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Celtic signing Jota on a permanent basis this summer would be ‘huge’ for the club, according to ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Jota close to join Celtic permanently

The 23-year-old enjoyed a brilliant season on loan at Parkhead in 2021/22, thrilling Hoops supporters with his quality out wide.

Jota ended up finishing the campaign with 15 goal contributions (seven goals and eight assists) in just 21 Premiership starts, being hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Ange Postecoglou.

It is widely expected that the winger’s loan move will be made permanent this summer, with a deal hopefully being agreed in the near future. Indeed, Football Scotland reported last week that the Portuguese gem is ‘extremely close’ to sealing a permanent move to Celtic from Benfica.

The Latest: Whelan excited by possible Jota deal

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan waxed lyrical over Jota, saying that a permanent transfer makes complete sense and would be a significant boon for Celtic.

The 47-year-old stated:

“That would be huge. What an outstanding performer and player. That’s one that the Celtic fans will be licking their lips at. That’s one name they would want straight away back in the club and in the team.

“He was a joy to watch, fantastic and exciting. He fits straight into the methodology of how the manger wants to play.

“If they can’t get that deal done on a permanent then a loan, again, would strengthen Celtic and their push to retain the title next season.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for all parties

It would now be a huge disappointment if Celtic’s permanent move for Jota falls through, considering how much sense it makes for all parties this summer.

Benfica probably can’t promise him regular playing time and they would surely be happy to receive a mooted £6.5m fee for him, whereas the Hoops will see him as a key figure for years to come.

At 23, hopefully this is only the start for Jota, who could end up being one of the next great attacking players to grace Parkhead over a sustained period, assuming there are no late hitches over a possible permanent move.

Everton have been linked on numerous occasions to Conor Gallagher this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law, Everton remain interested in signing Conor Gallagher this summer.

In Law’s latest piece for the publication, the journalist reveals that the Toffees are still interested in signing the Chelsea midfielder this summer.

Lampard can land his own Bellingham

Frank Lampard is no stranger to Gallagher as he worked with him during his time as Chelsea manager, so he has sound knowledge and understanding of the strengths and capabilities that the young midfielder can bring to Goodison Park.

The £50m-priced dynamo has been impressing the world of football with his performances for Crystal Palace over his season-long loan deal that has earned him the accolades of Young Player of the Year from the London Football Awards and was named Crystal Palace’s player of the year.

Gallagher scored eight goals, delivered three assists and created five big chances, making 1.1 key passes, two tackles and winning 5.9 duels on average per game, as well as being successful in completing the majority of dribbles (57%) over 34 Premier League appearances.

His manager for the season, Patrick Vieira, gave high praise to the young player hailing him “special” in an interview ahead of the FA Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea that Gallagher was unavailable to play.

“It is difficult to find in the squad a player with Conor’s type of energy.

“He is preparing himself like he is going to play and that is what makes him really special.”

If Moshiri could land a deal for the Chelsea midfielder, Lampard could have his very own Jude Bellingham on his hands, with the Borussia Dortmund star named as one of the most comparable players to Gallagher over this season according to FBRef.

Although Bellingham completed more passes (1298) and more shot-creating actions (98), Gallagher has delivered more prolifically when it comes to shooting, with five more goals from his midfield position, also taking more shots on goal (52) and possessing a better shooting accuracy (42.3%).

Gallagher’s hunger for goals could be to improve Everton’s attacking threat following a difficult relegation scrap last season where the side scored 23 fewer goals than they conceded leading to a 16th-place finish.

With that being said, Moshiri must do everything he can to seal a deal for the Chelsea youngster even on a loan deal, because if he can emulate his output at Crystal Palace with Everton next season it could put the Toffees in a much more comfortable position moving forward.

AND in other news, Lamps can land huge Iwobi upgrade as Everton eye £15m talent who’s like Eden Hazard…

Everton are looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the new Premier League season, and a new potential transfer target has now been identified.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, the Merseysiders have approached Burnley with an interest in signing winger Dwight McNeil.

The Toffees join fellow Premier League clubs Fulham, Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Newcastle United with their interest in the 22-year-old.

Another Anthony Gordon

Everton desperately need to identify players who can make an instant positive impact on the team after a difficult and disappointing season for Frank Lampard’s side, and McNeil could certainly add a fresh perspective to the attack.

The 22-year-old was solid for Burnley last season despite their relegation from the Premier League, and although he scored no league goals, he proved that he can offer a formidable presence in his position.

McNeil delivered one assist and created six big chances, making 1.3 key passes and 2.1 tackles and taking 1.4 shots per game, whilst winning the majority of his duels (54%) and also proving successful in the majority of his dribble attempts (60%).

The £72k-per-week gem. who was called “dangerous” and a “real talent” by his former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, has been most comparable to Anthony Gordon in recent months according to FBRef.

Gordon scored four more goals in 2021/22, but McNeil’s attempted more shots with 52 compared to the Everton winger’s 44, while the Clarets ace is more accurate in his pass completion with 69.4% compared to Gordon’s 66.7%.

With that in mind, Everton could add greater depth to their right side by acquiring the services of the 22-year-old, who can also offer defensive attributes and better passing accuracy in games where Lampard’s side may be struggling to retain possession of the ball.

Ultimately, it could be another great piece of business for Farhad Moshiri if he can get a deal over the line for McNeil at a cut-price fee due to Burnley’s relegation, although he could have huge competition from other Premier League clubs so will duly need to offer something special to complete the signing.

AND in other news: Everton could land major Allan upgrade with swoop for £51m gem who’s “one of the best” 

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has warned Manchester City not to get rid of Bernardo Silva this summer after they put a huge price tag on the midfield maestro’s head.

The Lowdown: City demand £80m for Silva

The 27-year-old first joined the Premier League champions when he arrived from Monaco back in 2017, and has gone on to become a Sky Blues fan favourite during his five years at the club, making 251 appearances to date.

The midfielder still has three years remaining on his current contract at the Etihad, and it was claimed by the Daily Mirror last week that the club will demand ‘in excess of £80m’ from Barcelona this summer, who want to bring the versatile star to La Liga.

The Latest: Whelan sends City warning

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan suggested that whilst £80m would be a good value deal for any interested clubs, he strongly believes that Silva could strike up a great partnership with new signing Erling Haaland.

“He’s been one of the most consistent players for Man City in every season since joining. He was close to leaving last summer, but what a revelation he was in the 2021-22 season.

“On his day, he’s just one of these players you can’t defend against.

“£80m doesn’t seem a bad figure from a buyer’s perspective, especially as he has another three or four years of his best football ahead of him.

“I would be really reluctant to sell him if I were Man City.

“You’ve got Erling Haaland coming in who would thrive from having his quality. What’s the point of bringing Haaland in if he’s not going to get the service?”

The Verdict: Valuable creative outlet

With Fernandinho confirmed to be leaving this summer, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ilkay Gundogan, City need to do everything that they can to keep Silva, who has been a brilliant creative outlet in the middle of the park.

This season, the 70-cap international racked up 13 goals and provided seven assists across all competitions under Pep Guardiola, as per Transfermarkt, and played a huge role in helping the Spaniard get his hands on yet another top-flight trophy.

Whether the Lisbon-born talent will still be a City player come the start of August yet remains to be seen, but we find it very difficult do disagree with Whelan’s assessment.

In other news… another Manchester City first team star could reportedly be tempted by a ‘fresh challenge’ away from the Etihad.

Aston Villa are interested in signing West Ham United youngster Sonny Perkins, according to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: Rising star

Born in London, Perkins made the switch from the Leyton Orient academy to West Ham in 2019 before progressing through the ranks.

The 18-year-old striker has scored 19 times and provided five assists in 53 outings for the youth sides in East London, making three senior appearances under David Moyes last season.

However, as Villa continue to push for summer squad additions, Perkins appears to be the next on the radar of Steven Gerrard…

The latest: Romano on Perkins

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Romano has claimed that the Midlands club and a major Premier League rival have initiated discussions with the England youth international.

He said: “Leeds and Aston Villa have opened talks to sign promising forward Sonny Perkins. Perkins has made 3 appearances for West Ham. Both clubs want to sign him.”

The verdict: Faith in youth

Already heavily tipped to complete the signing of Rangers starlet Rory Wilson, the pursuit of Perkins – who was described as a ‘real talent’ by journalist Tom Clark following a goal for the West Ham Under 23 side – is another nod towards those in positions of recruitment at Villa Park looking to freshen up the ranks in the Midlands.

Last season, the teenage frontman scored 14 times and registered another two assists in 29 outings across the youth levels and three senior displays.

Seemingly prepared to make a move this summer following a contractual disagreement, Tottenham are also in the mix to land the six-cap England Under 18 sensation and therefore, Villa should be pushing hard to make this deal come to fruition ahead of domestic competitors.

Since arriving at the club, Gerrard has shown a penchant for giving youth a chance having blooded Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka and Tim Iroegbunam at various stages last term, a factor that could give Sporting Director Johan Lange the upper hand when attempting to persuade Perkins to join.

In other news, Aston Villa are eyeing a Champions League star Gerrard saw up close on a scouting trip

Celtic haven’t exactly come flying out of the traps with their incoming transfer business since Ange Postecoglou’s side were crowned champions.

What’s the word?

That said, it does feel as though some movement is now beginning to take place at Parkhead with the Hoops confirming an exit from the squad.

Error-stricken goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas has departed the club for FC Utrecht on loan, a move that now leaves a gap in their squad.

As a result, the Bhoys are lining up potential candidates to replace him between the sticks. Celtic still have Joe Hart and Scott Bain but according to the Daily Mail, Postecoglou wants more options.

With that in mind, the club have now added 6 foot 4 Benjamin Siegrist to their list of options.

He has been at Dundee United but is out of contract this summer and will be available on a free.

Edouard tormenter

With Siegrist about to become a free agent, it feels like a no-brainer for Celtic to bring him to Glasgow.

After all, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the Scottish Premiership and has shown firsthand just how good he is to Celtic’s players and their supporters.

If we cast our minds back to March 2021, Siegrist was busy tormenting the Hoops’ attack and in particular, Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman, now of Crystal Palace, found it impossible to beat the 30-year-old as Celtic drew 0-0 at Tannadice.

Siegrist achieved a quite extraordinary match rating of 9.7 for his efforts from SofaScore as he made a mind-boggling 12 saves in one of the most memorable performances between the sticks in the SPFL over recent years.

Consequently, it’s hardly a surprise that he was once described as a “monster” by Micky Melon.

The mightily tall ‘keeper knows the league inside out and if Celtic want to guarantee some assurance should their no.1 be missing, the Swiss is the perfect choice.

He boasts a phenomenal record against Celtic, is competent when one-on-one while his agility and reactions, as shown back in 2021 vs the Hoops, are simply first-class.

Unlike Barkas, he is clearly reliable in goal and would come £4.5m cheaper as well. As a result, Celtic must ensure he’s playing for them next season.

AND in other news, Ange can land his own Denayer as Celtic eye £7k-p/w gem who has “fire in his belly”…

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Djed Spence.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for Caught Offside, the Italian journalist revealed that Antonio Conte’s side are currently the frontrunners in the race to sign the 21-year-old right-back, with an offer of £16m reported to be enough for Middlesbrough to sanction the sale of the England U21 international this summer.

The transfer insider goes on to state that Bayern Munich attempted to open talks regarding a move for the defender prior to their signing of Noussair Mazraoui, while Nottingham Forest are also said to be pursuing a permanent deal for the former Fulham starlet after securing promotion to the Premier League.

In his article, Romano wrote: “Spurs frontrunners for Championship wonderkid…Djed Spence has already received many important approaches from clubs for next season since March.

“Behind the scenes, Bayern Munich tried to start a negotiation before retiring from the race as the Noussair Mazraoui (initially close to joining Barcelona) opportunity opened up.

“Now, Spurs are still in contact for Spence and consider him a possibility for their right-wing, but Fabio Paratici is always able to have three or four targets in the same position; Nottingham Forest are already trying to find an agreement with Middlesbrough to have Spence in the Premier League. Surprises are not excluded.”

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“Unbelievable”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Spence quite clearly possesses, Romano’s claim that Fabio Paratici is currently leading the race to sign the right-back is sure to leave the Tottenham Hotspur faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 42 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side this season, the £4.4k-per-week talent was in breathtaking form, bagging two goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.0 key passes, taking 0.6 shots and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

The £7.2m-rated full-back who Romano dubbed a “wonderkid” also highly impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 5.8 duels per game.

These metrics saw the 21-year-old average a rather sensational WhoScored match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Forest’s sixth-best player in the division.

As such, with the signing of a new right wing-back reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, the news that Tottenham are in pole position to land Spence is certainly an incredibly exciting prospect, as the England youth international would quite clearly be an “unbelievable” – in the words of Ian Wright – signing for Paratici to get over the line.

AND in other news: Paratici given green light for “unbelievable” £40m Spurs signing, he’s Conte’s “dream”

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Paulo Dybala.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, despite widespread reports suggesting otherwise, he has been informed that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are not pursuing a deal for the out-of-contract Juventus forward this summer – as the sporting director is not believed to be a fan of the Argentina international.

Concerning Spurs’ reported interest in the 28-year-old, Gold shared the following twist: “I know there are lots of Paulo Dybala links as there always are, but I’m told that’s not currently one that Spurs are currently looking at.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

“It’s interesting because you’ve also got to factor in that I don’t think Paratici is the biggest fan of Dybala, and I understand that he was one of the ones who were looking to move Dybala on from Juventus back in 2019 when Spurs were trying to sign him. So, I don’t see that as something that is likely to happen.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering the quite extraordinary form Dybala has been in for Juventus this season, in addition to Tottenham supporters revealing in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast that they believe the attacker would be a fantastic signing for Spurs this summer, Gold’s suggestion that Paratici is not currently pursuing a deal for the Argentine is sure to come as gutting news to the club’s fanbase.

Indeed, over his 29 Serie A appearances this term, the £36m-rated talent was one of the standout performers in the league, scoring ten goals, registering five assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.4 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £220k-per-week forward average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.43, not only ranking him as the Bianconeri’s best performer in the Italian top flight but also as the joint fourth-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear to see just how exciting an addition Dybala would be to Conte’s current options in attack, however, following Gold’s latest update, it would now appear as if a Tottenham move for the 28-year-old sensation looks extremely unlikely this summer.

AND in other news: Conte could land his next Kante as Paratici plots Spurs bid for “unreal” £60m signing

Manchester City have reportedly identified Brighton’s Spanish full-back, Marc Cucurella, as a potential fix for their lack of squad depth at the back.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from the Daily Mail, who claim that Pep Guardiola wants to add “hungry” players to his squad, with the 23-year-old reportedly fitting the bill.

In his report, the Daily Mail’s Dominic King states that a move for the former Barcelona youth prospect will set the Citizens back around £30m this summer – around double the £15.4m fee that Brighton paid Getafe for his services last summer.

Delivery Expert

In what has been his debut season in England’s top flight, it’s fair to say that Cucurella has taken the Premier League by storm, so it is no wonder why Guardiola has identified his countryman as a viable option to fix his depth issues at full-back.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that he is willing to move for the Spaniard less than a year after his move to Brighton.

This move also suggests a lot about the Man City boss’ tactics going into next season, as he clearly wants a more direct and orthodox option to create a plethora of chances from the wide areas and become a “delivery expert” – in the words of Statman Dave – for the incoming Erling Haaland – who has the potential to be an elite striker for City.

Guardiola has clearly taken a page out of Jurgen Klopp’s tactical notebook, the one that hits a fine balance between a mass-possession foundation, merged with a loud and abrasive pressing system that leads to direct counter-attacking transitions.

Cucurella is the man that can help City and Pep to achieve this slight switch in style, and his average of 2.69 crosses per 90 can benefit both the manager and Haaland massively – a metric that beats Zinchenko’s average of 1.78 crosses per 90 and falls just short of Cancelo’s average of 2.80 per match.

Pep’s experiment with an inverted full-back in Cancelo is clearly over, with orthodox full-backs now looking as though they will have a place once again in the Spaniard’s ever-evolving system.

In other news: Mike Keegan drops big behind the scenes Man City update, it’s awful news for Guardiola 

Sheffield Star journalist Joe Crann has provided an update on the futures of Massimo Luongo, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Jack Hunt and Joe Wildsmith at Sheffield Wednesday. 

The lowdown: Overhaul pending…

Having missed out on promotion to the Championship via the play-offs, there is expected to be a raft of changes amidst the Hillsborough ranks this summer, with Owls manager Darren Moore surely looking to strengthen the squad in order to aim for automatic promotion in 2022/23.

However, in order for wholesale changes to occur, a host of first-team figures could follow Saido Berahino, Chey Dunkley and Sam Hutchinson out of the Yorkshire club.

The latest: Four players offered new deals

Taking to Twitter, Crann issued an update on four Sheffield Wednesday players who have all played their part in Moore’s plans recently.

The reporter outlined: “Confirmed: #SWFC have offered new deals to Massimo Luongo, Jack Hunt, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, and Joe Wildsmith – none of them have put pen to paper yet.”

Meanwhile, in a corresponding report for the Sheffield Star, the journalist also confirmed that Lewis Gibson, Tyreece John-Jules, Harlee Dean, Florian Kamberi, Olamide Shodipo, Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Jordan Storey would all be returning to their parent clubs after their respective loan spells at Hillsborough.

The verdict: Busy summer ahead

It appears that the hard work has already begun behind the scenes as Moore and co attempt to build a squad ready to challenge at the top of League One once again.

All three of Hunt, Wildsmith and Luongo are out of contract in July, whilst Mendez-Laing – who was hailed by Henry Winter for a ‘brilliant’ display against Liverpool in 2019 when he was at Cardiff – was only signed in November 2021 on a short-term deal and has since made 19 appearances for the Owls.

Overall, the quartet who are hoping to be retained made 103 combined outings across the 2021/22 campaign for Moore’s side, and it’s no surprise to see that the club would be willing to extend each of their stays into the 2022/23 season and possibly beyond.

In other news, a Sheffield Wednesday transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.