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Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United 'interested' in defender

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Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are among the clubs reportedly interested in Gent defender Archie Brown.

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The 22-year-old left England in 2021 after ascending the youth ranks of Derby County. He sought pastures new in Switzerland, starting his senior career with Lausanne-Sport.

He swapped Switzerland for Belgium last year, joining Gent, and has seen his career go from strength to strength.

His exploits in Belgium were rewarded with an England youth debut in the summer and appear to have attracted high-profile interest.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are among those tracking Brown but face Premier League competition. Tottenham and West Ham have been credited with interest, as have Chelsea and Brentford.

Leeds were linked with Brown in December 2023, and Everton and Burnley were also named as interested parties.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace joined the list of clubs reported to be interested in May, but a summer switch did not materialise.

While Leeds are believed to be admirers of the defender, it is thought they will need Premier League status to push to the front of the queue.

Brown is a left-back by trade and while the position has proven problematic at Elland Road in recent years, Junior Firpo has made it his own of late.

While his form has been impressive, the former Barcelona man is out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season. Leeds have also been linked with Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin, who has been among the Championship’s most impressive performers this term.

Cirkin is a graduate of Tottenham’s academy but a deal may be difficult to do, with the Black Cats understood to be unwilling to sell in January.

Potential destination for Tottenham man mooted as Leeds return verdict issued

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Leeds United have been warned they would face “lots of competition” if they joined the race to sign Archie Gray on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

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Gray has found Premier League opportunities limited since making a high-profile move from his boyhood club Leeds in the summer.

Reports have suggested there will be interest in taking Gray on loan in January, with Spanish side Sevilla already linked.

There has been no talk of Leeds seeking a reunion, but the 18-year-old’s connection to the club has propelled the Whites into fan and pundit discussions about potential destinations.

Former Leeds midfielder Carlton Palmer has insisted Gray would be a shrewd addition for his old club, but has issued a warning regarding other suitors.

Speaking to Football League World, he said: "It would be a great bit of business if they could pull it off, but there will be lots of competition for the midfielder.

"I don't think he'd want to go to the likes of Southampton, who are struggling, maybe Leicester City, who are just outside the drop.

"I think it would be a great fit for him to return to Leeds. He's only 18, very versatile, as Leeds fans know, and he could play a major part from Christmas until the end of the season, by helping them get promoted back to the Premier League."

Gray enjoyed a breakthrough 2023/24 campaign, making a seamless transition to senior football after battling back from a lengthy injury lay-off.

He is widely considered among Europe’s most exciting prospects and represents England at under-21 level.

Tottenham Hotspur 'expecting' offers for ex

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly expecting loan offers for Leeds United academy graduate Archie Gray in January.

Leeds parted with their most coveted asset in the summer, selling the homegrown prodigy to Tottenham for a fee reported to be in the region of £40m.

While he is still considered among the country’s most exciting prospects, Gray has not yet made a single Premier League start.

He has started for Spurs in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, but has been limited to 33 minutes of league action.

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According to GiveMeSport, clubs in the Premier League and Championship are contemplating testing the waters with a loan bid in January.

He would arguably be a shrewd addition for every single club in the second tier, while a number of Premier League clubs would most likely consider him a coup.

A central midfielder by trade, Gray has spent most of his senior career playing at right-back. He has also been deployed as a centre-back by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, with his versatility among his many desirable traits.

Earlier this month, Spanish side Sevilla were reported to be interested in Gray. The La Liga outfit have their recruitment overseen by Victor Orta, who was the director of football at Leeds as Gray ascended the club’s youth ranks.

While Spurs are believed to be expecting offers, Gray is thought to be highly rated and there is reportedly no suggestion the club would be open to sanctioning an exit.

Leeds United and Sheffield United among clubs to have 'checked on' winger

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Leeds United and Sheffield United are among the clubs reported to have watched Hammarby winger Bazoumana Toure.

At just 18 years old, the left-sided winger is already enjoying regular football in the top tier of football in Sweden.

In the 2024 season, he has registered nine goals and four assists over the course of 21 appearances,

His exploits do not appear to be flying under the radar, with The Boot Room claiming Leeds and Sheffield United both had him watched over the weekend.

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However, the Yorkshire clubs are not the only ones seemingly taking an interest in the highly-rated wideman.

A vast array of clubs are believed to have had representatives in attendance to watch Toure, with Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Celtic among them.

Toure is also making waves at international level, having represented Ivory Coast’s under-20s side.

Gems can often be found outside Europe’s ‘big four’ leagues, with Leeds’ acquisition of Wilfried Gnonto an example.

He was plucked from FC Zurich in Switzerland for a modest fee in 2022 and would undoubtedly pocket Leeds a hefty profit if he was to be sold in January.

Sheffield United turned to Sweden last year to recruit Benie Traore from Hacken, although his underwhelming stint at Bramall Lane serves as a cautionary tale.

Leeds United academy graduate linked with Tottenham Hotspur loan exit as reunion mooted

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Archie Gray is reportedly being eyed for a reunion with former Leeds United director Victor Orta at Sevilla.

Orta was the director of football at Elland Road as Gray made his swift ascent through the youth ranks of his boyhood club.

Neither are on the books in West Yorkshire anymore, with Orta leaving before Gray’s first-team breakthrough in 2023.

Gray left a year later, securing a move to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur following Leeds’ failure to escape the Championship.

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According to Spanish outlet Mucho Deporte, Orta’s current club Sevilla have started work on a potential loan arrangement.

Tottenham are highly unlikely to sanction a permanent exit, but a loan switch could prove beneficial for Gray given his current status within the Spurs squad.

His is still waiting on his first Premier League start, having tallied 33 minutes of action over the course of four substitute appearances. In contrast, he made 40 starts for Leeds during the last regular Championship season.

Orta has previously waxed lyrical about Gray, who is still just only 18 years old. In 2021, he spoke glowingly about the prodigy in an interview with La Media Inglesa.

He said: "He’s one of those players you see every, I don’t know. I remember Kun Agüero and saying ‘what is this?’. It’s something that happens once in a long time, so I wanted to mention Archie Gray.

"[It] has actually happened only a few times, in the South America under-20s tournament, Kun scored 10 or 12 goals or something like that, you could see he was different. I saw Ángel Correa in under-15s in San Lorenzo and it impacted me.

“I saw Douglas Costa when he was 15 in a Copinha São Paolo and I said 'who’s this guy?'. It’s happened only a few times. But yeah, Archie gives me the same feeling. Archie, the other day against Tranmere Rovers, gave me that feeling."

Former Leeds United and Hull City man once signed for £10m still on free agent market

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Former Hull City and Leeds United midfielder Jake Livermore is among the free agent market’s most seasoned veterans.

He is four short of 200 Premier League appearances, and six outings short of hitting 250 in the Championship. However, his wealth of experience has not yet landed him a fresh challenge for the 2024/25 campaign.

A product of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, Livermore was a bit-part player for Spurs before finding regular football during a four-year stay at Hull City.

His move to Hull was not his first Yorkshire venture, as he had spent time on loan at Leeds while developing at Tottenham.

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The Tigers pocketed a reported £10m when they sold Livermore to West Bromwich Albion in 2017, with the investment being returned with over 200 appearances in six years.

Watford took him on last year, but opted to release the midfielder after his maiden Hornets campaign. At 34, Livermore is now at a crossroads.

He arguably still has years left on his career clock, therefore it appears to be a case of deciding how he spends his final seasons. Many players of his calibre would opt to go abroad and this could prove appealing to a player who has never plied his trade outside England.

However, another challenge in the EFL may also prove tempting. It is at this stage of the season clubs tend to raid the free agent market to soften injury blows and Livermore could prove an attractive option.

His days as an England international may be behind him, but Livermore could still have a lot to offer. With his free agency ensuring he is eligible for an out-of-window move, there is a clear opportunity for a club to add experience and steel to their midfield.

Former Leeds United and Middlesbrough man's career resurgence continues with new deal

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Tottenham Hotspur have handed a new contract to former Leeds United and Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence.

It appeared as if the defender’s career was veering off course earlier this year, when his loan spell at Leeds was abruptly cancelled in January.

He spent the final months of the 2023/24 campaign with Italian outfit Genoa, who were reportedly keen on striking a permanent deal for the attack-minded full-back.

However, he was instead reintegrated at Tottenham by Ange Postecoglou, who has kept Spence in his plans. This season, he has not missed a single Premier League matchday squad and has made three appearances from the bench.

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In a statement, Tottenham said: “We are delighted to announce that Djed Spence has signed a new contract with the club, which will run until 2028.

“Having joined the club in July, 2022, from Middlesbrough, Djed has made 10 appearances in our colours to date and registered his first competitive goal for us last month in our victory against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.

“The 24-year-old has previously spent time on loan with Stade Rennais, Leeds United and most recently with Serie A side Genoa for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

“On the international stage, Djed has featured for England at under-21 level on six occasions after making his debut for the Young Lions in March, 2022.”

Spence started his professional career at Middlesbrough, although it was a loan spell at Nottingham Forest that sent his stock soaring.

He moved to Tottenham in 2022, signing for the Premier League club in a deal reported to be worth up to £20m.

Premier League trio 'interested' in former Doncaster Rovers playmaker

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Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in prising former Doncaster Rovers playmaker Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old is a product of Villa’s youth system and has spent the entirety of his career on the club’s books.

However, in 2020, he enjoyed a productive loan spell in South Yorkshire. Doncaster recruited Ramsey during the reign of Darren Moore and he scored three goals in seven appearances.

The Covid-19 pandemic cut Ramsey’s loan short, although he soon found himself in the first-team picture at Villa Park anyway.

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There has been speculation regarding his future in recent months, with Italian giants Inter Milan among those linked with the attack-minded midfielder.

According to Give Me Sport, North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are both keen on securing his services, as are Newcastle.

He is under contract at Villa until 2027, although next summer may be the ideal time to sell if maximising profit is the goal. Once he enters the final year of his deal, his value will drop considerably.

There remains the possibility that Ramsey could sign a new deal, although it appears he may have option should he wish to seek pastures new.

Since making his senior breakthrough, Ramsey has amassed 131 appearances for Villa and scored 14 goals.

Former Hull City and Doncaster Rovers man 'in line' for high

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Former Hull City and Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ryan Mason is reportedly in line to become Anderlecht’s new manager.

The 33-year-old’s playing career was curtailed by a head injury sustained while on Hull’s books in January 2017. During a game against Chelsea, he suffered a fractured skull and needed 14 metal plates in his skull.

He moved into coaching and has had two spells as Tottenham’s interim head coach. The former England youth international is currently part of Ange Postecoglou’s coaching team, although could potentially be set for a departure.

According to talkSPORT, Mason is in line to take the reins at Anderlecht. The Belgian side have been on the hunt for a new boss since last month, when they parted company with former Brentford coach Brian Riemer.

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If Mason does indeed land the job, it would be his first permanent managerial role. He would also be reunited with his former Tottenham teammate Jan Vertonghen, who has represented Anderlecht since 2022.

A product of Tottenham’s academy, Mason made 70 appearances for the club before joining Hull in a deal reported to be worth £13m. While cutting his teeth as a Spurs prospect, he had three loan spells at Doncaster.

Anderlecht sit fourth in the Belgian Pro League table, five points adrift of table-toppers KRC Genk.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur linked with £84m former Leeds United 'target'

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Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing former Leeds United transfer target Viktor Gyokeres.

Leeds were heavily linked with Gyokeres during the 2022/23 season, when he was lighting up the Championship with Coventry City. An array of clubs were believed to be on his trail, with Everton and West Ham United among them.

However, the Sweden international instead moved overseas in the summer of 2023 to seal a switch to Sporting Lisbon.

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Sporting paid a club-record transfer fee to prise the forward from Coventry, although it has proven to have been money well-spent.

The 26-year-old has blossomed into one of Europe’s most lethal marksmen, scoring 52 goals in 58 appearances for the Portuguese giants.

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are keeping Gyokeres open as an option to bolster their attack. Tottenham, meanwhile, are believed to be the Premier League club showing the strongest interest.

Gyokeres has an €100m (£84m) release clause, therefore any club keen to prise him from Sporting would most likely need to commit to a significant investment. French side Paris Saint-Germain are also admirers of the 26-year-old, it has been suggested, and he was linked with Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal earlier this year.

Leeds did invest heavily in their attack in 2023, despite not landing Gyokeres. They paid a club-record £35m to sign Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim, later selling him to Brighton & Hove Albion for £40m.

Following the club’s relegation to the Championship, a deal to sign Joel Piroe from Swansea City for a reported £12m was struck.