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Nottingham Forest have now placed Blackpool winger Josh Bowler on their transfer wish list, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Bowler profiled

Bowler has previously been on the books of QPR and Everton, with David Unsworth labelling the forward ‘magic’ during his time with the latter.

The 23-year-old signed for Blackpool last year on a free transfer and has impressed in the second tier, scoring seven times and registering three assists in 42 appearances during the previous campaign, taking his goal tally to 15 during his career.

He is already into the final 12 months of his deal with the Seasiders, and it looks as if Forest are now looking at the Englishman as they eye another attacking addition for Steve Cooper.

The Latest: Forest keen on Bowler

According to Nixon for The Sun late on Saturday night, Bowler is on Forest’s radar as they grow frustrated in their pursuit of Wolves’ Morgan Gibbs-White.

The reliable reporter stated in the last 24 hours that the Blackpool ace, who has also been linked with Bournemouth, is hoping that Forest and Evangelos Marinakis come in with an offer before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Verdict: A gamble?

You’d like to think that a transfer wouldn’t involve mega money, with Bowler’s contract running down and a rather modest £1.8m Transfermarkt valuation.

He has only enjoyed one successful full season of senior football, though, struggling during a loan spell with Hull City in 2019/20, netting just once in 31 games for the Tigers.

That indicates that signing him could be a risk, but as mentioned, a potential cut-price fee could twist Forest’s arm into taking a gamble on the right-sided winger – only time will tell.

Glasgow Rangers podcasters Heart & Hand were left slamming Borna Barisic for his role in the opening goal conceded against Livingston on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Three points

The Ibrox outfit managed to leave Livi with all three points in the end after a poor start which saw Joel Nouble score after just five minutes.

Brilliant finishes from Scott Arfield and James Tavernier in the second half ensured that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team came away with a 2-1 win.

The Latest: Barisic mistake

Footage of Nouble’s early strike circulated on social media, where both Barisic and new signing John Souttar seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball, and in the end got themselves in a tangle.

Heart & Hand were not impressed with the defending on show, tweeting: “Just awful from Barisic and Souttar.”

The Verdict: Not his best

Barisic was certainly not at his best, losing the ball a mammoth 24 times in total, the most of any player on the pitch (SofaScore).

The £18,000-per-week dud also recorded no interceptions or clearances, and was inaccurate with all 11 of his cross attempts.

With left-back Ridvan Yilmaz signing from Beskitas, the Gers supporters would have to question whether Barisic has a long-term future at the club, especially if he keeps putting in performances like these.

Everton are reportedly keen on a bargain swoop for Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic.

The Lowdown: Striker needed

It is very clear that the Goodison Park outfit need to bring in a new centre-forward before the transfer window closes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out injured, while Richarlison was sold to Tottenham Hotspur and Ellis Simms was allowed to go on loan to Sunderland.

Salomon Rondon was suspended for their 1-0 loss at home to Chelsea, where the Toffees played without a recognised striker.

The Latest: Kalajdzic talks

As per The Daily Mail, Everton are among a number of clubs who have held talks over the possible signing of Kalajdzic, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich also thought to be keen on the Austria international.

He is available for around £15m and could be an alternative to Chelsea forward Armando Broja, for whom Frank Lampard’s team are expected to enquire about the possibility of a loan move.

The Verdict: Bargain

Given that he is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, signing Kalajdzic for as little as £15m could turn out to be a real bargain.

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Hailed by journalist Marcel Reif as a player who can do ‘crazy‘ things in the air, he intimidates defenders with his 6 foot 7 stature and recorded an impressive six goals and two assists in an injury-hit 2021/22 season (Transfermarkt).

Also, Kalajdzic is only 25 years of age, so the Toffees could have him at his peak if they can bring him to Goodison Park this month.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Ismail Jakobs to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by KUMB, who claim that David Moyes has now submitted an enquiry with AS Monaco regarding a potential deal for the 22-year-old left-back, who is represented by the same agent, Dirk Hebel, as another of the Hammers’ reported transfer targets – Thilo Kehrer.

The report goes on to state that Hebel is flying to London on Thursday in order to discuss the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back’s personal terms ahead of a potential switch to West Ham this summer – although the Premier League side are not believed to have come to an agreement over a fee with the French outfit as yet.

The next Hakimi

Considering just how exciting a prospect Jakobs very much appears to be, in addition to the fact that, following Arthur Masuaku’s switch to Besiktas, Moyes is somewhat sort of choice on the left of his backline, it is easy to see why the 59-year-old would be interested in a deal to bring the Monaco starlet to east London in the coming weeks.

Indeed, the versatile full-back – who can also operate from left-midfield and on the left wing – burst onto the scene with 1. FC Koln back in 2019, scoring two goals and registering two assists over 20 appearances in his debut Bundesliga campaign.

The 23-year-old followed this season up with another impressive showing in 2020/21, scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating three big chances over his 23 league fixtures, winning the Bundesliga’s Rookie of the Month award in December of 2020 – with his form convincing Monaco to splash €6.5m (£5.5m) on the former Germany U21 international last summer.

The £14k-per-week Jakobs – who Paul Mitchell dubbed “quality” – once again enjoyed a fine campaign over his 28 Ligue 1 appearances for the Monegasques last season, again proving his attacking threat with one assist and six big chances created in the French top flight.

Regarding his style, Bundesliga.com went as far as to compare the £6.3m-rated talent to PSG’s full-back sensation Achraf Hakimi – who boasts an eye-catching record of 24 goals and 35 assists over 177 senior club appearances – citing the duo’s “pace and power” and “goal-threat” as their primary similarities, as well as their ability to “cut inside” from the flank to create opportunities for teammates or themselves.

Indeed, considering his ability to play all along the left flank, his knack for getting forward in support of attacks and his scope for further development in the future, Jakobs would very much appear to be an extremely astute signing for Moyes to get over the line this summer – not to mention a player who could well prove to become the next Hakimi in east London.

It is safe to say that football is one of the best sports in the world. It is definitely the most popular sport. The end of summer is approaching and the best leagues have started. That is wonderful news for football enthusiasts, but watching games is not the only thing they are interested in today. The transfer window is still open and it will be open until August 31. That is 20 days and if we learned anything from the previous summer transfer windows, the last 20 days are the most interesting. There are many people who are betting on transfers at https://www.betiton.com/en-gb/sport/football/ and other betting sites. Just in the last few days, we had some rather intriguing transfers. That is exactly what we are going to discuss today.

Here are the three most important transfers in the last two days.

Timo Werner Signed For Leipzig

After just two years at Chelsea, Timo Werner decided that it was time to come back home. His time at Chelsea had its ups and downs, but the German definitely gave his all every time he was on the pitch. Frank Lampard saw something in the German and he was definitely right. In the first season at the club, Timo Werner won the Champions League. Many people think that he didn’t have much to do with that success, but that is not true. He played 12 matches, scored 4 goals, and made 2 assists. That is pretty impressive. He was one of the main players for Chelsea on their journey to the second Champions League title.

But, it is true that Timo wasn’t himself in front of the goal ever since he joined Chelsea. He simply couldn’t get used to the Premier League and that is something many players from other countries experienced in their careers. But, he is now out of the EPL and we will see if he will be his old self in the Bundesliga.

Alexis Sánchez Signed For Olympic Marseille

The career of the talented Alexis Sánchez is definitely one for the books. He was one of the best players in the Premier League when he played for Arsenal, but after that, he lost his technique and confidence. Just when everyone thought that he was over, Antonio Conte revived his career at Inter Milan. He even won one title in Serie A and played some wonderful football at Inter Milan. But, his contract expired and the coaching staff at Inter simply didn’t want to renew the contract with this talented player. That is why he had to search for a new home. He found one in France. The player will continue his career in Olympic Marseille where he signed for free. He played some of his best football in the Premier League and in Serie A. We will see if he will find his feet in France. This will definitely be a challenge for the player, but he is now an experienced veteran. There is a chance that he will show the people in France that he is one of the best forwards in the game.

Joel Robles Signed For Leeds

One thing is for sure, Leeds have definitely been busy this summer transfer window. They signed many players, but they also sold one of their most important ones, Raphinha. Joel Robles is the newest signing for Leeds and the coaching staff and the fans think that he will fit in wonderfully at the club. The good news is that this young and talented player signed for free. He has beautiful ball control and he is a team player. He learned a lot in Primera and he is definitely willing to show his skills to the Premier League crowd. Betis is a similar club to Leeds. They play for the audience and that is something Joel Robles loves. That is why he will feel at home.

There you go, folks. Those were the three most important transfers that happened in the last two days. As we said, the last 20 days of the summer transfer window are the most unpredictable. That is why you should check our page every now and then to see if there are new transfers in the world of football. There will definitely be other wonderful football stories until the end of August.

Photo by Unsplash

Fulham could be preparing to switch up their pursuit for another winger…

What’s the word?

Having stumbled to secure a deal for Justin Kluivert, Marco Silva may turn his attention to Bologna’s Musa Barrow to bolster their wide options.

As reported in il Resto del Carlino, the Gambian is reportedly available for around €16m (£13.5m) as the Cottagers were forced to move on from the Dutchman. He reportedly favoured a move to Ajax than one to the English capital.

They will battle with French club OGC Nice for his signature.

He would be better than Kluivert

Last season for Bologna, Barrow enjoyed a fine personal season as he scored six and assisted seven despite a decidedly mid-table finish.

Marco Arnautovic was unsurprisingly their top scorer, earning the majority of the plaudits, however the youngster was the Italian side’s unsung hero and finished just behind him.

Meanwhile, Kluivert continues to be deemed not up to Jose Mourinho’s standards as he was loaned out to the other side interested in his signature, Nice.

Despite a decent campaign, registering four goals and six assists, there is a suggestion that whilst he is forced to ply his trade outside of Italy, Barrow seems to be only improving with each season.

This is reinforced by his average SofaScore rating of 7.03, which dwarfs the 6.87 that Kluivert registered last season.

The player, dubbed a “phenomenal talent” by African journalist Yaw Ampofo Jr, further cements his status as a tricky winger but also a goal threat with his total shots, in which he ranks in the top 7%.

Having also created 12 big chances despite registering far less assists, perhaps a step up to the Premier League to play alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic would see these chances taken with a lethal touch.

Finally his 1.4 key passes would be finding true talent, and he could be the final piece to Silva’s jigsaw that sees them retain their status in the division for the foreseeable future.

There is not a great financial disparity between the two potential deals, with Roma demanding €15m (£12.7m) for Kluivert’s services, but the ease of the deal added to the fact that Barrow is clearly is the better option suggests that the choice should be obvious for Fulham.

Celtic are set to miss out on the signing of Maccabi Haifa’s Mohammad Abu Fani, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Hoops scout Abu Fani

The Hoops have been on the lookout for a new midfielder for the majority of the window to fill the void left by Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton, and the 24-year-old had previously been identified as a serious transfer target.

Reports even claimed that the Scottish Premiership side sent out scouts to watch the Israel international in action, but it sounds like any potential move to Glasgow is off after news of a swap deal has come to light.

The Latest: Celtic to miss out on Abu Fani

Sport 5 (via The Daily Record) state that Abu Fani now looks ‘set to join’ one of his country’s rivals in a ‘blockbuster’ exchange which would see two players moving in opposite directions.

The 5 foot 6 star is likely to be ‘on the way’ to Hapoel Beer-Sheva, who are ‘open to swapping’ Hatem Elhamed for the Bhoys target.

It’s confirmed again that Hoops had been ‘heavily linked’ with the wizard as Ange Postecoglou ‘searches for a midfield enforcer’, though they are now set to miss out.

The Verdict: Blow for Celtic

Celtic failing to land Abu Fani is a setback, and it’s a real concern that the Australian boss still hasn’t been able to capture a new midfielder with just a week of the transfer window remaining.

The 14-cap gem, dubbed ‘a thing of beauty’ by BBC journalist Sanny Rudravajhala, made 12 goal contributions in all competitions for Maccabi last season, showing how much of a creative impact he can have.

The Parkhead outfit have signed Aaron Mooy but he doesn’t naturally play in a defensive position, so Celtic now need to re-enter the market and find a suitable Bitton replacement, perhaps the recently linked Jani Atanasov.

Crystal Palace are still seemingly in the market for attacking additions before the transfer window closes, with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr one man on Patrick Vieira’s list.

What’s the word?

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke discussed the Eagles reported interest in the Senegalese winger.

He said: “The closer we get to the end of the window, that is going to be a hard deal to do, especially if Watford end up losing Joao Pedro as well, they might not want to lose Ismaila Sarr on top of that.

“It’s a big blow for Sarr to see that move to Aston Villa fall through, but I’m sure Palace will be keeping tabs on his situation.”

Vieira needs him

With Wilfried Zaha’s contract set to expire at the end of this season, putting his future at Palace in doubt, Vieira arguably needs a long-term heir to the Ivory Coast international in his squad.

Like the 29-year-old, Sarr would offer the Eagles a serious threat on the counterattack with his pace, while WhoScored suggests that his strengths include dribbling and finishing, which are also listed as the Palace talisman’s strongest attributes.

Last season saw the 24-year-old contribute five goals and two assists in the Premier League for Watford, despite their relegation from the top flight, while he also hit 13 goals in the Championship the season prior, so he clearly knows where the back of the net is.

Ben Foster was full of praise for his former team-mate last season, saying: “He is a bit of a freak, honestly he is.

“I still don’t think people understand quite how quick Ismaila Sarr is. His acceleration off from a standing start is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And genuinely, I’m being genuine there, I’ve never seen anybody accelerate from a standing start as quick as he does.”

Another ex-Hornets team-mate in Abdoulaye Doucoure has also chipped in with high praise for the 24-year-old, dubbing him a “big player” during their mutual time at Vicarage Road in the 2019/20 season.

Sarr has started the current campaign in impressive fashion for Watford, contributing one goal and one assist, which included a stunning effort from the halfway line against West Brom.

Vieira doesn’t have too much depth in the wide attacking areas, with only Michael Olise, Jeffrey Schlupp and Malcolm Ebiowei the only other wingers in his squad, so you could definitely argue that a player such as Sarr is needed in the long-term.

Therefore, the Eagles manager should definitely consider bringing the £25m-valued Watford man to Selhurst Park before next week’s transfer deadline.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the 2022/23 campaign since making the move from Burnley in the summer transfer window.

The 30-year-old, who Shay Given once dubbed “phenomenal”, has played in all six of the club’s Premier League matches so far and has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.53 – the second-highest in the squad.

He has saved 82% of the shots against him in the top-flight and kept three clean sheets and has already made himself a key member of Eddie Howe’s squad.

However, Newcastle appear to be thinking about life beyond the ex-Claret stopper already as they have been touted with an interest in Porto’s Diogo Costa.

The Magpies are reportedly eyeing him up for a January transfer and the Portuguese giants are said to value him at £21.6m, despite him having a £51.9m release clause.

Dan Ashworth could now land the dream heir to Pope at St. James’ Park by snapping up a deal to sign the 22-year-old in the winter market.

Costa could come in as back-up or competition for the former Burnley man to begin with before succeeding him between the sticks in the future, as he is eight years younger than the Englishman.

One of the England international’s biggest strengths is his ability to sweep up behind his defence. He excels at running off his line to deal with dangerous crosses and through balls, instead of being rooted to the spot and allowing the opposition to take advantage of space in-behind.

Pope ranks in the 99th and 98th percentile for defensive actions outside of the box and the average distance of those actions per 90 respectively, among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days.

Costa is also one of the best goalkeepers around in terms of sweeping. He ranks in the 94th and 96th percentile for the two aforementioned statistics, based on his performances in European competitions over the last 365 days.

This shows that both players are perfect for a team playing a high line. Eddie Howe knows that he can instruct his defence to sit higher up the pitch because he knows that Pope can deal with the oppositions attempts to play the ball into the space it leaves, with Costa able to fulfill this role as well.

Howe wants his team to press high and force turnovers and having a goalkeeper capable of sweeping is crucial to that, as it allows the rest of the team to push on without fear of being exposed defensively.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Costa “The Wall” after he won his fifth goalkeeper of the month award in the Portuguese top-flight last season, which illustrates how impressive he was in 2021/22 as he caught the eye with his displays between the sticks.

Therefore, he has the potential to be an excellent, long-term, signing for the Magpies as his goalkeeping style fits in with Howe’s way of playing and he is a young player who has put in strong performances in Portugal, whilst gaining experience in the Champions League.

Ashworth must work his magic in January to strike a deal for the gem so that he can come in to compete for the number one shirt with Pope, with a view to being his heir in the future as he continues to develop and hone his skills.

Newcastle United are reportedly plotting a move for Youri Tielemans in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Summer interest

The St. James’ Park outfit were repeatedly linked with a Deadline Day move for Tielemans, but a deal never materialised.

He has ended up staying at Leicester City, but with his contract up in the summer, the Foxes could well be forced to sell in January at the risk of losing him for free.

The Latest: January offer…

As per Jeunes Footeux, the North East club could put an offer of €20m (£17.4m) on the table for Tielemans in January, which would be ‘difficult to refuse’ given his contract situation.

However, it is unclear whether the Belgium international would be open to the idea of moving to Tyneside.

The Verdict: Bargain

To get a player of Tieleman’s quality for under £20m, regardless of his contract situation, would be an absolute bargain.

Hailed as ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’ by Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, he ranks in the 97th percentile for xG assisted, and in the 92nd for shot-creating actions, while he also ranks highly among Europe’s top five leagues in terms of total shots and progressive passes (FBref).

Nonetheless, Tielemans is only 25 years of age, and with plenty of Premier League experience under his belt already, signing him up is surely a no-brainer for Eddie Howe and his team.