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Liverpool are ‘leading the race’ to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham next summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Huge future for Bellingham

England have lots of supreme young talent at the moment, from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Phil Foden, but Bellingham is arguably as exciting as anyone.

The 18-year-old has already made 55 appearances for Dortmund, despite his tender age, and he looks a complete midfielder, scoring in his side’s Champions League win away to Besiktas earlier this month.

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The Latest: Liverpool in pole position

It could be that the Bundesliga outfit cash in on the £49.5million-rated Bellingham before too long, and according to the Daily Star, Liverpool are the frontrunners to sign him.

He has already been hailed as the ‘most serious 18-year-old I’ve ever seen’ and a ‘great footballer’ by Germany legend and Dortmund teammate Mats Hummels, as he develops into quite clearly one of the brightest young talents in the world.

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The Verdict: Potential game-changer

Bellingham looks like a genuinely special footballer who could have an enormous future, so Liverpool’s interest is undoubtedly exciting.

The Reds’ midfield will be in need of fresh blood next summer, with Jordan Henderson and Thiago now in their 30s and the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain unreliable in the injury department.

Bellingham has the athleticism and technical ability to thrive anywhere in midfield – he has averaged 1.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this season – and could perhaps develop into the Steven Gerrard replacement Reds fans have been waiting for.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are worried about a photo that has emerged. Read more here.

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he doesn’t think Tottenham’s Harry Winks is a Marcelo Bielsa type of player.

According to The Athletic’s Leeds reporter Phil Hay, the Yorkshire giants were offered the opportunity to sign the 25-year-old but turned down the chance to bring him to Elland Road on a loan deal.

Despite coming through the ranks in north London, Winks seemingly has little future under Nuno Espirito Santo if the early weeks of the 2021/22 season are anything to go buy, with him having played just one minute in Spurs’ opening three Premier League matches, including being an unused substitute in the 1-0 win against Watford on Sunday.

He did start the recent Conference League victory over Pacos de Ferreira, but the midfielder’s chances of playing regularly are likely to rely on those ahead of him getting injured or being suspended.

And whilst Leeds are lacking depth in Kalvin Phillips’ position, Palmer doesn’t reckon the £18m-rated Englishman’s attributes would see him fit in at Leeds.

He exclusively told TT:

“I don’t think he’s a Bielsa type player. He likes to play an expansive game from back to front and I don’t think Winks would fit into that style of play. He’s not all over the pitch, nor is he a high-energy player.”

Leeds United journalist Graham Smyth has stated not to ‘rule anything out’ on the future of youngster Alife McCalmont.

The Lowdown: Impressive last season

McCalmont, 21, is currently out on loan at League One side Morecambe, where he has appeared in four of their five games in the third tier so far this season.

After plying his trade in League Two last term with Oldham, impressing with eight goals and five assists, the midfielder now finds himself testing himself against better opponents, but whether he has a future at Leeds is up for debate.

Over the international break, McCalmont has been handed his first Northern Ireland international start in the friendly victory over Estonia after making his debut in a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg in 2019.

The Latest: Work cut out

Replying to Whites presenter Joe Wainman on Twitter, Smyth replied when asked if McCalmont’s time at Elland Road finished.

Smyth said: “You can never rule anything out, but he’ll have to do what Ben White did and show he can handle the step up to League One with real comfort, having done well in League Two.

“Leeds would have listened to permanent offers this summer though so he has his work cut out. Lots of potential I think.”

The £49,400-per-year man’s appearances in Ian Baraclough’s squad, alongside an impressive season in League One, could see him land a permanent move away from Leeds.

The Verdict: Key season for midfielder

Marcelo Bielsa already possesses great quality in centre-midfield, McCalmont’s position, with Matuesz Klich, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw now available for selection.

At the age of 21, McCalmont will be wanting to establish himself at the highest level possible to continue representing his country and making more senior caps.

The current season at Morecambe could be a defining one for the midfielder as if he impresses enough, a Championship club may swoop in to sign him on a permanent deal. With his contract not expiring until 2024, Leeds stand to make a decent profit if they are able to cash in.

In other news, rumoured Leeds target is in talks to sign a new contract at his current club. Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Ross Barkley, regarding Chelsea’s plans for him this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle are interested in a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley before the end of the transfer window.

The report claims that he is available, with the England international seemingly not a part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans moving forward.

Imagine him and Shelvey

Newcastle must pounce on this opportunity to land Barkley from Chelsea, with the Premier League giants ready to let him go this window. Mike Ashley should sanction either a loan or permanent deal for the midfielder, as he could improve Steve Bruce’s side by bringing some added quality to the squad.

Bruce lined up with a 4-3-3 formation at times last season and he could create a formidable midfield trio if Barkley comes through the door.

Isaac Hayden, or a potential new signing if the club signs a defensive enforcer, could sit in the deeper role to screen the defence with Jonjo Shelvey and Barkley providing creativity on the ball in front of him.

Shelvey enjoyed an impressive 2020/21 campaign, as he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.80 in 29 starts for Newcastle in the Premier League. He provided 1.2 key passes per game, showing that he has the ability to create chances from central midfield with his passing range.

Barkley, meanwhile, averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.75 in 18 starts for Villa on loan – although six substitute appearances dragged his score down. He managed 1.2 dribbles and 1.6 key passes per game, which means that he could add further quality on top of what Shelvey already gives Bruce in midfield. The pair could help Newcastle break open defences and increase the Magpies’ chances of winning tight games.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has given his endorsement to the £100k-per-week maestro previously, labelling him as a match-winner. He told The BBC:

He said: “Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

Newcastle should be doing all they can to get the England international through the door before the season starts.

AND in other news, Newcastle leading race for “incredible” £20k-p/w beast, he could replace Fernandez…

Former Football League star David Norris insists that Todd Cantwell would cost Aston Villa crazy money in this transfer window.

Villa have been linked with a move to sign the Norwich winger after selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City for £100m.

They had embarked on an aggressive recruitment strategy prior to his exit, signing Danny Ings from Southampton, Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen, Ashley Young on a free transfer, and Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United.

In addition to those four, Villa have already raided Norwich to sign Emiliano Buendia for a fee of just over £34.5m.

However, reports claim that the club could still go back to Carrow Road to bring Cantwell into the club too.

He enjoyed a fantastic season last term, scoring six goals and laying on seven assists in the Championship, and Norris has cited the example of Ben White, who moved to Arsenal for a fee of £50m, as evidence for an inflated transfer market. Cantwell is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: “Yeah I think you’ll see that quite a bit, the money’s gone crazy.

“The Brighton centre-half going for big dough, and I think with younger players, and what’s happened traditionally in the past especially if their British, the price seems to be even higher.”

Derby County forward Bobby Duncan is set to remain at the club, following news that his move to Danish side Vejle Boldklub has collapsed [The Athletic via Football League World].

The Lowdown: Derby County’s turbulent start to 2021/22

Enduring a turbulent start to the new campaign, Rams gaffer Wayne Rooney will be praying for some stability in the coming weeks as his side look to start 2021/22 in a positive manner.

Unable to make signings – unless free – so far this summer due to the transfer embargo, the Sky Bet Championship side have not been able to make any additions in the window thus far [Transfermarkt].

Now, the manager has been hit with yet another blow on the other side of things, with an expected departure falling through.

The Latest: Duncan departure called off after breakdown in talks

After opening talks with Velje Boldklub last week, any notion of the deal nearing completion has now been quelled, much to the fury of the Derby County hierarchy [Football League World].

Terms could not be thrashed out to an agreeable deal, meaning the English second tier side have now missed the chance to get around £3,000 per-week off of their wage bill.

The Verdict: Only time will tell with regards to Duncan’s next steps

The news surrounding Duncan presents negative and positive connotations.

On one hand, Derby have struggled with financial irregularities in recent times and moving the former Liverpool youngster on may have helped slightly.

Nevertheless, he may provide some much-needed inspiration to a side in need of fresh ideas in forthcoming months should he get the opportunity.

In 2020/21, he made just one senior appearance for his current employers in an embarrassing 2-0 FA Cup defeat away to non-league Chorley [BBC].

With only two recognised strikers at the club in the form of Colin Kazim-Richards and young starlet Jack Stretton, the Scouser could be given the chance to show the abilities which saw him become a highly sought-after commodity in his youth career.

Moving closer to the start of the Championship campaign, it may be wise for Derby to give Duncan a platform to showcase his abilities – once described as having ‘raw talent’ by his former coach Anthony Barry, can he really be worse than what they’ve got?

In other news, a pundit believes Wayne Rooney should give his ex-teammate a chance at the Rams.

Tottenham Hotspur have received their biggest boost yet over leading transfer target Cristian Romero…

What’s the word?

The North London outfit have been locked in talks to sign the Atalanta centre-back for several weeks now, with both clubs trying to come to an agreement over a suitable fee.

Personal terms have been agreed with the player but the move is yet to be finalised. However, that could now be accelerated after the Serie A outfit were given the green light to sign his replacement.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus defender Merih Demiral, who has also been linked to Spurs in recent months, is set to join Atalanta on loan, and this will be the key to unlocking Romero’s switch to the Premier League.

The 23-year-old is expected to cost around €50m (£43m).

Only a matter of time

It certainly seems as if Spurs are closing in on their third signing of the summer, having already brought in Romero’s former teammate and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini on loan, as well as Bryan Gil from Sevilla.

This update is a massive hint towards the Lilywhites securing the 2020/21 Serie A ‘Defender of the Year’ and this should leave many fans absolutely buzzing as it means their defensive issues could finally be heading towards a resolution.

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Indeed, a lot of Spurs’ problems under Jose Mourinho and then interim boss Ryan Mason were at the back. They leaked more goals than any of the other traditional ‘big six’ clubs last season as they finished in seventh place, their lowest since 2008/09.

After the departure of the vastly experienced Toby Alderweireld, Nuno Santo is left with only three central defenders, two of whom received a lot of flak last term.

Davinson Sanchez – described as a “real liability” – and Eric Dier were deemed to be “one of the worst” pairings in the Premier League by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst Joe Rodon only started eight league games in his maiden top-flight campaign.

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke lambasted Spurs’ defenders for individual mistakes, with the aforementioned senior duo often amongst it.

Nuno needs defensive reinforcements and soon, with kick-off against defending champions Manchester City less than two weeks away.

Romero led the league for interceptions per game (3.1) and also averaged two tackles, 3.6 aerial duels won and an 86.2% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, which makes him a perfect fit for Nuno’s system of playing out from the back.

Described as “phenomenal” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy to This is Futbol, the £31.5m-rated Argentina international seems very close to joining Spurs, handing the Portuguese coach a massive boost heading into the new season.

This will undoubtedly be music to the ears of many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially those who have had to witness their defensive calamities in recent months.

AND in other news, “Some good news”: Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs transfer update, fans will love it…

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has made a claim regarding the Ibrox side’s interest in Colombian winger Santiago Moreno, which may well disappoint Gers fans.

What’s the word?

Rangers were linked with a move for the America de Cali winger, along with Leeds United and Southampton, by The Telegraph earlier this year, but it would appear that a summer move to Ibrox is no longer on the cards for the 21-year-old, after Campbell shared his views in an article for The Athletic, saying:

“One player who has been linked is America de Cali winger Santiago Moreno, but I understand there aren’t legs in this one for now. The Colombian is a good prospect at age 21 and would cost less than £2m thanks to a buyout clause but, although the Colombian market is one Rangers have been exploring in the last 18 months, this is not one that is on the cards.”

Would Moreno have been a good signing?

Moreno has caught the eye with his performances in Colombia and has been likened to Liverpool winger Sadio Mane with his style of play, which certainly suggests that he could’ve been a solid addition to Gerrard’s side for both now and the long-term future.

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In 51 appearances for the Liga Dimayor side, the youngster has contributed 10 goals and seven assists, which is an impressive return for someone so young, whilst he also has experience in the Copa Libertadores, which is the highest level of competition in South American club football.

Although Gerrard is already well-stocked in the winger department, with the likes of Ryan Kent, Scott Wright, Ianis Hagi and Fashion Sakala all likely to be regulars there next season, there is no doubt that Moreno could have been a good, cheap addition for the future at Ibrox.

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Therefore, Rangers fans should be gutted that the 21-year-old won’t be moving to Ibrox this summer, as it would not be a surprise to see him become a success elsewhere given the interest that is being shown in him.

And, in other news… Gerrard dealt blow with £10m “class act”, Gers fans will be gutted

Ligue 1 champions Lille are reportedly interested in signing Yan Valery this summer, which could be the ideal opportunity for Ralph Hasenhuttl to get rid of the full-back, who has fallen down the pecking order in recent seasons.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri on Twitter, the French full-back is on Lille’s shortlist this summer as they look to strengthen in the right-back position.

Valery struggled for game-time last season, making only three appearances in the Premier League before being enduring a less than successful loan spell with Birmingham City in the Championship.

During his time with the Blues, the 22-year-old made just two starts in the second tier, which does not bode well for his future in Hasenhuttl’s side, especially with Kyle Walker-Peters likely to keep his starting spot on the right for the significant future having been one of the Saints’ best performers last season.

Should Southampton get rid of Valery?

In the absence of Walker-Peters through injury last season, Hasenhuttl played the likes of Jan Bednarek, James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens at right-back rather than keeping Valery as the backup, which suggests that he doesn’t rate the youngster particularly highly.

Whilst it is something of a surprise that the French champions are reportedly keen on Valery this summer, it could represent a golden opportunity for Southampton to sell him. Also, it could be difficult for the right-back to turn down a move back to France, where he would have the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

If Southampton can put the funds from his exit into finalising a loan deal for Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams, then they would be bringing in an upgrade on Valery who can also provide cover for Romain Perraud at left-back. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense for the Saints to cash in if a replacement can be signed quickly.

The Athletic’s Southampton correspondent Dan Sheldon certainly doesn’t rate Valery particularly highly, as he criticised his form in 2020, saying: “He’s so vulnerable at the back. At the moment, he is their weak link in defence.”

Therefore, if Southampton can sell Valery this summer, then they should certainly do so as it seems clear that he doesn’t have much of a future in Hasenhuttl’s side.

In other news… Southampton heading for disaster over “outstanding” beast, fans will be fuming

Sunderland should be doing all they can to sign Dion Sanderson this summer after a legend from his current club suggested that the player is not highly rated by the Premier League side.

What’s the talk?

Wolves legend Steve Bull has suggested that the Premier League side do not believe Sanderson will ever be good enough for the top level. The retired striker believes that the Midlands outfit would have loaned him out by now if they saw him as a player with the potential to return in the future, hinting at a permanent exit from Molineux.

He told FFC:

“I think that Wolves would have sent him out on loan to see if he managed to get any better, but obviously, they don’t think he has.

“In other people’s eyes, he’s probably a top-class player but, in Wolves’ eyes, he’s not and they must have somebody else on their radar that is better.”

Sanderson spent last season on loan to Sunderland in League One and the northern side are reportedly interested in signing him for a second spell.

Johnson will be on cloud nine

Lee Johnson will be left on cloud nine if Sunderland are able to complete a deal for the defender.

Whilst the Premier League side may not have faith in him, The Black Cats are keen on a deal to bring him back and Kristjaan Speakman could be encouraged by Bull’s comments.

The 21-year-old defender is already used to playing in Sunderland’s system and would need no period of adaptation upon joining the club. Whereas, other signings may come with a degree of risk as it is tough to tell exactly how they would fit within the set-up and how they would cope with League One football.

Johnson made his feelings clear on the “Rolls-Royce” of a defender last season. The former Bristol City coach hailed him as a shining light at the back in League One.

He told The Chronicle:

“He was the one that was kind of a shining light in terms of the defensive performance.

“That can be clouded sometimes by the team [performance] because individually he has done alright. I think that’s where it starts for all of us – make sure you are a leader for at least two people.

“If you’re playing at centre-back, then look after a central midfielder, the other centre-half, and maybe the right-back. If you look after those, it switches you on and helps you to focus and concentrate.”

“He’s a centre-half and at his age level, he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

The starlet averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts as a centre-back in the third tier for Sunderland last season. This shows that he is capable of being consistent despite his young age and that he is able to put in quality performances, which is why Johnson will be buzzing with the prospect of working with him again next term.

Speakman must do all he can to get Sanderson back to Sunderland this summer.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…