West Ham United have suffered a huge setback in their pursuit of a top target…

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Amadou Onana prefers a move to Everton rather than joining the Irons.

Writing on Twitter, he stated: “Amadou Onana wants to join Everton over West Ham as proposal has been submitted to Lille, while Filip Kostić has still not accepted West Ham proposal on personal terms”.

With Alan Myers now claiming the deal is in a “very advanced stage”, David Moyes will have to be prepared to move very quickly make the midfielder an offer he simply cannot refuse or else lose out to his old club.

Moyes should spend big

With Moyes having reportedly already had a £35m bid accepted, it appears that the only possibly stumbling block with this deal is the player.

If his mind is firmly set on joining Everton, perhaps a larger financial incentive with which the FFP-stricken club cannot compete is in order if West Ham are to lure this promising midfielder to east London.

There is no doubting that he would improve Moyes’ team, adding a different dimension to what Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek already offer whilst also becoming a new “leader” within the dressing room, as Belgium under-21 coach Thomas Buffel dubbed him.

Whilst these two rank in the 53rd and 39th percentile respectively for tackles among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Onana sits in the top 6%. His game is built around breaking up the play, and he could be the perfect partner to either of the Irons’ current midfield starters, who focus slightly more on pushing forward with the ball.

The Belgian also boasts more top-level experience than many of West Ham’s squad given his 41 appearances last season, with eight of those coming in the Champions League.

Perhaps he could use this experience to help the Irons make that step up from sixth and seventh-placed finishes, taking them into the competition in which Onana helped his side to reach the last 16 last term.

Despite registering no assists last season in Ligue 1, his three big chances created and 0.5 key passes per game suggest that he does have the capability to find the killer pass. This job will be made much easier with the intelligent runs of Jarrod Bowen.

In anticipation of any possible late hitches over Onana’s mooted move to Merseyside, Moyes should certainly be pleading with the board to immediately give him the funds to convince this “quality” youngster to join, or else he’ll probably face the youngster next season in Everton’s royal blue.

Everton have been heavily linked with a move for Armando Broja this summer, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Chris Smith, Everton journalist for 90min, the Toffees remain interested in signing the Chelsea youngster before the transfer window shuts.

Smith tweeted: “If #Everton are to sign Armando Broja, it’s going to go down to the wire I think.

“They’re still very much at the table, but right now Chelsea are asking for huge sums – as high as £50m I’m told. They’ll only come down on that if they can sign another striker themselves.”

Supporters will be excited

Everton supporters have not only had to endure a relegation scrap last season in the Premier League, but have now had an agonising wait for the club to sign quality players who can make a difference at Goodison Park.

Until this week, Farhad Moshiri had only completed one signing during the off-season, with James Tarkowski joining the club on a free transfer at the beginning of the month, but the club’s market efforts have ramped up over the last few days.

Both Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre have been confirmed as incomings, which will certainly bolster the squad ahead of the new season, and supporters will surely be excited to see the club finally addressing key areas.

The signing of Broja is one which would surely be welcomed at Everton, especially following the exit of last season’s top scorer Richarlison, who made a £60m move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Indeed, Lampard is no stranger to the young striker, as he was the one who gave the player his platform in the Premier League, handing Broja his debut when he was managing Chelsea in 2020. Since then, the Albania international has gone from strength to strength and displayed his talents when given the opportunity to play regular first-team football in a season-long loan at Southampton last term.

Over 32 league appearances, the 20-year-old scored six goals and created two big chances, taking 1.4 shots, winning five duels and successfully completing one dribble per game, ending the season as the Saints’ second-highest scorer.

Lampard has made no secret that he is a huge admirer of Broja, who he hailed in a pre-match press conference ahead of Everton’s clash with Southampton last season (via Metro), saying: “He’s a very nice, very good lad and a very talented young boy.

“He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths in a Southampton team playing very well.”

With that in mind, the signing of Broja would clearly be a piece of business that Lampard would approve, and ir could give Everton the boost in attack that they need in order to compete comfortably this season.

AND in other news: Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “bright” £34m “team player”, imagine him & McNeil

An update has emerged on Newcastle and their pursuit of a new attacking midfielder in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies are keen on the Chelsea outcast and may look to snap him up if they do not land other targets.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I have heard there is some interest from Newcastle in Ross Barkley, so maybe that is one they turn to later on if the James Maddison offers do not work out. Nothing has developed yet but it seems like there are stumbling blocks with him going back to Everton.”

The reporter has not, however, confirmed whether they are interested in signing him on loan or on a permanent basis.

Imagine him & Joelinton

Barkley is a creative midfielder and may need protection in the middle of the park in order for Eddie Howe to get the best out of him. 

In the last two seasons, the England international has failed to make more than 0.4 tackles and interceptions per match in the top flight.

That is where Joelinton could play a pivotal role as the Brazilian has proven that he can disrupt the opposition by winning the ball back on a regular basis.

In the Premier League last term, he averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions and won 6.9 duels per match in midfield for the Toon. This suggests that he has the quality to cover for Barkley on the defensive side of the game, as he consistently broke up opposition attacks, allowing the gem to do what he does best in the final third.

Magpies legend Alan Shearer previously lauded the £100k-per-week gem whilst he was out on loan at Aston Villa, saying:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is a match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

In 2021/22, Barkley only played six times – starting once – for Chelsea in the top-flight but managed to score one goal and create nine chances.

This came after he scored three goals and created 45 chances in 18 starts on loan at Aston Villa in the previous campaign.

He provided 1.5 key passes or more per game in both campaigns and no Magpies midfielder managed more than 1.4 per match last season.

This suggests that he would improve the creativity in the midfield and his talents could be unlocked by Joelinton’s presence alongside him, which is why they could be an important duo for the club this term.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has claimed that Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans ‘would be interested’ in joining Liverpool this summer.

The Lowdown: Thiago ruled out

The Belgian has now entered the final year of his deal at the King Power and has been linked with a move away from the Foxes before the end of the window, with fellow Premier League side Arsenal emerging as strong contenders for his signature.

Thiago Alcantara was forced off the pitch during the Reds’ 2-2 opening day draw against Fulham last weekend with a hamstring injury, meaning that Jurgen Klopp could now be eyeing a reinforcement to cover the Spaniard’s six-week spell on the sidelines.

The Latest: Campbell’s encouragement

Asked by Football Insider whether Liverpool should consider making a move for Tielemans, Campbell said:

“He has craft in his game.

“It is one of them, he is there with a year left on his contract. If the opportunity came about, could it happen?

“I’m sure Tielemans would be interested in a move to Liverpool.

“When you look at Thiago, his game and what he brings to Liverpool, Tielemans could go someway to replacing that. Thiago brings craft to that Liverpool midfield. Tielemans brings that as well.

“He could also add goals to that side. He would give Liverpool another dimension, if was he to go to Anfield.”

The Verdict: Magician in midfield

Alongside Thiago, Jurgen Klopp also has both Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out with respective injuries, so buying a new midfielder before the window closes may become a necessity.

The 25-year-old Leicester star, described as ‘absolute magic’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, helped himself to six goals and four assists in the top-flight last season, also averaging 2.3 tackles per game, via WhoScored, with the ability to graft and win possession back in central areas a quality that the German boss admires.

Liverpool are already said to be eyeing a move for Matheus Nunes from Sporting CP, though Tielemans would no doubt be a welcome creative addition with fans happy to see him walking through the doors at Anfield instead.

Leeds United are still keen on signing a new striker this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has provided a fresh update on the situation as the Yorkshire giants look to bolster Jesse Marsch’s playing squad before deadline day on September 1st.

He said during a Q&A with supporters ahead of Leeds’ final pre-season fixture against Serie A side Cagliari:

“Transfer-wise, a new striker is still the thing Leeds need most.

“Charles De Ketelaere is finally in the process of sealing a move to AC Milan, the transfer he always wanted, so Leeds won’t get their first choice.

“Some of the links still stand, though – Arnaud Kalimuendo and Martin Terrier remain of interest.”

Exciting news

It’s no secret that the American head coach is crying out for further depth up front as he is heading into the new campaign with only one senior option in Patrick Bamford.

The England international missed the majority of last term with a string of injuries, resulting in a lack of alternatives in the attack. The likes of Dan James and young striker Joe Gelhardt had to cover in his absence.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Truth be told, this has long been a problem at Elland Road, dating back to the midst of Marcelo Bielsa’s reign, where moves for Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin were effectively failures.

Leeds have also missed out on De Ketelaere, as Hay outlines, so the need to find another striker is key and in the aforementioned Ligue 1 duo, the Whites could find the perfect solution.

Terrier was in electric form last season, where he delivered 21 goals and seven assists for Stade Rennes and just as Pete O’Rourke told Football FanCast last month, he would be a “real coup” for the club.

Meanwhile, Kalimuendo has also been delivering in front of goal but isn’t likely to break into the PSG starting XI when there’s Kylian Mbappe and now Hugo Etikite.

As per Transfermarkt, he bagged 13 goals across Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. Such form has led scout Jacek Kulig to describe him as “absolutely deadly” and “very prolific.”

Leeds’ continued interest in the duo will surely leave supporters around Elland Road absolutely buzzing as either of the pair could become their seventh signing of the summer, with director of football Victor Orta already delivering this window.

AND in other news, Journo reveals exciting Leeds transfer update…

Manchester United are weighing up a move for Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic as a potential alternative to Benjamin Sesko of Red Bull Salzburg.

That’s according to Simon Jones of The Daily Mail.

The lowdown

The Red Devils held talks with the agent of 19-year-old Red Bull Salzburg striker Sesko last week, but the champions of Austria are are thought to want £55m for the Slovenian, which would see him replace Anthony Martial as the fourth-most expensive teenager in football history.

United have already lost Edinson Cavani this summer after he left at the end of his contract, and Cristiano Ronaldo is also pushing to leave the club.

Kalajdzic is notably into the final year of his contract with Stuttgart.

The latest

Jones writes in the Daily Mail that United ‘are considering’ Kalajdzic, as well as Sesko, as they eye a striker signing.

It’s thought that the Austrian would be available for a fee of £17m, just under a third of the mooted asking price for Sesko.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

Some United fans might see the relatively low price tag and be instinctively underwhelmed, but Kalajdzic looks like a good value option to fill out the squad.

In 2020/21, he scored 16 goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart, and while he only managed six last season, that was largely because of a shoulder injury which limited him to just 15 outings. His overall record for Stuttgart stands at 24 goals and nine assists in 57 appearances.

At two metres tall, he could potentially bully defenders. Indeed, he ranks in the 94th percentile among strikers in the top five European leagues for aerial duels won per game over the last 12 months and is similar in profile to Olivier Giroud in profile.

Journalist Marcel Reif says that Kalajdzic can do ‘crazy’ things in the air, and maybe that would make him a particularly effective impact substitute if United need a goal and want to play direct.

Leeds United and Paris Saint-Germain are close to agreeing a fee for Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Kalimuendo linked with Leeds

The Whites appear to have made the 20-year-old their main attacking target after missing out on Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan.

Jesse Marsch reportedly wants a deal wrapped up for the French forward next week to provide competition for both Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt.

Kalimuendo was an unused substitute for PSG on Saturday after featuring in their previous five games, while Leeds picked up three points against Wolves over the weekend, and it looks as if there have been positive conversations between club officials over the last 48 hours ahead of a potential transfer.

The Latest: Kalimuendo transfer update

90min shared a story on Saturday regarding Leeds and Kalimuendo.

They claimed that Leeds have indicated a willingness to pay close to €25m (£21m), with a fee close to being approved.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-48/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Exciting

Kalimuendo, who Jacek Kulig dubbed “prolific”, has clearly been a player of interest to Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani for some time after initial links with Leeds emerged in June.

He appears to fit the profile of player that Whites chiefs are looking for due to being an exciting young versatile prospect, and his possible arrival will only add to the positive feeling around Elland Road following Saturday’s winning start to the Premier League campaign.

Kalimuendo impressed on loan with Lens in Ligue 1 last season with 12 goals in 27 starts, and if he can hit the ground running if he moves to Yorkshire, you’d like to think that Leeds won’t be in a battle for top-flight survival come May.

Arsenal’s young winger Marquinhos may not be as big a name as Gabriel Jesus or Oleksandr Zinchenko but the new summer signing could well make an instant impact in Mikel Arteta’s squad this season.

There is something of an expectation that the 19-year-old gem will go straight into the U23 squad for the upcoming campaign.

Although that’s not the belief of teammate and first-team star Granit Xhaka, who has tipped the former Sao Paulo starlet to breakthrough in a similar vein to his fellow countryman, Gabriel Martinelli.

Speaking in last weekend’s matchday programme for their final pre-season clash against Sevilla – a game in which the Gunners came out on top – the Swiss midfielder said:

“He reminds me of Gabi Martinelli when he first came, everyone was saying ‘yeah he will go to the under-23s first’ and stuff like this, but how Gabi adapted at this level was unbelievable, and I have the same feeling with Marquinhos as well.

“For his age he is very developed physically, very fast, good left foot. Of course, he needs to adapt to this level first, this country as well, but I see a big future for this guy.”

Marquinhos has earned two substitute appearances in pre-season, playing 23 minutes against FC Nürnberg and 17 minutes against Premier League rivals Chelsea, so it’s evident that Arteta was taking a keen look on him before the start of the new campaign, which gets underway on Friday night as Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace.

The teenager was part of Sao Paulo’s first-team set-up and they were desperate to keep hold of him – according to GOAL, they had offered him a new deal worth 13 times what he was currently earning.

He was even trusted to start a Copa Libertadores last-16 clash against Racing Club, where he bagged his first goal for the Tricolour Paulista. The Brazilian sensation also contributed to their other two goals in the 3-1 victory.

“Talking about Marquinhos, he made his debut a week ago and tonight he was the protagonist,” his then-manager Hernan Crespo said after the Racing win.

Meanwhile, the young dynamo has been likened to Douglas Costa, who was once a star for Shaktar Donetsk, where he earned a lucrative move to Bayern Munich.

“He made a huge impression at Sao Paulo last season. He reminds me of Douglas Costa, versatile, mobile and can operate across the front line,” claimed South American football expert Tim Vickery to Sky Sports.

Should Arteta trust him to be involved in the coming weeks and months, then he could well unearth the Gunners’ next Martinelli as on the above evidence, the north Londoners have an exciting talent with bags of potential – Xhaka certainly thinks so.

Arsenal’s involvement in the Europa League will also open up a likely avenue for minutes, even if it’s from the bench.

No one expected the Brazilian to break through in the way he did, so Marquinhos’ potential impact this season cannot be understated just yet.

AND in other news, Edu could seal a “special” 6th Arsenal signing in £50m “genius”, he “wants to join”…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are ‘preparing medical tests’ for Valencia winger Goncalo Guedes ahead of his move to Molineux, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Guedes’ arrival

After Bruno Lage’s side lost their opening game of the Premier League season 2-1 to Leeds United, news broke that the Old Gold had made their move for the Portugal international.

According to Gols Media journalist Hector Gomez, Wolves made a £29.5m offer (inclusive of potential add-ons) for the 25-year-old forward, following on from the club’s first defeat of the 2022/23 campaign.

Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari then revealed that the player was close to agreeing personal terms with the west Midlands club.

Following the news, Valencia manager Gennaro Gattuso was quoted saying: “The club told me they’ve received a huge proposal for Guedes from a Premier League club”.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano has shared an update regarding Wolves’ pursuit of Guedes, revealing that a deal in the region of €30m-€32m (£25.3m-£27m) is now approaching its final stages.

Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, the reliable journalist claimed: “Wolves are preparing medical tests for Gonçalo Guedes to join the club this week. Fee will be around €30/32m plus add-ons, long term contract ready in order to get the deal signed. #WWFC

“Documents are being prepared as Valencia accepted Wolves bid.”

The Verdict: Fantastic news

The arrival of Guedes at Molineux will provide Lage with a pacey winger who carries an almighty attacking threat.

Compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive passes, the 94th percentile for dribbles completed and the 93rd percentile for progressive carries (via FBRef).

He chipped in with 11 goals and six assists in La Liga in 2021/22, scoring nearly twice as often as Wolves’ top scorer Raul Jimenez in the Premier League, so that influx of goals would surely be welcomed by Lage.

After the news of the 25-year-old’s impending move to Molineux emerged, talkSPORT’s European expert Andy Brassell heaped praise on Wolves’ possible new addition, stating: “For Wolves I think Guedes will be absolutely fantastic, they need that little bit of extra bang upfront, maybe they could be in a bit of trouble if they’re not scoring goals.

“He’s someone who can play as a striker or as a winger, lightning quick, on his day as good as it gets.”

Therefore, with seemingly only a few minor details needing to be sorted now, Wolves could soon welcome a fantastic signing to Lage’s squad.

Nottingham Forest appear set to miss out on another quality signing…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, Steve Cooper had agreed a fee for the transfer of Real Betis’ Alex Moreno.

The Spaniard has been linked with a move to the club over the summer, and it seemed they were set to finalise a £9m move for the defender.

The medical was scheduled for this week but a deal is now off the table according to the player himself.

Fabrizio Romano relayed comments from the defender, with the journalist stating: ‘Alex Moreno will not join Nottingham Forest this summer. “I want to thank the club for the proposal but I’ve now decided to continue at Betis, as this club is my home.”

Proposal has been turned down and Nottingham Forest will focus on other targets.’

 Cooper would have loved him

Despite signing Harry Toffolo not too long ago, it is clear that Cooper was keen to add more attacking options to his arsenal whilst potentially seeing some players become more fluid in where they might play.

Both Toffolo and Moreno are forward-thinking, but the dynamism of the Spaniard would no doubt have excited both the manager and supporters.

With five goals and four assists last season, the 29-year-old was instrumental in Real Betis’ remarkable fifth-place finish.

Although dwarfed by the six goals and seven assists of the English defender, playing in the Spanish top-flight compared to the Championship somewhat skews the results.

Moreno may have been brought in for an instant impact given his age, and he have given way to Toffolo just as he enters his prime years.

He ranked in the top 5% for non-penalty goals last season, whilst also averaging 2.80 tackles, 2.44 blocks and 2.76 clearances. This proves his ability to defend is not overshadowed by his fine form in front of goal.

An all-around defender could have been integral in Forest’s push to avoid a relegation scrap, and again it would have offered a new dynamic should Toffolo not quite work out as planned.

Labelled a “quality” wing-back, to add some much-needed experience at the top of the game alongside some of his riskier new recruits, this could well have proven a huge coup for Cooper.

He will have loved Moreno, as the quintessential wing-back looked like an instrumental figure waiting in the wings as Cooper’s side bid to escape the drop.