Aston Villa are keen on signing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, according to The Sunday Mirror (05/06, p72), via Birmingham Mail.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard has already completed four signings for the summer transfer window – Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara – but his recruitment drive shows no signs of stopping.

Indeed, The Athletic's Gregg Evans reported after the capture of Kamara that a left-back is on the agenda for the 42-year-old.

Merlin has been with Nantes since the age of 11 but only made his Ligue 1 debut this season. He would go on to start 21 of his team's top-flight matches, making seven more substitute appearances.

The 20-year-old, who can also operate as a left midfielder, is contracted to Nantes until 2026 and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from The Sunday Mirror (via Birmingham Mail) claimed that Merlin grabbed Gerrard's attention during a Ligue 1 scouting mission a few weeks ago.

The Villa manager travelled to the Stade Velodrome for a match between Marseille and Nantes on 20 April, intending to watch Kamara, but Merlin reportedly impressed him too.

The verdict

Merlin, who has been labelled a 'serious talent' by Jacek Kulig, looks like he could be a strong back-up to Lucas Digne and a potential long-term starter, with Matt Targett's Villa Park future uncertain.

The French youngster ranked in the 86th percentile among full-backs in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions in 2021/22, notching three assists in addition to his two goals (via FBRef). With high volumes of progressive carries and dribbles too, he's clearly very active up and down the left flank.

He may only have played 20 minutes on the night that Gerrard was in attendance, but that speaks to the strength of his cameo against Marseille. Merlin won three of the four duels that he contested, completed two dribbles and was successful with eight of his 10 passes (via SofaScore).

He also shone against Paris Saint-Germain in February, scoring what sports journalist Josh Bunting called an 'incredible' goal, and he looks like an astute replacement for Targett if the latter has played his last game in a Villa shirt.

In other news, Matt Maher lays out his Villa transfer expectations

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

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is reportedly still keen on adding Rangers defender Calvin Bassey to his squad this summer, despite the recent addition of Diego Carlos.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, the Midlands side are looking to add to their three early acquisitions in the upcoming window, with Gerrard still ‘keen to strengthen’ both in midfield and defence, in particular.

The report suggests that additions to the backline are particularly important to the Liverpool legend as he ‘wants more’ depth to his squad, with 22-year-old Bassey named as one of the club’s ‘key defensive targets’ this summer.

This follows speculation that Villa are already ‘closing in’ on a move for the Nigeria international, with some quarters suggesting that a deal could be worth as much as £25m.

Gerrard loves him

The signing of the aforementioned Carlos has already bolstered the club’s backline, although it would appear that Gerrard is still craving added quality in order to try and improve upon their 14th place finish in the most recent campaign.

In Bassey, the Englishman would be turning to a familiar face having brought the versatile defender to Ibrox from Leicester City back in the summer of 2020, eventually handing the £900k-rated gem his senior debut later that year.

Dubbed “outstanding” by his former boss due to his form in his debut campaign in Scotland, the Italy-born colossus did have to bide his time during the 2020/21 season, although has since kicked on to become a key figure for the Premiership outfit, making 49 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign in all campaign.

Comfortable both at centre-back and on the left of the defence, the £6.4k-per-week star was particularly impressive as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side surged to the Europa League final, the 6 foot 1 brute averaging 1.6 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in his 14 outings in the competition – 12 of which had come as starts.

He was particularly impressive despite defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the showpiece, continuing to remain rock-solid even in the depths of extra-time, leaving pundit Ally McCoist to dub him as “absolutely phenomenal” for his performance.

Van Bronckhorst was equally as effusive in his praise, labelling the former Foxes man as “tremendous” for his rapid rise over the past year, with the defender again going on to catch the eye as his side clinched the Scottish Cup.

Gerrard will no doubt have been keeping a close eye on such performances, with it no real surprise to see the Villans linked with a move, as the former England skipper plots a reunion with the emerging talent.

As the Villa boss plots to shape a new squad at his current side, it would no doubt prove wise to turn to a player that he simply loves and trusts in Bassey, with sporting director Johan Lange needing to get the deal done.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Graham Smyth has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s chief football writer revealed that he would be incredibly shocked if the 35-year-old were to rejoin Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign, despite the former Spain international still having one year remaining on his current contract at Elland Road.

The journalist added that it would appear likely that Victor Orta will look to offload the one-time Real Madrid stopper on another loan deal, a permanent transfer or by mutually terminating his contract by agreeing a settlement for his remaining pay owed, with the latter appearing the most probable outcome.

In response to a supporter asking for an update on Castilla’s future, Smyth replied: “I will be stunned if he returns. Loan, permanent or settlement. Latter seems likely.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Leeds very much seem to have moved on from Casilla over the last two years, with Illan Meslier emerging as the Whites’ undisputed number one in the absence of the 35-year-old.

With the club also signing 21-year-old Kristoffer Klaesson on a four-year deal last July, it now seems evident that the Spaniard is surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

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In truth, Casilla’s career in LS11 was done a little over two years ago, when an independent Football Association regulatory commission found him guilty of racially abusing then-Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko in September 2019, with the £630k-rated stopper being handed an eight-match ban.

Indeed, since this incident, the veteran went on to make just six more first-team appearances for the Whites, before being sent out on loan to Elche in the summer of 2021.

Furthermore, when taking into account that the 35-year-old is reported to be earning a quite ridiculous £40k-per-week at Elland Road, it is clear that getting the goalkeeper’s salary off the club’s books would provide both Orta and Marsch with a handy boost to their available wage budget in the summer transfer window.

As such, considering all of that, Smyth’s claim that Leeds will more than likely tell Casilla to pack his bags this summer is sure to be news which will leave both Marsch and the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

AND in other news – “Sources say..”: The Athletic journalist drops Leeds transfer update, supporters will be livid

Liverpool are reportedly not finished with their transfer business during the current summer window.

What’s the news?

Speaking on Sky Sports News, journalist Mark McAdam had this to say about the Merseyside club’s next step in the transfer window following the recent arrivals of Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here.

He said: “They’re definitely not done. Liverpool have a plan and a strategy – you can see that in their three signings. Darwin Nunez is ready to rock and roll, with Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, you have two young players who are raw but talented.”

“They don’t want to sign ready players for the first-team, [Jurgen] Klopp wants to develop players.”

Great news for fans

Despite winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last season, the Reds missed the chance to secure the Premier League title and win another Champions League, which suggests that they will want to make sure they have what it takes to go that extra mile and be even more successful next time around.

Back in May, the Reds confirmed their deal for Carvalho from Fulham after they ran out of time in January to sign him.

Last week then saw Liverpool splash out a club-record fee of £85m to sign Nunez from Benfica. Then, the club recently announced their signing of Ramsay from Aberdeen.

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Despite already getting these three new players through the door, it’d surely be exciting for Klopp and the Anfield faithful to get some more deals done this summer before their next season kicks off.

With players such as Takumi Minamino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being linked with potential moves away from Anfield, this could be a factor when it comes to seeing who else the club could look to sign this summer.

In addition to that, the fact that the Reds have players in their midfield such as James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara that are three of Liverpool’s four oldest players in the squad could put the focus on acquiring a younger midfield option to the club for the long-term.

Given how long is left until the window closes, Liverpool certainly have enough time ahead of them to make whatever deals they feel the need to.

In other news: Contact made: FSG now plot Liverpool move for £34.3m “special talent”, Klopp needs him

Manchester United are in pole position for Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) report. 

The lowdown

The transfer window officially opened on Friday, enabling new United boss Erik ten Hag to assemble his squad.

The Red Devils are already working on a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, having seen an opening offer of €60million (£51.3million) plus €10million add-ons rejected.

But it seems Ten Hag is also keen on bolstering his forward line with the addition of Asensio, who’s capable of operating on either flank and also in central positions.

Asensio, who’s valued at €40million (£34.2million) by Transfermarkt, is into the last 12 months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The latest

The report states that Real have offered Asensio a new deal but he’s yet to signal his agreement. If he fails to commit, then Los Blancos are expected to put him up for sale this summer.

In terms of suitors, United and Serie A giants are Juventus are said to be ‘in the lead’.

Asensio is apparently willing to run down the final year of his deal and leave on a free transfer too.

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The verdict

Asensio scored 12 goals and provided two assists last season, taking his overall totals for Real Madrid to 49 goals and 24 assists in 235 matches.

He commendably reached double figures in La Liga despite only starting 19 of their 38 matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a former team-mate of the 26-year-old, once backed Asensio to follow in his footsteps as a Ballon D’Or winner. And he’d have the chance to team up with the Portuguese superstar once again at Old Trafford, of course.

In terms of playing style, he’s similar to Manchester City duo Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, according to FBRef.

United need more options up front with Edinson Cavani departing and Mason Greenwood suspended, and 28-cap Spanish international Asensio may be a decent addition.

In other news, read this insider’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka claim.

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

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has delivered a fresh update on Celtic’s interest in Lommel SK midfielder Vinicius Souza.

The Lowdown: Celtic monitoring Souza

The Brazilian first joined the Belgian outfit when he made the move from Flamengo two years ago, but ended up spending the entirety of the 2021/22 season out on loan at KV Mechelen in a bid to find some much-needed game time.

Even though the 23-year-old’s contract with Lommel isn’t set to expire until 2025, this need for regular minutes has seen him being linked with a move away from the Limburg-based side in recent weeks, in particular to the Scottish Premiership, with the maestro believed to be on the wish-list of the Hoops.

The Latest: Joseph’s transfer update

Taking to Twitter, Joseph shared a new update on Celtic’s interest in Souza, with the player ‘keen’ to assess all his options before making a decision. He wrote:

“Celtic are interested in Lommel SK defensive midfielder Vinicius Souza but face competition from a number of clubs, including PSV, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Bologna.

“PSV made a formal approach to Lommel earlier this week.

“It’s understood the player wants to play in Europe next season, but has some reservations about moving to the Scottish Premiership.

“However, he is keen to take time to explore all his options.”

The Verdict: Bitton replacement

Despite Souza having doubts about making the switch to Glasgow as a result of wanting to play at the highest level, let’s not forget that the Bhoys have qualified for the Champions League and will be showcasing their talent on the world stage next season, something that surely has to attract potential new signings.

The Rio de Janeiro-born talent was once dubbed “incredible” at breaking up attacks by Belgian footballer Steven Defour, and the evidence supports that – his 3.8 tackles per game in Belgium are far more than any Celtic player managed last season.

He could be an ideal replacement for Nir Bitton, with Ange Postecoglou now on the lookout for a new holding midfielder since the 30-year-old’s departure.

Lommel, his parent club, are owned by the City Football Group, which the Hoops’ new head of recruitment, Mark Lawwell, was involved in before arriving at Parkhead – could that existing link prove to be essential in Celtic’s chase to secure their man?

In other news… a BBC pundit has backed Celtic to complete the signing of a highly-rated transfer target this summer.

Leeds United ended up scoring 20 fewer goals during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign (42) than they did in the season prior (62).

One reason for that could be down to the fact that they had to play the majority of their games without striker Patrick Bamford.

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After scoring 17 goals in 38 league appearances in 20/21, the Englishman only played nine times in the league last time out due to unfortunate injury issues.

Now that the season has ended and Leeds will now be facing another campaign in the top division, it’s safe to say that Bamford and everyone at the club will be hoping he can be more involved this time around.

In terms of the summer transfer window and which potential players could come in and strengthen Jesse Marsch’s squad, one figure that has been linked with a move to Elland Road recently that could form a deadly duo with Bamford is Manchester City youngster James McAtee.

As a product of City’s youth system, the midfielder has delivered 71 goal contributions in 93 appearances across their senior and youth sides with 44 goals scored and 27 goals assisted.

His latest season saw the 19-year-old find the net 18 times and deliver seven assists in 23 league appearances for City’s U23 side.

Labelled as a “young player with massive talent and huge potential” by journalist Jonathan Smith, McAtee has also been praised for his “stunning” attacking play by Jordan Elgott.

With all of this in mind, the youngster certainly knows how to be a nuisance for opposition defenders and goalkeepers and could now be ready to become a regular Premier League figure.

Taking all of this into account, if Leeds can seal the teenager’s signature this summer, Marsch can then work his magic and potentially form what could be a frightening duo alongside Bamford in terms of their attacking prowess, especially given McAtee’s ability to create goalscoring chances.

Moving forward, should an opportunity for Leeds to sign the Englishman either on a loan deal or permanent basis arise this summer, Victor Orta should be all over it and then give him the chance to prove himself in the top flight.

AND in other news: Marsch can land his own Richarlison with Leeds bid for “dangerous” £58m destroyer

West Ham United have shown in recent years that they are not averse to making approaches to fellow English clubs to try and bring new players to east London.

Players such as Craig Dawson, Kurt Zouma and Said Benrahma, among others, have moved to the London Stadium from other clubs across the country in recent years.

One player that the Hammers brought in (from a club in the Championship) who has gone on to become a big success in east London is Jarrod Bowen.

Signed from Hull City in January 2020 in a deal worth a reported fee in excess of £20m, the winger has now scored 27 goals and delivered 23 assists in 104 appearances for David Moyes’ side.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, this could give the Hammers the chance to replicate a similar sort of masterclass that they pulled off when signing Bowen, this time with another player who, as it stands, is set to play in the Championship next season – Emmanuel Dennis.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Watford are expecting interest from West Ham for the Nigerian after the Hornets were relegated from the Premier League.

Watford signed the attacker last summer from Belgian side Club Brugge on a five-year deal. During his debut season at Vicarage Road, the 24-year-old scored 10 goals and delivered six assists in 33 league appearances, so it didn’t take him long to settle into the English top flight and announce himself as a dangerous goal threat.

Along with delivering more goal contributions than any other Hornets player, the 24-year-old also racked up more shots at goal (61), shots on target (27), shot-creating actions (91) and successful dribbles (73) than any other player at the club throughout the campaign. This backs up why journalist Henry Winter labelled Watford’s signing of the Nigerian an “inspired” one.

Having described himself as a “baller”, Dennis now has 46 goals to his name throughout his career in 187 club appearances.

Taking all this into account, if West Ham were to sign the Watford star this summer, he certainly has the talent to be a solid addition to Moyes’ squad and potentially become as important to the team as Bowen now is.

In other news: Moyes could land dream Yarmolenko heir as West Ham now plot bid for “special” £18m “talent”