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Wolves have joined the race to complete the signing of Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu this summer.

The Lowdown: Ampadu to leave on loan?

The 21-year-old continues to struggle for playing time at Stamford Bridge, with Thomas Tuchel unable to promise him a starring role in 2022/23.

For that reason, it seems likely that Ampadu will again be loaned out before the end of the current transfer window, having spent last season at Serie A side Venezia.

There is plenty of interest in the Welshman currently and it looks as though Wolves have now entered the equation.

The Latest: Wolves join the race

According to La Nazione [via Sport Witness], have joined Italian teams Empoli, Spezia and Cremonese in expressing an interest in signing Ampadu.

While a loan move without an option to buy is mooted, and not exactly ideal, it is claimed that Wanderers are still interested in acquiring the youngster’s services.

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The Verdict: Exciting addition?

Ampadu has already enjoyed an intriguing career, not only spending numerous spells away from Chelsea on loan, but also winning the Europa League and FA Cup with the Blues.

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He is capable of thriving as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, so that versatility could appeal to Bruno Lage, especially having lost both Romain Saiss and Conor Coady in defence this summer.

Indeed, during a loan spell at Sheffield United, Paul Heckingbottom praised his versatility, but also suggested a move to nail down one position could see him become one of the world’s best.

At 21, Ampadu is starting to come into his own at senior level, having made 91 appearances overall, and he could be a shrewd signing who goes up a gear at Molineux.

An average of 2.3 aerial duel wins and tackles apiece last season, across 29 Serie A appearances, speaks volumes about his combative tendencies and ability to add some steel through the spine of a team.

Leeds United have been told to pay £22million for Paris Saint-Germain striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Phil Hay wrote at the start of this month that Leeds ‘have had an eye on’ Kalimuendo throughout the summer window.

Hay says Jesse Marsch and Leeds are ‘still waiting for a striker’ as they look to round off their business.

Kalimuendo came through the youth ranks at PSG and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Lens.

He’s competing with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Mauro Icardi and new signing Hugo Ekitike for minutes in the French capital.

The latest

‘PSG have told Leeds they value Kalimuendo at £22m,’ Jacobs wrote on his Twitter page.

There’s ‘growing interest’ in the forward, with fellow Ligue 1 outfit Rennes ready to battle for his signature.

Luis Campos, Football Advisor at the Parc des Princes, is ‘happy to sell now’, whereas manager Christophe Galtier is ‘not as content’.

He has built a ‘strong early relationship’ with the youngster and would prefer the club to offload Icardi first.

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The verdict

That certainly seems like a fair price for Kalimuendo if Leeds can get the deal done.

He’s under contract at PSG for another two years, so they’re still in a decent position, and he’s only 20 years old.

What’s more, his track record is very strong too. He scored 12 Ligue 1 goals in 34 appearances at Lens last season, averaging one every 181 minutes.

He also looks like he’s on the path to becoming a full French international, having struck four times in 12 caps for the Under-21s.

Similar in profile to Arnaut Danjuma, Luis Suarez and new West Ham signing Gianluca Scamacca, Kalimuendo features on the Golden Boy shortlist for 2022.

talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has dropped a West Ham transfer update.

What’s the word?

The update concerns Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis with Crook recently speaking to GIVEMESPORT to give an update on West Ham’s reported pursuit of the player, saying:

“Now they’ve got Scamacca, I wonder if they’ve done some background checks on him because, from what I’m told, maybe he’s not necessarily the type of character that David Moyes wants to bring into the dressing room.”

It appears that Moyes and West Ham have dropped their interest in the 24-year-old following this update and it could be a decision that the manager regrets.

Moyes needs another striker

West Ham opened up their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City. Erling Haaland grabbed a double for the away side and although Moyes won’t be able to recruit players of his calibre, another striker is required if they are aiming to build on last season’s success.

The club has signed Italian frontman Gianluca Scamacca from Serie A side Sassuolo, but this still just leaves the Hammers with two senior centre forwards in their ranks. With another demanding campaign ahead with continental fixtures, injuries will be commonplace and thus, not signing Dennis could be a decision they live to regret.

A move for the striker looked to make a lot of sense. He wouldn’t break the bank, with Watford valuing him at £20m and he has top-flight goalscoring experience.

The Nigerian international scored ten goals and grabbed a further six assists for Watford last season as they were relegated from the Premier League. With West Ham relying on wingers Said Benrahma (11) and Jarrod Bowen (17) and Michail Antonio (13) for goals last season, its clear that further additions to the front three are required.

Moyes could regret not signing Dennis as the 24-year-old generated more shot-creating actions per match than Antonio last season (3.17 to 3.09) and had a higher percentage of shots on target (44.3% to 32.5%), showing that he could have been a worthwhile addition to the West Ham squad.

Moyes will look at other targets, yet this decision might not be one of his wisest moves.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of mercurial gem James Maddison in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to iNews, the Magpies will need to pay a fee in the region of £60m – which would be a club-record – to land the attacking midfielder in the coming weeks.

The report claims that the club have had an offer of £40m rejected by Leicester, who want a large sum up front in order to do business of their own.

Luke Edwards has since claimed that a second bid of £45m has been made, with the player said to be keen on the switch.

Paul Gascoigne 2.0

Dan Ashworth must now do all he can to secure a deal to sign Maddison as he has the potential to be the club’s next Gascoigne, whether that is at £45m or £60m – both club-record moves.

The Englishman has the arrogance on the pitch, along with the quality to back it up, to be Gazza 2.0 on Tyneside if he joins the club Magpies this summer.

Gascoigne was an attacking midfielder capable of producing magic moments for the Toon – scoring 24 goals in 102 matches – and Maddison has shown that he has the ability to do the same in the Premier League.

He was once dubbed a “genius” by BBC Norfolk presenter Rob Butler and he has showcased his creativity in the top-flight in recent years.

The gem, who has previously been accused of arrogance, produced 12 goals and eight assists in 28 starts in the 2021/22 campaign. This came after he managed eight goals and five assists in 24 starts the year before that, which shows that he has the ability to make a big impact in the final third.

At the age of 25, he also has his best years ahead of him. He is a player who can improve over time whilst delivering quality for many, many, more seasons to come – making him a sublime signing in the short and long-term.

Maddison has proven himself to be an excellent midfielder in the Premier League and he can be Eddie Howe’s go-to man when it comes to unlocking opposition defences this season.

Therefore, Ashworth can land the club their next Gascoigne by bringing in another talented English magician who is capable of producing magical moments at the top end of the pitch to win matches for the Magpies.

It is now down to the sporting director to negotiate a reasonable deal with Leicester to bring the 25-year-old to St. James’ Park.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has delivered his ‘worrying’ response to the issue suffered by Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw. 

The lowdown: Cruel blow

Having returned to the fold last season after missing 71 games with a long-standing hip problem, Forshaw was ruled out of the final weeks of the 2021/22 campaign after fracturing his knee cap during training at Thorp Arch.

The 30-year-old missed six matches in the run-in as the Whites beat the drop on the final day and was looking to build up fitness ahead of the new term when picking up an injury in the 1-1 pre-season friendly draw against Crystal Palace, an encounter that also saw summer signing Luis Sinisterra limp off with a hamstring problem.

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After the match, Leeds boss Jesse Marsch confirmed that the cultured midfielder had ‘tweaked his knee’ following numerous collisions, although the nature of this latest problem is less of a concern than the ongoing trend for one knowledgeable onlooker…

The latest: ‘More worrying…’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and regularly contributes to Sky Sports – suggested that Forshaw could be suffering on a ‘personal level’ after picking up another injury.

He said: “The injury itself isn’t such a concern but the background at Leeds is more worrying. We will have to wait and see on the severity of the injury. We sometimes don’t want to read too much into what we see in pre-season. You hope that this was more of a precautionary measure.

“It will be gutting for him on a personal level. We are on the cusp of a new season and he missed the last four or five weeks of last season. He would have been hoping to get off to a good start, but this could impact that.”

The verdict: Problem solved?

After losing Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City and Forshaw to a spate of injuries, Leeds wasted little time in bolstering the engine room of the Elland Road ranks, signing an abundance of conventional midfield options in Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Darko Gyabi, essentially dealing with the potentially problematic area immediately.

Despite the reinforcements, Marsch will hope to have the £1.8million valued man at his disposal when the season gets going against Wolves and indeed thereafter.

Last season, Forshaw – who was described as a ‘class player’ by Leeds reporter James Marshment upon making his return to the side – made 26 appearances across all competitions for the Whites and will no doubt be viewed as an important member of the first team plans given his 300 matches worth of experience.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has dropped a claim regarding Celtic’s reported transfer interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Joseph had this to say on the matter: “Michut has played six games in Ligue 1 and is very much seen as a hot prospect at PSG, but there’s been a falling out with the hierarchy and the new manager.

“Well, not a falling out, but he’s not seen in the first-team plans, so he’s looking to move and because of that he could go for quite cheap.

“One source had told us that Celtic were looking at coming with a £2m offer, but I believe it’s probably going to take £4m-£5m for him to move, so I think that’s still one to watch.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

After it emerged that the Bhoys were looking to secure a deal for the 19-year-old, Ange Postecoglou poured cold water on the subject by saying that the club were not in for the youngster.

However, taking into account what Joseph has now said on the matter and how highly he claims the player is rated at the French club, this should have a lot of Celtic fans excited over a potential move for the 19-year-old this summer.

Over five league appearances last season, the teenager completed 52 of the 55 passes he attempted, while also making three shot-creating actions.

From a defensive point of view, the Frenchman won two tackles and made two clearances, two blocks and 22 pressures.

This shows how well-rounded midfield a option he could be for Celtic should they end up securing a deal for him this summer.

Even though it has been confirmed by the Hoops on Tuesday afternoon that they have signed 31-year-old Aaron Mooy, securing a much younger midfielder such as Michut could be a great long-term investment for the club given his age and clear talent.

Also, having seen the likes of Ewan Henderson, Luca Connell and Kerr McInroy leave the club recently, there is certainly room for another young midfield prodigy to join the ranks at Parkhead and see if they have what it takes to break into the first team.

AND in other news – Celtic set to sign £5.9m dynamo, it could be bye-bye £20k-p/w outcast

Crystal Palace have been linked with Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks on a regular basis this summer, and the Englishman could be Patrick Vieira’s own version of Jorginho should he make the move to Selhurst Park.

According to the Daily Mail, the Eagles were set to rival Everton for the Spurs ace this summer, as he appears to be surplus to requirements in Antonio Conte’s side.

The 26-year-old was omitted from Spurs’ pre-season trip to South Korea and it seems clear that he will be on the move this summer, and Palace could be the team to benefit.

Although his form for Spurs in recent years has been less than impressive, having been one of their lowest-rated performers on WhoScored, Winks has had a real lack of game-time with the north London club, and regular starts at Selhurst Park could help him to rediscover his best performances.

After all, it was only a few years ago when he was considered a top young prospect, earning 10 caps for England, and at 26 he still has plenty of time left in his career to progress further.

Should the Eagles win the race to sign Winks this summer, he could be utilised in a similar role to Jorginho at Chelsea.

According to FBRef, the Italy international is the most similar player to the Englishman in terms of playing style; and given that he has won Euro 2020 and Champions League and finished third in the Ballon d’Or in recent years, he is not a bad player with whom to be so closely compared.

According to WhoScored, both Winks and Jorginho’s main strengths are through balls and passing, so the Spurs man could add some real creativity to Vieira’s midfield, in the same way that the Italy international dictates play for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Mauricio Pochettino was full of praise for Winks after he scored in a win against Fulham in 2019, saying: “He deserves the praise because the whole action is amazing. He recovered the ball like a full-back, we started to build from the back and then he arrived for the cross from GK, which was fantastic – we have to praise him too.

“It’s amazing, amazing, because we were talking in the last few weeks that he had to score and to have more presence in the opposition’s box because he has the quality to do it. I’m so happy.”

Therefore, if Palace do bring in the £20m-valued Winks this summer, he could prove to be a vital player in Vieira’s side, and he could even be as influential as Jorginho is to Chelsea.

AND in other news: Parish can repeat Guehi masterclass in Palace move for “outrageous” £4.5m-rated talent

Derek Rae has dropped an update on reported Glasgow Rangers transfer target Malik Tillman.

What’s the talk?

In a number of recent posts on Twitter, the ESPN journalist revealed that, following reports linking Rangers with a move for the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder this summer, they would be willing to loan the 20-year-old out ahead of the 2022/23 campaign – something that would appear to open the door for both Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst to launch an offensive for the USA international.

In his tweets, Rae said: “Have had so many questions about Rangers’ interest in Bayern’s Malik Tillman, who is now committed to the USMNT rather than Germany. Reporting on this interest has so far all come from colleagues in Scotland. Nothing new from Germany.

“What we can say is that Bayern don’t feel Tillman is someone who is going to challenge for regular first-team football at the moment & a loan has been a strong possibility for a while.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a prospect Tillman undoubtedly is, Rae’s update suggesting that Bayern would be willing to allow the forward to leave the Allianz Arena on a temporary basis this summer is sure to have left Van Bronckhorst and his Rangers transfer team buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.35m-rated prospect has highly impressed throughout the various age groups in Bayern’s youth setup, scoring 15 goals and providing 10 assists over 42 appearances for the U17s, bagging 17 goals and registering 11 assists over 36 outings for the U19s and netting seven goals and providing four assists over 24 fixtures for Bayern Munich II.

These returns have seen the £5k-per-week starlet fast-tracked into Julian Nagelsmann’s first-team squad, with the 20-year-old making seven appearances for the senior side in 2021/22 – scoring one goal in the process.

Furthermore, those in the know quite clearly expect big things from Tillman in the not too distant future, with the USMNT head coach, Gregg Berhalter, stating in an interview with The Athletic of the attacking midfielder – who scored three goals in four appearances for Germany’s U21s prior to making the switch to America – earlier this year:

“I think he’s an attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1, he could be a pocket winger in a 4-3-3, could be a centre mid in a 4-3-3, depending on if he can get his defensive work up to it. But he’s really talented between the lines, really natural with scoring goals, good and calm around the penalty box. Good technique, good with both feet, so a really interesting player.”

As such, it is clear to see that, should Wilson and Van Bronckhorst manage to get a deal over the line for the versatile forward this summer, Rangers will have a real talent on their hands heading into their 2022/23 campaign – something that is sure to be an incredibly exciting prospect for both the Ibrox faithful and the Dutch manager alike.

AND in other news: Rangers keen on “strong” £2.5k-p/w gem with a “high ceiling”, he’s a Jack upgrade

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Jonathan David in recent weeks, though it seems he is not a player on Steven Gerrard’s radar…

What’s the word?

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans recently claimed the Midlands outfit have had eyes on the 22-year-old ever since his time at Gent in the Jupiler Pro League, and also suggested that he would be a player that they would love to sign.

Meanwhile, transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that David was someone who “might come onto the radar” for the Premier League side before the end of the window on September 1st.

However, journalist Ashley Preece of the Birmingham Mail has poured cold water on such claims – speaking in a Q&A with supporters this week, he said:

“Villa haven’t gone in for him.”

Gutting news

Those six words are enough to leave many supporters around Villa Park absolutely gutted as the Lille star is a hugely exciting talent and one that would add a lot to the current squad.

Gerrard may well be stacked up top, with Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings his two main options, but David could well be a long-term upgrade considering he’s just 22.

The Canada international registered 13 goals and three assists across 37 appearances on Les Dogues’ way to the Ligue 1 title in 2021 before continuing that form last season, bagging 19 goals across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

That’s certainly a prolific record in one of Europe’s top divisions.

The 5 foot 11 talisman wouldn’t come cheap as he is currently valued in the region of £42m-£60m by CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis.

However, given the fact that he has been lauded as a “phenomenon” by former Gent and Anderlecht boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck, plenty of fans around B6 will surely be left disappointed by Preece’s latest update on the matter.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa swoop for “phenomenal” £34m gem, he’s the “perfect fit” for Gerrard…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now shared some ‘whispers’ from Arsenal involving Raheem Sterling.

The Lowdown: Raphinha alternative?

It now seems unlikely that the Gunners will sign Raphinha, after reports of FC Barcelona, who are the Leeds United winger’s preferred destination, wanting to gazump Chelsea’s own £60m deal.

Thus, the north Londoners will have to look at alternative targets if they want to strengthen out wide, with Sterling a reported option at the start of the summer, although Chelsea are reportedly now also in talks for his signature.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘whispers’

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has now shared ‘whispers’ of Sterling possibly moving to the Emirates Stadium, although they ‘can’t compete’ with Chelsea in terms of his wages:

“There have been whispers of Arsenal going for Sterling but there is very little chance of them jumping in on that deal to revenge at Chelsea for bidding on Raphinha.

“The main issue, away from the level they’re at, is the wages. I’m told they just can’t compete at his pay level.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame for Mikel Arteta’s team to miss out on both Raphinha and Sterling, especially if they both end up at London rivals Chelsea.

The latter has shown that he can score and assist goals on a consistent basis for Manchester City, racking up 78 goals in the last five top flight seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, his massive £300,000-per-week salary could prove to be a stumbling block in terms of making the move to North London, and would break their current wage structure.

Given that Chelsea can offer him UEFA Champions League football as well, any deal for Sterling this summer seems highly unlikely.