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West Ham United could pounce on Bologna defender Arthur Theate, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Bologna brought in Theate from homeland club KV Oostende last summer on an initial loan with an obligation to buy.

The 22-year-old Belgian, who’s been capped twice by his country, played 31 Serie A matches in his first season at the club.

A report from The Evening Standard has already revealed that David Moyes wants to buy ‘at least one’ new centre-back during the summer transfer window.

The latest

The report states that Theate ‘could be sacrificed’ if manager Sinisa Mihajlovic opts to play with four at the back next season.

He would be made available for a fee of around €10million, the equivalent of £8.5million.

David Moyes and West Ham ‘like’ the Belgian and they could be in position to take advantage.

The verdict

What attributes does Theate offer as a centre-back?

Well, he makes a high number of progressive passes, ranking in the 74th percentile in Europe, and his 2.64 interceptions per 90 minutes (85th percentile) suggest he reads the game well too.

But perhaps his standout asset is his ball carrying, with Theate in the 85th percentile for progressive carries and as high as the 94th for dribbles completed.

In terms of a stylistic profile, he’s a close match for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him as ‘one of Serie A’s biggest revelations’ and suggested in December that he could be worth up to €18million (£15.3million). West Ham could end up signing him for nearly half what some would consider his true worth.

Theate, then, looks like a potential bargain that would help to address one of Moyes’ transfer priorities.

In other news, David Moyes has stepped up this transfer pursuit.

Liverpool have had a successful season winning two trophies, competing closely in the Premier League title race and getting to the Champions League final, but now a huge transfer update has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Guinea-based outlet Imedias.net (via Liverpool Echo), Paris Saint Germain are interested in signing Naby Keita this summer.

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As per the report, it is believed that the Ligue 1 champions could make a £42.5m bid for the midfielder who is in the last 12 months of his contract at his current club on Merseyside.

Klopp can finally axe Keita

Since his arrival at the club four years ago Keita hasn’t had an easy ride with numerous injury troubles, and if there is an opportunity in the last year of his contract to sell on the player for a large amount of money, Klopp and FSG should welcome the opportunity.

The Liverpool midfielder was brought into the club in 2018 for £52.75m and his market value is now rated at just £27m according to Transfermarkt, so if this rumoured bid from PSG has any truth to it, it would be major coup for Liverpool to move on and spend the money strengthening the team.

The £130k-per-week midfielder who was dubbed “not good enough” by Dietmar Hamman, has had 16 different instances of injury or illness accumulating 307 days out of the team which is equal to 62 fixtures for Liverpool during his time at the club. Evidently, that has clearly affected his consistency and reliability in the team.

Despite his injury problems, Keita has been able to pick up a run of form this season in the Premier League making 23 appearances, which is shockingly the most appearances he has made for the club since his first season in 2018/19.

With that being said, Aurelien Tchouameni is a reported target that Liverpool wants to pursue and if they could build some transfer funds this summer it could put the club in a good position to make a competitive offer for the Monaco midfielder.

Thus, if the bid is accurate for Keita, FSG should jump at the chance to make the sale.

AND in other news: Liverpool can land dream Mane heir in £43m deal for “exceptional” 25 y/o “nightmare”

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Djed Spence.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, following recent reports claiming that Fabio Paratici is plotting an offer for the Nottingham Forest loanee this summer, he does expect the Italian sporting director to launch a bid for the Middlesbrough right back in the coming months.

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Regarding Tottenham’s interest in the 21-year-old, Gold said: “Djed Spence, obviously on loan at Forest at the moment – either way, I think Spurs will make a move for Djed Spence.

“But, if Forest go up then Forest maybe hold the cards because they’ll have that extra money and he may want to continue his journey there. If Forest don’t go up I don’t think they’ll have the money to make his deal permanent from Middlesbrough, and I think maybe he’ll be more willing for a Premier League move.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a prospect Spence evidently is, the news that Spurs are set to make a move for the defender this summer is sure to have left the Tottenham Hotspur faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for Forest this season, the £7.2m-rated right-back has been in exceptional form, scoring two goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The £4.4k-per-week full-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.2 blocks and winning 5.8 duels per fixture, as well as boasting a pass success rate of 75.8%.

These returns have seen the England U21 international average a quite extraordinary WhoScored match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s sixth-best player in the second tier of English football.

As such, with Emerson Royal looking as if he could be on the way out of north London in the summer transfer window, it would very much appear as if Spence would be a fantastic replacement for the Brazil international, as not only is the Boro starlet clearly a talent who boasts a significant amount of potential for future growth, but he would also help to solve Antonio Conte’s homegrown player issue in north London.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth the next Dele as Spurs now plot bid for “unbelievable” £20m “talent”

Jurgen Klopp has delivered an injury update on Liverpool defender Joe Gomez after a ‘real shock’ injury scare during the Reds’ Premier League clash against Southampton on Tuesday night.

The Lowdown: Gomez injury concerns

The 24-year-old was forced off the pitch in the 2-1 victory over the Saints after sustaining a knock following a coming together with Nathan Tella, and ended up limping down the tunnel before being replaced by captain Jordan Henderson at the break.

After the game had finished, the centre-back was seen getting onto the team bus on crutches whilst wearing a protective boot, as the club will have to face an anxious wait to see whether or not Gomez will be available for selection for the upcoming Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 28th.

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The Latest: Scan brings good news

Speaking during his post-match press conference to the media, however, the German boss played down the severity of the 11-cap international’s injury and confirmed that the colossus was in high spirits after having a conversation with him in the dressing room. As quoted by the club’s official website, Klopp revealed:

“I hope we are lucky. Joe himself has pain but not too much.

“He got, one time, a real shock to the system, but he is sitting in the dressing room and when I spoke to him he was in a good mood. I think maybe we were probably lucky but we have to figure that out.”

Paul Joyce of the The Times has since added to the optimism, revealing a scan was required but showed no serious damage and there is hope he will be fine for the trip to Paris.

The Verdict: Hopefully fit in time to face Madrid

With other members of the Liverpool starting XI – including Virgil Van Dijk, Fabinho, and Mohamed Salah – all suffering their own setbacks over the last week, the 54-year-old will most certainly be hoping that Gomez is declared fully fit ahead of the highly anticipated final vs Madrid at the end of the month, just in case van Dijk in particular suffers a setback.

Despite only making eight appearances in the top-flight this season, the £19.8m-rated Gomez has still had a hugely positive impact when he has been on the pitch, where he’s averaged 1.3 tackles and 1.1 long balls per game, as well as winning 1.3 of his aerial duels, via WhoScored.

Coming up against the likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior will be far from easy, so the Reds will need all of their defensive backline experience accessible to them when they face Carlo Ancelotti’s side if they want any chance of getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano has delivered a huge transfer update involving one of Liverpool’s senior players.

A teasing Rangers transfer claim has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Gers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has confirmed that talks will take place later this month to determine what he will be doing next season.

He is currently on loan to the Ibrox giants and has two more games left to play – in the Europa League and Scottish Cup finals – before that loan spell comes to an end.

As quoted by Rangers Review, when asked about a permanent move to Glasgow, Ramsey said: “That’s to be decided at the end of the season, there is no update on that yet.

“I’m just looking forward to the final few weeks here and hopefully making it a very memorable experience for me.

“I’m sure there will be conversations to be had after the season is finished but right now I’m just focused on trying to win these two competitions with Rangers.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will love it

The Gers head coach will surely love this tease from Ramsey, as the prospect of signing him permanently is an exciting one for the Dutch head coach.

Upon the Welshsman’s arrival at Ibrox in January, sporting director Ross Wilson outlined why it was an excellent signing for the club, saying: “This is a really exciting signing for both Rangers and Aaron. As soon as I was made aware of the opportunity we had to bring Aaron to Rangers around a week ago, we have worked really hard to secure his signature.

“Not only is Aaron a world-class player who will play a key role in our team, his level of ability and professional standards will be an inspiration to our existing players.”

When fit, the 31-year-old has showcased his quality in the Premiership in recent months as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93. The Welshman provided two goals and one assist in seven league outings as he showed glimpses of the attacking threat that he can offer from out wide and in the middle of the park.

Ramsey would also be a hugely important member of the squad at Ibrox next season if the club win the Europa League this Wednesday.

They would automatically qualify for the Champions League with victory in Seville, and the ex-Arsenal man has plenty of experience in that competition, playing in it for both the Gunners and Juventus throughout his career as he has racked up 57 appearances in Europe’s premier club tournament.

Ramsey’s knowledge of the Champions League and the quality he has shown in the Premiership are two reasons why Van Bronckhorst will be excited and delighted by the prospect of bringing him back for a second spell at Rangers next season.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must finally unleash “powerful” 19 y/o Rangers gem who “took his chance” in 2022…

BBC pundit Carlton Palmer has admitted that he thinks it is absolutely the ‘right decision’ for West Brom to allow Andy Carroll to leave the club this summer.

The Lowdown: Carroll set to depart

The 33-year-old first arrived at the Hawthorns on a free transfer in the January window following the expiration of his short-term deal with fellow Championship rivals Reading.

He made 15 appearances for the Baggies, scoring three goals during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The forward’s current contract with West Brom is set to expire at the end of June, and since the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, it’s been reported that Steve Bruce will not be offering Carroll new terms, meaning that he has already played his last game for the Midlands outfit.

The Latest: Palmer backs West Brom decision

When asked whether or not the club made the right choice to part ways with the nine-cap international, Palmer told Football League World ‘what’s happening’:

“Absolutely right decision.

“I mean, I think I always thought that Andy Carroll was a short-term fix to try and help them out, doesn’t play enough games and doesn’t score enough goals.

“I mean, he’s, he’s been a good player, a very good player, but he’s, he’s at the end of his career now.

“So teams will take him in, I mean I’m sure Andy Carroll is still earning decent money, but teams will take him in on short-term gigs now, and that’s what’s happening.”

The Verdict: A true professional

Carroll definitely made an impact during his short stint with the Baggies, adding a different dimension up top with his physical presence, standing at a staggering 6 foot 3.

It doesn’t come as any surprise to see the striker being let go though, especially considering that the club had a disappointing end to the campaign, having missed out on a top-six place.

Bruce will now be looking to bolster his ranks hopefully with younger players rather than renewing contracts of older, more experienced individuals if he wants to make a serious push for promotion next season.

The £720k-rated veteran is now likely to find himself skipping around multiple clubs on short-term deals after his imminent Hawthorns departure which should take him to the end of a very successful football career.

In other news… a journalist has backed a West Brom shot-stopper to be their new first-choice keeper next season.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Antonin Barak to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Mondo Udinese (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following an extraordinary campaign in Italy, Antonio Conte is now keen on a move to bring the Hellas Verona attacking midfielder to the Premier League at the end of the current campaign.

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The report then goes on to state that the 52-year-old Spurs manager would play a key role in tempting the 27-year-old into a switch to north London, while it is also claimed that Juventus are also keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Czech Republic international.

He’s better than Soucek

With it being reported that a new central midfielder is one of Conte’s primary targets in the summer transfer window, and with Spurs having already been linked with a move to West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek, the argument that Barak would be a much better fit for Tottenham than his Czechia compatriot is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 29 Serie A appearances this season, the £18m-rated talent has been something of a revelation in the Hellas midfield, bagging 11 goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week man who Josh Bunting dubbed a “fantastic” player average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Igor Tudor’s second-best performer in the top flight of Italian football – playing a key role in Hellas’ push to secure a top-half finish in the league.

In comparison, over Soucek’s 33 Premier League outings this term, the £43m-rated midfielder has scored five goals, provided one assist and created two big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.3 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics have seen the £70k-per-week colossus average a SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as David Moyes’ fourth-best player in the English top flight.

As such, while Socuek’s returns are far from underwhelming, when taking into account the fact that Conte already has the options of the defensively-minded Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park, the signing of a central midfielder who possesses a more attacking mindset would appear the smarter move by Spurs – something which it is undeniable that Barak is when compared to Soucek.

Furthermore, with it being reported that the West Ham star will be available for around £40m this summer – as well as the 27-year-old himself demanding a weekly wage well above his current salary at the London Stadium – compared to Barak’s more modest €20m (£17m) asking price, the Hellas sensation would appear much better value for money.

So, all things considered, it would indeed appear that a move for Barak would be a far more intelligent choice by Conte and Fabio Paratici this summer.

AND in other news: Spurs now plot £17m bid for “one of the top four or five No 8’s”, Conte would love him

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been told to ‘hold back’ by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino after the Italian’s message on Eric Dier.

The Lowdown: Dier excelling…

The former Sporting Lisbon star has been shining as a member of Conte’s back three at Spurs, prompting England boss Gareth Southgate to grant him a recall to the national team squad.

Dier will travel with the Three Lions for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Germany with members of the media even saying that his inclusion is ‘long overdue’.

The 28-year-old is one of just three Spurs players who have featured for every single Premier League minute so far this term, with Dier putting in another brilliant display yesterday against Leicester City.

The Latest: Cascarino criticises Conte after Dier message…

While Cascarino said that Dier has been brilliant over the last two months, the talkSPORT pundit has moved quickly to refute Conte’s latest message on the player.

Spurs’ head coach drew comparisons with Italian footballing legend Leonardo Bonucci, claiming that the Englishman can ‘replicate’ the Juventus captain.

After Conte’s statement, Cascarino has told the ex-Inter Milan boss to ‘hold back’, saying:

“He’s had a decent start to the season but comparing him to Bonucci is a bit of a long one for me at the moment, I’d hold back on that one.

“I wouldn’t have that he’s as versatile as Bonucci, maybe he was a failed midfielder more than a midfielder, he didn’t pull up any trees.

“I think he’s not bad, I’m still reserved in my opinion over the course of a season on Dier.”

The Verdict: Too soon?

Dier has been fantastic for Spurs this season and deserves praise from both Conte and the media. That being said, the season is a long one, and before measuring the Englishman’s contribution overall, we must judge him based off a whole campaign.

However, the 28-year-old shone as part of Conte’s back three over 2021/22, making more clearances per 90 than any Spurs player whilst racking up the second-most blocks in that time (WhoScored).

In terms of likeness to Bonucci, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that Dier could replicate the 35-year-old’s leadership qualities in the Lilywhites dressing room – especially given his experience of 328 appearances for the club and 45 caps for England.

Sunderland finally ended their unwanted stay in the third tier of English football earlier this year as they won promotion to the Championship.

Alex Neil led the club to glory via the play-offs to return to the second division for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign, beating Wycombe in the final at Wembley.

Following promotion, the Black Cats waved goodbye to a few players who served them well during their spell in League One and wing wizard Aiden McGeady was one of them.

The Republic of Ireland international had been at the Stadium of Light since 2017 and enjoyed himself on the pitch as he racked up goals and assists over his five years on Wearside.

He produced 36 goals and 34 assists in 149 games in all competitions for the club and 18 of those assists came in his last 43 League One outings.

McGeady was a magician on the ball, capable of creating opportunities for his teammates, and he had the quality to chip in with goals of his own from a left-wing position.

Tony Mowbray could now unearth the heir to the Irishman by dipping into the U21 set-up to unleash young winger Michael Spellman, who has “impressed” the Chronicle’s James Hunter.

The 19-year-old officially joined the club in the summer after a successful trial. He had caught Sunderland’s after impressing in non-league last season, managing an eye-catching 19 goals in 23 games for Chester-le-Street United.

His form last term shows that he has the potential to be a goalscorer from out wide and, since arriving at the Stadium of Light, he has also shown that he has the eye for a pass – like McGeady.

In three Premier League 2 matches this term, Spellman has racked up four assists for the club’s youth team and this suggests that he has the scope to develop into a winger with the ability to regularly create goals for others.

Of course, he must now prove that he can make a significant impact in the final third in the professional game and that is why Mowbray must give him a real opportunity to show what he can do.

The gem was handed a first-team squad number last month and he was given his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, although it ended in a 2-0 defeat for the club. He played 10 minutes in the match and had nine touches of the ball, as he enjoyed his first taste of senior football with Sunderland.

10 minutes in a cup game whilst 2-0 down is a difficult situation for a teenage winger to show what he is all about and that is why Mowbray should look to unleash him, off the bench, in a Championship match or two.

Give him a platform to show off his quality on the ball and see if he can be the next McGeady racing down the left wing to score and assist goals for the Black Cats.

Celtic have suffered a setback ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk, following an update regarding the fitness of defender Carl Starfelt.

What’s the word?

As per The Scottish Sun, the Sweden international is set to miss that upcoming meeting with the Ukrainian outfit, having limped off in the recent Old Firm derby triumph with a knee injury.

The report suggests that while the 27-year-old does not require surgery for that issue, he is set to be absent until the start of next month, ensuring he is also set to be unavailable for next weekend’s league meeting with St Mirren.

That will ensure he is also unavailable to feature for his country in their upcoming Nations League games with Serbia and Slovenia, with it now a race against time to ensure he is fit again once the Hoops return to action after the international break.

Postecoglou gutted

It is has proven something of a frustrating start to the new season for the former Rubin Kazan man thus far, having made a late return to action after sustaining a hamstring injury earlier in the summer.

While summer signing Mortiz Jenz has impressed since his loan arrival from Lorient in the recent window, title-winning boss Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be gutted at having to be without Starfelt once again, with the Swede having thrived for the Hoops in recent times.

Even though his impact has been brief so far this term, the five-cap brute has caught the eye after netting twice in just four outings in all compeitions from his centre-back berth, with it no doubt a blow to see him restricted to a viewing brief once again.

The £5.4m-rated man had overcome a shaky start to life at Parkhead last season  – after his £4.3m arrival from Russia – to become a key figure in Postecoglou’s side, forming an “immense” partnership alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, in the words of Chris Sutton.

The 6 foot 1 titan made 34 Scottish Premiership appearances in that glorious 2021/22 campaign – all of which came from the start – recording a hugely impressive haul of 18 clean sheets, while also averaging 1.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game.

That record was even greater than that of the aforementioned Carter-Vickers, with the United States international averaging 0.8 tackles and 1.2 interceptions from his 33 top-flight outings, showcasing just what an asset Starfelt is.

His absence was keenly felt in the defeat to Real Madrid earlier this week, with the Glasgow side somewhat struggling defensively as they shipped three second-half goals after an initially encouraging display.

With a positive result needed away against Shakhtar to help spark any real hope of progression to the knockout round, it will come as a notable blow not to have the Stockholm-born star in tow.