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Liverpool’s summer transfer plans have suffered a potentially significant blow after a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez was ruled out.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce, the 26-year-old is available in the current window, although his wage demands have so far proved too high for any potential suitor.

When asked in a Q&A for the website about the Reds’ chances of signing the midfielder, the journalist outlined: “Unless there’s a change of heart from Liverpool, I can’t see it. He’s been offered around to a host of clubs, but his wage demands are massive.” 

The Anfield outfit have been heavily linked with a move for Saul in recent weeks following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum, but it seems as though he’s unlikely to be arriving on Merseyside anytime soon.

[freshpress-poll

Liverpool fans will be absolutely gutted

News that Liverpool are thought to be out of the running for Saul will surely leave the club’s supporters feeling gutted.

Wijnaldum’s decision to leave the 19-time English champions following five successful years with the club has left a huge hole in the Reds’ engine room given his consistent presence in the starting XI, and the Atletico ace would have been an ideal candidate to fill it.

Indeed, his WhoScored average match rating of 6.76 was better than the Dutchman’s 6.62, while also eclipsing Liverpool midfielders Naby Keita (6.59), Curtis Jones (6.58), James Milner (6.48) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (6.18), which suggests that he could have been a significant enhancement to Jurgen Klopp’s squad in that department.

Over the last few campaigns, Saul has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the game, winning one La Liga title, two Europa Leagues and one Copa del Rey throughout his time with Los Rojiblancos.

However, the emergence and incredible displays of Marcos Llorente forced Saul down Atletico’s pecking order last season, limiting him to just 22 La Liga starts.

The technically gifted maestro missed out on a place in Luis Enrique’s 24-man squad for Euro 2020 as a result, and he is now keen for a new challenge.

It seemed at various points throughout the current window that Saul’s new surroundings would be Anfield, but that prospect appears to be over for now at least, which will surely come as a source of much frustration for Kopites.

In other news… Bye-Bye Shaqiri: Edwards must sanction Liverpool swoop for “exceptional” £21.2m wizard 

Ange Postecoglou has now had a few days under his belt to get to know some of the Celtic players.

He touched down in Glasgow for the first time last week following quarantine and has now held his first training sessions at Lennoxtown.

The Hoops have a number of pre-season friendly matches to look forward to before their Champions League qualifying campaign gets underway.

They will, however, have to undergo the first few weeks of training without those players who went to the European Championships.

Postecoglou will also have to make quick decisions on the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer who could both leave but a new manager should act as a clean slate and a fresh start for every player on their books.

On the chalkboard

The same goes for Boli Bolingoli, a player who if Neil Lennon was still in charge, would have no future at the club.

Last summer, the Belgian was forced to move out on loan following a remarkable set of events.

During the height of the pandemic, Bolingoli visited Spain for an unsanctioned trip that the club wasn’t aware of.

The defender failed to quarantine upon his return and then featured in the matchday squad against Kilmarnock a few days later. He featured as a substitute, not only putting his teammates at risk but also the playing and coaching staff at Killie.

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Speaking in the aftermath of that situation, Lennon called him “stupid” before going onto say: “This has been premeditated. You don’t book a flight to Spain on a whim. He knew exactly what he was doing. So this has been quite calculated. It’s been total disregarding of the outcome and the risks involved, so he will be dealt with in the strongest possible way by the club.”

That incident has now been brushed under the carpet but the £15k-per-week earner would be fortunate to earn an opportunity under Postecoglou anyway.

Celtic appear to be in the market for a left-sided defender this summer after Diego Laxalt’s loan spell came to an end with Aaron Hickey being targeted for a Bhoys reunion.

On top of that, the new manager has plenty of younger players at his disposal.

Adam Montgomery made his first-team breakthrough at left-back under John Kennedy towards the back end of the season and he could get more senior minutes after Postecoglou placed blooding the next generation on his list of priorities.

Celtic also have Matthew Anderson coming through the ranks, a youngster who has already earned comparisons to Kieran Tierney.

Bolingoli burned his bridges at Paradise 12 months ago and shouldn’t have a look in, especially with younger options coming through.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops exciting Celtic transfer news, fans should be buzzing…

Charlton must act quickly to secure a transfer coup as a major update has emerged, one which could result in the club missing out on a deal.

What’s the talk?

According to The News, League One side Ipswich have joined the race to land Portsmouth goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray this summer. The report claims that Ipswich boss Paul Cook is ready to launch a raid on his former club by pursuing a deal to sign MacGillivray on a free transfer next month.

MacGillivray’s current deal expires at the end of June and Portsmouth have opted against triggering a 12-month extension as they are facing a reduced budget and as such, are unable to afford his wage demands.

Last month, London News Online claimed that Charlton are eyeing up MacGillivray as a possible target. Ben Amos is also out of contract this summer and Charlton have identified MacGillivray as a player they could bring in to replace the shot-stopper.

After he saved a penalty against Accrington Stanley in 2018, Pompey journalist Neil Allen labeled MacGillivray as a “confident” player, who has a strong mentality. He told The News:

“You can talk about his mentality that he gave that away but he made the save.

“So he’s a very strong, mentally, keeper as well and he’s been a really good signing,

“That’s been his only big mistake all season and it still didn’t go in.

“He doesn’t drop anything when he comes for crosses as well, is very confident, and he made a couple of good saves later on as well.”

Fans would be buzzing

Charlton fans would be buzzing if the club could secure a deal to sign McGillivray ahead of Ipswich. If they can act quickly and beat Ipswich to the punch in this race then they could land a fantastic League One shot-stopper and find an adept replacement for Amos, if the former Manchester United man does decide to leave the club at the end of the month.

Ipswich are clearly presenting a challenge to Charlton and Adkins’ side must act now to make sure they do not come out second-best.

Amos enjoyed a fine season with Charlton and kept 17 clean sheets in 46 League One appearances, conceding 56 times. McGillivray, meanwhile, conceded 51 times and kept 15 clean sheets for Portsmouth in League One and was named the club’s Player of the Season for the 2020/21 campaign. This shows how highly the Pompey fans rate MacGillivray and why he could be a terrific replacement for Amos.

The £2.4k-per-week beast between the sticks, MacGillivray, could, therefore, be a superb addition to Nigel Adkins’ squad. He posted similar statistics to Amos in League One and is three years younger than the current Charlton shot-stopper. This means that Charlton could get a few more seasons of service out of MacGillivray in comparison to Amos, which could make him an ideal player to come in, with fans able to potentially being able to enjoy watching MacGillivray for years to come.

AND in other news, Get it done: Charlton must seal deal for £6k-p/w ace who “desperately wants to play”…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting positively to an update on Florian Neuhaus, with the German thought to be the Reds’ Gini Wijnaldum replacement.

Wijnaldum’s time as a Liverpool has come to an end, with the Dutchman joining Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

The 30-year-old could leave a gaping void in the Reds’ midfield, with his consistency and availability so key to Jurgen Klopp’s side’s success in recent years.

The hope is that Liverpool bring in a replacement for Wijnaldum and Neuhaus has been constantly linked with a summer move to Anfield.

The midfielder is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Germany and AS claim that he remains Klopp’s chosen man to come in for the Netherlands international.

Neuhaus is likened to German legend Toni Kroos in the report, which can only bode well if the Reds end up getting their man.

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Liverpool fans happy with Neuhaus update

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the news (via LFC Transfer Room, June 14).

“Oh wowwww”

Credit: @tsrbys

“Great!”

Credit: @kofi_svn

“Need it. Need it bad”

Credit: @ColinBallinMMA

“If Klopp rates him then I rate him”

Credit: @thelfcarticle

“Klopp knows ballers”

Credit: @lfcels_

“Klopp man”

Credit: @lfcfelix_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been urging the Reds to accept a bid for one player – find out who it is here. 

David Moyes is in line to receive a major behind-the-scenes boost at West Ham United this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the 58-year-old Scotsman has hired his son, David Moyes Jnr, to work in the Irons’ revamped scouting and recruitment network.

It’s a move that highlights his growing influence at the East London outfit as he’s been trusted to form his own scouting department, with more senior appointments expected in the near future.

Moyes Jnr has left his role as an agent with Wasserman, who have some big names like Man City’s John Stones and Liverpool defender Joe Gomez on their books, to join his father at the London Stadium.

GSB trust

This will come as a hugely encouraging boost to many at the Hammers, especially Moyes, who has seemingly earned the trust of the club’s hierarchy during his second stint.

The former Everton boss was linked with a sensational return to Goodison Park before signing a new three-year extension and in the 16 months or so that he’s been back, he’s transformed West Ham’s fortunes greatly.

After avoiding relegation with one game to go in 2019/20, the Scot guided the squad into the Europa League, recording their best-ever points tally and their highest finish since 1999.

Moyes has managed to achieve such a feat thanks to his impressive coaching on the training ground as well as his phenomenal recruitment in the transfer market.

Nobody could’ve foreseen the impact of unknown Czech duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, who both appear to be two absolute bargains, whilst the turnaround in Jesse Lingard’s career was just as unpredictable.

And that’s all thanks to Moyes.

Therefore, it should come as little surprise to see GSB put their faith in the 58-year-old to build his own scouting network.

This sort of thing escaped him during his first tenure, so it represents a change in attitude from those at the very top and that’ll come as a hugely exciting boost to West Ham.

Moyes will have to do the business in the window once again if they are to stand a chance at remaining competitive next season as right now, the squad lacks substantial depth options right across the pitch.

Either way, fans should be buzzing by this latest development from Rush Green.

AND in other news, Hammers must secure “unbelievable” 30-goal beast amid concerning ExWHUemployee update…

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce could sign the club’s best striker since Alan Shearer in Villareal sensation Gerard Moreno.

What’s the story?

According to Italian publication Calciomercato, the Magpies are one of the Premier League sides interested in signing the Spaniard this summer, with West Ham and AS Roma also said to be monitoring his situation.

The best since Alan Shearer

Unless you were watching La Liga football week-in and week-out, then the only real moments you would have seen of Moreno’s undoubted quality is in the Europa League’s closing stages, when he shone against Arsenal and then netted in the final against Manchester United.

The Spain international bagged seven goals and provided another four assists to fire his side to the trophy, and his performances in the competition were equally reflected in the league too – in total, he scored 30 times last season and also set up another 11.

And that ability to bring his fellow teammates into play make him the kind of all-round striker that could actually work in tandem with Callum Wilson, and not potentially replace him.

Speaking to La Liga Lowdown, Geoff Gillingham said: “Early on, he was in and out of the team, but under Quique, he became more like a 9.5 – like Karim Benzema, and it allowed him to become our goalscorer, but also our playmaker.”

Meanwhile, Villarreal president Fernando Roig hailed him as “perfect” and “capable” of adapting to different conditions, which should bode well for his chances of acclimatising to the Premier League and English football in general.

The 29-year-old has been a prolific goal-scorer for a number of seasons now, breaching the ten-goal mark for the past five years, including netting 50 in the past two campaigns alone.

While the likes of Demba Ba and Callum Wilson have had their success on Tyneside, Moreno would arrive at St James’ Park as a Europa League winner and someone proven on the biggest stage, just like Shearer was when he won the Premier League title with Blackburn before his move to the Magpies.

And, neither Ba or Wilson ever got anywhere near breaking the 30-goal barrier in their careers like Moreno just did last season, and that’s a real testament to the consistency with which the Spaniard played.

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Moreno is as clinical as they come, as well as being a supreme creator of goals himself. It’s what makes him Newcastle’s best potential striker since Big Al.

Meanwhile, Mike Ashley must sanction a £20m swoop for this “explosive” star…

Xisco Munoz’s Watford are considering a move for Mbaye Diagne this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the Hornets, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, have put the Galatasaray centre-forward on their list of potential targets in the upcoming transfer window.

It is also reported that, following West Bromwich Albion’s relegation to the Championship, a permanent move to the club where the 29-year-old has spent the second half of the season on loan now appears to be off the table.

Giaretta must move

Despite having only linked up with the Baggies in January, Diagne has nevertheless had an impact on the club over his 15 Premier League appearances. The £2.7m-rated striker bagging three goals and registering two assists, as well as averaging 2.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as West Brom’s seventh-best player in the top flight.

It would appear as if the £39,000-a-week (£2m per year) forward knows how to find the back of the net and provide assists in the Premier League, which is no mean feat when playing for a team with the third-worst attacking record in the division.

However, if the Galatasaray striker were to link up with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr – who has scored 18 goals and registered eight assists over his first two seasons in English football – this summer, it is not difficult to imagine Diagne benefiting from the creativity and clinical nature of the Hornets winger. In turn, that could easily lead to the 29-year-old returning much greater figures at Watford than during his time at West Brom.

As such, Cristiano Giaretta should be doing everything in his power to convince Diagne – who West Brom journalist Joe Masi described as “dangerous” – of a move to Watford this summer, as the 29-year-old would very much appear to be an impressive addition to Xisco’s attacking arsenal at Vicarage Road.

In other news: Watford suffer huge blow in pursuit of “talented” £25k-p/w gem, Giaretta will be livid – opinion

A number of Aston Villa fans were unimpressed with winger Anwar El Ghazi in the 2-1 win over Tottenham on Wednesday evening.

Dean Smith recorded his 50th win as Villa boss, with a Sergio Reguilon own goal and an Ollie Watkins winner silencing 10,000 Tottenham fans.

However, it was El Ghazi’s display that had plenty of Villa supporters talking on social media, and not for the right reasons.

The 26-year-old made his 16th Premier League start of the season and 30th appearance in all competitions, playing the entirety of the game.

He was actually Villa’s worst-rated performer, as per SofaScore, with a match rating of 6.5/10. The Dutch international was coming up against Japhet Tanganga and lost 13 duels in total, while also losing possession 16 times.

El Ghazi also missed a great chance to put Villa 3-1 up after being set up by club captain Jack Grealish.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa fans had to say about the wide man, with one describing his performance as ‘putrid’.

“El Ghazi having a bad game, Maybe time for a change”Credit: @helena_geary”El Ghazi been really poor again today.”Credit: @caguitar”El Ghazi has been putrid today. So lightweight.”Credit: @Holy_Trinity_AV”Absolutely shocking miss from El Ghazi”Credit: @Hodsie”El Ghazi an important part of the attacking quartet tonight, but my God he is frustrating”Credit: @AVFC_AndyC”El Ghazi isn’t having the best of games is he”Credit: @FloppyChicken92

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Exactly what we need’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as links to ‘unreal’ ace emerge, find out more here. 

With Ange Postecoglou nearing his move to Celtic, the Bhoys can finally begin ramping up their efforts in the transfer market.

This is a transition period for the Hoops but there will be no excuses if they aren’t ready in time for the new season at Parkhead.

On the chalkboard

One player who will be relishing the new campaign getting underway is Christopher Jullien.

The Frenchman has been missing with an injury since late December but still faces a lengthy period away from the pitch.

The central defender has barely been seen in 2021 but did make a cheeky appearance during the unveiling of the new Celtic jersey.

As the Hoops surrendered their grasp on the Premiership and then lost to Rangers in the Scottish Cup, it was a barrage of defensive mistakes that cost them.

Jullien has been caught out at times in the famous green and white but a combination of the centre-back and Kristoffer Ajer would have been beneficial.

Recruits needed

If there is one area that Celtic need to strengthen this summer it’s at the back. Ajer looks as though he’s heading to the Premier League while it remains to be seen how much football Jullien will play at the beginning of the new campaign.

Fortunately, Dominic McKay and co have recognised the need to bolster their options.

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According to Aftonbladet the Bhoys are interested in signing Joseph Okumu from Swedish side Elfsborg.

They face competition from Rangers for his signature but it’s the Hoops who need him more when you consider their defensive struggles of 2020/21. In the league, they conceded 16 more goals than their fierce rivals for instance.

Okumu would not only lend a helping hand in their conquest to win back the Premiership but they could also land a player with similar traits and characteristics to Jullien.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the Kenyan is just an inch shorter but because of their height, they both reign supreme in the air. For context, Jullien won 5.1 aerial duels per game in the 2020/21 campaign.

Okumu has tried to model his game on the likes of David Luiz and Thiago Silva which lends itself to a strong passing ability. The 24-year-old may have some of the classic defensive qualities like heading the ball away from danger but his passing is also eye-catching, an area that Jullien shines in.

With the injured Celtic star completing over 83% of his passes last term, the recruitment team will need to find someone who is equally adept with the ball at their feet.

Described as “something special” by Real Monarchs manager Dan Egner after he signed in America, the centre-back has caught the eye for a while.

Though, if we’re looking at areas he can upgrade on Jullien, it’s in the pace department. Okumu was named as the fastest player in the Swedish top-flight after clocking a speed of 34.58 km/h.

That’s an incredibly useful skill for a defender as it gives them a huge advantage when making a recovery run.

Elfsborg sporting director Stefan Andreasson is another to have added to the plaudits, saying: “We understood that this was a very good player, then he showed maybe the whole of Sweden last year, and also Europe. It is clear that Okumu is one of the best.”

He continued; “I have said it once before, that he is the best centre-back that has ever been in the Allsvenskan – you can say that sometimes.”

Okumu is a bullish defender, one who can combine pace and power to dominate opponents; he’d be a valuable addition to the ranks at Paradise.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Turnbull: £16k-p/w Celtic gem has to be unleashed under Postecoglou…

Many Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update from Fabrizio Romano on Max Aarons.

As per a tweet from the Italian football journalist and transfer guru, the Goodison Park faithful are ‘leading the race’ to sign the Norwich City star, and advanced talks are ‘progressing’.

The Merseyside club have started contacts since February and ‘hope’ that they can reach an agreement soon, with Aarons set to leave Carrow Road in the summer window.

With Seamus Coleman not getting any younger, the 21-year-old would be an ideal long-term replacement for the Republic of Ireland international, and has experience of playing in the Premier League before in the 2019/20 term with the Canaries.

Nonetheless, Aarons would certainly be a big coup for Carlo Ancelotti’s team given the competition for his signature, and with NCFC willing to sell, a deal is very much possible for the Blues.

Everton fans on Aarons transfer update

These Toffees supporters lauded the transfer update on Aarons on Twitter:

“Aarons and Godfrey back ahhhhh”

Credit: @taylor_davies77

“Let’s go Fabrizio!!”

Credit: @Lawemannen

“It’s a party…But if the price is right. But for now we party”

Credit: @gersonselema

“Music to my ears.”

Credit: @DavidFo38145364

“SIUUUU”

Credit: @AnarchoNat

“Here we gooo”

Credit: @_DL96

In other news, find out what Patrick Boyland update has left EFC fans fuming here!