Turning their focus towards the Club World Cup, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a South American star this summer.

Who Wolves could sign next after Lopez

Wolves still have money to burn after welcoming Fer Lopez and could yet do so to make an emphatic statement ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first full season in the charge. The sales of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha may have dealt the Midlands club a frustrating double blow, but they have also provided those at Molineux with the funds to pursue names such as Harvey Elliott.

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The Liverpool youngster seems to be edging closer to the exit door at Anfield and recent reports revealed that it is Wolves who are confident of getting a deal done to secure his signature. Priced at £40m, Pereira could yet welcome a player who just dragged England into the U21 Euros final with a fantastic winning goal to add to his first effort.

His price tag may seem steep on paper, but Elliott would be worth every penny on the pitch. At just 22 years old, the Liverpool gem is already a two-time Premier League winner and has also won both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time in Merseyside. What makes those achievements even more special is the fact that he is yet to reach the peak of his powers.

Wolves have an opportunity to sign an underrated youngster this summer and must do everything to secure his signature. It’s then that Elliott could also be joined by a Club World Cup star as the focus remains on welcoming exciting young talents in the Midlands this summer.

Wolves make first Wallace Yan approach

As reported by Globo Esporte and relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves have now made their first approach to sign Wallace Yan from Flamengo. The 20-year-old forward has a release clause to join European clubs worth €40m (£34m) and could yet swap South America for the Midlands as a result this summer.

The young forward has already enjoyed the feeling of scoring against English opposition too, having netted Flamengo’s third goal in a shock 3-1 victory over Chelsea at the Club World Cup.

A player who was described as “selfless” by analyst Ben Mattinson in April, Yan is full of potential and joining following former Fluminense midfielder Andre to Wolves could be the perfect way to reach that potential.

The deal won’t come cheap, but the Brazilian proved that has the quality to match Premier League opposition when he squared off against Chelsea. Now, Wolves would be wise to make their move.

Rangers and Russell Martin have been given a transfer boost with one experienced target open to moving to Ibrox this summer.

Rangers line up more transfer targets after Cameron

The Gers’ transfer business ahead of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season is underway, with midfielder Lyall Cameron becoming the first official signing of the Martin era.

A pre-contract agreement was reached back in February before the 49ers took over and appointed Martin, but Cameron will look to become a key member of the new manager’s starting line-up.

Talking to Rangers’ official media after completing his move, Cameron said: “It is amazing to walk in the door, it is a privilege really. I have been looking forward to it for a long time.

“It was a no-brainer as soon as Rangers came in, I was desperate to be here. It is obviously a massive club and the history and everything about it is just amazing. Being from Scotland, I know what the club stands for, so I just wanted to jump at the chance.”

Following on from Cameron, Rangers now appear to be turning their attention to defensive additions, with Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons a target at Ibrox.

A player who Martin is well aware of from his time managing in England, Aarons actually spent the second half of the 24/25 campaign on loan at Valencia and looks to be surplus to requirements at the Vitality Stadium.

Contact has been made by Rangers over a loan move, however, Bournemouth would prefer a permanent exit for the defender they spent £7m on.

Another target at the back is Leicester City central defender Conor Coady. An approach has also been made for the experienced centre-back, with Rangers are “very keen” to sign the Foxes man.

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Leicester, following their relegation from the Premier League, are also open to selling Coady, and another promising development over a move to Scotland has now emerged.

Conor Coady open to signing for Rangers

According to Rangers Review, Coady is a personal target for Martin and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who worked with the 32-year-old at Wolves and Everton.

In the report it says Coady is ‘keen on a move to Ibrox – with initial contact established and a move having been explored last summer’. This comes as a boost for Martin and Rangers chiefs, and with Coady once valued at £38m during his time at Wolves, could be on to a shrewd signing.

Due to still being under contract at the King Power Stadium, a transfer fee will be required for the England international and a deal ‘could still drag on into next month’.

Should Rangers get their man in Coady, they will be getting an experienced centre-back who has been hailed by former Everton teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure.

“He is going to help us a lot this season. All the times I have played against him, he was a good character and very consistent. We are very happy to have him in our team – he is a leader.”

Lauren Down always planned to return to cricket after becoming a first-time mother and now, just five months after giving birth, she intends to cement a place in New Zealand’s top order, starting with the upcoming ODI series in England.Down, 29, welcomed daughter Ruby into the world in early January. She last travelled with New Zealand as part of their T20 World Cup squad in South Africa nearly a year earlier and this week returned to the ODI squad for three matches against England starting in Durham on June 26 saying that a cricket comeback was “always in the back of my mind”.”I knew that, one, I wanted to be a mum and have a family but, two, that I still wanted to give cricket a good crack and I was hoping that if everything went well with giving birth and through the pregnancy that I would be able to return,” Down said. “Fortunately the comeback has gone pretty well so far. It’s been tough at times and physically a bit draining, but it’s been really good and it’s nice being a mum and still being able to play cricket as well.”My partner, I’m very fortunate with him that he can stay at home and help look after Ruby while I’m training and it makes this whole journey a lot easier. There’s been some sleepless nights and then getting up and trying to do a little bit of training, which is a little bit harder than normal, but when you come home at the end of the day and see a little smiling face, it all feels worth it.”Related

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Down said she also felt blessed to have two other mums to lean on for advice, the now-retired Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu, who are expecting their second child before Tahuhu links up with New Zealand for the T20I leg of the England tour, starting on July 6.”I’m obviously really fortunate with Amy and Lea having little Grace and they’ve been through this journey already, so I’ve definitely lent on them a lot during my pregnancy and also now coming back and talking to them about what worked for them and what challenges they faced,” Down said. “I’m very lucky to have Lea around the group still as well.”Your body goes through a whole lot of change through the pregnancy and then slowly trying to work back into things and get back to the fitness I was at beforehand, it’s been a bit tough being at the bottom of the pack in the running sessions with the White Ferns girls, but I know I’ll get back there and it’s been nice just to be back with the group and training again.”While Down has had to work hard to regain her fitness levels in a relatively short period of time, she is well versed in managing a comeback.She missed the home ODI World Cup in early 2022 after fracturing her thumb while fielding in a bilateral series against India just before the tournament. She had only been back training for about a month following that injury when she was selected in New Zealand’s squad for the Commonwealth Games but pulled out to prioritise her wellbeing, later saying she had put too much pressure on herself to be back in time, hoping not to miss a second big tournament that year.This time, Down is ready to return, and she will only play the ODIs in England.”Time away from the game was actually quite nice, it was refreshing and then it just sort of made me hungry to get back and just want to get back into the fold as soon as I could,” she said. “I knew it was going to be tight in terms of timeframes getting back for this England series, but I just wanted to give myself the best chance that I could to put my hand up and fortunately I’m able to get on the plane next week.”I missed the girls a lot. I think I probably watched every ball of every game when I was on leave and it was great to sit back and watch the girls as a fan, but I definitely missed everyone and I’m really glad to be back now.”In her 28 ODIs to date, Down has batted between No.1 and No.7, the majority in the top three and she is keen to stay up the order in both formats going forward, having largely batted at No.5 and No. 6 in her 13 T20Is so far.”I’ve floated a little bit up and down the order throughout my career so far but, coming back into the fold, I’m hoping to sort of bat around the top order and try and cement a spot up there in both formats would be ideal,” she said.”One thing I’ve been working on is trying to open up that 360-degree game and try and access different areas to help score and that sort of thing. It’s definitely something the team and then myself as well have been working on.”Earlier this year, New Zealand lost a home T20I series to England 4-1 and won just one of their three ODIs. Immediately afterwards, captain Sophie Devine said she expected her squad to be “absolutely flogged” during a set of training camps ahead of the return tour as they looked to build on the gains she saw in that series.Three training camps later, head coach Ben Sawyer said his players had worked hard on their fitness and effort in the field with “numerous PBs” achieved in the gym.On Down’s return, he said: “She spoke to us after having the bub and wanted to get back into it and be considered for selection so we’ve looked at her these last couple of camps and she’s going really, really well. She’s earned a spot back up there at the top of the order and I think especially in ODI cricket, she’ll be a real force for us up there. I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do on the UK tour.”

Saha has will turn out for Rashmi Medinipur Wizards in the Bengal T20 league which starts on June 11

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2024

Wriddhiman Saha has moved back to Bengal after two years in Tripura•BCCI

Wriddhiman Saha is all set to return to Bengal for the upcoming Indian domestic season, and will also feature in the inaugural Bengal Pro T20 league that gets underway on Tuesday at the Eden Gardens.Saha, who represented Bengal for close to 15 years since making his first-class debut in 2007, moved to Tripura ahead of the 2022-23 domestic season as a player-cum-mentor. He had asked for his NOC after being hurt by comments by a senior administrator before the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. After two years at Tripura, Saha is now back at Bengal.He wasn’t on the initial draft list of the Bengal Pro T20 league but has been picked by the Rashmi Medinipur Wizards team as a replacement for the injured Abhimanyu Easwaran. Wizards will be led by Sudip Chatterjee in the league and also have former India U-19 fast bowler Ishan Porel in their ranks.There are a total of eight teams taking part in the Pro T20 league. Each team will play seven league-stage matches, followed by the semi-finals and the final on June 28 at the Eden Gardens.”We are very happy to have Wriddhiman back in Bengal. Also, his interest in playing at the Bengal Pro T20 League will add more glamour to the League,” Snehasish Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, said.Saha, 39, has played 136 first-class matches, scoring 7013 runs at an average of 41.99. So far, he has hit 14 centuries and 43 half-centuries. This includes 1353 Test runs in 40 matches at an average of 29.41.Saha was picked up by Gujarat Titans at the IPL 2022 auction and was part of the side that won the title in its inaugural season. He had an underwhelming IPL 2024, though, where he could only manage 136 runs in nine innings while averaging 15.11. His loss of form coincided with Titans’ slide as they finished eighth in the season.

Will Chelsea make any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup?

Last week, the Blues unveiled Liam Delap as their new signing, paying Ipswich his £30m release clause.

Now, Chelsea have until 7pm (BST) on Tuesday 10th June to register any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup, with their opening fixture against Los Angeles FC taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the following Monday.

So, before then, will Enzo Maresca have another new centre-forward at his disposal?

Chelsea chasing another striker

The Blues are looking to significantly improve their forward line this summer with mooted interest in Frankurt forward Hugo Ekitike.

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Further reports have suggested that a deal could be on the cards for Jamie Gittens too, with the club having held talks with his club side, Borussia Dortmund, ahead of a possible move. However, there are more targets on the horizon for BlueCo.

Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are targeting a move for Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, with Newcastle United also interested.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the Brazilian is ‘expected to leave Brighton’ this summer, after not featuring in any of the Seagulls’ final five Premier League fixtures this season, the first three due to suspension, before being left out of two matchday squads by manager Fabian Hürzeler following a training ground ‘altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

Reports in Spain claim that the Albion value their star striker at around £70m, with Football.London noting that Chelsea are willing to pay around £50m, so some sort of compromise will have to be made if Pedro is going to feature stateside this summer.

How Pedro and Delap could function together at Chelsea

Having only just signed Delap, pointedly presenting him with the number nine shirt too, it may seem peculiar that Chelsea are targeting another attacker.

Nevertheless, with Christopher Nkunku on his way out this summer, Matt Law of the Telegraph believes they are in the market for a versatile forward, but is Pedro actually a bigger talent than his potential future teammate?

Let’s try and answer that question.

Goals

0.46

0.42

Assists

0.28

0.07

Shots

1.94

2.29

Shots on target %

35.7%

43.9%

Shot-creating actions

3.32

2.15

Open-play passes completed

20.8

7.4

Chances created

1.3

0.7

Lay-offs completed

1.6

0.9

Touches

44

24

As the table outlines, Delap is much of a penalty box presence, emphasised by the fact he registered more shots, a higher proportion of which hit the target, while also taking almost half the number of touches on a per 90 basis.

Pedro meantime, is a significantly more well-rounded forward, underlined by his higher number of chances created, passes completed and touches per 90 statistics.

Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has hailed his “really magical” quality on the ball, while Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelled him ‘hardworking, creative, and calm in front’, praising his ‘deft pieces of link play’ and believing he has started to show ‘a poacher’s instinct’ this season too.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that Pedro ‘is capable of playing anywhere across the attack’, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic outlines how he is adept at ‘dropping deep to link play’.

Thus, this all suggests that Delap and Pedro could function in a team together, with the former holding his position in the penalty area, while the latter drops deep to link play alongside Chelsea’s abundance of other high-quality attackers.

Thus, he would surely be an excellent addition for the Blues, even if getting this deal over the line by Tuesday appears unlikely at this stage.

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Leeds United need to have a huge summer transfer window if they are to be successful during their first season back in the Premier League after a two-year absence.

Daniel Farke has led the Whites back to the promised land after securing the Championship title, with the German deserving of the opportunity to try and keep the club in the top-flight.

He’s been subject to a potential change, but the board have come out and publicly backed the 48-year-old to be a success and lead them to survival in 2025/26.

If he is to keep the club in the division, he will need backing in the transfer market, handing him the funds to make the additions he will certainly need to inject further quality into the squad.

With the window opening earlier this week, it presents the manager with the chance to improve various key areas of the side, leading to numerous names already being mentioned over a move to Elland Road.

The latest on Leeds’ hunt for new additions this summer

It’s been reported that Leeds could have a sum in the region of £100m to spend on new additions this summer, with key quality and depth needed all over the pitch.

The likes of James McAtee, Igor Paixao and Callum Wilson have all been key targets this summer, but as of yet, no progress has been made to take any of the trio to Yorkshire during the off-season.

However, a new name has entered the mix over recent days, with Getafe attacking midfielder Christantus Uche firmly on their radar, according to Spanish outlet Marca.

Their report claims that the Nigerian has a €25m (£21m) release clause in his deal, but that the Whites are preparing a move in the region of £17m for his signature.

The 22-year-old, who’s registered four goals and six assists in LaLiga this season, also has interest from Wolves and Brentford ahead of the summer – with Farke’s men needing to act quickly to land his signature.

Why Leeds’ £17m target could be Farke’s own Rodrigo

Back in the summer of 2020, Leeds splashed a fee in the region of £26m on Spanish star Rodrigo, looking to add serious quality to their front line ahead of their return to the top-flight.

He joined from LaLiga outfit Valencia, scoring seven goals in his first year in Yorkshire, helping Marcelo Bielsa’s side register a top-half Premier League finish.

The attacker would end up scoring 28 times in his 99 appearances for the Whites, subsequently departing the club after dropping back into the second tier in 2022/23.

Rodrigo’s contributions within the final third saw him become a fan favourite during his time at Elland Road, something which Uche could replicate if he joins the club this summer.

The Getafe star would follow in the Spaniard’s footsteps, potentially being their marquee signing in their first season back in the Premier League – also joining from another Spanish top-division outfit.

When delving into his stats from the current campaign, the Nigerian international has massively impressed, leading to his maiden call-up with his country this month against Jamaica.

His tally of 10 combined goals and assists will certainly give Farke the added threat in attacking areas he will crave in the top-flight, adding a new dimension to the club’s front line.

Christantus Uche’s stats for Getafe in LaLiga (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	33
Goals & assists	10
Chances created	1.1
Successful dribbles	1.2
Duels won	8.1
Aerials won	3.3
Touches in opposition box	4.1
Stats via FotMob

Uche, who’s been labelled a “monster” by talent scout Antonio Mango, has also created 1.1 chances per 90, along with 1.2 successful dribbles – having the skillset to take the ball into forward areas and cause the opposition havoc.

The youngster’s talents don’t stop there, winning 8.1 duels per 90, 3.3 of which were aerially, handing a serious threat from set pieces which could hand Farke an added dimension to his squad.

Such an all-round skillset showcases the talent that Uche possesses, only improving more over the next couple of years, especially considering his tender age of just 22.

Given the interest from other sides in England’s top-flight, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to avoid missing out on his signature, with the Nigerian having the tools to play a key role in their hopes of survival throughout 2025/26.

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Ethan Lamb

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While it certainly wasn’t a disaster, it would be fair to say that Arsenal’s season was something of a failure this year.

A combination of injuries, suspensions and a lack of cutting-edge coalesced to see Mikel Arteta’s side end yet another campaign without a major trophy to their name.

Yet, there were at least a few positives, most notably the continued development of Bukayo Saka.

Appearances

37

Minutes

2619′

Goals

12

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

For example, even though he missed over three months of action with a hamstring injury, the talismanic number seven was still able to amass a sensational tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances.

So, fans should be seriously excited about recent reports linking the club to a Premier League star who could help the Englishman become even more unplayable next season.

Arsenal looking at big-money Premier League star

With how lacklustre the rest of Arsenal’s attacking options were this season, it’s not been a surprise to see the majority of links in recent weeks concern strikers and wingers like Benjamin Sesko and Rodrygo.

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A deal to sign the former, who produced 27 goal involvements in 45 games this season, seems to be moving closer and closer now, with reports from earlier this week claiming that an agreement has been reached on the player’s side and that an offer of between £68m to £85m will be enough to tempt RB Leipzig into selling.

Regarding Rodrygo, talks reportedly took place between the Gunners and the player’s representative last month, while reports from this week claim that a fee of around £77m could be enough to secure his services, and while that is a lot of money, it would likely be worth it, as he’s managed to 14 goals and provide 11 assists in 52 appearances for Real Madrid this term.

However, while both players would help alleviate some pressure on Saka in the frontline, a new creative force in midfield would surely be the best way to help boost his numbers, which is where Morgan Rogers could come in.

Yes, according to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are seriously interested in the Aston Villa star.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners have already made contact and inquired about the possibility of bringing the young Englishman to the Emirates this summer.

However, on top of potentially having to deal with competition from Chelsea, the North Londoners would also have to stump up a fee of around £90m to land the 22-year-old, who has five years left to run on his £75k-per-week contract at Villa Park.

It looks like it would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rogers’ immense ability and potential, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he could help Saka become even more dangerous.

How Rogers could make Saka even better

Now, while there is likely a whole array of ways in which Rogers could help Saka to get even better, from covering for him when he needs a rest, to building an even stronger understanding of one another’s game on international duty, there is one reason more important than the rest: his output.

For example, in 54 appearances for Villa this season, the “unstoppable” midfield maestro, as dubbed by Jamie Carragher, scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.86 games.

Just imagine how many more goals the Gunners’ number seven could score next season with a number ten as effective as that behind him.

Moreover, with the Villa ace being such a goal threat in his own right, there is every chance that the Hale End icon could see his own assist tally soar as well as having more space to himself with opposition defenders having to pay more attention to the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell.

You can also get a good idea of just how dangerous a ten the former Middlesbrough ace is by comparing him to some of the other leading attacking midfielders in the Premier League, like Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and the North Londoners’ own Martin Odegaard.

Appearances

54

47

38

45

Goals

14

15

7

6

Assists

15

12

10

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

0.57

0.44

0.4

Impressively, only the Chelsea ace does marginally better than the Claret and Blue star, but given how he is the talisman of that side, and almost all attacks seem to flow through him, that’s not much of a surprise.

Moreover, if you’re achieving numbers only marginally worse than a player as talented and highly rated as he is, that can only be a good thing.

Ultimately, while the focus of this summer should be on the frontline for Arsenal, they should also do what they can to sign Rogers, as he’d undoubtedly improve the midfield and help make Saka even more unplayable.

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Liverpool won hearts and minds with their Premier League title victory and could now be on the verge of ratifying one of the summer’s most exciting deals.

Liverpool make an instant impact in the summer window

The dust has started to settle on Liverpool claiming a second top-flight title of the modern era. Still, there have already been significant developments at Anfield in the early part of the summer window.

Jeremie Frimpong arrived to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside, and that only appears to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential movement in both directions.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has confirmed that Liverpool have £250 million to spend if they so wish without any threat of FFP involvement, which has paved the way for some exciting deals to occur over the next few months.

“Liverpool are in an excellent financial position. They didn’t spend very much in the 24-25 season, and they have the benefits of Champions League football next season. If they spent £250m, that would not be a problem.”

Liverpool transfer targets in pictures

Arne Slot made minimal changes last summer, but he has now identified Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon as a top target at Anfield, even if he will cost around £80 million to lure from the North East.

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Finding themselves in the perfect position to kick on, Liverpool will be aware that their rivals are also tooling up with some intriguing signings, setting the scene for a brilliant Premier League title fight next term.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Reds are on the verge of completing a landmark deal ahead of the new campaign coming into focus.

Romano: Liverpool agree deal to sign Florian Wirtz

Taking to social media platform X, Romano revealed that Liverpool have now agreed a deal in principle to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and he will now head to England for his medical.

With personal terms and other formalities already agreed, it is understood that the Germany international will join for a fee of around £127 million, inclusive of add-ons.

Compared to Lionel Messi by Gerhard Struber, Wirtz registered 16 goals and 15 assists across 46 appearances in all competitions last term, and Reds journalist Paul Gorst said he will be a “statement signing”.

Notably, he earns around £73,300 at Bayer Leverkusen, a figure that will be expected to increase exponentially once his switch to Anfield is officially confirmed.

Weeks of overwhelming speculation surrounding Wirtz have become the early story of the window. Nevertheless, he now appears set to link up with Slot in a deal that will reverberate around the world.

A Liverpool player who Mohamed Salah admits he loves playing with is expected to be the subject of an offer from a huge club, and he is open to the idea of leaving Anfield.

Who will Liverpool sign after Wirtz?

The Premier League champions have made a huge statement already this summer, with Florian Wirtz arriving for a British record fee of £116m from Bayer Leverkusen, with the German speaking of his delight at joining.

“I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step and of course I wanted to get to a club that is from the top three in the world, and in my opinion Liverpool was one of them. Yeah, I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool. I was really convinced by the people here, by the idea, and everything what the club offers me was really good. And in the end [it was] also easy to be excited for me to come to Liverpool.”

It’s now a case of seeing who else arrives at Liverpool this summer, with Milos Kerkez joining both Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong at the club, and various players are being linked with moves to Anfield.

Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi has been strongly mentioned in recent days, being seen as both a replacement and an upgrade on the departing Jarell Quansah, and Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been mentioned as a potentially superb attacking signings.

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There are also constant exit rumours surrounding various unwanted Liverpool players, however, and a fresh update has now emerged.

Nunez open to Liverpool exit as Napoli ready offer

According to The Athletic‘s Pearce on X, Napoli are now expected to table an offer for Nunez, with the striker “open” to a move to the Serie A champions:

“Napoli’s interest in Darwin Nunez has been registered and an offer is expected in due course. The Italian champions are the most serious contenders for the 25-year-old and he is open to moving to Naples.”

The £140,000-a-week and £7.3m-a-year Nunez needs to leave Liverpool before next season gets underway, with Arne Slot starting him just eight times in the Premier League last season.

The Uruguayan’s performances have been far too hit-and-miss for too long, even though Salah has admitted that he likes playing alongside him.

“Who do I most like to play with? It was Firmino. Now I feel like I generally like playing with Nunez. A lot of people don’t like him but I like playing with him.”

Nunez is arguably not at the level required to take this brilliant Liverpool team forward after scoring just five league goals last season, with an upgrade required this summer, but he will still leave as a popular figure, given his effort levels.

Napoli could be ideal for him, with their passionate fans likely to be drawn to him, and he could flourish playing in a weaker division than the Premier League.

Brendan Rodgers has had to oversee a lot of change on the left side of his Celtic squad, at left-back in particular, during the summer transfer window so far.

The Hoops have already added one new left-back to the team in the form of Kieran Tierney, who has returned to Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League giants Arsenal, six years on from his initial move to the Gunners from Glasgow.

Tierney, who won five Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell at the club after coming through the academy, will be aiming to nail down a position as the first-choice left-back at Celtic once again.

The Scotland international looks set to replace compatriot Greg Taylor, who is leaving the Scottish giants this summer upon the expiry of his contract.

Fabrizio Romano, as shown in the post above, recently confirmed that the full-back has agreed a deal to sign for Greek side PAOK ahead of next season.

Another left-back who has moved on from Parkhead this summer is Jeffrey Schlupp, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Crystal Palace, and the club must now avoid a permanent deal for him.

Why Celtic should not sign Jeffrey Schlupp

The Eagles confirmed at the end of May that the left-back would not be getting a new contract at Selhurst Park, which means that he will be available on a free transfer.

Schlupp made 14 appearances, starting eight of those games, in the Premiership and the Champions League for the Hoops, and his best performance for the club came in the second leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Bayern Munich.

Minutes

90

Clearances

9

Blocks

1

Interceptions

5

Tackles

6

Dribbled past

1x

Ground duels won

7/8

Aerial duels won

1/2

As you can see in the table above, the Palace loanee was incredibly dominant defensively up against the mercurial Michael Olise on the right wing for Bayern, winning the majority of his duels and making 11 tackles and interceptions, whilst being dribbled past just once.

Despite that impressive showing from the Ghana international, Celtic also have to plan for the future and signing a 32-year-old, who turns 33 in December, on a permanent multi-year contract may not be the best move that they can make this summer.

Therefore, supporters should be happy to read that the Hoops are reportedly closing in on the signing of an alternative target who could be an even better signing than Schlupp.

Celtic schedule medical to complete new signing

According to Sponichi, Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura to bolster their options at the back ahead of next season.

The report claims that the left-footed star’s last match for his club was the 4-0 defeat to Machida on Sunday, as he played 90 minutes as a centre-back in the loss.

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It adds that the two clubs have already reached an agreement in principle over a transfer for the 23-year-old talent, and that a move will officially go through in the coming week.

Sponichi reveals that the Japanese defender will travel to Scotland at the start of the coming week to undergo a medical with the Hoops before putting pen to paper on a permanent switch to Glasgow.

This means that Celtic are set to sign the versatile Niigata ace in the coming days, with a medical scheduled and a fee agreed, and he could come in as an even better signing than Schlupp.

Why Inamura will be a better signing than Schlupp for Celtic

As aforementioned, the former Palace loanee turns 33 later this year and would only come in as a stop-gap signing to provide cover in the short term, which is also what he did during his loan spell.

Schlupp would not be a signing with a view to the future because, at his age, he is unlikely to develop much further, if at all, and does not have the potential to grow into being the first-choice after Tierney’s second spell comes to an end.

Inamura, however, is nine years younger than the Ghana international and, therefore, has far more time on his hands to develop and improve as a player during his time in Glasgow.

He is five years younger than Tierney and could, therefore, eventually be his successor if he kicks on and improves at Celtic, whilst initially coming in as a back-up option.

Inamura is usually deployed as a centre-back by Niigata, but Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph noted that he can also play as a left-back. His statistics in the J1 League this season also suggest that he would be well-suited to playing that role for the Hoops.

Assists

0.07

Top 8%

Pass accuracy

87%

Top 29%

Accurate long passes

5.75

Top 5%

Long pass accuracy

47%

Top 19%

Chances created

0.42

Top 18%

Cross accuracy

50%

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, the soon-to-be Celtic signing ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, which speaks to his ability on the ball.

His ability to successfully complete crosses at an impressive rate and to consistently create chances for his teammates from a centre-back position suggests that he could be well-suited to playing as a left-back for the Hoops, which would allow him to showcase his in-possession qualities.

Inamura, who analyst Rio Nakagawara claimed has “fantastic ball progression” as a passer and carrier, appears to have the technical qualities to thrive in Glasgow.

His positional flexibility also makes him an attractive target, as he can play at centre-back or left-back, and that is another reason why he would be an even better signing than Schlupp, who was not a central defensive option for Rodgers.

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Overall, signing Inamura seems to make more sense for the Premiership champions because of his age profile, his positional flexibility, and his quality on the ball.