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According to a report by Italian news outlet Quotidiano, as shared and translated by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have been convinced to take ‘concrete steps’ to sign Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing forwards?

Despite Spurs needing to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer amid their financial problems, there have been no shortage of links to star wingers and forwards so far this summer.

Indeed, Mohamed Bouhafsi first lifted the lid on Tottenham’s heavy interest and ‘advanced’ discussions for Borussia Monchengladbach winger Marcus Thuram (Twitter).

Thereafter, Fabrizio Romano relayed news from Gianluca Di Marzio that Spurs are also planning to move for VfB Stuttgart forward Nicolas Gonzalez (Twitter).

The Latest: Spurs to take ‘concrete steps’ for Berardi…

Now, Quotidiano have come out with a rather bold Spurs claim involving Italy international star Berardi, as the club are continually linked with attacking reinforcements.

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They believe that new club managing director Fabio Paratici ‘calls’ for the player at Tottenham and his performance during Italy’s opening Euro 2020 game against Turkey has convinced Spurs to take ‘concrete steps’ for his signature.

As such, the outlet even say Tottenham will move ‘immediately’ after the probable announcement of Paulo Fonseca.

The Verdict: Do it Fabio…

Paratici’s links to signing Italian stars for Spurs have been in no short supply over the last few days.

However, Berardi arguably comes as one of the most exciting names, especially given his versatility as both an attacking midfielder and forward player (WhoScored).

The 26-year-old is a major threat in front of goal and regularly sets his sights on hitting the back of the net.

Out of the entire Spurs squad, only star striker Harry Kane averaged more shots per 90 (3.9) in the Premier League than Berardi managed in Serie A (3.8).

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali also called him the ‘leader’ of their team (Tuttosport via allfootballapp) – with his Transfermarkt value of around £31.5 million looking like potentially good value for money.

In other news: ‘Tottenham are now planning’…Fabrizio Romano relays big transfer news coming out of N17, find out more here.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will look to bring in some wide attacking players in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: A summer of change?

Villa have enjoyed a productive season overall, with the new manager slotting in nicely after replacing Dean Smith, even though results haven’t always been impressive.

Gerrard may well be seeking to continuously evolve his squad in terms of quality and depth, and it would be a surprise if some new faces didn’t arrive in the summer.

Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet have already been sent out on loan and the 41-year-old may feel that both need to be sold permanently at the end of the season if they have no future under him.

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The Latest: Gerrard eyeing up summer signings

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that signing at least one winger would be a key area of focus for Gerrard in the summer market, especially if they decide to offload El Ghazi and Trezeguet for good. The journalist said:

“Villa are probably going to lose a couple of wingers in the summer with El Ghazi out on loan at Everton and Trezeguet out on loan in Turkey.

“So, that’s two wingers who the club will most likely look to move on. So, it’s going to be an area that Steven Gerrard will be looking to strengthen as well.”

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The Verdict: Key area to target

The wide attacking positions certainly appear to be among Villa’s weakest areas of the pitch currently, with Gerrard lacking truly top-class options there who can consistently producing match-winning moments.

Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia have only scored three goals between them in 46 Premier League appearances combined this term, which simply isn’t a good enough return.

Liverpool and Manchester City are poster boys for having hugely productive wide players (think Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez), and while Gerrard clearly wouldn’t expect signings of that calibre, it would be ideal for Villa to bring in wide options who could be more prolific than the current crop.

In other news, a source has shared a key Villa transfer update. Read more here.

Aston Villa heading for an unforgivable mistake after a major update emerges about Carney Chukwuemeka’s long-term future at the club.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Bayern Munich are leading the race to sign the 17-year-old this summer, and now, some fresh details have emerged as to why the teenager could be heading for the exit door.

Football Insider claim that Chukwuemeka wants to quit Dean Smith’s side because of “broken promises” from the club, and that “Villa chiefs are aware of the youngster’s stance and have reacted by promoting him to the first team match-day squad.”

The report adds however that “it remains to be seen whether the promotion, and even the possibility of a first top-flight appearance before the season end, is enough to keep the teenager.”

Unforgivable mistake from Dean Smith

Hailed as a “star in the making” by The Athletic’s Evans, Chukwuemeka netted a hat-trick in Villa’s 6-1 win over Newcastle to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup in recent weeks.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece showered him with praise, saying: “This was a Carney Chukwuemeka masterclass. It was a clinic in how to play an advanced midfield role with the 17-year-old oozing confidence and swagger. The hype’s real surrounding this kid who, as supporters know, has been around Dean Smith’s first team for a long time now. Villa’s No.10 started almost every attack and looked to hurt Newcastle at every opportunity.

“European clubs are hovering looking to take Chukwuemeka and Villa could do with reassuring him that his future’s at Villa Park. He’s ready for some Premier League minutes. A scary talent who assisted Reddin as well. Unreal. He’s got everything.”

For Villa to lose one of their brightest young talents because of “broken promises” is just a massive indictment of Smith and his failure to show Chukwuemeka of a genuine path-way into the first-team at Villa Park.

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The teenager sent a huge message, if it was needed at all, of his potential with that hat-trick against the Magpies, and Villa fans will surely be fuming at the thought of him potentially leaving the club in the summer.

Meanwhile, some major news from Bodymoor Heath has emerged…

Ange Postetcoglou’s Celtic side head into Sunday’s Premiership fixture off the back of arguably their best performance of the season, with the Bhoys comfortably seeing off their Glasgow rivals 3-0 in Wednesday’s Old Firm clash.

As such, spirits will undoubtedly have been high within the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown this week, with the match against Graham Alexander’s Motherwell, coupled with the Gers’ challenging test against third-placed Hearts, very much bringing with it the potential of Celtic moving clear at the top of the Premiership standings.

With Postecoglou recently revealing that the returning Tom Rogic – as well as Daizen Maeda – will be available for selection on Sunday, despite suggestions that the Australian might require a rest after his involvement with his national team, it would seem a wise move for the Bhoys boss to unleash the 29-year-old from the off at Fir Park, as the sight of the attacking midfielder will give Motherwell nightmares.

Postecoglou must unleash Rogic

Indeed, the £1.35m-rated Rogic has always been something of a thorn in the side of Motherwell, with the Aussie having scored five goals and provided his teammates with five assists over his 18 appearances against the Steelmen, including an extremely well-taken winner in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over today’s opponents back in December.

Furthermore, the £15k-per-week midfielder has also been in impressive form over his further 17 Premiership fixtures so far this season, scoring three goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates. These metrics have seen the 29-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, considering that the player who Postecoglou dubbed “important” has something of a penchant for making his mark against Motherwell, in addition to his fine form thus far in the current campaign, the Celtic coach simply must unleash the attacking midfielder today, as he could well be a game-changer for the Bhoys.

In other news – Forget Dembele: Postecoglou must now unleash “generational” Celtic prodigy who has “no fear”

Premier League champions Manchester City have been linked with a shock summer move for rumoured Sheffield Wednesday transfer target Kyle Hudlin.

The Lowdown: Owls linked with Hudlin move

The Owls have had a busy summer in the transfer window, bringing in 13 new players in order to aid their League One promotion bid.

One player who hasn’t joined yet but has been linked with a move to Hillsborough in recent months is Hudlin, who is a remarkable 6 foot 9 tall and has scored 10 goals in 36 appearances for National League side Solihull Moors.

The Latest: City emerge as shock suitors

A surprise update has now emerged, with The Athletic claiming that Manchester City are considering signing the striker, who has been reported as ‘the tallest outfield professional player in Britain’.

The Premier League giants have sent representatives to watch Hudlin in action, with Middlesbrough and Cardiff City also mentioned as possible suitors.

The Verdict: Surely not?

It remains to be seen whether Wednesday’s prior interest in Hudlin remains strong, but it would be a huge shock if he went to Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side are known for their huge spending and are keen on signing Harry Kane from Tottenham, who as England captain and a renowned Premier League goalscorer is a few levels above Hudlin, with the greatest of respect to the Solihull Moors marksman.

At 21, he does represent an exciting young prospect, though, and he could be a very useful option for Wednesday, given his extraordinary height and proven scoring ability. Perhaps the Owls remain more realistic candidates than Man City despite the Premier League champions’ apparent interest.

In other news, some Sheff Wed fans have criticised an Owls player despite their win over Doncaster Rovers. Read more here.

Leeds United are set to be handed a major boost as news emerges from Thorp Arch about some key work being undergone at the club’s training ground.

What’s the story?

After having to relay the pitch at Elland Road earlier last season due to the awful conditions, the Whites have now begun work on their training ground, with head groundsman at Thorp Arch, Stefan Jones, posting a picture on Twitter of the progress so far.

And in response, former Leeds man Noel Whelan spoke of just how important it is for the pitches at Thorp Arch to be in top condition and saying that it could give Bielsa a real advantage.

He said: “Our pitch is definitely getting dug up. They’re going to spend a lot of money on getting the surface right at Elland Road. I think when you think about the style of play that we like to play, it’s imperative that you get the pitches, training pitches, everything that’s going to give you that extra edge over other teams.

“The surface is a massive part of it, the way we play. We’re on the deck, we’re quick, we’re a very counter-attacking side. It is two or three passes that lead to a goal.

“You get a feel of it and for progression of players, this is what you need to have now. You know you need to have those standards set high on and off the field.

“That’s exactly what Leeds United are doing. They’re not going to leave any money in the bank not to give everyone that added advantage to play the style of football that’s been so attractive to watch.”

Bielsa will be relieved

Given the kind of football that Leeds like to play – fast, counter-attacking and slick on the ground – ensuring that their preparation ahead of the actual game at the weekend is done on surfaces that reflect a top-tier Premier League pitch will be much welcome.

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The state of the pitch at Elland Road came under a lot of scrutiny and there’s no questioning that Bielsa himself would not have been happy at how it turned out.

The fact that work is already being done back at Thorp Arch to ensure the training grounds are up to scratch, will give the Leeds boss a bit of confidence that the club are taking the right steps to ensuring things are much better prepared this time around.

Getting Thorp Arch in prime condition is a great start. Making sure Elland Road is the same will be the next step.

Meanwhile, Graham Smyth has dropped an exciting update…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Pedri as their search for a Georginio Wijnaldum replacement goes on, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Enjoying a commendable 2020/21 campaign, the youngster recorded four goals and six assists in 52 appearances for the Blaugrana [Transfermarkt].

Now on international duty with his native Spain, Liverpool are reportedly considering paying upwards of £70m in order to secure the teenage transfer target [Liverpool Echo].

Pedri has enjoyed a surprise rise to prominence following his €5m (£4.3m) signing from Las Palmas which could rise to €25m (£21.46m) after add-ons [Football Espana].

Worryingly for Nou Camp chiefs, his contract is set to expire in 12 months’ time, which may open the door for the Reds to offer the 18-year-old Premier League football [Liverpool Echo].

Despite these rumours, many Liverpool fans took to Twitter to quickly dispel the notion of Pedri being on the books at Anfield in 2021/22.

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Liverpool fans react

Replying to popular fan outlet Empire of the Kop, here is how some Liverpool fans summarised their reactions to recent developments:

“Barca won’t let him leave. No way and bet he has a massive buyout clause”

Credit: @Mikelee11148Lee”As if they would sell him he is their next superstar”Credit: @ericdraven1234″Not a chance.”Credit: @_Blow15″#1 Barca won’t sell him. #2 Liverpool can’t afford him.”Credit: @Stat_Man_John”Jones>>”Credit: @jonah_s10″Zero chance of this happening”Credit: @nishmcnishIn other news, many Reds fans react to a transfer update on this Liverpool ace.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to hold further talks with Jason Wilcox over taking a Director of Football (DoF) role at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: DoF wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have recently been linked with a number of big names to fill in their new DoF model, including the likes of Luis Campos and Marc Overmars.

It is clearly the direction of where the new owners want to go, following their takeover in the North East.

The Latest: Wilcox frontrunner

As per The Daily Star, Wilcox, currently the Academy Director at Manchester City, is set to hold further talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium over potentially taking up their new DoF role.

He is understood to be the frontrunner for the job, and the Tyneside outfit are keen to appoint a DoF before they bring in a new permanent manager to replace the departed Steve Bruce.

The Verdict: Has the credentials

Wilcox certainly has all of the credentials to take up the new role, given the work that he has done with City so far, a club who were in a very similar position to the Magpies when they were first taken over.

The former Blackburn Rovers and England international winger has been praised by none other than Pep Guardiola for the job that he has done with the MCFC Academy, and is even credited with being a key influence on Phil Foden (The Daily Star).

Nonetheless, a DoF role would be a step up for him, and so Wilcox certainly seems attainable for the Toon should the talks go well.

In other news, find out which elite manager Overmars is backed to bring to NUFC if he becomes DoF here!

West Bromwich Albion have opened talks regarding a deal to bring Okay Yokuslu back to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS, who claim that Celta de Vigo are desperate to sell the defensive midfielder in the summer transfer window in order to free up a chunk of their wage budget and, subsequently, make their own signings ahead of next season.

The report then goes on to state that, despite it previously being claimed otherwise, the 27-year-old would be open to a move to the Championship this summer, if it is one of his only available options in order to seal a return to England.

As a result, it is said that West Brom have initiated talks with the Turkey international regarding a switch back to the club, with the LaLiga side believed to be demanding a fee in the region of €5m (£4.3m) in order to sanction Yokuslu’s sale.

Finally, Watford are also mentioned as a club who are thought to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the midfielder, although their interest does not appear as concrete as Albion’s at present.

Imagine him & Mowatt

With Valerien Ismael currently being extremely short of central midfielders in his first-team squad, despite the fact that the Frenchman has brought in the former Barnsley Alex Mowatt this summer, the further addition of Yokuslu would certainly appear to be a fantastic piece of business for the Baggies to get over the line ahead of next season.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League appearances while on loan at West Brom last season, the £6.75m-rated midfielder highly impressed, making an average of 2.2 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, two clearances and winning a rather remarkable 7.9 duels per game.

The 27-year-old also helped out in a creative capacity, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.4 key passes per match.

These returns saw the man Kyle Bartley claimed made a “big difference” to the West Brom side earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer in the English top flight.

And, as mentioned previously, with Ismael having already secured the signing of Mowatt this summer – a player who scored eight goals, registered seven assists and created nine big chances over his 44 Championship appearances for Barnsley last season – the prospect of the 26-year-old partnering Yokuslu in the middle of the park next season should very much be a mouthwatering prospect for fans.

In other news: Get it done: Ismael could solve big West Brom issue with £23k-p/w “top player”

Following the news that Fulham captain Tom Cairney’s spell on the sidelines at Craven Cottage is not likely to end anytime soon, it would be wise for Marco Silva to start developing a plan for life without the 30-year-old attacking midfielder this season.

The west Londoners have hardly struggled without the Scotland international so far this term, currently topping the Championship table ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Blackpool; and 19-year-old Fabio Carvalho has been thriving in attacking midfield, earning an average SofaScore match rating of 7.30 over his five league fixtures. Whether or not the teenager can maintain his current level of form over the remainder of the campaign remains to be seen, though.

As such, it would appear wise for Silva to field one of his summer signings in a game which – with the greatest of respect to 22nd-placed Blackpool – the Cottagers should be comfortably winning, in order to both provide support to Carvalho and to make his attacking midfield three much more fluid.

He’d terrify Blackpool

While Silva has claimed that Domingos Quina was not signed as a replacement for Cairney, it would nevertheless appear as if the ex-Watford forward is a talent who boasts a considerable amount of potential – with both Barcelona and Real Madrid enquiring about his services while at West Ham United – and perhaps a player with a much higher ceiling than the Scottish ace.

However, considering Carvalho’s remarkable run of form, it would be naive to suggest dropping the Portuguese starlet in order to field Quina, which is where the 21-year-old’s impressive positional versatility comes into play.

Indeed, having featured on the left, middle and right of Watford’s attacking midfield last season, he is a player who can operate from almost anywhere going forwards, so he should quite easily fit in a Fulham starting XI alongside both Carvalho and Harry Wilson.

With the £2.7m-rated man possessing the ability to score from just about anywhere around the opposition penalty area, something for which both Carvalho and Wilson also have a knack, the prospect of lining up against the trio on Saturday could leave the Blackpool defenders and goalkeeper terrified.

Furthermore, with Quina being 21, Carvalho 19 and Wilson 24, should the trio indeed get the chance to mould with each other this season, Silva may have found an attacking lineup which could serve Fulham for many years into the future.

As such, in order to start this bonding process as quickly as possible, it would seem advisable for the 44-year-old to unleash Quina against Blackpool today, as the man who Slaven Billic dubbed a “talented” player could be the final piece of the Fulham puzzle for Silva.

In other news: Silva drops worrying Fulham injury update ahead of Blackpool game, fans will be gutted