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Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have erupted over news on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as sporting director Txiki Begiristain seemingly sets his sights on another striker target.

The Sky Blues could not bolster Pep Guardiola’s forward line over the summer transfer window despite bids for Harry Kane and late links to alternatives like Dusan Vlahovic.

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City now face the possibility of having to improvise without an out-and-out centre-forward again this season, much as they did last year given club legend Sergio Aguero’s injury and availability issues.

However, while Guardiola didn’t manage to sign a goal scorer last time round, it appears Begiristain has not given up the search as news emerges on Osimhen.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), City have taken an interest in the Napoli forward alongside the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Currently on fire, the 22-year-old has bagged six goals in six starts throughout all competitions already which also means Napoli don’t intend to let him go easily.

It is claimed that the Serie A giants won’t sell for any less than €120 million (£103.5m) – prompting many City supporters to erupt as their club reportedly eye a swoop.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man City fans erupt over Osimhen news…

“Better than lewandowski”

Credit: @mcfckevin

“Omds YES.”

Credit: @Raheem7ii

“Victor Osimhen is a very good fit for Man City. A pressing machine and a goal scorer.”

Credit: @mancitynumbers

“Yessss”

Credit: @Zaks456

“baller, but 120 mil for him is insanity”

Credit: @lasr4721

“lol no way”

Credit: @rudokorman

“Madness”

Credit: @pocketsaintempt

In other news: ‘Yesssss’. ‘Finally’, ‘Get him home’…Kylian Mbappe news has many Man City fans excited, find out more here.

Sheffield United have confirmed Robin Olsen’s arrival at Bramall Lane.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the Sheffield United website, the Blades revealed that the AS Roma goalkeeper had completed his switch to the Championship side, with the 31-year-old linking up with Slavisa Jokanovic’s side on a season-long loan deal.

The statement went on to claim that, following Aaron Ramsdale’s move to Arsenal earlier this summer, United have filled the 23-year-old’s gloves with an established international ‘keeper in the form of Olsen.

Jokanovic will be buzzing

While losing the services of Ramsdale will have undoubtedly come as a blow to Jokanovic, who himself claimed that he had no intention of parting with the England international this summer, the fact that the club have managed to replace the departed shot-stopper with a ‘keeper as talented as Olsen is sure to have left the 53-year-old manager buzzing.

Indeed, the £14k-per-week man highly impressed over his seven Premier League appearances while on loan at Everton last season, keeping two clean sheets, as well as conceding an average of just 1.3 goals and making three saves per game.

These returns saw the man Alexander Isak dubbed an “incredible” goalkeeper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as the Toffees’ 12th-best performer in the top flight.

The £2.7m-rated Olsen also impressed over his four appearances for Sweden at Euro 2020 this summer, keeping two clean sheets and making an average of 2.8 saves per match for his country – seeing him earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.05.

As such, the addition of the 48-cap shot-stopper certainly looks to be something of a coup for Sheffield United, with his last-minute arrival undoubtedly providing Jokanovic with a substantial boost at a time the Serbian manager desperately needs one – with his side currently sitting in 23rd place in the Championship standings.

In other news: Reliable journo sheds light on failed last-gasp SUFC swoop, Jokanovic will be fuming

Speaking to Football Insider, BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has been left in disbelief at something Fabio Paratici has been doing at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Paratici cooking…

It’s safe to say the Paratici era at Spurs is well and truly underway and his first transfer window arguably went smoothly, albeit not exactly mind blowing.

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The Italian transfer chief managed to shift plenty of deadwood, freeing up some much-needed salary space, whilst making shrewd signings in promising starlets Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr.

In terms of more senior first-teamers, 2020/2021 Serie A MVP award-winner Cristian Romero comes in as a hopeful solution to Tottenham’s long-time central defensive issues and Pierluigi Gollini adds some steel between the sticks.

Spurs also snapped up exciting full-back Emerson Royal from Barcelona.

Paratici has been a busy man at Spurs, with former Lilywhites defender Hutton in disbelief at something else he has been doing.

The Latest: Hutton can’t believe Paratici habit at Spurs…

Speaking to Football Insider, the BBC Radio 5 Live pundit and ex-Scotland international has been left baffled by his decision to sit in the dug-out with Tottenham players during Premier League matches so far this season.

Both the 49-year-old and fellow club chief Steve Hitchen have been present in the technical area for Spurs’ last two home matches in the English top flight, something which is said to unsettle some Lilywhites players according to The Sun.

Giving his take, Hutton is in full agreement that this practice is ‘strange’.

“That’s a strange one – I’ve never seen that before,” he explained.

“You don’t see Daniel Levy down there sitting next to the manager.

“I know the manager and the director of football have to have a good working relationship, but when it comes to game day and matters on the field – it’s all about the manager and the players.

“I don’t think the director of football has to be anywhere near that.

“He’s done his job with the recruitment; he doesn’t have to be down there.

“If I was sitting there and the director of football was sat next to me – that would feel a little bit strange.”

The Verdict: Unneccessary?

While it is fairly entertaining as a bystander getting to watch the enigmatic Paratici and co in the dugout with Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad, if it makes players uncomfortable, the former Juventus transfer guru should return upstairs.

The last thing Nuno needs as he aims to nurture Tottenham’s steady momentum is needless disruption, especially from the club’s managing director of all people.

In other news: ‘So excited’, ‘Start him vs Palace’…Many Spurs fans wowed by another ‘generational’ talent, find out more here.

Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy has ruled out Newcastle United making a sensational move to re-sign former striker Papiss Cisse.

The Senegalese striker scored 44 goals for the Mapgies during his five seasons at St James’ Park, including a remarkable 13 in opening 14 Premier League appearance during a golden run of form which nearly saw Newcastle finish fourth.

Cisse formed an impressive strike partnership Demba Ba, and after more than five years since he left the North East to the Chinese Super League, told Sky Sports News that he wants to play in England once again.

Since leaving Newcastle at the end of the 2015-2016 campaign, as well as China, the 36-year-old has been playing in Turkey – and proved that he’s still capable of scoring goals at his age by netting 26 two seasons back for Alanyaspor, the best return of his career.

However, Kennedy told Football FanCast that he isn’t convinced the striker could do a job in the Premier League:

“That’s a non-starter, his best days are long behind him. I don’t think he had many better days than that six-month period when Newcastle came close to qualifying for the Champions League.

“I like Cisse, but realistically, is he a player that can come back to the Premier League and make an impact at 36? I don’t think he is.”

Celtic target, Legia Warsaw’s Josip Juranovic, could be a Hoops player by the weekend, according to STV News.

The Lowdown: Fee agreed

A move for the Croatia international, who can play as a right-back, right-midfielder or a centre-back, started to gather real pace on Tuesday.

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas revealed that Celtic and Warsaw have agreed on a £2.5m deal for the 26-year-old, with talks regarding finer details ongoing.

Juranovic is on £6,100-a-week in Poland (£317,200-a-year) and will now discuss personal terms with the Hoops.

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The Latest: Signing by the weekend

STV News shared a story on Tuesday evening regarding Celtic and Juranovic.

Within their report, they claimed that Juranovic could make the switch to Celtic Park by the weekend – that would mean crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s in the next 48 hours.

Should a move officially go through at the price reported by Thomas, Juranovic would become the club’s eighth addition of the window and fourth over £2m, taking Celtic’s summer spending to £17m.

The Verdict: McKay giving Postecoglou what he wants

Postecoglou wanted a right-back and a winger before the end of the window, and it appears Dominic McKay will be supplying a player capable of playing in both positions in Juranovic.

He’s primarily a right-back but all six of his starts this season have come as a right-midfielder, so he could potentially challenge for a spot further forward in Postecoglou’s 4-2-3-1 system.

Hopefully STV News’ claim is correct and Juranovic is a Celtic player by the weekend, as he may then make his Scottish Premiership debut the following weekend in the first Glasgow derby of the campaign.

In other news: Ange’s phone call: Celtic set sights on 6ft ‘phenomenon’; he likes the sound of a Parkhead move. 

An update has emerged regarding Celtic’s interest in Derby County left-back Lee Buchanan.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are monitoring the 20-year-old as they eye up potential defensive reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.

The report claims that Nottingham Forest are also interested in the defender and have already had a £1.2m bid rejected by their fierce rivals Derby.

Ange would be delighted

Celtic must seal a deal for the 1.75m (5 foot 9) beast this summer as he would be a terrific addition to the squad and improve their defensive options in the short- and long-term. He could come in and compete with Greg Taylor for the left-back spot and provide a healthy competition for places which could help drive on both players to improve.

Taylor played 22 games in the Premiership last season and averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.96. Buchanan, meanwhile, played 35 games in the Championship and averaged a rating of 6.92 when starting as a left wing-back and 6.63 overall. This suggests that he could come in and be a reliable option for Postecoglou to call upon either to start ahead of Taylor or as a backup to the 23-year-old initially.

Rams manager and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has said that the 20-year-old has a “bright future” and believes that he will become an England international.

He told the Derby Telegraph: “I think I can speak on behalf of my players. Lee Buchanan has got a really bright future and I am sure he will play for England within the next couple of years.

“He is getting better every game. The small sides of the game he needs to improve, he is improving on massively.”

This is high praise indeed from a man who knows exactly what it takes to play for England and in the Premier League and Champions League at the highest level. Therefore, Buchanan could have the potential to be a phenomenal player in the future if he lives up to the hype Rooney has placed on him.

Postecoglou would surely love it if the club brought in the 20-year-old because it would represent an exciting coaching challenge for him. He would be tasked with helping Buchanan become the England international Rooney believes he can be, and if he is able to reach those levels, Celtic would have a terrific player on their hands and all parties will be delighted with the outcome.

AND in other news, Celtic must axe £14k-p/w beast whose career is in “freefall”, his time’s up…

According to a report by the Daily Express, West Ham United are in ‘pole position’ to sign Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic and ‘remain in talks’.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defender chase…

As explained by club insider Claret & Hugh, strengthening the centre-half position has been a priority for manager David Moyes since the beginning of this window.

However, in recent weeks, signing a new defender and reinforcing West Ham’s centre-back options has been placed at the top of GSB’s transfer agenda – even ahead of the chase for an attacking midfielder and striker (ExWHUemployee).

Over these last few days, news has emerged of West Ham’s interest and talks to sign either Milenkovic or Chelsea colossus Kurt Zouma (Sky Sports).

The Latest: West Ham in pole position for Milenkovic…

As per the Daily Express, Moyes’ men are now in ‘pole position’ to sign the Serbian amid Tottenham’s move for Atalanta star Cristian Romero.

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Their London rivals are said to be ‘keen’ on the Fiorentina centre-back but their prioritising of Romero has propelled West Ham to the front of the queue for Milenkovic.

This report adds that the Hammers ‘remain in talks’ over the 23-year-old, having held a strong interest since January.

The Verdict: Get it done…

After signing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris-Saint Germain, we believe that Milenkovic should definitely be next through the door in east London.

Standing at a colossal 6 foot 5, the young defender won more aerial duels per game over 2020/21 (three) than any West Ham player bar Tomas Soucek and former Irons striker Sebastien Haller (WhoScored).

He is also a viable target financially, with reports suggesting he could leave Italy for as little as €15m (£12.7m) this summer (Charlie Eccleshare).

As explained by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, who spoke exclusively to Football Transfer Tavern, he could be an ‘affordable’ signing for Moyes or any English club, so West Ham need to do all they can to get this one over the line.

In other news: ‘As of now’…Journalist says ‘really exciting’ 54-goal player close to West Ham move, find out more here.

According to a report by Marca, as translated by Sport Witness, West Ham United have lodged an offer to sign Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri with his summer transfer decision already made.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker search…

West Ham have been on the hunt for a new forward since the January transfer window, where manager David Moyes even confirmed a bid to sign En-Nesyri in particular (BBC).

The Moroccan comes as just one of a plethora of strikers to be linked with a move to east London, with club insider ExWHUemployee detailing a few more names since then. Tammy Abraham, Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney and En-Nesyri have all been watched by West Ham in recent months, according to the reliable source (Patreon).

The Irons have also had their sights set on new targets like Genk forward Paul Onuachu and Ukraine international Roman Yaremchuk.

The Latest: West Ham lodge En-Nesyri offer…

As per Marca, GSB and West Ham have now ‘returned to charge with an offer’ to sign En-Nesyri from Sevilla this summer. It is claimed that Julen Lopetegui’s side have plans to strengthen in the transfer market but their limited funds mean that they simply have to ‘make a big sale’ first.

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Star players En-Nesyri and Jules Kounde could help very much in this regard, with the Hammers now lodging an offer to sign the former. However, the player himself has already made his transfer decision and does not want to sign for West Ham despite their interest.

This is allegedly due to him believing they are a ‘second row club’, with En-Nesyri not keen on leaving the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in general.

The Verdict: Big loss…

Missing out on the 24-year-old comes as a big loss for West Ham and Moyes as they scour the market for capable striking additions.

There is absolutely no doubting his ability and proficiency in front of goal, with the La Liga hitman managing 24 goals in all competitions over 2020/21 (Transfermarkt).

He comes as one of West Ham’s more proven targets at the very top level and has been described as ‘excellent’ by Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague (Premier Sports).

Amid this claim, it seems that the Irons are unlikely to snap him up this summer.

In other news: ‘Superstar’, ‘What a player’…Many West Ham fans rave as ‘good news’ emerges, find out more here.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that any of the Whites’ four centre-back options could start on the opening day of the season.

The Lowdown: Leeds blessed with strong options

Marcelo Bielsa will be looking to enhance his squad this summer in order to keep competition for places strong and allow him to rotate abundantly.

One area which doesn’t need strengthening is centre-back, though, with Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk all representing good options in that role.

The quartet could all justify being starters for Leeds next season – all four were among the squad’s top 10 performers last term, according to WhoScored – giving Bielsa a selection headache going into their Premier League curtain-raiser away to Manchester United next month.

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The Latest: Whelan lauds depth

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan hailed the Whites’ depth at the back, admitting that it is impossible to guess who will start at Old Trafford. He said:

“It could be any of the four. We are blessed with four quality centre-halves. I cannot remember a time where we have had this much competition in that position.

“It’s going to be a really difficult decision to make. Every single one has got a case to play.

“You have internationals in Cooper, Llorente and Koch and a great young player in Struijk who I thought was excellent last season. He really stepped up to the plate and showed what a fantastic centre-half he is. He just got better and better.

“It is going to be a hell of a jostle in pre-season for those two spots. I am excited by it.

“Llorente really showed what a top player he is when he came in. He got a good relationship going with Struijk. He also had a good one with Cooper as well.

“It is going to be a real tussle between the four of them. You just hope that none of them get any kind of injury that halts their pre-season. Competition is so important to get the best out of players.”

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The Verdict: Dilemma for Bielsa

Bielsa finds himself with a genuine dilemma this summer, albeit an enivable one, with four such strong centre-back options from which to choose.

The fact that Cooper made the most Premier League starts (25) out of the centre-backs last season suggests that he is the front-runner to start at Old Trafford on 14 August.

Struijk (22) is second in that respect, but Llorente’s performances improved steadily as the season went on, also making him a strong option. With just 13 starts, Koch is arguably the least likely to play, but again there would be few qualms if he makes Bielsa’s starting line-up for the season opener next month.

Whelan is right – Bielsa could face quite the selection headache when it comes to choosing his two starting centre-backs.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly pulled out of a move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s rumoured pursuit of Brighton manager Graham Potter has hit a potential stumbling block, with The Daily Star reporting that there would be a £20m compensation package involved in any potential agreement. 

THE LOWDOWN: POTTER TARGETED AS MOURINHO’S REPLACEMENT

Spurs were previously said to be interested in appointing Potter as their new manager, although it remained to be seen as to whether he was their first-choice target to replace Jose Mourinho this summer.

The 46-year-old’s style of football was labelled as ‘exceptional’ by former Aston Villa and Birmingham manager Alex McLeish in a previous interview with Football Insider.

He led Brighton to a 16th-place finish in the Premier League last term, and Spurs were believed to be keen on landing his signature over the summer as they put together their preparations for the 2021/22 season.

THE LATEST: STUMBLING BLOCK EMERGES

The Daily Star have recently claimed that any potential agreement between Potter and Tottenham Hotspur this summer would include a £20m compensation package for Brighton. That has seemingly cooled Spurs’ interest in appointing him as their new manager, with Daniel Levy likely to pursue other options instead after hearing of this update.

With the new Premier League season set to get underway in mid-August, the north London club will be looking to have a permanent manager in place well before then, with Ryan Mason still in interim charge more than two months on from Mourinho’s sacking.

THE VERDICT: SPURS NEED TO ACT SWIFTLY IN FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE

It’s understandable that Spurs have cooled their interest in appointing Potter as their new manager if Brighton are demanding a £20m compensation package, especially with the north Londoners set to have a limited transfer budget this summer.

You would imagine that Levy will be looking to have a new boss in place long before their season opener against Manchester City, in what is certain to be a tricky test for any manager against the Premier League champions.

Spurs have been linked with a number of managers already this summer and they seem to be panicking at this moment when it comes to finding Jose Mourinho’s replacement.

It’s vital that they get this next appointment right, otherwise it could turn out to be another frustrating league campaign for the N17 faithful. This latest update suggests that it’s time to forget about Potter and try their luck elsewhere.

In other news, Paul Robinson is excited by the prospect of this Premier League defender signing for Spurs.