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Manchester City travel to face Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-final this evening with Pep Guardiola facing the need to ditch Cole Palmer after another disappointing display last time out.

It was hoped that the 20-year-old academy graduate would be able to follow in the footsteps of Phil Foden by making a big impression on the first team as a teenager but Palmer has done little in his senior appearances to suggest that he has a promising future with the Citizens.

Since breaking into the senior side, the winger has made 28 appearances, in which he has contributed just three goals and one assist, all of which came last term.

It was hoped that he could push on and play more of a part throughout 2022/23, especially with the summer exit of fellow left-winger Raheem Sterling, but Palmer has failed to register a single goal or assist in 15 first-team appearances.

His performances in the Premier League 2 last season, which saw him manage eight goals and four assists in just eight outings emphasises that he is far too good to be playing youth football, but equally, he doesn’t look ready to be a regular in Guardiola’s side just yet, and could perhaps benefit from a loan away from the club.

Last weekend saw the England U21 international handed a rare start against Chelsea in the FA Cup but despite City’s complete domination in the 4-0 win, Palmer was something of a letdown.

As per Sofascore, the youngster would earn a shocking 6.0/10 rating for his performance, which comfortably ranked him as the worst City player on the day.

Guardiola handed Palmer 90 minutes but he failed with all four of his dribble attempts, missed one big chance and lost possession 19 times in what was an extremely under-par display.

With City having struggled against Southampton in recent seasons, failing to beat them home or away in the Premier League last season, Guardiola should pick a strong side for the game on the south coast this evening, and that means dropping Palmer from the starting XI.

While Paul Dickov was full of praise for Palmer’s “outstanding” performance against Swindon in the FA Cup last season, if the 20-year-old doesn’t start producing more against tougher opposition, it may not be long until we see him leave the Etihad for good.

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

The Lowdown: Lage chasing summer additions

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

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

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

The Latest: Wolves keen on Almeida

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

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

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The Verdict: He could fill a need

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

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

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

Aston Villa are believed to plotting further transfer business this summer, despite having already completed four major signings thus far.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Ashley Preece – in a Q and A on Birmingham Mail – Villa are seeking to bolster their ranks even further by making three more additions before the start of next term.

Asked about how many new arrivals there could be in the current window, the club insider stated: “Gerrard wants three more ins at left-back, midfield and striker.”

That would corroborate with a report from The Athletic last month that also suggested the Midlands side were looking at a new left-sided defender, a midfielder and a striker, with manager Steven Gerrard keen to revamp his current squad.

Supporters will love it

Although it remains to be seen just how successful the club’s arrivals will be on the pitch, on paper the Villa Park outfit are already potentially ‘winning’ the transfer market, having secured notable coups with the arrivals of the likes of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos from Marseille and Sevilla, respectively, as well the permanent addition of Philippe Coutinho.

To think that those high-profile names could be joined by even more quality recruits is a truly mouthwatering prospect for supporters, with the ambitious club seemingly keen to spark a drastic improvement from last term, which saw the Villans take something of a backwards step.

With Gerrard’s obvious pulling power, however, it is likely that sporting director Johan Lange will be able to assemble a squad capable of competing far higher up the table next season, having finished in a lowly 14th last term.

Of course, splashing the cash does not always equate to on-field success, with the Englishman’s predecessor Dean Smith having invested heavily last summer, only to face the axe just a matter of months into the season with those new additions failing to catch fire.

The hope among supporters will be to avoid a repeat scenario this time around, although they will be forgiven for getting carried away with the swift, early business already undertaken, as well as any possible future deals that look set to emerge over the coming weeks and months.

IN other news, AVFC face battle to land “aggressive” £60m machine, he’s one of the “best” in his role

It’s no secret that Erik ten Hag faces one of the most important transfer windows in Manchester United’s recent history this summer.

The Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League last time around, and next year will mark a full decade since they won their last league title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge.

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Something needs to change, and fast. With the Dutchman arriving at a club in turmoil, there will be cautious hope that he can bring back the good times at Old Trafford.

For that to happen, new blood will be required, especially in the heart of defence. French journalist Fabrice Hawkins stated that United are keen on signing Evan Ndicka from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer, and a fee of around £17m could be enough to secure the services of the player, who is out of contract at the end of next season.

With journalist Christopher Michel describing the 22-year-old as the “complete package”, he could well be an excellent upgrade on Harry Maguire.

Ndicka possesses a much greater goalscoring threat from the heart of defence than the Englishman, netting four times last season in the Bundesliga whilst also grabbing four assists, with Maguire only scoring once in the English top flight.

The Eintracht Frankfurt also won more tackles (43) and made more blocks (74) and interceptions (64) than the 29-year-old (26, 46 and 53 respectively) proving that his defensive attributes are first-class.

The 22-year-old is also quite mature for his relatively young age, being cautioned only three times all season, compared to Maguire’s nine bookings and one red card in 2021/22.

While the Old Trafford faithful may be excited about pursuing big names, Ten Hag might be better off looking at players such as Ndicka, a no-nonsense centre-back who could be available for what seems like a bargain price.

The Frenchman looks like he could settle in with ease at United, so now it’s up to the manager to make his move. Based on the above evidence, it seems a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Bid made: FSG now in LFC talks to land “world class” £60m “storm”, imagine him & Nunez

The likelihood of Sadio Mane leaving Liverpool this summer is ‘increasing’ all the time, according to fresh transfer reports.

The Lowdown: Mane expected to leave

The 30-year-old’s Reds adventure looks set to be coming to an end this summer, following a glittering six years at Anfield.

Mane has matured into one of the world’s best attacking players and he is thought to be looking for another big challenge before his best days are behind him.

Bayern Munich now look almost nailed-on to sign the Senegal forward, with the Bundesliga giants aiming to replace the seemingly exit-bound Robert Lewandowski.

The Latest: Mane transfer latest

According to reports from Sport BILD and Sky Sports Germany [via Sport Witness], the chances of Mane completing a move to Bayern are ‘increasing’ by the day.

Liverpool are ‘prepared to hand over’ the attacking superstar, with Darwin Nunez seemingly coming in as his direct replacement from Benfica.

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The Verdict: Only a matter of time

There is no surprise about this update, in truth, with Mane’s exit now looking almost inevitable considering that Nunez appears to be closing in on a big-money switch to Anfield.

It is hard to begrudge the Senegal legend a new challenge at this stage of his career, having given every ounce of quality and energy to the Reds since 2016, scoring 120 goals and winning six trophies for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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In fact, Liverpool could end viewing this as a shrewd summer in the transfer market, with 22-year-old Nunez a much younger (and hugely potent) option and 30-year-old Mane possibly past the absolute peak of his powers.

In other news, Liverpool are interested in signing an emerging player. Find out who it is here

Newcastle United are interested in signing Manchester City defender Nathan Ake, according to a report from talkSPORT. 

The lowdown: Howe connection

Formerly of the academy system at Feyenoord and Chelsea, Ake truly made a name for himself at Bournemouth under Toon boss Eddie Howe.

The 27-year-old Dutch defender appeared under the 44-year-old on 121 occasions on the south coast and was ever-present in two consecutive Premier League campaigns – the now Magpies boss even called him an ‘outstanding’ player who he ‘loves’ working with.

Now, as Howe attempts to bolster the squad at St James’ Park, a reunion with Ake in the North East could be on the cards…

The latest: ‘Big admirer’

As per talkSPORT, Newcastle could be about to offer Ake a ‘lifeline’ with an offer of a switch this summer.

It’s claimed that the 25-cap Holland man has been ‘told he can leave City’ after two years at the club, during which time the versatile defender has made just 40 outings for Pep Guardiola.

The report also states that Howe remains a ‘big admirer’ of the Dutchman, who was hailed as ‘magnificent’ by Martin Keown in the wake of securing his big move to Manchester in 2020.

The verdict: No brainer

If indeed Ake is free to move on in the upcoming window, working alongside Howe once again and in turn strengthening the Magpies would make an abundance of sense for all parties.

Last season, the star capable of playing as a central defender and at left-back made 27 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst completing 55.1 (91%) accurate passes, making 1.5 clearances and winning 3.9 duels on average per league game.

That ball-playing ability out from the back – his pass accuracy is far higher than any NUFC centre-back – would be a perfect fit for the manager, something Howe will of course know all too well given their previous time together.

Holding a stylistic likeness to elite Premier League defenders such as Ruben Dias, Joel Matip and now Real Madrid powerhouse Antonio Rudiger (Fbref), signing Ake to feature alongside Dan Burn would be another smart piece of recruitment from Newcastle and PIF this summer.

In other news: Magpies send scouts to watch Ben Nelson…

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following widespread reports of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s interest in a move for the Inter Milan centre-back this summer, the 23-year-old is understood to be keen to work with the former Nerazzurri coach once again.

Gold went on to suggest that the Serie A club’s pressing need to raise funds in order to complete their own signings could also play into Tottenham’s hands, with a figure of £51m mentioned as the amount that Inter may be seeking in order to part with the Italy international in the coming months.

In response to a question concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Gold said: “There are two sides to this one in that Alessandro Bastoni is understood to be keen to play under Antonio Conte again at some point, but he is happy at the moment at Inter Milan and it’s worth remembering that he only just turned 23 last month so he’s young in terms of his career and uprooting from Italy. For someone like Romero, he had already uprooted from his homeland.

“Spurs’ hope is that Bastoni can bring added quality to the left side of Tottenham’s back three to complement Romero’s strength and quality on the other side. They see him as a potential heir to Jan Vertonghen with a similar skilful style to the Belgian in being a ball-playing defender rather than an aggressive one like Romero. That could potentially make his adaptation to the physical nature of the Premier League slightly more gradual than the Argentine’s and perhaps that is a concern the player also holds.

“The key to whether Tottenham can get this deal done may come down to how much Inter need the money and whether they help push Bastoni towards the door, particularly as he has only two years left on his contract. The Serie A club want to sign players this summer, not least Gleison Bremer from Torino for around £21m, and if they decide that selling Bastoni for more than £51m can fund more deals then they may help influence his decision. Things change quickly in the transfer window.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old is sure to be news that the Spurs faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender highly impressed on the left of Inter’s backline, helping his team to keep eight clean sheets, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

The £122k-per-week left-footer also impressed in a creative and attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 50.5 passes, four long balls and 0.5 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the 11-cap Italy international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top flight.

As such, considering his age, ball-playing talent and ability to play on the left of a back three, it is clear to see that Bastoni would be something of a perfect signing for Paratici to get over the line this summer, especially if the centre-back is available for as little as the £51m fee that Gold has mentioned.

AND in other news – “Am told…”: Dan Kilpatrick reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be fuming

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Rasmus Kristensen to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Phil Hay’s latest report for The Athletic, in which the journalist claims that, with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas both having lengthy spells on the sidelines ahead of them, Jesse Marsch is interested in the signing of a new right-back in the summer market – with Red Bull Salzburg’s Rasmus Kristensen believed to be a top target of the 48-year-old.

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Hay goes on to state that the Whites have been closely following the 24-year-old in recent months ahead of a potential move this summer, while Brentford and Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned as interested parties in the Denmark international – for whom Salzburg are believed to be demanding a £10m fee in order to part with in the coming weeks.

“Absolute leader”

Considering Marsch’s lack of depth on the right of his Leeds backline, coupled with the fact the American has a previous relationship with Kristensen, it is easy to see why the Whites would be interested in a move for the Dane this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Austrian Bundesliga appearances this season, the £13.5m-rated full-back highly impressed, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

The £14k-per-week defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Salzburg keep 13 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 1.4 clearances, 36.1 passes, 4.3 long balls and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Matthias Jaissle dubbed an “absolute leader” average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Salzburg’s second-best performer in the league but also as the fourth-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear to see just how impressive a signing the former Ajax starlet – who broke Michael Laudrup’s win percentage record during his time in the Netherlands – would be for Orta to get over the line this summer, as Kristensen’s presence on the right of Marsch’s backline would undoubtedly be a terrifying prospect for left-wingers up and down the country.

AND in other news: Leeds eyeing bid for “unreal” £20k-p/w talent, he’d be an “absolutely beauty” for Orta

Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs interested in signing Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

A product of the youth system at Paris Saint-Germain, Dembele first arrived in senior football at Fulham before making his name north of the border as a prolific Celtic frontman.

The powerful former France Under 21 international netted 51 goals in 94 appearances for the Scottish giants before returning to France in 2018.

Since then, the 25-year-old has spent time on loan at Atletico Madrid but found his best form with his parent club, directly contributing to 85 goals in 144 outings for Lyon.

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Heading steadfast towards the final 12 months of his deal in the south of France (Transfermarkt), Dembele could be set for a return to the Premier League this summer…

The latest: Spurs mentioned

As per Foot Mercato, translated by SW, Tottenham are cited among a host of clubs believed to be keen on signing the 59 times capped ex-France youth starlet.

The report claims that Manchester United, Arsenal, Sevilla and multiple Italian clubs are interested in the centre-forward whilst Spurs are ‘still there’ having previously been linked.

It’s stated that the ‘door isn’t closed’ on the man dubbed ‘unstoppable’ by Barry Ferguson whilst tearing up the Scottish Premiership in Glasgow, and Lyon have priced their goal machine at €25m (£21m).

The verdict: Worth the risk

Despite only making two goalless appearances in the Premier League, Dembele has proven himself to be a relentless goal-getter in France and Scotland as well as a regular contributor in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.

Entering the peak of his powers, during 2021/22 the Frenchman scored 22 times and provided five assists in 36 appearances for Lyon, taking 2.9 shots and finding the target with 1.5 efforts on average per Ligue 1 game whilst earning an impressive 7.11 Sofascore rating.

Sharing stylistic similarities to star names such as Romelu Lukaku, Patrik Schick, Victor Osimhen and Erling Haaland (Fbref), it’s clear to see why both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici would be eyeing up Dembele as a target to supplement and perhaps play alongside Harry Kane, particularly at the mooted affordable price point.

In other news… Sky Sports have shared an ‘interesting’ live TV update for Tottenham supporters

FSG are plotting a Liverpool bid for Porto midfielder Otavio as Jurgen Klopp looks ahead to rejigging his squad for next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola [via Sport Witness], which states that the Reds are among the potential contenders to secure his signature in the summer transfer window.

The player could be available for €60m (£51m) due to his release clause and Klopp has sent scouts to watch him in action this season.

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They could face a transfer battle with fellow Premier League duo Manchester United and Newcastle United, who both have the required finances to go ahead with a deal.

Otavio could get Anfield rocking

It’s no secret that Klopp is a genius in the transfer market, signing players for fees which don’t represent their true value and turning them into world-beaters, such as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, to name but a few.

Even with the success that the Reds have had this season, the German still wants to improve the squad ahead of another tilt at the Premier League title next year, and this may require some rejuvenating of the playing squad.

Otavio would be a very shrewd signing for Liverpool for many reasons. His 48 games this season prove that he can maintain fitness right throughout a busy campaign, while the midfielder has also registered 13 assists this season. That puts him level with the Reds’ top creator Salah, who has also set up 13 goals this term.

At 27 years old, Otavio is notably younger than Liverpool midfielders Thiago (31), Jordan Henderson (31) and James Milner (36). With Klopp looking to the future, signing a player who is just coming to the peak of his career would be a wise move, especially in a position where several incumbents are at or approaching veteran status.

Having been dubbed “phenomenal” in recent months for his performances for Portugal, it’s obvious why the Porto gem is being courted by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United. If Klopp manages to sign the creative maestro, he could well get Anfield rocking next season.

AND in other news, Huge boost as James Pearce delivers four-word injury update that’ll delight LFC supporters