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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has personally set his sights on an £85 million star who’s now open to joining the Premier League champions, according to reports.

The Lowdown: City eye new midfield man…

After completing a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland, City are now eyeing an heir to club legend and long-serving veteran Fernandinho who’s set to leave this summer.

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Sky Blues will miss the Brazilian who has been pivotal both on and off the field since his arrival from Shakhtar Donestk in 2013.

City officials are now tasked with bringing in his perfect replacement and the player in question will have absolutely huge shoes to fill.

The likes of Paul Pogba of Man United have even been linked as Guardiola and sporting director Txiki Begiristain seemingly leave no stone unturned in their search.

Another big name in Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is reportedly on the agenda with Sport recently claiming his club will demand €100 million (£85m) to sell.

The Latest: Pep ‘personally’ sets his sights…

Now, according to reports out of Spain, Guardiola has ‘personally’ set his sights on the Dutchman and ‘wants’ him for the 2022/2023 season.

As well as this, it is believed that de Jong ‘would not look down’ on City’s boss and is now open to joining.

The Verdict: Make the move…

If Begiristain and co can whittle down the rumoured £85m price, de Jong would undoubtedly be a great signing.

Lauded as ‘phenomenal’ by former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, the 25-year-old has been a mainstay under Barca boss Xavi this season and one of the first names on the team sheet with only a handful of other players featuring over more La Liga minutes (WhoScored).

In that time, de Jong has won the joint-most Man of the Match awards for Barca alongside Memphis Depay – standing out as a major figurehead for the Catalans (WhoScored).

Guardiola’s personal interest tells you all need to know and we believe the Netherlands international ace would be quite the capture.

In other news: Eithad sources: Pep dealt big blow with Man City ‘beast’ now ready to quit, find out more here.

West Ham United defender Craig Dawson could depart the London Stadium this summer after two seasons at the Premier League outfit.

What’s the story?

That’s according to ExWHUEmployee, who stated on Twitter: “I was told by a decent source he wanted to return north.”

However, he also added: “As I said on the podcast, I haven’t checked it out or confirmed. I would be surprised if we let him go and that he would want to when he has done so well.”

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The defender has been a regular for David Moyes’ side this season with the Hammers juggling four competitions, making 49 appearances this term.

Although, a move could be on the cards with his current contract at West Ham set to expire next summer.

Hammers supporters will be gutted

Despite there being little excitement from the fanbase when Dawson was signed, the 32-year-old has been excellent since joining from Watford.

The centre-back had a poor campaign in 2019/20 for Watford as the Hornets were relegated but was allowed to stay in the Premier League by signing for West Ham in the summer of 2020, initially on loan.

However, expectations have certainly been exceeded with the Englishman contributing to the Irons’ recent successes in both the top-flight and the Europa League.

Rochdale-born, Dawson hasn’t played for a northern side since a half-season loan at Bolton Wanderers in 2013 having been at West Brom as well as Watford and West Ham since.

Therefore, the 32-year-old’s desire to play closer to home is understandable, particularly with the final seasons of his playing career approaching.

It would still be a major disappointment for West Ham fans though if the Englishman was to depart this summer, having quickly become a fan favourite to the extent of being the inspiration for a parody Twitter account with over 17,000 followers.

With just one year left on his contract, it’s expected that the defender will depart the London Stadium in the near future, however a departure this term would undoubtedly leave supporters gutted.

AND in other news: WHU plot bid to sign “superb” £30m gem with the most nutmegs in the PL, he’s Bowen 2.0

Italian football expert Conor Clancy has shared his verdict on reported Aston Villa target Stefan de Vrij.

What’s the word?

Speaking to the GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider insisted that the Dutchman would be able to make an instant impact at Villa Park, amid reports that he is on Steven Gerrard’s radar this summer.

Asked about that possible interest in the 30-year-old, Clancy went as far as to suggest he could even be the club’s new skipper: “I think de Vrij would be a hugely important player immediately.

“He is the type of player that could come in and just be given the captain’s armband straight away.”

The Inter Milan centre-back could reportedly be available to NSWE for as little as £15m with just a year remaining on his existing deal, although it remains to be seen if the Midlands side will eye another defensive recruit, having confirmed an agreement for Sevilla’s Diego Carlos.

Supporters buzzing

Even with that latest news regarding the Brazilian, there have been reports that NSWE could look to cash in on both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa in the upcoming window, opening up the possibility that a further acquisition will be made.

Should that figure be De Vrij, it will no doubt go down well with the club’s supporters, with – as Clancy alluded to – the former Lazio man likely to come in and make a rapid improvement to Gerrard’s ailing backline.

The 55-cap international helped his current side claim a first Serie A title in 11 years back in 2021 under the tutelage of Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte, while he was again integral as Simone Inzaghi’s men narrowly missed out on a second successive Scudetto to rivals AC Milan in the most recent campaign.

The 2021/22 season saw the £31.5m-rated brute – who has been dubbed a “monster” by former teammate Mauricio – average 1.1 interceptions, 1.3  tackles and 1.7 clearances, as well as losing possession just 4.7 times per game from his 30 league outings.

The aforementioned Mings – who is Villa’s current skipper – has squandered possession almost double that of the £116k-per-week star, giving away the ball 10.3 times per game, while also averaging just 0.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions in his 36 league appearances.

As pundit Danny Mills suggested, a “top-quality” addition is needed to replace the Englishman, with De Vrij seemingly the man slot straight into the heart of the defence as well as take on the captain’s armband.

Seeing an experienced head like the latter leading the side out at the start of next term would no doubt go down a treat with the Villa Park faithful, who will be desperate to see an improvement on the recent 14th-place finish.

Possibly paired alongside Carlos too, Gerrard may well just have one of the most dominating and commanding centre-back pairings in the whole division.

Just imagine that, Villa supporters. It would certainly be a sight to behold.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Crystal Palace have looked into possible summer swoops for Manchester United duo Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek, according to transer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown

The English right-back came through the youth ranks at Selhurst Park, playing 46 times for the south London club and winning their Player of the Year award in 2018/19.

In 2019, United shelled out up to £50m to snap him up, making him the third most-expensive full-back in the history of the Premier League.

However, after featuring in the 2020/21 Europa League Squad of the Season, Wan-Bissaka has fallen down the Red Devils’ pecking order more recently, starting just six Premier League matches since the turn of the year.

Meanwhile, Van de Beek spent the latter half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Everton after playing a mere 68 top-flight minutes between August and January.

The latest

Writing for GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that there is a ‘genuine feeling’ that Wan-Bissaka could return to Selhurst Park this summer, following recent transfer links touting him to go back to Palace. Palace wouldn’t be able to afford a permanent deal for the 24-year-old right now but could sign him on loan initially.

Elsewhere, the club’s recruitment team have ‘explored’ the possibility of signing Van de Beek, although the expectation at this point is that he will stay at Old Trafford and reunite with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.

The verdict

The £27m-rated Wan-Bissaka appears to be the more realistic signing of the United duo, but should Palace fans be excited about a potential second coming?

The 24-year-old’s offerings going forward are limited, with just two goals and 10 assists to his name after 126 appearances for the Red Devils.

However, he is regarded as a rock-solid defender in one-v-one situations, with team-mate Luke Shaw and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher hailing him as the best in the world in that department, so it may all depend on what Patrick Vieira wants from his full-backs.

If the Frenchman’s priority is defensive security while other players in the team take on the creative responsibility, then Wan-Bissaka – who Jermaine Jenas claimed ‘must be so annoying to play against’ because his ‘legs are everywhere’ – is the man to target this summer.

Furthermore, with Van de Beek also struggling for game-time on loan at Everton after an injury-plagued spell, there may be some reservations about Palace possibly signing the Dutchman.

In other news, another target for Vieira has emerged.

Rangers may receive an offer from Crystal Palace for midfielder Joe Aribo this summer, The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell writes.

The lowdown

Aribo played 57 matches for Rangers over the course of the 2021/22 season, a tally bettered only by Connor Goldson (61) and James Tavernier (58).

Valued at £9million by Transfermarkt, the Nigerian midfielder crucially has just one year remaining on his contract.

And if Giovanni van Bronckhorst wants to sign more than one first-XI player this summer, he may have to sanction the sale of a prize asset.

The latest

Campbell tweeted on Friday morning that Palace are ‘seriously interested’ in signing Aribo during the transfer window.

In the attached article, he explains that the midfielder’s future is ‘especially delicate’ because this summer represents Rangers’ last chance to cash in ahead of the expiry of his contract in June 2023.

Palace believe that Aribo suits ‘what they are building’ at Selhurst Park, and so Rangers may be bracing themselves for a formal approach.

The verdict

Losing Aribo would surely hurt.

He bagged nine goals and provided ten assists last season, including a ‘mighty’ opener (to quote journalist Rahman Osman) in the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 25-year-old is an especially important asset for Van Bronckhorst because of his capacity to play in multiple positions, featuring as a right winger and a makeshift striker last season, as well as a conventional midfielder.

Rangers refused to sell Connor Goldson in the final year of his deal because they believed his contributions were so valuable. Will they look at Aribo’s situation the same way, or can they not afford to keep passing up good selling opportunities?

In other news, this man apparently wants to join Rangers.

Sadio Mane has ‘made it clear’ that he wants to join Bayern Munich from Liverpool this summer, according to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Mane on the move

The Senegalese sensation has enjoyed six legendary years at Anfield, winning all there is to win and being hailed as a ‘machine’ by Jurgen Klopp.

In a sad turn of events, however, Mane looks almost certain to be on the move this summer, as he looks for a fresh challenge before his prime years run out.

With Liverpool reportedly on the verge of signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica, that only heightens the chances of the 30-year-old moving on to pastures new.

The Latest: Plettenberg provides update

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg shared an ‘update’ – Mane sees his future at Bayern and Bayern alone:

“Update Mane: Bayern spoke to him and he had a positive phone call with Nagelsmann. Mané made clear that he wants to join FCBayern! Bayern was impressed that Mané doesn’t have airs & graces. He made clear that he would do his best on every position.”

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The Verdict: All but a done deal

This feels like a matter of time now, with Mane’s decision made up and Bayern clearly seeing the forward as one of their primary summer transfer targets.

While losing the African superstar is a blow in many ways, it could be argued that he is now ever so slightly past his peak and that Liverpool are selling a good time, receiving a hefty fee for his services after already getting his best years.

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The hope is that Nunez comes in and fills the Mane-shaped void immediately, proving to be a worthy successor to him, not to mention being eight years his junior.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a fresh transfer target. Read more here.

A major Rangers development has emerged on Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s attempts to bring a new shot-stopper to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish outlet En Son Haber, Rangers have made an offer to sign goalkeeper Berke Ozer ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the player is attracted to the possibility of playing regular first-team football in Glasgow and this may persuade him to make the switch from Fenerbahce.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be buzzing

The Ibrox head coach will be buzzing with this as Ozer would be a much-needed addition to the team who will help with the phasing out of Allan McGregor next season.

Rangers are yet to confirm whether or not the 40-year-old veteran will be leaving the club on a free transfer this summer or putting pen to paper on an extension. If it is the latter, bringing in the Fenerbahce man will be the perfect move by Ross Wilson.

McGregor will turn 41 next January and is at a point where Rangers cannot afford to rely on him as their number one for another campaign. Although he impressed in the Europa League – with a SofaScore rating of 6.99 – he let the Gers down at times in the Premiership as he made one error directly leading to a shot and three errors directly leading to goals.

This shows that he let mistakes creep into his game as the opposition pounced on his blunders on multiple occasions in the league. Giving him a reduced role in 2022/23, if he stays, would make sense as it would allow him to ease his way out of the team instead of being relied upon as the first-choice.

Ozer, meanwhile, did not make a single error in the Turkish top-flight last term as he made 14 appearances in the division. He also played three times in the Europa League – averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.90 – and did not make any errors.

At the age of 22, the Turkish shot-stopper would come in as a player with the potential to improve over time. Whilst McGregor is in the final years of his career, Ozer is at the start of his time in the professional game and is someone van Bronckhorst can work with over time.

The Dutch head coach will be buzzing with Wilson’s attempts to bring in a younger goalkeeper who can work alongside the current Scottish number one – learning from him and, eventually, displacing him between the sticks.

AND in other news, “Rangers will…”: Jordan Campbell drops big transfer update, supporters will be livid…

According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, with the potential arrival of Kalvin Phillips, Premier League interest in Manchester City gem Romeo Lavia could see to the youngster depart this summer.

The Lowdown: City’s interest in Phillips

The Athletic have reported that Man City are soon expected to make Leeds an offer for Phillips, with the champions visualising an agreement in the region of £45m – £50m.

This follows the departure of Citizens legend Fernandinho, who will leave the Etihad at the end of the month upon the expiry of his contract, after spending nine years as a Blue.

As such, the 26-year-old Leeds man has been identified as Pep Guardiola’s preferred replacement.

The Latest: Lavia out?

According to Lee, Southampton and Leeds are interested in signing Lavia this summer.

He claims that despite how highly rated the 18-year-old is, a move away from City could happen during the current window – especially if it helps with Guardiola’s push to sign Phillips.

Taking to Twitter, Lee reported:

“Leeds and Southampton are interested in Romeo Lavia this summer and – despite how highly rated he is – a move could happen, especially if it helps with signing Kalvin Phillips.”

The Verdict: Huge potential…

As per The Athletic, Lavia is very well regarded at City, and some at the club believe that he will one day be at the level required to become a mainstay in the first team.

At just 18-years-old, the holding midfielder made his senior debut for Guardiola’s side in last season’s Carabao Cup against Wycombe Wanderers, before also featuring in the FA Cup.

Having been tipped as one of the academy’s brightest prospects, Lavia’s departure will be a big loss to City, given his huge potential, and they will surely be looking to insert some form of buy-back clause or first option on any future movement.

In other news: Raheem Sterling could be tempted by ‘fresh challenge’

Journalist Josh Holland has delivered an intriguing claim regarding Aston Villa and a possible swoop for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer. 

The lowdown: Loan sensation

A product of the famed youth academy at Cobham, Gallagher has been plying his early trade as somewhat of an eternal loanee in recent seasons.

The 22-year-old has spent time at Swansea and West Brom before flourishing and enjoying a superb 2021/22 campaign at Crystal Palace that earned rich acclaim as well as senior England recognition.

Set to return to Chelsea ahead of pre-season, the long-term future of Gallagher remains under question and it’s been suggested that Villa boss Steven Gerrard could be weighing up a move…

The latest: ‘I could see…’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Holland, who works as a Midlands Football Writer for Reach PLC, has claimed that a move to Villa would be a possibility for the four-cap England ace.

He said: “That’d be a move I could see. It probably won’t be a permanent deal, they’d have to settle for a loan move, but the logistics of it are whether (Steven) Gerrard and the Villa chiefs would want to loan a rival’s player, making him a better player and then in a year’s time be worse off without him.

“And Chelsea will be benefiting, so that’s one for Gerrard to decide, I’m sure.”

The verdict: Follow suit

Having watched the successes of the dynamic starlet whilst on loan in the Premier League previously, it’s certainly an avenue that NSWE should be open to exploring for the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.

Backing up the signing of defensive-minded midfielder Boubacar Kamara with the arrival of a more attacking option in the form of Gallagher would see the Villa Park midfield department well-stocked for the season ahead.

Last term, the Englishman scored eight times and provided five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions at Palace, earning an impressive 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst winning 5.9 duels, making two tackles and completing 1.1 key passes on average per game, showcasing a workmanlike ability accompanied by impressive flair.

Despite the emergence of Jacob Ramsey last season, with the futures of Carney Chukwuemeka and Villans favourite John McGinn reportedly in doubt, adding Gallagher – who was recently branded ‘absolutely relentless’ in his style of pressing by football writer Mike Stavrou – to Gerrard’s ranks even on a temporary basis has to be regarded as a smart piece of business.

Manchester United hold a strong interest in Wolves’ Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who spoke on The United Stand podcast.

“A name I keep hearing around Manchester United is Ruben Neves, he is a player who was always around Manchester United since last summer.

“But the answer I am always receiving on Ruben Neves and Manchester United is it depends on the fee, because on Wolves’ side they discuss about €100m (£86m) for Ruben Neves; it is something Manchester United would not do.”

Imagine him and Frenkie

If Manchester United could fork out the cash for Neves and another of their targets Frenkie de Jong, they could form a remarkable midfield partnership to sit just behind the mercurial Bruno Fernandes, an eventuality that would surely elate supporters at Old Trafford.

Neves has impressed since coming up from the Championship with Wolves, cementing himself as one of the league’s best central midfielders. His average SofaScore rating of 7.11 outlines him as a consistent high-performer in the heart of midfield, and he averages 65.11 passes attempted per 90.

He could act as the metronome for United, whilst also sitting in the 81st percentile for clearances, showing he does have some willingness to do the dirty work.

De Jong also prefers to be more creative, but perhaps if he and Neves shared the defensive work it would allow them both the space to flourish. The Netherlands international sits in the 94th percentile for progressive carries per 90, boasting a 90.1% pass completion.

Old Trafford favourite Rio Ferdinand praised Neves’ midfield work this season, stating: “I like him, he’s fantastic. He keeps the ball, he keeps it as well as anyone. Really good footballer.”

He would surely represent a huge upgrade on Scott McTominay and Fred who are already at the club and would add another touch of class if Erik ten Hag is to tempt both him and De Jong to join.

If he could manage it, they would almost instantly become one of the best midfield partnerships in the league on paper, and would only boost United’s chances of climbing up the table, something that would delight the entire United fanbase.

AND, in other news: Sky Sports reveal big Manchester United transfer update, supporters will be buzzing.