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Leeds United would be gambling by signing Mergim Berisha, former Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson says. 

The lowdown

Turkish journalist Omer Celikbasli told MOT Leeds News on Wednesday that Jesse Marsch’s side had offered £1.7m for Berisha, the Fenerbache striker.

‘Negotiations continue’ over the potential signing, with the Turkish Super Lig outfit holding out for a fee closer to £4.2million.

Berisha, 24, has experience of working with Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg, much like Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen, who have already made the move this summer.

The latest

Sky Sports pundit Robinson, who played for the club at senior level between 1998 and 2004, discussed the rumour with MOT Leeds News.

While the signing may seem ‘low-risk’ on paper because of the small fee, he’s worried by Berisha’s goalscoring record in what is a ‘poor league’ and fears that the German may not address the club’s needs.

“It’s a low-risk signing but it’s a chance,” he said.

“It’s seven goals in 30 games in a poor league, the Turkish league is nowhere near as strong as the Premier League, it’s not a huge return. He’s not exactly pulling up trees there, if you’re going over there and want to bring in a player from there, you’ll want him to have a big impact in the Turkish league, getting a bag full of goals.

“It’s a low-risk signing because it’s less than £5million, but it’s a chance you’re taking on a player that hasn’t done it yet. It’s high risk performance-wise.”

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The verdict

Are Robinson’s concerns justified?

To a degree, yes. The Turkish league ranks down in 20th in the UEFA coefficient, while the Premier League is top of the pile.

However, there are some important points of context to raise too. First off, Berisha only played 1,513 minutes – the equivalent of 16.8 matches – last season as he dealt with injuries and battled to nail down a spot.

Second, he notched 35 direct goal involvements in 56 appearances for Salzburg, who play in the eighth-best league in Europe.

And his overall record of 75 goals and 39 assists in 199 games makes him look like a reasonable option.

He’s a player who’s capable of the spectacular in more ways than one, netting a ‘scissor-kick volley’ against Antwerp in last season’s Europa League, but also hitting the post three times in succession for Germany’s Under-21s at last summer’s European Championships.

Liverpool were quick to get their incoming transfer business done earlier this summer with three new faces joining the ranks at Anfield, and a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to Catalan news outlet El Nacional, Jurgen Klopp wants to sign Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane.

As per the report, the Liverpool manager is keen for FSG to submit a bid for the player, as he believes that the 26-year-old would be the perfect player to make an impact in the forward line due to his Premier League experience and wouldn’t need as much time to settle in.

Klopp’s next Salah

There is no doubt that Liverpool already boast a talented forward line with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez strengthening the attacking threat in recent months. However, following Sadio Mane’s exit this summer, it could be a huge risk to rest the responsibility on those two players to match the Senegal winger’s level instantly.

Sane is no stranger to the Premier League or playing at the highest level in England following his tenure at Manchester City, where he won two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups and an FA Cup, so his experience of winning numerous domestic trophies could be massively advantageous to Klopp.

The Reds have fallen just short on multiple occasions in their pursuit for the Premier League titles over the 55-year-old’s reign at Anfield, emerging as champions just once in seven attempts on his watch, and they most recently missed out by one point last season on the final day.

As a result, Klopp will be hungry to seal that second title to add to his numerous achievements at the club, and Sane could be the perfect player to unlock that final push that Liverpool need in order to spoil Man City’s chances of becoming champions yet again.

The Liverpool boss could even land his next Mohamed Salah by convincing FSG to strike a deal for Sane this summer, as the Egyptian winger was one of the most comparable players to the Bayern Munich talent over last season, according to FBRef.

Despite Salah comfortably excelling in terms of goal contributions (36) and having a better shots on target accuracy (36.6%) than the 26-year-old, there are other attributes in which the £59m-valued dynamo outperformed his positional peer.

Over 32 appearances last term, Sane had a better pass completion rate (83.7%), more shot creating actions per 90 (4.51) than the 30-year-old, while also being far more successful in his pressures (36%) and dribbles completed (49%).

The Bayern winger, who was dubbed “unbelievable” by his manager Julian Nagelsmann, has even had high praise for the Liverpool star, claiming: “Salah is a really good player, a strong player, fast and skilful. I like to watch him, he’s a really good player.”

The signing of Sane would be a significant coup for Liverpool, and if they could utilise his abilities on the left flank, the team could virtually have two Salahs in their frontline, which could prove the difference in them claiming another Premier League title or falling just short yet again.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be without Yves Bissouma for this weekend’s Premier League opener against Southampton…

What’s the latest?

The £25m summer signing emerged as a doubt for Saturday after he picked up a hamstring problem in their final pre-season friendly against AS Roma last week.

Lilywhites boss Antontio Conte did not rule him out of contention during his pre-game press conference on Thursday but claimed that he would have to check on his condition before making a final decision.

However, now, football.london have revealed that the former Brighton midfielder was absent from first-team training ahead of tomorrow’s long-awaited encounter.

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Another gutting blow for Conte

It’s true that Bissouma could well have been working away privately from the main group but with manager Antonio Conte said to have been doing ten-man passing drills with potentially his starting XI on show, it seems unlikely that the Mali international will be involved.

The Italian head coach will be gutted to not have his new arrival available as he will be looking to kickstart the season with three points as they welcome the Saints to north London.

He was already without the services of fellow midfielder Oliver Skipp, who suffered what has been described as a “freak” and “gruesome” injury during training last week and so he has now been dealt another cruel blow, being without another key member of the engine room.

Once described as a “wonderful talent” by his former Seagulls boss Chris Hughton, Bissouma performed better than all of Conte’s current midfield options in the Premier League last season when it came to tackles (2.9 per game) and interceptions (1.9 per game).

On that evidence alone, the 25-year-old would have been a shoo-in to start this weekend’s league opener but given his lack of involvement in a crucial part of training, it seems as if Conte has been dealt yet another setback ahead of kickoff.

The Italian will surely be gutted to not see Bissouma involved this weekend.

AND in other news, Spurs “open” to signing £50m “special talent” who “Conte likes”, it’d be a big coup…

Arsenal could still make their move for Cody Gakpo before the summer transfer window closes on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider and journalist Dean Jones, who delivered an update on the Gunners’ hunt for a new winger to GIVEMESPORT earlier this week.

“[Moussa] Diaby is going to be a hard one. [Bayer] Leverkusen basically just don’t want to lose him at this point, they feel like they’re going to have a good season, so I don’t think that doors going to open,” he revealed.

“Cody Gakpo is still one to look out for if they look abroad for the signing.”

The north London giants have been mooted with interest in the PSV Eindhoven star for much of the summer by the Dutch press and it’s believed that the 23-year-old would cost north of €40m (£34m).

Bye-bye Pepe

The Netherlands international would be a fine addition to Mikel Arteta’s ranks, largely because he is capable of playing multiple different roles in the attack.

Primarily a left-winger, where he has already provided three goals and two assists already this campaign, Gakpo was also tasked with leading the line on a couple of occasions in 2021/22. Overall, he delivered a whopping 21 goals and 15 assists, even taking the armband in some matches, as per Transfermarkt.

Gakpo has even revealed his admiration for the Gunners as a club, having looked up to legendary striker Thierry Henry as a kid. He too started out life as a winger before transitioning into one of the Premier League’s deadliest marksmen under Arsene Wenger.

“Everybody wants to play one time in the Prem. I don’t favour one team but I like Arsenal a lot,” he once told The Sun. “I looked up to Henry when I was younger because he was a tall guy who played on the wing.”

Meanwhile, the Dutchman’s fine form over the past 12 months has seen plenty of praise land his way – talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him “phenomenal” and “special,” whilst Telegraaf reporter Wierd Duk dubbed him an “enormous talent” on Twitter.

Arsenal’s interest in a new attacker, such as Gakpo or Diaby, surely spells trouble for club-record signing Nicolas Pepe, who has been something of a flop since Unai Emery signed him for an eye-watering £72m from Lille back in 2019. Such has been his rapid decline that he’s even been linked with the exit door.

“Nicolas is a highly-rated and talented winger who was wanted by many of the top teams in Europe,” the ex-Gunners boss told reporters at the time. “Signing a top-class winger has been one of our key objectives in this transfer window and I’m delighted he’s joining. He will add pace, power and creativity, with the aim of bringing more goals to our team.”

But we’ve seen anything but that from the Ivory Coast international. It’s been only the 27 goals and 21 assists across 112 appearances (one G/A every 137 minutes) and he was limited to only five Premier League starts last season.

One particularly drab display against Newcastle saw GOAL journalist Charles Watts lambast the 27-year-old: “Nicolas Pepe’s performance, his cameo when he came on last night, was an utter disaster.

“It could well be his final game in an Arsenal shirt at the weekend.”

Well, a move for Gakpo would all but confirm this fate for the shocking Emery flop. The Dutchman, on the above evidence, would be a considerable upgrade, given just how prolific and creative he has been for PSV in the past year.

For £34m, it would be worth every penny, so technical director Edu Gaspar must now seal his signature before deadline day on September 1st.

AND in other news, Arteta could unearth Arsenal’s next Martinelli in “versatile” teen with a “big future”…

West Ham United have ‘resumed’ talks to sign Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: A twist in the transfer tale

With Marc Cucurella having now arrived at Stamford Bridge from fellow Premier League side Brighton, the 28-year-old has been pushed even further down Thomas Tuchel’s pecking order, with an exit very much on the horizon.

Football Insider claimed on Tuesday that the Irons had submitted a £13m bid for the defender and were ready to wrap the deal up, though just days later, the move was said to have fallen through over difficulties agreeing personal terms.

However, in an unbelievable transfer twist, the Brazilian-born gem could now once again be back on his way to the London Stadium.

The Latest: West Ham resume Emerson contact

Taking to Twitter, Sheth confirmed that West Ham are back in negotiations for Emerson, with both parties ‘hopeful’ of an agreement being reached.

“Talks have resumed between West Ham United & Chelsea over signing of left-back Emerson. Club to club fee close to being finalised & discussions are ongoing with player’s representatives. All parties hopeful a compromise can be reached to get a deal over the line.”

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The Verdict: Second time lucky?

David Moyes has already missed out on Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic, so the boss will be hugely excited to get another bite at the cherry when it comes to Emerson, and rightly so.

The 27-cap Italy international, dubbed ‘world class’ in his defensive duties by sports journalist Josh Bunting, will be used to English football having made 33 top-flight appearances for Chelsea, and has plenty of high-pressure experience under his belt as a Euro 2020 winner with Italy.

Emerson will be able to provide serious competition for Aaron Cresswell, and Moyes will be hoping that this is his second time lucky.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Everton are set to sign a new attacker…

What’s the word?

Taking to Twitter, he revealed that Mohammed Kudus could be set to swap Ajax for Goodison Park as Frank Lampard seeks to add attacking depth at the Premier League club.

Romano claimed: “Everton are set to sign Mohammed Kudus from Ajax. Deal at final stages between clubs, personal terms are now agreed. It will be completed soon.”

Although the 22-year-old is not the coveted striker that the Toffees seemingly still need, it seems that this prospective deal is moving quickly enough that he will be in and ready for their upcoming fixtures to alleviate the offensive burden on Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil in the absence of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Lampard will love him

Despite being so young and in the early stages of his career, a return of five goals and four assists in his 35 Eredivisie games so far marks a solid foundation for the Ghanaian youngster.

However, his contribution to Ajax goes much deeper than just those goal and assist tallies.

Last season was marred by injuries for the 22-year-old as he averaged just 26 minutes per game, but it was during the previous campaign that he excelled. His four goals and three assists in 2020/21, whilst only averaging 47 minutes per match, suggest that even with limited game-time he can produce many moments of magic.

His 91% pass completion rate from 2021/22 suggests that he could also be a creative outlet, and whether operating out wide or off the shoulder of the striker, the £14k-per-week ace could threaten opposition defences.

Having been labelled an “exciting” young talent by journalist Rahman Osman, Kudus has been lauded by many within the footballing community for his potential.

Football Talent Scout detailed his many of his outstanding attributes upon first signing for Ajax, with the most eye-catching claims being his “electric pace”, “superb ball control” and his desperation to find the “vertical option” and drive his team forward.

This is something for which Everton are crying out, as their only goal in their first two Premier League games of the season prior to today’s clash against Nottingham Forest was an own goal.

With bringing in a striker a necessity, this possible boost to their attacking options will be a welcome addition for Lampard, who will likely grow to love the Ajax attacker.

The Toffees have added defensive security and midfield power in the transfer window so far, and this is a step in the right direction towards sorting out their attacking insecurities.

Celtic have rarely had a problem when it comes to scoring goals under Ange Postecoglou, something that was seen first-hand over the weekend when they won 9-0.

Not only did the Hoops secure the SPFL title last season in his debut campaign in charge of the Parkhead club, they also ended up scoring more league goals than any other side in the division (92).

One figure that has been a focal point in the team in regards to putting the ball in the back of the net is Kyogo Furuhashi.

In 20 league appearances last term, the Japanese striker scored 12 goals in total, leaving only Giorgos Giakoumakis (13) with more.

The 27-year-old has been in the same hot goalscoring form this season too, as he’s found the net six times in five league games.

With the end of the summer transfer window in sight, the next few days could see the Hoops add some extra attacking depth to their squad, thus giving Postecoglou the chance to form a potentially deadly duo alongside Kyogo.

One name that has been mentioned with a move to Celtic Park that could fit this bill is Bamba Dieng.

Having made 42 senior appearances for Olympique Marseille, the 22-year-old has nine goals and three assists to his name.

Hailed as a “serious talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Dieng has also been described as an “explosive” player by Jorge Sampaoli.

To compare his previous Ligue 1 campaign with Kyogo’s recent season with the Bhoys, both players ended up with the sixth-highest average for shots per game at their respective clubs, with Dieng having 1.5 and Furuhashi having 2.2.

Also, the attacking duo had an almost identical rate for shots at goal per 90 minutes (3.42 v 3.43) last season, further highlighting the similarities between the pair.

With the Senegal international being able to switch between playing as a centre-forward and as a left-winger, this also mirrors the current Celtic attacker, who has been known to play in both positions in his career, which could make it easier for Postecoglou to form a partnership between them.

If the Australian feels that an extra attacking figure is needed for his squad, securing a deal for the Marseille star is something the Hoops should look to do before the summer transfer window closes.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon, currently out on loan at Rennes, has been criticised by sections of the media for his displays in France.

The Lowdown: Rodon sets off…

The Wales international was never guaranteed consistent game time under manager Antonio Conte so a temporary move to Ligue 1 seemed a reasonable solution.

Before Rodon jetted off for Rennes, there were claims suggesting he was eager to seal a move away from north London so he can gain valuable minutes and further his development as a player.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is also merely months away so the 24-year-old will be looking to impress national team boss Robert Page with a steady string of solid performances, even if it’s away from the Premier League.

The Latest: Media criticise Rodon…

However, so far, things haven’t gone to plan for Rodon at Roazhon Park – at least going by the verdicts of French media outlets.

Indeed, a report by newspaper Ouest-France (via Sport Witness) suggested the centre-half needs to improve his game – criticising him for two major weaknesses and being at fault for Troyes’ goal in Rennes 1-1 draw on Sunday.

These two flaws of Rodon’s game are highlighted as being a consistent lack of ‘audacity’ and ‘precision’.

The Welshman was indeed one of the worst rated players in the Rennes XI at Troyes, winning no ground duels, making zero tackles and no interceptions (Sofascore).

The Verdict: Only way is up…

While French media have pointed out that Rodon’s start to life on loan has been challenging, we believe the young defender’s potential to improve is vast.

The former Swansea City star has excelled in Spurs’ own starting eleven before this point with former Lilywhites manager Jose Mourinho even calling him ‘perfect’.

Rodon will also be looking to get back to tip-top form before Qatar and his redemption may well soon begin.

West Ham United starlet Flynn Downes faces a ‘tough’ situation and could be made to wait for regular Premier League outings, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Downes impresses…

The barely-seen gem was one of eight major summer signings in east London with Downes completing a move to West Ham alongside Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson and club record star Lucas Paqueta.

Perhaps a lower profile addition by manager David Moyes, the Englishman has played just one league minute but did manage to impress in his sole start for the club against FCSB in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Despite a brilliant outing against Steaua in West Ham’s 3-1 win, Jones claims it could be a while before Downes is playing regular top flight football in east London.

The Latest: Jones makes Downes claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter claims he has ‘got to convince’ Moyes due to his lack of top level experience – calling it a ‘tough’ situation for the midfielder.

He explained:

“He’s got to convince David Moyes, first and foremost, that he’s worth that chance in the Premier League.

“It’s really tough to give him chances in the league because they didn’t start well. You can’t just start taking a chance on a player that you haven’t seen at a high enough level.”

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Downes provided a glimpse of his real quality against FCSB, finishing the night as one of West Ham’s standout performers with a solid 7.3/10 match rating (SofaScore).

The former Swansea City star, called ‘incredible’ by his ex-head coach Russell Martin, won 6/8 of his ground duels against the Romanians whilst completing 91% of his passes and finding three key passes in the final third (SofaScore).

If West Ham continue to underperform domestically, Moyes may have a capable rising star waiting in the wings.

Glasgow Rangers have endured and enjoyed failures and successes in the transfer market over the years, whether that has been with Giovanni van Bronckhorst or another manager at the helm.

Accepting that not every move is going to work out brilliantly for the club is part and parcel of the transfer window, with players potentially not living up to their price tag or leaving and going on to bigger things than initially expected.

One player the club had a howler with was central defender Fabio Cardoso. He arrived in Glasgow in the summer of 2017 and signed a three-year contract, with then-boss Pedro Caixinha hailing the gem’s talent, saying:

“He is a player who everyone describes as having big potential to be one of the centre-halves of the future with the Portuguese national team.

“We believe in him and he can perform on the right or on the left which is good in a centre-half.”

Cardoso played 18 matches in all competitions for the Light Blues throughout the 2017/18 campaign as he worked to adapt to Scottish football. However, he suffered a brutal injury to his nose against Motherwell and that stunted his progress at Ibrox and may have played a part in his lack of minutes.

Caixinha had left the club before the start of the 2018/19 season and the centre-back had a brand new manager to impress in Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool player came in and made a quick decision on Cardoso as the club mutually agreed to the termination of his contract at the end of July 2018.

This meant that they allowed a £1.3m signing to leave for nothing after a year, and 18 competitive appearances, which is a blunder in itself. At the time of the move, Transfermarkt valued him at £810k.

However, the real howler came because of what happened after he left Ibrox. The gem joined CD Santa Clara on a free transfer as he returned to his home country and he caught the eye with 11 goals in 97 matches as a centre-back.

Journalist Josh Bunting previously described him as “excellent” whilst at the Portuguese club and his impressive form earned him a move to Porto in the summer of 2021.

The 28-year-old tank has played 23 games for his current club in all competitions since making the move and has played twice in the group stages of the Champions League.

At the time of writing (21/09/22), Transfermarkt value the centre-back at £2.7m. This means that his value has rocketed by 233% since departing from Rangers in 2018, which is why Gerrard had a howler by deciding to part ways with him for nothing.

He could have given the defender a chance to prove himself throughout the 2018/19 campaign before making a decision on his future the following summer. Instead, he made a call after working with him for a short period of time and his career post-Ibrox suggests that the Englishman got that transfer wrong.