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Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of a few teams mentioned who could “take a punt” on Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

What’s the word?

That is according to Dean Jones, via GIVEMESPORT, with the reliable journalist claiming that Molineux serves as a potential destination for a striker who is said to have been linked with a move to the Premier League for several months.

According to Jones, “somebody is going to take a punt” on Barbosa who is better known as “Gabigol” and Wolves are one of the clubs who could be prepared to do so.

Speaking to GMS, Jones said: “Now, whether that ends up being Aston Villa or Newcastle or West Ham, I don’t know, but I do think that this might be the summer Gabigol finally lands, and whoever takes that punt, it might be worth it.

“Wolves as well, by the way, they might even come into the equation. Somebody is going to take a punt on him.”

Lage surely buzzing

Gabigol burst onto the scene around 2014/2015, after netting 18 combined goals in his last two domestic campaigns for Santos and consequently, he found himself playing for Inter Milan across the 2016/2017 season.

The £23.4m-rated forward’s move to Europe did not go to plan though, and even a loan move to Benfica was not enough to see him return to the goalscoring form that initially generated his hype.

But a loan, and then permanent move back to Brazil has seen the now 25-year-old register consistently prosperous returns, with his haul of decisive” in 2021.

The current campaign has seen the Brazilian’s goal tally dry up and it looks a though a move to pastures new is just what is needed.

Though, if he were to replicate this number in the Premier League for Wolves, he would find himself as the third-highest goalscorer in the squad, just two goals behind Raul Jimenez who notched six in the league last year.

Wolves were the third-lowest scoring team in the Premier League across the last campaign, scoring just 38 goals. But they also found themselves as the fourth-lowest big chance creators, so if Lage was to make a move for Gabigol, he would need to ensure that chances could be created on a consistent basis, whether that be through an alteration in system or through the recruitment of a midfield-magician.

Either way, the links are positive and considering that Jimenez missed the most big chances for Wolves last season, with nine, the implementation of a new striker would certainly leave the manager delighted.

In other news: Wolves in pole position to sign £43m gem who’s “one of the best”, Lage will love him 

Arsenal have reportedly made an offer to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed by the Biancocelesti from Belgian outfit Genk in 2015 for £10.8m (Transfermarkt), the Serbia international has been nothing short of a revelation for the Serie A club since arriving in Rome.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Spain, has directly contributed to 109 goals in a 294 Lazio appearances, collecting silverware in the Coppa Italia (twice) and Italian Super Cup.

Some seven years after joining Lazio and having been periodically linked with a move to the Premier League, Milinkovic-Savic could finally be ready for a fresh challenge, and Arsenal appear to be among the contenders…

The latest: Arsenal submit offer

As per Il Messaggero, translated by Sport Witness, the Gunners and Newcastle United have both made attempts to sign the 34-cap star this summer.

It is claimed that the bids in the region of €50m-€55m (£43m-£47m) ‘do not satisfy’ Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito.

However, the report added that the player’s agent, former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman, reiterated that the midfielder, who was recently hailed for an ‘electric’ performance against Sassuolo by writer Jerry Mancini, will ‘not stay’ at the Stadio Olimpico beyond the current transfer window.

The verdict: Paying for quality

Sharing a close stylistic likeness with Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans and Leon Goretzka (FBRef), rarely does a player of Milinkovic-Savic’s ilk become so readily available.

As such, Edu and the Emirates Stadium hierarchy should be doing everything in their power to ensure that the powerful Serbian can become part of Mikel Arteta’s squad.

In 2021/22, the 6 foot 4 bulwark scored 11 times and provided 12 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions whilst earning a superb 7.28 Sofascore rating. He averaged 6.9 successful duels, 50.6 accurate passes and two shots per game in the Italian top flight, highlighting an impressive attacking impact to complement his very strong defensive acumen.

Milinkovic-Savic is valued at £63m and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt). Although the aforementioned offers clearly aren’t enough to persuade Lazio to sell their most valuable commodity, the prospect of him lining up alongside the likes of Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and the newly-acquired Fabio Vieira should prompt the north Londoners to break the bank to make the deal a reality.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing Croatian youngster Ivan Lepinjica this summer and the defensive-midfielder could form a superb partnership with Matheus Nunes in Bruno Lage’s side next season.

According to a recent report by Football Insider, Wolves and Rangers are battling it out to sign the Rijeka man this summer, with the Old Gold expected to blow the Scottish giants out of the water by striking a deal for the 22-year-old.

The report claims that Lepinjica has previously been on the radar of a number of Premier League sides but they were put off by the injury issues that saw him miss much of the last two seasons.

However, the six-foot-three midfielder has previously captained Croatia U21s and was a regular at the end of last season, so seems to be over the injury issues that plagued him in previous campaigns, and he could be an excellent fit at Molineux.

Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were Wolves’ top midfield tacklers last season and with the former seemingly on his way out and the latter set to turn 36 next season, Lage definitely needs a younger, more physical option in his midfield for the future, and Lepinjica could be the ideal man.

If he were to join this summer, he could form an excellent duo with Nunes, who looks set to join the club from Sporting Lisbon, according to recent reports.

Nunes’ impressive passing and dribbling skills would surely complement Lepinjica’s more physical defensive style and considering they are 23 and 22 respectively, they could enjoy a successful partnership in Wolves’ midfield for many years to come.

Back in 2020, Croatian journalist Ivan Žeželj revealed that Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were both interested in signing Lepinjica and praised him, saying:

“He is a very talented kid, obviously. If he was English, he would already cost £20m. This way, Rijeka is asking ‘only’ £5m.”

Although Rijeka’s asking price may have changed since then, Transfermarkt values Lepinjica at just £360k, so he could represent a bargain option for Lage this summer and would be a no-risk addition alongside Nunes.

And, in other news: Wolves now expect to seal “the best” £43m signing, he could be their own Joelinton

Liverpool have already had a rather busy early stage of the current summer transfer window having secured deals for Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay.

One other figure that has been mentioned with a move to Anfield this summer is Christopher Nkunku.

However, there have been reports suggesting that the RB Leipzig star will be staying at the German club and putting pen to paper on a new deal.

This could therefore pour cold water on any hopes the Reds may have had of getting him to join their ranks this summer.

Should this end up being the case, another figure, much closer to home, that has also been linked with the Merseyside club that could be their own version of Nkunku is Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic.

According to Football Transfers, the Leipzig star tops the list of players of a similar vein to the American, highlighting the connection between the two figures.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here.

It’s clear to see why with the duo’s attacking talent in terms of scoring and creating goals highlighting the similarities between them.

For example, in 241 senior appearances for Chelsea and his previous club Borussia Dortmund, the American has scored 44 goals and delivered 44 assists.

The Frenchman, meanwhile, has found the net 47 times and provided 46 assists in 134 appearances for Leipzig.

The fact that Sadio Mane is reportedly set to be announced as a Bayern Munich player in the coming days could pave the way for the Reds to launch a move for the Chelsea winger and thus, take him as a suitable replacement for the Senegalese winger.

Labelled as a player who is “hungry to score and to arrive in the box,” according to Thomas Tuchel, Pulisic is currently picking up a weekly wage of £150k-per-week at the west London club.

Another interesting factor regarding the Chelsea winger’s ability on the pitch is the fact that Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo claimed last year that Pulisic is the most difficult opponent he has faced.

Thus, should Jurgen Klopp feel the need to add some more attacking power to his squad, securing a deal for the Chelsea star could be a smart bit of business from the Merseyside club.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter drops exciting Liverpool transfer claim that supporters will love

Everton have been named among a host of clubs interested in signing Fenerbahce defender Kim Min-jae this summer, according to a report from Takvim (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: ‘The monster’

Dubbed a ‘monster’ amid previous Toffees links – owing to his towering 6 foot 1 presence – Min-jae has been compared to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk in the past and has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation since arriving in Europe.

Signed from Chinese Super League outfit BJ Guoan in 2021, the 25-year-old South Korean has gone from strength to strength in Turkey and could now be ready for the next step in a promising career.

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Now, the latest report has claimed that Everton boss Frank Lampard is keen to include the towering centre-back as part of a summer rebuild at Goodison Park…

The latest: Toffees keen

As per Takvim, translated by SW, Everton are one of the ‘serious suitors’ to sign the 40-cap ace.

Premier League rivals Tottenham are also credited with a strong interest in Kim, whilst Napoli, AC Milan and Sevilla are also watching on with intent.

The report also states that the man hailed as ‘world class’ by journalist Jason Lee during a 1-1 draw with Trabzonspor has a €25million (£21.5million) release clause as part of a contract that runs until 2025 (Transfermarkt).

The verdict: Straight swap

With the future of injury-prone central defender Yerry Mina seemingly lying away from the blue half of Merseyside, signing Kim as a direct replacement would make an abundance of sense for the Toffees.

Albeit the South Korean missed four matches of his own last term, the powerful star has remained relatively injury-free thus far in what has been a career on an ever upwards trajectory.

Overall in 2021/22, he made 39 appearances across all competitions, including six Europa League outings whilst earning a strong 6.93 Sofascore rating comprising of 3.7 successful duels, 2.3 interceptions and 4.1 clearances on average per Super Lig game – more than any Everton defender when it comes to clearances.

Given the mooted price, the potential offloading of Mina and with Lampard attempting to fix a defensive department that conceded 66 goals last term, a move for the Fenerbache warrior would be a smart and wholly achievable one.

In other news: ‘Abolsutely magnificent’ Everton man wanted on loan, read more here

Glasgow Rangers reportedly now hold an ‘interest’ in bringing Cameron Archer to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: England heroics

Archer recently made an instant impact off the bench for England’s U21s as he scored the goal that secured the win for them against Albania in their Euros qualification campaign.

Upon scoring with his first touch, renowned Aston Villa YouTuber Ty Bracey hailed him as ‘unstoppable’, and even went as far as to claim that he is ‘different gravy’.

The Latest: ‘Interest’

Taking to Twitter, talkSPORT journalist and transfer insider Alex Crook has revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are one of three clubs that now hold an ‘interest’ in signing Archer, as well as both Middlesbrough and Watford from the English Championship:

“There is a lot of interest in #AVFC striker Cameron Archer including #RangersFC #Boro and #WatfordFC.”

The Verdict: Sign

Given that both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe suffered from injury problems last season, Archer would be a smart signing by the Gers.

Crook does not specify whether it would be a loan move or a permanent deal for the young striker, but either would work for a 20-year-old who scored 11 senior goals combined for Villa and on loan at Preston North End last term.

Of course, former Light Blues manager Steven Gerrard is now the manager at Villa Park, and so those contacts could perhaps help get a deal over the line for the Teddy Bears.

In other news, find out how much RFC will have to pay for Josh Tymon here!

An update has emerged regarding Glasgow giants Rangers’ chances of bringing a new winger to Ibrox in the upcoming summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to German outlet WAZ, Gers target Rabbi Matondo could be on the move ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that, after Cercle Brugge opted against a €3.5m (£3m) deal for him, the 21-year-old is a ‘clear candidate’ to be sold by Schalke 04, as he only has one year left on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit. They have put him up for sale amid interest from a number of clubs, with Rangers and their Glasgow arch-rivals both reportedly keen on the attacker.

DaMarcus Beasley 2.0

Rangers head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst would love to have Matondo as an option in his squad next season, as the Wales international is an exciting young player who has the potential to be a speed demon at Ibrox.

Beasley was known for his pace during his career and enjoyed a fine spell with the Light Blues as he produced six goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances.

He was a quick forward with the ability to score and set up goals, and that is exactly what Matondo could be for Rangers next season.

Interestingly, the USA international played in Germany and for Manchester City, just like the 21-year-old Welsh wizard.

Commenting on Schalke’s move for the winger in 2019, City manager Pep Guardiola heaped praise on Matondo as he said: “They are interested in another young player. I know how good he is, incredibly fast winger, and a young talent. This club is working so good.”

Former Wales manager Ryan Giggs also lauded the youngster’s speed, saying: “Just like Dan James he has electrifying pace.”

In 2021/22, Matondo managed 10 goals and two assists on loan at Cercle Brugge as he proved that he can make a big impact in the final third at senior level. He also produced 11 goals and five assists in 32 games for Manchester City at under-23 level, highlighting the potential that he has at the top of the pitch.

Therefore, Rangers can land their new Beasley in a deal for the former Stoke loanee. The 21-year-old has the pace to burn past defenders, and his statistics suggest that he also has the quality to be a match-winner when he gets into advanced positions.

Ross Wilson must now ensure that he can beat Celtic to his signature and add him to Van Bronckhorst’s squad for next term.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: Wilson must land Rangers deal for “fabulous” £28k-p/w maestro…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to the transfer window this summer to improve their squad, but they may already have a solution to their need for change at Molineux, and a reliable source has revealed a new update.

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s Wolves reporter Tim Spiers has given an update on Morgan Gibbs-White’s situation at the club following his season-long loan spell at Sheffield United.

As per a report written by Spiers for The Athletic, the midfielder is now set to be given the chance to play for Wolves and will be offered a much more consistent role in the team next season.

Along with the opportunity of first-team football in the Premier League, the report claims that the Molineux hierarchy will offer him a new contract and a pay rise, one year after signing a new deal before he was sent on loan to Bramall Lane.

Supporters will be buzzing

There is no doubt that Wolves supporters will be absolutely buzzing that there will be a space for Gibbs-White in the team next season, and when you consider how impressive he has been in the Championship this season, it would certainly be deserved.

The 22-year-old has been a standout performer for Sheffield United this season, scoring 12 goals, delivering 10 assists and creating 16 big chances in 37 league appearances, and it’s not just his phenomenal goal contributions which have prompted Wolves to table a new offer for the player.

Gibbs-White made 1.6 key passes, took 2.4 shots and won 4.9 duels per game this season, demonstrating that he dominates the centre of the pitch and is highly effective on the ball, posing a huge attacking threat to the opposition.

Contrary to claims that Wolves would be open to cashing on in the 22-year-old, Bruno Lage confirmed last month that he is keen to bring the youngster back to Wolves this summer and include him in his plans for next season.

The Wolves boss claimed (via Birmingham Live): “If I want him in January, I continue to want him here because he can be an important player for the club. He’s one of the players that comes from the academy and I know it’s so important for the club to have that.”

Gibbs-White’s performances this season have attracted transfer interest, with Nottingham Forest reportedly keen on securing his signature this summer, so Lage will need ensure that he can offer something substantial to keep the midfielder focused on his future with Wolves.

AND in other news: Journalist drops big Wolves claim on “special” £20m star, supporters will be buzzing

Journalist Alan Nixon has now shared an exciting Southampton transfer update involving Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White after his brilliant Championship campaign on loan at Sheffield United.

The Lowdown: Saints set for busy summer?

The Saints and transfer chief Martin Semmens could be set for a very interesting summer transfer window, with plenty of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s current crop either out of contract or heading into the final 12 months of their existing deals.

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Speaking to The Daily Echo, Southampton’s director has recently admitted that the club could move for targets earlier than in previous windows, as new owners Sport Republic seek to move the St Mary’s outfit in a new direction.

Hasenhuttl’s side are apparently frontrunners to sign Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks, who looks set to depart the Premier League giants, and Nixon has now shared another promising update for Saints supporters.

The Latest: Southampton ‘topping the queue’ for Gibbs-White…

As per the reliable reporter via Patreon, Southampton are ‘topping the queue’ to sign Gibbs-White this summer as they enter pole position.

They are also ready to pay £20m or the Englishman after his ‘dazzling campaign’ on loan at Sheffield United in the Championship over 2021/22.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Nixon is certainly bang on the money when he references a ‘dazzling’ season for Gibbs-White at Bramall Lane.

According to WhoScored, he came in as the Blades’ best performer by average match-rating (7.14/10) while finishing the season as their top scorer (12) and leading assists provider (ten). He also topped their second-tier charts with the most attempts at goal per 90 (2.5) and joint-most key passes averaged in the final third (1.6 per game).

Former Barnsley manager Poya Asbaghi is certainly a fan, calling the 22-year-old the Blades’ “most outstanding” player earlier in the campaign.

Given Gibbs-White’s age and rising stock, Nixon’s claim that Southampton are the leading contenders to sign him comes as very exciting news.

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

Aston Villa are believed to be keen on Lille defender Sven Botman, as Steven Gerrard plots a move for a new centre-back signing.

What’s the word?

As per The Telegraph, Villa are reportedly ‘monitoring’ the Dutchman with the view to a possible deal, with the recruitment of a new left-sided central defender seemingly high on the agenda this summer for the Midlands outfit.

There has been a suggestion that NSWE are plotting a move for Burnley’s James Tarkowski on a free transfer, although a further addition could well be needed, following reports that Gerrard could look to axe both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa in the upcoming window.

It would seem as if the Premier League club are attempting to steal a march on top-flight rivals Newcastle United in the hunt for the 22-year-old, with Botman having come close to securing a move to St James’ Park back in January.

Imagine him and Digne

With the aforementioned Mings potentially set for the scrapheap, the club’s £27m-rated target could be the ideal option to slot in at left centre-back, potentially forming a mouthwatering partnership with full-back Lucas Digne, the Frenchman having moved to Villa Park from Everton in the winter.

With the former Toffees defender offering the attacking threat from his left-back berth, Botman would provide more than adequate cover in the backline, having showcased his defensive talents following another impressive campaign in Ligue 1.

In 25 league outings in the 2021/22 season, the £18k-per-week starlet – who has been dubbed “extraordinary” by his agent Francesco Miniero – averaged one tackle, one interception and 4.5 clearances per game, while also winning 65% of his total duels and keeping eight clean sheets.

His quality in possession could also be crucial in forming a dynamic combination with Digne, having enjoyed an impressive 88% pass completion rate in the French top flight. He ranks in the top 30% for attempted passes among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, demonstrating his willingness to play the ball out from the back.

The best-performing player this season under Christophe Galtier – as per Sofascore – the 6 foot 5 giant would certainly add instant quality to Gerrard’s failing backline. Villa shipped 54 league goals in the recently-concluded campaign, the 10th-worst record in the division.

Botman’s arrival would also represent another major coup for the ambitious Midlands outfit. Seeing him lining up alongside Digne in defence would be a clear statement of just how far the club – and NSWE –  wishes to go, with the duo more than good enough to help take the team back towards European qualification.

IN other news, Gerrard can now axe £20m “mistake” by signing £15m ace who’s “capable of leading” AVFC