All posts by h716a5.icu

West Bromwich Albion will release Romaine Sawyers once his contract expires in July, according to a report from the Express & Star. 

The lowdown: Surplus to requirements

Having previously been a mainstay under Slaven Bilic, the midfielder – who was a product of the Baggies’ youth system before undergoing multiple transfers – saw a dramatic reduction in game-time in the latter half of last season with Sam Allardyce in The Hawthorns hot seat.

The 30-year-old spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Stoke, where he directly contributed to seven goals in 29 outings.

Instead of returning to Albion, though, it appears that the St Kitts & Nevis international will be free to seek pastures new and find a home elsewhere…

The latest: West Brom won’t keep Sawyers

As per the Express & Star, West Brom manager Steve Bruce has chosen not to extend Sawyers’ stay with the Baggies.

It’s claimed that there was an option to add a further 12 months to the 30-cap midfielder’s contract, but the club have decided against triggering the clause.

The report added that The Hawthorns hierarchy would ‘rather spend the money needed’ in order to keep Sawyers at the club on adding fresh faces to the squad, with Reading’s John Swift cited as a potential target.

The verdict: Bruce missing a trick

While the Baggies academy graduate has failed to pull up any trees since returning to The Hawthorns in 2019, scoring just once and providing one assist in 64 appearances, Sawyers still remains an impressive Championship operator and therefore would’ve been of use to Bruce’s ranks without the requirement of a transfer fee.

During the recently completed season, the 30-year-old – who was once hailed as an ‘unbelievable technician’ by former West Brom academy coach Jimmy Shan – earned a 6.72 Sofascore rating whilst completing 32.1 accurate passes and 0.4 successful dribbles and winning 2.3 duels per game, having made 19 Championship starts.

Sawyers may no longer be a surefire starter at a Championship club with aspirations of promotion, but Bruce may yet live to regret not retaining his services for at least another 12 months.

In other news: Sawyers isn’t the only player who looks like he’ll be exiting West Brom this summer

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Aurelien Tchouameni over the last few weeks but are facing competition from their Champions League final opponents Real Madrid, and now a reliable source has given a significant update on the current state of play.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the Monaco midfielder is prioritising a move to La Liga this summer.

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Writing in his column for Caught Offside, Romano stated that Liverpool have held talks with Tchouameni’s agent. Although nothing has been set in stone with Real Madrid, his preference is to join the Spanish club over Liverpool or Paris Saint Germain, who are also keeping an eye on the ongoing situation.

Supporters will be disappointed

There is no doubt that Tchouameni is one of the hottest midfield prospects in world football right now, especially when you consider that three of the biggest clubs in the world are chasing him with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain battling it out for his signature.

Therefore, Reds supporters will no doubt be disappointed to hear that the player prefers a move to the Spanish capital over Anfield.

It is no wonder he is a popular option for clubs looking to strengthen in the centre of the pitch, as the 22-year-old has been an monstrous presence for Monaco this season.

Tchouameni has scored three goals and contributed two assists, creating six big chances, making 2.9 interceptions and 2.5 tackles and taking 75.5 touches per game. He has also won the majority of his duels (64%) and completed most of his dribbles (73%), proving that he is an absolute nightmare for opponents to handle.

Not only has the youngster offered a consistent and reliable output in both defensive and attacking play, he also ranks first in the top five European leagues for most interceptions completed this season (101).

With that being said, signing Tchouameni would have been a major coup for Liverpool as their current like-for-like midfielders Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are all in their 30s, and it is clear that Jurgen Klopp’s intention is to bring some youth into the squad so that the team can seamlessly transition in the years ahead.

There is still hope that the Reds could get a deal done for Tchouameni this summer as there has been no deal agreed with Real Madrid as of yet, so Klopp and FSG will need to try and find a way to attract him to Merseyside after the Champions League final this weekend.

AND in other news: Liverpool could unearth their own Heung-min Son by signing “special” £64m sensation

Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha is definitely on Wolves’ ‘shortlist’ of potential summer signings, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Constant Palhinha links

The 26-year-old has been constantly linked with a move to Molineux in the summer transfer window, as Wanderers likely have to plan for life without Ruben Neves.

Palhinha has emerged as one of Sporting’s most influential players, not only catching the eye in their midfield but also winning 12 caps for Portugal to date.

Wolves’ interest doesn’t appear to be going away but it looks as though they will have to battle to get their man.

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The Latest: Spiers drops fresh claim

Taking to Twitter, Spiers confirmed that Wanderers want to sign Palhinha:

“Wolves maintain an interest in Joao Palhinha (as do a lot of clubs) and he’s on their midfield shortlist for the summer.”

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Wanderers

Palhinha really does look like the perfect option to come in as Neves’ replacement, with the pair not dissimilar in style, in terms of their deep-lying midfield brilliance.

The Wolves target enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga in 2021/22, compared to Neves’ 84% in the Premier League, and he also averaged three tackles per game. Manager Ruben Amorim has called him a ‘special’ player in the past.

The fact that there is interest elsewhere could be a stumbling block – Tottenham have been linked and can offer Champions League football – but Bruno Lage must do all he can to snap up his compatriot if he believes he is the man to replace Neves.

In other news, one Wolves player has been backed to thrive next season. Find out who it is here.

Alessandro Bastoni is one of Tottenham Hotspur’s top targets this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Eurosport transfer insider Dean Jones, who delivered a fresh update to GIVEMESPORT over the weekend, where he claimed:

“Bastoni is clearly the one they’re going after at Tottenham at the moment.

“It’s hard to look beyond that and it’s clearly a prime position that they’re looking to fix quickly. Bastoni is the one they would want.”

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Reports in Italy, via Calciomercato, suggest that Inter Milan would only accept an offer in the region of £51m, with Chelsea, both Manchester clubs and arch-rivals Arsenal also keen to sign him.

Big coup

Spurs are struggling in their attempts to lure the Italy international to north London, even despite him being in the English capital for a Finalissima clash with Argentina on Wednesday.

Antonio Conte is clearly desperate to add a left-footed central defender to his armoury. The Inter colossus is certainly a strong candidate, especially given that the 52-year-old has already coached him in his young career to date.

Jones’ firm statement about the Lilywhites’ interest in Bastoni is sure to leave many supporters absolutely buzzing as the prospect of Bastoni lining up alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero next season is very exciting indeed.

The 23-year-old defender has earned comparisons to the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Alessandro Nesta and has been lauded as a “complete” “dominant” and a “tenacious tackler” by scout Jacek Kulig.

His passing accuracy (89.6%) in 2021/22 outranked every single one of Conte’s current options, whilst an average of 1.4 tackles per Serie A outing backs up those rave reviews.

Valued at £60m by CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, signing him for £9m less would certainly represent something of a steal for Tottenham.

It’s a good time to be a Spurs fan heading into 2022/23.

AND in other news, “For sure..”: Italian journo drops £100m Spurs transfer claim…

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now made an offer to bring a Turkish goalkeeper to Ibrox on a free transfer this summer.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Reports from Turkey have claimed that the Light Blues have taken the first big step towards trying to strengthen their goalkeeping ranks.

Berke Ozer is out of contract at Fenerbahce at the end of the month, meaning that he will become a free agent once it expires.

The 6 foot 3 goalkeeper played in 19 games across all competitions in 2021/22, including three appearances in the Europa League, and he kept five clean sheets in total (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Ozer transfer offer

As per Turkish outlet En Son Haber, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers have now made an offer to sign the 22-year-old, who has been confirmed to leave Fenerbahce after the end of his contract.

It was thought that he had already signed for Belgian club Anderlecht, but that is now not the case, with Portuguese giants Benfica also thought to be interested in his signature.

The Verdict: McGregor replacement?

The report claims that Ozer is ‘keen’ to join Rangers, as he could take over from Allan McGregor as the Teddy Bears’ new number one.

As per Sky Sports, the Light Blues have not opened talks over a new deal for the 40-year-old, whose contract also expires this summer.

Therefore, Ozer could be brought in as a like-for-like replacement for the Scottish veteran, and the Turk is much younger at 22, so he could establish himself as a mainstay at Ibrox for the next few years if he comes to Glasgow.

In other news, find out what ’embarrassing’ Rangers update has now emerged

Pundit Paul Robinson believes Leeds United right-back Luke Ayling will sign a new Elland Road contract.

The Lowdown: Ayling and Kristensen

Ayling underwent knee surgery towards the end of May and is expected to be out for two to four months. It looks as if the 30-year-old is in a race against time to return for the start of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, with Leeds acting in the transfer window as a result.

The Whites have signed Rasmus Kristensen from RB Salzburg, and Robinson has now made a claim on Ayling, who is entering the final 12 months of his Elland Road deal.

The Latest: Robinson’s claim

Robinson, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding Ayling’s future.

He believes the full-back will ‘extend his contract’ and labelled him as a ‘quality’ member of the Leeds squad.

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“No, he’s signing. He’s signing for an extra year to extend his contract.

“In the last two or three seasons, he’s been one of Leeds’ regular top-performers.

“You’re going to have to do well to replace anyone like that and you give them another two or three-year deal.

“You give him a chance to recover from his injury because you’re going to need him with the type of budget Leeds have in the Premier League.

“They’re not going to get better than what they’ve got in Luke Ayling.

“He’s got quality, he can play anywhere across the back-four and for me, he and Stuart Dallas are the most reliable, dependable players Leeds have got.

“He’s a leader on the field and a voice. He was a man among boys at times this season when they struggled and he’s so versatile. He’s almost irreplaceable and you give him a new contract regardless of what length it is.”

The Verdict: Interesting

With Kristensen coming in and youngster Cody Drameh impressing on loan at Cardiff City last season, it will be interesting to see what Leeds have in store for Ayling over the next 12 months.

Given Ayling’s injury, you’d expect that Kristensen will take over as first-choice on the right after the club spent £11.7m on his services, while Drameh appears to be a star in the making, winning multiple awards in Wales.

There’s no denying that Ayling has been an incredible servant in Yorkshire, making 220 appearances, however, there will eventually come a time when he moves on from Elland Road, and that could well be next summer even if Robinson doesn’t think so.

In other news: ‘Big…’ – The Athletic drop significant update on Raphinha potentially leaving Leeds

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a move for Lanus full-back Alexandro Bernabei, according to journalist César Luis Merlo. 

The lowdown: One out…

This comes after the Hoops agreed to send Liam Scales on loan to Aberdeen for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign. The 23-year-old will work under Jim Goodwin at Pittodrie and look to obtain much-needed first-team match experience before returning to Glasgow.

Despite being a natural central defender, Scales was predominantly utilised as a left-back to act as cover for Greg Taylor, last season and Ange Postecoglou appears to have wasted little time in replacing the young Irishman…

The latest: Two in…

Taking to Twitter, Argentine journalist Merlo has claimed that Celtic have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Bernabei ahead of a switch to the Premiership champions.

He stated: “There is verbal agreement for Alexander Bernabei to go to Celtic in Scotland. Lanús is exchanging documentation for an operation that is carried out for 90% of the economic rights.”

Arriving for a reported £4m transfer fee, the 21-year-old – who was hailed as a ‘very complete winger’ by reporter Ezequiel Liniado due to his versatility and unwavering work ethic – has been spotted bidding farewell in Argentina.

He is expected to follow the permanent signing of Jota, who starred on loan last season and is reportedly on the brink of penning a long-term deal to remain in Glasgow.

The verdict: Exciting times

Given the unquestionably sublime work already achieved by Postecoglou in the transfer market during his time in situ, it can be anticipated that the addition of Bernabei to the Lennoxtown ranks will be one of great success.

Boasting impressive dribbling, finishing and defensive contribution (WhoScored), the versatile Argentina youth international certainly possesses all the hallmarks of a full-back suited to the style of play under the 56-year-old, capable of playing anywhere up the left flank.

Albeit only in its infancy, Bernabei has already enjoyed a thriving senior career, with four goals and ten assists in 85 appearances, and the marauding wing-back will no doubt be hoping to evolve onto the next level as a Bhoy whilst pushing Taylor hard for a starting berth.

Seemingly perfectly suited to the manager’s system, it’s unlikely that the Celtic hierarchy would’ve allowed Scales to exit on loan without the Argentine starlet edging closer to an deal at Parkhead, and this seemingly imminent capture – alongside Jota’s permanent arrival – would mark an excellent start to the transfer window.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Arnaud Kalimuendo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta is making strong moves for the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward this summer, with the Ligue 1 champions believed to be willing to part with the 20-year-old for a figure in the region of €20m (£17m).

An earlier claim made by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna suggested that the Spanish director of football has even gone as far as to make a bid offer for the France U21 international, although the French reporter claimed that it would actually take an offer of €22m (£19m) in order for PSG to part ways with the young striker in the current market.

“Beautiful palette”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Kalimuendo quite clearly possesses, in addition to the signing of a new centre-forward reported to be one of Orta’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why the Spaniard is believed to have made contact with PSG regarding a deal for the 20-year-old.

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances while on loan at RC Lens in 2021/22, the £17m-rated forward was in spectacular form, scoring 12 goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

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Furthermore, according to FBref data, the £6.6k-per-week forward also ranks in the top 28% of centre-forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 1% for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 11% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

These metrics saw the French youth international come in for a considerable amount of praise last season, none more so than from Lens head coach Franck Haise, who stated of Kalimuendo earlier this year:

“He is already the prototype striker of the present. From 18 to 20, he not only showed that he held his place in Ligue 1, but he continued to score in a team which evolves in the first part of the classification.

“He is an attacker for the future because he feels the blows and is clever in the finish. He is able to keep his back to the goal, attack the depth, to de-zone to create spaces for the others. He is already a beautiful palette that will be enriched.”

As such, with the PSG starlet evidently being a player who knows how to find the back of the net, boasts the potential to flourish into an exceptional top-tier striker and is available for an extremely reasonable £19m this summer, a move for the 20-year-old would appear an extremely smart one for Orta to make in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Victor Orta now working on fourth summer signing, Leeds supporters will be buzzing

talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent was left stunned after Leeds United agreed a £42m fee with Manchester City for Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Move edging closer

News broke on Friday evening regarding the England midfielder, with Leeds and Ma City reaching an agreement on a fee. Both The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano cited an initial fee of £42m, with add-ons varying between the two sources.

The 26-year-old has already agreed on personal terms at the Etihad Stadium, so it looks as if it is just a matter of time until a transfer is officially announced.

The Latest: Bent reacts

talkSPORT shared an on-air reaction from Bent on Friday evening on their Twitter channel, with the former Tottenham striker providing his thoughts on the transfer.

He believes that Man City have bagged themselves a good deal and labelled a £42m fee as ‘bonkers’, ending his reply with ‘wow’.

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The Verdict: Could Leeds have done better?

An initial £42m figure does seem to be fairly low for a player of Phillips’ quality. He now has two seasons of Premier League experience and is a regular for England, winning their Player of the Year for 2020/21.

Phillips is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt and still had two years left on his Elland Road contract, so Leeds could have attempted to push an initial fee closer to £50m.

It looks as if the 26-year-old had his heart set on working under Pep Guardiola, something which appears to have worked against the Whites when it came to negotiations.

Newcastle United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, according to Lee Ryder for Chronicle Live. 

The lowdown: Magpies interested

Last month, a report from 90min claimed that the Magpies were among the clubs keen on signing Barbosa this summer as sporting director Dan Ashworth and head of recruitment Steve Nickson look to enhance the firepower at Eddie Howe’s disposal next season.

Having previously struggled in Europe during a short-lived 10-game spell at Inter Milan, the 25-year-old Brazilian hitman has reinvented himself back in his homeland and now boasts a remarkable 148 career goals in 298 professional outings.

Now, the Toon may have been dealt some encouragement in their attempts to bring Barbosa to St James’ Park…

The latest: ‘Keen on a move’

As per Ryder, the Chief Newcastle United Writer for the Chronicle Live, Barbosa is now believed to be ‘keen on a move’ to the North East.

It’s claimed that the 18-cap Brazil ace is a ‘long-term target’ at Newcastle and representatives are ‘open to continuing discussions’ regarding the potential switch.

However, the report does also state that the transfer priorities may lie elsewhere for Howe and co, with the man hailed for his involvements in the ‘decisive’ moments of matches by legendary compatriot Adriano ‘not as high as other targets’ on the list.

The verdict: No brainer

Currently in the midst of an ongoing 2021/22 campaign, Barbosa – known by his nickname Gabigol – has scored 19 times and provided two assists in 36 appearances so far across all competitions. highlighting his current clinical eye for goal.

Valued at £23.4m (Transfermarkt), any move for the prolific frontman would be an expensive one for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF), but also a transfer that would signify the early intentions of the club in its new guise, as Howe is in need of additional options to support the misfiring Chris Wood and an injury-prone Callum Wilson.

Already boasting a packed trophy cabinet full of team and individual honours, the decorated Brazilian would be returning to Europe with a point to prove and hungrier than ever, a lethal combination that could see Newcastle get the best from the maverick attacker.