Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Lille defender Sven Botman this summer.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared some big news regarding the prospective €37m (£31.86m) transfer.

He said: “Paperworks are being signed tonight between Newcastle and Lille for Sven Botman, here we go! Full agreement confirmed, €37m with add-ons – and contract being prepared for Botman. Medical already booked. After three bids turned down in January, it’s now completed.”

Having worked his way through Ajax’s youth ranks, the centre-back joined Lille in the summer of 2020. Since then, the 22-year-old has made 79 appearances for the Ligue 1 club across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the process.

Great news for Newcastle fans

Taking into account how the Magpies have been pursuing Botman since January, as Romano mentioned, this latest news that the club have finally secured a deal for the defender will surely be music to the ears of Newcastle fans everywhere.

To further highlight the 22-year-old’s defensive talent and what he could offer to Eddie Howe’s side, in his 25 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the Dutchman made 120 clearances, 38 interceptions and 54 blocks and won 25 tackles.

In addition, the centre-back ended the previous league campaign with a higher average of clearances per game (4.5) than any other player at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Botman’s overall performances earned him a solid season rating of 6.83/10, making him the third-highest rated player in Lille’s squad according to WhoScored. To put that into perspective, that rating would make him the joint-sixth highest rated player in the Toon squad from last season alongside Joelinton.

Bearing in mind how Newcastle ended their 2021/22 Premier League season with 62 goals conceded, which is more than the likes of Burnley, Brentford and Aston Villa, adding the Dutchman to their squad will surely make Howe’s team stronger at the back.

In addition to his attributes on the pitch, the fact that Newcastle have agreed a deal for the 22-year-old will be great news for the club as a whole and for the fans, as it will now give them the chance to move on from this saga and focus on other potential transfer targets that the Magpies may want to bring in this summer.

In other news: NUFC set for green light to sign £30m machine who “has everything”, he’s Gabriel Jesus 2.0

West Ham United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Mohamed Bayo to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that, following a number of reports linking David Moyes with a move for the Clermont Foot centre-forward in recent weeks, the Ligue 1 side are now willing to green light a move for a figure in the region of €14m (£12m) in the summer transfer window.

However, the report goes on to state that the Hammers are not alone in their pursuit of the Guinea international’s signature, with LOSC Lille, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha Berlin, Valencia, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also believed to be tracking the forward ahead of a potential move of their own.

Huge coup

Considering just how exciting a prospect Bayo quite clearly appears to be, should Moyes manage to beat the likes of Spurs, Everton, Eintracht and Valencia to a deal for the 24-year-old this summer, it would undoubtedly represent a huge coup for West Ham.

Indeed, over his 32 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, the £10.8m-rated talent was in electric form for Clermont, scoring 14 goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 1.0 key pass and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £10k-per-week forward who Jacek Kulig dubbed “indispensable” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Pascal Gastien’s third-best performer in the league – a quite remarkable feat considering Clermont’s 17th place finish in the French top-flight last time out.

As such, with Moyes in desperate need of both backup to and competition for West Ham’s sole centre-forward, Michail Antonio, next season, it would very much appear as if Bayo could be something of a perfect fit for the 59-year-old Scot – especially considering the fact the Guinean now looks to be available for an extremely reasonable fee this summer.

AND in other news: ExWHUemployee drops huge one-word transfer update, West Ham supporters will be buzzing

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Dean Henderson this summer, and a reliable source has now given an update on the club’s progress on signing the player.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed a promising update on Forest’s pursuit of the Manchester United goalkeeper this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Dean Henderson deal will be signed and announced in the next days by Man United – no issues, it has been approved by ten Hag. Loan move to Nottingham Forest until June 2023, huge move for NFFC.”

“Deal won’t include any buy option clause, as reported last week.”

Supporters will be excited

The seemingly imminent signing of Henderson will surely be warmly welcomed by Forest supporters and fill them with excitement, especially whilst Brice Samba’s future continues to hang in the balance.

The Daily Mail reported last week that the Congolese stopper has rejected a new contract with the club despite being offered double his current wages, as the 28-year-old would prefer to move back to France this summer.

In terms of Forest’s recruitment of Henderson, it would be a major coup for Cooper to have a player who has Premier League experience (49 games), so it could be a blessing in disguise that Samba is reluctant to commit his future at the club.

The 25-year-old has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford with David de Gea in great form for the Red Devils, which has led to Henderson requesting a move away in recent months to find the opportunity to play regular first-team football.

The £16.2m-rated Englishman only made five appearances in all competitions last season, but has proven in the past on loan at Sheffield United, and indeed for his current club, that he has the attributes of a great goalkeeper.

In the 2020/21 season, he impressively kept 13 clean sheets in 26 appearances for Manchester United as they finished second under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and reached the Europa League final.

He also played a massive part in Sheffield United’s promotion into the Premier League in 2019, ever-present as the Blades conceded the fewest goals in the Championship, proving that he can be a huge asset when he is given the opportunity to play consistently.

Henderson’s influence in the team this summer would put Forest in a great position to maintain their top-flight status if he can emulate the levels that he previously reached when given the chance to play regularly.

AND in other news: Journalist delivers big “offer” claim that’ll leave Cooper scrambling

Celtic managed to cruise to the SPFL title last season in what turned out to be a very successful debut season for Ange Postecoglou.

It was also a rather prosperous season for the significant number of players who were also having debut seasons at the Parkhead club.

One figure, in particular, that certainly played a big part in seeing the Hoops end the campaign with the best attacking record in the division with 92 goals scored, was Giorgos Giakoumakis.

After arriving from VVV-Venlo on a five-year deal worth £2.5m, the striker went on to score 17 goals in 29 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, with 13 of them coming in his 21 league games.  

Now that the Hoops are in the midst of another summer transfer window, this will give Postecoglou the chance to strengthen his side ahead of their next campaign.

In fact, one figure that has been linked with a move to Celtic Park that could give the Hoops boss the chance to form a deadly attacking partnership alongside Giakoumakis is Blackburn Rovers starlet Tyrhys Dolan.

Last month, it was reported on Twitter by talkSPORT journalist Geoff Peters that Celtic are keen on securing the attacker, who was touted to become a “massive” player for Rovers by podcaster Justin Peach back in December, this summer.

Peters also claimed that it could take as little as £2m to get the youngster to make a move to Glasgow, which is around the same sort of fee that it took the club to bring in Giakoumakis last summer.

With 34 Championship appearances to his name last season, the 20-year-old found the net four times, with one goal being described as “wonderful” by Tony Mowbray, and delivered three assists.

Having racked up 30 shots at goal with 19 of them on target, Dolan ended the season with a higher percentage for shots on target (63.3%) than any other Blackburn player to score at least one goal.

In addition to this, he also delivered 33 crosses for the Lancashire club, which is something that could make him a valuable asset for Celtic, and specifically Giakoumakis if he can consistently set the Greek striker up with regular goalscoring opportunities.

Taking all of this into account, if a deal is there to be made for the young player, Celtic should do everything they can to get him, as the long-term benefits of developing a talent like Dolan and having him play alongside the likes of Giakoumakis could be very high.

AND in other news: Ange can forget about Karamoko as Celtic plot swoop for “incredibly fast” £11m wizard

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their fifth signing of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

As revealed by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spurs have agreed on a deal to sign central defender Clement Lenglet on loan from FC Barcelona.

“Tottenham are set to sign Clément Lenglet from Barcelona, here we go! Loan deal agreed, valid until June 2023 – Lenglet already accepted last week, personal terms agreed,” he tweeted.

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The transfer guru then provided further details about the deal in another update on Twitter, where he claimed:

“Loan move to Tottenham done, no buy option clause included; Officially he’ll be back at Barça in June 2023, as things stand; Tottenham will pay a loan fee and part of the salary; [Antonio] Conte already called Lenglet.”

Conte will be delighted

The Frenchman becomes the Lilywhites’ fifth signing of the summer, having signed Ivan Perisic (free from Inter Milan), Fraser Forster (free from Southampton), Yves Bissouma (£25m from Brighton and Hove Albion) and Richarlison (£60m from Everton) so far.

Conte was keen to bolster his backline with the addition of a left-footed centre-back and whilst it’s not his former gem Alessandro Bastoni, it is still a solid solution and as we’ve seen with the initial loan moves of Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski, it is a pretty risk-free deal.

The 27-year-old colossus, who stands at 6 foot 1, has fallen out of favour at the Nou Camp since the LaLiga outfit activated his €35m (£30m) release clause from Sevilla.

Last season, he managed only 724 minutes of league action but over the course of his career, he has racked up plenty of experience, having registered nearly 200 appearances across the Spanish top-flight and the Champions League.

Spurs are expected to pay a large portion of the £97k-per-week wages that the Barcelona man, who was once lauded as a “special talent”, is earning over in Spain.

The £10.8m-rated defender has averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and an 87.8% passing accuracy over his career to date, via WhoScored, making him a very solid and reliable option at the back and ultimately, one that fits Conte and his system immensely.

As such, the Italian head coach is surely buzzing to get this one over the line at long last, just in time for their pre-season trip to South Korea on Saturday.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano: Spurs plot another swoop after Lenglet…

Galatasaray have placed Leeds United forward Rodrigo Moreno on their transfer shortlist, according to journalist Onur Ozkan.

The Lowdown: Elland Road struggles

The Whites’ record signing hasn’t exactly starred in Yorkshire since joining two years ago, netting just 13 times in 61 appearances for the Whites and being the regular recipient of criticism.

The 31-year-old’s display against Aston Villa towards the end of the previous season was labelled ‘wretched’ by Beren Cross, who added that the Spaniard’s confidence was ‘drained’. The same reporter also criticised the forward for a series of ‘anonymous’ displays in a Leeds shirt.

The striker still has two years remaining on his Elland Road contract, although it looks as if he is of interest elsewhere.

The Latest: Galatasaray interested in Rodrigo

Ozkan, who writes for Turkish media outlet Takvim, said on Twitter that Galatasaray have placed Rodrigo on their shortlist as an alternative attacking target.

The Istanbul club appear to be struggling to finalise a deal for Joao Pedro, so they could look to move for the Leeds marksman instead.

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The Verdict: Time to go?

Raphinha appears to be edging closer to a Leeds exit with a dream move to Barcelona, and it seems as if there is a chance that Rodrigo could follow suit in terms of leaving Elland Road for a club on the continent.

You’d expect that plenty of Leeds supporters wouldn’t be as distraught if Rodrigo joined Raphinha in leaving due to the Spaniard’s struggles under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.

He is the top earner at Leeds on £100,000 per week, so moving him on would free up a good chunk of the wage bill and could allow the Whites’ hierarchy to reinvest in another attacking player.

The Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has dropped a Newcastle United transfer claim on Jack Harrison.

The Lowdown: Winger wanted

The St James’ Park outfit have been linked with moves for the likes of Harrison, Moussa Diaby and Anthony Gordon this summer, which would imply that they are looking for a new winger.

They have already done some shrewd business so far, bringing in Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett, but now it is time for them to strengthen their options in the attacking third of the pitch.

The Latest: Harrison claim

Taking to Twitter, Edwards has claimed that a move for Harrison from Leeds United to Newcastle should not be ruled out, as the 25-year-old could be seen as an alternative to Diaby and Gordon.

The journalist stated: “I honestly wouldn’t focus too much on the Gordon interest as nobody seems to think it’s going to happen. Shows what #nufc want – young players who will grow with project over the next few years. I hope they can do Diaby deal personally. Don’t rule out Harrison if they can’t.”

The Verdict: Unlikely

Given that Jesse Marsch’s side have already sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City, and a deal for Raphinha to Barcelona is ‘almost done’ according to journalist and Barca Times chief reporter Shay Lugassi, it seems unlikely that the Whites would let Harrison go as well.

Called an ‘amazing’ and ‘absolutely fantastic’ player by Toon legend Alan Shearer upon scoring a hat-trick in a 3-2 win at West Ham United last season, the 25-year-old was Leeds’ second-highest scorer in the 2021/22 Premier League with eight goals, while he also claimed one assist and three man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

However, if the money put forward is right, the Tynesiders could still have a chance of signing the winger from Elland Road.

talkSPORT journalist and transfer insider Alex Crook has now revealed some Glasgow Rangers transfer news regarding Calvin Bassey.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The 22-year-old has come off the back of a sensational season at Ibrox, making 50 appearances across all competitions in a team which won the Scottish FA Cup and got to the Europa League final against Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt (Transfermarkt).

The Nigeria international was hailed as ‘absolutely sensational’ by talkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy after his performance in that Seville showpiece, and he will likely be one of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s key players once again heading into the new Premiership season.

The Latest: Brighton interested in Bassey

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Crook has revealed that Brighton and Hove Albion are now ‘monitoring’ Bassey, while Ajax are also thought to be interested in his signature.

He tweeted: “Ajax could spend some of their Martinez windfall on #RangersFC defender Calvin Bassey. Understand #BHAFC are also monitoring the versatile left-back.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying that both clubs mentioned by Crook are now taking a keen interest in Bassey.

Ajax are one of the most prestigious clubs in world football, while Joe Aribo has already been swayed by a Premier League move by signing for Southampton.

Also, with Borna Barisic rumoured to potentially be leaving Rangers this summer, Bassey would remain their only senior left-back available if the Croatian departs, so the 22-year-old would be a very difficult player to replace as the transfer window progresses.

Nottingham Forest have reportedly ‘reached an agreement’ to sign free agent striker Cyle Larin this summer, according to Turkish outlet Fanatik. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed by Besiktas from MLS side Orlando City in 2018, Larin spent time on loan in Belgium with Zulte Waregem whilst plying his trade with the Turkish giants.

The 27-year-old Canada international directly contributed to 48 goals in 109 outings for Besiktas, lifting the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup during the 2020/21 campaign.

Currently a free agent after rejecting the offer of a prolonged stay and having previously been linked with Everton, West Ham and Brighton, Forest could now be set to land the frontman this summer…

The latest: Forest cited

As per Fanatik, Nottingham Forest have ‘made an agreement’ to sign the 50-cap Canada ace on a free transfer.

It’s claimed that Larin – who was earning a reported £26,000 per week last season (Salary Sport) – will join the Reds after he ‘parted ways’ with Besiktas due to a discrepancy over the salary on offer.

The report states that the Turkish club offered a new deal to the man hailed for an ‘unstoppable’ spell of form last year by writer and editor Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic, but the powerful frontman ‘did not accept’ the fresh terms.

The verdict: Shrewd business

Still holding a perceived market value of £9million (Transfermarkt), snapping up the 6 foot 1 versatile forward for nothing shouldn’t be underestimated as simply a value-for-money deal and has to be regarded as a major coup from the City Ground recruitment team.

During 2021/22, Larin scored eight times and provided one assist in 38 appearances across all competitions, some way below the previous season when the Canadian forged a frightening partnership with fellow powerhouse Vincent Aboubakar to net 23 times and register another six assists alongside the bulldozing Cameroon captain.

With club-record capture and somewhat like-for-like alternative Taiwo Awoniyi already in situ, Steve Cooper is rightfully stocking up on firepower as Forest ride the crest of a wave into the Premier League and look to secure the goals required to ensure their hard-earned status remains.

A Rangers target has admitted that he could be open to a move to Ibrox this summer.

What’s the talk?

Rangers target Stephen Odey has claimed that his head could be turned by a possible transfer to Glasgow amid reports linking both Old Firm outfits with him.

When asked about a potential move to Ibrox or Celtic Park, he told Amtsavisen: “These are big clubs, and it is clear that this is something that I want to be open to. But I’m in Randers FC, and right now that’s the only thing that matters. As long as I have not been presented with anything concrete, as I said, I will not let myself be disturbed by it.”

“If the right club comes, Randers FC has no choice but to let me go. But I am happy to be in Randers FC, and that does not change the fact that there are some rumours about other clubs. For me, it’s about the preparations for the new season with the team I’m part of.”

Imagine him & Joe Aribo

If Rangers decide to make a move for Odey then they can form an exciting duo by pairing him with current attacking midfielder Joe Aribo.

Both players are Nigeria internationals and this may help them to connect instantly on the pitch – potentially playing for club and country alongside each other at the top end of the pitch.

If the Light Blues are able to keep hold of Aribo, the ex-Charlton man can line up in the number 10 position or out wide on the right of a front three. This gives him a direct line to link-up with the starting centre-forward in matches and Odey could be the man filling that role.

The £5.6k-per-week Randers FC goalscorer, who was dubbed “deadly” by former manager Fidelis Ilechukwu, managed three goals in four starts in the Europa Conference League last term, whilst also scoring seven goals in 21 starts in the Superliga. 

At the age of 24, Odey has room to grow and improve as a player and having a talented gem like Aribo to unlock the best of his abilities could accelerate his development.

In the Premiership last season, the 25-year-old created nine ‘big chances’ and produced 1.8 key passes per game – showing that he can consistently create opportunities for his teammates.

He can, therefore, provide his fellow countryman with the chances he needs to be a regular goalscorer for Rangers – forming an exciting partnership in the process.

AND in other news, Gvb plotting Rangers swoop for £1.3k-p/w gem who “rarely misses”, imagine him & Kent…