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Rangers have been offered the chance to sign ex-Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley by his agent, according to Football Scotland deputy editor Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Chelsea exit

On Monday it was announced the 28-year-old had mutually agreed with Chelsea to leave the club and become a free agent.

The midfielder joined the west London giants in 2018 in a deal worth £15m and went on to make 100 appearances for the Blues.

In recent seasons, Barkley fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, which led to a loan move to Aston Villa for the 2020/21 Premier League season.

However, after failing to secure a permanent move elsewhere, the former England international saw very little game time under Thomas Tuchel last season.

The Latest: Hendry’s news

After rumours emerged linking Barkley with a move to the Scottish Premiership, Hendry has now revealed that the player’s agent has actually contacted the Gers directly.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist said: “Ross Barkley’s name has been put to Rangers as his agent looks to find ex-Chelsea man new club.”

In the adjacent article, Football Scotland report that the 28-year-old’s name has come up in discussions after his agent lodged his player in with the Ibrox recruitment team.

The Verdict: Great signing

Despite not playing much under Tuchel at Chelsea, the Blues boss has been full of praise for the former Everton man when he has been awarded minutes at Stamford Bridge.

After Barkley featured in the last game of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Tuchel claimed: “He behaved so well throughout the season and got a lot of difficult decisions against him, so I’m happy he could show his quality.

“He was excellent in the no.10, very dangerous, involved in every dangerous attack when he came on, so I’m happy when he scored.”

Having bagged 46 goals and 41 assists in 320 games, the former Premier League man has a wealth of experience playing at the top level, and there is certainly talent there despite his flailing form.

His arrival at the Ibrox would thus add a senior figure to the Gers’ squad whom the youngsters can learn from, whilst providing Giovanni van Bronckhorst with a naturally gifted goal-threat from midfield.

It could be a great signing for Rangers.

Fulham are plotting a late swoop to land a Premier League rival’s target…

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Nottingham Forest could falter in their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

Despite the Reds having seemingly finalised the deal, both the Cottagers and Everton are now considering pushing to seal his signature late on.

Writing on Twitter, Crook claimed that there “could be a late twist in Neal Maupay’s move from BHAFC to NFFC with both EFC and Fulham pushing for the Frenchman”. 

Imagine him and Mitrovic

With the season starting off relatively well for Marco Silva’s side, it has already become clear that they will rely heavily on the goals of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serbian bagged an astounding 43 Championship goals last season in just 44 games, smashing the record for the most goals in that division in a 46-match campaign, and bringing in Maupay alongside him could quickly form one of the better strike partnerships in the top flight.

To place the hulking 27-year-old beside the 5 foot 8 Frenchman could see the latter latch on to Mitrovic’s flick-ons, as the Serbian won just over 50% of his aerial duels last season.

Conversely, Maupay could thread through some astute passes his potential strike partner, with his 77.8% pass success rate ranking him in the top 13% for strikers among Europe’s five biggest leagues over the past 12 months.

Dubbed “exceptional” by journalist Andy Naylor, the Brighton marksman can also be proficient in front of goal, as highlighted by his eight Premier League strikes last season, while his lethal touch in front of goal earned the 26-year-old the praise of being a “brilliant finisher” by journalist Joe Chapman.

Adding another proven goalscorer at this level to Fulham’s ranks could go a long way towards ensuring that they will not be dragged towards a relegation battle this season. Maupay has featured 102 times in the Premier League across his career, scoring 26 goals and setting up a further eight.

Also, the symbiotic partnership that he would likely form with Mitrovic could be one of the most feared in the league for opposition centre-backs, so Silva should swoop quickly to ensure that this idea can become a reality.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga in the last 24 hours.

The Lowdown: Tanganga profiled

The 23-year-old is primarily a centre-back who can also line out at right-back.

Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the Englishman has made 43 senior appearances for Spurs after progressing through their academy, 19 of which came last season.

He’s under contract in north London until 2025 but reportedly wants to leave the club in search of more game time.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Tanganga

Tuttomercatoweb shared a transfer update regarding Tanganga on Monday evening following links of a move to AC Milan.

They said that, ‘in the last few hours’, Leeds have joined the race for the defender alongside Everton and Newcastle.

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The Verdict: Avoid?

It appears as if Victor Orta has looked into a move for Tanganga following the impressive 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, although a move for the defender doesn’t appear to be necessary at this moment in time.

Jesse Marsch has plenty of options at centre-back and right-back, but you could say that left-back is an area where the club are somewhat light with Junior Firpo still sidelined.

Tanganga, who BBC pundit Alan Shearer labelled ‘magnificent’, has only played at left-back on four occasions, and with a new forward also required at Elland Road before the 1 September deadline, it could be wise for Leeds to look elsewhere for new arrivals in the final few days of the transfer window.

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.

Everton have been linked with a move for free agent Jesse Lingard this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton remain interested in the former Manchester United star’s services this summer.

In a more detailed report from the Daily Mail, Lingard continues to weigh up his options with a £10m-per-year offer tabled by a Saudi Arabian club and talks held with MLS teams last week, as well as a number of Premier League clubs vying for the signature of the player.

Lampard’s very own Odegaard

It is no secret that Frank Lampard is keen to bolster and improve his squad following a relegation scrap in the Premier League last season and Lingard could certainly add some much-needed quality to the team if Everton can seal a deal this summer.

The Manchester United academy graduate spent a decade at Old Trafford scoring 35 goals and delivering 21 assists, but with his game time dwindling at the club, he joined West Ham United on a six-month loan in the second half of the 2020/21 season – proving his worth to the football world and former manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.

Over 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard – who was hailed “infectious” by Andy Cole – scored nine goals, delivered four assists and created six big chances, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes, hitting the target with 1.4 shots and winning 3.4 duels per game.

Lampard could even land his very own Martin Odegaard with the signing of Lingard ahead of next season, as the Arsenal star was named as the most comparable player to the former Red Devil last season.

Despite Odegaard making more appearances (36) and offering more goal contributions (11), Lingard outperformed his position peer with a better shot-on-target accuracy (75%), better pass completion rate (85.2%) and was more successful in his dribble intercepting tackles (66.7%).

With that being said, the signing of Lingard would be a major coup for Lampard as he sets out to improve the creativity and performances in his Everton team and the 30-year-old could definitely have a positive influence on that.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer development that’ll have Everton supporters livid 

Nottingham Forest are reportedly ‘in contact’ to sign Bayern Munich youngster Omar Richards, according to reputable reporter Florian Plettenberg. 

The lowdown: Mercurial talent

Signed by the Bundesliga giants from Reading on a free transfer in 2021 (BBC), Richards had made great strides in domestic football prior to heading to Germany.

The 24-year-old left-back made 104 appearances for the Berkshire outfit and was an England Under-21 international before earning a gigantic switch to a European superpower.

Now it appears as though London-born Richards could be about to return to England and Forest have initiated the potential move…

The latest: ‘In contact…’

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Plettenberg has claimed that Nottingham Forest have made steps towards signing Richards this summer.

He stated: “X News Omar #Richards: Nottingham is working hard on a transfer! Both clubs are in contact. Bayern is keen to let him go. Transfer fee probably around €10-12m. But: No total agreement so far and the player has to say YES first. Further talks are planned. #NFFC @SkySportDE”

The verdict: Do the deal

Valued at £6.3m and under contract in Germany until 2025 (Transfermarkt), signing Richards for the mooted fee would be a superb piece of business from the City Ground hierarchy.

Predominantly operating as a conventional left-back, the Englishman – who was hailed as an ‘interesting talent’ by football writer Sam Jones – can also play in more advanced positions and would therefore be ideally suited to operate in Steve Cooper’s system which relies heavily on the impact of wing-backs in attacking situations.

Despite being on the periphery of the squad in Munich for the most part playing second fiddle to the supremely talented Alphonso Davies, Richards still managed 17 appearances across all competitions last season, and has gained invaluable experience at the top level including UEFA Champions League action.

Sharing closely matched stylistic traits with Brighton star Marc Cucurella, Barcelona sensation Sergino Dest and Bayern teammate Davies (Fbref), the Reds would be landing a prodigious talent at a relatively low fee should this deal come to fruition.

The Evening Standard have shared some Tottenham Hotspur news on the club’s – and by extension sporting director Fabio Paratici’s – transfer plans for the centre-forward position this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs keep chasing deals…

After seeing midfielder Yves Bissouma arrive in north London from Premier League club Brighton, Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is reliably believed to be chasing yet more deals before the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Having also secured Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic on free transfers, the north Londoners have now set their sights on a right wing-back, a central defender and a new striker to compete with superstar Harry Kane (Evening Standard).

Sharing some news on the latter plan, one outlet and reliable source has some news for Lilywhites supporters.

The Latest: Paratici’s striker plans explained…

According to the Evening Standard, as arch-rivals Arsenal reportedly close in on Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, Spurs and Paratici have their eyes on another forward.

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Indeed, Everton star Richarlison is believed to be in Tottenham’s sights, with the club ‘also interested’ in signing him.

In a possible boost for Conte and Spurs, while the Toffees are demanding more than £50m for the 25-year-old, it is believed that Everton ‘could be forced to lower their valuation’ given their need to sell.

The Verdict: Take advantage?

Once set with a price tag of around £100m, Richarlison’s valuation has already dropped significantly over the last few years, despite the South American continuing to impress at Goodison Park.

If Everton are forced to lower their price even more and gift Spurs a discount, we that believe this move would be a no-brainer for Conte.

As per WhoScored, Richarlison finished 2021/22 as Everton’s top scorer (10 goals) and best-performing player by average match rating, leaving no wonder as to why pundit Noel Whelan called him one of their ‘big name’ players and his manager Frank Lampard labelled him a ‘huge talent’.

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to Leeds United’s move for Marc Roca, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Roca deal

Roca was officially announced as a Whites player on Friday evening, becoming the club’s third addition of the summer after Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen.

The Spanish midfielder has penned a four-year contract at Elland Road and has cost an initial £10m. He becomes the second holding midfielder at the club alongside Kalvin Phillips, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Hutton, who now contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI regarding the move for Roca.

He admitted he was ‘surprised’ at how quick the club have acted this summer and labelled Roca as a ‘key’ addition.

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“I’m slightly surprised to see them doing this business so quickly.

“Especially after the January window didn’t go to plan for them. They’ve obviously learned from their mistakes and they’re trying to get their business done early.

“Going for a midfielder with that sort of experience is key for them.

“We don’t know what is going to happen with Kalvin Phillips, but they’re acting quickly to get their targets in so that they can move forward ahead of the new season.”

The Verdict: Positive signs

Roca was never viewed as a replacement for Phillips, so Leeds will need to go after another defensive midfielder should he make the move to the Etihad.

All of the signs so far this summer when it comes to incomings have been extremely positive and swift, with Andrea Radrizzani backing up his recent promise when it comes to signings.

It looks as if there will be more to come even if Phillips remains at the club, with a new centre-forward thought to be on the agenda after a bid was made for PSG’s Arnaud Kalimuendo.

In other news: ‘In England…’ – Reporter now drops ‘info’ of another Leeds move after Roca; £18.8m fee mooted. 

Two years ago, selling Adama Traore might well have been unthinkable for a lot of Wolves fans.

However, given his disappointing form since then, Bruno Lage’s reported decision to sell the Spain winger this summer might well be the right one.

What’s the word?

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, the Old Gold will look to cash in on the 26-year-old this summer, with Barcelona set to turn down their option to purchase him after his loan spell at the Nou Camp this season.

Taylor told GiveMeSport: “I couldn’t rule it out [Traore staying] because, technically, Barcelona are not going to sign him and he’s going to return.

“But I think he’s only got a year left on his contract, so Wolves will be looking to move him on and use that cash to sort of bolster the options within their squad.”

Should Lage axe Traore?

Since joining Wolves from Middlesbrough in 2018, Traore has gone on to make 154 appearances for the Old Gold, in which he has contributed just 11 goals and 18 assists.

Other than a strong run of form in the 2019/20 season, when he managed four goals and nine assists and averaged an impressive 7.49 rating from WhoScored for his performances, the 26-year-old has been wildly inconsistent at Molineux.

His pace and power make him a serious threat on the counter but, on far too many occasions, his final ball was lacking in quality as he found himself in good positions out wide, with his disappointing 1.2 crosses per game average in 2019/20 his best return as a Wolves player.

Therefore, given the interest being reportedly shown in him by Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Leeds United, this summer represents the ideal time for Lage to cash in on Traore.

The former Aston Villa man is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt and his contract with Wolves expires next season, so the Old Gold would surely be best cashing in on him now rather than potentially losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.

While he has certainly excited opposition managers and players during his time at Molineux, with Jurgen Klopp labelling him “unplayable” and Southampton’s Che Adams dubbing him a “monster”, Traore has sadly been far too inconsistent, and cashing in on him now would be the right decision by Lage.

In other news… Wolves are targeting this prolific Championship striker

Liverpool could make a swoop for Dutch winger Cody Gakpo after he has recently been talking about his future.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the 22-year-old is ready to assess his future this summer as he looks increasingly likely to leave PSV Eindhoven for pastures new.

Gakpo told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf that “anything can happen this summer”, putting Liverpool on standby alongside other suitors.

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Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with the winger, and the Reds could face a battle for his signature.

Imagine him and Salah

Liverpool have had a remarkable season, and it could get even better. They are in the Champions League final and could snatch the Premier League title away from Manchester City on the last day of the season.

Jurgen Klopp is seemingly keen on adding to his squad and planning for the future despite that success. His diligent transfer business over the last couple of years, such as bringing in Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, has rejuvenated the title-winning team from 2019/20.

Gakpo, who could be available for just £42m this summer, would be an excellent addition to the squad. Journalist Valentijn Driessen described the winger as “constantly threatening” after he scored the winner in the KNVB Cup final against Ajax last month.

With 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season, it’s hard to think that he wouldn’t add something to the Liverpool side. Although Diaz also plays in Gakpo’s preferred left-wing position, the Dutchman can operate on the right or even as a centre-forward if necessary.

This versatility will only please Klopp further and added competition isn’t a bad thing, especially when the German wants the team to challenge for every competition they enter.

Liverpool fans will surely be excited to think of a wide comprising of serial goalscorer Mohamed Salah and Gakpo, and it may just become a reality this summer.

AND in other news, Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah