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Newcastle United have reportedly made contact to try and sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes once the summer transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Willock alternative needed

There is no guarantee that the St James’ Park club will be able to sign Joe Willock from Arsenal on a permanent deal, so they must be looking at other targets in the centre of midfield.

Nunes plays in the same position as the Englishman, and so it is not a surprise that the Magpies are reportedly trying to lure him to Tyneside permanently.

The Latest: Newcastle make contact

As per Record (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have included Nunes in their summer transfer target shortlist after failing to sign him in the January window. They made a loan proposal to Sporting Lisbon with a buying option set at €13m (£11.2m), but ultimately the deal never materialised.

The news outlet also reported that ‘contacts’ have already been made, most likely between Nunes’ camp and the newly-crowned Portuguese champions, over his potential sale. However, Sporting would like to be offered at least €20m (£17.2m) in order to start any sort of talks, as the Magpies can sign him if they are willing to pay the requested fee.

The Verdict: Sign Nunes if Willock falls through

If a deal to bring Willock back to Newcastle falls through, then they should certainly be looking at Nunes as an alternative option.

At 22, he is of a similar age to Willock (21) and still has so much potential to fulfil, which can hopefully be realised at St James’ Park.

Playing in no fewer than 31 Liga NOS games in 2020/21, scoring three goals and supplying a further two assists (Transfermarkt), Nunes was a key player in their title triumph, and his winning mentality would be a valuable asset to have both off the pitch as well as on it.

He certainly seems worth a punt for the Magpies, especially if they fail to get a permanent deal for Willock over the line.

In other news, find out what Mohammed Bin Salman insight Ben Jacobs has dropped on the potential takeover.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur summer transfer target Christian Eriksen.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on YouTube, the football.london journalist revealed that Spurs have been in discussions regarding the possibility of bringing the 30-year-old central midfielder back to north London on a free transfer this summer.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in the Denmark international, Gold said: “He would fit in there like a glove, in [Antonio] Conte’s 3-5-2, as he did with Inter Milan. He would bring so much to Tottenham.

“I know Spurs have spoken, have had discussions about bringing him in as a free agent – as in amongst themselves. I think there’s going to be a queue of competition for him.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

“I don’t think he left Spurs on the best of terms with the hierarchy at the club. But, he does love the club and he wants to stay in London, from what I understand, with his family.

“And it’s quite funny that Conte, when he just signed for Brentford, was very clear – no subtlety about it whatsoever – that he wanted to bring in Eriksen, maybe this summer.”

Supporters will love Gold’s claim

Considering just how impressive Eriksen has been following his return to the Premier League in January, coupled with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful’s undying love for the 30-year-old, the news Spurs are considering a move for the midfielder this summer is sure to be a claim that supporters will love.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances for Brentford, the £13.5m-rated maestro has been in breathtaking form for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.1 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns have seen the Dane average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.49, not only ranking him as the Bees’ best performer in the league but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole – above the likes of Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min and Mason Mount.

As such, considering his history with both Tottenham and Conte, his undoubted ability with the ball and the fact he will be available to sign on a free, it is clear to see why Spurs would be interested in a deal to bring Eriksen back to the club this summer – as he very much looks to be the type of player the 52-year-old manager is desperately lacking in the middle of the park.

AND in other news: “His people claim..”: Gold drops behind scenes update, Spurs supporters surely buzzing

Everton are keen on signing Pape Matar Sarr, according to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness).

However, as per the news outlet, the Toffees face competition from Chelsea for the signature of the Metz talent. The report added that both Premier League clubs will have to move quickly if they wish to sign him, as Nice are already prepared to pay  €12m (£10.5m) to sign him in the summer transfer window.

Given that he is currently valued at £2.7m by Transfermarkt, that is nearly four times his value. The Merseyside club’s interest in Sarr would fit Marcel Brands’ model of signing young players and developing them for the future, but only time will tell whether Carlo Ancelotti’s team act on their reported interest.

Sarr one for the future

Sarr certainly seems a player for the future and, at just 18 years of age, he seemingly has a lot of potential to fulfil. He is already playing senior men’s football on a regular basis, having racked up 20 games in total for Metz so far this season (Transfermarkt).

A defensive midfield player from Senegal will sound very familiar to Toffees fans given their previous association with Idrissa Gueye, and if Sarr turns out to live up to the ability of the current Paris Saint-Germain ace, he would become a popular player very quickly for the Blues should they decide to sign him.

In other news, find out what transfer update from Alan Myers has piqued the interest of many Everton fans.

Rangers have missed out on transfer target Alhassan Yusuf after it was revealed that he is set to join Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp, which is undoubtedly a blow to Steven Gerrard at Ibrox given his obvious potential.

What’s the word?

Rangers were linked with a move for the 20-year-old midfielder recently, with his impressive performances at IFK Goteborg in Sweden attracting the interest of sides across Europe.

However, it was revealed last week that Goteborg have reached an agreement with Royal Antwerp for his transfer, with The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell suggesting that they paid just €1.5m (£1.3m) for his services. That means that he could have been a bargain option for Gerrard at Ibrox.

Campbell wrote about the Nigerian youngster on Twitter, saying:

“An absolute steal at around €1.5m. He was someone I profiled as being a good fit for Rangers in our Sensible Transfers series last summer. No doubt he’ll be in a top 5 league in a couple of years.”

Should Rangers have signed Yusuf?

Although Rangers are well-stocked in central-midfield, Glen Kamara has been heavily linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, whilst Steven Davis will turn 37 next season, which suggests that a young midfielder in the mould of Yusuf could have been a sensible addition for the Gers to make.

Yusuf was certainly highly rated by those at Goteborg, with chief scout Olle Sultan singing his praises last year, saying:

“I have believed in him very much all the time. He has learned on the way to becoming less naive. The touch is very nice and he is always so oriented and has such control on the ball. The press game is good and he is aggressive. When he eventually gets a little more power, he will be a good ball winner as well. In addition, he is a great guy who flows into the group nicely.

“A ball winner and game genius in one. There’s a bit to learn, that’s it, but he can really be great.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, it seems clear that Yusuf would have been an excellent, affordable option for the future at Rangers, and Gerrard should be disappointed that Ross Wilson didn’t act sooner in order to bring him to Ibrox.

And, in other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for £10.8m-rated gem with a “taste for the big games”

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy reckons that Dwight Gayle could score the goals that were missing for Fulham last season.

Whilst former manager Scott Parker showed the Cottagers up defensively, they managed just 27 goals in the Premier League last season, with only rock-bottom Sheffield United scoring fewer.

Talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic failed to hit the heights of the previous campaign, scoring just three in the league, whilst top goalscorer Bobby Decordova-Reid ended with just five.

And if Fulham are to achieve promotion at the first time of asking once again, they’re going to need someone to step up to the plate and fire them back into the big time.

That someone could be Dwight Gayle, who only signed fresh terms with Newcastle earlier this month, but the Northern Echo believe that was to protect his value.

Gayle scored just once in the Premier League last season, but is proven at Championship level, netting 23 times in each of his previous two campaigns at this level, to go with the 13 he managed at Peterborough prior to signing for Crystal Palace – a total of 59.

The EFL insider exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I’m expecting some big hitters with the money that Fulham have available. I am expecting a big push and a lot of the players will come from abroad and will probably be full internationals.

“Dwight Gayle of Newcastle has scored goals in the Championship and the Premier League, and could give Fulham something they missed last season being an out and out goalscorer.”

Everton will allow Theo Walcott to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider on Tuesday.

The lowdown

Southampton brought Walcott back to St Mary’s on loan at the end of the summer transfer window and it’s been a fairly successful spell at St Mary’s.

Walcott has made 20 appearances in red and white, scoring two goals and providing three assists (via Transfermarkt)

According to The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, the club have been ‘blown away’ by the professionalism he’s displayed.

He’s been reporting to the training ground on days off, staying late and offering advice to young players.

Saints skipper James Ward-Prowse hailed him as a ‘great addition’ and said he was an ‘inspiring’ figure for the academy players.

The latest

Football Insider’s report states that Ancelotti has given the green light for Walcott, who’s made 47 England appearances, to leave permanently this time.

A club source has indicated that they won’t look to extend his deal and Everton are looking to replenish their ranks with a signing of a ‘top-class’ right-winger.

The verdict

Southampton want to sign Walcott permanently, and the 32-year-old seems perfectly at home on the South Coast – the extra effort he is putting in around the training ground is surely reflective of a player who sees his long-term future there.

It’s no surprise, then, that Everton won’t look to stand in his way.

The Toffees shelled out more than £20million to bring him in from Arsenal and, in truth, haven’t had much return on their investment.

In other news, this Premier League veteran has been tipped to succeed at Everton if he makes the move.

Glasgow Rangers fans are livid following the latest development involving Scottish National Party politician James Dornan.

May 15th was a fantastic day for Rangers fans and players. The Gers beat Aberdeen on the final day of the season, meaning they went the whole of the Premiership campaign unbeaten (thefishy.co.uk), while they also received the trophy at Ibrox.

As such, thousands of supporters took to the streets to celebrate while the players enjoyed themselves at the ground.

The aftermath of that day, though, was far from positive. 20 arrests were at George Square (firstpost.com), and Police Scotland continued their investigation into the ugly scenes in the following weeks (The Daily Record), while the Gers players were accused of singing anti-Catholic songs – that was quickly debunked (The Athletic).

Despite Police Scotland finding the squad innocent, though, Dornan remained sceptical, even writing a letter asking for more information. Police Scotland have responded, saying the video that circulated was in fact edited to include anti-Catholic language.

The letter was shared on Twitter by @RFC_Falkirk, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Report him for slander and wasting police time he doesn’t have parliamentary privilege, hes a waste of energy yes but he is in a dangerous position to be doing so”

Credit: @scropedavis

“I’d prefer he was bankrupted in court”

Credit: @Smithyfive

“Embarrassing, majority of the squad are Catholics..”

Credit: @Brianwatp55

“Interviewed people, obtained video footage and had it forensically examined. What an utter waste of time and money of a video that’s clearly a fake. Dornan should also be apologising for wasting Police Scotland’s time”

Credit: @WombleTracker

“Why aren’t Police Scotland trying to find out who posted the offensive video in the first place? This absolutely stinks. Disgusting what the staff & players had to go through. Hope the club take Yousaf et al to the cleaners.”

Credit: @Tyndale7

“Easier to lock his account and continue to spread hateful agenda than take responsibility for his actions He knew what he was doing, knew the damage for our club but done it anyway Accountability isn’t in his remit A coward”

Credit: @4ladshadadream

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this 21/22 reveal.

Celtic will receive a £2m windfall for the transfer of Ryan Christie if Bournemouth win promotion to the Premier League, according to The Sun, cited by 67 Hail Hail.  

The Lowdown: Deadline Day business

The Hoops had a busy final day of the summer window, with three incomings and three outgoings.

Christie was one of those to leave, with the Cherries paying an initial £2.5m for the attacking midfielder.

Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis was the last permanent addition to Ange Postecoglou’s squad, costing just over £2m, and it appears as if that could be paid for thanks to Christie by next summer.

The Latest: Add-on details emerge

The Sun on Sunday, cited by 67 Hail Hail, claim that Celtic will receive a further £2m if Bournemouth win promotion.

They could then land even more if they stay up in a potential 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Christie was out of contract at Celtic Park in January, so bringing in an initial £2.5m in the summer was good business.

It seems as if it could get even better over the next seven months, which could, in theory, mean the Hoops’ move for Giakoumakis is all but paid for due to add-ons in Christie’s transfer.

All in all, it looks like a shrewd move by the Hoops hierarchy, who will more than likely be hoping Bournemouth can stay top of the Championship until May.

In other news: Celtic are considering boss with similar style to Ange; he played golf with Desmond last week. 

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has been urged to make a key decision on Portuguese forward Jota who is currently on loan at Parkhead…

What’s the talk?

Former Sporting and Celtic forward Jorge Cadete has urged the Hoops to exercise their option to sign Jota on a permanent deal following his loan move from Benfica.

Cadete, who believes the clause could be worth around £6m (€7m), has compared Jota to previous Celtic stars Odsonne Edouard and Fraser Forster in how he could develop in the coming years.

He told the Daily Record: “It’s too early to talk about the value of Jota if Celtic want to buy him. It’s normal for clubs when they loan a young player abroad, they fix the buy clause at a high price.

“Jota has been mentioned at six or seven million Euros.

“I’d like Jota to stay at Celtic in the long-term because I think it can be good for both parties. The Celtic supporters have an exciting player so it keeps them happy.

“And for the player he can develop even more in Scotland for the next two or three years. He can show all the qualities he has. Celtic had players like Forster and Edouard on loan before they bought them for a lot of money.”

Fans would be buzzing

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has a key decision to make on Jota and the fans would be buzzing if he decided to activate the option in the forward’s loan contract to keep him at Parkhead beyond the end of the current season.

The young Portuguese flyer has shown signs of huge potential in his short time at the club and he could be a shrewd investment by the Hoops.

Postecoglou recently claimed that Jota has shown “great promise” and his performances on the pitch for Celtic back that comment up. He has produced two goals and two assists in all competitions so far, starting seven matches across the Premiership, League Cup and Europa League. In the process, he’s quickly established himself as a regular starter after settling into life in Scotland.

In the Premiership, Jota has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.42. He has registered one goal and one assist in four appearances, whilst creating an eye-catching two chances per game for his teammates. Furthermore, he has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game as he refuses to shirk his defensive responsibility.

This is why Celtic fans would be buzzing if Postecoglou opted to sign the forward on a permanent deal, whether it is for the £6m touted or any other fee in that region. He is proving that he can thrive on the pitch for the Hoops and the Australian head coach must sanction the move as soon as possible.

AND in other news, £7.4k-p/w Celtic wizard’s value has soared 177.7% since January, Postecoglou loves him…

An update has emerged on West Ham target Matheus Pereira, regarding West Brom’s stance on his future…

What’s the talk?

Newly-appointed West Brom coach Valerien Ismael has admitted that he expects West Ham target Matheus Pereira to depart from The Hawthorns this summer. The Express reported last month that Leicester, West Ham and Leeds are all interested in the midfielder, with Ismael now opening the door for a potential exit.

He told The BBC:

“My expectation is that the two players (Pereira and Sam Johnstone) will leave the club.”

Fans will be buzzing

GSB could strike gold for the Hammers with a swoop for Pereira this summer. The West Ham board must sanction a swoop for the Brazilian now that West Brom have let it be known that he is likely to leave before the end of the transfer window.

It seems strange that Ismael would openly admit that Pereira and Johnstone will be leaving the club without any exits agreed already, but perhaps he is attempting to garner more interest in the pair by letting clubs know that they are available.

Fans will be buzzing as it increases the chances of the Hammers being able to land him, as West Brom have admitted that they will not be rejecting all interest in his services. Pereira could be an excellent signing for the London club as he is a player who could get supporters off their seats.

Ex-Nurnberg coach Nate Weiss once lavished praise on Matheus and labelled him as “genius”, whilst former Leeds forward Noel Whelan recently said that he would be excited if the attacker ended up playing at Elland Road for Marcelo Bielsa next season. Whelan has said that Pereira is a fantastic player and is at the right age for clubs to sign him.

He told Football Insider:

“He’s a fantastic player, he’s great on the ball, he can turn people inside out.”

Pereira was directly involved in 17 Premier League goals (11 goals & six assists) for the Baggies as they were relegated back down to the Championship, suggesting that he could be a great addition to David Moyes’ team. He has proven that he can score and create goals in the top-flight and that is why GSB must do all they can to bring him to the London Stadium ahead of next season.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Antonio: West Ham preparing bid for 31 G/A powerhouse, Moyes needs him…