All posts by h716a5.icu

Southampton are among the clubs interested in signing Swansea City midfielder Flynn Downes, according to a report from Wales Online. 

The lowdown: Hot prospect

A product of the academy at Ipswich Town, Downes made 99 first-team outings for the League One club and spent time on loan at Luton before making the switch to Swansea in 2021.

And the 23-year-old former England youth international has impressed during the 2021/22 Championship campaign, drawing links with a move to Leeds United back in March.

Now, it appears as though a number of other Premier League suitors have emerged and the Saints are in the midst of a hotly contested race…

The latest: Saints make contact

As per Wales Online, Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace have all ‘shown an interest’ in signing Downes this summer.

It’s claimed that the Saints, as well as the fellow top-flight suitors, have all made ‘tentative enquiries’ regarding the six-cap England Under 20 starlet.

The report states that Swansea would expect to receive bids in the region of £11-12million for the man once branded ‘tenacious’ by writer Stuart Watson owing to a never diminishing work ethic.

The verdict: Smart move

Predominantly operating as a defensive midfielder, last term Downes scored once and provided two assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for the Welsh outfit.

Overall the Englishman earned an impressive 6.83 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.0 duels, making 1.1 interceptions and 1.1 clearances on average per league outing, ending the season with the sixth-most passes per game in the second tier (61.7) and an outstanding 93 per cent passing accuracy – better than Saints’ talisman James Ward Prowse’s 86 per cent Premier League figure.

Also capable of playing at centre-back, in more advanced positions and in wide areas, signing Downes would be a superb piece of business from the St Mary’s hierarchy, nabbing a young player equally as comfortable in possession as he is breaking up opposition attacks.

Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness) has provided an update on the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes. 

The lowdown: Hot property

A reported target for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and a host of other elite clubs this summer, Nunes has certainly caught the eye with an astronomical path to stardom in Portugal so far.

Born in Brazil, the stylish midfielder has made 99 first-team outings for Sporting and recently became a fully-fledged Portugal international, having flourished for the Lisbon-based outfit.

Despite the eye-opening interest from across Europe, the Wanderers could now be set to win the hotly contested race to sign Nunes…

The latest: Offer ‘prepared’

As per Record, translated by SW, Wolves are now ‘prepared’ to make an offer worth €45million (£38million) plus €5million (£4million) in bonuses to make the deal happen.

It’s claimed that all parties have ‘everything forwarded’ to see a switch to Molineux come to fruition as Bruno Lage attempts to bolster the ranks and prepares for life after the highly sought-after Ruben Neves.

The report also states that the ‘process should really advance’ over the coming days as the Old Gold look to tie up a transfer for the man dubbed ‘tenacious’ by football analyst EBL, who holds a Master’s degree in Sports Performance Analysis.

The verdict: Sensational signing

Given the levels of illustrious interest, if the Wanderers can indeed beat the competition to his capture then Lage will have added a bonafide superstar in the making to the mix at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground.

Predominantly operating as a box-to-box midfielder, last season the eight-cap Portugal ace scored four times and provided five assists in 50 appearances, highlighting an eye for goal as well as durability that would be a welcome addition to the Molineux ranks as another long, truncated, campaign looms.

When compared to Neves in the 2021/22 campaign, Nunes, two years younger than the 25-year-old, earned a higher average rating than his compatriot (7.08 vs 6.85), completed more successful dribbles (2.5 vs 0.8) and was booked on five fewer occasions having made an identical number of league outings (WhoScored).

Already seemingly an adequate replacement for Neves, if Nunes replicates the wantaway fan favourite and continues on his career trajectory then Wolves may have landed a player with the ability to become a force on the biggest stage possible in years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur have shown no sign of slowing down after completing a deal to sign Premier League star Yves Bissouma, as news emerges on Torino’s Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye central defensive upgrade…

Looking to upgrade his options for the 2022/23 campaign, Spurs manager Antonio Conte has set sights on a marquee centre-back signing for his back three, according to reports.

Indeed, The Athletic have named club chief Fabio Paratici’s numerous targets for this role, including Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig) and Villarreal colossus Pau Torres.

Bremer is believed to be another player for whom Spurs could make a move, with the Brazilian openly admitting to media that he wants to leave Torino and play in the Champions League.

The north Londoners’ qualification for Europe’s premier club competition at the end of last season could seemingly play a major role, with SportMediaSet now sharing an update on Spurs’ pursuit of the 25-year-old.

The Latest: Tottenham push for Bremer…

According to their information, Tottenham’s ‘pressure has risen’ in the chase to sign Torino’s mainstay ‘in the last few days’.

However, the report also claimed that Serie A giants Inter Milan are ‘on pole’, with Bremer even green-lighting a potential move to the San Siro.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The South American is apparently a man in demand and Spurs will have to contend with ‘several suitors’ in this particular transfer race.

The Verdict: Continue the battle?

Tottenham could entice Bremer with the prospect of European football and competing in one of the world’s foremost domestic leagues.

It isn’t unreasonable to believe that they could leap ahead of Inter in the race with a proper proposal, and we believe Paratici’s effort could be well worth it.

Bremer stood out as one of Serie A’s best-performing defenders over 2021/22, even making more interceptions than any other player in the Italian top flight and averaging the joint-fifth most clearances per 90 (WhoScored).

It’s hardly surprising that some members of the media have called the 25-year-old an ’emerging superstar’ (Rajath Kumar, ex-Forza Italian Football writer).

Torino president Urbano Cairo has allegedly set a price tag of around €35m (£30m), and this valuation could come as a real bargain given Bremer’s evident talents.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing ‘big’ 183-goal player move, Harry Redknapp called him ‘priceless’! Find out more here

Leeds United have initiated contact over the possible signing of Torino defender Ola Aina, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Previous interest

Initially linked back in January, the former Chelsea youth starlet seemingly remains on the radar at Elland Road as Jesse Marsch attempts to bolster the ranks.

Born in London, Aina made six first-team appearances for Chelsea before spending time out on loan at Hull City and future permanent employers Torino.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 25-year-old was sent on loan to Fulham for the 2020/21 campaign before returning to Italy where the versatile Nigeria international finally found a permanent home and became a regular feature in Serie A.

The latest: Whites make their move

As per Gazzetta dello Sport, translated by SW, Leeds have been ‘able to move first’ regarding the potential swoop.

It’s claimed that the Yorkshire club have signalled their intentions by ‘launching the usual signals through international intermediaries in the last few hours’ and Torino are ‘open’ to the idea of a sale this summer.

The report also states that ‘other clubs’ are attentive to the situation of the starlet – who was hailed as a ‘brilliant player’ by journalist Oma Akatugba recently following a standout display for Nigeria in a 1-0 victory over Egypt.

The verdict: Dallas replacement?

Albeit the report makes no mention of a fee, valued at just £3.15million and heading into the final year of a deal in Italy (Transfermarkt), this is a transfer that should remain wholly affordable for Andrea Radrizzani.

Previously a regular England youth international, Aina has been capped 21 times by Nigeria at the senior level and managed 23 domestic appearances during last term despite missing a portion of the season due to AFCON.

Sharing style traits with the likes of renowned names such as Diogo Dalot, Marc Cucurella and Kyle Walker-Peters (Fbref), Aina was developed predominantly as a right-back, but perhaps his biggest strength is a wide-ranging versatility that has seen the ace operate as a central defender, centre-midfielder, left-back and on either wing as a more advanced midfielder.

That ability to play in six different positions – a Stuart Dallas-esque quality – plus the likely affordable transfer fee makes the Nigerian a surefire worthwhile target for Marsch and Director of Football Victor Orta this summer.

In other news: Leeds now eyeing move for ‘lethal and sublime’ gem, read more here

Liverpool will look to sign a new midfielder during the summer transfer window, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed.

The Lowdown: Liverpool’s midfield ageing

Jurgen Klopp currently has a wonderful squad at his disposal but there is no doubt that his midfield is slightly on the ageing side.

James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Thiago and now all in their 30s, while Fabinho turns 29 later in the year, highlighting their advancing years as a unit.

Liverpool may have missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni, who signed for Real Madrid on Saturday, but their midfield interest is unlikely to end there.

The Latest: Liverpool backed to strengthen midfield

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke backed Liverpool to sign a new midfielder this summer, believing it to be a transfer priority for the Reds. He claimed:

“I’m sure Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team will be looking at possible midfield alternatives to see who they can possibly bring in to strengthen the squad, because I’m sure Nunez up front and possibly someone for midfield are probably the two key positions Liverpool need to fill this summer.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Key area of focus

Liverpool’s defence and attack currently look very strong, with a mix of youth and experience, but midfield is the one area which could do with some fresh legs.

Granted, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones are both young players with big futures, but the Reds could do with someone in their mid-20s, possessing enough experience but also having their best years ahead of them.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

For now, the likes of Fabinho, Henderson and Thiago remain regular starters, but they will need to be phased out eventually, and a new signing would enable Klopp to begin that process gradually with someone who’s ready to hit the ground running.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a La Liga player. Find out who it is here.

A huge update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers striker Rory Wilson and his future at Ibrox heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Scotsman reporter Barry Anderson has claimed that Rangers will only receive £300k for the forward as a move south of the border begins to pick up pace.

He tweeted: “Rory Wilson from Rangers to Aston Villa is progressing. Wilson (16) scored 49 goals at youth level this season for Rangers & Scotland. RFC due a £300,000 development fee. Villa also close to signing Ewan Simpson (15) from Hearts in a £250,000 transfer.”

Supporters will be gutted

Rangers supporters will surely be left gutted by this news, as losing the 16-year-old talent is a big blow to the club’s future.

Wilson’s astounding tally of 49 goals for club and country in the 2021/22 campaign suggests that he has the potential to make it to the Premiership giants’ first-team in the future.

He has showcased immense quality at youth level and Villa now working on a deal to sign him shows that they believe in his scope to develop into a Premier League player. Steven Gerrard will have been aware of the teenager from his time at Ibrox and was clearly impressed by what he saw from the youngster, as the 42-year-old now wants him at Villa Park.

Scotland coach Brian McLaughlin previously heaped praise on Wilson, with the nation’s under-17 boss saying: “Rory is another who can play again in the next campaign. We have been brave enough to go really young at this age group. So Rory is leading the line as a 2006 against big powerful 2005s.

“He is a clever player, his touch is good, his attitude is superb and his finishing.. for a young boy to be able to finish the way he can finish, just clinical and calm in front of goals. He knows he is always going to get a chance because his movement gives him that.”

These comments further illustrate the teenager’s potential and show why losing him will be a big blow for Gio van Bronckhorst, as the Rangers boss will not be able to bring the youngster through to the first-team in the coming years.

Supporters may now have to watch Wilson make the breakthrough at senior level whilst playing for Villa in England, just like they had to do when Billy Gilmour made his debut for Chelsea. They will be gutted with this development and the fact that the club will only reap £300k (£1.2m less than they got for Cedric Itten), so they will not be able to reinvest much back into the team.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: Wilson must land Rangers deal for “fabulous” £28k-p/w maestro…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Nordi Mukiele to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sunday Mirror (29/5: page 76), who claim that Fabio Paratici is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the RB Leipzig full-back ahead of a potential move this summer.

Previous reports had claimed that, with one year remaining on his current deal at the Red Bull Arena, the Bundesliga side had initially planned to cash in on the 24-year-old ahead of 2022/23, with a figure in the region of €10m (£8.5m) believed to be enough to get a deal over the line.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

However, it is now believed that Domenico Tedesco is eager to tie the France international down to a new deal in Germany, although, with interest from Tottenham, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, the defender’s future appears very much up in the air at present.

The next Thuram

Considering just how talented a player Mukiele evidently is, in addition to the right-back looking to be available for an extremely reasonable asking price, it is easy to see why Conte and Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the 24-year-old to north London this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref data, the £22.5m-rated talent ranks in the top 12% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, as well as the top 3% for aerial duels won, the top 14% for clearances, the top 26% for pressures, the top 22% for progressive passes and the top 4% for touches in the opposition penalty area over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, FBref also rank the £40k-per-week defender – who is also more than comfortable operating at centre-back – in the top 22% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 4% for non-penalty xG, the top 12% for shots, the top 21% for assists, the top 30% for xA and the top 11% for npxG+xA over the last 12 months.

These metrics see the right-back who has drawn comparisons to legendary French defender Lilian Thuram rank among some of the most prestigious full-backs currently playing the game, with FBref suggesting Mukiele’s most comparable peers are Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso, Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne and Tottenham’s own Sergio Reguilon.

As such, it is clear to see that the £8.5m signing of the “powerful” – in the words of Andrew Gibney – Frenchman would be something of a steal for Spurs, leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything he can to beat both United and PSG to a deal for the former Montpellier starlet this summer, as Mukiele could well prove to be Tottenham’s own Thuram under the management of Conte next season.

AND in other news: “Tottenham are..”: Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update that supporters will love

Sunderland and the rest of the English Football League will suffer a major financial blow if the League Cup is to be discontinued in favour of more Champions League matches, claims football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: New Champions League format

UEFA are set to change the format of the Champions League, with two extra group stage matches being added from the 2024/25 season (via GiveMeSport).

The Daily Mail recently reported that the League Cup could be scrapped as a means of making room for the extra games which will need to be scheduled.

The Latest: Maguire’s claim

Maguire believes that the removal of the League Cup would see the EFL’s £119million-a-year TV deal fall rapidly in value. As a result, teams across the EFL would suffer a major financial hit.

Speaking with Football Insider, who say the TV deal is ‘on the line’, Maguire revealed: “The EFL TV deal is estimated to be worth £119m per year.

“Some people say that between a third and a half of that is due to the League Cup because it has the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool in it.

“We know that quite a few clubs put forward weaker teams for it, so the value of matches in the early rounds tends to be relatively low. But as you progress through the competition, there is more interest.

“It is important in terms of it being a flagship competition and good for the EFL brand. The prize money is buttons, so they get a lot of money coming in but don’t have to pay a lot out.

“Proportionately, a greater element of the money goes to EFL clubs themselves.”

The Verdict: Would be a major financial loss

After Sunderland’s emphatic 2-0 victory over Wycombe saw the Black Cats’ promotion to the Championship, the North East club will be grasping on to every last penny that they have as they look to reinvest in the squad ahead of next season.

The League Cup being scrapped will have a huge impact on clubs outside of the Premier League, which could see an even bigger disparity form between the top-flight and its second division.

Sunderland will be hoping to make it past the quarter-finals of the competition next year after being knocked out in that round this year, and more importantly, clubs from the EFL will be doing anything they can to stop the competition being abandoned.

In other news: Sunderland: Lynden Gooch makes claim over his future

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is eyeing an ‘impressive’ signing whilst also showing one of his players the summer exit door, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Big summer of change…

The Times, sharing news in the last week, revealed a private dinner between Conte and chairman Daniel Levy where the pair were thought to have discussed potential transfers.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Spurs’ head coach, guiding the Lilywhites to within touching distance of a Premier League top four finish, has a plethora of incomings in his sights for the next transfer window with just as many leaving N17.

Looking to ‘offload’ the likes of Sergio Reguilón, Emerson Royal, Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, the Italian also wants to bring in ‘at least’ six major signings (The Times).

A reserve goalkeeper to provide support for long-serving mainstay Hugo Lloris has also been touted with West Bromwich Albion keeper Sam Johnstone heavily linked.

The Latest: The Sun make Gollini and Johnstone claim…

According to The Sun, Conte is indeed eyeing a Bosman move for Johnstone as Spurs make ‘contact’ ahead of the summer window.

This comes after the ex-Chelsea boss tells current number two Pierluigi Gollini he’s set to leave and return to parent club Atalanta this summer, and contrasts with claims from The Athletic that they may have turned their attention to Fraser Forster.

The Verdict: Right move?

Called ‘amazing’ behind-the-scenes by defender Eric Dier, it appears Conte hasn’t been in agreement over 2021/2022 judging by Gollini’s lack of game time in the top flight.

Johnstone’s potential incoming would solve a gaping hole behind Lloris after Gollini’s exit and go some way to solving their current homegrown quota issue.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder members of the media like journalist Pete O’Rourke believe he would be a ‘really impressive’ signing at Spurs.

In other news: ‘Spurs will…’ – Fabrizio Romano shares exciting behind-scenes update with Conte ‘very happy’…find out more here.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is now ‘ready to pursue’ an agreement as he eyes a ‘sensational’ new transfer target, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Guardiola set for overhaul?

Erling Haaland’s summer signing from Borussia Dortmund ahead of City’s next Premier League campaign appears to be the tip of the iceberg going by recent claims.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-developments-3/” title=”Man City latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Guardiola is believed to be on the hunt for more new additions as the English champions ahead of the 2022/2023 season, including an heir to the departing Fernandinho and a possible new left-back.

Despite being in the midst of a fierce title battle with rivals Liverpool, with a crucial last remaining matchday set to determine the victor, Eastlands officials have allegedly started their transfer work behind-the-scenes.

The Daily Mail and journalist Dominic King, sharing some news, now have an interesting City development as they eye a new target in Brighton defender Marc Cucurella.

The Latest: King makes Cucurella claim…

As per The Mail reporter, taking to Twitter, the Sky Blues and Guardiola are ‘ready to pursue a £30m deal’ for the Seagulls star as they seek to solve their left-back issue.

Despite the phenomenal form of Joao Cancelo, who can operate on that flank, his natural position is on the right and City’s boss allegedly wants a natural left-footer on that side for ‘balance’ – as written in the report.

The Verdict: Priority?

As well as Cancelo, Guardiola has a brilliant makeshift option in Oleksandr Zinchenko at his disposal who has proven reliable and an underrated member of the team over these last few campaigns.

His regrettable most recent display away to West Ham aside, the Ukraine international is often a more-than capable deputy when called upon and we believe signing a left-back is more of a problem for the future.

That being said, Cucurella may well be one to monitor over the next couple of seasons.

The Spaniard, still just 23-years-old, has impressed in England since joining Brighton from Getafe last summer and no full-back has won possession more times over 21/22.

Called a ‘sensational player’ by members of the media (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette), pundit Paddy Kenny was also in awe of how Cucurella ‘tore’ City’s arch rivals Man United ‘apart’ in a 4-0 victory recently (Football Insider).

The defender notched a goal in that game against the Red Devils and proved menacing, and if he were to do the same against them in a Sky Blue jersey, there is little doubting Cucurella would soon become a fan favourite.

In other news: £100,000-per-week ‘phenomenon’ could be Man City’s next star signing after Haaland, he’s ‘tempted’ to join…find out more here.