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West Ham United are now closing in on the signing of Juventus defender Luca Pellegrini after he once rejected manager David Moyes, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye moves…

Both defender Nayef Aguerd, who arrived from Rennes, and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola are now permanent West Ham players as the east Londoners seal their first major signings of this summer window.

Indeed, according to reports they may not be done there either with Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth having recently claimed that they will be ‘very busy’ and Moyes wants ‘at least’ six additions before 2022/2023.

Having missed out on the Premier League top six last season, instead settling for a place in the Conference League, Moyes seems hell-bent on strengthening and avoiding a repeat next campaign.

The Latest: West Ham close in…

As per reports out of Italy, it appears the east Londoners could be closing in on a move for Serie A full-back Pellegrini.

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According to Spazio J.it, West Ham are ‘very close’ to signing the 23-year-old and are in pole position to secure his signing for Moyes as they seek an understudy/future replacement for veteran Aaron Cresswell.

The update adds that Moyes and co could soon close the operation and Juve want around €10 million (£8.6m).

The Verdict: Ideal man?

As a back-up to Cresswell, we believe the Italy international could be an astute choice for a very reasonable price.

Pellegrini would come to the London Stadium with many years still ahead of a promising career and those close to Juve believe is a player with much potential.

Journalist Max Aimé-Thierry, who covers Juventus news for independent outlet Max Statman, believes the starlet is ‘already amazing’.

Perhaps Pellegrini could get even better under Moyes at Rush Green, even if he did reject the Scotsman’s advances last summer (Alfredo Pedulla).

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Vitoria de Guimaraes youngster Andre Almeida in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Lage chasing summer additions

The 22-year-old has matured into an impressive player at his current club, making 84 appearances to date and thriving in the middle of the park.

Almeida appeared 31 times in the Primeira Liga last season and enjoyed an 86.3% pass completion rate, along with averaging 1.4 tackles per game, ranking him in the top four for both metrics at his club among anyone to start more than 12 league matches (WhoScored).

It now looks as though a summer move to Molineux could possibly be on the cards for the youngster.

The Latest: Wolves keen on Almeida

According to Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Wolves are keen on acquiring Almeida’s signature, with the midfielder valued at ‘between €4m and €6m’ (£3.4m-£5.1m), which is described as a price range that the Old Gold could easily pay.

However, Portuguese champions FC Porto are also interested in the 22-year-old, so Bruno Lage may have a battle on his hands to bring him to Molineux.

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The Verdict: He could fill a need

With Ruben Neves expected to leave Molineux this summer, and with Joao Moutinho turning 36 later this year, there is no doubt that midfield reinforcements are required.

Almeida could be ideal in that respect, proving to be an effective figure in front of the defence and allowing more attack-minded players the freedom to express themselves further forward.

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That’s not to say that the Portuguese gem is purely defensive as a midfielder, though, having averaged 1.6 dribbles per game in the league last season (second-highest at Guimaraes), and his all-round game should only improve with exposure to the Premier League.

A huge claim has emerged on Rangers and their chances of bringing a new striker to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Rangers have been linked with a swoop for Stephen Odey and his club’s sporting director Soren Pedersen has now provided an update on the situation.

He has claimed that no bids have come in for the gem at this moment in time, whilst admitting that a deal can be done ‘easily’ if a team comes forward.

Speaking to Bold, via the Daily Record, he said this about Rangers eyeing the 24-year-old: “At least they are not so concrete, so I don’t have an offer on the table from there.

“It can happen easily. There are many clubs that have shown interest in him because he is a good player, but there is nothing concrete from there.”

Ross Wilson will be delighted

The Gers chief will be delighted by these comments for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the suggestion that a deal will be easy to complete with leave him buzzing as it indicates that Randers are open to selling him. This means that Wilson would not need to convince them to part ways with the attacker and negotiations can run smoothly.

Instead of needing to haggle with Pedersen and jump through hoops to get a move over the line, the Light Blues supremo can wrap a transfer up quickly. This will give him more time to focus on other areas instead of splitting his attention whilst attempting to sign Odey and other targets.

Wilson will also be delighted because the attacker has the potential to be an excellent signing for the Premiership giants next term.

Odey ended the 2021/22 Danish top-flight season with seven goals and one assist in 21 starts – creating three ‘big chances’ for his teammates along the way.

In the Europa Conference League, he managed three goals in four starts and averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.18, which means that he plundered ten goals in 25 starts in total across both competitions.

He has also had Champions League experience in the past – scoring against Premier League side Liverpool – and this could be useful to the Gers as they prepare for another European run.

At the age of 24, he is also a player who can be a long-term investment by the club. Whilst his statistics suggest that he can be an immediate goal threat for Gio van Bronckhorst, he has the potential to improve in the future and grow as he gains experience in Scotland.

AND in other news, Rangers have “increased hope” of signing £5.4m-rated “goal machine”, GvB will love him…

West Ham United could renew their interest in Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri, having been heavily linked with the player over the past year or so.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Paul Brown has suggested that the Hammers will still be keeping tabs on the 25-year-old amid their current striker search, although a sizeable offer appears unlikely due to the Moroccan’s recent dip in form.

The transfer insider stated: “I’m pretty sure he’s still on their radar. They had quite a big bid turned down for him at one point when it looked like he was their most likely option that window.

“Since then, his forms gone off a cliff a little bit. He hasn’t had a great season, and it would be a surprise if West Ham were to make a big bid for him now.”

The east Londoners are believed to be contemplating a move this summer having reportedly seen a £27m bid rejected in January – short of the Spanish side’s £40m valuation – with their interest stretching back to January 2021.

Moyes’ own Giroud

As Brown alluded to, the former Leganes man did endure a difficult last campaign in Spain, netting just five league goals and providing just one assist in 23 games for the La Liga outfit.

Prior to that, however, the 48-cap marksman had scored 24 goals in all competitions in what was a real standout campaign during the 2020/21 season, notably netting six times in just eight Champions League games for the Andalusian outfit.

That “prolific” form – as described by journalist Muhammad Butt – unsurprisingly caught the attention of those at the London Stadium, with the £45k-per-week man seemingly the figure who can finally end their centre-forward woes.

Despite reports that manager David Moyes will not break the bank for a new number nine, the continued void left by the departure of a newly-rejuvenated Sebastian Haller 18 months ago has placed for too great a burden on Michail Antonio, with extra competition seemingly vital ahead of next term.

The former Manchester United boss may potentially have doubts over En-Nesyri’s lack of Premier League experience, although according to FBref, the one-time Malaga man shares a number of stylistic and statistical similarities to a man who does – Olivier Giroud.

The current AC Milan hotshot spent nine years in English football prior to his move to Italy last summer, netting 144 goals and providing 55 assists in 372 games in all competitions across spells at London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, notably winning the FA Cup on four occasions during that time.

The 2018 World Cup winner – who is the second-top scorer for France at present with 48 goals in 112 caps – has dazzled with his repertoire of delightful finishes throughout his career, producing a catalogue of goals that would be the envy of anyone in Europe.

To potentially find a comparable figure in En-Nesyri – who is also left-footed like the veteran ace – will no doubt be a huge source of excitement to both Hammers supporters and the club itself, with the Irons seemingly in need of a lethal leading man who knows where the goal is.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Everton are in desperate need to freshen up their squad after a difficult relegation battle in the Premier League last season, and a new update has now emerged from a reliable source detailing the summer transfer plans at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland has given an insight as to what the club are targeting to improve and how they will go about reinvesting into the squad this summer.

In an article for The Athletic, he confirmed that the Toffees have now released Cenk Tosun, Fabian Delph and Gylfi Sigurdsson upon the expiry of their contracts, and Jonjoe Kenny has also joined the trio in leaving Goodison Park after refusing a new deal at the club.

Boyland added that Everton will look to reduce their costs wherever possible to improve Frank Lampard’s scope to reinvest and rebuild the squad, and any new signings will need to not only be more cost-effective but offer a regular contribution to the team.

Supporters will love it

Everton have earned a reputation for reckless spending and bad transfer decisions ever since Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club in 2016, so supporters will love hearing that the Toffees are finally going to start spending smarter and investing in players who can make a direct impact more often.

The club is already on the cusp of signing James Tarkowski on a free transfer this summer, so that will be a shrewd piece of business for Everton as they attempt to rebuild and improve their squad ahead of next season.

Lampard may need to replace Richarlison, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham in a deal rumoured to be worth £51m. Although losing the Brazilian would be a huge dent in the goal contributions that he offers to Everton, the money earned from the transfer would certainly give the Toffees manager something to work with in replacing him this summer.

Everton are also linked with a move for Conor Gallagher this summer, who has been touted to join Goodison Park on loan. Chelsea would likely be unwilling to sell the player as they see him as a future starter in their team, but again it would be a major coup for Moshiri to immediately improve the side ahead of next season.

Ultimately, if Everton can look to the free transfer market and acquire loan deals, along with selling players who are not up to scratch or looking to move on, they could be in good stead to have a decent transfer window and compete a bit better in the Premier League next season should they identify the right players.

AND in other news – “Interested…”: Insider drops big Everton transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic have been linked with a move for Lommel midfielder Vinicius Souza.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, the Hoops have joined the list of clubs pursuing the player this summer. The report claimed that Celtic have “scheduled discussions with the Brazilian’s representatives” over a potential move to Glasgow.

After starting his career with Flamengo, the 22-year-old – who is currently valued at £4.05m by Transfermarkt – joined his current club in October 2020.

The midfielder spent the recent campaign on loan with fellow Belgian side KV Mechelen, making 35 appearances across all competitions. In that time, the Brazilian scored two goals and provided one assist, showing that he can be a useful figure in front of goal on occasion.

Also, of his 13 shots at goal throughout the campaign, seven were on target, leaving him with the second-highest percentage for shots on target (53.8%) out of players that had more than one attempt at goal for the club.

However, it was his defensive output which stood out throughout the campaign, as he ended the season with more interceptions (64) and more tackles won (66) than any other player at Mechelen.

Postecoglou’s new warrior

This backs up why Souza was labelled as a “warrior” on Twitter by football scout Mikail Serin, who also described the player as a “complete contact game freak.”

Taking all this into account, it seems as though the 22-year-old is a very well-rounded midfielder despite still being quite young.

In terms of a potential move to Parkhead this summer, the fact that the Hoops recently said goodbye to Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton makes it easy to see why the club are set to hold talks over a move for the Brazilian midfielder.

If Ange Postecoglou wants to add a new midfield warrior to his squad as they prepare to not only defend their Premiership title but try to go as far as they can in Europe as well, securing a deal for Souza could be a very astute prospective move by the Hoops.

In other news: Ange can land the next Carter-Vickers as Celtic eye swoop for “aggressive” £6.3m-rated machine

SL Benfica are open to selling Newcastle United target Alejandro Grimaldo, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Journalist Rudy Galetti tweeted on May 31 that Newcastle were one of the clubs ‘most interested’ in signing left-back Grimaldo. Juventus and Barcelona represent some heavyweight competition for the 26-year-old.

Grimaldo, under contract at the Estadio Da Luz for another 12 months, is valued at £18million by Transfermarkt.

In a potential aid to the Magpies, he shares the same agent as winger Ryan Fraser, who moved to St James’ Park in 2020.

Newcastle signed Matt Targett on loan from Aston Villa in January and have the option to make that deal permanent for around £15million, but it seems Eddie Howe is considering alternative options too.

The latest

The report states that Benfica will listen to offers for Grimaldo this summer for two reasons.

First, his contract is winding down and so this may be their last opportunity to cash in. But second, he rebelled against the club when he was named in the squad for the final Primeira Liga game of the season.

Grimaldo apparently expected to be left out because he was planning to travel to his homeland, and reacted furiously, writing the word ‘joke’ on the squad list.

The verdict

Grimaldo looks like a strong alternative if Newcastle decide to let Targett return to Villa.

He’s an accomplished attacker, having split his minutes almost evenly between left back and the left wing last season. Indeed, his return of six goals and nine assists catches the eye.

Grimaldo showed his class in a Champions League Round of 16 tie against Ajax in March, winning the SofaScore man of the match award after recording three tackles, six clearances and three key passes.

Newcastle do have to be wary, though. They need to preserve harmony in the camp, and Grimaldo’s behaviour last month does raise concern. The club will have to be thorough in securing character references.

In other news, Newcastle are interested in this PL winner.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has shared a promising update on the club’s transfer plans after a ‘huge’ development this week.

The Lowdown: £150 million injection?

On Tuesday, some very significant news came out of Hotspur Way, with ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy announcing a seismic £150m capital increase ahead of the summer window.

After Spurs head coach Antonio Conte guided the Premier League club to a place in next season’s Champions League qualification pot, it now appears that he could be set for a financial windfall in his bid to attack the transfer market.

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Some members of the press, such as BBC journalist Simon Stone, have described this as a ‘significant’ development, given that the £150m can be invested into transfers and player salaries. Fabrizio Romano also described the news as ‘huge for Tottenham’, with Gold now sharing a ‘big’ update on the Lilywhites’ transfer plans.

The Latest: Gold shares promising update…

According to the football.london reporter, the ‘bulk’ of this £150m will be used to back Conte in the summer, as well as funds from player sales.

Sharing his article in a ‘big piece’, he explained (via Twitter): “Understand the bulk of the £150m, as well as funds from sales, will be ploughed into backing Conte in this coming window.”

The Verdict: Very important…

A list of potential targets have already been drawn up ahead of transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s crunch meeting with Conte in Italy, including the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus (The Telegraph).

If Spurs are serious about providing Conte with what he needs ahead of his first full season at Tottenham, the cash injection will come as massive for Paratici and co in what is shaping up to be a very exciting summer.

Indeed, few would have envisaged this positivity at N17 after the unceremonious sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo late last year.

In other news: ‘Told Spurs are ready…’ – Kilpatrick shares another exciting update for supporters! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing for a major summer signing with manager Antonio Conte making a call ‘in recent days’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs summit held…

As has been widely reported, Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici has recently held a summit with Conte in Italy as the pair sit down and discuss summer window plans.

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The Premier League side, having recently secured a previously unthought of finish in the top four, could also be handed a £150 million transfer windfall after ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy announced a capital increase.

A real air of positivity has currently swept through the Lilywhites ahead of what will be an extremely interesting few months before Conte’s first full season in charge.

Of the big name targets linked with a move to north London, Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni is thought to be high on the agenda.

As Paratici and co also reportedly close in on the signing of Ivan Perisic from the San Siro side, journalist Pasquale Guarro has a promising update on Spurs’ pursuit of the centre-half.

The Latest: Lilywhites ‘push’ after Conte call ‘in recent days’…

According to the Calciomercato reporter, Bastoni has ‘received the call of Conte’ in ‘recent days’ as the club ‘push’ for his signing.

He explained (via Twitter):

“There is not only Perisic in the aims of #Tottenham , the “Spurs” push for Bastoni and in recent days the defender has received the call of Conte .”

The Verdict: Good news…

The 23-year-old, lauded as a ‘world class’ player by members of the press, has also been lavished as a ‘defensive genius’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy (GiveMeSport).

While reports suggest he could cost a large £51m, Bastoni’s age and already glowing reputation indicate he could well be worth the investment – not least because he already has experience working under Conte.

Amid Tottenham’s search for an astute left-footed defender for the 52-year-old’s back three, we believe it is no surprise that the Inter ace is a prime target as the club make a real push.

In other news; Conte could see ‘one of the best in the world’ join Tottenham after behind-scenes demand, find out more here.

Farad Moshiri is plotting an Everton bid for defender Levi Colwill as Frank Lampard looks ahead to next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to reports via The Daily Mail who claims Lampard wants to raid former club Chelsea to sign centre-back Colwill in a loan deal for next season.

Crystal Palace are also keen on the player, but Everton looks more likely to give him first-team football as they secured their Premier League status.

Lampard needs to bolster his defence

Everton defeated Crystal Palace last week to remain in the top flight by the skin of their teeth and now the 43-year-old can relax and plan ahead for what will be an important season ahead.

Only four teams conceded more goals in the league than Everton and this is an area which needs urgently needs improvement during the summer transfer window.

Colwill has starred for Huddersfield Town this season having joined on loan, leading them to the play-off final against Nottingham Forest and they can secure another promotion to the top flight with a victory.

With an average WhoScored rating of 7.01, the 19-year-old is ranked fourth in the squad and despite his age, he could be a wise signing for Everton.

Fellow teammate Lewis O’Brien has dubbed him “fantastic”, with Nizaar Kinsella describing him as a “huge talent” and on the strength of his performances this season, it’s clear to see why.

The teenager is strong in the challenge, being dribbled past just 0.2 times per game this season, as well as making an impressive 1.8 tackles a match.

Thus, the next stage of his development will surely be playing in the Premier League on a regular basis and with Everton and Palace keen, there’s no shortage of admirers.

Lampard could utilise his Chelsea connections and work out a deal for the youngster and he could get vital experience as he strives toward succeeding at his parent club.

AND in other news, Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch”…