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Manchester City have been heavily linked with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli in recent months and after a superb display for Italy at Euro 2020 against Switzerland earlier this week, Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola should look to bring him to the Etihad this summer.

City have regularly been credited with an interest in the former AC Milan man, with Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming recently that the Etihad outfit have scouted him for a long time.

However, it seems as if Juventus are currently leading the race for the 23-year-old, whilst Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen on a deal, so the Citizens will have to act quickly if they want to bring him in this summer.

It certainly seems likely that the Italian will depart Sassuolo this summer, as they could only muster an eighth-place finish in Serie A last season and a player of Locatelli’s quality deserves to be playing in the Champions League.

He showed his class in the opening game of the Euro 2020 Championships as Italy beat Turkey 3-0, earning a solid 7.02 rating from WhoScored for his performance but he was exceptional in their most recent game against Switzerland, scoring twice and earning an excellent 8.69 rating in another 3-0 win.

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The young midfielder first spread the play beautifully with a left-footed volley to Sassuolo teammate Dominico Berardi before bursting into the box and tapping in his cutback, before doubling the Italians lead with an emphatic finish from outside the box.

Following the game, Dion Dublin was full of praise for Locatelli on the BBC analysis of the game, suggesting that the “intelligent” midfielder was key to Roberto Mancini’s side’s victory and their progression to the last 16.

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His performances for Sassuolo last season, where he averaged an impressive 7.08 rating from WhoScored in Serie A, certainly suggest that he could be a stellar addition to Guardiola’s side this summer and if he continues to impress at Euro 2020, then there seems no reason why City shouldn’t look to bring him to the Etihad ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Txiki could be heading for Man City transfer disaster with “unbelievable” beast

According to sporx.com, Galatasaray are interested in signing Glasgow Rangers’ Joe Aribo this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers stars to attract interest

Given the Gers won the Premiership without losing a single match this campaign (BBC), there are likely to be a number of their players attracting interest from across Europe.

The likes of Glen Kamara are said to be on a number of radars (The Daily Mail), while Alfredo Morelos has already said his dream is to play in the Premier League (Radio Caracol).

The Latest: Galatasaray want Aribo

Now, it has emerged that Turkish outfit Galatasaray are eyeing Aribo.

He is valued at €3.5m (£3.15m) by Transfermarkt, but this report says the Ibrox outfit are likely to want considerably more than that fee.

The Verdict: Plenty more to give

The recently-ended season was a mixed one for Aribo. He played 42 matches in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists, and even displayed his versatility by playing at left-back towards the end of the term (Transfermarkt). However, he has struggled with injuries at times, and has also come in for criticism from supporters.

According to The Athletic, Aribo’s real value is £11m – that would be a considerable sum for the 55-time Scottish champions. Of course, he still has plenty to give the Gers, but if they can get a good price for him, they may decide to move him on and look for an upgrade. Galatasaray, who have won the Turkish league 22-times, may feel he is the right man for them.

In other news, Rangers fans react to footage of this club “legend”.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting in delighted fashion to the news that Ibrahima Konate has officially become a Reds player.

Jurgen Klopp managed to guide his team to a third-place finish in the Premier League in 2020/21, but it was an extremely difficult season for the German.

The 53-year-old had to overcome a number of obstacles, the most notable of which was having to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the vast majority of the campaign.

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The trio are all still injured and Liverpool ended up playing unproven duo Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams as a centre-back pairing in the final games.

It has highlighted the need for the Reds to sign a new defender this summer and Konate has always looked set to be that man, having been continually linked with a move to Anfield.

On Friday, Liverpool confirmed that a deal for the RB Leipzig man had been completed, with the 22-year-old arriving on a ‘long-term’ contract.

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Liverpool fans react to Konate update

These Reds supporters have taken to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the positive news.

“Happy Friday Reds”

Credit: @AnythingLFC_

“Things you love to see. Welcome, Ibrahima Konate”

Credit: @LFC_JamieBS

“What a signing. Let’s go, LFC”

Credit: @Akki_SwagMan

“Love this, Liverpool going out and getting exactly the player needed early doors. A player who has all the potential to become one of the best in the world and form a formidable partnership with Van Dijk”

Credit: @DHardayal

“This is exceptional value”

Credit: @lrchandley

“Let’s gooooooooooo”

Credit: @Kea_IsTheName

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been bemoaning an update on one Reds player. Find out who it is here.

As per an update by reliable journalist James Pearce of The Athletic, writing on Twitter, Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly have held ‘positive’ talks with club CEO Billy Hogan over fan representation on the board of directors – with Reds fans reacting as this ‘great news’ comes to light.

The club are seeking to gain back the trust of supporters following the infamous European Super League saga, with Liverpool receiving huge backlash for their involvement and eventual break away from the plans.

Owner John W Henry released an apology video to supporters after his and Fenway Sports Group’s controversial move to join the breakaway division, which was quickly suspended after founding members opted out of the project.

Relaying SOS’ statement for The Athletic, Pearce has shared that the supporters group came to a ‘positive’ consultation after sitting down with Hogan and includes a ‘formal agreement’ to improve collaboration and involvement between fans and the club.

Flocking to this update, while the relationship may still have ways to go in regards to repairing trust, these Reds supporters had their say with some praising this initial step.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans flock to Pearce update

“good. right way to go about it”

Credit: @DxnLFC_

“Great news”

Credit: @KloppStyle

“Great work by all!”

Credit: @Lloydy_2020

“A step in the right direction. If FSG have any sense they will listen.”

Credit: @davidc98

“Brilliant we done it the right way”

Credit: @chrisduanecook

“Well in!”

Credit: @_tahmiddd

In other news: Liverpool offered chance to sign this La Liga star, find out more here.

Leicester City have enquired about the availability of Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita ahead of the upcoming transfer window, according to reports.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Sega Diallo has revealed on Twitter that Brendan Rodgers’ side are interested in ending Keita’s three-year nightmare spell at Anfield, with the Reds open to his sale.

The 26-year-old has endured a torrid time since arriving on English shores back in 2018, suffering multiple injuries that have restricted the Guinea international to just 32 Premier League starts for his current club.

Keita hasn’t been seen on domestic duties since March 15th and has failed to make any of Jurgen Klopp’s last three matchday squads, despite there being no news of a fresh fitness concern.

His absence from Liverpool’s first-team set-up has only fuelled talk of an imminent exit, and the Foxes are reportedly one of several sides offering the former RB Leipzig man a way out of Merseyside.

Leicester must swoop

Leicester could complete one of the most impressive seasons in the club’s history if they secure a Champions League qualification spot following their maiden FA Cup triumph over the weekend.

A place in Europe’s elite cup competition would elevate the Midlands outfit exponentially on and off the field and could attract some of the continent’s top talent to the King Power Stadium, as well as convince those that are already there that their future lies with Leicester.

If Rodgers wants to compete on two fronts next season and maintain his side’s impressive Premier League form, then further strength in depth is going to be required.

Although Keita hasn’t kicked on as he would’ve hoped at Liverpool, he’s undoubtedly a top talent on his day, and Virgil van Dijk’s glowing assessment of the hard-working midfielder showcases the potential that he possesses.

“I think he is world-class; if I’m absolutely honest. I see all the moments when he has the ball, the smart moves, the smart intelligence. It’s just incredible to see, and I’m very happy for him,” revealed the Dutch defender to Liverpoolfc.com back in 2020.

Therefore, a move for the £120,000-per-week workhorse would make perfect sense for Leicester. Keita could play alongside Tielemans, or allow the Belgium international to be rested for certain games and also ease the creative burden on James Maddison.

It’s a move that could be perfect for both parties, and the Foxes must sanction an audacious swoop for Liverpool’s unwanted man.

And, in other news…Leicester handed a huge pre-Chelsea injury blow, Rodgers will be gutted – opinion

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Leeds could do a lot worse than signing Harry Winks, who he thinks is a Marcelo Bielsa type player.

Winks has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and after being strongly linked away in January, is now being monitored by a La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, making a Spurs exit likely this summer.

The midfielder has also lost his place in the England squad after starting just four times in the Premier League since September, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele being Mourinho’s favoured central midfield pairing at present.

Winks’ only outing in the last month came in Tottenham’s embarrassing Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, and if his opportunities don’t improve before the end of the season he might have no choice but to depart his beloved Spurs.

Despite previous interest from Valencia, staying in England would appear favourable for Winks, who received high praise from Frank Lampard back in 2017.

And Windass told Football FanCast that Leeds would be a good destination for the central midfielder, but only with Marcelo Bielsa in charge:

“I think if Bielsa does stay and brings in his own players, they will be a top four or top six side, and Harry Winks could get into any of them teams. He’s Bielsa’s sort of player.

“Is he going to play to two sitting midfield players? But Winks can get forward as well. Phillips was once a right-back and now he’s turned him into an England international sitting midfield player. The manager is obviously good on the training ground at developing players.

“I don’t think Leeds United players would say no.”

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for Sasa Kalajdzic, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Eurosport’s Dean Jones claimed earlier this week that Spurs were looking into a potential summer move for the 6 foot 7 Stuttgart forward and now a similar story has surfaced in Germany, with Fussball Transfers suggesting that the north Londoners have already enquired over a deal.

They aren’t the only ones to do so, though as Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig are also keen whilst Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano exclusively told GiveMeSport last month that the “amazing player” was on the radar of Premier League trio West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United.

Jones believes he would be a backup option to Harry Kane at Spurs, and that he would be available for just £15m.

Cheaper alternative

This would be an interesting approach from Spurs, as they haven’t really had a player of this stature since Peter Crouch, who Kalajdzic has, of course, drawn many comparisons to.

In addition to that, he’s also been dubbed ‘the next Haaland’,  been labelled an “Ibrahimovic-machine” and likened to Germany legend Mario Gomez – all are, or were, tall, rangy strikers that had a knack for scoring plenty of goals.

This term, the 23-year-old has been in fine mettle bouncing back from a serious injury in 2019/20, scoring 14 goals and providing four assists in 27 league appearances, via Transfermarkt. He’s proven to be a nuisance against the likes of Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen), Mats Hummels (Dortmund) and ex-Arsenal nemesis Shkodran Mustafi (Schalke).

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Kalajdzic has even hit the ground running on the international stage. He has picked up five caps, where he has found the net three times, all of which coming in World Cup qualifiers for Austria.

Only four other players have scored more league goals than the Austrian international this campaign but of all five players, he is the one doing it in the fewest shots per game, having managed just 2.1 attempts each outing, via WhoScored.

Currently, Spurs have Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica to play second fiddle to Kane but if they want to keep hold of him, then. they’ll have to splash out around £40m which is far too much to spend on a backup option.

And it seems like Mourinho isn’t the biggest fan of the Brazilian, either.

Therefore, if Levy were to swoop for Kalajdzic, he could indeed save his club around £25m in transfer fees alone and those funds could go towards improving other areas of the pitch, such as in central defence.

Mourinho has worked with Ibrahimovic before, so the idea of having a man-mountain in attack isn’t something new to him and that could pay further dividends for the club and player alike.

If it’s between Vinicius and Kalajdzic, then it’s surely a no-brainer in terms of finances and long-term potential. Levy must sanction a move for the Stuttgart talisman this summer.

AND in other news, Levy could find Spurs’ next Robbie Keane in “unbelievable” £18m-rated beast…

A journalist at the Sheffield Star has dropped a claim on Chris Wilder and whether he thinks that he would be a good fit at Newcastle United.

As quoted by The Shields Gazette, Sheffield United journalist Danny Hall has claimed that Wilder would be ‘an inspired appointment’ amid recent links from the St. James’ Park faithful to the former Blades boss.

Newcastle should consider Wilder

Things are clearly not getting better in the North East under Steve Bruce, with the Tyneside club firmly locked in a relegation battle at the moment.

Thus, it may be an idea for the Magpies to go out and find a new manager whether it would be during or at the ned of the 2020/21 term, and Wilder could well be an ideal candidate.

Despite Sheffield United’s struggles at the bottom of the Premier League table this season, the heroics of the Yorkshireman in guiding them to a very impressive ninth-placed finish in the last campaign should not be overlooked.

Wilder also knows the top flight well and based off of his heroics last year, is more than capable of turning the Toon into a solid midtable side and thus not one battling for survival.

Nonetheless, the 53-year-old would not be a bad appointment by NUFC by any stretch of the imagination.

In other news, find out what worrying claim has been dropped involving an EPL plan here!

Crystal Palace have been handed a significant defensive injury boost, with left-back Tyrick Mitchell ready to return to action.

The young defender has not played a single minute of Premier League action since the 2-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in late February.

However, Eagles boss Roy Hodgson revealed the news of his return in a press conference, stating that Mitchell is “fully fit and available to play”.

His return will certainly be welcomed by Palace as the season enters its final stretch. Since breaking into the first team at Selhurst Park, the 21-year-old has developed a reputation as one of the most promising young defenders in the Premier League.

He has gone on to make 18 appearances for the Eagles, with his early performances being labelled as “excellent” by Hodgson.

The left-back has certainly been missed this season, too, having been absent for eight of Palace’s Premier League matches, whilst having been selected on the bench a further nine times (Transfermarkt). In matches where he has played, Hodgson’s troops have racked up a 38% win percentage in the Premier League and conceded on average 1.5 goals per game.

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Meanwhile, when Mitchell has been restricted to the sidelines, whether that be through injury or suspension, that win rate falls dramatically to 29%, with a further 1.6 goals conceded per game.

Even when comparing him to left-back rival and experienced campaigner Patrick van Aanholt, the youngster comes out on top. According to WhoScored, Mitchell produces far more tackles (3.6 to 1.6) and more clearances (2.5 to 1.6) per game in the Premier League this season than the Dutchman.

Judging by his statistics, the youngster’s return to fitness should be a big boost to Crystal Palace as the season enters the final stretch and the Eagles aim to secure a top ten finish.

AND in more news, take a look at which European giant has provided a big clue as to who the next Palace boss could be…

James Tavernier deserves a huge amount of credit for the role he has played in Rangers’ title win this season and considering his current contract is set to expire at the end of the next campaign, Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson must both make it his priority to ensure that the captain signs a new deal to stay at Ibrox.

Although the 29-year-old has missed the last month of action through injury, he was enjoying an incredible season for Gerrard’s side earlier in the campaign and has been a huge factor in their title win.

In 29 Premiership appearances, the defender has contributed a remarkable 11 goals and nine assists, averaging a superb 7.76 rating for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as Rangers’ best performer in the league so far this season, with Joe Aribo’s 7.44 average rating the closest to the captain, which again highlights just how important he has been in the title success.

It is not a surprise that Tavernier has been attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing him.

Whilst the Gers were able to keep hold of their captain in the winter transfer window, they may struggle if some of the top Premier League clubs come knocking in the summer, especially because they are not in a strong position with Tavernier’s contract.

As it stands, the right-back’s contract with Rangers will expire at the end of next season, meaning he could potentially leave on a free transfer, whilst foreign clubs could potentially negotiate with him in January 2022, with the view to signing him on a Bosman transfer deal.

Considering Tavernier is valued at £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, which is only second to Alfredo Morelos in the Rangers squad, the club will be desperate not to lose him on a free transfer or for a reduced fee.

With the Champions League to come next season, Gerrard will also be desperate to keep his captain around, having described him as “unstoppable” earlier in the season.

Therefore, both Wilson and Gerrard must work hard to try and convince Tavernier to sign a new deal with Rangers, otherwise, you worry that his head could be turned by the prospect of playing in the Premier League on what would presumably be a much higher salary.

And, in other news… Rangers could be set to receive a huge boost on £11k-p/w beast Gerrard dubbed “world-class”