The Express & Star’s Liam Keen has claimed that Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui wants players to fight for their place in the starting XI.
The Lowdown: Places for grabs
Lopetegui only took charge of the club in November, so he’s likely still piecing together and working out what his best starting lineup is.
Craig Dawson was given the nod to make his league debut last weekend in their Premier League clash against Liverpool in place of Nathan Collins, who was dropped to the bench – and rewarded the Spaniard’s decision by smashing in a finely taken goal in front of the home fans.
Wolves would take all three points at Molineux in a 3-0 win, which saw the Old Gold climb out of the relegation zone into 15th place.
The Latest: Train hard
Keen said that there’s competition for places in the squad and the players need to show their desire to play in training.
Speaking on The E&S Wolves Podcast, he said: “He wants to keep the players on their toes. He said to me recently, I don’t want any player happy to be on the bench. On a matchday, they support their teammates, but in training, they need to show me that they’re not happy about being on the bench.
“So that’s the challenge to Collins now, who probably was a little bit hard done by, because I thought he’d done well recently, but we both thought that he’d be the one to drop out, and I think it makes sense on the face of it.
“You’ve got a right-footer [and] a left-footer with the two that are in, in Kilman and Dawson. You’ve also got Kilman, who is more experienced, who is a bit older – not by a lot, but he is – in comparison to Collins.
“So it made sense that he stayed in, and I thought they worked really well together. Kilman looked a lot more assured.”
The Verdict: Healthy competition
Our view is that it sounds like Lopetegui is trying to inject healthy competition into his Wolves side, and we think that’s a great thing to do.
We believe that the Old Gold are going to need a lot of fight if they’re to stay in the Premier League, and having players battling for places will certainly instil that.
It appears as if the tide is starting to turn for the club in the past few games, as they’ve only lost two of their last six league matches.
When you consider those two defeats came against Manchester United and Manchester City, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Before taking charge of Wolves, Lopetegui looked like an exciting appointment due to his managerial CV, and our view is that he’s proving those who believed in him to be correct.
Their recent Premier League form will certainly have some of the Wolves faithful believing they can stay up.
Transfer expert Dean Jones says Arsenal are ‘willing’ to break their club record to sign midfield target Declan Rice this summer, but not the British record.
The Lowdown: Rice wanted
It was reported last week that Arsenal were willing to break the British transfer record to sign Rice this summer, after Chelsea had previously broken it in the January transfer window by signing midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a reported £106.8m.
The Gunners are claimed to be willing to pay as much as €134m (£120m) for the West Ham United and England midfielder, who is firmly on their radar.
The Latest: Rice update
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that although the North London club are willing to break their own transfer record to sign Rice, he is unsure that they would be willing to go above £100m and break the British record:
“I think Arsenal are definitely willing to break their own transfer record to sign Declan Rice, but I’m not sure they’re going to go above and beyond £100m and break the British record.
“I think West Ham will be hopeful that that happens. They’re hopeful that they can get £110m for Rice. I can understand why they would set their stall out at that level. I’m just not 100% sure that it’s realistic.”
The Verdict: Stick to principles
Mikel Arteta’s team must keep sticking to their principles, and not pay over the odds for their targets.
They were in talks to sign winger Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January, but were prepared to walk away from the deal as Chelsea eventually struck an agreement worth a whopping £88.5m to sign him.
They also had two bids rejected for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, the second thought to be worth £70m.
Instead, they brought in Leandro Trossard and Jorginho for cheaper prices, and can now focus their attention on spending bigger this summer with the money that they have saved.
Lauded as a ‘monster’, a ‘force of nature’, a ‘leader’ and a ‘serious talent’ by journalist Rob Blanchette, Rice is very highly rated, and only Thomas Partey can match him for average tackles (2.3) per match in the Premier League in the Gunners squad, while nobody can match him for interceptions (1.6), suggesting that he would be a valuable addition to the middle of the park.
Now, they will have to decide again how much they think that he is worth, and line up alternative targets if unwilling to meet his valuation.
Coach Mikel Antia looks set to make the move to Leeds United to work alongside Javi Gracia for the first time, according to Beren Cross for Leeds Live.
The Lowdown: Antia profiled
The 50-year-old has experience of being an assistant manager in the Premier League. The Spaniard worked under Rafael Benitez at Newcastle United for 136 games between 2016 and 2019 and is currently in the MLS with Charlotte.
He was a part of Miguel Angel Ramirez’s backroom team and has been assistant to current manager Christian Lattanzio for 20 games (as per Transfermarkt), but it looks as if a return to England is on the cards.
The Latest: Antia to link up with Gracia at Leeds
Cross shared a story for Leeds Live on Wednesday evening regarding Gracia’s backroom staff setup. He said that Zigor Aranalde will once again be the 52-year-old’s assistant, while Juan Solla is also set to work with Gracia once again.
However, Cross added that Antia is set to work under the new Whites manager on a coaching basis for the first time, with the two having played together at Real Sociedad in the late 1990s.
The Verdict: Wise move?
Although Antia has never worked under Gracia, there is still a connection from their time at Sociedad as players. He would bring previous experience of coaching in England, so it could be a wise move by the new Leeds boss in the short run.
Michael Skubala also looks set to remain at the club under Gracia, so a blend of his previous assistants in Aranalde and Solla, a new coach in Antia and a current Leeds figure in Skubala could be a good blend for the newly-appointed 52-year-old as he looks to steer the Whites away from the relegation zone.
Wolverhampton Wanderers picked up a valuable point in their battle against relegation on Friday night as they earned a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Hugo Bueno impressing for the visitors.
Julen Lopetegui’s side looked far superior to their hosts in the first half and took a deserved lead when Pablo Sarabia fired to the net after Raul Jimenez’s header found him inside the penalty box.
However, the Cottagers earned a point when substitute Manor Solomon curled in a delightful equaliser in the second half, while Jose Sa produced a great save late on to deny Carlos Vinicius.
Why was Bueno Wolves’ star performer against Fulham?
While Sarabia and Ruben Neves produced excellent displays in Wolves’ midfield, earning 7.8/10 and 7.6/10 ratings from Sofascore respectively, Bueno was arguably the standout performer at Craven Cottage.
Although Sofascore awarded him a modest 6.6/10 rating for his performance, he was a constant menace on the left flank, regularly causing problems by getting forward, while he also did well defensively and was perhaps unlucky not to come away with a clean sheet after Solomon’s wonder goal.
During his 90 minutes on the pitch, the 20-year-old completed 32 passes, a small increase on the 27 that he has averaged per Premier League match so far this term. He was also successful with three dribbles, far exceeding his seasonal average of 0.8 per game.
Bueno’s one interception and three fouls at Craven Cottage showed that he is not afraid to get stuck in, and again these figures were an increase on the 0.6 interceptions and 0.4 fouls he has committed per top-flight game in 2022/23.
While the figures don’t suggest that Bueno was at the very top of his game against Fulham, the eye test suggested differently. Jamie Carragher certainly agreed, as he awarded the young defender the man of the match award on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game.
The former Liverpool man also suggested in commentary during the game that the Portuguese full-back was “causing problems” for Fulham all night with his ventures forward, claiming that he was arguably Wolves’ “best attacker” in the second 45.
Neves might have been central to much of Wolves’ strong play, particularly in the first half, but that is to be expected from the talismanic midfielder who has been his team’s best performer of the season (as per WhoScored), whereas Bueno’s emergence as a first-team player has been one of the highlights in a disappointing season for the Old Gold.
Therefore, the academy graduate deserves all the praise he gets after another very promising display at Craven Cottage.
Leeds United are responsible for producing a number of world class players over the years. There was a point in time when their academy seemed like a never-ending talent factory, with a constant flow of future England internationals bursting onto the scene in a style even Micah Richards would be proud of.
In recent times, that talent factory has slowed down ever so slightly, with the modern game more focused on improving via the transfer market, and not the option closer to home in the form of academies. Those at Elland Road will still be hoping to discover the next best thing in the next few years, however.
With that said, we’ve ranked the 10 most successful academy products in Leeds United history.
10) Fabian Delph
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Going onto captain Aston Villa after graduating from the Leeds United academy, Fabian Delph was one of the most talented young England midfielders at one stage, even earning himself a move to Manchester City.
At The Etihad, Delph picked up two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups, playing a part in the famous ‘Centurions’ team.
He went on to play for Everton before eventually retiring at the end of last season.
Delph also racked up 20 caps for England between 2014 and 2019.
9) Kalvin Phillips
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Someone who will look to replicate Delph’s success at Manchester City, Kalvin Phillips was a fan favourite at Leeds United, where he helped the club back into the Premier League.
Phillips also played a key role in helping Leeds survive in the Premier League, and he earned himself a move to City.
He has also been an England regular under Gareth Southgate, and was a member of the squad at both Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
If he can become a key player at City, he’ll climb this list.
8) Gary Kelly
One of the best right-backs in Leeds United history, Gary Kelly made an incredible total of 501 appearances for the Yorkshire club, even playing for the side that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2001.
Kelly was as consistent and loyal as they come, and more than deserves his place on this list.
Kelly also won 52 caps for the Republic of Ireland, playing for his country at the 2002 World Cup.
A true one-club man and Leeds legend.
7) David Batty
Football – 1998 FIFA World Cup – Second Round – England v Argentina – Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint Etienne – 30/6/98 England’s David Batty has his penalty saved during the shoot out Mandatory Credit : Action Images / Brandon Malone
Never one for the spotlight, David Batty quietly enters this list as one of the most successful players to come out of the Leeds United academy.
The midfielder made an impressive 228 appearances for his boyhood club, and also played for both Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers, where he won the Premier League title.
He bookended his career at Elland Road, playing for them between 1987 and 1993, and between 1998 and 2004.
A player who loves Leeds, and was loved right back by the fans.
6) Paul Robinson
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Leeds United v Charlton Athletic – Elland Road – 8/5/04 Leeds’ Paul Robinson reacts as Jason Euell’s penalty hits the back of the net to make it 3-2 Mandatory Credit: Action Images / John Sibley Livepic
One of the most consistent goalkeepers to ever grace the Premier League, Paul Robinson played for Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur, and Burnley, keeping a total of 88 Premier League clean sheets in 375 appearances.
His legacy as an English football and Leeds United legend still remains to this day.
He was good enough to become England’s No.1, a player who represented his country on the very biggest stage.
It could be argued he was more successful elsewhere, but at Leeds, he truly blossomed into an excellent goalkeeper.
5) Jonathan Woodgate
The fact that Jonathan Woodgate became a Galactico at Real Madrid should instantly cement his place as one of the most successful academy graduates in Leeds United history, even if it didn’t work out in Spain.
The central defender remains one of the best defenders to ever play for the Yorkshire club.
He represented Leeds with distinction between 1998 and 2003 but left as a financial crisis engulfed the club, moving to Newcastle United.
He would go on to win the League Cup with Tottenham, scoring the winning goal in the 2008 League Cup final against Chelsea.
4) James Milner
Soccer Football – FA Cup – Final – Chelsea v Liverpool – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – May 14, 2022 Liverpool’s James Milner reacts REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
If this was a lactate test, then James Milner would be clear as the number one.
In a list of successful Leeds United academy graduates, however, he finishes a more than respectable fourth.
The Liverpool midfielder has won it all in what has been an illustrious career, and he doesn’t look like slowing down either, even at 36.
A regular England international and a truly unbelievable athlete, Milner has been superb for decades.
3) David Seaman
FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in CardiffArsenal v SouthamptonArsenal captain David Seaman celebrates the winning goal from Robert Pires.17th May 2003.
One of England’s best ever goalkeepers, David Seaman didn’t actually make an appearance for Leeds United’s first-team.
Instead, he went on to have incredible success elsewhere, mainly at Arsenal, where he kept 218 clean sheets in 509 games.
At the North London club, Seaman also won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and one League Cup.
He also played for England at multiple major tournaments, including the World Cup.
2) Gary Speed
The late, great Gary Speed remains one of the best players to grace Elland Road.
In total, he made 226 appearances for his boyhood club, even winning a league title in 1992, and Community Shield in 1993.
He also starred for Newcastle United, where he made 285 appearances during his time at the club.
Speed is greatly missed, and retired with a huge cabinet filled with trophies.
1) Denis Irwin
Manchester United v Chelsea 5/3/94 F.A.Premiership Pic : Action Images / John Sibley Chelsea’s Steve Clarke takes on Manchester United’s Denis Irwin
One of the greatest players to ever play for Manchester United, it’s with great irony that we place Denis Irwin top of our list of the successful academy graduates to come out of Leeds United.
The left-back only made two appearances for Leeds, before joining Oldham Athletic and eventually making the move to Old Trafford, where he won seven Premier League titles, one Champions League, three FA Cups, and one League Cup.
He goes down as one of the best left-backs English football has ever seen.
It’s a real shame for Leeds that they didn’t know what they had with Irwin.
So, there you have it, our list of the most successful academy products in Leeds United history. Do you agree with our picks? Or do you believe that we’ve missed out some deserving players? Let us know in the comments!
Leeds United pair Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear could potentially be moved on in their roles if 49ers Enterprises buy a majority stake, Phil Hay has claimed.
The Lowdown: Changes afoot at Leeds
The Whites are continuing to battle to stay in the Premier League on the pitch, but there is also plenty going on off it at Elland Road at the moment.
Endless rumours have suggested that 49ers Enterprises are looking to become sole owners of Leeds sooner rather than later, in what would be a major change at the club.
Orta and Kinnear are currently sporting director and managing director at Elland Road, respectively, but an update has emerged regarding their futures.
The Latest: Hay drops new claim
Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic, Hay said that the pair could possibly be moved on if the 49ers believe others could do a superior job when they come in as owners:
“These are the sort of questions that 49ers Enterprises would need to answer themselves. All the noises to this point suggested that if and when the group took control, changes at the top would be gradual rather than sweeping from the outset.”My impression for a long time was that Kinnear and Orta would stay on, certainly in the transitional period. 49ers Enterprises regarded them as assets.”But given the way this season and last season have gone, there will have to be close scrutiny of the way Leeds are operating — and whether the setup is right for the longer term.”It’s been a battle from the summer of 2021 onwards. To be fair, increased financial clout would allow the club to change how they work.”
The Verdict: Could make sense
Ultimately, the key decisions at any football club rest with the owners and that will be absolutely no different if and when the 49ers have a majority stake in Leeds.
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For that reason, Orta and Kinnear will no doubt be assessed in their roles, and if the incoming owners don’t believe they are right for the position, they should go.
That being said, the duo have both played big roles in the club’s recent success, as Leeds have battled their way back into the Premier League, so it would arguably be a surprise if they were disposed of, particularly straight away.
The Sun journalist Daniel Cutts was left fuming after hearing that Arsenal are being investigated by the FA for their celebrations after Reiss Nelson’s goal.
The Lowdown: FA investigation
As per football.london, the FA are investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after Nelson’s dramatic last-minute winner in the 3-2 victory against Bournemouth in the Premier League over the weekend.
The North London club’s coaching staff and substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate the goal, and referee Chris Kavanagh has reported those celebrations to the FA.
It is not clear if the Gunners will receive any sanction for them, but they did seemingly go against the IFAB Laws of the Game.
The Latest: Cutts fumes
Taking to Twitter, Cutts fumed after hearing the news, claiming that it is ‘frightening’ how ‘out of touch with fans’ that the officials and law-makers are:
“The FA investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after their 97th minute winner is the most laughable thing I’ve heard in a long time. So out of touch with fans it’s frightening. Useless.”
The Verdict: Common sense needed
In situations like these, officials and law-makers need to show a bit of common sense.
Yes, they need to stick to the rulebook, but they must be more in touch with the emotional side of the game, in what was a potentially season-defining moment for Mikel Arteta’s team.
Nelson’s winner was the last chance of the match, with the hosts securing a dramatic comeback from being 2-0 down.
It was the difference between three points and one, and given what is at stake in terms of the title race, the club and its staff had every right to celebrate that emotional moment accordingly.
Liverpool head coach, largely working with former chief Michael Edwards, Jurgen Klopp has had amazing success in the transfer market over the years at Anfield.
The German manager has signed the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Gini Wijnaldum, to name a few, during his time at the club and has proven that he has an eye for top-level talent.
However, the previous Liverpool boss – Brendan Rodgers – was no stranger to a bargain in the market and one of his final masterstrokes was the signing of Danny Ings from Burnley in his last window in charge of the club in the summer of 2015.
How much did Liverpool pay for Danny Ings?
The club only paid an initial £6.5m to sign him from the Clarets, which was decided by a tribunal as the marksman was out of contract, and went on to make a big profit on the gem.
Ings, who Noel Whelan once hailed as a “phenomenal finisher”, only ended up playing 25 first-team matches for the Reds in all competitions – scoring four goals.
However, his time at the club was marred by horrible injury luck. Between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns, the attacker missed a staggering 85 competitive matches due to knee injuries, which disrupted his development and did not help his efforts to become a regular at Anfield.
After those frustrating years for the striker, Klopp then decided to send him out on loan in the 2018/19 campaign and that move turned out to be a blinder.
The Englishman joined Southampton on a temporary basis and plundered seven goals and three assists in 24 Premier League appearances for the club.
This led to the Saints snapping the dynamo, who Klopp once lauded as “unbelievable”, up on a permanent deal for a fee of £20m in the summer of 2019 – £13.5m more than what Liverpool initially paid to sign him in 2015.
Ings thrived in his new home and scored 34 Premier League goals in his next two seasons combined, which shows that it was a great transfer for all parties involved. The Reds received a big fee, Southampton landed an excellent player, and the forward was able to find his best form at the top level.
Therefore, Rodgers and Klopp – between them – played a blinder with Ings in picking him up for a fairly small fee before making the right choice in his development – despite the injury issues – to then sell him for a huge profit.
A report by Fantacalcio has suggested that former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is Antonio Conte’s ‘designated’ replacement.
The Lowdown: Conte set to leave?
Spurs’ current head coach, going by developments in the last 24 hours, seems set to depart north London with reports suggesting that Conte is on the way out.
The Italian, after being appointed by chairman Daniel Levy in 2021, guided Spurs to a top four Premier League finish last season but has arguably failed to build upon that success since.
Conte took his frustrations out on both the board and Spurs’ squad in a furious post-Southampton rant last weekend, questioning Tottenham’s very culture.
He stated:
“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).
“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.
“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”
The Latest: Report suggests ‘designated’ Conte replacement…
Following Conte’s speech which has sent shockwaves throughout football, noise surrounding a possible replacement for the 51-year-old has only gathered pace.
Pochettino is one man to be heavily linked with the job, and a report by Fantacalcio has suggested that the former PSG boss seems to be Conte’s ‘designated heir’.
In terms of where Conte could go next, this report adds that Inter Milan are currently ‘in the front row’ to give him a chance to return to Serie A.
The Verdict: Perfect candidate…
The ex-Southampton manager is a sure-fire candidate to succeed Conte and we believe he is perfect, especially considering his top flight experience and status as a free agent.
Pochettino has earned real praise for his job at Spurs with journalist Alex Crook calling him ‘ruthless’ and a ‘good man-manager’ when talking about the Argentine’s previous links with Man United.
He would also come back to Spurs with more pedigree and experience having managed superstars at PSG, a club he also guided to a Ligue 1 title last year.
Indeed, it would seem Pochettino really should be the favourite to take over.
Journalist Sid Lowe has revealed that Barcelona's current financial situation means that as things stand, they would not be able to re-sign Lionel Messi this summer.
What's going on with Messi and Barcelona?
The 35-year-old is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, and recent reports have indicated that he is keen to re-join Barcelona, with whom he had many successful years.
Messi originally departed Camp Nou in 2021 following financial issues which meant his contract could not be renewed, and he subsequently moved to PSG.
He could move on a free transfer this summer, but with reported wages of just under £1.1m-per-week, it would be a tall order for Barcelona to reduce their already large wage budget to accommodate him.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Lowe claimed that Barcelona would either have to activate more economic levers – which saw them spend heavily last summer – or reduce their wage bill massively to have any chance of bringing their greatest-ever player back.
He said: "You'd be in a position where you wouldn't be paying a transfer fee for him, but it would depend on the size of the salary.
"But right now, no, they don't have the margin for it. So that asks all sorts of questions: where's the money coming from – sales of players, or maybe we go back and we discover a few more levers that can be pulled?"
Should Barcelona move on from Messi?
Barcelona are in a tough situation, as there could be a strong temptation to bring back arguably the greatest player of all time, who is still capable of performing at a high level as shown in Ligue 1, but the deal as a whole does not make a lot of sense in the long run.
Sales appear to be necessary to accomodate an ageing player, and after a number of transfer windows in which younger players such as Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde arrived – while Pedri, Gavi and Alejandro Balde were given more prominent roles – disrupting the squad to shoehorn Messi into the team may not suit Xavi's project.
Xavi's former boss Pep Guardiola once described Messi as "unstoppable", and whilst he may still have a lot to offer in front of goal, his supposed diminished impact on games may yet hinder Barcelona.
Indeed, he was blamed for PSG's Champions League exit against Bayern Munich, perhaps signalling that his impact on games at the most elite level is not what it used to be having scored goals and won trophies for fun at Barcelona, and given the financial gymnastics the club will have to go through to bring him back, there is a fair argument to suggest that they should move on without him.