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According to one journalist, Southampton are one of three Premier League sides interested in signing Manchester United defender Phil Jones.

The Lowdown: Jones’ playing time

Whilst the 30-year-old has made 228 appearances for Man United and has amassed 203 caps in the English top-flight (via Transfermarkt), the centre-back has found himself out of the Red Devils’ side in recent years.

The former England international played just 161 minutes of Premier League football all season, adding a further half-an-hour in the FA Cup to his first-team tally.

With injury and Covid-19 absences for Harry Maguire, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, Jones had to step up and play alongside Raphael Varane as United faced Wolves in January.

After a returning from his 709-day absence, teammate Luke Shaw hailed the defender’s performance, claiming that he was ‘phenomenal’ at the back.

The Latest: Saints interested

After returning from his devastating injury which he suffered back in 2020, rumours surrounding Jones’ future have now begun to emerge.

Taking to Twitter, a reporter for Italian newspaper Calcio in Pillole has shared news of a potential move away from Old Trafford for the 30-year-old, claiming:

“EXCL Fulham, Southampton and Leeds are interested in Manchester United’s English defender Phil Jones.”

The Verdict: Good move for him

With his United career having stagnated due to various reasons, a move away to another top-flight side could prove to be a great decision for Jones.

Saints could utilise an experienced defender in their backline alongside Mohammed Salisu, with the youngster having found his feet in the league after making 34 appearances this season.

With Ralph Hasenhuttl viewing the signing of a centre-back as a priority this summer, Jones could be a great addition to Southampton’s squad if he can stay fit, with United expected to command a minimal fee.

This could be a deal that suits all parties.

In other news: Journalist shares exciting Brereton-Diaz update

West Ham United have identified a new midfield target according to reports.

What’s the word?

That is per a claim from The Mirror, who suggest that the Hammers are keen on signing Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

It is said that Moyes is looking to revamp his midfield following the retirement of Mark Noble, along with the uncertainty surrounding prize midfield duo Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

As per the report, Moyes sees Ward-Prowse as a stellar addition to the West Ham ranks and joins Newcastle United as notable admirers of the 27-year-old England international.

Mark Noble 2.0

With the latest news surrounding Southampton’s dead-ball specialist, Hammers supporters will surely be elated at the prospect of a classy and respectful midfielder joining their beloved club.

Almost all of the fanbase will have a soft spot for a hardworking technician in that mould, having seen Noble, aka Mr. West Ham, occupy that role in the side for around 18 years.

If there is any player in European football who can draw comparisons to Noble, it is £28.8m-rated Ward-Prowse.

The 27-year-old’s leadership qualities and ability to dictate play through mastering the basics make him a sure-fire signing who would slot right into the shoes of recently retired Noble.

The Southampton captain had yet another stellar season on a personal level, bagging ten goals and chipping in with a further five assists in 36 appearances for the Saints.

Now in the prime of his career and gaining acknowledgement on the international stage, he will surely be looking to take the next step of his career in joining a club who will at the very least challenge for the European places season-upon-season.

His ability to pick a pass, along with his 3.25 switches and 1.96 key passes per game, make him a super asset in the centre of the pitch and his status as a free-kick “magician” in the words of talkSPORT is of course a welcome bonus to any club.

West Ham could not find a better replacement for Noble.

In other news: Sky Sports journo: Big transfer at West Ham is now “imminent”, Moyes will love him 

Liverpool are close to finalising a deal for Darwin Nunez after it was revealed that a bid had been submitted by the club on Friday, and an update has now emerged from a reliable source about the finer details of the proposed deal.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed more details about the proposed €100m (£85.4m) deal which could take the Uruguay striker to Anfield, specifically about his expected salary.

The transfer insider tweeted: “Reports of Darwin Núñez salary for €250.000/week are considered wide of mark by Liverpool sources. Figures would be lower – salary would include add ons.

“Five year deal not an issue – Liverpool are discussing with Benfica about key details of €80+20m deal structure.”

Supporters will love it

FSG are renowned for executing a fair and strict wage structure at Liverpool, so supporters will love that the club are not only keeping the structure balanced with the signing of Nunez, but are able to secure the porentially record-breaking deal over their competitors without compromising the harmony between the players who are already at the club.

The wage structure at Anfield has been a hot topic since negotiations started with Mohamed Salah over the last few months to extend his contract past June 2023.

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It was reported that the Egyptian winger wants £400k-per-week to pen a new deal which would secure his future at the club, but the talks have reached a stalemate, with Liverpool unwilling to give the three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner hundreds of thousands more a week than his team-mates.

It has surely become a concern for Reds supporters, as Sadio Mane is already set to leave the club ahead of next season with two bids already arriving from Bayern Munich, and the idea of losing Salah’s abundant goal contributions will also be a worry.

However, the proposed signing of Nunez shows that Liverpool are capable of securing top talent without offering wages which would disrupt the structure that FSG have in place.

In 2021/22, the Uruguayan scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in all competitions in his cenrre-forward role at Benfica, topping the Primeira Liga scoring charts with 26 league goals and illustrating that he is more than capable of offering another devastating attacking threat in the Reds’ already high-scoring team.

AND in other news: “LFC want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Liverpool will prioritise penning Naby Keita to a new deal this summer and the links to Gini Wijnaldum are ‘fake’, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Keita enjoys best season

The 27-year-old hasn’t always hit the heights expected of him when he joined the Reds in 2018 but he enjoyed a strong 2021/22 campaign.

Keita made 40 appearances overall for Liverpool as they battled for a quadruple, proving to be an effective part of Jurgen Klopp’s well-drilled midfield after years of struggling with injuries.

The Guinean is out of contract at Anfield next summer as it stands, but a positive update has emerged regarding his future.

The Latest: Romano drops midfield update

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Liverpool are not interested in bringing back Wijnaldum on loan, focusing instead extending Keita’s stay at the club:

“Liverpool are not in talks to sign Gini Wijnaldum from Paris Saint-Germain as of today. Rumours are described as ‘fake’ by sources. LFC Board priority will be to extend Naby Keita’s contract, talks to take place soon.”

The Verdict: Right decision by Reds

While Keita remains a divisive figure among the Liverpool fanbase, it makes complete sense to offer him a new deal, with last season proof of what he can offer.

The midfielder is relentless in his pressing and general off-the-ball work, averaging two tackles per game in Premier League in 2021/22 – no Reds regular managed more – and he also stayed largely injury-free.

With other Liverpool midfielders now in their 30s, this really could be the time for Keita to go up another level and cement himself as a genuine starter almost every week.

In other news, one player is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa have enjoyed a strong start to the summer transfer window and may still move for further targets.

You can see already, if you look at paddy power promo code how they have gone from a struggling team odds wise, to a club that appear to be going back to where they used to habitually dwell, the top six.

One of those potential targets is Ibrahim Sangare, who is said to have a €35m (£30m) release clause in his contract and has previously said: “Playing in the Premier League is not only a dream of mine but a dream of every footballer. That is the biggest and most important league in the world.”

Meanwhile, new PSV Eindhoven manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy said last month (via Voetbal International): “I would prefer to know as soon as possible whether (my key players) are staying. The sooner the better, but we are dealing with the transfer deadline. I know from Sangare that he really wants to stay. (Staying at) PSV is absolutely no punishment for him.

“Of course, we also know how the market works. If clubs come with the right financial resources, it could be difficult to keep these players.”

The latter admission will boost Villa’s hopes of securing the signing of Sangare, and it will surely have Gerrard drooling over the prospect of a Sangare and Boubacar Kamara partnership in midfield.

In the 24-year-old PSV tank, we are talking about a hardworking and positionally smart midfielder who could stabilise Villa alongside Kamara, both in the possession-oriented and transitional phases of the game, but more so in the defensive third.

The Ivorian thrives as a ball-winner, achieving 2.8 interceptions per 90 minutes whilst averaging 2.2 successful tackles per game last season.

Meanwhile, Kamara is the ultimate string puller in the engine room, completing 73.04 passes per game at a percentage of 91%, with 5.99 of these passes into the final third, which indicates that the two could make for a hugely progressive duo.

Sangare – who has been hailed by Dutch analyst Aad de Mos as the “king” of PSV’s midfield – can sit back and offer defensive stability, whilst Kamara can dictate possession and stabilise Aston Villa in possession.

It really would be a dream duo for Gerrard, who needs to get this transfer over the line pronto.

Photo by Unsplash

In other news – “I could see…”: Journalist drops teasing Villa transfer claim that’ll delight Gerrard 

Leeds United have asked about a loan move for Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic, according to 90Min journalists Graeme Bailey and Jack Gallagher.

The lowdown

Jovic is reportedly set to join Fiorentina on a temporary basis, his second loan spell away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos loaned him back to former club Eintracht Frankfurt in the second half of the 2020/21 season.

They had paid £56.7million to sign him from the Bundesliga outfit in the summer of 2019. But for that investment, they’ve received a pretty dismal return of just three goals in 51 appearances.

Transfer insider Dean Jones told GiveMeSport ahead of the window that Leeds ‘are going to go for a striker’.

The latest

Leeds are apparently one of three Premier League sides to enquire about a deal for Jovic, alongside West Ham United and Brentford.

However, the player is apparently ‘unconvinced’ by the idea of a move to the English top-flight, and looks set to move to Serie A.

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The verdict

You may question Leeds’ interest in a player who’s scored just seven goals since his blockbuster move to Real Madrid (if you include the four he netted on loan).

However, Jesse Marsch will surely be looking back at the player he was in 2018/19, when he bagged 27 goals in all competitions (nearly half his career total of 60) and made both the Bundesliga and Europa League Teams of the Season.

Mladen Krstajic, the then Serbia boss, even compared him to Luis Suarez at that time.

You’d imagine that the player’s confidence has been severely damaged by the events of the past three seasons – he wouldn’t be the first to suffer such a fate in Madrid – and so Marsch would have had to build that back up if he was to unlock anything like his best form.

Leeds are clearly fans of the £14.4million-rated 24-year-old, so it’s possible that they will renew their interest at the end of his loan period with Fiorentina, depending on how he fares. The door isn’t necessarily closed on this one yet.

Aston Villa forward Trezeguet appears to be edging closer to a departure from the Premier League outfit, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands side have “reached an agreement” with Turkish champions Trabzonspor regarding a deal for the 27-year-old, albeit with the Egypt international still to agree on personal terms.

Writing on Twitter about the 56-cap playmaker’s future, the transfer guru stated: “Aston Villa and Trabzonspor have reached an agreement for the transfer of Trezeguet. Paperworks and personal terms remaining in order to complete the deal.

“Negotiations will continue in the coming days.”

The former Kasimpasa man – who joined Villa on an £8.75m deal back in 2019 – had spent the second half of last season on loan in the Super Lig with Istanbul Basaksehir, having only returned from a lengthy injury absence towards the end of 2021.

Supporters buzzing

While the £9m-rated gem has perhaps been unfortunate to have suffered that significant knee injury – which ruled him out for almost eight months – he had hardly pulled up many trees prior to that, showing just glimpses of his talent during his three-year stay in England.

A promising debut campaign had seen the £47k-per-week ace net six times in 34 Premier League games, including a pivotal winner against Arsenal to help stave off the drop, yet he followed that up with just two league goals the following year, having failed to earn a regular starting berth for the Villans.

In truth, supporters won’t be shedding any tears over his departure, with his exit perhaps a sign of the impressive squad revamp that manager Steven Gerrard is currently undertaking, as the ambitious club bids to improve upon last season’s 14th place finish.

With the likes of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and now Philippe Coutinho among the Englishman’s impressive attacking options, it is unsurprising that Trezeguet has become surplus to requirements, with the one-time Anderlecht man not perhaps at the level that was needed.

Having scored six goals and provided four assists in just 13 league games during his recent loan stint, the 5 foot 11 winger has showcased he is not a lost cause, although simply does not have a future in Gerrard’s squad moving forward.

It could also prove smart business to generate some extra funds with any sale, with the player set to be available for free next summer, with just a year remaining on his existing deal.

His exit will also spark hope among supporters that a new attacking incoming could potentially be on the way, an eventuality that would no doubt leave Villa Park buzzing.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez

Celtic have had a pretty busy summer transfer window so far in terms of the deals they’ve completed behind the scenes.

Along with bringing in two new faces in the shape of Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei, the Hoops also secured a permanent transfer for Cameron Carter-Vickers following his loan spell at Parkhead last season.

Another deal that the Bhoys announced recently was their permanent signing of Jota from Benfica. Just like Carter-Vickers, the winger also enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Hoops last term.

Focusing on the Portuguese winger, the 23-year-old found the net 13 times and delivered 14 assists in 40 appearances during 2021/22. This makes it easy to see why the club were keen to bring him back to Parkhead on a permanent basis.

With the summer transfer window still open, this could give the Hoops the chance to snap up someone who could be their next version of Jota.

Having been linked with a move for Iran winger Mehdi Ghayedi during the January transfer window and reportedly had a bid rejected for him, the 23-year-old is now a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Shabab Dubai.

In 166 club career appearances, the attacker has scored 40 goals and delivered 28 assists along the way, showing how similar he is to Jota in terms of being able to find the net and set up goals for his team-mates.

Indeed, the £1.08m-rated forward was described as a “Jota-type trickster” by Celtic Analytics on Twitter in January.

His goalscoring prowess has also been hailed as “extraordinary” by ADSportsTV, further highlighting the talent he has and why he’d be an exciting addition to Ange Postecoglou’s ranks.

In terms of a potential move to Celtic this summer, the prospect of securing what could be their next version of Jota on a free transfer is something that the club’s hierarchy should definitely be looking to make a reality.

Also, with Karamoko Dembele having left the club for a move to Brest, his exit could pave the way for Ghayedi to become an instant replacement in the squad at Parkhead.

AND in other news: “Told..”: Journalist drops transfer update that Celtic supporters will love

Tottenham Hotspur could make another signing this summer after Djed Spence, according to journalist Paul Brown. 

The lowdown: Busy summer

So far during the transfer window, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici has bolstered the ranks to the tune of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster.

The Lilywhites have also wrapped up a deal to bring Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet to N17 on a season-long loan, whilst the protracted move for coveted Middlesbrough full-back Djed Spence remains in the offing as a sixth signing.

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Despite the already completed incomings costing a total of £78.48million with only the exits of Steven Bergwijn and Cameron Carter-Vickers helping to balance the books, Daniel Levy could be willing to sanction further additions to Antonio Conte’s squad…

The latest: ‘Another transfer’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Daily Star journalist Brown has suggested that Tottenham aren’t finished in the market just yet.

He said: “I’ve think now they’ve got Lenglet, that’s the defensive side of things tied up. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s another transfer down the line, they’ve got money to spend because of what ENIC put in at the beginning of the window.

“He’s filled most positions he wanted. He wanted a forward to compete with and put pressure on Kane, he got that in Richarlison, he wanted a tough nut in midfield in Bissouma, he got a wing-back in Perisic and is going for another in Spence.

“But it wouldn’t surprise me if they go for one more player.”

The verdict: Midfielder required

Albeit the signing of Bissouma has gone a long way to shoring up the midfield department, with Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks all seemingly on their way out of N17, another addition seems imperative.

As things stand Conte would be left with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur and Bissouma as the recognised frontline central midfielders for a 2022/23 campaign that will have the added workload of the UEFA Champions League and a mid-season World Cup to contend with.

Therefore, at least one further addition would be wise to have high on the list of priorities for Paratici.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Dwight McNeil to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Sky Sports, with Rob Wotton revealing on Sky Sports News this afternoon that both West Ham and Crystal Palace have now entered into talks with Burnley regarding a move for the 22-year-old left-winger – with the recently relegated Clarets believed to be demanding a figure in excess of £15m in order to part with the former England U21 international.

Regarding the interest in McNeil, Wotton said: “More breaking transfer news. Crystal Palace and West Ham are both in talks with Burnley over winger Dwight McNeil. The 22-year-old has made 134 appearances in the Premier League and is seen as a prime target because of his experience in top-level football despite his age.

“McNeil himself is keen to return to the Premier League and is currently considering a number of options. However, Burnley are in a strong bargaining position despite relegation, as McNeil has two years remaining on his current deal and the club have the option to extend that contract by a further year. They’re likely to demand a fee in excess of £15m.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a prospect McNeil has undoubtedly proven himself to be over the past few seasons, the news that West Ham are now in talks with Burnley regarding a deal for the forward is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the £16.2m-rated talent was in electric form for the Clarets, scoring two goals, registering five assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.3 key passes, taking 0.7 shots and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the 22-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Burnley’s sixth-best performer in the league – form that saw the Turf Moor side place a £40m asking price on the attacker’s head.

Furthermore, despite infamously failing to hit the back over his 38 league fixtures last season, the £5k-per-week winger nevertheless caught the eye once again, providing one assist and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 2.4 dribbles per outing.

The 10-cap England U21 international also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 2.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 0.6 clearances and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

These metrics saw the 22-year-old average an extremely admirable SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as his club’s fourth-best player in the top flight – a quite remarkable feat considering Burnley’s ultimate relegation from the division.

As such, it is clear to see that McNeil would be something of a steal at just £15m, leading us to believe that David Moyes must do everything in his power to get a deal over the line for the forward ahead of Palace this summer.

AND in other news: “Expected soon..”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge WHU transfer update supporters will love