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Manchester United are unlikely to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane this summer and have given themselves plenty of time to identify alternatives in the transfer market, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

According to The Guardian, Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane this summer due to the 'unrealistic' amount of money that it would take to lure him to Old Trafford.

The report states that Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag is 'disappointed' that he will not be able to add Kane to his squad; however, he understands that Manchester United need to be realistic when assessing potential transfer incomings.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has also gave an update regarding the future of Kane, stating on Twitter: "Manchester United are currently looking at other options for new striker as Harry Kane deal is not advancing at all. Man Utd feel Tottenham never wanted to sell Kane to them and have no plans to enter into two-months saga. Rasmus Højlund, one of the names in the list."

Capology understand that Kane earns around £200,000 per week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a contract that runs until June 2024.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Manchester United have done the right thing by scoping out their chances of getting Kane early in the window rather than entering into a protracted transfer saga.

Jacobs told FFC: "The point of Manchester United moving early to explore the Harry Kane situation was not to be messed around and that was smart because the last thing Manchester United want is a saga over Harry Kane. They had this with Frenkie De Jong last summer and when you are pushing for a player at the value that Kane will be worth, £100 million plus, you obviously have to allocate that budget if you think you've got a realistic chance and as a consequence, if it drags on, it can overshadow other summer activity."

What other strikers have Manchester United been linked with?

As Jones stated, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is a target at Old Trafford, though it is believed that the Serie A outfit want to recoup £86 million in order to let go of their rising star this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

Telegraph Sport cite that Brighton & Hove Albion man Evan Ferguson, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic have also been linked with Manchester United in the window.

The Sun also report that Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos has been offered to Manchester United as their striker search continues to intensify.

Manchester United are likely to be linked with several other targets over the next few months, though Kane is unlikely to be one of them following recent developments.

Steven Gerrard could prove to be an unpopular choice as Leeds United's new manager among supporters, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Gerrard a front-runner for Leeds job?

The 43-year-old had an unsuccessful spell at Aston Villa earlier in the season, eventually being replaced by Unai Emery, who has ultimately showed him up with a much improved run of results.

Since then, Gerrard has been out of management, instead doing some punditry, but he has emerged as one of the favourites to become Leeds' next boss.

The Whites continue to look for the perfect man to come in and turn their fortunes around, with Championship football coming their way in 2023/24, following a bitterly disappointing Premier League campaign that culminated in relegation.

Gerrard is far from guaranteed the Leeds job, but he is certainly in the conversation, and it is an appointment that could split opinion, should it end up coming to fruition.

Is the jury out on Gerrard to Leeds?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor admitted that Gerrard's failed spell at Villa could make him an unpopular choice, even though he sees benefits behind the appointment:

"I do think Gerrard would be a decent fit. I know that might not be popular among some supporters because of what happened at Villa, but I think it's a different kind of job now. It's a project and something to build.

"I know that was the case at Villa, but their squad was so strong that it's not entirely surprising where they ended up finishing, although I know Unai Emery has done a great job.

"When Gerrard went to Rangers, he built, reasonably, from scratch. I think that's the sort of environment he would be walking into at Leeds as well, so I quite like those appointments. I think Ruben Selles would be a good option as well, but I've not seen any kind of links to Leeds."

There is understandable trepidation when it comes to Leeds potentially appointing Gerrard, given the manner in which things petered out at Villa, following a fairly promising start.

He is yet to properly prove himself in the Premier League or the Championship – he did win the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers, in fairness, which was a great achievement – so it would be more risky than someone like Daniel Farke or Scott Parker, both of whom have achieved that goal, both earning promotion from the latter.

That being said, Gerrard is still a young manager who could end up having a bright future in that aspect of football – his legendary status as a player is undisputed, but that doesn't automatically make you a great boss – so bringing him in certainly wouldn't be a disaster.

Chelsea as a whole this season have resembled a spluttering old car struggling to get out of second gear.

The garage has attempted to give it a facelift and a new lick of paint but the inner parts continue to trouble its owner.

Though, however glum the campaign looked there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of several young players tipped for the top.

British record signing Enzo Fernandez has widely been recognised as the new Cesc Fabregas in this Chelsea team, while there is a hope that Mykhailo Mudryk finally comes good out wide.

That said, the Blues can be under no illusions that their ageing midfield and lack of cutting-edge up top is a huge problem.

Todd Boehly is making moves to improve the former though, with Jorginho already moved on in January and N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic tipped for summer departures. Incomings are also being plotted behind the scenes.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Boehly was moving quickly in the market with a £52m deal for Uruguay colossus Manuel Ugarte initially looking close to completion. Such a move would have calmd the nerves ahead of a window in which they could lose one of their prized possessions; Mason Mount.

However, a move now looks to be in danger with PSG reportedly offering a better package for the player.

Another move on the table could be that of Moises Caicedo, with Chelsea reportedly the favourites to secure a switch that could cost in the region of £90m.

Who do Ugarte and Caicedo play like?

We have already mentioned Fabregas and in the aforementioned targets, incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino could unearth Stamford Bridge's new Kante and Nemanja Matic.

The Blues have struggled to find such a fluid midfield since the days of that trio but the signs are positive that the Londoners could be reborn with some like-minded faces in the middle of the park.

Such a comparison may well be lofty but they are warranted despite the tender ages of 22-year-old Ugarte and 21-year-old Caicedo.

The former has already been compared to Chelsea's current French enforcer by writer Zach Lowy who once said: "Similarly to a younger Kante, there are games where it seems he’s doing the defensive work of two players. He’s relentless."

READ MORE: Chelsea are closing in on an exciting summer signing already

That is shown in the numbers too with the Sporting CP monster winning more tackles (121) than anyone in Portugal's top flight and more tackles (29) than anyone in this season's Champions League.

Winning back the ball is a trait well-known to Kante who by March in the 2020/21 campaign, had made more tackles and interceptions combined than any player in the Premier League.

Caicedo too boasts the ability to win back the ball but his style of play is certainly more similar to the aggressive Matic. In fact, the Ecuadorian is the seventh most similar player to the Serbian veteran in Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref.

The former Chelsea man is now enjoying his football at Roma and has registered some similar statistics to the Brighton youngster.

Although the pairing are comfortable on the ball, they tend to leave the progression of the play to their peers, shown in the fact Caicedo made 43.2 carries per 90 minutes this season to Matic's 44.1.

They also made a very similar number of tackles throughout the 2022/23 campaign with the ex-Blue making 2.32 to the Chelsea target's 2.87 per 90.

Not just content in the defensive phase, they contribute with similar regularity in the final third with the Ecuador international amassing 2.52 shot-creating actions to his peer's 2.41 every 90.

The parallels are clearly there and should Pochettino be able to bring both of these top talents to London this summer, he would be armed with two defensive machines capable of replicating the better days of before at Stamford Bridge.

Luke Edwards has now revealed some Newcastle United transfer news on Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Deal close?

It has been reported that the St James’ Park club are now ‘pressing to close a deal’ for the 22-year-old and have ‘submitted’ a ‘new proposal’ worth more than €30m (£25.6m).

Talks are ‘ongoing’ between them and Lille, although AC Milan (among a number of other clubs) are also still thought to be ‘in contention’ for his signature.

The Latest: Edwards’ update on Botman

Taking to Twitter, Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has revealed that despite some reports to the contrary, there is ‘nothing imminent’ at the moment with regards to a move for Botman.

He revealed: “All I’m told at moment is “nothing imminent.” “

The Verdict: Get it done

With interest from Serie A title winners Milan, who can offer Botman Champions League football next season, the Magpies simply need to get this deal done as soon as possible.

Hailed as a potential ‘massive signing’ and ‘one of the best’ young defenders in European football by Pod On The Tyne podcaster Taylor Payne, signing the 22-year-old would be a real coup for Newcastle.

Botman was Lille’s third-best performer in Ligue 1 last term, averaging more clearances and passes per game than any of his team-mates (WhoScored), showing that he is equally as comfortable at playing out from the back as he is at getting stuck into challenges.

There seems little doubt that Eddie Howe would be excited to work with the Dutchman over the next campaign and beyond, if he can lure the player to Tyneside.

In other news, find out who is now ‘on verge’ of leaving St James’ Park

Leeds United have reportedly enquired about the availability of Barcelona starlet Ez Abde, according to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Top talent

Signed by Barcelona B in 2019 from Hercules, the 20-year-old winger progressed into Xavi’s first-team plans during the 2021/22 campaign.

Abde ended the season with 11 senior outings for the Catalan giants, having scored twice and provided seven assists in 20 appearances for the B team.

Despite seemingly having a bright future in Spain, it appears that Leeds are keen on bringing the Moroccan to the Premier League…

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The latest: Leeds interested in Abde

As per Sport, translated by Sport Witness, Leeds have ‘mentioned’ the name of Abde whilst discussing other deals with Barcelona – perhaps the widely-speculated transfer of Raphinha to Camp Nou.

It is suggested that Wolves – who loaned Adama Traore to the La Liga club in January – also enquired about the possibility of signing the 20-year-old.

Under contract at Camp Nou until 2024 (Transfermarkt), the report makes no mention of a desire from Barcelona to sell the youngster, who was hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Xavi following a 2-2 draw against Osasuna in which the versatile attacker scored and also completed five successful dribbles in a 7.2-rated performance from Sofascore.

The verdict: Smart move

Equally adept on either wing, signing Abde amidst the possibility of either or both of Raphinha and Jack Harrison departing would be a smart piece of business from Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta.

The talented starlet completed 3.4 dribbles per game during 10 La Liga outings in his breakthrough season at that level, highlighting a penchant for beating defenders which would be welcomed with open arms at Elland Road, where nobody averaged more than two successful dribbles per match in 2021/22.

Boasting stylistic similarities with the likes of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, Sevilla ace Lucas Ocampos and the aforementioned Traore (Fbref), Abde is certainly one to watch as the next generation of talent comes through at Barcelona, and Leeds would be wise to remain attentive to the possibility of this capture.

In other news, Leeds are eyeing up another signing after Aaronson. Find out who it is here

Journalist Rahman Osman of London World has now shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Spurs in mix…

The Lilywhites, as per recent reports, are in the mix to sign Eriksen following his phenomenal and fairy-tale return to the grass.

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After suffering a cardiac-arrest at Euro 2020, few could’ve predicted the Dane would be thriving back in the Premier League under Thomas Frank and sparking interest from Spurs.

Eriksen is allegedly keen on a sensational reunion with the north-Londoners and manager Antonio Conte as the club eye a Bosman deal for their ex-hero.

The Latest: Osman shares update…

According to Osman of LW, an update has emerged, with Conte personally ‘pressing on for a deal’ to re-sign the 30-year-old.

However, if they cannot convince the midfielder to return, it is believed Brighton star Yves Bissouma has been earmarked as an alternative target.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Potentially signing Eriksen for free is an arguable no-brainer given chairman Daniel Levy once put a seismic £130m tag on his head (The Mirror), highlighting the player’s obvious value and quality.

He’s been a standout for Brentford, making the most key passes per 90 for them in the top flight last year whilst also averaging the highest match rating out of anyone in the Bees squad (WhoScored).

Sealing a return for the ‘big name’ creator may well be one of Fabio Paratici’s more shrewd moves of the summer if he can get it done.

In other news: ‘Not only Perisic’ – Tottenham push for ‘genius’ signing after Conte call ‘in recent days’…find out more here.

Leeds United forward Daniel James is attracting increasing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calcio Atalanta (via Sport Witness), who claimed that Atalanta have made contact with the Whites winger regarding the potential for a switch to the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia this summer.

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The report added that, should Leeds suffer relegation on the final day of the Premier League campaign this weekend, the 24-year-old would be available at a lower price than if Jesse Marsch’s outfit remain in the top flight – something which could benefit the Serie A club in negotiations.

Orta must axe James

While James has shown flashes of potential since his £25m move to Elland Road last summer – such as his brace in a 3-3 draw against Aston Villa – generally speaking the Wales international has failed to live up to the expectations which naturally come with such a big-money move.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances this season, the £16.2m-rated forward has been in very inconsistent form, scoring four goals, providing four assists and missing eight big chances, in addition to completing just 9.9 passes, giving away the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels (at a success rate of 39%) per game.

These returns have seen the £50k-per-week winger – who Chris Sutton dubbed “pathetic” and Kevin Phillips claimed is “papering over the cracks” of Patrick Bamford’s injury – average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the former Manchester United attacker as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst performer in the English top flight this term.

As such, should Atalanta go on to submit an offer anywhere near the Welshman’s current market valuation, it would appear a wise move for Victor Orta to cash in on the 24-year-old while he has the chance. It is clear to see from the Whites’ current 18th-place standing in the Premier League table, and the aforementioned performance figures, that James has been a rather costly mistake for the club.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Phil Hay reveals further Leeds injury setback, Jesse Marsch will be gutted

Aston Villa have been dealt a worrying setback ahead of their clash against Premier League relegation battlers Burnley tonight.

What’s the latest?

Villa keeper Emi Martinez picked up a knock in training on Wednesday, which could rule him out of tonight’s game.

As per Birmingham Live, Gerrard said:

“Emi’s a doubt at the moment.

“We’re just analysing the situation that happened today [Wednesday] in training, but I think he’ll play and he’ll be fine.

“It was just a knock in training. We’ll analyse it. I’m confident he’ll be there. If he’s not there, Robin’s champing at the bit. He’s been awesome. He’s trained well and he’s ready and I’ll have no qualms putting Robin [Olsen] in if I have to. If Emi’s fit and he’s fine – we’ll assess him in the next hour or two – then he’ll play.”

A big blow

Despite Gerrard’s comments about back-up keeper Olsen, the loss of Martinez will come as a big blow to the Villans, with Martinez registering 11 clean sheets this season and making an average of 2.6 saves per 90.

Furthermore, he’s also one of the best in his position across the top flight, with journalist Joey D’Urso labelling him “world-class” last term.

Despite these metrics, the Argentine has faltered somewhat in comparison to last campaign, so it will also come as a big blow to a goalkeeper who will have been hoping to end the season in good form, with the idea of starting the next season in the same vein.

Though, with the update from Gerrard, it looks as though Martinez will be touch and go.

Whilst he may sit out tonight’s game, the Villa boss will be hoping he is fit enough to feature in Villa’s final game against Manchester City, with a win over the Citizens almost certainly enough to hand old club Liverpool the Premier League trophy.

In other news: AVFC eye summer move for “exceptional” £50m brute, he’s their next Idrissa Gueye