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Everton have reportedly now made ‘approaches’ to sign Matheus Nunes this summer.

The Lowdown: Midfielder wanted

The Goodison Park club have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Conor Gallagher and Harry Winks this summer, suggesting that a new midfielder is on their target list.

Frank Lampard will be looking to reshape the squad into his own as he looks forward to his first full season in charge on Merseyside.

The Latest: Nunes ‘approaches’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Santi Aouna has revealed that Nunes has ‘received approaches’ from the Toffees, along with Newcastle United and Wolves.

Sporting Lisbon have already ‘refused’ an offer of €45m (£38.4m) from an English club, and the player will only be sold for his release clause, which stands at €60m (£51.3m).

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The Verdict: Unrealistic

Given the concerns over Everton’s recent financial losses, it seems unrealistic that they would sign Nunes for that kind of price, unless they raise money through player sales.

Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder and in the centre (Transfermarkt), the Portugal international possesses rare speed and drive for a player in his position.

His former team-mate Goncalo Santos has claimed that Nunes is ‘unbelievable’ when the ball is at his feet, adding that he is ‘impossible’ to catch because he is ‘too fast’ (Liverpool Echo).

The 23-year-old is someone who would likely get supporters on their feet and would almost certainly spark a wave of excitement at Goodison Park, should the Toffees be able to get a deal over the line.

In other news, find out what big Farhad Moshiri update has now emerged

Gian Luca Rossi has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Gleison Bremer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Milan-based television network Telelombardia (via Sport Witness), the Italian journalist revealed that – following Alessandro Bastoni’s agent, Tulio Tinti, revealing the 23-year-old will remain at Inter Milan this summer – Antonio Conte will now turn his focus in the summer transfer market towards the Torino centre-back.

Previous reports had claimed that Simone Inzaghi’s side have already agreed a four-year deal with the 25-year-old ahead of a summer switch from Turin to Milan, however, with Fabio Paratici now set to launch a €50m (£43m) bid for the Brazilian, Inter’s move for Bremer now appears to be in doubt.

Regarding Tottenham’s interest in the defender, Rossi said: “It is no mystery that Antonio Conte likes Bastoni. Indeed, from the information I have gathered, Conte is ready to put a spoke in the wheel at Inter. The message that Conte sent to Inter is more or less: if you don’t leave Bastoni with me, I’ll go to Bremer.”

Inzaghi will be livid

Considering just how impressive Bremer was for Torino this season, in addition to the fact that Inter previously looked to have all but confirmed the centre-back’s arrival at the San Siro this summer, the news that Spurs are now set to make their own move for the 25-year-old is sure to have left Inzaghi livid.

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Indeed, over his 33 Serie A appearances this season, the £31.5m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Ivan Juric’s defence, helping Il Toro keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.2 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 4.0 clearances and winning 6.6 duels per game.

The £18k-per-week left-footer also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring three goals and registering one assist, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 35.3 passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Ryan Taylor dubbed both “unbelievable” and “faultless” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.13, not only ranking him as Juric’s best performing outfielder in the league but also as the fifth-best defender in Serie A as a whole.

As such, should Paratici manage to steal Bremer from under the noses of Inzaghi and Inter this summer, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Nerazzurri, while also providing Conte with an excellent alternative to Bastoni on the left of his three-man backline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news: Paratici can seal huge Bastoni upgrade as Spurs now eye “extraordinary” £50m signing

Leeds United look set to part ways with winger Helder Costa this summer, according to The Daily Mail’s Jacob Ranson.

The Lowdown: Valencia loan

Costa, who was hailed as ‘immense’ by his former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, made the move to Leeds back in 2019. The 28-year-old was a regular in Leeds’ title-winning campaign in the Championship and made 22 appearances during their first season back in the Premier League.

However, Marcelo Bielsa decided to send Costa out on loan to Valencia last summer after he eventually brought Dan James to Elland Road. The winger struggled massively in La Liga, failing to score and registering just two assists in 27 games.

As a result, Valencia have decided against exercising their option to make a loan move permanent, but Costa could still be on the way out of the club, along with star man Raphinha, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona.

The Latest: Costa claim

Ranson shared a story for The Daily Mail late on Friday evening, looking at a forgotten player from each Premier League club.

When it came to Leeds, the journalist chose Costa, stating that ‘the Portuguese winger could be heading for the exit door or may well want to after falling out of favour at Leeds and then enduring a miserable loan spell at Valencia’.

Ranson added that Costa is set to return to Elland Road over the summer, although the club may look to move him on in order to improve their squad further.

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The Verdict: Exit needed

Costa, thought to be on £46,000-a-week, appears to have had his time in Yorkshire, and a new challenge could be best for all involved over the coming months.

He seemed surplus to requirements after James arrived, and with Jesse Marsch now in charge and looking to use inverted wingers such as new signing Brenden Aaronson, Costa may not fit into a narrower system.

Leeds would do extremely well to recoup a large percentage of the £15.93m they paid Wolves for his services, especially as his Transfermarkt valuation has plummeted from £9m to just £4.5m during his time in Spain.

In other news: ‘Quality’, ‘They aren’t waiting around…’ – News of ‘another’ Leeds move has pundit buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their pursuit of Watford winger Ismaila Sarr ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Jeunes Footeux, the Magpies are keen on the Senegal international as PIF plot a potential swoop for him ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that he will not leave Vicarage Road for anything less than €35m (£30m), with Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Everton also showing an interest.

Major Almiron upgrade

Bringing Sarr to St James’ Park would give Eddie Howe a major upgrade on current Paraguay international Miguel Almiron on the right wing.

Whilst the former Atlanta United star is a hard worker and rarely stops running for the team, he has not produced anywhere near enough in the final third to justify a regular place in the side heading into 2022/23.

Almiron played 30 matches in the Premier League in the 2021/22 and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.68 for Newcastle.

As you can see in the graphic above, Sarr – who played 22 times in the top flight – enjoyed a far more productive season in the final third in terms of both goals and assists.

Despite playing for a team which finished in 19th place, a full 26 points behind Newcastle in 11th, the Senegal forward dwarfed Almiron’s attacking numbers, as the 28-year-old only came close to him in terms of duels won.

Sarr played 1,865 top-flight minutes and the Magpies ace featured for 1,721 in the Premier League, which shows that they spent a relatively similar amount of time on the pitch throughout the campaign.

This makes the Watford star’s return suggest that he would be a major upgrade out wide for Newcastle, especially when you consider the huge gap between the two teams in the table.

Ben Foster once dubbed the 24-year-old a “freak” of a talent and praised his ability on the ball, saying: “It’s scary, isn’t it, really? It’s almost like everything seems to just be off the cuff. Every single time he gets the ball, even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but it will end up being good either way.”

This shows how highly Sarr is rated by his peers, and his statistics back up the praise as he stood out for a relegated team. Therefore, Newcastle must now seal the deal and bring him to Tyneside to replace Almiron on the right of the front three.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: NUFC can form a deadly duo by signing “outstanding” £34m “rock”…

Celtic are reportedly interested in Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, Ange Postecoglou’s side are believed to be ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old ahead of a potential deal, albeit with contact yet to be made regarding a possible switch.

The report suggests that the Scottish champions are keen to strengthen defensively this summer – at both centre-back and left-back – even if they manage to secure Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal.

The desire to bolster at centre-back has also been heightened by Christopher Jullien’s ‘uncertain’ situation, as per the report, with the Frenchman having been linked with a return to Ligue 1.

Frimpong 2.0

As the report also outlines, the Old Firm outfit have enjoyed good relations with City – and the City Football Group – over the last few years, having brought in a number of players from the Etihad that have gone on to do well north of the border.

One such figure to have impressed after making the move from Manchester to Glasgow was young Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong, the attacking full-back having been signed straight from the academy back in 2019.

Having joined for a reported fee of just £1m, the Amsterdam-born ace went on to quickly catch the eye at Parkhead, eventually recording 11 goal contributions in 51 appearances in all competitions over the next 18 months.

Such were the nature of his displays that it wasn’t long before one of Europe’s elite came knocking, with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen plucking him for €11m (£9.3m) in January 2021 – representing a tidy profit for the club.

Although Postecoglou and co will be more concerned with the potential impact that Harwood-Bellis could have on the pitch were he to join this summer, the Frimpong example illustrates how the club can successfully nurture young talent in order to generate funds, with the player also aware that Celtic Park offers the platform to impress as well as win silverware.

The £6.3m-rated defender has spent time on loan at Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht and most recently at Stoke City in the Championship, having failed to really break into Pep Guardiola’s first-team thoughts.

In his time away from his parent club, however, the Stockport-born starlet has certainly showcased his talent, with Tony Mowbray having praised the “old school” youngster for his “aggressive” approach during his time at Ewood Park.

It would no doubt be a step up to join a club who are set to compete in the Champions League next term, although as the Frimpong case study shows, there is a pathway to success for emerging prospects at Celtic.

IN other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who can do former club Liverpool a favour in the race for the Premier League title, has been dealt a huge blow after an injury update from today’s opponents Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Top half finish still possible

Villa could only manage a draw against Burnley on Thursday, leaving them on 45 points in 14th place heading into the final day. However, Gerrard’s side still have an outside chance of finishing in the top 10.

The Villans travel to the Etihad Stadium knowing that a win could take them above Crystal Palace, Brentford, Newcastle and Brighton. A victory would also help out Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, but Villa’s task appears to have been made harder following news on John Stones and Kyle Walker.

The Latest: Stones and Walker set to feature?

Pep Guardiola admitted just two weeks ago that both Stones and Walker would be out for the rest of the season alongside Ruben Dias.

However, the England internationals have now returned to training just days before the visit of Gerrard’s side, with Guardiola revealing on Friday afternoon that the pair may feature today.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

City struggled defensively last time out against West Ham, with Fernandinho lining out as a centre-back. The league leaders have the best defensive record in the top flight, so another makeshift back four would have been a boost for Gerrard.

However, it looks as if two of their main defenders could make a shock return at a crucial time, possibly making things even more difficult for Villa.

Gerrard did start with both Philippe Coutinho and Danny Ings on the bench on Thursday, so he may need the former Liverpool duo at the top of their game for Villa to pose a threat if they are to spoil the party at the Etihad.

In other news: ‘Excellent’ Aston Villa player set to leave as contact now made over move. 

Derby County defender Krystian Bielik has been told by his Poland international manager that he must leave the club if he has any hopes of playing for his country at the World Cup later this year.

The Lowdown: Bielik profiled

The 24-year-old first arrived at Pride Park for an undisclosed fee from Premier League side Arsenal three years ago, where he has since gone on to make 49 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring three goals during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite the centre-back still having two years remaining on his current contract with the Rams, he’s been advised – one could even say warned – to think about departing the Midlands outfit in the coming months.

The Latest: Michniewicz sends clear transfer message

When speaking during an interview with Sport TVP (as quoted by DerbyshireLive), Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz revealed that he’s made Bielik aware that he won’t be boarding the plane to Qatar if he is still playing League One football next season. He said:

“I told Krystian that he would not go to the World Cup playing at League One level. I know he has a two-year contract, but he has to leave.

“Even if all the players stay there, including the coach.

“From third-tier level to the World Cup, it will be hard to go and compete with the best. We must have players playing in the best teams, because there will be very little time to prepare.”

The Verdict: Rooney disagrees

Despite being relegated from the Championship just weeks ago, Derby boss Wayne Rooney has claimed that he is ‘absolutely’ confident that Bielik will still be a Rams player at the start of the new campaign, and it’s no surprise to see why he’s such a big fan.

This season alone, the 6 foot 2 colossus has averaged 2.3 long balls, 1.1 tackles, and 1.1 clearances per league 90 minutes, alongside winning 1.9 of his aerial duels, via WhoScored, displaying his physical presence in that defensive backline.

With Chris Kirchner’s takeover of the club close to officially going through after announcing that he’s exchanged contracts for the sale, this now means that with funding about to restart, Rooney can begin planning his major summer rebuild in a bid to bounce back up to the second-tier at the first time of asking next year.

In other news… a journalist has delivered a huge update on the potential sale of Pride Park.

Southampton are interested in on loan Torino star Josip Brekalo, according to a report from Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Currently on loan in Italy from parent club VfL Wolfsburg, the 23-year-old has so far amassed 192 professional career appearances across spells with Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart prior to his most recent moves.

A fully-fledged Croatia international, Brekalo was a reported target for Everton, Liverpool and several La Liga sides in the summer of 2021.

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And, despite Torino having a reported €13million (£11million) option to buy in the loan deal from Wolfsburg, other potential suitors are now in contention to land the winger.

The latest: Saints eyeing ‘sensational twist’

As per Tuttosport, cited by SW, Southampton are believed to be ‘in the lead’ to sign Brekalo should the permanent move to Italy not be triggered.

It’s claimed that the Saints are ‘ready to throw themselves’ into the mix to sign the man capped on 30 occasions by Croatia.

However, the report states that it would take a ‘sensational twist’ were Torino to pass up the opportunity to sign Brekalo, who has been dubbed an ‘exciting talent’ by journalist Josh Bunting following a brace against Fiorentina this season.

The verdict: Star capture

So far this season Brekalo has scored seven times and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating in the process. He is completing 1.3 dribbles, taking 1.4 shots and winning 0.7 fouls on average per game.

When using the FBref comparison tool, the versatile Croatian attacker is keeping some esteemed company in terms of playing style, closely matching the likes of Dmitri Payet and Arsenal duo Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.

With the futures of Theo Walcott, Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo under scrutiny, for anything close to the apparent current asking price, Ralph Hasenhuttl would welcome Brekalo to the St Mary’s ranks with open arms as the Austrian looks to bolster the ranks ahead of next season.

In other news: Southampton join race to sign ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ player from major European club! Find out more here.

BBC pundit Carlton Palmer has admitted that he thinks it is absolutely the ‘right decision’ for West Brom to allow Andy Carroll to leave the club this summer.

The Lowdown: Carroll set to depart

The 33-year-old first arrived at the Hawthorns on a free transfer in the January window following the expiration of his short-term deal with fellow Championship rivals Reading.

He made 15 appearances for the Baggies, scoring three goals during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The forward’s current contract with West Brom is set to expire at the end of June, and since the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, it’s been reported that Steve Bruce will not be offering Carroll new terms, meaning that he has already played his last game for the Midlands outfit.

The Latest: Palmer backs West Brom decision

When asked whether or not the club made the right choice to part ways with the nine-cap international, Palmer told Football League World ‘what’s happening’:

“Absolutely right decision.

“I mean, I think I always thought that Andy Carroll was a short-term fix to try and help them out, doesn’t play enough games and doesn’t score enough goals.

“I mean, he’s, he’s been a good player, a very good player, but he’s, he’s at the end of his career now.

“So teams will take him in, I mean I’m sure Andy Carroll is still earning decent money, but teams will take him in on short-term gigs now, and that’s what’s happening.”

The Verdict: A true professional

Carroll definitely made an impact during his short stint with the Baggies, adding a different dimension up top with his physical presence, standing at a staggering 6 foot 3.

It doesn’t come as any surprise to see the striker being let go though, especially considering that the club had a disappointing end to the campaign, having missed out on a top-six place.

Bruce will now be looking to bolster his ranks hopefully with younger players rather than renewing contracts of older, more experienced individuals if he wants to make a serious push for promotion next season.

The £720k-rated veteran is now likely to find himself skipping around multiple clubs on short-term deals after his imminent Hawthorns departure which should take him to the end of a very successful football career.

In other news… a journalist has backed a West Brom shot-stopper to be their new first-choice keeper next season.

According to ESPN, Manchester United are emerging as the favourites to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. 

The lowdown: Rice a wanted man

The 23-year-old has quickly become one of the hottest properties in European football following a rapid rise to prominence for both club and country.

Having left the acclaimed Chelsea academy to join West Ham in 2013, Rice has become an established member of David Moyes’ side, and also for Gareth Southgate at international level following a switch of allegiances from the Republic of Ireland.

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With interest previously mooted from Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, a fresh update has suggested that Old Trafford could be the most likely destination for the midfielder…

The latest: United frontrunners to sign Rice

As per ESPN sources, the Red Devils could have a ‘clear run’ at the 29-cap England star this summer.

The report states that United want Rice to become a ‘modern-day version’ of Paul Ince and will look to snap up the enforcer at the end of the season.

It’s also claimed that incoming manager Erik ten Hag will view the man likened to United legend Roy Keane by Stuart Pearce – who also called the 23-year-old “dynamic” – as a ‘statement signing’ as the Dutchman attempts to stamp his authority on the Premier League.

The verdict: No brainer

With United set to wave goodbye to Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, there are certainly spaces to be filled in the Old Trafford squad.

Despite a lofty £150m price tag handed down by Moyes, Rice could be worth the investment in the long run owing to his tender years and already top-class productivity.

So far this season, the powerful midfielder has earned an outstanding 7.17 average Sofascore rating whilst boasting a 92% passing accuracy and winning five duels and 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League.

Therefore, it seems a no-brainer for United to try and bring him to Old Trafford, particularly if they are now in such a dominant position to win the race for his services.

In other news: Spanish source makes La Liga transfer raid claim…find out more here