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Erik ten Hag faces a massive summer transfer window in charge of Manchester United, with the club hoping to get back to challenging for silverware next season.

There are problem areas all over the pitch at the club, but Ten Hag will be prioritising attacking options this summer as he aims to take the pressure off of Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The 37-year-old was the only Man Utd forward to score more than ten goals last season (24) and this overreliance on the aging Portuguese star was one of the main reasons the club underperformed as a whole over the course of the campaign.

There have been attempts to bring in another forward, with interest in Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez ending in disappointment, especially as the players joined Man City and Liverpool respectively, it’s time for Ten Hag to think outside the box.

This could mean a raid on his old club Ajax, as according to reports in Brazil, via the Metro, United have made a bid of £38.4m to sign the “wonderful” winger ahead of next season.

It’s claimed Ten Hag has told the Red Devils’ hierarchy that the 22-year-old is his first choice to boost his attack and it could be a shrewd move.

According to FB Ref’s similar player model, Antony has been compared to PSG forward Neymar, and although the two play on opposite wings, their creative talents, and goalscoring ability make them very comparable.

In terms of goalscoring, Neymar has the edge, with 13 league goals compared to Antony’s eight last season, while both players register over two shots per game (Antony 3.4 and Neymar 2.5) underlying their ability to score as many as possible.

Both wingers want to get involved as much as possible while playing, with Antony (65.7 touches per 90) and Neymar (83.2) proving that they won’t shy away from pressure and will actively look to make things happen.

The PSG winger is one of the finest players in the world and with Antony having a similar style of play and stats that are comparable to the 29-year-old, it’s no wonder Ten Hag is looking to work with him again, he could well thrive under the Man Utd pressure.

AND in other news, MUFC now in talks to sign £51m-rated “incredible talent”, he’s a huge Rashford upgrade

Luka Jovic has long been linked with a move to West Ham but it seems as if David Moyes could finally bring him to the London Stadium this summer, with reports suggesting that he will leave Real Madrid this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet Marca, the Champions League winners will look to offload a lot of deadwood this summer, with Jovic already aware that his future lies away from the Santiago Bernabeu with the player essentially transfer listed.

West Ham have regularly been credited with an interest in the Serbia international since his time with Eintracht Frankfurt, and with a new striker a priority for the Hammers ahead of next season, this summer could finally be the one where they get their man with Madrid now giving suitors the green light.

A huge coup?

Despite a less than successful spell with Los Blancos, which has seen Jovic manage just three goals and five assists in 51 appearances for Madrid, he is still just 24-years-old and has been behind one of the best strikers in world football in Karim Benzema.

His form with Frankfurt, where he notched 40 goals and ten assists in 93 appearances, suggests that he could still be a superb addition to Moyes’ side next season, where he would presumably get far more opportunities than he has been afforded in Spain.

Only a few years ago, the Serbian was being described as one of the hottest properties in European football and there seems no reason why he couldn’t rediscover that form for the Hammers.

At 24, he could be the ideal long-term replacement for Michail Antonio, as the Jamaican turns 33 next season and will perhaps not be as potent should he lose a yard of pace.

After Jovic hit five goals in a 7-1 demolition of Fortuna Dusseldorf during his time at Frankfurt, former teammate Filip Kostic sang his praises, saying:

“Jovic is just unbelievable! He has outstanding timing and a feel for the goal.”

The idea of Jovic playing ahead of the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals next season is one that is sure to excite Hammers fans, and now that Moyes has been given the green light to make a move for the £25m man, he should do everything in his power to bring him to the Premier League.

Judging by his record at Frankfurt, a move would be a big coup for the Irons.

And, in other news… West Ham can sign their own Vardy in 22 y/o star

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is ‘crazy’ for a potential summer signing who is now ‘seriously in danger’ of being sold, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes overhaul…

After sealing Bosman deals for winger Ivan Perisic and goalkeeper Fraser Forster, Conte and Spurs have shown absolutely no sign of stopping there as transfer chief Fabio Paratici allegedly opens talks for more transfer targets.

A left-sided central defender is next on the agenda as links to both Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni and Villarreal defender Pau Torres start to heat up over the last week.

The former Chelsea boss is said to want the majority of his business done early this window as he seeks to shape the Spurs squad in time for his first Premier League pre-season in charge at Hotspur Way.

The Latest: Conte ‘crazy’ for Bastoni…

According to FC Inter News, the Lilywhites head coach is ‘crazy’ for the signing of Bastoni as he seriously eyes a summer move.

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Beyond Conte’s personal interest, this report claims that while the 23-year-old would elect to remain at the San Siro, he is now ‘seriously in danger of being sacrificed on the altar of the balance sheet’ – in other words being sold due to Inter’s financial woes.

It’s added that Bastoni hopes for an ‘economic improvement’ in improved terms to stay at Inter with his agent apparently ‘working for the future of his client’.

The Verdict: Test their resolve?

Now that Inter are seriously considering a sale for Bastoni, we believe Tottenham should push the boat out and test their resolve with a major bid to land him for Conte.

It is believed that Nerazzurri chairman Steven Zhang has placed a €60 million (£51m) price tag on the Italy international with his age and glowing reputation making this fee very much value for money.

He has been lauded as a superstar already, not to mention labelled ‘world class’ by members of the media (Kaustubh Pandey, GIFN).

Bastoni has also been tipped to take the mantle of Azzurri defensive legend Giorgio Chiellini and while he seems in favour of staying, perhaps Spurs could press the issue with Conte’s presence and a major offer to the player’s club.

In other news: Paratici opens Spurs talks to sign ‘scary’ £183,000-per-week star once worth £130m! Find out more here.

Aston Villa are edging closer to reaching an agreement for the permanent signing of loanee Robin Olsen, according to Fabrizio Romano.  

The Lowdown: Loan move

Olsen made the move to the Midlands back in January from AS Roma after spending the first half of the season with Sheffield United.

The 32-year-old, who was labelled ‘monstrous’ by the Spanish press following a fine performance for Sweden, served as backup to Emiliano Martinez and made his debut on the final day of the season against Manchester City.

NSWE have already made Philippe Coutinho’s loan stay permanent, and it looks as if Olsen could now follow suit.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to provide an update regarding Villa and Olsen.

The transfer expert revealed that ‘Villa are getting closer’ to a ‘full agreement’, with a €3.5m option to buy clause ‘expected to be triggered soon’. Romano added that ‘talks are in progress’ and a ‘deal could be completed soon’.

The Verdict: Good news

It may not be a mega-money signing and a marque name like Coutinho or Diego Carlos, but securing Olsen to a full-time deal could still prove crucial for Steven Gerrard.

He has bundles of experience in a number of European leagues, in the Champions League and on the international stage, and seems to be content with serving as back up to Martinez at this stage of his career.

Olsen may also be able to help Martinez improve even further, and at a fee of just under £3m, a move seems to be an extremely shrewd one.

In other news: Villa and NSWE now set to sign ‘astonishing’ star after Carlos; ‘deal will happen’  

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has spoken in recent weeks about the potential transfer overhaul he’s looking to complete at the Hawthorns this summer.

One potential move that has been reported could see current Baggies defender Cedric Kipre leave the club this summer.

Since arriving at the club back in September 2020 from Wigan Athletic, the centre-back has made just 19 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions.

This latest season saw the 25-year-old appear just 14 times for his side in the Championship, the latest of which coming all the way back in January.

This shows just how much Bruce doesn’t fancy him and why it’s not a surprise to hear that the Baggies boss would be willing to see the Frenchman leave this summer.

Previously slammed for his “shocking” tackle on Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack that kept him sidelined for six months back in December 2017, Kipre may now be on the lookout for a new club to join.

In terms of who the Midlands side could look to bring in as a suitable replacement for the Frenchman, one figure the Baggies have been linked with that could fit the bill for Bruce is Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan.

With a total of 219 appearances in the Championship under his belt, the 28-year-old certainly has more experience at this level than Kipre, who has just 88 games in the second division to his name.

This season saw the Irishman end Blackburn’s campaign with the second-highest number of interceptions (58) and third-highest number of tackles (43) to his name in the Lancashire club’s squad.

His overall performances earned him a season rating of 7.1/10 from WhoScored, making him Blackburn’s highest-rated player.

To put that into perspective, this rating would also put him as West Brom’s highest-rated player for the recent campaign.

To further highlight how impressive the £14k-per-week centre-back is, Rovers boss Tony Mowbray had this to say about him back in December.

He said: “He’s right at the top of his game, you can tell the way he’s dominating, he’s towering over players inches taller than him, his passing he looks so assured, long passing, short passing.”

Moving forward, with Lenihan’s contract at Ewood Park set to expire at the end of June, potentially cashing in on Kipre and securing the Blackburn star on a free transfer could be an excellent bit of business from Bruce and the Baggies.

In other news: Cost £0, sold for £15m: WBA sealed a big transfer masterclass with “quiet” 28 y/o flop

Celtic not only wrapped up their 2021/22 Premiership season with a blistering 6-0 win over Motherwell on the final day of their title-winning campaign, they also ended it with the best attacking and defensive record in the league.

Throughout their 38 top-flight games, the Hoops found the net 92 times and only conceded 22 goals along the way.

Speaking of their imperious defence, one man in Ange Postecoglou’s squad who didn’t play a significant part throughout the campaign is Christopher Jullien.

After recovering from a serious knee injury in January, the Frenchman played just 16 minutes of action for the Hoops, which came during their 4-0 win over Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup. Even though he had been out of action for so long, there may have been some Celtic fans expecting to see the centre-back given more game-time than that between January and May.

This duly raises the question of whether or not Postecoglou sees Jullien – who has had some performances in the past dubbed a “shocker” by Tam McManus – as a suitable figure in his squad going forward.

Should the 56-year-old not have enough faith in the £20k-per-week Frenchman for whatever reason, it could well spell the end of the defender’s time at Parkhead.

Looking back at the number of players who left the club last summer, it has been made clear that the Australian is not reluctant when it comes to shipping fringe squad members out of Parkhead.

Also, according to a recent report from Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic will likely consider selling the French defender if a decent bid comes in for him this summer.

If Jullien does end up leaving Glasgow, the Hoops may already have a prime long-term replacement to whom they can turn, instead of potentially diving into the transfer market once again.

Ewan Otoo, who is a product of Celtic’s youth system, obtained first-team experience during a loan spell with Clyde in 2021, where he made 15 appearances.

Labelled a “powerful” player by Clyde manager Danny Lennon, the 19-year-old defender could well have the chance during pre-season to catch Postecoglou’s eye and show him that he’s capable of being a senior squad option for the Hoops moving forward.

Should that prove to the case, he could well become a long-term defensive figure at Parkhead and a suitable replacement for the potentially exit-bound Jullien.

In other news – “Around that number..”: Big Lennoxtown transfer claim emerges, it’s great for Celtic

Celtic have now ended their 2021/22 season as Premiership champions after securing a 6-0 victory over Motherwell in their final match of the campaign on Saturday afternoon.

Now that the season has come to an end, the Hoops can turn their attention to the upcoming summer transfer window and getting their squad ready to take on the 2022/23 campaign.

With that in mind, it seems as though a behind-the-scenes development has emerged regarding one potential transfer deal with which the Bhoys have been mentioned recently.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Il Romanista (via Roma Press), Serie A giants AS Roma have reportedly agreed a deal with Bodo/Glimt winger Ola Solbakken for a potential summer transfer. This comes after the Parkhead club were linked with a move for the attacker last month.

The 23-year-old joined Bodo/Glimt in January 2020 from fellow Norwegian club Ranheim IL. Since then, the winger has gone on to make 72 appearances for his current employers, scoring 17 goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

This season has seen the £1.8m-rated talent play in 19 matches across all competitions, finding the net eight times and delivering five assists for his team-mates. He has played on both the left and right wings, highlighting his versatility in attack.

Bad news for Postecoglou

Taking into account how Solbakken scored three goals in as many Europa Conference League games against Jose Mourinho’s side, along with one goal against Celtic in the same tournament this season, it’s easy to see why the winger is a man in demand this summer.

This also shows why an attacking team like Celtic, who have scored 92 goals in their recent Premiership campaign, would be looking at adding a prolific player like Solbakken to their ranks.

However, now that it has been reported that the Norwegian has apparently made an agreement with Roma for a potential summer move, this will be a big blow for the Hoops and come as bad news for Ange Postecoglou.

Having been mentioned with a move for the Bodo/Glimt star as a potential backup option for the Bhoys if they aren’t able to sign Jota on a permanent deal, this update could either ramp up the club’s need to sign the Portuguese gem or make then move on to another potential target they can look at bringing to Glasgow.

In other news – Forget Kyogo: “Mouth-watering” Celtic dynamo with 77 touches ran the show at Parkhead on Saturday

Gabriel Jesus’ rumoured move from Manchester City to Arsenal ‘could be a done deal’, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Jesus linked with Arsenal

As per Football Insider, Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to sign a powerful centre-forward aged 25 and under. As a result, numerous reports linking the Man City striker with a move to the Gunners have arisen.

According to Goal Brazil, Arsenal have tabled a €50m (£42.4m) bid for the 25-year-old, although City are reportedly demanding €60m (£50.9m).

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The Latest: Whelan’s claim on Jesus transfer

Whelan, who used to feature as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, has said that Jesus’ rumoured move from the Etihad Stadium to Arsenal could already be more or less done.

Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-Leeds striker claimed: “I think a deal is going to be done. £42million is not a bad offer from Arsenal. That’s really showing their intent.

“They need to get two strikers, if not three. Two for sure.

“He definitely fits the bill of how Arteta wants to play. His work rate is phenomenal, he’s proven that he can score goals when he’s inside the 18-yard box.

“I think he will complement the way they play. I think that deal could be a done deal, along with maybe Calvert-Lewin as well from Everton.”

The Verdict: Big loss to City

Despite being unable to secure himself as a guaranteed starter in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI, Jesus has proven to be an valuable attacking option at City. In 235 appearances for club, the 25-year-old has scored 95 goals and provided 46 assists, a fine return.

Ranking in the 97th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion rate and for touches in the attacking penalty area (via FBRef), it is thus easy to see how his goal threat is so high.

Sky Blues star Bernardo Silva has hailed Jesus as a “fantastic” striker and also called him “one of our most important players.”

Therefore, if Whelan is accurate with saying that the deal with Arsenal could already be ‘done’, the Brazilian’s departure from the Etihad would come as a big loss to the Premier League champions.

In other news: Spanish source shares significant Frenkie de Jong/Man City update

Everton are interested in securing the services of Bologna’s Swedish midfielder Mattias Svanberg this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to Italian outlet 1000 Cuori Rossoblu, as per Sport Witness, who claim that the Serie A side have offered Svanberg a new contract but the Swede is not interested and is “the most likely young person to be expendable for a profitable sale in the summer.”

As noted in the report, the 23-year-old midfielder is wanted by Everton, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s also highlighted that Bologna refused an offer of €15m (£12.8m) last year, but state that this time around “it’s difficult for them to deprive themselves of him for a figure much less than €20m (£17m).”

Imagine him and Doucoure

Part of Everton’s downfall this season has been their ability to create chances, hence their status as the fourth worst goal scoring team in the league, having managed just 37 goals this season.

With Donny van de Beek injured and Fabian Delph filling in to form a partnership with Doucoure, the defensive stability is there, but there is almost no attacking threat.

With Van de Beek set to return back to parent club Manchester United at the end of the season, Lampard will need to find a more positive central midfielder who can look to cause more threat.

His average of 1.13 crosses per match also poses as an upgrade and would present a more composed option in the Toffees’ engine room who could look to ignite that creative spark for the forwards to benefit from.

This is where Svanberg, who has been described as “red hot” by Bologna’s official Twitter account, comes in, with his average of 2.14 shot-creating actions and average of 1.47 shots. In comparison to Delph’s numbers of 0.62 shot-creating actions per 90 and 0.15 shots per match average, they massively falter when aligned with the Swede’s metrics.

With that in mind, partnering him with the bullish Doucoure could be just the ticket that Everton need in order to make them a more menacing prospect in the middle of the pitch.

Lampard would be wise to look into the signing of Svanberg, though there are more creative assets out there so it would not hurt to look around.

In other news: “I’m told..“: Insider drops major Everton transfer claim, Lampard will be ecstatic 

Tottenham Hotspur are understood to be keeping a close eye on transfer developments between Tomas Soucek and West Ham at the end of the season, according to Claret & Hugh.

The Lowdown: Breakdown in talks

The 27-year-old has reportedly held talks with David Moyes surrounding his future at the London Stadium, but they are said to have broken down as a result of the midfielder not being happy with the terms offered to him.

Discussions are set to be reopened once the current campaign has ended, with Soucek hoping for a more attractive deal to be placed on the table, considering that he has played 48 matches across all competitions for the Irons this term.

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However, if the Czech Republic captain’s relationship with West Ham turns hostile, it would appear that there is plenty of interest in his services elsewhere in the capital in the form of Tottenham.

The Latest: Conte’s a huge fan

In a new article published by West Ham news outlet Claret & Hugh, it is claimed that Spurs manager Antonio Conte is a ‘big admirer’ of Soucek and will be ‘ready to move’ should talks break down again in the coming months.

The report added that a source close to both clubs explained that the Italian ‘has the money’ to attempt a deal for the midfielder and would be ‘hopeful’ that Spurs can land him if a settlement fails to be reached.

The Verdict: Fellaini-esque signing

The £40.5m-rated talisman, who has previously been described as Fellaini-esque after receiving praise from the Belgian himself, currently averages 1.3 shots per league game and is winning 3.8 of his aerial duels per 90 minutes, via WhoScored, showing just how effective he can be at both ends of the pitch.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel hailed Soucek as an “incredible” player earlier this season, so it’s no wonder that Conte is such a huge fan of the 27-year-old.

Despite it being more likely that the £47k-per-week colossus will stay with the Hammers as they are in desperate need of strengthening their midfield options, the possibility of playing football at the highest level in the Champions League in N17 could be too good of an opportunity for him to turn down.

In other news… one Spurs star has admitted that there has been a ‘radical change’ at the club since the arrival of Conte