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Newcastle are reportedly interested in a move for Espanyol striker Raúl de Tomás.

The Lowdown: Striker wanted

The Magpies are clearly keen to add a striker to their ranks alongside their pursuit of a wide forward, as Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo recently revealed interest in a double swoop for both Moussa Diaby and Armando Broja.

Broja isn’t the only forward on the agenda, with Dan Ashworth seemingly doing some shopping in La Liga as links to Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak intensify.

Alongside Isak, PIF are also keeping their eyes on a cheaper option in de Tomás, as major Latin sports outlet Relevo have now revealed the Spaniard’s availability.

The Latest: Newcastle interested in de Tomás

Writing on Twitter, one of the outlet’s reporters had this to say: “Newcastle interested in Raúl de Tomás. Juventus has also been informed about the situation of the Espanyol striker, who could leave for around 35 million euros.”

A move for Isak would reportedly require the Magpies to smash their transfer record, so the £29.5m valuation on de Tomás could make him a viable alternative if a deal for the Sweden starlet proves too costly.

The Verdict: Don’t rule it out

While the 27 year-old may not bring the glamour of a record-breaking move for Isak, he certainly knows where the back of the net is.

Having risen through the ranks in Real Madrid’s academy, the 5 foot 10 hit-man had various successful loan spells before leaving permanently in pursuit of first-team football, eventually landing at Espanyol.

All in all, de Tomás has bagged 107 senior goals in club football, earning himself four Spain caps, and has really hit form in recent seasons, finding the net 40 times in 71 league games over the last two campaigns.

Holding a stylistic likeness to Luis Suarez, he ranks in the 99th percentile for forwards across Europe when it comes to pass completion, as well as the 81st percentile for dribbles completed, showing a well rounded skill-set to accompany his clinical instincts in and around the box (FBRef).

Known for his movement and positional intelligence, journalist Josh Bunting has gushed over the ‘excellent’ striker for his ‘calm and composed’ nature – he would provide real quality and experience if the Magpies decide to pursue a deal.

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo is nearing a departure from Ibrox, according to reputable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: A star is born

Signed from Charlton Athletic in 2019 for £300,000 (BBC), Aribo has been nothing short of sensational for the Gers since arriving in Glasgow.

The 25-year-old London-born Nigeria international has directly contributed to 51 goals in 148 appearances for the club and was a key figure in the side that lifted the Scottish Premiership title under Steven Gerrard in 2020/21.

Amidst reported interest from Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, it now appears as though Southampton have won the race to land Aribo this summer…

The latest: ‘Almost done…’

Taking to Twitter, Romano, a renowned transfer expert, has claimed that the 20-cap international ace’s switch is nearly complete.

He stated: “After Lavia, Southampton are also set to sign Joe Aribo. Been told deal is almost done for £6m plus add-ons to Rangers. No problem on player side, as was reported by

@David_Ornstein. Incoming director Joe Shields, key for the move. #SaintsFC Romeo Lavia joins on £12m fee.”

The verdict: Huge loss

Albeit a healthy boost to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s coffers during the transfer window, the mooted £6m fee falls some way short of the windfall that the Teddy Bears might’ve wished for in ideal circumstances.

However, with the £9m-rated star in the final 12 months of a deal (Transfermarkt), selling the man hailed as a ‘beautiful footballer’ by journalist Josh Bunting during AFCON in January at this juncture is certainly the preferred option, as opposed to losing a prized asset for nothing further down the line.

Having scored nine times and registered 10 assists in a mammoth 57 appearances across all competitions last season, attention at Ibrox must now turn towards finding a suitable replacement with adequate quality and perhaps more importantly, durability, to fill the void left by Aribo.

Tottenham Hotspur are readying another attempt to sign Everton forward Anthony Gordon as Antonio Conte gears up for his first full Premier League season in charge of the Lilywhites.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Gordon…

As first reported by Sky Sports, the north Londoners hold a serious interest in the 21-year-old and were thought to be eyeing a package deal for both him and Richarlison at one stage.

While Spurs ended up confirming the latter’s capture separately, Gordon was also in the frame as a target for Conte, with reliable journalist Alasdair Gold even claiming recently that the Toffees youngster would be ‘keen’ on a move to N17.

According to reports, it now appears that Tottenham’s sporting director Fabio Paratici hasn’t given up on signing the exciting winger.

The Latest: Spurs readying special offer…

Indeed, The Daily Mirror’s print edition (03/07, p74, via The Boot Room), has shared a very interesting development involving Tottenham, Gordon and ex-Spurs star Dele Alli.

They claimed that Paratici and co are looking to offer a £20m package to sign Gordon but are also willing to chalk off the £10m payment owed by Everton for Alli’s services.

The total deal would amass to around £30m including the Alli factor, but in terms of straight cash, Spurs would pay just £20m out of their summer kitty.

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The Verdict: Ambitious?

While it remains to be seen whether Frank Lampard’s side would entertain a bid of this nature, there is little denying that Gordon would be a real coup for Tottenham if they do.

The England under-21 international finished last season as one of Everton’s bright sparks and attracted plenty of praise, with National League manager Luke Garrard of Boreham Wood even calling him a ‘frightening’ prospect after coming up against the youngster in the FA Cup earlier this year.

Gordon’s addition would balance the books in terms of Tottenham’s homegrown quota whilst also adding Premier League-proven quality (49 top-flight appearances) to Conte’s ranks.

Indeed, if Paratici somehow manages to pull off the move, it could be a stroke of genius from the Italian transfer chief.

Richarlison has been speculated to make a move away from Everton for a couple of months now, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

Everton reporter for The Athletic Patrick Boyland joined Greg O’Keeffe in writing an article for the publication to reveal further details about Richarlison’s potential exit this summer.

As per the report, no club has followed up on their interest by putting in an official offer for the Brazilian winger so far, however, The Athletic claims to understand that the player is in no rush to make a decision and is open to many options.

These options include remaining in the Premier League upon his Goodison Park exit with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur named as clubs remaining interested in Richarlison.

Supporters will be worried

There is no doubt that Everton supporters will be worried about the potential loss of Richarlison this summer, especially since the player played an important part in the club’s relegation survival in the Premier League last season.

The 25-year-old forward scored 11 goals and delivered five assists in all competitions for the Toffees, making him the top scorer in the team this season, and six of his goals came at the most crucial point in the Premier League.

Everton were saved from a spell in the Championship in the penultimate game of the season against Brentford, but Richarlison’s consistency over his last 10 appearances in the league campaign, scoring six goals and delivering two assists to guide his side out of trouble and cement himself as a favourite amongst supporters.

As a result of his game-changing performances and goal contributions for the Merseyside club, it would be a massive loss in the team should he secure a move and Farhad Moshiri will have to work hard to find a like-for-like replacement to ensure that the side do not further decline and face a worse outcome next season.

With that being said, Lampard and the powers at Goodison Park must come to a decision on Richarlison’s future as they will need to make at least one signing to replace the Brazilian before the transfer window shuts.

AND in other news: Lampard could land his own Jude Bellingham in Everton swoop for “special” £50m dynamo

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has been reacting to Leeds United’s partnership with Zone7, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ Zone7 partnership

The Whites have acted fast in the summer transfer window, with moves for Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca already confirmed.

They have now linked up with artificial intelligence platform Zone7 in an attempt to reduce the number of injuries at Elland Road.

Zone7 confirmed the partnership via Twitter on Monday and are set to help Leeds by using their technologies to optimise player performance, seek to gain insights from data and help reduce the frequency of injuries.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Leeds’ latest partnership. He admitted that Leeds shouldn’t expect ‘overnight’ results but said that it is ‘very exciting’ news for the club.

The injury expert stated:

“We talked recently to the CEO of Zone7, Tal Brown. Their AI model is used to help reduce injury incidence and performance. They are a company that have been on my radar for a while.

“We spoke to Tal with regards to his involvement with Liverpool. We know all about their investment in the latest technologies to advance their team, minimise risk and reduce injury incidence.

“Leeds’ lack of strength in depth, as it was last season, has been discussed many times. It really came to fruition in the number of games missed.

“No team suffered more time-loss injuries in the top flight than Leeds. It was over 170. When you talk about additional strain on a threadbare squad because of injury, it’s obvious why they were struggling towards the end of the campaign.

“The important thing to remember is that this is not a magic bullet. Zone7 is not going to guarantee that it can reduce injury incidence overnight. It’s there to complement the work of the backroom staff, first and foremost.

“It doesn’t give definitive answers, it offers insights and analysis so staff can make informed decisions. The system uses millions of data points to protest conversations within the club.

“It has been highly successful across numerous teams and sports. It’s very exciting.”

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The Verdict: Good to see

The Whites missed a number of key players for large parts of the 2021/22 campaign due to injury, with just four players managing to start 30 games or more.

Patrick Bamford was hit the hardest and started just seven league fixtures, so linking up with Zone7 and looking to limit the amount of injuries that players pick up is a sensible move, and one from the Leeds striker could benefit the most out of anyone in Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Dinnery, who has a background in medicine and data analysis, isn’t expecting imminent results from the technology, but he’s clearly excited about the partnership, so it seems to be a good move to help out Leeds’ Head of Medicine and Performance Rob Price.

It is the news that Celtic supporters have been hoping for, with the Parkhead outfit believed to be nearing a deal for Lanus defender Alexandro Bernabei.

What’s the word?

As per Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry, the 21-year-old’s move to Glasgow could now be imminent, with the insider revealing on Twitter that it is simply a “matter of time” before he is confirmed as a Hoops player.

The young Argentine could reportedly be set to join for a fee of around £2.5m to £3.75m, with manager Ange Postecoglou believed to be keen to bring in competition for current left-back, Greg Taylor.

Recent reports have also linked the Scottish champions with fellow full-back Mohanad Jeahze – who currently plays for Swedish outfit Hammarby – although it would appear that the Old Firm side are instead set to recruit Bernabei.

Postecoglou delighted

That news will no doubt be of huge relief to title-winning coach Postecoglou, with the 56-year-old no doubt keen to see his side adequately bolstered this summer, with the club set for a long-awaited return to the Champions League group stage next term.

That upcoming European voyage – as well as their usual domestic commitments – will require the Parkhead outfit to have cover and competition in every position, with the former Yokohama boss likely to need to shuffle his pack frequently.

The Scottish Premiership side have already confirmed the permanent arrivals of Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter-Vickers following their recent and successful loan stints at the club, with fellow temporary arrival, Jota, also seemingly set for a long-term stay at Celtic Park.

While those figures are familiar names to the Hoops faithful, the addition of Bernabei will undoubtedly be something of a shot in the dark, with the £2.97m-rated gem largely an unknown quantity for those outside of his homeland.

That being said, however, the “dangerous” starlet – as he has been dubbed by journalist Fernando Campos – appears to be a real talent, having already racked up 84 appearances for his current side despite his youth, chipping in with four goals and ten assists in that time.

His form in the ongoing Copa Sudamericana – the South American equivalent to the Europa League – has also been particularly impressive, as he has registered two goals and one assist in just six games in the competition this year, keeping three clean sheets in that time and averaging an impressive 3.3 tackles per game.

The 5 foot 7 machine could prove to be yet another hidden gem that Postecoglou can get a tune out of, with the Celtic boss set to be delighted to be able to bring in such a promising and prodigious talent.

IN other news, Deal Imminent: Celtic “very close” to big summer move, it’d be Ange’s best swoop yet

There has been an update regarding Celtic’s pursuit of Lanus defender, Alexandro Bernabei…

What’s the word?

As per journalist Mark Hendry, the Hoops are still pursuing a deal for the 21-year-old, despite having been rebuffed with an initial offer for the Argentine.

Asked about any developments regarding the Bhoys’ interest in the young left-back, the transfer insider revealed that the Scottish champions are still pushing to get an agreement over the line: “Things are now with the hierarchy to get a deal done. Celtic had an offer rejected but both clubs still willing to work on it.”

This follows a report from Football.Scotland that a deal is ‘close’ for the 5 foot 7 gem, with the emerging prospect having been ‘lined up’ as a suitable competitor to Greg Taylor.

Tierney’s heir

A move for the £2.97m-rated ace could finally see the Glasgow side secure an heir to former star Kieran Tierney, with the Scotland international having yet to be suitably replaced since his £25m departure for Arsenal in 2019.

That is the view of journalist Pete O’Rourke – speaking to Football FanCast – with the insider agreeing that Bernabei could be the long-term replacement to the former Hoops man.

Asked whether the youngster can be the man to finally the void left by Tierney, O’Rourke stated that: “He possibly could be or Celtic are hoping that he might be. Kieran Tierney’s not an easy act to replace and Celtic have found that over the last few years after his big-money move to Arsenal.”

The current Gunners machine rose through the youth ranks at Celtic Park before developing into a key player following a breakthrough 2015/16 campaign, going on to rack up 170 appearances for the club over the next few years in all competitions, chipping in with eight goals and 37 assists in that time.

A key part of Brendan Rodgers’ ‘Invincibles’ side from the 2016/17 campaign, the 32-cap brute swept a plethora of major honours prior to his departure for the Emirates three years ago, while he’s since impressed many with his form in the Premier League, having been dubbed “special” by manager Mikel Arteta.

As O’Rourke alluded, the £75k-per-week man has proven a hard act to follow since his exit – with the aforementioned Taylor still yet to truly convince – although in Bernabei the club have identified an exciting young talent who could finally fill the vacancy.

Labelled “dangerous” by one journalist, the Lanus man has been particularly impressive in this year’s Copa Sudamericana – the South American equivalent to the Europa League – chipping in with two goals and one assist from his six outings in the competition, recording three clean sheets and averaging 1.2 interceptions and 3.3 tackles per game.

With 84 senior club appearances under his belt thus far – in which he has provided four goals and ten assists – the starlet already has a wealth of experience to call upon, with the Celtic boss likely to enjoy helping him to blossom even more over the coming years.

After the dismal days of Boli Bolingoli and Diego Laxalt, if given the chance Bernabei has all the tools to potentially prove himself to be Tierney’s long-awaited successor.

In other news: Ange can land his own Van Dijk as Celtic eye bid for “tremendous” £4.05m-rated machine

Newcastle United showed during the January transfer window that they are not shy when it comes to bringing in new players to the club.

They also showed how capable they can be when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs such as Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Dan Burn.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, it would be hard to see the Magpies not dipping into the market again to strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season.

With that in mind, another Premier League player with whom the Toon have been linked recently and who could be a big upgrade on one of their current players is Christian Eriksen.

After making 304 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, in which he scored 69 goals and delivered 90 assists, the midfielder moved to Inter Milan in January 2020, where he was collecting a rather hefty wage of £228k-per-week in his second season.

The 30-year-old left the San Siro in December by mutual consent after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 this time last year. He then joined Brentford a few weeks later, where he eventually went on to score one goal and deliver four assists in 11 appearances.

Having since proven how capable he still is of playing in the Premier League, it’s easy to see why the Toon have been linked with a move for the midfielder despite his advanced age.

Should Eddie Howe’s side manage to secure his signature, they would definitely be getting themselves a big upgrade on current Magpies midfielder Sean Longstaff.

Despite playing 13 fewer league games than the 24-year-old last season, Eriksen still racked up more shots, crosses and shot-creating actions than Longstaff. This highlights how much of an improvement the Dane would be on the current St James’ Park ace in an attacking sense.

Labelled a “wizard” in the past by journalist Josh Wright, Eriksen would certainly bring a lot of experience with him to Tyneside in the same way that Wood and Burn did in January.

Also, with his ability to create goals and provide a consistent attacking threat, he could be a great asset for Howe and Newcastle moving forward.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing move for “outstanding” £69m tank, imagine him & Burn

Manchester City journalist Sam Lee has dropped a behind-the-scenes claim regarding the possibility of the Premier League champions securing a deal for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips during the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent report for The Athletic, Lee highlighted City’s reported interest in signing the Elland Road star and the current situation regarding a potential move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The journalist wrote: “No doubt, Phillips’ potential arrival has been complicated by Leeds’ Premier League survival. Avoiding relegation puts them in a stronger position financially, so City lost a fair bit of leverage.

“It is still very much on the cards, but a move is not as easy as was previously hoped within City’s offices.”

A product of Leeds’ youth academy, the 26-year-old has made 234 senior appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions. In that time, the England international has scored 14 goals and delivered 13 assists along the way.

Taking into account how Leeds only won three of the 18 league games in which Phillips didn’t feature this season and weren’t able to keep a clean sheet in any of those 18 matches, this highlights just how important he is to Jesse Marsch’s team and why they would be keen to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

Big worry for Guardiola

While Lee claimed that there is still some hope that a deal can be struck for the Leeds star this summer, it would be a worry for Pep Guardiola that it may not be as easy to complete as it could have been had the Whites been relegated at the end of the Premier League season.

Bearing in mind how City will be heading into next term without Fernandinho for the first time in almost 10 years, it will be an even bigger concern for the Spaniard to not see his side secure a suitable replacement for the Brazil veteran – such as Phillips – before the start of the campaign.

While the Citizens haven’t been shy in the past when it comes to splashing out big sums of money to bring players to the Etihad from other Premier League clubs, this could be another one of those scenarios where they may be forced to pay whatever Leeds may want for their midfield hero.

In other news: Guardiola can land his next Sane as Man City eye move for “glorious” £128m sensation

Nottingham Forest are believed to be optimistic about the chances of signing loan star Djed Spence next season, according to a report from a reliable source in The Guardian. 

The lowdown: Stellar season

Signed on loan from fellow second-tier side Middlesborough back in September 2021, Spence has proven to be a superb addition to the Forest squad.

The marauding right-back has been a key component of Steve Cooper’s side and looks certain to play an important role as the Reds prepare to take on Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final.

Regardless of whether Forest reach the promised land of the Premier League, it appears plans are already in place to bring the 21-year-old back to the City Ground for 2022/23.

The latest: ‘Quiet optimism’

As per The Guardian, Nottingham Forest are said to hold ‘quiet optimism’ that Spence will return on loan even if a move elsewhere is available this summer.

It’s claimed that the club are ‘confident’ of re-signing at least two of this season’s loanees, with Philip Zinckernagel, James Garner and Keinan Davis all mentioned as possible permanent captures.

Should Cooper guide the Reds to the top flight, the report states that the hierarchy would need to shell out a ‘Premier League premium’ to bring any of the aforementioned stars in.

The verdict: Statement signing

If Forest could sign Spence for good next term it would be a remarkable coup for the club and a sure sign of the pulling power returning to the Midlands outfit.

During the regular 2021/22 campaign, the youngster who was hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Arsenal legend Ian Wright following the FA Cup triumph over the Londoners, scored twice and provided five assists in 42 Championship appearances.

With interest from the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United as well as currently being valued at a rising £7.2million (Transfermarkt), the Reds’ hierarchy would make a real statement of intent by beating teams with European football to offer to get their man.

In other news, a Nottingham Forest bid for one player is expected this summer. Find out who it is here.