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Football journalist Osman Cengiz has provided an update regarding Leeds United’s pursuit of Fenerbahce striker Mergim Berisha. 

The lowdown: Leeds interested in Berisha

Whites manager Jesse Marsch has already shown a penchant for reuniting with some of his former players at Elland Road, having already signed a number of his former charges in Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and Rasmus Kristensen.

The next in line to follow the American to Elland Road could be Berisha after the 24-year-old former Germany youth international was linked with a move to Yorkshire over the weekend.

Another informed source has now shed some further light on the potential deal for the man who directly contributed to 37 goals in 52 appearances under Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg…

The latest: Four-year deal on the table

Taking to Twitter, Turkish football journalist Cengiz has claimed that Leeds will offer Berisha a four-year deal if they can agree a fee with the Istanbul club.

He outlined:  “Leeds United, who want to transfer Fenerbahce’s striker Mergim Berisha, continue their negotiations with Fenerbahce.

“Fenerbahce, who offered €5m to Leeds, will sign a 4-year contract with Berisha in case of an agreement. Berisha also has offers from Germany.”

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The verdict: Make it happen

Holding a perceived market value of £5.4m and currently under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), getting this deal done for anything close to the mooted €5m (£4.2m) would have to be regarded as an exceptional piece of business from Leeds.

Alongside the ongoing pursuits of Charles De Ketelaere and Arnaud Kalimuendo as more youthful targets, Berisha already boasts a proven goalscoring pedigree, particularly under the tutelage of Marsch.

The talented marksman has already won four Austrian Bundesliga titles, three Austrian Cups and the European Under-21 Championship in what has been an impressive few years of his career so far.

Last season, Berisha – who was praised by journalist Max Camilleri for an ‘amazing’ finish against Royal Antwerp in an 8.1 Sofascore-rated display – scored eight times and provided three assists in 38 appearances across all competitions as he adapted well in his first campaign in Turkey.

While predominantly a centre-forward, the German can also play on either wing as well as in deeper positions, and he should therefore be regarded as a top priority for Victor Orta as Leeds attempt to improve ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

West Ham are reportedly plotting a swoop for Chelsea striker Armando Broja this summer, and signing the Albanian forward could end David Moyes’ three-year nightmare at the London Stadium.

The Hammers last signed a striker in 2019, when Sebastien Haller arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt in a club-record £45m deal. However, his time at the club was less than successful, as he managed just 14 goals in 54 appearances, and he was sold to Ajax two years later.

Since then, Moyes has been completely reliant on the injury-prone Michail Antonio as the club’s only natural centre-forward, with the Jamaica international often forced to run himself into the ground due to a lack of options on the bench.

He will also turn 33 next season, so it is more important than ever that West Ham bring in a long-term replacement for him this summer, and Broja could be the ideal man.

The 20-year-old caught the eye on loan at Southampton last term, contributing nine goals in all competitions for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side as he enjoyed his first taste of regular senior football in England.

Despite Chelsea’s striking woes last season, with Romelu Lukaku seemingly set to return to Inter after a disastrous spell at Stamford Bridge, it seems as if the Blues are willing to sell Broja this summer, and West Ham could be the team to benefit.

Reports have suggested that the young forward could cost around £30m this summer, but given the Irons’ desperate need for a forward, GSB must pay up or risk seeing next season tail off as the last one did, when the Hammers’ lack of squad depth really hurt them as they battled on two fronts.

At 20, Broja still has a huge amount of potential and could be excellent competition for Antonio next term, especially if the former Nottingham Forest man hits his seemingly customary poor run of form.

Albania assistant manager Sergio Porrini was full of praise for Broja last season, saying: “From last year to this he has grown a lot, and at Southampton, he has exploded.

“His greatest qualities are in progression, especially the ball and chain. (He’s) less good, on the other hand, with his back to the goal, in the construction of the action. But, in the spaces, he is devastating!”

Given the lack of strikers at West Ham in recent years, Moyes will be keen to make sure that the next one to arrive is the right one, and there seems little to suggest that Broja wouldn’t be a quality addition at the London Stadium.

In other news… West Ham can sign their own De Bruyne in 162-assist maestro, he’s a “magician on the ball”

Aston Villa are interested in a deal to bring Brandon Williams to Villa Park this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report by Birmingham Mail who claim that the Villans may turn their attention to Manchester United left-back Brandon Williams, who is available for just £10m this summer.

As stated in the piece, Williams has aspirations to break into Erik ten Hag’s first team this season, but as per the report, recent claims suggest that he would be available to leave his boyhood club this window.

“Special” signing

Williams serves as a cheaper alternative to the likes of Calvin Bassey and Aaron Hickey – who have also been linked with moves to Villa Park – and would cost a substantial amount more – with Bassey said to be worth £25m and Hickey rated at around £18m, respectively.

£10m would feel like a steal for a right-footed left-back who is also capable as a right-back.

It would also give Gerrard an inverted option at full-back, which could be of huge benefit in the attacking phase of the game. We have of course seen the effectiveness of fellow right-footer Joao Cancelo at left-back, so if Williams was comfortable in occupying central spaces within the Villa build-up, he could offer another option to the Lions boss Gerrard.

Williams – dubbed “special” by Laurie Whitwell and labelled an “immense talent” by Lee Ryder – has also proven himself as an astute defensive asset across the last 365 days, registering a combined 4.97 tackles & interceptions per 90, with 5.18 touches occurring in his defensive penalty area, demonstrating his defensive-minded approach and awareness defensively.

If Gerrard is in the market for a young, cheap and hungry left-back who can form as an understudy to Lucas Digne, then Williams represents a very interesting option for Aston Villa and Johan Lange.

AND in other news: “I’m sure..”: Reliable journo drops big AVFC transfer claim, supporters surely buzzing 

Everton have recently been linked with a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic, with the Serbian reportedly set to leave the Eagles this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Spor Time journalist Gerasimos Manolidis, the 31-year-old won’t be returning to Olympiacos, where he featured before his move to south London in January 2017, and is likely to depart Selhurst Park before next season.

Manolidis suggests that both Everton and Fulham are taking an interest in the Palace captain, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the Eagles may look to cash in on him this summer.

Worse than Klaassen?

Milivojevic was once a key player in the Crystal Palace side and won plaudits for his ability from set pieces, while he managed an impressive 12 goals and two assists for the Eagles in their 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

However, his performances have dropped in recent years, as suggested by his declining WhoScored ratings, and the 2021/22 campaign saw him make just 15 top-flight appearances under Patrick Vieira, in which he failed to score or set up a goal and averaged a disappointing 6.44 rating from WhoScored.

With the Frenchman having overseen a youthful transformation at Selhurst Park this season, it seems unlikely that he will re-integrate Milivojevic into his starting 11 next term, and Everton could take advantage by bringing the midfielder to Goodison Park.

However, the Serbian’s displays last season and in 2020/21, when he averaged a 6.55 rating from WhoScored for his performances, suggest that he wouldn’t be an astute addition to Frank Lampard’s squad.

In fact, it could be argued that he would prove to be an even worse signing than Davy Klaassen, who struggled throughout his spell on Merseyside, having joined from Ajax in 2017 in a £23.6m deal.

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The Dutchman would go on to make just 16 first-team appearances for Everton, in which he contributed no goals and just one assist. However, he has since returned to Ajax and been a success, hitting nine goals for the Dutch giants on their way to the Eredivisie title this season.

The Toffees were able to recuperate around half of the fee that they paid for Klaassen, but given Milivojevic’s age, it seems as if he would have very little resale value if he does make the move to Merseyside.

Lampard already boasts more mobile midfield options such as Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the Serbian’s lack of speed a real concern, as was pointed out by journalist Jack Collins in 2020.

He said: “He’s good at dead balls, but I think that Palace fans have started to turn on Luka Milivojevic a little bit, because he’s actually really slow, slows the game down a lot, commits quite a lot of fouls and basically, is only in for his dead-ball ability at times.”

Although Milivojevic boasts Premier League experience, his declining WhoScored ratings suggest that he looks to be well past his best; and if he does join Everton this summer, then it would not be a surprise if his signing proved to be even more of a disaster than the 2017 misadventure with Klaassen.

In other news… Everton in prime position to sign £19.8m-rated titan, he won’t cost a penny

Newcastle United plan to have an £80million-plus-sales transfer budget for this summer’s window, The Athletic’s George Caulkin says. 

The lowdown

Newcastle are gearing up for their first summer market since their Saudi-led takeover went through back in the autumn.

In January, the new owners sanctioned a record spend of around £90million on five new players: Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and loan signing Matt Targett.

Manager Eddie Howe has cooled any expectation of a revolution on Tyneside this summer, stressing that Newcastle will have to work within the constraints of Financial Fair Play rules.

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The latest

Addressing supporters on The Athletic’s matchday discussion board shortly before kick-off on Monday, Caulkin shared some insight on Newcastle’s likely spending power.

He says player sales could furnish Howe with a similar budget to the winter window and allow for another ‘transformative’ transfer season.

“Sources have told us it could go up to £80m,” he said. “Players will also leave. So let’s add that to the pot – another £20 million, say.

“That takes Newcastle’s spending power to within touching distance of January and January was transformative.”

The verdict

We can expect a large chunk of that initial £80million to be spent on a striker.

The I’s Mark Douglas has claimed that recruiting a new no. 9 is an absolute priority for the club this summer.

They’re said to hold an interest in Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, available for €60million (£50.4million) according to The Athletic.

If they were to spend more than 60% of their budget on the Uruguayan, then they may be forced to dip into the loan market or free agents pool to strengthen their squad elsewhere.

As for sales, Matt Ritchie, Isaac Hayden, Ciaran Clark, Dwight Gayle and Karl Darlow have been named as some of the players who could be moved on to clear space and raise funds.

In other news, Luke Edwards shares an exciting summer claim for NUFC.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a deal to bring Lautaro Martinez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent Gary Jacob report for The Times, with the journalist claiming that, after seeing a €90m (£75.5m) bid rejected for the Inter Milan centre-forward last summer, Antonio Conte’s side are once again interested in a move for the 24-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

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Jacob goes on to state that the Serie A side would be willing to part with the Argentina international this summer for a figure between £60m-£70m, however, it is claimed that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the striker ahead of a potential move of their own.

The final piece of Conte’s puzzle

Considering just how impressive Martinez has been for Inter in recent years, in addition to the fact that Conte already has a relationship with the 24-year-old, it is unsurprising to learn that Tottenham remain interested in a move for the centre-forward this summer.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances this season, the £101m-rated forward has been in electric form for the Nerazzurri, bagging 17 goals, registering three assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £177k-per-week Argentine average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s 11th-best player in the Italian top flight.

Furthermore, over the 97 fixtures in which Martinez featured for Inter during Conte’s own two-year spell at the San Siro, the centre-forward scored a quite remarkable 40 goals, in addition to providing his teammates with a further 19 assists – averaging a direct involvement in a goal every 116 minutes of football played under the 52-year-old manager.

As such, with Tottenham in rather desperate need of a forward who can provide both competition and backup for Harry Kane this summer, the 24-year-old sensation would very much appear to be a signing the Spurs boss would love to get over the line ahead of Spurs’ 2022/23 campaign – as Martinez could well be one of the final pieces in Conte’s puzzle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news: Conte can now axe “average” £43m dud as Spurs plot £16.75m bid for “young Gareth Bale”

Even as the ICC mulls four-day Tests to make the longest version of the game more popular among its fans, the format itself seems to be shrinking organically

Shiva Jayaraman28-Aug-2019Each of the three Tests played over the last week produced outright results, and that happened despite poor weather affecting the games to varying degrees.Two of those matches – the thriller between England and Australia at Headingley and the one in Antigua between West Indies and India – didn’t need the scheduled fifth day. Funnily enough, the game that actually went into the fifth day was the shortest of the three in terms of playing time: only 275.4 overs were bowled in the Colombo Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, but time almost ran out for New Zealand on the last day as it looked like the light would fail. The Antigua Test was the longest of the three, but even that lasted only 310.2 overs, less than four full days of cricket.So, even as the bosses of the game mull four-day Tests to make the longest version of the game more compact, the format itself seems to be shrinking organically.There have been 67 five-day Tests since the beginning of 2018 and 40 of them have finished within four days, or sooner. That’s a record-breaking 60% – no two successive years in Test history have had such a high proportion of matches getting over with a day or more to spare.In 2019 alone, 13 out of 19 five-day Tests have finished within four days – that’s 68.42%, the highest ever for a calendar year in which a minimum of ten Tests have been played. This is not a blip either. The last three calendar years are among the top five in Test history in terms of matches finishing a day before schedule. In 2018, 56.25% (27 of the 48 five-day Tests) of matches finished within four days. In 2017, it was 47.83%.