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Glasgow Rangers are reportedly plotting a swoop to bring a new defender to Ibrox in the upcoming transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Rangers are one of a number of clubs keen on a deal to sign left-back Emmanuel Longelo ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that he has not been deemed good enough to play in the Premier League for West Ham at this point in his career, with a host of teams now ready to offer him an escape from the London Stadium.

Calvin Bassey 2.0

Signing a young left-back from a Premier League club… sounds rather familiar to Rangers supporters.

Steven Gerrard brought Bassey in from Leicester after he failed to make a breakthrough at the King Power and he has been a relevation in Glasgow.

He enjoyed an excellent campaign in the season just gone and is now being linked with transfers at a potential price of £25m, with the price tag illustrating how impressive his performances were.

In Longelo, Gio van Bronckhorst can now find the next Bassey by unearthing another talent from a Premier League side.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas previously claimed that he has “serious potential” and he showed glimpses of that in his performances for the Hammers in 2021/22.

David Moyes gave him the chance to catch the eye in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb in December 2021. His display was dubbed “very impressive” by journalist Jack Rosser as he made two tackles, one interception and three clearances whilst playing at left-back.

He also impressed whilst playing in the Football League Trophy for the club’s U23 side. Longelo averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.00 across games against Gillingham, Ipswich and Colchester – three League One outfits.

In those games, the 21-year-old created two chances per game as he showed that he can make an impact in the final third by bursting forward down the flank. He also made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per match as he won 54% of his duels, proving that he can contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Longelo, however, has not been able to enjoy an extended run of games at senior level and that is why Rangers can offer him. Bassey thrived off playing week-in-week-out in 2021/22 – as shown by his current valuation – and the Hammers gem can use that as inspiration to come to Ibrox and follow in his footsteps.

AND in other news, “Was told..”: Journo makes big Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave supporters excited…

A major update has emerged on Newcastle’s pursuit of Matt Targett heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are set to close a £12m deal for the English left-back following his loan spell at St. James’ Park last season.

The report claims that they have already held talks over a move and Dan Ashworth is now on the verge of his first deal as the club’s sporting director.

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

This update will surely leave the head coach buzzing as Targett will be a good addition to the team heading into next season.

The full-back was a solid player for the Magpies in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and the boss knows exactly what he is going to get from the former Southampton man.

Upon Targett’s arrival on loan in January, Howe said: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”

These comments from January back up why he will now be buzzing that the defender is set to return on a permanent basis. He is a proven top-flight performer and will be a reliable, consistent, option for the head coach at left-back.

In 2021/22, Targett averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 33 starts in the Premier League for Villa and Newcastle combined. This shows that he is capable of delivering superb displays on a regular basis at the top level.

Defensively, he made himself a rock at the back. The full-back averaged a whopping 3.8 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game in the top-flight. He has shown that he can cut out opposition attacks to win possession for his side multiple times throughout matches.

Targett can also offer some creativity going forwards. He created five ‘big chances’ in the Premier League last season and made 1.2 key passes per game, showing that he also has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Howe will now be buzzing with Ashworth’s work to close in on a deal for the left-back and will be looking forward to working with him again next term.

AND in other news, Ashworth “looking” at Newcastle deal for “clever” £75m gem, he can be Howe’s own Salah…

Journalist Rahman Osman of London World has now shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Spurs in mix…

The Lilywhites, as per recent reports, are in the mix to sign Eriksen following his phenomenal and fairy-tale return to the grass.

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After suffering a cardiac-arrest at Euro 2020, few could’ve predicted the Dane would be thriving back in the Premier League under Thomas Frank and sparking interest from Spurs.

Eriksen is allegedly keen on a sensational reunion with the north-Londoners and manager Antonio Conte as the club eye a Bosman deal for their ex-hero.

The Latest: Osman shares update…

According to Osman of LW, an update has emerged, with Conte personally ‘pressing on for a deal’ to re-sign the 30-year-old.

However, if they cannot convince the midfielder to return, it is believed Brighton star Yves Bissouma has been earmarked as an alternative target.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Potentially signing Eriksen for free is an arguable no-brainer given chairman Daniel Levy once put a seismic £130m tag on his head (The Mirror), highlighting the player’s obvious value and quality.

He’s been a standout for Brentford, making the most key passes per 90 for them in the top flight last year whilst also averaging the highest match rating out of anyone in the Bees squad (WhoScored).

Sealing a return for the ‘big name’ creator may well be one of Fabio Paratici’s more shrewd moves of the summer if he can get it done.

In other news: ‘Not only Perisic’ – Tottenham push for ‘genius’ signing after Conte call ‘in recent days’…find out more here.

Aston Villa are reportedly in the mix to sign Reims’ teenage sensation, Hugo Ekitike, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist has claimed that Villa are one of the sides interested in the young Frenchman, as they look to steal a march on Newcastle United in the race for the striker’s signature.

Reflecting on the Midlands side’s potential summer business, Talbot stated that the 19-year-old could be one player on Steven Gerrard’s radar: “I feel that they need to invest a little bit in sort of the youth, so to speak. Not necessarily completely ready-made, but someone who’s near enough that.

“I think they’ll look at Hugo Ekitike. I’m told that he’s been shown around a few places like PSG, Dortmund, Newcastle, and I’m sure Aston Villa and clubs like that will be looking at him as well.”

The striker had previously come close to a switch to St James’ Park in January, only to spurn the advances of the Magpies, albeit with Eddie Howe and co still seemingly confident of getting the deal over the line in the upcoming window.

Supporters buzzing

That rival interest from the uber-rich, northeast side may come as a concern to NSWE in the battle for the promising starlet, although the Villa Park outfit seemingly still back their own chances of securing his services, having shown their own financial muscle in recent weeks.

As the report alluded to, Gerrard and co have already outfought the Tynesiders to confirm the arrivals of Marseille talent Boubacar Kamara and Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos, with those two acquisitions marking a real statement of intent from the ambitious side.

Having also snapped up Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal, it is proving a remarkable summer already for the Villans, with supporters set to be further enthused should Ekitike he be added to that list of early business.

As Talbot pointed out, the club are perhaps in need of a sprinkling of young talent in what is a largely experienced squad, with the France U20 international seemingly the type of asset who can be moulded and nurtured, before potentially being sold on for a profit in the coming years.

Such is the youngster’s talent, he has even been dubbed the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, with Villa set to have a frightening prospect on their hands should they get the deal done, with it an exciting thought as to just how far this emerging star can go.

Although his limited senior experience would suggest it may take time for the 6 foot 2 gem to settle into life in English football, he has already shown glimpses of his explosive promise in the last nine months or so, having netted ten Ligue 1 goals in a remarkable, breakthrough season for his current side.

Not just a goalscorer, however, the £18m-rated marksman also possesses an ability to drive at defenders and drag his side up the pitch, ranking in the top 3% for dribbles completed and the top 16% for progressive carries among forwards across Europe’s top five leagues.

Such dynamism has made him one to watch in France, although he is likely to also gain favour at Villa Park for his encouraging work ethic, as he also ranks in the top 1% for interceptions made and in the top 14% for tackles made.

That statistical record would point to an all-round asset that has the quality to boot, with Villa supporters in for a real treat if he makes the switch in the coming months.

For all the hype around Carlos, Coutinho et al, there is perhaps nothing more exciting than witnessing a star blossom before your eyes, with Ekitike seemingly a top-class talent in the making.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist revealed that, despite the 26-year-old’s recent claim that he would like to remain at Elland Road, should Manchester City act upon their reported interest in the England international, he could see the Whites academy graduate leaving LS11 in the summer transfer window.

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Regarding Phillips’ future at Leeds, Hay said: “I think Manchester City are the team to watch with him because they do like him. Fernandinho has obviously come to the end of the line and they’ll be after a defensive midfielder. The fact that they have money and the fact that they like Phillips tells you that could happen.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering just how crucial a part of the Leeds side Phillips has been since their promotion to the Premier League back in 2020, in addition to the midfielder’s comments suggesting he would be happy to stay at Elland Road this summer, should the 26-year-old go on to join Pep Guardiola’s side in the coming months, it would certainly be an outcome that will leave the Whites faithful gutted.

Indeed, over his 29 top-flight appearances in 2020/21, the £45m-rated talent was undoubtedly Marcelo Bielsa’s standout performer, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week midfielder also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls and completing 41 passes per fixture.

These returns saw the 19-time capped international average a simply breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as the Whites’ best player in the division but also as the ninth-best midfielder in the Premier League as a whole.

And, while a hamstring injury severely hampered Phillips’ game time in the 2021/22 campaign, the 26-year-old still managed to impress over his 20 league outings, providing one assist and creating one big chance, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 38.9 passes and winning 4.8 duels per game.

As such, while it would appear extremely likely that Jesse Marsch would be handed a large sum of money to work with in the summer transfer window if Phillips were to move onto pasture new, it is nevertheless clear to see that the loss of a player as talented as the Leeds-born star would come as a gutting blow to everyone involved with the Whites.

AND in other news: “From what I’m told..”: Phil Hay drops Leeds transfer claim, supporters surely buzzing

The EFL have issued a huge Sunderland ticket update ahead of the club’s upcoming League One play-off final against Wycombe Wanderers on May 21.

The Lowdown: Extra ticket allocation

The Black Cats have set up a meeting with Gareth Ainsworth’s side at the end of the month after securing a 2-1 aggregate victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-final, and so will obviously want to have as many fans there backing them as possible.

The Wearside outfit sold an allocation of 43,960 tickets in just a few days, so an additional 2,500 were made available for purchase on Wednesday, with the club confirming that this would be the final distribution.

The Latest: EFL release statement

Despite the capacity of Wembley being approximately 90,000, Wycombe have so far only sold 22,000 tickets, meaning that there is set to be a huge number of empty seats around the ground.

However, in a new update, the EFL have revealed that due to the segregation of supporters, they are unable to offer any more to the Black Cats. As quoted by Sunderland Echo, the statement read:

“Following discussions with Sunderland AFC and Wembley National Stadium over the past 48 hours, the EFL is pleased to confirm that an additional allocation of approximately 2,500 tickets will be made available to Sunderland supporters for this Saturday’s Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final.

“The configuration of Wembley Stadium presents a number of challenges for the event organisers that must be considered while implementing the requirement for the segregation of supporters, but this final allocation ensures that there will be in the region of 46,000 Sunderland supporters attending this fixture.

“The EFL acknowledges that it will be incredibly frustrating for fans who have been unable to secure a ticket to see a number of empty seating blocks on show at the weekend, but the decision by Wembley National Stadium to make this the final allocation of tickets has been taken in the primary interest of supporter safety.”

The Verdict: Positive track record

If Alex Neil’s men manage to sell out their extra allocation, this would mean that there would be over 46,000 fans inside the ground on the day urging their team to try and gain promotion to the Championship.

Sunderland have got a good track record against their opponents, having secured a 3-1 win at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season, followed by a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture.

Yet to be defeated by Wycombe this campaign, the Black Cats should be going into this game with the confidence that they are more than capable of pulling off another big result on the one day that it matters most, and the only shame is there won’t be even more Wearsiders down South to enjoy it in the flesh.

In other news… a former Sunderland captain has backed his old side to join him in the promotion party.

Everton have had a troubling season in the Premier League and their battle with relegation has led to wide speculation on the future of players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and now Frank Lampard has addressed the rumours surrounding the striker.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees manager took to his pre-match press conference to quash rumours about the 25-year-old potentially leaving Goodison Park this summer, after Newcastle United were strongly linked with him earlier this week.

Lampard told the press (via Daily Mail): “He’s a huge player, they are not very common. He is contracted to us, three years left on his contract, and I want to take this club forward and players like Dominic help that.”

‘He’s a player that would be wanted by clubs because of the level of player he is. There are not many strikers out there, they cost a lot of money. I’m not worried about him at all.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin has become a fan favourite at Everton when you consider his goal contributions to the team since his arrival at Goodison Park six years ago, so supporters will surely be delighted that Lampard has no intentions of letting the striker leave this summer and is planning for a future which includes him.

The transfer rumours come after a disappointing season by the striker’s standards, with numerous injury problems plaguing the England international throughout. As a result, he has not scored a goal for the Toffees since August as he struggles to gain a consistent run of form this season.

Despite Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems this term, the centre-forward is by far the biggest attacking threat the club has had over the last few years, with an impressive 56 goals and 17 assists in 188 appearances for Everton since he joined back in 2016.

Lampard’s admission that the striker is firmly in his plans is a promising update for supporters, as the 25-year-old has been constantly linked with multiple Premier League clubs, with Arsenal also reportedly interested in snatching him away from Merseyside this summer.

That being said, if the former Chelsea boss can’t pull off the great escape in the relegation battle by the end of the season, it will almost definitely play a huge part in potential outgoings at Goodison Park this summer, so focusing on getting the points needed to remain in the Premier League is essential.

AND in other news: Thelwell plotting Everton swoop for “exceptional” 6 foot 2 tank, Lampard would love him

Arsenal are one of three top clubs who are reportedly interested in signing Leicester City’s Belgian sensation Youri Tielemans.

That is according to none other than Fabrizio Romano, who has boosted the Gunners’ hopes in securing the 25-year-old, having stated on Twitter that “Arsenal are discussing Tielemans internally since January.”

As if the reliability of Romano was not enough, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has entered the rumour mill with a report which will surely have Arsenal fans excited.

On Twitter, alongside a link to his latest report, Ornstein said: “AFC decision makers all keen to sign Youri Tielemans + agent dialogue encouraging so far.”

Whilst Arteta will be keen to wrap up a deal for the 25-year-old in order to improve the Gunners’ depth issue in midfield, fans may well be excited at the Belgian’s resemblance to Cesc Fabregas.

With the strength of his link-up play, defensive astuteness and ability to contribute with attacking returns, Tielemans may well provide a modern-day influence to Arsenal similar to what the Spaniard exerted in the Emirates Stadium’s early years.

The Belgian, who has been dubbed “scary” by Sam Dean and a “genius” by Roger Bennett, is capable of fitting into the one-touch possession focus that Arteta looks to employ at Arsenal. Also, he is more capable of progressing the ball than the likes of Thomas Partey, who is evidently more defensive-minded than the Belgian.

Partey’s match average of 12.8 touches in the attacking third, in comparison to Tielemans’ average of 19.86, is demonstrative of what kind of style those players would bring to the team.

In the context of styles, Arteta will have surely taken influence from Pep Guardiola’s ideology at Manchester City, in which he ensures that he has a different style for each position. For instance, on the right wing, he has an inverted winger in Riyad Mahrez, an inside forward in Gabriel Jesus and a wide man in Raheem Sterling who can help to spread the play.

Arteta can look to implement this throughout the Arsenal engine room with a player like the £40m-rated Tielemans, who can offer the b0x-to-box midfielder element that the Gunners have been missing.

In other news: “Arsenal are..”: Romano drops exciting transfer claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing