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Nottingham Forest are ‘doing everything they can’ to seal a move for Liverpool right-back Neco Williams, according to BBC journalist Natalie Jackson.

The Lowdown: Williams linked with Forest move

In recent days, the Welshman has been strongly linked with a move to the City Ground as Steve Cooper looks to sign a replacement for Djed Spence, who has returned to his parent club Middlesbrough.

Williams looks set to leave Liverpool after the Premier League giants completed the signing of Calvin Ramsay, who is expected to be Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deputy moving forward.

Forest face competition for the signing of the Anfield defender but it appears as though they are still the front-runners to snap him up.

The Latest: Journalist provides Williams update

Taking to Twitter, Jackson claimed that the recently promoted club are working extremely hard on getting the deal over the line for the Wales international.

She stated: “The club doing everything they can to sign Liverpool defender Neco Williams.”

The Verdict: Perfect summer signing

Williams is an excellent young player who has been described as a ‘machine’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past, so the hope is that Forest acquire his signature over fellow newly-promoted side Fulham.

The Wales international has bags of energy down the right flank, providing powerful runs and end product, having registered two goals and two assists on loan at Craven Cottage last season.

At just 21, Williams would also be a long-term signing who could mature into a fantastic player over time, hopefully playing a key role in a potentially great period at Forest under Cooper.

Everton will need a solid summer transfer window if they are to massively improve on their disappointing 16th-placed finish in last season’s Premier League.

Frank Lampard will be under pressure to get things right and transform the mentality at the club after what has been an underwhelming few months at Goodison Park.

There are signs that the club is moving in the right direction, with Lampard reportedly sealing the signing of defender James Tarkowski; and with interest in Keane Lewis-Potter and Chelsea trio Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher and Levi Colwill, it looks set to be a busy summer on the blue half of Merseyside.

It could even get better for the Toffees, who are linked with a move for Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos according to Le10Sport. The French outlet claimed that Everton are keen on the Vasco da Gama player, despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

The Brazilian could be a major upgrade on compatriot Allan, who ranked 18th in the Everton squad last term with a WhoScored rating of 6.50 after a litany of underwhelming performances. Also, with the ex-Napoli midfielder now 31, perhaps it’s time that Lampard moved him on.

A move for Santos might appear risky, especially since he is only 18 years old. However, since making the step up to the Vasco de Gama senior squad, he has played 12 times in all competitions, scoring once.

With the Brazilian club reportedly listening to offers for their teenage sensation, Everton could seal the move for only €8m (£6.8m).

This would represent a bargain for Lampard and the Toffees, although the interest from PSG and Barcelona could suggest that Everton are further down the pecking order. However, they could offer the 18-year-old a better chance at regular first-team football.

Journalist Rodrigo Coutinho praised the Brazilian teenager, saying: “Andrey Santos will be a great midfield player”, a glowing appraisal for someone who is so young and virtually untested in the senior game.

Maybe Lampard needs to take a few risks in the transfer market to reinvigorate his squad, and if he makes the move for Santos, it could pay off massively for Everton over the coming months and years.

It’s time to forget about the underperforming Allan and look to the future with Santos instead.

AND in other news, Contact made: Everton in talks to sign “untouchable” £18m-rated gem, Lampard would love him

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

A reliable report has now shared some big Tottenham Hotspur transfer news involving Man City striker Gabriel Jesus in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes striker…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, after clinching a Premier League top four place and Champions League qualification for next season, reportedly has his eyes on a striking back up to Harry Kane.

Brazil international Jesus is one of the names heavily linked with a move to north London amid other potential targets, coming after Pep Guardiola’s gem ended 2021/2022 on a hot streak of goalscoring form.

The Times, sharing news on Spurs’ pursuit of the player, have now got a big update for supporters.

The Latest: Conte offered chance…

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According to their information, Jesus has ‘been offered’ to the Lilywhites and is ‘believed’ to want to stay in England – coming as two possible boosts for Conte as he chases a new Spurs attacking option.

However, one potential obstacle could be north London rivals Arsenal, who are ‘quietly confident’ they can beat Tottenham to the punch.

The Verdict: Must-win race…

The 25-year-old has been described as a ‘perfect’ player for Spurs, not to mention a possible ‘massive signing’ and ‘statement’ move by ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson (Football Insider).

His age, goalscoring record in the top flight and fairly reasonable mooted £55 million price tag are other reasons to seriously consider pressing ahead to sign Jesus who is reliably believed to be leaving Eastlands this summer.

While the South American will find it difficult getting regular starts ahead of Kane, Guardiola has utilised Jesus on the right-wing in recent times where he has played very well.

More than just an out-and-out striker, the attacking outlet could prove useful to Conte in more than one way.

In other news: Tottenham make contact as they ‘world-class signing’ for Conte! Find out more here.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that West Ham are now in ‘talks’ to bring Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd to the Premier League during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Moyes’ second time lucky

The Moroccan first joined the Ligue 1 outfit from Dijon in 2020 as he put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Brittany club, making 80 appearances during his two years there.

Even though the 26-year-old’s current contract with Bruno Genesio’s team isn’t set to expire until 2025, his impressive performances have caught the eye of David Moyes, who made a move for the centre-back last summer but failed to prise him away from Rennes.

Fast forward 12 months, though, and it now looks highly likely that the Scot may be about to capture his target.

The Latest: Romano drops ‘talks’ claim

In a new post on Twitter, Romano confirmed that negotiations for Aguerd are “progressing” and that West Ham are very close to striking an agreement for the 26-year-old.

He wrote: “West Ham are now getting closer to reaching full agreement with Rennes for Nayef Aguerd, negotiations progressing.

“Talks are underway – final details about add-ons then the deal can be completed.”

The Verdict: Defensive cover needed

West Ham suffered massively from injuries this season, with Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma all having long spells on the sidelines, so it comes as no surprise to see Moyes looking for cover in the centre-back department, and Aguerd could be the perfect candidate.

The 6 foot 3 colossus averaged four clearances and 5.6 long balls per league game for Rennes this term, via WhoScored, showing his ability to not only get stuck in at the back but also provide opportunities for his attacking team-mates at the opposite end of the pitch.

A long-time admirer of the Moroccan, the Hammers boss must now be buzzing to be so close to a deal for Aguerd, who would appear to be an ideal addition to Moyes’ squad ahead of the 2022/23 season, when the Irons can look forward to an exciting campaign in the Europa Conference League.

In other news… a journalist has reacted to news linking West Ham to this ‘interesting’ transfer target

Rangers defender Calvin Bassey is in ‘no rush to leave’ Ibrox this summer, claims Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Transfer interest

According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa are among a number of Premier League clubs who have made enquiries about the 22-year-old.

Having signed Bassey for Rangers in 2020, former boss Steven Gerrard is said to want to reunite with the defender at Villa Park.

It is understood that it would take a bid around the £25m mark to bring Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson to the negotiating table.

The Latest: Bridge drops teasing update

Bridge doesn’t believe that Bassey needs to leave Ibrox this summer, given his rapid rise to stardom in the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“There’s already cheeky articles from Celtic-based journalists in Scotland, saying ‘Rangers should cash in on him now,’ but I think that’s them being cheeky.

“He’s only 22 and is he in no rush to leave, so I think you’ll get a lot of that over the next few weeks.”

The Verdict: Huge news for Rangers

According to FB Ref, the defender sensationally ranks in the 99th percentile for both blocked shots and dribbles completed when compared with positional peers across Europe, showing his talents on both sides of the ball.

As a result, it is no surprise to see Bassey on the receiving end of top praise from experienced defenders. For example, former Rangers man Alan Hutton dubbed the 22-year-old a ‘warrior’ after a ‘ten-out-of-ten’ performance in the Scottish Cup final.

With Bridge thinking Bassey may stay at the Ibrox beyond the summer, this will come as big news to Rangers fans, who will be desperate to keep the bulk of their squad together and mount a real challenge to take the title back next term.

In other news: GvB rejects bid for Ianis Hagi!

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Darwin Nunez to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

That’s according to a recent report by Football Transfers, who claim that Fabio Paratici has already made contact with the Benfica centre-forward’s representatives regarding a move for the 22-year-old – with the Portuguese outfit reported to be willing to part with the Uruguay international for a figure in the region of £68m this summer.

The report goes on to state that Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the striker ahead of a potential swoop of their own in the coming months.

Van Dijk’s worst nightmare

Considering the quite extraordinary season Nunez enjoyed in 2021/22, it is easy to see why Paratici appears keen to secure a deal to bring the centre-forward to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, over his 28 Liga Portugal appearances this term, the £49.5m-rated talent was in devastating form for Benfica, scoring a league-high 26 goals, registering four assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

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These returns saw the 22-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him as the joint third-best player in the top flight of Portuguese football.

The £31k-per-week forward who Keifer MacDonald dubbed the “complete package” also highly impressed over his ten Champions League appearances, scoring six goals against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Liverpool, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.06.

The Uruguayan’s performances over the two-legged quarter-final with Jurgen Klopp’s side particularly caught the eye, with the striker’s displays leading Virgil van Dijk to claim that the former Penarol starlet is one of the top five players he has ever faced.

When asked who were the most difficult opponents he has played against, the Netherlands international stated:

“[Sergio] Aguero was obviously unbelievable. [Lionel] Messi, arguably the best player in the history of football in my opinion. [Kylian] Mbappe is different, quick… [Erling] Haaland and also Darwin. He’s a bit similar – very direct, quick, tall, strong and it’s quite difficult to play against him.”

As such, considering his undoubted ability, his potential for future growth and his extremely reasonable £68m price tag, Paratici simply must do everything he can to win the race for Nunez this summer, as, if the 22-year-old can give a player as talented as Van Dijk nightmares, this will certainly be the case for every other defender in the English top-flight next season.

AND in other news: “I understand…”: Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs transfer claim supporters will love

With Liverpool admirably battling back from an at one stage 14 point deficit to take the 2021/22 Premier League title race right down to the wire with Manchester City, it needed the final ten minutes of action to finally separate Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s sides, with the latter eventually winning out as they fought back from two goals behind in the game against Aston Villa to secure this years title by a single point.

For Liverpool, this is not the time to dwell on the obvious disappointment the team, and the fans will feel, from running the expensively assembled City squad right to the end of the campaign and then missing out by a single goal, as their full focus needs to be on their preparation for this coming Saturday’s Champions League Final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France.

With former England winger Steve McManaman knowing both clubs well from his time with each of them, he has conducted a couple of good interviews with Betway this week, explaining his memory of the competition and his own experiences in major show piece finals.

The media have certainly latched to the history between both sides here, with Liverpool losing out four years ago against the same opponents, but Liverpool also have a history with new manager Carlo Ancelotti given their clashes against AC Milan and Roma in previous years.

Both Egyptian wizard Mohamed Salah and Ancelotti himself have acknowledged that there might be a bit of needle between the sides given the history.  Salah said ahead of Madrid’s semi final clash:

“I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest. City are a really tough team, we played against them a few times this season. I think personally, I would prefer Madrid. We lost in the final to them so I want to play against them and hopefully win it.”

Adding after Real were confirmed as Final opponents:

“We have a score to settle.”

When asked about his words, Ancelotti answered.

“We have met many times. Losing with them was a tragedy with Roma in 1984 and 2005. Then the revenge, which Salah says, in 2007. I respect him a lot. One of the best experiences of my career is seeing the push Bernabeu or Anfield. In addition to the beautiful experience of being rivals with Everton. I like their history, that of Paisley, they have six Champions Leagues, only one less than Milan…that’s an extra motivation too. My Milanist friends tell me don’t let them reach seven.”

With mind games afoot, Klopp took a different approach when he met with press on Wednesday afternoon, rubbishing suggestions that revenge for 2018 would be a driver for his side.

“This was a harsh night for us – it was tough to take. But I don’t believe in revenge or think revenge is a fantastic idea. I understand what Mo said – he wants to put it right. But in Germany we say you always meet twice in life. If we get the chance to win it this time it will be a great story, but it will not be because of what happened in 2018.”

Whatever now happens, the stage is set for the Final to be quite the spectacle with the calibre of players that will be on show, and each side has players that are more than capable of winning it – so the neutrals should be in for a fantastic affair.

Photo by Unsplash

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou made no bones in making some significant changes to the squad at Parkhead after he was appointed manager back in June.

The previous summer transfer window saw some big names wave goodbye to the club such as Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie, Kristoffer Ajer, Olivier Ntcham and Scott Brown among others.

As well as this, the Hoops saw numerous other players sign to the Parkhead side on loan or permanent deals.

One figure that was signed during that period was defender Carl Starfelt, who joined from Rubin Kazan on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £4m.

Throughout his debut campaign with the Bhoys, the £17k-per-week centre-back racked up 49 appearances across all competitions, showing just how much of an important figure he was for Postecoglou.

Not only did he play more minutes in the league than any other outfield player in the squad, but he also showed what a capable and solid defender he is.

With the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) to his name, Starfelt also had the joint-second highest average of clearances (3.5) and joint-highest average for aerial duels won per game (4.2).

Looking at how Celtic ended the season with the best defensive record with only 22 goals conceded in 38 games, it’s safe to say that their defensive recruit has been a big reason the Hoops have that record under their belt.

This also backs up why the Sweden international was labelled as being a “crucial” player for his manager by journalist Sacha Pisani on Twitter.

Back in April 2020, Transfermarkt rated the 26-year-old’s market value at £473k, whereas it currently stands at £3.6m, highlighting a significant increase of 661%.

This shows the sort of trajectory he’s been on over the past couple of years and based on what he’s done for his new club since his arrival, there’s no reason that progress can’t continue for the foreseeable future.

Taking all of this into account, it’s hard to deny that Starfelt has been a fantastic signing for not only Celtic but for Postecoglou as well at the start of his tenure in charge of the Bhoys.

In other news: “Postecoglou is planning..”: Insider drops exciting Celtic claim, it’s great news

West Ham United are reportedly interested in a move for Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg, according to reports in Italy.

What’s the word?

As per 1000 Cuori Rossoblu, the Hammers are said to be one of a handful of Premier League sides that are eyeing a move for the young Swede, with Everton and Tottenham Hotspur also named as potential suitors.

The report suggests that his current side have offered the 23-year-old a new contract – with his existing deal set to expire next summer – although the player appears keen for pastures new at the end of the season, with a bid of around €20m (£17m) likely to tempt the Serie A outfit into a sale.

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A stay in Italy could also be on the cards, however, with Napoli and Fiorentina also credited with an interest.

Noble’s heir

News of the Hammers’ interest in a new midfield recruit comes as no real surprise, with long-serving club captain Mark Noble set to depart the London Stadium at the end of the season, having spent his entire career with the east London outfit – aside from two brief loan spells at Ipswich and Hull City.

The 35-year-old stalwart made his senior debut back in 2004 after being promoted from the club’s youth set-up, going on to rack up 548 appearances to date and developing something of a cult hero status in the process.

His impending exit then is set to leave a noticeable void in David Moyes’ squad next term, even though the Englishman has largely been reduced to a bit-part role in recent years.

In need of a replacement, in Svanberg the club could well have found the ideal heir to Noble’s throne, the 18-cap international having caught the eye since making the switch to Bologna from Malmo in 2018.

Such is his talent, one source insisted that “he’s probably one of the top four or five No 8’s in Europe”, while also adding that “he’s a very talented young man. He’s playing for a very defensive Bologna side but he can bring a spark to whichever team he plays in.”

With three goals and three assists to his name thus far in the league, the £13.5m-rated man poses a threat in the final third, while also proving a more than adequate presence at the other end of the pitch, averaging a solid 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 0.9 clearances per game thus far this term.

Neither a midfield destroyer nor an all-action goal-getter, Svanberg is simply the glue holding things together in the centre of the park and the man to make things tick – a role that the aforementioned Noble has made his own at West Ham for almost two decades.

As one star departs the club, GSB can secure his ideal replacement this summer.

IN other news, GSB must complete WHU swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated star, Moyes will love him…