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Everton have now made an approach for in-demand Chelsea striker Armando Broja, as per Sky Sports News.

The Lowdown: Huge interest in Broja

The 20-year-old has been at the centre of much transfer speculation this summer after enjoying a strong breakthrough season on loan with Southampton.

The Albania international made 32 Premier League appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, with six goals to his name.

Upon returning to Stamford Bridge, West Ham have regularly been reported with interest in signing Broja this summer, with Sky Sports previously claiming that the Irons are set to bid £30m for the forward.

The Latest: Everton make Broja approach

Sky Sports News have now shared a live-on-air transfer update surrounding Broja’s interest.

As shared by Football Daily on Twitter, the caption to the clip read: “Everton are another club to have approached Chelsea about signing striker Armando Broja.”

As transcribed, Sky Sports reported: “Some breaking news – Everton are another of the clubs that have approached Chelsea in terms of signing the striker Armando Broja with Frank Lampard looking for new additions following the departure of Richarlson in a deal that could be worth £60m. He joined Tottenham towards the end of last week.

“Reported yesterday, Chelsea want to assess Broja in pre-season before making a decision on his future. West Ham are one club that approached Chelsea last month; they remain interested, as do Newcastle.

“We told you yesterday that Newcastle were only looking at a loan at that stage, and Southampton also interested and of course that was where Broja was on loan last season.”

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The Verdict: He’d be a great signing

Southampton legend Francis Benali hailed Broja as ‘sensational’ whilst the youngster was on loan at the south coast club, and when looking at his underlying figures, it is easy to see why he has earned such praise.

When compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 20-year-old ranks in the 86th percentile for aerial duels won, the 82nd percentile for pressures and the 81st percentile for dribbles completed (via FBRef).

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring just five Premier League goals last season during an injury-hit campaign, the arrival of Broja would provide Lampard with an alternative option up top, creating competition in the Toffees’ attack.

Therefore, this could be a great signing for Everton if their reported approach leads to something more concrete.

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has made a claim on the club’s pursuit of Club Brugge forward Charles De Ketelaere.

The Lowdown: De Ketelaere absent from Brugge squad

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 21-year-old in recent weeks, with Phil Hay recently stating that Leeds will step up their interest when Raphinha moves on. However, AC Milan are also extremely keen on the forward, and it looks as if a move to Italy is what De Ketelaere prefers.

Reports over the weekend claimed that De Ketelaere was left out of Brugge’s squad for a match against Copenhagen due to his uncertain future.

The Latest: Robinson reacts

Robinson, who contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding De Ketelaere after hearing the news on the Belgian’s absence from the Brugge squad.

He said that a move to Elland Road could go through following the update, stating that the 21-year-old’s ‘future lies elsewhere’.

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The former Leeds goalkeeper stated:

“It looks like that deal might be going through.

“You see it a lot now – more than you ever used to – players getting left out of pre-season tours and pre-season friendlies if there’s a potential move for them.

“It doesn’t take an intelligent person to work out that if they’re not part of the squad in pre-season, their future lies elsewhere.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

It looks as if Leeds still feel they can get a deal over the line for De Ketelaere in what you’d expect would be their final piece of major summer business.

He can play anywhere in attack and has just come off the back of an excellent season in front of goal for Brugge, so it would be a real coup if the Whites can pip Milan to his services.

De Ketelaere may need some persuading over a move to Yorkshire, but it looks as if the club feel that a move still has legs; and as Robinson says, his absence from the Brugge squad appears to point towards an exit from the Belgian giants.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed he has received bids for Tottenham Hotspur target Lucas Paqueta, with both north London clubs name-checked in the report.

The Lowdown: Paqueta to Spurs?

According to French outlet L’Equipe, the 24-year-old has expressed his desire to depart the Groupama Stadium this summer, despite still having three years remaining on his contract, with the Ligue 1 outfit open to letting him go if the right offer was to come in.

Football.London first credited the Lilywhites with an interest in the midfielder last month, stating that he is one of the leading names on Antonio Conte’s radar, but they are set to face competition from their Premier League rivals Arsenal, who have recently stepped up their efforts to land his services.

The Latest: Aulas confirms bids

After speculation of a move to Tottenham, Aulas revealed that Lyon have received offers for Paqueta and delivered an update on his future. As quoted by the Evening Standard, he said:

“There are proposals for him.

“There are certain players who can feel complete in the project, and others who don’t. Economically, we have the means to pursue our ideas and objectives.

“The coach gave us his opinion and there is also what the players wants to do.”

Manager Peter Bosz also admitted that the door is open for the maestro’s exit, stating:

“I want to keep all the good players, but you also have to be realistic. Lucas is a very important player, but it depends on what the player wants. I already had a conversation with him, but that will be between us.”

It is not yet clear whether the ‘proposals’ are from north London, but the report name-checks the Lilywhites, Gunners and also Newcastle United.

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The Verdict: Eriksen alternative?

Given the fact that Spurs didn’t push ahead with a move for Christian Eriksen, you would assume that they have someone else in mind who they want to fill that attacking midfield role, and Paqueta could be the man they are targeting.

The Brazilian, who was described as an ‘incredible signing’ when linked with Newcastle by former footballer Frank McAvennie, netted 11 goals and provided seven assists for Lyon in all competitions last season (Transfermarkt), a brilliant return. He also adds a combative presence by ranking in Europe’s 99th percentile for tackles made by players in his position.

The 33-cap international came close to signing for the Magpies back in January so clearly has an eye for English football, and with no European competition on offer in Lyon, the allure of Spurs’ status in the Champions League could surely turn his head.

Big news has emerged from West Bromwich Albion today as the Baggies announced they had reached an agreement to sign Okay Yokuslu on a free transfer.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, the club proudly confirmed that the Turkey international would be arriving at the Hawthorns.

They revealed: “We can confirm we have reached an agreement to sign @Okayokuslu on a three-year contract. Welcome home, Okay!”

Supporters will be buzzing

The 28-year-old joined Celta back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Trabzonspor. During his time with the Spanish club, the midfielder made 81 appearances in total where he scored two goals and delivered two assists.

He also completed two loan spells away from the club before terminating his contract.

The first of those loan spells saw him make 16 Premier League appearances with the Baggies throughout the second half of their 2020/21 season.

In those appearances, the Turk ended up winning 33 tackles in total and made more interceptions (42) than any other player in the Baggies’ squad at the time.

He also made 25 blocks, 40 clearances and 89 successful pressures during his short stint with the Midlands club.

While he ultimately saw the Baggies get relegated at the end of that season, it’s safe to say that he did have an impact on the team in terms of his defensive output.

That shows, first and foremost why supporters will be buzzing, but also why this is such a great move from the club to secure, particularly on a free transfer.

Even though West Brom only conceded 45 goals throughout their previous Championship campaign, having a player like the former Celta figure in their ranks would definitely help improve the team defensively and make them much tougher to play against.

If the player can slot into Steve Bruce’s side and pick up where he left off last time at the club, this would surely strengthen the team and give them a great boost to their chances of securing promotion back to the Premier League.

AND in other news: West Brom given green light to sign “classy” 31-goal sensation, Bruce badly needs him

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Jack Harrison in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Leeds talent is one of a number of players Dan Ashworth has enquired about a deal for ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that his valuation, along with the rest of their current targets, has put them off from making a bid for his services, although it remains to be seen if they will change their mind in the coming weeks.

It has been reported that the Whites are demanding £35m to part ways with the Englishman after they lost Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha earlier this month.

Better than Allan Saint-Maximin

By signing Harrison from their Premier League rivals before the end of the window, Newcastle would be landing a better player than Saint-Maximin on the wing.

The Frenchman was the club’s most productive winger in the top-flight last term as he registered five goals and five assists. This came after he managed three goals and four assists in the previous campaign for the Magpies.

Saint-Maximin has, therefore, chipped in with eight goals and nine assists in the last two years for Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe combined.

Harrison, meanwhile, has scored 16 times and provided nine assists since the start of the 2020/21 campaign – in his first two top-flight seasons.

The gem has proven that he has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League and his statistics suggest that he would offer far more than the Frenchman in front of goal.

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch previously heaped praise on the former Manchester City man, saying: “He can run all day, he is explosive, he’s effective in 1-v-1s, he’s dangerous, he’s smart. I’m asking him to play a different role, I want him to play a little bit more of an interior player. I just want to give him the confidence to apply our ideas of football and achieve.

“His application [of shooting] in the first game was really good.”

These comments suggest that he would also be an exciting player for the fans to watch as he likes to take defenders on and use his pace to make things happen.

Hopefully, Newcastle will now be able to reach a compromise with Leeds to bring Harrison to St. James’ Park – providing Howe with an upgrade on the wings.

AND in other news, Newcastle “have enquired” about signing £60m “nightmare”, he’d be a big Wood upgrade…

Paolo Bargiggia has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Nicolo Zaniolo.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Corriere dello Sport journalist revealed that, following a number of reports linking Fabio Paratici with a move for the AS Roma attacking midfielder this summer, the Spurs sporting director has now made contact with the 23-year-old’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, concerning the potential of a switch to Tottenham ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bargiggia went on to state that Spurs are still evaluating a move for the Italy international – for whom Jose Mourinho’s side are said to be demanding a €50m (£42.5m) fee in order to part with – while Juventus appear to have fallen behind Antonio Conte’s outfit in the race for the former Inter Milan starlet’s signature.

In his tweet, the Italian journalist said: “Spurs are evaluating the situation of Nicolo Zaniolo at a time when Juventus have loosened their grip a bit. At the beginning of the week, there was a telephone conversation between Paratici and Vigorelli, the player’s agent.”

Conte will love Bargiggia’s update

With it being reported that Conte is hoping to add a new attacking midfielder to his first-team squad ahead of the new season, Bargiggia’s update concerning Paratici’s attempts to land Zaniolo is sure to be one the 52-year-old manager will love.

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Indeed, the versatile forward played a starring role in Roma’s Europa Conference League-winning campaign last time out, scoring five goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances over his 10 appearances in the competition – seeing him average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as the Giallorossi’s sixth-best player in the tournament.

Furthermore, despite suffering a number of £34m-rated talent also caught the eye in domestic competitions last term, bagging a further two goals and providing six assists over 32 appearances in Serie A and the Coppa Italia in 2021/22.

As such, with Zaniolo quite clearly being an incredibly creative and clinical option in the middle of the park, the argument that the nine-cap international would make something of a perfect addition to Conte’s Tottenham side ahead of the upcoming campaign is an easy one to make – leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to seal a £42.5m deal for the 23-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: “Tottenham will..”: Sky Sports journo drops transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Southampton could be set to recapture one of their old loanees if reports are to be believed… 

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Ralph Hasenhuttl could be set to reunite with former loanee Armando Broja.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he stated: “It does look like they’re going to struggle for goals. They could still go back in for Broja.

“All the time that he stays at Chelsea, and other clubs look elsewhere, it builds the case that Southampton could yet go back for Broja. I wouldn’t totally rule that one out.” 

An insanely good signing

The Saints are a side crying out for a striker, as they became incredibly reliant on the Albanian’s presence up top alongside whoever his strike partner may have been.

They have been scampering for a replacement, however to get him back to the club would make the most sense as he featured 32 times last season.

The only stumbling block could be the reported £50m fee, which may prove insurmountable.

Despite only scoring six league goals, at the age of just 20 he still has so much room left to grow.

Southampton are a side renowned for their youth development, and under Hasenhuttl these numbers can only increase. He has all the attributes to become a top striker.

Last season he ranked in the 86th percentile for aerials won per 90, which would be particularly important for the coming season to bring the likes of Sekou Mara into play.

The two could quickly form a wonderful partnership together and prop up the Saints’ strike force for many years to come.

Alex Goldberg was quoted as labelling the forward as “insanely strong”, highlighting the danger of him running with the ball on the counter and indeed, he’d be an insanely good signing for Hasenhuttl and co this summer. His frightening speed combined with his 6 foot 2 frame makes him a physical anomaly, akin to the likes of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

The Saints boss will be hoping that if he can tempt Broja to one more season at the St Mary’s Stadium, he might see the vision that could see him battling for golden boot awards with the Norwegian goal machine. Who knows how high his ceiling can go?

AND, in other news: “One to watch..”: Journo drops Southampton transfer claim that supporters will love.

A big Newcastle United claim has emerged on the club’s plans for the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has confirmed that the Magpies are keen on Jack Harrison, Harvey Barnes, and Anthony Gordon.

However, the reporter has stressed that the club has not gone any further in their pursuits of any of the wingers on their radar.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t think they’ll just bring in a striker or a winger for the sake of it. But the names that you mentioned, Barnes, Harrison and Gordon, they’re all players that the club are interested in. But I think that’s as far as it goes at the moment.”

Miguel Almiron upgrade

Eddie Howe could land an upgrade to his team as all three players are proven Premier League wingers who have the quality to come in and improve the team.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Miguel Almiron did not offer anywhere near enough in the final third. He played 30 matches in the league – starting 19 – as a wide player and contributed one goal and zero assists in total, which shows that he was unable to make a big impact in the final third.

Barnes, meanwhile, produced six goals and ten assists in 32 games. The 24-year-old started 24 times and created eight ‘big chances’ for his teammates as he showcased his ability at the top end of the pitch.

Harrison, likewise, enjoyed a productive year as he chipped in with eight goals and one assist in the top-flight, a year on from managing eight goals and eight assists in his first year in the Premier League.

These statistics prove that both players would be a significant upgrade on Almiron as they offer far more in the final third. They have the quality to make key contributions in front of goal, which is something the Paraguay international has struggled with.

In Gordon, Newcastle would be bringing in a slight upgrade on the dud in the short term but a player with vast potential to improve.

At the age of 21, he scored four goals and set up two in 35 matches for Everton last term. He has shown that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch, albeit not to the same degree as Barnes and Harrison, and he has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and hone his skills.

Howe will now be hoping that, at least, one of them comes through the door in the coming weeks…

Aston Villa are interested in bringing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley back to Villa Park, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Barkley’s loan spell

Barkley, who was hailed by his former boss Frank Lampard for his ‘complete’ role with Chelsea and described by Harry Redknapp as a player who ‘has everything’, spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Villa.

Reports suggested that Villa paid an £11m loan fee for the 28-year-old, who made 24 Premier League appearances in the Midlands, scoring three times and providing one assist under Dean Smith.

Barkley is still under contract with Chelsea but appears to be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, and it seems as if a return to Villa Park could be a possibility.

The Latest: Villa keen on Barkley

Phillips provided an update regarding Barkley’s future when speaking to GiveMeSport in a story shared on Saturday evening. .

He said that ‘a lot’ of clubs are keen on Barkley’s services, including Villa, as he stated:

“With Ross Barkley, he’s got a lot of other clubs interested in him at the moment so it’s not just Everton. He’s got Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa and Celtic. So got plenty of options to go to.”

The Verdict: One to watch?

Ashley Preece believes that Villa will step up their efforts to sign a new midfielder after Carney Chukwuemeka left for Chelsea, so Barkley may well prove to be that man.

While the 28-year-old didn’t have the best of loan spells in the Midlands, working under a new manager in Gerrard may bring out a different side to the midfielder, who has plenty of Premier League experience.

You’d expect that Barkley would be able to play in multiple roles in Gerrard’s system, either as an attack-minded midfielder or in a box-to-box role, so this could be one to watch closely.

Celtic have submitted an offer for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Barkley move

The Hoops’ transfer business may not be done just yet, with Ange Postecoglou thought to be chasing one more midfielder and one more attacking option.

Barkley is a player who has been linked with an audacious switch to Parkhead, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

The 28-year-old only made one start in the Premier League for the Blues last season, and although some members of the media have claimed a move to Glasgow won’t happen, a fresh report suggests it could truly be on.

The Latest: ‘Shock’ offer

According to Football Insider, Celtic have ‘submitted an offer’ for Barkley and ‘Postecoglou has given the green light to a shock swoop’.

A season-long loan deal for the 33-time capped England international is mooted, and while the Hoops cannot afford his £120,000 per week wages in full, they have offered to ‘pay a significant portion’ of his salary.

The Verdict: Hugely exciting news

Barkley could be an outstanding signing for Celtic, possessing the technical quality and unpredictability to light up Parkhead with an injection of end product into the attacking midfield ranks.

The former Everton prodigy himself has said in the past that he wants to be considered ‘world-class’, while Joe Cole has described him as ‘fantastic’ and a ‘top, top’ player in the recent past, and although it hasn’t worked out at Stamford Bridge there is certainly talent ready to be unleashed.

Barkley has 60 goal contributions to his name in the Premier League and 77 in total for club and country, which is a testament to his class, and at 28, there is no reason why he can’t perform at his peak for Celtic this season.