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Football Scotland deputy editor Mark Hendry has provided an update on the Celtic pursuit of Lanus left-back Alexandro Bernabei. 

The lowdown: Celtic interested in Bernabei

Initially linked in a report from Football Scotland, speculation continues to surround the move as Ange Postecoglou attempts to strengthen the Hoops’ squad.

Having seemingly been on the brink of landing the 21-year-old from the outset, the deal is yet to materialise, and there has been concern following a rejected opening offer.

However, the reporter of the original links who broke the story has now acted to allay some of the worries as Celtic look to kickstart their summer business…

The latest: Ongoing talks

Taking to Twitter, Hendry confirmed that discussions are ongoing between the two clubs and a potential deal is still on the table to be completed.

The deal is now dependent on the Hoops hierarchy stumping up a figure that Lanus are happy with.

He said: “Things are now with the hierarchy to get a deal done. Celtic had an offer rejected but both clubs still willing to work on it.”

The verdict: Get it done

Finding additional left-back cover to supplement Greg Taylor continues to be a key area of recruitment strategy for the Bhoys, and in Bernabei, the club appear to have earmarked a top talent who fits the Postecoglou style of play.

To date, the Argentina under-23 international – who has reportedly already applied for EU citizenship with a view to a move to Europe – has made 84 senior appearances for Lanus, scoring four goals and supplying 10 assists during that time.

Predominantly operating as a natural left-back, Bernabei can also play in more advanced positions and was recently heralded as a ‘very complete winger’ and a ‘beast’ by Argentine reporter Ezequiel Liniado due to his versatility and a desire to work the entire left-hand side of the pitch.

Valued at £2.97m and under contract in Argentina until 2023 (Transfermarkt), the discrepancies over the transfer fee should be ironed out. Celtic must not dig their heels in and instead do all that they can to ensure that they can add the talented youngster to the Lennoxtown ranks this summer.

In other news… a Sky Sports reporter has delivered a huge update on Postecoglou’s Celtic future

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Owen Wijndal to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Foot Mercato, who claimed that Fabio Paratici is now in talks with AZ Alkmaar regarding a deal for the left wing-back, who is reported to be available for around €15m (£13m) this summer.

The report added that the likes of Lyon, Napoli and Juventus are also keeping a close eye on the Netherlands international’s situation ahead of a potential move of their own in the coming weeks, although it is Tottenham who are believed to be leading the race for the 22-year-old.

Imagine him & Spence

With recent reports claiming that Paratici is also closing in on a £20m deal to bring right wing-back Djed Spence to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, the prospect of Wijndal lining up on the opposite flank to the 21-year-old in Antonio Conte’s starting XI next season is certainly a tantalising one.

Indeed, over his 31 Eredivisie appearances in 2021/22, the £10.8m-rated talent was in sensational form for AZ, scoring one goal, registering 10 assists and creating nine big chances for his team-mates, in addition to taking 0.8 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The £4.8k-per-week maestro also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.4 tackles, one interception, 41.6 passes, 1.2 clearances and 1.5 long balls and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 51%) per match.

These returns saw the player who Ajax Analytics dubbed “dangerous” average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, playing a key role in AZ’s fifth-place finish in the Eredivisie last time out.

As such, with Football Transfers suggesting that Wijndal’s most comparable player is none other than Spence himself, the possibility of the duo lining up on either flank at Tottenham next season is sure to be an incredibly exciting one for both Conte and Spurs supporters alike. We believe that Paratici must do all that he can to seal a £13m deal for the flying Dutchman in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Parartici can seal “unreal” deal in £30m bid for Spurs target who’s “different gravy”

Armando Broja has been heavily linked with a move to Everton this summer, but the Toffees will face competition after a new update has emerged on the player’s potential options ahead of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Daily Mail, West Ham United have now joined the race to sign the Southampton loanee and Chelsea forward this summer.

As per the report, Broja has interest from Newcastle, Everton, Napoli and Inter Milan with the Hammers joining them recently in hope that they can snap up the youngster ahead of next season.

Calvert-Lewin 2.0

Following reports of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s potential departure from Goodison Park this summer, it could be the perfect opportunity to sign a new striker that has the potential to succeed the Toffees forward if they can get a deal done for Broja during the transfer window.

Newcastle United are speculated to be preparing a bid for the Everton goal machine, and Farhad Moshiri must do everything he can to ensure the club isn’t caught short next season, something he could plan for by signing the Chelsea youngster.

Everton should be in a good position to sign the striker as Frank Lampard previously worked with Broja and even gave him his Premier League debut when he was managing Chelsea, so the Toffees boss has clear knowledge of the player’s talents, strengths and capabilities making it easier for him to deploy him effectively in the team.

You can draw some comparisons from 6 foot 1 Calvert-Lewin in the 6 foot 2 youngster, as they both use their height to successfully win aerial battles and dictate play with their stature in the final third, something that Broja in particular has excelled in during his loan spell at Southampton.

The £25m monster who was hailed “powerful” by journalist Josh Bunting ranked third for aerial challenges won in the Premier League this season, and ranks fourth for aerial challenges committed, unsuccessful in just 53 out of 302 which is extremely impressive and proves he is completely fearless in winning the ball at any cost.

With that being said, Broja would be a like for like replacement with the potential to emulate Calvert-Lewin’s success at Everton should he leave this summer and Frank Lampard must use his influence and relationship with the player to get him signed up at Goodison Park ahead of next season.

AND in other news: Lampard could unearth Everton’s very own Modric by signing “special” £17m dynamo

Everton have recently been linked with a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic, with the Serbian reportedly set to leave the Eagles this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Spor Time journalist Gerasimos Manolidis, the 31-year-old won’t be returning to Olympiacos, where he featured before his move to south London in January 2017, and is likely to depart Selhurst Park before next season.

Manolidis suggests that both Everton and Fulham are taking an interest in the Palace captain, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the Eagles may look to cash in on him this summer.

Worse than Klaassen?

Milivojevic was once a key player in the Crystal Palace side and won plaudits for his ability from set pieces, while he managed an impressive 12 goals and two assists for the Eagles in their 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

However, his performances have dropped in recent years, as suggested by his declining WhoScored ratings, and the 2021/22 campaign saw him make just 15 top-flight appearances under Patrick Vieira, in which he failed to score or set up a goal and averaged a disappointing 6.44 rating from WhoScored.

With the Frenchman having overseen a youthful transformation at Selhurst Park this season, it seems unlikely that he will re-integrate Milivojevic into his starting 11 next term, and Everton could take advantage by bringing the midfielder to Goodison Park.

However, the Serbian’s displays last season and in 2020/21, when he averaged a 6.55 rating from WhoScored for his performances, suggest that he wouldn’t be an astute addition to Frank Lampard’s squad.

In fact, it could be argued that he would prove to be an even worse signing than Davy Klaassen, who struggled throughout his spell on Merseyside, having joined from Ajax in 2017 in a £23.6m deal.

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The Dutchman would go on to make just 16 first-team appearances for Everton, in which he contributed no goals and just one assist. However, he has since returned to Ajax and been a success, hitting nine goals for the Dutch giants on their way to the Eredivisie title this season.

The Toffees were able to recuperate around half of the fee that they paid for Klaassen, but given Milivojevic’s age, it seems as if he would have very little resale value if he does make the move to Merseyside.

Lampard already boasts more mobile midfield options such as Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the Serbian’s lack of speed a real concern, as was pointed out by journalist Jack Collins in 2020.

He said: “He’s good at dead balls, but I think that Palace fans have started to turn on Luka Milivojevic a little bit, because he’s actually really slow, slows the game down a lot, commits quite a lot of fouls and basically, is only in for his dead-ball ability at times.”

Although Milivojevic boasts Premier League experience, his declining WhoScored ratings suggest that he looks to be well past his best; and if he does join Everton this summer, then it would not be a surprise if his signing proved to be even more of a disaster than the 2017 misadventure with Klaassen.

In other news… Everton in prime position to sign £19.8m-rated titan, he won’t cost a penny

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is wanted by AS Roma, according to a report from the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Kamara in

Having secured the capture of Marseille starlet Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer earlier this week, Villa manager Steven Gerrard has wasted little time in kickstarting the summer transfer business.

The 22-year-old will arrive at Villa Park ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and his arrival means that the midfield department is now well stocked, with John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Marvelous Nakamba, Morgan Sanson, Carney Chukwuemeka, Tim Iroegbunam and Luiz already in situ.

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However, at least one of those aforementioned first-team options could be heading away from the Midlands and is already attracting attention from a former Premier League manager…

The latest: Roma want Luiz

According to the Daily Mail, Serie A outfit Roma are ‘expected to step up’ their efforts to sign Luiz in the coming weeks.

It’s claimed that their manager Jose Mourinho has already ‘expressed interest’ in the five-cap Brazil international, with the Giallorossi set to step up their efforts to land the 24-yeer-old following tonight’s UEFA Europa Conference League final, in which they face Feyenoord in Tirana.

The report added that Villa owners NSWE are ‘likely to consider offers’ for the player who Ian Wright described as ‘underrated’ amidst previous transfer interest from Arsenal in 2020.

The verdict: Time could be up…

Unfortunately, it seems as though the end could be nigh for the 24-year-old’s time at Villa, having spent three years at the club after joining from Manchester City.

Luiz scored twice and provided three assists in 34 Premier League outings this season, contributing 1.7 tackles, one interception and winning 4.4 duels per game, earning a 6.89 Sofascore rating in the process.

Despite that impressive form, the Brazilian is heading towards the final year of his contract with the club, and therefore he could feasibly be sold this summer in order for Villa to avoid losing a £31.5m-rated asset for nothing in 12 months’ time.

In other news: NSWE now eyeing another defender; Villa chiefs sent to club after Gerrard approves

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that Antonio Conte is extremely keen on a move for the Manchester City winger in the coming months, with the 27-year-old said to be considering his options as he enters the final year of his current contract at The Etihad.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Previous reports had suggested that, should the England international fail to put pen to paper on an extension with the Premier League champions, Pep Guardiola’s side would be willing to part with the forward for a figure in the region of £50m this summer.

Salah 2.0

Should Sterling be made available to sign in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the winger to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the club’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances this season – only 23 of which came as starts – the £60m-rated forward proved a constant threat in the City attack, scoring 13 goals, registering six assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The £200k-per-week winger also impressed over his 12 Champions League outings – five of which were starts – bagging three goals, providing two assists and creating one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per fixture.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 27-year-old also ranks in the top 7% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for shot-creating actions per 90, as well as the top 12% for npxG, the top 18% for xA, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 3% for dribbles completed, the top 15% for tackles and the top 21% for interceptions over the last 365 days.

These metrics have seen the former Liverpool star come in for a great deal of praise, with Tony Cascarino stating his belief back in April that the 74-time capped international was in better form than Mohamed Salah, as well as saying of the City sensation:

“Raheem Sterling has just been frightening. The year he has had since the Euros – he was brilliant then… left or right, he is ripping people apart. Raheem is playing the best football of his career. Better than he was at Liverpool and better than at any time at City.

“Mohamed Salah was fantastic at the start of the season. At the AFCON he didn’t play so well and he’s had a few tricky times in international football and he’s not played as well in the last month or two.

“If I’m taking from the start of the season, and even going back to the Euros, I can’t think of a player that has played better than Raheem Sterling.”

And, with FBref showing that Salah and Sterling’s respective outputs over the past year have been incredibly similar, should Conte manage to convince Daniel Levy of a move for the 27-year-old this summer, the Italian coach could well have landed his very own Egyptian in north London – something which will undoubtedly be an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with Spurs.

AND in other news: “Tottenham will..”: Fabrizio Romano reveals big development, supporters surely buzzing

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following Tottenham securing a top-four finish in the Premier League on the final day of the season, Antonio Conte is now set to meet with Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici in order to discuss his future in north London in the coming days, with talks between the two parties expected to progress quickly.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “One to mention: what incredible work by Antonio Conte. Tottenham are now back to Champions League thanks to their manager, masterpiece by Fabio Paratici to convince him 6 months ago. Antonio will meet with Spurs board in the coming days. Talks will progress soon.”

Supporters will love Romano’s update

Considering just how impressive Conte has been since his arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November, Romano’s update revealing that Levy and Paratici are set to meet with the 52-year-old in the next few days in order to discuss his future at the club is sure to be news supporters will love.

Indeed, taking over a team who were languishing down in ninth place in the Premier League standings, the Italian turned Tottenham’s form on its head, with the club picking up 56 points from a possible 84 over their last 28 league fixtures – results which saw the Lilywhites secure fourth place and, subsequently, Champions League football in 2022/23.

Furthermore, Tottenham’s Conte-inspired January signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur both proved to be huge hits, with the former scoring five goals and registering eight assists over his 18 top-flight appearances, while the latter provided four assists and created six big chances over his 17 league fixtures – returns that saw the duo rank as Spurs’ fourth and third-best performers respectively this season.

As such, the prospect of the 52-year-old having a summer transfer window and full pre-season in order to mould his squad into one fit for his extremely high standards will undoubtedly be an incredibly exciting thought for everyone involved with the north London club.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe “shocking” £32m dud as Spurs eye “extraordinary” £43k-p/w target

Aston Villa under-23s manager Mark Delaney will leave the club at the end of the season, according to Gregg Evans for The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Delaney’s CV as Villa under-23 boss

The 45-year-old has been in charge of the development side at Bodymoor Heath since 2015 and has helped a number of academy players break through to the first team.

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He has also had success with the under-23s, guiding the club to their first FA Youth Cup triumph since 2002 last season as they defeated Liverpool in the final at Villa Park, but it looks as if his association in the Midlands will come to an end over the next few months.

The Latest: Evans shares Delaney update

Evans, who is Villa’s correspondent for The Athletic, shared a story on Saturday revealing that the 45-year-old is to leave his current role in charge of the under-23s over the summer.

Delaney has already been informed of the planned change by NSWE, with Birmingham Live describing it as a ‘shock’ decision when reporting the news.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Villa have made a number of academy additions over the last 12 months, one of which has been Tim Iroegbunam, who is already considered a member of Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad after penning a new contract.

There’s no questioning the enormity of the young talent on the books at Bodymoor Heath, so it will be interesting to see who NSWE bring in as Delaney’s replacement over the coming months to potentially work closely with Gerrard.

The under-23s finished 10th in Premier League 2’s second tier, so perhaps Villa believe that a new coach will get more out of the starlets and take them up a division to face the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool on a regular basis.

In other news: Gerrard now keen on signing ‘fabulous’ £40,000-a-week talent at the top of his game

A big claim has been made on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Stade Reims striker Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Magpies are looking to snap the Frenchman up at the end of the season and are set to lead the race for his signature.

He has claimed that they are not the only team from the English top-flight eyeing him up, but they are the frontrunners after missing out on him in the previous window.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “The Reims president has come out and confirmed that Ekitike is likely to leave this summer and a number of clubs in the Premier League are interested in the Frenchman.

“Newcastle were very close to signing him in the January transfer window and they still remain very keen on the teenager, so you would probably say that Newcastle are favourites for him right now.”

Howe would love him

PIF being the ‘favourites’ to sign the forward in the summer is a huge boost to the club because it suggests that they will be one step ahead of other teams attempting to sign him.

This will delight Eddie Howe because the ex-Cherries coach would love him on Tyneside, given his talent and potential as a player.

Back in January, journalist Graeme Bailey hailed the striker when discussing a possible move to St. James’ Park. He Tweeted: “Outstanding talent – huge signing for Newcastle if they get it done, many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

These comments from the reporter illustrate how highly rated he is in Ligue 1. The comparisons to Mbappe are particularly exciting, given what he has achieved in the game in recent years. Since bursting onto the scene with Monaco, the current PSG star has scored 131 goals and assisted 38 in 180 French top-flight outings – winning the World Cup for his country along the way.

There is no guarantee that Ekitike will be able to follow in his footsteps and score at that rate but the comparison does suggest that people who have seen him play believe there is a chance of it happening.

This is an exciting prospect for Newcastle as it means that they would be signing a player with huge potential, which is why Howe would love him as he will surely enjoy helping him to develop into a top-class forward.

The 19-year-old’s nine goals in 14 Ligue 1 starts indicates that he has a strong base to build his career on and the Magpies coach can attempt to help him to reach the next level.

AND in other news, PIF now heading for first major NUFC disaster on £55k-p/w colossus who “eats weights”…

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a big update regarding the future of Aston Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka. 

The lowdown: Rising star

The 18-year-old graduated from the Bodymoor Heath academy to make the step up to senior football and has already made great strides in Steven Gerrard’s first team.

Despite his tender years, Chukwuemeka has made 13 appearances for the Villans, having scored 13 times and provided another 13 assists in 55 matches among various youth levels for the Midlands club.

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However, out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), attention has already turned to where the talented England under-19 international’s future may lie…

The latest: Romano provides Chukwuemeka update

Taking to Twitter, reputable Italian journalist Romano stated that the Austria-born starlet ‘could leave’ Villa Park in the near future.

He outlined: “Carney Chukwuemeka could leave Aston Villa in the summer. His recent lack of game time has put a host of European clubs on alert – with Germany a likely destination as he enters the final year of his contract. Bundesliga clubs are already exploring this possibility.”

Villa boss Gerrard recently stated that there have been no discussions regarding a new deal for Chukwuemeka after fellow academy prospect Jacob Ramsey signed a contract until 2027.

The verdict: Worrying times

Losing the club’s most prodigious talents is never a good look and as such, the Villa Park hierarchy will no doubt be desperate for the five-cap England under-19 starlet to commit himself to the cause beyond 2023.

So far this season, Chukwuemeka – who has been a target for Liverpool in the past – has provided one assist in nine Premier League outings whilst also continuing his development in the under-23 setup.

Described as ‘outstanding’ by former Holte End favourite Paul Merson, Villa chief executive Christian Purslow must do everything in his power to keep the teenage sensation in the Midlands and stave off potential suitors this summer.

In other news, BBC man urges Aston Villa to sign ‘magical’ star. Read more here.