Leeds United target Arnaud Kalimuendo has not convinced everyone within the Elland Road hierarchy, according to transfer guru Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Kalimuendo

There have been numerous Whites transfer rumours doing the rounds this summer but few players have been linked with a move more regularly than Kalimuendo.

The Paris Saint-Germain youngster is seemingly one of Leeds’ top targets for the striker position, with Jesse Marsch seeing him as someone who can add firepower after the departure of Raphinha to Barcelona.

Kalimuendo scored 21 goals in 65 appearances across two seasons on loan at Lens, not to mention nine in ten games for PSG’s Under-19s in Europe.

The Latest: Not everyone convinced

Speaking to Give Me Sport, however, ‘transfer insider’ Jones claimed that not everyone at Leeds is sure that the 20-year-old is the right signing currently:

“Just from speaking to three people, there are already mixed views among such a small survey group on whether this guy fits the bill.

“They say that definitely not everybody at the club thinks that somebody of his profile is the way to be going right now.”

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The Verdict: Move still feels likely

This is certainly an intriguing update – perhaps those against the signing desire a more senior and experienced figure – but it still feels as though Kalimuendo is someone Leeds will end up bringing in, with moves for other striker targets falling like flies.

At 20, he would be a long-term signing under Marsch, as he looks to plan well into the future, but his record for Lens is proof that he is also ready to make an immediate impact, which is perhaps the main fear from the doubters at Elland Road.

Victor Orta and Marsch need to be trusted in the transfer market to build a squad the manager wants, so if the youngster hailed as ‘disgustingly good’ by journalist Jacque Talbot is the man they want, the hierarchy should have no qualms about making it happen.

Everton have been linked with a move for Leander Dendoncker this summer, and a reliable source has now made a claim about the Toffees’ interest in the player.

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has told Football FanCast why he thinks Everton should sign the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder this summer.

The journalist claims: “Dendoncker is someone who would tick a lot of boxes for Everton.”

“Premier League proven so he could come straight into the team and can fill a number of roles, defensive midfield, attacking midfield and can slot in at the back as well, depending on what formation you want to play.”

“So when you get players like that, they are gold dust to be fair, it gives you so many options in your squad, and Dendoncker wasn’t a regular in that Wolves team so he might be interested in a move away if he’s guaranteed first team football at Everton.”

Huge Allan upgrade

It is no secret that Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in every area of the squad this summer as their weaknesses were laid bare in the Premier League last season when they endured a difficult relegation battle.

Frank Lampard only has a week left until Everton kick off their next campaign, so identifying the right players who can make the positive impact needed to gain a good start in the top flight is essential.

Dendoncker may not get the regular first-team football that he would like at Molineux but he certainly performs when he is given the opportunity to play in Bruno Lage’s side, something that he proved last term.

According to FBRef, the Belgian scored more goals (two), had a better shots on target accuracy (43.5%) and a better pass completion rate (87.3%) and won many more aerial duels (40) than Everton midfielder Allan last season, proving that he would be a huge upgrade on the Brazilian if the 27-year-old were to leave Molineux for Merseyside.

Dendoncker has been lavished with praise for his contribution and role at Wolves, with Lage hailing his £12m gem as a “top player” following an outstanding performance in the victory over Tottenham Hotspur last season. His team-mate Max Kilman added: “He’s brilliant, nothing fazes him. He knows his task and he doesn’t feel the pressure.”

All things considered, it seems that Dendoncker would be the perfect profile of player for Lampard to bring in to ensure that the Toffees don’t find themselves in another sticky situation when they return to action next weekend in the Premier League.

AND in other news – “At the table..”: Journalist drops big Everton transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Southampton have agreed to sign striker Sekou Mara from Bordeaux, which could be the catalyst the Saints need for getting rid of Adam Armstrong.

It was confirmed on Thursday evening that the Premier League club had agreed a deal in principle to sign the 19-year-old, who hit six goals in 26 appearances in Ligue 1 last season.

He joins Che Adams and Armstrong as the main centre-forward options in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, while the likes of Nathan Tella and Mohamed Elyounoussi could also do a job up front if required.

While Mara is still a teenager and very inexperienced, his six goals in 10 appearances for France under-20s illustrate his ability in front of goal, and it seems likely that he will get plenty of first-team opportunities next season.

Although Hasenhuttl has lost Armando Broja and Shane Long from his attacking options from last season, it seems clear that the Austrian doesn’t favour Armstrong, and the signing of Mara could potentially result in the former Newcastle United man leaving this summer.

After joining from Blackburn Rovers in a £15m deal last summer, the Englishman managed just two goals in 23 Premier League appearances (six of those as a substitute), averaging a shocking 6.38 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

During his time at Ewood Park, he scored plenty of goals but was also accused of being “desperate” on occasion, and that was reflected in his first season at St Mary’s, as too often he would shoot from improbable angles and finish poorly.

Unfortunately, it seems as if the 25-year-old won’t make the cut in the Premier League; and if Mara can come in and be a success, then Armstrong may find himself sitting on the bench for much of the upcoming season.

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However, there has been interest from the Championship in the ex-Blackburn marksman, and now that Hasenhuttl has more depth in attack, he should consider getting rid of Armstrong, as it seems clear that the 25-year-old isn’t going to be a success on the south coast.

AND in other news: Semmens can sign Southampton’s own Haaland in swoop for “unplayable” £25m gem

Celtic saw one of their most potent goalscorers wave goodbye to  Parkhead during last summer’s transfer window.

After scoring 86 goals in 179 appearances for the Hoops, Odsonne Edouard made a move to the Premier League with Crystal Palace in a deal worth £15m.

Even though the Premiership kingpins brought in the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis last summer, who ended up scoring 25 league goals between them, the current transfer window could see the Bhoys sign their next version of the Frenchman.

Having been previously linked with a move for Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo, the 22-year-old could be the right figure to not only add some strength and depth to Ange Postecoglou’s attacking ranks, while also becoming Celtic’s next Edouard.

Last season saw the Ghanaian find the net eight times and deliver 12 assists in 31 Championship appearances, leaving only Andreas Weimann (32) with more goal contributions for the Robins.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, Semenyo ended the campaign with a higher rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.14) than any other player at Ashton Gate, while also recording the highest average of dribbles per game (1.2) in the squad.

This shows just how deadly he is on the ball and how he can strike fear into opposition defenders and goalkeepers on a regular basis, which is something that Postecoglou would undeniably love to have in his squad.

In fact, the Bristol City star was labelled a “dangerous” player by his former manager Phil Parkinson in the past, which has now been proven to be incredibly accurate.

This also mirrors what Edouard did during his time at Parkhead, as the centre-forward racked up a total of 210 shots at goal in 53 Premiership games across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.

Also, with 31 league appearances to his name in the 2020/21 campaign, the Frenchman ended the season with a higher average of dribbles per game (1.6) than any of his previous team-mates.

With a suggested price tag of £15m, which is the same price for which Celtic sold Edouard, securing a deal for the Championship marksman could be a very exciting piece of business for the Hoops to complete this summer, given Semenyo’s young age and his clear attacking talent.

AND in other news – “Made contact with…”: Anthony Joseph drops Celtic transfer update, supporters will be gutted

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been giving his thoughts on Crystal Palace’s interest in Napoli forward Hirving Lozano.

The Lowdown: Palace links

The Eagles have made four signings so far this summer ahead of Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge but appear to want even more.

Reports in recent days have claimed that Palace are interested in signing Lozano, who is open to a move to the Premier League.

The 26-year-old’s new representatives apparently have a positive relationship with Palace officials, with West Ham also keen on the player.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to FootballFanCast, O’Rourke was excited at Palace’s interest in Lozano, labelling the forward as a ‘top player’ and describing a possible move to Selhurst Park as ‘huge’.

“Yeah would be a huge signing, Hirving Lozano. I think a real top player across the world, a Mexican international. Was a big signing for Napoli as well when they signed him from PSV, so for Crystal Palace to be in that market looking at him just shows where Crystal Palace are looking to go right now.

“They’re looking like building an exciting young team under Patrick Vieira and they’ll be hoping to build upon an impressive last term in this new season as well.”

The Verdict: Ambitious

Lozano, described as ‘unique’ by Luciano Spalleti, has scored 124 goals during his career for both club and country and has played in European competitions over the past five seasons.

Palace can’t offer that at this moment in time, so securing a move for the attacker would be a huge coup for Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman.

He could be just what Vieira needs with Palace yet to make a senior attacking addition this summer, and with Lozano capable of playing on either wing and even central if required, this could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

Liverpool didn’t waste any time on getting their business done when this summer’s transfer window opened, with three new players promptly joining the squad at Anfield, although a new update from a reliable source has emerged on a potential outgoing.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce, the club have no interest in selling Roberto Firmino this summer.

As per Pearce’s report, it is claimed that senior Anfield sources have rubbished speculation that Juventus have made a bid of £20m for the forward.

Despite entering the final 12 months of his contract, Liverpool are reportedly not interested in selling the 30-year-old this summer, and he remains in Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the season ahead.

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that supporters will be delighted that Firmino is set to stay at the club this summer, as he has become a popular figure over the last seven years and has been a linchpin in Liverpool’s success.

The Brazilian forward has made 327 appearances, scoring 98 goals and delivering 74 assists since joining the Reds in 2015, with his contributions playing a key role in the club’s achievements since Klopp’s arrival.

Firmino has won a Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup so far with the Reds, and he will surely be hoping that he can add a few more trophies to the CV before his time ends at Anfield.

It is not clear as to whether FSG intend to offer the 30-year-old a new contract to extend his stay on Merseyside beyond June 2023, but there was speculation earlier this summer that there was an intention to arrive at an agreement.

The Liverpool manager is a huge admirer of Firmino and has made his feelings loud and clear about the player on numerous occasions, saying of the player in 2020: “Bobby is just exceptional, a very football smart person, I do not know a player like him, that is true.”

With that in mind, there will be a sigh of relief amongst Liverpool supporters upon Perace’s dismissal of a move for Firmino this summer, and Klopp will surely be hoping that the Brazilian can continue to impose a positive impact on the team in their pursuit for trophies this season.

AND in other news: Sky Sports reveal huge Liverpool injury update, supporters will be gutted

West Ham United are ‘hopeful’ they will complete their deal to sign Burnley star Maxwel Cornet, reports Graeme Bailey of 90min.

The Lowdown: Hammers in full preparation…

The Hammers are in full preparation for the 2022/2023 Premier League season and face a tough opening weekend match at home to English champions Manchester City.

David Moyes’ side go into the match having made four major summer signings in Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola and Gianluca Scamacca with reports suggesting there could be more.

Amadou Onana (Lille) and Filip Kostic (Eintracht Frankfurt) are targets with Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski also linked.

Alongside this trio, talks are apparently happening for Clarets star Cornet, with ExWHUemployee reporting on Friday morning that a fee has been agreed at the player’s £17.5m release clause.

The Latest: Bailey shares promising Cornet update…

Bailey has also shared his own promising update, and it seems to back up the claims from popular insider Ex.

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Writing for 90min, Bailey says West Ham are now ‘hopeful’ of getting the deal wrapped up and confirms talks have taken place over a fee.

The Verdict: Get it over the line…

A standout for the Clarets at points last season, Cornet really marked himself as Burnley’s most consistent attacking threat – finishing 21/22 as their top goal scorer domestically whilst racking up their joint-highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 (WhoScored).

Members of the media, like Islington Gazette reporter Josh Bunting, also raved over the 25-year-old at points during their relegation campaign last year – even calling Cornet a ‘cheat code’ (Twitter).

He’s also been lauded for his ‘top class’ movement by Bunting with it being clear that the former Lyon star possesses many enticing attributes as a player.

Alexandre Braeckman has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Charles De Ketelaere.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Belgian RTL journalist revealed that, despite recent reports suggesting that AC Milan looked as if they were unable to meet the demands of Club Brugge in their attempts for the centre-forward, the Serie A champions remain in talks with the Belgian club and are still confident of closing a deal for the 21-year-old.

TEAMtalk journalist James Marshment also relayed an update on Twitter from RTL Sport regarding the current situation of the Belgium international, in which it is claimed that Milan are now preparing a final offer of €33m (£28m) plus a sell-on percentage for the striker, while Leeds’ bid currently sits at €37.5m (£31.8m).

In response to a supporter asking for the latest on De Ketelaere, Braeckman said: “No bid submitted [on Monday]. Talks still ongoing and Milan remain confident to close the deal. I can’t tell you anything more right now, but I think we’re in the final stage of this move.”

Orta must now act

Considering just how long Milan’s pursuit of De Ketelaere has dragged on, in addition to the Rossoneri still not having met Brugge’s reported €35m (£30m) asking price for the 21-year-old, Victor Orta could now very much turn the screw on Stefano Pioli’s side by upping the Whites’ current €37.5m offer to €40m (£34m).

Also, considering the sheer amount of potential that the £27m-rated forward undoubtedly possesses, it would be well worth the additional cost for the Whites if a £2.2m increase in their offer for the Belgian be enough for Brugge to finally put an end to Milan’s tedious efforts to sign the youngster.

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Indeed, over his 39 Jupiler Pro League appearances in 2021/22, the £17k-per-week talent was in astonishing form, scoring 14 goals, registering nine assists and creating 16 big chances for his team-mates, along with making 1.8 key passes, taking two shots and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the eight-cap international average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.25, ranking him not only as Alfred Schreuder’s fourth-best performer in the league but also the 13th-best player in the entire Belgian top flight last time out.

As such, with De Ketelaere quite evidently being a hugely promising young talent, one who could quite easily develop into something of a world-beater at Elland Road, it would appear wise for Orta to do that all he can to force Brugge’s hand in a deal for the 21-year-old.

Otherwise, Leeds’ director of football very much runs the risk of missing out on the starlet to Milan this summer.

AND in other news: Leeds given green light for “exceptional” target, he’s got a “left foot made of gold”

Tottenham Hotspur reporter Charlie Eccleshare has now made a very intriguing behind-the-scenes claim after defender Djed Spence’s confirmed arrival from Middlesbrough.

The Lowdown: Spurs finally seal Spence deal…

Following what seemed like weeks upon weeks of talks, chairman Daniel Levy and Boro counterpart Steve Gibson reached a compromise over the signing of Spence.

Spurs confirmed his capture on Tuesday morning as manager Antonio Conte, at long last, gets an exciting and capable right-wing-back option through the door at Hotspur Way.

Spence’s arrival not only adds that degree of quality, but it also goes some way to balancing the books when it comes to the Lilywhites’ homegrown quota – which has been a real point talking point over this window.

Interestingly, as explained by The Athletic’s Eccleshare, this transfer has been a real possibility since the winter window.

The Latest: Eccleshare makes intriguing Spence claim…

According to his sources, it is believed that the 21-year-old has had his eye on a move to north London ‘as early as January’ – even telling Nottingham Forest teammates that was his intention all along.

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Eccleshare explained:

“As early as January, Djed Spence told his Forest team-mates that he would be heading to #THFC. Yesterday he finally made the move.”

The journalist also goes on to call the Englishman a ‘very exciting’ signing, even if it does carry a degree of risk.

“Anyway a very exciting signing but as ever with buying a player from the Championship a bit of risk.

Jack Clarke and Joe Rodon haven’t been massive hits, but there are plenty that have been in the PL.

And I guess any signing carries degree of risk. Let’s see.”

The Verdict: Big boost…

Lauded as the ‘perfect player’ for Conte by members of the media, Spence’s real desire to join Tottenham really sums up just how far they’ve come under the Italian boss.

Their pull is far stronger than this time last year under ex-boss Nuno Espirito Santo and the fact Spence has wanted to join since January of course means it isn’t all about Champions League football either.

Conte may be building something special at Spurs and the 2022/2023 Premier League season will certainly be very interesting.

Sunderland still have around four weeks left to bring more players into the Stadium of Light before the summer transfer window slams shut.

Kristjaan Speakman has brought in Ellis Simms on loan and Daniel Ballard, Alex Bass, Jack Clarke, Leon Dajaku, and Aji Alese on permanent deals.

Alex Neil recently claimed that he wants to sign up to five more players to improve his squad before the end of the window.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “We’ve still got four, potentially five that we want to bring in before the window ends.”We need to make sure the squad is competitive and not only that, they brought four or five really fresh lads on who know the level, and that can really make a difference.

Last week, MLS reporter Tom Bogert claimed that the club are keen on a swoop for the USA international, Tweeting:

“Middlesbrough have made an offer to Mallorca for USMNT forward Matthew Hoppe, per sources. Offer is around $3m (including add-ons). Sunderland interested as well. Hoppe, 21, has six caps with the USMNT. Joined Mallorca last summer from Schalke.”

By striking a deal to sign the attacker, potentially for £2.5m ($3m), Speakman could land Neil his own version of Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has stated that he is a similar type of player to the England captain and listed his strengths as; finishing, instinct, heading, hold up play, off the ball movement, composure, ambidexterity, whilst dubbing him “complete”.

In his Bundesliga career for Schalke, he played 1309 minutes and scored six goals and provided one assist. This means that he averaged a goal contribution nearly once every other game, whilst the attacker has also scored once in six caps for his country, which suggests that he has the potential to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

At the age of 21, he is nowhere near the peak of his career and it is unrealistic to expect him to be firing in 20+ goals per season in a major European league. In the season before he turned 21, Kane scored three goals in ten Premier League matches for Tottenham, having scored two goals in 13 matches in the Championship on loan at Leicester the year before.

He was then able to develop into the player who has scored 183 top-flight goals in England and found the back of the net 50 times for the Three Lions.

Hoppe could now continue his development by coming to Sunderland and working with Neil to fulfil the potential that Kulig sees in him to become a similar player to Kane.

If he can hit his stride and start firing in the goals on a more consistent basis then he would be a fantastic player for the Black Cats and their very own complete number nine, having already shown promise at the top level in Germany.