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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed that youngster Karamoko Dembele is part of his first-team plans next season, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

Dembele made his debut for the club on the final day of the Scottish Premiership last season, coming off the bench against Hearts at Celtic Park.

The 16-year-old looked sharp during his cameo, with his deft first touch and dribbling ability apparent as well as his desire to create chances and score goals.

Was Georgios Samaras a better player for Celtic than fans gave him credit for? Keith from C’mon the Hoops explains why he was in the video below…

Lennon now believes that he can no longer be held back by training with the reserve and youth squads at the club.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the Hoops boss said:

“Karamoko is certainly part of the first-team squad just now. He is in the mix and he will be in Austria.

“We have to be very mindful of his age and his development. But sometimes you don’t want to curtail talent either.

“Wayne Rooney was one who made his debut at 16 too. I’m not saying Karamoko is going to be as good as him. They are different types. But he’s a very talented player and one that I think should be mixing with the first team now.

“He is ready for that, to be training with the first team and dipping in and out. That’s all part of his development and we have seen it with others in the past.”

Dembele has long been hyped as the next big talent at Celtic Park, hitting the headlines in 2016 when he made his debut for the club’s U20s side at the age of just 13.

Since then fans have followed his progress closely and last season, as he turned 16 and became eligible for senior action in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic were uploading highlights of reserve matches to their official YouTube channel that attracted hundreds of thousands of views.

The teenager signed his first professional contract back in December and is contracted with the club until 2021, meaning he has plenty of time to make a consistent first-team breakthrough.

Going by Lennon’s words though, the starlet is well placed to do so sooner rather than later and will have a big opportunity to impress during pre-season friendlies.

Ronnie Irani voices concerns that off-field activity has caused downturn in performance

George Dobell18-Sep-2021For most clubs, a season in which they effectively finish seventh in the County Championship might not be considered too bad.But such has been Essex’s success in recent years, their results in 2021 have sparked an internal review which is understood to focus on allegations of a drinking culture at the club.The catalyst for the review was a question asked by Ronnie Irani, who was, until recently, chair of the club’s cricket committee. He is understood to have raised the fear that the club, who won the Championship in 2017 and 2019, the T20 Blast in 2019 and the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020, had become a little complacent and that unhelpful habits – such as a propensity to relax over a few drinks – had crept into the team’s culture.Irani is understood to have suggested such behaviour was not conducive to an elite sporting environment and may be deemed exclusive to those who do not drink.The inquest may be related to Essex’s celebrations at the end of last season’s Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s, when photographs of beer being poured on the head of the young batter Feroze Khushi – a non-drinker for religious reasons – were circulated to widespread condemnation.Essex issued a statement shortly after the incident, acknowledging that it “did not meet the inclusive values” of the club, while Tom Westley, the captain, followed up with an apology on behalf of his team, and a determination to “be more responsible” in future.Related

• Alastair Cook commits until 2023 season after Essex contract extension

• Ronnie Irani steps down from Essex board

• Essex captain Tom Westley issues apology after beer poured on Muslim player

While the suggestion of a drinking culture has infuriated some members of the staff, the executive board has resolved to hold a review into the matter. As a result, they will conduct interviews with players and members of the coaching staff on Monday before coming to a decision.Essex are likely to finish top of Division Two in the Championship this year. While they endured a disappointing T20 Blast campaign (they were seventh in their group), they made it to the semi-final of the Royal London One-day Cup.Although Irani recently stepped down as chair of the cricket committee citing the demands of his career away from the game, it is now understood he is keen to run for the position of chair of the club as a whole in the new year.His return is understood to be resisted by club stalwarts such as Graham Gooch, David Acfield and Keith Fletcher. A report in the Daily Mail also suggested that Sir Alastair Cook, who is out of contract at the club at the end of this season, may be reluctant to sign a new deal if Irani’s influence at the club is increased.

This one may be tough for some Newcastle fans to come to terms with, but when the money on the table is that of £20 million, it’s hard to argue that Dwight Gayle should be kept. The Express are reporting that Scott Parker wants to sign the Newcastle man, and if the fee is as high as they state then the Magpies have to part with the 28-year-old.

There’s a sense of deja vu about this particular deal. Last summer Fulham parted with a similar fee of £22 million to prise Aleksandar Mitrovic from St James Park, via the BBC. This time, though, it should be a much easier decision for the Magpies. Mitrovic had goalscoring prowess in the top flight, Dwight Gayle does not.

In Gayle’s four full seasons in the Premier League in his career to date with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, he’s managed just 21 goals in 99 games. In comparison, his Championship record is a much more impressive 59 strikes in 100 games, stats via Transfermarkt.

Whilst the Newcastle man might be after one more go in the top flight with the aim of finally cracking it and becoming a goalscoring regular at the top level, he just doesn’t warrant another attempt after flopping in the Premier League on four separate occasions.

That’s where this bid from Fulham comes in. Scott Parker is in danger of losing Aleksandar Mitrovic as The Daily Star reports that Real Betis are edging closer to securing the 24-year-old’s signature. The fee for the Serbian could be as high as £30 million and would almost certainly fund the Gayle move.

If Newcastle are coy they could potentially aim to make a little bit more out of Gayle in the knowledge that Parker’s Fulham are in the money, but when you’ve got a striker who hasn’t done a lot in the top tier, receiving a fee of £20 million would be massive, especially considering that money could then be reinvested back into the squad this summer.

Newcastle fans, would you be happy with £20m for Gayle? Comment below!

After being completely outplayed on the opening day, South Africa would not have minded an extra day off to reflect on their mistakes and plot an unlikely coup to get back into the series

Firdose Moonda in Bangalore15-Nov-2015Rain is exactly what every South African wanted today. Back home, the country is facing its worst water crisis since 1992, five of the country’s nine provinces have been declared drought disaster areas, and water restrictions have been imposed. In Bangalore, the rain has poured like the blessing South Africans believe it to be.The entire second day was washed out, eating into the time India wanted to wipe away the first-innings deficit and begin building a lead. Even though the rain also munched away at the minutes South Africa could have used to start plucking Indian wickets – and in humid, overcast conditions their seamers would have hoped for some assistance – they would have preferred to lose time on this occasion.South Africa’s pace pack is depleted down to only one frontliner: Morne Morkel. The two who could have made use of any movement on offer – Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander – are injured and the replacement pair – Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada – need some time to gear up for the magnitude of the task facing them.Rabada needs more experience – in less than two years he has gone from impressive schoolboy to international cricketer across all formats – but Abbott, who is a swing bowler, could have used the extra day off. Abbott was barely 36 hours off a plane when he was thrust into a Test match with his captain’s assuring words that “when he puts his boots on, he’s ready even if he got off the plane 10 minutes before he bowled the first ball.”The Abbott of day one was not quite ready. In his six-over spell, he found movement, beat the bat and held his length back. But even with Morkel testing the surface’s spongy bounce and Rabada poison-tipped with potential, Abbott could not create any pressure. India’s opening pair were very rarely made to feel as though they would be lured into making a mistake, much less that there was any menace coming from their opponents.South Africa’s batsmen are partly to blame for creating that sense of security of their hosts, who put them in – a rarity in Indian conditions – and then bundled them out. In the two-and-a-half sessions India spent out there, they would have seen there were no demons in the pitch, not even the sluggish, sleeping ones like they were in Mohali They would have known they could seize an advantage by batting carefully to the close.But in-game advantage is delicate and for India to hold on to it, they need to continue blunting South Africa’s seamers, who generally do not remain passive for extended periods and will have the importance of sharpening up stressed on them. Morkel will have to lead with a little more authority and a little more meanness. He will have to bowl fast and back of a length to extract the bounce that a bowler of his height can generate and make the Indian batsmen uncomfortable. Abbott will have to conjure up his inner-Steyn, in swing terms, and make the conditions work for him. Both of them have to be careful not to bowl too straight, but to make the batsmen play outside the offstump.Rabada will have to back both of them up by being the other half of Steyn: fast and furious. He will have to be the one who bends his back the most, bangs in the hardest and bears down on the batsmen the most. He already has the right bowling character to intimidate, now he has to trust it at the highest level and he has reason to. He has the backing of the best.During the first Test, Steyn posted a photo of himself in wicket-celebration mode with his steely, scary eyes trained on Rabada. “I am looking at the future of SA cricket!,” Steyn captioned it. “Remember this name, people. You gana (sic) be seeing a lot of it. Congrats on your Test debut bud. #fastbowlingpartner.”Steyn will not be on the field to guide Rabada or anyone else but his presence from the dressing room may serve as a reminder of what South Africa’s attack need to protect. Before the Mohali Test, South Africa had lost only one Test away from home – to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in October 2013 – in five years. The team owes a lot of that form to Steyn, who before Saturday had not missed a match in six years since he sat out the first Test against England in December 2009.The stability Steyn provided in that time has meant South Africa have usually had the luxury of pushing for wins rather than settling for draws. They tended to prefer time in the game than time out, but without Steyn, that dynamic has shifted. Time out – and there could be more of it with rain also forecast on Monday and Tuesday – could allow them to save the blushes after their batting blunder. But it will also leave the series open wide enough for them to begin plotting an unlikely coup, even with their new attack.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed that new summer signing Manuel Ugarte is ready to make his Red Devils debut this weekend.

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• Ugarte ready for Man Utd debut
• Shaw and Hojlund 'progressing well'
• Man Utd take on Southampton this weekend

• Screenshot/Manchester United
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United signed Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain on transfer deadline day for a reported fee of £51 million ($60m). The Red Devils faced Liverpool just two days later and hence, Ugarte was not included in the squad by Ten Hag. The Dutchman has now confirmed that the Uruguayan midfielder is ready for his debut against Southampton on Saturday. Ten Hag also provided updates about Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw.

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  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw they are progressing very well but not ready for this game.

  "Manuel Ugarte, we all have seen he played for Uruguay, he returned this afternoon, he was the only player who returned today, all the others returned yesterday so he is available for this game."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester United have not had a good start to their 2024/25 season in any sense as they have lost two of their three Premier League matches. Midfield has been a key area of concern for the Red Devils since last season and after being active in the transfer market, they will hope Ugarte can make an impact.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The Red Devils will hope to get their second win of the season when they take on newly-promoted Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium on Saturday, September 14. Ugarte may not be handed a start but a second-half appearance looks likely.

It is being claimed that two Premier League clubs turned down the chance to sign Raheem Sterling before he left Chelsea for a loan spell at Arsenal.

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• Fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge
• Offered to teams in English top-flight
• Reunited with Arteta at the Emirates

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As the summer transfer window wound down, England international Sterling found himself in need of a move away from Stamford Bridge after falling out of favour under new Blues boss Enzo Maresca. Various destinations for the 29-year-old were mooted – with Manchester United said to be keen at one stage.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the end, Sterling ended up staying in London. He moved from the west of the English capital to the north, with Mikel Arteta prepared to take a calculated gamble on a player that he previously worked with when acting as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants at Manchester City.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal have put a season-long agreement in place, but that deal was only struck after others passed on the opportunity to add a four-time Premier League title winner to their ranks. According to , West Ham and Crystal Palace both snubbed the opportunity to enter into talks.

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  TELL ME MORE

  That is because they had concerns regarding Sterling’s “physical age”, with the experienced forward having played a lot of football since bursting onto the senior scene at Liverpool when aged just 17. He also has 82 senior international caps to his name.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now winless across their previous six matches, failing to secure victory in a Premier League game since 9 March against Fulham.

This run of form has derailed their chances of securing a top-half finish in the Premier League, yet it shouldn’t detract from how solid a job Gary O’Neil has done in his maiden year at Molineux.

Recent weeks have seen the Old Gold hit with various injuries which have caused plenty of disruption. O’Neil was missing Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan for a while there before both returned to action. Craig Dawson is another key player who could miss the rest of the campaign, having shone at the heart of the defence.

It is perhaps the injury suffered by Pedro Neto which could prove to be the most detrimental to where they eventually end up in the top flight, especially as he was impressive during long spells this season.

Pedro Neto’s statistics for Wolves in 2023/24

The 2022/23 campaign was one to forget for the former Lazio winger. In October, he suffered a serious ankle injury which not only kept him out for 20 matches but also the 2022 World Cup, as he had a decent chance of securing a place in the Portugal squad for the tournament.

This meant he played just 21 matches, scoring only once in the process, and it looked like a solid pre-season was vital if he was to fulfil his potential.

It clearly worked, as during the first ten matches of the Premier League, Neto registered seven assists while finding the back of the net once as the Old Gold enjoyed a decent enough start to life under O’Neil.

He did miss nine games through a hamstring injury but returned to score once and grab two assists in the next nine games, with all these goal contributions coming against Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

The winger was subbed off at half-time against Newcastle last month with a hamstring injury and hasn’t featured since, with his season potentially over.

It is perhaps no coincidence that Wolves have failed to win since then, missing Neto’s creativity and the volume of chances he creates for others.

Indeed, among his teammates, the Portuguese gem currently ranks first for assists (nine) in the Premier League, while also ranking second for shots per game (1.8), third for big chances created (seven) and first for key passes per match (2), showcasing his skills to wonderful effect.

Pedro Neto’s market value in 2024

Although Neto has been impressive, injuries have had a catastrophic impact on his market which now stands at just £18.5m, as per Football Transfers. That said, once back fit again that valuation should increase astronomically in the coming months.

O’Neil could certainly cash in on the winger during the summer and make a wonderful profit, however which could bolster his playing squad.

Despite this decent valuation, Wolves sold a player back in 2001 for a fee which, adjusted for inflation, is currently nearly £10m more than what Neto is worth at the time of writing; Robbie Keane.

Robbie Keane’s market value in 2024 money

The Irishman began his senior career at Wolves, going on to score 25 goals in 77 matches for the Midlands side between 1997 and 1999, emerging as one of their finest talents in the process.

It was clear the striker had a wonderful future ahead of him, but they didn’t expect Coventry to table an offer of £8.1m to secure his signature during the summer of 1999.

This was a decent transfer fee in the late 1990s, never mind today, for a young player who had yet to experience the Premier League, but it appeared as though Wolves struck gold by selling Keane.

In 2024 – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – the £8.1m transfer fee that Wolves received from the Sky Blues in 1999 would now be worth a staggering £27.9m.

This fee is just under £10m more than what Neto is currently valued at in 2024. Considering his impact for the Molineux outfit this term, it proves that the club were doing excellent business in the transfer market 25 years ago.

What Robbie Keane did after leaving Wolves

His spell at the Sky Blues lasted just a single season before the glitz and glamour of Milan came calling. Inter Milan signed him ahead of the 2000/01 campaign, but he scored only three goals for the club before returning to England, this time signing for Leeds United.

This spell saw him mature as a player, netting 18 goals in 18 months before Spurs came calling, and it would become a move which turned him from a talented hitman into a Premier League icon.

Indeed, following a nine-year spell at the north Londoners, plus a couple of seasons with West Ham United and Aston Villa, Keane moved to the MLS. In the Premier League, the striker had scored 126 goals during his career, which is good enough to rank him 17th among the all-time scorers since its inception in 1992.

The top 10 all-time Premier League goalscorers

FFC takes a look at the PL’s most prolific goalscorers.

By
Mark Marston

Dec 23, 2023

Of course, if Wolves knew how good he was going to turn out, it's likely they might have kept Keane in the summer of 1999 rather than moving him on.

At the time, however, it was a decent deal on paper for a youngster who could either sink or swim in the bright lights of the Premier League.

Across his full career, the Irishman found the back of the net 320 times at club level, while also netting 68 goals in 146 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, which included three goals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Keane had a tremendous career, but at the time, selling him for £8.1m surely would have constituted good transfer business for a club who were looking to get out of the first division and return to the top flight.

The fact that his value in 1999 was more than Neto’s in 2024 just showcases how good the former Wolves frontman really was.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Raheem Sterling has been backed to shine at Emirates after Arsenal made "incredible business" by signing him on loan.

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• Sterling was exiled by Chelsea
• Arsenal made a late move to get him
• Danny Murphy believes Sterling will impress

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners left it late to snap up Sterling from their London rivals but their decision to bring him on loan, with no option or obligation to buy, could prove to be a masterstroke if the England international finds his form. He is seen as a strategic addition to Mikel Arteta's squad, providing much-needed depth and experience, particularly in attacking positions as Arsenal are set to fight for silverware on multiple fronts.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Gunners will pay only a fraction of Sterling’s wages during his loan spell, with Chelsea continuing to shoulder the majority of his salary. According to they are going to bear "significantly less than half" of his salary which could be between £300,000 and £350,000 ($394,000-$460,000) per week.

• WHAT DANNY MURPHY SAID

  Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy in his column for , has expressed high hopes for Sterling's impact at Arsenal.

  "Arsenal signing Raheem Sterling is an incredible piece of business," he wrote. "He’s a winner, a four-time league champion. He isn’t going to be phased by the size of the club and the level of expectancy from the fan base.

  "The more players you have in the dressing room that have won trophies, the more it rubs off on those around you. It’s about showing a mentality and calmness in decisive moments and Raheem was a huge part of that at Manchester City."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Murphy believes that Sterling’s presence will allow Arteta to rest Bukayo Saka when necessary, providing much-needed depth in the squad.

  "The one area where Arteta has found it difficult at times is strength in depth on the right wing. He had Bukayo Saka and no one else he trusted," he added.

  "That meant he often ran Saka into the ground. Sterling’s arrival gives Arteta an opportunity to rest Saka when needed. The reality is if Arsenal want to be at that elite level, they need that strength in depth. Raheem will play more games than people think because if he gets anywhere near his best he’ll be starting."

Liverpool turn their attention back to the Premier League this weekend as they travel away from Anfield to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

The Reds have the chance to move level on points with Arsenal at the top of the division, although they would need a big ten-goal swing in goal difference to go ahead of them, if they pick up all three points against Marco Silva's side.

Jurgen Klopp's men, despite winning the second leg 1-0, were knocked out of the Europa League by Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday night, and must quickly move on from that disappointment to bounce back in the Premier League.

Liverpool have also failed to win in their last two domestic outings, with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, which is why it is so important that they return to winning ways today.

Klopp may look to make some changes to the starting XI that lined up against Atalanta last time out. With this in mind, the boss must unleash Diogo Jota over Cody Gakpo.

Cody Gakpo's goalscoring form

The Netherlands international was selected to lead the line, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah either side of him, but he failed to register a single effort on goal.

He has only scored one goal, which came in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United, in his last seven matches for the club in all competitions, which speaks to his lack of goal threat.

The 24-year-old forward, who was signed from PSV in January of last year, has scored 21 goals in 74 appearances for Liverpool so far, but has only managed six strikes in 30 games in the Premier League this term.

As you can see in the table above, Gakpo is almost underperforming his xG and has been helped out by his teammates, who have scored three goals from 1.6 xA created by the former PSV star.

Quite simply, the right-footed attacker has not provided a consistent threat in the final third as either a scorer or creator of goals, whether that is down the left as a winger or through the middle as a centre-forward, in the Premier League.

The Dutch gem has not done enough to prove that he deserves to be a regular starter for the Reds through the middle of the pitch, and that is why the manager should drop him down to the bench for this clash with Fulham.

Jota must now be unleashed in his place as the Portugal international has the finishing quality to put Fulham to the sword this afternoon.

In fact, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed in January that the forward is "clinical" in the final third and a better finisher than Salah, as well as legends Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler.

Mohamed Salah's finishing this season

The Egypt international's finishing has not been at the peak of his powers in the Premier League for the Reds so far this season, with some wasteful displays from the attacker.

Over his last four league appearances for Liverpool, Salah has had an astonishing 23 shots on goal and scored one from open play and one from the penalty spot.

The experienced star has scored 17 goals from 26 matches in the top-flight, which is a solid return, but it has come from an Expected Goals (xG) of 18.27.

Salah has missed 13 'big chances' in the division and his xG underpeformance suggests that the attacker should have more goals than he has.

As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old whiz also underperformed his xG in the Premier League last season, with 19 goals from an expected tally of between 21 and 22.

These statistics show that Salah's finishing has not been impressively efficient in the league over the last two campaigns, as he has missed 30 'big chances' and scored 36 goals from an xG of 39.95.

Jota, on the other hand, has been ruthless in front of goal for Liverpool and Klopp must unleash his lethal finisher from the start ahead of Gakpo this afternoon.

Diogo Jota's big xG overperformance

The Portuguese ace scored seven goals from an xG of 6.5 in 22 appearances and 12 starts in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign.

He made the most of the opportunities that his teammates created for him in front of goal throughout the season, and that has been the case once again this term.

As you can see in the table above, Jota has been efficient in the Europa League this season, with three goals from 2.08 xG in five outings before the Reds were knocked out of the competition on Thursday night against Atalanta.

His finishing in the Premier League has been even more impressive. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star has fired in nine goals from an xG of 4.91 in just 13 starts, and 20 appearances in total.

Jota, who has also recorded four assists in that time, has two goals and one assist in his last four Premier League starts for Liverpool, and must be brought back into the XI.

His exceptional finishing quality, with 16 goals from 11.41 xG in the league since the start of last season, backs up Carragher's comment on him being a better finisher than Salah, who has been wasteful during the same period.

The Portugal international has proven that he has the ability to be ruthless and effective in front of goal when his teammates create high-quality chances for him, which is something Gakpo is yet to prove.

Therefore, the £140k-per-week star should be selected to lead the line for the Reds against Fulham this afternoon, as his statistics suggest that he is Klopp's best choice to fire his team to the win against the Cottagers.

Alan Brazil has described an off-field update coming out of Leeds United as “incredible” and questioned how it has managed to happen.

Leeds release 2022/23 financial accounts

On the pitch, the Whites, under Daniel Farke, are pushing for one of two automatic promotion spots in the Championship alongside Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.

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By
Kelan Sarson

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It promises to be a dramatic run-in, and news recently coming out of Elland Road has highlighted how important promotion back to the Premier League promises to be.

Leeds released their 2022/23 financial accounts, with reporter Joe Donnohue sharing the main takeaways, with the overall loss before tax standing at £33.7m.

Another eye-catching point from the figures is that the club currently owe £190m to clubs in unpaid transfer fees, relating to players Leeds purchased when they were in the Premier League.

TalkSPORT presenter stunned at “incredible” Leeds update

Finance expert Kieran Maguire was speaking to talkSPORT, relayed by MOT Leeds News, regarding the numbers coming out of Elland Road and if Leeds could be in trouble further down the line.

Specifically, in regards to the £190m in unpaid transfer fees, Maguire said former owner Andrea Radrizzani was using ‘the Leeds United credit card’.

“Well, possibly [Leeds could be in trouble], and the reason for that is that, under Jesse Marsch, Leeds spent a fortune on players last season. They bought players for £170m and Leeds fans were saying, ‘Well, that’s great, but we thought the owner was looking for a way out, so where’s he getting the money from?’

“It turns out [former chairman Andrea Radrizzani] has effectively used the Leeds United credit card. So Leeds now owe other clubs £190m in unpaid transfer fees. How are they going to do that in the Championship?”

Presenter Brazil couldn’t believe what he was hearing, saying in response: “That is unbelievable! How has that just come out? That is incredible.”

To make matters worse at Elland Road, it has also emerged that Leeds have withdrawn their appeal against FIFA’s award of £24.5m in compensation to Jean-Kevin Augustin, so you’d expect we’ll be seeing these figures in future accounts.

The figures also show what a good job Leeds, now under new owners the 49rs Enterprises, are doing with the club appearing to be on the right side of PSR at this moment in time.