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According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness), Southampton have made contact to sign Nuno Tavares and are still in with a chance of securing the services of the left-back.

The Lowdown: Tavares appeared close to Napoli move

Tavares, who currently plays for Benfica in the Portuguese top flight, appeared to be closing in on a move to Serie A outfit Napoli.

The fee is said to be €15m (£12.9m) but, while the two clubs are coming to terms on an agreement, the negotiations have not been particularly easy.

The Latest: Saints still in the hunt

This latest report has revealed that the Saints are still in the hunt to sign the 21-year-old.

Napoli remain in pole position for his signature, but Southampton have contacted Benfica and remain in with a shout.

The Verdict: Exciting talent

Benfica have earned a reputation of churning out top talents in recent years, and Tavares is another exciting player. Even at his tender age, he has made 41 appearances for his club, scoring once and providing seven assists (Transfermarkt). Indeed, his performances have even attracted interest from Manchester United in the past (Gazzetta dello Sport via talkSPORT).

With Ryan Bertrand leaving St Mary’s this summer (southamptonfc.com), Ralph Hasenhuttl needs to bring in a new player for the left side of his defence. In Tavares, he would be signing someone who has many years left ahead of him for a relatively competitive fee, and it would seem a real coup if they can gazump European regulars Napoli to sign him.

In other news, Southampton eye this England international.

Crystal Palace could be offered the chance to sign Ozan Kabak ‘for significantly less money’ than expected this summer, according to Der Westen, cited by Sports Witness.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been giving their thoughts to the links on social media.

The recent report claims Liverpool will not take up their option to sign the centre-back on a permanent basis following his Anfield loan.

Kabak’s parent club, Schalke, are keen to sell and were hoping the 21-year-old would increase his €25m valuation at the European Championships.

However, he didn’t play a single minute of action in Turkey’s three games and Kabak may now depart for less than expected, with the Bundesliga side needing to sell.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared the news on Kabak on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

This is what some Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one describing the update as ‘tasty’.

“Oh my god yes”Credit: @liamb0117″Even better”Credit: @CPFCMax9″Tasty”Credit: @cpfcharlie0″Don’t want him”Credit: @Connormzz”I’d rather sign Bornauw”Credit: @unIocaIpIa9tic”Kabak was decent for Liverpool, grew in stature and performances each game he played.”Credit: @leevesy

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to Chamakh clip, find out more here. 

Celtic are considering a move for Manchester City centre-back Ko Itakura as their summer recruitment drive intensifies [Daily Record].

The Lowdown: Celtic get set for 2021/22

Moving towards 2021-22, new manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to acquire the quality of player necessary to put the Hoops back on a stable footing, domestically and in Europe.

Thus far, Celtic have completed two transfer signings this summer in the form of former Scunthorpe United striker Joey Dawson and ex-Sheffield Wednesday teenager Liam Shaw.

However, the Bhoys now could be poised to complete their first senior signing under Postecoglou following recent reports.

The Latest: Celts considering move for Itakura

Celtic are said to be considering a move for Itakura, who spent 2020/21 on loan at Eredivisie side FC Groningen [Daily Record]. He is said to be high up on a list of targets on which the Hoops recruitment team is currently working.

Postecoglou possesses a familiarity with the Japan international due to his own time spent in the country with Yokohama F Marinos and their connections with the City Football Group [Daily Record].

The Verdict: Itakura would be a great addition

Standing at 1.86m (6 foot 1), Itakura would make an excellent addition to the Celtic roster for next season. In 2020/21, he was ever present during his loan spell in the Netherlands, making 36 appearances and registering two goal contributions, with one goal and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Perhaps most excitingly for Celtic supporters is his range of qualities as a footballer. Primarily a defender, the Yokohama native has a keen eye for bringing the ball out of defence and can also operate as a holding midfielder.

Demonstrating his defensive prowess, he made a commendable 4.2 clearances per game last season, the second-best total in the FC Groningen squad [WhoScored].

With Postecoglou needing players to come in and make an immediate impact in 2021/22, Itakura is most certainly a signing that Celtic should be looking to pursue heavily.

In other news, this Celtic loanee is linked with a further stint away from Parkhead.

The Express and Star’s Matt Maher has dropped an update on Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish before England’s quarter-final clash against Ukraine at Euro 2020 tonight.

What’s the story?

In what promises to be one of the big transfer stories of the summer window, the 25-year-old has been linked with a big-money move to Premier League champions Manchester City, with reports even suggesting that he was nearing a transfer to the Etihad Stadium.

However, Maher has poured cold water over such speculation, instead insisting that Villa are actually in the best position they have ever been in terms of potentially keeping Grealish at Villa Park.

He reported: “Where Grealish is concerned, Villa are probably in the strongest position they have ever been. In previous years, there was a genuine risk of losing him for well below his market value had they gone into administration (2018), failed to win promotion (2019) or been relegated (2020). Instead, Villa are now considered among the Premier League’s most upwardly-mobile clubs, while Grealish is contracted for the next four years.

“Whatever the next few weeks might bring, there is a sense Villa really cannot lose. Either Grealish stays, or he departs for a colossal fee which would then be reinvested in the playing squad to mitigate his departure.”Of course, the former option is very much the preference for Villa’s billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, which is why they are ready to offer their captain another significant pay rise less than a year after the last one. It is their wealth which puts Villa in the enviable position to reject, should they wish, any offers which come their way, no matter how high the figures might climb.”Fans will be buzzingWith England’s quarter-final against Ukraine looming on the horizon tonight, Maher’s update on Grealish and where things stand right now, and the position of strength he believes Villa hold over the playmaker, is sure to have the club’s fans buzzing.Make no mistake about it, losing a player of the 25-year-old’s quality would be a hammer blow, especially for a team looking to take that next step and get into Europe over the coming years – his tally of seven goals and 12 assists in an injury-hit 2020/21 season is testament to just how good he is.Therefore, the news that NSWE are preparing to offer Grealish a new contract and a bumper pay rise, instead of looking to cash in on him, must be exciting news for Villa fans and should have them on cloud nine.Meanwhile, Villa are closing in on this big-money signing…

Marseille-bound William Saliba turned down an approach from Newcastle United, according to French newspaper L’Equipe (via Get French Football News).

The lowdown

As noted by the report, Marseille are hopeful of confirming their loan agreement with Arsenal for the 20-year-old centre-back this week.

Arsenal signed Saliba for £27million in 2019 but have twice loaned him out, first to Saint-Etienne and more recently to OGC Nice.

France youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi has described Saliba as a ‘monster’ who combines the ‘speed and power’ of Raphael Varane with the ‘positioning’ of Virgil van Dijk.

Newcastle appear to be in the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window. The Magpies have been heavily linked with Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer and also been mentioned as a possible destination for former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak.

The latest

Newcastle made an effort to sign Saliba on loan, as did Nice and Ligue 1 champions Lille, but all three were rebuffed.

The player apparently believes that moving to the Stade Velodrome will give him the most ‘visibility’.

Manager Jorge Sampaoli helped to convince him, while the chance to link up with former Arsenal team-mate Matteo Guendouzi and remain in the south of France were added incentives.

It’s thought the loan agreement won’t include an option to buy.

The verdict

If Saliba’s concern is being as visible as possible to Arsenal as he looks to force his way into the first-team picture, then you’d think a Premier League loan to a club like Newcastle would have been the smartest move.

But perhaps he’s looking beyond North London, where he can’t seem to get a look-in, and knows that top European clubs are more likely to take notice of him at a Europa League outfit than they are a mid-table side.

Newcastle could now turn their attention back to Kabak, who was impressive for Liverpool and may be a more realistic target given Schalke’s relegation.

In other news, Ben Jacobs dropped this takeover claim.  

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Harry Kane this summer look to have taken a blow, with reports suggesting that Tottenham Hotspur will refuse to let him leave.

City have regularly been linked with a move for the England captain in recent months, with the 27-year-old keen on a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following a less than impressive season which saw them barely qualify for the European Conference League.

Despite Spurs’ poor form, Kane was still able to finish as the league’s top goalscorer and top assister, which emphasises that he would be a superb addition to Guardiola’s squad this summer.

Unfortunately for the Spanish manager, the Manchester Evening News have reported that Spurs won’t sell Kane to City this summer, despite his obvious desire to leave the north London club.

During his time at Spurs, Kane has contributed a remarkable 221 goals and 47 assists in 336 appearances, yet he is unable to boast a trophy in his club career thus far, something you feel he would almost be guaranteed should he make the switch to the Etihad this summer.

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He has also impressed at the European Championships this summer, scoring four goals en route to the final against Italy, and England teammate Jack Grealish was full of praise for him, saying:

“He is the best player I have ever played with. He is unbelievable. He is an unbelievable professional on and off the pitch.

“When you see him around the place, this is why he is England captain. The thing that sticks out is that he is not just a goalscorer.

“There are players from the past who just scored goals, goals, goals. In my opinion, he will break the Premier League one and the England one but he is not just a goalscorer. He is unbelievable.”

City are clearly desperate to bring in a striker ahead of the new season and this news on Kane comes as yet another blow for Guardiola, with the Citizens already ruled out of signing Romelu Lukaku, whilst previously linked Andre Silva joined RB Leipzig earlier this month.

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Therefore, he will be gutted if another of his targets is now off the market, and with the Premier League set to kick off next month, he will have to act quickly if he wants to bring in a top-class goalscorer in time for the season opener against Tottenham Hotspur.

And, in other news… Manchester City handed boost with “outstanding” star, Txiki must act

Big money has been the order of the day for Everton in the last few summer transfer windows so expect this one to be vibrant as well.

The Toffees have a new manager in place and are aiming to strengthen in a plethora of positions.

What’s the word?

One area they appear to be targeting players is up front. That might be surprising considering Dominic Calvert-Lewin found the net on 21 occasions last season.

However, that hasn’t stopped rumours of Haris Seferovic and Allan Saint-Maximin arriving at Goodison Park.

The latest piece of gossip from Merseyside is that they are interested in signing Tammy Abraham.

The English striker is out of favour at Chelsea and with the Blues linked with a mega-money swoop for Erling Haaland, he could be given the boot.

90min report that the Toffees are just one of a number of teams interested in prising him away from Stamford Bridge.

West Ham, Southampton and Crystal Palace have all been put off by the sum of money they’d have to pay but Brighton and Aston Villa remain keen.

Lukaku 2.0

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2014 and you may remember Everton smashing their transfer record.

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The player in question was a certain Romelu Lukaku who left Chelsea behind in a deal worth £28m.

Like Abraham, the Belgian was out of favour and decided to move elsewhere in search of regular first-team football.

The deal surpassed everyone’s expectations as Lukaku quickly proved why he is among the most devastating forwards in world football.

During his time in Merseyside, the powerful attacker beat the goalkeeper on 87 occasions in 166 matches. What followed was a monumental move to Manchester United before he joined Inter and then lit up Euro 2020, ending the competition in the Team of the Tournament.

Abraham isn’t at the same elite level just yet but there would be plenty of similarities between the move.

Not in the manager’s plans but still scoring goals, the 23-year-old has racked up 30 strikes for Chelsea despite a lack of regular football. He’s also been described as “phenomenal” by Alex McLeish even when not playing.

Lukaku has always been a player capable of blowing a defender away. He can hold the ball up, roll his marker and then dart away from the backline with heavy but quick strides.

Abraham might not possess the same speed or finesse but his power and ability to hold the ball up has similarities.

For instance, last season the current Chelsea striker won 1.8 aerial duels per match in the Premier League. That happened to be the same number Lukaku managed in the Champions League for Inter.

Both tall and offering an immense presence in attack, this deal has the potential to replicate the one they concluded seven years ago.

AND in other news, Forget Zaha: Rafa could seal Everton masterclass by signing “scary” £60m beast…

According to The Glasgow Times journalist Chris Jack, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is hoping to complete the signing of Joey Veerman within the next two weeks.

The Lowdown: Season fast approaching

After winning the Premiership last term without losing a single game (thefishy.co.uk), the Gers are going into the new campaign looking to defend their title while also reaching the Champions League group stage.

So far, they have made two new signings in the form of Fashion Sakala (rangers.co.uk) and John Lundstram, and Gerrard will no doubt want to add one or two more fresh faces before the window slams shut.

The Latest: Gerrard wants Veerman

As per Jack, Gerrard is a fan of Veerman and wants to get a deal completed before the season kicks off in a couple of weeks.

The report says the deal could cost the Ibrox outfit up to £7m.

The Verdict: Time is of the essence

Gerrard will be hoping to get any new signings, including Veerman, through the Ibrox doors as soon as possible. While the transfer window is open until the end of August, it is not ideal to try and bring in new players when the campaign is already underway.

The midfielder is clearly a key target for Gerrard, with his nine goals and 11 assists last term in all competitions (Transfermarkt) illustrating his attacking prowess. It remains to be seen whether the 55-time Scottish champions can get a deal over the line for Veerman.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this pre-season news.

George Edmundson looks to be on the brink of a Rangers exit this summer, with his mistakes last season arguably costing him a career under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, Ipswich Town are pushing ahead in their hopes of signing the 23-year-old defender this summer and have offered him a three-year contract at Portman Road.

Edmundson has slipped down the pecking order at Ibrox and was sent out on loan to Derby County in the Championship last season, where he would make 10 appearances under Wayne Rooney, averaging a less than impressive 6.62 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The former Oldham Athletic man was one of the players to breach covid guidelines in November 2020 and was promptly sent out on loan in the winter transfer window, which suggests that Gerrard was clearly furious with the youngster’s actions.

Before the incident, Edmundson had featured 17 times for Rangers in all competitions, but has not played again since, and it seems as if his time at Ibrox will shortly come to an end.

Should Rangers sell Edmundson?

At 23-years-old, you could argue that Edmundson would still have a future at Rangers had he not broken those guidelines in November, but it now seems as if Gerrard will axe him for good as Ipswich close in on a deal for him.

The Gers conceded just 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership last season, so it was always going to be tough for Edmundson to reclaim a starting spot ahead of the likes of Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Leon Balogun.

The January addition of Jack Simpson was also arguably the nail in the coffin for Edmundson, despite him impressing at times for Rangers in the past.

After his league debut in a 5-0 win against Hamilton in 2019, Gerrard was quick to sing the young defender’s praises, saying:

“Really strong, he’s been out a little while looking in. I wanted him to get used to how we play and have a look at our opposition.

“He’s looked in, been learning and working ever so hard for his opportunity. That came today and he took it, I thought he was faultless. Outstanding.”

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However, his actions last season, as well as the impressive performances of other defenders, have meant that Edmundson was always likely to be something of an outcast at Rangers on his return from Derby County, and it now seems as if he is set to leave Ibrox for good.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge boost with “outstanding” 33-goal beast, Wilson must deliver

West Ham United are the latest club to enter the race to sign West Brom midfielder Matheus Pereira, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. 

What’s the story?

Pereira has caught the eye with a number of strong showings for West Brom in recent seasons, and it appears as though that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The 25-year-old signed for the Baggies in 2020, and was on hand to provide 20 assists for West Brom in his first season with the club, as they clinched promotion into the Premier League.

He has followed that up with an impressive season in the top-flight, as Pereira netted 12 goals, and was on hand to provide six assists for his team-mates, although his efforts weren’t quite enough, as they were relegated into the Championship after just one season back in the top-flight.

The likes of Leicester City, Leeds United, Norwich City and Brentford had all been credited with interest in signing Pereira this summer, although a formal bid was yet to be made.

West Brom will be fighting a losing battle to keep Pereira

West Ham United are the latest club to enter that race to strike a deal with West Brom for Pereira’s services, as the Hammers look to find an alternative option to Jesse Lingard.

Lingard spent the second-half of the 2020/21 season on loan with David Moyes’ side, and netted nine goals in 16 appearances for the London-based side, as they finished sixth in the Premier League table, qualifying for European football next term in the process.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees Lingard as part of his plans at Manchester United next season, which will mean that West Ham will target an alternative option this summer, as they look to add depth to their current options in attacking areas.

Pereira is seemingly the player that they’re keen on signing, with the midfielder evidently making a good impression with West Brom last term.

West Brom will surely know that they’re likely to be fighting a losing battle to keep Pereira at the Hawthorns this summer, with the prospect of playing Premier League football potentially being too good of an opportunity to turn down for any player, as you want to be competing at the highest possible level.

West Ham can certainly provide that, and with the added extra of European football being on offer, you would imagine that the Hammers will be in pole position to strike a deal to sign Pereira this summer.

The midfielder had previously received praise from former West Brom boss Sam Allardyce, who tipped him to be one of the best players in the Premier League.

“I have worked with some world class players in my time.

“I can’t say Matheus is world class but he certainly has the potential to be a top class Premier League player if he continues developing.”

Pereira had an average Whoscored rating of 6.96 for West Brom in the 2020/21 season, which put him joint-top alongside Baggies loanee Okay Yokuslu.

This latest update should be worrying news to many around the Hawthorns.