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Everton have been heavily linked with a move for Harry Winks this summer, and a reliable journalist has now given an update on the club’s progress in signing the player.

What’s the latest?

In a Q&A with football.london, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold gave an update on the Toffees’ pursuit of the 26-year-old.

In response to a question about the player’s future at the north London club, the reporter claimed: “There doesn’t seem to be anything close with outgoings at the moment, although of course, that can change the moment someone meets Spurs’ valuation. Everton are still in talks over Harry Winks.”

Lampard’s very own Jorginho

Frank Lampard will now be getting desperate to start signing some players to strengthen his squad ahead of the new Premier League season next month, and signing Winks has been reportedly of much interest to the Everton manager.

The 26-year-old has found himself out of favour under Antonio Conte and has not played a full 90 minutes since February. The player will surely be keen to pick up more consistent game-time elsewhere, even though he is a boyhood Spurs fan who came through the academy and broke into the first team.

Despite Winks’ lack of minutes on the pitch, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino always had high praise for the £20m-valued midfielder and even claimed that he was like “Xavi and Iniesta” in the past.

Pochettino stated in 2018 (via Daily Mail): “Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player. His characteristics are perfect… When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta, he’s like this type of player.”

In fact, Lampard could land his very own Jorginho by signing Winks this summer, as the Chelsea midfielder was the most comparable player to Winks last season, according to FBRef.

Despite the Italian recording more goals and assists and playing more minutes than the Spurs midfielder, Winks outperformed him in terms of shot on target percentage (33.3% to 22.2%) and posted more goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.39 to 0.32).

Farhad Moshiri will need to get to work to replace not only Richarlison this summer, as he has effectively sealed his move to Spurs, but also to fill in the gaps in midfield, with loanee Donny Van de Beek returning to Manchester United and Fabian Delph now out of contract.

As a result, the signing of Winks would be a major coup for Everton as they attempt to strengthen and add depth to their squad to ensure that they can compete in the Premier League next season.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals major Everton transfer development, Moshiri will be scrambling

West Bromwich Albion have received a boost in their pursuit of Leicester City midfielder, Hamza Choudhury.

What’s the word?

That is according to a statement from pundit Carlton Palmer, via Football League World, who has issued his thoughts on the latest development around Choudhury’s potential move to West Brom.

As per reports elsewhere, he is a target for Albion this summer.

Leicester are allegedly hoping to find a suitor who will agree to pay 80% of the 24-year-old’s wages.

And in response to whether this will prevent Albion from continuing to monitor the situation, Palmer told FLW:

“Generally when a player goes out on loan from a Premier League club, they very much assist in the salary, you know, as much as the parent club paying up to 75% of the salary.

“So, in this case, where they’re asking for 80%, you can look at it that they’re prepared to let Choudhury go.”

Supporters will love it

Excitement surrounding Albion’s transfer business is surely building and if Leicester are genuinely prepared to let the former England U21 international depart, supporters at the Hawthorns would surely love to see him turn out for them next term.

Choudhury had a breakout season just two seasons ago, making 20 Premier League appearances for Brendan Rodgers back in the 2019/20 campaign.

Though, his game time has consistently worsened in the two seasons since, with the former England U21 international making just 16 appearances over the last two campaigns combined.

A move for Choudhury, albeit on a loan deal represents a serious statement of intent from the perspective of Bruce, who seems determined to guide the Baggies back to the promised land that is the Premier League.

He could certainly offer a lot to the engine room, having garnered Premier League experience already with 53 appearances in the top division for Leicester City and would offer Bruce a more established option in the centre of the park.

From a player perspective, he may look to take inspiration from Leicester teammate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who managed to break into the Leicester City first-team last season, following a successful loan spell at Luton Town.

Choudhury can follow the same path and seize an opportunity to play for Bruce’s Baggies in order to prove himself to Rodgers in the same way. That would surely delight Leicester supporters but it would also please those at the Hawthorns if he can generate enough form to aid them in their promotion bid.

AND in other news: Great news: Steve Bruce drops positive WBA update that will have supporters buzzing 

Frank Lampard is a man with a big task on his hands at Everton, and with the club narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League following a vital 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate match last month, the supporters will be expecting much more next season.

The summer transfer window represents an opportunity for the Toffees manager to rebuild the squad, ship out underperforming deadwood and rejuvenate the players who will be staying for next season.

It has been a good start on that front, with the reported signing of defender James Tarkowski upon the expiry of his Burnley contract at the end of the month.

There could be another addition to the heart of defence, and Lampard could form a solid duo with a move for Olympiacos colossus Pape Abou Cisse, according to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos.

Everton were linked with the centre-back in January but a move didn’t materilise, although their interest appears to have resurfaced.

Cisse is valued at £7.2m and, at 26 years of age, he is just about to hit his peak years. It’s no secret that the Toffees’ defence was dreadful last season, conceding 66 goals in the Premier League (fifth-worst in the division), and this is an area that Lampard is clearly aiming to improve.

The Senegal international would likely be a rock-solid signing. He ranked fourth in the Olympiacos squad with a WhoScored rating of 6.71, while also winning two aerial duels per match. Tarkowski won 4.4 headers per game last season at Burnley, and the two players combined would be excellent at winning battles in the air, which could come in very useful while defending set pieces.

This prospective pairing could be the answer to Lampard’s defensive woes from last season, and although adding some top-quality attacking talent is desirable, improving the defence must be the priority at Goodison Park.

The Everton faithful could be set for an exciting summer ahead if Cisse comes to Merseyside this time around.

AND in other news, Everton given green light to sign £15m gem who’s “like a wardrobe”, he’s Lampard’s own Pogba

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Nicolo Barella for a while and now a new update has emerged that details the club’s continued interest in signing the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, Liverpool are preparing a move for Inter Milan midfielder Barella, with a potential swap deal on the cards to bring down the club’s asking price for the player.

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As per the report, the Reds are willing to offer Naby Keita to lower the transfer fee of €90m (£77.2m) wanted by the Serie A club.

Klopp’s De Bruyne

It is no secret that Jurgen Klopp has been exploring the idea of bringing in a new midfielder at Anfield with Aurelien Tchouameni reportedly agreeing terms with Liverpool before making his move to Real Madrid earlier this month.

Liverpool’s midfield have a number of players who are already in their 30s with Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner occupying spots in the centre of the pitch, and it is clear that the club is looking to the future with the desire to add youth into their already talented team.

Klopp is already a huge admirer of Barella, reserving high praise for the 25-year-old who he dubbed “top class” ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Inter Milan in the Champions League last season;

“He’s a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That’s a top-class player.”

The German coach could sign his very own Kevin De Bruyne to compete with Premier League title rivals Manchester City next season, as according to FBref, De Bruyne is the third most comparable player to the Italian star over the last season.

Although the Man City midfielder has a much better record when it comes to goal contributions, scoring 15 goals compared to Barella’s three, Klopp rarely deploys his midfielders with expectations of scoring and prefers to see effective link-up play and pressing from the centre of the pitch.

Barella has completed over 300 more passes, won over twice as many tackles, completed more dribbles and has a better pressure percentage (29%) than De Bruyne, all of which Klopp will value highly if he can acquire Barella’s services next season.

The midfielder also ranked first for the most key passes completed and ranked third in chance creation last season in the entirety of the Serie A.

With that being said, signing Barella would be a major coup for Liverpool if they could secure a deal for the player ahead of next season and offering Keita could be a great way to sweeten the deal with Inter Milan.

AND in other news: Klopp can repeat Konate masterclass as Liverpool plot move for “invincible” £103m gem

An update has emerged on Tottenham and their pursuit of Evan Ndicka in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Foot Mercato, Spurs are the team leading the race to land the French centre-back from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The report claims that Ligue 1 side Marseille are keen to rival the Premier League side to his signature and are waiting for cash to come in before making their move.

It was recently reported that Frankfurt are willing to cash in on the £20m gem but it remains to be seen how much Fabio Paratici is prepared to pay for him.

Jan Vertonghen 2.0

By securing a deal to sign Ndicka this summer, Tottenham can find their new Jan Vertonghen at left centre-back.

The Belgian defender played 314 times for the club during his time in north London as he dominated attackers over the course of a number of years. He was also excellent at building the play on his left foot with a career average pass completion rate of 86.6%.

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Vertonghen was a staple on the left of Tottenham’s back four and Ndicka can now come in to be Antonio Conte’s own version of the now-Benfica machine.

The 22-year-old ball player has proven his quality in the Bundesliga with an impressive 2021/22 campaign. He averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the division, winning 60% of his individual duels and making 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

Former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur claimed the Frenchman “shows no nerves”. He has also been praised by his former boss Adi Hutter, with the head coach saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

Ndicka has also shown his quality in possession on his left foot. He ended the Bundesliga campaign with a pass completion rate of 84% and chipped in with four goals and four assists from centre-back, showing that he can be a force at both ends of the pitch.

The gem has shown that he can be a strong, consistent, defender in his own half whilst contributing offensively, whether by finding a teammate in the build-up or being directly involved in a goal.

Therefore, Tottenham can find their new Vertonghen by sealing a £20m deal for Ndicka in the coming weeks…

AND in other news, Paratici can land Conte his next Son as Spurs eye bid for “disgusting” £60m “magician”…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered his verdict on the potential Leeds United pursuit of Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino. 

The lowdown: Whites’ interested

This comes following a report from The Times claiming Leeds are among the frontrunners to sign Minamino this summer after the Japan international was made available by Liverpool.

The Whites have been heavily linked with the versatile 27-year-old previously, including under former manager and fan favourite Marcelo Bielsa.

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With Jesse Marsch now at the helm in Yorkshire and having worked alongside the mercurial Minamino previously at Red Bull Salzburg, the interest looks set to be ramped up…

The latest: Jones on Minamino

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones suggested having already clinched deals to reunite Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson with Marsch, a similar move for the 40-cap Japan starlet would be smart from Victor Orta.

He said: “People like Minamino might be the guys that fit into that.

“They’re not going to sound like world beating signings, but they might just be exactly what Jesse March needs as he kind of transitions his side and adds steps to it.”

The verdict: No brainer

For the reported £17million asking price, signing Minamino would be a superb piece of business as Marsch looks to build a squad to steer way clear of the Premier League drop zone next season.

Despite being somewhat of an also-ran in the major tournaments since arriving in England, the man hailed as a ‘special’ player by former Liverpool forward Luis Garcia has managed 17 direct goal contributions in 54 outings for the Merseyside giants.

During 2021/22, Minamino notched up an impressive ten goals and one assist from just 24 outings, hitting the back of the net four times in five appearances in the Carabao Cup, earning an outstanding 7.38 Sofascore rating whilst taking 3.2 shots on average per game in the process.

Supremely versatile with the capability to play across the frontline and in deeper roles, adding the dynamic attacker to the Elland Road ranks could be considered an Orta masterstroke so long as the fee doesn’t get out of hand.

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

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus has revealed that his future with the Premier League champions could be decided as early as next week as he considers the next stage of his career.

The Lowdown: Jesus linked with Arsenal

The Brazilian arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a £27m move from Palmeiras in 2016 and he has since gone on to make 236 appearances for the Sky Blues during his time in Manchester so far.

With just over 12 months remaining on his contract, a decision may need to be made this summer as to whether the 25-year-old will remain with City or move elsewhere.

It has recently been reported that top-flight rivals Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with the forward as they look to replace the departing Alexandre Lacazette, but the Brazil international has now delivered a teasing update on his current situation.

The Latest: Jesus addresses his future

When speaking to reporters following Brazil’s recent 5-1 victory over South Korea (as quoted by Manchester Evening News), Jesus admitted that he is currently reviewing his options and is set to make a final decision on his future soon.

He said: “I’m looking to see what’s best for me and above all, for my career. From Tuesday, we’ll see what is the best.”

The Verdict: Time to move on?

When he initially joined City, the Sao Paulo native unsurprisingly found himself below Sergio Aguero in Pep Guardiola’s pecking order. However, following the Argentine’s departure last year, the 55-cap Brazil international has played a more integral role in leading the attacking line.

This season, the £91k-per-week starlet scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists across all competitions for the English champions (as per Transfermarkt) and was handed 21 top-flight starts, showing that he isn’t just a bit-part player to be used as a substitute and can do an effective job when given the opportunity.

However, with the signing of Borussia Dortmund beast Erling Haaland now confirmed, Jesus is likely to be resigned to a place on the bench next season and could struggle to get as much game-time as he enjoyed in 2021/22. Therefore, he may feel that this summer is the right time for him to leave City and start afresh in a new chapter elsewhere – maybe with the Gunners.

In other news… the Sky Blues are reportedly readying a bid for one of their long-term transfer targets

A big Ibrox development has emerged regarding Rangers and their plans with Ianis Hagi for the upcoming summer transfer window. 

What’s the talk?

Twitter transfer account The 4th Official has confirmed that the Premiership giants will not be cashing in on the winger ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

They tweeted: “Rangers have zero intention of selling Ianis Hagi. There is a feeling that this is a lowball offer that is done primarily to unsettle the player.”

This comes after reports of a €7m (£6m) bid from Galatasaray in an attempt to snap up the Romanian from Ibrox, with Ross Wilson rejecting the Turkish club’s offer.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be delighted

The Gers head coach will be delighted with this news, as it suggests that Hagi will be at Ibrox come the end of the summer transfer window.

He will be buzzing with Wilson’s reluctance to do a deal for the Romania international, as it shows that the club are willing to stand firm and fight to keep hold of their best players. They will not roll over and allow European suitors to take away their most prized gems without paying a hefty price for them.

Van Bronckhorst can therefore have faith that those making the decisions above him will do what is in the best interests of what happens on the pitch, rather than taking the £6m offer and banking the money to the detriment to the team.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard previously lauded the 23-year-old’s mentality, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

These comments suggest that the midfielder is unlikely to be affected by any mind games at play with Galatasaray’s bid, as he is a hard worker and will not want to cause any issues which may affect his development by agitating for a move.

Hagi’s drive to be the best is also another reason why Van Bronckhorst will be delighted by Rangers’ stance on his situation. The Dutch head coach will surely be excited to work with the midfielder upon his return from injury, as he has shown that he has an appetite to develop and hone his skills.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Souttar: Rangers can seal dream deal by signing 23 y/o “real leader”…

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘watched’ Brennan Johnson ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Play-off final day

The Toon Army can catch a glimpse of what Johnson can offer at St. James’ Park as he features for Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final against Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

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The Wales international has had an outstanding season, scoring 19 goals and making a further nine assists in total over all competitions, and has featured across the whole of the forward line for Steve Cooper’s team (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle watch

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that the North East club are one of a number of sides to have ‘watched’ Johnson, but a lot ‘hinges’ on whether Forest can beat Huddersfield:

“Everton eye move for Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson, but a lot hinges on Forest fate in play-off final. Newcastle, Leicester, Brentford have also watched 21-yr-old.”

Expanding in his article, Hope added that he is likelier to leave if Forest lose the game, with a £20m fee being mooted.

The Verdict: Sign

Eddie Howe will be hoping for more options in attack come the start of the new campaign, and Johnson would certainly be a valuable addition to his squad.

Dubbed a ‘different animal‘ on the pitch by Paul Bodin, who worked with him when in charge of Wales’ U19s and later with the U21s, and a player who makes defenders ‘panic’ by former Premier League manager Alex McLeish, the 21-year-old could provide the same threat on the opposite wing as Allan Saint-Maximin does on the left.

Nonetheless, they could form a deadly duo capable of truly terrorising any top-flight side’s backline.

In other news, find out who PIF are now ‘ready’ to sign for NUFC here!

Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out with Arsenal to secure the signing of Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, reports The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Jesus’ talks with Arsenal

As per Fabrizio Romano, it is clear that the 25-year-old has asked to leave the Sky Blues this summer.

As a result, the Brazilian’s agent, Marcelo Pettinati, has confirmed that talks have already been held with Arsenal, and it is said that they are interested in the ‘project’ under Mikel Arteta.

However, Pettinati has also revealed that six more clubs are interested in securing his client’s signature.

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The Latest: Spurs keen to sign Jesus

According to a fresh report by The Telegraph’s reliable Mike McGrath, Tottenham are set to join Arsenal in the race to sign Man City striker Jesus.

Having pipped their north London rivals to a top four finish and a spot in the Champions League, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte will be looking to strengthen his squad as they prepare to compete with Europe’s elite.

It is understood that Jesus’ agent is aware of Spurs’ interest in a deal.

The Verdict: Brilliant signing

Described as “a natural finisher” by former Tottenham forward Garth Crooks on BBC Sport, the 25-year-old’s underlying stats clearly justify this praise.

According to FB Ref, the Brazil international ranks in the 91st percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 95th percentile for non-penalty expected goals across positional peers in Europe.

With 58 goals under his belt in the Premier League and 134 in total for club and country,  Conte would be getting an experienced striker with many years left for him to perform at the top level.

Therefore, this would be a brilliant signing for Tottenham.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Paratici set to back Conte with major signings