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A Newcastle United development has emerged on the club’s pursuit of Sven Botman heading into the summer window.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the Dutch enforcer is one of the Magpies’ top targets ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and that they have not given up hope of beating AC Milan to his signature.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“They tried really hard in January to get him but just couldn’t get that deal done.

“I don’t think the interest has gone away, it’s still a position Eddie Howe wants to improve on this summer and bring in a new centre-back. So if they can land a Sven Botman who has been very high up their list of targets, it would be a great signing for Newcastle.

“There’s fierce competition from the likes of Milan for the Dutchman as well, so it’s going to be a hard one to do, but Newcastle are in there and still trying to do it. They will be hoping to lure him to St James’ Park.”

Eddie Howe will be excited

The Toon head coach will be excited by this claim because it shows that PIF, and now Dan Ashworth, are working hard behind the scenes to get this deal over the line.

They have not been put off by Milan’s interest in him and are still trying to bring the central defender to St. James’ Park for next season.

The Italian giants won the Serie A and have Champions League football to offer Botman, whilst Newcastle can only offer Premier League football and the prospect of more in the future. This illustrates the size of the task at hand to convince him to join the Magpies and Howe will be buzzing that the club are doing everything they can to win the race in spite of their disadvantage.

He will also be delighted with their efforts as Botman would be an excellent signing for Newcastle. The 22-year-old has proven himself in Ligue 1 and shown that he is capable of delivering strong performances on a consistent basis at centre-back.

In two seasons with Lille, the defender has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08 or higher in 62 top-flight appearances, whilst winning over 65% of his duels over the course of both campaigns.

The gem has the strength to come out on top in the majority of his physical battles and has shown that he can perform to a high level week-in-week-out, which is why Howe will be excited by the club’s attempts to sign him.

AND in other news, Imagine him & ASM: Howe can form scary NUFC duo with 58-goal hotshot who has “swagger”…

West Ham United are in talks to sign forward Jesse Lingard on a Bosman deal and already have a plan in place for after the ‘deal is completed’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing move…

As reliably reported elsewhere, Lingard remains a priority target for Moyes and the Hammers following their previous attempts to bring him back to the London Stadium.

The 29-year-old dazzled on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2020/2021 Premier League season, scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 16 starts.

Rio Ferdinand was quick to praise the ‘amazing’ Lingard during this spell but he couldn’t quite fight his way into the United starting eleven over 21/22.

Moyes is apparently pushing to seal Lingard on a permanent deal this window with a Turkish reporter now sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Lingard ‘talks’ claim made…

According to the journalist who works for Italian news outlet Calcio In Pillole, West Ham are indeed ‘in talks’ to sign Lingard.

As well as this, Moyes and co apparently have a plan for ‘when the deal is completed’ – and that is to ‘seek offers’ for winger Said Benrahma (Twitter).

The Verdict: In motion?

It appears the Irons boss wants to replace Benrahma with Lingard this summer as he aims to upgrade and rotate his squad, coming as a fair few decisions are made behind-the-scenes.

As West Ham set their sights on transfer targets, the east Londoners are seemingly willing to let many current first teamers depart in their stead – including the likes of Tomas Soucek according to recent reports.

This could be a really interesting summer for GSB and one which may well define their 2022/2023 season and beyond.

In other news: ‘I believe…’ – ExWHUemployee has ‘great news’ for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.

Rangers ended their 2021/22 campaign on a high as they won the Scottish Cup final to bring one trophy back to Ibrox.

The Gers missed out on silverware in the Premiership and the Europa League as they finished runners-up in both competitions.

Gio van Bronckhorst will now have his first summer transfer window in charge to improve his team in order to go again next term with the hope of winning more than one trophy.

One position in which he is looking to strengthen is at centre-back as the club have been linked with a move for Cameron Humphreys.

The defender is set to leave Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem at the end of his contract this summer and Rangers are reportedly interested in signing him, alongside a number of teams from England.

Van Bronckhorst has a difficult situation to manage at centre-back as Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson are out of contract and Calvin Bassey has been touted with an Ibrox exit.

Imagine him & John Souttar

However, Souttar will be arriving from Hearts ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and he can form a dream partnership with Humphreys at the back.

The Scotland international is a proven, quality, Premiership performer who can slot straight into the team and lead the backline next term. In the top-flight this season, the 25-year-old averaged an exceptional SofaScore rating of 7.30 in 27 appearances.

He won a whopping 71% of his duels and made 3.9 clearances per game as he made himself a rock at the back for Hearts. Souttar has shown that he can deliver on a consistent basis and this means that he would be the perfect partner for a young player coming in from abroad – Humphreys.

The 23-year-old defender won 71% of his aerial battles and 62% of his duels in total in the top-flight of Belgian football in the season just gone, showing that he can be physically dominant and not be bullied by the opposition. He also made 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game as he showcased some strong defensive instincts.

Humphreys is untested in the Premiership, though, and this is why pairing him with a proven quantity – Souttar – can make for the perfect blend at the heart of van Bronckhorst’s defence.

Former Man City coach Simon Davies once claimed that the gem can become a “real leader” and this highlights the potential he has from a mental standpoint. He can grow into a key figure on and off the pitch with his leadership skills, which can also be aided by Souttar’s presence – who has captained Hearts in the past.

It is now down to Ross Wilson to convince the Englishman to turn down interest from his home country to make the switch to Glasgow as it would be a dream deal for the club to solve their centre-back issues.

AND in other news, GvB can find Kemar Roofe 2.0 in Rangers swoop for “clinical” gem who “rarely misses”…

Liverpool have been linked with a number of players already despite the transfer window not opening for another week, and now an update on a potential transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are continuing to try to tempt Barcelona midfielder Gavi to make a move to the Premier League this summer.

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As per the report, it suggests that the youngster is Liverpool’s number one target and are plotting a bid of €50m (£42.5m) to trigger his termination clause and Liverpool are waiting for answers which Gavi and his representatives will give in the coming days.

Bellingham 2.0

Following reported interest in Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahim Sangare and Jude Bellingham already, it is clear that Jurgen Klopp has identified the midfield as the key area of improvement this summer and if Liverpool could secure a £42.5m deal for Gavi it would be a major coup that could save FSG millions.

Bellingham would reportedly cost the Kopites £101m to sign him from Borussia Dortmund, which is double what the report suggests they would need to pay for Gavi who has shown in his performances for Barcelona this season that he can compete with the Englishman for the midfield spot at Anfield.

The 17-year-old gem who was hailed “spectacular” by Xavi has scored two goals and contributed five assists, creating eight big chances, makes 1.1 tackles on average per game and has been successful in the majority of his dribbles (62%) in 34 appearances for the La Liga giants this season.

Xavi also claimed that the youngster has “no ceiling” after scoring and assisting against Elche at Camp Nou:

“More than anything his work is spectacular. We’re happy to have him and I don’t want to compare him to anyone. There’s no ceiling for him.”

Gavi is only a year younger than Bellingham, but is on a similar trajectory to becoming a wonderkid just like the Dortmund star and if Liverpool can swoop for the midfielder before he has another phenomenal season in La Liga which will inevitably make his transfer fee skyrockets it would be a huge signing for the club.

A quick look at FB Ref tells you that Gavi is similar to the Dortmund star too, with the England international ranking as the third most comparable player to the Spanish maestro.

On that evidence, the teenager has the world at his feet.

AND in other news: Forget Tchouameni: FSG can get Liverpool rocking by signing “dangerous” £21m brute

The glittering early reign of Ange Postecoglou at Celtic has seen the 56-year-old showcase his talent for identifying quality and affordable additions in the transfer market, with the wave of incomings having proven vital in the club’s Premiership triumph.

The same cannot be said of his predecessor Neil Lennon, the Northern Irishman having overseen a dismal end to his second stint in charge at Parkhead, notably making some bizarre signings and missing out on some potentially crucial acquisitions.

One such missed opportunity is that of Amine Gouiri, the 22-year-old having been linked with a move to Glasgow in the summer of 2020 as the club eyed another French success story after bringing in Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard in previous years.

The young forward had previously gained wider attention after his stunning displays at the European Under-17 Championship in 2017 in which he netted seven goals, making his senior club debut just a few months later.

Despite catching the eye of the Glasgow giants in 2020, the deal ultimately fell through as reports at the time suggested that the Hoops were unwilling to fork out the required fee to prise him from Lyon, with doubts over spending that amount on a player who at the time had made just eight Ligue 1 appearances.

As it proved, the “wonderkid” – as he has been described by Opta – made the move to Nice later that summer in a €7m (£5.9m) deal, with that figure now looking like a total bargain, such has been his form in the past two seasons.

The £13k-per-week gem has chipped in with 45 goal contributions in just 83 appearances for his current club and has even been compared to Karim Benzema. His tally includes ten goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 so far this term, while also helping Christophe Galtier’s side to reach the French Cup final, where they were defeated by Nantes.

Such has been his meteoric rise, Gouiri is now valued at a staggering £45m by Transfermarkt, almost eight times more than what Lennon and co could have paid for him less than two years ago.

To rub further salt in the wounds, Celtic did end up splashing the cash on a striker that summer, eventually forking out a reported £4.5m on Albian Ajeti, just a fraction less than what they could have paid for the young Frenchman.

As those at Celtic Park are fully aware, the Swiss marksman has failed to make the grade thus far, with a paltry nine goals in 48 appearances. His valuation now stands at just £2.25m, illustrating just how poorly the club spent their transfer budget in the summer of 2020.

On recent form, it looks as if Gouiri will continue to haunt the Hoops over their misjudgment two years ago.

In other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Crystal Palace are set to lose their captain Luka Milivojevic this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to Greek news outlet Transfer Geeks, who claimed that the Serbian midfielder has agreed to leave the Eagles and return to his former club Olympiacos.

As per the report, it is said that Milivojevic will sign for the Piraeus outfit in a deal worth €3.5m (£3m), with the 31-year-old entering the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

It’s a long way from the £13m fee that that Palace paid Olympiacos for the then-25-year-old in January 2017, although it’s fair to say they have had their use in the form of 177 appearances from the Serbian.

Natural leader

Losing Milivojevic will come as a blow to the Palace squad, with the “natural leader” playing a large role in the squad despite seeing his minutes decrease under Vieira, who has opted to deploy Kouyate as a holding midfielder over the 31-year-old more often than not.

Having made just nine starts in the Premier League this season, Milivojevic may have picked a good time to depart, particularly with the links surrounding Palace’s ambitions to strengthen their holding midfield options.

With a reputation as a penalty expert, having amassed a total of 28 goals for the Selhurst Park outfit (22 from the spot), he has more than played his part in helping Palace to achieve their ambition of Premier League stability under the tenures of Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson and now Vieira.

At the age of 31 and entering the twilight of his career, he may well be seeking regular minutes. That is something he cannot be promised at Crystal Palace, so the prospective move to Greece makes sense for both parties.

Nonetheless, given how much the Serbian has contributed in south London, Vieira may well be gutted to lose such an influential figure.

In other news: “Time to move…“: Matt Woosnam makes CPFC transfer claim that supporters will love

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst was not shy of handing out opportunities to academy players as his side ended the Premiership campaign with a 3-1 win at the weekend.

Adam Devine, Charlie McCann, Leon King, Tony Weston, Ross McCausland and Cole McKinnon were all given minutes on the pitch to showcase their quality at first-team level.

Lowry caught the eye with a goal and an assist from midfield but he was not the only youngster who impressed on the day as Devine put in an exciting showing at the back.

FFC recently published an article suggesting that the right-back may be the next Nathan Patterson who can play a back-up role to James Tavernier and be sold for a profit in the future, but this matured performance against Hearts suggests that he could have a brighter future at Rangers.

Instead of being viewed as a player who can be a squad player and moved on in a few years to rake in a few million, he could be seen as the long-term replacement for the captain.

This is why van Bronckhorst must finally unleash the 19-year-old on a regular basis at the start of the 2022/23 campaign to help him ease into the role.

Journalist Craig Vickers was impressed by his display against Hearts as he praised him after the match, Tweeting: “Devine isn’t as clean technically as Patterson and doesn’t have his self-belief in possession, but he looks like another powerful runner in that position.”

Reporter Joshua Barrie replied to this by Tweeting: “Thought Devine took his chance over this past week well. Next season’s understudy?”

These comments suggest that he did enough to pass the eye test and the statistics back up that he enjoyed a great afternoon in the Scottish top-flight.

As per SofaScore, he completed 84% of his passes and 100% of his attempted dribbles in the game as he proved that he is comfortable on the ball and likes to get forward. He also made a whopping six clearances to go along with one interception and two tackles as he got stuck in defensively and worked hard for the team throughout the 90 minutes.

The fact that he played the entire match also indicates that van Bronckhorst trusts him to perform throughout an entire first-team match, which bodes well heading into next season. The Dutch head coach must now continue to give him chances as he moulds him into being Tavernier’s successor in the years to come.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers bid for “top notch” 16 G/A “master”, GVB needs him badly…

West Ham United manager David Moyes is personally eyeing a Premier League move for Hull City sensation Keane Lewis-Potter with a Rush Green exit now expected, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye new forward…

The Hammers and Moyes are reportedly eager to bolster their forward options in the summer window with both an out-and-out striker and attacking midfielder on the cards.

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West Ham are allegedly still interested in Man United playmaker Jesse Lingard and are keeping tabs on both Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Lewis-Potter, who has been standing out as a really promising talent in the Championship this season, is also reportedly of interest to Moyes with a Rush Green exit now ‘expected’.

The Latest: Moyes looks at Lewis-Potter…

As per The Guardian, West Ham’s boss has ‘looked at’ signing the 21-year-old as he eyes a move to the top tier.

This comes as winger Andriy Yarmolenko is ‘expected to leave’ upon the expiry of his contract this summer, even despite the Ukraine international’s recent heroics against Sevilla and Aston Villa.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Reports suggest Hull could demand around £20 million, but taking into account his form and real potential, Lewis-Potter could be worth the investment.

The Englishman has also been attracting interest from north London rivals Spurs having racked up 12 goals and four assists over a staggering 46 second tier appearances.

Still very young, Lewis-Potter is a mainstay at the MKM Stadium with former boss Grant McCann calling him a ‘special’ player.

Having become such an important player for Hull at just 21, the sky appears to be the limit, and £20m could look like chump change in a few seasons time.

In other news: ‘Evolving situation’ – Journalist says West Ham are now eyeing a ‘massive signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Steven Gerrard has had a mixed start to Premier League life at Aston Villa since arriving from Rangers in mid-November.

While an encouraging start was more than welcome by the incoming manager, it tailed off and the side suffered throughout Christmas and New Year as Gerrard realised that this Premier League management business would be trickier than anticipated.

The January transfer window proved to be a success, bringing in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne as he began to stamp his authority on the team.

One area that urgently needs strengthening, however, is the centre forward position. Gerrard does have Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings ready and available, but it is a player who is currently out on loan that could be key in the future.

Cameron Archer has huge potential and was sent out on loan to Preston North End in January, where he has netted seven goals in 19 appearances and is already living up to his promise.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe has heaped the praise on the youngster since he joined, labelling him “bullish” and someone who has “an abundance of talent” and he isn’t wrong.

Archer has been involved for Villa in the Premier League and EFL Cup this season, but it’s his heroics at his adopted side that had led many to sing his praises.

The way it’s going, Archer could well make the club a fortune in the near future, although Gerrard might just want to hang onto the striker for the time being.

Pre-season will be an important time for the 20-year-old, and it could well be his big opportunity to tell the former England captain and his staff that he deserves a spot in the first-team squad for the whole campaign.

Whatever happens, Villa has a remarkable talent in their midst and must keep hold of him for the time being.

AND in other news, “Gerrard really keen..“: Preece drops exciting Villa transfer claim, Lange must pounce

Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with Paulo Dybala regarding a switch to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to James Olley, with the ESPN journalist revealing on Twitter that Fabio Paratici has contacted the Juventus forward concerning a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium upon the expiry of his current deal at the Allianz Stadium at the end of the season.

However, the journalist added that Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United – along with unnamed clubs from Italy and Spain – have also been in talks with the 28-year-old, who is thought to be considering his options before deciding where his future lies.

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In his tweet, Olley said: “Arsenal, Tottenham, Man Utd & Newcastle have made contact with Paulo Dybala’s representatives over a summer move. Nothing at an advanced stage, just exploring the idea – player assessing his options (also interest from clubs in Italy and Spain).”

Conte would love him

Considering just how impressive Dybala has been for Juventus this season, and with the Argentina international will be available on a free transfer, it is easy to see why Conte would be interested in a deal for the attacker this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Serie A appearances this term, the £36m-rated sensation has been one of Massimiliano Allegri’s standout performers, scoring nine goals, registering five assists and creating 10 big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 3.7 shots and 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £220k-per-week forward average a breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.48, not only ranking him as the Bianconeri’s best player in the Italian top flight but also as the third-best in the entire league.

As such, it is clear to see that Dybala would make a fantastic addition to the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the Tottenham attack. Therefore, we believe that Paratici must do all he can to land the 28-year-old as Spurs’ first summer signing ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle and Man United, with the Argentine sensation undoubtedly being a signing that Conte would love.

AND in other news: “Interested..”: Sky Sports journalist drops transfer update, Spurs supporters will love it