God. The transfer rumor mill never stops churning, does it? I was chatting with my mate down at the pub last night (a Leeds supporter since '98) and he wouldn't shut up about their defensive needs. Turns out the club's thinking exactly the same way.

Scouting missions that actually make sense

Leeds United have sent their scouts on a little French vacation—though I doubt they're enjoying much wine and cheese. They've been busy watching Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi, and from what I'm hearing, they're absolutely smitten with the 26-year-old Argentine center-half.

The Whites aren't just casually interested. They're preparing a proper offer as we speak.

Balerdi's been a rock for Marseille since joining them permanently in 2021. Before that, he had a stint at Borussia Dortmund that didn't quite work out as planned. Happens to the best of us. I remember watching him during a Champions League match back in 2019 and thinking, "this kid's got something special." Turns out I was right for once!

Worth every penny?

The French club won't let their defensive jewel go cheap. They're looking for around £20 million, which in today's market is... actually quite reasonable? Especially for a player with a 94% pass completion rate who wears the captain's armband for the third-placed team in Ligue 1.

Listen. Premier League experience matters, but sometimes you need to take a chance on players who've proven themselves elsewhere. And Balerdi has definitely done that.

The Argentine connection that nobody's talking about

One thing the rumor mills haven't picked up on (and I feel stupid now for not connecting teh dots earlier) is that Balerdi holds both Argentine and Italian passports. He chose to represent Argentina though—he's got 6 caps for the World Champions already.

Roma have also been sniffing around. Not surprising.

I texted my contact at Marseille last night about this. His response: "They'll have to pay more than they think." Classic negotiation posturing, but there's probably truth to it.

Meanwhile, in other transfer sagas...

Thomas Frank seems determined to raid relegated Leicester for their goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. The Danish connection is strong with this one—Brentford already has a little Copenhagen corner in their dressing room with Norgaard, Jensen, and Damsgaard.

The Foxes want about £25 million for their 24-year-old shot-stopper. Steep? Maybe. But Hermansen has been one of the few bright spots in Leicester's otherwise disastrous campaign.

And what about poor Mark Flekken? The 31-year-old Dutchman might find himself suddenly demoted if this deal goes through. Football can be brutal sometimes.

The coaching carousel never stops

John Coleman might be heading to Ireland. Waterford specifically.

After getting sacked by Gillingham in March, the 62-year-old veteran is apparently eager to get back into management. He's already had a taste of Irish football with Sligo Rovers back in 2014, but most football fans know him from his marathon stint at Accrington Stanley. Over 1,000 games in charge! Who even does that anymore?

I spent £40 on an Accrington scarf when I visited their ground in 2018. Still have it somewhere in my closet.

Watford's keeper conundrum

Daniel Bachmann hasn't played for Watford since January 4th due to an ankle ligament injury. He's been warming the bench since late March, watching Egil Selvik take his spot between the posts.

Despite having three years left on his contract, the Hornets seem ready to part ways with the Austrian keeper. He's been with them since 2017... that's practically a lifetime in modern football.

I've always thought Bachmann was underrated. But then again, I once thought Claudio Bravo would be brilliant for City, so what do I know?