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Nottingham Forest have been handed a huge boost to their chances of bringing Joe Pigott to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to a statement posted by AFC Wimbledon on Twitter, the 27-year-old centre-froward will be leaving Plough Lane at the end of his current contract with the League One side, which is set to expire next month.

It has been reported throughout the season that a number of Championship clubs, including Nottingham Forest, have been keeping a very close eye on the situation of Pigott ahead of a potential move in the transfer market.

Hughton will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Pigott has been for Wimbledon this season, the news the striker will be available on a free transfer this summer will undoubtedly have Chris Hughton buzzing.

Indeed, over the £2.1k-per-week forward’s 45 League One appearances for Mark Robinson’s side this term, he scored 20 goals and registered five assists, as well as taking an average of 3.5 shots and making one key pass per game.

These metrics saw the 27-year-old earn a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 7.20, ranking him as Wimbledon’s best performer in the third tier.

And, with the caveat that the football in League One is not of the same standard as the Championship, when comparing his returns to that of Lewis Grabban and Lyle Taylor, Pigott beats the Nottingham Forest duo hands down.

Over his 28 league appearances, Grabban managed six goals and one assist, in addition to taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game, seeing the 33-year-old earn a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 6.47.

Over Taylor’s 39 Championship fixtures, he scored four goals and provided no assists, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per appearance, receiving a seasonal WhoScored match rating of 6.22.

As such, the Wimbledon man dubbed a “quality” player by Neal Ardley would very much appear to be an upgrade on Hughton’s current options at centre-forward.

And, when adding in the bonus of the 27-year-old being available on a free transfer, a deal for the striker would almost appear too good to be true for Forest this summer.

In other news: Major contract development emerges on “interesting” NFFC ace, Hughton will be buzzing – opinion

Former Everton star Marcus Bent believes that Josh King is likely to leave the club this summer after a disappointing stint at Goodison Park.

The Norway international moved to Merseyside in the January transfer window from Championship club AFC Bournemouth.

King did not make a single start under Carlo Ancelotti after joining the club, with his longest appearance on the pitch lasting just 34 minutes, in the 2-0 loss to Fulham.

He did not score a goal, nor provide an assist, and his contract expires at the end of June.

As a result, he could well move on this summer, and the player has been linked with a potential move to Turkish club Galatasaray.

Bent feels Everton have a decision to make, but he thinks that King is likely to move on given the six-month contract he was handed when he joined the club.

It remains to be seen where he could go, of course, if he does move away.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “The fact that he hasn’t started a game would suggest that Carlo doesn’t fancy him.

“He’s only had cameo appearances late in games, so he might say he hasn’t been given a chance but he does seem to have been doing well in training.

“He’s only signed a six-month deal so if he does go, it’s not really a big issue because it’s only six months. He hasn’t played much and it suggests he’s not really doing well in training, that just tells it all, I think they’re trying to make a decision on whether they keep him or whether he goes.”

Writing on Twitter, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared a major managerial development now coming out of N17 involving Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Spurs and the Conte hunt…

The Italian emerged as a frontrunning candidate for the vacant Spurs job following difficulties in acquiring former favourite Mauricio Pochettino from Paris-Saint Germain.

Indeed, PSG made life difficult for Tottenham in pursuit of the Argentine and have been determined not to let him leave – resulting in the club starting to focus on Conte as an alternative.

Spurs have held extensive discussions with the 51-year-old over this last week.

The Latest: Gold shares major development…

Now, writing on Twitter, yet another twist has emerged in Spurs’ hunt for an heir to former boss Jose Mourinho – who they sacked in late April.

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Spurs have been without a manager for over six weeks now and the wait shows no sign of ending after this latest update.

Backing previous reports, Gold has shared that Spurs’ interest in bringing Conte to N17 has reached its conclusion.

Alas, Tottenham have now ‘pulled the plug’ on talks with the Premier League title-winning boss – despite there being plenty of promise early in negotiations.

“Word just now coming out of Spurs that they’ve completely pulled plug on talks with Conte,” explained the reporter on social media.

“Despite promising early discussions. Utter mess from Spurs really.

“Went in a completely different direction to what they were looking for initially with a very different type of manager and character and then weirdly shocked when they realised he didn’t fit their means or that profile they were looking for.

“Bizarre waste of a week or so.”

The Verdict: Big blow, but hardly surprising…

Losing out on a manager with Conte’s pedigree comes as a massive disappointment for Lilywhites supporters.

Indeed, he appeared to be a very credible option given his record with previous clubs – especially considering his impressive haul of eight major trophies across three different clubs (Transfermarkt).

He has also averaged an impressive 2.01 points per match across his managerial career.

However, given Spurs’ financial struggles and Conte’s demanding nature, this is hardly a shock.

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy confirmed his checklist for the type of manager he wants in his annual end of season letter to supporters, with the ex-Chelsea gaffer arguably not fitting into any of the boxes.

It is also unlikely Levy would have been able to back Conte sufficiently in the transfer market this summer.

As Simon Jordan put it on talkSPORT, it would have been a ‘match made in hell’.

In other news: BBC pundit thrilled by ‘great news’ for Spurs, find out more here.

Jon Newsome believes that Norwich City target Angus Gunn needs to play regularly if he is moving to the Canaries this summer.

Gunn has been heavily linked with a return to the Canaries after his loan spell at the club in 2017/18.

The Athletic reports that the Southampton goalkeeper is on the verge of a return to Norwich, in a deal that the Saints hope will eventually cost £7m.

Norwich will pay an initial fee of £2.5m and strengthen their ranks in goal, with Gunn set to compete with Tim Krul for the No.1 jersey.

Newsome, though, believes that he needs to play regularly if he is to be a success with the Canaries.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the former Canaries star said: “Whether he’ll go in there to fight for the No.1 jersey remains to be seen. I would have thought he’s had a bit of a stop-start season with Stoke, he wasn’t a regular all the way through the season, so I think at the age that he is, the most important thing for Angus Gunn at this moment in time would be to play regular football.

“Does Norwich City offer him that? I’m not too sure it does.”

Gunn made a total of 51 appearances for Norwich during his loan spell and spent last season on loan at Stoke City, though he played just 15 times in the Championship throughout 2020/21.

Writing on his Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared a significant update involving West Ham United and their pursuit of 2020/2021 loan star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard shines for Hammers…

It was quite the spell for Lingard over the second half of 2020/2021, with the Englishman bagging a brilliant nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts for West Ham (WhoScored).

Pundit Adrian Durham even touted him for the England squad at Euro 2020 when raving about his form, branding the player ‘absolutely phenomenal’ (talkSPORT).

Manager David Moyes was vindicated in his decision to spark a reunion with the 28-year-old, whom he had worked with previously at Manchester United, and it now appears the Scotsman wants to sign him permanently.

Claret & Hugh claim that a move for Lingard is one of three major priorities for Moyes this summer alongside the acquisition of a new centre-back and star striker.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee drops big Lingard update…

Writing on his Patreon, club insider ExWHUemployee has dropped a significant update on West Ham’s pursuit of Lingard.

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However, it is not good news, with Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now speaking to Lingard and saying he is ready to give the midfielder another chance to prove himself.

The player himself is said to be eager on Solskjaer’s proposal of another shot at staking his claim in Manchester.

It is also believed by Ex that the Old Trafford club may be preparing a new contract for him and it could now be hard to convince them to sell Lingard on a permanent deal.

Indeed, as it stands, the most likely outcome is that he remains at United.

However, sharing a glimmer of hope, Ex also says it’s ‘very early days’ and ‘things can change rapidly’.

The Verdict: Big blow…

This comes as a potentially big blow for West Ham and Hammers supporters who are eager to see Lingard at the London Stadium indefinitely.

Given his electric form at the end of 20/21, it’s little wonder Solskjaer now wants to give him another chance at Old Trafford, with West Ham now facing the possibility of having to look at alternatives.

There are arguably few names who would excite supporters as much as Lingard, and they will be hoping a fresh development soon emerges which could turn the tide.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing…’ – McAvennie drops major claim involving West Ham target, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s new managing director of football Fabio Paratici ‘changed course’ in talks with Paulo Fonseca when he learned of the Portuguese’s preferred formation, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

It was reported that Paratici had himself picked out Fonseca as a successor to Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by Spurs in April, and Fonseca believed that his appointment was imminent before Spurs pulled the plug on talks.

Spurs briefly pursued Gennaro Gattuso following his abrupt exit from Fiorentina but ended their interest amid a backlash from numerous supporters.

The north London outfit, who finished sixth in last season’s Premier League, have also held unsuccessful talks with Antonio Conte over the vacancy and tried to persuade Mauricio Pochettino to consider a comeback (via BBC Sport).

The latest

The report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) revealed details of talks held between Paratici and Fonseca at Lake Como in northern Italy.

Fonseca was given assurances that star striker Harry Kane would be retained and he communicated an intention to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, rather than the three-man defence he has tended to favour. This was one of the reasons why Paratici began looking elsewhere.

The report added that Fonseca learned that Tottenham had moved on from him through the media rather than being informed in advance, something which the former Shakhtar and Roma boss didn’t take ‘well at all’.

The verdict

These feel like hugely significant revelations. Spurs are seemingly determined to switch to a back-three moving forward, making it an essential criterion for a prospective new manager.

That could play into the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo, whose preferred formation is a 3-4-3, and talkSPORT claimed that the former Wolves boss is now being targeted by the N17 hierarchy.

Ultimately, the claim that Fonseca wasn’t even informed in advance that he was out of the running only adds to the feeling that Spurs’ managerial hunt has descended into a farce.

In other news, Paul Stewart has weighed in on links between Spurs and a former Manchester United star. 

Leeds have been handed a potential transfer boost, regarding their pursuit of Brest left-back Romain Perraud.

What’s the talk?

According to A Bola, as transcribed by Sport Witness, Southampton have been in contact with Benfica over a potential swoop for left-back Nuno Tavares, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side possibly ready to firm up their interest in the fullback this summer.

This could come as a boost to Leeds in their pursuit of Brest defender Romain Perraud. Earlier this month, it was claimed that Southampton were on the verge of sealing an £8.5m deal for Perraud, amid interest from Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and fellow Premier League side Newcastle. However, nothing has moved forward since this update and now Southampton are being linked with another left-back in Tavares. This could open the door for Leeds to swoop in and snap up Perraud whilst they have the chance.

Perraud admitted earlier this year that he does not have a “handbrake” in his play as he likes to play at a high tempo throughout the entire 90 minutes for his club. He told French outlet MadeInFoot:

“I work with a lot of energy.

“It can sometimes be a fault because I want to be hyperactive so much sometimes I get a little confused. When I was at Paris FC, I gave so much during the first 70 minutes I had no gas left to finish the game. But I like it.

“This system (at Brest), it doesn’t slow me down. The coach lets me play, attack, participate in the offensive side of the game. Of course, I have rules on the defensive aspect, but there isn’t too much of a handbrake.”

Orta must pounce

With Southampton looking at alternative options Leeds could have the perfect opportunity to swoop in and pounce on the defender. Victor Orta needs to make sure that he is on high alert and ready to secure a deal for Perraud if Southampton have left the door open for Leeds to come in. Perraud could be an excellent addition to Leeds’ squad and be a boost to Marcelo Bielsa ahead of next season.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a terrific season in Ligue 1 for Brest and showed enough to suggest that he could thrive at Leeds. Perraud averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.84 and was directly involved in an impressive 10 goals for Brest, with three goals and seven assists from left-back to go with his three tackles and interceptions per game in the top-flight of French football. His quotes regarding his lack of a handbrake and intensity on the pitch could also make him the perfect fit for Bielsa’s style of play, making him an ideal target for the club.

Perraud’s arrival at Leeds, if Orta is able to secure a deal for the £8.5m man, could be crucial for Bielsa as Ezgjan Alioski’s situation remain unclear. He is out of contract at the end of the month but is reportedly still in talks with the club over a potential extension after a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray fell through. If Alioski does depart from Elland Road for nothing, Perraud could come in and take his spot at left-back in Leeds side, which is another reason as to why Orta must pounce on Southampton’s dallying.

AND in other news, Orta must sanction Leeds swoop for “world-class” £31k-p/w dynamo, Bielsa needs him…

Steve Howey believes that Mat Ryan will want guaranteed first-team football should he join Celtic this summer.

According to Sky Sports, the Brighton goalkeeper is being tracked by the Hoops, who are looking to solve their goalkeeping problems with the arrival of the 29-year-old.

Neil Lennon chopped and changed last season, using no less than three goalkeepers, and was unable to find a settled number one.

And Ryan, who’d been excellent for Brighton prior to losing his place in the team to Robert Sanchez, could be the ideal fit especially after his own recent frustrations.

Whilst Ryan spent the second half of last season on loan at Arsenal, he made just three appearances when providing back-up for Bernd Leno following difficulties at Brighton prior to his departure.

And therefore, Howey exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that the experienced goalkeeper, who’s won more than 50 caps with Australian, won’t want another season of sitting on the bench:

“If you’re in the prime time of your playing career, you want to be playing week in week out.

“As a player of his age, he will want to be playing week in week out. Of course, he’s got that connection with the manager, so that would be a good connection.”

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as news filtered through of Rafa Benitez’s confirmation as Toffees boss on Wednesday.

The Goodison Park faithful posted a video on their official Twitter page confirming that the Spaniard is the new manager of the Merseyside club, leaving a lot of Blues supporters in anger.

This is not a surprise at all, given his past connections with Liverpool, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League back in 2005, and the fact that he has also previously called them a ‘small club’ after a draw in the Merseyside derby back in February 2007.

Check out the latest Football Manager 2022 news, features, steam keys, wonderkids, release dates and everything we know on the GMS hub

A threatening banner was even placed not far from where Benitez and his family live recently, so it is perhaps no surprise to see some sections of the support unhappy now that the appointment is official.

Everton fans on Benitez announcement

These EFC fans fumed as the official announcement was made on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it is ’embarrassing’ that the club have decided to appoint him:

“Zero morals. zero dignity. zero identity. it’s so hard supporting you”

Credit: @comradecoxy

“Fold the club”

Credit: @lovelystuff1878

“Horrible sinking feeling. About time we removed the people’s club moniker as the club has shown they think very little about what the fans think. Very disappointing”

Credit: @KieranJ_1979

“Embarrassing”

Credit: @JMoran1982

“A sad day in the club’s history. No pride, no dignity. #BenitezOut”

Credit: @JB_1964

“Feel sick, unreal this. I hate Everton more than any rivals ever will.”

Credit: @PortlandToffee

In other news, find out which £34.3m-rated colossus Everton are ‘ahead of others’ to sign here!

Glasgow Rangers ace Christopher McKee has been banned for four games after being found guilty of homophobic abuse.

The Lowdown: McKee in hot water

McKee spent last season on loan at Brechin City, and was in action for the club against Kelty Hearts back in May (Glasgow Live).

The 19-year-old was given a straight red card at the time, with then Brechin player-manager, Michael Paton, saying the teenager was in tears.

The Latest: McKee receives ban

A Scottish FA hearing was held into the allegations, and an outcome has now been confirmed.

McKee has been banned for four games, with two of those suspended until the end of the new season (BBC).

The Verdict: Last chance

Even at 19 years of age, it feels like McKee is now on his last chance. It is disgusting to utter homophobic abuse on a football pitch – or anywhere else for that matter – and his age cannot be an excuse to stop him from living with the consequences of his actions.

For a player previously called “worth his weight in gold” by Noel Whelan (Football Insider), it feels he has let a lot of people down.

In the long-term, it is not necessarily the end of his budding career. However, it is absolutely essential that he receives the proper education. This is something that he just cannot repeat – otherwise, the punishment will no doubt be even harsher.

In other news, Rangers fans are delighted by news on this 4-goal ace.