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Helder Costa joining Valencia this summer works for all parties, says former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Valencia are currently monitoring Costa, though no formal offer has been made yet.

The 27-year-old played a huge role in Leeds winning promotion to the Premier League back in the 2019/20 season, making 43 Championship appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Last term, however, he was forced to play more of a supporting role, starting just 13 league games.

Ultimately, for Palmer, now may be the right time to move on and joining a team like Valencia could be a good move for the winger.

“I think it’s a good fit for all parties, a good fit,” the ex-Leeds player exclusively told TT when discussing Valencia’s interest in Costa. “He’s not a regular at Leeds United.

“I don’t think he’s going to be in the starting line-up, he’s basically a squad player at Leeds United and the lad probably wants to go and play.”

Costa played down both flanks last season and chipped in with a few goals, so he is a squad player you would probably want to keep around.

However, if the former Wolves man does want regular starts and Leeds want to generate some money or trim down their wage bill, then a move to Valencia does make a lot of sense.

Stoke City have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to keep Nathan Collins at the bet365 Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Burnley are close to agreeing a £12m fee with the Potters for the transfer of the 20-year-old centre-back.

The report goes on to state that the defender is already scheduled to have a medical with the Premier League side in the coming days, with Stoke now resigned to losing the £1.8m-rated man in the summer transfer window.

Fams will be devastated

While it would be hard to argue that £12m is a decent transfer fee to receive for a player who has made just 47 senior appearances for the club, the fact that Stoke look set to lose one of their brightest stars ahead of next season is sure to leave fans of the club devastated.

Indeed, over his 22 Championship appearances for the Potters last season, the £5.9k-per-week centre-back helped his team keep nine clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning five duels per game.

The youngster also chipped in going forwards, scoring two goals and providing one assist, while also making an average of 0.5 key passes per fixture, with these metrics seeing Collins earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.90 – ranking him as Michael O’Neill’s ninth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, considering his returns while still being just 20 years of age, it would very much appear as if the player whom Jim Crawford dubbed a “fantastic” defender has an extremely bright future in the game, and, with three further years on his contract at the bet365 Stadium, perhaps Stoke could have demanded slightly more than the £12m the Irishman looks to be costing Burnley this summer.

In other news: Forget Clucas: O’Neill must sanction Stoke summer swoop for “fantastic” £14k-p/w beast

Beren Cross has dropped a Leeds United transfer update which will surely excite fans about this summer’s window.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have had a relatively slow start to the transfer window, with Birmingham City starlet Amari Miller and a permanent deal for Manchester City’s Jack Harrison the only pieces of business being done so far.

And now, in a Q&A for Leeds Live, Cross has delivered a new update on what the Whites might be looking to do in the rest of the transfer window.

He said: “Bielsa has always said he’s happy for new players to arrive at Leeds United if they are better than what he already has. They’re going to need to be pretty special to have a chance of supplanting Dallas/Rodrigo/Klich in the middle, or even Raphinha/Harrison down the flanks.

“When I last checked at the weekend, Nandez was not even on Orta’s shortlist, let alone in advanced talks with Leeds on a transfer. They like Cunha, but it’s not down the track and there are a lot of other interested clubs. It’s impossible to say how many they will bring in because there are so many variables at play. Left-back is obvious and so is a central midfielder, but it’s all down to what Bielsa feels he needs in the squad. They went from Cuisance to Raphinha in the space of a few days last autumn and they’re not similar in the slightest.”

Fans will be excited

While things have been moving at a slow pace in the transfer window for Leeds thus far, with the new Premier League season looming next month, you would expect business to pick up very soon.

Cross’ latest update on the club’s transfer plans bodes well for what the club are hoping to achieve not just next season, but in the years to come.

While it may be tempting to just splash out on high-profile players and say ‘look at the money we’ve spent’, they key for Bielsa is to ensure that they’re the right fit for the club and will actually take them forward.

Therefore, being patient and doing their due diligence in the scouting process should give Leeds the best possible chance of signing a player who can become a success at Elland Road, rather than hitting the panic button and just throwing cash wherever.

Cross’ pointed mention to last summer when they went from a midfielder in Michael Cuisance to an exciting winger in Raphinha is also a tantalising hint about how quickly things can move at Elland Road in terms of transfers, and the positions Leeds will be looking to target.

The latest news should have Whites fans excited about the remainder of the summer transfer window, as it seems that Bielsa is intent on bringing in only those players who would be upgrades on what he currently has at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Leeds receive major update on Marcelo Bielsa’s future…

Aston Villa transfer target James Ward-Prowse could form a superb partnership with Jack Grealish amid reports linking him with a move to the club this summer.

What’s the story?

The Guardian recently claimed that Villa manager Dean Smith is keen on making a move for the Southampton and England midfielder, which would tie in with what he recently had to say about the club’s transfer plans.

Smith admitted that the club would be looking to target players who have played in the Premier League before, as that can help them hit the ground running when joining.

Imagine him and Grealish

While Ward-Prowse didn’t make the cut to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s final England squad for Euro 2020, the prospect of him joining up with fellow Three Lions teammate Grealish at Villa Park next season is a mouth-watering one to say the least.

The £27m-rated star enjoyed an impressive season in the Premier League, bagging eight goals and setting up another seven, including scoring twice in a superb 4-3 win over Villa in November.

His set pieces in particular have become a real trademark of his, and it was something which left Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer raving about it last season.

The Norwegian said: “We played some fantastic football and created so many chances. We must have had five or six clear-cut opportunities but they had Ward-Prowse! You can’t stop him.

“It’s just one of them where you hope you don’t give set-pieces away. He’s got the quality and it’s one of them, you can’t blame anyone.”

Given that he plays deeper in midfield, Ward-Prowse can be the kind of central playmaker who collects the ball from the two centre-backs before playing those progressive passes into Grealish further forward.

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As per fbref.com, Ward-Prowse’s passes in the Premier League last season progressed for more than 10,000 yards, a real indication of how he is always looking to move things forward rather than keeping things simple.

That stat ranks him 49th in the entire division for 2020/21, a pretty impressive achievement considering most of the players above him are goalkeepers and defenders – in terms of midfielders, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ashley Westwood, Rodri and Granit Xhaka exceeded the 26-year-old’s tally.

Grealish would surely love to have someone who can raise the tempo of a game by playing those key passes in between the lines and into his feet as quickly as possible, and it has all the potential to be a really impressive partnership at Villa Park if Ward-Prowse makes the move.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this 6 foot 5 star…

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith could land a transfer bargain by signing Ashley Young on a free transfer this summer.

What’s the story?

The Athletic claim that Villa are interested in bringing the former England international back to the club, as they look to strengthen their options at full-back and on the wing.

It’s added that the 35-year-old will be allowed to leave Serie A giants Inter, and that Villa have already asked about whether he would consider a return to Villa Park.

The report claims that: “Smith sees Young as an ideal option as he can play on both flanks and would bring with him a significant amount of experience.”

Would be a leader for Dean Smith

While at 35, Young is hardly someone who would take Villa to the next step or be a real game-changing signing, the fact that he’s so versatile, would be available on a free once his contract at Inter expires, and has tonnes of Premier League experiences, makes him a dream signing for Johan Lange.

Smith has already indicated this summer that he’s looking for that sweet spot of players who are British and have Premier League experience so that they can hit the ground running, and Young fits that bill to a tee.

Not only that, but the man with 83 goals and 121 assists to his name in his career, would also offer a real sense of leadership and experience to the dressing room, and it’s something that Eric Steele, his former coach at Manchester United has waxed lyrical about.

He said: “I don’t think people should underestimate the role he has had within the football club as well as the team. You need leadership. When I was at the club you wouldn’t go anywhere near the training ground dressing room because you had people like Gary Neville, quite right, who would monitor it. Ashley Young has followed on in that tradition. There is unseen work he’s put in.

“I think Ashley’s been a terrific signing for the club. He was in the bracket of the great pros from my time. He could have a joke, but when it was needed he wasn’t scared to give an opinion. He is a fit boy. He recovers the right way. I can see him play another two or three years. He is a gym animal.”

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With him having already played 190 games for Villa and enjoying a really successful spell there – he scored 37 goals and provided 59 assists in his time there – fans would surely be buzzing at the prospect of seeing him make a return.

Meanwhile, Villa could deliver another Buendia masterclass…

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told The Transfer Tavern that he isn’t surprised to see Nuno Espirito Santo in the running for the Everton job.

The Portuguese boss only left his position at Wolves two weeks ago but is reportedly in talks with the Toffees over making an instant return to management, with The Metro claiming he’s Farhad Moshiri’s first-choice target.

Santo worked wonders at Molineux, leading Wolves back into the Premier League following their 99-point haul in the Championship before achieving consecutive seventh-place finishes.

He also managed to reach the last-eight of the Europa League 12 months ago but stepped down from his role as manager 48 hours before the Midlands outfit ended their campaign against Manchester United.

But Sky Sports believe that Santo is the leading candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park after he returned to Real Madrid earlier this week after just 18 months on Merseyside.

Despite an early season title charge, a poor end saw Everton finish 10th and therefore miss out on European qualification.

But Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Santo, who was once described as an “excellent” manager by Pep Guardiola, would be an ideal fit for Everton:

“I can see that. It surprises you when someone leaves a football club. Whatever has gone at the football club with the chairman or directors, the finances, he’s asking for a much bigger budget. He took the club as far as he can take them.

“Nuno, I get it, I know where they’re coming from. And he’d do a fantastic job if he gets the opportunity!”

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a summer transfer for French striker Evann Guessand.

The Lowdown: Guessand impressing

Guessand is a player who has only really burst onto the scene this season, scoring seven goals and making a further five assists in 32 games in total for FC Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss Super League so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

He is only on loan and so will return to Ligue 1 team Nice at the end of the campaign, with a few clubs likely to be keeping an eye on his development.

The Latest: Newcastle interested

As per the Northern Echo, the St. James’ Park faithful are interested in bringing Guessand to the North East.

With the Toon in need of some reliable cover for Callum Wilson up top, the 19-year-old may relish the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

The Verdict: Guessand worth the gamble

It would certainly be a gamble bringing in a player who is relatively unknown having only really now come under the spotlight.

However, the transfer could have shades of the one the Magpies did to bring Allan Saint-Maximin to Tyneside.

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The winger was signed from Nice, the same club that Guessand will return to once his loan ends, and was certainly not as known when he arrived at the Toon from French football, before developing into a star for Steve Bruce’s side.

Although Guessand is primarily a striker by trade, the six-foot-one starlet has also played on the left-wing as well this season, a position occupied by Saint-Maximin himself.

Saint-Maximin was a gamble that has certainly payed off, and Guessand could well turn out to be the same.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on the potential takeover after a Mike Ashley development here!

Crystal Palace defender Nathan Ferguson has suffered a serious Achilles injury just days after Eberechi Eze suffered up a similar problem.

The Eagles have been handed another cruel blow ahead of what’s likely to be a busy summer at Selhurst Park after it was revealed that Ferguson is set to be sidelined until the new year with his torn Achilles.

It’s been a torrid first campaign in south London for the 20-year-old defender, who is yet to make a single appearance for the capital club following his arrival from West Bromwich Albion 12 months ago.

Ferguson arrived at Palace with a knee injury, and a string of minor fitness problems have kept the youngster on the treatment table ever since.

The news comes as a further setback in Steve Parish’s plans for a re-build over the upcoming transfer window, as two of Palace’s most promising young talents have now been ruled out for the first half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Eze has already undergone surgery for his respective injury and has begun his recovery process, while Ferguson is expected to follow suit in the coming days.

With Roy Hodgson set to depart Selhurst Park following a four-year stint at the club, a new era is set to begin in the next weeks and months, but this is far from an ideal foundation for a new manager to start from.

There are multiple players approaching the end of their current contracts at Palace, and a clearout is set to take place once Hodgson’s successor has been appointed, however, the enforced absence of Ferguson will surely leave the club’s supporters gutted.

He’s a highly-rated, exciting young full-back who has a potentially bright future ahead of him, and the fans have been unable to see his potential in a Palace shirt so far.

The £34,000-per-week gem will be hoping his appalling luck comes to an end in 2022, where he’ll be looking forward to getting back to his best following a two-year absence from football.

And, in other news…63% pass accuracy: £55k-p/w Crystal Palace ace let Roy Hodgson down 

Major news has emerged about Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn, it could lead to a masterclass from CEO Martin Semmens.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn is closing in on a return to his hometown club Norwich City. Southampton have agreed a deal with Norwich that could rise to £7m if all clauses in the contract are met, with Gunn now set to discuss personal terms with the Canaries. Gunn is said to have held talks with Ralph Hasenhuttl earlier this year, where he was told that he would not be part of the Austrian’s plans moving forward.

Norwich will pay an initial fee of £2.5m for the former England under-21 international. The deal will hit £5m guaranteed for Southampton, with a further £2m in add-ons. This is £3m less than the £10m Southampton paid Manchester City for his services in 2018.

Earlier this year, Stoke boss Michael O’Neill admitted that Angus Gunn had been “unfortunate” at times in the Championship and praised the shot-stopper for his composure at the back. He told the Daily Echo:

“Angus has been really good since he’s come in, in a difficult situation.

“He’s been unfortunate in the goals that he’s lost. The goal down at Swansea when he had to come on at half-time – then the goals at Watford which were disappointing and harsh on him given the nature of the decision.

“The other two games he’s kept clean sheets, so we’re delighted.

“I think he gives good composure to his defence, kicks well, looks very assured with the ball at his feet and I think there is loads more to come.”

Semmens masterclass

This could turn out to be a masterclass from Southampton CEO Martin Semmens. The Saints could raise some valuable funds to make incomings of their own whilst discarding a player who was of no use to Hasenhuttl heading into next season. With all due respect to Gunn, he was the third-choice goalkeeper behind Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster and stood little chance of getting any minutes in the Premier League.

Therefore, Southampton could potentially get up to £7m back for a player who has been unable to make an impact at St. Mary’s and who had no future at the club.

As the report mentioned, Hasenhuttl did not see a place for Gunn in the squad as he wants to go with McCarthy and Forster, so it is a shrewd move to sell the shot-stopper instead of sending him out on another loan and not receiving a fee for him.

The £10m flop can now play a crucial role in helping Southampton improve Hasenhuttl’s squad. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor claimed the Saints are close to agreeing an £8.5m package for Brest left-back Romain Perraud. Gunn’s sale to Norwich could now cover a sizeable chunk of that fee and allow Southampton to reinvest cash in other areas to bolster the team.

Therefore, this sale could be a masterclass by Semmens. He’s getting rid of a flop and could well use the funds raised to strengthen Hasenhuttl’s options.

AND in other news, Semmens making unforgivable Saints blunder over £8.1m-rated flop with “wrong attitude”…

David Moyes must convince Manuel Lanzini to consider taking a pay cut in order to leave West Ham United in the summer, after Noel Whelan expressed concerns of a deal falling through.

Lanzini is reportedly eager to pursue the next stage of his career away from the London Stadium after struggling to establish himself under Moyes, and has been linked with clubs in Turkey and the Middle East.

West Ham are not expected to stand in the way of their Argentine playmaker, either, with the Hammers likely to look to move Lanzini on in a permanent deal for the third-straight window after setting a £15m asking price in January.

Lanzini has only started three of his 14 Premier League appearances and been left among the unused substitutes on 15 occasions this term, including eight of the Irons’ last 13 games.

Andre Villas-Boas was keen to sign Lanzini during the winter market but was denied by the Olympique de Marseille leadership, while Paris Saint-Germain were previously claimed to have shown an interest in the 28-year-old before Moyes blocked a Deadline Day deal.

And Whelan expects the Hammers will now struggle to find a suitor for Lanzini at the end of the season, as the five-cap maestro will still have two years to run on his lucrative £70,000-per-week contract.

“Look, I mean, it’s not easy with the epidemic. Clubs have lost money,” Whelan told Football Insider. “It’s not an easy one to get players out and command wages. Everyone’s trying to make a cut to keep their financial system and status in as happy a way as possible.

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“That might mean they can’t pay out big wages to players that are already on big contracts. It’s not going to be an easy one to force players out of a club or find suitable buyers that have that amount of money that will match the players’ expectations.”

Whelan’s concerns are well placed, with market analyst KPMG claiming earlier in the year that 20 of Europe’s biggest clubs had lost in excess of €1bn (£863m) as a result of the pandemic, while around 10% had been taken off the average value of players.

With fans still locked out of stadiums, clubs will have continued to lose millions in gate revenue, which could see West Ham and Lanzini struggle to find a side willing to pay both what the Irons will request and a salary that the midfielder feels he deserves.

If Lanzini does want to pursue an adventure away from the London Stadium after spending the campaign on the fringes of Moyes’ plans, particularly after the mid-season arrival and form of Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard, he may face some tough decisions.

One of those will undoubtedly be his wage and Moyes may have to step in to urge the 28-year-old to accept a pay cut in order to play regular football again, with the Hammers keen to retain Lingard long-term.

Signing Lingard on a permanent deal would all but slam the door shut for Lanzini to regain a prominent role in east London, where he has scored 22 times and offered 23 assists in 154 games across all competitions since his initial arrival on loan from Al-Jazira.

But as only one of his goals and three of his assists have come this season, Lanzini has become a “luxury” player in the opinion of Franck McAvennie – one that Moyes needs to see West Ham move on from when the campaign draws to a close.

AND in other news, West Ham have been rocked by a double injury blow ahead of hosting Chelsea…