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An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of landing a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has named Yann Sommer as a player he has been told is on the Magpies’ radar as they eye up competition for Martin Dubravka.

The journalist has also cast doubt over the possibility of Burnley’s number one making his way to Tyneside in the coming months.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m not sure Nick Pope is good enough with the ball at his feet. They’re looking for someone that can play out from the back, that’s always been his Achilles heel.

“The name I was given this week was Yann Sommer at Monchengladbach, the Swiss international. He’s got a year left on his contract so wouldn’t cost a lot of money. I’d definitely keep an eye on that one.”

Forget Dean Henderson

One goalkeeper who had been linked with a move to St. James’ Park was Manchester United’s Dean Henderson but it is now time to forget about the England international.

The £20m brute, who was once dubbed “insane” by teammate Sander Berge, did not play a single minute of Premier League football last season and has only played more than 15 league games in a top-flight campaign once in his career.

He is relatively inexperienced at the top level and this is why Sommer can be a better signing for the Magpies ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Switzerland international has played 30+ Bundesliga matches in each of the last eight seasons and this shows that he is experienced and knows what it takes to play in a major European league. He was once hailed as “one of the best” in the Geman top-flight by Adi Hutter and his statistics show that he has been superb in the division.

In the 2021/22 campaign, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.95 as he was named in the Team of the Week seven times in 32 appearances. This shows that he was consistently brilliant between the sticks for Monchengladbach as he showcased his quality in goal.

Howe will, therefore, love the club’s interest in Sommer over Henderson as he is an in-form, experienced, option who he would be able to rely upon for Newcastle next season.

The 33-year-old would be able to provide Dubravka with significant competition, as he has proven that he can be an outstanding performer in a major league, and the Toon boss would surely be delighted to have both players pushing each other for a starting place.

AND in other news, Decision imminent: Romano drops “serious” update that’ll leave NUFC supporters nervous…

Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay is set to undergo a medical at Liverpool in the coming days after the Reds’ offer was accepted.

The Lowdown: Ramsay profiled

As per the Dons’ official website, the 18-year-old has been at Pittodrie ever since joining the academy at the age of nine. He became a full time professional in 2019, signing a long-term deal in Scotland in 2021 and making his senior first-team debut against Dundee United later the same year.

Even though the right-back still has two years remaining on that contract, his performances caught the eye of the Reds, alongside Premier League rivals Leeds.

Of course, much of the media attention on Merseyside this week is focused on the quest to sign Darwin Nunez, who is believed to be the subject of a huge bid, but it seems Ramsay could be the man to become the club’s second summer signing after Fabio Carvalho.

The Latest: Medical next, announcement soon

In a new article published by Football Insider, it’s claimed that Liverpool are ‘close to securing a full agreement’ for Ramsay, with a recruitment source telling the website that a bid ‘worth £4m including add-ons’ has been accepted by Aberdeen.

The source further states that the defender will now ‘undergo’ a medical with the top-flight giants ‘in the coming days’ after ‘agreeing terms’ on his move to England.

It’s reported that a deal is ‘all but done’, with both parties ‘negotiating the structure of payments’ before the prospect is granted permission to complete his tests.

There could even be an official announcement ‘within the next days’.

The Verdict: One for the future

Trent Alexander-Arnold will probably always be the first-choice right-back in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI, but given his age, Ramsay will definitely be one for the future and has plenty of potential to give.

The Scotland U21 international has been in hugely impressive form for the Dons this season, having assisted nine goals and even netting one himself in just 33 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, possessing the same kind of attacking qualities down the wing that the Liverpool number 66 does.

Already establishing himself at a highly competitive level – four of his nine assists came in European games – there’s no doubt that the teenager will be ready to step up when the manager does come calling.

In other news… one of the Reds’ first-team stars is now ‘closing in’ on a summer Anfield exit.

Leeds United are thought to be monitoring Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

The Lowdown: Hamer profiled

The 24-year-old made the move to Coventry from PEC Zwolle in 2020. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Hamer, a former Netherlands U20 international, can also line out as a more advanced central midfielder or even at right-back.

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Described as ‘unbelievable’ by former team-mate Marko Marosi, the Dutchman enjoyed a fine 2021/22 Championship campaign, scoring three times and registering 10 assists in 39 games.

Sponsored by Adidas, the manufacturers of Leeds’ kit, Hamer is entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Sky Blues, and a move to the Premier League could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Hamer

Sussex Live shared a story on Sunday afternoon, claiming that Brighton are keeping tabs on the 24-year-old this summer ahead of a possible move.

The report added that Leeds, along with Brentford, Celtic and Rangers, are also monitoring his progress.

The Verdict: O’Brien alternative?

Another Leeds target from the Championship is Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien, who also plays in holding or central midfield roles.

Hamer could be viewed by Victor Orta and co as a possible alternative to O’Brien and could well be a cheaper target too, considering that he’s heading into the final 12 months of his Coventry deal.

He also contributed to more goals than the Huddersfield ace in the Championship last season, so a move for the Dutch midfielder could be one to keep an eye on if the Whites miss out on long-time target O’Brien once again.

In other news – £34m release clause: Leeds now interested in move for ‘special talent’ who Marsch loves

West Ham United are believed to be leading the transfer race for New York City striker Valentin Castellanos, according to a report by The Mirror.

The Lowdown: West Ham register interest in Castellanos

The 23-year-old joined the MLS club on a season-long loan from Atletico Torque four years ago before making the switch permanently in 2019. He has since gone on to make 126 appearances at the Yankee Stadium, with 76 goal contributions during that time.

The Argentine’s contract with his current club isn’t set to expire until 2025, but after previously admitting that he wanted to leave New York in a bid to boost his chances of playing for his country, his future is very much up in the air.

It now appears that there is some Premier League interest in the 5 foot 10 predator in the form of West Ham.

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The Latest: West Ham in ‘pole position’ for Castellanos

The Mirror reported that West Ham are now in ‘pole position’ to secure Castellanos’ signature, with competitors River Plate ‘struggling’ to meet the £12.8m valuation that Ronny Deila’s side have put on the 23-year-old.

The report added that the asking price ‘won’t be any problem’ for the Irons, who believe that the attacker is a ‘gamble worth taking’ for the fee that New York City are demanding.

The Verdict: Competition for Antonio

Despite a healthy seventh-place league finish and securing European football for next season, David Moyes is in desperate need of a new striker considering that Michail Antonio is the only natural centre-forward at West Ham.

With the Jamaica international now 32 and rather injury-prone, Castellanos could be the perfect candidate to provide some serious competition for the Hammers’ number nine.

The Mendoza-born talent, who was once hailed as a “top class” player by his manager Deila, has been in prolific form in the MLS this season, having scored seven goals and registered one assist in just ten league appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

The forward won the MLS Golden Boot award last year and was even voted the league’s Most Valuable Player, which sounds like exactly the profile of striker that Moyes would want to have at the London Stadiun ahead of the 2022/23 season.

In other news… a transfer insider has claimed that West Ham are set to make an official ‘offer’ for one of their summer targets

An update has emerged on Rangers and their pursuit of bringing a fresh central midfielder to Ibrox during the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

BBC reporter Ian Dennis has claimed that the Gers are among a number of clubs who are showing an interest in soon-to-be free agent Joe Rothwell ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “Fulham are looking to rival Bournemouth’s efforts to sign Blackburn midfielder Joe Rothwell. #AFCB had a bid turned down in Jan. Rothwell is out of contract this summer. Rangers and a host of Championship clubs are also understood to be interested in Rothwell.”

Gio van Bronckhorst would love him

The Light Blues head coach would love to have Rothwell at Ibrox next season, as he would be an excellent addition to the team.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Championship for Blackburn and would add a new dynamic to the Gers midfield, as he has the ability to drive forward and create chances in the final third.

His Rovers boss Tony Mowbray previously lauded the player’s ability, saying: “He’s an exciting talent, he’s exceedingly fast, he keeps the ball really tight. We want him running towards the opposition goal rather than across the pitch.”

In the 2021/22 season, Rothwell averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.08 across 41 matches as he maintained a high standard with his performances. He was directly involved in 13 goals, chipping in with three strikes and 10 assists, also creating 10 ‘big chances’ and providing 1.7 key passes per match.

The 27-year-old has proven that he can contribute in attack, while he also got stuck in defensively with 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game. This suggests that he would be a brilliant box-to-box option for Van Bronckhorst to call upon next term.

Meanwhile, Joe Aribo – who has also played out wide – was the only Rangers central midfielder with more than three assists in the Premiership. He set up five goals – half as many as Rothwell created for Blackburn in the English second tier – and this indicates that the Gers lack a midfielder capable of consistently providing creativity.

This suggests that the Rovers gem would be a superb signing for the Light Blues and a much-needed one because of the ability he possesses on the ball. Therefore, Van Bronckhorst would surely love to have him at Ibrox and will now be hoping that Ross Wilson can snap him up on a free transfer in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: GvB can form scary Rangers duo by signing £4.5k-p/w machine…

Liverpool have already been linked with a number of new additions this summer, with a new update emerging on long-term transfer target Jarrod Bowen.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Liverpool’s interest in the West Ham United star is “genuine” as speculation mounts on a potential move for the player this summer.

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Crook told GIVEMESPORT:

“I know Jurgen Klopp’s an admirer so that interest from Liverpool is genuine. But where does he fit in now that they’ve signed Diaz? They’ve got (Diogo) Jota obviously at the moment, Salah and Mane are still there, and so is Firmino.”

It comes as The Mirror reports that the FA cup winners could potentially offer a swap deal for Bowen that includes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Klopp would love him

There is no doubt that Bowen would fit right in at Liverpool but with a large number of attackers already in the team, it would be hard to see how he would pick up regular game time, despite the fact that Jurgen Klopp would love him.

Klopp has given the forward huge praise in the past, and recently complimented the player ahead of his team’s clash with the Hammers this season.

“Bowen, what a player he became!

“We saw him as well at Hull and he was really good at that time. I’m not sure a lot of people expected this jump, but unbelievable player.”

The £75m ace who was hailed “first-class” and a “genius” by Danny Gabbidon, has been having a phenomenal season in East London and has become one of the hottest prospects in the Premier League thanks to his performances for West Ham.

The 25-year-old has scored 12 goals and contributed ten assists in 35 Premier League appearances so far, creating nine big chances, making 1.2 key passes and taking 2.2 shots on average per game in David Moyes’ side, so it is no wonder Klopp holds him in such high regard.

When you compare him to his peers in the league too, the attacker has been ranking highly with the third most assists, sixth-most big chances and ranks seventh for chance creation in the Premier League, which is highly impressive when you consider his output compared to the other talented players in the top-flight.

Although it may be difficult for Liverpool to place exactly how they would be able to fit him into their already impressive attacking team, Bowen’s ability and talent is clearly hard to ignore for the club and could be a huge signing if the opportunity arises on Merseyside.

AND in other news: Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah

Keith Downie has now revealed some exciting Newcastle United transfer news regarding Renan Lodi.

The Lowdown: Left-back conundrum

The St James’ Park club have a conundrum over the left-back position in the summer as to whether they should sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa or look for other targets.

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The 26-year-old has impressed during in his loan spell on Tyneside, so much that 97.5% of Toon supporters have expressed their desire for him to stay, but it will now be up to the board over whether they try and keep him on or perhaps aim higher up in the market.

The Latest: Lodi transfer latest

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist and northeast reporter Downie has shared the news that Newcastle have now ‘looked at’ Lodi as a potential signing this summer, noting that they already completed business with Atletico Madrid when they signed Kieran Trippier in January.

The reporter tweeted: “Understand Renan Lodi is a player Newcastle have looked at & could potentially form part of their summer plans. 15-times capped Brazilian international left-back. Newcastle have already done business of late with Atletico for fellow full-back Kieran Trippier.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It certainly is exciting for the Toon Army to be linked with a defender in Lodi who has title last season ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

As Downie points out, the Brazilian has also been capped 15 times for his country, and at 24 years of age, he has not hit his prime yet.

Nonetheless, the Magpies’ board will now have to weigh up whether to sign Targett permanently or go for a player like Lodi in the summer.

In other news, find out who else NUFC are now ‘chasing’ this summer

Graham Spiers has been left stunned by some news that has now emerged from Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: No beamback

As shared by The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane, Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson has claimed that it is ‘very unlikely’ that a beamback will be run for their UEFA Europa League final against Frankfurt, as most of the staff are going to be in Seville.

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He added that he simply does not think it would be ‘physically possible’.

The Latest: Spiers stunned

Taking to Twitter, Scottish football journalist Spiers was left stunned by Robertson’s news, claiming that it is ‘hard to believe’ and a ‘really bad call’ from the Teddy Bears:

“This is a really bad call by Rangers. Surely to goodness the club can sort a ‘live feed’ to fans back at Ibrox? Are there seriously no technicians or sparkies available to do it? Hard to believe.”

The Verdict: Disappointing

It is certainly disappointing to hear that there will be no beamback for the supporters unable to get to Seville, in what is one of their biggest games in their history.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have done so well to get to the final, knocking out the likes of Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the process, and it would be a quite remarkable achievement should they go on and win the competition.

Nonetheless, this is a once in a lifetime chance for some fans to see their team in a major European final, and so they would all want to be together with friends and family to watch the match together.

In other news, find out what double injury boost Gers have now been gifted here!

Glasgow Rangers have now been gifted a potential massive boost before their UEFA Europa League second leg clash on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Cards close to the chest

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the home tie against RB Leipzig, Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted that he ‘can’t say’ whether either Kemar Roofe or Aaron Ramsey will make the squad following their respective setbacks with injury.

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They are set to have one final training session before the Dutch manager picks his squad, and so both players will be hoping to prove their fitness ahead of the match.

The Latest: Optimistic

Contrary to van Bronckhorst’s rather ambiguous comment, The Scottish Sun claim that he is ‘optimistic’ that Roofe will be fit enough, and the striker is ‘expected’ to be named in the squad.

Van Bronckhorst allegedly believes that the striker has ‘responded well’ to treatment in the past couple of weeks, and he has ‘not been ruled out’, in what would be a ‘massive boost’ for the Teddy Bears.

The Verdict: Massive indeed

It would certainly be a big boost for the Light Blues if Roofe were to be available after injury.

After all, he is their second-top scorer this season behind Alfredo Morelos, with 16 goals in total over all competitions so far.

Two of those have come in the Europa League, while he also ranks highly among his teammates in terms of shots per game in the competition (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, for the Teddy Bears to overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg, they will want Roofe fit and firing on all cylinders.

In other news, find out which Gers man could now see his contract terminated here!

Rangers are back in action at Ibrox tonight as Giovanni van Bronckhorst turns his team’s attention away from the Premiership for a Europa League tie.

The Gers have a chance to reach the final of the competition in Seville but they will need to overcome a 1-0 deficit on aggregate to do so.

Van Bronckhorst’s men come into this match off the back of a 1-1 draw in the Old Firm on Sunday. The result leaves them six points behind their rivals with three matches left to go in the division, which means that the cup competitions are the club’s best opportunities to lift silverware this season.

How many changes will the head coach make to the team from that outing at Parkhead? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side by bringing Leon Balogun, Kemar Roofe and Glen Kamara back in.

At the back, Borna Barisic may be axed by van Bronckhorst after a worrying display last time out. Former Gers man Derek Ferguson claimed that he was “spooked” against Celtic on Sunday as he let the atmosphere get the better of him.

The Croatian international was caught on his heels for Jota’s goal and must now be dropped from the team. This clash with Leipzig is a huge occasion and Rangers cannot afford to have a liability in their side, which is why the experienced Balogun should come in at centre-back and Calvin Bassey can slot in at left-back.

In midfield, we are predicting that Scott Arfield will be axed in favour of Kamara. FFC published an article explaining why the former does not warrant a starting place and van Bronkhorst may look to the Finland international to replace him.

Neil McCann, his former manager at Dundee United, previously dubbed him as “perfect” and the Gers boss seemingly rates him highly as Kamara has started nine Europa League matches this season. This indicates that he is trusted to perform in the competition, which is why he should start tonight.

Finally, Roofe may replace Fashion Sakala in the number nine role. He is an injury doubt for this match but a report from the Scottish Sun claimed that he will win the race to be fit and he could take the Zambian’s place in the team.

Sakala has failed to produce a single goal or assist in nine outings in Europe for the Gers. Roofe, meanwhile, has scored twice in four starts – including the winner against Braga in the last round – and this should give him the edge.

AND in other news, Rangers are now set to repeat their awful Gilmour disaster, Gvb will be livid…