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Everton have now made their first move to sign Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho by registering their interest in the striker, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

Everton have sanctioned the departure of Ellis Simms, with the striker joining Coventry City for an undisclosed fee, meaning Sean Dyche is now running the rule over a number of targets to bolster his attacking options this summer.

The Toffees are in the race to sign Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia, who has a €25m (£21.7m) release clause in his contract that is set to expire tomorrow, and Dyche is willing to use Neal Maupay in a part-exchange deal for the Senegal international.

In the same report, it is mentioned that Viktor Gyokeres was a target for the Blues, but he has since moved to Sporting Lisbon, while Moussa Dembele has also been discussed, however the Frenchman is believed to have received very lucrative contract offers from Saudi Arabia.

According to a report from Football Insider, Everton have now made the first move to sign Iheanacho by registering their interest in the Leicester striker, who is out of contract in less than 12 months, meaning the Foxes could be forced to sell him.

The Toffees only have a limited budget this summer, however they could use the money raised from selling Simms and potentially Maupay by making one marquee signing, as opposed to bringing in a number of new players.

Leicester are believed to value the Nigerian at around £10m – £15m, with the deal to sell Simms to Coventry allegedly netting the Toffees around £8m, including add-ons.

Having registered their interest in the forward, it remains to be seen whether Everton decide to come to the negotiating table with an official bid.

How many goals has Kelechi Iheanacho scored?

The Nigeria international has not exactly been prolific in the Premier League, having scored 42 goals in 196 appearances in the top flight, which means he averages less than one goal every four games, however he could still be a good signing for the Blues.

During the 2020-21 campaign, during which the Leicester striker was given more regular game time, he managed to score 12 goals in 25 Premier League outings, while he also recorded seven goal contributions in seven appearances in the Europa League.

Even last season, the £80k-per-week forward was hailed as "brilliant" by members of the media, as a result of the runs he made, and his decision-making in Leicester's end-of-season clash against West Ham United.

The former Manchester City man is a very strong dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 91st percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, while he also places in the 98th percentile for assists, having averaged 0.40 per 90.

Given that Iheanacho could be available for a fee as low as £10m, it is definitely worth Everton taking a chance on the striker, and having registered their interest, they should now test the waters with a bid.

Leeds United's relegation last season was a culmination of numerous failures, from top to bottom.

The hierarchy's questionable decision-making led to three different managers taking the Elland Road dugout in one campaign, and their patience to sack Jesse Marsch arguably outranked all of their failures.

As such, the American was trusted with two transfer windows, of which many of his acquisitions failed him.

However, few proved to be as disastrous as Brenden Aaronson, who was welcomed from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £24.7m.

The USA international was expected to underpin this all-action philosophy of their head coach, with an injection of creativity and goalscoring know-how to get fans off their seats.

However, what they instead received was an attacking midfielder so dreadfully unprepared for the physicality of English football, who was effectively bullied into submission every week.

Daniel Farke will be desperate to ensure that he does not repeat these blunders of the past, with this summer window sure to be imperative if they are to achieve an immediate Premier League return.

They cannot afford to take such lucrative risks when the potential reward is so unlikely, so the addition of some steelier characters is to be expected. That feeds into the recent links that suggest a move for Coventry City's Gustavo Hamer is on the cards, who is reportedly available for just £10m.

Such a swoop would mark a return to sensible business once more, given how the 26-year-old dominated this division last campaign for the Sky Blues.

How many goals has Gustavo Hamer scored?

With Aaronson having immediately been shipped out by the new manager, it is clear that his future lies outside of Yorkshire. The hope will be that his loan spell at Union Berlin can reignite his career, and allow the Whites to recoup at least some of the astronomical fee initially paid.

The sum was made even more embarrassing by the fact that the 22-year-old would score only one senior goal all year, enduring a 33-match run in the league without finding the back of the net as the season concluded.

It was, therefore, no surprise to see pundit Jon Newsome brand him "lightweight" when talking on BBC Radio Leeds.

Meanwhile, Hamer was tearing up defences in the Championship, spearheading his side's unlikely playoff push which was felled at the final step.

The Dutch-Brazilian playmaker scored nine goals and assisted a further ten in the league, not to mention his deciding goal against Middlesbrough in the playoff semi-final as well as his equaliser against Luton Town in the final.

Such imperious form was always sure to draw praise, with teammate Marko Marosi keen to add his opinion on the goalscoring midfielder:

"Gustavo is unbelievable. He is a funny guy as well and a great character."

This year was no fluke either, as the former Feyenoord star had posted ten assists in the Championship the year before for a comfortably mid-table outfit, and a total of 38 goals across a career where he has features in numerous roles.

It seems with each passing campaign Hamer only improves, as he edges closer to that elusive promotion. Perhaps a switch to Elland Road, under the tutelage of a proven winner at this level, could prove to be the catalyst that returns this massive club back to where the fans will feel it belongs and exorcise the demons of last summer's signing within that position.

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes the Blues should make a move for Harry Kane this summer due to his relationship with new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

What did Cascarino say?

With the Kane transfer saga resuming this summer, the question over where the England captain will be playing next season is no closer to an answer.

New Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou will be hopeful of keeping his talisman at the club, with reports suggesting that Spurs have no plans to sell Kane, but interest from elsewhere means his future remains uncertain.

Strong links with Bayern Munich have surfaced, with rumours suggesting that Kane is eager on a move to the Bundesliga champions, while Manchester United were the supposed front-runners for his signature before the window opened, although a move to Old Trafford now seems unlikely.

However, former Cheslea striker Cascarino believes that his old side should make a move for Kane, in part due to his excellent relationship with Pochettino.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Cascarino said: "Well, managers who have worked with players and they've loved and they have great time for, they love to bring them in. They've worked with them before, they love them as professionals, they love what they can deliver.

"Now, you talked about the bromance, I don't think there's been anyone bigger than Poch and Harry, because Harry's respect for Poch was extraordinary."

He added: "Chelsea could fund it. Would Harry go? Well, we never know because he's never been asked the question, but the Poch lure is a big one. So, you know, it's a weird one because there are Chelsea fans, and likewise Tottenham fans – the great Jimmy Greaves played for both, it ain't that big of a deal."

Cascarino even pondered whether a potential swap deal could be done with Romelu Lukaku heading in the opposite direction, although that seems incredibly unlikely.

Whether or not Chelsea would be interested in a move for Kane remains to be seen, but it would certainly be a very difficult transfer to get done, and may not go down well with fans of either club.

What are Chelsea's transfer plans?

Chelsea have already brought in two attacking players this summer in the form of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, with the latter a more traditional number nine.

Whether either can provide the kind of goal contributions Chelsea require is debatable, but Nkunku did finish as equal top scorer in the Bundesliga last season with 16 goals.

The Blues are still focused on trimming their squad this summer, with 10 more players expected to potentially leave Stamford Bridge on top of those that have already left, meaning that predicting what Chelsea's team will look like next season is impossible.

It appears that Pochettino will focus on bringing in a midfielder next, perhaps feeling he now has enough attacking options at the club. Brighton's Moises Caicedo is the club's priority target as they look to bolster the centre of the park.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Udinese striker Beto this summer to ease starring talisman Harry Kane's workload, according to recent reports.

What's the latest on Beto to Tottenham?

That's according to one Spanish outlet, who claim that Spurs – alongside Bayern Munich, Napoli and Real Madrid – could secure the services of the formidable forward.

Beto is valued at €30m (£26m) by his Serie A outfit – the fee a clause in his contract – and with I Bianconeri unwilling to conduct business for a lesser fee, the interested suitors are yet to commence negotiations.

With recent reports that Bayern are pushing for the transfer of Kane, reaching an agreement in principle despite facing an obstinate hurdle in Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, the requirement to sign a new first-rate forward is only magnified.

Should Tottenham sign Beto?

While the emphasis at Tottenham this summer will be on bolstering the backline and restoring balance to the squad through eradicating the seasonal issues of a leaky defence, targetting a centre-forward is certainly not a bad shout.

Manager Ange Postecoglou will have his work cut out in replenishing Spurs after an eighth-placed finish confirmed European football to be outside the side's reach next year, and Beto would add a new dimension to the fold.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the £3k-per-week ace has maintained a steady rate of scoring in Italy, bagging ten times in Serie A last term before netting 11 strikes this time around.

The Brazilian menace would also add a new dimension to the fold, offering greater physicality than Kane and perhaps utilising his imposing stature to serve as a conduit, and a focal point from which the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski could wreak havoc with well-timed inversions.

This is evidenced through FBref, with the 25-year-old ranking among the top 18% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 11% for clearances, the top 26% for interceptions and the top 25% for aerials won per 90.

The consistency within the top quarter of positional peers across the aforementioned metrics illustrates an aptitude in physicality across the park.

And for all Kane's excellence – having scored 30 goals from 38 league matches this year – he ranks below the bottom 50% mark for each defensive statistic FBref has to offer.

Reporter Sam Tighe even said: "The way Beto spooks defenders is amazing. Chuck a ball into the channel for him to chase and even if he doesn't latch onto it, defenders panic under his pressure and end up making the craziest decisions or panicked clearances."

With statistical likeness to Alexander Mitrovic and Ollie Watkins, with the Fulham striker hailed as a "monster" by Andy Naylor while Aston Villa's goal-happy striker has been dubbed "lethal" by pundit Trevor Sinclair, the Lilywhites would secure a gem with qualities fit for Premier League football.

He would bring a brutish presence and a new angle for the attack, Kane is one of Europe's foremost forwards and deserves all the plaudits for his prolific brilliance and leadership skills, but perhaps what the club needs is a new striker to add something different when the situation demands it.

Rangers "remain interested" in signing Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo, however the deal is "not any closer" to completion, according to Scottish Express journalist Scott Burns.

Who are Rangers signing this summer?

Rangers manager Michael Beale is looking to strengthen the spine of his team this summer, having recently lined up a move for Jose Cifuentes, with a move for the Los Angeles FC central midfielder expected to be completed in this window.

That news follows the recent reports that the Gers have agreed a deal in principle to sign Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers, who has been a key target for Beale this summer, and the 28-year-old is set to sign a four-year contract.

Having strengthened considerably in attacking areas by bringing in the likes of Abdallah Sima and Sam Lammers, Beale is now tasked with signing a new centre-back, and Panzo remains a target.

That is according to Scott Burns, who recently took to Twitter to offer a new update on Rangers' pursuit of the Nottingham Forest defender, saying: "Been told by sources on all sides that a move for Jonathan Panzo to Rangers is not any closer. Rangers remain interested. They know the fee and wages but have yet to trigger the deal. German and English clubs also remain actively in talks with Panzo's camp."

Burns' update contradicts a recent report from The Daily Mail, which claimed the Light Blues were closing in on the defender, however they are still very much in the race for his signature.

Is Jonathan Panzo joining Rangers?

Given that Burns claims a number of clubs from across Europe are in talks with the 22-year-old, it appears as though the race for his signature is very open, but he could be a fantastic signing for the Gers if they do manage to come out on top.

Lauded as an "exciting young player" by Forest boss Steve Cooper, the Englishman has showcased his stellar defensive ability over the past year, ranking in the 93rd percentile for interceptions, and the 85th for tackles, when compared to players at a similar level.

During his time on loan with Coventry City last season, the £9k-per-week centre-back recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.99 in the Championship, the fifth-highest figure in the squad, indicating he is ready to test himself at a higher level.

At the moment, it is anyone's guess who Panzo will end up signing for this summer, but Beale will be hoping progress can be made soon, as he could strengthen Rangers' backline considerably.

A new era is in full swing for Chelsea.

The last week has seen the departures of numerous first-team players edge extremely close as the incoming Mauricio Pochettino attempts to trim a hideously bloated squad.

The most unexpected and well-documented exit is that of Kai Havertz to Arsenal as Fabrizio Romano revealed that a £65m deal has been agreed upon, and his medical is to be scheduled.

However, the Blues were already prepared for this eventuality – RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku has had an agreement with Chelsea since October. It was recently confirmed he has joined for a reported fee of €60m (£52m).

In his first interview as a new Premier League player, the Frenchman has outlined how he can bring excitement to Stamford Bridge.

He said: "We can say that I am a hard worker. I will give everything for the club, for the fans and to help the team bring some trophies. To give the best of my football. I hope I will make them as happy as I am to be here at this club.

“I think the project was good for me. It is a good project for me to develop myself as a player and a man also.

“I want to improve, to progress every day, so wherever they tell me to play, I play, and I wanted to improve in every position. So that’s the way I go about everything and why I was able to score goals after changing.

An upgrade on Kai Havertz?

Nkunku arrives in the English capital off the back of a scintillating final season in Germany. In 25 Bundesliga appearances, the ten-cap international scored 16 goals, as he was the division’s joint-top scorer, despite missing nine games through injury.

The forward isn’t just a one-season wonder, as he was crowned the Bundesliga’s Best Player and Footballer of the Year in Germany for 2022.

As well as his potency, the attacker has demonstrated himself to be a wonderful all-rounder. He ranks within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, shot-creating actions per 90, progressive passes per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

The £124k-per-week star has splendid pedigree and can fill the void left by Havertz, who flattered to deceive in a Chelsea shirt.

The German’s time in west London has seen flashes of impudent brilliance, but he has desperately lacked consistent ruthlessness, cutting an anonymous figure for prolonged periods.

Whilst Havertz is obviously extremely talented, he was yet to be fully unlocked in any Chelsea system and failed to hit double digits for goals or assists in any season for the Blues.

It’s the best outcome for both parties to go their separate ways. Nkunku, who has been hailed as “world-class” by former Leipzig assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer, now has the opportunity to become the new talisman.

West Ham United's initial trepidation over losing captain Declan Rice this summer has slowly turned to cautious optimism as the Hammers continue to be linked with some big names.

David Moyes will be eager to use some of the cash Rice's sale brings to strengthen other positions, but a new central midfielder is surely top of his wishlist this summer.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are all reported to be in the running for Rice, who could attract a fee in excess of £100m, though The Sun claims the latter are the preferred choice for the Hammers.

That is because there is a possibility that Conor Gallagher – who himself is valued at £50m by Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail – could be used in part-exchange for Rice, leaving plenty of money left over to bring in a defender and a striker.

What can Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher bring to West Ham United?

After impressing on loan with another London side in Crystal Palace two seasons ago, Gallagher was given a chance – of sorts – by Chelsea last time out in what was a poor campaign for the Blues, who lurched from one manager to another.

While almost half of Gallagher's 35 Premier League appearances last season came as a substitute, the six-cap England international was still able to showcase his talents.

Gallagher scored three goals and assisted another, while the nine yellow cards he received – the most of any Chelsea player – also highlights the tenacious side of his game.

As pointed out by sports writer PGR Analytics, Gallagher has a "relentless work rate" and is a "threat in the final third" – qualities that Hammers fans would surely love to see.

While not a like-for-like replacement for Rice in a direct sense, there are some similarities between the two men. Gallagher is a more attacking player, as reflected in his 0.22 goals and assists per 90 last season, compared to 0.14 for Rice.

As per FBref, Rice has a slightly better pass percentage than Gallagher per 90 minutes (86.5 v 81.1), while they average 68 and 63 touches per 90 – not a huge deal of difference.

Gallagher's arrival at West Ham would certainly excite fans, even if the £50m price tag seems a little excessive. However, in the same week Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid for a fee rising to £115m, Gallagher boasts many similar attributes to his international colleague.

Indeed, FBref's comparison tool ranks Bellingham as the player most like Gallagher across Europe's top five leagues in terms of their statistical profiles.

For example, they find the target from a similar number of shots (39.3% for Gallagher at Chelsea, compared to 34.8% for Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund), have a near identical pass-completion percentage (81.1 v 81.7) and tackle at a similar rate (2.56 per game v 2.54), all per 90 via FBref.

This is not to say Gallagher is on the same level as Bellingham right now, but as a replacement for Rice, and with a huge sum of cash left over for one or two other players, it is a deal that could make lots of sense for West Ham as they look to move on from their long-serving skipper.

Manchester City are close to signing Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, with a verbal agreement reached, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news involving Kovacic?

Pep Guardiola’s side completed a historic treble, sealing the achievement with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last weekend. There have been plenty of celebrations between everyone involved at the club and the supporters, however, it looks as if those at the Etihad are already working on summer signings.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester is Kovacic, who has been on the books at Stamford Bridge since 2018. The Croatia international, hailed as an "unbelievable footballer" in the media, will soon be entering the final 12 months of his Chelsea deal and a move north looks to be on the cards.

Plettenberg took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to provide an update on the transfer talk between City and Kovacic. He said that a move is close, with a verbal agreement reached.

“Everything is going in the right direction. Kovacic is close to join MCFC & Pep. Verbal agreement is done confirmed. Negotiations between Man City and CFC should follow this week.”

How much does Mateo Kovacic earn?

Kovacic, sponsored by Nike, can play in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role, so should provide Guardiola with a versatile midfield option next season. He also has a history of winning plenty of honours, for example, he has won the Champions League on four separate occasions and the Europa League once.

A player like Kovacic could be needed over the coming month, especially if captain Ilkay Gundogan decides against renewing his Etihad contract over the coming weeks, as has been speculated.

Kovacic also has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, turning out on 142 occasions in the top flight. And ranks in the 98th percentile for passes into the final third, so could prove to be a shrewd addition in midfield.

He currently picks up £150,000-a-week in London, the biggest wage of his career to date, so it’ll be interesting to see the terms he has seemingly agreed with City. A transfer fee still needs to be agreed between the two clubs, though, but at this moment in time, it appears as if Kovacic could be the first through the door this summer to link up with the treble winners.

Leeds United are unlikely to bring in either Brendan Rodgers or Graham Potter as their new manager this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Who has been linked with Leeds job?

The Whites ended up getting through three managers during the 2022/23 season, with Jesse Marsch eventually replaced by Javi Gracia, as his reign got progressively worse.

The Spaniard fared no better, however, and with Leeds spinning towards the Championship under him, Sam Allardyce was brought in to mastermind a recovery act. He didn't have long enough to make his presence felt, however, and he left the club last week after the Whites were relegated from the Premier League.

Those high up at Elland Road are now looking to nail the next managerial appointment this summer, with a number of individuals already linked with the vacant job.

Two of those are Rodgers and Potter, both of whom were sacked by Leicester City and Chelsea respectively earlier in the campaign, but are still considered good British coaches.

Are Rodgers and Potter unlikely to join?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs admitted that Rodgers and Potter are unlikely to want to head into the Championship, given their current respective statuses in the game:

"We're going to see other candidates linked, like Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers, but I sense these are names that were being discussed when Leeds were still in the Premier League with a chance of safety.

"I think the likes of Rodgers and Potter can get quite big Premier League jobs still. Leeds are a big club, so if they were in the Premier League, maybe in the off-season and with new owners that would have been of appeal. But I would be surprised if Potter or Rodgers personally considered dropping down into the Championship."

In truth, this was always going to be a potential issue for Leeds when it came to finding a top-class new manager, with the Premier League seen as the holy grail, and dropping down to the second tier an understandable backward step in their career.

For that reason, both Rodgers and Potter have always felt a little pie in the sky, and it could be that someone like Steven Gerrard is the best option, with the Liverpool legend having something to prove after an underwhelming spell at Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, former Leeds Under-21s boss Carlos Corberan could also be a strong choice, with the 40-year-old already thriving in the Championship with West Brom, and possibly seeing a return to Elland Road as an exciting avenue to go down.

Glasgow Rangers have been given the perfect opening to bring Jack Butland to the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.

Is Jack Butland leaving Crystal Palace?

Butland first joined Crystal Palace from Stoke City back in 2020 but has only made 17 senior appearances since that time and was therefore sent out on loan to Manchester United at the start of the year for the remainder of the season.

However, the 30-year-old failed to record a single outing across all competitions last term, and with his contract set to expire this month, he’s currently set to become a free agent having not yet been offered the chance to extend his stay at Selhurst Park.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Dean Jones, transfer expert and journalist, claimed that Michael Beale is on the hunt for a new first-choice shot-stopper and the Eagles star is someone that he has “looked into”, with Fabrizio Romano since revealing that the Light Blues have held talks and are in “advancing” negotiations to bring him to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Butland?

According to The Sun, Rangers are now "clear" to sign Butland on a free transfer as a result of Crystal Palace having "passed on the chance" to trigger his one-year contract extension. The Teddy Bears have reportedly been "keen" on the goalkeeper for 12 months but have only started to pursue a deal in "recent weeks".

Rangers have confirmed that Allan McGregor will be leaving the club this summer upon the expiration of his deal so a replacement will need to be recruited, and having been hailed “confident” between the sticks by journalist Josh Bunting, Butland could be his ideal experienced successor.

The 6 foot 5 colossus, who’s sponsored by Nike, has kept 83 clean sheets from 293 appearances throughout his career and impressed at Palace when given the opportunity to showcase his talents during the 2021/22 campaign.

England’s former international, who earns £35k-per-week, made 16 saves from 28 shots on target against when in the net and displayed an extremely strong range of passing having completed 61 of 61 short passes and 108 of 108 medium passes, giving him a 100% success rate for both statistics, as per FBRef.

Football Insider have since reported that Butland is undergoing a medical on Monday after agreeing personal terms on a move north of the border, and if this is true, then he would be a fantastic acquisition and definite bargain for Rangers.