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While Wolves will be treated to another season of Joao Moutinho at Molineux after the Portuguese maestro extended his contract earlier this week, Bruno Lage arguably still needs an all-action midfielder and could find the ideal man in Georginio Wijnaldum.

The former Newcastle United and Liverpool man endured a disappointing first season with PSG and reports have suggested that he could leave the Parc des Princes this summer, with Wolves amongst a host of Premier League sides said to be interested in bringing him back to England.

The 31-year-old has enjoyed a lot of success in England previously, notably winning the Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool.

Although his first season in France has been deemed unsuccessful, he still made 38 appearances in all competitions for Les Parisiens, contributing three goals and three assists, so could definitely add some quality to Lage’s midfield.

Wijnaldum’s form for the Netherlands, with whom he has five goals in his last 13 appearances, also suggests that he can add goals to this Wolves side, which should be a priority after the Old Gold averaged just one goal per game in the Premier League last season.

There are also still doubts about Ruben Neves’ future at Molineux and Wijnaldum could go some way towards replacing the former Porto man’s quality and goals from midfield.

The £21m-rated Dutch maestro would not only be a quality addition on the pitch but could also have a big influence off it, as Klopp summarised in Wijnaldum’s final few months at Liverpool, saying:

“Gini’s character is out of the question: he is a sensational guy, completely committed to the team and the club until the last day.”

While Neves and Moutinho could both be described as pass-masters, they lack the dynamism of someone like Wijnaldum, who can effectively contribute in both boxes, which Moutinho is arguably no longer capable of at 35.

Therefore, while Wolves fans might be most excited about the veteran midfielder staying at Molineux, the potential signing of Wijnaldum would arguably do far more for Lage’s midfield next season.

And, in other news… Lage plotting game-changing Wolves bid for £22.5m-rated star, he’s “one of the best”

Luke Edwards has now shared his views on the arrival of Sven Botman at Newcastle United, thrilled by the show of ambition from the Magpies in beating seven-time European champions AC Milan.

The Lowdown: Botman’s arrival

After a long round of negotiations, the Magpies have now secured the signing of Lille centre-back Botman, who joins Eddie Howe’s side on a five year contract.

Newcastle eventually came to an agreement with the French side after months of talks dating back to January, with a £32m fee deemed acceptable for the promising youngster.

The Toon were locked in a battle with Serie A giants AC Milan to land the 22-year-old defender, with the Italian outfit unwilling to match Lille’s valuation of the player.

The Latest: Edwards’ reaction

Edwards has now shared his views on Newcastle’s latest signing, proclaiming that this is a sign of things to come for the North East club.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist exclaimed:

“Botman was on #nufc scouting list this time last year but there was no chance they could have signed him then and beating AC Milan to do so was simply unimaginable. The times are a changing.”

The Verdict: Great signing

According to SofaScore match ratings, Botman was Lille’s most valuable player for the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season, having averaged an impressive 7.10 score across 25 appearances.

This praise has been supported by teammate Jose Fonte, an experienced Premier League defender, who claimed: “He’s tall, he’s considerably fast, he has a great left foot, he gives great balls between the lines and he reads the game very well. Listen, I loved every time, every game that we played together.

“He’s good now offensively too, he has improved. He scores goals. I think he can deal with the Premier League. For sure it’s going to be a great test for him, but I think he can deal with it, 100%.”

Given such remarks from a player with 177 English top-flight games under his belt, this is certainly an exciting signing for Magpies fans.

As Edwards suggests, beating the likes of Milan to the Dutchman’s signature highlights a huge change in Newcastle’s status as a club across Europe.

Brazilian TV have claimed Liverpool are going to sign exciting Santos striker Marcos Leonardo, who has been described as the ‘new Romario’.

The Lowdown: One more attacker in?

Jurgen Klopp may have signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica recently but he has also lost Sadio Mane and Divock Origi, as well as the versatile Takumi Minamino.

For that reason, the Liverpool boss may feel that one more attacker needs to come in – someone who is happy to play a squad role and feature sporadically across the front three.

The likes of Arsenal and Manchester City have been quick to nab emerging talents from South America in recent times, and an intriguing rumour from Brazil suggests Julian Ward and the Reds could be about to follow suit.

The Latest: Leonardo rumour emerges

Speaking after Santos’ draw with Corinthians at the weekend [via Sport Witness], Brazilian TV presenter Milton Neves claimed that the Reds would be signing Leonardo:

“Corinthians yesterday escaped being defeated by the Santos kids. Marcos Leonardo, who’s going to Liverpool, this guy is the new Romario!”

Earlier this month, another Brazilian TV channel claimed the player is on his way to an English club, so this certainly seems like one to keep an eye on.

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting

Brazilian signings are invariably exciting, given their natural flair, but when they are compared to someone of Romario’s ilk, it becomes even more enticing.

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The former Brazil striker was one of the greatest attacking players of his generation, scoring 55 goals in 71 caps for the Selecao, as well as 39 in 65 for Barcelona.

At just 19, Leonardo has already netted 24 times in 92 appearances for Santos – a great return, given his age – and he is someone who could excel in the coming years, joining the aforementioned Alvarez on GOAL’s list of the hottest young talents from the continent.

Liverpool getting a deal done could prove to be another significant piece of business in the long run.

Everton are in no position to be weakening their team ahead of next season following a struggle in the Premier League in the last campaign, and now a new transfer update has emerged that could spell bad news for the Toffees.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports journalist Peter Hall, Richarlison has now expressed his desire to leave Goodison Park this summer.

Hall tweeted: “Understand Richarlison wants out of Everton. Feels the time is right to move to a bigger club. Plenty of interest in him, too.”

The news comes with the club fielding interest from Tottenham Hotspur for the Brazilian attacker according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Supporters will be scared

Everton supporters will surely be rather scared about the prospect of Richarlison leaving this summer, considering his huge impact on the side in their pursuit for survival in the Premier League at the business end of 2021/22 campaign.

The Brazilian winger really stepped up when it mattered for the Toffees last term, scoring six goals and contributing two assists in his last ten appearances, leading his side to safety and proving his importance to the team, so there will be no doubt that his presence will be missed should he leave ahead of next season.

Richarlison has cemented himself as a favourite amongst the fans since joining Everton in 2018 scoring 53 times and delivering 14 assists whilst occupying a role on the left wing and also proving effective in the centre-forward position when he has been called upon to step in for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

It is no secret that Frank Lampard’s side did not score enough goals last season which was reflected in their 16th place finish, scoring 23 fewer than they conceded overall. Though, despite a lack of goals in the team in total, the 25-year-old forward came out on top as the highest scoring player for the club over the 2021/22 campaign.

With that being said, Lampard, Kevin Thelwell and Farhad Moshiri must begin preparing for the worst and start identifying a player they can sign over the transfer window to replace the Brazil international ahead of next season, as failing to find a solution could cost Everton dearly.

AND in other news: Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “technically gifted” £30k-p/w gem, Lampard needs him

There has been an intriguing update regarding the future of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has revealed that the Midlands outfit are not planning to part ways with the Englishman this summer, amid reported interest from West Ham United.

The transfer insider has claimed that Villa don’t intend to sell the 26-year-old in the current window and may even opt against bringing in a new centre-forward in order to prioritise other areas: “They’re reasonably well-stocked, aren’t they? They’ve got Ollie Watkins and they’ve got Danny Ings, and they didn’t really seem to find the right solution to get them both into the team.

“I know West Ham have got an interest in Ollie Watkins, but Villa have no plans to sell him. I don’t know if they’ll go for that superstar striker. I think that central midfield area is more of a priority.”

Manager Steven Gerrard has previously been linked with a move to bring former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez to the club, while there has been some suggestion that Watkins’ strike partner Danny Ings could be up for sale.

Supporters will love it

That news will come as a huge sigh of relief for the Villa Park faithful, with some sections of support having potentially been concerned that they may lose the former Brentford man this summer, particularly with the Hammers able to offer European football next term.

While not prolific, the £31.5m-rated gem has been a reliable goalscoring presence for the club since joining from the Bees two years ago, having since netted 25 Premier League goals and provided a further seven assists in that time.

That tally includes his haul of 11 top-flight goals in the most recent campaign, ultimately finishing as the club’s top scorer in all competitions, ahead of teammate Ings.

His talent does not just lie in putting the ball in the back of the net, however, with the £44k-per-week speedster proving a real pest for any defence, so often applying pressure on an opposition backline with his willingness to press and get in behind.

That analysis is corroborated by his impressive statistics, as he ranks in the top 25% for pressures made and in the top 7% for blocks made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, with the dynamic striker undoubtedly a vital asset to Gerrard’s side.

Perhaps a more ruthless finisher – such as Suarez – may be needed to help bolster the goal tally next term, although supporters will no doubt be aware of the impact that Watkins does make to the team, with his ability to stretch the opposition allowing the more creative talents behind him room to shine.

Making high-profile signings – as the club have already done – will be needed to help push the Villans further up the table next term, although keeping hold of their current stars, such as Watkins, could also prove invaluable.

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

Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to a report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Rise to prominence

Signed by Primeira Liga side Estoril in 2018 from Portuguese minnows Ericeirense, Nunes continued on a pathway to stardom when making a switch to Sporting just six months later.

Since then, the Brazil-born star has directly contributed to 15 goals in 99 outings, lifting the Portuguese League Cup twice, the domestic cup once and the top-flight title in 2020/21.

With the future of Ruben Neves in doubt at Molineux beyond this transfer window, Bruno Lage now appears to have set his sights on an international teammate as a possible replacement…

The latest: Wanderers named

As per Foot Mercato, translated by SW, Wolves and Fosun are ‘ready to bet big’ on Nunes this summer and have even made an approach already.

It’s claimed that the Midlands club, Newcastle United and Everton all have an interest in the eight-cap Portugal ace whilst Manchester Cty have also recently been linked.

The report also states that Sporting have ‘refused an approach’ worth €45million (£39million) from an unnamed Premier League outfit for the 23-year-old heralded as ‘one of the best players in the world’ by Pep Guardiola following a UEFA Champions League round 16 tie in 2020.

The verdict: At all costs

Already heavily indexed to Joao Palhinha, Wolves are rightly wasting little time in planning for life after the hotly sought-after Neves.

During 2021/22, Nunes scored five times and registered four assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, earning a 6.98 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.5 duels on average per league game in the process, illustrating a combative prowess to accompany an eye for goal.

Even at the mooted €60million (£51.5million) asking price, signing the renowned Portuguese playmaker would be a worthwhile move from the Wanderers hierarchy regardless of what happens with Neves, Palhinha and Joao Moutinho alike as Lage and Fosun look to develop the squad further and take the club to the next level.

In other news… Wolves are reportedly in negotiations to sign an exciting new striker.

A big update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their agreement to bring James Sands to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox ranks in 2023… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Tom Bogert has revealed that Rangers will be able to sign the versatile gem for a fee in the region of £4.8m next year, at the end of his current loan spell.

He Tweeted: “Was told Rangers’ purchase clause for on-loan NYCFC and USMNT defender James Sands is $6 million. Dunno if there was a loan fee too or not. I would assume Rangers will trigger that. Think he’ll be really good this year.”

Supporters will be excited

The Gers supporters will be excited by this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that there is money in the bank to spend a decent amount of money on permanent signings. The club have agreed a near-£5m fee for Sands, albeit with the intention of paying it in 2023, and fans will be pleased with the ambition shown by being willing to spend that kind of money.

Rangers have not spent more than £4.5m on a permanent signing since they brought Ryan Kent in from Liverpool in 2019 and this news indicates that they may be able to open up the purse strings again.

The supporter will also be excited by the prospect of seeing Sands develop at Ibrox in the years to come by signing him on a full-time basis.

He has now had five months to settle into life in Scotland and will be able to hit the ground running in 2022/23 with some valuable experience under his belt. The 21-year-old played 12 times in the Premiership and Europa League combined as he played at centre-back and in central midfield, showing off his impressive versatility as a youngster.

Sands showcased his potential in the 2021 MLS campaign for New York City FC as he won 58% of his duels and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game – averaging an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.91 whilst playing in multiple positions.

These statistics illustrate the kind of player he can grow into as he has strong defensive instincts and is not bullied by the opposition in individual battles, whilst he is also capable of delivering good performances on a regular basis.

At the age of 21, he has plenty of growth left to go through and can, hopefully, fulfil his potential in Glasgow as he gains more experience, which is why the supporters will now be excited by Bogert’s expectation that the club will sign him permanently.

AND in other news, Big setback: Rangers dealt hammer blow that’ll leave van Bronckhorst fuming…

Aston Villa are reportedly still in the mix to sign Uruguayan icon Luis Suarez this summer, according to journalist Gregg Evans.

What’s the word?

Writing on Twitter, the respected Villa correspondent wrote just three simple words that are likely to get pulses racing – “Suarez waiting game” – with the Midlands outfit seemingly still bidding to sign the 35-year-old.

In his attached piece for The Athletic, Evans revealed that the Atletico Madrid man – who is set to depart the Spanish capital upon the expiry of his contract this summer – is ‘still under consideration’ by the Villa Park outfit, ahead of a potential free transfer deal.

The report goes on to suggest that manager Steven Gerrard has been ‘in regular contact’ with his former Liverpool teammate regarding a possible return to the Premier League, although the veteran marksman is also likely to have options to move elsewhere.

Villa are believed to be eyeing a new left-sided defender, a midfielder and a striker prior to the start of next term, as per the report, despite having already made three statement signings thus far.

Supporters buzzing

Although the 132-cap international remains a controversial figure, particularly in England, it is his undeniable quality on the pitch that would make him such a coup for NSWE, with the club’s supporters already likely to have been impressed by the eye-catching early business.

The arrival of Suarez, however, would no doubt be the cherry on top of the icing, with the Villans arguably in need of a striker of such pedigree to help fire them into contention for a European berth.

Concerns about his age would be understandable, although this is a man who two years ago fired Diego Simeone’s side to the La Liga title with 21 league goals, having also added a further 11 league goals in the most recent campaign.

The £9m-rated man’s former club Barcelona have already made the mistake of thinking he was over the hill, with Gerrard likely to overlook his advancing years to bring in a player who he has seen cause carnage in English football first-hand.

Plucked from Ajax on deadline day in January 2011 – alongside the more high profile capture of Andy Carroll – the dynamic forward arrived at Anfield as something of an unknown quantity, although quickly cemented himself as the Reds’ talisman, scoring 69 goals and registering 23 assists in just 110 league games for the club.

With 31 goals in the 2013/14 campaign, the £263k-per-week machine almost singlehandedly dragged the Merseysiders to the league title, before a late collapse in the closing weeks of the season proved costly for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Since then, the one-time Groningen man has won a plethora of major honours and netted with remarkable consistency, notably bagging a simply sensational 194 goals and registering 113 assists in just 284 games in all competitions during his time at the Nou Camp, before adding a further 40 goal contributions in 84 games in Madrid.

His powers may be somewhat on the wane – with last season’s league tally his lowest in a decade – although it is hard to deny just what a force of nature he is in and around the penalty area.

It may not be a long-term approach, but signing the “phenomenal” gem – as he has been dubbed by Gerrard – will no doubt ramp up both the excitement and expectancy among Villa supporters.

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

Celtic saw a raft of new players make moves to the Parkhead club during what ended up being a rather busy previous summer transfer window for the Hoops.

One figure that came in during this period that turned out to be a fantastic bit of business from the Bhoys is Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Signed from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan deal, the centre-back played a big part in Celtic’s title winning SPFL campaign.

With 28 league appearances and an overall performance rating of 7.36/10 under his belt, the American is listed as Celtic’s fourth-highest rated player in their current squad according to WhoScored.

While his loan deal is set to expire tomorrow and with the upcoming summer transfer window on the horizon, Celtic now have the chance to replicate the same sort of masterclass they delivered when they signed the Spurs defender.

Last week, the Hoops were linked with a move for Manchester City defender Ko Itakura.

Since joining the Premier League champions back in 2019, the 25-year-old has had loan spells with clubs such as FC Groningen on two occasions and one most recently with Schalke.

This puts him in a similar light to Carter-Vickers who has also had numerous loan moves throughout his career.

During his time with the German club this season, the Japan international racked up an average of 1.4 tackles and interceptions as well as three clearances per game as he helped Schalke win their place back in the Bundesliga.

This highlights how much of a capable defensive unit he is in the same way that the current Celtic loan star has been for Ange Postecoglou’s side this season.

With an average of 4.2 clearances per game in the SPFL, no other Celtic player could get close to Carter-Vickers in this statistic.

Labelled as “one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie” by former Dutch footballer and now TV presenter Haans Kray when the defender was in the Netherlands, Itakura could be the ideal next version of Carter-Vickers for Celtic and show that players that may not be getting a look in at their Premier League clubs can shine in Scotland.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £20k-p/w Celtic dud with “immense” talent who has “all the tools”

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Filip Kostic to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim that Fabio Paratici is now planning to launch an offensive for the Eintracht Frankfurt left wing-back in the off-season, with Antonio Conte believed to be extremely keen on the signing of the 29-year-old.

[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!”]

The report goes on to state that Juventus are also tracking the Serbia international ahead of a potential move of their own, while further reports have revealed that the Bundesliga side could be tempted into parting with Kostic this summer, as long as they were to receive an offer in the region of £25m.

Bye-bye Reguilon

Considering just how impressive Kostic has been in Germany this season, coupled with Sergio Reguilon having been heavily linked with a move away from north London this summer, it is easy to see why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the Serbian to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, over his 31 Bundesliga appearances this term, the £18m-rated talent was Oliver Glasner’s standout performer, scoring four goals, registering nine assists and creating 16 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £43k-per-week wing-back who Fredi Bobic dubbed “extraordinary” average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.25, not only ranking him as Eintracht’s best performer in the German top flight but also as the 15th-best player in the league as a whole.

In comparison, over Reguilon’s 25 Premier League outings this season, the £32m Spain international scored two goals, provided three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £68k-per-week defender who George Sessions labelled “shocking” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Tottenham’s 12th-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, should Paratici indeed be able to shift Reguilon this summer, it would appear an extremely wise move to replace the 25-year-old with Kostic, as not only would the latter be a much more budget-friendly option for Tottenham, but he is also quite evidently a much better option at left wing-back.

AND in other news: Contact made: Conte now plotting £55m bid for “stunning” Spurs target, he’s Diaz 2.0