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West Ham appear close to selling defender Issa Diop this summer as David Moyes aims to rebuild his side ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who claim that fellow Premier League side Fulham are attempting to beat Lyon to the signing of Diop this summer.

The report states that Fulham are prepared to pay around £15m to sign the defender, although this falls slightly short of the club’s valuation of the player.

ExWHUemployee stated: “As we reported earlier £20m+ is roughly what we would accept,” and it appears Moyes is aiming to get as much for Diop as he can.

The news will delight Moyes

With the arrival of centre-back Nayef Aguerd and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola securing a permanent move following his loan spell from PSG, Moyes has made a strong start to the summer transfer window.

Furthermore, the addition of midfielder Flynn Downes to the side will add some bite to the centre of the midfield.

There will be some departures, however, and Moyes seems keen to move on Diop in order to reinvest the funds back into the squad.

The previous two seasons have seen the Frenchman appear just 31 times in the Premier League, which is a sharp decline from the 65 appearances in the preceding two campaigns.

It appears Moyes doesn’t rate the player very highly, despite the Frenchman once being lauded as a “monster” by Jose Mourinho, and it looks like he will have Aguerd, Kurt Zouma, Craig Dawson, and Angelo Ogbonna as his central defensive options for next season.

Diop was disappointed during his Premier League matches last season, averaging a rating of 6.69 as per SofaScore and keeping only two clean sheets in his 13 games.

He made zero successful dribbles, won only 51% of his total duels and lost possession 5.8 times per match in what was an unforgettable campaign for the 25-year-old.

A fresh start might be the best move for all parties involved as Moyes could use the potential £20m plus fee to bolster his squad even further.

AND in other news: “Unlikely…”: ExWHUemployee drops West Ham transfer update, supporters will be gutted

Celtic welcomed a significant number of new players to Parkhead during last summer’s transfer window.

One player who joined the Hoops during this period was Kyogo Furuhashi, who made his move for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in a deal worth £5m.

It didn’t take long for the attacker to settle into Scottish football, as he ended up scoring 20 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Now that Furuhashi’s debut season at Celtic has come to an end, the current transfer window could give the club the chance to bring in some extra attacking reinforcements to help them progress even further.

Having already secured deals for Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alexandro Bernabei and Benjamin Siegrist, this shows that – just like last summer – the Bhoys are not shy when it comes to diving into the transfer market and splashing the cash.

One other player with whom the club have been linked who would not only cost a considerable amount of money to sign, but also give Ange Postecoglou the chance to form a deadly attacking duo alongside his Japanese star, is Antoine Semenyo.

In 31 Championship games last season, the Bristol City striker found the net eight times and delivered 12 assists for his team, showing just how dangerous he can be in front of goal, just like Furuhashi.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player at Ashton Gate racked up a higher average of dribbles per game than the London-born Ghanaian (1.2), who also had a higher rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.14) in the league than any of his team-mates.

In fact, Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson labelled the attacker as being a “nightmare to play against” for opposition defenders.

Taking all this into account, a partnership of Semenyo and Furuhashi at Parkhead could give lots of Premiership defenders nightmares next season, should the Hoops get the former through the door this summer.

With a reported price tag of £15m, should Celtic want to make a big signing this summer, the English Championship star could be the right option for them.

AND in other news: Ange can finally axe “pathetic” Celtic dud with move for “electrifying” £3.5m starlet

Bruno Lage and Wolves have been given the green light in their transfer pursuit of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from L’Equipe, who claimed that the Ligue 1 club are intent on selling the Croatian defender this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

As such, it is said that Marseille are willing to entertain offers in order to avoid a direct repeat of the Boubacar Kamara scenario, in which they lost a precocious asset for free due to the Frenchman running down his contract and consequently joining the Old Gold’s Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

As per L’Equipe, it is said that the Croatia international was the subject of a £13m bid during Lage’s first transfer window in charge at Molineux, with Marseille rejecting the offer and Wolves having not signed a centre-back since.

Ruben Dias 2.0

Operating in Jorge Sampaoli’s possession-based team (second-highest in Ligue 1 last term with 62.1%), Caleta-Car has clocked up metrics which are very similar to that of Manchester City colossus Ruben Dias.

Quite simply, with the similarity between the two players, especially throughout the possession phase, Wolves could well sign their own version of Dias in the Croatian asset.

Completing 73.18 passes per match at a success rate of 92.1%, Caleta-Car registers metrics which are scarily close to the Portugal international, who completes 74.12 passes per game at a success rate of 93.6%.

Elsewhere, they are both right-footed centre-backs, both 25 years of age, both scored two goals in their respective leagues, and are of similar height, with Dias standing at 6 foot 1 and Caleta-Car 6 foot 2.

The pair also boast a similar amount of carries, with Caleta-Car averaging 60.95 per game with around 5.22 progressive carries; whilst Dias averages 62.79 carries per 90, with 8.01 of these being progressive.

The similarities between the two are eerie, but with the Croatian rated at around £15m, it means that Lage could sign Dias 2.0 for Wolves. It’s a move which would massively bolster the Old Gold’s backline and comes with an element of safety, with his metrics hinting that the Marseille tank would suit Premier League football.

This is also backed up by Dejan Lovren’s admission, who believes that his compatriot can play in England and once said that he “will explode” onto the big stage.

In other news – “I keep hearing…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Wolves update that will leave supporters buzzing

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now made a bid to try and bring Antonio Colak to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Broke Gers hearts…

Colak is a striker who will be familiar to Gers supporters, as he was the player who scored two goals at Ibrox for Malmo in the UEFA Champions League qualifier last season, sending the Swedish side through and breaking Gers hearts in the process.

Back at Greek club PAOK after his loan spell in Sweden, the six-foot-two colossus scored three goals and made a further two assists in 23 matches for them last term (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Bid rejected

Taking to Twitter, Greek football journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has revealed that the Light Blues have now made a bid for Colak, although it has been rejected:

“Rangers have bid rejected for PAOK forward Antonio Colak.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Even though Colak showed what he is capable of against the Teddy Bears last campaign, his numbers have not been consistent enough to warrant a big move, especially given that they already have Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe as striker options.

At 28 years of age, 35 strikes between them in all competitions.

Nonetheless, there is still plenty of time left in this window to move onto other targets, with Erik Botheim and Stephen Odey thought to be options for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

A claim has been made on Tottenham Hotspur and their attempts to add a new striker to their squad in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has said that Sasa Kalajdzic could be a target for the club if he is willing to be a back-up to Harry Kane in North London.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “That’s the best problem for Tottenham, isn’t it, trying to find someone to play second-fiddle. So, I think if he’s willing to do that, I could see it.”

This comes after The Athletic claimed that Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are both interested in the striker, who is valued at €25m (£22m).

Dream Kane heir

Tottenham can land their dream heir to Kane’s throne at the club by securing a deal ahead of those German clubs to land the Stuttgart phenomenon.

Kalajdzic is a young centre-forward who can develop whilst playing as a back-up to the England captain before potentially taking over from him in the future, should the goal machine move on at any point.

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The Austrian attacker has shades of Kane to his game as he ranks in the 96th percentile among strikers in Europe for expected assists per 90 at 0.26. Tottenham’s star man, meanwhile, ranks in the 95th percentile with 0.25 xA per 90 over the last 365 days, which shows that both players create for other players.

His manager Pellegrino Matarazzo once hailed his build-up play as he said: “He’s a very good footballer. He links up well with his teammates, and communicates very effectively. He’s invaluable.”

He has also shown that he has the ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis with 22 goals in 36 starts across the last two Bundesliga campaigns. Kane, meanwhile, has scored 40 Premier League goals in 71 starts in that time.

The player has previously spoken of comparisons to other strikers, saying: “I have heard a lot of phrases and expressions! I’ve heard a comparison with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Peter Crouch, anything from ‘tall and lanky’ to ‘tall’ and an ‘Ibrahimovic-Machine’! I’ve heard a lot of things.”

You can now add Kane’s name to that list of goalscorers he has been compared to and Tottenham must now pair the duo at the club next season.

Kalajdzic has proven in the Bundesliga that he can create and score at a similar rate to the Englishman, suggesting that he can be the dream heir to the 28-year-old’s place in the starting XI at Spurs in the future.

AND in other news, Paratici now given green light to seal “outstanding” Spurs signing, he’d be “clinical”…

Rangers had a rather mixed 2021/22 season, having relinquished the Premiership title and losing a European final on penalties before eventually bringing the Scottish Cup back to Ibrox.

One man who ended up being a rather prominent figure for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men throughout the campaign was Ryan Kent.

In 46 appearances across all competitions during the campaign, the Rangers winger scored three goals and delivered an impressive 20 assists in the process, comfortably making him one of Rangers’ main attacking threats.

Now that the Gers’ long season has finally come to an end, the focus for Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst can turn to the summer transfer window and getting the squad ready to take on the next campaign.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, one player with whom the Gers have been linked and who could give Van Bronckhorst the chance to form a deadly attacking duo alongside Kent is Lyndon Dykes.

After scoring 37 goals and providing 44 assists in 172 combined appearances in Scotland with Livingston and Queen of the South, the striker then joined Queens Park Rangers two years ago in a deal worth £2m. Since then, the 26-year-old has found the net 21 times in 80 appearances and supplied eight assists.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, of his 58 shots at goal he had throughout the 2021/22 season with the west London club, 30 were on target, leaving him with the third-highest percentage for shots on target at QPR.

This backs up why his former manager Mark Warburton described the 22-cap Scotland international as having “an eye for goal”, along with “all the physical attributes” needed to be a successful striker.

This also suggests that if Dykes were to have a player like Kent – who has a clear knack for setting up goalscoring opportunities – next to him, this could be a terrifying prospect for Rangers’ opponents to handle next season and beyond.

If Van Bronckhorst feels the need to add another attacking figure to his squad this summer, making an approach to QPR to see if they would be willing to let their star striker return to his homeland and see if he can help the Gers achieve success domestically and in Europe could be a great move for all parties.

In other news: Rangers now plotting bid for “clinical” £5.4m-rated sensation, he’d be a dream for Van Bronckhorst

As per The Evening Standard, there has been an update out of West Ham United as they continue their talks to sign Rennes star Nayef Aguerd.

The Lowdown: Moyes after new defender…

Hammers boss David Moyes is seeking to reshape his squad after just missing out on a finish in the Premier League top six last season, subsequently failing in their quest to seal Europa League qualification.

It is believed that West Ham are stepping up transfer talks with four departures having now been confirmed in Andriy Yarmolenko, Ryan Fredericks, David Martin and the retiring Mark Noble.

If the Irons are to maintain their phenomenal rise of the last two seasons, they’ll need to back Moyes, and it is believed they still have a major signing on the agenda in Aguerd.

The Latest: West Ham push for Aguerd deal…

According to The Evening Standard, West Ham are ‘pushing to complete a deal’ for the 26-year-old who has dazzled in Ligue 1 over 2021/2022.

The Morocco international is sought-after by Moyes with other reports suggesting he is a ‘key priority’ for the Scotsman.

The Verdict: Get it done…

A colossal presence for Rennes, Aguerd has received rave reviews with members of the media backing exactly why Moyes wants him at West Ham.

Indeed, Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic was ‘told’ that the African is the ‘best value left-sided centre-back in Europe’ and ‘every club should be after him’.

Meanwhile, Malik Ouzia of The Evening Standard claims Aguerd is ‘highly-rated in France’ – potentially making his mooted €15 million (£13m) fee look like a bargain.

In other news: Journalist: West Ham ‘in talks’ to sign ‘amazing’ forward for Moyes…find out more here.

Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell is set to hold talks with Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta regarding his immediate future.

The Lowdown: Five league appearances

Cresswell was a regular in the matchday squad under Marcelo Bielsa and Marsch last season, making his full Premier League debut against West Ham last September.

The 19-year-old was described as ‘unbelievable’ by Joe Wainman following his display against the Hammers and went on to make four more appearances in the top flight.

The last of those came in the dramatic 3-2 win away at Wolves, with Cresswell helping the Whites turnaround a two-goal deficit after coming on just before half-time.

The Latest: Talks planned

LeedsLive relayed comments from Cresswell on Wednesday lunchtime, with the centre-back currently away on international duty with England U21s.

The centre-back was asked about his Whites future, to which he shared his plans to talk with Marsch and Orta ‘over the next few weeks’.

Cresswell added that a loan move away from Elland Road could be on the cards as he wants to ‘to play more football’.

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The Verdict: Summer rebuild?

Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison have all been linked with moves away from Leeds in recent weeks, and it looks as if Cresswell could also be on the way out on a temporary basis.

Marsch inherited a small senior squad from Bielsa, so losing some key players and having a young star in Cresswell possibly wanting to leave in search of regular game time isn’t ideal.

It would leave the Whites needing plenty of senior signings, but you can understand Cresswell’s wish to play first-team football, and who knows, a loan spell away in the Championship could then help him break into Marsch’s first-team plans for the 2023/24 season.

In other news: After Kristensen: Radz & 49ers now ready to write Leeds cheque for ‘really exciting’ midfielder. 

Liverpool are now in the market to sign another attacking player after reports have emerged that Sadio Mane will leave the club this summer and an update on a potential transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to news outlet Football.London, Liverpool were set to make a huge bid for Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-Min this summer had the North London club failed to secure a top-four Premier League finish this season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

As per the report, the Merseyside had been planning to make a move due to the likelihood that either Mane or Mohamed Salah could leave Anfield and identified Son as a potential transfer target to replace one of their forwards.

Liverpool are sadly not expected to make an approach following Spurs’ Champions League qualification.

Any deal would have cost a sizeable amount with Chris Waddle suggesting he is a player now worth in the region of £125m.

Liverpool’s next Mo Salah

Although a deal for Son is seemingly unlikely following the aforementioned report, signing the player would be a major coup for Liverpool as he could have easily become the club’s next Salah if he was to make the move to Anfield.

According to FBref, the Egyptian winger is considered one of the ten most comparable players to Son this season, and it is no wonder they are so closely similar after the pair won the joint Premier League golden boot in the most recent campaign, scoring 23 goals each.

Although Salah has had more shots on target (49), the Spurs winger has a much better percentage of shots that are on target overall (54.7%) and Son has completed more passes (933) compared to the Liverpool star too.

With that being said, due to the fact that Mane could potentially leave this summer and Salah has not sealed his future a the club beyond the one year that is left on his contract, Liverpool should explore the potential of signing Son more seriously as he is not only Premier League proven but is a like for like replacement that could really work.

He also has that sneaky ability to rile his opponents with the Independent claiming he has a “mastery for the dark arts” this term.

The 131-goal star who was also dubbed “special” by Antonio Conte is tied into a contract at his current club until 2025, so if FSG did want to land a deal for the forward in the future they would need to make an ostentatious bid that Daniel Levy could not refuse.

AND in other news: Forget Mane: Klopp can land new LFC hero in deal for “tenacious” £100m “predator” 

Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts faces uncertainty over his future at the Stadium of Light, with his current deal set to expire in the summer.

What’s the word?

As per a report from Chronicle Live, Roberts remains coy over his future and is uncertain of where his career will take him next.

After Sunderland secured promotion in a 2-0 win over Wycombe on Saturday, Roberts insisted that he would just enjoy the moment, with the short term contract that he signed in January nearing its expiration.

Asked what was next, the 25-year-old said: “I’ve no idea to be honest, that’s for the next few weeks.

“I’ll just enjoy tonight and do whatever I can see what happens. We’ll have a few drinks and a lot of partying. You’ve got to enjoy these moments. I think Sunderland fans will enjoy theirs more.”

“I’ve only been here six months but you can see since the manager has came in, all the players have come in and the ones that are here, it means a lot. At the start of the season we had a rocky period with everything going on, we’ve steadied ourselves, got the wins and results and we can enjoy tonight and the summer.”

Neil must keep Roberts

Having scored the vital goal in the second-leg of the League One play-off semi-final, and having performed as a big threat against Wycombe on Saturday, Roberts has been first-class for Sunderland and has acted as the cherry on top for a well-versed Black Cats side who all seem to be on the same page.

Since his switch to Sunderland in January, the former Manchester City prospect has created 15 chances at a rate of 2.2 chances per game, with two of these being big chances.

Having featured 17 times for Neil’s side since January, Roberts has been a first-team regular and a key part of their promotion push which has now landed them Championship football for next season.

For a player who still has a lot more to give and possesses skills akin to technical excellence, Neil should not be messing around with a player who was deemed “one of the hottest talents in England” at the age of 17, and should consequently offer the 25-year-old a new deal.

In other news: Neil already heading for big summer disaster on SAFC’s star talent “who truly gets it”