All posts by n8rngtd.top

A number of Liverpool supporters are desperate for the Reds to sign Napoli and Italy star Lorenzo Insigne during the summer transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp may have an array of top attacking players to call upon, but he could possibly be looking for another strong addition in that area.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will all be vying for playing time next season and a fifth big name would make the competition even more fierce.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Liverpool is Insigne, who reached the final of Euro 2020 with Italy on Tuesday night.

The Napoli winger is reportedly wanted by the Reds this summer, following a superb career at Napoli which has seen the 30-year-old score 109 goals and register 85 assists.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-6/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans call for Reds to sign Insigne

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to talk up the Reds’ alleged interest in the Italian, with one supporter calling Insigne the ‘dream signing’.

“Would be a class signing”

Credit: @TobyLA2

“I know there’s little chance but I beg we make this happen”

Credit: @my_sum

“Yes please”

Credit: @MattiasArvidss1

“My dream signing”

Credit: @ROBSON_THE_RED

“Love to have him but can’t see him leaving”

Credit: @johnny171938631

“Don’t give us hope…”

Credit: @Lucianofang

In other news, a pundit has hinted at Liverpool making a shock move for one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are in talks with Manchester City over a potential deal for teenage forward Morgan Rogers.

And a number of Palace fans have been reacting to the update on social media.

According to The Daily Mail, Rogers fits the profile Palace are looking for. City signed Rogers back in 2018 in a deal that could rise to £8m, however, the report claims they would want just around £7m to part ways with the forward this summer.

The 18-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Lincoln City, scoring six times and registering four assists in 28 appearances.

Palace look set to sign Reading teenager Michael Olise, and it seems as if Rogers is another target for new manager Patrick Vieira.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared the links to Rogers on social media on Tuesday.

These Palace fans seemed to be all for a deal for the England Under-18 international, with one describing the update as ‘class’.

“Oh yes”

Credit: @EBERZEE

“The games begin”

Credit: @cpfcharlie0

“I’m excited about what the rest of the summer could bring.”

Credit: @MaxHawker

“class”

Credit: @notconnorlmao

“This is the guy from Lincoln. He’s actually sick”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“Trying hard to not get gassed”

Credit: @rileyeagles

In other news: ‘Season already ruined’, ‘Pain’ – Many Palace fans react as ‘absolutely wild’ news emerges, find out more here. 

An update has emerged on Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden, regarding Southampton’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Southampton are lining up a swoop for Newcastle central midfielder Isaac Hayden as they look to bolster their midfield ranks.

The report claims that Newcastle would be willing to let him leave if an offer of around £10m comes in. Watford are also said to hold an interest in Hayden and could ask for him in return for Will Hughes – who Steve Bruce is a fan of.

Bruce doesn’t need him

Newcastle must ruthlessly axe Hayden from the club this summer and allow him to join Southampton or Watford if the opportunity arises.

If Southampton come in with a bid of £10m, or even a few million cheaper than that, then the club must sanction his departure and use the funds to bring in a player with more quality than the ex-Arsenal man.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Hayden averaged an unimpressive WhoScored rating of 6.67 in 22 Premier League starts for the Toon Army, whilst failing to register a goal or assist from midfield. This suggests that he did not have the influence on Bruce’s midfield that he would like to, with his overall standard of performance fairly average throughout the campaign.

The £36k-per-week midfielder has, therefore, not shown enough to prove that he can be one of Bruce’s key men in the engine room. This means that the manager has no need for him as a regular starter and the club could be better off bringing in a new addition to freshen up options in that area of the pitch.

Back in 2019, Hayden admitted that he wanted to leave Newcastle and said that he would like to be closer to his family, as he was dealing with a family emergency at the time. The midfielder was seemingly willing to take a pay-cut at the time, hinting that a move down south would suit him.

He told The Times:

“She was in Newcastle at that point, but her family is based in the South West, mine’s in Essex and she really had no support.

“I want to be in a place for my daughter to settle down and have a happy home environment and not be moving around too much.

“Money isn’t everything. It’s about the time you spend with children, the effort you put in. I want to know her. I don’t want to miss her walking for the first time, talking, all those things. I want to be a proper dad.”

It remains to be seen if he still feels the same way two years on, but if he does, then it could work out well for all parties involved.

Southampton and Watford are both closer to home, which could allow him to spend more time with his family and enjoy his life on and off the pitch.

Therefore, allowing Hayden to leave to join Southampton, or Watford, could be a shrewd piece of business for the club whilst also benefiting the player himself.

AND in other news, “Drumming up this confidence” – Journalist drops Newcastle United takeover verdict…

An update has emerged regarding Serie A interest in Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Netherlands international is attracting interest from the Italian top flight. The report claims that teams in Italy are looking at the attacker as a potential target, although Villa’s stance on a deal remains unknown.

However, Conor Hourihane is said to be a player who is likely to leave the club in the coming weeks. A loan move to the Championship is looking set to be his next destination following his loan at Swansea last season.

Smith would hate it

Johan Lange must avoid a big mistake with El Ghazi this summer. He cannot allow the forward to depart from Villa Park to join a Serie A club as he is an important player for Dean Smith and his exit would be a blow to the coach’s plans ahead of next season.

El Ghazi enjoyed a terrific 2020/21 campaign for Villa. The 26-year-old scored 10 times in the top flight despite only starting 17 games, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.78. Only Ollie Watkins scored more (14) for Smith last term, with Jack Grealish (six) and Bertrand Traore (seven) the only other players who managed more than three league goals over the course of the campaign.

This shows how important the Dutchman’s goals were from midfield. Villa did not have a host of consistent contributors in front of goal outside of El Ghazi and Watkins, and selling the former does not appear to be a wise decision.

During last season, former Villa defender Alan Hutton lauded El Ghazi as “unstoppable” and backed him to succeed because of his strong mentality.

The Scot told Football Insider: “I’ve played with him and played against him. In training, he can be unstoppable. In games, I’m watching him thinking, do that, take them on, go forward. You’re urging him to do it because you know he can do it.

“There’s been question marks hanging over him for a while now, he’s been getting a bit of stick from fans. But I think he showed what kind of character he is in the Wolves game when he stepped up for the penalty. That’s where it’s turned for him. He’s definitely a confidence player. He’s the type of guy that sometimes needs the arm around him, and that’s just his personality, that’s the way he is.”

This shows how highly rated the £38,000-per-week gem is by his teammates, given that Hutton trained alongside him in the Championship. Therefore, he could be a good player to keep around the dressing room alongside his ability on the pitch, which is why Lange must avoid selling him to Serie A suitors.

AND in other news, Forget Smith-Rowe: Villa must land “exceptional” 24 G/A dynamo, Smith would love him…

Chelsea youngster Conor Gallagher is the kind of player Crystal Palace have got to be looking at this summer, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern.

While West Brom, where Gallagher spent last season out on loan, had a difficult 2020/21 campaign, it was still a campaign the 21-year-old can draw positives from.

After loan spells with Swansea City and Charlton Athletic in the Championship, it was his first taste of Premier League football, which he got plenty of.

In total, Gallagher made 30 appearances and scored two goals as he continued his development in the men’s game.

Palace are now thought to be keen on bringing the midfielder in and reuniting him with Marc Guehi, with The Athletic reporting on the club’s interest, and Palmer believes it would be the right decision.

“He did really well at West Brom,” the ex-Baggies player said. “He’s proved he can play at that level, so with funds going to be limited at Crystal Palace, you’ve got to be looking at a player like that to come [in on loan] and be part of your squad.

“He’s got lots of ability and I’m sure with Patrick Vieira taking over at the helm of the club that these players want to play for him.”

Bringing Gallagher in may not be straightforward, with Newcastle United also said to be interested in the England U21 international.

Premier League champions Manchester City have been linked with some big names this summer, but former player Paul Stewart can’t see them landing all three of Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and Harry Kane in this window.

There is a desire for City to land a striker this summer following the departure of Sergio Aguero to Barcelona.

The main name mentioned to replace Aguero is Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane with an astonishing £160m move mooted, and Stewart believes the club will make him their priority this summer, telling TT: “I think City are probably going to go all out for Kane.”

Manager Pep Guardiola will want to add the right players to his squad to ensure City are well equipped to defend their Premier League crown and also to ensure they reach the latter stages of the Champions League also.

With plenty of games to be played next season, squad size is going to be important. Fernandinho recently signed a new deal with the club, but there were reports from The Times that the club were lining up a move for another defensive midfielder, West Ham’s Declan Rice, if the Brazilian left in the summer.

As well as Kane and Rice, ESPN reported last month that City were closing in on a £100m swoop for Aston Villa star man Grealish, and whilst all three would make a statement and create a Galactico summer, Stewart can’t see the club landing all three targets.

He added: “I think it’s a push for them to get all three, they’ll probably get two of the three.”

Leeds United must finally look to land Manchester United star Dan James this summer amid Carlton Palmer’s recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Scottish Mail on Sunday (p129: 11/07), as transcribed by TBR Football, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are continuing to track the Wales international as they look to bolster their wide options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

And now, speaking to This is Futbol, former Leeds man Palmer said: “Bielsa has been after him for a while, and money talks. I don’t think Leeds are going to change their interest for the player, so they’re going to keep pushing and pushing.”

“Bielsa’s forever interested in Dan James”

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, Hay said: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa’s forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United.

“I don’t think it was ever really a possibility because it didn’t seem as though Solskjaer wanted him to go. I get the feeling that Bielsa will consistently be interested in Dan James, because he was very big on him when Leeds nearly got him from Swansea.”

After seeing their initial move for him break down when he was back at Swansea, James has since progressed into a valuable squad member at United.

CIES now value him at the £60m mark, while Andreas Pereira hailed the winger as being “explosive and so fast” in an interview to the club’s official website.

With both Ian Poveda and Helder Costa both really struggling to get to grips with the pace and intensity of Premier League last season – the duo combined for just three goals in 39 games between them – a move for someone who’s shown more signs of handling this level like James could be a shrewd move.

Given Hay’s suggestion that Bielsa will always remain interested in the Welshman, that is a real indication of just how highly the Leeds boss rates him.

The Whites should back the Argentine’s judgment and make another attempt at making James a Leeds United player this summer.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United transfer update…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dropped a new transfer update on Leeds United’s plans for the rest of the summer window.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had only seen Junior Firpo arrive through the door as a new first team signing this summer, with Jack Harrison finally seeing his move from Manchester City made permanent.

However, following confirmation of the arrival of Kristoffer Klaesson from Valerenga, Hay delivered an update on where things stand with the Whites at the moment.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “They were very keen on Conor Gallagher but he’s gone to Palace. LB was the priority this summer but they do still want a CM.

“The attitude towards a winger was that if the right player came up (like James, for example), they’d think about doing it, even if it was late in the window.

“But a CM was more of a priority.”

Fans will be excited

While Firpo’s arrival from Barcelona addressed the crucial need for a natural left-back this summer – especially with Gjanni Alioski leaving – Leeds have had a relatively slow start to the transfer window overall.

However, Hay’s update that the Whites still want a new central midfielder to join before the end of the window, and that they are open to making a new winger signing if an ideal opportunity opens up, should make for much more exciting reading for Leeds fans.

The Whites have done the first part of the main job in landing Firpo, and now they need to make a move towards bringing in a new midfielder and potentially even another left winger

If those deals get done, Leeds supporters will surely be absolutely delighted at how this transfer window will have gone.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have opened talks to sign this ace…

Steve Howey reckons former Premier League midfielder Aaron Mooy would be interested in reuniting with Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.

Mooy left Brighton & Hove Albion after Shanghai Port struck a £7.5million deal last year.

He has gone on to make 22 appearances for the Chinese Super League outfit, scoring two goals and registering three assists in the process.

The central midfielder, 30, previously made 120 appearances for Huddersfield Town and played a key role as the Terriers won promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2017.

Former top-flight defender Howey feels Mooy would be keen to turn his back on China in favour of heading to Scottish Premiership giants Celtic.

Mooy, who has won 42 Australia caps, played under new Celtic boss Postecoglou during his time in charge of the Aussie national side.

Postecoglou endured a difficult start to his reign at Parkhead after the Bhoys were knocked out of the Champions League in the second qualifying round and lost their Scottish Premiership opener against Hearts.

Howey thinks Postecoglou could turn to a familiar face to bolster his Celtic options and Mooy would be attracted to a move to Scotland.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Going to Celtic could be a good move for him because there are a few more clubs doing well in Scotland now.

“Clubs are getting better and better, so it could be a good move for him.”

Shields Gazette reporter Liam Kennedy has revealed Newcastle United’s transfer business is on hold until it is confirmed whether Joe Willock will return.

Willock joined the Magpies on loan for the second half of last season and finished the campaign by becoming the first player to score in seven consecutive Premier League fixtures since Alan Shearer.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has made the goalscoring midfielder his top target in the transfer window, with the club initially looking to agree permanent terms before exploring whether another temporary deal could be possible.

Willock’s fine form in the north-east has resulted in interest from a host of clubs, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted the 21-year-old still has a future at the Emirates Stadium and is part of his plans.

That has not ended Newcastle’s pursuit of the former England under-21 international, who scored eight goals in 14 Magpies appearances.

Kennedy admits the Toon Army will not be seeing any reinforcements head to St James’ Park until the club receives a definitive answer on Willock’s future.

He told Football FanCast: “I spoke to Steve Bruce and one thing he was really keen to stress was that, effectively, his transfer business is all on hold until there is an answer from Joe Willock.

“Whether that’s an answer from Mikel Arteta or Willock himself, we’ll have to wait and see. But they need an answer.”