Monday Morning Hot Links

Portugal won the Nations League, World Cup Qualifiers and the Club World Cup continue and start this week, respectively. It’s a hell of a time.

Leeds United

• We’re in the first rounds of the boxing match that is the Transfer Window, the first of which closes tomorrow for Club World Cup purposes, and reopens on June 16, when the real bidness is scheduled to get started.

• Leeds have made official moves for Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra (£22 million) and 6’3” Udinese defender Jaka Bilol. Strasbourg are allegedly holding out in hopes of a big ol’ European bidding war for Diarra.

• Leeds have also made opening parries for just-relegated Southampton midfielder Shea Charles and Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff.

• Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea is “fully committed” to getting Ipswich back into the Premier League, which puts a bit of a damper on the Leeds United link.

• Left Back Junior Firpo and La Liga’s Real Betis are moving closer to a reunion.

• Former Leeds United Great and Manchester City GK3 Scott Carson spent six seasons with City, playing a total of 108 minutes in two matches, and won 12 trophies, and now he’s leaving City.

• Former Leeds United Great Clarke Carlisle won £100,000 for UNICEF’s Soccer Aid.

Elsewhere

• Bayer Leverkusen rejected Liverpool’s £113 million bid for Florian Wirtz, and Liverpool are back with a final £118 million offer. That’s not a bad financial turnaround for Leverkusen, who reportedly spent €200,000 on Wirtz in 2020.

• Newcastle have been cleared to make a move for Crystal Palace/England defender Marc Guehi.

• Manchester City are spending £34 million to bring in Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

• Harvey Elliott would very much like to leave Liverpool, thank you very much.

• Brentford and Tottenham have apparently made a compensation deal for manager Thomas Frank. And Spur (s are ready to hijack Manchester United’s deal for Brentford/Frank’s Bryan Mbuemo.

• Arsenal’s plans for Martin Zubimendi might have gone up in smoke as Real Madrid came calling.

• Robert Lewandowski is refusing to play for Poland while manager Michael Probierz is in charge.

• Italy would like Claudio Ranieri - who helmed the greatest, unlikeliest story in Premier League history with Leicester City - to take the Men’s National Team job.

• Uriah Rennie, who became the first Black referee to helm a Premier League match IN 1997 FOR GOD’S SAKE passed away at Age 65.

• Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 40 years old is older than time immemorial, has won the following trophies:

  • Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (2002)

  • FA Cup (2004)

  • League Cup x2 (2006, 2009)

  • Community Shield (2007)

  • Premier League x2 (2007, 2009)

  • Champions League x5 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)

  • FIFA Club World Cup x4 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017)

  • Copa del Rey x2 (2011, 2014)

  • La Liga x2 (2012, 2017)

  • Supercopa de Espana x2 (2012, 2017)

  • UEFA Super Cup x2 (2014, 2017)

  • UEFA European Championship (2016)

  • Supercoppa Italiana x2 (2018, 2020)

  • Serie A x2 (2019, 2020)

  • Coppa Italia (2021)

  • Arab Club Champions Cup (2023)

  • UEFA Nations League x2 (2019, 2025)

  • Ballon d’Or x3 (2008, 2016, 2017)

  • FIFA Ballon d’Or x2 (2013, 2014)

  • FIFA World Player of the Year (2008)

  • UEFA Men’s Player of the Year x3 (2014, 2016, 2017)

  • Premier League Golden Boot (2008)

  • La Liga Pichichi Trophy x3 (2011, 2014, 2015)

  • Serie A Capocannoniere (2021)

What To Watch: Monday

• 1:45pm: Belgium v Wales in a World Cup Qualifier. Belgium are 2-2-1 against Wales in their last five matches dating back to 2016. Fubo.