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Watford are reportedly in talks with Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara and the Finland international could help to upgrade Xisco Munoz’s midfield ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari on Twitter, Watford are in ongoing negotiations for the 25-year-old midfielder, who excelled in Steven Gerrard’s side as they won the Scottish Premiership title unbeaten last season.

Longari claims that Watford’s main priority is RC Lens midfielder Seko Fofana but Kamara is certainly being considered and given his superb performances at Ibrox in recent seasons, he could be a stellar addition at Vicarage Road this summer.

Last season saw the former Arsenal youngster make 33 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Gers, whilst his 10 appearances in the Europa League saw him average a solid 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He would average the same rating for his performances in the Premiership before the season split, which emphasises his consistency, whilst it also suggests that he could be an upgrade on Munoz’s current midfield options.

Last season saw Tom Cleverley and Will Hughes ranked as the Hornets’ best performers in the middle of the park but both have struggled in the Premier League in the past and there is no guarantee that they would be able to maintain that level of performance playing in the top-flight last season.

Kamara’s 6.90 average rating also ranks him above the likes of Nathaniel Chalobah and Dan Gosling, which suggests that he could slot well into Munoz’s midfield next season and perhaps be an upgrade on the current options.

The £5.4m-rated midfielder has impressed with Finland at Euro 2020 thus far and was complimented by BBC commentary duo Martin Keown and Robyn Cowen during their 1-0 defeat against Russia earlier this week, as they said:

“He’s really bursting onto the ball there, he’s impressed me has Kamara today, as he did in the other game

“He’s really important for Finland.”

The main commentator Cowen agreed, and even shared his well-known and used his nickname as he glided around the park.

“He has been described as a Rolls Royce.”

If Kamara could maintain his level of performance in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers in the Premier League with Watford next season, then he could be an excellent signing, so it is good news for Munoz that the club are seemingly keen on bringing him in.

And, in other news… Romano provides update on Watford transfer target, Xisco surely gutted

The transfer window hasn’t even opened yet and Ralph Hasenhuttl is arguably already disappointing Southampton fans after he seemingly confirmed recently that he will continue to utilise Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster as his main goalkeeping options next season.

The Austrian manager admitted to Hampshire Live that:

“I expect a battle in pre-season between Forster and McCarthy to see who is then going to start [the first game].

“If you are allowed to start, it doesn’t mean you also end up as a number one the whole season.

“I want to have this battle. I want to have two goalkeepers that are competing for this position.”

In the most recent Premier League season, McCarthy made 30 appearances, conceding 57 goals and keeping just seven clean sheets, which doesn’t make for good reading for the former QPR man.

Forster meanwhile, was given more opportunities to impress in the latter stages of the Premier League season after his impressive displays in the FA Cup and made eight appearances, conceding 11 goals and keeping two clean sheets.

Between them, they would concede 68 goals in the top-flight this season, which was the second-most of any side, with only relegated West Brom conceding more, which is very worrying if you are a Southampton fan.

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What is arguably more concerning is that, according to Understat, Southampton were only expected to concede 58.55 goals in the league this season, with their underperformance of 9.45 comfortably the worst of any side in the division.

Therefore, it is difficult to understand why Hasenhuttl is seemingly willing to stick with McCarthy and Forster as his two main options in goal next season, as both have struggled this year.

It also can’t help the defence if Saints are constantly changing the goalkeepers, as they need a reliable number one behind them so they can adapt to his style of play.

Unless the Austrian changes his mind and looks to bring in a new goalkeeper as a definite first-choice for next season, he could well be heading for a disastrous 2021/22 campaign. Fans have every right be be upset with this latest decision.

And, in other news… Ralph heading for transfer disaster with £10.8m-rated “machine”, Saints fans surely fuming

West Ham are edging closer to making their first signing of the summer it appears…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, reports emerged in Russia claiming that Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral has agreed to personal terms with the Irons ahead of a potential switch in the upcoming transfer window.

And this has since been confirmed by a very reliable source in ExWHUemployee. When asked by one Hammers fan on Twitter, he replied:

Another masterclass?

When it comes to those ‘in the know’ at the London Stadium, there aren’t many better than the anonymous source, so this should come as hugely exciting and positive news.

Kral may be an unknown name right now but nobody knew who the likes of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal were before they became a quickfire hit in East London.

Could David Moyes be about to repeat his stroke of genius in the transfer market? It certainly appears so.

Back in November 2020, the Mirror claimed the Czech Republic international was valued in the region of £30m and was attracting interest from across the Premier League, so if the Hammers have won the race ahead of their rivals, then it is another encouraging sign.

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The 23-year-old star is capable of playing anywhere in the engine room, though his personal preference is in the no.8 role between a defensive midfielder and a playmaker.

Kral provided five assists from an anchorman position for Spartak this season, and has averaged 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, and one key pass per outing in the league, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder the club’s official Twitter account claimed that “he can do it all.”

Furthermore, the 6 foot 1 powerhouse has drawn inspiration on how to model his playing style from some pretty big names like Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

Despite never featuring outside of the Czech and Russian leagues, the Hammers should have no fear over splashing the cash on Kral, thanks to the success of his fellow countrymen.

Soucek has arguably been Moyes’ Player of the Year this term, at least according to WhoScored, where he ranked first for average rating (7.36) ahead of Jesse Lingard, Michail Antonio and Declan Rice. He also finished the campaign as their joint top-goalscorer on ten goals.

Coufal is in with a shout too, as Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher not only named him in his Premier League Team of the Season but also dubbed the right-back a “manager’s dream.”

The 28-year-old is also represented by the same agency as Kral, only bolstering their claims.

Once lauded “one of the most versatile youngsters in world football,” Moyes seems to be on the verge of completing another fantastic piece of business for the Irons.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Ogbonna: GSB must seal £20m “diamond” who’s “very keen” to join West Ham – opinion

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side have been dealt a huge blow to their hopes of signing Marcel Lewis this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that the Chelsea attacking midfielder has agreed on a move to Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise.

According to the report, both Derby and Huddersfield Town had been keeping an eye on Lewis in Chelsea’s youth setup ahead of a potential move this summer.

Huge blow

Having yet to make a senior appearance in his short footballing career, missing out on the signing of Lewis is not likely something that will have much impact on how well Wayne Rooney’s side fare in their league campaign next season – as the 19-year-old would have more than likely linked up with the club’s youth team prior to making the move to first-team football.

However, with the versatile midfielder – who can operate from defensive, central, left, right and attacking midfield, as well as from either wing – highly impressing all through the Chelsea age groups, having scored 19 goals and provided 21 assists over 76 appearances in all competitions in the Blues academy, it very much appears as if the Rams have missed out on an exceptionally talented player for the future.

Furthermore, with Lewis opting for a move to the rather less prestigious Belgian leagues over potentially playing Championship football with Derby, this too would not appear to bode well in terms of the way the Rams are perceived by younger talents, or indeed any players, at present, given the turmoil surrounding the club.

As such, while Rooney will undoubtedly have other, more pressing targets in mind for the summer transfer window, missing out on the 19-year-old is not exactly the best way to kick his summer transfer business off, and the inability of his club to secure a deal for the teenage gem is likely the leave the 35-year-old livid.

In other news: Rooney must avoid summer disaster over “fantastic” £17.5k-p/w dud, Derby can do better – opinion

If you thought Celtic were close to the appointment of Eddie Howe then think again.

This has been a tired old saga but the Hoops still aren’t in a place where they can announce his arrival at Parkhead.

That’s despite now being in talks with the 43-year-old for six weeks.

What’s the word?

Howe is still very much at the centre of Celtic’s thoughts with talkSPORT revealing last week that a deal had been agreed.

However, according to the Daily Record, any sign of an announcement in the early stages of this week won’t be forthcoming.

They report there won’t be any news to the London Stock Exchange on Monday with their sources seemingly adamant that he won’t become the new Hoops manager in the first few days of the week.

The newspaper pinpointed Monday 17th May as a landmark day in their chase for Howe with the Premiership season concluding a day before.

Though, for the time being, John Kennedy remains in interim charge.

More setbacks for McKay

The incoming CEO has only been at the club for a matter of weeks but he’s already tasted the rather hopeless atmosphere that’s surrounded Paradise all season.

Howe has kept Celtic waiting now for well over a month, issuing a number of demands to the club’s hierarchy.

First, he didn’t want to return to football until the summer before it was suggested he wasn’t keen on Fergal Harkin becoming their new director of football.

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It’s thought Howe has now loosened his stance on the matter but problems surrounding his backroom staff still lingers.

McKay will be eager to get this move through the door as quick as possible. With Celtic’s season finishing, it means the focus needs to switch from on-field matters to off-field recruitment.

The top brass in Glasgow cannot achieve that without a first-team manager in place, however.

When a deal actually occurs is anyone’s guess but it could be that Howe is waiting on the result of Bournemouth’s play-off charge.

The Cherries are competing for a spot in the Premier League and will face Brentford in the semi-final first leg this on Monday. The second leg takes place on Saturday 22nd before a potential final awaits them on Saturday 29th May.

Howe is keen to bring Simon Weatherstone and Stephen Purches with him from Bournemouth but they need to wait until their season has finished for talks to conclude.

As a result, we are unlikely to receive any formal announcement this week.

The soul-destroying aspect is that Purches and Weatherstone are not guaranteed to come to Glasgow. After all, if the south coast side are promoted, picking up jobs in the top-flight of English football could be more appealing to them,

The frustrating and tiresome wait goes on for McKay and the club’s supporters.

AND in other news, Celtic can axe Griffiths by landing “terrific” 18-goal gem, he once embarrassed Bitton…

Reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Koen Casteels is open to a move to the club…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild’s head of football Christian Falk, the Wolfsburg shot-stopper is enticed by the idea of swapping the Bundesliga for north London as he targets a spot in Belgium’s 2022 World Cup squad.

Spurs were first linked to the 28-year-old goalkeeper last month as the Daily Mail claimed the club were looking for cheaper alternatives to £30m-rated England international Nick Pope as they ramped up their search for a potential successor to Hugo Lloris.

It remains to be seen how much Casteels would cost Daniel Levy this summer, though CIES Football Observatory current value the 6 foot 6 giant at around €20m (£18m).

Sign him up

Lloris’ future in north London is by no means certain. He’ll enter the final year of his contract next season and has former boss Mauricio Pochettino keeping tabs on his situation over at Paris Saint-Germain.

Levy could well be inclined to cash in on the 34-year-old veteran before it’s too late. The French no.1 has also struggled for form this campaign, leading to pundits questioning his ability.

Speaking to talkSPORT following a 5-4 defeat to Everton in the FA Cup, Jason Cundy urged the club to move their captain on. “Lloris has got to move on,” he said. “He is a weak link. The Calvert-Lewin goal was embarrassing and I don’t think he fills that Tottenham defence with any confidence.”

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Given the lack of funds available this summer, Casteels could certainly be a viable and bargain option to replace him, especially as he carries similar leadership qualities and is also their club captain.

After signing a contract extension in 2019, Wolfsburg director of sport Jorg Schmadtke heaped praise on the Belgian, he said: “Koen has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world at VfL, and his quality and character are a huge support and a role model for the whole team.”

The one-cap international has enjoyed a pretty respectable season too, having kept 17 clean sheets in 32 appearances in all competitions, including impressive feats against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach.

He’s let in only 27 goals too, which is better than Lloris’ season even despite Spurs ranking fourth in the Premier League for best defence. The long-serving goalkeeper has leaked a whopping 48 goals in all competitions, keeping just 12 clean sheets.

Casteels is sat behind some top Belgian keepers at the minute, but a move to the Premier League could certainly aid his credentials in what would be a crucial year ahead of the World Cup.

It could prove to be a mutually beneficial signing, so Levy must look to get this done this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can’t risk another Noni Madueke situation with 20 y/o speed demon…

At the turn of the year, everything looked rather rosy for Sunderland.

They had just welcomed a new owner in Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to the club while Lee Johnson was leading a rejuvenated Mackems.

He took them to third place as April rolled around and they looked the favourites for automatic promotion.

However, the Black Cats now haven’t won for five straight matches in League One. As it has done in recent years, promotion is looking an arduous task for Sunderland.

Their 2-2 draw with Hull City on Tuesday evening wasn’t the worst result on paper but a solitary point after three straight defeats is unlikely to do much for their cause.

Callum McFadzean was tortured all night by Mallik Wilks but if we are searching for positives, we need to look no further than Jordan Jones and Lynden Gooch.

Jones has been a revelation since joining on loan in January and after scoring against the Tigers, he now has three goals and four assists in nine starts.

Though, Gooch is now beginning to come to the party too. He can be found guilty of being inconsistent this term but he has stood up when it’s really mattered.

It was the Sunderland academy graduate who scored the crucial goal at Wembley when they ended over 40 years of hurt on the trophy front.

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Gooch then stepped up against Hull on Tuesday night. He was a constant thorn in their defence and put in a number of crosses that Black Cats reporter James Hunter described as “dangerous.”

Aiden McGeady has been Sunderland’s chief creator this term on 13 assists but with the Irishman missing in midweek through injury, Gooch took on the mantle excellently.

He claimed the assist for Jones’ opening strike as the winger whipped in a delicious ball that was volleyed home. The £5k-per-week earner then played a pivotal part in winning the penalty that Grant Leadbitter scored from.

Gooch flicked the ball over Callum Elder before the Hull left-back handled the ball and the referee pointed to the spot.

In total, the attacker played three key passes, taking his tally to 36 chances created in League One this season.

The 25-year-old was in menacing form all evening, attempting two dribbles and being fouled a considerable five times. For context, no player was brought down more than Gooch in the entire game.

He came to life at a crucial point in Sunderland’s season but if McGeady is out for longer, they will need even more from him.

The forward needs to continue this type of form if Johnson’s men are to secure promotion to the Championship.

AND in other news, Worse than Wright: Johnson surely fuming with SAFC flop who lost 80% duels yesterday…

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers sources claim the Gers are interested in Jonson Clarke-Harris, as they step up their plans to replace Alfredo Morelos.

Gers eye Clarke-Harris

Morelos has recently spoke about his desire to play in the Premier League, and could therefore leave Ibrox this summer.

Were he to depart, he would of course need replacing, and the 55-time Scottish champions have their eyes on Peterborough United striker Clarke-Harris as a result. The Gers had scouts at Posh’s game against Accrington Stanley last weekend, with the 26-year-old scoring a hat-trick as Peterborough won 7-0.

Goalscorer

Clarke-Harris has been in terrific form so far this campaign, scoring 25 goals in 37 games in League One and 27 times in all competitions (Transfermarkt). No other player in the English third tier has hit the back of the net on so many occasions in the league (BBC).

Morelos has been a fantastic servant for Steven Gerrard’s side, and has finally picked up a trophy after helping the Gers win the Premiership title this term. However, he clearly has ambitions above what Rangers can provide, and so Ross Wilson and co must be prepared to let him depart if he so wishes. Bringing in Clarke-Harris as a replacement, though, could very well be a good bit of business for the Gers.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this act of vandalism.

Jack Grealish was withdrawn from Aston Villa training on Saturday ahead of their clash with Fulham, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed.

The playmaker looked set to return to the matchday squad after rejoining his team-mates on the grass, but Villa’s medical staff apparently deemed it too great a risk to let him play. The club won’t simply let the 25-year-old play through the pain, as there is a real danger that he could then aggravate his shin injury.

Villa were victorious without their captain over the weekend, with Trezeguet (twice) and Ollie Watkins on target as they came from behind to beat Scott Parker’s side. However, Evans noted that Grealish’s absence has now extended well beyond the month which was initially expected and there is understandable concern about how much further that will extend.

The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and provided a team-high 10 assists this season (via BBC Sport).

Dean Smith is now refusing to put a timeline on his return, with the severity of the recent setback unclear. For now, there’s ‘no indication’ of his season resuming ‘any time soon’.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Villa had enough to beat relegation-threatened Fulham at the weekend, but now they face a daunting run of fixtures.

They travel to Liverpool next Saturday before hosting runaway league leaders Manchester City. Meetings with Everton and Manchester United then come after a local derby against West Brom.

If Grealish’s fitness struggles continue, they could slowly slide down the table and out of European contention unless his team-mates step up to fill the scoring and creative void his absence presents.

In other news, many Villa fans hailed this midfielder’s display on Sunday.

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Davinson Sanchez looks set to be sold by Spurs this summer, with Jorge Mendes lining up replacements for the defender.

The report by Football Insider claims that sources have revealed Tottenham will “listen to offers” for Sanchez this summer, as the 24-year-old “can’t be trusted” in big fixtures.

It is also reported that Jose Mourinho has identified the centre of his defence as the “main priority” for new additions this summer and that the 58-year-old believes Spurs “overpaid” for the then club-record £42m signing of the Colombia international.

Football Insider also claimed that Mourinho’s agent Mendes will have a “major say” in Tottenham’s summer recruitment, a remit which will include “lining up new centre-backs”.

Transfer Tavern Take

So far this season, the £65,000 per week Sanchez has found his game time somewhat unpredictable at Spurs, with Mourinho leaving the defender out of nine of his Premier League matchday squads earlier this term before appearing to reinstate the 24-year-old as one of his first-choice centre-backs in recent fixtures.

His level of performance has also been rather erratic, highly impressing over Tottenham’s three fixtures prior to the Arsenal clash, earning a Sofascore match rating of 7.8 against Burnley, 7.3 against Fulham and 7.2 against Crystal Palace. However, after giving away the penalty which ultimately won the North London Derby for Arsenal, he was awarded a disappointing match rating of just 6.6, with his average match rating so far this season sitting at 6.86.

If Football Insider’s sources are to be believed, Tottenham fans may not have to endure the inconsistent displays of Sanchez much longer, with the defender appearing to be heading towards an exit from the club this summer.

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a warning over Harry Kane – find out more here!