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Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: O’Brien superb for Huddersfield

The 23-year-old has arguably become the Terriers’ most influential player in recent years, standing out with his superb performances in midfield – indeed, he posted the squad’s highest WhoScored rating in 2021/22 when goalkeepers are excluded.

O’Brien started 46 Championship games last season and helped guide his team to the play-off final, where they were eventually beaten 1-0 by Forest at Wembley.

It now looks as though the Englishman could be heading to the club which shattered Huddersfield’s Premier League dreams six weeks ago.

The Latest: Forest eye up O’Brien move

According to The Athletic, Forest are in talks to sign O’Brien in the summer transfer window, as Steve Cooper looks to bolster his options ahead of his side’s return to the Premier League.

Discussions are believed to be ongoing, with Harry Toffolo and Morgan Gibbs-White also mentioned as possible suitors in the report.

The Verdict: Great potential addition

O’Brien may be unproven in the Premier League but he is someone who looks ready to make the step up to the next level, having mastered the Championship at this point and been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by his former Terriers boss Carlos Corberan.

Indeed, Cooper will be all too aware of the damage that the 23-year-old can yield. When the current Forest manager was in charge of Swansea in February 2021, they fell to a crushing 4-1 loss at Huddersfield in which O’Brien scored one goal and set up another (Transfermarkt).

The midfielder could be a perfect fit for Forest, possessing technical quality on the ball but also endless tenacity out of possession, having averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the league last season.

At 23, O’Brien should only mature further in the coming years, further highlighting why he could be an excellent signing who can enhance Forest’s midfield next season.

Despite finishing 11th in the Premier League last season, Newcastle United only managed to score 44 goals across their 38 games.

In fact, teams such as Crystal Palace, Brentford and Aston Villa scored more than the Magpies despite finishing behind them in the final table.

One player in Newcastle’s ranks who was brought in during the January transfer window to try and improve their scoring output is Chris Wood.

After making his move to St James’ Park in January from Burnley in a deal worth £25m, the striker – who is now the joint-highest earner at the club with a wage of £100k-p/w – only netted two goals in 17 league games.

The 30-year-old may only be a fairly new addition to Newcastle’s squad, but should Eddie Howe find himself thinking that Wood isn’t good enough to continue the journey at the Tyneside club, the Magpies may have already found their ideal replacement for the New Zealand international.

Last week, it was claimed by transfer insider Dean Jones that Newcastle are to be offered the chance to sign Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, also known as Gabigol.

With 296 appearances to his name for Flamengo and his former clubs Santos, Inter Milan and Benfica, the Brazilian has scored 147 goals and delivered 41 assists along the way.

This highlights just how much of a knack he has for finding the net on a regular basis, which is something that Wood has not been able to deliver since he arrived at Newcastle.

To further show his deadliness in front of goal, despite playing in only 18 league games last season, the 25-year-old still ended the campaign with more shots on target (33) than any other player at his current club.

Hailed as a player who “has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history,” according to Brazil icon Zico, Barbosa could be the ideal figure to come in and be Howe’s go-to marksman up top.

If the Toon are offered the chance to sign the Brazil striker this summer, securing a deal for him could be just what they need in order to push further up the Premier League table and closer to breaking into Europe.

AND in other news: Newcastle eyeing swoop for “dynamic” £40m sensation, it could be bye-bye Almiron

Everton are plotting a bid for Udinese’s Brazilian centre-back Rodrigo Becao.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, who wrote on his website that negotiations between the two clubs are underway.

There is said to still be distance between the two sides, but things are progressing slowly.

It was reported back in mid-June that the Toffees were interested alongside Tottenham Hotspur, but it appears that the former has now stepped up their pursuit and could land their man. 

Previous reports suggest he could cost in the region of €20m (£17m).

He could be Mina 2.0

Everton’s Yerry Mina has impressed when he has been available, but those moments have been too inconsistent to make him a reliable force at the back for the Blues.

It could therefore make this signing all the more intelligent, as they replace one hulking defender with another.

Standing at 6 foot 2, the defender was ever-present at the back for Udinese last season. He featured in 35 league games this season, which immediately makes him more useful than Mina, who only managed a measly 13 appearances.

Throughout these outings, he boasted a sold 6.83 average SofaScore rating. He is a defender who first and foremost loves to defend and operates well in a back three due to a lack of speed.

This could therefore be a tactical signing by Frank Lampard, who often tried to make a 3-5-2 formation work at the back end of last season.

The stats also back up this love for defending, as he ranked third in tackles made in the whole of the Seria A, ranking in the 96th percentile for tackles and 93rd percentile for pressures per 90.

Brazilian journalist Bruno Queiroz only needed one word to describe the defender: “insurmountable”. Everton have lacked a character such as this, who can perform consistently and not add to their ever-growing list of hospital cases.

In signing the 26-year-old Brazilian, who is younger and clearly fit more often, the Toffees can find a potential Mina upgrade who could have the same effect when he plays, but actually be fit enough to play often.

AND, in other news: Thelwell plotting bid for “massive” £13m Everton target, just imagine him & Gallagher.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bring in a new forward in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Express reporter Ryan Taylor has suggested that they are more likely to go for Leeds star Raphinha than Everton’s Richarlison in the coming weeks.

Fabio Paratici is looking to add to Antonio Conte’s attacking unit and Taylor believes that the former Rennes magician is the main target.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Spurs are edging slightly more towards Raphinha at the moment.

“I think if you look at Richarlison’s profile, my personal view is he’s mainly better centrally and if you look at Tottenham’s side, he won’t have many opportunities through the middle. Outside of that, he sometimes plays off the left, and Son plays there as well.”

Supporters will be excited

Spurs supporters will be excited by this claim as Raphinha would be a sublime addition to Conte’s squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

Since arriving in England, the Whites gem has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League – including 11 goals last term – whilst playing out wide on the right.

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In that time, Richarlison has managed 17 goals and eight assists whilst playing on the left and through the middle as a centre-forward.

This means that Raphinha has been more productive than him in the final third, despite the Everton man spending time as a number nine, and this suggests that he would be the better signing.

There is little between them in terms of their scope for development. They are both 25 and heading toward the peak years of their respective careers, which means that they would both come in with the potential to improve in the years to come.

Therefore, it should be a matter of current ability and suitability for the team. Taylor explained why Raphinha suits Tottenham’s team more than Richalison and the statistics suggest that the Leeds man is also the better player with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from out wide.

The Spurs supporters will be excited by the prospect of the ex-Ligue 1 attacker coming through the door as he will provide another big attacking threat in the final third. He can support the likes of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski to form a mouth-watering attack in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…

West Ham United appear to be edging ever closer to confirming the arrival of Stade Rennais defender, Nayef Aguerd…

What’s the word?

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal to bring the 26-year-old to the London Stadium is now “confirmed”, with the deal set to be announced by the Hammers on Monday.

Writing on Twitter to deliver an update on the situation, the respected insider stated: “Nayef Aguerd joins West Ham on a permanent deal for £30m, here we go confirmed. West Ham have finally completed paperworks with Rennes and Aguerd’s contract is now also signed.

“Official statement on Monday after some twists but with West Ham always in control.”

The Morocco international has also publicly confirmed his exit from the French outfit, with east London set to be his new home, despite fears that Premier League rivals Newcastle United were attempting to hijack the deal earlier this week.

Moyes buzzing

While that rival interest from the uber-rich Magpies had sparked some nerves among Irons supporters, it would appear that last season’s Europa League semi-finalists have finally secured their man, with Aguerd set to bolster what had been a problem area last term.

A long-term absence for veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna due to injury had left manager David Moyes drastically short of options at the heart of the defence, having also seemingly lost faith in Frenchman Issa Diop, with the 25-year-old starting just ten league games last term.

The arrival of the Rennes man will not only add increased depth, but the £10.8m-rated colossus should also pose a very real threat to the current first-choice pairing of Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson, having enjoyed another fine campaign in Ligue 1 last term.

The former Dijon ace registered ten clean sheets in his 31 league outings in the 2021/22 season – all of which had come as starts – chipping in with two goals and two assists, while also averaging an impressive four clearances per game and winning a solid 62% of his total duels.

Not just a reliable defensive asset, the £8.9k-per-week gem will also offer Moyes invaluable quality in possession, as he ranks in the top 10% for attempted passes and the top 16% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s big five leagues, showcasing his willingness to play out from the back.

That calmness with the ball at his feet – and the fact he is left-footed – should provide the Hammers boss with an impressive alternative to his current centre-back options, with the Scotsman undoubtedly buzzing to have secured such a talent to help bolster the club’s domestic and European hopes for next term.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland and their interest in signing Robbie Brady in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Black Cats are one of the clubs eyeing up a deal to sign the Republic of Ireland international on a free transfer.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is joined by Middlesbrough and Bournemouth in his pursuit of the winger, who is set to be available after the end of his short-term contract with the Cherries as he helped Scott Parker’s side to finish second in the Championship last season.

Imagine him & Alex Pritchard

Sunderland would complete a trident of former Norwich attackers behind Stewart by signing the winger, as he would join Pritchard and Patrick Roberts in the frontline.

Alex Neil worked with (and signed) both Brady and Pritchard during his time at Carrow Road, and the pair played alongside each other in the 2016/17 campaign in Norfolk.

The Scottish coach previously lauded the Irishman as a “top quality” player, and the 30-year-old’s statistics whilst playing for the Canaries back that up.

In his Championship season under Neil, Brady averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 as he managed four goals and four assists in 23 appearances playing at left-back and on the left wing. This came after he played 36 matches under the Scot in the 2015/16 Premier League and averaged an impressive rating of 6.98 in the top flight.

The winger has also shown that he still has what it takes to perform at this level. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in six games for Bournemouth as he helped them to get their promotion to the top tier over the line.

In 2016/17, Pritchard produced an eye-catching six goals and seven assists in 19 Championship outings whilst playing alongside the £33k-per-week wizard for half of the campaign before Brady joined Burnley in January 2017.

Both players have therefore proven that they have the quality to make a big impact in the Championship, with both doing so under Neil’s management.

The ex-Norwich boss knows how to get the best out of the pair and will be able to play them alongside each other in attack once again if Speakman can seal a deal for Brady in the coming weeks.

Imagine both of them scoring and setting up goals in the second tier for Sunderland next season, harking back to their days doing just that for the Canaries.

AND in other news, “Only heard…”: Alan Nixon drops big Sunderland transfer claim that’ll deflate supporters…

Aston Villa are keen on signing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, according to The Sunday Mirror (05/06, p72), via Birmingham Mail.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard has already completed four signings for the summer transfer window – Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara – but his recruitment drive shows no signs of stopping.

Indeed, The Athletic's Gregg Evans reported after the capture of Kamara that a left-back is on the agenda for the 42-year-old.

Merlin has been with Nantes since the age of 11 but only made his Ligue 1 debut this season. He would go on to start 21 of his team's top-flight matches, making seven more substitute appearances.

The 20-year-old, who can also operate as a left midfielder, is contracted to Nantes until 2026 and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from The Sunday Mirror (via Birmingham Mail) claimed that Merlin grabbed Gerrard's attention during a Ligue 1 scouting mission a few weeks ago.

The Villa manager travelled to the Stade Velodrome for a match between Marseille and Nantes on 20 April, intending to watch Kamara, but Merlin reportedly impressed him too.

The verdict

Merlin, who has been labelled a 'serious talent' by Jacek Kulig, looks like he could be a strong back-up to Lucas Digne and a potential long-term starter, with Matt Targett's Villa Park future uncertain.

The French youngster ranked in the 86th percentile among full-backs in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions in 2021/22, notching three assists in addition to his two goals (via FBRef). With high volumes of progressive carries and dribbles too, he's clearly very active up and down the left flank.

He may only have played 20 minutes on the night that Gerrard was in attendance, but that speaks to the strength of his cameo against Marseille. Merlin won three of the four duels that he contested, completed two dribbles and was successful with eight of his 10 passes (via SofaScore).

He also shone against Paris Saint-Germain in February, scoring what sports journalist Josh Bunting called an 'incredible' goal, and he looks like an astute replacement for Targett if the latter has played his last game in a Villa shirt.

In other news, Matt Maher lays out his Villa transfer expectations

Manchester City are reportedly set to make an approach to Leeds United over a potential transfer move for Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, City are “expected to formalise their interest” in Phillips once England’s international matches are out of the way and “make an official approach to Leeds later this month.”

As a product of Leeds’ youth system, the 26-year-old has made 234 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions.

In those appearances, the England international, who has a reported price tag of £60m, has found the net 14 times and delivered 13 assists in the process.

With 49 Premier League appearances now under his belt, the midfielder now has a clear idea of what it takes to play in the top flight and how difficult it can be given how Leeds had a rather turbulent recent campaign.

Guardiola needs him

Taking into account how City will be taking on their next campaign without the experience or versatility of Fernandinho in their squad, Pep Guardiola will undeniably need an experienced and capable figure, like Phillips, to come in and fill the void left by the Brazilian.

Having racked up a total of 139 players tackled throughout his two Premier League campaigns with Leeds as well as 103 blocks, 83 interceptions and 89 clearances, Phillips certainly has the defensive chops to be a tough opponent for whoever he comes up against.

This backs up why he was labelled as a “destroyer” by Steve McLaren as well as having his performance in England’s 1-0 win over Croatia in last year’s Euros described as “immense” by Marcus Rashford.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the Manchester club are keen on making an approach to Leeds to see if they would be willing to part ways with their star midfielder.

Having taken Jack Grealish away from his boyhood club, Aston Villa, last summer, the Citizens have shown that they are capable of securing deals for the Premier League’s top talents, which they will presumably be looking to do once again this summer with Phillips.

While it may be hard to get Leeds to sell, the allure of being in the mix to win every competition they play in as well as being able to learn from Guardiola and test himself in Europe could be what sways the midfielder into waving goodbye to Elland Road and joining City.

In other news: Pep can land his next Mahrez as MCFC plot move for “delightful” £58.5m-rated hotshot

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following widespread reports of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s interest in a move for the Inter Milan centre-back this summer, the 23-year-old is understood to be keen to work with the former Nerazzurri coach once again.

Gold went on to suggest that the Serie A club’s pressing need to raise funds in order to complete their own signings could also play into Tottenham’s hands, with a figure of £51m mentioned as the amount that Inter may be seeking in order to part with the Italy international in the coming months.

In response to a question concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Gold said: “There are two sides to this one in that Alessandro Bastoni is understood to be keen to play under Antonio Conte again at some point, but he is happy at the moment at Inter Milan and it’s worth remembering that he only just turned 23 last month so he’s young in terms of his career and uprooting from Italy. For someone like Romero, he had already uprooted from his homeland.

“Spurs’ hope is that Bastoni can bring added quality to the left side of Tottenham’s back three to complement Romero’s strength and quality on the other side. They see him as a potential heir to Jan Vertonghen with a similar skilful style to the Belgian in being a ball-playing defender rather than an aggressive one like Romero. That could potentially make his adaptation to the physical nature of the Premier League slightly more gradual than the Argentine’s and perhaps that is a concern the player also holds.

“The key to whether Tottenham can get this deal done may come down to how much Inter need the money and whether they help push Bastoni towards the door, particularly as he has only two years left on his contract. The Serie A club want to sign players this summer, not least Gleison Bremer from Torino for around £21m, and if they decide that selling Bastoni for more than £51m can fund more deals then they may help influence his decision. Things change quickly in the transfer window.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old is sure to be news that the Spurs faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender highly impressed on the left of Inter’s backline, helping his team to keep eight clean sheets, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

The £122k-per-week left-footer also impressed in a creative and attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 50.5 passes, four long balls and 0.5 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the 11-cap Italy international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top flight.

As such, considering his age, ball-playing talent and ability to play on the left of a back three, it is clear to see that Bastoni would be something of a perfect signing for Paratici to get over the line this summer, especially if the centre-back is available for as little as the £51m fee that Gold has mentioned.

AND in other news – “Am told…”: Dan Kilpatrick reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be fuming

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard could reportedly be eyeing a reunion with Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What’s the word?

Writing in his GIVEMESPORT club guide, the trusted insider hinted that a move to Villa Park could well be on the cards for the Finland international, with a deal ‘possibly’ in the works for a player who worked under the Englishman at Ibrox.

The Midlands side only recently secured the signing of another Kamara – Marseille’s young Frenchman, Boubacar – although it would seem another midfield addition could be in the pipeline, with Jones insisting that he can ‘not totally rule out’ a further acquisition to slot in alongside the recent arrival.

Although Brighton’s Yves Bissouma has been mentioned as one possible incoming, Gerrard’s relationship with the Gers man could well work in his favour, with the Liverpool legend having helped sign the 42-cap gem for just £50k from Dundee back in 2019.

Gerrard’s monster

After a slightly underwhelming end to the 2021-22 campaign, with Villa finishing in just 14th place, the club have already acted quickly to try and improve upon that position, adding three summer signings already despite the transfer window having not yet officially opened.

That speedy business has potentially allowed some breathing room for Gerrard and co to plot their next steps carefully, with the arrival of Kamara from Glasgow potentially a wise move to try and replicate the manager’s success north of the border, prior to his return to the Premier League back in November.

Not just used to the 41-year-old’s style of play, the £30k-per-week maestro is also a player that the Villa boss is clearly fond of, having previously dubbed him a “monster” for his instant impact at the Scottish Premiership outfit.

Also dubbed a “huge talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey, the 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength for his current side, the £5.4m-rated ace notably starting in the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The midfielder had helped fire Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men to that stunning showpiece affair, scoring in the second-leg semi-final victory over RB Leipzig as the Scottish side pulled off yet another shock in the competition.

The all-action star seemingly has the quality to affect the game at both ends of the pitch, netting three times and registering three assists in his 31 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign, while also averaging a solid 0.7 interceptions and one tackle per game, as well as enjoying an impressive 91% pass accuracy rate.

With a shortage of options in central midfield at present at Villa Park, particularly with Morgan Sanson potentially set to depart, the arrival of the all-round ace would no doubt provide adequate cover and increase competition for places, with his former boss in need of his monster-like presence to ruffle a few feathers.

It just remains to be seen if NSWE will back their man even further…

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior