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Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer, according to a new transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Maitland-Niles out of favour

The 24-year-old has become increasingly surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium, having made just two Premier League starts last season.

Maitland-Niles was loaned out to Roma midway through the campaign and it could be the case that the Englishman again exits north London in the summer transfer window.

With Steve Cooper preparing his Forest team for life in the top flight, an interesting transfer rumour has now emerged.

The Latest: Forest keen on Maitland-Niles

According to The Daily Mail, Forest are interested in signing Maitland-Niles, although it isn’t specified whether it would be a permanent move or a loan deal.

The Arsenal man’s current deal expires at the end of this month, so he will soon be available on a free transfer unless the Gunners offer him a new contract.

The Verdict: Sign him up

While Maitland-Niles has drifted out of favour at Arsenal, he remains an excellent player who has won five caps for England and was hailed as a ‘huge talent’ by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta last season.

He has 87 appearances to his name in the Premier League, highlighting the experience that he could bring to Forest’s midfield, and he also possesses versatility, being able to play in either wing-back role.

In addition, the 24-year-old would bring trophy-winning nous to the City Ground, having played in Roma’s Europa Conference League triumph earlier this year, one of six trophies he has won during his senior club careeer.

There is perhaps a feeling that Maitland-Niles just needs to find the right club in order to thrive as a footballer; and given the amount of playing time he would likely get under Cooper, it feels like a move which could suit all parties.

Crystal Palace are unlikely to re-sign Selhurst Park graduate Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to Tom Barclay, who said that such a deal will most likely not happen due to the 24-year-old’s wages.

However, the journalist has claimed that he would not rule anything out completely, even though he believes that the chances of Wan-Bissaka returning to Selhurst Park are rather slim.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Barclay stated: “Palace, I think, for the size of his wages, it’s probably unlikely. I never rule anything out, but the noises I’m getting is that it’s probably unlikely. I’d be surprised with Palace.”

Vieira will be gutted

A return to link up with his former club and partake in their project under Patrick Vieira could well be a tempting proposal for Wan-Bissaka, while a move for their former player would appear to be a no-brainer from a Palace perspective.

The 24-year-old’s lack of offensive participations at United have been a source of frustration, with just two goals and 10 assists in 126 appearances. However, under a manager like Vieira at Palace who does not utilise his full-backs in the same way, he would have been granted the freedom to concentrate on the defensive side of the game, where he is strongest.

There would be room for Wan-Bissaka to again become a first-team regular at Selhurst Park, with Nathan Ferguson having struggled with injuries, playing just eight minutes of football for the Eagles since July 2020, duly rendering ageing pair Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as his only real competition.

In terms of performance metrics, the United defender’s average of 2.69 blocks per 90 makes this a standout feature of his game, whilst his match average of 2.64 interceptions also places him among the top 7% of right-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.

There is no doubt that Wan-Bissaka offers solidity at the back, as evidenced by those figures, so the latest claim from Barclay will surely come as a blow to Vieira and the Palace faithful.

Unfortunately, with the 24-year-old’s £83k-p/w wage at Old Trafford superior to all but two players at Selhurst Park, it’s understandable that finances could be an issue for the Eagles in terms of a return to south London for their former protege.

In other news: “I was told…”: Journalist drops huge Palace transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Liverpool have made three signings already this summer but are about to lose Sadio Mane in a move to Bayern Munich, and now another star is expected to leave the club imminently too.

What’s the latest?

Sky Sports News announced the potential departure of Takumi Minamino live on air late last night, and offered details about the Liverpool forward’s move.

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In a clip from Sky Sports on Twitter, the presenters announced;

“Breaking news for you, it’s transfer news, in regards to Takumi Minamino who looks like he’s heading out of the door at Anfield.

“We can tell you that Monaco have agreed on a deal worth £15.5m, for him to join them from Liverpool.

“Initial fee is £12.9m with a further £2.6m add-ons.”

Supporters will be gutted

Despite not being a consistent starter in his time at Anfield, Minamino has delivered some important moments and important goals for Liverpool over the last two and a half years, working himself into the hearts of the adoring fans at Anfield. Thus, supporters will surely be somewhat gutted to see him go this summer.

The Japanese winger has scored 14 goals and delivered three assists in his 53 appearances for the club, but this season, in particular, was monumental in Liverpool’s domestic double winning both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

Minamino was the top scorer for Liverpool in both competitions with goals that proved to be season-defining for the Merseyside giants, as they would have gone trophy-less without them.

The 27-year-old scored four goals in the Carabao Cup and three goals in the FA Cup, with his most notable strike coming during the game against Leicester in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, scoring in the fouth minute of stoppage time to take the Foxes to penalties and ultimately secure progression to the semi-finals.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for his player after the game-changing performance at Anfield in the competition telling the press:

“Top goal, top performance. From a tactical point of view, he’s outstanding and it’s so cool for him that he could score that goal.

“He deserved this goal for all of the things he done tonight and all of the things he’s done in the last few months and years, so I’m really happy for him.”

With that being said, Minamino is clearly looking for a more consistent role playing first-team football, something Liverpool are unable to offer due to the level of talent and competition in the front three at the club.

Therefore, regardless of what supporters think, it would be the best move for the winger in the long run but a huge loss for Klopp in these smaller games.

AND in other news: FSG plotting LFC bid to sign “top class” £77.2m machine, he can be Klopp’s De Bruyne

Everton have been previously linked with a move for Rodrigo Becao, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable journalist on the club’s progression with their potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to Mirror Football editor Rich Jones, Everton are ramping up their interest in signing the Udinese centre-back this summer.

Jones tweeted: “Udinese defender Rodrigo Becão is attracting interest from Everton.

“Understand negotiations have not yet started but Everton have sounded out the centre-back over the prospect of a move this summer.”

Lampard will be excited

Everton have almost completed a deal for James Tarkowski ahead of next season and adding another defender into the squad at Finch Farm alongside the former Burnley star will surely leave Frank Lampard excited at the prospect of having more depth to work with in his backline at Goodison Park.

Farhad Moshiri’s plot to move for Becao comes as it was reported Everton could be willing to let injury-prone Yerry Mina depart, whose lack of availability in the team last season contributed to the Toffees troubles in their relegation battle.

Becao impressed this season in Serie A, ranking first for success in completion of tackles (103) and fourth for tackles made in the entire Italian top flight. That’s as well as ranking tenth for tackle success in the entire top five European leagues.

The 6 foot 2 machine scored two goals and delivered one assist, made 2.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 2.5 clearances on average per game, whilst winning the majority of his duels (61%) and proving successful in completing the majority of his dribble attempts too (63%) in 35 league appearances for Udinese.

With that being said, Becao would be a superb signing for Everton as they attempt to strengthen the team in a bid to avoid a similar situation to the one they found themselves last season and the Brazilian defender could be the perfect signing to make a positive impact on the Toffees next season.

The Merseyside club must act fast if they want to secure of the defender as Tottenham Hotspur are also reported to be interested this summer.

AND in other news: Lampard “wants to land” the signing of “impressive” £4.5m-rated gem, Everton need him

Newcastle United showed during the January transfer window that they are not shy when it comes to bringing in new players to the club.

They also showed how capable they can be when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs such as Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Dan Burn.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, it would be hard to see the Magpies not dipping into the market again to strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season.

With that in mind, another Premier League player with whom the Toon have been linked recently and who could be a big upgrade on one of their current players is Christian Eriksen.

After making 304 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, in which he scored 69 goals and delivered 90 assists, the midfielder moved to Inter Milan in January 2020, where he was collecting a rather hefty wage of £228k-per-week in his second season.

The 30-year-old left the San Siro in December by mutual consent after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 this time last year. He then joined Brentford a few weeks later, where he eventually went on to score one goal and deliver four assists in 11 appearances.

Having since proven how capable he still is of playing in the Premier League, it’s easy to see why the Toon have been linked with a move for the midfielder despite his advanced age.

Should Eddie Howe’s side manage to secure his signature, they would definitely be getting themselves a big upgrade on current Magpies midfielder Sean Longstaff.

Despite playing 13 fewer league games than the 24-year-old last season, Eriksen still racked up more shots, crosses and shot-creating actions than Longstaff. This highlights how much of an improvement the Dane would be on the current St James’ Park ace in an attacking sense.

Labelled a “wizard” in the past by journalist Josh Wright, Eriksen would certainly bring a lot of experience with him to Tyneside in the same way that Wood and Burn did in January.

Also, with his ability to create goals and provide a consistent attacking threat, he could be a great asset for Howe and Newcastle moving forward.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing move for “outstanding” £69m tank, imagine him & Burn

Celtic won’t be completing the signing of Benfica youngster Paulo Bernardo this summer, according to a new transfer update from his homeland.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Bernardo move

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping for a productive summer in the transfer window, as the Hoops look to build on last season’s Scottish Premiership triumph and build a squad capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

One player who has been linked with a move in recent days is midfielder Bernardo, who is making a name for himself at Benfica, appearing 24 times for the first team to date, dubbed a player with ‘endless’ potential.

Now, it appears as though Celtic will need to look elsewhere, however.

The Latest: Transfer off the table

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], there is not ‘any kind of negotiation’ between Celtic and Benfica over a summer move for Bernardo, pouring cold water on the claims.

The 20-year-old is expected to remain at his current club moving forward, with the Portuguese giants seeing him as an important figure for their future, even protecting that with a €100m (£85m) release clause.

The Verdict: Move on and look elsewhere

While this is a blow, considering Bernardo’s standing as a talented young midfielder, it is no disaster to miss a target this early in the summer and Postecoglou has plenty of time to move on and look at alternatives.

Midfield is certainly an area of the pitch that needs additions this summer, with Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton moving on and leaving a sizeable void in the middle of the park.

Someone older than Bernardo would make sense however, in terms of coming in as an immediate regular with experience on par to one of those departing heroes, while David Turnbull could be ready to go up a gear, too.

In other news, Celtic have been backed to seal the signing of one player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on Derby County forward Malcolm Ebiowei, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Johnstone move

Patrick Vieira is looking to make a head start prior to the summer transfer window officially opening and appears to be closing in on a first piece of business.

The Eagles have reportedly held talks with West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with the 29-year-old set to become a free agent from June.

Johnstone is thought to be excited over a return to the Premier League with Palace, but the club seem to already be eyeing up their next target.

The Latest: Ebiowei links

Romano took to Twitter on Thursday evening to post an update regarding Ebiowei. The transfer expert stated that both Palace and Manchester United are tracking the ‘talented striker’.

AS Monaco and SBV Vitesse are also interested in the 18-year-old, with Romano adding that Steve McClaren’s return to Old Trafford from Derby could play a factor in Ebiowei’s next move.

The Verdict: Plange 2.0?

Palace struck a deal with Derby back in January for another young forward, Luke Plange. The club sent the 19-year-old back to Derby on loan until the end of the season, where he continued to play regularly under Wayne Rooney.

Ebiowei could well follow in Plange’s footsteps and started Derby’s final 11 Championship games as a right-winger, scoring and providing an assist in a 2-0 win over Blackpool.

He can play anywhere across the front three and is a man in demand, so it could be wise for the Eagles to firm up their interest over the coming weeks, aiming to take advantage of Derby’s financial struggles once again.

In other news: ‘Interested…’ – Transfer insider drops big Palace claim involving ‘brilliant’ EPL supremo. 

American journalist Tom Bogert believes Leeds United will ‘try’ and sign RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams.

The Lowdown: Aaronson done

The Whites haven’t wasted any time in strengthening Jesse Marsch’s side after they avoided relegation on the final day. Long-term target Brenden Aaronson is now officially a Leeds player after he joined from FC Salzburg in a deal worth £25m.

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Bogert was the journalist who broke the news regarding Aaronson minutes after Leeds beat Brentford, and he feels another USA international could now be of interest in Yorkshire.

The Latest: Adams next?

Bogert was asked by a Leeds fan on Twitter late on Thursday evening if any more Americans could follow Aaronson to Elland Road.

He thinks the Whites will ‘try’ to sign Adams but wasn’t sure regarding rumours on Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest.

The Verdict: Phillips partner?

Adams, who Marsch hailed as ‘special’, is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play on the right-hand side. The pair worked together at New York Red Bulls and Leipzig, with the 23-year-old making 71 appearances under the Leeds boss, contributing to ten goals in the process.

Holding midfield additions appear to be needed love the next few months, even if star man Kalvin Phillips remains at the club for Marsch’s first full season.

Phillips is the only defensive midfielder on the books at this moment in time, so if Marsch wants to implement a 4-2-2-2 system, Adams could be an ideal partner for the England international.

In other news: Radz and 49ers think it could be ‘huge’: Leeds now working behind the scenes on second move

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is wanted by AS Roma, according to a report from the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Kamara in

Having secured the capture of Marseille starlet Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer earlier this week, Villa manager Steven Gerrard has wasted little time in kickstarting the summer transfer business.

The 22-year-old will arrive at Villa Park ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and his arrival means that the midfield department is now well stocked, with John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Marvelous Nakamba, Morgan Sanson, Carney Chukwuemeka, Tim Iroegbunam and Luiz already in situ.

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However, at least one of those aforementioned first-team options could be heading away from the Midlands and is already attracting attention from a former Premier League manager…

The latest: Roma want Luiz

According to the Daily Mail, Serie A outfit Roma are ‘expected to step up’ their efforts to sign Luiz in the coming weeks.

It’s claimed that their manager Jose Mourinho has already ‘expressed interest’ in the five-cap Brazil international, with the Giallorossi set to step up their efforts to land the 24-yeer-old following tonight’s UEFA Europa Conference League final, in which they face Feyenoord in Tirana.

The report added that Villa owners NSWE are ‘likely to consider offers’ for the player who Ian Wright described as ‘underrated’ amidst previous transfer interest from Arsenal in 2020.

The verdict: Time could be up…

Unfortunately, it seems as though the end could be nigh for the 24-year-old’s time at Villa, having spent three years at the club after joining from Manchester City.

Luiz scored twice and provided three assists in 34 Premier League outings this season, contributing 1.7 tackles, one interception and winning 4.4 duels per game, earning a 6.89 Sofascore rating in the process.

Despite that impressive form, the Brazilian is heading towards the final year of his contract with the club, and therefore he could feasibly be sold this summer in order for Villa to avoid losing a £31.5m-rated asset for nothing in 12 months’ time.

In other news: NSWE now eyeing another defender; Villa chiefs sent to club after Gerrard approves

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has shared some potentially massive news for Derby County supporters as they anxiously await confirmation of Chris Kirchner’s takeover.

The Lowdown: Kirchner deal close

The American has this week tweeted from his personal account that the deal is done, but his ownership of the Rams is still dependant on the ownership of Pride Park.

The 34 year-old now has until May 31 to complete the finer details of the takeover after being granted conditional approval by the EFL this week.

However, a new fear emerged away from the dealings in the boardroom recently, as a report suggested the Rams could lose 15 points next term due to outstanding debts.

Nixon himself has also revealed a possible additional three-point hit next season if they fail to pay the playing staff’s wages for the month of May.

The Latest: Nixon shares good news

Nixon, sharing an update on that potentially horrific start to League One life, has now claimed the club will not be deducted the 15 points if Kirchner’s deal goes through.

“The offer should mean that’s avoided… if the deal is done,” Nixon tweeted in response to a fan question about the points hit.

The Verdict: Catastrophe avoided

Failure to sort the pay issue could still cost Wayne Rooney’s side an immediate three-point deduction at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, but 15 more could have followed due to the looming issues with debts.

Given the impact the separate points deductions had this term – the Rams would have done more than enough to stay up without them – it would have been a pretty catastrophic way to make the step down to the third tier.

Now, with Kirchner seemingly ironing out the last details before the end of May, this could be a massive month in the history of Derby County football club, and hopefully for all the right reasons.