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Rangers have yet to receive an ‘official bid’ for defender Borna Barisic, according to The 4th Official.

The lowdown

Turkish outlet Fanatik reported at the weekend (via Ibrox News) that an offer had been made for the Croatian left-back.

It came from Trabzonspor, who are said to be one of the three Turkish Super Lig outfits showing an interest in the 29-year-old.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell is unsure whether Barisic will deem that league ‘the right challenge’ but says that the player could leave ‘if the right bid comes in’.

The latest

The 4th Official tweeted on Sunday evening: “As of right now, Rangers have not received any official bid for Borna Barisic.”

They stated via Patreon that ‘two separate sources have confirmed’ this, but it remains to be seen whether or not a concrete offer arrives for the 29-year-old in the coming days and weeks.

The verdict

Barisic is valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt and still has two years remaining on his £18,000-per-week contract, so Rangers should be able to bank a healthy sum to inflate their transfer budget.

He has played 155 games for the Gers, commendably providing 35 assists from left-back in that time, in addition to seven goals. James Tavernier, the man on the opposite side of Rangers’ defence and no slouch himself in terms of setting up goals, has called him a ‘quality’ player with an ‘unbelievable’ delivery.

However, there have also been concerns raised about Barisic, with the Croatian accused of ‘sleeping’ in a 1-1 Old Firm draw in May.

Should the 29-year-old leave Ibrox, Calvin Bassey is capable of taking over the left-back role, with John Souttar potentially slotting in alongside Connor Goldson in the heart of defence.

In other news, a football finance expert is stunned by these Rangers allegations

Everton have reportedly now ‘asked for’ versatile Porto midfielder Otavio and are expected to make an official bid soon.

The Lowdown: Liverpool target

Otavio has been strongly linked with a move to Merseyside rivals Liverpool this summer, but given that they are now set to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica, they may put any potential move for the FC Porto attacker on the back-burner.

This would open the door for the Goodison Park outfit, as Frank Lampard looks to strengthen his starting eleven ahead of the new season.

The Latest: Enquiry made

As per O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Toffees have now made an enquiry over the possibility of signing Otavio and have ‘asked for’ the Portugal international.

They are expected to make an official bid, but Otavio is protected by his whopping €60m (£51.2m) release clause.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Given that Porto will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next term after winning their domestic title, and that the Blues have reportedly had financial trouble over the last year, it just seems too unrealistic that they would be able to sign Otavio, especially for his asking price.

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He would be a great signing, having scored five goals and made a further 14 assists in total over all competitions last campaign (whole of the frontline and on both flanks would be a valuable asset to Lampard.

However, the club should not be wasting their time here unless they can seriously whittle that release clause down.

In other news, find out what ‘massive’ boost EFC have now received here!

A report out of Italy has now shared some interesting Manchester City transfer news involving manager Pep Guardiola and Inter Milan sensation Alessandro Bastoni.

The Lowdown: Sky Blue summer spending spree?

Sky Blues chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, speaking in his annual end-of-season interview last week, confirmed that there will be more arrivals following the Premier League champions’ moves for both Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

After retaining their domestic crown in emotional and dramatic fashion, Guardiola could be about to oversee a real summer of change at Eastlands with Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus all heading into the final year of their contracts (The Times).

Defensive exits are also possible for the likes of Nathan Ake and Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to reports, with City allegedly keeping an eye on options for their backline as a result.

The Latest: Guardiola eyeing Bastoni…

According to FC Inter News, one of City’s potential targets is Nerazzurri centre-half Bastoni, even despite the notion he wishes to remain at the San Siro.

It is claimed that Guardiola is personally eyeing a move alongside Spurs and Paris-Saint Germain, with the Spaniard personally appreciating Inter’s gem.

The report goes on to claim that Bastoni, amid all of this interest, is ‘seriously in danger’ of being sold this summer.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Even if Ake departs the Etihad Stadium, competition will be fierce for a starting place in Guardiola’s backline, with England international John Stones even struggling for regular game time despite his phenomenal 2020/2021 campaign partnering Ruben Dias.

Bastoni, valued at €70 million (£60m) by Inter, would certainly come with a glowing reputation as members of the Italian media have already branded him ‘world class’ (Kaustubh Pandey, GIFN).

The £122,000-per-week ace, still just 23-years-old, has even been tipped as an heir to Italy international legend Giorgio Chiellini in the centre of defence.

However, taking into account the form of both Dias and Aymeric Laporte as a partnership over 2021/2022, he will have to seriously impress Guardiola behind-the-scenes.

In other news: ‘I understand’ – Journalist says Man City attempt to sign ‘phenomenal’ star is ‘in motion’…find out more here.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following widespread reports of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s interest in a move for the Inter Milan centre-back this summer, the 23-year-old is understood to be keen to work with the former Nerazzurri coach once again.

Gold went on to suggest that the Serie A club’s pressing need to raise funds in order to complete their own signings could also play into Tottenham’s hands, with a figure of £51m mentioned as the amount that Inter may be seeking in order to part with the Italy international in the coming months.

In response to a question concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Gold said: “There are two sides to this one in that Alessandro Bastoni is understood to be keen to play under Antonio Conte again at some point, but he is happy at the moment at Inter Milan and it’s worth remembering that he only just turned 23 last month so he’s young in terms of his career and uprooting from Italy. For someone like Romero, he had already uprooted from his homeland.

“Spurs’ hope is that Bastoni can bring added quality to the left side of Tottenham’s back three to complement Romero’s strength and quality on the other side. They see him as a potential heir to Jan Vertonghen with a similar skilful style to the Belgian in being a ball-playing defender rather than an aggressive one like Romero. That could potentially make his adaptation to the physical nature of the Premier League slightly more gradual than the Argentine’s and perhaps that is a concern the player also holds.

“The key to whether Tottenham can get this deal done may come down to how much Inter need the money and whether they help push Bastoni towards the door, particularly as he has only two years left on his contract. The Serie A club want to sign players this summer, not least Gleison Bremer from Torino for around £21m, and if they decide that selling Bastoni for more than £51m can fund more deals then they may help influence his decision. Things change quickly in the transfer window.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old is sure to be news that the Spurs faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender highly impressed on the left of Inter’s backline, helping his team to keep eight clean sheets, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

The £122k-per-week left-footer also impressed in a creative and attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 50.5 passes, four long balls and 0.5 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the 11-cap Italy international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top flight.

As such, considering his age, ball-playing talent and ability to play on the left of a back three, it is clear to see that Bastoni would be something of a perfect signing for Paratici to get over the line this summer, especially if the centre-back is available for as little as the £51m fee that Gold has mentioned.

AND in other news – “Am told…”: Dan Kilpatrick reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be fuming

Liverpool have their final trophy challenge this weekend with the Champions League final coming up against Real Madrid, and now a reliable source has revealed a major injury update ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

According to Northern correspondent for The Times Paul Joyce, Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of being fit for the Champions League final on Saturday night.

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Joyce tweeted: “Jurgen Klopp said Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of making the Champions League final. He will train this afternoon [Wednesday].”

The midfielder was sidelined with an Achilles injury late into the first half of the final Premier League game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that supporters will be excited that the Spaniard could be fit for the game in Paris this weekend, especially with the news following a promising update on Fabinho who has returned to full training today.

Impressively, Liverpool have lost just one game with Thiago and Fabinho starting in the midfield since the former Bayern Munich star joined the team, so if the pair could be fit for the game against Real Madrid it would be a massive advantage for The Reds.

Thiago is an undeniable and powerful influence in Liverpool’s midfield with 70.2 touches, 1.2 key passes and 1.9 tackles on average per game, scoring once and contributing four assists, creating three big chances and proving successful in 63% of his dribbles over 25 appearances in the Premier League this season.

The Spaniard is no stranger to Champions League finals either, winning the prestigious European trophy twice once with Bayern Munich the summer before he moved to Merseyside and the other with Barcelona, so his experience in the competition will definitely be a huge advantage for Liverpool.

With that being said, Jurgen Klopp will be absolutely delighted with the progress his injured players have made over the last few weeks to ensure they can put themselves in contention for the final game of an incredible season for the Kopites and will be hoping that his team can pick up their third and final trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news: Forget Tchouameni: FSG can get Anfield rocking with LFC deal for “dangerous” £21m tank

Manchester United are close to a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in a major update shared on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Contact made

Erik ten Hag previously worked with the 25-year-old at Ajax and has made a head start on an Old Trafford rebuild by terminating his deal with the Dutch giants six weeks early.

The Red Devils made contact over a deal for De Jong earlier this month, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

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Romano stated earlier this week that Champions League football was a priority for De Jong, something United can’t offer at this moment in time, however, it looks as if there has now been a big breakthrough in talks.

The Latest: Move close

The Faithful MUFC translated an update from well-known news outlet Corriere dello Sport on Thursday regarding De Jong.

They state that De Jong is next to pack his bags at the Nou Camp after Philippe Coutinho’s permanent move to Aston Villa and won’t be the last due to Barcelona’s financial situation, adding that a transfer to United is now close.

The Verdict: Ten Hag set to get his way

Should this report prove accurate, then it looks as if United are edging closer to a first major transfer under Ten Hag. The United manager wanted to change De Jong’s mind over a reunion in England and is keen on his services for his ‘tactical ideas’.

It appears like he may now get his way, and you’d like to think that De Jong may not be the only midfielder to arrive, especially as Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are out of contract, while Nemanja Matic is also set to leave over the coming months.

De Jong could be the club’s only out and out central midfielder, joining holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred and attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, which just shows that more is required.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Phil Hay has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Calvin Ramsay.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent revealed that, alongside a deal for RB Salzburg attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, Victor Orta has also been working on a move to bring the Aberdeen right-back to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

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In his piece, Hay wrote: “The club have agreed a fee for Aaronson from RB Salzburg, and have also been working on Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a prospect Ramsay quite clearly is, the news that Orta and his Leeds United transfer team have been working on the transfer of the defender behind the scenes is sure to be an update that will have left the Whites faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £540k-rated talent enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough season for Aberdeen, bagging one goal, providing five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

These returns saw the £880-per-week 18-year-old average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Jim Goodwin’s joint fifth-best player in the Scottish top flight.

And, with Luke Ayling looking as if he will be ruled out of the start of the Whites’ 2022/23 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, the argument that Jesse Marsch and Orta could do with signing a new right-back this summer is an easy one to make.

As such, considering his age, undoubted ability and huge potential for future growth, it would appear an extremely wise move for the Spanish sporting director to do everything he can to secure a deal for the Dons teenager in the coming weeks, as Ramsay could quite easily prove to be the next big thing to come out of Scottish football.

AND in other news: Forget Raphinha: Radz now set for LUFC disaster on £20m talent, he’s “one of the best”

Aston Villa head into today’s match against Crystal Palace with a chance to finish in the top half of the Premier League table, something which looked unlikely when Steven Gerrard joined from Rangers in mid-November.

The 41-year-old has endured a turbulent campaign so far, but the chance of a top-half finish would be an excellent base to build upon for next season as Gerrard aims to take Villa into Europe.

What’s the news?

However, there is some worrying news from a Villa perspective ahead of today’s match, and it concerns striker Ollie Watkins.

Gerrard stated after the midweek defeat to Liverpool that “there might be a small injury to Ollie and we will have to analyse that”.

Although no more information was given, it could mean that the striker will miss the last three matches of the Premier League campaign. This will be a big worry to Gerrard, who might need to make a few tactical tweaks this afternoon.

Gerrard will be gutted

Watkins has scored 10 times this season whilst having 2.39 shots on target per 90 minutes. That tally might not seem like much over the course of the season, but he is currently Villa’s highest scorer, with Danny Ings second on seven goals.

This shows the importance of the 26-year-old and may spark fears that the Villans could struggle for goals against Palace, although new permanent signing Philippe Coutinho could well stand up and power the team to victory.

Its clear that Gerrard needs further firepower if he wishes to take the next step with Villa, with a move for Lille’s Jonathan David being touted during the summer transfer window as part of a potential overhaul of the Midlanders’ attacking options.

It looks like an exciting time to be a Villa supporter if that move comes off, but the possible absence of Watkins for the rest of the current campaign could be a big setback in the short-term which will leave Gerrard gutted.

AND in other news, Lange plotting Villa swoop for “fearless” 87-goal monster, he’s even better than Watkins

Liverpool travel to Wembley to take on Chelsea this afternoon in their second cup final clash against the Blues this year, and there have been some fitness doubts in the Londoners’ squad which will be a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp.

What’s the latest?

Thomas Tuchel took to his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon to cast doubt on N’Golo Kante’s availability for the final today.

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The Chelsea manager told the press about the Frenchman (via Chelsea’s official website): “He’s also trying and tried yesterday in team training and did more or less everything, hopefully now without a reaction,”

“It was a reduced training session because of the travel and fatigue so it was not a high-intensity training session but we will also try today with him.”

The midfielder is racing to recover from an injury he sustained in the Blues’ draw against Manchester United a couple of weeks ago and has missed three games so far.

Klopp will be relieved

If Kante isn’t in the line-up, it will be a huge boost for Liverpool when attempting to win the midfield battles this afternoon. Klopp will surely be relieved to see the Chelsea colossus missing, especially with Fabinho unavailable for selection after sustaining a hamstring strain earlier this week.

James Pearce revealed on Thursday morning that Jordan Henderson would reprise his role in the centre of the pitch to cover for the injured Brazilian, tweeting: “Jordan Henderson set to play the holding role in Saturday’s FA Cup final.”

Although not the starting midfield that the Liverpool manager may have envisioned playing in the final, Klopp still has solid options like the club captain to cover in the midfield three. With Henderson’s experience and leadership, there is no reason why he can’t inspire the Reds to victory against Chelsea this afternoon.

The Blues have been going through a period of inconsistent form in the Premier League lately, with only two wins from their last six games, whereas Liverpool continue their long unbeaten run in the top flight as they chase for the title.

However, with the two sides meeting three times over the season so far in all competitions, neither has managed to get a winning result inside 90 minutes, so it will be interesting to see if this match goes all the way to penalties like it did in the Carabao Cup final.

AND in other news: Liverpool eye summer move for £144m-rated “golden boy”, he’s even better than Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Jonas Hofmann to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication SportBILD (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici is in regular contact with Borussia Monchengladbach concerning a potential move for the versatile right-winger, who looks set to leave the Bundesliga side this summer.

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The report goes on to state that, with the 29-year-old’s current deal at Borussia-Park due to expire in June of 2023, the midfielder is set to make a decision on his future in the coming weeks, with a concrete offer from either Tottenham or Atletico Madrid – who are also keeping tabs on the Germany international – expected to be accepted by Gladbach.

Imagine him & Dejan

With Hofmann being an attack-minded, incredibly versatile and extremely hard-working midfielder, it is easy to see why Antonio Conte would be interested in a deal for the Monchengladbach maverick this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £14.4m-rated dynamo has been one of the standout performers in the German top flight, scoring ten goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £53k-per-week talent average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.33, not only ranking him as Adi Hutter’s best performer in the league but also as the joint eighth-best player in the division as a whole.

Aside from his impressive form this season, the 29-year-old’s characteristics on the pitch would also appear to match Conte’s own philosophies perfectly, as well as being something that would seem to draw comparisons between Hofmann and Spurs’ Dejan Kulusevski.

Indeed, the Bundesliga website state of the “outstanding” – in the words of Dieter Hecking – German’s traits: “There’s only one thing on Hofmann’s mind when he gets on the ball: to attack the opposition as quickly and directly as possible.

“Able to play on either flank, he is blessed with pace and a ballerina’s balance, allowing him to quickly change direction and dart past defenders. Hofmann has switched to a more central role in recent seasons, able to operate as a wily playmaker just behind the strikers.”

As such, the prospect of Hofmann linking up with the likes of Kulusevski and Son Heung-min behind Harry Kane in the Tottenham attack next season will certainly be a mouthwatering prospect for supporters and Conte alike, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do everything he can to land the Monchengladbach maestro this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici keen on “exciting” £25m Spurs deal, he’d be a “difference maker” for Conte