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Sunderland have joined the race to sign Hull City’s James Scott ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to reports via Portsmouth.co.uk, who state that Sunderland, amongst the likes of Derby, Portsmouth, Accrington and Hibernian are all keen to secure his signature.

As per the report, the Hull man may get a chance to prove himself to boss Shota Arveladze, who reportedly wants to see the player in action before deciding the next chapter of his career.

Imagine him and Stewart

21-year-old Scott, who has scored 15 goals in his career so far, has endured a somewhat difficult start to his career as a professional.

After scoring £1.5m.

Having registered six returns in the form of terrific” by former Mackems boss, Jack Ross.

His first 16 appearances for the Edinburgh outfit saw zero returns for the club, but in the final few games, he has demonstrated his ability, having managed hat-trick against St. Johnstone in the final game of the campaign.

It means he has scored four goals in five fixtures in the Scottish Premiership Relegation Round and has given clubs like Sunderland the inclination to look towards the Scotsman, who could form a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Ross Stewart.

Despite his incredible haul of 59 chances, with nine of these classed as big chances this campaign.

Scott, who was described as “perfectly placed” for his second goal against St. Johnstone, has been operating in a Hibernian side that have drummed up just 33 big chances this term, whilst Sunderland have managed to create almost double that with a tally of 64.

It goes without saying, a two-man Scottish partnership between Stewart and Scott could make for an unstoppable duo who could bolster the Black Cats, offensively speaking.

Scott’s finish to this season bodes well for his start to the next.

In other news: Neil can save Sunderland millions by unleashing 19y/o who can “make something happen”

Liverpool are being strongly linked with Aurelien Tchouameni, and now a new update has emerged from Monaco on their intentions for the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has now spoken out on the potential sale of Tchouameni after it was reported that the Frenchman has agreed on personal terms with both Liverpool and Real Madrid.

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Mitchell responded to a question about which club he would prefer to sell the player to in an interview with RMC Sport (via Metro):

“I don’t have a preference, to be honest!”

“As always when you sell a player, there needs to be fair compensation. The market is different every year.

“So no, I have no preference when it comes to selling him. We will have to be very aggressive in terms of the fee we demand to lose such an incredibly gifted player.”

Klopp needs him

Following the comments from the Monaco sporting director, the powers at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp have been given the perfect chance to make an aggressive move for the midfielder, with the manager evidently needing him.

In terms of the more defensive midfielders in the team Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all currently in their 30s, so in order to move forward and keep the squad fresh the signing of Tchouameni would be a massive coup in building the future midfield at Anfield.

The £60m ace who was hailed “extraordinary” by Paul Pogba has been impressing at his Ligue 1 club that has created a transfer war between two of the biggest clubs in the world with Real Madrid competing with the Kopites for his signature.

He is currently the highest ranked midfielder in European football in terms of interceptions this season, which is extremely impressive for a 22-year-old, and that isn’t the only attribute that has been understandably catching the eye of Klopp, with the youngster using his 6 foot 1 height to dominate opponents.

Tchouameni has scored three goals and contributed two assists, making 75.5 touches, 2.9 interceptions and 2.5 tackles on average per game whilst winning the majority of his duels combined and successful in the majority of his dribbles, proving that he really is the complete midfielder and could be a huge threat both defensively and offensively in Liverpool’s midfield three.

With that being said, Klopp and FSG must act fast and offer something much more attractive and tempting than Real Madrid as soon as they can to ensure they can secure the signing and complete the deal before the La Liga giants make a move Liverpool can’t compete with.

AND in other news: Liverpool would “really like” to sign £100m “generational talent”, Klopp will love him

Celtic and Ange Postecoglou showed during the previous summer and winter transfer windows just how astute they can be when it comes to securing deals for players moving in and out of Parkhead.

Last month, the Australian revealed that the club are “always looking to improve areas” that they see fit on and off the pitch.

Now that his debut campaign in charge of the Bhoys has come to an end, his focus can now turn to helping the club to progress even further and strengthen the areas that he feels need work.

In terms of improving his squad as they look to not only retain the Premiership title but also compete with the top clubs in Europe, one area of his ranks that he may feel the need to strengthen is the left-back position.

Looking at current left-back options Greg Taylor and Boli Bolingoli, the latter has found himself out of the squad more often than not this season, meaning that this summer could well see him leaving the club if he’s not in Postecoglou’s plans for the future.

One man who has been linked with a move to Celtic recently and who could not only be a suitable potential replacement for Bolingoli but also a possible upgrade on Taylor is Hammarby left-back Mohanad Jeahze.

Better than Taylor

Last month, the Hoops were linked with a £2m move for the Iraq international.

Taking a look at the Hoops full-back and his recent campaign, in which he made 24 league appearances, the 24-year-old only delivered three assists and failed to score, making him one of the few Celtic players who started more than one league game not to find the net.

To compare Taylor’s latest campaign at Celtic with Jeahze’s previous full season with Hammarby, the 25-year-old not only managed to get his name on the scoresheet, he also racked up more assists than his Hoops counterpart.

He also had more shots at goal, crosses and interceptions than the Scotland international, which says to us that Taylor could see his place in the team come under threat should Jeahze find himself at Parkhead in the summer.

Hailed by his teammate Darijan Bojanic as a player who “always makes good decisions” on the pitch, Jeahze could find himself making another good decision if he chooses to link up with Postecoglou at Celtic to help them achieve their targets for next season.

In other news: Worrying behind-the-scenes development emerges, it’s bad news for Celtic

Liverpool could lose Sadio Mane this summer but they may well have had his replacement already lined up if a mega-money deal went their way.

What’s the word?

James Pearce’s latest column for The Athletic this week revealed some interesting transfer lines with the Reds supposedly shortlisting Jarrod Bowen and Jonathan David ahead of possible summer moves.

However, the most intriguing line from Pearce was a swift mention of a certain Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman’s contractual situation at PSG had been a controversial saga but it is finally put to bed now with Mbappe eventually turning down Real Madrid and signing a new deal.

That said, he could have ended up at Anfield. Pearce wrote: “Senior Anfield figures held talks over a potential free-agent deal for Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but it soon became clear that they just couldn’t make the numbers work financially.

“It became a straight shootout between staying at Paris Saint-Germain and joining Real Madrid after his contract expired. The France international opted for the former.”

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Surprising news

There have been murmurs beneath the surface of potential interest from Liverpool in Mbappe for a while now.

The World Cup winner has admitted his intrigue with the Merseysiders before, calling them a “machine” but to hear that there was genuinely a move to try and get a deal done from a reputable source will surprise the entire fanbase at Anfield.

FSG haven’t spent a great deal in recent years with the only signing last summer being that of Ibrahima Konate.

The only acquisition in January, meanwhile, was attacking star Luis Diaz. That move, however, was fast-tracked due to interest from other parties.

Therefore, the arrival of Mbappe with Mane and Mo Salah’s futures with Liverpool uncertain would have been quite the coup.

Their title rivals in Manchester City have already signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and this is a swoop that would have usurped that considering his talents.

Valued at a staggering £213m by CIES, he is one of the best footballers on the planet having beaten the goalkeeper on 171 occasions in 217 outings for PSG.

39 of those goals came this season as he ran riot in the French top-flight throughout 2021/22. With that in mind, the arrival of Mr Mbappe in England would have been greeted with much fanfare.

It will come as no surprise that the finances were wrong for Liverpool but it is a shock that they even explored a move in the first place.

Perhaps Jurgen Klopp’s side will see this as one that got away in a year’s time.

AND in other news, FSG now plotting Liverpool bid for “astonishing” £34m signing, he’s Klopp’s next Mane…

West Ham have been linked with a move for Burnley star Maxwel Cornet recently and the 25-year-old could solve a key issue for David Moyes at the London Stadium ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, the Hammers could ‘definitely’ make a move to sign the Ivorian this summer, following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I could definitely see West Ham making a move for Cornet. This relegation release clause makes Cornet very attractive to a number of clubs, not just in the Premier League but probably abroad as well.

“I think Cornet had a good debut season in the Premier League for Burnley; he was one of their better players.”

Although he only joined Burnley last summer, the former Lyon man will surely be keen to continue his stay in the Premier League after a standout season that saw him finish as the Lancashire side’s top scorer in the top flight.

He is also reportedly available for just £17.5m due to a relegation release clause in his contract, so would represent a fairly cheap option for the Hammers this summer.

Solving a key headache:

It is a common consensus among West Ham fans that their season dropped off last year due to a lack of squad depth and January signings, as players were regularly forced to play twice a week after their run to the Europa League semi-final.

Moyes lacked a backup striker to Michail Antonio and with the Jamaica international sadly quite injury-prone, it was always going to be difficult for the Hammers to maintain their early season form throughout the campaign.

They could also be said to lack depth at left-back, with Arthur Masuaku inconsistent at the best of times, and Aaron Cresswell showing his vulnerability with costly red cards against Lyon and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Cornet’s performances last season earned a lot of plaudits, including from Roy Keane, a man who is notoriously difficult to impress.

He said: “He started the season really well with some real quality goals.

“Brilliant strike rate and technique. He is obviously a big plus to Burnley. He hit the ground running, with some brilliant strikes. Fantastic.”

Therefore, signing someone as versatile as Cornet, who is more than capable of playing as a left-back, winger or striker, would make a lot of sense for Moyes and would give him a lot more depth and cover ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

And, in other news… West Ham could land next £75m star in 30-goal gem who’s “similar to Hazard”

Liverpool are apparently willing to listen to offers for reported Aston Villa target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. 

The lowdown

The Daily Mirror’s chief football writer John Cross wrote late in May that Villa are keen to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Villa are said to be on ‘red alert’ as they potentially look to pounce on a player Steven Gerrard has ‘long’ admired.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has won the Premier League and Champions League at Anfield, is out of contract in 2023.

Cross suggested that an offer in excess of £10million may be enough to tempt Liverpool.

The latest

Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent for The Times, shared an update on Oxlade-Chamberlain in an article on Monday.

The Reds will allow the Englishman to depart the club this summer if they receive a suitable bid.

The verdict

Oxlade-Chamberlain will surely be open to departing. His last appearance of the 2021/22 season came in an FA Cup quarterfinal against Nottingham Forest on March 20.

This isn’t doing his hopes of adding to his 35 England caps any good whatsoever.

The 28-year-old is a highly versatile player, having been deployed in central midfield and on both flanks.

Jurgen Klopp even fielded him as a centre-forward when Aston Villa visited Anfield in December 2021.

Gerrard would potentially value this, while he’s also commended the player’s ‘power’, ‘speed’ and ‘class’ during a punditry stint at BT Sport.

Oxlade-Chamberlain even said during his time at Arsenal that he’s ‘always wanted to be Steven Gerrard’, and so he may relish the chance to work with him.

In other news, Steven Gerrard has a left-back target in mind. 

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Romeo Lavia this week…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, who delivered the transfer claim via Twitter.

He said: “Excl: Southampton and Leeds are interested in Manchester City midfielder Romeo Lavia. He made his senior debut last season & is thought to be one of the most talented young players in his position.”

It remains to be seen how much the 18-year-old gem would command but the Yorkshire side are facing stiff competition from Premier League rivals Southampton.

Perfect for Marsch

Lavia is thought to be a hugely-talented holding midfielder, one who could one day cut it in the champions’ first-team squad, but Pep Guardiola’s side may not be able to refuse a fee at this stage with so many other options ahead of him right now.

The Belgium-born teenager has certainly impressed in the academy ranks, even catching the eye of former City centre-back and skipper Vincent Kompany.

“When Romeo was still training here with the A-squad, he showed he was very eager to learn and willing to listen. He picked up a lot and showed that he is aggressive in recovering the ball and while also being calm on the ball,” the new Burnley manager said (via Inside Futbol).

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Whilst he has featured twice for the senior side, Lavia has racked up 58 appearances across the U18s, U19s and U23s at the Etihad Stadium, as per Transfermarkt.

One of those first-team matches saw the Manchester Evening News compare him to the departing Fernandinho, writing: “[He] clearly likes a tackle, and his passes over the top and through the lines were Fernandinho-esque”.

The “highly rated” gem would surely be a perfect fit for Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, and potentially a long-term upgrade to the engine room, where the likes of Mateusz Klich have faltered with their form in recent months.

With the addition of Lavia, the American head coach could force the regressing Pole out of the starting XI heading into the 2022/23 campaign. His mantra is that “being more aggressive is always better than being more passive”, and that’s something he wants to bring to Leeds.

He can do so with the addition of the Man City starlet.

Victor Orta and co must deliver on this front, as Marsch would surely love to have Lavia in his ranks.

AND in other news, The Athletic drop Kalvin Phillips transfer claim…

Everton are reportedly now ‘keen’ on signing Chelsea striker Armando Broja this summer.

The Lowdown: Striker uncertainty

Both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison face uncertain futures at Goodison Park, with a number of clubs keen to sign the pair after the Toffees almost got relegated last season.

If one or both of them were to leave Merseyside – the interest in the Brazilian appears to be particularly intense – then Frank Lampard’s team will need to recruit another marquee striker in this window.

The Latest: Broja interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Toby Cudworth of 90min has revealed that the Blues are just one of a number of sides now ‘keen’ on signing Broja, with Leeds United, West Ham United and Wolves also in the mix for his signature.

Expanding in his article for 90min, Cudworth adds that Chelsea will allow Broja to leave if the price is right, although that could be in excess of £30m.

The Verdict: Get it done

With at least one of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison likely to leave, EFC will no doubt need to bring in another forward, and given the competition from their Premier League rivals, they need to get a deal done for Broja as soon as possible.

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Dubbed a ‘dangerous‘ player by Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and one with ‘incredible pace and strength‘ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the 20-year-old is certainly going places after scoring nine goals in total while on loan at the Saints last season.

Nonetheless, having played in the top flight last term, he should be able to settle in and find his feet very quickly, and could be the player that sends Everton shooting back up the table.

Newcastle United have initiated talks to sign Brazil international Raphinha, The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson reports. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have finalised their third signing of the summer – Lille centre-back Sven Botman. He follows left-back Matt Targett and goalkeeper Nick Pope through the door at St James’ Park.

Manager Eddie Howe and director of football Dan Ashworth are now turning their attention to adding a right winger and a striker.

Raphinha is attracting a great deal of interest this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona all named as suitors.

The Gunners have already seen a bid rejected, but Leeds have indicated that they won’t stand in Raphinha’s way if their demands are met.

The latest

Wilson took to Twitter on Monday morning to share the ‘transfer latest’.

“NUFC hold an initial round of talks over Raphinha,” he wrote.

This comes after Bayer Leverkusen indicated to Newcastle that they intend hold onto Moussa Diaby this summer.

In the attached story, Wilson stresses that the Magpies won’t go ‘anywhere near’ Leeds’ reported £60million asking price, but they want to remain in the running. If the other interested parties drag their feet, they could pounce.

The verdict

Newcastle know how good Raphinha is – they have first-hand experience.

In September 2021, the Brazilian scored at St James’ Park, catching Newcastle out with a whipped effort that Sky Sports commentator Bill Leslie called ‘lovely’.

And beyond the 13th-minute goal, it was a strong performance, as he created three chances and pitched in out of possession with two tackles (via SofaScore).

It’s hard to see Raphinha choosing Newcastle over three sides who are in European competition, but if those clubs can’t reach an agreement with Leeds and move onto other targets, perhaps that will open the door.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are plotting a move for highly-rated Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter this summer but face competition from several other Premier League clubs.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World, Wolves are interested in signing the 21-year-old starlet but West Ham United are the club currently in pole position for his signature.

The player’s eye-catching performances for Championship side Hull last season sparked interest from many top clubs with Brentford making a move for him in January only for a bid to be rejected.

However, it looks like he will leave this summer, and if a club matches the Tigers’ asking price of £20m then it’s likely they will accept.

Lage needs him

If he did move then he would be a welcome addition at Molineux, further adding to the crop of exciting young talent at the club. He’s a player that would certainly suit Bruno Lage, so Wolves should do everything than can to sign him.

He was directly involved in 16 goals in the league last season and was the top scorer for the East Yorkshire outfit, given this it’s no surprise that they are commanding a high fee to secure him.

Lewis-Potter’s former manager Grant McCann has dubbed him a “special talent”, and with him recently making his debut for the England U21 side he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Hull have a record of producing top talents, most recently Jarrod Bowen secured a Premier League move to West Ham and has since gone on to become one of their best players.

If Lewis-Potter can replicate the success he has had then it would be well worth the investment required.

The Wanderers are also in need of attacking reinforcements or they could find themselves in trouble next season. They scored just 38 goals in the league last season, with their top scorer Raul Jimenez only netting six.

Signing Lewis-Potter would help increase that tally and he will only improve the older and more experienced that he gets.

Lage needs to make attacking signings, and although some might say this one would be a risk, it’s worth taking and would see Wolves gain an advantage over their rivals.

AND in other news: Shi can solve big Bruno Lage headache with Wolves swoop for “world-class” machine…