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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.

West Ham United have been named as a possible destination for wantaway AC Milan striker Divock Origi.

What’s the latest on Divock Origi to West Ham?

According to Antonio Vitiello, the Hammers are set to be rivalled by Aston Villa for the signature of the 28-year-old.

Indeed, the Italian journalist took to Twitter on Sunday to report: "Premier League teams interested in Divock Origi at Milan. West Ham and Aston Villa are inquiring. He is also popular in Turkey. Rossoneri looking for a striker for the summer."

Would Divock Origi be a good fit at West Ham?

During an eight-year spell with Liverpool, the Belgian engrained himself into the folklore of the Merseyside outfit.

In the 2018/19 season, the Reds were emphatically dispatched 3-0 by Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The ever-present and ruthlessly efficient pairing of Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah were ruled out of the return leg, but Origi was drafted into devastating effect.

Unbelievably, the £8m-rated forward netted twice in an awe-inspiring 4-0 comeback victory over the Catalan giants and then scored in the final against Tottenham Hotspur to secure his side their sixth European title.

Unsurprisingly, Jurgen Klopp has only had positive things to say about his former player and described Origi as an “outstanding player” and a “Liverpool legend” ahead of his move to Italy.

However, his transfer hasn’t materialised in the expected fashion and has only found the net twice in 35 appearances in all competitions. Although, he has only started ten games and has been restricted to extremely limited minutes.

These statistics translate into extremely tough reading, but his legacy at Liverpool and the plethora of important goals remain and a return to the Premier League may ignite the forward who bagged 41 times for the Reds.

From a West Ham perspective, signing a player with the 32-cap international’s experience could be an intelligent and safe move – a vastly different alternative to the tumultuous and damaging transfer of Gianluca Scamacca who would no doubt be further ditched from Moyes' plans should another attacker arrive.

The Italian’s debut season in England has been blighted by injury and inconsistency. He arrived with huge expectations but has cut a dejected, uninvolved, and frustrated figure in the capital.

The former Sassuolo man has been "woeful" in front of goal this term – as per journalist Toby Cudworth – scoring only three goals in the Premier League this term.

The 11-cap international is ruled out for the rest of a campaign after undergoing knee surgery, but prior to this, Moyes questioned his “physical data”, while urging his “output to be bigger.”

It seems that Scamacca’s Irons career has plateaued into irrelevancy and after just one year, it may be the most sensible decision to offload the striker.

Whilst this situation is getting resolved, Origi will be patiently waiting in the wings and his reliability will be an extremely attractive prospect to the Hammers hierarchy.

نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي النصر السعودي في زيادة الحصيلة التهديفية أمام إنتر ميامي الأمريكي بهدفين خامس وسادس، خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ضمن منافسات كأس موسم الرياض.

ويلتقي النصر مع إنتر ميامي، على أرضية استاد المملكة أرينا، في إطار المباراة الودية التي تجمعها في كأس موسم الرياض.

وجاء هدف فريق نادي النصر الخامس في الدقيقة 68 عن طريق المهاجم محمد مران برأسية رائعة في شباك انتر ميامي.

وقبل مرور 5 دقائق أضاف تاليسكا الهدف السادس.

وجاء هدف النصر الأول في الدقيقة الثالثة من عمر المباراة، بتصويبة سحرية من أوتافيو من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة النصر وإنتر ميامي في كأس موسم الرياض

وسجل تاليسكا الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 10، بعد عرضية سحرية استقبلها تاليسكا في شباك انتر ميامي في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر المواجهة.

وتقدم النصر بالهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 12 من الشوط الأول، عن طريق المدافع إيميرت لابورتي بعد كرة عابرة للقارات سكنت شباك إنتر ميامي من بداية الملعب وحتى نهايته.

قبل أن يعود تاليسكا ليسجل الهدف الرابع عن طريق ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 51 من عمر المواجهة. هدف النصر الخامس أمام إنتر ميامي

هدف النصر السادس أمام إنتر ميامي

David Warner’s recovery time could be anywhere between two and six weeks if he does not require surgery, but he may be out for longer should a procedure be required

Daniel Brettig12-Jun-2016David Warner has been effectively ruled out out of the triangular series and may require surgery for a broken left index finger suffered while fielding during Australia’s victory over South Africa in St Kitts on Saturday.In a grievous blow to Steven Smith’s side, Warner will be lost to the top order for the remainder of the tournament and is now in a race to be fully fit in time for the start of the Test tour to Sri Lanka in July. He had made an unbeaten half-century and a century in three innings of the triangular series so far, following a successful IPL.Australia’s team doctor Geoffrey Verrall said Warner’s recovery time could be anywhere between two and six weeks if he does not require surgery, but he may be out for longer should a procedure be required.”The x-ray showed an intra-articular fracture of the distal phalanx of the index finger of the left hand – the top part of that finger,” Verrall said. “We will assess the situation over the coming days to see if the injury requires a surgical option but should that not be the case then David is likely to be available to return to play in somewhere between two and six weeks.”The selector on duty Trevor Hohns and interim coach Justin Langer are yet to decide whether Warner will be replaced by another player flown in from Australia or elsewhere. Warner said the injury would provide him with an opportunity for downtime ahead of a demanding international schedule over the next 12 months.”It’s obviously disappointing to be sidelined given the form I’ve been in and given the important stage the tri-series is at, but it’s always important to look at the positives,” he said. “This downtime, however long or short it is, will give me the chance to freshen up and spend quality time with my family after an intense period of action.”Langer said he was particularly disappointed to lose Warner’s services after watching the example he had set around the squad. “It’s doubly disappointing to have David Warner sidelined because of his outstanding form plus his attitude and professionalism around the group which has been a joy to work with,” he said. “But we’ve spoken from day one of this tour about every single person in the squad contributing to our success.”I’ve encouraged the players not in the starting eleven to be ready at all times because you never know when opportunities might come. One of the boys will now get that opportunity in David’s absence.”Australia’s captain, Steven Smith, said that while it would be a blow for Australia to miss Warner during the tri-series, the main goal would be to ensure Warner was available for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which begins in Pallekele on July 26.”The most important thing from my aspect is that he’s right for the Test series,” Smith said. “That’s still about six weeks away before the first Test. I think the medical staff and Davey are confident that he’ll be fine for that first Test match.”It’s always tough missing players like Davey, particularly at the moment. He’s in the form of his life and batting beautifully. It’s going to be a big loss for us. I’m sure whoever steps into that position is going to do a terrific job.”Warner’s injury may mean a recall for Glenn Maxwell, following the allrounder’s poor displays in the opening two matches of the tournament. Usman Khawaja is likely to move up the order to partner Aaron Finch for Monday’s match against the West Indies.

When asked to reel off the star names at Parkhead this season, Celtic supporters would be quick to put forward the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers, with that trio having yet again been integral to the club's title charge.

One man who is perhaps a more unsung hero, however, is first-choice left-back, Greg Taylor, with the Scotland international having been something of an everpresent for Ange Postecoglou's side this term.

Despite the Old Firm outfit splashing out £3.75m to sign a direct rival to the £8.2k-per-week menace in the form of Alexandro Bernabei, the former Kilmarnock man has more than risen to the challenge, having started 35 games across all fronts this term.

That consistent run of form – which has seen the 25-year-old provide three goals and three assists in all competitions – has followed the full-back's "wonderful" performances in last year's glorious campaign, as per pundit Frank McAvennie, having been an obvious beneficiary of Postecoglou's arrival in the dugout.

As McAvennie also noted last year, the ten-cap rock has "improved so much" since the Greek-Aussie took charge in the summer of 2021, with that resurgence having been evident amid the defender's soaring valuation.

How much is Greg Taylor worth now?

Plucked from Rubgy Park by then-Hoops boss Neil Lennon for an undisclosed fee just under four years ago, Taylor initially endured a difficult time of it at the club, with ex-Bhoys playmaker Kris Commons noting that supporters had been "slaughtering his performances" in those early days.

The diminutive asset had been dealt a "raw deal" – according to Commons – after being forced to fill the void of Kieran Tierney on the left side of the defence, with the latter man having made the move to Arsenal for £25m in 2019.

As Commons has since stated, however, it looks as if Taylor has now "stepped out of Tierney's shadow", emerging as a real "leader" in Postecoglou's starting lineup, according to pundit Mark Wilson.

That change in fortunes is showcased by the fact that back in February 2020, during the 5 foot 7 man's first season at Celtic Park, he was valued at as little as £1m, according to Transfermarkt, albeit with that valuation now soaring to £5m – representing an increase of 400% in the last three years.

As the aforementioned Wilson stated earlier in the campaign, the Greenock-born ace has enjoyed a "tremendous season" for the rampant league leaders, having been "playing some of the best football of his career" in recent times.

Encouragingly, however, it does not appear that Taylor is the finished article just yet, as – in the words of Postecoglou – "there is more to come from him"…

Sheikh Jassim’s second offer for Manchester United is ‘definitely going in’, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

The Lowdown: Ratcliffe’s second offer

Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are seemingly the front runners when it comes to a complete takeover from the Glazers, with both holding Old Trafford talks last week.

However, the two parties ended up missing the deadline to make a second offer for the club on Wednesday in an incredible development, asking for an extension from the Raine Group in New York. That was approved and Ratcliffe’s second offer was submitted on Thursday evening, although there is yet to be any confirmation of Jassim’s revised bid being made.

The Latest: Qatari investors

Chief Sky Sports reporter Solhekol provided an update regarding Ratcliffe’s second offer being submitted on Thursday evening. He then shared the ‘latest information’ on Jassim, stating he’s been ‘told’ that ‘the bid is definitely going in’.

‘We are now just waiting for confirmation from the Qatari’s that they have also put their bid in. The latest information I have is that the bid is ready to go.

‘They missed the deadline last night (Wednesday) as well and asked for a little bit more time. I’m being told don’t read too much into that, the bid is definitely going in.’

The Verdict: Good news

TalkSPORT suggested in the last 48 hours that the improved offers from Jassim and Ratcliffe were set to be world-record bids, worth around £5billion.

Therefore, it is good to know that another big-money proposal is still on the cards, which could result in a greater chance of the Glazers selling up completely. Plenty of United fans have wanted the current owners out for some time, with chants against the Americans at Wembley continuing during the Carabao Cup final triumph over Newcastle.

A takeover from Jassim and his delegation could have an immediate impact on Erik ten Hag as well. Previous reports claimed that the Qatari group led by Jassim wanted ‘things done quickly’ so they could help the manager in the transfer market, with reports in recent days suggesting that they are already planning a stunning move for Jude Bellingham.

Therefore, it could be just a matter of time until we officially hear confirmation of a fresh proposal from Jassim, with Elliott Management another potential rival for the Qatari group alongside Ratcliffe after they also made an offer to buy a minority stake in the club.

Manchester United are in advanced talks over a new deal for Diogo Dalot, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Current contract

Dalot, hailed as ‘smart’ and ‘intelligent’ by former United striker Cristiano Ronaldo, has featured heavily under Erik ten Hag this season, making his 30th appearance of the season against Liverpool on Sunday.

The 23-year-old’s current contract is currently set to expire in 2024 after Old Trafford chiefs triggered a one-year extension prior to the New Year.

The Latest: New deal

The Sun provided an update regarding Dalot and United in the last 48 hours, claiming that talks over a new long-term deal are at an advanced stage.

The report adds that United are wary of interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid and want to secure him to a new deal after impressing this season.

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The Verdict: Wise move

Dalot has gone from strength to strength under Ten Hag and is currently valued at a career-high €32m by Transfermarkt.

He appears to be first choice ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and has been the club’s fourth-best performer in the Premier League, as per WhoScored.

Dalot has made more interceptions than any United player and also ranks highly for tackles and key passes made per 90, so a new long-term deal would be a wise move by Old Trafford chiefs and it looks as if it is gathering pace.

Phil Hay has admitted that Stuart Dallas is still hopeful of playing a part in Leeds United’s season.

The Lowdown: Leeds need everyone fit to stay up

It’s certainly going to be a relegation battle that goes right down until the final day with the bottom nine clubs being separated by just six points as the games begin to dwindle down.

Leeds currently sit outside of the relegation zone despite losing on the weekend, mainly down to the fact some late goals for the likes of Nottingham Forest and Arsenal boosted their chances of survival.

Someone who they’ve clearly missed this season is the versatile Stuart Dallas who picked up a freak and very serious injury last campaign that’s seen him nowhere even near the first-team picture for almost a year now.

The Latest: Dallas could have a say in this season

Prior to his injury Dallas had missed just one game in three seasons for Leeds and despite his serious setback, Hay has admitted on The Phil Hay Show the Northern Ireland international is on schedule to make a timely return this campaign.

He said: (9:10) “I think if he got games in before the season finished then that would be pretty satisfying and that would be him on target, considering how bad the injury was.

“Gracia is giving nothing very little away about injuries at the moment and I haven’t had an update recently on Dallas [but] he appears to be on schedule and he appears to be doing well.

“You’ll remember Marsch saying he had a little cleanup operation not so long ago but I think that was standard and I think that was part of the process but it was never really the expectation that Dallas was going to play a huge part this year.”

The Verdict: Unexpected boost for Gracia

This is more positive news for Leeds, with Phil Hay saying Rodrigo is hopeful of playing against Brighton.

When Gracia walked into Leeds he may have totally discounted long-term absentee Dallas as even a possibility to play this season but the fact he’s remained on schedule for such a long time now is a statement of his character and what leads means to him, which must be obvious given Marsch labelled him as ‘fantastic’ despite him never training/working under the American during his tenure.

Getting someone such as Dallas back in the first team picture, not necessarily starting, but just to have in and around the dressing room could be a huge boost mentally for Leeds in their fight against the drop.

This is because the versatile player who can play midfield or defence was part of the club’s scrap last term and has been around the game for a long time now, so his experienced head could be invaluable if he can just play a few games.

Journalist Dave Azzopardi has claimed that January signing Matheus Cunha is unable to lead the line upfront for Wolves, following their defeat to Bournemouth.

How has Matheus Cunha played so far for Wolves?

The Brazilian attacker arrived on loan with a £35m obligation to buy from Atletico Madrid, and is yet to open his account under Julen Lopetegui.

He played 70 minutes in the Bournemouth loss, starting upfront before being replaced by Diego Costa, and failed to register a shot on target.

Speaking on the Talking Wolves YouTube Channel after the game, Azzopardi claimed that whilst Cunha was clearly talented, he cannot start as a lone striker in the current Wolves setup.

“Cunha is a difficult one as well. He’s definitely a good footballer, definitely a player I can see playing central but he’s not a main striker,” he stated.

“He’s not going to score our goals, so I think in games like Bournemouth, we could possibly even start with a 4231, with Cunha or Sarabia behind another striker.”

Do Wolves have enough firepower?

Wolves have improved since the arrival of Lopetegui before the World Cup, and won their previous two games before the Bournemouth fixture, which included a stunning 3-0 victory over Liverpool.

The arrivals of Cunha and Pablo Sarabia were meant to inject some more attacking impetus into a side which was lacking in it before, and whilst Wolves have improved as an attacking unit, the two players are yet to make a goalscoring impact.

Wolves registered 15 shots, with four on target against Bournemouth, and can consider themselves unlucky that they didn’t score, but Lopetegui may wish to consider playing Cunha with one of Costa or Raul Jimenez to help add more goals to the side.

Cunha did play fairly well against Bournemouth, completing three dribbles and registering an 88% pass accuracy as per SofaScore, but with no shots on target, he is not currently providing enough of a clinical edge to lead the line.

Presenter and YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed Leeds United for their lack of a clear plan amid a huge January splurge.

The Lowdown: Confusion at Elland Road

After two windows of very heavy spending for Leeds, it was a bizarre decision to then sack Jesse Marsch just a few days after the January window slammed shut and he had been allowed to have a say on three signings.

This was seemingly only the start of the mess at Leeds as Andrea Radrizzani insisted that the club had something lined up to be announced or well-known by Wednesday evening at the latest, but as many may have expected, nothing came of this empty promise.

Now fans are having to watch on as they fail to land their top target to replace Marsch in the form of Andoni Iraola, with Rayo Vallecano unwilling to lose the man who’s got them sitting in the top five of La Liga.

The Latest: There’s no plan at Leeds

McGilligan has slammed the hierarchy at Leeds for their decision-making and lack of planning despite spending a huge chunk of money while speaking on The Overlap.

He said: “The amount we’ve spent is very un-Leeds to spend that sort of money in January, so they’re panicking.

“The stakes are so high, but why go out and back him [Marsch] to the extent that we have in the January window – bringing in Weston McKennie with three days to go – and you’re sacking him. Where’s the plan there? That’s the worrying part, I think, from an ownership standpoint.”

The Verdict: Leeds can’t get this appointment wrong

This time last year, Victor Orta looked to hire a manager that could keep the club in the Premier League and also put his own stamp on the side to take them higher up in the division, but that Marsch experiment didn’t work.

Therefore, this appointment must be, first and foremost, about staying in the league and going for someone that has only ever managed in Spain and Cyprus such as Iraola, would be one huge gamble that Leeds don’t need to make.

Interestingly, Radrizzani appears to have revealed to McGilligan that the new manager will be announced sometime next week, which is ideal as they have two huge games coming up after Manchester United this weekend, as Leeds face relegation rivals Everton and Southampton in back-to-back games that could define their season.