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According to a report from Football Insider, Liverpool are edging towards a triple summer transfer swoop. 

The lowdown: Successful recruitment

Under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp – alongside the expertise of sporting director Micheal Edwards – the Anfield club have enjoyed a fruitful time of things in the transfer market in recent years.

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The mantle is now set to be handed on to assistant sporting director Julian Ward at the end of the season as the much-fabled Edwards moves onto pastures new.

Having already played a hand in the capture of Luis Diaz from FC Porto, it would appear that Ward has wasted little time in getting to work…

The latest: Three incomings at Liverpool?

As per Football Insider’s sources, Liverpool are said to be ‘closing in on three new signings’ when the market opens in June.

The report claimed that the Reds have ‘reached agreements’ with 19-year-old Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho, talented Celtic winger Ben Doak and teenage Derry City sensation Trent Kone-Doherty.

It is stated that the Merseyside club have ‘all three deals are agreed in principle’ as their penchant to sign some of the most talented youngster in the UK goes on.

The verdict: Building for the future

Klopp has previously spoken of building a team for ‘now and tomorrow’ – a modus operandi which has been clear to see judging by recent transfer dealings.

Adding the exciting trio to the purchases of starlets such as Kaide Gordon, Bobby Clark and Harvey Elliott, Liverpool certainly look to be in strong stead for the next generation and beyond.

Whilst all three seemingly incoming talents will surely intrigue those of a Red persuasion, the capture of Carvalho – who has been billed as ‘fantastic’ by his Fulham manager Marco Silva – looks the most likely to make an instant impact on Klopp’s plans, with the 19-year-old already making a huge impact at Championship level.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for Bundesliga star. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for one of manager Antonio Conte’s former stars this week.

Reports in Spain have suggested that the Lilywhites are prepared to offer a large amount for Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni as the Italian looks to bolster his backline ahead of next season.

It’s said that the 22-year-old is a player hugely admired by the 52-year-old head coach and that Spurs have even submitted an offer of around €50m (£42m).

Conte has largely utilised his typical three-at-the-back formation since taking the helm in N17 and he could really do with another option as full-back Ben Davies has featured alongside central defenders Eric Dier and Cristian Romero.

Therefore, there’s a need for another addition in the role and there won’t be many better options out there than Bastoni, who Conte is clearly a big fan of.

The 6 foot 3 colossus made 33 appearances during their title-winning campaign, where he averaged 1.2 interceptions and 1.1 tackles per game. He has since progressed further under new management, managing an average of 1.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions from 27 matches this term, via WhoScored.

Some have even likened the Italy international to his Euro 2020-winning teammate, veteran Leonardo Bonucci.

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“He controls the opponent, space and with a refinement that has rarely been seen, reminds me of a young Bonucci,” said Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti.

Meanwhile, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, Bastoni is “perfect” as a left-sided centre-back in a three – the exact positon Conte needs this summer – and is “complete,” “dominant,” and “very comfortable on the ball.”

Transfermarkt currently value the 22-year-old defender in the region of £54m, so he’s not going to come cheap, especially if Spurs want to sanction permanent moves for Romero and Dejan Kulusevski.

Once dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” with world-class potential by analysts Top Bins Talk, it’s evident that Bastoni would be something of a dream signing for Conte at Spurs, as such sporting director Fabio Paratici should do all he can to secure his signature.

In the Italian, the Spurs head coach could have a new left-sided and Bonucci-like animal in defence next season.

AND in other news, 95 touches, 69 passes: £36m-rated Spurs “monster” was Conte’s big unsung hero vs Villa…

Everton are now on the hunt for their new manager after sacking Rafa Benitez on Sunday afternoon, following a series of awful performances that has left the club in a vulnerable position in the Premier League, currently sixteenth in the league table and six points off a relegation challenge in the drop zone.

What’s the word?

Everton insider and journalist, Alan Myers, has given his perspective on who should be the next manager at Goodison Park, revealing his number one choice that hasn’t been reported as one of the clear favourites by Sky Sports.

Myers tweeted:

“My choice would be Christophe Galtier, wins the title with Lille, takes over a mediocre Nice side and now has them 2nd in the division, no ties, something fresh, passionate?”

The French manager is currently working at Nice as their head coach, in a rebuild project, and the club currently sit just behind Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1.

Better than Rooney

Galtier is famously known for his incredible work at Lille, going into the club halfway through the season in 2017, saving them from relegation and finishing 17th in the table during his first six months in charge.

However, what followed was nothing short of miraculous as he led the team to the club’s fourth Ligue 1 title in their first title win in a decade in 2021, when they finished one point ahead of PSG.

The Frenchman left Lille in the summer of their title victory, in search of a new challenge which he found at Nice, who finished ninth in the table last season by injecting his philosophy of youth and development into the club.

He is currently flying high in the top flight French league again, sitting second, taking points from 16 of the last 21 games he has managed the side so far this term.

Wayne Rooney has been a favourite for the manager’s position at Everton long before Benitez was even sacked from the role, but Farhad Moshiri must not overlook or underestimate the success and impressive work Galtier has done over the last few years.

His influence and experience in taking teams in vulnerable positions and transforming their trajectory is fitting for the Toffees current situation, with that being said, he is a far better fit for the role than the Derby Country boss. Although he is striving to save them from relegation at the moment and is doing an impressive job of doing so, he still lacks experience, especially at the top table.

Everton are yet to reveal if they have began speaking to or have made an offer of appointment to any manager, but with the side involved in the early kick-off against Aston Villa, they will surely be looking to appoint somebody as soon as possible.

In other news: Graham Potter not interested in becoming Toffees boss

Aston Villa may be set for a difficult summer, with the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash all being linked with moves away from the Midlands in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho still hasn’t had his future resolved, with manager Steven Gerrard desperate to keep him at Villa Park beyond his loan spell from Barcelona.

However, if he doesn’t make his temporary stay at the club permanent at the end of the season, the Liverpool legend may be forced into the transfer market to find a longer-term replacement for the midfielder – brought in to help replace Jack Grealish, and John Swift could be that man to fill the void.

What’s the news?

Having been long-term admirers of the Reading midfielder, the Championship side’s former manager John McDermott has claimed that the former Chelsea youth prospect could thrive in Gerrard’s team.

“It’s hard to say [If Swift could make it in the Premier League] – you could stick him in at someone like Aston Villa as technically he’s very good,” McDermott said on BBC Radio Berkshire. “He makes goals, he scores goals and I can see him ending up at somewhere like Aston Villa or someone like Leeds United.

“He can play, he sees a pass but it’s hard to say [how good he could be] until you put them in that environment.”

He can make the step up

Described as “super-talented” by former Royals boss Veljko Paunovic at the beginning of the season, the 26-year-old midfielder will be available for free this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Having scored an incredible 11 goals and adding 13 more assists in 35 appearances for the struggling Championship relegation candidates, only Fulham duo Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Wilson have averaged higher match ratings than his 7.28, with the Serbian striker on top with a 7.65, and the Welsh winger just below with 7.40.

His form has been nothing short of remarkable, given Reading sit in 21st in the second tier, and with him taking 2.1 shots per game and 2.7 key passes per game – he is certainly capable of becoming a prime creator in the Premier League with his level of footballing intelligence, surrounded by higher quality players.

Grealish made 16 goal contributions last season for Villa before signing for Manchester City this summer in a deal worth £105.75m, and while Swift may not quite reach that valuation – his 24 goal contributions for Reading is evidence that he could be just as active in the final third – from an even deeper position than the England international.

That is something certainly worth shouting about if you are among Villa’s recruitment team.

In other news: Insider drops “serious” behind-scenes AVFC update that will scare supporters

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Andrew Gutman has walked out on Celtic, sources have told Football FanCast.

The 22-year-old American played as a trialist against St Mirren and Arbroath, and was expected in training last week, but hasn’t been seen since the 4-3 defeat to the latter club.

Gutman is a free agent after impressing with Indiana University and being offered a pro contract by Chicago Fire.

Initially he trained with Rangers at the Hummel Training Centre and although he was offered terms, he decided to take up an offer from Celtic.

After training for a week he played for 45 minutes in a friendly against St Mirren while an application was made for a work permit.

Following a further week of training with the reserve squad he was listed as a trialist for a friendly against Arbroath. After that match, which Celtic lost 4-3, he hasn’t been seen at the club’s Lennoxtown Training Centre.

It now seems highly unlikely that Celtic will continue their interest in the 22-year-old with Daniel Church and Calvin Miller available for the reserves, while Emilio Izaguirre and Jonny Hayes deputise for Kieran Tierney.

Celtic are back in action this afternoon with another clash against their Old Firm rivals.

This time, the duo are both looking to secure a place in the Scottish Cup final.

The last meeting between the two Glasgow rivals saw Ange Postecoglou’s side secure a 2-1 win at Ibrox in the SPFL earlier this month.

However, heading into Sunday’s showdown, it seems as though the Hoops will have to make do without one of their key players.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the semi-final, Postecoglou revealed that striker Giorgos Giakoumakis will not be available to play as a result of an injury he picked up during Celtic’s 7-0 win over St. Johnstone last weekend.

Since arriving at the Parkhead club during the previous summer transfer window from VVV-Venlo in a deal worth a reported fee of up to £2.5m, the striker has made 16 appearances in the SPFL.

In those appearances, the 27-year-old has found the back of the net nine times, with only Liel Abada (10) having bagged more league goals this season.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Having appeared in all three of Celtic’s Scottish Cup games this season, the centre-forward has scored four of their nine goals against Alloa Athletic, Raith Rovers and Dundee United.

With that in mind, not only will it be a huge blow for the player to miss out on the chance to fire his team to the final this afternoon, but it is sure to have also left both Postecoglou and the Parkhead faithful fuming given how deadly he’s been in front of goal.

To highlight how much of a danger the Greek international has been for his new club, he currently boasts the highest average of shots on target and goals per 90 minutes in the league, according to FBref.

Moving forward, with the Bhoys having Kyogo Furuhashi back in the frame after recovering from his hamstring injury, Postecoglou will have to hope that he and the rest of the attacking players at his disposal can make up for Giakoumakis’ absence on this occasion.

Looking beyond that, everyone at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that the £1.8m-rated striker can recover from his injury soon enough to help his side see out the remainder of the season.

AND in other news: Signed for 7 figures, left for peanuts: Celtic had a mare on “unplayable” £15k-p/w dud

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Stade Reims gem Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies are set to pursue a deal for the French centre-forward at the end of the season.

PIF came close to sealing a swoop for the youngster in the January transfer window only to fall at the last hurdle on deadline day.

They reportedly agreed a fee of £33m with the Ligue 1 side, but the player decided that he was better off waiting until the summer before making a decision on the next step in his career.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Ekitike, I think they’re going after him no matter what. So, I’d say that he is the most likely striker that they’ll sign.”

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

The Toon boss will surely be buzzing by this update as the attacker would be a fantastic addition to his squad heading into the next Premier League campaign.

Goalscoring has been a cause for concern throughout the season for the Magpies in the sense that they have not been able to rely on one, or two, players to find the back of the net on a regular basis. Callum Wilson has not kicked a ball in anger since December and leads the charts for the club on six strikes in the division, with Allan Saint-Maximin’s tally of five the next best.

Chris Wood was brought to Tyneside in January to bolster Howe’s depth at the top end of the pitch and he has been unable to showcase the best of his abilities. He has scored twice in 14 starts, once from open play, as he failed to hit the ground running in front of goal.

Ekitike, meanwhile, has scored nine goals in 14 Ligue 1 starts for Reims this season, whilst also contributing two assists. He has been able to show off his finishing ability in the French top-flight and Howe would surely love to have a player with that level of quality in the final third as an option next season.

The ex-Cherries coach will also be excited by the gem’s potential. At the age of 19, he is in the infancy of his career and is already proving that he can make an impact in a top European league. This suggests that he has the scope for a vast improvement in the years to come and Howe will want to be the one who helps him explode in Europe as a striker.

AND in other news: Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…

Everton are back in Premier League action today with an early afternoon kick-off against Aston Villa at Goodison Park in what will be Duncan Ferguson’s first game in charge of the team since he was appointed as caretaker manager following the sacking of Rafael Benitez after their disheartening 2-1 defeat against Norwich City at Carrow Road last weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Ferguson could pick to be in his starting XI to take on Steven Gerrard’s side, one Toffees player who did not start against Norwich but we feel should be in the team from the outset on this occasion is Richarlison, who is currently on £110k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

After coming on with 54 minutes on the clock against Norwich, the 24-year-old not only managed to pull a goal back for the visitors with a brilliant bicycle-kick goal, he also completed two of his three dribbles and completed 11 of his 12 passes and won four duels, showing how much of an attacking threat he was for Everton and how much of a nuisance he was for the opposition.

This cameo performance earned the Brazilian an overall match rating of 7.3/10, making him Everton’s highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore, highlighting the quality he has and showing the sort of impact he can have on the team.

With this in mind and the 24-year-old having 46 goals in 131 appearances for Everton across all competitions, it shows why having him in the starting XI to take on Villa would give Ferguson a great chance of getting his tenure off to a flying start, especially if they can pick up all three points.

Richarlison’s attacking talents have been praised in the past by former Toffees manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has previously hailed the Brazilian as “outstanding” in February 2020.

In terms of who could make way for the Brazilian if Ferguson decides to start him today, Salomon Rondon has only scored one goal in 13 Premier League appearances and register just one shot at goal in the defeat at Norwich, so perhaps he should be the one to drop out on this occasion.

Looking ahead to today’s game, if Ferguson can secure a win for his beloved Everton, this would surely be a massive boost for the club by moving away from the relegation zone and pulling to within just one point of Gerrard’s men in the table.

In other news: Everton must avoid another manager disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a potentially huge injury blow regarding Ianis Hagi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, Giovanni van Bronckhorst dropped an update on the injury picked up by the 23-year-old in the 13th minute of Rangers’ 4-0 Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion on Friday night, with the forward appearing to take a knock to his knee in a collision with Jordan McGregor.

Speaking about the condition of the Romania international, the 46-year-old said: “He’s okay, he had a problem so we have to wait to see what he actually has but so far I can’t say anything about the injury.”

Fans will be fuming

With one of Rangers’ biggest games of the season coming up on February 2, namely the Old Firm derby, the Ibrox faitful will be fuming if Hagi is ruled out of that game as a result of an injury picked up against Scottish League Two side Stirling.

Indeed, the £6.3m-rated winger has been one of the Gers’ best performers over his 15 Premiership appearances so far this season, having already scored two goals and created two big chances for his side, as well as taking 2.4 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £21k-per-week Romanian average a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Van Bronckhorst’s seventh-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Rangers are a much weaker side without Hagi, with the absence of the 23-year-old from the Gers’ upcoming trip to Parkhead potentially reducing their chances of taking all three points back across the city. Such an outcome could well have disastrous consequences in the Light Blues’ bid to retain their Premiership title this season, so the fan base won’t be pleased to hear of him being injured in a one-sided cup clash so close to the derby.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst must avoid a Rangers repeat of Pena disaster with South American dud, fans would be fuming

Lee Ryder has been left buzzing over some comments that have now emerged from Newcastle United left-back Matt Targett in the build-up to the clash against Crystal Palace.

The Lowdown: Permanent deal?

It has been reported that the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘poised’ to make their loan deal for Targett permanent in the summer.

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The whole deal would cost around £15m plus the initial loan fee, which includes a bonus for if the Magpies avoid getting relegated from the Premier League, something that seems inevitable ahead of tonight’s clash with the Eagles.

The Latest: Targett comments

Speaking to The Chronicle, Targett has now admitted that he ‘hopes’ that he can stay in the North East permanently, as he is ‘enjoying’ his time on Tyneside.

The Aston Villa loanee recalled when he first signed, claiming that it was a ‘massive challenge’ to impress new manager Eddie Howe and help get the club out of the relegation zone.

Sharing the article on Twitter, journalist Ryder was buzzing over Targett’s claim, saying that it is a ‘huge positive’ for the Toon Army that he wants to stay.

The Verdict: Big boost

With Targett set to feature tonight when the Magpies play Palace at home in the top flight, another three points would take them onto 40, meaning that they will surely be safe.

Thus, they could then look to sign Targett from Villa this summer for the fee mooted.

The Englishman currently ranks as their fourth-best performer in the Premier League so far this season, and ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, interceptions, clearances, key passes, and crosses per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he has certainly made a good impression in his short time, and so the fact that he wants to stay is a big boost for the club.

In other news, find out whose agent NUFC have now contacted over a potential move here!