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Liverpool journalist James Pearce has reacted to midfielder Stefan Bajcetic being handed a new long-term contract with the Premier League side.

The Lowdown: Bajcetic profiled

The 17-year-old arrived at Anfield in February 2021 before signing his first professional deal in November of last year.

The maestro was given his chance to shine during pre-season, featuring in five of the club’s six games, with his performances impressing Jurgen Klopp to the extent that he was named as a substitute for the Reds’ curtain-raiser against Fulham last weekend.

The Latest: Pearce’s praise

Taking to Twitter, Pearce heaped praise on Bajcetic and insisted that a fresh deal is nothing less than he deserves. He wrote:

“Young LFC midfielder Stefan Bajcetic’s eye-catching progress rewarded with a new long-term contract on improved terms.”

Expanding in his column for The Athletic, the reporter wrote that the teenager has made ‘outstanding’ developments since putting pen to paper on his first senior deal last year.

Fellow youngster Harvey Elliott has also penned a new deal with the Reds, extending his stay until

The Verdict: Fully deserved

Bajcetic being offered a new deal at Liverpool seems fully deserved, given the positive impression he’s made in the club’s youth squad.

The Spaniard was naturally a centre-back but managed to score two goals and provide one assist in just nine games for the Reds U18s, via Transfermarkt, and has since progressed into playing more of a number six role in the middle of the park.

This kind of versatility makes him an exciting young prospect and someone who will hopefully go on to become a future face of the Liverpool first team in years to come.

West Ham United are targeting Chelsea forward Armando Broja as talkSPORT have shared some transfer news in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Irons keep busy…

Irons head coach David Moyes is still well in the market for further additions after sealing the signings of Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Thilo Kehrer.

West Ham are looking to challenge for a European spot again after failing to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League last campaign, instead having to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League.

The east Londoners have just under a fortnight to strengthen their options ahead of a long Premier League season with news now emerging on Broja.

The Latest: West Ham eyeing Broja…

Indeed, according to reports, it is believed the Albania international remains of interest to West Ham following their links earlier in the window.

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TalkSPORT claim that Broja is on the ‘radar’ of Moyes’ side as they chase more incomings before September 1 – coming after claims that the 20-year-old was ‘keen’ on a London Stadium move last month (Charlie Gordon, Daily Express).

The Verdict: Make the move?

Having signed Scamacca from Sassuolo, coming with real potential, a move for Broja could perhaps be seen as a luxury.

It was once believed, before West Ham sealed the transfer of their new Italian, that Moyes could have ended up signing both him and Southampton’s former loanee in a double swoop (Dharmesh Sheth).

Called a ‘sensational’ striker by Saints legend Francis Benali, if head of recruitment Rob Newman and co try to push again for Broja, then Moyes may well end up with an abundance of depth in the forward areas.

Time will tell if they can bring him through the door before the end of this summer window and will certainly be an interesting final stretch.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of Hull City forward Mallik Wilks, according to a new transfer update which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Wilks linked with Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls are still looking to conduct more business in the summer transfer window, with a wide attacker needed in order to bolster their options in the final third as they currently have just two wingers.

Wilks has emerged as a primary target in that position, having scored 30 goals in 91 appearances for Hull, including a haul of 19 goals and eight assists in League One in 2020/21 as the Tigers clinched promotion to the Championship.

A fresh update suggests that the 23-year-old could be heading to Hillsborough in the coming days.

The Latest: Owls closing in on Wilks signing

According to The Hull Daily Mail, Wilks is ‘set to leave’ the MKM Stadium imminently, with Wednesday ‘hopeful’ of sealing a move for him this week.

The winger has handed in a transfer request at Hull, further boosting the Owls’ chances of finalising a transfer, and his signing could even be completed in the ‘next few days’ as deal is ‘believed to be close’.

The Verdict: Could be a great addition

Wilks has the potential to be an excellent signing for Darren Moore’s side, bringing an injection of pace, trickery and power to Wednesday’s wide attacking options.

His aforementioned end product in 2020/21 speaks volumes about what he can offer in League One, and while a return of only three goals in the Championship last season may be a concern, he could excel in the third tier and blast the Owls to promotion, just as he did for Hull the season before last.

With nine players already through the door at Hillsborough this summer, there is the risk of Wednesday perhaps signing too many players and having a bloated squad which is difficult to keep happy.

However, Wilks is someone who could provide something different in the final third and boost the team’s promotion chances.

Leeds United could be a ‘solution’ when it comes to the future of Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi’s future, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

The Lowdown: Forward search

Andrea Radrizzani, Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch appear to be open to the idea of bringing in a new first-team forward before the September 1 deadline.

The club clearly have money to spend after previously agreeing on a €40m deal for Charles De Ketelaere, who eventually decided to join AC Milan.

Leeds were linked with a move for another Belgian in Batshuayi earlier this month, and the Whites have once again been name-checked in a new update.

The Latest: Tavolieri’s update

Tavolieri took to Twitter on Tuesday to provide an update on Batshuayi’s future.

The reporter said he’s ‘been told’ that a move to Everton to work under Frank Lampard ‘would not suit the player’, adding that Leeds and Newcastle ‘could be other solutions until the end of the transfer window’ with Chelsea ‘leaning towards a definitive sale’.

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The Verdict: Worth a gamble?

Batshuayi was described as ‘unstoppable’ back in 2017 by Pat Nevin, and he lived up to those comments last season. The 28-year-old spent the 2021/22 campaign in Turkey with Besiktas, netting 14 league goals and registering five assists in 33 games.

However, his record in the Premier League isn’t as strong, with Batshuayi netting 15 times in 77 appearances for both Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

The Belgian does have plenty of experience, though, and is into the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract, so you could make an argument that Leeds may be able to bring him to Yorkshire for a relatively low fee.

Batshuayi’s Transfermarkt valuation stands at just £9m, so this could well be a gamble Leeds chiefs may be open to taking in the final days of the window.

Everton were plagued with concern over Anthony Gordon’s future during the summer transfer window after Chelsea pushed to sign the player, although a new update has emerged which will give the Merseyside club a huge boost.

What’s the latest?

Frank Lampard took to his pre-match press conference ahead of today’s Premier League clash against West Ham to reveal a crucial update on the 21-year-old’s future at Goodison Park following the interest in the winger this summer.

The Everton manager revealed to the press: “The Club are speaking with Anthony and Anthony’s people to see if we can get the right solution there.”

It would be amazing for Everton

There is no doubt that securing the future of Gordon would be amazing for Everton, as he is one of the most promising young players in their team and, as a boyhood Evertonian, he represents the club and supporters at Goodison Park.

The 21-year-old has risen through the ranks to become one of the biggest breakout stars from the Toffees’ youth academy since Wayne Rooney, with his development and talent continuing to flourish in the first team under Frank Lampard’s guidance.

Gordon has been one of Everton’s standout performers already this season, with the young forward scoring two goals, along with getting 2.2 shots on target, making one key pass and winning two tackles per game so far. With the imminent return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, he will soon be reunited with an experienced striker by his side, which can only benefit the 21-year-old over the season ahead.

Lampard is a huge admirer of Gordon and will likely be delighted to keep hold of the talented youngster, who was dubbed “fearless” by Alan Shearer.

The former Chelsea boss addressed the rumours surrounding the £50m-valued player during the transfer window and detailed the importance of Gordon’s presence at Everton, telling Sky Sports (via Football 365): “He is a huge player for us, I said it last week, not only is he of great value to the club financially, but more importantly of great value to the squad and to me.

“He’s an Everton boy, he plays for us and the crowd relate to him. It’s understandable that people would be interested in him because of the level of player that he is.”

With that in mind, it would be a great piece of business if the powerbrokers at Goodison Park can complete a deal to extend and retain Gordon’s services at the club as Lampard works to improve Everton’s squad, form and performances in the Premier League.

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been left fuming at VAR after Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch was charged by the FA, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Marsch fined and banned

Marsch was shown a red card in Leeds’ last Premier League fixture against Brentford earlier this month.

The Whites fell to a 5-2 defeat in London, with Marsch sent off in the second half after a challenge in the box on Crysencio Summerville went unpunished.

The Leeds boss was charged and has now been fined £10,000 and given a one-game touchline ban after admitting a breach of FA rule E3.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to FI regarding Marsch’s charge in a story shared shortly before the fine and ban were confirmed.

He fumed at how VAR is being used at Stockley Park, labelling it as ‘embarrassing’, claiming Marsch was right for his protests.

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“I think Jesse’s the same as everyone.

“Everyone can except bad decisions from the referees. But the problem we’ve got now is there’s not only bad decisions for the referees. The people at Stockley Park are watching it and then coming up with the same decisions and the whole country knows it’s wrong. And yet, these idiots are sitting there and coming up with nonsense that the whole world sees is wrong. Something’s got to change.

“VAR was supposed to be to help the referee with offsides but it’s getting involved in everything now and it’s not good for the game. It’s embarrassing. Some of the rules that VAR have come up with, I don’t get it.

“I think Jesse is probably right, he’s probably right with the decision but it’s not just Leeds that are getting it, it’s every club. The referee shouldn’t be getting any help except goal line technology or help with a handball or an offside that he’s not seen. That’s what VAR is there for. Some of the people that are making the rules have never played football in their lives, that’s the biggest problem.”

The Verdict: Villa absence

VAR was a hot topic of conversation in game-week six, with a number of other incidents coming in for criticism. The PGMOL has since acknowledged incidents that cost Newcastle and West Ham as mistakes, so you can understand Marsch’s frustration.

However, he was the only manager to receive a red card that weekend, so he may want to hold back his emotions going forward, otherwise, he could be in for more sanctions from the FA.

The American will be in the stands at Elland Road for Leeds’ next game against Aston Villa, so he may have learned his lesson when it comes to dealing with the officials, who appear to be frustrating plenty this season, not just Marsch.

Bayern Munich are interested in signing Tottenham striker Harry Kane as they eye up a new No.9 in the near future, according to Sky Sports man Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Kane linked with Bayern move

The 29-year-old is Spurs’ star player of the modern era, scoring bucket-loads of goals and becoming one of the best strikers in Premier League history.

Worryingly, Kane has been linked with a move to Bayern recently, however, as the Bundesliga champions look to fill the void left by the legendary Robert Lewandowski.

Now, a new update has emerged, as talk over the England captain’s future refuses to go away.

The Latest: Sheth confirms interest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth confirmed Bayern’s search for a striker, suggesting that Kane could be the man to come in:

“That’s not to say that Bayern Munich aren’t interested. And they are, as I’ve been told by the Sky Germany reporters, a ‘number nine club’. They love a number nine.

“They’ve had one of the best in the business for the last seven or eight years in Robert Lewandowski, who’s now left, and now they’re trying to play in a different way. They’ve brought in Sadio Mane, not necessarily playing with someone like Lewandowski.”

“They tried to get Erling Haaland, but that was never going to happen once City had come in with that bid and whatever they were paying him in wages.

“But it hasn’t really started as well as they would have liked in the Bundesliga, at least anyway, for Bayern Munich. And so, I think they’ll be looking at that position to strengthen, and they’ve been huge admirers of Harry Kane for a long, long time.”

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The Verdict: More likely to stay

While this is clearly a concerning rumour for Spurs supporters, it still feels more likely that Kane will end up signing a new deal beyond his current 2024 expiry date.

The England man will be desperate to break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record and that won’t happen if he leaves next summer, while the Bundesliga is arguably an inferior league at the moment.

Losing Kane is something that doesn’t bear thinking about it and he continues to be the most influential player at Spurs – hopefully, that will be the case for the next four or five years.

Journalist Gregg Evans bemoaned Aston Villa’s injury problems during their match away to Leeds United this afternoon following a setback for Ludwig Augustinsson.

The Lowdown: Villa draw at Leeds

Steven Gerrard’s side headed to Elland Road for a key Premier League clash on Sunday, in what felt like a must-not-lose game for the manager.

A dour contest saw Villa and Leeds go in goalless at the break but Luis Sinisterra’s red card just after the interval appeared to present the visitors with the ideal scenario to put their one-man advantage to good use. Instead, the game petered out to a 0-0 draw.

Away from the result, Augustinsson had to be replaced by Villa debutant Jan Bednarek before half-time, as the Villains’ injury woes continue to rack up, with midfielder Boubacar Kamara and defenders Matty Cash, Diego Carlos and Lucas Digne already absent.

The Latest: Evans bemoans Villa injury problems

Taking to Twitter during the match, Evans couldn’t hide his frustration at the current injury situation for Villa.

In light of Augustinsson’s club debut being cut short prematurely, the reporter lamented:

“Defensive problems are getting worse. Now Augustinsson (on his debut) has pulled up with a hamstring problem. That’s three injuries to full-backs.”

The Verdict: Big concern for Gerrard

After a difficult start to the season in terms of results, Gerrard will be desperate for some good luck in the injury department – instead, the opposite seems to be happening.

Augustinsson’s hamstring issue seems likely to keep him out for a number of weeks, and with three full-backs all now injured, it places a lot of importance on 37-year-old Ashley Young to stay fit and play well.

That is far from an ideal position for Gerrard and Villa, especially with five more league matches to come in October, including the visit of Chelsea, during a hectic month.

Leeds United made plenty of new additions over the summer, with Jesse Marsch working to add eight new permanent faces to his squad.

One man who he brought in early on was Rasmus Kristensen, who was seen as the long-term successor to 31-year-old Luke Ayling.

The Denmark international has featured six times this season and has been part of a Whites defence which has shipped ten goals in seven league games.

While his average SofaScore rating of 6.83 is the seventh-highest in the Leeds squad, there have been claims that he has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, which perhaps unsurprising in his first season at Elland Road.

However, he has perhaps disappointed offensively, and it may be that a youngster like Cody Drameh could stake his claim as a potential upgrade in the coming years.

With the 25-year-old yet to contribute to a goal at senior level, having not created a big chance for a team-mate, it makes the two assists in as many Premier League 2 games by his younger colleague look even more impressive.

The 20-year-old also scored in the EFL Trophy, outlining how he appears to have the offensive know-how to make the grade at Leeds. He was also handed a Premier League appearance, although this was part of the side which was thrashed 5-2 by Brentford.

As a youngster, Drameh is still always learning, and Marsch could duly mould him into exactly the kind of right-back that he wants the youngster to be.

Kristensen seems to be slightly more old-school, but the modern full-back must be able to bomb forward. At times, their creativity is looked upon with more importance than their defending, as outlined by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Some have questioned the Englishman’s defensive credentials, but last season he provided a whopping 19 assists for Liverpool.

With Drameh having earned vital senior experience on loan at Cardiff City, where he earned praise for his relentlessness from his then-manager Steve Morison, he now can be ready for the step up to Premier League level.

Morison said about the Leeds full-back: “He has been excellent… he is like a Duracell Bunny, isn’t he? He just keeps going and going.”

With his non-stop running and his offensive attributes, Drameh seems like the perfect Marsch defender, and he will surely threaten to displace Kristensen if he can continue such remarkable development.

Celtic attacker Liel Abada is available for the Hoops’ important Scottish Premiership meeting with Hibernian, journalist Alison Conroy has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Big game for Hoops

Ange Postecoglou’s side suffered a dispiriting 2-0 home defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig earlier in the week, all but knocking them out of the Champions League.

It is vital that Celtic show an immediate response to that disappointment on Saturday afternoon, however, as third-place Hibs make the visit to Parkhead.

A win would put the Hoops five points clear of Rangers and they have been boosted in the injury department before the game.

The Latest: Abada available for clash

Having left the pitch through injury in the first half against Leipzig, there were concerns that Abada would miss out this weekend, but Conroy has allayed those fears on Twitter:

“Jota will miss Celtic’s game v Hibs, should be back in training next week. Ababa is fit & available. Turnbull & Welsh also out after picking up knocks.”

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The Verdict: Huge boost without Jota

This is a massive boost for Celtic ahead of what could be a tricky game, with Abada such a key figure, already scoring six goals in just nine league appearances this season.

Not only is the Israeli a key player in his own right, but Jota’s confirmed absence through injury means his influence could be even greater this weekend.

It will be interesting to see who Postecoglou goes with in attack, with Abada potentially used alongside both Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis, should the balance be right between the three of them.