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Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has been reacting to the club’s move for Luis Sinisterra, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Sixth summer signing

The Whites announced a deal for Sinisterra on Thursday, with the 23-year-old becoming the sixth summer signing at Elland Road.

The Colombian has signed a five-year deal in Yorkshire and has reportedly cost the club £21m. He arrives at Leeds after contributing to 37 goals in 49 games in all competitions last season and has been named in the squad to fly to Australia for the pre-season tour.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Whelan spoke to Football Insider to give his thoughts on Sinisterra following the move. He labelled the forward a ‘really exciting’ player and a ‘mouth-watering prospect’, believing that he will quickly become a fan favourite.

The 47-year-old gushed:

“He looks really exciting. I’ve seen clips of him playing, I saw the Europa Conference League final as well – he’s a real player and someone who is going to get people off their seats.

“The goals he’s scoring, the pace, he’s exciting to watch – and that’s what the Leeds United fans want, especially if he is to come in and replace Raphinha.

“He looks a real mouth-watering prospect and someone who is going to open doors for us going forward.

“He will very quickly become a fan favourite if he can maintain that kind of form, just as Raphinha was soon after coming in.”

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The Verdict: Raphinha replacement

Sinisterra can play on either wing but featured solely from the left in 2021/22. It looks as if he has been brought in to replace the skill and flair that the Whites look set to lose in Raphinha.

The Brazilian hasn’t travelled with the Leeds squad to Australia, with a move away looking likely, so hopefully Sinisterra can bring his fine form over the last 12 months to England and get to grips with the Premier League straight away under Jesse Marsch.

Southampton reports have now been backed by talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, as the club eye a move for Chelsea’s rising star Levi Colwill.

The Lowdown: Southampton make moves…

The Saints have had a busy start to the summer transfer window as Ralph Hasenhuttl sees a host of promising starlets make the move to St Mary’s.

Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has signed from Manchester City, while promising German defender Armel Bella-Kotchap has joined from VfL Bochum.

Another head-turning starlet from the Etihad Stadium is also on the way in midfielder Romeo Lavia, coming after his comparisons to Sky Blues legend Fernandinho.

The Latest: Crook makes Colwill claim…

Backing other reports, Crook has now made a Saints transfer claim involving Chelsea defender Colwill, as Hasenhuttl eyes even more moves this summer.

The talksSPORT reporter explained (via Twitter): “Definite interest from #SaintsFC in Southampton-born centre-back Levi Colwill. Fits their recruitment profile and likely to be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge once #CFC have recruited a couple of defenders.”

The Verdict: Make the move…

Provided that Chelsea sign new defenders, a move for Colwill could prove hugely beneficial to Southampton and Hasenhuttl.

The 19-year-old sensation enjoyed an absolutely stellar spell on loan at Huddersfield last season, playing an integral role in their run to the Championship play-Off final as he started 28 league matches.

As per WhoScored, Colwill finished the 2021/22 campaign as one of the Yorkshire club’s top four performers by average match rating, having even made a colossal 4.3 clearances per 90 minutes.

The teenager also won more aerial duels per game than any Terriers player except Tom Lees, leaving little wonder as to why journalists like Steven Chicken raved over his ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ time at the John Smith’s Stadium (via Chelsea Loan Army).

Raphinha’s proposed move from Leeds United to Arsenal is still on, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The lowdown

Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte claimed that the north London club had ‘pulled out’ of the race to sign the 25-year-old after reportedly sealing a deal for Gabriel Jesus, boosting Barcelona’s chances of landing the Elland Road star.

It emerged last week that the Gunners had submitted a bid for the Whites winger, but it was rejected because it fell significantly below Leeds’ valuation (via The Athletic).

The Yorkshire club are expected to allow Raphinha to leave without being ‘unfair’ or ‘obstructive’ if their demands are met.

The latest

Jacobs took to Twitter on Sunday night with a couple of telling updates on the Brazil international’s future at Leeds, ahead of what could be a pivotal week in the transfer saga.

Firstly, he tweeted: “Told Arsenal have not ‘pulled out’ of trying to sign Raphinha. Raphinha does want to see if a Barcelona deal is possible (Camp Nou move always been of appeal). It’s complicated and may require Ousmane Dembele to leave, hence why this week is key.”

In a follow-up tweet, Jacobs claimed: “Raphinha’s representatives haven’t blanked EPL suitors. Arsenal have further talks scheduled with them this week. Leeds will hold out for around £60 million. Barcelona need to find those funds. Raphinha wants to assess all options, and one of them remains Arsenal.”

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The verdict

Raphinha doesn’t look like an essential signing for Arsenal.

He played 33 of his 36 matches on the right flank last season, and that’s the role Bukayo Saka typically occupies at the Emirates Stadium.

In the England youngster, Arsenal already have a top-quality option, as his nomination for Premier League Player of the Season demonstrates, so perhaps the Gunners won’t feel pressure to meet that reported £60m asking price for the Brazil star.

That could ultimately work in Leeds’ favour as they do their utmost to keep Raphinha at Elland Road, but could this yet prove to be a long and drawn-out negotiation?

Journalist Paul Brown has said that Everton could now sign Lucas Moura this summer.

The Lowdown: Richarlison swap deal?

As per The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Richarlison from the Toffees and are prepared to offer both Harry Winks and Moura as part of a potential swap deal for the 25-year-old.

The arrivals of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus in the January transfer window pushed the aforementioned Spurs players down the pecking order in terms of minutes played last season, so they do not seem to be in Antonio Conte’s long-term plans.

The Latest: Moura transfer speculation

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown has said that Moura has ‘come up in talks’ at Goodison Park, but there is ‘less of a push’ to sign him over Winks.

The reporter said of Eerton’s interest in the duo: “They certainly do like Winks, while Lucas Moura has come up in talks, but there’s less of a push for Everton to sign him and there’s also the Dele Alli situation with Everton still owing Spurs money for him.”

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The Verdict: Sign Moura over Winks

If Everton could sign only one of the players mentioned, they should go for Moura over Winks.

They already have a plethora of central midfield options, whereas Anwar El Ghazi has returned to Aston Villa from his loan spell, leaving Andros Townsend as the only recognised senior right winger (Transfermarkt).

Moura should certainly add quality from the flanks, having scored 38 goals and supplied a further 27 assists over the course of his Spurs career (Transfermarkt).

Also, at 29 years of age, the Toffees could take advantage of a player who is currently in the peak of his career and has plenty of big-game experience from his time with Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham.

In other news, find out who Everton have now made contact with over signing here!

Newcastle United’s decision to turn down the option to sign Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral gives supporters a ‘big hint’ on the club’s transfer plans, according to Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Newcastle turn down Demiral

As per Chronicle Live, the Magpies declined the opportunity to sign the defender just last week.

The 24-year-old was offered to Newcastle by the Serie A outfit after Eddie Howe’s staff had been scouting him whilst he was on loan at Atalanta last season.

However, it has now been announced that the Bergamo outfit have triggered a clause to purchase the Turkey international for just €20m (£17.2m), leading the Magpies to pass up their chance to sign the defender.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Demiral

Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, Ryder has commented on Newcastle’s decision to not sign Demiral, which he believes offers a significant clue as to their summer transfer plans. The reporter tweeted: “#nufc decision to turn down Juventus centre-back gives big hint on their plans”

In the adjacent Chronicle Live article, Ryder asserts that this illustrates the club’s intentions when it comes to signing a centre-back.

Having already passed on the soon-to-be free agent James Tarkowski, it is reported that Howe would ideally pair Fabian Schar alongside transfer target Sven Botman, whilst Manchester City’s Nathan Ake is the other ambitious target identified by the Tyneside club.

The Verdict: Confident in signing Botman?

With Newcastle turning down Demiral, this could suggest that St James’ Park recruitment staff are confident of landing Botman from Lille, despite rumours linking the Dutchman with a move to AC Milan.

Nonetheless, this demonstrates the level of player that the Magpies are now aiming to sign – Demiral is no slouch, having represented Turkey 35 times and made 12 Champions League appearances.

Therefore, this could be a sign that Botman is nearing a move to Tyneside, with Newcastle perhaps increasingly confident that they can get the deal done.

In other news: One pundit has been wowed by this Newcastle transfer news

According to a report in the print edition of Tuttosport on Sunday morning (via Milan News), Tottenham Hotspur talks are scheduled as the club eye a move for Torino defender Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: Conte wants new defender…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte has reportedly prioritised the signing of a central defender this summer ahead of his first full Premier League season in charge of the Lilywhites.

Transfer chief Fabio Paratici has allegedly shortlisted numerous candidates to potentially come in at Hotspur Way, including Alessandro Bastoni, Marc Guehi, Stefan De Vrij, Clement Lenglet, Josko Gvardiol, Pau Torres and Bremer (GiveMeSport).

As per Tuttosport (via Milan News), there has now been a potentially significant development in the latter’s case.

The Latest: Spurs chiefs schedule talks…

According to their information, Tottenham are ‘serious’ about signing the Torino star, and their sporting director Davide Vagnati will fly to London in the ‘next few days’.

Indeed, Vagnati is apparently set to ‘meet’ with the Spurs hierarchy in the capital as the Lilywhites, and by extension Conte, eye a move for Bremer.

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The Verdict: Promising…

As Paratici continues to adopt his scattergun approach to Tottenham transfers, this update comes as a potentially significant one, and it will be interesting to see the outcome of these talks.

The Brazilian defender may well be a credible option to bolster Conte’s backline, with members of the media having called Bremer an ’emerging superstar’ (Rajath Kumar, Serie A expert and former Forza Italian Football writer, via Twitter).

Kumar’s opinion is certainly backed by statistics, with Bremer standing out as a colossal presence for Torino over 2021/22. He averaged their highest number of interceptions and clearances per game domestically whilst also finishing the season as their best-performing regular by average match rating (WhoScored).

Indeed, as Spurs continue their defensive hunt, Bremer has proved that the ability is certainly there to challenge for a place under Conte.

In other news: Agents offer Tottenham chance to sign £25m ‘monster’ who Lineker called ‘exceptional’…find out more here.

West Bromwich Albion endured a fairly underwhelming season in the Championship which recently ended with the Baggies finishing in tenth place.

With 46 games played, the Hawthorns outfit won 18, drew 13 and lost 15 along the way, leaving them with 67 points on the board, 23 behind leaders Fulham.

Now that this dismal season has come to an end, the focus can turn to the upcoming summer transfer window and the potential overhaul that Steve Bruce previously spoke about.

One figure that didn’t see much action for the Baggies this season that should be on the way out this summer is Kenneth Zohore, who was once called “lazy” by Neil Warnock when the duo were at Cardiff City.

After making two substitute appearances during the two opening league games of the season, the striker didn’t feature in another matchday squad throughout the campaign.

As the club’s highest earner with a weekly wage of £26k-per-week, the 28-year-old could be a prime candidate to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Andy Carroll, Sam Johnstone and Romaine Sawyers as players looking for new clubs.

One player that the club have been linked with that could be an ideal candidate to replace the forward is Jed Wallace.

With a total of 228 appearances in the Championship under his belt, as well as 37 goals scored and 39 assists provided, the 28-year-old certainly has the experience and attacking credentials to be a solid addition to Bruce’s squad.

Having played in 37 league matches for the east London club this season, the Englishman found the net six times and delivered 11 assists.

Labelled as being “unplayable” at times during Millwall’s 1-1 draw against Preston North End some weeks ago by Gary Rowett, Wallace racked up 300 crosses and 66 shots at goal in 38 league games for his side this season.

To put that into perspective, that’s 112 crosses more than Darnell Furlong managed to make who delivered more balls into the area than any other Baggies player.

If the Midlands club are able to finally bring Zohore’s time at the Hawthorns to a permanent end this summer, bringing in Wallace could be the best way forward for the Baggies and give them a great chance of getting closer to promotion.

In other news: Imagine him & Grant: Bruce can form deadly WBA duo by signing 28 y/o “smashing talent”

West Bromwich Albion saw one of their main attacking talents wave goodbye to the Midlands club during the previous summer transfer window.

After scoring 20 goals and delivering 26 assists in 77 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, Matheus Pereira joined Saudi club Al-Hilal back in August.

In his absence, West Brom struggled to make themselves a feared attacking side throughout the recent Championship campaign.

With 46 games played, the Baggies found the net just 52 times, which is fewer goals than a significant number of clubs that finished below them in the league table.

In addition to this, the Midlands club ended the campaign with the lowest percentage of shots on target (29.1%) in the entire league.

This certainly suggests that the team suffered from not having Pereira in their ranks as a capable attacking option.

Now that this uninspiring season has come to a close, the upcoming summer transfer window can provide Steve Bruce with the chance to strengthen his side and give them a better chance of winning promotion back to the Premier League.

One attacking figure that the Baggies have been linked with recently that could be a suitable and much-needed replacement for the departed Brazilian is Derby County winger Tom Lawrence.

Having played in 264 Championship games throughout his career, the 28-year-old has scored 50 goals and delivered 50 assists along the way.

With 38 appearances under his belt for Derby in this latest season, the Welshman found the net 11 times and provided five assists whilst playing in numerous attacking positions.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player in Wayne Rooney’s squad managed to equal the number of shots (101) or shots on target (38) that Lawrence made.

To put that into perspective, only Karlan Grant (108) had more shots at goal than the £27k-per-week Rams star in West Brom’s ranks.

Praised for his “inspirational” form this season by journalist Jake Barker, Lawrence ultimately couldn’t help his side achieve their goal of staying in the Championship at the end of what had been a difficult campaign for the Rams.

With the winger out of contract at the end of the month, securing a deal for him should be near the top of West Brom’s priority list as he could be the exact sort of attacking spark they need in their side to forget about Pereira and become a deadlier team.

In other news: Imagine him & Mowatt: Bruce can form scary WBA duo by signing “magnificent” 46 G/A ace

Celtic’s recent dealings in the transfer market proved a key factor in the club’s return to Scottish Premiership glory, with manager Ange Postecoglou proving himself something of a master when it comes to recruiting new talent.

While Hoops’ supporters can likely have little complaint with the title-winning manager at present, one decision that both he – and the club – may be regretting is the sale of midfielder Ryan Christie, with the Scotsman having shone since his move to Bournemouth last summer.

Although the decision was largely taken out of Postecoglou’s hands – with just a year (or less) remaining on the 28-cap international’s contract – the former Yokohama boss may well have been regretting not pushing harder to keep his former asset at the club.

The 5 foot 10 playmaker had been plucked from Inverness Caledonian Thistle for just £500k in the summer of 2015, going on to win a plethora of silverware over the next few years and establishing himself as a regular at international level.

Despite starting the 2021/22 campaign as part of the Old Firm outfit’s squad – notably registering a hat-trick of assists in a 6-0 thrashing of Dundee – speculation was rife over his future due to his contract situation, before he eventually signed for the Cherries on a £2.5m deal on deadline day.

While the club were able to earn a tidy profit on his initial fee, losing such a key player late in the window was no doubt a significant blow, while the small nature of the fee seemingly did not reflect the quality of the player.

That has been made evidently clear with the 27-year-old recently enjoying a rise in valuation, as per Transfermarkt, with the player now worth £8.1m, having been valued at just £6.3m back in May 2021.

That ascent has been sparked by his impressive form in the recent campaign, as he scored three goals and registered eight assists in 38 games for Scott Parker’s side, playing a pivotal role in the club’s return to the Premier League.

Should the £23k-per-week gem – who has previously been dubbed “ferocious” by pundit Chris Sutton – continue to dazzle in the top-flight next term that valuation will no doubt soar again, with the player seemingly having been proven right on his bold decision to jump ship to a second-tier outfit.

In other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Liverpool have their final trophy challenge this weekend with the Champions League final coming up against Real Madrid, and now a reliable source has revealed a major injury update ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

According to Northern correspondent for The Times Paul Joyce, Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of being fit for the Champions League final on Saturday night.

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Joyce tweeted: “Jurgen Klopp said Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of making the Champions League final. He will train this afternoon [Wednesday].”

The midfielder was sidelined with an Achilles injury late into the first half of the final Premier League game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that supporters will be excited that the Spaniard could be fit for the game in Paris this weekend, especially with the news following a promising update on Fabinho who has returned to full training today.

Impressively, Liverpool have lost just one game with Thiago and Fabinho starting in the midfield since the former Bayern Munich star joined the team, so if the pair could be fit for the game against Real Madrid it would be a massive advantage for The Reds.

Thiago is an undeniable and powerful influence in Liverpool’s midfield with 70.2 touches, 1.2 key passes and 1.9 tackles on average per game, scoring once and contributing four assists, creating three big chances and proving successful in 63% of his dribbles over 25 appearances in the Premier League this season.

The Spaniard is no stranger to Champions League finals either, winning the prestigious European trophy twice once with Bayern Munich the summer before he moved to Merseyside and the other with Barcelona, so his experience in the competition will definitely be a huge advantage for Liverpool.

With that being said, Jurgen Klopp will be absolutely delighted with the progress his injured players have made over the last few weeks to ensure they can put themselves in contention for the final game of an incredible season for the Kopites and will be hoping that his team can pick up their third and final trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news: Forget Tchouameni: FSG can get Anfield rocking with LFC deal for “dangerous” £21m tank