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West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow in their efforts to bring Harry Wilson to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that newly-promoted Premier League side Brentford have made an approach to Liverpool regarding a deal for the winger, with an offer expected to be made in the coming days.

It has been reported that Jurgen Klopp’s side would be willing to part with the 24-year-old in the summer transfer window, as long as a buyer meets the club’s £15m asking price for the Wales international.

West Brom and Fulham were both believed to be keeping tabs on the situation of the forward ahead of a potential move this summer, however, with a top-flight side now firmly interested in his services, it would appear both teams will struggle to get a deal over the line for Wilson.

Ismael will be gutted

With Wilson having proven to be a fantastic player in the Championship in recent years, the fact that a deal to bring the winger to West Brom now looks unlikely is sure to have left Valerien Ismael gutted.

Indeed, during his most recent loan spell in the second tier with Cardiff City, the £15.3m-rated man highly impressed over his 37 Championship appearances for Mick McCarthy’s side, scoring seven goals, registering 11 assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates.

These returns saw the man Marcelo Bielsa dubbed an “exceptional” player earn a rather remarkable average SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the Bluebirds’ second-best performer in the league last season.

These impressive stats only add to the £41k-per-week forward’s impressive returns in the Championship, having scored seven goals and provided four assists over 13 appearances for Hull City and 16 goals and four assists over 43 appearances for Derby County.

As such, with Ismael hoping to build a West Brom side in the summer transfer window that is capable of securing an immediate return to the top flight next season, the addition of Wilson would have certainly appeared to provide the club’s chances of going on to achieve this feat with a huge boost.

However, with Brentford now appearing to be leading the race for the 24-year-old this summer, the Frenchman may well have to turn his focus elsewhere in the transfer market in order to add more goals to his Albion side.

In other news: Get it done: West Brom plotting swoop for “quality” £5m machine, Ismael would love him

Celtic and the word ‘surprise’ are rather synonymous with each other at the moment.

You only need to crawl back through the Hoops’ pursuit of a new manager to understand just how many twists and turns occur at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

The Bhoys have been incredibly active in the transfer window over the last week, attempting to finalise a number of deals. They’ve already welcomed Liel Abada to the club, while they are working on finalising a deal for Swedish defender Carl Starfelt and Rennes full-back Brandon Soppy.

However, when we awoke from our slumber on Friday morning, Celtic were suddenly on the verge of completing another move.

Ange Postecoglou has headed back to Japan and agreed to land Kyogo Furuhashi, who plays his football for Vissel Kobe.

A statement on the J-League club’s website, along with one from Celtic, revealed that an agreement has been reached for his transfer between the two clubs and he will now undergo a medical.

The move will now go through providing it passes international clearance and the medical assessment is successful.

Best signing yet

Although Furuhashi is not a household name, this is a move that has the potential to really lift Celtic supporters out of their seats.

Postecoglou has been incredibly busy behind the scenes but this could be his best move yet since arriving in Glasgow.

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That’s because Furuhashi isn’t only a proven international player, he’s also a ruthless goal scorer who’s even caught the eye of Spanish great Andres Iniesta.

The pair are teammates at club level and, speaking recently, the former World Cup winner said: “To be honest, he absolutely has the talent to play in Europe. He’s leading the J1’s scoring chart, but it’s not just that. He’s got strong technique, and I believe he can succeed in Europe.

“I’m sure he’s got scouts watching him already, but it’s going to be tough for us because he scores a lot of goals. It’ll be tough but if he goes to Europe I’ll be incredibly happy for him, because for Japanese players it’s a dream to play in Europe.”

With the threat of Odsonne Edouard potentially leaving still lingering over the club, signing another forward is of utmost importance to Celtic.

Fortunately, Furuhashi fits the bill. He has scored 15 times this season, which has taken his tally in Vissel Kobe colours to 48 strikes.

He’s not the most physical of forwards, winning just 0.4 aerial duels per match, but like Edouard, he’s capable of beating a man. This season, the 26-year-old has completed 0.9 dribbles per match.

Speaking about the move and Furuhashi’s game, reporter Dan Orlowitz commented: “That is a BIG move for Furuhashi, an astute signing by Ange, a signing that should absolutely excite the Celtic fanbase. One of the J.League’s best domestic talents, exciting on the ball, great finisher, has surely learned a lot from Andres Iniesta these last few years.”

Albian Ajeti has scored in pre-season but his first campaign at Parkhead was disappointing, scoring just six times in 2020/21.

Therefore, Postecoglou will hope to have better luck than his predecessor Neil Lennon in terms of centre-forward recruits. On the evidence provided by Furuhashi in his homeland, this could be the new manager’s most enthralling deal yet.

AND in other news, “Celtic want him”: Reliable journo issues exciting transfer update, fans surely elated…

Crystal Palace have reportedly entered the race to sign West Bromwich Albion midfielder Matheus Pereira.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic, Palace are interested in signing the 25-year-old this summer as Patrick Vieira’s revolution at Selhurst Park begins to take shape.

However, he won’t come cheap. A recent report in the Express & Star claimed that the Baggies are likely to demand around £30m for Pereira, with several Premier League clubs credited with an interest in the Brazilian.

Fans will be absolutely buzzing

The South American creative talent had a fabulous 2020/21 campaign despite West Brom’s constant struggles near the foot of the table.

Pereira’s one-man show at times last season earned numerous admirers, including BBC pundit and former Everton midfielder Leon Osman, who praised his set-piece delivery.

“It’s a wonderful corner. We’ve seen Matheus Pereira try this a few times. He tries to find it under the crossbar, inside the goal frame, to see if anyone gets on the end of it,” said Osman.

“Matt Phillips made himself a handful for the goalkeeper, but it’s a wonderful delivery from Pereira.”

After bagging 11 goals and providing six assists in 33 top-flight appearances, it’s easy to understand why Palace are interested in signing the attacking midfielder, and news of their interest will surely have the club’s supporters absolutely buzzing.

Following the exciting signings of Michael Olise and Marc Guehi, a new wave of hope and optimism is starting to build at the south London club.

Vieira will still need significant additions ahead of the upcoming campaign in order to have the foundations for a successful season, but adding Pereira to Palace’s ranks would be a major boost to their survival plans.

The West Brom ace matched Palace’s top goalscorer for league goals in the recently concluded campaign, equalled their most proficient assister, and made more key passes (1.8) per league game than any member of the first-team squad, as per WhoScored.

Therefore, a large section of the fans will be urging chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman to make a move for Pereira over the coming months.

With the highly-rated Eberechi Eze set for an extended spell on the sidelines through injury, Pereira could be the perfect replacement, and Palace could really do with his services next season.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Zaha: Parish can seal dream Palace duo by signing “unreal” marksman 

Everton are interested in a deal to bring Joaquin Correa to Goodison Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato, who claim that Rafael Benitez’s side are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Lazio attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

However, the report goes on to state that Inter Milan are also in the race for the 26-year-old, with Simone Inzaghi believed to be keen to set up a reunion with his former player at the San Siro next season.

It is then claimed that Inter are preparing themselves for a tussle with the Toffees in order to secure the services of the Argentina international, for whom it is believed Maurizio Sarri would be demanding at least €35m (£30m) in order to part with this summer.

Bernard upgrade

Considering just how impressive Correa was for Lazio last season, in addition to the fact that Bernard has recently moved onto pastures new, it is easy to see why Benitez is considering a move for the attacking midfielder ahead of next season.

Indeed, over his 28 Serie A appearances for I Biancocelesti last term, the £27m-rated man scored eight goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the man Rahul Warrier dubbed a “menace” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Lazio’s joint fifth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

The former Sevilla man also highly impressed over his eight Champions League appearances last time out, bagging three goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, seeing him earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.11.

Furthermore, with Correa also being able to operate comfortably from the left wing, the signing of the £81k-per-week forward could be viewed as a replacement for the recently departed Bernard.

And, with the Brazilian having scored just one goal, as well as failing to provide an assist or create a big chance over his 12 Premier League appearances last season, it is not a difficult argument to make that the Argentine would be a huge upgrade on the £130k-per-week man.

Finally, it would also appear as if the 26-year-old would be open to a move to England, with it being reported that the Lazio gem has expressed to Sarri that he would like to leave Rome this summer, as well as the attacker previously claiming that he would “like to play in the Premier League.”

As such, it would very much appear as if the opportunity is there for Benitez to land Correa ahead of next season, all that would seem to remain is the Toffees coughing up the money to begin talks with the Argentine.

In other news: Bye-bye Rodriguez: Benitez must seal Everton swoop for “exceptional” 33-goal wizard

“Sometimes there’s no smoke without fire” – those are the thoughts of Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield on the rumours linking Julian Alvarez to Aston Villa.

Calciomercato reported that the representatives of the River Plate forward are ready to fly to Europe, with Villa been linked with the Argentina international.

Alvarez who can play down the middle as a centre-forward, out on either wing or as an attacking-midfielder, scored four goals and provided seven assists for his teammates last season in all competitions.

On the rumours linking Villa with the 21-year-old, Luke Hatfield told the Transfer Tavern: “It’s one of those where reports kind of came out over the past couple of weeks and I don’t think many Villa fans will have heard of him to be brutally honest. 

“I don’t know how long the club have been watching him, if they have been watching him at all, because there’s not been any solid reports saying that there’s been a bid. There’s journalists here and there mentioning it, the links are there, so you know, sometimes there’s no smoke without fire.”

Aston Villa finished eleventh in the Premier League table last season, with manager Dean Smith already adding to his squad ahead of the new season.

Villa completed the signing of Emiliano Buendia for £33million and were also in the market for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe but had a £25million bid turned down for the player, before the youngster signed a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.

Everton are a club who often aren’t afraid to splash the cash but under new manager Rafa Benitez, Goodison Park has a very different feel to it.

They have added the likes of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend to their ranks but further bodies are essential if they are to find themselves in European football again.

What’s the word?

Everton were linked with a move for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek back in June as the Blues planned a mass exodus after winning the Champions League.

The England international spent last term on loan at Fulham but was relegated during his time with the Cottagers.

However, according to a fresh report, his parent club are set to loan him out again in a bid to help him get his career back on track.

It’s thought that Germany remains a big option for Chelsea when considering the 25-year-old’s next destination.

Rafa must sign him

Even if the Toffees can’t secure his signature on a permanent basis, landing him for a temporary stint in Merseyside would undoubtedly be a wise move.

Everton look unlikely to spend anywhere close to some recent sums in years gone by and thus, Loftus-Cheek would be a shrewd option for Benitez.

They sit in a position where the likes of Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes have all been linked with the exit door and if they lose a trio of central midfielders, the head coach will undoubtedly need to find replacements.

However, what makes Loftus-Cheek such an appealing signing is his box to box nature.

Everton have a rich history when it comes to goal scoring midfielders; all you need to do is think of Tim Cahill or Marouane Fellaini leaping high to head home.

The Chelsea midfielder isn’t as dominant in the air but he’s a robust individual capable of offering something completely different to Benitez’s midfield.

At the moment, they currently have a host of more defensive-minded players in the middle of the park with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan usually being utilised in those areas.

They form a brutal bond in central positions but by acquiring the Chelsea man, they could score more goals from deep.

Loftus-Cheek, who was described as “exceptional” by Scott Parker last season, once netted ten times in a single campaign for the London side.

Injuries have since plagued the £150k-per-week earner but he is still a wonderful box to box player who could add plenty to their squad.

AND in other news, Rafa Benitez can land dream Everton signing in “explosive” 29-goal animal…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have erupted in response to an official announcement by the club involving Tomas Soucek.

The Czech Republic star, signed by the Irons last summer, has gone on to become a revelation at the London Stadium and real snip at just £19.1 million.

Soucek, starting every single Premier League game over his debut season with West Ham, averaged a mighty 6.2 aerial duels won per 90 in the middle of the park – eclipsing all of his teammates (WhoScored).

He also finished the campaign as manager David Moyes’ joint-top goal scorer in the league with ten goals, all while contributing at other end of the pitch.

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The 26-year-old made the joint-most tackles per 90 (2.1) out of any West Ham player over 2020/2021, sharing the most impressive numbers with compatriot Vladimir Coufal.

As a result, West Ham have now announced Soucek as the coveted Hammer of the Year award winner for an outstanding first campaign in England.

Flocking to this official update, it’s safe to say supporters believe he is deserving of the honour.

Find all of their best replies to West Ham’s account down below.

West Ham fans flock to Soucek announcement…

“You beauty”

Credit: @whugabes

“Yessssss”

Credit: @WHUBoleynBoys

“WHAT A MAN”

Credit: @ScoutSoucek

“Well deserved Hammer of the Year

Outstanding player, heart on his sleeve every game and never not at 110%”

Credit: @maxogod

“What an incredible player, we are blessed”

Credit: @ryansmith15_

“West Ham had the most consistent CM pairing across the whole league in Soucek and Rice. Can’t recall a time in PL history that this was the case for West Ham. Soucek been almost faultless all season.”

Credit: @WestHamJoshV

“Well deserved”

Credit: @HammerStu76

“Fully deserved, another big season ahead big man”

Credit: @ollieemerry

In other news: Bid made – West Ham table offer to sign yet another defender, find out more here.

An update has emerged on reported Aston Villa transfer target Pape Sarr regarding the interest in his services so far this summer.

What’s the talk?

Metz president Bernard Serin has confirmed that there have been no offers for the 18-year-old so far in this window, stating that Sarr “hasn’t received any serious offer”.

Villa have been touted with an interest in the midfielder in the transfer window, but Serin has made it clear that no club has come in with a concrete move.

When asked about his future, Sarr remained committed to Metz by outlining his aims for the Ligue 1 side next season. He said: “At FC Metz, our first objective is to keep the team in Ligue 1. But winning trophies with them is also part of my ambitions for next season.

“I want to have a better season than in the 2020/21 [campaign] and if possible, score more goals.”

Get it done

Johan Lange must get a deal done for Sarr before the end of the window. Villa have just under a month left to complete their summer business and a swoop for the midfielder could be a shrewd addition in the short- and long-term, which is why they must react to this update from Serin by making their move.

With no other clubs acting on their potential interest in the teenager, Villa could snap him up with little to no competition if they move swiftly. However, if Lange dawdles and waits until the end of the window, that could allow time for other clubs to become desperate and then enter the race for Sarr if they do not get their other targets.

Metz head coach Frédéric Antonetti recently claimed that Sarr “will go far” in the game and praised his hardworking nature on and off the pitch. He stated: “Pape Matar Sarr is elegance in the midfield, it’s talent, it’s making others play.

The club’s general manger Olivier Perrin added: “He will be able to go as far as he wants to go. He must work, be as he is there, modest, regular, hardworking. He must continue to love football and he will do like the great players, he will go far. I think he will go very far.”

This shows that he is highly-rated by his club and has the attitude required to continually improve as he progresses in his career. Therefore, this could be an excellent investment opportunity for Villa if they are able to bring him in for a reasonable price, as they could sign him and develop the midfielder over the course of the next few years, leading to him either being sold on for a profit or becoming a key player for Villa.

The 18-year-old averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.82 in 22 Ligue 1 appearances for Metz last season, scoring three times. This shows that he is already able to consistently perform in the French top flight despite his young age, and he could arrive at Villa Park to provide competition in midfield whilst learning from the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz to continue his development.

AND in other news, Lange must sanction dream Villa deal for £70k-p/w “machine”, he’s an upgrade on Luiz…

Michael Stewart has predicted Glasgow Rangers will need to sell players after failing to reach the group stages of the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Gers receive CL blow

After winning the Premiership last term, the Gers will have been hopeful of reaching this season’s Champions League group stages and securing the financial boost which comes along with that.

However, they fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Malmo in the third qualifying round.

The Latest: Stewart makes prediction

Taking to Twitter following the 55-time Scottish champions’ defeat to the Swedish side, Stewart wrote:

“Champions League money isn’t coming into Ibrox and surely that’ll mean they need to sell players to try and balance this years accounts. Which will obviously have an impact on the team on the pitch.”

The Verdict: Harsh but true

While this is something that many Rangers fans will not want to hear, it may unfortunately come to pass. Several Gers players have the ability to play at a higher level – Glen Kamara (Transfermarkt) and Alfredo Morelos, for example, competed at Euro 2020 and the Copa America respectively this summer and are entering the prime years of their career.

Neither have appeared in the Champions League before these two matches – they will likely want to play on that stage regularly.

Perhaps the one saving grace in some cases is that, if the Gers win the Premiership again this season, they will automatically receive a spot in the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition. Therefore, some of their top players may decide to give it one last chance at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this SPFL move.

Speaking live on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), journalist Dharmesh Sheth has made a West Ham United claim involving manager David Moyes and transfer target Nikola Milenkovic.

The Lowdown: West Ham and Milenkovic saga…

The Hammers have been in talks to sign Milenkovic for nearly a fortnight following the club’s decision to prioritise the signing of a new centre-half before August 31.

Indeed, despite their alarming lack of depth going forward, West Ham and manager Moyes are keen to reinforce their central defensive options.

Both Kurt Zouma and Milenkovic have been the main targets, with claims even emerging last week that the latter man had his bags packed and a London Stadium move was imminent (Tuttosport).

However, as the talks die down, Sky journalist Sheth has shed some light on the situation.

The Latest: Sky reporter drops Milenkovic and Moyes claim…

Speaking live on air (via FD), Sheth has made a West Ham claim involving Moyes and Milenkovic as he explains why the Serbian powerhouse has not become a Hammers player.

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“West Ham were also in for Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic, that looked very close, and we all thought that Milenkovic would be coming to the London Stadium,” he said to Sky.

“But, I’m told that David Moyes decided that he wasn’t 100 per cent convinced that he was the right man for his squad.

“Because at the end of the day, the way it works at West Ham, yes David Sullivan will do the finances but David Moyes will make the final decision on whether a player comes in or not.”

The Verdict: Frustrating update…

Moyes recently spoke of the importance to carefully hand pick players he is certain will improve West Ham’s squad (football.london), but with the August 31 deadline fast approaching, they cannot afford to dilly-dally much longer.

Ahead of a long season as they also compete in the Europa League group stages, the Scotsman will have just Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna to choose from as senior centre-back options in this moment.

Not to mention they are severely lacking alternative forward options to Michail Antonio, who spent a lot of 2020/2021 on the treatment table.

It really is now make or break for West Ham with new additions arguably a necessity, and they seem to have missed out on Milenkovic who has been described as ‘affordable’ by Italian football experts (Conor Clancy, speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern).

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Perfect’…Pundit in awe of West Ham transfer news involving ‘magical’ striker, find out more here.