sarr improved on those figures in the Championship last term, playing a pivotal part as Watford earned promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking. After racking up 23 goal contributions in 2020/21, it’s easy to understand why Liverpool are reportedly contemplating making another move for the £19.8m-rated gem.

While Sarr’s Senegalese compatriot Mane may be entering the twilight years of his career, the 23-year-old Watford man has yet to reach his peak, and the prospect of the ever-prolific Mohamed Salah on the opposite flank to the speed demon is a daunting image for any defence.

The combination of pace, trickery and finishing ability which Sarr and Salah could bring has the potential to fire Liverpool back to the summit of English football, so director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a swoop for the Hornets maestro this summer.

In other news… Liverpool plot big-money bid for “complete” £60m machine, Jurgen Klopp will be elated 

Goalkeeper Sergio Romero is considering a contract offer from Everton, according to a report from Football Insider. 

The lowdown

Romero is to leave Manchester United after being named on the Red Devils’ released list, six years on from his arrival.

Football Insider claim the veteran Argentine fell out with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season after being denied a move away in search of more playing time.

Predominantly a back-up option, Romero only made seven Premier League appearances during his time at Old Trafford.

Everton’s pursuit of the 34-year-old may indicate that Robin Olsen will not be joining permanently.

Olsen provided cover and competition for the Blues’ no. 1 Jordan Pickford during his season-long loan from AS Roma.

The latest

Everton have tabled what’s described as a ‘lucrative contract’ as they look to secure a long-term target, claims Football Insider’s Toffees source.

They unsuccessfully pursued a loan move for Romero last summer, with United reluctant to strengthen a possible rival.

But it’s not guaranteed that the Blues will get their man this time either amid ‘competing interest from top European clubs’.

The verdict

Back-up goalkeepers don’t get much better than Romero, who consistently delivered when called upon by United, being hailed by fans and teammates alike – Eric Bailly called the shot-stopped an ‘immense talent’.

So whilst this would be really strong business from Everton, it’d be a difficult move to understand from the player’s perspective.

If he was frustrated to be confined to a squad role at United, why would he accept the same at Everton?

Jordan Pickford’s excellent form in 2021 has surely made him the undisputed no. 1 at Goodison Park, and it feels unlikely Romero would bump him off the top of the pecking order.

Perhaps the explanation is that Romero doesn’t mind the lifestyle of a no. 2, earning his keep without being placed under significant pressure, but just wants a change of scenery from Old Trafford.

In other news, fans raged over this image.