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Arsenal remain interested in a Premier League rival's player, with a recent update on their pursuit having now been dropped…

What's the latest on Joao Cancelo to Arsenal?

Speaking on The Gooner Talk YouTube channel, journalist Harry Symeou detailed the numerous players that the Gunners have been linked with despite the window having only truly opened on Wednesday.

Whilst the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Declan Rice were mentioned, what he noted about Joao Cancelo was perhaps the most interesting.

He claimed:

"I really do think that Arsenal want to do this deal, I really, really do. Whether they’ll be able to do it or not remains to be seen, because I think financially this is quite a difficult one to do.

“We know that there was an option-to-buy available for Bayern at around about €60m (£51m) and we know that Bayern don’t want to take that up. This suggests that Manchester City are of the belief that the player is worth [the] money and he absolutely is.

“It’s going to cost money to get him off of a rival and City do see us as that now, I don’t think they’re going to be letting people move across to Arsenal as freely as they did last summer looking at the way that elevated us."

How good could Joao Cancelo be at Arsenal?

Whilst the acquisition of someone so ingrained in a philosophy akin to Mikel Arteta's would offer widescale improvements, it could be argued that the comfortability of the defender in his role could have a particularly revolutionary effect on those within the back line.

After all, should he invert to form the base of a box midfield, just like he has done at times under Pep Guardiola, it could allow the likes of William Saliba to truly thrive and become one of the best ball-playing defenders in the game.

The way in which Cancelo accepts the ball in awkward areas, as a creatively unique full-back, would offer another key passing lane for the Frenchman who has enjoyed a stellar first full year playing English football.

When compared to other central defenders across Europe, the 22-year-old ranks in the top 8% for passes attempted and the top 7% for pass completion per 90, via FBref. This has boosted his 6.96 average rating, further upheld through 1.3 tackles and three clearances per game too, via Sofascore.

Meanwhile, the Portugal international, when put alongside other full-backs in Europe, blows them all out of the water creatively. He ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 2% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for assists, but most importantly for Saliba, the top 4% for progressive passes received, all per 90 via FBref.

This has led teammate Jack Grealish to wax lyrical about his qualities, claiming:

"He is so good technically. You know when we're playing one-touch, two-touch, he's just a joke and then he can shoot right foot, left foot from anywhere."

City's treble-winning boss Pep Guardiola would also supplement this, by outlining one particularly outstanding showing: "He was aggressive and has incredible quality with the ball."

With a defensive steel showcased in his 1.5 tackles and one interception per Bundesliga game last season, but an unparalleled ability to take the ball and forge opportunities, Cancelo has all the attributes to come into the Emirates and help make Saliba one of the best in his position.

Liverpool are in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to add midfield reinforcements, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manu Kone?

As per FootballTransfers, Liverpool are said to be 'in talks' with Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kone ahead of a possible summer move to Anfield.

The report states that discussions have taken place and he could be available for a price close to €40 million (£34.45 million). However, Newcastle United are also keen to add the 22-year-old midfielder to their squad in the off-season.

In 2022/23, Kone made 31 appearances in all competitions for Borussia Monchengladbach, registering one goal and a solitary assist apiece, as per Transfermarkt.

As per Salary Sport, the France Under-21 cap earns around £37,000 per week on the books at BORUSSIA-PARK on a contract that runs until June 2025.

According to The Guardian, Liverpool are 'continuing to push' in order to tie up a deal to bring Kone to Merseyside alongside Brighton & Hove Albion man Alexis Mac Allister.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has detailed that Kone is a name 'on the list' for Liverpool and said they could land him for an affordable price.

Jacobs stated: “I think with Kone, Liverpool certainly have the player on the list, and he might be available at a bargain price. He’ll be well under £50m, more likely closer to £35m or in that ballpark. So, that’s certainly a name that can't be discounted.”

Would Manu Kone be a good signing for Liverpool?

Kone, who has been hailed as a "one man army", is an excellent talent with plenty of room for development and unsurprisingly, Reds boss Klopp is keen to add him to Liverpool's squad ahead of next term.

According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old achieved a pass success rate of 87.9% in 2022/23, demonstrating his reliability in possession of the ball.

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The same outlet also report that Kone is a key force in driving Borussia Monchengladbach forward from midfield and managed to complete 1.9 dribbles per match in the Bundesliga.

As per FBRef, Kone also compares well to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of successful take-ons, having completed 1.96 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, which puts him in the fourth percentile for this statistical metric.

Liverpool need to replace their experienced outgoing midfield trio of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian, Naby Keita and James Milner with more youthful energy and bringing in Kone could help to freshen up the engine room ahead of 2023/24.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Union Berlin attacker Taiwo Awoniyi in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead

Steve Cooper is preparing for his side’s return to the Premier League next season, with new signings an obvious key area of focus alongside talks for the manager’s new contract.

Numerous additions will be required, in order for Forest to compete with the best sides in the country, or they will be risking a swift return to the Championship.

Plenty of links have emerged to goalkeepers such is the perilous situation with Brice Samba, but a new transfer rumour suggests Cooper could be about to bring in a potent attacking player.

The Latest: Forest keen on Awoniyi move

According to Sky Germany, Forest are interested in signing Awoniyi, who was formerly at Liverpool before joining Union Berlin.

The Nigerian is keen to leave his current club this summer, and the Premier League newcomers are ready to pounce and pay his release clause of €20million (£17.2m).

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting talent

Awoniyi is an exciting and physically imposing player who could be exactly what Forest need next season, adding much-needed firepower to a squad that is set to come up against far superior defences than in the Championship.

The 24-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2021/22 season, scoring 15 goals in 29 Bundesliga starts. He was hailed as ‘amazing’ by Union Berlin’s official Twitter account back in 2020, no surprise given he holds the record as the club’s all-time leading Bundesliga scorer.

His goal threat and all-round end product could ensure Forest aren’t goal-shy in the Premier League – the fact that his release clause isn’t too high makes the move seem even more tempting.

In other news, some exciting Forest news has emerged. Find out what it is here.

The Athletic have now shared a Tottenham Hotspur update involving Villarreal star Pau Torres as transfer chief Fabio Paratici casts his net far and wide.

The Lowdown: Spurs chase new centre-back…

The Lilywhites are certainly eager to sign a new left-footed central defender for manager Antonio Conte after the Italian guided them to a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.

There are many, many names to have been considered or weighed up by Spurs in the last few weeks, including Alessandro Bastoni, Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Gleison Bremer, Stefan De Vrij, Clement Lenglet and Torres (GiveMeSport).

Sharing news on the latter man, The Athletic have made a promising suggestion.

The Latest: The Athletic make Torres claim…

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According to their information, Torres is still a target and ‘might see Tottenham as a more attractive destination’ this year after he turned down Paratici’s approaches in 2021.

He’s apparently not a ‘priority’ when compared to the club’s other targets but still ‘ticks all the boxes’ he did 12 months ago.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Reports of a potential swap involving midfielder Giovani Lo Celso could sweeten the deal and we certainly think Torres is one of their best options and a real alternative to Bastoni of Inter Milan.

According to WhoScored, the Villarreal mainstay averaged their joint-highest rate of successful aerial duels per 90 and second-most clearances – marking himself out as a real presence under manager Unai Emery.

Called a potentially ‘world class’ signing by Spurs insider John Wenham, Torres would come with a similar price tag to Bastoni and Paratici could bypass negotiations by triggering his £55 million release clause.

It’s a move which surely must be considered before pre-season.

In other news: ‘Very recently’ – Tottenham hold talks over signing ‘one of the top strikers in England’! Find out more here.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Newcastle United are now looking to ‘finalise’ a deal for Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: Targett done

It seems as if the St. James’ Park outfit are getting busy straight away in the transfer market, as Sky Sports reported Matt Targett’s medical on Wednesday and the move was confirmed by the club mere hours later.

He is now officially their first summer signing, and plenty more will be expected to follow him through the door in the North East as the new owners look to really mount a serious challenge on the teams above them next season.

The Latest: Ekitike next?

Taking to Twitter, Sheth has revealed that the Tynesiders are now looking to ‘finalise’ a deal with Reims for Ekitike, with talks continuing over a move:

“Hugo Ekitike’s representatives have held further positive talks with Newcastle United. Been told representatives given permission to negotiate as Newcastle & Reims continue talks to finalise deal. Deal worth €30m under discussion over 5-year contract.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It sounds as if the Magpies could secure the signings of both Targett and Ekitike over the next week or so, in what are very exciting times for the Toon Army.

Having already seen what Targett can offer, Ekitike will want to prove himself in the Premier League, having scored 11 goals and made a further four assists in 26 games over all competitions in French football last season (Transfermarkt).

Dubbed the ‘next Mbappe’ by some in France, the teenage striker certainly has a bright future ahead of him, and it looks like NUFC could be the ones to benefit from his development over the next few years.

In other news, find out which ‘absolute beast’ Newcastle are now interested in here!

West Ham United are open to letting defender Issa Diop leave the club this summer, The Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia reports. 

The lowdown

West Ham shelled out £22.5million to sign Diop from Toulouse back in 2018. That makes him the sixth-most expensive signing in the club’s history, and their second-most expensive defensive arrival behind £31.5million man Kurt Zouma.

Diop has played 121 matches for the club but his involvement in last season’s Premier League action was limited.

He only started ten games and, as Ouzia points out, even that was ‘largely as a result of injuries to other players’.

Diop, who’s still only 25 years old, is now valued at just £10.8million by Transfermarkt, a 66 per cent plummet from an all-time high of £31.5million.

The latest

According to Ouzia, West Ham recognise that this may well be their ‘last opportunity to ‘command a fee’ for Diop as he enters the final year of his deal.

Diop would be able to negotiate pre-contract terms with foreign clubs as soon as January.

While David Moyes is expected to be given ‘substantial backing’ this summer, he knows that offloading players like Diop will inflate his budget further.

He would like to use the available money ‘at least one new centre back’ ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The verdict

A somewhat low-key end to Diop’s time at West Ham may be in the offing.

This was a player who previously attracted the interest of Manchester United and Liverpool, but has now fallen down the pecking order at the London Stadium.

Team-mate Craig Dawson has dubbed him ‘excellent’, and former United boss Jose Mourinho has called him a ‘monster’.

But if Moyes believes West Ham can fetch a good price for the Frenchman, then it would arguably make sense to sell given his place in the Irons pecking order.

In other news, David Moyes is ready to offload this 2021 signing too.

An Italian source has now shared a big Southampton transfer update involving Wolfsburg forward and Torino loanee Josip Brekalo.

The Lowdown: Saints eye attackers…

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl reportedly has attacking signings in his sights as he gears up for the 2022/2023 Premier League season.

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The likes of Liam Delap of Man City have recently been linked alongside more senior options like Taiwo Awoniyi of Union Berlin, coming as Southampton’s chances of sealing a permanent deal for Chelsea loanee Armando Broja reportedly grow thin.

Club chief Martin Semmens is tasked with backing Hasenhuttl over what could be a crucial summer window at St. Mary’s, and according to reports, they’ve already made a pre-summer move.

The Latest: Southampton open talks…

According to Calciomercato.it, Southampton have now opened talks for Brekalo amid his brilliant season on a temporary spell at Torino – making contact with either a ‘formal request for information’ or ‘draft offer’.

Indeed, the Saints, along with Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham are thought to have made ‘concrete moves’ for the Croatia international.

The Verdict: Push on?

The 30-cap attacker has played brilliantly in Serie A over the course of 2021/2022, prompting members of the media to call his form ‘frightening’ in parts (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette).

Ranking as one of Torino’s top-five performers going by average match rating, Brekalo also boasts the highest number of key passes made per 90 in the final third out of any regular under Ivan Juric (WhoScored).

The 23-year-old, who still has many years ahead at the top, is also level with teammates Andrea Belotti and Sasa Lukic in terms of goals and assists combined (WhoScored).

He comes as a fairly promising new transfer target and one who could demand just €10 million (£8.4m) on Southampton’s part.

In other news: Southampton also want ‘extraordinary’ 10/10 colossus who has sights set on a move to England! Find out more here.

Newcastle United journalist Luke Edwards has been left raging over news of a bizarre Newcastle kit that will reportedly be on show next season.

The Lowdown: Saudi kit

As shared by Edwards for The Daily Telegraph, there has been an image leaked in the last 24 hours of the St. James’ Park faithful’s proposed third strip for the new season.

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It presents green sleeve and neck lines with the badge and manufacturer’s logo also coloured in green, on a pre-dominantly white shirt. It is very reminiscent of what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) national team play in.

The Latest: Edwards reacts

Taking to Twitter, Edwards gave his instant reaction after hearing of the leaked shirt, calling it a ‘stupid’ idea:

“The Saudi third kit idea for NUFC was a stupid one and, quite honestly, the club deserve all the criticism coming their way over it.”

The Verdict: Needs rethinking

It is normal to have a secondary colour on away and third kits not usually seen in the club’s traditional colours, but colouring the badge and manufacturer name green is not needed and not subtle at all in light of controversies in the KSA.

If they were to keep those aspects in their traditional colours, and merely have the sleeve and neck outlines green, then it could be deemed an acceptable strip which both appeals to the new audience in the Middle East and does not detract from the legacy of the club in the North East.

Nonetheless, you can see where Edwards is coming from, and the club have to prepare to face criticism if they go through with the idea.

In other news, find out who is now ‘set to leave’ NUFC in the summer here!

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to bring Sam Johnstone to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that Tottenham are now set to land the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, as Manchester United have now decided not to pursue a deal to bring the 29-year-old back to Old Trafford this summer.

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The report goes on to state that the England international’s availability on a free makes him an attractive proposition to both Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, with Spurs looking to bring in a quality addition between the sticks in order to provide Hugo Lloris with both backup to and competition for his starting spot in Antonio Conte’s side.

A Paratici masterclass

Considering the fact that, upon West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League last season, the Black Country side placed a £20m asking price on the goalkeeper’s head amid interest from the likes of Leeds United, Manchester United, West Ham United and Watford, should Paratici go on to land the 29-year-old on a free this summer, it would represent something of a big coup for Spurs.

While it is true that Johnstone has not enjoyed the best campaign of his career over his 36 appearances in the Championship this season, the three-time capped international undoubtedly proved his ability at the highest level of the English game last time out.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League fixtures in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated shot-stopper was one of Albion’s standout performers, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of 4.5 saves per game – by far and away the most of any ‘keeper in the league – with these returns seeing the £32.5k-per-week talent earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03 – ranking him as the Baggies’ second-best player in the top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how talented a goalkeeper the player Gary Lineker dubbed “unbelievable” is, leading us at Football FanCast to believe that, should Paratici indeed secure the 29-year-old as Spurs’ first signing this summer, it would be yet another transfer masterclass by the Italian sporting director.

AND in other news: “Expect to see”: Eccleshare drops £145m Spurs summer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Manchester United are strongly looking into the possibility of signing Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Nunez’s rise to stardom

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a continued upwards career trajectory ever since arriving in Europe from South America in 2019.

Originally signed by Spanish second-tier outfit Almeria, Nunez scored 16 times and provided three assists in just 32 outings before being snapped up by Benfica.

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Having since netted 48 goals in just 84 appearances for the Portuguese giants, a host of Europe’s elite clubs are looking on with intent…

The latest: United keen on Nunez

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that the Red Devils are ‘100 per cent’ weighing up a move for the dynamic frontman.

He stated: “Darwin Nunez is 100 per cent somebody that they are looking into right now. He’s very likely to land in the Premier League in the summer, and Manchester United are taking his availability very seriously. And they think that he might be just the guy that they need for next season.”

The verdict: Sign him at all costs

As statement signings go, few are likely to turn heads like the eventual winners of the race to sign eight-cap Uruguay star Nunez this summer.

So far this season, the man who was branded ‘world class’ by his Benfica manager Jorge Jesus has scored 34 times and provided four assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.

With the immediate futures of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nunez’s compatriot Edinson Cavani all in doubt, bringing the Uruguayan youngster to Old Trafford would be a sensational early piece of business from new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag.

In other news: Man Utd star could make sensational summer exit…find out more here