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According to journalist David McDonnell of The Daily Mirror, an interesting Manchester City transfer update has come to light involving Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Guardiola eyes Fernandinho heir…

After a near-decade long stay in the Premier League, Sky Blues must wave goodbye to veteran and faithful club servant Fernandinho who has been a pivotal figure both on and off the field since signing from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

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The Brazilian has made a brilliant 382 appearances for City in all competitions, featuring over four Premier League title-winning campaigns and winning 13 trophies in total (Transfermarkt).

Fernandinho has put pen to paper on one-year contract extensions twice over the last two years, but as already confirmed, this 2021/2022 season will be his last in blue.

Pep Guardiola, as a result, is currently on the lookout for his replacement with links having emerged to the likes of Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and even Man United outcast Paul Pogba.

The Latest: City join Phillips hunt…

Now, as per McDonnell of The Mirror, the Sky Blues are now in contention to sign Leeds star Phillips in their hunt for a new midfielder.

Etihad Stadium officials have even been sent to run the rule over Jesse Marsch’s star on numerous occasions with both Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain agreeing Phillips could be the ‘ideal’ signing for them.

The Verdict: Make the move?

Having been linked with West Ham star Declan Rice this summer, with that interest since dying down due to his enormous price tag, City could find a similar tough-tackling ace in Phillips for a much lesser fee.

The England international is apparently rated at around £50 million, a far more attainable bid than the £100m for Rice, with the 26-year-old also having what it takes to slot in Guardiola’s system.

According to WhoScored, Phillips has averaged more tackles per 90 (2.7) than any City player in the top flight this season – potentially backing how he could add more steel in a rotation with Rodri.

In other news: Man City ‘ready to pursue’ agreement for ‘sensational’ new target who ripped United to shreds, find out more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘working’ on signing Hugo Ekitike in the summer.

The Lowdown: Newcastle confident on Ekitike

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has recently revealed that the St James’ Park faithful are ‘confident‘ of signing Ekitike this summer.

Expanding in his latest article for 90min, the journalist added that they hope to wrap up a deal ‘soon’ after Eddie Howe ‘pinpointed’ the 19-year-old as a target back in the January transfer window.

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A reported £33m move for Ekitike to move to the North East from Ligue 1 club Reims fell through on January’s transfer deadline day, and now it looks like the Tyneside outfit are going to return for him once the summer window opens.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now revealed a ‘key’ update with regards to the Magpies and Ekitike.

He outlined: “Key days ahead for Hugo Ekitike’s future, he’s expected to leave Reims after great season. Newcastle are still working to sign him after January late negotiations, now hoping to beat Borussia Dortmund in the race.

“Ekitike will make his choice on the future soon.”

The Verdict: Get it done

With clubs like Dortmund – who will be playing in the Champions League next season and have lost Erling Haaland to Manchester City – showing interest in Ekitike, the Toon need to wrap up this deal  quickly if they are to secure his signature.

Dubbed a ‘very special‘ player earlier this season by his manager Oscar Garcia, the 19-year-old seems to have a huge future ahead of him, and some in France truly believe that he could be the ‘next Mbappe‘.

With 11 goals and four assists in 26 games across all competitions this term (Transfermarkt), Ekitike has burst onto the scene in his home country, and he would no doubt be an exciting signing if Newcastle can land him.

In other news, find out which ‘golden boy’ NUFC are still interested in here!

It has already proven a hugely promising post-season for Aston Villa thus far, with the Midlands outfit having already brought in three marquee arrivals, with that exciting, early business having taken place before the window has even officially opened.

The Steven Gerrard revolution appears to be in full swing as the Englishman seeks to reshape the Villa squad into his image, although the latest indication is that the Liverpool legend is seeking even more investment this summer, with NSWE seemingly set to back their man once again.

One area that appears in need of bolstering is in attack, with pundit Richard Dunne tipping his former side to sign Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis, with the Nigerian having caught the eye in his debut Premier League campaign last term.

In comments recently cited by Birmingham Live, Dunne stated that Gerrard and co should look to take advantage of the Hornets’ top-flight relegation by making a move for their leading marksman: “I’m sure clubs will start looking at [James] Tarkowski from Burnley and Dennis from Watford now they have gone down. They would benefit a few teams in Villa’s area.

“They [Villa] need another attacking player to give them more options up top and another central midfielder. They aren’t crying out for someone in any position but they are looking for that next level of player to push them up the league, they have a decent strong squad.”

The 24-year-old netted ten goals and registered six assists in a standout league campaign on a personal level, albeit with that form unable to prevent his current side avoid a swift return to the second tier.

The former Club Brugge gem – who made the switch to Vicarage Road on a reported £3.6m deal last summer – will likely be on the radar of a number of top-flight clubs, with West Ham United reportedly one of those, with a fee of around £20m having been mooted.

That would likely represent something of a bargain for a player who has compared favourably to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 5% for aerial duels won and in the top 11% for dribbles completed, illustrating to both hold the play up as well as drive his side up the pitch.

That dynamism – as well as his obvious speed – could well evoke memories of a former Villan, with Dennis seemingly carrying similar traits to that of one-club man Gabby Agbonlahor, the forward-turned-pundit having at one stage been a real, lightning prospect for the club.

Having burst onto the scene back in 2006 at the age of 19, the three-cap England international went on to score an impressive 74 goals and record 34 assists in 322 top tier games during his lengthy spell at Villa Park, notably reaching double figures for goals in three successive seasons between 2007 and 2010.

The club’s leading scorer in the Premier League era, Agbonlahor would prove a tough act to try and replicate, although in Dennis the club could well find a fitting heir, with the “superb” striker – as he has been dubbed by one journalist – deserving of another shot in the top division.

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

Journalist Graeme Bailey has now shared an exciting Southampton transfer update involving Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton-Diaz.

The Lowdown: Semmens plan in place…

Under the new ownership of Sport Republic, Saints club chief Martin Semmens, who actively oversees their transfer business, has admitted that they already have their ‘plan in place’ for the summer (The Daily Echo).

This comes as a fair few squad members like Nathan Redmond, Theo Walcott and Moussa Djenepo head into the final years of their current deals as the St Mary’s side become open to offers for all three players (GiveMeSport).

Ralph Hasenhuttl, as a result, could see some fresh Premier League additions this window as he allegedly sets his sights on a striker signing.

The Latest: Bailey shares update…

According to journalist Bailey, writing for TEAMtalk, Southampton, and by extension Semmens, are now ‘in the running’ to sign Rovers star striker Brereton-Diaz this summer alongside Leeds, Brighton and Wolves.

This come as the Championship outfit decide to ‘cash in’ as they green-light his sale.

The Verdict: Finalise bid?

This report claims Rovers may ask for ‘slightly more’ than £20 million for any sides wishing to sign the Chile international, and going by his phenomenal return of 22 goals over 21/22, it could be a bargain.

Called a ‘beast’ by manager Toby Mowbray, the Ewood Park side could potentially be forced to accept a lower fee given Diaz is entering the final year of his deal.

Much will depend on Semmens’ negotiating power as he eyes some star recruits for Hasenhuttl.

In other news: Southampton emerge as frontrunners for ‘fabulous’ signing who’d suit Ralph ‘down to the ground’…find out more here.

Celtic successfully put a nightmare of a 2020/21 season behind them by securing the Premiership title this time around under Ange Postecoglou.

With 38 league games played, the Hoops won 29, drew six and lost only three, ultimately leaving them with an impressive 93-point haul. In addition, Postecoglou’s team ended the season with more goals scored (92) and fewer conceded (22) than any other team in the top flight, further cementing their place as Scotland’s top dogs.However, one man who didn’t contribute much to this latest title-winning campaign is Boli Bolingoli.With just two appearances to his name across all competitions, the defender was excluded from the squad more often than not.In April, it was reported that the £15k-per-week Belgian was in his homeland training on his own away from his team-mates, which doesn’t say much for his chances of being in Postecoglou’s plans moving forward.Slammed by former Hoops manager Neil Lennon for his “appalling” behaviour after the 26-year-old broke government guidelines in 2020 relating to the global pandemic, Bolingoli is reportedly one player that the club are looking to get rid of this summer.With that in mind, one player with whom the Parkhead club have been linked according to Fotboll Direkt (via 67HailHail) and who they could look to bring in as his replacement is Erick Otieno.Axe Bolingoli, sign OtienoCurrently playing for Swedish club AIK Solna, the left-back has scored two goals and delivered eight assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.To highlight the 25-year-old’s talents, in 11 league games so far this year, he has won more tackles (15) than any of his team-mates, also posting the second-highest number of crosses (37) and interceptions (17) at the Stockholm club.Furthermore, his current team-mate Seb Larsson recently shared a lot of praise for Otieno and how impressive he has been for AIK.This all shows just how capable a player he is on and off the ball in a defensive and attacking sense, and why he’d surely be more useful for Celtic than Bolingoli.Taking all this into account, if the Hoops and Postecoglou finally get the Belgian outcast off their books once and for all this summer, securing a deal which would bring the £1.35m-rated Otieno full-back to Parkhead could be the best option for the club.In other news: Celtic eyeing swoop for £810k-rated “thing of beauty”, it could be bye-bye Soro

Celtic have seen some prominent midfielders wave goodbye to Parkhead in recent memory, such as Scott Brown and Tom Rogic.

The club also announced that they have released young midfield talent Luca Connell after his recent loan spell with Queen’s Park.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open, this will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to potentially replace some of these recent departures and strengthen his squad in other areas as well.

One fresh-faced midfielder with whom the Hoops have been linked recently is Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron.

A product of the Pittodrie youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, 13 of which came during the second half of this latest Premiership season.

This highlights just how much faith Jim Goodwin has in the youngster and how highly he is rated at the club.

In fact, Goodwin said about the teenager in March: “He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.”

In terms of what sort of player he is, Jacek Kulig described the £68k-rated starlet as being similar to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The Twitter football scout also listed Barron’s pace, passing, tackling, positioning, work rate, energy, pressing and tenacity as the youngster’s main strengths.

Taking into account how successful Kante has been for club and country in terms of the trophies he’s lifted and individual awards he’s won, the prospect of having their own version of the Frenchman in the shape of the Aberdeen starlet is one that Celtic should not let slip.

While the Dons would presumably be keen to retain their teenage talent and give him the chance to develop his game at Pittodrie, the chance to join the reigning Scottish champions and potentially lift silverware and play in Europe with the Hoops would surely be tempting for Barron.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

Tottenham have now become the latest side to show an interest in Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Raphinha in demand

Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in recent months, however, a number of Premier League clubs have joined the race due to financial problems at the Nou Camp.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham have all been credited with a summer interest in the Brazilian, who starred at Elland Road last season.

The 25-year-old netted 11 times and registered three assists to help keep the Whites in the top flight, and it looks as if his future could still be in England… but not in Yorkshire.

The Latest: Spurs join ‘big’ race

Adam Crafton of The Athletic took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on the Leeds man. He revealed that Tottenham now hold a ‘genuine interest’ in Raphinha ‘in what may be one of the big tussles this summer’.

Leeds are open to the idea of cashing in on the winger, providing their valuation is met, with Elland Road chefs not expecting the player to pen a new deal.

The Verdict: £60m?

Phil Hay has previously stated that it would take a bid of between £60m and £70m to get Raphinha out of Elland Road. It would come as a surprise if a move to Spurs materialised, especially as Antonio Conte likes to use wing-backs, something many questioned when Raphinha turned out in a similar role under Jesse Marsch.

The list of clubs keen on his signature continues to grow, but that shouldn’t alter Leeds’ stance when it comes to an exit. They should continue to demand at least £60m for a player who has impressed in successive Premier League campaigns, and if they receive a fee in that region, the club should look to reinvest that money on attacking reinforcements ahead of Marsch’s first full season in charge.

In other news: As well as Roca: Leeds and Marsch now want to sign ‘incredible’ midfielder; Orta in overdrive. 

Newcastle United underwent a rather significant overhaul during the previous January transfer window.

The Magpies secured deals for players such as Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes among others.

One other player that joined the club in this period that they didn’t have to travel far to secure is Matt Targett.

Originally joining on a loan deal from fellow Premier League club Aston Villa, the left-back became Newcastle’s first permanent signing of the current summer transfer window earlier this month.

During his period with the Toon last season, the full-back made 16 appearances in the Premier League, completing the full 90 minutes in all of them.

This highlights how important he quickly became for the Magpies.

Despite all of this, the remainder of the current summer window could give the Tyneside club the chance to secure what may well be an upgrade on the Englishman.

One other player in the Premier League that the Toon have been linked with recently is Brighton & Hove Albion defender Marc Cucurella.

After joining the Seagulls in the summer transfer window of 2021, the Spaniard went on to have a decent debut season with Graham Potter’s side.

With 35 league appearances to his name, the left-back played more minutes than any other outfield player at the club.

To compare his season with Targett’s, the Brighton star racked up more shots at goal, successful dribbles and shot-creating actions than the Englishman.

From a defensive point of view, Cucurella also won more tackles, made more successful pressures and made more blocks and interceptions than the Toon defender.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why fellow Brighton defender Lewis Dunk labelled the full-back as a “class act,” and why journalist Andy Naylor claimed it would take an “eye-watering” transfer fee to sign him this summer.

Having also been linked with a £30m move to Manchester City, this also shows how in-demand the defender is and why the Toon could have a challenge on their hands to get him to St. James’ Park.

However, with the January window proving that the Toon aren’t reluctant when it comes to splashing the cash, a move to secure Cucurella and strengthen the left-back area of the squad even further could be a smart move for the club.

AND in other news: PIF could land Burn 2.0 as Newcastle now plot bid for “exceptional” £22m talent

West Ham United boss David Moyes has made a personal transfer demand to club chiefs as news emerges on former Irons loan star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham keep moving…

Tipped to very busy in the summer market, West Ham and Moyes are said to want ‘at least’ six new signings before the start of the 2022/2023 Premier League season (Sky).

After sealing deals for both Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and Alphonse Areola from Paris-Saint Germain, the east Londoners are now eyeing additions more further forward.

The likes of Chelsea striker Armando Broja have been linked alongside Lingard with 90min making an interesting claim on the latter,

The Latest: Moyes makes behind-scenes Lingard demand…

According to their sources, Moyes is personally pushing to sign the 29-year-old on a Bosman deal and has told West Ham hierarchy to make it a reality.

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The report adds that West Ham’s manager is hopeful an agreement can be reached for his long-time target.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lingard may well be the ideal man to follow both Aguerd and Areola through the door.

His phenomenal 2020/2021 loan spell, where he scored nine goals and racked up four assists in the top flight over 16 starts, is real evidence that he can shine under Moyes on a permanent deal.

The attacking midfielder potentially arriving for zero transfer cost is yet another incentive for West Ham to really push forward, not least because club legend Tony Cottee has also called him ‘fantastic’ in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur technical director Fabio Paratici has reportedly travelled to Italy to meet agent Giuseppe Riso, according to TuttoMercatoWeb. 

The lowdown: Taste for Italy

Following the appointment of Paratici in July 2021 and the subsequent arrival of Antonio Conte in November, Spurs have developed a particular taste for signing players from Serie A.

During that time, the north Londoners have added Juventus pair Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur to add to the summer captures of Cristian Romero and Pierluigi Gollini, albeit with the latter set to return to Atalanta next season after his loan spell in N17.

As Conte looks to prepare Tottenham for Champions League football once again, Paratici is seemingly eyeing up further additions from the Italian top flight…

The latest: ‘Important meeting’

As per TuttoMercatoWeb, an ‘important meeting’ is said to have been held between Paratici and agent Riso over the last 24 hours.

It’s claimed that the Lilywhites’ chief headed to his native Italy and Forte dei Marmi to meet Riso, owner of GR Sports, whose clients include the likes of Sandro Tonali – the man tipped to become ‘the new Pirlo’ by AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini, Sassuolo ace Davide Frattesi, AS Roma duo Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, as well as Gollini.

At this stage it’s unclear as to the reason behind the discussions, but with Spurs looking to strengthen and Serie A clearly a league that’s well-known to Conte, further additions from Italy could be forthcoming.

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The verdict: If it’s not broke…

Whilst the signing of Gollini proved to be somewhat underwhelming, with the goalkeeper handed just 10 appearances (none in the Premier League), Romero has certainly proven to be a hit in north London, as have the two January arrivals, and Paratici should have no issues convincing ENIC and Daniel Levy to sanction further additions.

Kulusevski in particular adapted to life in the Premier League with ease and ended the 2021/22 campaign with five goals and eight assists in just 18 outings, an astonishing return in such a short period having arrived mid-season.

Whilst the genesis of the meeting is not yet known, adding further stars from the home of the reigning European champions can only be viewed as a positive, especially were it to be a player of either Tonali or the previously linked Cristante’s calibre coming to Tottenham.