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Arsenal could strike gold this summer with a move for Marcel Sabitzer…

What’s the word?

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Gunners are the latest name to be linked to the RB Leipzig dynamo as he enters the final year of his current contract.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has regularly been linked with Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham, so it could prove to be a significant coup for Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta if they can persuade him to move to the Emirates Stadium instead.

Leipzig are fearful of losing him for nothing and have set his asking price at around €17m (£15m), which presents an absolute bargain in the current market.

Imagine him & Saka

Arteta is leading a mini-revolution at the Emirates this summer, according to the report, and a signing of Sabitzer’s calibre would certainly be a bold statement of intent after Arsenal failed to qualify for a place in Europe.

Martin Odegaard has returned to Real Madrid, meaning they now lack a creative threat from midfield, a void which the Austria international would solve instantly. Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the Leipzig talisman has bagged 25 goals and provided 18 assists, which is a direct contribution every 151 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

It’s no wonder he’s been lauded as a “goal threat” by his departing Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann in the past, whilst his playing style and set-piece ability has been likened to David Beckham.

He’s so much more than that, too, offering leadership as current club captain with his “remarkable” mentality and versatility, having played anywhere along the front three as well as in pretty much every central midfield role, ranging from the no.6 to the no.10.

The £26m-rated talisman could spearhead an exciting attack in which Bukayo Saka is sure to feature more often after a breakthrough year in the Premier League and Europa League in which he delivered seven goals and nine assists across the two competitions.

He and Sabitzer could hold the keys to getting the Gunners back thriving after a dismal campaign, and Edu must look to seal a bargain more for the Austrian this summer.

For just £15m, he’d be crazy not to sign the 27-year-old; and in doing so, the north Londoners would surely hit the jackpot based on the above evidence.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Willian: Edu must land £20m “exceptional talent” who “Arsenal fans would love”…

Watford have been handed a huge boost to their hopes of bringing Rodrigo De Paul to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Mirror journalist David Anderson, who claimed in a post on Twitter that Leeds United are now no longer in the race for the Udinese Calcio midfielder, who is reported to be a target of the Hornets this summer.

However, a report by Tutto Atalanta would suggest that there still remains a great deal of interest in the £34.2m-rated man in the upcoming transfer window, with the outlet claiming that practically all of the big Italian sides have enquired about De Paul.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive the 27-year-old De Paul was for Luca Gotti’s side this season, the news that Watford are now facing less competition in their bid to bring the Argentina international to the Premier League is likely to have fans buzzing.

Over his 36 Serie A appearances this term, the £31k-per-week man scored nine goals, provided nine assists and created 20 big chances, in addition to making an average of 2.3 key passes and completing 3.4 dribbles per game, seeing the midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.53 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the Italian top flight.

Indeed, when comparing De Paul’s direct involvement in goals to those of the Watford players this season, only Ismaila Sarr’s return of 13 strikes betters the midfielder’s haul of nine, while no Hornets player bettered the Argentine’s nine.

As such, it would appear a highly advisable move for Cristiano Giaretta to do all he can to tempt the man – whom Udinese’s technical director Pierpaolo Marino dubbed a “tireless worker” – to Vicarage Road this summer, as the addition of De Paul would certainly boost Xisco Munoz’s side’s chances of retaining their status as Premier League side come the end of next season.

In other news: Watford handed boost over “outstanding” 21 G/A target that’ll leave Giaretta buzzing – opinion

Manchester City fans want to sign Joshua Kimmich after it was suggested the Citizens could make a move for the Germany international.

City fans were recently shocked by the news that Fernandinho had been placed on the club’s list of released players following the end of the Premier League season (premierleague.com). While that does not mean he will not be given a new contract, at 36 years of age he does not have too long left at the top.

As such, the Citizens are said to be looking at replacements for the Brazilian. As per The Manchester Evening News, Wilfred Ndidi, Eduardo Camavinga and Kimmich have been pinpointed as potential replacements. The mention of £81m-valued Kimmich (Transfermarkt), in particular, has delighted the City supporters.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the fans. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the speculation.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kimmich link below

“Obv Kimmich imagine the scenes! But Ndidi would be a great addition.”

Credit: @MikethaManc

“Kimmich we are on a mad one”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“Kimmich. That’s it. That is it.”

Credit: @austin3mb

“Kimmich would be filth”

Credit: @King_Kevin_17

“oh Kimmich make this happen”

Credit: @Thonchol_

“Signing kimmich would be better than winning the ucl”

Credit: @TwainX1X

In other news, Man City fans are far from happy with this exit rumour.

Tottenham Hotspur host their final home game of the 2020/21 season this evening as they welcome Aston Villa to North London, and there will even be fans in attendance for the first time all campaign.

Spurs are still in contention for a place in Europe next season as they currently sit in sixth place, knowing a victory would move them to within one point of Liverpool, who play Burnley later tonight.

Interim head coach Ryan Mason will need to get his team selection spot on and whilst the Midlands outfit haven’t been below 11th all campaign, there isn’t a better time to play them as they have won just two of their last 12 matches.

Last time out, the Lilywhites eased to a 2-0 victory over Wolves.

However, there are now emerging doubts over the chances of Gareth Bale featuring once again. When asked if the Welshman would start, Mason claimed he was “not sure.”

It could mean that Spurs need to find a spark from somewhere else, so perhaps it’s time to recall Tanguy Ndombele to the starting XI tonight.

The £45m-rated Frenchman has been snubbed from the off in their last four matches in all competitions, with Mason preferring Dele Alli in the no.10 role and Giovani Lo Celso a little deeper.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-managerial-latest-update-transfer-rumours-gossip” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

Ndombele had started to come into his own this campaign, providing six goals and four assists, and on his day, is one of the highest-quality players on the pitch.

There aren’t many in this current Spurs squad that can pick up the ball and drive with it. The 24-year-old dynamo tops the charts – by some distance – for dribbles per game (2.4), with the next best ‘regular’ being Harry Kane (1.4) and Bale (1.4).

Furthermore, Ndombele manages 6.52 progressive runs every 90 minutes, meaning he is the most productive in moving the ball towards the opposition’s goal or into the penalty box – no other Spurs regular is better, not even Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura or Bale, via FBRef.

If the Real Madrid loanee is out, then Mason could benefit massively from having Ndombele’s presence on the pitch, rather than on the bench.

According to Spurs’ backup goalkeeper Joe Hart, via football.london, the box-to-box monster is a “world-beater” and “unplayable,” so it seems a recipe for disaster to leave a player of this calibre out of your squad.

Against Villa in the reverse fixture, the former Lyon star was dominant in the engine room, where he recorded a whopping six successful dribbles, won 92.3% of his midfield duels, and made 94% of his passes, as per SofaScore, causing the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz all sorts of trouble.

Forget Bale, Ndombele could well be Mason’s game-changer this evening. He must be unleashed from the off.

AND in other news, Levy could transform Spurs’ fortunes by hiring 62 y/o “scientist” who’s “Bielsa-esque”…

According to The Daily Record, Southampton are interested in signing Farense midfielder Ryan Gauld this summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead

This season was a mixed one for the Saints. They started fantastically and even reached an FA Cup semi-final, but they ended up finishing in the bottom half and put in an awful display at Wembley.

As such, Ralph Hasenhuttl is likely to demand new arrivals at St. Mary’s Stadium this summer.

The Latest: Saints eye Gauld

One of the players linked to the south-coast outfit is Gauld, who currently plays in Portugal for the recently relegated outfit Farense.

Legia Warsaw, as well as teams from the MLS and the Championship, are said to be interested in signing the 25-year-old this summer but the report indicates that a move to Southampton appeals to him.

The Verdict: Plenty of ability

Gauld may be a name familiar to some, especially in Scotland. He started his career at Dundee United, and his showings there even earned him comparisons with Lionel Messi (via The Sun). He has mainly struggled to live up to the huge expectations on his shoulders, but this term, he has impressed.

Although Farense were relegated to the second tier, Gauld scored nine goals and provided a further seven assists (Transfermarkt). Last term, he scored nine in 21 in the division below, indicating this campaign’s form is no flash in the plan. Valued at just £4.5m (Transfermarkt), his contract runs out at the end of this term – on a free transfer, this could be an inspired move from the Saints.

In other news, Hasenhuttl reveals the Saints are in talks to sign this 87-goal man.

Many Sunderland fans were livid with Lee Burge following their 1-0 defeat to Blackpool in League One on Saturday.

This latest defeat is a huge blow to the Black Cats’ hopes of earning automatic promotion to the Championship from the third tier. It is their third loss in a row at that level (Sky Sports) after having been beaten 2-1 by both Charlton Athletic and Wigan Athletic, and they now find themselves eight points behind second-placed Peterborough United with just five games left to play (BBC).

The performance of Burge against the Seasiders contributed to Sunderland’s downfall. It was his mistake which allowed Luke Garbutt’s effort to wriggle into the net, and that proved to be the only goal of the game. At this stage of the season, every mistake is magnified – Burge simply cannot afford to drop such howlers.

These fans were far from happy with what they saw from the 28-year-old, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on an “awful” display from the Sunderland goalkeeper.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Burge below

“Absolutely crushing. Scowen, Burge and McFadzean need not ever play for us again”

Credit: @SAFCJake

“Said 20 mins into first game of season. You are only as good as your keeper. Burge is awful. A shot is as good as a goal for opposition”

Credit: ian_safc_1974

“I feel qualified to speak on this as I’ve watched so many bad players for Sunderland: Josh Scowen is one of the worst players I’ve ever seen, and Lee Burge is an atrocious goalkeeper.”

Credit: @AnthonyMorrow83

“Lee Burge – that is a disgrace. How many points has he cost us this season now? From the inside of the post to going up the other end and that happening.”

Credit: @DHT_MrP

“Lee Burge awful. Has been most of the season”

Credit: @MJacko1989

“Lee Johnson is not exempt from criticism today, the petulance of not picking Maguire is unreal. McFadzean being in squad at all is criminal. Having no better option than Lee Burge has cost us several times this season. He is a very very very poor goalkeeper.”

Credit: @Powell_Matthew

In other news, many Sunderland fans also slammed this man against Blackpool.

If and when Jeff Shi leaves Wolves behind, he will be able to take a great deal of pride from his accomplishments in the Midlands.

Together with Nuno Santo, Fosun have taken the Old Gold to Europe and have developed some of the finest young talent in Europe along the way.

Shi has a very specific mantra; to sign and develop players for the future.

Diogo Jota is one of the biggest examples. He arrived from Atletico Madrid on a permanent basis in 2018 and after making a big impact in the Premier League, he earned a £41m move to Liverpool.

Another who could follow in his footsteps is Pedro Neto. The winger may be out for the best part of six months with a broken patella, but he has displayed very similar qualities to Jota and could join Manchester United in a £50m deal.

Hailing from Portugal, his nationality marks another trend at Wolves; signing Jorge Mendes clients.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-news-and-views-lingard-leao-jimenez-mir” title= “Read the latest Wolves news and views!”]

Another Mendes player on their books right now is Vitinha. The young midfielder was signed on loan from Porto this term and if Wolves have any sense, they’ll utilise his option to buy.

The 21-year-old has only started twice in the Premier League this season but as we saw in the U21 European Championships, he is a star in the making.

Consider Wolves also have Owen Otasowie in their ranks and the future certainly looks bright for their midfield.

However, because of those two players and the likes of Ruben Neves, it’s hard to see others getting a look in. You only need to factor in how few senior opportunities Morgan Gibbs-White has had down the years.

He is the crown jewel of their academy but has only featured on six occasions in the top-flight this season.

For players like Connor Ronan, on loan at Grasshopper in Switzerland and Christian Herc, the future doesn’t look too bright.

Herc has made an impact while enjoying a temporary stint in Slovakia with MFK Karvina this season, scoring six goals in 27 appearances from the middle of the park.

He is improving all the time and still has the dream of playing for the senior side.

“I have never played in England for the Wolves first-team, but that’s still the target,” the 6 foot 1 youngster revealed in an interview with the club’s media channels this week.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look likely. Now aged 22, Herc should have already made a breakthrough into the first team if he was good enough.

Instead, he’s never really received a look in at Molineux.

Herc has that wonderful knack of scoring goals from midfield but there are already so many players ahead of him in the pecking order.

Wolves should cut their losses in the transfer window and hand him a permanent exit. It’s harsh, but there isn’t a clear way into the first-team picture at Compton.

AND in other news, Wolves could sign big Silva upgrade in “outstanding” £71m gem with “excellent speed”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie said he believes Celtic have missed a trick by not playing “best finisher at the club” Leigh Griffiths more often this season.

The former Scottish striker has been restricted to a bit-part role at Celtic Park this term, starting just seven Scottish Premiership matches, and hasn’t been included in the XI since January.

Despite his lack of opportunities under both Neil Lennon and now John Kennedy, Griffiths has still chipped in with six goals and two assists in all competitions, in under 750 minutes of action.And his lack of game-time has led to speculation surrounding his future – with Aberdeen, who’ve recently signed Scott Brown on a player-coach role, interested in making a double-swoop in order to bring Griffiths to the North of Scotland.The former Wolves and Hibs striker has been an outstanding servant to Celtic, scoring more than 100 goals in his eight seasons in Glasgow, but has under 14 months remaining on his contract with the Hoops, which could lead to a summer departure.And given his goalscoring prowess, McAvennie believes that Griffiths has been unused this season. He told Football FanCast:

“I look at him and think, he’s the best striker at Celtic. At the moment he’s better than Edouard, finishing I mean, he’s the best finisher at the club. You give him a chance and he’ll put it away, that’s what he does.

“I’d have played Griffiths, I’d have stuck with it. I don’t get this in the modern day game, people saying he’s not fit. I’ve heard John Kennedy saying he’s not fit, Neil Lennon saying he’s not, that’s on you, you’re the manager. What are all these fitness coaches getting paid for?”

It’s been a difficult campaign for Celtic, but with Odsonne Edouard the only player to reach double figures in the league, they might have missed a trick by not playing Griffiths slightly more.

Manchester United could be handed considerable encouragement in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga this summer.

The Red Devils have been linked with a swoop for the Frenchman in the past, with AS reporting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is interested in the player but would have to beat competition from the likes of Real Madrid in which to secure him.

Now, The Athletic indicate that the 18-year-old is set to reject a new contract at his current club in the aim of forcing through a move in the near future.

With his current deal at Rennes set to expire in the summer of 2022, this could see Camavinga sold by the club this year or indeed released on a free transfer at the end of next season, which may give the Red Devils considerable encouragement over whether a deal can be conducted sooner rather than later.

The £54m-rated midfielder would certainly be an excellent addition for United should they decide to profit from Camavinga’s decision.

Even in his tender years, the youngster has racked up a number of appearances for Rennes, appearing a total of 77 times for the club and harnessing a reputation as one of the most dominant defensive midfielders in world football – hence the interest in his signature from the likes of United and Real Madrid.

Whilst to be expected, even the player’s agent has been talking Camavinga up, predicting that the midfielder is going to be a “superstar” in the future.

With just one year left on his deal, signing the Frenchman could also well end up being considerably cheaper than his £54m transfer rating.

It goes without saying then that his preference to leave the Roazhon Park within the next couple of years has handed United and Solskjaer a big boost in their respective transfer plans.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-old-trafford-macheda-solskjaer-lingard-ousmane-dembele-anthony-martial-injury-rabiot-van-de-beek” title=” The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

AND in more news, Dean Windass has suggested that David De Gea’s Manchester United career is “over”…

In recent a recent post on Twitter, Alasdair Gold revealed that Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho admitted he has not watched the footage of Hugo Lloris’ controversial interview.

Following Spurs’ humiliating 3-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday evening, a result which saw them dumped out of the Europa League despite having won the first leg of the tie 2-0, Lloris dubbed the defeat a “disgrace” in his post-match interview, as well as hinting at a divide in the Tottenham dressing room.

However, after Tottenham returned to Premier League action last weekend, seeing off Aston Villa 2-0, Mourinho claimed in his own post-match comments (via Gold’s Twitter profile) that he had not watched Lloris’ interview, as he is a “very mature guy” and has “emotional stability”, meaning he was “not interested” in what his player had to say about the loss.

Transfer Tavern Take

While it is likely that Lloris made his feelings known in the dressing room following the loss in Zagreb, Mourinho’s claim to the press that he was not interested in what his club captain had to say after the defeat is certainly an interesting stance to take.

Indeed, with the Frenchman suggesting there is a divide in the Tottenham dressing room, this would very much appear to be something which directly concerns Mourinho – and something which, unless the 58-year-old begins to take notice, could very much have an impact on his own future in north London, regardless of his apparent “emotional stability”.

In other news: Tottenham have identified a potentially ‘perfect’ heir to Mourinho – find out more here!