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Liverpool are ready to rival Chelsea for the signing of Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim from Italy.

The Lowdown: De Ligt on the move?

The 22-year-old has been seen as one of Europe’s leading young centre-backs for several years now, having burst onto the scene with Ajax back in 2018/19, being called ‘world-class’ by Jaap Stam.

De Ligt made 31 appearances in Serie A last season, as well as starting seven Champions League games, averaging 2.9 aerial duel wins per match in the former.

The £63million-rated Dutchman has been tipped for a move away from Juve this summer, with Liverpool thought to be one of the teams in the mix.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], the Reds are still interested in signing De Ligt, with the report saying ‘pay attention to Liverpool’.

A move to the Premier League would reportedly be ‘difficult to refuse’, with Chelsea also seen as contenders to snap up the highly-rated Netherlands international.

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

De Ligt is clearly a top-class centre-back with enormous potential – his mentality has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by Edwin van der Sar –  but Liverpool are extremely well-stocked in that area currently.

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In Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, Jurgen Klopp has three wonderful defenders at his disposal and Joe Gomez is also a strong option, should he stay put.

A move for De Ligt could be ideal once the likes of Van Dijk and Matip are past their best – he and Van Dijk both averaged 3.1 clearances per game in the league last season – but for now, their money should be spent on more pressing areas, such as midfield.

In other news, one attacking player is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer. Read more here.

Manchester United have made an offer to sign Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, according to David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Eriksen’s impressive Premier League return

Eriksen made a move back to England with Brentford at the beginning of the year, penning a contract until the end of the season.

It didn’t take long for Eriksen to catch the eye with the Bees, with Gary Neville labelling the midfielder’s passing as ‘out of this world’.

The 30-year-old won seven games in 11 starts with Brentford, contributing to five goals mainly from a slightly deeper midfield role than we’re used to seeing him. He is now weighing up his next move, and it looks as if Erik ten Hag is keen to bring the Denmark international to Old Trafford.

The Latest: Ornstein’s reveal

Ornstein took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to provide a significant update on Eriksen’s future.

The reliable reporter revealed that United have ‘made an offer’ for the midfielder, with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong still a priority.

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The Verdict: Shrewd move

United could do with midfield additions following confirmed exits for Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, leaving Bruno Fernandes as the only recognised senior attacking midfielder.

Eriksen would give Ten Hag another high-quality attacking midfield option who has plenty of experience in the Premier League and in Europe.

He’d also be able to turn out in a deeper role or out wide, and after showing last season he still has the quality to star in England, a free transfer could turn out to be an excellent piece of business.

In other news: Same agent as Ronaldo: Man Utd now close to ‘special’ signing, move is ‘imminent’. 

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing AZ Alkmaar full-back Owen Wijndal, according to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown: Hot prospect

Having come through the ranks in Alkmaar, Wijndal has been made captain at the Eredivisie club and has already amassed 143 senior outings despite his tender years.

The 22-year-old is also a fully-fledged Netherlands international after representing the nation at every youth level before winning 11 senior caps and featuring at Euro 2020.

It now appears as though Spurs have a keen eye on the left-back, as Antonio Conte attempts to add strength in depth to the Tottenham ranks…

The latest: Talks opened

As per Foot Mercato, Spurs are already ‘discussing’ the potential transfer with AZ.

Also believed to be a target for European giants such as Lyon, Napoli and Juventus, Wijndal is now very much on the radar in north London.

It is claimed that the Lilywhites are keen to ‘secure the services’ of the youngster, who was hailed as a ‘revelation’ by journalist Michael Bell following a breakout on the international scene in November 2020 which included an assist against Spain.

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The verdict: Make it happen

Last season, Wijndal scored once and provided 12 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. He earned a 6.94 Sofascore rating whilst making 1.5 key passes and winning 4.1 duels per game, creating a further nine big chances in the Eredivisie.

Clearly an attack-minded full-back judging by those figures, the multi-faceted 22-year-old seems ideally suited to feature in Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 formation which is heavily dominated by the influence of the wing-backs.

He should be considered as a top priority, with doubts remaining over the fitness of Ryan Sessegnon and the future of Sergio Reguilon.

Valued at £10.8m and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), the Dutchman should present a wholly affordable and feasible option for ENIC and transfer chief Fabio Paratici.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Tottenham are expected to make move for supremely underrated star! Find out more here

Liverpool are reportedly targeting their midfield as an area of improvement this summer, and now a previously linked transfer target has been identified as a potential interest to the club ahead of next season.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, Liverpool are now prepared to rival Manchester City for the signing of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer after losing out on Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid.

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As per the report, Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of the player and the West Yorkshire club are preparing themselves for an approach from both the Merseyside club and Man City.

Forget Tchouameni

It has been widely reported that Tchouameni prefers a move to Spain this summer and with that in mind, FSG need to move on fast to identify another midfielder that can offer dominance in the centre of the pitch, with Phillips clearly the alternative option for the Reds.

The £60m dynamo who was hailed “outstanding” by England manager Gareth Southgate has struggled with hamstring injury issues during the most recent Premier League campaign making only 20 appearances, despite that he has still shown glimpses of his talent and capabilities in the team.

According to SofaScore, the midfielder delivered one assist and created one big chance, making 2.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and won 4.8 duels on average per game and was successful in the majority of his dribbles (58%), proving that he can make an instant and consistent impact.

“For me, he is one of the best midfielders in the world right now,” once claimed his teammate Liam Cooper during Euro 2020 last summer.

Liverpool are looking for fresh perspectives in their midfield three and although the Kopites had one of their most successful seasons under Klopp winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all well into their 30s.

Identifying younger players that can come through to succeed the current crop of midfielders can help Liverpool continue their reign of dominance and keep them fighting for trophies on all fronts for years to come preventing them from dropping off in key areas of the pitch.

With that being said, signing Phillips would be a major coup for the club and if they could complete the signing of the 26-year-old it would surely put to rest the worry that Liverpool weren’t able to secure a deal for Tchouameni.

AND in other news, Klopp could land his dream Mane heir with Liverpool bid for “unbelievable” £47m target…

Yves Bissouma has long been touted as one of Aston Villa’s top transfer targets for the summer but in an unexpected twist, it now seems as if they have given up on signing him from Brighton.

What’s the word?

After seeing a bid for the Malian midfielder rejected in January, Villa were widely expected to return for the former Lille man this summer, although reports suggested that Brighton would demand as much as £50m.

Villa were still heavily linked, however, with some reports claiming that he was Gerrard’s top target as he looks to bolster his midfield options ahead of next season.

However, the Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans has now revealed the latest on Villa’s interest in Bissouma, writing:

“AVFC may still look for a new No.8 this summer, but BHAFC Yves Bissouma is no longer on the list. Villa have moved on.”

Villa supporters will be gutted

While Villa have already brought in Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer from Aston Villa, Bissouma would have offered Gerrard a box-to-box midfielder with plenty of Premier League experience.

The 25-year-old was Brighton’s best performer in the Premier League last season (of those to make at least 10 appearances) according to WhoScored, averaging an impressive 6.99 rating for his performances.

The same rating would have seen him ranked behind only John McGinn in Gerrard’s side, which suggests that he could have been an excellent addition at Villa Park.

Graham Potter was full of praise for the midfielder after a superb individual performance in Brighton’s impressive 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur last season, saying:

“Tactically Yves was really good. He understood when to cover and when to release and when to put pressure on and then you could see his qualities.

“His high-end actions are Champions League level. I think you saw the full array of his quality.”

Villa’s early transfer business has certainly suggested that they are targeting a European qualification spot next season and Bissouma could have added that extra quality to Gerrard’s midfield.

It is a surprise therefore that the Villans have ruled him out before the transfer window has even officially opened, and Villa supporters will no doubt be disappointed that he won’t be playing in claret and blue next season.

And, in other news… Gerrard now given green light for “fantastic” £10m Aston Villa move, Lange must act 

The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers has claimed that wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri could be set for an eventual big move away from Molineux.

What’s the story?

Speaking on the Talking Wolves YouTube channel, Spiers stated that the 20-year-old will soon attract attention from “top-level clubs.”

“Ait-Nouri’s numbers are really, really good. He’ll attract top, top-level clubs to be interested in him,” said the Athletic writer.

“I don’t think he’s got much of a sort of reputation nationally, but he will do soon – he’s that good.”

The Frenchman had been subject from interest from PSG earlier this season, according to The Sun, and could eventually be set for a move away from the West Midlands.

Wolves supporters will be sweating

Of course, it will be widely accepted by Wolves fans that Ait-Nouri could one day leave for a bigger club with the wing-back impressing in the Premier League at just 20 years of age.

However, they will be desperate to keep hold of the French youngster for at least one more season.

Having initially struggled to get into Bruno Lage’s team, the left wing-back made 27 appearances for Wolves this term with the Black Country outfit one of the top-flight’s best defenders.

Only the top four conceded fewer goals than Wolves’ 43, although their struggles to put the ball in the back of the net held them back massively.

Ait-Nouri had initially made the move to England on loan from French outfit Angers in 2020 and made 27 appearances under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo before sealing a permanent move last summer.

The ‘really good’ numbers referred to by Spiers are certainly promising, with the 20-year-old averaging 60.8 touches per league match this term whilst making 25.1 passes at a 77% accuracy.

Moreover, the wing-back won 6.2 duels per appearance with a 55% success rate as well as making 2.8 tackles, one interception and 1.3 clearances.

With Jonny, Ait-Nouri’s main competitor for a place at left wing-back, game time still won’t be a guarantee next season, however, the Frenchman is certainly a bright prospect that Wolves will be keen to hang onto at least past this summer.

AND in other news, Lage could land dream Neves replacement as Wolves now eye “spectacular” 20 y/o talent..

Rangers defender Calvin Bassey could leave Ibrox behind this summer with Giovanni van Bronckhorst facing a battle to keep him in Glasgow.

What’s the news?

That’s according to a recent report from The Times, who suggest that van Bronckhorst could lose one of Rangers’ star men this season.

It’s said that Aston Villa are ready to step up their pursuit of the Gers defender in the coming weeks as he reportedly fits the bill for the defensive reinforcement that Steven Gerrard wants in his side.

The report also adds that Villa scouts were impressed by Bassey’s performance at Hampden during Rangers’ Scottish Cup victory over Hearts and that Gerrard is keen to reunite with the player after bringing him to Glasgow two years ago.

Disaster for Van Bronckhorst

As mentioned in the report, Rangers secured a deal for the Nigerian back in 2020 from Leicester City.

After securing the former Leicester youngster, Gerrard had this to say about him.

“He’s a strong and dynamic athlete who is very much the modern-day full-back. He’s left-footed, physically powerful and enjoys driving forward and is certainly equipped to thrive in the combative nature of Scottish football.”

During his time with the Ibrox side, Bassey has gone on to make 64 appearances for the Europa League finalists across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and six assists along the way.

With 49 appearances under his belt this season, the 22-year-old has been deployed in the left-back and centre-back positions, highlighting his versatility and usefulness to van Bronckhorst.

In addition to making 20 interceptions and 28 tackles in the SPFL this season, the Nigerian also racked up the third-highest number of crosses in Rangers’ squad with 92 completed.

Praised by Owen Hargreaves for his “astonishing” performance in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, this shows just how much the defender can step up on the big stage when it matters for his current side. It also shows why letting him go at this stage of his career would be a disaster.

He is the future of Rangers and is demonstrating outstanding qualities. Combine that with how Rangers have a number of older defenders in their squad like Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Filip Helander and Connor Goldson, it only furthers the blow of potentially losing a younger talent this summer.

Evidently, if the club were to see Bassey leave Ibrox in the coming weeks, it would surely be a disaster for the club and the backroom staff.

In other news: Imagine him & Aribo: GVB can form deadly Rangers duo by signing “complete” 18 G/A gem