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Liverpool’s interest in Matheus Nunes could leave Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola frustrated if the Reds were to get their man.

The Merseyside have been linked with a slew of midfielders this window, and with Jurgen Klopp already showing his eagerness to plug any gaps he sees in his squad, it is not unlikely to think that he will once again move to re-energise his ageing midfield.

With Thiago recently turning 31, this Portuguese talent could be the perfect replacement for the silky maestro.

Matheus Nunes is a similarly magical midfielder, who has earned high praise for his performances despite being just 23 years old.

He has recently been linked with a switch to Anfield, however, Chelsea and Man City are also thought to be interested in the £34m man.

One person who this signing could frustrate is Guardiola, who was vocal in his praise for the youngster. Perhaps not only would Nunes look to replace Thiago, but it would provide a mental edge in next season’s title race.

Guardiola claimed that “Matheus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today. Nunes is one of the best at the moment.”

The stats help to support his glowing recommendation, as he ranks in the 99th percentile for both dribbles completed and assists per 90. Already he seems to play like Thiago, with incredible ball control and the ability to pick out a killer ball.

This is indicative of his 6.95 average SofaScore rating, which suggests that he is a solid performer across an impressive 33 league appearances. He has the ability to set the world alight, and under Klopp there is no telling how impressive he could become.

He also managed a respectable five goal contributions from central midfield, which perfectly matches Thiago’s return last season.

Nunes could offer a wildcard aspect to Klopp’s midfield and help when breaking down the low block tactic his side so often faces. He possesses skill, incredible control, vision and the ability to execute.

He should swoop quickly to beat their rivals and leave Guardiola scratching his head as to why he didn’t move for supposedly one of the world’s best.

AND, in other news: FSG could land Klopp his own Modric with Liverpool bid for “terrific” £8m talent.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed some positive transfer news on Anthony Gordon for Everton supporters.

The Lowdown: Offer made for Gordon

It has been reported that Newcastle United have made a £35m bid to try and lure the 21-year-old away from Goodison Park.

Tottenham Hotspur are also thought to be readying an offer for the England under-21 international, and it will now be up to the Merseyside club whether they sell to the highest bidder.

The Latest: Ornstein’s update on Gordon

However, taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, Ornstein has revealed that Everton have ‘no intention’ of selling Gordon this summer ‘amid enquiries’ from a number of clubs in the Premier League when ‘interest’ was expressed by them ‘during conversations’ with the Toffees.

The reporter tweeted: “Everton have no intention of selling Anthony Gordon amid enquiries from other PL clubs. Interest expressed during conversations but #EFC unwilling to consider 21yo’s exit. Likely new deal will be offered but not result of rival admiration.”

The Verdict: Positive for Everton

It is certainly positive to hear of Everton’s intentions to keep Gordon, and indeed potentially offer him a new contract.

The 21-year-old is a player who has come through their academy, so he would have that extra special connection with the club’s supporters.

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Moreover, he was one of their most important players last season, with up four goals, two assists and two man-of-the-match awards in 35 appearances in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Having already sold Richarlison to Spurs, the Toffees must do everything that they can to keep homegrown talent Gordon at the club for as long as possible.

Sunderland are now ‘hoping’ to push on with a deal for Tottenham youngster Jack Clarke, according to Scott Wilson for The Northern Echo.

The Lowdown: Last season’s loan spell

The 21-year-old joined the Black Cats in January on a loan deal which would keep him at the Stadium of Light until the end of the 2021/22 season.

The winger played a key part in Alex Neil’s side winning promotion to the Championship, with the youngster having made 20 league appearances for the Wearside club.

The former Stoke loanee has now entered the final 12 months of his contract with Spurs, raising suggestions of a move away from north London.

The Latest: Wilson’s news

Wilson has now shared the latest news on Clarke’s future with the Lilywhites.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed: “#SAFC hoping Spurs will make a decision over Jack Clarke’s future this week. Antonio Conte takes his squad to South Korea next weekend, and Sunderland are understandably hoping Clarke will not be part of the trip…”

In the accompanying article for The Northern Echo, Wilson reported that talks have taken place between the Black Cats and the Premier League club, with the Wearsiders keen on securing a permanent deal for the player. As a result, it is understood that Tottenham are actively considering selling Clarke this summer.

The Verdict: No wonder Neil wants him

The Black Cats manager was full of praise for Clarke after the attacker produced the moment of magic which led to Patrick Roberts’ injury-time goal to send Sunderland through to the League One play-off final at Wembley at Sheffield Wednesday’s expense.

Following that decisive moment, Neil proclaimed: “Jack has got good quality. He can take the ball, he can dribble, he can go past people, and those kind of players are really useful to have in the team and he delivered the moment we needed and Pat [Roberts] got on the end of it.”

With a current Transfermarkt valuation of £3.15m, it is unclear as to the sort of price that Spurs will demand for Clarke, given the length of time remaining on his contract at Tottenham.

However, if Sunderland can secure his permanent signing, this could be a great addition to Neil’s squad ahead of the Championship campaign.

Nottingham Forest will make their long-awaited return to the Premier League next season after 23 years away from the top flight, and now they have been linked with a potential transfer target who could be joining the side in their new challenge.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest are now interested in signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

As per the report, the newly-promoted club are weighing up a potential move for the Arsenal outcast this summer after completing the signing of Taiwo Awoniyi last week.

Cooper would love him

Steve Cooper will be wanting to not only strengthen his team this summer by adding reliable depth to key positions in his squad but will also be looking for players who have Premier League experience, something that Maitland-Niles can offer in spades.

The £48k-per-week gem has 87 appearances in the top flight mostly earned with Arsenal, but also made 15 appearances at West Bromwich Albion whilst on loan with the club, this experience in playing at the highest level could be a huge asset to Forest as they compete in the league next season.

Maitland-Niles will return to North London after a disappointing six-month loan spell at Roma and will now be looking for his next challenge, with hope that he can go to a club that can give him first-team football after making only 12 appearances in Jose Mourinho’s side.

The 24-year-old has been the recipient of high praise from his Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who hailed the midfielder “versatile” and a “huge talent” after an impressive performance against Watford last season before he was sent on loan to the Serie A.

Speaking to the Arsenal club website, Arteta claimed;

“First of all, I see a different player in terms of his urgency, his commitment, the clarity in his play, his purpose.

“He has a huge talent because he’s versatile enough to adapt to almost any position on the pitch. Today we made use of him to do what he had to do in the game, which was really important.”

With that being said, Cooper could unearth a real talent and offer Maitland-Niles the game time he needs to develop and grow as a player at Forest whilst benefiting from adding his Premier League experience into the team next season.

AND in other news, “I am hearing..”: Journo drops NFFC transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Gabriel Jesus.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite the Manchester City centre-forward being heavily linked with a move to Antonio Conte’s side this summer, Arsenal are now in advanced negotiations with the 25-year-old, with the Gunners hoping to tie up a reported £50m deal for the Brazil international in the coming weeks.

The transfer insider goes on to state that both Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested in the former Palmeiras starlet, and are waiting to see how Arsenal’s talks with the striker develop before potentially making a move of their own.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Gabriel Jesus deal update. Arsenal are working on it and negotiations are very advanced – Arsenal will now need to be fast on final, key details involving player/agents to get the deal done and avoid twists. Tottenham & PSG, still waiting to see the end of this story.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering just how talented a player Jesus undoubtedly is, in addition to it being reported that the signing of a centre-forward who can also operate on the left being one of Conte’s primary targets this summer, Romano’s claim that Arsenal now look to be closing in on a deal for the Brazilian is sure to have left both the 52-year-old manager and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful gutted.

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Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances in 2021/22 – 13 of which came on the wing – the £60m-rated attacker was in extremely fine form for Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring eight goals, registering eight assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £110k-per-week forward average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Manchester City’s ninth-best player in the league last time out – playing a key role in his side’s triumphant Premier League campaign.

As such, it is clear to see just how impressive an addition Jesus would make to Conte’s current attacking options in north London, with the added blow of potentially seeing the 25-year-old line up for Tottenham’s most fierce of rivals next season sure to be a thought that will devastate both Conte and supporters of the club.

AND in other news: Paratici could seal “unreal” signing as Spurs now plot late bid for £225k-p/w target

Manchester United are reportedly closing in on securing a deal for Ajax winger Antony.

What’s the news?

According to a recent article from The Sun, the Red Devils are on the verge of completing their first summer signing of the window which will reportedly see the Ajax star make the move to Old Trafford in a deal worth £40m.

After working his way through Sao Paulo’s youth ranks and eventually scoring four goals and providing six assists in 37 senior appearances, the 22-year-old joined Ajax back in the 2020 summer transfer window.

Ten Hag will be buzzing

Erik ten Hag will surely be delighted to see a move for his former Brazilian prospect with the attacker a diverse player capable of terrifying defenders.

Since moving to Ajax, he has found the net 22 times and delivered 20 assists in 78 appearances, highlighting his deadliness in front of goal.

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His latest season with the Dutch club saw the attacker score eight goals and supply four assists in 23 league appearances.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, only Sebastien Haller (100) ended the campaign with more shots at goal than the Brazil youngster (79), who also delivered 100 crosses in total for his current side.

Having played under the management of ten Hag more than any other coach he’s played under, the pair will undoubtedly know all about each other, which could help the winger settle into life at Old Trafford a lot easier should he end up as a United player in the coming days.

Given the knowledge the new United manager will have of the player, who has been described as “unreal” by Andre Noruega, he’ll surely be elated to get the chance to work with him again and make him a Premier League star.

United have seen the likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata wave goodbye to the club since the end of the season, so it’s easy to see why the Red Devils have been looking to bring a young attacking figure like Antony.

Meanwhile, with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho only scoring seven Premier League goals between them last term, having someone like the Ajax star in the squad would give the English duo positive competition for a place in the starting XI, enabling them to hopefully raise their game as a result.

If United can get Antony through the door as soon as possible, this would not only give the fans something to shout about but also give the club the chance to move on to other potential targets.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: MUFC could sign de Jong alternative in £70.5m gem, he’s Fernandes 2.0

According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, translated Sport Witness, West Ham United boss David Moyes holds a crucial advantage in the race to sign Real Sociedad forward Adnan Januzaj.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing reunion…

The Belgian attacker is reportedly on West Ham’s radar this summer window as Moyes sets his sights on possible additions in more advanced areas of the squad.

Watford pair Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr are said to be of real interest to the east Londoners as well as club transfer chief Rob Newman seemingly adopts a scattergun approach.

Januzaj could return to the Premier League on a Bosman deal, though, making him a potentially attractive option for GSB and Moyes.

The Latest: West Ham in the lead…

According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa (via Estadio Deportivo and Sport Witness), West Ham are ‘in the lead’ for Januzaj due to one crucial advantage.

Indeed, it is believed their ‘superior’ finances and ability to pay the 27-year-old’s wage demands propel them ahead of other suitors like Real Betis – seemingly gifting the Hammers pole position.

The Verdict: Advance?

Januzaj is a player Moyes knows well from their time together at Old Trafford, and while things didn’t work out at Man United, the dynamic winger has since gone on to impress at Sociedad.

According to WhoScored, over his La Liga appearances last season, he stood out as one of their most effective attacking players – completing the joint-most successful take-ons per 90 in their squad.

Januzaj also averaged the fifth-highest rate of attempts at goal and third-most key passes made per match in that time (WhoScored), proving to be both an individual threat and creative presence.

Former England star Paul Scholes lavished praise on the player for his outing against United in the Europa League last year, backing ESPN reporter David Cartlidge’s claim that Januzaj can be ‘gifted’ and ‘very special’ (Twitter).

On a free deal, this move could be fairly low risk from West Ham’s perspective, providing the wage demands aren’t truly astronomical.

In other news: ‘In negotiations’ – Journalist says club are ‘considering’ West Ham bid for ‘superb’ striker, find out more here.

Aston Villa have shown aggression in their recruitment ideology ahead of the summer transfer window, and they can look to continue in the same vein with another of Steven Gerrard’s former team-mates after Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the word?

As per Football Insider, Villa have been urged to secure the capture of Luis Suarez by the club’s former midfielder Frank McAvennie.

Sharing his thoughts on the potential transfer, the 62-year-old said: “It would be good for the boys who are there, to train with him and have him around.

“For Watkins and Ings, having him around would be wonderful. It’s paying his wages, isn’t it? He’s at that age where you could probably get him on a reduced wage because he won’t play every game.

“Villa will still be able to give him a good wage. He won’t get that anywhere else so it’s whether he wants to come back and grind in the Premier League again.”

It was reported by The Athletic earlier this month that Gerrard and co were considering the 35-year-old, who is said to be in regular contact with the Villa manager, a former team-mate of his at Liverpool.

Suarez is available on a free transfer, with his contract at Atletico Madrid set to expire at the end of the month.

 Gerrard must pounce

The four signings which have been made thus far serve as a real statement of intent by Villa, with their ambition of breaking into the top six of the Premier League possibly being realised in the foreseeable future, given the calibre of signings they have made.

The acquisition of the £263k-per-week Suarez would serve as the cherry on top for Gerrard, and as intimated by McAvennie, his presence alone would be a massive boost for the squad.

Suarez, who has been dubbed a “stallion” by NBC Sports’ Justin Karp, is far from finished, even at the age of 35. He has proven that he still has penalty box potency, having notched 11 goals for Atletico in 35 La Liga appearances this season and 13 goals in total, making him the club’s joint-highest scorer for the campaign.

He would not only be the ideal mentor for Ings and Watkins, he could also help to inject a winning mentality within the squad, along with offering some quality depth in attack. That is something that Villa supporters will surely love to see in the Midlands.

Gerrard should seek to wrap up this prospective deal as quickly as possible.

In other news: Villa now keen on signing £60m “destroyer”, it would be an “immense” statement by Lange 

Tottenham Hotspur will have to spend €40m (£34m) to sign transfer target Weston McKennie. 

That’s according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke wrote at the weekend that Antonio Conte and Spurs were hoping to strengthen in central midfield this summer. The north Londoners signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in the winter but could do further business with the Bianconeri ahead of the expected departure of Harry Winks.

It was only last summer that Juve officially signed McKennie from Schalke for £18.45m after an initial loan. He is predominantly a central midfielder but has played in a vast array of positions, including both deeper and more advanced roles in the middle and on the right wing.

It’s worth noting that the American was missing from late February until the end of the season with a metatarsal fracture.

The latest

McKennie could move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with Spurs scouring the Italian market once again.

As per Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), managing director of football Fabio Paratici ‘particularly likes’ the 23-year-old and could push for a move.

Juventus are reportedly demanding £34m for his services, and it’s unclear yet as to whether Spurs will be willing to pay that amount.

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The verdict

McKennie isn’t necessarily someone who will come up with big numbers of goals and assists, having only notched three direct goal contributions in 2021/22.

However, he does take up advanced positions, ranking in the 98th percentile among his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues for both progressive passes received and touches in the penalty area.

McKennie, who won his country’s Player of the Year award in 2020, was starting to ‘come alive after a stuttering spell’ prior to his injury, in the words of sports journalist Josh Bunting.

Squawka have described him as a ‘wizard’ at his best, and Paratici clearly has confidence that the 23-year-old can reach that level consistently.

After doing business with Juventus for Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, perhaps it’s time for the Spurs supremo to once again tap into that existing relationship with the Serie A club.

In other news, Alasdair Gold has dropped a promising claim on another Serie A target

Everton are renowned for their poor transfer decisions and reckless spending but will need to make changes to their squad and repair that damage during this summer’s transfer window.

To that effect, an intriguing update has now emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to the Daily Mail, Everton striker Salomon Rondon is a target for Spanish club Real Mallorca this summer.

Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre knows the Toffees forward well from his previous spells in Spain with Las Palmas and Malaga, and the report claimed that the manager and club will keep an eye on developments with the Venezuelan and potentially make a move when the transfer window opens.

Rondon is one of seven players who are reportedly set to be offered out to clubs this summer, as Frank Lampard plans an overhaul of his squad following a disappointing season.

Lampard must axe Rondon

There are indeed serious changes needed at Goodison Park this summer if Everton do not want to be in the position of a relegation fight yet again next season, so the Toffees manager should consider axing Rondon and accepting any offer which does come in for him.

The £28k-p/w flop has battled with injury problems and has been unable to deliver when Everton needed him most this season, with his most recent performance surely the final nail in the coffin of his career on Merseyside.

Rondon was brought onto the pitch in the 84th minute against Brentford a couple of weeks ago, with his team already down to ten men and trailing 3-2, duly in need of a goal to put them a step closer to safety from Premier League relegation.

Instead of supporting his weakened team in finding the equaliser they needed, the Venezuelan striker made a lunging two-footed tackle on Rico Henry which saw him receive a red card and three-match ban just four minutes after coming on to the pitch. It was little surprise, then, that former Everton defender Andy Hinchliffe bemoaned the “reckless” act from the 32-year-old.

Alongside this notable poor performance, Rondon only scored one goal in 20 Premier League appearances in the recently-concluded campaign, with no big chances created. He averaged just 15.2 touches per game and lost possession every 2.6 touches of the ball, further proving that he simply needs to go this summer.

AND in other news: Everton plotting summer swoop for £17.5m “fabulous finisher”, Lampard will love him