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Last summer, Glasgow Rangers swooped to sign Millwall starlet Zak Lovelace as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked like he was focusing on youth talent in order to fill out the academy squads and ensuring the Ibrox side had a plethora of teen gems ready to be plucked from the B side when ready over the coming years.

Lovelace made his Millwall debut aged just 15, becoming the second-youngest player to represent the club in their history during a substitute appearance against Coventry City in December 2021 and made another four appearances for the club, which prompted the Gers to make their move once the season finished.

It was a successful 2022/23 season for the 17-year-old, with the added pressure of trying to make an impression in the B team, he scored 18 goals in all competitions while grabbing another ten assists and was even given his first team bow against Queen of the South in August during a League Cup tie.

His performances obviously impressed Michael Beale, as he was given a two minute cameo against Celtic during their excellent 3-0 win in May and the future looks bright for the England U17 international.

With Beale clearly trying to lower the age of the Rangers side, releasing players such as Scott Arfield (34), Allan McGregor (41) and Filip Helander (30) upon the expiration of their contracts, a focus on youth could pay dividends over the next few years.

With this in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for former West Ham United starlet Divine Mukasa according to the Secret Scout, who claims that the youngster has “visited Rangers and Newcastle United” after he left the London side recently.

He confirmed via Instagram he was departing and posted a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank you to all the players and staff at West Ham that have helped to develop me into both the player and person that I am today.

“This club has been my home for the past 10 years and for it to come to an end is bittersweet, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my career.”

Who is Divine Mukasa?

The 15-year-old midfielder would be hoping to follow in the same trajectory as Lovelace by moving to Rangers at such a young age, yet he does have pedigree at U16 level, especially for his country.

He has made nine appearances for the England U16 side, scoring three goals, and grabbing one assist during those matches, netting against Scotland, and he certainly showcased his attacking abilities by being deployed just behind the striker.

It’s evident he has a keen eye for goal, and he even managed to register two goal contributions during the U18 Premier League last term, playing against players two years older and this maturity has could entice Beale into luring him to Rangers.

The Ibrox side are trying to add some of the finest talents from South of the border to their academy and by convincing Mukasa that a move to Scotland would be the best for his development, Beale could repeat Rangers’ Lovelace masterclass from 2022.

Arsenal have verbally agreed to pay £36 million plus £4 million in add-ons for the signing of Jurrien Timber from Ajax and they're "closing in" on a move, according to journalist Simon Collings.

Who else will Arsenal sign this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have finally reached an agreement to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer, coming after fears of a Man City hijack.

Arsenal had two bids rejected for the 24-year-old and City briefly entered the race, but following a third offer of £100m plus £5m in add-ons, the treble-winners pulled out and Mikel Arteta is now close to sealing Rice.

This comes after the north Londoners signed Germany international Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a deal worth £65 million, with Arsenal seemingly determined to mount another serious title challenge after falling just short last season.

In terms of other incomings, there have been reports of a pursuit for Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia on top of Rice as Arsenal seemingly look to orchestrate a midfield overhaul. Defence is also of importance and Arteta's side have been heavily linked with a move for Timber of Ajax.

The 22-year-old has been at the centre of Arsenal transfer talks this last fortnight, with reporter Collings of The Evening Standard sharing an exciting update.

According to his information, Arsenal are "closing in" on the signing of Timber and have verbally agreed to pay £36 million plus £4 million in add-ons for him.

Talks are apparently advanced and a fee is set to be finalised, with negotiations expected to accelerate as the defender is excited by the prospect of signing.

Timber has apparently pushed to join with both Ajax and Arsenal keen to wrap up a deal soon.

Who is Jurrien Timber?

The Dutchman, who can operate as an inverted full-back similar to Oleksandr Zinchenko, has been revered for his passing range, brilliant composure and versatility (The Telegraph).

Timber was a mainstay at Ajax over the 2022/2023 season, playing more Eredivisie minutes than any of his teammates over his 34 league starts (WhoScored).

Interestingly, the young full-back also boasts a higher pass accuracy (91.7%) than any other Ajax regular with more than one start, indicating he could be a sure-fire option for Arteta's fluid system at Arsenal (WhoScored).

Last year, members of the media like journalist Antonio Mango hailed also Timber as a "generational superstar" and Ajax's "most reliable" player that season.

Sheffield United don't want to lose "one of their most important players" in Sander Berge, but "issues around finances" at the club could force their hand, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Sheffield United transfer news – what's the latest on Sander Berge?

Berge made his way to English football in January 2020 when he signed for the South Yorkshire outfit for just £22m from Belgian Pro League side K.R.C.Genk.

Since then, he has gone on to make 109 appearances for the Blades, scoring 15 goals and providing the assist for another 12.

He was an instrumental part of the team that won promotion back to the Premier League last season, having almost been sold in January due to the club's financial situation.

Despite keeping hold of him, it looks like the club might once again be on the verge of selling the player as Football Insider reported that the club would accept an offer of just £10m for one of their star men.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Sander Berge?

Jones was quick to stress that should the player leave Sheffield in the summer, it wouldn't be down to footballing reasons, with any decision to let him go being purely financial.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He got plenty of starts last season for Sheffield United he is one of their most important players. I don't think they particularly want to lose him. I think they have just got issues around finances at the moment at Sheffield United that's holding them back a little bit."

How good is Sander Berge?

The Norwegian "Rolls-Royce", as hailed by teammate Chris Basham had a great season last year in Sheffield's famous red and white.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.95 across his 37 appearances in the Championship, scoring six goals and assisting a further five.

In fact, since his arrival in England, he has yet to average a rating lower than 6.43 across his four league campaigns.

His underlying numbers look great as well.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across football's next eight best competitions after the top five leagues, Berge is in the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the oppositions penalty area and the top 9% for non-penalty goals, all per 90.

If Sheffield United can find a way to keep hold of their talismanic Norwegian for their first season back in the Premier League in two years, they will be so much better for it.

Newcastle United's transfer business is slowly starting to come together ahead of their first foray into the Champions League group stage in some two decades.

Sandro Tonali's imminent arrival from AC Milan is dominating headlines, while another move for a somewhat lower-profile player – albeit potentially just as exciting if the past is anything to go by – also looks set to go through.

Are Newcastle United interested in signing Tino Livramento?

According to Sky Sports' Keith Downie and Pete Graves, Newcastle are in talks with recently relegated Southampton to sign right-back Tino Livramento in a £15m deal.

The Telegraph have claimed the Saints want close to double that amount, but Newcastle could offer out-of-favour Ryan Fraser to help push through the transfer.

Landing a player as highly rated as Livramento for what is a bargain fee in the current market would be considered a coup of sorts for Newcastle, who are eager to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

What can Tino Livramento offer Newcastle United?

Livramento is coming off the back of a hugely frustrating campaign in which he made just two Premier League appearances, totalling 26 minutes, owing to a long-term injury lay-off.

However, after coming off the substitutes' bench in Southampton's final two games, the 20-year-old will have a chance to get back to full fitness across pre-season in time to hit the ground running in 2023-24.

The Chelsea academy player, who many were surprised to see leave for Southampton two years ago, showed enough in his debut top-flight campaign to suggest he can more than provide competition for Kieran Trippier next season.

Livramento, although described as "top-class" by scout Jacek Kulig, does not have as much of an end product as Trippier – he was directly involved in just two league goals in 32 appearances in 2021-22, compared to ten for the latter – but that will likely come with age.

Besides, there are plenty of other similarities, such as the pair finding the target from a similar number of shots (25% for Livramento v 23.5% for Trippier), their pass-completion percentage (74.1 v 71.6), and the number of tackles they win (1.19 v 1.32), as per FBref.

Newcastle supporters will also need no reminding that one of their greatest-ever players – arguably second only to Alan Shearer – also moved from Southampton to St James' Park over 40 years ago.

Indeed, a certain Kevin Keegan was at a far more advanced stage of his career at that point, and had already landed a couple of Ballon d'Or titles, but the omens are certainly positive from Newcastle's perspective when choosing to invest from the Saints.

It was always Keegan's plan to play for Newcastle one day, which while that may not exactly be the case for Livramento, it will certainly provide the youngster with a huge platform to properly establish himself in the top flight.

'King Kev' scored 48 goals in 78 appearances for Newcastle and would of course later return for two spells as manager – the first stint more memorable than the second.

There is also the Shearer link, with the club's all-time leading scorer – now immortalised with a statue outside the ground – also having played for Southampton before joining Newcastle further down the line.

That is not to say Livramento is on his way to becoming one of Newcastle's all-time greats, but the Magpies have certainly had success signing players with Southampton roots in the past.

In Livramento, they have a player who looks every inch a modern-day full-back, one who is capable of initially challenging and filling in for the overused Trippier, before becoming a regular down the right for years to come.

Described as a "really talented player" by Southampton colleague Kyle Walker-Peters, it is now over to England U21 international Livramento to write his own passage in Newcastle folklore.

No pressure.

Fulham are interested in signing Fiorentina centre-back Julio Igor this summer, according to Viola News…

Fulham transfer news – Are the Cottagers signing Julio Igor?

Recently, Italian reporter Rudy Galetti revealed that Fulham were ready to open talks for Igor, who would cost in the region of €15m (£13m) this summer, according to Viola News.

The defender's agent is looking for a new club for his client this summer telling the same outlet: "I spoke with Fiorentina about Igor's future and the will is to leave in the summer. Even the purple club agrees. So far we have not yet received any official offer, but we are looking around."

After such a successful first season back in the Premier League, it looks as though Fulham are keen to improve even further and maintain their spot in the top half of England's top flight.

What role would Julio Igor play at Fulham?

Breaking into the current Fulham side would not be easy for Igor, who would likely have to work his way into Marco Silva's plans throughout the season.

One player that Igor should look to for inspiration if he does make the move is Tim Ream, however, with FBref marking the Fiorentina man as a comparable player to the Cottagers titan.

The American has gradually become one of the most important players at Craven Cottage, making 33 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Igor meanwhile, enjoyed a mixed season at Fiorentina, making 42 appearances in all competitions and suffering the heartbreak of defeat in the final of the Europa Conference League against West Ham United in what could be his final appearance for La Viola.

Statistically speaking, Ream and the Brazilian share some clear similarities that Silva will be keen to draw on when outlining the reasons for the defender's potential arrival.

According to FBref, Ream only completed 0.7 more passes per-90 than Igor last season. Meanwhile, the Fiorentina defender maintained a better pass completion rate than the veteran.

Such is the need to progress from the back under Silva at the London club in certain games, possession the skill to play in such a way is crucial for every defender at the club.

Igor is also more aggressive off the ball than Ream, perhaps partly to do with the former being younger than the 34-year-old Fulham man.

Also per FBref, the 25-year-old colossus made more tackles and blocks per 90 when compared to Ream, yet was also more rash than his experienced fellow defender, making 0.9 errors leading to shots, compared to Reams's 0.6 per 90.

Taking to Twitter to praise Igor, journalist Alvaro Canibe said:

"This couple is crazy. The security and reliability that Milenkovic and Igor bring to Fiorentina is incredible. The level they are at has a lot of merit."

With Ream not getting any younger, now could be the time for Silva to welcome his replacement.

Such decisions can make or break a side's season, and letting a player of Igor's potential learn from Ream's experience could be the key to ensuring yet another impressive campaign in the Premier League.

The Brazilian has the ability to make the step to England's top flight, that's for sure, given the evidence above.

Hibernian boss Lee Johnson will be desperate to improve on their disappointing fifth-placed finish last season, with Aberdeen and arch-rivals Hearts finishing above them in the table.

The club enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round following Celtic’s victory in the Scottish Cup and with the first leg due to take place on 27 July, Johnson doesn’t have long to assemble a squad good enough to progress through to the group stages and the financial rewards that come with it.

The main issue for the manager is adding some quality defenders to his squad, with Paul Hanlon and Rocky Bushiri the only recognised centre-backs at the moment.

Johnson has admitted that he wants to secure new loan deals for duo Will Fish and CJ Egan-Riley, who spent time north of the border in temporary moves from Manchester United and Burnley respectively and the signing of Fish, in particular, could certainly help the 42-year-old solve his defensive crisis.

Could Hibs sign Will Fish this summer?

Another loan move is certainly possible, especially considering the impact he made having joined in the summer of 2022.

The Englishman has featured 59 times for both the U18 and U21 sides at United, while even making his first team debut in the Premier League back in 2020/21, underlining his vast potential.

Gaining regular senior experience was vital for his development, thus a move to Hibs would prove to be a wise choice, with his performances pleasing Johnson, who waxed lyrical about the 20-year-old.

He told BBC Sportsound (via Football Scotland): "He's been fantastic. I've said before if you could build a centre half, you'd build Will Fish. He's a great student and a great lad and he's had to up his gravitas levels for this league and his on-pitch personalities.

"He's a lad that had never played a league game so far in his career. He went to Stockport last year and hardly played a game so it's a big step for him and one that he has really taken to well.

"He's trusted by the boys, trusted by the staff and it's a great sign."

High praise indeed and over 21 games in all competitions, he scored three times while across the whole squad, he ranked fifth for overall rating via Sofascore.

He also impressively sat fourth for interceptions per game and first for clearances per game, clearly proving how effective he was defensively and that he had a positive influence on the team.

Another temporary move would be a no-brainer, especially with European competition on the horizon and Fish could play another key role for Hibs during 2023/24 if he moved to the Easter Road outfit.

Liverpool will face competition from Portuguese giants Benfica as Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seeks a deal for Feyenoord captain Orkun Kokcu this summer.

What's the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Liverpool?

That's according to a report from the Netherlands (as relayed by the Liverpool Echo), which claims that the recently-crowned Eredivisie champions' captain is attracting interest from multiple angles after a brilliant campaign.

Due to Premier League interest, Feyenoord are hoping for at least €40m (£34m) for their star midfielder, and while Benfica are pushing hard to land the Turkish ace, the allure of Jurgen Klopp's outfit could swing the odds in his favour.

Earlier this year, former Liverpool gem Dirk Kuyt stated his desire to see the Anfield side make their move for the 22-year-old, which could be realised this summer as the Reds look to replace departees James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Should Liverpool sign Orkun Kokcu?

It's fair to say that it's not been a bad season for Kokcu, who scored 12 goals and served five more from 46 appearances across all competitions en route to divisional glory in the Netherlands, ending Ajax's five-year dominance.

Dubbed a "true leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Feyenoord captain offers an impressive goalscoring prowess to complement a dynamic slant to his midfield play – two elements that could prove enticing to Klopp considering Harvey Elliott's five-goal haul was the highest of any Liverpool midfielder this term.

Klopp's team tends not to find prolific success from the centre, instead relying on the marauding creativity of full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold while harnessing the blistering frontal potency of the likes of Mohamed Salah and co.

But the season gone past illustrates the need for change after the Reds fell by the wayside and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and Kokcu could change that.

As per Sofascore, he recorded a stunning average match rating of 7.48 in Eredivisie this term, complementing his direct contributions by completing 85% of his passes, making 2.8 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, and succeeding with 58% of his attempted dribbles.

Truly an all-encompassing midfielder, burgeoning and yet to channel the full scope of his potential, much like Nice machine Khephren Thuram, who could yet forge a deadly midfield alliance with the 20-cap Turkey international on Merseyside having received reliable and heavy links with a move to Klopp's team.

With holding midfielder Fabinho likely to retain his spot in Klopp's system despite a campaign where he flattered to deceive, the more progression-centric duo could wreak havoc behind Liverpool's frontline, with Kokcu, who ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions, as per FBref, for both shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, achieving a state of confluence with his "tenacious" – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – prospective teammate.

Thuram has been regarded as "dangerous" and "powerful" by club peer Aaron Ramsey, and himself ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.

The state of confluence that Liverpool might craft with a deal for both of these exciting dynamos could be the perfect remedy for the seasonal strife, and it must be enacted by new technical director Jorg Schmadtke to ensure that the desired ascent takes the Reds right back to the top.

Liverpool are in the running to sign Bayern Munich and France defender Benjamin Pavard this summer, according to journalist Christian Falk.

Is Pavard set to leave Bayern Munich?

The £116,000-a-week Frenchman has been a strong servant for the Bundesliga giants since arriving from VfB Stuttgart back in 2019, making 162 appearances in total. He has also won the league title in all four seasons he has spent at the Allianz Arena, often proving to be a safe pair of hands at right-back.

It looks as though Pavard's time at Bayern has reached its conclusion, however, with his current deal expiring next year and the club looking to receive a fee for him this summer rather than losing him on a free transfer in 2024.

The 27-year-old is unlikely to be without suitors, given his status as a World Cup winner with France back in 2018 – he also scored an iconic goal against Argentina in the last-16 clash in that tournament – and with Liverpool potentially looking to sign another defender this summer, it looks as though they could be in the mix to snap up the Bayern man.

Are Liverpool in the mix to sign Pavard?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Falk provided a key update regarding Pavard's future, claiming that Liverpool are strong contenders to snap him up:

"Benjamin Pavard has informed the club that he wants to move in the summer. His agents are already talking to other clubs. Among them, Liverpool is now a hot candidate.

"Previously, Chelsea and Barcelona were already known to be interested, as well as Italian clubs AC and Inter Milan."

Pavard could be a really astute signing by Liverpool in the summer transfer window, coming in as someone who can provide great depth at right-back, as well as centre-back if needed.

He could boost the squad depth at the Reds' disposal, and offer a very different type of player to Trent Alexander-Arnold – one who is more defensively resolute and solid in the role, having averaged 2.5 clearances and 2.3 tackles per game in the Bundesliga last season. Interestingly, Alexander-Arnold trailed well behind in both of those departments.

At 27, Pavard is now a hugely experienced player, but he is also relatively young still, meaning he could be a strong signing for Liverpool over the next four or five years, at least, having once been described as "brilliant" and someone who could "become a star" by France manager Didier Deschamps.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a fresh update regarding Everton midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin. 

The lowdown: Injury woes

Signed for £25million from Bundesliga side Mainz in 2019 (BBC), Gbamin missed 32 matches with a hamstring issue and 45 games following a ruptured Achilles tendon in his first season on Merseyside.

Having returned to fitness, the injury-plagued 26-year-old then suffered knee ligament damage in 2020/21 and has only managed eight total appearances for the Blues.

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In January ,the Ivory Coast international joined CSKA Moscow on loan until the end of the season, and his next step has now become apparent.

The latest: Romano provides an update

Taking to Twitter, Italian journalist Romano confirmed that the 12-cap ace is set to return to Goodison Park.

He explained: “Official. Jean-Philippe Gbamin will leave CSKA Moscow in the coming days and he’s now gonna return to Everton. EFC Loan deal has now expired and so Gbamin will be back at the end of current month.”

It is not yet clear if he will part of Frank Lampard’s plans next season, but we now know CSKA will not be turning the temporary move into a permanent one.

The verdict: Time to sell

Unfortunately, the defensive midfielder who was described as possessing ‘fantastic quality’ by Carlo Ancelotti has endured a torrid time since becoming a Toffee and it may be the best move for all parties to sanction a sale this summer.

Whilst on loan, Gbamin scored once and provided two assists in ten appearances before the abrupt end to the Russian Premier Liga, earning an impressive 6.99 Sofascore rating whilst winning 5.7 duels, making 1.6 tackles and taking 2.0 shots per game on average.

Now seemingly back up and running, it should be possible to find permanent suitors for the man valued at £9million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt).

Furthermore, Everton Director of Football Kevin Thelwell should aim to recoup as much of the expenditure as possible as Lampard aims to rebuild a side now confirmed as a Premier League outfit for next term after beating the drop.

In other news, Everton could be set to lose ‘unbelievable’ ace this summer, find out who here

Tottenham Hotspur have now been handed a possible transfer boost in their hunt to bring Paris-Saint Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye back to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes midfielder move…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte reportedly has his sights on two new midfield signings this summer among many other transfer targets, according to The Telegraph.

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The Italian apparently wishes to really strengthen in that area with links having emerged to the likes of Christian Eriksen (Brentford) and Youri Tielemans (Leicester City).

Tough-tackling midfield men are also on the agenda for Conte alongside more creative additions as transfer chief Fabio Paratici is tasked with advancing.

PSG midfielder Gueye is a target for the Lilywhites with French source Jeunesfooteux now sharing an update.

The Latest: Jeunesfooteux share promising update…

According to their information, Tottenham are ‘attentive’ over signing the 32-year-old and, what’s more, the Ligue 1 champions have set a reasonable price.

It is believed that PSG will in fact green-light his sale for under £20 million as the north Londoners eye a move, specifically £17m (€20m).

The Verdict: Time to move?

While his fairly seasoned age could repel a few supporters, Conte does in fact prefer his targets to come with more experience and know-how.

As a short term fix in the middle, there are arguably few who could strengthen Tottenham as much as Gueye for under £20m.

By his own admission, the Senegal international star is a ‘perfectionist’ in what he does, with former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood having raved over his abilities while the pair were at Aston Villa.

Sherwood branded Gueye a ‘monster’ when they worked together at Villa Park and this tag is still relevant now, having made the joint-second most tackles per 90 for PSG on average over his Ligue 1 appearances this season (WhoScored).

Indeed, the £115,000-per-week former Everton star may well be one Spurs must consider.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Conte could now lose ‘monster’ Spurs player who is ‘expected to leave’! Find out more here.