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Recent reports have seen Sunderland linked with a move for Leicester City stopper Daniel Iversen, with the Danish giant having returned to the King Power Stadium after enjoying an impressive campaign on loan at Preston North End last season.

While the latest indication from Brendan Rodgers is that he could fight it out with Danny Ward for a starting berth in the Foxes side – following the recent departure of long-serving skipper Kasper Schmeichel – a move away can seemingly not be ruled for the 25-year-old, with Ward likely to be the first-choice moving forward – having started on the opening weekend against Brentford.

With Rodgers also revealing that another back-up goalkeeper could be brought in, that fact could potentially open the door for the Black Cats to pounce, with the 6 foot 4 Iversen seemingly set to be a real coup for the Championship side.

At present, manager Alex Neil has just two senior goalkeeping options in his squad, despite sporting director Kristjaan Speakman having already brought in Alex Bass as a back-up to 22-year-old Anthony Patterson.

The Leicester man would not just offer an extra body, however, but a direct threat to the latter man’s first-choice status, having already had 18 months experience at second tier level, as well as having spent time out on loan at Belgian first division side, OH Leuven.

Lauded by Rodgers for being a “fantastic shot stopper”, the £1.8m-rated ace conceded just 83 goals in 71 games during his spell at Deepdale – keeping 23 clean sheets in that time – while the aforementioned Patterson has made just 39 senior appearances to date for both the northeast side and Notts County, with this his first campaign in the second tier.

Iversen’s form last term for Ryan Lowe’s side saw Preston reporter George Hodgson suggest that the former Denmark U21 international is simply “too good”, having proven himself more than adept at competing at Championship level.

For Neil and co, there would also be a sense of excitement that the £22k-per-week colossus could prove to be their own Schmeichel – Kasper, not Peter – with suggestions that he could try to emulate his compatriot, whom he dubbed “one of the best keepers in the world”.

That will generate excitement among Black Cats supporters consdering just how much of an “icon” the 35-year-old has been – in the words of Rodgers – for his national team, for Leicester and for the Premier League over the last decade or so, having only recently made that surprise switch to OGC Nice.

The one-time Manchester City man had racked up 478 appearances for the Midlands outfit since joining the club back in 2011, notably forming an integral part of the side that remarkably won the top-flight title in 2016.

A real force of nature between the sticks and a real ‘leader’ on and off the pitch, Schmeichel is an impressive figure to try to emulate, with those at Sunderland likely to reap the rewards if his heir apparent Iversen can join the club this summer.

Phil Hay has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Martin Terrier.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent confirmed that, following a number of reports linking the Whites with a move for the Stade Rennais FC centre-forward this summer, the 25-year-old is indeed a player on Victor Orta’s list of attacking transfer targets.

However, the journalist went on to suggest that, with the Ligue 1 side only being willing to part with the former France U21 international for an offer in the region of £30m, in addition to the striker being older than the typical Leeds target, an official move for the attacker could be unlikely.

In his piece, Hay wrote: “They like Martin Terrier, but he will cost in excess of £30m and, at the age of 25, is slightly older than targets who fit the resale model at Elland Road.”

Orta must move for Terrier

While it is true that Terrier may not fit the typical mould of Orta’s transfer targets, considering just how impressive the centre-forward was in France last season, the Spaniard simply must break tradition and launch a move for the Frenchman this summer.

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Indeed, over his 37 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, the £22.5m-rated forward was in remarkable form for Bruno Genesio’s side, scoring 21 goals, registering 88 shots, making 42 key passes and completing 28 dribbles over the course of the season.

These returns saw the £21k-per-week talent average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.30, not only ranking him as Rennes’ second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 11th-best player in the French top flight as a whole last time out.

As such, while investing £30m in a 25-year-old may not be Leeds’ typical way of operating in the transfer market, considering just how much of a threat Terrier poses in the final third – something the Whites’ desperately lacked in the Premier League last term, scoring just 42 goals – it would appear an extremely wise move for Orta to make an exception to his rule for the former Olympique Lyon talent.

Indeed, the prospect of the goal-hungry Frenchman leading the Leeds line alongside fit-again Patrick Bamford next season will undoubtedly be an incredibly exciting one for Jesse Marsh and supporters alike, not to mention being a partnership that has the potential to help fire Leeds towards the top half of the Premier League table in 2022/23.

Arsenal are admirers of Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane but it will be a ‘challenge’ to pull off a move for the 26-year-old, according to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs (as per GiveMeSport).

The lowdown

German publication Bild have reported that the Gunners are among the clubs who have shown interest in signing Sane this summer (via Mundo Deportivo). It would apparently take an offer in the region of €70m (£58.7m) to bring Bayern to the table.

Arsenal targeted another winger earlier in the summer in the form of Raphinha, but he ended up joining Barcelona instead.

Sane has spent four years in the Premier League already with Manchester City, where he worked with Mikel Arteta, who was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the time.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs said that Arsenal are under no illusions as to how ‘tough’ it will be to prise Sane away from Munich, but he stressed their admiration for the German.

The CBS journalist stated: “The Sane links were prior to Raphinha and I think that Arsenal gathered quite quickly, when they turned their attention to Raphinha, that it’s going to be tough to get Sane to move away from Bayern.

“I think Bayern’s preference is still to try and keep Sane, so that one is going to be a challenge, but it’s obvious they admire the player.”

The verdict

Arteta has already been reunited with two players from the Etihad Stadium this summer, signing Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from City.

Sane has previously shared his affection for Arteta in a section of his book (via Tribuna), saying: “We get on brilliantly, he’s a lovely guy and a great coach. And he’s always right. He’ll watch me at training and then afterwards he’ll tell me what he thinks. He doesn’t just suggest something and leave me to get on with it.”

Sane has already shown that he can thrive in the Premier League, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2017/18, and that should only add to his appeal.

However, you can understand why Bayern are going to make this one very difficult for Arsenal, with the Germany winger off the back of a 2021/22 season in which he racked up 29 goal contributions (14 goals, 15 assists).

Arsenal are reportedly the leading contenders to sign Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta this summer, according to a report from Brazilian outlet UOL. 

The lowdown: New target

Having missed out on Barcelona-bound Raphinha, the Gunners appear to have shifted their attention to the winger’s Brazilian compatriot, Paqueta.

The 24-year-old has emerged as a target for Edu in recent days after previous links to mega-rich Premier League rivals Newcastle United earlier in the summer, as Mikel Arteta looks to add creative reinforcements to the Emirates Stadium squad.

Now, following a fresh update, it appears as though the north London club are in pole position…

The latest: Boards in negotiations

As per UOL, Arsenal are believed to be the ‘main candidate’ to sign the 33-cap Brazil international.

It’s claimed that the enthusiastic attack-minded midfielder has the ‘chance to change clubs’ during the ongoing window and ‘talks are already taking place’ between the club’s boards.

The report also states that the transfer has been ‘approved’ by Arteta and Edu is ‘close’ to the player, who Lyon value at €60million (£50million). However, the north Londoners will attempt to reduce the asking price for the star with ‘undeniable quality’ (football writer Sacha Pisani).

The verdict: Blow the budget

Already an established Brazil international, the Rio de Janeiro-born gem – who is under contract in France until 2025 – is a close stylistic match with such illustrious names as Hakim Ziyech, Marco Reus and Thomas Müller (Fbref).

Predominantly operating as an attacking midfielder, Paqueta scored 11 times and provided seven assists in 43 appearances across all competitions last season, earning an impressive 7.13 Sofascore rating whilst winning 7.3 duels and successfully completing 2.3 dribbles on average per Ligue 1 outing – showcasing outstanding battling qualities to accompany wonderful ball control.

In addition to that recent form, combined with the experience of already making 186 senior career outings in what remains a fledgling career, the Brazilian would be a superb addition to Arteta’s ranks even at the mooted lofty price tag, giving the Spanish manager a selection headache alongside youngsters Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe.

Celtic are reportedly preparing an attempt to sign Sheffield United defender George Baldock this summer, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from MK Dons in 2017 having previously only ever had loan spells away from the League One club, Baldock has amassed 379 professional career appearances, having spent time at the likes of Oxford United, Tamworth, Northampton Town and even IBV Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland.

However, despite that journeyman career, the 29-year-old right-back has found a home in Sheffield with 166 outings for the Yorkshire club. That includes 70 in the Premier League, with the Greece international an ever-present during the 2019/20 campaign.

Some 12 months after initially attempting to make this deal happen, it appears as though the Hoops are now considering giving Baldock a first taste of Champions League action by bringing the reliable stalwart to Glasgow…

The latest: Celtic ‘lining up’ Baldock

As per Football Insider, Celtic are believed to be ‘lining up’ the four-cap Greece defender should Atletico Madrid’s interest in Josip Juranovic materialise into a transfer.

It’s claimed that a ‘Celtic source’ has informed the outlet of that interest and the need to be ‘drawing up contingency plans’ should Ange Postecoglou suddenly require reinforcements.

The report added that the Premiership champions could enter the market for a right-back amidst ‘growing uncertainty’ surrounding Juranovic, with Baldock – who was hailed for his ‘outstanding’ form in 2019 by then-Blades manager Chris Wilder – seemingly among the leading candidates.

The verdict: Bulletproof

Although no transfer can be considered completely devoid of risk, signing a player of Baldock’s proven quality, calibre and experience would be as close as a bulletproof deal comes for the Parkhead hierarchy.

Last month, the versatile full-back earned an impressive 7.17 Sofascore rating as he won two duels, made 1.3 tackles and completed 35 passes on average per game in the UEFA Nations League as Greece faced Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Kosovo twice each.

Last season, Baldock continued to play an integral role for Sheffield United, scoring once and providing three assists in 27 appearances across all competitions, appearing in both legs of their Championship play-off semi-final clash against Nottingham Forest.

Capable of operating as a conventional right-back, in advanced areas and from the left, the £3.6m- valued Bramall Lane stalwart – who earns £23,000 per week (Salary Sport) – would certainly appear to be a worthwhile acquisition for Celtic should Juranovic depart during the ongoing transfer window.

Celtic had no issues when it came to finding the net in the Premiership last season, as Ange Postecoglou’s side ended their title-winning campaign with more goals scored (92) than any other team in the division.

Now that the 2022/23 season is on the horizon, with the Hoops undeniably looking to retain their league title while also tasting domestic cup glory and giving a good account of themselves in Europe, the 56-year-old will be hoping to strengthen his squad to put them in the best shape to meet their objectives.

Focusing on their attack, one man with whom the Parkhead club have been linked with this summer and who could some strength and depth to Celtic’s squad is Antoine Semenyo.

A product of Bristol City’s youth system, the 22-year-old has scored 13 goals and delivered 20 assists in 97 senior appearances for the club.

His previous campaign saw the centre-forward find the net eight times and supply 12 assists in 30 Championship appearances, highlighting how deadly he can be in front of goal, whether that’s in terms of scoring goals or setting them up for his team-mates.

This also explains why the £3.5k-per-week attacker was described by his former manager Nigel Pearson as being a “a nightmare to play against” and “a real threat with his power and pace.”

According to Football Transfers, one name who has been included on a list similar players to Semenyo is Karim Adeyemi.

After scoring 33 goals and providing 21 assists in 91 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg, the 20-year-old joined Borussia Dortmund last month for a fee of £33m.

To compare the young attacking duo from their recent individual domestic seasons, they racked up a combined total of 139 shots at goal between them with virtually a 50-50 divide, the Bristol City gem having 70 and the young German taking 69.

With this in mind, the prospect of having his own version of Adeyemi at Celtic in the form of Semenyo would surely be an exciting one for Postecoglou and Hoops fans.

Should an opportunity arise for the Bhoys to launch a move for the Robins predator this summer and bring him to Parkhead, this is something that the Scottish champions should be all over.

In other news – “Celtic would..”: Antony Joseph drops behind-the-scenes claim, supporters will be thrilled

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.

Rangers ended their 2021/22 campaign on a high as the Glasgow giants won the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win at Hampden.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men were left disappointed in both the Premiership and the Europa League as they finished runners-up in both competitions and were able to head into the summer with a trophy by lifting the SFA Cup.

It was a tense match against Hearts as incoming Gers centre-back John Souttar kept the Light Blues at bay throughout regular time.

The game then went to extra time and burst into life as Ryan Jack scored a sensational goal from the edge of the box, before Scott Wright made it 2-0.

Jack, who turns 31 next season, was restricted to nine games in the Premiership as he struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and Rangers may start to think about life after the Scotland international.

Dream Jack heir

Van Bronckhorst can find the dream heir to the 30-year-old in a deal to sign Aberdeen central midfielder Lewis Ferguson this summer.

Former Gers striker Kenny Miller recently claimed that the gem is someone the club should be looking to sign. He said: “In terms of players Rangers could go for in Scotland after (John) Souttar – (Ellis) Simms and (Lewis) Ferguson would potentially be the two for me because they’re at a really good age.”

The Dons man, who was dubbed a “real leader” by former Premiership player Mark Wilson, was valued at £10m by his manager Jim Goodwin earlier this year, whilst calling him a “big influence”, and his statistics in the top-flight make it easy to see why. 

These impressive stats in the Premiership illustrate the quality he would be able to bring to Rangers if they sign him this summer.

The Gers signed Jack from Aberdeen in 2017 and they can now secure his heir in a deal to sign another central midfielder from the Dons.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Light Blues gem averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 as he won 56% of his duels in the division. This shows that both players are capable of delivering consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park and can hold their own in physical contests.

However, Ferguson can replace Jack and add something different to the position – a goalscoring threat. His 11 strikes in the top-flight dwarf the Rangers man’s goal tally in the last five league seasons combined.

This means that he can be an upgrade on the Scotland international and be the long-term replacement for him, with plenty of years left for the Aberdeen man to give at the age of 22.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Weston: Rangers can form deadly future duo in deal for highly-rated teen…

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is expected to win his battle to be fit for the Champions League final, The Daily Mirror’s David Maddock reports. 

The lowdown

Fabinho was forced off half an hour into Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night with an apparent hamstring injury.

It’s since been confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, as well as the Reds’ remaining league games against Southampton and Wolves.

That means that the no. 3 faces a race to be fit for the meeting with Real Madrid in Paris at the end of the month.

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The latest

Maddock, northern football correspondent for the paper, shared the ‘big news’ on Fabinho on Thursday evening.

The Brazilian ‘should be fit for the Champions League final’, he wrote, news which has now been confirmed by Jurgen Klopp himself.

The verdict

This would be a significant boost for Klopp and Liverpool. Fabinho is typically one of the first names on the team-sheet, starting 26 of the 30 Premier League games for which he’s been available.

What’s more, Klopp has previously hailed him as ‘the best’ defensive midfielder on the planet.

And with Fabinho on the pitch, Liverpool are outscoring the opposition by an average of 1.7 goals per 90 minutes.

Injury played a part last time Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the UCL showpiece, with top goalscorer Mohamed Salah forced off in the first half, and they won’t want it to be a factor this time around.

In other news, there’s been a ‘major development’ in the Aurelien Tchouameni race. 

The first signal came from the non-striker Faf du Plessis, before the umpire was satisfied that Miller’s late gesture signalled his intent to review

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2018Was DRS protocol correctly followed when Aleem Dar’s decision to give David Miller out lbw was reviewed in the third ODI between Australia and South Africa in Hobart?Miller, on 41, was given lbw to Glenn Maxwell and after considerable debate with the non-striker Faf du Plessis it was the South Africa captain du Plessis who first made a clear review signal to umpire Dar. Dar appeared to hesitate in signalling for the DRS until Miller himself made a half-hearted gesture of brushing his arm, after which Dar called in the TV umpire, satisfied with the striker’s intent to review. The ball-tracking projection predicted the ball would have gone over the stumps and Dar overturned his decision.

It took a LONG time for the Proteas to review, but they'll be glad they did! #AUSvSA@GilletteAU #CloseMatters pic.twitter.com/E7u7X9QgEu

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 11, 2018

The ICC playing conditions for ODIs state that only the batsman dismissed can request for a review. “Only the batsman involved in a dismissal may request a Player Review of an Out decision and only the captain (or acting captain) of the fielding team may request a Player Review of a Not-out decision.”The playing conditions also state that a “review request shall be made by the player making a ‘T’ sign with both forearms at head height,” and while that is not strictly enforced Miller’s gesture did not meet those standards.There was also a question over whether the review request from South Africa had come within the permitted 15-second period. It was a borderline call with host broadcaster putting a stop clock on it which came to 18 seconds, although the time restriction is again not always enforced strictly.Miller went on to make 139 off 108 balls and shared a partnership of 252 with du Plessis, leading South Africa to 320 for 5 in the series decider at Bellerive Oval.