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Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe has revealed that he is hopeful of returning to action ‘for the final six or seven games’ of the 2018-19 Championship season.

What’s the latest?

Roofe said on Radio X, via the Yorkshire Evening Post:

“I’ll be back for the final six or seven games, maybe a bit sooner. I suffered damage to my lateral ligament and I’ll be out for six to eight weeks.”

The striker picked up a knee ligament injury during his team’s 2-1 win over Swansea City in the Championship on February 13.

Roofe completed the 90 minutes, but it soon became apparent that he had picked up an issue, which will see him miss a key period of the season.

Leeds have another 14 league games to play this term, starting with a home fixture against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

Roofe has revealed that he is aiming to return ‘for the final six or seven games’, although he is remaining confident that it will be before that.

Which match could mark Roofe’s return?

If Roofe misses Leeds’ next seven Championship matches then he will be back for the trip to Birmingham City on April 6.

The Whites travel to Preston North End after visiting Birmingham, before facing Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic, Brentford, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town in their final five matches of the regular campaign.

The fact that Roofe will miss games against the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Bristol City and Sheffield United is far from ideal.

However, it had been feared at one point that the team’s leading scorer could miss the entirety of the campaign, which will not be the case if everything goes as planned.

Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez would be a ‘fantastic’ signing for Aston Villa in the January transfer window, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Villa linked with Gomez move

Steven Gerrard continued his flying start as Villa manager on Sunday, as his side picked up a fully deserved 2-1 win at home to Leicester City.

Despite the club’s upturn in fortunes, January reinforcements could be required in order to stave off any threat of relegation, instead allowing them to push towards a top-half finish in the Premier League.

One player who has been linked with a move to Villa Park is Gomez, who has struggled for minutes at Liverpool this season, not starting a single league game.

The Latest: Journalist talks up transfer

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed the 24-year-old would be an ideal addition, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the past:

“Oh yeah, for sure. He’s a quality player, obviously an England international pre-injury. He would be a fantastic signing for Villa.”

The Verdict: Would Liverpool let him go?

As Hatfield alludes to, Gomez could be an outstanding signing for Villa, considering he is a Premier League and Champions League winner at the age of just 24, not to mention winning 11 caps for England.

That being said, it is extremely difficult to see Liverpool letting him leave at this point in his career, even though he is behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order currently.

Assuming he overcomes serious injury problems, he has the ability to be a regular for Liverpool again eventually, with Van Dijk and Matip both now 30 and suffering injuries of their own in recent times, meaning the doors may soon be open for Konate and Gomez to lead the way at Anfield.

In other news, some Villa fans slammed one player’s performance against Leicester. Find out who it is here.

A number of West Ham fans have been praising Pablo Fornals after he appeared in his 100th game for the club at the weekend.

The Hammers were held to a 0-0 draw as they faced off against Burnley in an underwhelming performance at Turf Moor. However, there was one positive from the game – fan favourite Fornals racked up a century of appearances for the east London club.

The Spanish midfielder came on as a substitute in the 80th minute, replacing Argentine international Manuel Lanzini.

Despite recently losing his place in the starting XI, the attacking-midfielder remains the Irons’ second highest scorer in the Premier League this season behind centre-forward Michail Antonio,  having scored four times in 16 top-flight appearances during the current campaign.

Fornals has been hailed for his great attitude and hard-working nature. The club’s former defender Tony Gale praised the Spaniard in a recent interview, saying: “I don’t think there’s a fitter man at West Ham. He’s a workaholic, his work rate is phenomenal.”

Since joining the Hammers from Villarreal in 2019 for £24m, the 25-year-old has contributed 14 goals and 13 assists, making himself a near-permanent fixture in the first XI under David Moyes. He is also among the squad’s top performers in terms of tackles, shots and key passes per game, an indication of his all-round value to the team.

Fans flock to praise Fornals

West Ham took to Twitter to congratulate Fornals in a post celebrating the Spaniard making his 100th appearance for the club. Many supporters posted their appreciation for the player’s efforts in response, with one fan hailing him as a “baller”.

Here a flavour of the reactions:

“Hope there’s 100 more to come, what a baller he is”

Credit: @jw12045

“That’s gone so quick”

Credit: @DJS97_

“Quality, Quality player, congratulations Pablo!”

Credit: @rickwhufc

“He’s a future West ham legend”

Credit: @fornalsSZN

“Get him back in the starting eleven plz!”

Credit: @FernsSeniors

“What a signing he’s been!”

Credit: @jlouwnel

In other news: ‘Owners taking cheap shortcuts’ – These West Ham fans fume over David Moyes’ comments

A Rangers transfer update has emerged on Ibrox tank Calvin Bassey as one club eyes him as a potential target…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s young defender could be on the move in the summer transfer market.

It’s understood that Premier League side West Ham are interested in a deal to sign the defender in the summer.

The report claims that they are in the market for a left-footed defender and have been keeping tabs on Bassey since they failed to land him from Leicester in 2020.

Disaster

Ross Wilson must avoid a summer disaster with Bassey, as he cannot allow the young defender to leave Glasgow to sign for the Hammers.

The £6.4k-per-week man mountain has been a key player for van Bronckhorst this season and his exit would be a major blow to the Gers in the short-term. It would also be a huge error from a long-term point of view as he has the potential to improve even further and increase his value.

At the age of 22, he is in the early years of his career and could be worth more after 12-18 months of development, which is why Rangers must not sell him this summer.

Earlier this season, Van Bronckhorst heaped praise on the former Leicester tank for how he has adapted to his change in position. He said:

“I’ve been really impressed with Calvin [Bassey] as he does not have a lot of experience in the central positions. He has a lot of physical strength and we will help him to develop and grow. He is very open to learning and is full of energy.

“I think he has the physical ability to play there and we’re helping him a lot in that position when he has to pass when he has to dribble, the position he has to take when the other defenders got the ball.

“He’s a player who’s very open in learning and he gives a lot of energy into the team. The last two games I’m really happy with the way he played.”

In the Premiership this season, the defender has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95. He has mainly been deployed as a centre-back since the Dutchman came in but he is also able to play at left-back and did so effectively in the recent 5-0 win over Hearts.

Bassey has been a consistent performer on the pitch for the most part, and Wilson must now stand firm and reject interest from the Hammers. He could be a mainstay in the Rangers defence for years to come, and it would be a disaster to lose him so early into his Ibrox career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can save Rangers millions by unleashing “confident” gem who’s “totally at ease”…

Matt Doherty endured another disastrous Tottenham Hotspur outing as the north Londoners crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Antonio Conte was beaten by his former side 3-1 across two legs in the semi-final, leaving him with only the Premier League – where a place in the top four is the target – and the FA Cup left to play for.

And he will surely be reeling by another abject outing from his wing-back.

In the absence of Sergio Reguilon, the £10.8m-rated Irishman was trusted to start once again, even over the more natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon.

That plan lasted only 65 minutes after he was hooked by the Spurs head coach.

It was 20 minutes longer than he lasted in the first leg but it’s evident that Doherty is just not delivering whenever given an opportunity.

Back-up goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was at fault for the Blues’ only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it’s not as if the rest of the squad looked like ever testing the Champions of Europe, so he can’t front the blame.

Players like Doherty badly failed Conte, not for the first time in this case, either.

Wing-backs are crucial to the Italian’s system, so to actually manage fewer touches of the ball (21) than the goalkeeper (24) is appalling. And with what time he did have in possession, he was either lacklustre or weak.

As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old made only 13 passes, failed to deliver a single cross and won none of his ground duels. He also did not register a single tackle or interception.

This train of thought was echoed by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who slammed the defender in his post-match ratings column.

‘Offered no threat down the left flank, frequently cutting inside on his right foot and slowing down attacks. Having struggled at Stamford Bridge, his selection again was strange,’ he wrote.

He was a disaster in the first leg, he was a disaster in the second leg. It’s time for Conte to stop trusting the struggling £74k-per-week calamity.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs have “sounded” out “phenomenal” 35-goal star, fans will be fuming…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Malian striker Moussa Marega…

What’s the talk?

According to Foot Mercato, the Magpies are preparing an offer to sign the centre-forward permanently from Al-Hilal this month.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Everton are also keen, whilst it remains to be seen what the player’s intentions are.

Ba 2.0

Eddie Howe could find Newcastle’s Demba Ba 2.0 in a deal for the forward. He has earned the nickname ‘terminator’ and this is what he could be for the Magpies with his lethal finishing in front of goal potentially helping them to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

Marega has 105 career goals to his name and 72 of those came during a terrific spell with FC Porto in Portugal. He managed 72 goals and 33 assists in 190 games for the Portuguese giants, which works out at a goal contribution every 1.8 matches on average.

The 30-year-old also played for Maritimo and Vitoria in Liga Bwin and produced an impressive 77 strikes and 37 assists in 180 matches in the division for the three clubs combined. This works out at a goal contribution every 1.57 games.

Demba Ba, meanwhile, managed 29 goals and seven assists in 58 games for Newcastle. This means that he popped up with a goal or assist every 1.61 outings on average, which is a remarkably similar rate to the one Marega produced in the Portuguese top-flight – suggesting that he could have a similarly big impact on Tyneside as the Senegalese forward.

Marega was once hailed by Porto boss Sergio Conceicao, with the coach saying:

“A lot of people criticize Marega because they think his technique is not the best, but for me that’s what technique is, the movement he makes, being in the face of the goal with incredible ease, the way he catches the ball when shooting on goal. For me that’s what counts in a player and not juggling, that this is in the circus and we are a football team.”

Newcastle could land their new Ba and goalscoring ‘terminator’ by securing a deal for Marega and Howe must ensure that PIF are able to get a move over the line before the end of the month. His goals and assists could win crucial points for the Magpies and help them in the battle against the drop.

AND in other news, “I’m hearing…”: Journo drops exciting NUFC transfer claim that’ll have fans buzzing…

 An update has emerged on Burnley captain Ben Mee, regarding interest from Newcastle United…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are eyeing up a swoop for the former Manchester City man ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season, with the upcoming window representing Sean Dyche’s final chance to recoup a fee for his services.

Key issue

Eddie Howe could solve a key issue for Newcastle by bringing Mee to St. James’ Park ahead of the second half of the campaign. It is no secret that the club have struggled in the Premier League this season and their defence has been a particular cause for concern.

The Magpies kept their first clean sheet at the weekend, ironically against Burnley, as they also picked up three points for the first time – highlighting their defensive issues up until the weekend. Mee missed out on the game due to a shoulder injury, which meant that Howe was unable to see him up close ahead of January.

However, his performances in the Premier League over the years for the Clarets should be enough to convince the 43-year-old. The defender has been a reliable top-flight performer for a number of years and could come in and provide a lift to the defence.

Dyche previously lauded him as a player who always delivers on the pitch, whilst labelling him as an important member of the squad. The 50-year-old once said:

“He is a very solid campaigner, week in, week out. He is always there for you and delivers and that is a big compliment.

“He is consistent, his values are consistent, a tough-minded fella and a very fair-minded fella and a lot of those qualities don’t just happen off the pitch, they go on the pitch with him.

“He is a player who has been an important part for us and I am sure he will be again.”

In seven full Premier League seasons for Burnley, Mee has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.86 or higher and a score higher than 7.00 in three of those campaigns. This shows that he has consistently performed to an impressive standard in the top-flight over a number of years – indicating that he is an established and proven player at this level.

Therefore, he could come in and improve the United defence with his consistent, solid, displays at centre-back by helping to keep the ball out of Martin Dubravka’s net, having played a part in Burnley keeping 22 clean sheets across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns. This is why Howe must get a deal over the line for the beast.

AND in other news, NUFC could finally replace Ryan Taylor with swoop for “outstanding” £19.8m-rated beast…

This has not been a spectacular first transfer window for Antonio Conte at Tottenham with Fabio Paratici struggling to convince a number of the club’s top targets to join the north London club.

However, with the hours and days now ticking by as we edge ever closer to the deadline, the Lilywhites could still make a few acquisitions.

What’s the word?

Spurs have turned their attentions to Italian football over the last 24 hours with Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur believed to be targets.

However, it’s another of their players who they could sign ‘immediately’ according to reports in Spain.

The man in question is Alvaro Morata who is currently enjoying a stint on loan in Turin from Atletico Madrid.

However, another route could be offered out of the Spanish capital for the ex-Chelsea man via Marca. They suggest that ‘Newcastle and Tottenham have been interested in the striker and they can close an operation immediately if Juve opens the door to the striker.’

Controversial signing

The addition of Morata would be wise from the perspective that it would finally give Conte a back up to Harry Kane, but it would also be controversial due to his recent history.

After all, this is a forward who is far from prolific in front of goal, becoming notorious for his lack of composure inside the penalty area.

He scored just 12 times in 34 outings for Atletico in 2019/20 and then bagged only 11 goals in 32 matches for Juve last term. Then, as a result of his form at the Euros last summer, Gary Neville launched a scathing attack on his abilities, saying: “He’s got that vulnerable look about him, almost like he needs a cuddle.”

A war of words with Mauricio Pochettino back in 2017 may also not lend himself too well to Spurs fans.

The Argentine was thought to be interested in signing him a number of years ago but claimed the Spain international wasn’t keen on playing second fiddle.

The former Spurs boss once commented: “He said to me: ‘Why do you want me if you have Harry Kane?’

“You know, if you go to try to sign a striker, they will say: ‘Eh gaffer, you want me for what?”‘To be on the bench? Because it’s Harry Kane, I cannot compete with Harry Kane or Hugo Lloris or different players.'”This doesn’t exactly paint a promising picture of his potential arrival in London this winter but pivotally, he does have experience of English football with Chelsea, being labelled an “assassin” by Rio Ferdinand.The £31.5m-rated attacker’s knowledge of the Premier League may just be enough to convince the club of a late swoop.AND in other news, Talks opened: Conte could form frightening Spurs unit by signing £40.5m-rated “beast”…

Joe Wainman has taken to Twitter to share his delight at more positive Leeds United injury updates.

The Lowdown: Cooper and Phillips back on the training pitch

The Whites shared pictures of club captain Liam Cooper and star midfielder Kalvin Phillips on Wednesday afternoon.

Both Cooper and Phillips were last in action against Brentford back in December and have missed the last six Premier League games. They are both set to be ready for action in March and it seems as if they are on track to do so.

The Latest: Cresswell back

Less than an hour after the club’s tweet on Cooper and Phillips, Leeds then shared an image of Cresswell on their official Twitter channel.

The young centre-back has missed the last four league games with a shoulder problem but was all smiles at Thorp Arch.

Wainman, a Leeds content creator on his JustJoe Football Show, replied to the image of Cresswell returning to training, saying ‘it gets even better’ alongside a smiling face emoji with three hearts.

The Verdict: Good news

It seems as if the international break came at the right time for the Whites, who fell to a 1-0 defeat to relegation rivals Newcastle last time out.

Marcelo Bielsa has a small squad as it is, so seeing the injured trio back out on the grass at Thorp Arch can only be good news.

Hopefully Cooper and Phillips can fast-track their returns before the month is out, whereas Cresswell will give Bielsa some welcome strength in depth at centre-back.

In other news: Phil Hay and Graham Smyth buzzing over free transfer news involving Leeds

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a transfer claim regarding Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Atletico talks

Cash, described as ‘exceptional’ by Trevor Sinclair, has been a regular after joining from Nottingham Forest following Villa’s promotion to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old has made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring his first goals in a Villa shirt this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

His displays have been catching the eye, though, with Fabrizio Romano revealing shortly after the January transfer window that Atletico Madrid have been in direct contact over a summer move.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke labelled Atletico’s interest as ‘serious’, stating the now Poland international is among their top targets to replace Kieran Trippier.

“The interest from Atletico Madrid is serious. He is among their top targets to fill the void left by Kieran Trippier’s departure to Newcastle.”

The Verdict: No pressure

Cash has nailed down the right-back role in the Midlands and is contracted until 2025, so NSWE are under no pressure to part ways with the full-back this summer.

Of course, Cash could make it known to Villa officials he is interested in a move to the La Liga giants, which could make things complicated.

However, if he is happy to remain at Villa Park after learning of Atletico’s interest, it would make sense to keep hold of his services unless a mega-money offer comes in.

In other news: NSWE to write cheque: Gerrard set to annoy Liverpool as Aston Villa close in on wanted attacker.