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A further twist has emerged in Matheus Pereira’s potential move away from West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Ekrem Konur, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that the winger is now very close to joining West Ham United ahead of the new season. In his tweet, Konur said: “As of now, Matheus Pereira is very close to West Ham.”

Earlier reports had claimed that David Moyes’ side had made an offer of a season-long loan deal WHICH included an option to buy, although Albion informed the Premier League club that they wish to sell the Brazilian in order to raise funds for their own transfer business.

As a result, it was said that the Irons were considering returning to the negotiating table in order to submit a £15m cash bid for the 25-year-old, which could well have happened if Konur is to be believed.

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Pereira has been in recent seasons, as well as it previously being reported that Albion were demanding a fee of £24m in order to part with the winger this summer, Baggies fans will undoubtedly be fuming if the club have indeed accepted an offer of just £15m.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances last season, the £13.5m-rated wizard bagged 11 goals, provided six assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, along with averaging two shots and 1.8 key passes per match.

These returns saw the £30k-per-week forward dubbed a “genius” by his former coach Nate Weiss earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Albion’s best player in the 2020/21 Premier League.

As such, while retaining the services of Pereira this summer would limit the Baggies’ transfer budget, it would also provide Valerien Ismael with a huge boost to his chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, something which is almost certainly a requirement for the Frenchman.

With it being reported that £15m may have been enough for Albion to sanction the sale of the Brazilian, the argument could easily be made that the club would have been better off keeping hold of the 25-year-old for one more year in order to give them the greatest chance of securing a return to the top flight, and the subsequent windfall that promotion would bring with it.

In other news: West Brom dealt major transfer blow over “athletic” 5ft 8 dynamo, fans will be fuming

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker has urged Daniel Levy to hire Jurgen Klinsmann as the club’s new manager this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs’ search continues

Despite being without a manager since April 19th after sacking Jose Mourinho (BBC), Tottenham remain without a permanent boss 10 weeks on.

They have already spoken to a number of candidates, including Paulo Fonseca (The Mirror), Antonio Conte (football.london) and Gennaro Gattuso, but they seem unable to settle on the right man.

The Latest: Lineker makes Klinsmann suggestion

Lineker has now suggested that Nuno Espirito Santo is the latest man to turn down the job, and he also suggested Klinsmann an alternative. The former Spurs striker said:

“Nuno Espírito Santo becomes the 483rd person to turn down the @SpursOfficial job. I’m working with someone who actually would love the job and loves the club. @J_Klinsmann would be a great fit: charismatic, knowledgeable, experienced and a former player and fan’s favourite.”

The Verdict: Debatable

From a sentimental point of view, a move for Klinsmann would certainly makes sense. As Lineker said, the German is a Tottenham legend and certainly has plenty of experience in the game as a World Cup and European Championship winner. However, based on the 56-year-old’s previous track record as a manager, Levy will perhaps feel he can do better.

Klinsmann started off well in his managerial career, leading Germany to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals. However, he then failed to last a full season at Bayern Munich, and after a decent spell with the USA national side, he lasted just 10 matches at Hertha Berlin in only his second job at club level (Transfermarkt). Quite frankly, that does not scream success – regardless of his connection to Tottenham, the next appointment must be based on results rather than sentimentality.

In other news, Tottenham lead the race for this star Serie A striker.

Graham Roberts insists that the new Tottenham Hotspur manager will not want to sell Harry Kane, whomever they may be.

The club have been linked with a number of new managers in recent weeks.

Brendan Rodgers is said to have turned down a potential move to the club from Leicester City.

The Athletic have reported that Spurs had opened talks with PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino over a potentially sensational return to the club, while talks with previous frontrunner Antonio Conte broke down in a period in which a number of top managers, including Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, left their posts.

Roberts, though, believes that a condition of any manager being appointed will be to keep Kane.

The England captain has asked to leave the club, per Sky Sports, but Roberts thinks he will have to remain in north London if a manager is to be willing to take the reins following the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier this season.

He told Football FanCast exclusively: “Until the manager comes, we don’t know. If you’re Brendan Rodgers, the first thing you’re going to say is, ‘I don’t want Harry Kane to be sold’.”

Gabby Agbonlahor has dropped a big transfer claim on West Ham United and their pursuit of Burnley ace Chris Wood.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Wood

As per Football Insider, the East London club as well as Everton have joined Aston Villa in the race to sign Wood in the summer window.

The Clarets currently value the New Zealand international at £30m, but are reportedly hopeful that they can secure a £40m fee if the three teams mentioned start a bidding war.

The Latest: Agbonlahor backs Wood move

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, who is now a pundit after an impressive career as a striker himself for AVFC and England, has claimed that a move to the London Stadium for Wood would be a good one for both parties:

“Wood’s a very, very good player and wherever he goes, that team is going to get goals out of him.

“Maybe West Ham would be good. They’ve only got Antonio so they need to cover and maybe he could give them a different style of player. You don’t want the same type of striker on the bench.

“They’ve got the Europa League too, so West Ham probably need two more strikers. Wood would be a good option.

“I really like him, hardworking, physical, good in the air, he’s a great finisher as well.

“At 29, he’s going to want that move now. It’s now or never.

“Once you get into your thirties those moves become harder. If I was him I’d be pushing through that move this summer.”

The Verdict: Wood a good signing if cheaper

Wood would certainly be a good signing for David Moyes’ team providing that they can get him for cheaper than the valuation set by Burnley.

Given that he is 29 years of age now, £40m or even £30m would be way too much to spend on the striker, especially given the financial impact that the global pandemic has had.

However, it is imperative that the Hammers bring in another forward in order to provide some much needed cover for Michail Antonio, and Wood could well be an ideal fit.

The six-foot-three colossus would give the Irons a different option with his aerial ability and physical presence, while he has also shown that he can be prolific in the Premier League, reaching double figures in each of the last four seasons in the top flight with the Clarets (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, WHU should certainly try and sign Wood if possible, as long as they can lower the asking price.

In other news, find out what big transfer update has Hammers talking here!

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 26-year-old in recent weeks after he impressed throughout the recently concluded campaign.

And Liverpool may be encouraged to make a move for the Italy international after Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali admitted he can’t ensure Berardi will stay at the club.

“I cannot promise that Berardi will stay. It is not a question of money,” he was quoted as saying by Italian broadcaster Sportitalia (as reported by Inside Futbol).

Fans should be delighted

After Liverpool surprisingly struggled for goals last term, Jurgen Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new forward player this summer.

Berardi is someone who has caught the eye in Italian football for quite some time, but nobody has taken a chance on the £31.5 million rated speedster.

However, after bagging 17 goals and providing a further eight assists in just 30 Serie A appearances throughout 2020/21, that could be about to change.

Fellow Premier League sides Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in the 6 ft attacker, meaning Klopp may have to move quickly to secure his signature.

Fans of the Anfield outfit should be delighted at Berardi’s apparent availability, though.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were way below their best as the Reds surrender their top-flight crown without a fight, while Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi offered little in the way of support.

The Sassuolo man has had no trouble transferring his club form onto the international stage, laying on two assists for the Azzuri in the group stages of Euro 2020, heightening his stock even further.

With the race for the title set to be more competitive than ever next term, Klopp is going to need reinforcements in the final third, and Berardi could be the ideal addition.

And, in other news…James Pearce drops Liverpool transfer update on “big prospect”, fans should be gutted 

Leeds United need to tie down manager Marcelo Bielsa so that they can make progress on transfers, according to Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The lowdown

Leeds enjoyed an exceptional return to the Premier League in 2020/21, finishing ninth in the table on 59 points. That was the highest-ever tally for a side promoted as Championship winners, surpassing the previous record of 57 set by Wolves in 2018/19.

However, Bielsa only agreed a one-year deal ahead of the season and is still yet to sign a new contract, so theoretically, this delay may be placing transfers on hold.

According to Football Insider, the Whites are hopeful of signing left-back Romain Perraud from Stade Brest. The 23-year-old could be their first signing of the summer and is viewed as a replacement for Ezgjan Alioski, who is poised to leave Elland Road as a free agent.

The latest

Agbonlahor warned that, if the delay over Bielsa’s future drags on, picking out targets would be a waste of time for Leeds.

“They need to know what players they can get in,” he told Football Insider.

“If he’s not signed in the next month it’s wasting time identifying players for transfers. I’m sure he’ll want to get that sorted and Leeds will want to get that sorted as soon as possible so they can start planning for next season.”

The verdict

If Bielsa has given Leeds verbal assurances of his commitment, then they’re probably cleared to proceed on recruitment anyway.

Although the lingering uncertainty isn’t exactly ideal, the club’s hierarchy surely know by now that having the Argentine in the dugout means accepting his unique way of operating. Despite Agbonlahor’s concern, Leeds fans need not panic, particularly after such a strong 2020/21 season.

In other news, Leeds are also said to be keen on this midfielder. 

Newcastle have suffered a blow before their Premier League clash against Leicester City, with Steve Bruce revealing that 18-year-old Elliot Anderson is set to miss out.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Foxes, the Newcastle manager said: “He picked up a knock in the last game he played and it’s set him back a little bit. We’re not sure how bad it is but it’s a hip problem. He’s going to be struggling for the next couple of weeks.

“We’re delighted with his progress – he’s only 18 – and he’s got a big future, we hope, as long as he keeps his head down and keeps working well. But, as I said, he’ll be struggling a bit for the next couple of weeks I would have thought.”

The news came just after Bruce had admitted that Anderson had a good chance of featuring for the first team in the Premier League before the end of the season, saying: “There’s a chance. We understand that he’s making big strides. And he’s only 18, the boy, but he’s in and around us. Yeah, he might get a chance before the end of the season. I’ll look at it, and what we’ve got. We’ve got our big players fit at the top of the pitch, of course, in Allan, Callum and Joelinton. He’s got fierce competition.”

Anderson has played just three minutes of top-flight football all season, coming on in the closing stages of the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal back in mid-January. The lack of game-time for the talented teenager has led to plenty of Newcastle fans on different occasions calling for Bruce to bring him into the first team fold, but that has fallen on deaf ears.

Just recently, Magpies supporters voiced their anger at seeing him fail to even make the matchday squad against West Brom, while after he made his debut for England’s under-19s, they urged Bruce to unleash him in the Premier League.

Anderson has already earned rave reviews for his ability and potential, with his former youth coach John Forrest telling The Athletic: “He knew how to dominate a game, which is a natural skill that’s hard to coach. He really was an outstanding footballer. He stood out, even then.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/newcastle-steve-bruce-premier-league-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-st-james-park-joelinton-shelvey-max-aarons” title=”Read the latest Newcastle transfer rumours and news!”]

In fact, several of his former Magpies academy team-mates said he was the “most talented player” in the team, and that he was also “supremely driven”.

News of him now missing out on a chance to make a rare appearance in the Premier League will no doubt leave many Newcastle fans gutted – and especially the player himself, having been deprived of what seemed a likely chance to feature in the top flight.

Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce must drop this “liability” tonight…

Southampton have been linked with Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard recently and he could prove to be the ideal heir to Danny Ings in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side should he arrive at St Mary’s this summer.

Whilst the Austrian manager has reaffirmed on a number of occasions that Ings won’t be sold this summer, it is also looking unlikely that he will commit to a new deal at St Mary’s, so we could see him depart on a free transfer next summer when his current deal expires.

Southampton were recently linked with a move for Edouard, with The Sun claiming that the Saints have joined the race to sign the Frenchman, who has been prolific during his time with the Hoops but is reportedly looking for a new challenge this summer.

The former PSG man’s contract at Celtic Park is, similarly to Ings, set to expire at the end of the next season, so a summer exit certainly looks to be on the cards for the 23-year-old, as you would suspect that Celtic won’t want to lose him on a free transfer.

During his time with the Scottish side, Edouard has made 168 appearances, contributing an impressive 83 goals and 37 assists in all competitions.

Despite Celtic’s struggles this season, the young striker has still been a consistent performer, contributing 16 goals and three assists in 26 Premiership appearances, which has helped him average a superb 7.31 rating from WhoScored.

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He has 22 goals in all competitions this season, so he clearly knows where the back of the net is, and his consistent record in Scotland certainly suggests that he could do a job in Hasenhuttl’s side in the future, perhaps filling the shoes of Ings, who will undoubtedly prove to be difficult to replace when he eventually does leave St Mary’s.

Earlier in the season, before his sacking, Neil Lennon was full of praise for the Frenchman, saying:

“He’s scored goals in cup finals, he’s scored goals in big games from the penalty spot and he took it brilliantly today. He looked far more like himself today and I thought he was magnificent. He’s a joy to watch at times, so he’s had a good day as well.”

If the 23-year-old does arrive at St Mary’s this summer, then he could be a fixture in Southampton’s side for many years to come, and could definitely prove to be the ideal man to replace Ings if he can replicate his goalscoring form from Scotland in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Semmens should seal Southampton swoop for 29-goal “phenomenon” 

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has been handed a major blow as fresh news emerges on their transfer battle with Arsenal over Norwich’s Emi Buendia.

What’s the story?

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece had initially revealed via Twitter: “I’ve just been told Villa & Arsenal both lodged bids yesterday. Emi Buendia currently with Emi Martinez ahead of Argentina’s #WCQ with Chile at 1am UK time. Contact has informed me that Buendia knows of #AVFC and Arsenal interest.”

However, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Villa have suffered a major setback in their pursuit of the Argentine.

Via his official Twitter account, he revealed: “#Arsenal and #AstonVilla have made formal bids for Emiliano #Buendia. The player’s priority is Arsenal.”

Fans will be gutted

The battle between Villa and Arsenal to see who signs Buendia this summer promised to be a real measuring point of just how far Smith’s side have come in such a short space of time.

You only have to think back to this time last year when the Midlands club were fighting to stave off relegation back to the Championship, and Arsenal were heading for FA Cup glory, that the two wouldn’t be in competition with another.

Alas, such has been Villa’s sharp rise that there may have real confidence from Villa fans that Buendia would turn down the Gunners and choose them, especially given the exciting project on which they’re currently embarking under Smith.

Instead, Konur’s claim that Buendia’s “priority” is Arsenal is a hammer blow, not just because of the kind of player they would be missing out on, but also that they seem to have lost the chance to make a massive statement to the rest of the Premier League and beyond.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Villa fans must be absolutely gutted with the latest update on Buendia.

Meanwhile, Dean Smith is eyeing up this Premier League striker…

Steven Gerrard could be set to receive a huge boost at Rangers in the coming weeks after it was suggested that Glen Kamara could be close to extending his contract at Ibrox despite the Premier League interest being shown in him.

The Finnish international revealed last month that he had held initial talks over a new deal, and former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has now tipped him to prolong his stay at Ibrox by signing a new contract, although he has hinted that it could include a release clause.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton said: “It suits everyone. He looks happy playing his football. He’s a main part of Steven Gerrard’s team. He’s learning from arguably one of the best midfielders in the world.”

If Hutton’s claim turns out to be true, then it could prove to be a significant boost for the Light Blues, as Kamara has been a huge part of their success in the Premiership and Europa League this season.The former Arsenal man has averaged an impressive 6.90/10 WhoScored rating for his performances in the league and in Europe, which has seemingly attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Leeds United and Southampton ahead of the summer transfer window.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/rangers-news-ibrox-steven-gerrard-ross-wilson-gers-rfc” title=”Latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]Since signing in a bargain £50,000 deal from Dundee, the 25-year-old midfielder has gone on to make 100 appearances for the Gers, contributing four goals and five assists.

Neil McCann, Kamara’s former manager at Dundee, sang his praises in a piece for The Athletic earlier in the season, saying: “He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect.

“He’s a special talent. He makes things look easy and sometimes the easy thing is not as simple as it looks.”

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Given that Kamara has been a regular under Steven Gerrard, it would be a massive boost for the club if he were to sign a new deal, as it would hopefully prevent him from making the switch to the Premier League this summer.

In other news… Gerrard handed significant Rangers transfer boost over £1.3m-rated “leader”