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Leeds could hire Marcelo Bielsa’s perfect successor in Rangers boss Steven Gerrard amid a major reveal by Phil Hay.

What’s the story?

Speaking on Ask Ornstein, The Athletic’s Hay name-checked Gerrard when discussing who could potentially succeed Bielsa as Leeds boss at Elland Road, with the Argentine’s future still in the air given that his contract comes to an end this summer.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Gerrard potentially taking over at the club however, former Leeds man Carlton Palmer seemed to pour cold water on a move, saying: “I think Stevie G’s had a fantastic season up at Rangers. I can’t for the life of me see Stevie G leaving Rangers at this moment in time, apart from going back to Liverpool Football Club and I don’t think (Jurgen) Klopp’s going for a couple of seasons yet.”

Gerrard would be a perfect Bielsa replacement

While Leeds undoubtedly want Bielsa to stay given everything he’s built at Elland Road, there will be a time where the Argentine might call it a day, and it’s a prospect that Andrea Radrizzani will need to be ready for.

And in Gerrard, the Whites could hire arguably their perfect Bielsa successor.

His management style has earned him high praise from those who have had the chance to work under him, including former Spurs star Jermain Defoe, who reveled at his Bielsa-esque work ethic.

He said of Gerrard: “I don’t think it surprised me (his success) because he’s a winner. He always talks about Rangers standards, even if you are winning 6-0 or 7-0, the standards can’t drop. It’s not really surprised me he’s done well, to be honest.”

The former Liverpool man himself has delivered an insight into his footballing philosophy, saying: “That means trying to be a really tough team to play against, an aggressive team in the right way, but also play football at the right times in the right areas of the pitch.”

That intent on being “aggressive”, pressing from the front and being pleasing on the eye is what’s carried Rangers to a Scottish Premiership title, and why he seems like he’s schooled himself in the Bielsa style of coaching.

And just like the Leeds hero, Gerrard is a huge presence on the touch-line, constantly barking out instructions and immediately getting a response from his players.

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That’s not to mention the kind of similarities in the way both Gerrard and Bielsa have both dealt with player infractions this season, and how they’ve been keen to lay down the letter of the law and ensure those standards and principles are met.

If Radrizzani is looking to appoint someone who can bring that Bielsa energy both on and off the pitch, then Gerrard fits that bill to a tee. The “relentless” Gers boss could be the perfect fit at Leeds.

Meanwhile, Leeds are interested in signing this “Rolls-Royce of a player”…

Former Leeds United striker Brian Deane has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he agrees with Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool manager praised Patrick Bamford.

Speaking in the build-up to Liverpool’s recent 1-1 draw with Leeds, Klopp described Bamford as “exceptional” and “rare” following the 27-year-old’s heroics this season.

While Bamford was unable to score in that game against the Reds, he has done well in front of goal overall in the current campaign, with the English forward in with a shot of hitting the 20-goal mark.

It has left an impression on Deane, who was quick to highlight the other areas of Bamford’s game that have been strong this season. When asked by FFC whether he agreed with Klopp’s assessment of the former Chelsea man, the ex-Leeds player said:

“Yes. He’s a good player. I think he’s a confidence player, but what’s helped Patrick Bamford out is the amount of fluidity around him, so he doesn’t have to be that guy in the middle of the pitch. He can drift and then he’s always being replaced by other people. Raphinha who is kind of a maverick-type player, brilliant to watch.

“So Patrick Bamford for me is somebody who I’d say his strengths are he’s very intelligent, he finds little spaces between the lines and he’s got a hell of a shot. So I think that in the system that Leeds play, he’s doing very well.”

Bamford will now be looking to finish the season strongly as he hopes to still make Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt another managerial blow after another mooted target ruled himself out of the running this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Daniel Levy’s top two choices to replace Jose Mourinho were RB Leipzig boss Julian Naglesmann and Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers.

The former has now been confirmed as Bayern Munich’s next manager, taking over from Hansi Flick in the summer, and the latter has played down his chances of swapping the Midlands for north London – even despite reports suggesting Spurs would hand him a contract worth in excess of £15m-per-year.

After the Foxes’ win over Crystal Palace in midweek, Rodgers revealed:

“I’m at a world-class training facility, the project we’re in here, we still want to develop, we still have a lot of work to do here. I have a great connection with the players and the board, and we have plans to keep progressing

“While I have that energy and the happiness and I see that challenge continue here, I am very happy to be here. You can’t stop gossip, and you can’t stop speculation. I don’t think about it.”

Hammer blow

Levy will surely be gutted that two of his preferred targets have been crossed off the list, especially as he’s reportedly wanting to make a quick appointment in order to avoid a drawn-out process that hinders the new man’s preparation ahead of next season.

Spurs undoubtedly need to bounce back, having endured a nightmare campaign.

They crashed out of the FA Cup and Europa League early, lost yet another final – being defeated by Man City in the Carabao Cup – and are facing a fight to make the top four, and possibly the top six. It’s that competitive.

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Rodgers would have been a very interesting candidate, given the job he’s done at the King Power Stadium and in all fairness, it’s no surprise he’d rather stay as they are set for another spell in the Champions League, whereas the Europa League or worse seems likely for the Lilywhites.

The 48-year-old was lauded by his former player, Jamie Carragher, on Monday Night Football (via the Leicester Mercury) this week.

“I think it goes under the radar with what he’s done at Leicester. It’s phenomenal the job he has done. It really is.”

Similarly, Rodgers’ transformation of Kelechi Iheanacho – one of many examples of impressively developing young stars – has drawn further praise, as Dean Windass told Football FanCast exclusively that it was “unbelievable.”

The Foxes have lost some big names in recent years, namely Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Riyad Mahrez and Ngolo Kante, but you’d never know as the former Liverpool man’s recruitment has been second to none.

It’s another setback in Spurs’ quest to quickly replace Mourinho, Levy will be far from pleased with this news.

AND in other news, Defensive shake-up, Alli and forgotten star make comeback: How Spurs’ XI could look under Erik ten Hag…

Liverpool have withdrawn their interest in Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, with a recent report revealing the striker’s phone call with Jurgen Klopp.

According to Anfield Central, a deal for Edouard this summer depended on current Reds forward Divock Origi moving in the other direction.

However, the Belgian isn’t thought to be keen on a move to Celtic Park over the coming months.

The report also adds that Edouard feels he wouldn’t recieve enough game time at Anfield and wasn’t sold on a move to Merseyside after talking to Klopp.

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Transfer Tavern take

To us, this is a double transfer blow for the Hoops. Not only will they not be receiving Origi as part of a possible swap deal, but it’s also now one less side interested in Edouard.

That could be crucial over the coming months, especially with Edouard entering the final 12 months of his Celtic deal in the summer.

It feels quite inevitable that a player of his quality and potential will eventually depart, so Celtic could do with as many clubs as possible making a move for the Frenchman, which could result in the Hoops receiving a healthy sum thanks to a bidding war.

However, should just one or two sides launch a bid for Edouard, the forward may depart for a fee around £8-10m – a figure the player’s representative feel he could leave for. That would be a huge disappointment and a disservice to the work the Hoops have done in developing Edouard from prospect into star performer.

In other news: Alan Nixon provides Eddie Howe update, find out more here. 

If there is one thing that’s for certain about Everton Football Club right now, it’s that they’re an attractive team to play for.

Carlo Ancelotti has added an extra lure to the Toffees and in the last fortnight alone, they’ve been linked with moves for high profile players like Philippe Coutinho and Sergio Aguero.

What’s the word?

The onslaught of eye-catching transfer rumours doesn’t stop at those two superstars.

Also on Everton’s radar this summer is Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale. The Welshman is currently on loan at Tottenham but is due to head back to Spain this summer.

Reports from the continent suggest that Ancelotti has asked Madrid for Bale, a player he always loved when he was head coach at the Bernabeu. As a result, he now wants to bring him to Goodison Park in the summer.

Bale is currently on a mighty salary of £600k-per-week at Real but Tottenham are only paying £250k-per-week of it while he sees out his loan spell in north London.

A deal, therefore, would be a pricey one to conclude.

Imagine him and James

Bale may now be in his 30s but this would be a mesmeric addition from the Everton hierarchy.

The Wales international has proven as recently as the last two weeks that he still has what it takes at Premier League level, knocking three goals past Sheffield United and also finding the net against Southampton.

This has not been the easiest of campaigns for the attacker but his numbers are still phenomenal, scoring on 14 occasions in 30 outings.

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A four times Champions League winner, it was alongside Ancelotti and James Rodriguez that Bale found his best form at Real Madrid.

He played 92 times under the Italian manager, finding the net on 39 occasions and registering a further 31 assists. On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise to hear the Everton boss wants to work with him again.

Though, just imagine what he could do when reunited with James. The Colombian has had his fitness issues this campaign but his creativity and vision is second to very few in the division.

Place James in behind the striker, unleash Bale on the wing and you have the potential for a dream combination.

The duo played together on 64 occasions for Madrid during 2014-2020 with both having a significant hand in Champions League triumphs.

Neither are at their peak anymore but it’s a partnership worth drooling over. They were two significant players for Ancelotti at Madrid and to renew the spark could create a feeling of magic at Goodison Park.

After all, commenting a number of years ago, the 61-year-old called Bale “our [Madrid’s] most dangerous player.”

It would not be a surprise if the manager was turning to that phrase again if he came to Everton.

AND in other news, Forget Koulibaly: Everton must swoop for “dominant” 6ft3 beast, he’s got “everything”…

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has tipped Rodrigo to excel for Leeds United next year, assuming he gets a good pre-season under his belt.

The Lowdown: Tough first season for Rodrigo

The 30-year-old joined the Whites last season, becoming the most expensive signing in the club’s history, costing £27million from Valencia.

Unfortunately, Rodrigo has failed to back-up that price tag, scoring just four times in 25 appearances for Leeds and struggling with injuries.

The Latest: McLeish tips striker to come good

Despite this, someone who believes he will come good is McLeish, who told Football Insider that he could excel in 2021/22, highlighting the importance of pre-season:

“Massive. That’s massive, the pre-season element, for every player.

“I always felt when I had a disrupted pre-season, it took me about a month, six weeks to get to full speed again. I always did a little bit on my holidays. But I remember one season saying I’m going to have a break. It had been a tough season.

“I did nothing, then went back to pre-season and pulled a muscle early doors. I was playing catch up for a month or so. You need a full pre-season behind you the way that Bielsa trains these guys.

“In terms of hunting down of opposition as soon as they lose a ball, it doesn’t matter which side of the pitch. It can be high up, it can be in the midfield and it can be in the backline. These players have to be of a certain fitness.”

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The Verdict: The quality is there

In fairness to Rodrigo, there were such high expectations from the moment he arrived that it was always going to be difficult to live up to them.

There is no denying that he has been a disappointment to date, but he is a striker with undoubted pedigree who just needs a run in the team, having scored eight goals for Spain, which is no mean feat for any player.

While the idea of Patrick Bamford not being first-choice for Leeds seems ludicrous, Rodrigo has the ability to push him for regular starting berths next season, assuming he can just stay fit – he started nearly 100 games across his last three seasons at Valencia.

Perhaps he could still become a hero at Elland Road, backing up that whopping £27million fee.

In other news, a pundit is excited about Leeds’ rumoured interest in a relegated Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Rangers defender Michael Ball has hailed Ryan Kent as a revelation.

Kent joined Rangers permanently from Liverpool for £7.5m back in 2019 and has gone on to help his side win the title in Scotland.

And at that price, Ball believes it was a gamble to bring the 24-year-old to Ibrox, but one that has paid off.

Kent has been fantastic this season, contributing with both goals and assists in Rangers’ path to the Scottish Premiership trophy. He also impressed the campaign prior, scoring seven times in 21 league appearances.

Speaking exclusively to TT about Rangers’ recent and future transfer activity, Ball said:

“Rangers have got to be quite clever in the market; they’ve got to take a gamble. A high percentage of their gambles have paid off.

“If you look at Ryan Kent, £7.5m, that was a lot of money for Rangers to pay at that time and, you know, he’s been an absolute revelation for them.”

Kent is now said to be attracting interest back in England, with The Sun reporting that Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa are eyeing a £15m swoop for the English winger.

This follows interest from the last summer transfer window, where Leeds had a £10m bid turned down for the player.

Paul Stewart has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Eric Dier is not the answer at centre-half for Tottenham moving forward.

Dier is in his seventh season in north London and has played in several different positions under three different managers.

The 27-year-old has spent most of his Spurs career in midfield but was moved back into a defensive role pre-lockdown to partner Toby Alderweireld.

Dier has been in and out of the team of late but has still made more appearances than any other Spurs centre-half this term having been a popular figure with Jose Mourinho.

And they’ve struggled defensively throughout the Premier League campaign with Dier, who reportedly left Daniel Levy stunned with his wage demands last summer, guilty of some costly errors, which included giving away penalties against both Newcastle and more recently Chelsea.

It hasn’t just been £85,000-a-week man Dier, though, with his centre-back partner Davinson Sanchez part of a shaky Tottenham back four that have conceded 41 times in their 36 matches.

Remarkably, they’re on course to ship fewer than the 47 they managed 12 months ago. However, Stewart has not been impressed with Dier’s contribution this term.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“Dier is not the answer as a centre-half. You’ve got a lot of money that you’ve could recoup.”

Tottenham might have far bigger issues to deal with in terms of appointing a new manager and deciding Harry Kane’s future, but a new centre-back should also be close to the top of their wish-list in the summer window.

Ralph Hasenhuttl hinted recently that Southampton could look to sign Takumi Minamino from Liverpool again next season, which would be a huge error by the Austrian manager.

The Japan international joined Southampton on loan on transfer deadline day and went to make 10 appearances for the Saints.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of Southampton’s final game of the season against West Ham, which they would lose 3-0 with Minamino missing a great early chance to give the Saints the lead, the former RB Leipzig boss said: “I must say. He was a very lively factor in our game, in the games he played.

“He not only scored fantastic goals but his mentality and his character really fit into our team. You can see why a club like Liverpool wanted to sign him.

“He did a good job here. We gave him a chance to show up. We will have a look what happens in the summer, we will see what Liverpool want to do.

“There are discussions going on but we will have a look in the summer.”

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There would be plenty of Southampton fans who might disagree with Hasenhuttl’s praise for Minamino as, whilst he had a bright start with a goal on his debut against Newcastle United, he managed just one more goal and no assists in his next nine appearances.

His average rating of 6.42 from WhoScored ranks him as the 15th-best performer for Southampton across the Premier League season, which doesn’t exactly justify bringing him back from Liverpool again next term.

Whilst Hasenhuttl doesn’t make it clear whether it would be a loan deal or a permanent one, either option would arguably be a letdown for Southampton fans.

A loan deal would almost guarantee the 26-year-old game-time, which could stunt the development of fellow left-sided players such as Nathan Tella and Will Ferry. A permanent deal would take away funds from other potential transfer targets, and Southampton should definitely be looking to improve their defence before looking at attacking players – only relegated West Brom conceded more Premier League goals than the Saints in 2020/21.

The £10.8m-rated “machine” has done very little to win over Southampton fans during his spell at the club, so it would be a huge mistake by Hasenhuttl to bring him back again next season, and he should be looking to strengthen the squad elsewhere.

In other news… Semmens can repeat Saints’ Armstrong masterclass with swoop for “top player”

Steven Gerrard’s reported hopes of bringing Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman to Ibrox this summer look to have been handed a huge boost after the Eredivisie club’s captain confirmed that the 22-year-old was likely to leave ahead of next season, with Rangers name-checked as a potential destination for the Dutchman.

Rangers have been heavily linked with a move for the youngster in recent weeks and it now seems likely that he will be on the move in the upcoming transfer window.

Heerenveen club captain Henk Veerman spoke to Dutch paper Voetbalprimeur recently, saying: “I’ve read things about Atalanta, Rangers, PSV, Ajax and AZ.

“I expect him to go to one of those clubs. I also think that Joey will add value for any club in the Netherlands.

”If things change enormously (at the club). That is a serious problem for me.”

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Veerman clearly rates his younger namesake highly and believes that he will be on the move this summer, which is no surprise after his superb performances in the Eredivisie this season.

In 31 Dutch top-flight appearances, the midfielder has contributed an impressive seven goals and 10 assists, which has helped him earn an excellent 7.40 rating from WhoScored.

If he had produced the same level of performance in Gerrard’s Rangers side this season, he would be ranked as their joint-second best performer alongside Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo, which emphasises just how impressive he has been for Heerenveen.

The £7.65m-rated midfielder certainly won’t come cheap, but if Gerrard wants to add players with genuine Champions League quality ahead of next season, then Veerman may well be his best bet.

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Therefore, after this latest boost, Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson should act quickly to ensure that Ibrox is Veerman’s summer destination, as otherwise they risk missing out on a “really good” player (in the words of Michael Mols) with obvious potential to Champions League rivals such as Atalanta or Ajax.

In other news… Wilson can deliver Gerrard a Rangers “masterstroke” with summer swoop for 21 y/o gem