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According to Football Insider, Southampton are interested in signing Tom Davies from Everton during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead

After what was a disappointing season – the Saints ended up in 15th place in the Premier League table – the south coast outfit could well be busy during the transfer window.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has already confirmed that he is interested in a striker (Hampshire Live), but the Saints have now been linked with a move for a central midfielder.

The Latest: Saints want Davies

It is now being reported by Football Insider that Southampton are interested in a move for £14.4m-valued Davies (Transfermarkt).

The Everton midfielder is out of contract at Goodison Park in 2023 (Transfermarkt), and talks are yet to commence over a new deal with the Toffees.

The Verdict: Interesting option

Davies burst on to the scene at Goodison Park during the 2016/17 campaign as a teenager, when he made 24 appearances in the Premier League. He scored against Manchester City in a 4-0 win and it seemed that he would become the next big thing – he was even compared to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard by talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham in 2019.

His career has stagnated a bit in recent times. He made just 25 appearances in the 2020/21 Premier League and has come in for criticism from some Everton supporters (This is Futbol). However, he is just 22 years of age and has plenty of time to fulfill his potential, so if the Saints can get him in for the right price, he could be an interesting signing to liven up their midfield.

In other news, Southampton are interested in signing this player who has previously been compared to Lionel Messi.

A Glasgow Rangers insider has now revealed some fresh transfer news on Alex Lowry.

The Lowdown: Reported talks

It has been reported that head of recruitment at Newcastle United, Steve Nickson, has met with Lowry’s agent in a hotel to discuss a potential move to St. James’ Park in the summer.

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He has reportedly rejected a new three-and-a-half-year deal at Ibrox, which is set to expire in 2023.

The Latest: No contact

Taking to Twitter, Gers insider The 4th Official, who regularly breaks club news and updates, has now revealed a fresh twist on the situation, claiming that there has been ‘no contact’ from the Magpies with the club over Lowry, despite the reported meeting with his agent:

”Currently, Rangers have had no contact from Newcastle United, let alone a bid for the player.”

Expanding in his latest podcast, the insider has also revealed details of private ‘conversations’ that they have had with people inside the club, claiming that Lowry is ‘happy’ and ‘definitely not’ trying to force through a move away:

“I have had conversations with people inside Rangers & they tell me that Alex Lowry is happy here and definitely not trying to force a move.”

The Verdict: Hope

The latest update from The 4th Official certainly gives hope that Lowry will end up staying, and potentially sign a new long-term contract.

He is highly thought of at the Light Blues, having made four senior appearances already this season despite being just 18 years of age, drawing praise as ‘remarkable’ from former boss Graeme Murty.

It will be difficult to hold off the pressure if a Premier League giant like the Toon come calling, but Lowry is one for the future, and so the supporters should be able to see the best of him under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

In other news, find out who GvB’s first summer signing could now be here!

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to the club’s reported interest in Norwich City winger Todd Cantwell.

According to the Daily Mail, cited by Birmingham Live, Villa are ‘awaiting an offer’ from Manchester City for Jack Grealish, who is valued at £100m. Should the club captain depart, Cantwell is viewed as a possible replacement, with the Canaries willing to do business at around £30m.

Cantwell, valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has scored just six goals and registered six assists in 32 appearances this season. He impressed in the Premier League last year, though, netting six times in his maiden top-flight campaign, and the 23-year-old’s Carrow Road contract is set to expire in just over 12 months time.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared the update on Saturday, asking fans if they would like to see Cantwell move to Villa Park. These Villa supporters weren’t exactly thrilled at the links, with one describing the attacking midfielder as ‘selfish’ based on verdicts from some Norwich fans.

One Villa fan even called for manager Dean Smith to be sacked if he brings the 23-year-old to the Midlands in place of Grealish.

“If the club plans to sell Grealish, then Smith needs replacing quick, he’s clueless without him”

Credit: @steveparkes1958

“I hope not, my mates a Norwich fan and thinks he’s selfish, overrated and not a team player. Has few moments of brilliance but mostly bang average. Another Jordan Ayew… “

Credit: @Satchm00

“Don’t rate him”

Credit: @MattcayleyM

“No he’s not good enough for where we need to pushing for”

Credit: @Lancaster6Pete

“Buendia 100% should be our first buy, Cantwell (can’t do well) is just like Brooks, overrated and would cost triple than what they’re actually worth. I’d actually rather 19-year-old Micheal Olise 8m release clause that’s provided more goal contributions than both of them.”

Credit: @Ryan_UTV

“Nope unless we need to upgrade the bench”

Credit: @davidallen1975

In other news: Many AVFC fans hit out at ‘awful’ star against West Brom, find out more here. 

We are now over two weeks into the transfer window and rather unsurprisingly, it has been a chaotic one for Newcastle United.

The reasons are clear; they are desperate for players to ensure Premier League survival and they are now famously known as the richest football club on earth.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have bolstered their squad with two marquee additions in recent weeks with Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood arriving.

However, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done, namely in bringing a centre-back to St James’ Park.

The club have failed in their efforts for Sven Botman while a deal is seemingly on the table for Diego Carlos.

It’s thought another striker is wanted by the club’s new Saudi owners and Newcastle’s recruitment team but a name who definitely won’t be joining has been revealed by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

He issued the following update on Twitter: “Rumours linking Mario Balotelli with a move to Newcastle in January are wide of the mark. ‘Fake news’ – comment from sources.”

Fans will be delighted

Although the Toon Army will be desperately craving new acquisitions between now and January 31st, the idea of Balotelli penning terms is unlikely to have been welcomed well by the club’s fanbase.

Of course, he is a hugely experienced character and is also someone who would add plenty of humour and character to the dressing room.

However, with Howe’s men engulfed in a severe relegation battle, winning just one game all term, the last thing you’d want to do is sign someone as controversial as Balotelli.

After all, the Italian is not a regular goalscorer anymore and he’s also now aged 31, past the peak of his powers.

The former Manchester City forward currently plays his football in Turkey for Adana Demirspor where he has found the net on eight occasions this term.

That isn’t a bad tally at all, but the fiery striker has failed not once but twice in English football, enduring a controversy-hit spell at City and then bagging just four strikes in 28 outings for Liverpool.

Right now, Howe needs a player capable of hitting the ground running, either boasting successful Premier League experience or being a player with elite potential – like Sevilla centre-back, Carlos.

As a consequence, Newcastle are right to swerve a move for the ex-Italy international this month and as a result of doing so, the St James’ faithful should be rather delighted with the decision making of Nick Hammond and co.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Craig Hope issues major NUFC transfer claim that’ll get fans excited…

Manchester United are reportedly keen to add Sevilla defender Jules Kounde to their ranks this summer despite the imminent arrival of Raphael Varane.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, United are preparing a move for the 22-year-old after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made defensive reinforcements one of his top priorities for the current window.

Kounde is thought to have been on the Old Trafford club’s shortlist for some time, with his profile fitting the type of player that the Red Devils are now targeting.

Ed Woodward must swoop

Since arriving at Sevilla from boyhood club Bordeaux back in July 2019, the France international has established himself as one of Europe’s most promising centre-backs.

The youngster has formed a formidable partnership alongside Diego Carlos at the heart of the Andalucians’ defence over the last couple of campaigns, making 89 appearances for the La Liga outfit and winning the Europa League along the way.

Kounde built on his fabulous first season in Spanish football last term, putting in a string of standout performances as Sevilla finished fourth in La Liga. As per WhoScored, the £54m-rated gem managed 1.2 interceptions per league game, 2.9 clearances and 0.5 blocks, placing him in the top three amongst his teammates for all metrics.

His magnificent displays have earned numerous plaudits, including La Liga expert Euan McTear, who recently lauded Kounde in an interview with Football Transfer Tavern.

“He’s still so young, he’s got energy, great positioning too. All the centre-backs, not just in Spain, I think, but if you look around Europe, he’s got to be one of the highest prospects,” said McTear.

“To be playing for France who have countless centre-backs, if he’s able to get himself into that group, then, yeah, he’s pretty special.”

With Varane’s expected arrival at Old Trafford significantly strengthening Solskjaer’s options at the heart of defence, securing a new defensive midfielder should undoubtedly be the Norwegian’s next priority.

However, if enough funds are left in United’s transfer budget, then departing chief executive Ed Woodward must swoop for Kounde over the coming months.

The Red Devils appear to have been priced out of a move for Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier, and Kounde’s versatility makes him a suitable alternative.

He played at full-back for France during Euro 2020, showcasing his ability to play in a variety of positions, and his arrival would be another major coup for the 20-time English champions.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano provides exciting Man Utd transfer update which will leave fans buzzing 

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to Dean Smith’s comments regarding European qualification on social media.

Villa have enjoyed a solid season in the Premier League and have flirted with Europe on several occasions throughout the current campaign. Smith’s side currently sit in 11th place on 48 points ahead of the meeting with Manchester United this afternoon, but three points today could see them end the weekend in ninth.

It seems as if the Villa manager has his eye on bringing European football back to Villa Park, though, admitting that the club ‘need to start challenging’ for that coveted prize.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports ahead of the clash with Manchester United, Smith said:

“Qualifying for Europe is the aim for the football club. The vision of the owners is to develop players and grow the value and the brand of Aston Villa Football Club across the world. We need to start challenging.”

Villa fans react

@villareport shared those comments on social media on Twitter, which unsurprisingly received plenty of interaction from a number of Villa supporters.

Here’s what some had to say in reply, with one making reference to youngster Carney Chukwuemeka, who has recently been linked with a move away, and another labelling them as ‘exciting’.

“No way we let Chukwuemeka leave now”Credit: @MazeSZN”Exciting times again as a Villa fan isn’t it”Credit: @will_avfc”The club starting to show the ambition that’s been missing over the last 10-15 years”Credit: @TheVillaHome”Can’t wait for the transfer window to open and see how serious the owners are. Could be a very exciting/interesting transfer window for us “Credit: @PeteVillan1981″Next year is our year”Credit: @mylokieran”Need to taste those European night atmosphere’s like Ajax again”Credit: @HoItender

In other news: Villa leapfrog PL rival in race to sign defender; source claims he’s visited the club, find out more here.

Jurgen Klopp himself ‘cancelled’ Ozan Kabak’s proposed permanent move to Liverpool this summer, according to a report which emerged on Tuesday.

The Lowdown: Kabak impresses for Liverpool

The Reds suffered horrendous back luck at centre-back last season, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing the majority of the campaign through injury.

It meant Kabak had to be signed on loan in February, with the Turkey international arriving from Schalke, tasked with alleviating Liverpool’s issues.

There was an option for the Reds to sign the 21-year-old permanently for £18million, but the decision was made not to continue his stay at Anfield.

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The Latest: Klopp called off permanent move

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], Klopp was fully behind the decision not to retain Kabak’s services, despite Pep Lijnders hailing him as a ‘big talent’, with the report claiming simply: “Klopp cancelled it.”

With Ibrahima Konate arriving from RB Leipzig, it appears as though the Liverpool manager simply saw no room for the Turkey international.

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The Verdict: Tough call, but a correct one

While Kabak can feel hard done by, considering he played his part in the Reds eventually finishing third in the Premier League after a difficult campaign, Klopp’s decision makes sense.

Liverpool now have Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip and Konate to call upon, as well as possibly Nat Phillips, so Kabak signing as well as could have led to too many players fighting for two places.

Granted, both Gomez and Matip have their injury problems, but the hope is that there should be comfortably enough depth without Kabak moving forward. With six options, it would have been almost impossible to keep everyone happy, fitness permitting.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are positive about the Reds potentially signing one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace appear to have transformed their fortunes in recent months, with Patrick Vieira’s new-look side already providing their supporters with bags of entertainment in the opening weeks of the campaign.

And journalist Tom Barclay believes the best could still be to come for the capital club, claiming the prospect of seeing Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher, Eberechi Eze, Wilfried Zaha and Odsonne Edouard in the same team is a “mouth-watering” one.

What’s the word?

The quintet are yet to play together due to Eze currently being sidelined with an Achilles injury, although that could soon change as the youngster nears a return to full fitness.

Barclay addressed the possible forward line available to Vieira in a recent interview, stating how the fans would relish the excitement after four years of pragmatism under Roy Hodgson.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “That certainly is mouth-watering for Palace fans, who the majority had had enough of Roy Hodgson’s style after four years.

“As much as they appreciated the stability that came with his approach, they were crying out for something more entertaining, and they’ve already got it with Vieira.”

Crystal Palace fans will be excited

After failing to score in their opening three games of the season under Vieira’s tutelage, Palace have bagged nine in their last five outings, and the attacking players named by Barclay have been heavily involved.

Gallagher got the ball rolling with a brace against West Ham United to rescue a draw at the London Stadium before Zaha got his first of the season from the spot at home to Tottenham Hotspur, with Edouard coming off the bench to net two goals on his Eagles debut.

A 3-0 defeat to Liverpool followed, but Palace returned to form via another Zaha penalty against Brighton and Hove Albion and, Michael Olise also notched his first strike against Leicester City last time out.

The only other Palace player to find the back of the net so far this season is Jeffrey Schlupp, highlighting the importance of the aforementioned stars.

With Eze just weeks away from a return to the first-team setup, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a fan of the south London outfit, and the prospect of him joining an already effective forward line is enough to give the supporters hope of a successful season.

And, in other news…Signed for £0, sold for £49.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £90k-p/w gem 

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Kean Bryan to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Yorkshire Live, the Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that the out of contract centre-back is yet to sign a new deal with his side, despite the club having offered the defender a new contract at the end of last season.

In the interview, the 52-year-old stated: “I don’t know what is happening, I don’t know if this guy wants to stay or if this guy wants to leave. I don’t want this to complicate my team. He can go if he wants or he can offer his services to Sheffield United.”

Last month, The Sun reported that Bryan would be open to making a move to Valerien Ismael’s West Brom side this summer, with the Frenchman having targeted the former England U20 international during his time at Barnsley.

Ismael will be buzzing

While Bryan has not featured particularly often for Sheffield United following his move from Manchester City in August 2018, having made a total of just 19 appearances for the club, the 24-year-old certainly demonstrated towards the back end of last season that he is a centre-back who boasts a significant amount of potential.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances for Paul Heckingbottom’s side last term, the £3k-per-week man helped his side keep two clean sheets and made an average of one interception, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances per game, as well as winning an impressive 4.3 duels per fixture.

The £1.8m-rated defender also scored one goal and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per league game.

These returns saw the man whose former manager Chris Wilder dubbed a “talented” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as United’s 10th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, Bryan would very much appear to make a fantastic addition to West Brom’s options in the centre of defence next season.

And, when taking into account the former Manchester City starlet looks likely to be available on a free transfer, as well as Jokanvoic’s rather blunt comments regarding the 24-year-old’s future at Bramall Lane, Ismael is sure to be buzzing about his chances of landing the centre-back this summer.

In other news: West Brom plot bid for £12k-p/w beast with “so much potential”, Ismael would love him

A number of Liverpool supporters are frustrated that Taiwo Awoniyi was allowed to leave the Reds, following his excellent start to the season in Germany.

Jurgen Klopp’s men could only draw 1-1 at home to 10-man Chelsea on Saturday evening in what was a disappointing encounter at Anfield. The performance was good in patches, but as the minutes ticked by, Liverpool seemed to run out of ideas in the final third.

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There is a feeling that the Reds are one player short in attacking positions, with a new signing needed to freshen things up and provide more competition for playing time.

One player who could potentially have been an option is Awonoyi, but instead the 24-year-old was sold to Bundesliga side Union Berlin this summer, having never even played for Liverpool despite signing for them in 2015, being forced to undergo numerous loan spells due to difficulties obtaining a UK work permit.

The Nigerian has made a flying start to the season in the Bundesliga, scoring three goals in as many games, including a superb effort against Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Awoniyi sale

These Liverpool fans have fumed at the club’s decision, taking to Twitter to say that Awoniyi could have been a perfect option in the squad.

Some supporters feel he would have been a better option than current Reds forwards Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, who between them have scored five goals in 34 appearances for the club since the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

“Maybe he could have been the option”

Credit: @keswickbro

“Better than Origi and Minamino”

Credit: @LFC_Brett

“Didn’t even give the lad a chance”

Credit: @ThatRexGuyAgain

“So we didn’t give him a chance but kept Origi”

Credit: @97HassanM

“Why did we let him go and Origi survives”

Credit: @AChxmz

“Why didn’t we give this kid a chance?”

Credit: @Nvli_dvn

In other news, some Liverpool fans have hailed one player’s performance against Chelsea. Find out who it is here.