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Reliable journalist Pol Ballus of The Athletic has now shared a major update on Manchester City and their chase for Brighton star Marc Cucurella.

The Lowdown: Guardiola sets sights on Cucurella…

After clinching a fourth Premier League crown in five seasons last month, Sky Blues head coach Pep Guardiola has now set his sights on the transfer window, and a real summer of change could be on the cards at Eastlands.

City’s 3-2 smash-and-grab final day victory over Aston Villa sealed one of the most dramatic title wins in English football a month ago as Guardiola’s men came back from 2-0 down with three goals in five minutes late on.

However, some members of that pivotal team may well be on the way out as exit links surround the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus and final day hero Ilkay Gundogan (The Times). Even one of City’s best players of the 2021/22 season, Bernardo Silva, is being heavily courted by Barcelona.

In terms of incomings, it is reliably believed that Cucurella of Brighton is a major target for Guardiola, who is looking to add more balance down the left channel.

The Latest: City talks imminent…

According to Ballus of The Athletic, City’s talks for the Spaniard are set to begin ‘within days’, and fellow reporter Andy Naylor of the same publication anticipates ‘hair-raising’ negotiations.

Ballus explained: “Talks to start within days. Brighton to ask £50m-plus. City expecting to negotiate, or will walk away. Chelsea expected on the mix too. Cucurella more seduced by City.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

While £50m would be a heavy price to pay for sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, we believe that City should grant Guardiola his wish and make a move for the Brighton defender.

Cucurella dazzled at the Amex Stadium last season, finishing as their second-best regular starter by average match rating, with only star midfielder Yves Bissouma outdoing him (WhoScored).

The marauding full-back, who has been called ‘sensational’ by members of the media (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette), also put in some memorable outings, perhaps most notably against City’s arch-rivals Manchester United.

Former top-flight goalkeeper Paddy Kenny raved to Football Insider over Cucurella’s relentless performance against the Red Devils, even claiming the ex-Getafe man ‘tore them apart’ in the Seagulls’ 4-0 win last month.

Still just 23 years old, the Spaniard could be a real fixture in Guardiola’s starting XI for many years to come.

In other news: Club already preparing to lose ‘very special’ star with Man City agreement possible…find out more here.

Sky Sports News have shared some major transfer news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters in the last 48 hours involving their pursuit of Yves Bissouma.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for busy summer…

Spurs manager Antonio Conte, after sealing his side’s place in the Premier League top four last season, securing the riches of Champions League football, is now setting his sights on this summer’s transfer market.

Indeed, the Lilywhites have already confirmed the signings of both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on Bosman deals and we’re only a week into the window’s opening.

Links have emerged to many more potential additions in this last week alone and Spurs supporters could be set for a rather exciting two months before next season’s commencement.

The Latest: Sky Sports confirm Spurs have won the race

News broke earlier this week that the Lilywhites are eyeing a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion star Bissouma (Football.London).

They weren’t alone, facing competition from Arsenal and West Ham United, while Aston Villa also showed an interest last month.

Sharing news on live TV, Sky Sports (via Football Daily) have in the last 48 hours shared a major update coming out of north London – Spurs have got their man.

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According to their information, ‘it is understood’ that Tottenham have ‘agreed’ a deal worth around ‘£25 million’ to sign Bissouma.

Sky add that it looks like the Mali international is ‘going to be joining’ both Perisic and Forster at Hotspur Way as Conte closes in on a third summer signing.

The Verdict: Fantastic business…

£25m for a player of Bissouma’s ilk is nothing short of a brilliant piece of business.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 21/22 as Brighton’s best-performing regular by average match rating whilst totalling their highest number of successful challenges and interceptions made per 90.

Proven in England’s top flight and a robust tackler in front of the back four, Conte may well be about to welcome a major upgrade at a bargain price thanks to his contract situation.

This feels like the first major piece of business following the shrewd captures of Perisic and Forster.

In other news: Conte enters pole position to sign ‘excellent’ international defender for Spurs! Find out more here.

Sharing some live-on-air transfer news out of Southampton, Sky Sports have a major update for supporters involving Man City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.

The Lowdown: Saints eye move…

Recent reports have suggested that Ralph Hasenhuttl and co are edging nearer the Republic of Ireland international who dazzled on loan at Portsmouth from the Sky Blues over 2021/2022.

Bazunu is arguably one of the most promising up-and-coming keepers in the country right now, prompting real interest from the Saints and transfer chief Martin Semmens.

Both Ederson and USA international Zack Steffen are ahead of the 20-year-old in Pep Guardiola’s goalkeeping pecking order, potentially opening the door for Southampton as Bazunu seeks more playing time.

The Latest: Sky share live on air update…

According to Sky Sports, sharing news on live TV (via Football Daily), Hasenhuttl is now ‘on the verge’ of completing a deal for the shot-stopper.

They add that the deal could be worth up to £15 million as Southampton look to bolster their goalkeeping department.

The Verdict: Great news…

Bazunu comes with an already-glowing reputation and has been hailed as ‘world class’ for his performances on a temporary spell at Fratton Park.

Signing the starlet will come as a very shrewd bit of business for Southampton, especially for £15m, as the City man potentially looks ahead to many fine seasons between the sticks at such a young age.

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley predicted that Bazunu would become a Premier League keeper and it appears he has been proven right.

In other news: ‘Likely to be resolved quickly’ – Southampton meet with agent as they ‘world class’ 40-cap forward move…find out more here.

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”

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s interest in signing Dion Sanderson in the upcoming summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Northern Echo, the Black Cats are keen on a swoop to bring the 22-year-old back to the club as Kristjaan Speakman plots a bid to improve Alex Neil’s squad.

The report claims that the 6 foot 3 tank does not feature in Wolves’ plans for the 2022/23 campaign, with the Premier League club willing to let him go in the coming months.

Sunderland are now prepared to offer Sanderson a way out of Molineux and are open to either a loan or permanent deal for the defender.

He’ll get the Stadium of Light rocking

Bringing Sanderson back for a second spell on Wearside will get the stadium rocking, as he enjoyed an excellent time on loan at the club in the 2020/21 campaign.

The centre-back played 26 times in League One that season and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.92. He won 61% of his individual duels in total and made 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game as he caught the eye at the back, earning plaudits from his manager at the time.

Former Black Cats boss Lee Johnson previously lauded the defender, saying: “He’s a centre-half and at his age level he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

Sanderson’s statistics and his ex-manager’s comments suggest that the 22-year-old impressed during his time on loan at Sunderland two years ago, and that is why the fans would surely love to see him back. The stadium would be rocking with excitement to see him in action again, particularly after the club’s recent promotion.

The 22-year-old has Championship experience from his time on loan at Birmingham and QPR in the second tier last term. He recorded 26 appearances between the two clubs and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match as he picked up valuable game-time throughout the campaign, which means that he knows what it takes to perform at that level.

Sanderson also still has plenty of scope for further improvement as he is in the early throes of his career at the age of 22. He is a player with whom Neil can work over time on the training pitch to help him fulfill his potential as a centre-back.

Hopefully Speakman can get this deal over the line and the fans can look forward to seeing him in Sunderland colours again next season.

AND in other news, “Expected imminently”: Sky Sports journalist drops big Sunderland claim, supporters will love it…

Wolves have been dealt a potential blow in their long-running quest to sign Joao Palhinha this summer, with Bayer Leverkusen now seeing him as a ‘priority’ transfer target.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

Bruno Lage will be eager to bring in new faces between now and the start of next season, especially if he loses key figures such as Ruben Neves.

Palhinha has undoubtedly been the player most commonly linked with a move to Wolves, following an impressive season at the heart of Sporting CP’s midfield.

Recent reports have continued to talk up the move coming to fruition but a fresh update suggests the pursuit which dates all the way back to last summer may have taken a worrying twist.

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The Latest: Possible blow emerges

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], former UEFA Cup winners Leverkusen ‘don’t give up’ on trying to entice Palhinha to the club, with the Bundesliga side considering him a ‘priority’ signing.

On the plus side, they could struggle to stump up the cash to sign the 26-year-old, with it looking as though they are only willing to spend €15million (£12.7m) on him.

Sporting want between €20-25million (£17m-21.2m) for the Portuguese maestro’s services.

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The Verdict: Competition going to be tough

Palhinha is a Champions League level player who averaged a 91.9% pass completion rate for Portugal in World Cup qualifying, so Wolves were always going to have a fight on their hands signing him.

The lure of playing for one of the Bundesliga’s top teams could sway the midfielder’s thinking, although much looks like it could depend on their lack of financial clout.

It feels like a transfer saga that could rumble on for some time, but if Wolves are to lose Neves, they simply must replace him with someone of Palhinha’s calibre or even better.

In other news, one Wolves player’s future remains uncertain. Find out who it is here.

Manchester City are ‘expected to pursue’ a deal for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, claims Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan.

The Lowdown: Fernandinho’s departure

After nine years at the Etihad, club captain Fernandinho is set to return to Brazil with a move back to Athletico Paranaense.

The 37-year-old said his goodbyes during Monday’s Premier League title parade after winning his 14th trophy with the Sky Blues.

The defensive midfielder amassed 383 appearances for City, scoring 26 goals and producing 33 assists during this time.

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The Latest: Phillips the perfect target

With Fernandinho’s departure, City have set their sights on signing a new central midfielder.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Leeds star Kalvin Phillips tops the list of potential replacements. The 26-year-old has been identified as having the ‘perfect profile’ for the position.

Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan also shared the news to Twitter, claiming: “Man City expected to pursue deal for Kalvin Phillips over the coming weeks”.

The Verdict: Great signing

With previous reports linking West Ham ace Declan Rice with a move to the Etihad, the news that City are interested in his England midfield-partner hardly comes as a surprise.

With Fernandinho’s departure, it is necessary for director of football Txiki Begiristain to dip into the transfer market and sort a replacement, given the Brazilian’s importance to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Therefore, if City can convince Leeds to sell their ‘powerful’ midfielder for the right price, this will be a great signing for the Cityzens and possibly a cheaper one than Rice.

In other news: Manchester City: Danny Mills makes Declan Rice transfer claim

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Calvin Bassey to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to ExWHUemployee, with the Irons insider revealing on The Fourth Official (via West Ham Zone) that David Moyes’ side have now opened talks with Glasgow Rangers regarding a move for the versatile left-back at the end of the current campaign.

In the post, Ex said: “I have been told by several reliable sources that several Premier League clubs, including West Ham United, are interested in the services of Calvin Bassey. The defender is under contract until 2024 so it is going to take an obscene amount of money to tempt Rangers.

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“The player caught the eye of the world with his performances but the interest from West Ham United in the left-back turned centre-half was there from before the Europa League final. Apparently, the interest has been amped up since the final, with West Ham starting talks with Rangers for the defender.”

A signing “like Van Dijk”

Considering just how impressive Bassey has been for Rangers this season, and with it being reported that West Ham are targeting the signing of a new centre-back who can also play on the left, it is easy to see why the Irons would be interested in a deal to bring the 22-year-old to east London this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £10k-per-week defender has been imperious in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s backline at both left-back and in the centre. He has helped his side to keep 13 clean sheets, registered three assists and created one big chance for his team-mates, along with making 52.3 passes, 0.7 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 1.2 clearances and winning 5.2 duels (at a success rate of 63%) per game.

The former Leicester City starlet, who Jamie O’Hara claimed is “like Van Dijk”, also impressed over his 14 Europa League outings this term, helping the Gers to keep two clean sheets en route to the final. He provided one assist and created two big chances, in addition to making 1.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 1.6 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per match.

Furthermore, according to FBRef data, the Nigeria international ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues and continental tournaments for blocks per 90, in addition to the top 6% for pressures, the top 9% for tackles, the top 1% for dribbles completed, the top 5% for assists and the top 17% for xA over the last 365 days.

Considering his age, positional versatility and undoubted ability – not to mention his very reasonable £9m asking price – it would very much appear as if the signing of Bassey could be akin to West Ham landing their own Virgil van Dijk this summer. That leads us to believe that Moyes must do everything he can to convince the 22-year-old of a move to the London Stadium at the end of the current campaign.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano claims West Ham are set to seal 1st summer signing, Moyes will be buzzing

One of Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Futures up in the air

The Reds may be riding the crest of a wave at the moment following their FA Cup triumph on Saturday, but some off-field matters are causing concern.

Both Salah and Mane are out of contract at the end of next season, and as of now, neither have signed new deals to prolong their respective stays at Anfield.

That means that they could both leave on free transfers next year, or possibly exit in a big-money move this summer.

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The Latest: Whelan backs either Salah or Mane to leave

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan backed one of the Liverpool superstars to move on this summer. The one-time BBC radio pundit said:

“I do believe that one of them will go, whether it’s Salah or Mane. I’ve just got this gut feeling. I would love the two of them stay at Liverpool, I really would.

“It’s a really difficult proposition for Liverpool because I’m not sure what they would want to do. I would love to keep both of them, I really would.

“I just think financially, for the club, you wouldn’t want to hold on any longer. It’s either you sign the two of them now and give them what they want for four years and you take everything out of the equation, or you bring in some capital where you’re going to use on a player for the longevity.

“I just think there might be something in the pipeline, there might be a surprise at the end of the season. Whether that’s a Jude Bellingham or another winger, you’ve got Carvalho coming from Fulham. That’s an extra winger already.”

The Verdict: Will they both stay?

In terms of their own careers, it makes perfect sense for both Salah and Mane to stay on at Liverpool, with the Reds arguably Europe’s best and most appealing team at present along with Manchester City.

For that reason, you would still expect the legendary duo to remain at Anfield – Jurgen Klopp has described them both as ‘world-class’ – but there seems to be no guarantee of that currently.

It could simply be a case of waiting for the season to end before agreeing terms on new contracts, but there is a constant nagging feeling that one could suddenly depart, which would feel like a massive blow to the Reds given their enormous goal tallies of 155 for Salah and 119 for Mane at Liverpool.

Mane arguably feels the more likely of the two to move on, with Bayern Munich linked with signing the Senegal star this week, but he still has so much to offer and Liverpool must nail him down to a new contract, especially with him being in such good scoring form in 2022.

In other news, one Liverpool transfer could be announced imminently. Read more here.

Newcastle United will be looking to play their part in the Premier League title race as they face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium today.

The Magpies lost 1-0 to Liverpool last time out and now come up against the reigning champions away from home. A win for the Toon will hand the Reds a major boost in their pursuit of the title and improve their own chances of finishing in the top half.

Eddie Howe’s men had won four consecutive games prior to their clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side and will be hoping to resurrect that form for this meeting with Pep Guardiola.

One player that the 44-year-old must brutally axe from the starting XI is Joe Willock after his disappointing display last week.

Howe must axe Willock

Freddie Ljungberg previously dubbed the midfielder as “passive”, and that is exactly what he was against Liverpool. As per SofaScore, the 22-year-old lost four of his seven duels and only completed seven passes in his 67 minutes on the pitch. He also had just 19 touches and failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles. 

In the Premier League this season, he has lost 60% of his aerial battles and 52% of his individual duels. This shows that he has been a lightweight throughout the campaign as he has failed to outmuscle the opposition on a regular basis.

His lack of strength in the middle of the park means that he can be a passenger in games, as he is unable to hold his own weight against teams who use their physique to their advantage. This is why the £80k-per-week dud must be dropped for today’s match, as he would likely be dominated by the Manchester City players.

Rodri has won 69% of his aerial battles and 56% of his duels overall in the top flight. This suggests that the Spaniard will be able to dominate Willock if it comes down to a physical confrontation between the two in the middle of the pitch.

The ex-Arsenal man has also not done enough in possession to make up for his weak play off the ball. He has scored two goals and failed to provide a single assist this season, which means that he has not made enough of an impact in the final third to warrant a start for this particular match-up when his lack of strength could be his downfall.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: Howe must land NUFC swoop for £17.1m gem who “radiates calmness”…