Dele Alli is reportedly back on the grass but the Everton star may still miss the entire season after undergoing a groin surgery in January.
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Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Calvin Ramsay to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
That’s according to a report by The Scotsman, who claim that the 18-year-old right-back is wanted by all three of Leeds, Liverpool and Bologna this summer – the latter of whom reportedly saw a £4.8m bid rejected by Aberdeen in the January window.
Further reports claim that the likes of West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Burnley are also keeping tabs on the Scotland U21 international, for whom the Dons are believed to be demanding a figure in the region of £6m in order to part with.
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Speaking about the interest in his services back in April, Ramsay said: “It’s good being linked with big clubs but I’ve just tried to block it out really. You can’t get caught up in all of that. That’s the worst thing, especially as a young player.
“I’ve just broken into the first team this season, so I’m trying to block it out and keep playing my game. If you come into the first team and play well, like I have, anything can happen.
“The likes of Aaron Hickey came in at Hearts. He did well and got a big move to Serie A and he’s been brilliant, scoring goals and everything.
“Andy Robertson at Liverpool and Kieran Tierney at Arsenal, they’ve all been brilliant and they’re players I look up to, especially as they are full-backs like me. I’ve seen what they’ve done. I feel I could go on to do that as well.”
Considering how exciting a prospect Ramsay quite clearly is, it is not difficult to understand why Victor Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the full-back to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £540k-rated talent highly impressed on the right of Jim Goodwin’s backline, scoring one goal, providing five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.
These returns saw the £880-per-week right-back who journalist Martin Hardy dubbed “highly-rated” average an extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Dons’ joint fifth-best player in the Scottish top flight – with his consistently impressive performances seeing the teenager named as the Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Year.
As such, it is clear to see that the teenager is heading down a similar path to that of former Celtic starlet and Ramsay’s self-confessed idol Kieran Tierney – the 24-year-old left-back who joined Arsenal in a £25m deal back in 2019, and has been recently been linked with a £50m move to both Newcastle United and Real Madrid this summer.
And, considering the sheer amount of potential the 18-year-old possesses, it would indeed appear a highly advisable move for Orta to do everything in his power to convince the right-back of a move to LS11 in the coming weeks, as, by landing the £6m talent, the Spaniard could well have secured Leeds the next Tierney.
AND in other news: Orta can seal “unbelievable” Leeds signing with offer for “unreal” £32.5k-p/w talent
Celtic have seen numerous players make moves out of the Parkhead club in the past that have gone on to have success away from the Hoops.
One prime example is Virgil van Dijk, who after spending some time at Celtic Park went on to become one of the Premier League’s and Europe’s biggest stars.
Signed from Dutch club FC Groningen back in 2013 for a fee of £2.6m, the centre-back went on to make 115 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.
In those appearances, he chipped in with 15 goals and seven assists as well as winning two SPFL titles and one Scottish League Cup.
After leaving in 2015 for a move to Premier League club Southampton, the defender eventually ended up at Liverpool where he has lifted the top-flight title and the Champions League.
Even though Celtic ended their title winning 2021/22 SPFL season with the best defensive record in the top flight, the upcoming summer transfer window could now give Ange Postecoglou the chance to unearth his own version of Van Dijk at Parkhead.
Last week, the agent of Gent defender Joseph Okumu revealed that Celtic have shown an interest in his client.
Having been claimed to have similar attributes on the pitch to Celtic’s former Dutch centre-back by Johan Larsson, the 25-year-old racked up the third-highest number of interceptions (49) and tackles (41) in Gent’s squad this season.
He also had the second-highest average for blocks (0.9) and the third-most clearances per game (3.2) as well.
With Van Dijk racking up the second-highest average for clearances (3.1) and third-highest average for blocks (0.4) per game in Liverpool’s squad during the latest Premier League campaign, it’s easy to see why the comparison between the two defenders has been made.
Praised for his “tremendous” performances in the past, the £4.05m-rated Kenyan could well become Celtic’s next version of Van Dijk if he’s given the chance to show off his clear defensive talent at Parkhead by Postecoglou.
If the Hoops’ apparent interest in Okumu is genuine, then a move for his signature this summer could be a great bit of business. It would give Postecoglou the chance to strengthen his squad ahead of next season and prepare his men for the tough challenges they’ll undoubtedly be facing.
Manchester United have been linked with Darwin Nunez recently and the Benfica forward could be Cristiano Ronaldo 2.0 at Old Trafford.
According to talkSPORT, United are pursuing a deal to sign the 22-year-old Uruguayan, with the youngster reportedly keen on joining Erik ten Hag’s side this summer as the Red Devils plan a squad overhaul.
Nunez has enjoyed a fantastic season with Benfica, contributing 26 goals and four assists in just 28 Liga NOS appearances for the Eagles, averaging a superb 7.62 rating for his performances from WhoScored.
It is no surprise that his performances have attracted the interest of a number of clubs across Europe, but if talkSPORT are to be believed, United might just have the edge on signing him.
United have, of course, had a lot of success with Portuguese league signings in the past, with Cristiano Ronaldo the prime example.
The legendary forward initially joined the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and he went on to become one of the world’s best during his time at Old Trafford, contributing 18 goals and seven assists in his final Premier League season before his world-record move to Real Madrid.
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Unlike any of United’s players, Nunez was able to cause Liverpool some real problems last season, scoring in both legs in the Champions League against the Merseyside outfit, which was enough to earn the praise of Jurgen Klopp.
He said: “Really good, really good, I have to say. I knew him before, of course, but he played pretty much in front of me with these tough battles with Ibou Konate. Physically strong, quick, was calm around his finish when he finished the goal off.
“Good, really good. Obviously how you say in these situations, if he stays healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.”
If Nunez can realise his potential at United, then he could be the ideal man to take over from Ronaldo when he eventually leaves Old Trafford, and a season of tutelage under one of the greatest players of all time will certainly do the young Uruguayan no harm.
With Transfermarkt currently valuing the 22-year-old at £49.5m, he certainly won’t come cheap, but if he proves to be even half as successful as Ronaldo has been for United, then he could be a phenomenal addition to ten Hag’s side this summer.
Nottingham Forest have been promoted back into the Premier League for the first time in 23 years, and now they must use the upcoming transfer window to identify players who can help them maintain their top-flight status, with a new transfer target emerging.
According to Italian news outlet Area Napoli, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing SK Dnipro-1 striker Artem Dovbyk this summer.
As per the report, Dovbyk is seriously considering the possibility of a move to the Premier League via Forest.
The Ukrainian forward’s agent has also reportedly confirmed to Sports Arena that the Midlands club are in talks for the player.
To compete in the Premier League next season there is no doubt that Steve Cooper will be looking to sign players that can help them achieve their goal of staying up and avoiding relegation in their first campaign, and when you consider Dovbyk’s output this season the Forest boss will surely love him.
The £10m gem who was hailed “fantastic” by journalist Olga Tokariuk has had an impressive season for his Ukrainian side, scoring 14 goals and delivering five assists in just 18 appearances with more goal contributions than games equating to a goal or assist every 79 minutes.
Dovbyk has caught the attention of the world from his performances with his national team Ukraine, his most notable performance coming from Euro 2020 when the striker bagged an extra-time goal against Sweden to take his country to their first-ever quarter-finals in the competition.
Since then, the 24-year-old proved his worth on the world stage yet again at Hampden Park scoring in the semi-final of the World Cup Qualifiers against Scotland in a 3-1 victory, but unfortunately was not able to secure a place in the prestigious competition in Qatar as they were knocked out by Wales this week in the final stage.
Nottingham Forest will be keen to add more depth to the striker role in their team as their current number nine Keinan Davis is set to return to his parent club Aston Villa at the end of this month, so Dovbyk could be the perfect signing to adopt the role in the Premier League next season.
An update has emerged on Tottenham’s pursuit of Pervis Estupinan in the summer transfer window…
According to Marca, Fabio Paratici is now eyeing a deal to sign the left-back from Villarreal alongside an interest in landing his teammate Pau Torres.
The report claims that the Spanish team are open to cashing in on the £15m machine as they see this as a great opportunity to make money off of their Champions League run in 2021/22.
Estupinan would be an excellent addition to the squad to compete with Ryan Sessegnon as he is a young talent who has caught the eye with his displays in Europe.
Villarreal beat Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the Ecuador international helped to silence Lewandowski in a 1-0 win at home in the first leg.
The Polish centre-forward played the full 90 minutes and blanked in front of goal as he registered one shot on target and ended the match with a SofaScore rating of 6.6.
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Estupinan made an eye-catching six clearances, one interception and three tackles throughout the game as he impressed at left-back to ensure that Lewandowski, or any of his teammates, did not get anything out of him.
Football Consultant Reece Chambers previously dubbed him “really impressive” and that is exactly what he was in that clash with the Bundesliga giants as he silenced the legendary striker.
He was also superb in Villarreal’s other Champions League outings as he made ten appearances in the competition last term, making 2.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game – winning the ball back for his team on a regular basis.
These statistics suggest that he was defensively solid throughout the tournament, whereas Sessegnon made 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 1.5 clearances per match in the Premier League.
At the age of 24, Estupinan would also be a player Antonio Conte can work with over time to develop him into the perfect full-back for his system. He is a player with the potential to improve as he is yet to reach the peak years of his career and he would, therefore, be an investment by the club whilst also making an impact in the here and now.
Spurs will be playing in the Champions League next season and he has proven that he can be a solid defender in Europe’s top competition.
Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring James McAtee to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
That’s according to a recent report by The Athletic, who claim that Victor Orta is very keen on the idea of a move for the Manchester City attacking midfielder this summer, whether that is on a loan or a permanent deal.
The report goes on to state that, while Pep Guardiola is planning on using the 19-year-old as part of his first-team squad next season, City could be tempted into parting with the England U20 international should their own negotiations concerning a £60m deal for Leeds central midfielder Kalvin Phillips begin to drag on.
Considering just how exciting a prospect McAtee quite clearly is, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the youngster to Elland Road ahead of the Whites’ upcoming Premier League campaign.
Indeed, over his top scorer and fourth-highest assist provider in the division.
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It is this level of form that has seen the £2.7m-rated talent who Jacek Kulig dubbed “exceptional” earn comparisons to Manchester City legend David Silva, while Barry-Murphy also took the time to heap a considerable amount of praise on the teenager in an interview with GOAL earlier this season.
Concerning McAtee, the youth coach said: “I’ve seen a real hunger from him to develop his goal scoring, and drifting towards that goal. He is a very, very talented player and a very creative player.
“I think it’s very early in his development. He wants to score goals to support the team and work alongside his teammates but he understands he has a special set of qualities that will allow him to score goals and create goals. He’s very focused on improving that, which is intriguing me.”
As such, should Orta go on to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder this summer, it is clear to see that the Spanish sporting director will have landed an exceptionally promising young talent – one who, if he continues his remarkable rise following a theoretical switch to Leeds, could go on to become the Whites’ very own Silva.
AND in other news: Victor Orta now in talks for “scary” £18m signing, it’d be an “unreal” coup for Leeds
Leeds United could be interested in a move for Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech this summer, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.
Signed from Ajax in 2020 for £33.3million (Sky Sports), Ziyech arrived in the Premier League having already lifted the Dutch Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup.
Since then, the man who was named the Holland Footballer of the Year in 2018 has added the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup to his trophy cabinet whilst scoring 14 times and providing ten assists in 84 outings for the club.
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Now, as Chelsea hotly pursue Elland Road star Raphinha, it has been suggested that the Yorkshire club are keen on the Morocco international…
Speaking to The Football Terrace (28:07), journalist Jacobs has claimed that Leeds are keen on Ziyech regardless of what happens to Raphinha.
He said: “Don’t be surprised if Chelsea advance their interest if they bring Hakim Ziyech into the equation because my understanding from talking to Leeds sources separate to Raphinha is that Ziyech, should he leave Chelsea, has been a player on their radar.
“So there might be a possibility to do some business with Raphinha coming one way and Ziyech being given to Leeds. Because Leeds don’t just want a chunk of money for Raphinha to the tune of £55 or £60 million potentially, they would love to have a ready-made replacement.
“And they see Ziyech as a viable option and that would remain the case even if Raphinha goes elsewhere.”
Capped on 40 occasions by Morocco and a serial winner, adding a player of Ziyech’s calibre to Jesse Marsch’s ranks this summer would be a sensational coup for the club.
Predominantly operating from the same right-wing role as Raphinha, as a replacement for the Brazilian the 29-year-old who netted eight goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances across all competitions last season would be among the ideal candidates.
The former Ajax man – who shares a close stylistic likeness with star names such as Paris Saint-Germain’s Angel Di Maria, Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman and AS Roma maestro Lorenzo Pellegrini (Fbref) – earned an impressive 7.09 Sofascore rating last season whilst completing 1.2 successful dribbles and making 1.3 key passes on average per Premier League outing.
Hailed as ‘world class’ by Tim Cahill following a two-assist display against Sheffield United in 2020, Ziyech certainly possesses all of the creativity required to fill the void potentially left behind by Raphinha at Elland Road and should be considered a top target for Director of Football Victor Orta.
When it comes to European football (soccer), the word fan could easily be substituted for fanatic. Indeed, there is a large population of UK residents who love their favourite football clubs to their very core. That translates to a lot of football fans who look to their teams for leadership by example.
In the UK, there is a very close connection between fans who love football and those who love betting on football. From the friends who bet a pound on a match to the UK online sports bettor who wagers big money through online sportsbooks, the UK football betting community is vast. Since the leagues and teams know that many fans are betting on football matches, there is an unspoken need for them to always be mindful. They need to be mindful of promoting responsible gambling and protecting the sport from infiltration by rogue gambling elements.
For decades, there has always been an uneasy alliance between professional football interests and the UK gambling community. In a sense, it would be fair to suggest both parties need each other in order for both of them to exist at the highest level. Given this fact, both parties need to behave responsibly for the sake of fans and bettors.
What UK football fans and bettors want is assurance the games are being played fair without interference from the gambling community. This is especially important to the UK sports gamblers who are risking their hard-earned money in blind faith that the leagues and teams have taken steps to ensure fair and responsible play.
In recent years, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has seen the UK online sports betting community grow at an amazing rate. Seeing this, they have come to realize that more online sports gambling activity is going to eventually translate to more problem gambling issues. That is exactly the reason the UKGC developed and fully supports the GamStop Self-exclusion scheme.
Since the UKGC requires its licensed online operators to subscribe to GamStop, they are now two types of sports betting and online casino providers operating in the UK. On one hand, there are licensed operators that follow the UKGC’s GamStop membership mandate. Conversely, there are non-GamStop operators that operate outside the rules. For what it’s worth, reviews of the top non-GamStop betting operators are available at www.nongamstopodds.com
As part of its alliance with the UK gambling community through sponsorship deals, the UK’s top football leagues also support GamStop. They do so by promoting the scheme through their team websites and promotional materials. It’s vital that they show this support at a time when online sports betting is growing throughout the world. By doing so, it sends a message to football fans and bettors. That message is the leagues and teams are committed to protecting the image of the sport while also showing a willingness to stand behind UK gamblers who could fall prey to gambling addiction.
It’s near impossible for an online sportsbook or casino to monitor and control the activities of its customers. After all, its customers are grown adults who have the right to gamble online absent causing harm to others.
Still, online gambling operators do need to be intimately involved in protecting society from the ravages of gambling addiction. Most operators are doing that by obtaining licensing with the UKGC and abiding by the Commission’s directive to subscribe to the GamStop Self-exclusion scheme. By subscribing, it gives operators the ability to offer customers direct access to the program.
When the program is available, it’s incumbent on UK online gamblers to use the program if they sense gambling addiction is on their horizons. In such cases, the GamStop registration process is easy and free. All they have to do is provide basic personal information, select their own self-exclusion periods, and abide by the terms of the program. Effectively, they will be blocked from opening new UK online gambling accounts or using existing accounts.
For better or worse, there is a loophole in the who process. Should a sports bettor or casino gambler want to start gambling online again while under GamStop’s exclusion, they do have ways of doing.
One of the easiest ways for registered GamStop gamblers to beat the GamStop self-exclusion is to simply register with and gamble through one of the aforementioned non-GamStop gambling sites. For sure, there are quite a few reputable and reliable operators that are operating in the UK without licensing. No licensing means no way to access the GamStop database to identify blocked gamblers.
Here’s the bottom line. The UK’s football teams and leagues are influencers in local communities. In that role, they have to act in a responsible manner. That means protecting football’s integrity while also offering support for the problem sports gambler who might be struggling.
Photo by Unsplash
Nottingham Forest managed to turn around what started out as a rather dismal 2021/22 season into what ended as very special one with Steve Cooper managing to get the club back to the Premier League.
One figure that played a big part in Forest’s campaign was Djed Spence, who joined the club during the previous summer transfer window on a season-long loan from Middlesbrough.
With 46 appearances under his belt, the right-back scored three goals and delivered five assists along the way.
In the 39 Championship games he appeared in, the 21-year-old made 65 interceptions and won 38 tackles in addition to having 22 shots at goal and delivering 82 crosses in total.
Since then, it has been reported that the full-back is of interest to Tottenham Hotspur, which could dash any hopes Forest had of securing a permanent deal for the defender.
With that in mind, one other figure that the Midlands club have been linked with that could be an ideal replacement for the Englishman is Nahuel Molina.
After starting his career in Argentina, the 24-year-old joined the Italian club back in September 2020. Since then, the £18m-rated right-back has made 68 appearances for the club in which he’s scored ten goals and provided ten assists.
In the 35 Serie A appearances he made last season, the Argentine made 35 interceptions and won 26 tackles, highlighting his clear defensive talent.
However, his attacking prowess was on full show as well as he racked up the second-highest number of crosses delivered (83) and shot-creating actions (75) made in the Udinese squad.
In fact, a goal he scored back in April was described as “beautiful” by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala on Twitter.
This shows just how much of an asset he would be to Forest and why they’d be able to forget about Spence should they be able to get Molina through the door this summer.
Forest and Cooper should definitely do all they can to get the Udinese full-back to make a move to the Midlands given how much talent he has up and down the pitch.
The chance at playing regular football in the Premier League for a big club like Forest should work in their favour when it comes to convincing the player to join them this summer.
AND in other news: “Advanced talks”: Sky Sports journo drops claim that’ll leave Forest supporters gutted