Journalist drops swap deal claim involving Richarlison and Winks

Everton want to keep deals for Richarlison and Tottenham’s Harry Winks separate, which could prove to be a ‘stumbling block’ for the north London club’s attempts to sign the Brazilian, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: Winks to Everton?

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has said that the Spurs midfielder remains in discussion with Toffees manager Frank Lampard over a potential move to Merseyside ahead of next season. Bridge claims that the Lilywhites are keen on selling the England international this summer, whereas Everton favour a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

However, Tottenham are hoping to use Winks as a bargaining tool in their bid to sign Richarlison, who is currently valued at £50m.

The Latest: Brown’s claim

Brown doesn’t believe that the Toffees will be interested in any type of swap deal involving the two players.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed: “From Spurs’ point of view it would make it a lot cheaper if they could try and package that all together, but as far as I understand, Everton want it kept totally separate and that might be a stumbling block at the moment.”

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The Verdict: Good for Everton

Whilst this will be frustrating for Spurs chief Fabio Paratici in negotiations, it is easy to see why Everton are favouring keeping the two deals separate from one another.

If the Toffees sign Winks on loan and then offload Richarlison for £50m, this will open up funds for Lampard to continue reshaping his squad, adding further reinforcements to what he already has at Goodison Park.

Also, considering how influential the Brazilian was last season as Everton’s top scorer and highest-rated performer from WhoScored, anything which could help the Toffees to keep hold of him ought to be welcomed as good news for the club.

Romagnoli would find Aston Villa move attractive

Aston Villa would be an attractive option for reported transfer target, Alessio Romagnoli, to make a move to this summer according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider had this to say on the matter.

He said: “I think Aston Villa are an attractive option to play for right now. You’ve seen the success they’ve had in luring Philippe Coutinho to the Premier League, obviously, they are among the biggest spenders now in the Premier League as well.

“The owners are backing Steven Gerrard in the transfer market with finances. Diego Carlos was also a big signing from Sevilla, so I think Aston Villa right now are an ambitious club seemingly going places. So, I’m sure that will be attractive to a lot of players, including Romagnoli.”

Back in the 2015 summer transfer window, the defender joined Milan from fellow Italian club AS Roma in a deal worth a reported fee of €25m (£21.5m).

After making 247 appearances for the club across all competitions, in which he scored ten goals and provided three assists, the 27-year-old is now a free agent following the expiration of his contract.

Gerrard will be buzzing

Gerrard will be delighted to seal a switch for the Italian as he is an experienced defender with plenty of quality.

To highlight his defensive talent, in the 19 Series A games he played in last season, the Italian won 14 tackles and made 26 blocks, 28 interceptions and 50 clearances, backing up why the 6 foot 1 centre-back was labelled as a “rock” by Anthony Lopopolo on Twitter.

Villa have not been shy when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to the Midlands club over their previous transfer windows, as O’Rourke alluded to, so this opportunity to sign Romagnoli would give the Villans the chance to bring an experienced and capable figure in for absolutely nothing.

As a result, that would leave plenty of cash in the bank for the Villans to explore further options in the transfer market.

If a move to Villa Park is seen as an attractive option for the former Milan figure this summer, this would surely be great news for Gerrard and his hopes of pushing the club forward.

Should the defender find himself in their squad for next season and beyond, this could set a precedent for other top European players to join the club in the future, which would also surely delight a lot of Villa fans.

AND in other news: Gerrard can land his own “Mbappe” as AVFC plot bid to sign £18k-p/w “constant threat”

Todibo can be Varane 2.0 at Man Utd

Manchester United have been linked with signing OGC Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo recently and the Frenchman could prove to be the next Raphael Varane at Old Trafford.

Reports have suggested that the Red Devils are keen on signing the former Barcelona defender this summer after his impressive performances in Ligue 1 last season, although they will need to battle Newcastle United for his signature.

It is no surprise to see United being linked with a multitude of centre-backs this summer after they conceded 57 goals in the top-flight last season, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly all enduring disappointing seasons.

Varane probably had high hopes when he made the move to Old Trafford from Real Madrid but struggled in his debut campaign, making 22 appearances in the Premier League and averaging a 6.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, you don’t win four Champions League trophies and the World Cup if you aren’t a top-quality player, and United fans will be hoping to see much better from the 29-year-old next season.

If ten Hag can sign a competent centre-back partner for the France international, then their defensive record will surely improve, and Todibo’s form last season suggests that he could be the ideal man.

The 22-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m, was part of a Nice defence that conceded the joint fewest goals in Ligue 1, with his performances in the French top-flight earning him a 6.87 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The website suggests that Todibo’s main strengths are his passing and concentration, which immediately marks him out as a strong modern centre-back, who would arguably be an upgrade on United’s current error-prone options.

Given that Todibo, like Varane, is a strong, quick French centre-back who is adept at progressing the ball, the defensive “phenomenon” could be an ideal partner for the former Real Madrid man at Old Trafford next season and will no doubt be looking to emulate the 29-year-old’s impressive career.

And, in other news… “De Jong’s agent is..”: Journo drops big update, Man Utd supporters will be buzzing

Everton interested in Kyle Walker-Peters

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements this summer following a difficult season in the Premier League, and now a new potential transfer target has been identified.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, Frank Lampard is plotting a move for Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees boss is keen to give his squad a major overhaul to prevent his team being dragged into yet another relegation battle and is particularly interested in Walker-Peters as a replacement for Jonjoe Kenny who left the club this summer.

It’s said the former Chelsea midfielder is a huge fan of the Saints defender.

Lampard’s very own Lahm

There is no doubt that Everton will be wanting to add players to their squad ahead of their return to action next month, especially with Richarlison’s shock exit that has left the side with a gaping hole in their attack.

However, there is definitely a strong need for defensive reinforcements in the squad following a season full of inconsistency in the backline with players coming in and out of the side constantly with injuries, which ultimately led to Everton’s unfortunate relegation battle at the bottom of the table.

The £50k-per-week full-back scored who was described as an “outstanding talent” by Danny Higginbotham, scored one goal, delivered two assists and created five big chances, making 1.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.3 clearances on average per game, winning the majority of his duels (58%) and was successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (67%) over 32 appearances.

Lampard could even sign his very own Philipp Lahm, with Hasenhuttl making the comparison between the German legend and Walker-Peters in an interview following a 1-1 draw with Manchester United (via Daily Echo):

“He remembers me a little bit of Philipp Lahm I must say, because he is so good on the ball, he always has good decisions. He can run and makes nearly any mistakes.

“He is getting better and better and this is what you need on this position.”

With that being said, the signing of Kyle Walker-Peters could be a great opportunity for Everton to strengthen their defence this summer and if the player can continue his form at Goodison Park it would be a very good piece of business for Farhad Moshiri.

AND in other news: Offer made: Everton make bid for “really special” 6ft1 monster, Frank needs him badly – opinion

Southampton linked with Levi Colwill move

Southampton have been linked with a summer move for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had this to say on the situation.

“Southampton are also in the race to sign Levi Colwill, as many clubs are showing interest – waiting to negotiate with Chelsea as soon as possible. Colwill’s future will depend on Ake/Kimpembe deals, he could leave if Boehly will sign three centre-backs.”

The defender has also been linked with other clubs such as Leicester City, Everton, Arsenal and Crystal Palace in recent days.

As a product of Chelsea’s youth system, the centre-back has made 46 appearances for the west London club across their youth teams.

The 19-year-old completed his first loan spell away from Stamford Bridge last season by helping Huddersfield Town get to the Championship play-off final, which they eventually lost to Nottingham Forest, who will be facing the likes of Chelsea and Southampton in the Premier League next season.

Unfortunately for Colwill and the Yorkshire club, it was his own goal that secured promotion for Steve Cooper’s side.

Hasenhuttl would be delighted

Despite this disappointing ending to his time with the Terriers, the teenager still managed to show how much of a capable defender he is.

Specifically, with 29 league games to his name, the Englishman ended the campaign with more interceptions (44) to his name in the Huddersfield squad, as well as the second-highest number of successful tackles (36).

He also racked up the third-highest number of clearances per game (4.3) and an overall performance rating of 6.97/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated outfield player for Huddersfield last season.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Southampton could get their hands on a real gem should they beat their Premier League colleagues to Colwill’s signature this summer, which would surely leave Ralph Hasenhuttl rather delighted.

Bearing in mind how the Saints struck deals with Chelsea for the likes of Armando Broja and Valentino Livramento last summer, and the fact that the teenage defender was originally born in Southampton, these factors could give the club an advantage when it comes to winning the race to sign the player.

AND in other news: “Been told”: Fabrizio Romano drops big Saints transfer claim that supporters will love

Everton set to miss out on Gleison Bremer

Long-time Everton target Gleison Bremer is now set to join Juventus.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who issued this update on his Twitter:

“Gleison Bremer to Juventus, here we go! Full agreement now in place with all parties, final bid accepted today by Torino and player side – after the bidding war with Inter.

“Bremer will sign his long-term deal with Juventus soon. €40m (£34m) fixed fee plus add-ons.”

Everton had reportedly been interested as far back as April. 

Supporters will be gutted

What looked like a promising capture for a club that leaked goals last season, the news that he is set to join another club is sure to have left supporters gutted.

A defensive powerhouse with speed and intelligence, he could have proved to be a fine partner for James Tarkowski and perhaps pushed the other centre-backs to improve their game.

Featuring 33 times last season, the Brazilian was a stalwart at the back for a Torino side that finished comfortably mid-table.

Across the league campaign, he accumulated an average SofaScore rating of 7.13, which makes him Torino’s second-highest rated player of those who have played over ten games.

His defensive stats also make for phenomenal reading, as he is clearly outstanding in his field. The Brazilian loves to defend, and could certainly have taught the likes of Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate a thing or two.

He ranks in the 98th percentile for interceptions, the 99th percentile for blocks, the 96th percentile for clearances, and the 99th percentile for aerials won.

His teammate Mergim Vojvoda was full of praise for the 25-year-old and said the following, which was quoted by TuttoMercatoWeb:

“[Bremer] is very strong, an animal. He has made an incredible leap in quality in the last year. But he can still improve a lot because he is young. He has renewed, we hope he stays because he is really strong.

“Physically, he is strong. He works hard and as soon as I arrived, I was impressed by how much he trained. He is also fast, he is tall and has made a great leap in quality on a technical level, with the ball at his feet. Work pays off, you can see it with him.”

A phenomenal defensive powerhouse, with Juventus now on the verge of sealing his signature, it appears the opportunity may have passed the Toffees by.

Supporters should be equally as gutted as the gaffer, as they look resigned to another tough year unless they make some signings fast.

AND, in other news: Imagine him & DCL: Lampard can form “world-class” duo as Everton eye 308-goal dynamo.

West Ham want Luke Thomas

West Ham United are plotting a potential move for Leicester City youngster Luke Thomas.

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Guardian, who claimed that David Moyes is considering a move for the youngster.

Whilst he is keen on signing a left-sided midfielder, the Scotsman also wants a full-back who can compete with Aaron Cresswell. Thomas could reportedly be available if Leicester were to receive a suitable offer.

Imagine him and Kostic

With West Ham already boasting a busy summer transfer window, one added addition on the left-hand side could bolster what is already a strong part of David Moyes’ side.

The Irons are reportedly moving for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic, who excelled last season along the left flank.

A move for added depth just behind the potentially inbound Serbian could push Aaron Cresswell to further improve his game or see him dwindle as Thomas grows into the role.

The £25k-per-week Leicester full-back featured 22 times in the league, achieving a solid 6.75 average SofaScore rating, and he would offer a new dynamic to challenge the marauding Cresswell.

He ranked in the 90th percentile for blocks per 90 and the 91st percentile for pressures among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues last season, which would be useful for Moyes to initiate his press from full-backs pushed high up the field.

Perhaps if he were to sit behind potential new signing Kostic, who ranked in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions and assists, they would form a remarkable partnership on the Irons’ left-hand side. Thomas could be the defensive solidity to allow the 29-year-old’s creativity to shine.

The ‘Foxes of Leicester’ fan account once wrote of the defender: “Luke Thomas’ talent and maturity is impressive. Bright career ahead.”

Moyes clearly agrees with this sentiment as he aims to see his side take the next step, moving on from Europa Conference League qualification to perhaps a top-four finish.

With Thomas and Kostic down the left flank, West Ham could have a blistering attack with the mature defensive capabilities resting on young shoulders who could get even better with the passage of time and accumulation of high-level experience.

AND, in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge transfer development, West Ham supporters will be buzzing.

Forest set to miss out on James McAtee

Nottingham Forest were reportedly interested in signing James McAtee this summer, but now a reliable source has given an update on the young player’s future and it’s not good news for Steve Cooper.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that James McAtee will join Sheffield United on loan this season.

Romano tweeted:

“Manchester City have completed full agreement with Sheffield United for James McAtee season-long loan.”

“Sheffield set to announce McAtee as new signing this week.”

He could’ve been Garner 2.0

Despite making 12 signings already this summer, it is reported that Forest still want to add another midfielder ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League this week, and McAtee could have been the perfect addition in the centre of the pitch for the Reds.

Cooper has already acquired the services of Orel Mangala and Lewis O’Brien to bolster his central options over the campaign in the top-flight, but adding McAtee could have been a great piece of business, just like James Garner was last season.

Garner has now returned to Manchester United following an impressive season-long loan with Forest, and the young midfielder truly thrived whilst working under Cooper contributing effectively in the club’s challenge for Premier League promotion, something that clearly inspired the interest in McAtee this summer.

Last term, the United prodigy scored four goals and racked up ten assists for the Garibaldi, numbers that painted him as an effective attacking presence.

By comparison, the Manchester City youngster has been attracting attention for similar reasons, after it was reported the club were open to letting him go on loan over this season to continue his promising development.

Pep Guardiola gave the 19-year-old his Premier League debut last season and followed it up with a debut appearance in the Champions League too following his consistent and reliable attacking output rising through the ranks of the Man City youth system.

Last season, McAtee, who was dubbed “special” by scout Jacek Kulig, was the top goal-scorer in the Premier League 2 with 18 goals over 23 appearances, and has scored 44 goals in total over his career with the club. Now, he is being given the opportunity to get even better by going out on loan to continue his development with first-team football.

Cooper clearly enjoys developing young players and getting the best out of them, something he has proven with both Brennan Johnson and Garner since joining Forest, but he will now need to look elsewhere for his next young prodigy following Romano’s confirmation of McAtee’s proposed move to the Blades.

Rangers can unlock Colak with Theo Bongonda

Ross Wilson has been a busy man at Ibrox throughout the summer transfer window with a host of players coming in and out of Rangers.

He has sanctioned two significant sales in the form of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, with both gems moving on to other clubs in Europe.

The money from those deals has allowed Rangers to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad, though, as Ridvan Yilmaz, Rabbi Matondo, Tom Lawrence, Antonio Colak, Ben Davies, Malik Tillman, and John Souttar have all come through the door at Ibrox.

A few of them made their competitive debuts for the Light Blues in the 2-1 win over Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday.

Rangers had to come from behind to win the match and one of the new signings, in particular, struggled to make an impact – Colak. The Croatia international only touched the ball nine times in the match and completed three passes in that time, despite playing the full 90 minutes.

He only had one shot in the game – two if you include his goal that was ruled out by the linesman – as the Gers struggled to get service into him. Andrew Dickson dubbed the predator as being “anonymous” during the game but his deft header that was adjudged to have been offside offered a glimpse of what he is capable of.

The 28-year-old has a proven track record of finding the back of the net in his career. He scored 51 times in 90 games for HNK Rijeka and 19 goals in 41 outings on loan at Malmo from PAOK, which shows how good he can be with creativity around him.

Van Bronckhorst and Wilson can now unlock his full potential by snapping up a £6m (€7m) deal to sign Theo Bongonda, who is a reported target for the club.

The Genk winger is capable of being the creative threat Rangers need to provide Colak with opportunities to score in the Premiership this season, whilst he also offers a goal threat on his own.

In the Pro League last term, Bongonda created seven ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 23 starts. This came after he created ten – making 1.7 key passes per game – in 34 starts in 2020/21.

These statistics show that the 26-year-old has the ability to be the supply line to the Croatian predator, preventing the striker from becoming isolated and ineffective in games, by consistently creating chances from out wide.

He is also capable of being a reliable scorer for the Light Blues after scoring 28 goals in the past two league campaigns for Genk. This means that he can unlock Colak’s full potential whilst also adding more goals to the team with his own finishing, which is another reason why the phenomenon would be an exceptional signing.

Liverpool interested in Yeremy Pino

Liverpool got their summer incoming transfer business done very quickly with three new players joining the squad at Anfield, but they could be preparing another move with a new potential transfer target unveiled.

What’s the latest?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are interested in signing Villarreal wonderkid Yeremy Pino.

As per the report, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are also elite Premier League clubs named with interest in the young winger and all named sides are following the Spanish youngster’s development under head coach Unai Emery.

Klopp’s next Salah

Despite losing Sadio Mane this summer, Jurgen Klopp has managed to keep hold of Mohamed Salah for a little while longer after the Egyptian winger signed a contract extension that keeps him at the club until 2025, but the Liverpool manager can get ahead in replacing his star player if the Reds can secure a deal for Pino.

The wonderkid, who has an €80m (£66.9m) release clause put into his contract, became the youngest player ever to win the Europa League when Emery’s side took the crown back in 2021 and has continued to go from strength to strength since his first European trophy.

Over 31 La Liga appearances, the 19-year-old who was hailed “special” by Fabrizio Romano scored six goals, delivered four assists and created six big chances, making one tackle and winning 3.5 duels per game, finishing the season as the club’s third top goal scorer.

Despite being over a decade younger than Salah, when comparing Pino to the Liverpool goal machine, there are some attributes where the Spaniard even outperformed him over the last year, according to FBref.

Indeed, Salah had far more goal contributions (36) but the young talent had a much better shot on target accuracy (57.7%), a better pass completion rate (79.7%) and won more tackles (13), proving that Pino could be a great prospect to take over the right winger position when Salah does finally depart from the club.

Pino is undoubtedly a talented player but it’s in his ability to take on a man and beat his marker that is most similar to Salah with the two very much alike in this area of the game. The Villarreal youngster was successful with 44.1% of his dribbles per 90 minutes while making 5.22 progressive carries in the process. Salah, by comparison, was successful with 41.9% of his dribbles and made 6.94 progressive carries.

With that being said, the signing of Pino would be a big addition for FSG and could set the Liverpool forward line up for many years to come if they can beat off the competition for his signature from Premier League rivals.

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