Robinson lauds Everton target Dumfries

Paul Robinson has lauded Denzel Dumfries as Fabrizio Romano gave the latest on Everton’s pursuit of him in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Dumfries competition

There have been various reports throughout the window so far that the Goodison Park faithful are set to face competition from Inter Milan to sign Dumfries.

However, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Romano has recently given an update on his Twitch channel (via Football Insider), regarding talks of the Merseyside club signing the PSV ace, claiming that they have ‘gone quiet’.

The Latest: Robinson lauds Dumfries

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson, former goalkeeper for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and England, has lauded Dumfries, and claimed that Rafa Benitez’s team should do everything that they can to sign him:

“Everton should do everything they can to get Dumfries.

“He was brilliant at the Euros and I think he was the best player for the Dutch.

“For the Netherlands he plays very high up the field and he showed that he can play wing-back as well as full-back. He can go forward and he can create.

“Everton will not be the only suitors. I think a number of Premier League clubs will be looking at him. If Everton can get him it would be a big coup.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

It is certainly a no-brainer that the Toffees should be going all out to try and sign Dumfries ahead of the likes of Inter in this window.

As Robinson rightfully points out, the right-back impressed at Euro 2020 with The Netherlands, scoring two goals in the group stages (Sofascore).

At club level, his attacking exploits are no different, scoring four times and making a further nine assists in 41 games over all competitions in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, at 25 years of age, and being the captain of PSV, he is the perfect long-term successor to the ageing Seamus Coleman, and so the Blues should be all over a deal.

In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians buzzing here!

Spurs now eyeing Vlahovic

According to a report by Italian news outlet Tuttosport (via violanews.com), Tottenham Hotspur and managing director Fabio Paratici are eyeing Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Paratici on the prowl…

Since Paratici’s official arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there have been no shortage of links to star players in Serie A.

The likes of Domenico Berardi, Manuel Locatelli and Lorenzo Pellegrini are indeed just some of the names who have been mentioned alongside Tottenham.

Amid an exit saga surrounding superstar striker Harry Kane, Spurs could be on the lookout for possible replacements this summer, with Tuttosport now sharing news on Vlahovic.

The Latest: Vlahovic eyed by Spurs

As per the Italian newspaper (via violanews.com), Tottenham have their sights on Vlahovic but face competition from Serie A giants Juventus.

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The forward enjoyed a blistering 2020/2021 campaign and bagged 21 goals and two assists over 37 Italian top flight matches (Transfermarkt).

Regarded as one of the most promising strikers in Europe, it is believed that Paratici is now looking to Italy for new additions and could compete with his old colleague from Juventus, Federico Cherubini.

The Verdict: Do it…

Enjoying a remarkable season for Fiorentina, it’s safe to say Vlahovic would be a monumental coup for Spurs this summer.

Lauded as ‘incredible’ by Forza Italian Football chief Conor Clancy (via This is Futbol), his numbers certainly back that statement.

Alongside his goals, Vlahovic managed a threatening 2.3 shots per 90 over his Serie A appearances – even more than superstar Son Heung-min averaged last year at Spurs (WhoScored).

Former Italy international Antonio Di Natale is one of his many admirers and believes he is a ‘phenomenon’ (Rtv38 via TUTTOmercatoWEB).

With so much praise and a fantastic goal tally this season, it is hard to envisage the towering 6 foot 3 striker not being a success wherever he lands next.

In other news: ‘I am hugely surprised’…Sky pundit baffled by alleged transfer development at Spurs, find out more here.

Bull drops Fabio Silva verdict at Wolves

Fabio Silva arrived at Molineux with a lot of hype and excitement surrounding him but despite being just 18-years old and having been throwing in at the deep end, he’s flattered to deceive a lot of the time, but Wolves legend Steve Bull still holds out hope for him.

During his time with Porto, Silva was described as the ‘€125 million boy’ because of his release clause in his contract which was, and still is, the highest to ever have been inserted into a contract in Liga Nos.

Former manager Nuno Espirito Santo may not have expected to have handed Silva as many as 12 Premier League starts but his hands were tied when Raul Jimenez was ruled out for the season in November.

Four goals in 32 league appearances doesn’t scream wonderkid however, and he came under scrutiny from Jamie O’Hara on Twitter following his appearance against Tottenham earlier this month, with the talkSPORT pundit labelling him as “absolutely shocking”.

Bull, though, does believe that he will prove his worth in the future and justify his huge price tag and then some more, as he exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Mendes and the club must have seen something in him and they did say when he first joined the club that in four years he’ll be worth £100 million.

“The club must see something that a lot of supporters can’t, but I do think you might see him gradually blend into a well-established centre-forward.”

Just this week, Jeff Shi admitted that he thinks Silva is the best wonderkid in the world at his age but his goal-scoring record at Molineux says otherwise when you look at what players such as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have been and are doing.

Next season could be a huge one for Silva’s development as he can hopefully have an entire season playing, training and learning from Jimenez who is expected to start next season fully fit.

Man City fans flock to Sterling development

According to Fabrizio Romano, as shared by City Xtra, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ‘wants to keep’ winger Raheem Sterling at the Etihad Stadium – prompting many Sky Blues supporters to buzz over this development. 

Sterling, who finished the 2019/2020 season as City’s top goalscorer in all competitions (31), didn’t manage to replicate those impressive numbers over the Sky Blues’ domestic double-winning campaign this past year.

Indeed, the 26-year-old instead managed just below half of that total (14) whilst receiving some criticism for his performances.

However, since joining City, he has really impressed overall – playing a key role for both the Centurions in 2017/2018 and for City’s domestic quadruple winners the season after.

Romano, sharing news on Sterling’s future at the Etihad, has been told that Guardiola does not want to sell him this summer – with the club currently speaking to his representatives over a possible new deal.

Even though there is no agreement yet, news of Guardiola’s stance on the Englishman has prompted excitement from many City supporters.

One fan even called it ‘perfect’, and it’s hard to argue given his overall contribution since signing for the Sky Blues.

Find a flavour of their best verdicts on the development down below.

Man City fans flock to Sterling development

“Best news I’ve heard all day”

Credit: @RodneySmithMCFC

“Get in we are massive”

Credit: @Oilfc96

“This is great news. On his day he’s still quality… there’s no doubt he’ll bounce back next season”

Credit: @RealTalkMCFC

“YESSSS”

Credit: @SofiCitizens

“Perfect”

Credit: @YKMCFC

“Love to see it”

Credit: @NettyCiteh

“Best decision yet.”

Credit: @thelordkeepyou

“Geeetttttt innnnnn”

Credit: @TheGismyName

In other news: Manchester City fans are desperate for this player to stay, find out more here.

Pundit tips Helder Costa to leave Leeds

Helder Costa will leave Leeds United if they sign Adama Traore from Wolves this summer, according to former England striker Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Costa struggles for playing time

The Whites enjoyed a triumphant return to the Premier League last season, finithing ninth in the table and playing some eye-catching football.

Numerous players had key roles for Leeds throughout the campaign, but Costa was more of a peripheral figure, starting just 13 league games.

The Portuguese has been linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer, even though his current deal doesn’t expire until 2024.

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The Latest: Winger tipped to leave

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips claimed he could see Costa moving on during the summer transfer window, especially if Leeds-linked Wolves winger Traore signed for the Whites:

“The way it’s looking at the moment, it would, unfortunately, probably be him.

“It would be quite ironic that he was at Wolves and it might well be another Wolves player coming in for him as well.

“It’s amazing how football works out like that sometimes, isn’t it?”

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The Verdict: Time for a fresh challenge

Costa is a player who boasts plenty of quality – he has been described as ‘very talented’ by former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo and still ended the league season with six goal involvements despite rarely starting – but now is the right time for him to move on.

That’s regardless of whether or not Leeds sign Traore, with the 27-year-old not an essential part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans.

Given Costa’s aforementioned contract situation, Leeds should be able to receive a hefty fee for him too, with that money possibly being spent on new signings.

In other news, one Leeds player has been receiving some harsh criticism from a Premier League legend – find out who it is here.

Jonny Evans out injured

Leicester City have received a crushing injury setback ahead of their pivotal clash with Chelsea in midweek.

Ahead of their Premier League encounter with the Blues this evening, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers delivered a fresh update on the situation surrounding centre-back Jonny Evans.

“He won’t play in the game, he’ll struggle for that,” said Rodgers (via the Leicester Mercury) of Northern Ireland international during his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“So we’ll see what he’s like for next weekend, but he’ll be ruled out for tomorrow.”

The former Manchester United man has been suffering from a heel injury for some time now, and although he started Saturday’s FA Cup final victory over the same opponents, he had to be substituted after just half an hour of action at Wembley Stadium.

It’s a gutting blow for the Foxes, who will be looking to secure their place in next season’s Champions League with all three points at Stamford Bridge.

Rodgers’ men are currently sitting in third place in the top-flight table, two points above fourth-placed Chelsea with just two games of the season remaining, but will have to take on Thomas Tuchel’s men without their first-choice centre-back.

Evans has been one of Leicester’s standout performers since arriving at the Midlands outfit back in 2018, making 111 appearances in all competitions for the 2016 Premier League champions.

Luckily for the Foxes, Rodgers has the likes of Caglar Soyuncu and Wesley Fofana to fall back on in the 33-year-old’s absence, but the former Celtic boss would surely rather have Evans’ experience on the pitch tonight so he’ll be gutted not to have his veteran centre-back available.

Leicester missed out on Champions League qualification by the narrowest of margins last season, losing to the Red Devils on the final day of the campaign to top off an awful run of form.

Their supporters will be hoping that there is no such repeat this time around as Rodgers and co. look to break into the Premier League’s top four and cement their status as one of the countries top teams.

And, in other news…Rodgers handed huge boost with ‘fantastic’ beast, Leicester fans will be delighted – opinion

Liverpool fans want Kostas Tsimikas to stay

A number of Liverpool fans want the Reds to keep hold of Kostas Tsimikas, following an update regarding the left-back’s future.

The 24-year-old made the move to Anfield during the summer transfer last August, clinching a move from Olympiakos for £11.75million.

The hope was that Tsimikas would be a perfect backup to Andy Robertson, affording the Scot the odd breather and keeping his legs fresh throughout the season.

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Instead, the Greece international has rarely been available because of injuries, playing just five minutes of Premier League football and making just three starts for Liverpool, in all competitions.

While there may be concerns over Tsimikas’ long-term worth on Merseyside, it looks unlikely that he will be leaving any time soon.

According to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos on Twitter, the defender is committed to being a success at Liverpool, with ‘no sign’ that he will be moving on.

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Liverpool fans call for Tsimikas to stay

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Tsimikas’ future, saying it is only fair that he is given more time to prove himself, following his injury woes.

“Good, next season Klopp needs to try and rotate with him and Robbo. Cause Robbo looks exhausted”

Credit: @philippehunt21

“No need to leave. It was a difficult 1st season. He had COVID and some injuries when he should get a chance. Now full pre-season for him and everything gonna be okay”

Credit: @Domen128

“Happy with this. Think we’ll see more of him next season once we get a more settled back four”

Credit: @hitmanharj

“Deserves more opportunities with us, I like him a lot”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“There’s no reason for Tsimikas to leave. He’s joined the club, looked sharp in the games he’s featured in but was hit by COVID. Suffered some setbacks from it as well as an injury. He’s got a place at Liverpool next season, shouldn’t be going anywhere”

Credit: @AnfieldEffect

“The thing is Tsimikas is actually a good player”

Credit: @Shabbaz77

In other news, some Liverpool fans are keen for the Reds to sign an influential Premier League player this summer. Find out who it is here.

QPR must move for Johansen

Queens Park Rangers’ loanee midfielder Stefan Johansen has opened up on his future ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Speaking in a recent interview with the QPR website, the Fulham midfielder revealed just how much he has enjoyed his loan spell at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, before claiming that he is unsure what his future holds at present with just one year left remaining on his contract with Scott Parker’s side.

He said: “It’s been brilliant, from day one I have felt so welcome. It’s been such an easy group to come into, they are a great bunch of lads and I have really enjoyed my time here.

“Personally, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have one more year on my contract at Fulham, but, without doubt, I can say how much I enjoyed my time here.”

Warburton must seal deal

Having only linked up with Mark Warburton’s side in the January transfer window, the impact Johansen has had on the Hoops has been quite sensational.

Over the 30-year-old’s 21 Championship appearances for QPR, the £1.8 million-rated man scored four goals, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 1.6 key passes per game, culminating in a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.00 – ranking him as the Rs’ sixth-best performer in the second tier this season.

The arrival of the £8,000-per-week Norway international also coincided with a remarkable upturn in form at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, with Warburton’s side winning 12, drawing two and losing seven of the 21 games in which Johansen featured for the club – results which left QPR sitting in fourth place in the league standings over this specific time frame.

As such, a deal to bring the midfielder – whom Ronny Deila dubbed an “outstanding” player – back to the club this summer should very much be a priority for Warburton, as it would seem as if Johansen could well play a major role in QPR’s potential push to secure a play-off place next season.

Indeed, many of the R’s faithful appear to be desperate for their side to make a permanent move for the 30-year-old this summer, with one claiming that Johansen should be the club’s “number one target” in the upcoming transfer window, while another seemed to speak on behalf of the fanbase by stating: “We want you to stay!”

QPR should listen to these fans and do all they can to keep Johansen at the club for next season.

In other news: Bhatia must not cash in on £7.1k-p/w QPR gem this summer, he’s crucial to Warburton – opinion

Wolves enquire about Lampard

Alex Crook has claimed that Wolves have made ‘enquiries’ over the availability of Frank Lampard as they continue their hunt for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Wolves in manager hunt

Following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo at the end of the 2020/21 term, the Midlands club are currently looking for a new manager to replace him for next season.

A few names have been touted as potential successors, including Bruno Lage, Sabri Lamouchi and Paulo Fonseca, but a new name has now emerged as a contender.

The Latest: Wolves enquire about Lampard

Crook has recently been speaking on talkSPORT about the vacant manager’s job at the Wanderers, and gave an interesting line with regards to former Chelsea boss Lampard: “I was told by a very reliable source that Wolves have started to make enquiries about Frank Lampard.”

With so many names being thrown around, Lampard is certainly one that catches the eye, given his past credentials in English football as a player but also as a coach.

The Verdict: Wolves should consider Lampard

What Lampard has over some of the other names to have been mentioned for the job is that he has that added experience of managing in the Premier League, while also overseeing Championship football with Derby County.

Of course, Nuno Espirito Santo managed to bring WWFC up from the Championship, and so similar comparisons can be drawn straight away between him and Lampard.

The 42-year-old also managed to bring a lot of quality young players through at Chelsea, most notably England international Mason Mount, and so is perhaps capable of repeating the trick again with some of Wolves’ youngsters like Fabio Silva, who he could hopefully develop into a top striker.

Nonetheless, the decision does not really need to be made until the summer transfer window opens, but Lampard, who is currently without a job at the moment, may fancy managing in England’s top flight once more.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers buzzing here!

Howey was confident over takeover

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 150 appearances for Newcastle United, claims he thought the takeover was going to go through last summer, however he still has confidence it can eventually get done.

Mike Ashley had finally found a party in PCP Capital Partners who were willing to meet his asking price for the Magpies, and after seeing their proof of funds the deal was passed onto the Premier League for them to complete the Owners and Directors tests.

However, after months of silence from the Premier League, PIF withdrew their offer with both sides giving different accounts of what they were told and what happened, which has seen the takeover now go to arbitration after Ashley launched a complaint.

Speaking on when he thought it had finally happened that Ashley had left, and why he still hopes it can go through, Howey told FFC:

“I thought that the takeover was going to go through before it fell at the last hurdle to everybody’s devastation.

“I’d seen it flash up on Sky Sports saying breaking news about Newcastle’s takeover and I thought ‘oh brilliant’, but then I saw it had collapsed and you just couldn’t believe it.

“Let’s just hope that it can be resurrected and I see things on social media which I try not to get too involved with because you just think ‘what’s the point?’ We’ve been down this road so many times before about the club being taken over.”

Newcastle have struggled this season despite seemingly spending smart last summer when they brought in Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Jamal Lewis and Jeff Hendrick, all players with Premier League experience.

The Magpies will be relying on that experience in their final nine games which includes a final day trip to London as they face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

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