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Ryan Taylor has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Hamed Junior Traore.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for the Express, Taylor revealed that, despite Victor Orta looking set to complete the signing of Luis Sinisterra in the very near future, the Whites could yet target another winger in the summer transfer window – with the Sassuolo forward said to be one of the Spaniard’s potential targets.

Indeed, previous reports had claimed that Orta has gone as far as to submit a request to sign the 22-year-old, with Giovanni Carnevali – the Serie A side’s CEO – believed to be willing to part with the Ivory Coast international for a figure in the region of €25m (£22m).

“Explosion”

Considering just how impressive Traore was in Italy last season, should Orta manage to get a deal for the forward over the line alongside Sinisterra this summer, it would undoubtedly represent an extraordinary coup for the Spaniard.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances for I Neroverdi in 2021/22, the £26m-rated talent was in breathtaking form, scoring seven goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £15k-per-week forward also ranks in the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 24% for shots, the top 11% for progressive carries, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 13% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

As such, it is clear to see just how exciting an addition the player Fabrizio Corsi dubbed “extraordinary” and Alessandro Dal Canto labelled an “explosion” would be to Jesse Marsch’s attacking options at Elland Road next season – leading us to believe that, if there is enough room in the transfer budget, Orta must do everything he can to land the Sassuolo sensation this summer.

AND in other news: Phil Hay now drops “major” Leeds United transfer update, supporters will be gutted

Wolverhampton Wanderers are facing some resistance from Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes over a permanent transfer move, but still remain the favourites to acquire his signature.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Sport Witness, who have relayed news from Portuguese outlet Record.

The report claims that whilst Wolves are in “pole position” for the Portugal star and hold the most “palpable” interest, negotiations have not advanced  due to a belief that the player is offering “some resistance” towards the move to Molineux.

It is said that Nunes wants a move to a Premier League club “of a superior level”, with agent Jorge Mendes said to be continually looking for “the best solution”.

As stated later in the piece, Sporting boss Ruben Amorim wants to see the move “aborted” and wants to count on Nunes next season.

It is said that Wolves have “€45m plus €5m ready” which matches the €50m (£43m) demanded by the Portuguese giants.

Lage will love him

Described by Pep Guardiola as “one of the best players in the world”, Nunes’ impact on the pitch cannot be understated.

But this is despite the Portugal international having much of the ball, yet he still finds a way to shine with metrics that demonstrate utmost efficiency.

Nunes completes an average of 29.41 passes per 90, which places him in the 15th percentile amongst positionally similar players. This is a very low ranking, but 10.45 of these passes are under pressure, which is an entirely contrasting and elite metric that places the Portuguese midfielder in the 87th percentile.

Despite averaging just 50.49 touches per game, Nunes completes 3.19 dribbles with a progressive carrying distance of 141.73 yards – another elite total.

Ultimately, he does not see much of the ball, but does a lot with it when in possession. Having chipped in with nine goal contributions in 50 appearances in the form of four goals and five assists from midfield, he is a statistical anomaly.

Nunes’ efforts are entirely productive throughout both phases of the game and he would be a welcome asset to most teams in the Premier League, which will be concerning to Wolves boss Bruno Lage with the move now looking vulnerable amidst the latest reports.

Only time will tell whether this transfer will go through, but the reported resistance from the player does no bode well at this stage of proceedings. However, if a move can be done, Lage would surely love him in his armoury.

AND in other news: Lage heading for 1st summer transfer disaster at Wolves on “magic” £17.3m technician 

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Nick Pope in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the Magpies are set to make the giant shot-stopper their second signing of the month, after bringing Matt Targett in from Aston Villa.

He Tweeted: “NUFC close to completing a deal for Nick Pope. Fee for England international will be around £12m, with Burnley keeper set to battle with Martin Dubravka for number one spot next season…”

In the accompanying article, it is claimed that the England international has told the Clarets that he would like to move on following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has since added: “Newcastle understood to have agreed fee in principle with Burnley for Nick Pope. 30yo England int’l GK now set to undergo medical. Hope is deal will be completed by end of week.”

Forget Hugo Ekitike

Whilst talks are reportedly set to take place with the Stade Reims striker this week, it is time to forget about Ekitike for now and focus on how good of a signing Pope can be for the club.

The Burnley star is set to join to provide competition to Martin Dubravka and his statistics suggest that he can be a big upgrade on the current Toon number one when it comes to sweeping up.

Pope ranks in the 99th and 98th percentiles for defensive actions outside of his box and the average distance of those actions respectively per 90 over the last 365 days. This shows that he is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of successfully coming off his line to prevent danger.

Dubravka, meanwhile, ranks in the 11th percentile in both categories. He was reluctant to leave his penalty area too often in the 2021/22 campaign and his statistics look poor in comparison to the man who may end up replacing him at St. James’ Park.

When it comes to shot-stopping, there was not a great deal of difference between them as Pope saved 73.6% of the shots against him in comparison to the Slovakian’s save percentage of 67.9%.

These statistics suggest that the Englishman will be a sublime addition to the team as he will put real pressure on Dubravka and offer the head coach a different style of goalkeeper – with his ability to sweep up behind the backline – to utilise in games.

Therefore, Howe will be elated by the Burnley giant’s imminent arrival and will now be looking forward to working with him next season, assuming the deal goes through.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC swoop for “infectious” £50m “class act”, just imagine him & Trippier…

Liverpool are reportedly ready to make their move for Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to a report from Spanish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Premier League revelation

Since joining the Whites in 2020 from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes for £17m (BBC), the Brazil international has been nothing short of sensational for the Yorkshire club.

The 25-year-old has proven to be very effective in the final third, having amassed 17 goals and 11 assists in 66 outings in England, earning a first call-up for his national team as a result.

After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the 2021/22 season, it has appeared as though a move could be in the offing for some time, with Barcelona having been the frontrunners. However, that could now be set to change…

The latest: Liverpool in the hunt for Raphinha

As per Sport, Liverpool remain at the forefront of those waiting to sign Raphinha this summer, as Jurgen Klopp still ‘wants’ to bring the 25-year-old to the AXA Training Centre.

It’s claimed that, were it not for the nine-cap forward’s agent Deco – a Barcelona icon in his playing days – the skilful Brazilian ‘would have already signed’ for either the Reds or Chelsea.

The report added that it’s ‘mainly Liverpool’ with a chance of making the deal happen should the Catalan giants fail to reach a €65m (£58m) agreement for the dazzling attacker, who has been called a ‘magician’ by his club colleague Daniel James.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here. The verdict: Go get him

With Mohamed Salah’s Anfield future appearing more perilous than ever, FSG should be making immediate provisions to replace the Egyptian superstar and capitalise on the procrastination from Spain in the process.

Predominantly operating as a left-footed right-winger in a similar vein to the 30-year-old, Raphinha has certainly shown the early signs of being able to emulate the levels reached by the Liverpool superstar as he approaches the peak of his own powers.

Last season, the Brazilian scored 11 times and registered three assists in 35 Premier League outings for a struggling Leeds side, winning 5.2 duels, completing 1.8 successful dribbles and making 1.9 key passes per game whilst earning a 6.97 Sofascore rating.

Somewhat surprisingly, those statistics from Raphinha are a close match for Salah, indeed even better on certain fronts. The Egypt supremo only won 2.9 duels, completed 1.5 successful dribbles and made 1.8 key passes per top-flight match in 2021/22, statistics which would further endear Klopp to the potential capture of the Elland Road star.

As things stand, the signs all point towards the 30-year-old running down his deal on Merseyside. As such, signing Raphinha now would be a shrewd move in order to ensure that a natural succession plan is in place.

In other news, a transfer expert has dropped a key Liverpool claim. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their reported pursuit of Lucas Paqueta in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has confirmed that the club are not interested in a deal to bring the Brazil international to St. James’ Park ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He Tweeted: “#nufc are not looking to sign Lucas Paqueta from Lyon, contrary to rumours being spread on here and elsewhere. He is recognised as a talented player but not someone they need at the moment. More transfer updates on Botman and Ekitike to follow on @TeleFootball shortly.”

This comes as a twist after it was reported, last month, that the club were ready to swoop for Bruno Guimaraes’ former teammate.

Supporters will be gutted

Edwards’ transfer twist will leave Toon supporters gutted as Paqueta, on paper, would be an excellent addition to the team.

Eddie Howe would surely love to have a player of his quality in his squad as the 25-year-old has proven his ability at the top level in Ligue 1.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the gem produced nine goals and six assists from midfield whilst averaging a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.13. This shows that he has the talent to make things happen in the final third whilst maintaining a high level with his performance week-in-week-out.

His displays are not a flash in the pan, either, as he caught the eye in his debut season for Lyon – averaging a rating of 7.17 as he scored ten goals and assisted five in Ligue 1. He is a consistent player who has proven that he has the tools required to be a top player in a major European league.

On top of that, he also has a pre-existing relationship with Guimaraes because they played alongside each other at Lyon and both play for Brazil at international level. This means that he would have had a smooth transition into life at the club, which could have helped him to hit the ground running in England.

Alas, the Magpies clearly feel that other positions are more of a priority at this moment in time. Hopefully, they will re-visit a potential move for him in a future window if they are in need of a midfielder as, for the aforementioned reasons, he would be a superb signing for Howe.

For now, though, the supporters will be gutted that Paqueta will not be a Newcastle player next season and will be hoping that the other signings the club plan to make will make them forget about the talent.

AND in other news, Decision imminent: Romano drops “serious” update that’ll leave NUFC supporters nervous…

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh has shared some interesting transfer news out of Rush Green involving Brighton star Yves Bissouma.

The Lowdown: West Ham prepare…

Tasked with maintaining his team’s incredible rise over the last two seasons, Irons manager David Moyes is currently weighing up how best to strengthen his squad for the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Scotsman reportedly plans to strengthen in key areas amid a real shake-up at West Ham with four departures having already been confirmed.

Andriy Yarmolenko, David Martin, Ryan Fredericks and the retired Mark Noble have all departed Rush Green, with many now wondering who could come in to take their place.

The Latest: Agents offer Bissouma…

According to Claret & Hugh, Moyes has been ‘offered’ the chance to sign Bissouma from Brighton, with representatives making an ‘approach’ to West Ham.

However, the Scotsman is believed to have turned down the chance, as he has earmarked Southampton star James Ward-Prowse as a priority target.

The Verdict: Right call?

This report claims the Seagulls now value Bissouma at £25m, a seismic 50% drop from his £50m valuation in January (The Daily Mail).

The Mali midfielder is about to enter the final year of his contract at the Amex Stadium and could now be snapped up for a reasonable fee, potentially making his signing a really good opportunity for any interested suitor.

Called a ‘monster’ by members of the media (Aaron Stokes, The Chronicle), the 25-year-old finished 2021/22 as one of Brighton’s best-performing players, making more tackles and interceptions per 90 than any of his team-mates (WhoScored).

Indeed, turning down the opportunity to lodge a cut-price bid for Bissouma could certainly be considered a bold move by Moyes.

In other news: West Ham officials dispatched as GSB eye ‘superstar’ signing for Moyes! Find out more here.

Celtic are reportedly interested in signing Maccabi Haifa midfielder Mohammad Abu Fani this summer.

What’s the news?

According to reports in his homeland (via Daily Record), the Hoops are joined by Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liege and Royal Antwerp in keeping an eye on the midfielder during Israel’s upcoming Nations League matches.

A product of Maccabi Haifa’s youth academy, the 24-year-old has racked up 99 appearances for the club across all competitions. In that time, the Israel international – who is currently valued at just £810k by Transfermarkt – has scored 10 goals and delivered seven assists along the way.

With 44 appearances and 12 goal contributions this season across all competitions, this highlights just how important he is for his club and why they may be reluctant to let him leave this summer.

On the international stage, the midfielder has made 45 appearances for his country across their youth and senior teams, scoring six goals in the process.

In January, journalist Sanny Rudravajhala quote-tweeted a now-deleted clip of Abu Fani keeping possession of the ball during a game against Maccabi Tel Aviv when his side won 3-2 having been 2-0 down, with the journalist describing the passage of play as a “thing of beauty”.

Bye-bye Soro

In terms of a potential move to Celtic for the Israeli gem, this could potentially bring Ismaila Soro’s time at Parkhead to an end.

Signed from Israeli outfit Bnei Yehuda in January 2020 in a four-and-a-half-year deal worth around £2m, the Ivorian has made just 43 appearances for the Bhoys.

Taking into account how the 24-year-old only started six of the 19 games in which he appeared for Ange Postecoglou’s side this season (and none since December), it’s safe to say that he is not particularly high in the pecking order at Parkhead.

Also, with a report from The Athletic claiming that the Bhoys intend moving the midfielder out of the club this summer, this could pave the way for Abu Fani to come in and take the Ivorian’s place in Postecoglou’s squad.

Should the Hoops finally manage to get rid of Soro in the coming weeks and months, adding a player like Abu Fani to their ranks, who has experience of playing as an attacking and defensive midfielder at times, could be the best option for the club.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “unbelievable” Celtic flop by signing “feisty” 19-goal sensation

Manchester City are keen on signing Rafael Leao from AC Milan amid uncertainty over his future, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna. 

The lowdown

The Premier League champions have already kicked off their summer business with the £51.2m addition of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, but it seems that Pep Guardiola might want to bolster his attacking options even further.

Leao operated as a left winger for Milan last season but has actually played most of his games up to this point as a striker.

The 22-year-old is a key player for the Rossoneri, with Stefano Pioli selecting him for 34 out of 38 Serie A matches and four of their six Champions League games in the recently-concluded campaign.

Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, Leao has just over two years to run on his contract at San Siro.

The latest

Aouna tweeted on Monday evening that Leao had ‘an extension offer on the table’ from the newly-crowned Serie A champions but wasn’t guaranteed to stay put at the San Siro.

‘Several clubs are interested’ in the Portuguese attacker, ‘including Man City’, who apparently ‘started talks a few weeks ago’ with Leao’s representative Jorge Mendes.

Mendes’ other clients include Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Ederson, so the Etihad Stadium club have experience of working with him previously.

The verdict

Leao won Serie A’s MVP award and it’s no surprise in light of his excellent headline numbers.

The five-cap Portugal international was directly involved in 26 goals across all competitions in 2021/22, scoring 14 goals and registering 12 assists.

Beyond those eye-catching figures, he’s also highly adept at running with the ball, ranking in the 90th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and the 96th percentile for dribbles completed (via FBRef). Furthermore, his presence in the 81st percentile for aerial duels won suggests that he can more than hold his own physically.

In terms of profile according to FBRef, he is similar to Riyad Mahrez, who found the net 24 times for Guardiola’s side this season.

Journalists have been raving about Leao, with Mina Rzouki describing him as ‘ridiculously brilliant’ and Maxi Angelo dubbing him ‘completely unstoppable’ and ‘truly magical’.

On that evidence, he could be a brilliant long-term investment for City if they bring him in.

In other news, read this big Aurelien Tchouameni claim involving City.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Bruno Lage must brutally sell Morgan Gibbs-White this summer and could get up to £20m for the player.

What’s the story?

talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook spoke to GIVEMESPORT and said: “If he’s a player they can get £20m for they might see that as a good investment and a chance to rebuild.”

The 22-year-old had an exceptional loan spell with Sheffield United this past season, and helped them secure a play-off place before they lost out in the semi-final to eventual winners Nottingham Forest.

Wolves could sign him on a new contract, but with big clubs such as Serie A champions AC Milan interested, now is a good time to cash in.

He won’t make it at Molineux

Gibbs-White has risen through the ranks at Molineux and is one of the latest successes from their academy. He has had two loan spells with his most recent one at Sheffield United impressing the most.

He made 35 Championship appearances for The Blades and was directly involved in 20 goals during that time. Those are impressive numbers, and he’s been described as a “catalyst” in the EFL by journalist Laurie Whitwell. However, you have to put it into perspective.

They were one of the best teams in the division last season and it would be difficult for the Englishman to replicate that standard in a much tougher Premier League.

If he remained at Molinuex it would be hard to see where he would fit in. Wolves usually play a formation of three forward players so he would either have to be moved out wide or be put in a deeper position.

This would risk not getting the best out of him, as has been seen previously, particularly under Nuno Santo.

Gibbs-White isn’t necessarily a bad player, but if Wolves can get a good fee for him, then it makes more sense for them to use that to improve other areas of the team rather than keep a player who will likely be on the bench.

In the 86 appearances he has made for the Old Gold, he’s only scored three and assisted one, which ultimately proves that he isn’t good enough to stay at Molineux.

IN other news: Wolves now already heading for huge summer transfer disaster, Lage will be furious…

Celtic had an incredibly busy summer 2021 transfer window in terms of the amount of players who not only joined the club but also the number who exited Parkhead.

While the Hoops have already been linked with some new players even before the transfer window has opened for business, it seems as though the club could now be at risk of losing one of their reported targets to their closest rivals.

What’s the news?

After recently being linked with a move for Cardiff City youngster Japhet Matondo, Celtic could be at risk of missing out on signing the winger after Football Scotland claimed that Rangers have joined the race to sign him.

To give some insight on the player, the 16-year-old can reportedly play on the left and right wings and has already featured for Wales’ under-23 side.

This shows why Celtic and now their Old Firm rivals have taken an interest in the young talent and why it would be awful news for the Bhoys to potentially see their arch-rivals sign him.

Worrying news for Celtic

While the teenager may not have any senior experience under his belt just yet, he could well be a great addition for Celtic’s youth ranks.

Now that Rangers have entered the race to sign the young Welshman, the possibility of seeing him join the Ibrox club and making a name for himself there should give the Hoops more of an incentive to push forward and secure his signature.

Given how Celtic already have a significant number of young players in their squad who have spent time in the youth ranks and are pushing to break into the first team, adding Matondo to their ranks could give him and the other players more competition for a place in the senior side.

Therefore, if more players are vying for a place in Postecoglou’s squad, they’ll need to work harder to ensure that they catch the eye of the first-team manager.

While adding established senior players to their ranks should definitely be in Celtic’s plans for the summer transfer window, signing young talents like Matondo – who could replace Ben Doak and potentially Karamoko Dembele if he doesn’t sign a new deal – should also be on the club’s agenda.

In other news – Signed for £4.5m, now worth 70% less: Celtic had a huge howler on £9k-p/w “disaster”