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Leeds could finally offload Kiko Casilla this summer by signing West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

What’s the story?

The Spaniard has struggled for game-time this season having lost his starting spot with Marcelo Bielsa’s side to Illan Meslier – he has played just three competitive games for the club in 2020/21.

The Express and Star have claimed that the Whites are believed to be interested in the 1.93m (6 foot 4) Johnstone and that, if a suitable offer did come in for him this summer, West Brom would not stand in the way of him leaving.

Bye-bye Kiko Casilla

Speaking after Leeds’ FA Cup loss to Crawley Town earlier this campaign, journalist Daniel Storey vented: “I think Kiko Casilla was the other game-changer in a negative sense because I don’t think he should be playing for Leeds for non-football reasons, but he probably shouldn’t be playing for Leeds for football reasons after today.

“He just looked so short of confidence that the second goal just completely went through him at his near post. I think it was disappointing that he was picked and I kind of saw it as karma doesn’t really have a sell-by date and two or three years down the line, he’s come undone maybe.”

Leeds TV podcaster Oscar Mari simply dubbed him a “complete liability”.

Whether it’s his on-pitch performances or off-field controversies, Casilla’s stock has fallen through the floor, with Meslier now firmly established as the club’s number one, and he must surely be sold this summer.

By signing Johnstone, Leeds would be getting someone to genuinely compete with the Frenchman for the starting spot, and he has performed impressively for West Brom this season. His former boss Steve Bruce labelled the shot-stopper a “diamond”, and given the kind of shift he has had to put in this season at The Hawthorns, it’s no surprise why he has earned such praise.

No goalkeeper in the Premier League has faced more shots on target (168) than Johnstone, while no goalkeeper has made as many saves as him either (116).

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He has been heavily tested in a Baggies side looking to stave off relegation, and while Sam Allardyce’s side may go down, that isn’t down to a lack of effort or quality from the man in between the sticks.

Johnstone’s possible arrival this summer would finally allow Bielsa to wave goodbye to Casilla and reinforce the goalkeeping department at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds should move for this Premier League powerhouse this summer…

Many Aston Villa fans have been discussing Jack Grealish’s latest tweet, which has elicited a glowing response on the social media platform.

The 25-year-old recently relayed a tweet from the official club account after Aston Villa had posted a video involving actor David Bradley, who was talking about the club and it’s rise and fall through the years. The title of the video was – “They say you don’t choose Aston Villa, it chooses you.”

Bradley was talking about the beauty of fans and how so many Villa fans are connected to the club. The video included footage of the Villans’ greatest moments over the decades.

Grealish shared his admiration for the video, retweeting it with the added comment of: “What a video man ❤️💙 the way I can’t wait to have fans back!! @bradders_david you legend! 🙌🏻”

This came after the European Super League was announced amidst widespread vehement outcry. Even during Leeds’ Premier League against Liverpool, the Whites’ players wore training jerseys in protests of the ESL, while protests were held outside Elland Road (BBC Sport).

Liverpool are among the six English clubs to have signed up to the Super League, while Gary Neville launched a scathing attack on the concept of the ESL.

Grealish’s tweet drew the attention of many Aston Villa fans, who loved the response from the 25-year-old, whose local status and love for the club has often been apparent.

What did Aston Villa fans make of Grealish’s tweet?

“100% accurate, I know cause it hit me when I was 5 years old and now I’m 49 and still as strong as ever.”

Credit: @Simon1874Villa

“Who needs a Super League when we’ve got Super Jack!”Credit: @Gareth32Gareth”Love you forever and always.”Credit: @LawsAVFC”We are, without any shadow of a doubt, a truly great club… if not the greatest in the country.”Credit: @skippyjackson”You’re never leaving are you hahahahaha love you.”Credit: @AVFCOlly_”Goosebumps, passion, pride, yes we are Aston Villa!”Credit: @TonyV1llaIn other news, “The last thing you want to see” – Exclusive: Lee Hendrie reacts as big Aston Villa blow emerges

Everton have landed a huge boost entering the international break after James Rodriguez revealed that he expects to be fit to face Crystal Palace.

That’s according to Caracol, who quoted the Colombian as claiming on his Twitch channel that he intends to make his return from a calf injury on April 5.

Rodriguez has missed the Toffees’ last four Premier League games, plus the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City, as a result of the issue which developed in February’s meetings with Manchester United and Liverpool.

Carlo Ancelotti revealed ahead of this month’s clash with Burnley that Rodriguez had been absent from fixtures with Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea after feeling a tightness in his calf that the Italian tactician was reticent to risk worsening.

Rodriguez had registered his first assist in 13 Premier League games when he created Richarlison’s go-ahead goal during the Merseyside derby, while striking his fifth English top-flight goal at Old Trafford two weeks earlier.

The £27m-rated playmaker now intends to add his first minutes since playing the opening hour at Anfield when Everton host Crystal Palace.

“I’ll play again in the next game, April 3, I think [vs the Eagles on April 5]. I’m very well thank God and I want to play again,” Rodriguez said.

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Ancelotti had voiced hope of having Rodriguez back for the Selhurst Park natives’ trip to Goodison Park when addressing the state of his squad for the FA Cup tie with Manchester City.

“James is out but he will start to train with the team next week,” the 61-year-old said on Friday, before adding: “In the international break, we have time to recover some players. James is one of those and maybe Jean-Philippe Gbamin.”

Rodriguez now noting that he expects to be fit to face Crystal Palace at the start of next month will surely excite Ancelotti, having seen the 29-year-old rediscover his wavering form against two of the Premier League’s elite sides in Manchester United and Liverpool.

The Colombian had been struggling to offer anywhere near the same creativity that saw him register three goals and three assists in his first five games in the Premier League, as injuries began to creep in here and there.

A groin issue prevented his involvement against Newcastle United on November 1, while a calf strain kept the £90,000-per-week playmaker out of four games throughout December.

However, Rodriguez had the telling touch to set the tone against Liverpool when playing Richarlison through to score, while finding the back of the net against Manchester United to round out an initial comeback from two goals down before leaving the field through injury.

Ancelotti would have wished he had Rodriguez at least on the bench as Everton lost 2-1 at home to Burnley recently, knowing the game-changing impact he can bring that also broke the deadlock against Leicester City in a 1-1 draw in January.

That impact will have to wait until Crystal Palace’s trip to Merseyside at the earliest, but a refreshed Rodriguez can have a big say in the Toffees’ push for European football.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing an £18m-rated titan to Everton this summer…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former West Brom player Carlton Palmer has praised Mbaye Diagne for the impact he has made at the Hawthorns since arriving in January.

Diagne, who has joined West Brom on a loan deal from Galatasaray, helped his side earn a point against Manchester United last month after opening the scoring in the 1-1 draw.

The striker also came close to helping the Baggies claim victory over relegation rivals Fulham at the end of January, assisting Matheus Pereira before Ivan Cavaleiro fired late in the second half to level the game at 2-2 and ensure the points were shared.

And it seems Diagne’s contribution to West Brom’s relegation fight has not gone unnoticed, with Palmer highlighting his influence. Speaking exclusively to FFC about the 29-year-old, Palmer said:

“The centre-forward’s [Diagne] done absolutely fantastic. And Sam said I think after the Burnley game that they didn’t win, if they can keep creating those chances then he will take those chances.”

Diagne certainly deserves praise, especially for his contribution in those games against Manchester United and Fulham. However, manager Sam Allardyce will likely be expecting even more from the Senegalese forward.

His header against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is his only goal for West Brom since joining the club, and Allardyce’s men are in desperate need of goals. In the current Premier League campaign, only Sheffield United and Burnley have found the back of the net on fewer occasions.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer expressed his doubts over Liverpool’s reported interest in Leeds United star Raphinha.

The Brazilian attacker has impressed at Elland Road this season following his £17m move from Rennes in last summer’s transfer window, managing to score five goals and provide five assists in the current Premier League campaign.

Raphinha is now being linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp’s side, with France Football (via MailOnline) previously reporting that the 24-year-old tops the Reds’ shortlist. Palmer, however, thinks it is too soon for that type of talk.

Discussing the speculation in an exclusive interview with FFC, the ex-Leeds player said:

“I think it’s a bit early to say that [Raphinha ready for Liverpool]. I mean, you know, all the media in the UK, all of a sudden, they have a couple of good games, the next minute, they’re Messi or Ronaldo.”

Speaking on the subject further, Palmer later added: “Players have to play consistently, and that’s what the top players do. Top players perform eight out of 10 games well. That’s what they do, and you have to do that over a period of time to be considered a top player, so he has to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Even if Raphinha is ready to make that jump from Leeds to Liverpool, it may not be the best career move in regards to getting minutes on the pitch.

While the former Rennes man has certainly performed well in attack this season, he would be competing against two of the best forwards in world football in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Anfield.

The Liverpool duo recorded some brilliant numbers in front of goal on the Merseyside club’s way to the 2019/20 Premier League title, scoring 37 times combined, showing the extent of what Raphinha would be up against.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, believes Conor Coady would be the best option for England if they were to play with three centre backs.

Gareth Southgate made a number of big cuts to his latest England squad which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Michael Keane and Patrick Bamford all omitted from the final squad before the Euros this summer.

Keane, whose agent hit out at the decision to leave him out, had been included in a number of Southgate’s previous squads when he perhaps not playing as good as he has been this season for Everton, which has seen him achieve a 6.90 WhoScored rating, compared to Coady’s 6.51.

Speaking on how Coady is so good in a three at the back formation why he thinks the Wolves captain has been selected, Bull told FFC:

“You get in the England squad because of merit and what you’ve done for your club and Conor Coady has been a stalwart for Wolves.

“If England play with three at the back, then Coady’s the most sensible one to put there, however if we play with four at the back then he might get found out.

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“Why don’t we take both Keane and Coady then it gives you the option to play four or three at the back.”

Coady has been a late bloomer on the international scene, having only made three appearances for the Three Lions, however, he did get his first-ever England goal before his first Premier League goals for Wolves.

Despite being called up to the squad for the last squad and getting a goal against Montenegro, Keane will know he has a fight on his hands to earn a seat on the plane this summer.

It seemed like the immediate future of Leeds United attacker Tyler Roberts was sorted after Phil Hay said both the player and the club were happy with him staying at Leeds. However, new reports claim Derby County have not given up on signing him this month.

The latest on Roberts

Derby and four other sides in the Championship have been linked to Roberts in the last month. The Athletic provide the latest update as they report that the Rams have not given up on bringing the Wales international to the Pride Park Stadium on a loan deal.

Journalist Ryan Conway stated that the Rams are ‘looking to strengthen their attacking options’, and that Roberts is ‘a possibility’.

Should Leeds hold onto the attacker?

As the transfer saga around the forward continues, it is worth questioning whether the Championship is more suited to Roberts as he has only played 265 minutes of league football this season (Transfermarkt). The fact he has been seen on the pitch so rarely seems to have left the Rams hoping they can still lure him to a place he will get more playing time.

He is definitely rated by Marcelo Bielsa however. The Argentinian was questioned about Roberts role at the club recently, saying this month (via Leeds Live): “When Tyler has been available he’s always been in the 18-man squad. I don’t ignore there’s a 20-man squad, but I say 18 because it reiterates his importance.”

Therefore it might be better for the club to keep hold of the 22 year-old, as he can improve best under Bielsa. He also provides some important squad depth during the pandemic, which has seen plenty of players across the league miss periods of time.

In other news, Leeds United tipped to go in for £14.4m-rated Premier League winner.

The long-awaited answer to the Leeds conundrum that is Eunan O’Kane is finally set to be answered. The castaway midfielder surely looks set to leave the Yorkshire outfit next summer upon the expiry of his contract.

After joining the Whites in 2016 and making a total of 58 appearances, the 30-year-old has been dropped completely from the senior squad. But he hasn’t just struggled for game time at Leeds. O’Kane hasn’t played a single minute of football since the 2018/19 season. Thankfully for Andrea Radrizzani, there’s just over six months left until he can be shown the exit.

Goodbye O’Kane

The Irishman’s situation is extremely odd and it’s one that the board at Leeds will be looking forward to getting off their plate. O’Kane has played just four times in his last three years, which amounts to rinsing Radrizzani of £507,000 per appearance.

This is broken down from his annual wage of £676,000, meaning he has pocketed a handsome £2million from playing four measly games of football in the last three years – none of which he even started (via Transfermarkt).

These appearances came whilst on loan at Luton Town, where he is still currently at. However, he suffered a fractured leg back in 2018 and it seems he has been left on the shelf ever since his injury. If O’Kane cannot break into a Championship side as a senior international player, then his chances of becoming even a back-up option under Marcelo Bielsa are near impossible.

Leeds are constantly adapting and are grinding hard to ensure they keep their spot in the Premier League next season. With no talks of a contract extension and not a single minute under his belt since 2018, O’Kane will be looking for a new club to join once the summer transfer rolls around.

He was signed for a reported £450,000 from Bournemouth, which only adds to the thousands upon thousands Radrizzani has seen go down the drain by keeping him at the club.

In other news, Carlton Palmer fears this Leeds injury is a “massive blow” to Bielsa…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has been discussing Liverpool transfer target David Alaba.

It has been suggested recently that the Reds have offered the Austrian international a contract in the hope of signing him on a free transfer in the summer, although it seems as if Real Madrid are currently in pole position to complete a deal for the Bayern Munich ace.

Whilst the 28-year-old wouldn’t be able to fix Liverpool’s current defensive crisis if he arrived in the summer, he could be a great long-term addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side and could become a regular alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

In a previous interview with Football FanCast, Palmer suggested that Alaba is “world-class”, so it is no surprise to hear him urging the Merseyside outfit to sign him in the summer, as he exclusively told FFC:

“If you look at Alaba, who’s going to be free in the summer. The fact that he’s going to be free in the summer, he’s 28 years of age. If Liverpool are looking for cover, he’s a very versatile player. He’s one I’d be looking at, because, I’m thinking, any club would be saying ‘well, we’re not going to give you more than £13/14 million for him, because he’s free in the summer.”

Palmer told us that he believes that the Reds should consider a bid for Alaba now, considering the fact Bayern Munich wouldn’t be able to demand a significant fee, as they are almost resigned to losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

Certainly, the Austrian would significantly improve Jurgen Klopp’s current options if he were to join in January and whilst paying a fee for someone who’s free in a few months time may not bee deemed as too smart from a financial perspective, getting Alaba could prove to be the difference between Liverpool retaining the Premier League title or just settling for a top-four spot, as their recent form has been far from good enough.

Unfortunately for Liverpool supporters, Klopp has admitted that January signings are unlikely, so they may have to wait until the summer to see if Alaba opts to join the Anfield outfit.

And, in other news… Forget Tsimikas: Liverpool can sign Robertson’s true heir in £10.8m-rated wonderkid

Despite the scoreline of the game, Alex Iwobi let Carlo Ancelotti down as Everton beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

The Nigerian continued his run of opening the action for the Toffees from the right-flank at Elland Road, having established himself in the role over the festive period in the absence of James Rodriguez whilst the Colombian was sidelined with a calf injury.

Iwobi had impressed greatly from the right-wing during Everton’s 2-1 victory over Wolves last month by providing much of the Blues’ creativity and forward threat, but he was unable to replicate his Molineux exploits in West Yorkshire.

Iwobi initially looked powerful whilst enjoying pockets of space in Leeds territory as Everton controlled much of the early stages, keeping his head up to offer an attacking outlet.

Yet, the more the game wore on, the less involved Iwobi found himself, and ultimately he left Mason Holgate woefully exposed at right-back during a dogged defensive period in the second half, which saw Robin Olsen turn in an inspired display between the sticks to keep the Toffees ahead.

Holgate had been caught out by the Whites when his failed clearance ultimately led to Raphinha pulling one back for the hosts, with his precise strike halving the deficit created by goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Raphinha offering Leeds a route back into the game turned the tide in Leeds’ favour as it triggered a heavy flow of traffic only heading in one way – toward Olsen’s net – that on another day, could easily have seen Everton let a two-goal lead only result in a point.

Iwobi rarely played his part in thwarting Leeds’ efforts and he was fortunate to stay on the field until the 87th-minute when Ancelotti opted to replace the £23m-rated forward to hand Deadline Day arrival Joshua King his Toffees debut.

Iwobi was one of only two outfield Everton players who started at Elland Road to fail at registering a single tackle attempted, along with Sigurdsson. But unlike the goalscoring Iceland international, the former Arsenal attacker also failed to record an interception, per WhoScored.

It marks the third-straight Premier League fixture in which Iwobi has failed to register a single tackle, interception or clearance, while also committing his first foul since Everton’s 2-1 win at Wolves on January 12.

The 24-year-old has averaged at least 1.4 tackles attempted a game in the top-flight this term, and further lagged behind his usual standards with only one successful dribble from two attempts having boasted a 70.8% success rate this season for 1.7 from 2.4 attempts.

Iwobi further registered his only shot of the game in the final minutes of the first half, and offered his only key pass just after the half-hour mark. Goalkeeper Olsen also played a higher total number of passes (32) than the Nigerian (23).

Given Everton’s dominant first half and the volume of defending the Toffees were later forced into, Ancelotti will have expected to see far more from Iwobi at Elland Road at both ends of the pitch.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti faces a continued problem in a £9m man after Everton’s January transfer failings…