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Newcastle United journalist Luke Edwards has dropped a transfer update regarding the Tyneside club’s interest in signing Lille defender Sven Botman.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, the journalist said on the matter: “Transfer window opened today [sic] and on Sven Botman – there are reports saying he’s definitely on way to #nufc as AC Milan have given up and others saying he’s definitely on his way to AC Milan as he doesn’t want to go to Newcastle.

“All I’m told at moment is ‘nothing imminent.’ “

Having played his way through Ajax’s youth ranks, the centre-back moved to Lille in the summer of 2020. The Dutchman has gone on to make 79 appearances for the French club across all competitions, scoring three times in the process.

To highlight his defensive talent, throughout his two seasons with Lille, the £27m-rated centre-back has racked up a total of 55 successful tackles, 100 blocks, 76 interceptions and 313 clearances in Ligue 1.

His overall performances in 2021/22 earned him a solid seasonal rating of 6.83/10 according to WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player at the club.

Newcastle fans will be fuming

With all this in mind, it’s easy to see why the Magpies are looking to bring the former Ajax starlet to St James’ Park this summer, as the player definitely seems to have what it takes to be a useful defensive figure for Eddie Howe’s side in the Premier League.

Taking into account how the Botman to Newcastle saga has been going on since the January transfer window, it’s safe to suggest that some Toon supporters could be getting frustrated with the situation; and Edwards’ suggestion that it could still go on for some time may have some fans downright fuming.

Moving forward, the best thing Newcastle could do would be to get this deal wrapped up as soon as possible, even though it’s still early days in the summer transfer window, so that they can then move on and focus on other potential targets that they want to bring in before next season starts.

Should the Magpies eventually secure Botman’s signature, this would surely put them in a good place to tackle their next Premier League campaign and hopefully concede fewer goals than last time out, particularly in the first half of the season.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing move for “outstanding” £69m tank, imagine him & Burn

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Everton are now ‘ready’ to sell Andre Gomes.

The Lowdown: Expensive dud

Gomes signed for the Goodison Park outfit from FC Barcelona for £22m back in the summer of 2019, and now earns a whopping £120,000-per-week on Merseyside.

It is safe to say that it has not quite worked out for the Portugal international, who has seen his game time limited by constant injury problems, and when he has been on the pitch, he has struggled to make any sort of real impact, scoring just two goals and making a mere seven assists over four seasons at the club (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: ‘Ready’ to sell

Taking to Twitter, O’Rourke has revealed that Frank Lampard’s team are now ‘ready’ to sell Gomes this summer:

“Everton are ready to offload Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes this summer.”

The Verdict: Get rid

Gomes is 28 years of age now, and so the summer provides the optimum time to get rid and get a decent fee for him.

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When he has been available, Lampard has Richard Buxton has pointed out.

Nonetheless, the Blues already have plenty of options in the centre of midfield already, and so Gomes would not really be that much of a miss if he were to leave.

In other news, find out which ‘quality’ starlet EFC are now eyeing here!

Newly promoted Nottingham Forest are ready to make a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, reports Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Gibbs-White’s season

The 22-year-old Wolves man joined Championship side Sheffield United on a season-long loan last year after going out to Swansea the year prior.

The midfielder made 35 league appearances for the Blades, contributing 11 goals and nine assists to United’s failed promotion push.

The Latest: Forest interested

Unfortunately for the youngster, his penalty in the play-off semi-final against Forest was saved by goalkeeper Brice Samba.

However, Gibbs-White clearly impressed Steve Cooper, as he is said to be a huge admirer of the Wolves man, and he could now look to add him to his side’s squad ahead of next season (via Nottingham Post).

It has now been reported by Birmingham Live that Forest are ready to move for Gibbs-White this summer, as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.

The Midlands club value the midfielder at around £20m, however manager Bruno Lage is said to be desperate to keep the Wanderers man.

Lage has previously claimed (via Birmingham Live): “In January I did everything to convince him to stay here.

“After, we will see. If I want him in January, I continue to want him here because he can be an important player for the club. He’s one of the players that comes from the academy and I know it’s so important for the club to have that.”

The Verdict: Big loss for Wolves

Whilst the youngster has previously been told to go out on loan to gain experience, he is surely now a part of Lage’s plans at Wolves, having proven what he can do with extended playing time this term.

During his time in the Championship, former Barnsley boss Poya Asbaghi hailed the 22-year-old as the Blades’ “most outstanding” player, indicating he is ready to make the permanent step-up to the Premier League.

Therefore, if Wolves do lose hold of Gibbs-White this summer, it is likely that we will see the midfielder playing in the English top-flight next season and perhaps even biting the hand that once fed him.

In other news: Two EFL clubs target Dion Sanderson…

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United forward Rodrigo.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, The Athletic journalist suggested that Leeds could be set to inform the 31-year-old that they will be willing to listen to offers for him in the summer transfer window.

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Concerning the Spain international’s future, Hay said: “It should be a transfer window where you might have to say to Rodrigo, ‘this isn’t working, we’re going to cut our losses with you, listen to offers for you,’ however you want to put it.”

Supporters will love Hay’s claim

Considering just how poor Rodrigo has been for Leeds this season, Hay’s claim that the club could look to put their club-record £27m signing up for sale this summer is sure to be news the Elland Road faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £13.5m-rated forward scored six goals, provided one assist and missed five big chances, as well as hitting the target with an average of a mere 0.6 shots, losing possession of the ball 11.5 times and winning just 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 38% – per game.

These metrics saw the £100k-per-week Spaniard average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the Whites’ joint ninth-best performer in the English top flight.

And, while these returns are not completely disastrous, considering the enormous transfer fee Victor Orta paid for the 31-year-old, in addition to his extremely hefty weekly wage, it is no surprise that, on a recent poll ran by Football FanCast the vast majority of Leeds supporters revealed that they wanted their club to move the forward on this summer.

As such, it is clear to see that Hay’s claim concerning Rodrigo will undoubtedly be news all in LS11 will be glad to hear, as, unfortunately for the 27-time capped international, it has just not worked out in England.

AND in other news: “That could happen..”: Phil Hay drops big summer claim, Leeds supporters surely gutted

Celtic not only ended their 2021/22 SPFL season with the league title under their belt but they also did it whilst boasting the best-attacking record in the top flight.

Having played 38 games, the Hoops found the net 92 times, which is 12 more than their fierce rivals, Rangers, did.

One player that ended up playing a rather significant role in Celtic’s attack this season was Jota.

Signed on loan from Portuguese club Benfica back in the previous summer transfer window, the winger played in 29 league games for the Bhoys.

In those appearances, the 23-year-old scored ten goals and delivered 11 assists along the way.

Rather unsurprisingly, there have been reports claiming that the Hoops are looking to make the winger’s stay at Parkhead permanent this summer.

Should they be successful in those attempts, the focus can then shift to potentially bringing new players to the club and help strengthen Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

One figure that the Bhoys have been linked with recently that could form a scary attacking partnership with Jota is Ferencvaros striker Ryan Mmaee.

With 141 senior club appearances under his belt across all competitions, the 24-year-old striker has scored 49 goals and delivered 25 assists in the process.

This season saw the Moroccan rack up 19 goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances for his current side, which included two games against Celtic in the Europa League.

This shows just how much of a deadly striker he is who can not only score goals but provide them as well.

It also backs up why he was described as being “prolific” for the Hungarian side by journalist Maher Mezahi on Twitter.

Having racked up the second-highest average for shots and dribbles per game in the Europa League this season for his current side, he clearly has the attacking talent to be a suitable addition to the Parkhead club’s ranks.

With all of this in mind, if Celtic can start their next campaign with both Jota and Mmaee in their side, it would give Postecoglou the chance to form a potentially frightening attacking pair that could give the Hoops a great chance to not only possibly regain the SPFL title but to go as far as they can in Europe as well.In other news: Celtic can replicate CCV masterclass by signing 25y/o gem who’s “one of the very best”

A big update has emerged on Rangers midfielder Steven Davis and his future at Ibrox heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Glasgow World, the club will be imminently holding talks with the midfielder over the possibility of extending his current contract.

The report claims that he will meet with club representatives to iron out his situation, amid links to fellow Premiership outfit Motherwell.

Ross Wilson must get it done

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson must now seal a fresh deal for the £13k-per-week veteran, as Davis’ recent resurgence has shown that he still has plenty to offer.

He only played three matches in the Premiership and Europa League combined from the start of December through to 10 April. The Northern Ireland international appeared to be out of favour and allowing him to leave on a free transfer would have seemed the sensible decision to make at that time.

However, he has featured in nine matches since then – including in the Scottish Cup and Europa League finals – as Gio van Bronckhorst has brought him back into the fold.

Former Light Blues boss Steven Gerrard previously heaped praise on the long-serving 37-year-old, saying: “Steven embodies professionalism and continues to set the standards required to be a Rangers player. He has been instrumental this year, playing a key role in our league success. Steven is low-maintenance and has much more to give our team, not only for the rest of this season but beyond.

“He is a role model to his team mates and continues to strive to be a better version of himself. I am very pleased to have a player with Premier League and international experience on board as we look towards next season.”

Davis was an instrumental player for the current Aston Villa boss during their mutual time at Ibrox, and the midfielder has been just as valuable since coming back into the Rangers team in April.

In his final six Premiership and Europa League outings of the campaign, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 as he showed that he is still capable of producing excellent performances. The 37-year-old was trusted by Van Bronckhorst to come off the bench in a major European final and also started the final of the Scottish Cup as the Gers beat Hearts 2-0.

This shows that he has plenty left to offer to the Light Blues and has been an important member of the team in the clutch part of the campaign. Therefore, Wilson must reach an agreement with him to extend the midfielder’s contract for another season.

AND in other news, Rangers can finally replace Defoe in deal for lethal 29 G/A gem who “never gives up”…

Frank Lampard has reportedly now personally requested to sign Bright Osayi-Samuel for Everton.

The Lowdown: Solid season

The 24-year-old is having a solid season at Fenerbahce, where he has scored two goals and supplied a further five assists playing as a right-back at times, and he has generally been a mainstay in a team who have played in the Europa League and Conference League (Transfermarkt).

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In the Turkish Super Lig, he ranks as their sixth-best performer, averaging more dribbles per game (2.3) than any of his team-mates (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he could well be an exciting arrival at Goodison Park in the summer.

The Latest: Lampard requests

As per En Son Haber, Lampard has now made a personal request to add Osayi-Samuel to Everton’s transfer list for the summer.

The 24-year-old currently holds a market value of €6m (£5.1m), and the Toffees will ‘knock on Fenerbahce’s door’ after the campaign has ended.

The Verdict: Bargain

Signing a player for just £5.1m in today’s market holds real value, and the Blues could be getting a bargain on their hands if they were to snap up Osayi-Samuel for that amount.

Described as a player with ‘blistering pace’ and who ‘terrifies defenders’ by his former QPR manager Mark Warburton (Kilburn Times), he could offer Everton another dimension in attack and possibly give defenders in the Premier League a few problems.

Also, at only 24 years of age, he could be an ideal replacement for the 33-year-old Seamus Coleman at right-back.

In other news, find out who EFC are now fighting Liverpool to sign here!

Leeds United were unable to recover from a disastrous start as they were beaten by Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, putting their place in the Premier League next season in serious jeopardy.

Whites boss Jesse Marsch witnessed a cataclysm of errors in the opening 24 minutes.

Former loanee Eddie Nketiah pounced on a loose touch from goalkeeper Illan Meslier to open proceedings in the fifth minute before he doubled his and the Gunners’ advantage five minutes later, firing home after good work from Bukayo Saka.

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And then catastrophe struck as captain for the day Luke Ayling saw red for a rash and needless challenge on Gabriel Martinelli, leaving the Yorkshiremen with ten men for the remainder of the game.

The visitors scrambled a goal back through Diego Llorente but the damage had already been done.

Leeds applied plenty of late pressure but their end product faltered in the final third, as it has done for the majority of the season. One fine example of that was Jack Harrison, who dropped yet another stinker of a display.

After hitting some form, the 25-year-old’s woes returned as it’s now three straight league games without a goal or assist to his name.

The £13.5m-rated dynamo went missing against his former club Manchester City, where he failed to land a shot or create a single key chance, nor could he provide an accurate cross.

It was a similar story down at the Emirates Stadium. Besides the sent-off right-back, Harrison was SofaScore’s lowest-rated player in the match (5.8). From 48 touches across the 90 minutes, he lost possession a whopping match-high 24 times – once every other touch.

Again, he struggled to deliver an accurate cross from three attempts, didn’t fire a single shot at goal and made only 57% of his 23 passing attempts, which is pretty abysmal, so it’s no wonder the Whites couldn’t salvage something late on even with the one-man disadvantage.

The winger also won only eight of his 18 duels (44%).

Lacking end product, Harrison was one of many Leeds stars to drop a nightmare-like display in the capital on Sunday afternoon. He’ll need to vastly improve if he’s to turn their attacking fortunes around ahead of another tricky encounter, hosting Chelsea in midweek.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Meslier: “Disgraceful” Leeds “idiot” badly betrayed Marsch at Arsenal…

Premier League outfit Crystal Palace are monitoring RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, according to the BBC, ahead of a potential summer move.

The 22-year-old has been a kingpin for the Ligue 1 outfit this term, making 34 appearances across all competitions this term with his side sat in eighth place.

Moreover, the Malian has scored one goal and registered four assists from defensive midfield this term and already boasts eight senior caps for Mali.

It’s no surprise that Palace are being linked with midfielders ahead of this summer with both Cheikhou Kouyate and James McArthur’s contracts set to expire this summer whilst Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher will be returning to west London with his future hanging in the balance.

The 22-year-old has been excellent for the Eagles this term, scoring eight goals and assisting a further three from midfield. Although, the chances of the Englishman returning to Selhurst Park on a permanent basis next season look slim, with it reported last month that Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to have the midfielder next term.

Therefore, Patrick Vieira’s midfield will need a major overhaul in the summer, and Doucoure could prove to be the perfect candidate.

Valued at £9m, the 22-year-old could make the move to England for a bargain fee. Moreover, in a performance against Nice last month, journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos claimed that the Malian was “destroying everyone.”

In Ligue 1 this season, the defensive midfielder has averaged 67.4 touches a match whilst completing 48.2 passes at an accuracy of 87% and 1.1 key passes.

Furthermore, Doucoure doesn’t shy away from the dirty work, contributing two interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 0.7 clearances a game.

Compared to Palace’s current preferred option in that deeper midfield role Kouyate, the Malian’s stats are generally better.

The Senegal international averages fewer touches with 41.2 whilst completing less than half of Doucoure’s passes at 23.6 at a lower accuracy of 82%.

Although, the two midfielders offer very similar defensive stats, with Kouyate averaging 1.2 clearances a game whilst also making two interceptions and 2.2 tackles.

Vieira has already made his desire to bring down the average age of his squad, having signed 19-year-old Michael Olise, 21-year-old Marc Guehi, 21-year-old Gallagher and 23-year-old Odsonne Edouard last summer.

Therefore, signing Doucoure would make perfect sense in an area that must be strengthened over the summer.

AND in other news: Lost the ball every 2.4 touches: Palace flop who lost 63% duels let Vieira down again

Jurgen Klopp could be plotting a bid for Carlos Soler as he aims to strengthen his Liverpool squad ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness), the Reds are among the clubs linked with the 25-year-old as they join Barcelona in the chase for the midfielder.

It was claimed earlier this week that the Catalan giants had reached an agreement to sign Soler, which was quickly rejected by Valencia, and his future destination is yet unknown.

The report by Sport has claimed that Soler is upset with his manager Jose Bordalas, and this could be good news for Klopp.

Klopp could find a new Thiago in Soler

With Klopp always aiming to strengthen his squad, regardless of whether or not players are at the peak of their powers, it makes sense to find young hungry talents who want to make a name for themselves in England.

Soler’s market value is currently £45m, but with his contract expiring at the end of next season, Liverpool could grab themselves a “bargain” signing which will only bolster the squad.

The 25-year-old could well be Klopp’s new Thiago, with the two Spaniards displaying similar characteristics. Both play predominantly in the centre of midfield, although Soler appears to be more of a goalscoring threat than Thiago, scoring 11 goals this season compared to just one for the 30-year-old Reds maestro.

The Liverpool player does appear to hold the advantage in terms of passing, completing nearly double the number of passes compared to his younger compatriot (1,174 to 559), although this is a skill where Soler may well improve.

There seems little doubt that the player who former Valencia star Curro Torres recently described as the “complete midfielder” has the necessary skillset to follow in the steps of Thiago at Liverpool and maybe even go on to be even better than the 30-year-old if he too joins Klopp’s Anfield revolution.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano claims Liverpool are in talks to sign “extraordinary” £83m machine, Klopp would love him…