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West Ham lead to the race to sign Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes this summer, but face competition for his signature from other Premier League clubs, as per Matt Law of The Telegraph.

The fire sale has begun at the Kingpower Stadium after their disastrous season ended in relegation to the Championship, and a host of Premier League clubs have lined up to attempt to sign some of the club’s best assets this summer.

West Ham transfer news – Harvey Barnes

It is set to be a busy summer at the London Stadium after West Ham owner David Sullivan confirmed that Declan Rice would be leaving West Ham during this transfer window.

According to Sam Dean and Law, the Hammers have priced Declan Rice at £92m.

Bayern Munich and Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Rice, but Arsenal are currently leading the race to sign the Europa Conference League-winning captain.

West Ham aim to spend the windfall from Rice’s transfer to acquire English winger Harvey Barnes, according to the aforementioned report.

The Irons will face Premier League competition in the fight to sign Barnes, with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all expected to make a run at the 25-year-old.

It is believed that the Foxes currently value Barnes at £40m, but West Ham are likely to start the bidding at around £30m.

Should West Ham sign Harvey Barnes?

Since joining the Midlands outfit from Barnsley in 2018, Barnes has been an important piece in the side – as per Transfermarkt, he has notched 45 goals and 32 appearances in 187 appearances, primarily from a left-wing position.

The tricky winger, who has one cap for England, was a key member of the Leicester side that won the FA Cup in 2021, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Michael Cox of The Athletic once stated that Barnes’ game 'is almost solely based around the simplest concept in football: the give and go', arguing the Burnley native’s style is simple and direct, but effective.

Barnes, who Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp once hailed as an "unbelievable player," loves playing one-two passes with his inside forward, and this play style could work wonders in a David Moyes system where the striker often has his back to goal holding up play.

The speed of the player is also one of his greatest strengths.

His top speed of 35.44km/h ranked sixth of all Premier League midfielders last year, and this electric pace would surely be a significant upgrade on the left wing for West Ham over Said Benrahma.

An update has emerged on Everton and their plans to bolster their attacking options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on El Bilal Toure to Everton?

According to the Daily Mail, the Toffees are stepping up their interest in Almeria centre-forward El Bilal Toure as they eye a swoop to sign the ace.

The report claims that the club are keen on the 21-year-old as they want a replacement for current striker Neal Maupay, who could leave to join Salernitana in Italy.

It is stated that the La Liga outfit value the young forward at £25m and it remains to be seen how much Sean Dyche's side are willing to splash out on him this summer.

Who is El Bilal Toure?

He is a 6 foot 1 number nine who currently plays in the top-flight of Spanish football with Almeria and the marksman could be a huge upgrade on Maupay.

The Frenchman, previously of Brentford, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.56 across 27 appearances in the Premier League and contributed with one goal and zero assists, starting 11 times, as the flop failed to consistently make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

He missed seven 'big chances' and did not create a single one for his teammates over the course of the campaign, which shows that the dud was wasteful in front of goal and offered almost nothing from a creative perspective, as he made 0.3 key passes per match.

Toure, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.79 and plundered six goals and two assists in 20 outings in La Liga – starting 14 times. This suggests that the titan could provide more quality than Maupay in the final third if he can translate his form for Almeria over to England.

The youngster, who has completed 71% of his passes, was once dubbed a "major talent" by journalist Graeme Bailey and his form in 22/23 has started to back that up as the ace is making a big impact in a major European league despite his young age.

Maupay, 26, struggled badly in the top flight and did nowhere near enough to prove himself to be a reliable option for the manager heading into next season.

Therefore, Dyche swooping to bring Toure to Goodison Park could improve the club's squad as the Mali international has the ability to offer far more in front of goal than the ex-Brentford man.

This means that ruthlessly ditching the current Toffees striker in favour of a £25m swoop for the La Liga hotshot could be a terrific piece of business by Everton.

Liverpool have 'high confidence' that they can conclude a deal to bring in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in the forthcoming transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alexis Mac Allister?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently dropped an update on the state of play surrounding Mac Allister's future, stating on Twitter: "Alexis Mac Allister, expected to bid his farewell to Brighton fans after final game after his fantastic experience at the club since 2020. He’s prepared to leave the club in June with Liverpool frontrunners — close to complete the deal, waiting on final details."

Football Insider claim that Brighton's impending capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has increased the likelihood of the Argentina international moving to Anfield in the off-season.

The report states that the Seagulls are 'resigned' to losing their prize asset to Liverpool and plan to use the funds recouped from his sale to bolster their engine room.

One outlet in Argentina has signalled that a deal to take Mac Allister to Merseyside has already been ratified and will cost the Reds £61 million.

Mac Allister earns £50,000 on his current contract at Brighton, which runs until 2025 on the South Coast, according to Capology.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has revealed that there is a 'form of exit clause' in Mac Allister's present terms at Brighton, though they still have some details to thrash out to make the transfer official.

Jacobs told FFC: "Mac Allister also does have a clause in his current deal, which was signed just before the World Cup. It can be referred to as a form of exit clause, but it isn't a traditional release clause and it helps facilitate a move and allows Liverpool to do a lot of legwork on the player side, but they will still have to agree a fee with Brighton. This is one that Liverpool have got high confidence in, they have done for quite some time, but Brighton always do things on their terms and usually at their valuation as well. That club-to-club aspect would still need to be completed, but this is one that Liverpool feel has a high likelihood of coming off."

Would Alexis Mac Allister be a good signing for Liverpool?

Mac Allister, who was hailed as Brighton's "golden boy", has been a joy to watch in the Premier League this campaign and would enrich Liverpool's midfield if he is to complete a switch to Anfield this summer.

In 2022/23, the 24-year-old has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Brighton, registering 12 goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

The playmaker has also illustrated his inventiveness on the field for the Seagulls this term, racking up 1.4 key passes per match in the English top flight, according to WhoScored.

FBRef shows that the Argentine has been a prevalent chance provider this campaign, successfully performing 105 shot-creating actions in total.

With Liverpool seemingly in the market for midfield reinforcements in the upcoming window, Mac Allister would be a very intelligent signing by Jurgen Klopp as he looks ahead to 2023/24.

Everton are facing tough competition from a number of Premier League clubs in their pursuit of Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The Lowdown: Colwill’s season

The 19-year-old spent the season on loan at Championship outfit Huddersfield Town, helping the Terriers to reach the play-off final, which they lost to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The centre-back featured 31 times in the Yorkshire club’s promotion push from the second tier, averaging 1.7 tackles and 4.3 clearances per game and earning himself a strong overall rating of 7.10 for the season (via SofaScore).

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The Latest: Everton face competition for Colwill

According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton are now facing competition in the race to sign Colwill on loan for next season.

Having caught the eye during his time in the Championship, the defender has recently been linked with a move to Goodison Park.

However, according to Goal (via Liverpool Echo), scouts from ‘a host of Premier League clubs’ were at Wembley on Sunday to watch Colwill in action, so it may take something special to stand out from the multitude of prospective suitors.

The Verdict: Fantastic potential

With Everton narrowly avoiding relegation, Frank Lampard will now be able to offer first-hand Premier League experience to Colwill, who will likely be looking to make the step up from Championship football.

Dubbed the ‘new John Terry’ for his integral part in Huddersfield’s promotion push, the 19-year-old clearly has fantastic potential which is yet to be explored in the top flight by his parent club Chelsea.

Therefore, if there isn’t a place for him in Thomas Tuchel’s side next season, then a loan move elsewhere in the Premier League would be ideal for all parties involved, given the youngster’s ‘incredibly bright’ future (in the words of Chelsea reporter Nick Purewal).

In other news: Pete O’Rourke wowed by Everton transfer news involving another British starlet

While PIF and Eddie Howe have already made astute transfer market moves at Newcastle United in 2022, the previous regime was blighted with transfer mistakes and missed opportunities, with former owner Mike Ashley and Howe’s predecessor Steve Bruce not exactly making the wisest transfer dealings.

One common theme that dominated previous years was inaction in the transfer window, with the Magpies having been far too hesitant and reluctant to spend, despite their continual suffering at the foot of the table.

That frugality and stubbornness often saw the Tynesiders miss out on potential stars, with Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu just one name to have escaped the clutches of Bruce and co in recent seasons.

While he was eventually signed by the Gunners on a £20m deal last summer, the Japan international could have actually been snapped up a year prior, with the northeast side reportedly scouting the versatile full-back while at former club Bologna, alongside West Ham.

A further report suggested that the Serie A outfit had set the player’s asking price at just £15m – £5m less than he was eventually sold for a year later – although Newcastle passed up the chance, instead opting to bring in the likes of Jeff Hendrick, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis that summer, as well as the more successful signing of Callum Wilson.

The club have seemingly been left to pay for that mistake since then, however, having been left with just Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo as right-back options for much of the last two seasons, with Kieran Trippier having struggled with injury since his January arrival.

Even at centre-back, however, Tomiyasu would likely have been a more than adequate replacement, with the club having shipped 62 league goals in the 2021/22 campaign – the sixth-worst record in the division.

As for the £57k-per-week gem, he also had his troubles with injury during his debut campaign at the club, although has managed to earn rave reviews from across the game, having been dubbed Arsenal’s “signing of the season” for his impact by journalist Kaya Kaynak, while teammate Ben White also insisted that the 28-cap star “does the simple things at a world-class level.”

Although the aforementioned Trippier has somewhat softened the blow at having missed out on the 23-year-old, Bruce and Ashley’s failings did leave the club without a quality right-back for almost 18 months, with recruitment defensively as whole having been shoddy in recent years.

Now valued at £22.5m, Tomiyasu looks likely to prove a bargain even for Mikel Arteta’s side, with it hard to believe that Newcastle missed the chance to sign him for just £15m – another major error of the Bruce-Ashley era.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has claimed that Ryan Kent could now leave Glasgow Rangers this summer.

The Lowdown: Premier League interest

After their exploits in the Europa League, a few of the Teddy Bears’ most valuable stars are likely to attract interest, notably from the Premier League.

Calvin Bassey has already been strongly linked with a move away from Ibrox, with Aston Villa among a number of clubs thought to be interested in his signature, and he will not be the only player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad who will be eyed by the riches of the English top flight.

Indeed, Kent has already been linked with moves to the likes of Leeds United and Everton in recent weeks.

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The Latest: Kent tipped for Rangers exit

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson has claimed that Kent could well follow Bassey and others out the door at Ibrox.

The former Premier League goalkeeper said of the ex-Liverpool winger: “This could be the window where he leaves. I think Rangers will receive an offer too good to turn down.

“Kent has had an unbelievable season once again. I know he hasn’t got the goals but he’s still been fantastic. He has put in some performances in big games.

“I’m sure there’ll be offers on the table for him. I don’t think Rangers will be able to turn them down.

“Kent will have ambitions to play in the Premier League at the top level. They were so close to getting Champions League football and I think that would make all the difference.

“Will competing for the Scottish title and the Europa League be enough for Kent? I’m not sure. It might not be enough. The lure of the Premier League might be too big.”

The Verdict: Worrying

As Robinson has suggested, the lure of the Premier League might be too big for Kent to turn down, which will come as a huge worry for the Light Blues and their supporters.

As mentioned above, both Leeds and Everton are reportedly eyeing moves for him; and at 25 years of age, he may not get a better chance in his career to play at the top level in England.

Nonetheless, the Gers need to try and keep hold of him at all costs, given his 23 goal contributions this season. However, if they are resigned to letting him leave, then they must demand the highest fee possible for his services, given how difficult he could be to replace.

In other news, find out what ‘huge’ boost Rangers are now set to enjoy

Celtic had a rather significant summer last year, not just because of the hefty number of players who moved in and out of the club, but because of their change in management.

After seeing Neil Lennon leave in February 2021, Ange Postecoglou took over on a permanent basis in June having signed a 12-month rolling contract.

Now that the 2021/22 season has drawn to an end and the 56-year-old has brought the Premiership title back to Parkhead in his first attempt, a claim has emerged over the Australian’s future at Lennoxtown which will surely have lots of Celtic fans buzzing.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football Insider, Gabby Agbonlahor raised the possibility of Celtic offering Postecoglou a new long-term deal.

The former Aston Villa striker said of the 56-year-old: “I think he does deserve that long-term deal, he has been outstanding this season. I’m sure they will give him that. It’s big for Scottish football. It’s great for Scottish football.

“Rangers and Celtic both look really good at the moment, next season is going to be really exciting. I remember as a kid always watching Rangers v Celtic, now, more people will be watching because they are both doing well.”

Earlier this month, it was reported by the Daily Record that the Parkhead club will look to sit down with Postecoglou and offer him a new long-term deal as a result of his successful first season in charge of the Bhoys.

While there has been no official announcement yet on the matter, the Hoops boss recently said that the Celtic fans would not need to worry about his future at the club.

Taking into account how Postecoglou has won 42 of his 60 games in charge at Celtic, it’s safe to say that Hoops supporters would love to see the Australian not only continue his journey with the Parkhead club but carry on with them on a long-term basis.

The sooner that the 56-year-old puts pen to paper on a new contract, the sooner that he and the Celtic hierarchy can get on with preparing for the new season and being as successful as they can on the domestic and European front.

In other news: Kieran Devlin shares big Lennoxtown transfer claim, Celtic supporters will be buzzing

Steven Gerrard can take a big step closer to the top half of the Premier League by leading Aston Villa to a win against Crystal Palace today.

Both teams have enjoyed slight resurgences of late and come into the match in decent form, although Villa suffered defeat against Liverpool in midweek.

Gerrard could be considering some changes to his starting XI following that defeat, with the aim of securing all three points against Palace.

With that in mind, how might the 41-year-old set up his Villa team today?

Villa predicted XI

Martinez – Cash, Mings, Konsa, Digne – Luiz, Chukwuemeka, McGinn – Coutinho, Buendia – Ings

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will surely start and will be hoping to register his 12th clean sheet of the campaign.

The back four will likely be unchanged from the defeat to Liverpool, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa partnering each other at the heart of defence, while Matty Cash and Lucas Digne feature on the right and left respectively.

The midfield three could see one change, with £34k-p/w dud Marvelous Nakamba – one of Villa’s worst performers against Liverpool – being axed for the 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka, who Paul Merson described as “outstanding” following his top-flight debut last August. John McGinn and Douglas Luiz will likely keep their places from midweek.

Going forward, Philippe Coutinho will once again operate in the space between midfield and attack, where he can cause so much damage to the opposition. The injury that Watkins sustained against Liverpool could see Gerrard go with a 4-3-2-1 against Palace, with Emiliano Buendia starting alongside the Brazilian in attacking midfield.

This would leave Danny Ings in the lone striker role as the Villa manager makes a possible tactical tweak which will hopefully lead the side to victory.

A win would push the Midlanders into the top half depending on Leicester City’s result. It could well be a good weekend for the Villa faithful if they can get back on track after their gutsy display in defeat to Liverpool.

AND in other news, Lange plotting Villa swoop for “fearless” 87-goal monster, he’s better than Watkins

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag appears to have had a major setback over one of Europe’s brightest talents.

What’s the word?

Man Utd have been linked with RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku recently, however, it appears that he won’t be leaving the German side this summer.

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Liverpool were also linked with the versatile attacker, but Leipzig claimed that even a bid of £85m wouldn’t be enough to prise their finest talent away from the club.

The news was relayed by Fabrizio Romano who put across comments from the club’s director, Oliver Mintzlaff. The Tweet read:

“RB Leipzig director Oliver Mintzlaff on Christopher Nkunku’s future: “We have clearly discussed it internally: we won’t let Nkunku leave this summer, we told him and his agent”. RB Leipzig will also try to extend his contract but talks are still at early stages.”

Ten Hag faces first blow over Nkunku

The incoming manager faces a big rebuilding job at Old Trafford in the summer, with a rejig of the squad absolutely certain, ten Hag will be determined to stamp his authority on the team as soon as possible.

With the side’s frustrations in the final third, Nkunku would have been an ideal signing and thus, missing out on him will be a first major blow to the Dutchman, one that will understandably leave supporters gutted and perhaps even upset.

The 24-year-old has netted a remarkable 34 goals in 50 matches this season, adding in a further 20 assists, and it’s clear to see why he is one of the most sought-after properties on the continent.

All of this is from mainly an attacking midfield role too, with former Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch dubbing him as a “player with no weaknesses.”

With Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, the only two United players to have scored double figures this season, adding another attacker is the utmost priority for ten Hag.

It is surely only a matter of when instead of if regarding Nkunku joining an elite side, despite his club stating he isn’t for sale.

If the Red Devils come in with a seismic offer, then it might just be tempting enough for the German club to consider it.

With his current stats being exemplary, then there is no doubt he could be the right man to lead the club into a new era. It’s a shame, therefore, that this move looks unlikely.

AND in other news, Forget McTominay: MUFC must brutally axe “pathetic” dud who 0 duels duels v Brighton

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