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Wolverhampton Wanderers losing Max Kilman this summer would be a 'bizarre' situation amid interest in his services from Napoli, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Max Kilman and Napoli?

According to 90min, Wolves are open to letting Max Kilman go this summer despite rejecting an opening bid of around €35 million (£30 million) for the 26-year-old from Serie A champions Napoli.

The report states that Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is set for Bayern Munich, which looks to have stemmed their interest in taking Kilman, who could be tempted to leave Molineux on a personal level if an agreeable fee arises between both parties.

Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam via Football Daily gave an update on the state of play surrounding Kilman's future, stating: "The spotlight is on another defender in Max Kilman, they have rejected an offer from Napoli for Kilman; we understand the offer to be around £30m, Wolves value him at £35m plus. So Napoli not far away, they're losing Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich, so they need to replace him, and they have identified Max Kilman as the one to do that."

As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Wolves are set to demand £34 million for Kilman as they look to maximise their profit this summer on key assets.

Defensive duo Conor Coady and Nathan Collins have already left the building this window at Molineux to join Leicester City and Brentford, respectively.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has stated his belief that the notion of Kilman leaving the Old Gold is a 'bizarre' prospect for him to comprehend.

He said: "It is a bit of a bizarre bid; I really wouldn't expect them to be looking to do that. Kilman has obviously had interest in the Premier League as well, but the fact that Wolves fans don't seem that fussed about losing him suggests it would be quite a strange transfer."

Should Wolves look to sell Max Kilman this summer?

Wolves find themselves in a strange situation this summer with Financial Fair Play; however, Sky Sports News have reported that the Old Gold are now not in a position where they are desperate to sell players, with their official account on Twitter stating: "Wolves are now under no further financial pressure to sell any more players this summer, following Nathan Collins' £23m move to Brentford."

Nevertheless, Napoli don't seem to be budging in their interest surrounding the talented Englishman, leaving Julen Lopetegui with a big decision to make heading into the new season over whether Kilman is kept or sold.

Last campaign, the 26-year-old was virtually ever-present for his current employers, making 41 appearances in all competitions for his side, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Kilman excelled in sniffing out danger in 2022/23, completing an average of 4.4 clearances per match in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen what the future may hold for Kilman as both he and Wolves evaluate his next career steps ahead of 2023/24 commencing.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly showing an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach defender, Ko Itakura, with Ange Postecoglou's admiration for the Japanese international dating back to his time at former club, Celtic.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

According to Sky Sports Germany, the Lilywhites are said to be rivalling Napoli for the signing of the 26-year-old, with the former Schalke loanee seemingly "open to a change" this summer, as per reporter Florian Plettenberg.

While there is also Saudi interest in the one-time Manchester City asset from Al Nassr, Postecoglou may be hoping that his previous desire to sign the versatile centre-back – who can also feature in midfield – could count in his favour.

Reports back in 2021 suggested that the 57-year-old was keen to sign the 6 foot 2 ace during his first summer in charge at Parkhead, with that followed by further speculation last summer which also claimed that the Greek-Aussie was eyeing a move, in order to bolster his backline in Glasgow.

Who is Ko Itakura?

The 20-cap menace has no doubt warranted such interest from Postecoglou over the years, having previously been hailed as "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by pundit Hans Kraay during his prior stint on loan at Dutch outfit, FC Groningen.

Also described as "incredibly fast" by Kraay, the Yokohama-born ace was surprisingly unable to get a look during his time on the books at the Etihad after failing to make a first-team appearance during his three-year stint at the club, albeit with a move to north London potentially set to allow him the chance to finally enjoy a taste of English football.

Whether Tottenham should pursue a move, however, remains to be seen, with there likely to be some intrigue at the fact that Itakura is said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with Clement Lenglet, as per Opta's Player Radars.

That likeness between the pair is notably showcased by their desire to play out from the back, with Lenglet ranking in the 14% among his European peers for touches made, while Itakura ranks in the top 5% in that regard.

The duo are also alike due to their ability in the air, with the £31k-per-week Gladbach menace ranking in the 36% for aerial duels won, while Lenglet ranks in the top 38% in that regard, utilising his 6 foot 1 frame.

Although the belief is that the Lilywhites are hoping to bring the Frenchman back to the Premier League on a permanent deal following his loan spell last season, the 28-year-old hardly set the world alight in the 2022/23 campaign, having been branded an "imposter" by pundit Jamie O'Hara amid his errant form.

Remarkably, not only was Lenglet part of a defence that conceded 63 league goals last term, but the Barcelona man also recorded just a solitary clean sheet from his 26 league outings at centre-back, with his 6.65 average match rating, as per Sofascore, ranking him just 20th among his teammates at N17.

To think then that Postecoglou could land a possible carbon copy of the former Sevilla man with the signing of Itakura could be of concern to the Spurs faithful, with supporters likely to want to see an improvement on last season's shaky defence.

While the Japanese defender is his own man and is clearly a player that the one-time Australia head coach has watched closely in recent years, that similarity to Lenglet will not exactly be sparking much excitement in north London, if a deal is to go ahead.

Arsenal have not been afraid to buy from their Premier League rivals in recent seasons, having welcomed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City last summer, and already tied up a move for Chelsea's Kai Havertz this window.

Mikel Arteta, if he sees someone come available who can improve his team, will do all he can to secure them.

This has never been more apparent than of late, as his spending seems set to surpass £200m as the window rumbles on into July. If he is to end Pep Guardiola's monopoly over English football, there will be no greater opportunity.

Especially if they are the ones to pry Aymeric Laporte from the Etihad too, marking yet another player who could take that well-trodden path down the country.

Reports from Spain late last week have suggested so, with the Gunners having entered the race for the £120k-per-week Spaniard who struggled for game time last term.

Would Aymeric Laporte improve Arsenal?

Although the 29-year-old would only muster 24 appearances across all competitions during that treble-winning campaign, just a few years earlier he was a big favourite of Guardiola's.

The former Barcelona boss even went as far as to brand him "the best left-sided centre-back in the world" at the time.

This kind of pedigree was emphasised through his form in the league during the 2021/22 season, as he maintained a 7.12 average Sofascore rating, which made him the fifth-highest-rated centre-back in the whole of the Premier League and interestingly enough, the second-best left-sided centre-back behind a certain Virgil van Dijk.

What helped elevate these figures was his ball-playing excellence, as he maintained a 95% pass accuracy and a 75% dribble success rate, and tied it up with 1.8 clearances per game too, via Sofascore. That pass success rate just so happened to be the best in the entire top-flight that term, to emphasise Guardiola's claim.

FBref supplements this further, as when compared to other centre-backs across Europe, the UEFA Nations League winner sits in the top 1% for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

Combining this kind of power and elegance with William Saliba could immediately form one of the best defensive pairings in world football, and the perfect duo to underpin Arteta's possession-dominant philosophy.

Last season saw the young Frenchman maintain a 91% pass accuracy of his own, alongside a stunning 90% dribble success rate. However, his 1.3 tackles and three clearances per game outline him as slightly more capable of nullifying opposition attacks too, via Sofascore.

Standing at 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4 respectively, but with a confidence on the ball that a diminutive creative midfielder would be proud of, the combination of Laporte and Saliba could underpin a new period of English dominance handed to Arteta by his rival.

Gabriel has done little wrong since moving to the Gunners but in Laporte, the north Londoners would only go up a gear.

A deadline has been set for the completion of Mason Mount's transfer to Manchester United from Chelsea.

Will Mount join Manchester United?

The Red Devils have already seen two bids rejected by Chelsea for Mount, the latter of which was worth somewhere between £50m-£55m when add-ons are taken into account. However, the Blues have stood firm and, while initially wanting £75m for the midfielder, would now accept a figure around the £60-65m mark.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, however, time could be running out for a move, with a short deadline set for the finalisation of the deal.

"The conversation between Man United and Chelsea for Mason Mount continues," stated the journalist. "Man United will bid again, as I told you. Mason Mount has an agreement with Man United, wants to go to Man United, but timing will be crucial."

"Sources believe that this deal has to be completed by the end of next week. So this is why for Chelsea this is another crucial point."

If Romano's sources are correct then a deal for Mount would need to be done by July 2nd, putting a potentially difficult deadline on an already tricky deal.

As Romano states, United are expected to bid again for the 24-year-old, who only managed 24 appearances in the Premier League last season for a chaotic Chelsea side who had three separate managers during the campaign.

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino was reportedly eager to hold contract talks with Mason Mount as his current deal expires in the summer of 2024. However, his time at Chelsea seems all but over now, with the club not wanting to lose him for free.

For United, signing Mount from a rival would be an astute piece of business. The attacking midfielder managed a combined 70 goals and assists in 195 appearances for the Blues and has thoroughly impressed every manager he has played under.

Who else will Man United sign?

Naturally, Man United are not only interested in signing Mount and are expected to bring in several players during the transfer window. However, even Erik ten Hag himself has admitted to being unsure over available funds given the club's current ownership situation.

It appears United are interested in signing a central striker this summer, with Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and Rasmus Hojlund all having been linked. It would take a whopping transfer fee to lure any of them to Old Trafford this summer and United have already pulled out of a potential deal for Kane as a result.

The Red Devils were strongly linked with Napoli sensation Kim Min-jae as a centre-back option considering his €50m release clause, but it seems Bayern Munich have jumped ahead of the English club in the queue.

Ten Hag may have to wait for clarification on the takeover process before being able to make significant moves into the transfer market this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to explore the transfer window if reports linking the club to a La Liga gem are to be believed.

Molineux was rejuvenated by the news that Julen Lopetegui will remain as manager following Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns, with the Telegraph adding that the club will be able to spend on a budget this summer.

The latest link could unleash a fierce talent at Molineux, in a player that could challenge one of Lopetegui’s top performers.

What’s the latest on Geoffrey Kondogbia to Wolves?

As reported by Spanish publication AS – relayed by Sport Witness – Wolves remain interested in Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia.

AS stated that the 30-year-old would be a good signing for Wolves, explaining that he ‘fits’ what the Midlands club need both financially and on the pitch.

The link between player and club has been evident since January, when Fabrizio Romano revealed that Wolves approached the Spanish giants in the winter transfer window.

With one year remaining on his current contract, AS claims that Atleti have a price tag between €5-6m (£4-5m), placing him within the club’s tightened price range.

What could Geoffrey Kondogbia offer to Wolves?

Following the confirmation of Joao Moutinho’s departure and the saga surrounding Ruben Neves’ future, it’s expected that Lopetegui will seek a midfielder this summer.

Lauded as a “monster” by former talkSPORT reporter James Dodd, Kondogbia could be the man to not only succeed the Portuguese aces, but also challenge the current crop of talent in the squad.

Despite only making 10 starts in La Liga this past campaign, the Central African Republic gem maintained a win rate of 62% within his total duels, recording an average of 3.8 per game – reinforcing his dominance in deep midfield, via Sofascore.

At 30 years old and having played in the top divisions in Spain, France and Italy, the experienced whiz could fill the vacancy left by Moutinho in the bid to form strong connections with the talent on show at Molineux.

While Mario Lemina has impressed since signing for Wolves in January from OGC Nice, the former Southampton man could find his space challenged by Kondogbia.

When comparing the two via FBref, the Atletico ace comes out on top in attributes vital for defensive midfielders to possess.

The La Liga star averages in the top 1% of players in Europe in his position in terms of interceptions per 90, averaging 2.41 to Lemina’s 1.05, communicating the experienced player’s ability to read and dictate play.

A similar pattern is highlighted when it comes to the duo’s rate of tackles per 90, with Lemina averaging an albeit impressive 2.95 overshadowed by the £107k-per-week ace’s 3.51 per 90, which places him among the top 3% of midfielders in Europe over the past year.

Lopetegui could fulfil his wish of bolstering his squad significantly while adhering to the necessary budget limits in signing Kondogbia, and with the transfer window officially open, only time will tell if the Spaniard can make the deal a reality.

Tottenham Hotspur are going into this summer's transfer window with two new centre-backs on their wishlist for Ange Postecgolou.

Who do Spurs want to sign this summer?

Postecoglou has not even officially started his work as the new Tottenham manager as the Australian awaits 1 July before being able to start his duties.

However, there is the expectation that he will be working behind the scenes to provide his influence as Tottenham look to attack the summer transfer window.

And it seems as if that may already be taking effect with the Lilywhites believed to be in talks with Brentford to agree a fee for their goalkeeper David Raya.

Indeed, it has been reported by Fabrizio Romano that the Spaniard is keen to make the move to north London and has already agreed personal terms with Spurs.

Brentford are believed to value the goalkeeper at around £40m but the Lilywhites are hoping to see that price tag reduced given the 27-year-old only has one-year remaining on his current deal.

However, it is seemingly not just between the sticks where Postecoglou is eyeing improvement over the summer window.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the north London side are targeting the addition of a further two centre-backs:

"Obviously, they're going to have to bring in centre-backs. I said the plan way back previously was that they were going to try and bring in two centre-backs in this window. I think that remains the same because purely the higher line that Postecoglou will play. That's not going to suit a lot of the defenders that are there."

Will Spurs sign Clement Lenglet?

Last summer, it was believed Spurs were keen to bring in Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan, however, the Italian ended up remaining at the San Siro.

Instead, the north London side were forced to settle for Barcelona's Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan which did not include the option to make his stay permanent.

The Frenchman is now set to return to the newly-crowned La Liga champions with his loan deal coming to an end, but there is the belief that Spurs are looking to secure his services permanently.

Indeed, it has been claimed Tottenham have held talks with Barcelona and could even see Lenglet sign permanently for around £4m as Barca look to clear the decks.

Defence is certainly an area which is in dire need of improvements this summer after what proved a dreadful campaign for Tottenham's backline.

The Lilywhites ended the campaign having conceded a whopping 63 goals in the Premier League which was only beaten by five other teams.

However, what will be interesting to see is whether Lenglet could potentially be counted as one of the two desired centre-back arrivals if he is to join.

This will surely not go down too well with the Spurs supporters considering he spent the 2022/23 campaign in north London.

West Bromwich Albion endured a fairly underwhelming season in the Championship which recently ended with the Baggies finishing in tenth place.

With 46 games played, the Hawthorns outfit won 18, drew 13 and lost 15 along the way, leaving them with 67 points on the board, 23 behind leaders Fulham.

Now that this dismal season has come to an end, the focus can turn to the upcoming summer transfer window and the potential overhaul that Steve Bruce previously spoke about.

One figure that didn’t see much action for the Baggies this season that should be on the way out this summer is Kenneth Zohore, who was once called “lazy” by Neil Warnock when the duo were at Cardiff City.

After making two substitute appearances during the two opening league games of the season, the striker didn’t feature in another matchday squad throughout the campaign.

As the club’s highest earner with a weekly wage of £26k-per-week, the 28-year-old could be a prime candidate to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Andy Carroll, Sam Johnstone and Romaine Sawyers as players looking for new clubs.

One player that the club have been linked with that could be an ideal candidate to replace the forward is Jed Wallace.

With a total of 228 appearances in the Championship under his belt, as well as 37 goals scored and 39 assists provided, the 28-year-old certainly has the experience and attacking credentials to be a solid addition to Bruce’s squad.

Having played in 37 league matches for the east London club this season, the Englishman found the net six times and delivered 11 assists.

Labelled as being “unplayable” at times during Millwall’s 1-1 draw against Preston North End some weeks ago by Gary Rowett, Wallace racked up 300 crosses and 66 shots at goal in 38 league games for his side this season.

To put that into perspective, that’s 112 crosses more than Darnell Furlong managed to make who delivered more balls into the area than any other Baggies player.

If the Midlands club are able to finally bring Zohore’s time at the Hawthorns to a permanent end this summer, bringing in Wallace could be the best way forward for the Baggies and give them a great chance of getting closer to promotion.

In other news: Imagine him & Grant: Bruce can form deadly WBA duo by signing 28 y/o “smashing talent”

Arsenal have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their final game of the Premier League campaign against Everton today.

What’s the latest?

As per a report from Evening Standard, Arteta’s side are likely to be without Takehiro Tomiyasu, with the Japan international forced off in the 39th minute of the Gunners’ uninspiring defeat to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Monday night.

Tomiyasu’s muscular injury is the latest in what has been a considerable amount of problems for Arsenal in the business end of the campaign, with the likes of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey also out for the season.

As such, Cedric Soares is expected to fill in at right-back in the Japan international’s absence.

A big blow for Arteta

The latest injury at Arsenal represents a big setback for both Arteta and Tomiyasu, with the latter having endured an injury-ridden first season in the Premier League.

When he has played, the 23-year-old has been a defensive rock for the Gunners.

Boasting an average of 0.20 defensive actions that led to a shot attempt, his ability to turn over possession quickly has enabled Arsenal to hit on the break on numerous occasions. Though, it’s his defensive participation average of 1.26 interceptions and 0.91 passes blocked that Arteta will miss the most, in what is an integral game if they are to achieve their top-four ambitions.

In the Arsenal squad, Tomiyasu ranks joint first for his 1.3 interceptions per 90 and boosts the Gunners’ attacking threat with his average of 4.00 passes into the final third.

His offensive acumen would have been felt by Lampard’s side, who boasts the fourth worst defence in the league, having conceded 61 goals this season.

The blow to Tomiyasu is another frustrating setback, with the Japanese defender having already missed nine games with a calf injury earlier this season.

In other news: Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Arsenal dud who made just 8 passes was a passenger v THFC 

Frank Lampard has been working hard to keep Everton in the Premier League next season with a relegation battle going right down to the wire and to add to the relegation worries a new transfer threat has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing not one but three Everton players this summer with Richarlison, Ben Godfrey and Anthony Gordon on Antonio Conte’s summer wish list.

Since the Toffees picked their form off the floor in the last few weeks these three players, in particular, have caught the eye of the London club, and the report suggests that Spurs are watching the developments of Everton’s end of season outcome closely.

Supporters will be furious

There is no doubt that these three players play important roles in the team and have been three of the most influential in keeping Everton’s chances of survival alive, so the prospect of them leaving will leave supporters furious if it did go ahead this summer.

Richarlison has been linked with securing a new challenge at another club for months now, so it will come as no shock that Spurs have thrown their hat into the ring for the Brazilian goal machine. However, they will need to compete with the likes of Manchester United who have also shown interest.

Gordon would be a huge blow for Evertonians as the youngster is a boyhood Blue, which means a move away would be devastating for supporters of the club as if the current season hadn’t been disappointing enough.

Out of all three of these players Gordon has been by far the most consistent and hard-working player in the team this term and the position of the club bears no reflection on the performances of the young winger who in terms of form, has had his best season yet at Goodison Park.

The 21-year-old has bagged himself four goals and two assists but it is his all-round play that has been an absolute nuisance for opponents to mark and tackle in the Premier League this season.

Gordon has created 30 chances, successfully made 52 tackles and 21 interceptions for Everton and has won the majority of his 326 duels (50.3%) which shows how effective he is in making his presence known in the team. At such a young age to dominate your position with such strength is something the Toffees cannot afford to lose under any circumstances.

Ultimately, the future of all three of the players Tottenham Hotspur have their eye on currently will not be sealed until the end of the season when Everton will either drop into the Championship or remain in the Premier League.

If Lampard can keep his side in top-flight football we’re sure he will do his best to hold onto them.

AND in other news: Everton can finally axe “poor” £68k-p/w dud by signing 22 y/o with “huge potential”

Injured Everton centre-back Yerry Mina will be a ‘huge’ miss against Watford, according to Premier League pundit Paul Robinson. 

The lowdown: Mina becomes latest Blues casualty

Mina lasted only 18 minutes in Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Leicester City before sustaining an injury, with Michael Keane coming on in his place.

It’s the sixth separate problem the Colombian has encountered this season, limiting him to just 11 Premier League starts.

Left-back Vitalii Mykolenko, who scored the opener, also left the action midway through the second half after suffering from cramp.

Frank Lampard has now confirmed that the calf issue will sideline Mina for Wednesday’s trip to Watford, but Mykolenko is fine.

Everton head to Vicarage Road gunning for what could be three decisive points in the battle for survival. Victory would take them four points above Leeds United with just three games to play.

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The latest: Huge…

Robinson, speaking before the Ukraine star was passed fit, says both Mina and Mykolenko have been in excellent form recently, and thinks Everton could suffer from the former’s absence.

However, he’s confident that the Toffees have still done enough to survive.

“They really have been outstanding,” he told Football Insider.

“I don’t think their injuries will matter though. I think Everton are safe. The last two wins have done wonders for them.

“I truly believe it’s between Burnley and Leeds now. Everton have momentum after those two performances. They will take care of themselves now.

“Mina and Mykolenko will be huge misses but I think they’ve done enough. I’m sure they’ll be safe come the end of the season.”

The verdict: Another one?

Everton have been hit extremely hard by injuries this season, and that’s part of the reason why they’ve struggled.

As of 5 April, they had picked up more injuries than any other team in the Premier League (via Ben Dinnery).

For Mina in particular, it’s been a stop-start campaign, and he could leave the club with a decision to make.

Might it be wise to cash in on the £18million-rated 27-year-old if he’s so rarely available, and replace him with someone who’s comparatively bulletproof?

In other news, Robinson also reacted to links with this defender.