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Newcastle United ‘remain interested’ in signing Wolves forward and Barcelona loanee Adama Traore, claims 90min journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Traore to leave Wolves

The Spain international spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign in La Liga, after he joined his boyhood club Barcelona on loan until the end of the season.

However, it appears that the Catalan giants are not going to trigger the option to buy clause in the 26-year-old’s contract, which requires a £29m transfer fee.

Therefore, Traore will return to the Molineux Stadium ahead of next season.

The Latest: Newcastle remain interested

Taking to Twitter, 90min journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that “Tottenham, Leeds and Newcastle all remain interested in Adama Traore.”

In the adjacent article, Bailey claims that Wolves will now turn their attention to offloading the Spaniard on a permanent deal.

It is understood that Newcastle previously enquired about the 26-year-old’s services.

The Verdict: Great signing

Dubbed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as “unplayable”, with the German further claiming that “the speed of Traore is actually undefendable in moments”, the winger will certainly be on a whole host of Premier League shopping lists this summer.

As per FB Ref, the Wolves forward ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed and in the 97th percentile for progressive carries when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year.

With Eddie Howe targeting direct attackers, Adama’s strength and speed fits Newcastle’s criteria perfectly. Therefore, with PIF already having made contact, this could be a great and realistic signing for the Tyneside club, but it won’t come without strong competition.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies send scouts to watch Ben Nelson

Sunderland are not interested in signing Tom Barkhuizen from Preston North End this summer, ending any hopes of a reunion with his former manager Alex Neil.

What’s the word?

When asked about The Black Cats’ interest in the winger on Twitter, journalist Alan Nixon confirmed that Sunderland weren’t interested in signing the player whose contract runs out at the end of this month.

He simply commented in four words: “Sunderland and Barkhuizen? No.”

He’s a player that Sunderland manager Alex Neil will know well, but it appears he’s not interested in bringing him to Wearside to help with their task in the Championship next season.

They recently defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 in the League One play-off final to secure a long-awaited return to the second tier of English football.

Supporters will be gutted

Supporters of Sunderland will surely be gutted that Barkhuizen is not on their list for the summer. There have been many outgoings at the Stadium of Light recently as Neil looks to overhaul his squad in preparation for the challenge ahead.

The 28-year-old would have come with heaps of experience in the Championship, having made a total of 209 appearances for Preston North End where he was directly involved in 28 goals during that time.

He joined Preston for free in 2017 just before Neil was appointed, and he was valued at £180k. That has since risen massively to £1.35m which proves that he is a better player than when he arrived.

The Scottish manager regularly used the player and he clocked up over 30 league appearances in all three seasons Neil was at Deepdale.

Securing his services with no transfer fee involved seemed like a no brainer, but it appears Sunderland club are focusing on targets elsewhere. One of those players is Nathan Broadhead with The Northern Echo reporting recently that Sunderland want him to move to the club permanently following a successful loan spell.

It will be interesting to see the signings that the club make ahead of next season, will they be ambitious in the hope of achieving their ultimate goal of returning to the Premier League, or will they be cautious and look at establishing themselves in an already tough division.

IN other news: Sunderland can unearth their new Henderson by signing “exciting” £450k-rated EFL gem…

Celtic have been circling Israeli midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani ahead of a potential summer move, according to Record Sport.

The Lowdown: Abu Fani’s career

Abu Fani has spent his entire professional career in his native country, where he currently plays for Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Haifa.

For the 2017/18 season, the midfielder was sent out on loan to second-tier outfit H. Ramat Gan, before returning and quickly heading straight back out to Hapoel Hadera, where he enjoyed two separate loan spells with the club.

All in all, the versatile midfielder has 18 goals and 11 assists in 182 club appearances.

The Latest: Hoops interested

According to a report by Record Sport, Celtic are keen to strengthen their squad further after their Premiership win and have identified Abu Fani as a potential arrival.

It is said that the Hoops are now circling the midfielder ahead of a potential summer switch.

As per Sport 5, Celtic will send scouts to watch Israel face Iceland and Albania in the UEFA Nations League, as they assess the 24-year-old before making a move.

The Verdict: Good signing for depth

Taking to Twitter, football analyst Julien San James has analysed the Israel international’s game, claiming that he has a ‘fearsome’ long-ball strike, and that he is ‘mobile and technical’ on the ball.

Following the departure of midfielder Nir Bitton, Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou needs to bring in a fresh face as a means of developing the squad’s depth, as the Glasgow side will look to make a push in next year’s UEFA Champions League.

Therefore, the Israeli’s arrival could prove useful for Celtic’s busy schedule next season, as rotation will be a key for success.

In other news: Alex McLeish makes Hoops transfer claim

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for Udinese winger Gerard Deulofeu during the upcoming transfer window, according to reports in Italy.

The Lowdown: Deulofeu attracting interest

The 28-year-old first joined the Serie A side on a season-long loan from former Premier League club Watford back in 2020 before making the move permanently last summer, and has quickly racked up 50 appearances.

Even though the Spaniard still has two years remaining on his contract at the Dacia Arena, his impressive performances appear to have caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs around Europe, and following a fresh update, it looks as though one of those is the Lilywhites.

The Latest: Spurs enter the race for Deulofeu

In a new article published by Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Napoli want Deulofeu and currently lead the way, but know they face ‘competition’ from Tottenham, Real Sociedad and Villarreal.

The source continues to say that Udinese ‘hope to make €20m’ (£17.2m) for his sale, but that they would be willing to allow a deal to be ‘closed completely with a handshake’ at €18m (£15.6m), a fee that would be ‘affordable’ for Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy.

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The Verdict: An absolute bargain

If Spurs could pull off a deal for Deulofeu somewhere in the region of that asking price, they would be getting an excellent player for an absolute bargain given the form he’s been in this season.

Throughout 2021/22, the forward scored 13 goals and provided five assists in just 34 Serie A appearances, as per Transfermarkt. He was the clear standout performer in his side, leading Udinese in goals, dribbles and key passes – he created 83 chances in total, 44 more than his closest teammate, per Whoscored.

The four-cap international was once dubbed an “outstanding” player by his former Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, and is now backing those comments up with his form on the pitch, so he could be the perfect cheap option to supplement the depth in Antonio Conte’s attack.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has ‘100%’ backed Spurs to complete a move for a popular transfer target.

A move to Manchester City for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is now looking more likely, according to reliable reporter Ian Abrahams.

The Lowdown: Man City reportedly make Phillips offer

City have been heavily linked with a move for the 26-year-old over recent weeks, with the Premier League champions identifying the Leeds star as an ideal replacement for Fernandinho.

Pep Guardiola is thought to be a ‘huge’ fan of Phillips, with reports earlier this week claiming that the Etihad Stadium club have now made a formal offer.

A bid in the region of £50m could well be enough for Leeds to part ways with the defensive midfielder, who is entering the final two years of his current contract.

The Latest: Abrahams shares Phillips update

Abrahams took to Twitter late on Wednesday evening to provide an update regarding Phillips’ future.

He said: “From what I’m hearing it’s looking more likely now Kalvin Phillips could be set to leave @LUFC for @ManCity this summer.”

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The Verdict: Inevitable?

It does look as if a move to the Etihad is gathering pace for Phillips, with Transfermarkt citing the probability of such a deal at 63%.

City are visualising an agreement at around £45m to £50m, and should one materialise, it is vital that Leeds reinvest those funds over the coming months.

Marc Roca is set to become the Whites’ third signing of the summer but was viewed as competition for Phillips and not a replacement, so Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta may need a further two central midfielders to truly replace the England international.

In other news: Radrizzani and 49ers ready to pay fee for ‘huge’ talent as Orta works on next Leeds move

Aston Villa are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo this summer, according to a recent transfer update.

The Lowdown: Aribo a key man for Rangers

The 25-year-old has stood out as a key figure for the Gers in recent years, scoring eight goals and registering five assists in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Not only that, but Aribo was also integral to Rangers reaching the Europa League final, scoring in the showcase event against Frankfurt last month.

The Nigerian only has one year remaining on his current deal, however, and he is being linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer.

The Latest: Villa linked with move

According to reports in the Scottish press, Villa are one of the clubs interested in signing Aribo as he looks to potentially move south of the border to the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest are the favourites to sign the 25-year-old, though, while Fulham and Crystal Palace are also mentioned as possible suitors, so it looks set to be a hotly contested race for his signature.

The Verdict: Strong summer addition

With Steven Gerrard arguably in need of midfield reinforcements this summer, Aribo is someone who could provide Villa with an attacking spark in the final third.

He knows him well from his time as Rangers manager, and the 20-time capped Nigeria international has even been compared to Yaya Toure for boasting delicate feet along with a big physical frame, which speaks volumes about his pedigree.

Indeed, he averaged 2.1 aerial wins per game in the league last season, as well as 1.6 tackles and 1.4 successful dribbles, proving his effectiveness on both sides of the ball.

Aribo has been hailed as ‘incredible’ by sports performance consultant Allistair McCaw after a relentless 2021/22 season in which he played 70 games, and he could help take Villa up another gear with his power and quality in the middle of the park.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Mohamed Camara to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by LUFC FANZONE (via MOT Leeds News), who stated that the Red Bull Salzburg central midfielder’s agent has revealed Victor Orta has been in contact with the Austrian Bundesliga side regarding a move for the 22-year-old this summer.

The agent then claims that, at present, no offer has been made by Leeds, however, he also stated his hope that a concrete bid would arrive from the Whites in the not too distant future.

In their tweet, LUFC FANZONE said: “Speaking exclusively with LUFC FANZONE, Mo Camara’s agent has told us: ‘Leeds have been in direct contact with RB Salzburg and like the player’s profile. They have only demonstrated their interest and have not yet made an offer – we hope to have an answer very soon’.”

“On KP’s level”

Considering just how impressive Camara was for Salzburg last season, in addition to the 22-year-old appearing a very similar player to Kalvin Phillips – who looks increasingly likely to move onto pastures new this summer – it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the Mali international to Elland Road this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Austrian Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £24.3m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Matthias Jaissle’s side, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

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The £2.9k-per-week defensive midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 45.8 passes, 4.8 long balls and winning 6.4 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Conor McGilligan dubbed “on KP’s level” and “underrated” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the tenth-best player in the league last time out.

Furthermore, in a recent article for Leeds Live, journalist Kyle Newbould also stated his belief that Camara would be an “an ideal successor to Kalvin Phillips” due to his “tight control” and “composure” when dropping “into the same positions Phillips” in front of the defence, while the 22-year-old’s ability to play both “long, raking passes” and “short, line-breaking passes” are also stated as reasons why the Salzburg starlet and the England international are similar types of deep-lying playmakers.

As such, should Phillips indeed go on to join Manchester City this summer, it would very much appear as if a move for Camara would make a great deal of sense for the Whites – leading us to believe that the news the Orta is currently in talks with the Austrian champions concerning a deal for Camara is fantastic news for both Jesse Marsch and supporters of the club alike.

AND in other news: Phil Hay drops big Leeds United update on £32.25m transfer target, it’d be a huge coup

Reliable journalist Ian Mitchelmore has revealed that Crystal Palace have now made an enquiry in a bid to sign Swansea midfielder Flynn Downes.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 23-year-old first put pen to paper on a deal with Russell Martin’s side last summer and enjoyed a hugely successful debut season after making the move from Ipswich Town, but has been attracting interest after just one campaign in south Wales.

It was reported earlier this year that fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United were monitoring the maestro, but it would now appear as though the Whites aren’t the only club that are looking to tempt the talent into jumping up to the top-flight.

The Latest: Palace make Downes enquiry

Taking to Twitter, Mitchelmore revealed that Palace, Southampton and Wolves have all made initial contact with Swansea regarding Downes.

“Understand Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace have all made enquiries about Flynn Downes.

“The midfielder was with the Swansea squad at Pennyhill Park last week and will be in attendance as they resume training back at their Fairwood base today.”

Expanding further in his column for WalesOnline, the reporter said that the Eagles have ‘shown an interest’ in the prospect, with enquiries at this stage being ‘tentative’.

The Verdict: Gallagher replacement

Downes still has three years remaining on his current contract so it will be a difficult task for any club to prise him away from his fairly new home, but if Palace were successful in doing so, he could prove to be a fantastic addition to Patrick Vieira’s starting XI.

The Brentwood-born talent, once dubbed a “first class” player by Swansea captain Matt Grimes, made 37 appearances in the second tier last season and averaged a 92.6% pass success rate, ranking him higher than any other player in the Championship in that department.

With Conor Gallagher returning to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell at Selhurst Park, Downes might be the perfect midfield replacement if the price is right.

In addition to Newcastle United’s deals for Nick Pope and Sven Botman, there have been numerous transactions taking place at this stage of the summer transfer window across the Premier League.

Some of these other deals include Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City and Richarlison’s switch from Everton to Tottenham Hotspur.

Another big transfer which took place in the past few weeks saw Liverpool break their club record fee to bring Darwin Nunez to Anfield from Benfica for £85m.

After scoring 34 goals in 41 appearances last season, it’s easy to see why the Reds chose to spend such a hefty amount of their budget on bringing the Uruguayan attacker to Merseyside.

Looking at what the Magpies could still do in terms of their recruitment before the window shuts, the Toon could well end up starting the next Premier League campaign with their own version of Nunez in the squad.

In recent days, Newcastle have been linked with a move for PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.

In 114 appearances for the club across their senior and youth teams, the Englishman has scored 36 goals and delivered 27 assists along the way. This shows the clear attacking talent that he has and illustrates why he would be an exciting addition to Newcastle’s squad this summer.

In terms of Nunez, the new Liverpool attacker is included on a list of similar players to Madueke according to Football Transfers.

To further highlight what sort of player the 20-year-old is, journalist John Bunting had this to say about him on Twitter:  “Noni Madueke is a terrific player he’s put PSV ahead against NAC Breda, love his game awareness , yes he’s quick and direct and on the ball terrific but for such a young player he’s got a lot of football intelligence, just knows what to do when he picks up the ball, entertaining.”

With Nunez being described by Virgil van Dijk as “very direct and quick, tall and strong,” as well as being “quite difficult to play against”, this shows how similar the two players are.

If the Toon want to join the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Tottenham in adding a new attacker to their squad this summer, then securing a deal for Madueke could be the best way forward for them.

AND in other news: PIF plotting bid for £211k-p/w target who terrified Verratti, imagine him & Saint-Maximin

West Ham defender Issa Diop is set to confirm his move to newly-promoted Premier League side Fulham ‘in the coming days’, according to RMC Sport journalist Loic Tanzi.

The Lowdown: Diop’s decision

The 25-year-old first arrived at the London Stadium from Toulouse in 2018 and was a regular starter in David Moyes’ matchday XI at first, but he has recently found opportunities harder to come by.

This has seen the Frenchman being linked with a move away from the Irons, with Lyon said to be one of the clubs interested in his services, but it seems as though the centre-back has decided to remain in England rather than returning to his homeland.

The Latest: Diop close to Fulham switch

Taking to Twitter, Tanzi revealed that Diop’s move to Fulham, which is projected to cost more than €20m (£16.9m), is set to be completed imminently.

He outlined: “Issa Diop should join Fulham in the coming days. There are only a few details left for a transfer estimated at more than 20 million euros.”

The Verdict: Could be time to move on

As fantastic a servant as Diop has been to West Ham, playing 118 times for the club, now would be the right time for him to go if he wants to be playing on a more regular basis.

Last season, the 6 foot 3 giant only made 10 top-flight starts and has been out of favour under Moyes of late, with the Irons manager often choosing the likes of Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma ahead of him. Also, the summer addition of Nayef Aguerd will likely knock the Frenchman even further down the list.

Furthermore, Diop often looked unconvincing whenever he did feature. As per WhoScored, he was West Ham’s lowest-ranked player to start 10 or more league games last term, while some of his performances came in for heavy criticism from members of the media.

The Hammers have already lost the services of the legendary Mark Noble following his retirement, and it now looks like Diop could be following him out of the club over the coming days.