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Taking to Twitter, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has backed an ExWHUemployee transfer update which involves West Ham defensive target Kurt Zouma.

The Lowdown: West Ham hold Zouma talks…

Sky Sports broke news last week that West Ham had entered talks with Chelsea over signing the centre-back as manager David Moyes continues his search for defensive reinforcements.

The Irons are currently prioritising a move for defenders before any other position, with Zouma, Nikola Milenkovic and Duje Caleta-Car the main targets according to reports.

The Latest: Romano backs Zouma update…

Taking to Twitter, Romano has now backed club insider ExWHUemployee’s update on the talks to sign Zouma this summer.

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Ex believes that the move, as it stands, is currently off with the 26-year-old having turned down West Ham – citing the fact situations can change at an almost hourly rate (Twitter).

Reliable transfer journalist Romano has supported this news out of east London whilst going one step further into detail.

He says that Ex’s update is in fact ‘correct’ and personal terms were never agreed over his signing.

As of now, West Ham are ‘already’ focusing on other central defensive targets according to the reporter.

The Verdict: Blow for West Ham?

There is little arguing that Zouma would have been a brilliant defensive addition for Moyes.

The colossal 6 foot 3 defender averaged a superb 90.9% pass accuracy out from the back for Chelsea over 2020/2021 in the Premier League and even managed to chip in with five goals going forward (WhoScored).

These reliable reports come as another blow for West Ham as the transfer window deadline looms on August 31.

Attention should now quickly shift to Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, who could leave Italy for as little as €15 million (£12.7m) according to Charlie Eccleshare.

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘What we’ve been asking for’…West Ham fans flock to ‘beautiful’ club post, find out more here.

Newcastle United could repeat their Callum Wilson masterclass this summer with Fulham star Tosin Adarabioyo.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Steve Bruce’s side are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing the 6 foot 5 powerhouse this summer after the Cottagers’ relegation back to the Championship last season.

And, in response to the links, former Magpies ace Howey told The Transfer Tavern: “Normally what tends to happen is clubs that get relegated, other clubs will pick the carcass off it and they just pick the best players. Look at what happened to Bournemouth last year, for example. Decent player. Could he perform even better with some solid players around him? You know, possibly.”

Another Callum Wilson masterclass

As Howey says, when clubs get relegated from the Premier League, they leave themselves open to the vultures circling and swooping in on their best players.

The Magpies did that to great effect last summer when they signed both Wilson and teammate Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth, and while the latter had an injury-hit campaign that has seen him yet to deliver the goods, the former was a real shining light.

The England international bagged 12 goals in his 26 Premier League games for the Tyneside club, and proved that there is real value for money and quality in teams that have gone down.

And in Adarabioyo, Newcastle could do exactly that again.

Having been described as a “high quality, class player” and “immense” by Tony Mowbray, his former boss at Blackburn, Adarabioyo has the kind of pedigree which could really bolster Bruce’s side.

Mowbray said: “The reason we brought him was because of his attributes. He’s 6ft 5in, he’s very very quick, his distribution is as a good as any centre-back in the division.”

It’s no surprise that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has previously called him “exceptional”, or why Newcastle are keen on landing the £60k-a-week earning powerhouse this summer.

Adarabioyo could be another Wilson-esque masterclass for the Magpies and Mike Ashley.

Every now and then, a duo comes along that causes your mouth to water. Your palms will begin to sweat and the hairs will stand up on the back of your neck.

In terms of Everton, you can cast your minds back to the days of David Moyes and Tim Cahill or as recently to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Carlo Ancelotti.

Those pairings were scintillating but we could well see the return of Moyes in the near future.

Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright wants him to succeed Ancelotti at Goodison Park but they have other irons in the fire.

One manager who’s been touted with the vacancy is Brighton boss Graham Potter.

The 46-year-old is still an inexperienced coach but has made a name for himself in an eye-catching fashion.

He steered Ostersund from the fourth tier of Swedish football all the way to the top-flight and then into European football.

A move to the Championship followed as he joined Swansea before cutting his cloth in the Premier League with the Seagulls.

Heading to a bigger club would be just deserts for his impressive methods but like Moyes and Cahill all those years ago, he could help to forge another terrifying duo in Merseyside.

That’s because Everton have been linked to one of Potter’s stand out players at the Amex; Yves Bissouma.

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They reportedly made an enquiry to sign the £40m midfielder last month and are one of a number of clubs interested in securing his services.

Bissouma has come on leaps and bounds under the current Brighton manager, featuring for him on 62 occasions.

Potter has been vital in taking the 24-year-old’s game to the next level, quickly establishing himself as one of the most menacing midfielder’s in the Premier League.

Compared to Yaya Toure, only Luke Ayling (108) won more tackles in England’s top-flight than Bissouma (104) this season.

He prevailed in 2.9 challenges per match and produced 1.5 dribbles per game, displaying a frightening set of qualities that have bullied fellow midfielder’s all season long.

Described as “exceptional” by Gary Linekar, Bissouma has all the qualities to thrive in the middle of the park for Everton.

He can carry the ball, read the play and break up attacks on command. Adding him and Potter to the Everton ranks would be nothing short of a masterstroke from Farhad Moshiri and Marcel Brands.

AND in other news, Worse than Nuno: Moshiri risks more mediocrity if Everton hire “stubborn” 47 y/o boss…

Xherdan Shaqiri has said he will make a decision on “how to continue” at Liverpool after Euro 2020, as reported by This Is Anfield.

Signing from Stoke City for £13 million in 2018/19 [BBC], the Swiss international has been a sporadic contributor for the Merseyside giants; offering up eight goals and nine assists in 63 outings [Transfermarkt].

Enduring an infrequent season due to injuries, Shaqiri made 22 outings for the Reds in 2020/21, registering five goal contributions; one goal and four assists [Transfermarkt].

Speaking ahead of Switzerland’s crunch EURO 2020 clash with Italy on Wednesday night, the diminutive winger stated on his future: “At the moment I don’t really want to talk about it,”.

“I have a contract there and after the Euros, of course, I will talk to my agent and then we will look at the situation. Then we will decide how to continue.” [This is Anfield].

As you can imagine, loads of Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to express their opinion over Shaqiri’s future upon hearing the news.

Liverpool fans react:

Replying to popular Liverpool Twitter site This is Anfield, here is how some supporters summarised their feelings when asked if he should stay, with the Kop faithful seemingly desperate to keep hold of the playmaker for next season:

“Liverpool need this lad.”

Credit: @gmarrus”Yes!!”Credit: @Charlie56892354″Yes, he’s quality and cheap”Credit: @FPL_NZ”Oh my guy Shaq. Just adore him”Credit: @englishjen2″Hopefully gets more of a chance”Credit: @DazGwy”Liverpool should just keep him.”Credit: @gmarrusIn other news, Liverpool fans react to a Donyell Malen update.

Nottingham Forest have had their fair share of players that have come and gone from the City Ground over the years.

The Reds finished 17th in the Championship in the 2020/21 season, in what was certainly a forgetful season for Chris Hughton and the club’s supporters.

It’s going to be an interesting summer ahead, as the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss looks to make changes ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

Forest are set to take on Coventry City on the opening weekend of fixtures, in what could potentially be a tricky test for the Reds, as they look to get off to a winning start next term.

One player that is unlikely to be involved in the matchday squad for that clash against the Sky Blues is defender Nicholas Ioannou, who has found regular game time hard to come by at the City Ground in recent months.

The full-back signed for Nottingham Forest back in 2020 and has gone on to make just five appearances in total for the former Premier League side.

Ioannou spent part of the 2020/21 campaign out on loan with Cypriot side Aris Thessaloniki, and made ten appearances in total for them, before returning to the City Ground this summer.

The ‘deadwood’ needs clearing out

It remains to be seen if he has a future with Nottingham Forest, with Sky Sports (via Calciomercato) revealing that Ioannou as emerged as a potential transfer target for Serie B side Como 1907.

It is thought that a loan move is the most likely option, although the report doesn’t claim whether it’s a permanent or loan deal at this stage.

A clear-out of the ‘deadwood’ is certainly needed at Nottingham Forest, and if they can replace that ‘deadwood’ with smart signings over the summer, then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see Forest mounting a serious push for a top-half finish this term under Hughton’s management.

They’ve got the makings of a solid squad there at this moment in time, with the likes of Joe Lolley, Lewis Grabban and Joe Worrall showing glimpses of their quality in recent seasons, although they’ve found consistency hard to find at times in their time with Forest.

They’re simply putting off the inevitable this summer

Ioannou hasn’t made an anywhere near good enough impact in his time with Forest though, and the club should be looking to cash in on him at the earliest of opportunities.

A loan move to Como 1907 this summer would only be putting off the inevitable permanent exit, and his reported £4,000 per week wages (according to Salary Sport) could be used on a better alternative, who will be keen to make a positive impact in the near future.

Ioannou has to be sold as he’s simply not good enough.

Manchester City fans praised Carlos Borges after he was named the Citizens’ U18 Players’ Player of the Year.

The Citizens have enjoyed highs and lows this campaign, winning the Premier League and League Cup but also losing the Champions League final against Chelsea 1-0. Of this term’s squad, Phil Foden is the only player to come through City’s youth system to have any real impact in the first team.

City fans will be hoping they have another great hope on their hands, however, in Borges. He has enjoyed a wonderful season, scoring 13 times and providing 19 assists in just 24 matches (Transfermarkt) – that has earned him recognition from his fellow teammates.

Perhaps that kind of record will see him follow in the footsteps of Foden sooner rather than later.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the City supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter, with one fan describing the youngster’s performance level as ‘insane’.

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

“Some player him”

Credit: @zxlini

“Already better than Sterling”

Credit: @WandersonCris18

“Promising lad….. Success”

Credit: @eduh_chege

“That’s insane numbers”

Credit: @Ali_Szn14

“Promote him to the first team”

Credit: @mcfcabdull

“Remember his name.. he’ll be better than Mbappe”

Credit: @DiasCEO

In other news, Man City fans slammed this man’s performance in the Champions League final.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa could create a terrifying duo at Elland Road by signing Borna Sosa this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Sosa’s agent, Franjo Vranjkovic, the Whites have submitted a bid to Stuttgart to sign the left-back in the summer transfer window, saying: “The most important thing for him is to make a transfer to England because he has an offer from Leeds United.”

Imagine him and Harrison

With Jack Harrison the man Bielsa has relied upon on the left-flank, the Leeds boss could help his winger cause even more havoc by bringing Sosa to the club this summer.

The Croatian’s ability to deliver superb crosses into the box has been a real feature of his game, and something very much akin to former Manchester United and England star David Beckham – and that comparison has been echoed by Stuttgart’s own sporting director, Sven Mislintat.

He said: “Borna’s said himself that David Beckham is his role model, and I think he has the same qualities. He puts in crosses from every angle: sometimes chipped, sometimes drilled, sometimes flat, sometimes in behind, sometimes to the front post, other times to the back post. His left foot is a real weapon.”

You only have to look at Leeds’ last game in the Premier League against Spurs to see the kind of damage and chaos Harrison can cause when he’s got a flying full-back providing quality from behind him, with the 24-year-old linking up superbly with Gjanni Alioski for the Whites’ opening two goals.

As per Whoscored, Sosa averages a whopping 2.3 key passes and two crosses per game in the Bundesliga this season, which are both comfortably higher than any Leeds player has averaged – that’s not to mention the 23-year-old’s tally of ten assists also being higher than any Whites star too.

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Harrison could dove-tail extremely well with a player of Sosa’s calibre, with both their pace and menacing deliveries causing nightmares for opposition defences up and down the country.

While Raphinha has been a sensation on the right-hand side, giving Harrison a partner in crime like Sosa could give Leeds an even more potent attack, and that’s the kind of duo the Leeds boss would surely love to create.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have been handed a boost as major Elland Road news emerges…

Adam Armstrong was sold by Newcastle United in 2018 and has gone onto prove why they were wrong to not keep him at the club and Newcastle Hall of Famer, Rob Lee, has exclusively told Football FanCast that he would want to see the striker back at the club.

The Newcastle academy graduate was in scintillating form for Blackburn Rovers this season as he finished with 28 goals and runner up in the Championship Golden Boot race, only beaten by Ivan Toney, who was also sold by Rafa Benitez for not being good enough.

When the Magpies sold Armstrong to Blackburn they inserted a 40% sell-on clause, so if anyone other than Newcastle sign the 24-year old, his current club will only receive 60% of the total transfer fee.

Armstrong has been linked with a move back to Tyneside and Lee spoke to FFC about how he would love Newcastle to bring the striker back home. He said:

“Newcastle probably won’t want him but I don’t know if it is best for him to go back there or go somewhere else. He left Newcastle when they didn’t want him and he’s proved that he’s a very good player.

“Can he now push onto the next level now? Would it be best for him to do that away from Newcastle at the moment? I don’t know, but I’d sign him. However, he’s one of these players that you’ve got to play in the right position as he’s a goalscorer.”

The Magpies are not the only club to be credited with an interest in Armstrong as reports have suggested that David Moyes wants to bring the Rovers star to the London Stadium.

Armstrong’s current deal is set to expire next summer so Blackburn will be wanting to sell him before the start of next season so they can receive a substantial transfer fee and rebuild their squad.

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Leicester fans would love to see Luis Suarez move to the King Power Stadium this summer, but isn’t sure whether the legendary striker would be guaranteed of a starting place.

That’s because Windass thinks that with Jamie Vardy knocking around, he’ll always be the club’s first-choice striker despite only seven of his Premier League goals this season coming from open play.

Due to his Liverpool connections with Brendan Rodgers, the Uruguayan frontman was strongly linked with a move to Leicester 12 months ago following his Barcelona exit.

However, Suarez ended up staying in Spain and signed for Atletico Madrid.

And it would be a mistake that Barcelona would regret after Suarez’s 21 goals for the Madrid giants guided them to the La Liga title on the final day of the season, with the 34-year-old scoring the title-clinching goal.

A move to Leicester would be seen as a shock given his stature in European football, but Windass thinks it’s something the Foxes faithful would love to see happen.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s a number nine, he’s not a wide player and whilst Vardy is there, he’s going to be a number one, but Leicester fans would love to see Luis Suarez.”

Southampton have struggled immensely with injuries so far this campaign and the latest setback to Danny Ings is yet another frustrating blow for Ralph Hasenhuttl as we approach the culmination of the Premier League season.

The 28-year-old striker was forced off injured in the 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek having scored earlier in the game, with Southampton collapsing after his substitution.

Although he hasn’t reached the heights of last season, when he finished joint-second top scorer in the Premier League with 22 goals, he is still the top scorer for the Saints so far this term, with 10 goals to his name in the top flight.

His 6.89/10 average WhoScored rating also sees him ranked as the Saints’ joint-fifth best performer in the Premier League this season, so it is clear to see how important he is to Hasenhuttl’s side.

After the match, the manager confirmed he didn’t know the full extent of Ings’ injury, but the fact that he was holding his hamstring/groin as he limped off suggests that the 28-year-old could miss a significant portion of Southampton’s remaining Premier League programme.

Although the Saints are currently nine points clear of 18th-placed Fulham, having also played a game less, the absence of Ings could leave Hasenhuttl fearing the worst this season, as their awful form in 2021 would certainly mark them out as relegation candidates if it were not for the similarly terrible performances from Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham this season.

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Last season saw Ings earn huge praise for his performances, with former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe particularly complimentary of the striker, saying: “The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.”

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Given that Southampton have really struggled to score goals at times this season, losing a player who can turn a game on its head such as Ings, evidenced by his superb display in the 3-2 comeback win against Burnley recently, is a huge blow for Hasenhuttl, and he will be desperately hoping that the Saints can do enough to stay up this season without him.

In other news… “Brilliant” £70k-p/w Saints star may have already played his last game under Hasenhuttl