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West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a move for Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur also believed to be keen on his signature.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, the Hammers have emerged as a potential suitor for the 29-year-old, with the London Stadium outfit said to be ‘thinking about’ a possible approach for the Ukraine international.

The report does suggest, however, that it could take a fee of around €35m (£29.5m) for the Bergamo-based side to contemplate a sale, with that figure said to have proven somewhat prohibitive for Spurs.

As such, the report goes on to add that the chances of the 49-cap gem staying put are only increasing, particularly with the end to the window fast approaching.

Unreal signing

West Ham boss David Moyes has overseen seven major deals already so far this summer, although the indication is that there could be further incomings before the September deadline, with the club’s dismal start to the new season potentially set to force their hand in the market.

While the backline has been something of a concern amid mounting injury woes, the forward line has also come up short in the league thus far, having failed to score a single goal in the opening three games.

In Malinovskyi, however, the former Everton boss could well have found a solution to those attacking deficiencies, with the former Genk man offering a real potent threat in the final third.

Dubbed “decisive” by manager Gian Piero Gasperini, the £25.2m-rated playmaker – who largely operates in an attacking midfield role – has scored 30 goals and provided 27 assists in 130 games for his current side to date, having previously also recorded 62 goal contributions in 135 games during his time in Belgium.

Lauded for his “unreal” long-range shooting ability by journalist Carlo Garganese, the £21k-per-week sensation netted five of his six Serie A goals last season from outside the box, proving himself a real menace from distance.

Equally, his tally of 17 goal contributions in all competitions last term was only bettered by Michail Antonio (24) and Jarrod Bowen (31) in the Hammers squad – and level with Said Benrahma – with Moyes and co likely to be delighted to have another figure in tow who can produce a moment of magic.

The 5 foot 11 machine offers a real creative and forward-thinking presence in attack as he also notably ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, with that figure notably better than the likes of Pablo Fornals (top 14%) and Manuel Lanzini (top 22%) – two men who currently operate in a playmaking role for the club.

With Champions League experience also under his belt, Malinovskyi could well be the quality attacking addition that Moyes and co are craving, with all the evidence pointing to a player who would simply be ‘unreal’ for the club were he to join before the window is out

West Ham United could make a late move for Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Lowdown: Previous interest

This time last year, L’Equipe reported that the Hammers were keen to bring the Frenchman to the London Stadium from Montpellier.

However, the move failed to come to fruition, leaving the 28-year-old to join Ligue 1 side Rennes in a deal worth £15m.

Despite this, it appears West Ham’s interest in Laborde isn’t over, with a recent report touting the east London club with a late swoop before next Thursday’s deadline.

The Latest: Late move

According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb, as relayed by Hammers.News, West Ham could make a late move to sign Laborde this summer.

Newcastle are also said to be interested in signing the Frenchman, so negotiations could turn out to be difficult for David Moyes’ side.

This follows a report from January which claimed the Ligue 1 outfit were willing to sell the 28-year-old for a £30m fee, after just six months at the club.

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The Verdict: Good signing

With the Hammers currently going through a goal drought, having failed to score in their opening three Premier League games, the need for new attacking impetus at the London Stadium is clear.

In 38 league appearances last season, the forward netted 15 goals and produced eight assists – beating Jarrod Bowen, the Irons’ top scorer last season, who totalled 12 goals in the English top-flight.

For his efforts, journalist Clement Carpentier dubbed Laborde a “goal machine” – something Moyes could really utilise with his side sat bottom of the Premier League table.

Crystal Palace are making moves towards their fifth signing of the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting that Sasa Lukic could join Patrick Vieira’s side from Torino.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), the Eagles have been in contact with the Serie A side about the signing of Lukic, although they will face competition from Napoli and Sevilla.

They claim that the Serbia international has refused to train after the club failed to fulfil contract promises, which suggests that an exit could well be on the cards before the transfer window shuts later this month.

It’s thought the player could cost €20m (£16.8m) this summer.

Vieira needs him

Vieira has gone some way towards replacing Conor Gallagher at Palace with the signing of Cheick Doucoure, but the Englishman left a big gap at Selhurst Park and more midfield additions could be required if the Eagles are going to push on.

Last season saw Lukic enjoy arguably the best season of his career, as he made 35 appearances for Torino in Serie A, in which he contributed five goals and four assists, averaging a solid 6.85 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If he had produced the same level of performance for Palace in the Premier League, then he would have been ranked as the third-best performer behind Gallagher and Wilfried Zaha, which goes to show the quality that he could add to Vieira’s squad.

He also would have been joint third with Odsonne Edouard for overall goal contributions, which suggests that he can add a real threat from midfield. That was something Palace lacked last season, as only Gallagher regular contributed in that aspect, with no other central midfielder finding the back of the net in the Premier League.

Lukic has captained Torino in recent seasons so would also add some real leadership to the squad at Selhurst Park, while at just 26 years old, he could become a mainstay in Palace’s younger-looking side for years to come.

Therefore, with an exit seemingly on the cards for Lukic, Vieira should do all he can to ensure that Lukic becomes Crystal Palace’s fifth signing of the summer. He could just fill that Gallager-shaped hole that’s currently staring the French manager in the face.

Leeds United have been one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League in terms of the business they have done during the summer transfer window.

Along with bringing in a plethora of new faces such as Tyler Adams, Marc Roca and Luis Sinisterra, among others, the Yorkshire club have also seen some big players make moves away from Elland Road such as Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

With a few weeks still left before the transfer window shuts, this would give the Whites the chance to strengthen any area of the squad where it may be necessary.

Taking into account how Andrea Radrizzani recently spoke about the club’s aim to bring in a striker before deadline day, one man who has been linked with a move to Elland Road and who could be just what the Whites need is Bamba Dieng.

Having made 42 senior appearances for Marseille, the 22-year-old – who is reportedly valued at €18m (£15m) – has scored nine goals and delivered three assists in the process.

The majority of those appearances and goals came during the 2021/22 season with Les Olympiens, during which he also showed his versatility by playing with near-equal regularity as a centre-forward and as a left-winger.

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To further highlight his attacking talent, in his 25 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the Senegal attacker took 37 shots at goal, with 18 of those being on target, leaving him with the highest percentage for shots on target (48.6%) at the Stade Velodrome.

Hailed as an “explosive player with great potential,” by his former manager Jorge Sampaoli, Dieng also ended the campaign with the fourth-highest rate of goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.55) at Marseille.

In terms of what sort of player he is or could become in the future, the youngster has been likened to former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba by El-Hadji Diouf in terms of his ability to score goals.

Bearing in mind how the Ivorian scored 104 goals in 254 top-flight appearances for the Blues and earned himself a place in the Premier League Hall of Fame, the prospect of seeing Victor Orta unearth what could be Leeds’ own version of Drogba would certainly be a mouth-watering prospect for the Whites and their supporters.

With transfer deadline day coming into view, securing a deal for the young striker could be just what Leeds need in order to top off what has undeniably been a very busy transfer period for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have re-entered the race to sign Milan Skriniar this summer…

What’s the word?

According to reports in Italy (as relayed by Sport Witness), Inter Milan would let the centre-back leave the San Siro for the right price amid interest from Spurs and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The 27-year-old centre-back has long been linked with a move to north London, even before Antonio Conte’s arrival in the dugout back in November.

It’s thought that €65m (£55m) would be enough to entice the Serie A giants into a sale.

So with Inter open to a sale, Spurs have been given a green light to make their move.

Another big coup

Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici has already sealed six new signings at Hotspur Way but this move has the potential to eclipse the lot.

No one knows the Slovakia titan better than Conte as he featured in 32 matches on their way to the Scudetto in 2020/21, where he also scored three goals, as per Transfermarkt.

Since then, he has continued to thrive in the Italian top flight.

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FBref compare his statistical profile to that of Antonio Rudiger and John Stones, which only bolsters his potential fit for Premier League football as both have proven themselves in England.

The same website also reveals that Skriniar ranks inside the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe for passing accuracy (93.2%), the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals and assists (0.11 per 90), and the top 14% for shot-creating actions (0.93 per 90), proving to be adept with the ball at his feet.

Described as a “leader” by his former youth coach Tibor Goljan, the Inter colossus could fill a void in Spurs’ backline, with Clement Lenglet unlikely to step up as that sort of powerful figure.

Eurosport journalist Siavoush Fallahi has also dubbed him a “monster”, whilst the 27-year-old has also received further praise from former teammate Adam Zilak.

“Milan combines physicality and footballing intelligence, this is what makes him an incredible defender,” he said.

If Paratici were to finally land the Slovakia international, then it would be quite a coup indeed and on the above evidence, it could well be their best piece of business yet.

A backline of Skriniar, Cristian Romero and Eric Dier is pretty mouthwatering, so it’s time to splash the cash on him before deadline day on September 1st, now that Inter are willing to sell.

AND in other news, Journalist reveals what Antonio Conte wants next at Spurs…

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.

Manchester City have been linked with a summer move for Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix.

What’s the news?

Portuguese football journalist Bruno Andrade has shed some light on the matter in a recent tweet, stating: “[Erling] Haaland may not be the only strong reinforcement: Pep Guardiola wants Joao Felix at Manchester City. Trading, however, essentially depends on the departures of Gabriel Jesus and [Raheem] Sterling. It’s about opening up space in attack and, above all, balancing financial fair play.”

After scoring 20 goals in 43 senior appearances for Benfica, Felix joined Atletico in 2019 in a deal worth a reported £113m. Since then, the 22-year-old has found the net 29 times and delivered 15 assists in 110 appearances for the Spanish club across all competitions.

Praised by his manager Diego Simeone for a “complete” performance against RB Salzburg in October 2020, the Atletico star has shown he has what it takes to play for a top club. His latest La Liga campaign saw the former Benfica starlet score eight goals and supply four assists in 23 games.

Imagine him and Haaland

While the £63m-rated forward may not have shown that he has what it takes to be a talisman for a top club in Europe just yet, he can still be considered a more than useful attacking figure. This could duly make him a solid prospective signing for City if he’s able to play next to or around Haaland.

With 83 goals in 87 appearances for Borussia Dortmund and 29 in just 27 games for Salzburg, the Norwegian has already shown by the age of 21 just how natural he is when it comes to finding the net.

Taking into account how Felix has played in every attacking position at times throughout his career, his versatility could make it easier for Guardiola to fit him into the team alongside Haaland, should the Portuguese gem make a move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

If Atletico are willing to negotiate a deal for their attacker this summer, City should definitely test the waters to find out what it would take to get him to make a move to Manchester and potentially form a scary attacking partnership with Haaland.

In other news – Terms agreed: City now closing in on “refreshing” £30m signing, Pep will be buzzing

Wolves have been linked with a move for Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks recently, but there is little to suggest that he would be a worthwhile addition to Bruno Lage’s side.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Spurs are looking to cash in on the former England international this summer, and the Old Gold are among the clubs taking an interest.

Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Leicester are also said to be keen on the 26-year-old, while Spurs have reportedly offered him to Rangers, which suggests that his future lies away from north London this summer.

Lage would be crazy to sign him

Although the Wolves futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho have been in doubt, The Athletic have suggested that it is increasingly likely that both will stay at Molineux this summer.

Even if they do leave, it would represent a significant downgrade if Winks came in to fill the void, considering his less than impressive form for Spurs in recent years.

Last season saw the midfielder make 19 appearances in the Premier League, in which he contributed no goals and one assist, with WhoScored awarding him a shocking 6.43 rating for his performances.

Nobody who made more than 10 starts in the league for Lage’s side last term had a worse average rating, which suggests that he certainly wouldn’t improve what Wolves already have.

Having graduated from Spurs’ academy, the midfielder has gone on to make 202 appearances for the first team, but he has never averaged a seasonal WhoScored rating of more than 6.57 for his performances in the Premier League, which suggests that he would be a rather underwhelming signing by the Old Gold.

Journalist Josh Bunting did not hold back in his criticism of Winks when discussing a potential move to Everton recently, saying: “Do Everton honestly not learn, 20-25 million for Harry Winks is an absolute waste. A club that have got themselves into an awkward situation regarding financial fair play and then go out and spend that money on an utterly pointless player right now for them. Crazy.”

Therefore, even if Neves and Moutinho do end up departing, Wolves would be better off looking elsewhere than signing Winks for £20m, as he could be a disastrous addition to Lage’s side judging by his fortunes over the past 12 months in particular.

In other news… Lage could seal dream Nunes partner with Wolves bid for “very talented” starlet

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has suggested that Everton would be set to face some serious competition if they tried to sign Manchester City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer.

The Lowdown: Zinchenko’s future up in the air

The Ukrainian first made the switch to the Etihad from FC Ufa back in 2016, where he has since gone on to make 128 appearances and nine trophies for the Sky Blues during his six-year spell at the club.

The 25-year-old still has two years remaining on his current contract with the Premier League champions, but it was recently reported by The Athletic journalists Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe that his future is very much up in the air, with the likes of the Toffees and fellow top-flight side Newcastle United believed to have identified the full-back as a possible transfer target for the upcoming window.

The Latest: Robinson unsure about Everton move

When asked during an interview with Football Insider whether or not he thought Zinchenko would be a strong addition at Goodison Park, Robinson said:

“As much as Zinchenko is a top-quality player, where does he fit in at Everton?

“They already have [Vitaliy] Mykolenko.

“Zinchenko is unlucky not to get more game time at Man City. He’s a very good player.

“If he is going to make a move this summer there will be a lot more clubs than just Everton looking to sign him.

“He can play left-back and in the midfield. His versatility and quality make him a very attractive proposition for a lot of clubs.

“I’m sure there would be a lot of managers keen on a player like him if it becomes common knowledge that he’s available. 100 per cent.”

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The Verdict: Zinchenko’s high ambitions

Despite only making 15 top-flight outings this campaign, the 48-cap international has more than shown what he’s capable of when he’s on the pitch, having provided four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As well as making 1.3 tackles per game, the defender has been equally as threatening going forward, recording 1.1 key passes and 1.6 long balls per league game, via WhoScored, and he is exactly the profile of player that Everton should be looking at signing if they are aiming for a much higher place finish next season.

However, even if Zinchenko were to leave the Manchester outfit in the coming weeks in a bid to get more game time, he would highly likely want to switch somewhere that he’ll have a strong chance of continuing to get his hands on silverware after his success with City, a factor that might end up being a disadvantage for Everton in the race for their man.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano has revealed the transfer intentions of one of Everton’s ‘best’ players.

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’.