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Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome believes Marcelo Bielsa signing a two-year contract would be “amazing” for the club.

The Argentine has enjoyed a superb season at the helm at Elland Road, guiding the club to a top-half finish in their first campaign back in the top-flight following promotion.

However, he has yet to sign a new contract, as he continually pens one-year extensions every season.

It has been suggested by The Sun that Bielsa has already agreed the terms on a one-year new deal at Elland Road and that an announcement is imminent.

Bielsa had denied the prospect of him signing a longer-term deal back in April, but Newsome has suggested that he could well put pen to paper on a two-year contract in the coming weeks.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Undoubtedly well-deserved and there is talk that it may be a two year deal instead of a one year deal which would be amazing for the club really and add a bit more security.”

Bielsa has never spent more than two years at a club, but he is now into his third year at Leeds, and it is almost certain that he’ll be with the club for at least one more season, if not two.

A worrying Tottenham Hotspur injury update has emerged on midfielder Oliver Skipp…

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte has revealed that the England U21 international is not closing in on a return as he is having issues with his recovery.

He has been out of action since January and it remains to be seen when he will be able to represent the club on the pitch again.

Charlie Eccleshare tweeted: “Conte on Skipp injury: ‘Skipp is having a bit of trouble with his injury – in this moment he’s not available. I know his frustration, but this new contract shows we trust him a lot and he will be very important for the present and future.'”

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The head coach also spoke about the youngster’s new contract at the club, saying: “I’m very happy for Skippy because we are taking about a good player, young player. A player from the academy and you know very well the importance to this club of developing players from the academy. A fantastic guy.”

Supporters will be fuming

The supporters will be fuming with this injury update as it suggests that Skipp will not be back out on the pitch any time soon for Spurs.

They will be keen to see him in the starting XI as he is ‘one of their own’ and has shown glimpses of Premier League quality in his career so far.

The gem was handed his chance in the first team this term after a sublime season on loan with Norwich in the second tier. In 45 league appearances, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 as he made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game and helped them to win the title.

He was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for his efforts and carried that form over into the start of this season with Spurs as he started 14 Premier League matches before his injury and averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.81.

Skipp is a midfielder who mixes energy and defensive ballast with control and poise in possession and looks classy in a deep-lying role in the middle of the park. He has completed an impressive 90% of his attempted passes in the top-flight and fans will surely be keen to have his reassuring presence gracing the team again as quickly as possible.

This is why they will be fuming with this update from Conte as it is a huge blow for Spurs and Skipp and they will be hoping that he is able to overcome his issues sooner rather than later.

AND in other news: Conte can now axe “truly hilarious” £42k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £33m “difference maker”

As another season draws to a close, yet more speculation surrounds Wolves manager Nuno Santo.

The Portuguese ace has been linked with Arsenal in the past but is now viewed as one of the successors to Jose Mourinho at Tottenham.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Mail, Wolves have begun drawing up contingency plans should Nuno leave Molineux in the not too distant future.

They are busy identifying candidates and are preparing for the possibility of soldiering on without their long-serving head coach.

Nuno has been in the Wolves dug-out since 2017 but with interest emerging from elsewhere once more, they have drawn up a couple of names already.

The report states that one option is former Porto boss Vitor Pereira while ex-Benfica manager Bruno Lage is also in the mix.

Rui Faria, once assistant manager to Mourinho, is in the frame too.

Faria can fix a big problem

One of the largest issues at play in Wolves’ season has been a number of colossal injury blows.

Jonny missed a large portion at the start of the campaign with an ACL injury while the Spaniard is now undergoing rehab on the same issue that will keep him out for the best part of a year.

Pedro Neto is also due to miss the next six months with a broken knee cap, joining Raul Jimenez on the sidelines. The Mexican hasn’t been seen since November when he fractured his skull.

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There have also been injuries to Marcal; a player who missed several weeks with a groin problem and Daniel Podence. He has had three separate issues with his shoulder, thigh and abductor muscle.

Nuno has preferred to opt with a small squad and in recent years, it’s served him well. They’ve not suffered many fitness issues but clearly, that’s come back to bite them in 2020/21. Wolves sit in the bottom half of the table and could now lose their manager too.

However, by appointing someone like Faria, it could be highly beneficial for the health of the Old Gold squad.

That’s because the 45-year-old’s background is as a fitness coach. When Mourinho was given his first job in management at Leiria in 2001, Faria was quickly appointed as the Portuguese’s fitness manager and analyst.

It was at Porto where his knowledge really paid off. He won the Champions League as Mourinho’s assistant and the Special One owed his companion a lot of thanks.

Faria had a crucial role to play with Porto applying a high-pressure line that relied on strong athletes. Detailed training reports were published on the club’s website at a similar time which included details of their exercise philosophies and how each method was important to how the side plays.

Faria became one of Mourinho’s most loved disciples. He followed him to Chelsea, to Inter Milan, to Real Madrid and finally Manchester United as his assistant.

When the coach finally went off in search of his own managerial gig, Mourinho said: “Training, playing, travelling, studying, laughing and also a few tears of happiness. 17 years and the kid is now a man. The intelligent student is now a football expert, ready for a successful career as a manager.”

Speaking in 2015, Mourinho claimed there were a lot of similarities between the two: “But if one day I have to choose my successor, if you want to use that, the one that I really feel thinks like me, is adapted to my way of lead, he’s adapted to my way of coaching, he’s the one with more similarities with me even in some traces of personality, is my assistant, Rui Faria.”

He had one spell with Al-Duhail in Qatar but is now out of management. Though, judging by his expertise when it comes to fitness and physical education, he could be crucial in developing training methods that don’t cripple the body.

For Wolves’ small squad, this has the potential to be game-changing.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Neves: Wolves must sign £30m “weapon” this summer, he’s Nuno’s dream…

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has avoided serious injury…

What’s the latest?

In an update relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if the central midfielder is in line to be available for the Yorkshiremen’s clash with Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

“Good news from Forshaw on the hamstring front. Looks to have avoided a bad one,” the reliable journalist said on Twitter.

The 30-year-old star was withdrawn after just 22 minutes during Sunday’s impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United, dealing manager Marcelo Bielsa his umpteenth injury blow of the season.

However, that does not appear to be the case, so the Argentine has just been handed a major boost heading into the weekend.

Significant boost for Bielsa

Indeed, Leeds have suffered from more than their fair share of injury problems throughout the 2021/22 season.

As many as 11 players were missing for their clash against Arsenal last month and their bench down at the London Stadium contained just one senior pro in Rodrigo, who was making his own return from injury.

The rest were some of the club’s most promising academy talent, including 15-year-old midfielder Archie Gray.

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Bielsa has already been missing Kalvin Phillips at the base of his engine room – a position that Forshaw has stepped up to deputise in with aplomb, and so much so that he’s been rewarded with a new one-year contract extension.

“I am still very much liking the effort levels from Forshaw, the amount of ground he’s able to cover. I don’t think in any way that the system worked for him or for anybody else against City or against Arsenal, but again, it’s pleasing to see that his body is holding up to this,” Hay claimed of Forshaw to his podcast last month.

In Phillips’ absence, the 5 foot 9 dynamo has excelled, averaging 2.3 tackles and one interception per outing, which is hugely impressive in terms of defensive output but it’s his 2.3 long balls per game, via WhoScored, that suggests he’s slotted in seamlessly.

As such, it will come as a significant boost to Bielsa that his injury isn’t as bad as first feared. If he’s available to face the Magpies, then the 66-year-old will surely be buzzing ahead of kickoff when the time comes to name his starting XI.

Forshaw is a crucial player to Leeds, more so now than ever.

AND in other news, Deal agreed: Leeds eye bargain swoop for £4.5m-rated “pitbull”…

When Jeremie Frimpong unexpectedly left Celtic for German shores back in January, it left the Hoops in the lurch.

The Bhoys suddenly needed to fill a vacant hole at full-back and they didn’t have much time in order to do it.

The player that Peter Lawwell and Celtic’s recruitment team decided upon was Jonjoe Kenny.

On paper, this was an adequate piece of business from the top brass at Parkhead. They’d found a temporary resolution to their problem at barely any cost.

The Toffees defender arrived on loan and after being nominated for Rookie of the Year when playing for Schalke in the Bundesliga, it looked like he’d do well.

Unfortunately, like Celtic’s season, it has been a period to forget. Kenny is eye-catching going forward but truth be told, his defending leaves plenty to be desired.

The £15k-per-week earner has endured a dismal few months at Paradise and with his stay in Glasgow coming to an end, John Kennedy must focus on other options, players who may actually be here next season.

After all, if Celtic decide to bring Kenny back next term, it would be a questionable decision.

When the big games have fallen upon the Hoops, Kenny has never been one to stand up and take responsibility.

In all three Old Firm derbies now, he’s been particularly inconsistent. In February, the defender’s lapse back pass led to a corner from which Alfredo Morelos scored.

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There are no prizes for guessing the man who was supposed to be marking the bullish Colombian from that set-piece; Kenny.

His worst performance in a Celtic shirt arguably followed in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

He and Diego Laxalt had what Paul John Dykes described on A Celtic State of Mind during the half time interval as a “nightmare.”

The Everton youngster struggled with Ryan Kent and was at fault for both goals. He failed to get close enough to Steven Davis for the opener and then accidentally diverted the ball into his own net for the second after failing to track the run of Kent.

Unfortunately, he was poor again the last time Celtic took to the field.

The 24-year-old didn’t provide much support to James Forrest down the right-hand side and was given a rough afternoon defensively.

Kenny lost possession 21 times and only completed 72% of his passes as his side slipped to a devastating 4-1 defeat at Ibrox.

Scott Brown may have been at fault for Morelos’ fierce strike in the first half, but Kenny never looked comfortable during his time on the pitch. His afternoon was made worse by the fact he committed two fouls and was dribbled past on three occasions.

It doesn’t feel as though Kenny has been at the races for a while now. Like Celtic’s season, his performances have only continued to dwindle.

The interim manager needs to factor in other options when the Bhoys face St Johnstone on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, McKay must wield the axe on 5ft9 Celtic dud, Sutton dubbed him the “new Ryan Christie”…

Nuno Santo is thought to be one of the front-runners for Tottenham Hotspur’s vacant managerial role as their search rumbles on into a third month.

According to talkSPORT, the 47-year-old is now being targeted by their new director of football Fabio Paratici following collapsed moves for Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso last week and he could be the man who Daniel Levy decides to hire.

The Portuguese left Wolves by mutual consent at the end of the 2020/21 season, having earned them promotion to the Premier League and then qualification to the Europa League in their first season back in the big time.

A three-man defence was Nuno’s go-to system at Molineux, something that Paratici is thought to also prefer and it is a formation that could quite easily be replicated in North London due to the personnel he’d inherit.

So how exactly could Spurs line up on the opening day against Manchester City under Nuno following a summer of transfer business? Football FanCast takes a look…

We’ll begin with players already at the club and there’s one the Portuguese will know more than anyone else – Matt Doherty.

The £15m signing emerged as a star under Nuno at Molineux, managing 19 goals and 20 assists under him but during his debut campaign for Spurs, he was restricted to just 13 league starts.

His future was thought to be under threat if Mourinho remained this summer but he could be one player to hugely benefit from this appointment. And in Sergio Reguilon, Nuno would be getting two solid options for the wing-back role.

One big dilemma would be in midfield, where there’s just two places up for grabs. It’s likely that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who started every league game last term, and Tanguy Ndombele get the nod, especially as the futures of Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Moussa Sissoko are in doubt. It would not be surprising to see one or all moved on.

It’s believed that Heung-min Son is close to signing a new long-term deal at the club in what will be a major boost for any new manager, whilst reports suggest that Harry Kane, despite his desire to leave, is going nowhere this summer.

Now onto where there could be new names. It’s been widely reported that Spurs are eyeing defensive reinforcements in this window, with ideally two new central defenders coming through the door.

And there are two candidates that could slot right in.

Fulham loan star Joachim Andersen is one that Spurs are thought to be very keen on, he’ll cost around £25m after an impressive season in the Premier League, whilst Paratici could use his Italian links to lure Nikola Milenkovic away from Fiorentina, who has also been linked to Spurs in recent months.

Described as a “beast” and likened to Nemanja Vidic, the 23-year-old Serbian international – who is valued at €30m (£27m) – may join the experienced Toby Alderweireld in the backline, with club captain Hugo Lloris remaining between the sticks.

There’s no place for either Eric Dier or Davinson Sanchez.

One final addition could be seen at right-wing.

The futures of Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura in N17 are also under threat, so there could be a spot available and after his dazzling displays at Euro 2020, Spurs would be crazy to not give Nuno another Pedro Neto-like talent in Mikkel Damsgaard, who is only expected to cost around €20m (£18m).

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano delivers exciting claim in Spurs’ manager search, fans surely buzzing…

Arsenal could be making a change at right-back next season…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Norwich City gem Max Aarons is one of several names the Gunners have interest in this summer and it’s not the first time that he’s been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium.

Back in May, journalist Freddie Paxton, who has been featured on the Guardian and the Independent, claimed that the North London outfit have been tracking the 21-year-old for several years and that the club considers him a long-term replacement for Hector Bellerin.

He’s expected to cost in the region of £30m.

Bye-bye Bellerin?

This interest certainly could spell the end for Bellerin after nearly a decade at the club.

Fabrizio Romano has suggested that there are ‘huge chances’ the Spaniard is sold this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain interested in the past and his price tag now set at €20m (£18m).

Aarons would be a pretty nice replacement as he’s a player with a ton of potential and one that could instantly fulfil Bellerin’s homegrown spot in the squad, so it seems like a win-win.

During the Canaries’ last stint in the top-flight, the England U21 international thrived, so it was a surprise to see him remain at Carrow Road instead of following teammate Ben Godfrey back into the Premier League.

He’s continued to impress, seeing his 6.55 average rating rise to 6.93, which sees him rank seventh overall in Daniel Farke’s squad. The German put a lot of faith in Aarons as he played more minutes than any other player.

“In my eyes, he is not the young Max Aarons, he is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future,” Farke told reporters in December. “I know he has been labelled as one of the best young players in this league. Well, I told him we can reject this label now because he is no longer one of the best young players, he is one of the best players.”

The £20m-rated dynamo would fit Mikel Arteta’s system very well, being a more attack-minded full-back. He averaged 1.4 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per league outing in 2020/21, via WhoScored, which suggests he likes to get forward to be a major source of creativity.

By comparison, Bellerin only managed an average of 0.8 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game, and was often snubbed in favour of Cedric.

On the above evidence, you can see why Arteta and Edu appear to be gunning for a change at right-back and a move for Aarons could be a very smart one come to next season.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops encouraging Arsenal transfer update, fans will surely be buzzing…

Kevin Phillips has been reacting to comments from Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi regarding his Parkhead future, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Southampton links

The 26-year-old, who cost the Hoops £4.86m over the summer, has made a fine start to life in Glasgow, scoring eight goals in 11 games.

He has recently been linked with a move to Premier League side Southampton as a result, with the Saints setting their sights on the Japan international.

While away representing his country, Furuhashi has hinted in a TV interview with journalist Dan Orlowitz that he could be open to a move to England.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who regularly features on Sky Sports, was asked by Football Insider if Furuhashi could follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama by heading to St Mary’s from Celtic.

He suggested that it is ‘difficult’ for the Hoops, who will be ‘desperate’ to keep hold of the forward, saying:

“There is history there. A few Celtic players have made the move to Southampton.

“It is difficult for Celtic but players want to play in the Premier League. They know that. Unfortunately, when a Premier League club comes knocking it is hard for the player to turn down.

“From Celtic’s point of view, Furuhashi has done exceptionally well. I’m sure they are desperate to keep him. They will not want his head turned. It happens though. They will want him to at least see out the season.

“At this stage of the season, you don’t want one of your most influential players being coveted by a Premier League club. It is natural when you do as well as he has though. When you score goals regularly clubs come sniffing.”

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Celtic appear to have found a real gem in Furuhashi, so it’s not ideal for the Hoops that he is talking about a potential move to the Premier League as a result of links to Southampton, especially when he only came to Parkhead as recently as this summer.

Hopefully the rumours from Italy won’t gather pace ahead of the January window. However, if he continues to star in Glasgow, unfortunately it may only be a matter of time until Celtic receive multiple enquiries over a possible transfer for their impressive attacker.

In other news: Celtic fans could be in line for ‘disaster’ following Saturday’s events

The London Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has confirmed that West Ham United have no intention of selling Declan Rice this summer, although he believes that a deal for him could be done at a price of around £80m.

Rice has been linked with a potential exit from the club this summer and the focus on his future has been sharpened by the fact that he has rejected two contract offers, per a separate Standard article.

Rice has been linked with various clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, but there has yet to be a bid tabled for the England international, who thrived at Euro 2020 as the Three Lions reached the final.

Rice also captained the club at times last season, when Mark Noble was on the bench, and the club, per Rosser, do not want to lose him this summer.

However, he believes that a deal could be done at a steep price, making the claim that a bid of around £80m would likely force the Irons to the negotiating table.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “Declan’s a difficult one. Moyes doesn’t want to lose him.

“West Ham are insisting that he’s not for sale but that’s all well and good until someone dangles £75m, £80m under your nose and really tests that resolve.”

West Bromwich Albion have completed a deal to bring Jordan Hugill to The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the West Brom website, the Baggies confirmed the signing of the Norwich City centre-forward on a season-long loan deal, with Valerien Ismael giving a lengthy explanation for the addition of the 29-year-old.

The Frenchman said: “Jordan has the player profile we have been looking for and is the type of striker we needed. I think with his experience, his mentality and his work ethic, he will suit us perfectly.

“Jordan will allow us to be more adaptable as a team. We will have some games that are different and we will need more physicality in the box, making life difficult for the opponent’s centre-backs.

“His skill and his experience will help him to score a lot of goals for us. He is able to score from open play and set pieces. I think we saw already in our first few games that we have had a lot of crosses into the box and it is important we have a striker in the area who is able to win those headers.”

Fans should be concerned

While it is undeniable that Hugill is indeed a player with a wealth of experience in the Championship, having made 207 appearances in the competition, as well as the fact that the 6ft centre-forward will add something of an extra dimension to the Albion attack, whether or not the 29-year-old is the proven goalscorer the Baggies have been searching for is very much up for debate.

Indeed, over his aforementioned 207 Championship appearances, playing for clubs such as Norwich City, Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough, the £1.8m-rated man has scored just 46 goals, as well as providing his teammates with a mere seven assists.

So, having scored roughly one goal every four games in the second tier of English football, while typically playing for mid to upper-table Championship teams, the former West Ham United striker has not exactly proven that he is a prolific marksman, nor does he often participate in the creation of goals.

As such, while the £36k-per-week forward may well go on to enjoy a successful campaign in what looks to be a very impressive West Brom side, Hugill could also quite easily repeat his Norwich City form last season – when the 29-year-old scored just four goals over 31 league games.

As such, fans should be slightly concerned that Hugill is the striker the club have waited so long to bring in this summer, as his signing would very much appear to be something of a gamble by Ismael.

In other news: Key West Brom figure drops update on “magnificent” £28k-p/w gem, it’d be a major boost