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Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola have now made a move for in-demand Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues swoop expected…

The Premier League champions, as per recent claims from Italy, have been expected to swoop for Man United’s transfer target who is also wanted by Chelsea.

De Ligt, an absolute mainstay for Juve last season, has attracted plenty of attention with Guardiola’s side now firmly entering contention to sign the Netherlands international.

This comes amid a potentially huge summer of change at Eastlands as many first team players are either close to leaving or linked with a possible exit.

To counteract the flurry of possible outgoings, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak have sealed the signings of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Stefan Ortega with Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips also on the way.

The Latest: City move for de Ligt…

According to Calciomercato Web, the Blues have already ‘proposed’ some players in part-exchange to sign de Ligt from Juve.

However, the Old Lady are thought to not be entertaining that approach – with names like 21/22 final day hero Ilkay Gundogan and Ukraine international Oleksandr Zinchenko now floated as potential makeweights.

The Serie A giants, on on top of these players, would also request €40-50 million (£34m-£43m) as City are allegedly ‘notified’ of their demands.

The Verdict: Too much?

The presence of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nathan Ake as things stand make City’s need for a central defender extremely minimal.

Of course, as the latter man attracts interest from Chelsea, it’s safe to say de Ligt would be a more-than phenomenal replacement in terms of quality.

Winning a 2019 Kopa Award, the £200,000-per-week star has also been called a ‘monster’ by Barcelona star Pedri and finished last season as one of Juve’s best performers by average match rating (WhoScored).

De Ligt also averaged more successful aerial duels per 90 than any of his teammates and completed around 89% of his passes out from the back – highlighting his status as a world class, ball-playing centre-half.

That being said, despite the 22-year-old’s obvious ability, City shouldn’t be pushed into making ludicrous offers.

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now shared a promising update out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Premier League star and Everton striker Richarlison.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new forward…

As widely reported, one of the items next on sporting director Fabio Paratici’s to-do list is the signing of a forward and alternative to superstar Harry Kane in the Spurs attacking areas.

The club have been linked with a host of names, including sensation Darwin Nunez before he joined Liverpool, with it now looking likely they will also miss out on Man City star Gabriel Jesus.

It appears manager Antonio Conte’s list of targets is growing thin but luckily, as per Thomas of Sky, a promising update has come to light involving Toffees mainstay Richarlison.

The Latest: Thomas shares Richarlison update…

According to his sources, Spurs and Paratici are now pushing to sign the Brazil international.

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Indeed, he claims ‘this past week’ Tottenham have ‘stepped up’ their inquiries for Richarlison and Everton are now ‘bracing themselves’ for a bid (Twitter).

He adds this is the same for fellow target Leeds United of Leeds as Paratici spins ‘many plates’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

As per WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 21/22 as Everton’s statistical best player and most potent attacking threat in the final third.

Richarlison averaged their highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 and also attracted the most fouls with Frank Lampard’s handful striker, on top of all this, raking in more goals and assists than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Noel Whelan summed it up best by branding the South American one of Goodison Park’s ‘big name’ players and we believe he would be an ideal striker signing for Conte.

Arsenal are believed to have seen an initial offer rebuffed by Leeds United for winger Raphinha, with the Brazilian ace having emerged as a top target this summer.

What’s the word?

As per journalist David Ornstein, the Gunners made their first offer for the 25-year-old on Tuesday evening, although it was swiftly dismissed by the Elland Road outfit having fallen well below their valuation.

Writing on Twitter about that revelation, the transfer guru hinted that Mikel Arteta and co will be unperturbed by that initial setback: “Arsenal made 1st formal offer to Leeds for Raphinha last night. While it fell well below #LUFC valuation & has now been rejected, interest remains strong. May be a long/difficult process due to competition but #AFC determined to sign 25yo”.

In his attached piece for The Athletic, Ornstein stated that while Arteta is “extremely keen” on the former Stade Rennais man, it is believed that Barcelona remains the nine-cap gem’s ideal choice, albeit with the La Liga side currently managing an ongoing financial crisis.

Should a move to the Nou Camp not go ahead, the report suggests that Chelsea are the player’s next ‘preferred destination’ ahead of the north London side, with Jesse Marsch and co not expected to stand in his way if their valuation is met.

Supporters fuming

While it is still days in negotiations, the Emirates faithful will no doubt be concerned to see the pursuit of the £40.5m-rated man develop into something of a saga, as the longer the transfer drags on the more likely it is that competition could build.

Equally, there will also be eyebrows raised at the suggestion that the player in fact favours a move to Stamford Bridge were he to remain in the Premier League, with Gunners supporters unlikely to be too pleased with their club not being the first-choice pick.

Amid the Blues’ reported interest in the likes of Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele, the hope will be that Thomas Tuchel’s side are prioritising other targets, allowing Arsenal to sign the £63k-per star relatively unchallenged.

The clamour for the one-time Sporting CP man’s signature has no doubt been warranted due to his sparkling form in recent seasons, the fleet-footed forward having netted 17 goals and provided a further 12 assists across the last two campaigns combined in the top-flight, having signed from Rennes in a £17m deal in the summer of 2020.

That tally includes a haul of 11 goals and three assists in the most recent campaign, with Raphinha proving instrumental in keeping his side in the division, preventing the Whites from losing their prized gem for a potential bargain fee, amid reports of a relegation clause in his contract.

As it is, the Gunners will seemingly have to pay a sizeable fee if they are to get a deal over the line, although at present it seems they are some way off matching the asking price.

IN other news, Arsenal now plotting record-breaking bid for £100m gem, he’d be a “superstar” signing

Liverpool’s next transfer target has been revealed, following the recent signing of Benfica hotshot, Darwin Nunez…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that the Merseyside outfit’s next priority this summer will be to focus on bringing in a central midfielder, having wrapped up a club-record deal for the Uruguayan in recent days.

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Looking ahead to what manager Jurgen Klopp will do next in the current window, Jones stated that the centre of the park is the German’s main focus: “I think it’s the next big position that he’ll be looking at. We know they’ve had an eye on players like Tchouameni recently, and they might have gone through with it, but they were definitely keeping an eye on players at that level.

“If Milner would have gone and Oxlade-Chamberlain was leaving, then I would feel like they had reason to strengthen right now. But, as it stands right now, Liverpool have got loads of numbers in that area of the field.”

As the respected source alluded to, the Reds had been heavily linked with a move for French starlet Aurelien Tchouameni in recent months, although the 22-year-old has since opted to make the switch from Monaco to 14-time European champions, Real Madrid.

Supporters buzzing

That verdict will no doubt be music to the ears of the Anfield faithful, with supporters likely to be demanding even more transfer activity in the coming weeks, despite fending off rival interest to land the highly-coveted Nunez.

Even at the end of a campaign that so nearly saw Klopp’s men swoop an unprecedented quadruple, the belief is that the Premier League powerhouse will need to strengthen once again if they are to keep pace with title winners Manchester City, particularly with the Etihad outfit having added Erling Haaland to their stellar squad.

Having begun to assemble an enviable forward line of their own – even with Sadio Mane’s looming exit – the FA Cup winners will now need to focus on other areas of the pitch, with adding further quality in the centre of midfield seemingly a must.

The current first-choice trio of Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho were instrumental in that stellar campaign last term, although some younger, fresher legs could well be needed, hence the previous interest in the aforementioned Tchouameni.

Equally, the former Borussia Dortmund boss also has a number of fringe players in his midfield ranks that may need to be moved on, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain having been heavily linked with a £10m exit this summer.

There has been a suggestion that England wonderkid Jude Bellingham is a top priority for FSG, although the teenager is likely to be a target of the future, with it yet to be seen just who could be coming through the door in the current window.

Nevertheless, just knowing that Liverpool aren’t resting on their laurels and are still keen to bolster their ranks will be welcome news to the club’s supporters.

AND in other news: Bid made: FSG now in LFC talks to land “world class” £60m “storm”, imagine him & Nunez

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has now shared a ‘positive update’ for supporters as some exciting Hotspur Way news emerges.

The Lowdown: Spurs prepare…

The Lilywhites, having finished 2021/2022 in strong fashion, are gearing up for what will be manager Antonio Conte’s first full Premier League season in charge.

Conte guided Spurs to a place in the top-four, sealing qualification for the 22/23 Champions League campaign and gaining all the riches that come with it.

Tottenham are now set for what is, arguably, their most significant season so far this decade with two summer signings having already been confirmed in both Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic on Bosman deals.

Conte will also be hoping his injury-ridden stars, like midfielder Oliver Skipp, will be raring to go for a crucial season.

The Latest: Gold shares ‘positive’ Skipp update…

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As per Gold, sharing a ‘positive update’ on Skipp, the reliable football.london journalist has some exciting news for supporters on the 21-year-old’s rehabilitation.

According to the journalist, the Englishman is now ‘in good shape’ and ‘raring to go’ for Conte’s first pre-season in less than a month’s time.

Gold also goes on to claim that Skipp is ‘available to hit the ground running’ and Tottenham’s head coach has ‘high hopes’.

The Verdict: Exciting news…

News of Skipp’s full recovery from a pubis injury will come as music to the ears of both supporters, those behind-the-scenes at Tottenham and Conte.

The Spurs starlet’s availability is a big boost for the north Londoners who were without his contribution for the last three months of 221/22.

According to WhoScored, no other Tottenham man averaged a higher passing accuracy than the composed midfield engine, who found teammates with 90.1% of his attempts.

Conte’s midfield will now be reinforced with the dependable solid options of Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – in front of his back four – potentially making them a real challenge to break down defensively.

In other news: ‘Better and better’ – Insider says Tottenham could make announcement ‘in the coming days’…find out more here.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered a ‘big problem’ regarding Manchester United and the pursuit of Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen. 

The lowdown: An ‘incredible’ comeback

Signed by Brentford on a short term deal following the mutual termination of his deal at Inter Milan – due to Serie A rules around wearing ICDs whilst playing – Eriksen’s future at the highest level had been brought into question.

However, the 30-year-old soon allayed any fears surrounding his fitness and ability to perform in the Premier League and was hailed for an ‘incredible’ return to action by Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte, racking up the most key passes per game of any Bees player.

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Now as the deal at Brentford heads into its final weeks, Manchester United are believed to be among the suitors.

The latest: London calling…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that Eriksen may prefer to stay in London this summer.

He said: “I mean, we always said that Man United would come onto the agenda. The big problem with United is it’s not in London and, from what I’m told, ideally, Eriksen wants to remain in London.

“So that’s why Brentford have still got half a chance. Brentford have definitely not given up on the situation. They feel after giving him his opportunity to get back into English football and stuff, he might decide to stay.”

The verdict: Worth the gamble

Albeit signing the 113-cap superstar could now prove to be expensive in terms of salary in order to coax Eriksen to the North West, without the expenditure of a transfer fee, this remains a deal well worth pursuing for fellow former Ajax man Erik ten Hag.

Eriksen scored once and provided four assists in 11 Premier League appearances last term, earning a sensational 7.54 Sofascore rating – higher than any United player –  whilst making 40 accurate passes, 2.8 key passes and 5.5 successful long balls on average per game.

In behind the attacking firepower of Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, Eriksen would be a brilliant addition to the Red Devils’ ranks and those in power at Old Trafford should be pulling out all the stops to make this move happen, regardless of the Dane’s perceived capital preference.

In other news, Erik ten Hag could be key in luring this star to Old Trafford.

Reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has shared an update on the circumstances of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs in pursuit of Bastoni

The Italy international has become one of Fabio Paratici’s main transfer targets in recent weeks, with Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte having formed a good relationship with the defender during their time together at Inter.

According to Football Italia, although there isn’t a deal currently in place for the 23-year-old, Bastoni’s agent has encouraged his player to ‘adjust’ to the ongoing developments in the transfer market, with the centre-back reportedly happy to remain at the San Siro.

The Latest: Gold’s update on Bastoni

In a Q&A for football.london, Gold shared an update on Tottenham’s ongoing situation with Inter and Bastoni.

He claimed: “This is purely my opinion and we’re very early in the transfer window so things can change quickly, but I get the feeling that circumstances at Inter are working in Spurs’ favour at the moment.

“They need money to address their attack, with Dybala a target and a Lukaku return considered, while at the back they also want to sign Bremer, a player Spurs also have on their centre-back list.

“They need funds because they’re in a tough financial position and Bastoni is one of their best chances of raising those funds and he has just two years left on his contract so, unless he signs a new deal, this is the peak value they can get for him. The 23-year-old is happy at Inter at this point in his career, but I just wonder whether what’s going on at the club ends up pushing him towards the door.

“His agent’s comments this week seemed to suggest that could be a possibility. It’s still very early days though and Spurs have other options, although both Conte and Paratici really like the big Inter defender. I think we need to get through the international period first, which makes it difficult to tie up deals and players can’t fully focus on their decisions right now.”

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The Verdict: Looking more positive

Prior to these comments from Gold, Dan Kilpatrick reported that Bastoni is ‘reluctant’ to leave the Serie A club. Although the deal is ‘not dead in the water’, the Evening Standard journalist claimed that Tottenham will have to do a lot of convincing to bring the centre-back to Hotspur Way this summer.

However, Gold’s update appears to be a lot more positive, with circumstances seemingly falling into place for Spurs.

Paratici will surely be doing all he can to secure Bastoni’s signature, given that he is seemingly a massive admirer of the 23-year-old, who was dubbed ‘incredibly aggressive’ by former Lilywhites employee Roberto Kusabbi.

Hopefully Tottenham can pounce upon the seemingly advantageous circumstances and reunite the Italy defender with his former Nerazzurri manager in north London over the coming weeks or months.

In other news: Spurs confident they can strike agreement for Romelu Lukaku

Reliable reporters Sami Mokbel and Adrian Kajumba of The Daily Mail have now shared a promising Southampton transfer update involving Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks.

The Lowdown: Saints set for big summer…

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, under the ownership of Sport Republic and guidance of transfer chief Martin Semmens, could be set for their busiest summer in years.

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Many Saints players are currently either out of contract or heading into their final year with Semmens recently admitting that the Premier League side already have a plan in place and intend to move earlier for targets than in previous windows (Daily Echo).

One of those supposed players on Southampton’s radar is Spurs outcast Winks as The Mail now share a promising update.

The Latest: Southampton ‘lead the race’…

According to their information, courtesy of Mokbel and Kajumba, Semmens and co ‘lead the race’ to sign Antonio Conte’s peripheral player alongside Newcastle United.

It is understood that Southampton, as well as The Magpies, have ‘early interest’ in Winks as Hasenhuttl and Semmens seemingly set their sights.

However, if they wish to seal a deal for the Englishman, Spurs have set their price at £25 million.

The Verdict: Make the move?

The 26-year-old, having been linked with a move to the south coast last year, could well be a shrewd capture for Hasenhuttl.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has previously tipped Southampton as the perfect move for Winks, citing their style of play and claiming it would suit Tottenham’s outcast ‘down to the ground’.

The player has no shortage of backing when it comes to pundits with ex-Lilywhites shot stopper Paul Robinson admitting he’s a ‘big fan’ – even branding Winks a ‘fabulous player’ and ‘versatile’ enough to play anywhere in midfield (Football Insider).

Conte himself has even praised the England international as a ‘reliable’ asset before, so we believe all of these plaudits may well point to someone who can do a job for Hasenhuttl ahead of next season.

In other news: Hasenhuttl personally sets his sights on signing ‘absolute beast’ for Southampton, find out more here.

Celtic are reportedly set to rekindle their interest in Japanese defender Ko Itakura, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, the 25-year-old – who is on the books at Manchester City – is one of the players that the Scottish Champions are ‘monitoring’, having previously been linked with the versatile centre-back last year.

The report suggests that no contact has been made as yet regarding a potential deal, although the Old Firm outfit are keen to bolster their defensive ranks, even if Cameron Carter-Vickers signs on a permanent deal.

The report goes on to add that Schalke – where the eight-cap international spent the most recent campaign – have an option to buy the Yokohama-born ace, although are said to be ‘struggling’ to meet the £6m asking price.

Imagine him and Carter-Vickers

The German outfit are no doubt keen to secure his services permanently following his key role in the club’s return to the Bundesliga, although their inability to pay the required fee may work in Postecoglou’s favour, with both he – and the Glasgow-based side – having strong links with the City Football Group.

Should Itakura make the move to Parkhead in the upcoming window, the club would be gaining a real hidden gem, with Dutch pundit Haans Kray naming him as “one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie” following an impressive 18-month loan stint at Groningen.

The £3.15m-rated ace is yet to feature for his parent club – despite arriving at the Etihad in January 2019 – with Kray believing that Pep Guardiola and co “don’t see anything in him.”

Their loss could well be Celtic’s gain then, with the club potentially able to form a mouthwatering duo of the £10k-per-week sensation and the aforementioned Carter-Vickers, should the USA international see his loan move made permanent.

The 24-year-old has formed what has been dubbed an “immense” partnership by pundit Chris Sutton with Carl Starfelt this term, although there are doubts over the latter man’s quality, with the Swede coming in for criticism from pundit Michael Stewart.

In Itakura then, Postecoglou could well have the ideal player to fill in alongside Carter-Vickers, having been praised for his “calm” manner by former Schalke coach Dimitrios Grammozis – a trait that could well prove useful in what is an at times hectic team at Celtic Park.

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

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has mentioned in recent weeks that he’s looking to do some significant transfer business during the upcoming summer window.

With that in mind, this may well open the floodgates for numerous players to be linked with moves to The Hawthorns over the coming weeks and months.

At this moment in time, it seems as though a clue has emerged over the possibility of one potential name who has been mentioned with a possible move to the Midlands club.

What’s the news?

After a report from Football Insider claimed that West Brom are eyeing up a summer move for Conor Hourihane, Baggies journalist Joseph Masi gave an update on the matter.

Taking to Twitter, he said: “I’m not going to rule anything out in May but it’s not a name I’ve heard.”

The Aston Villa midfielder is set to see his contract with the Baggies’ Midlands rivals expire at the end of the month. Having spent the season out on loan with Sheffield United, it seems unlikely that he’ll be putting pen to paper on a new deal at Villa and be part of Steven Gerrard’s squad moving forward.

His performances for the Blades this term haven’t exactly put himself in the frame to make a comeback at Villa Park and wouldn’t suggest that he’d be a good option for West Brom either, even on a free transfer.

Great news for West Brom fans

With 30 league appearances in the 2021/22 campaign, the Irishman earned himself a rather disappointing overall performance rating of 6.57/10 from WhoScored. This puts him as one of the lowest-rated players in the Blades’ squad to have started more than one league game during the season.

To further highlight how disappointing the 31-year-old has been for the Yorkshire club, he has only made 10 interceptions and won 12 tackles despite playing regularly, making him rather ineffective in a defensive regard.

With that in mind, it’s hard to see how the Republic of Ireland midfielder would improve Bruce’s side and give them a better chance of securing promotion.

Masi’s claim that Hourihane is not on the Baggies’ radar at this moment in time should have lots of West Brom fans delighted, given how lacklustre the player has been in the Championship this season.

In other news: Steve Madeley claims WBA are eyeing move for “unbelievable” 18 G/A gem, he’s a big Diangana upgrade