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Liverpool have been linked with a move for Ousmane Dembele recently, and the Frenchman could be Jurgen Klopp’s own version of Neymar at Anfield.

The Reds have been linked with a move for the former Barcelona winger in recent days and could bring him in on a free transfer, as his contract with the La Liga side has now officially expired.

While injuries have plagued his time in Spain, Dembele’s previous form with Rennes and Borussia Dortmund emphasises his incredible talent; and if he could find his feet at Liverpool, he could prove to be a superb acquisition.

The 25-year-old enjoyed arguably his best season in a Barcelona shirt in 2021/22, as he contributed one goal and 13 assists in just 21 La Liga appearances and posted the best WhoScored rating of his time at Camp Nou. However, the club’s shocking financial issues meant that a new deal for the France international was always going to prove difficult to arrange.

Considering that the £27m-rated winger could be signed for free, it is surely a no-brainer for those at Liverpool to try and get him in, especially following the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich earlier in the transfer window.

When Dembele first established himself at Rennes, he was described as a “phenomenon” by team-mate Gelson Fernandes. At just 25, there seems little reason why he couldn’t rediscover those performances under Klopp’s tutelage at Anfield.

If he were to make the move to Merseyside, he could be a similar player to Brazilian sensation Neymar, with FBRef suggesting that the PSG star is the most akin to Dembele in terms of their respective styles of play.

It is easy to see why the Frenchman has earned this comparison, as last season he scored in the 99th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed, progressive carries and assists in his performances for Barcelona.

WhoScored also suggests that Dembele and Neymar’s strengths include dribbling and key passes, while both like to cut inside and offer a serious counter-attacking threat.

Therefore, the similarities between the two are clear to see. It is also easy to envisage what Dembele could offer Klopp at Anfield next season, so Liverpool should definitely consider signing the free agent this summer.

In other news… Klopp could seal Liverpool’s very own Modric with swoop for “top class” £77m maestro

Arsenal are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante this summer, according to a report from the Daily Star. 

The lowdown: Serial winner

Brought to the Premier League by Leicester in 2016 from Caen in France, the 31-year-old has lifted the top-flight title twice since arriving in England, also becoming a Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League, Club World Cup, UEFA Nations League and World Cup winner.

Alongside the impressive list of team honours, the Frenchman earned the individual accolade of being named the Footballer of Year by the Football Writers’ Association in 2017 and continues to play an important part in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.

However, now that he is into the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt), murmurings of a potential move away have emerged, and Arsenal could be about to strike…

The latest: Arsenal considering Kante move

As per the Daily Star, Arsenal are believed to be ‘considering a shock approach’ for the 53-cap France superstar.

It’s claimed that Mikel Arteta wants ‘more world-class defensive talent’ in his midfield at the Emirates Stadium, and as such the Gunners are willing to ‘sound out’ whether Chelsea would be ready to ‘cash in’ on Kante during the ongoing transfer window.

The report added that Manchester United are ‘actively eyeing’ the Frenchman, who was once dubbed a ‘Duracell bunny’ by former Premier League midfielder Steven Pienaar due to a seemingly unrelenting work rate.

The verdict: Make it happen

Despite suffering from regular injury issues over the last 18 months, signing a player of Kante’s ilk, quality and experience, having made 419 professional career appearances, would be a sensational piece of business from the north Londoners.

A master of nullifying attacks from a deep-lying midfield role, the £36m-valued ace would surely slot straight into Arsenal’s midfield and potentially become a replacement for the unreliable Granit Xhaka.

Last season Kante earned a 7.12 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.6 duels, making 1.2 interceptions and completing 43.1 passes per game – proof of a continued ability to perform commendably at the elite level in spite of fitness problems.

Whilst Arsenal signing a player from Chelsea is certainly not out of the realms of possibility – having previously landed Willian, Petr Cech and Williams Gallas from their London rivals – a potential stumbling block for technical director Edu and co could be Kante’s £290,000-per-week wage (Salary Sport), which far outstrips anyone in Arteta’s current squad.

Nottingham Forest have been heavily linked with a move for Morgan Gibbs-White this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club’s plans for competing to sign the player.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are the most likely suitors to sign Gibbs-White alongside Everton this summer.

As per the report, Forest are keeping a close eye on the player’s situation at Wolverhampton Wanderers and in terms of a transfer fee the club is more than willing to break the club’s record to sign the midfielder to compete with Everton for his signature.

Imagine him & Awoniyi

Steve Cooper is clearly wasting no time or resources in ensuring that Forest can build a team that can compete in the Premier League when they return to action next month, and Gibbs-White would be the perfect addition to complete the team’s attacking threat.

Forest have already signed seven players to bolster their squad ahead of their long-awaited return to the top-flight, with Taiwo Awoniyi joining the side from Union Berlin – where the striker was the Bundesliga side’s top scorer last season with 17 goals.

Now, the Welsh manager can reunite with his former player to complete a formidable attacking partnership between Awoniyi and Gibbs-White, as the midfielder has displayed his endless creativity whilst on a season-long loan with Sheffield United last season.

Gibbs-White – who was hailed “sensational” by Ryan Bennett – scored 12 goals and delivered 10 assists in all competitions for the Yorkshire club, finishing the season as the second-highest scoring player in the squad.

In the Championship he also created an impressive 16 big chances, proving that he would be a very valuable asset to Forest in the Premier League.

Furthermore, the youngster has also expressed his frustration at not getting the game time he feels he deserved at Wolves, revealing his desire to be a starter in the team in an interview with FourFourTwo last year:

“I feel I’m at a stage in my career where I’m ready to play week in, week out. Going to Sheffield United was the right move because I didn’t want to be sat on the bench at a Premier League team. I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

After working with Gibbs-White on the international stage with England U17s and signing him up at Swansea City, Cooper is no stranger to his talent and the £30m Wolves dynamo has also claimed that he has a “good relationship” with the Forest boss already:

“Steve Cooper and I have always had a good relationship. He did unbelievable things for me in the [U17] World Cup with England and when he was at Swansea, he gave me my chance when I went on loan there.”

With that being said, Forest must do everything they can to sign Gibbs-White this summer and should not be put off by the efforts of Everton, as he could make a huge difference in the newly-promoted side’s chances of survival in the Premier League next season.

AND in other news: “Will happen..”: Reliable journo drops big NFFC transfer claim, Cooper will be buzzing

Everton have been linked with Armando Broja ever since the current transfer window began, and there has been a new update from a reliable source which will give the Toffees the green light that they were seeking to sign the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that West Ham United have cooled their interest in signing the Albania international this summer.

The Italian journalist tweeted: “West Ham are set to sign Gianluca Scamacca. Full agreement finally in place with Sassuolo. €36m plus €6m add ons, 10% sell on clause.

“Scamacca agreed personal terms, so deal off for Armando Broja as of now.”

It would be a massive coup

It is no secret that Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their squad following a disappointing Premier League campaign last season, and they also now have a Richarlison-shaped hole in their attacking armoury which needs to be addressed with urgency.

The 25-year-old was the top scorer for the Toffees last term, so bringing in a forward who can develop a formidable partnership with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and replace the goal contributions lost due to the Brazilian’s exit is essential for Frank Lampard.

The Everton manager is a huge admirer of Broja and even gave the £58m-valued youngster his Premier League debut in March 2020 when he was managing Chelsea, so there is no doubt that the Albanian would be warmly welcomed by the 44-year-old if he made the move to Goodison Park this summer.

During his season-long loan at Southampton, the 20-year-old scored six goals and created two big chances, winning five duels, completing one dribble and taking 1.4 shots per game. He also ranked third for the most aerial duels committed in the opponents’ half of any player in the Premier League over his 32 appearances in 2021/22.

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl reserved high praise for Broja following a victory against Brentford last season, saying: “He’s a great threat. He has not had many poor games this season and today he showed again how dangerous he can be for the opponent and he’s very helpful for our game.”

With that in mind, now that West Ham have seemingly cooled their interest on the Chelsea youngster, Farhad Moshiri must take his chance to seal a deal for Broja this summer to ensure that Lampard is not caught short in his attacking options over the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news – “Understand…”: Journalist drops huge Everton transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Glasgow Rangers are set to find out whether or not they will be able to swoop for one of their targets in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, one club are set to make a decision on an attacking target for Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

That team are Aston Villa with the report stating they are yet to decide whether or not he will go out on loan for the 2022/23 campaign and are now due to make a final call on his immediate future.

It has been reported this summer that Rangers are one of a number of teams interested in landing the England youth international if he becomes available.

Alfredo Morelos 2.0

If Villa opt to loan the talented youngster out then he could be Rangers’ new Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox as he has the potential to be a lethal goalscorer for the club.

The Colombia international has proven himself to be the go-to man for goals over the course of a number of years in Glasgow.

In 224 games for the Gers to date, the goal-scoring predator has plundered a whopping 113 strikes and set up 51 for the Scottish giants. This shows that he is a clinical forward and a player van Bronckhorst can rely upon to produce at the top end of the pitch.

However, he only has one year left on his contract at Ibrox and it may be time to look for potential alternatives to him, which is where Archer could come in.

The 20-year-old could join on loan and either replace Morelos if he were to depart this summer or compete with him this season with a view to returning for a second spell in 2023.

Athletic journalist Dan Bardell recently claimed that he was “born to score goals”, like the current Gers attacker, and his record in 2021/22 backs that up.

He scored ten times and provided two assists in nine outings for Villa in all competitions, although none of his goal contributions came in the Premier League. The gem then netted seven goals and set up one in 18 starts on loan at Preston North End in the English Championship.

These statistics suggest that he has the quality to replicate Morelos’ goalscoring consistency at Rangers, whilst he also has plenty of time to improve and develop at the age of 20. This means that he can grow as he gains more experience and become a reliable number nine for the Light Blues in 2022/23.

Hopefully, Villa will allow him to leave on loan as Steven Gerrard will do his old team a favour by sending the talented striker to Glasgow.

AND in other news, GvB can land huge Arfield upgrade as Rangers eye move for “interesting” £8.5m gem…

Tottenham Hotspur have carried out a ‘survey’ regarding Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, according to Italian newspaper La Nazione, as relayed by Fiorentina.it (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Hot property

Previously linked with the likes of Manchester United, West Ham and Newcastle, Milenkovic has already been heavily touted with a switch to the Premier League in recent transfer windows.

However, the 24-year-old Serbia international opted to sign a new deal in Florence to remain at the Serie A club last summer, extending his stay until 2023 having joined from boyhood club Partizan Belgrade in 2017 for £4.95m (Transfermarkt).

Despite that contract renewal with La Viola, Milenkovic is once again appearing in the sights of numerous suitors, and Tottenham are believed to be among the contenders…

The latest: Spurs run the rule over Milenkovic

As per Fiorentina.it (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Inter Milan, Juventus and Spurs are in the mix to sign the 37-cap centre-back.

It’s suggested that the defender has a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with Fiorentina which would allow the Serb to move on should suitable offers be forthcoming, with the club asking the 24-year-old to give them a definitive answer on his future by Thursday at the latest.

The report also states that Tottenham have ‘already done a survey’ regarding Milenkovic, who was hailed as a ‘sensational defender’ by Juventus striker and ex-Fiorentina team-mate Dusan Vlahovic when speaking to Sky Italy (via ACF Fiorentina).

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The verdict: Make it happen

The Lilywhites have already suitably strengthened the centre-back department with the loan capture of Clement Lenglet from Barcelona, but with Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon both strongly linked with exits from Hotspur Way, there remains room in the squad for at least one further quality addition into Antonio Conte’s ranks.

Already into the final 12 months of that aforementioned contract, signing Milenkovic – who currently has an estimated market value of £18m – would be a wholly affordable option for Fabio Paratici and ENIC to pursue.

Last season, the 6 foot 5 powerhouse scored three times in 38 appearances across all competitions, earning a 7.00 Sofascore rating whilst making 2.7 clearances and 1.1 interceptions and winning 5.1 duels per Italian top-flight outing.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to the likes of Stefan de Vrij, Harry Maguire and Ibrahima Konate (FBRef), signing a player of Milenkovic’s ilk to partner Cristian Romero at the back would be a superb coup for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a swap move for midfielder Leandro Paredes and it’s a deal that could ‘tease’ Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs keep pushing…

The north Londoners are continuing their push for more summer signings after sealing six major incomings already this campaign.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence have come through the door at N17 with reports suggesting that Udinese left-wing-back Destiny Udogie could soon follow them.

This comes amid Spurs’ apparent eagerness to offload certain players who have been deemed surplus-to-requirements like Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks.

Although Tottenham have failed to make any progress in that regard, it is now claimed by a source in Italy that they could propose a swap deal to bring Paredes to the Premier League.

The Latest: Lilywhites plot Paredes swap deal…

Indeed, according to calciomercatoweb.it, Conte and Paratici have hatched a plan for the Argentine.

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They claim Tottenham ‘could try’ to sign Parades from PSG this summer and even propose a swap deal involving defender Japhet Tanganga.

The outlet go on to state that this potential proposal could ‘tease’ the Ligue 1 giants given their need for a new central defensive option.

The Verdict: Make an attempt?

Paredes, over his 15 Ligue 1 appearances last season, proved himself a tidy player and one who could add a degree of composure and silkiness to Conte’s midfield.

Compared to Tottenham’s squad, the 28-year-old averaged a higher pass accuracy (95%) domestically than any Lilywhites regular – potentially backing former midfielder Fabrice Pancrate’s verdict that he can be ‘beautiful to watch’.

Pancrate also praised the South American’s ‘perfect’ tempo in midfield, and if PSG were to be enticed by the prospect of a Tanganga exchange, Spurs could be getting another solid option.

Recent reports have seen Sunderland linked with a move for Manchester City-owned forward Marlos Moreno, with the Black Cats one of a number of Championship clubs who are believed to be keen on signing the 25-year-old.

Having returned from a recent temporary stint at KV Kortrijk in Belgium, the Colombian gem is currently training with French side Troyes – part of the City Football Group – although is keen on a stay in England this summer, having spent the past six years out on loan at clubs across the globe.

Signed by the Etihad outfit from Atletico Nacional in 2016 on a £4.75m deal, the winger – who has just a year remaining on his existing contract with Pep Guardiola’s side – is yet to feature for his parent club, with a departure, either permanently or on loan, seemingly an inevitability this summer.

Despite never managing to force his way into first-team reckoning with the Premier League champions, the £810k-rated menace has still blossomed elsewhere, notably enjoying a fine loan stint at Belgian second division side Lommel during the 2020/21 campaign, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 25 games in all competitions for the club.

That sparkling spell saw the eight-cap international lauded by journalist Sven Claes, who stated that he “was the best player of the league”, while also highlighting that the forward had so often “embarrassed” defenders with his mix of speed and trickery down the flanks.

A player with 40 goal contributions in 189 club career games thus far, the 5 foot 7 star is no doubt a real talent, with the fact having been emphasised by comparisons to Brazilian icon Neymar by South American expert Tim Vickery upon his signing for City.

He said: “There are no guarantees but not since the likes of Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Neymar have I been so enthusiastic about a young player.”

Although that high-profile move has since failed to work out, it is still telling that Moreno was likened to a player of such magnitude in Neymar, with that perhaps illustrating a talent that simply needs to be unlocked.

While he has his controversies, the Paris Saint-Germain genius is a player that any manager would likely welcome into his side, with the 30-year-old having lit up European football over the last decade or so.

The 119-cap superstar – who is the second highest scorer in his nation’s history – has netted 278 goals and provided 174 assists in 466 club career games to date across his spells at Santos, Barcelona and at the Parcs des Princes, with such figures the envy of most in the modern game.

That electric form continues even as doubts creep in regarding his long-term, playing future, having registered six goal contributions in just two games thus far for the Ligue 1 champions in the new season, with the mercurial magician a truly unique asset.

While Moreno is far from reaching such heights, for those of a Sunderland persuasion it will no doubt be intriguing that they could have a Neymar-esque figure on their hands if the player can live up to Vickery’s past claim.

That assessment would seemingly indicate that the “wonderful” gem – as dubbed by Claes – has the raw talent to be a real success at the Stadium of Light, with so much potential there to be unleashed.

Sunderland have not been shy when it comes to striking deals to sign players from Premier League clubs over recent years.

The Black Cats have brought in the likes of Callum Doyle, Jack Clarke, Ellis Simms, Daniel Ballard and Dennis Cirkin either on permanent or loan deals.

Another player the Wearside club recently snapped up from one of England’s top clubs is Patrick Roberts.

After completing numerous loan spells away from the Manchester club, the winger joined Sunderland on a free transfer back in the previous January transfer window. With 20 appearances for his new club, the Englishman has two goals and one assist to his name.

Now that the end of the current summer transfer window is approaching, this period could give the club the chance to bring in what would be their next version of Roberts in a bid to further strengthen Alex Neil’s squad.

Earlier this week, it was claimed by Jonathan Shrager on Twitter that Sunderland are one of the clubs interested in signing Manchester United winger Amad Diallo on loan.

Having made 125 club appearances to his name at senior and youth levels, the Ivorian has 48 goals and 29 assists under his belt, highlighting his attacking talent.

During his loan spell with Rangers throughout the second half of last season, the 20-year-old managed to find the net three times in 13 appearances during a mixed period in Glasgow.

However, lauded as an “unbelievable” player by former United player Dan James, Diallo could be a very exciting addition to Sunderland’s squad if he follows in Roberts’ footsteps by leaving a Manchester club that have ostracised his talents.

Having shown how capable he is of playing across numerous attacking positions throughout his career, it demonstrated a clear layer of similarity between Diallo and Roberts, who has also proved his versatility across the front line.

With the former City figure ending the previous campaign with a higher average for dribbles per game (1.7) than any other Sunderland player, this mirrors the attacking prowess the United youngster has as only three other players at Rangers had a higher average than him for the same statistic (1.0).

With Neil sharing his aims to add more players to his squad before the transfer window closes, the Black Cats should put themselves at the front of the queue to sign the United starlet as he could just end up being Roberts 2.0 in Wearside.

Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson has enjoyed a busy summer transfer window of business coming in and out of Ibrox so far.

He has sanctioned the sales of two key first-team players in Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, whilst strengthening the squad with the signings of Antonio Colak, Rabbi Matondo, Tom Lawrence, John Souttar, Ridvan Yilmaz, Malik Tillman, and Ben Davies.

Another player who has been linked with an exit from Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad is Zambia international Fashion Sakala. Burnley were reportedly willing to pay up to £4m before moving on to other targets this month.

Pete O’Rourke recently reacted to the news and suggested that it may be the player pushing for a move, saying: “I think it’s probably maybe more Sakala’s looking for an exit.

“He’s maybe seen his path to the first team at Ibrox blocked with the incomings this summer of Colak and the boy from Germany who’s of Bayern Munich, Tillman. So maybe he’s thinking he might not get many first-team opportunities at the club this year.

“Maybe he thinks best to go out and play regular first-team football.”

The winger has not played a single minute of competitive action for Rangers this season – making the bench in four of the five games so far – and cashing in on the outcast may be the best option for all parties involved.

If Sakala is not happy with his game time, or lack thereof, and van Bronckhorst does not deem him good enough to be a regular in the team then replacing him could make a lot of sense.

One player the Light Blues have been linked with who could come in to replace the Zambian is FCSB midfielder Darius Olaru.

By signing the 24-year-old, van Bronckhorst could sanction the sale of Sakala as he would not be left short-changed if a raft of injuries left him in need of another attacking option.

He has been dubbed an “exciting” talent by Jacek Kulig and FCSB chief Mihail Stoica once likened him and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne together.

The gem, who is available for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.5m), has had a difficult start to 2022/23 with one assist in five league matches but his form in 2021/22 suggests that he has the potential to be an excellent signing.

Like De Bruyne, who has 123 assists in 309 matches for City, Olaru is a versatile midfielder with the quality to create chances. Last season, the Romania international racked up six goals and 12 assists in 36 matches for FCSB in all competitions, showing that he can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, he has the potential to come in at Ibrox and offer a creative threat in attack whilst allowing the club to cash in on Sakala without being left short of squad depth.