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Aston Villa are believed to have made an offer for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, with the Englishman the subject of interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Midlands outfit – as well as West Ham United – have submitted offers for the 26-year-old in the current window, although the player seemingly ‘has his heart set’ on joining champions, Manchester City.

The report suggests that the 23-cap gem will complete his move to the Etihad in the ‘coming weeks’, with the fee expected to be in the region of around £50m.

That follows recent speculation that Pep Guardiola’s side view the Yorkshire-born ace as a potential long-term replacement to Fernandinho, with the veteran Brazilian set to depart the club this summer.

McGinn replacement

Although the indications are that Phillips is on his way to the title winners, Steven Gerrard and co will no doubt retain hope that they can swoop in if the situation changes, with the £38k-per-week warrior seemingly the solution in their hunt to land a new midfielder this summer.

That search for an additional midfield recruit – having already signed highly-rated Frenchman, Boubacar Kamara – comes amid suggestions that Gerrard could be willing to cash in on regular starter John McGinn, with the Liverpool legend said to be ‘not totally convinced’ by the Scotland international.

Should the 27-year-old – who has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur – be on his way this summer, Gerrard will be in need of another dynamic, midfield presence to fill the void, with the Leeds ace seemingly the man for the job.

Dubbed a “machine” by current Everton boss Frank Lampard, the £45m-rated man put himself firmly on the map at last summer’s European Championship, earning praise from former Three Lions manager Fabio Capello who dubbed him “the best modern midfielder” that he has seen.

That breakthrough tournament – which saw the defensive-minded talent feature in all seven games for Gareth Southgate’s side in the surge to the final – has been followed by a frustrating, injury-hit 2021/22 campaign, yet the Whites’ academy product has still impressed when he has featured.

Such has been his strong form in recent times, he compares favourably to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 2% for pressures, the top 3% for tackles and the top 4% for blocks made, showcasing just what an all-action gem he really is.

Were McGinn to face the axe this summer, Phillips would no doubt be an ideal replacement and even a possible upgrade in the eyes of the Villa boss and Johan Lange, with the hope being that they can try and rival City’s significant interest.

IN other news, “Gerrard wants…” Preece drops exciting AVFC transfer update that supporters will love

A new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Alasdair Gold of football.london, Spurs have been tracking Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who Premier League rivals Newcastle United tried to sign earlier this year.

It remains to be seen how much the Brazil international would command, given how much of a regular he was for the Ligue 1 outfit last season.

Transfermarkt currently value the 24-year-old star at £31.5m, whilst he is thought to be earning wages in the region of £49k-per-week at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

AC Milan will be due 15% of any sale due to an agreement in the €20m (£18m) deal to sell him.

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Frightening midfield unit

The arrival of Paqueta in north London would be quite the coup and could allow manager Antonio Conte to form one of the better midfield departments in the English top-flight.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the Lyon star delivered a total of 11 goals and seven assists from attacking midfield across both domestic and European competitions.

As such, WhoScored graded him as L’OL’s highest-rated player (7.24), whilst as per FBref, he ranks inside the top 6% for progressive passes (9.25 per 90), top 9% for shots (3.06 per 90) and top 12% for non-penalty xG+A (0.59 per 90) of his positional peers across Europe’s top five divisions.

“I love his dribbling and blind passing, but what I love is his desire, his activity, his selflessness, his commitment,” once claimed former Premier League talisman Thierry Henry.

With similar workmanlike players such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur, Paqueta could fit right in to make Spurs’ engine room one to be feared every week.

Meanwhile, teammate Jerome Boateng has also waxed lyrical about the Brazilian’s exploits, declaring:

“He brings so much to our team. He’s running a lot, his skills of course, his technique, his creating chances, his passing, his fighting for the ball, he helps us a lot. And I think he has a big potential to be really a world star in football.”

As such, sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to swoop for the Lyon playmaker in the coming months. He’d be a fine addition to Conte’s squad heading into a Champions League campaign.

AND in other news, Paratici now eyeing £18m-rated Spurs bargain, could be bye-bye “horrendous” Nuno flop…

West Bromwich Albion have never been shy when it comes to signing players from fellow English clubs over recent years.

One man that the Baggies signed from one of England’s top clubs in the past is Jonny Evans. In 2015, the Midlands club secured a deal for the defender from Manchester United worth a reported fee of £6m plus £2m in add-ons.

After making 96 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions, in which he scored five goals and delivered four assists, the centre-back then joined Leicester City in 2018 for £3.5m.

Throughout his final Premier League season at The Hawthorns, the former United defender won 19 tackles and made 200 pressures, 29 blocks, 65 interceptions and 166 clearances, highlighting his clear defensive attributes and usefulness to the team.

Now that another season has gone by and another summer transfer window is set to open for business, this period could give Steve Bruce the chance to finally replace the Northern Irishman.

One player who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns this summer and who could be West Brom’s next version of Evans is Darragh Lenihan.

During his previous four campaigns with Blackburn Rovers, the £2.7m-rated defender has totalled 218 interceptions and won 121 tackles. This latest campaign saw the 28-year-old make more interceptions (58) and win more tackles (43) than any other defender at the Lancashire club.

He also racked up the second-highest average of clearances per game (4.1) at Blackburn, further highlighting how capable he is at the back and why he’d be a great addition to West Brom’s ranks in a similar way to how Evans was a few years ago.

Labelled a “very solid Championship defender” by journalist Callum Altimas, Lenihan also ended his latest and potentially last season at Ewood Park as Blackburn’s highest-rated player according to WhoScored in terms of his overall performances throughout the campaign.

Available on a free transfer once his current contract expires at the end of the month, bringing the Irishman to The Hawthorns is definitely something that the Baggies should be all over as they look to get closer to promotion next year.

In other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” £26k-p/w West Brom flop by signing “unplayable” dynamo

Newcastle United’s move for Moussa Diaby may be about to advance, The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope says. 

The lowdown

Hope reports that Bayer Leverkusen winger Diaby ‘has been on Newcastle’s radar since January’.

Manager Eddie Howe is intent on adding a winger to his ranks during the summer transfer window.

Diaby, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, is under contract with the Werkself until June 2025 and is valued at a whopping £49.5million by Transfermarkt.

For reference, Newcastle’s transfer record currently stands at £39.6million – the fee they paid Hoffenheim for Joelinton in 2019.

The latest

After striker Patrick Schick committed to Leverkusen by signing a new contract and Adam Hlozek joined from Sparta Prague on Thursday, Hope told NUFC fans that they ‘might see movement on Diaby’ soon.

He added that Brennan Johnson, recently promoted with Nottingham Forest, has ‘also [been] watched’.

Newcastle scouts were in attendance at Wembley as Johnson’s Forest beat Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final last weekend 1-0 to claim a place in the Premier League.

The verdict

Newcastle fans should be excited if a move for Diaby is indeed in the offing.

According to FBRef, Diaby is similar in profile to the likes of Mohamed Salah, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.

He possesses a ‘supernatural, divine gift’ (in the words of the president of his first club) and journalist Ronan Murphy says he’s ‘the player they thought they might be getting from Joelinton’.

His return of 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions last season was simply outstanding, with the Frenchman averaging a direct contribution every 115 minutes.

Only Robert Lewandowki (38), Christopher Nkunku (33), Erling Haaland (29), Schick (27) and Thomas Muller (26) were involved in more Bundesliga goals in 2021/22.

In other news, read this big goalkeeper claim from a European newspaper. 

Celtic ended their 2021/22 SPFL season with the best defensive record in the league having conceded just 22 goals in 38 games.

To further highlight their defensive strength, the Hoops faced fewer shots on target (76) than any other side in the top flight.

One figure that played a big part in Celtic’s title winning campaign at the back was Carl Starfelt.

Signed during the previous summer transfer window from Rubin Kazan on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £4m, the centre-back quickly became a prominent figure for Postecoglou.

Throughout his debut campaign, the Sweden international made 49 appearances across all competitions and played more minutes in the league than any other outfield player.

With the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) to his name, Starfelt also had the joint-second highest average of clearances (3.5) and joint-highest average for aerial duels won per game (4.2) in Celtic’s ranks.

This highlights just how much of a capable defender he is and how significant he was for the Hoops this term.

Now that the campaign has drawn to an end, the summer transfer window will give Postecoglou the chance to potentially make some more changes to his squad so they can progress.

One figure that could potentially fit in the side well and possibly make a formidable defensive duo with Starfelt is Mohanad Jeahze.

The Hoops were linked with a reported £2m move for the Hammarby left-back, who has been labelled as a “class” player by Darijan Bojanic, last month.

With eight league appearances to his name this season, the defender has racked up the highest number of interceptions (18) and second-highest number of tackles (13) in Hammarby’s squad.

This shows how much of a tough defender he is and how he could be a solid fit next to Starfelt to make Celtic stronger on the left side of the defence.

Despite the current Celtic defender already showing his defensive talents, having another defensive full-back next to him, such as Jeahze, could make Postecoglou’s side an even tougher side to play against.

Taking into account how the Hoops will be facing off against some of Europe’s top teams in the Champions League next season, having some extra defensive reinforcements would not be a bad thing for the Parkhead club as they’ll be aiming to regain the SPFL title as well.

In other news: Better than Edouard: Celtic eyeing “feisty” 51-goal dynamo, supporters surely buzzing

Southampton are set to secure the signing of goalkeeper Mateusz Lis, according to Polish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Despite coming through the academy at Lech Poznan, Lis failed to make a single outing for the club before heading to Wisla Krakow on a permanent switch in 2018.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper made 70 appearances for the Ekstraklasa outfit and was signed by Turkish Super Lig side Altay Sk for £630,000 (Transfermarkt).

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However, following just one full season in Turkey, the former Poland youth international looks to be on the move once more having come to the end of his deal…

The latest: Deal close

As per Sport, Southampton are believed to be ‘interested’ in the free agent and are set to sign Lis on a five-year contract as Ralph Hasenhuttl performs much-needed surgery on the goalkeeping department at St Mary’s.

It’s claimed that the six-cap youth international – who has been billed as a player with ‘long term potential’ by journalist Alex Crook – will spend the 2022/23 campaign out on loan upon completion of his move to the South Coast.

The same report also details the ongoing Saints interest in Fiorentina star Bartlomiej Dragowski, who is also on the radar of Hasenhuttl as the Austrian prepares for the departure of Fraser Forster and Willy Caballero.

The verdict: Smart signing

Securing the capture of Lis would be a welcome addition to the Southampton squad, although it appears there will be a season-long wait to see the new man in action.

Last season, the Polish goalkeeper made 3.7 saves per game, kept seven clean sheets and only made one error leading to a goal whilst earning an impressive 7.01 average Sofascore rating from 35 Turkish top-flight outings.

When using the Fbref comparison tool, Lis stacks up positively against Forster, boasting a 74.1 save percentage compared to the Englishman’s 66.3 per cent from the 2021/22 campaign, whilst also saving 2/9 penalties faced compared to 0/2 during the season, highlighting an almost instant upgrade on the current first-choice.

In other news… a talkSPORT reporter has made this huge Saints transfer claim involving one of their summer targets

A shock Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Bayern Munich striker and big name Robert Lewandowski.

The Lowdown: Conte sets sights on summer…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, finishing the 2021/2022 Premier League season in style, guided his side to fourth-place and qualification for next season’s Champions League in a huge boost for the north Londoners.

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A resounding 5-0 win away to Norwich City sealed the Lilywhites’ spot in Europe’s most prestigious competition, coming courtesy of goals from Dejan Kulusevski (2), Son Heung-min (2) and Harry Kane.

All eyes will now be on how chairman Daniel Levy backs Conte in the summer market ahead of the Italian’s first full season in charge as the former Inter Milan boss eyes ‘at least’ six major incomings, according to reports.

The signing of a forward is reportedly among the Tottenham manager’s priorities for the next transfer window with a surprise claim now emerging involving Bundesliga superstar Lewandowski.

The Latest: Tottenham eye shock Lewandowski move…

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, transfer chief Fabio Paratici has joined the mix for Bayern’s household name with Spurs now eyeing a move alongside their rivals Arsenal.

It is claimed that they wish to partner Lewandowski with Kane and are ‘interested in the idea’ of offering the Poland international a route out of Bayern.

The Verdict: Ambitious?

The 33-year-old is quite simply one of the best strikers in world football, as evident by his ridiculous haul of 35 goals and three assists across 34 German top flight starts over 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

His 13 goals and three assists in Europe further back just how relentless Lewandowski can be in the forward positions, with Football Analyst Statman Dave, as seen on Sky Sports, calling him ‘unplayable’.

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has called the attacker a ‘huge player’ in the past also, but given he is widely believed to be eyeing a move to Barcelona, it appears Paratici could face an uphill battle to bring him to N17.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Spurs make contact to sign ‘monster’ player as his agents plan imminent club meeting, find out more here.

While it is undeniable that both Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta pulled off an astonishing feat in getting Leeds United back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, since the Whites’ promotion back in 2020, the club have had something of a hit and miss record in the transfer market.

Indeed, spending just shy of £100m in the summer before their return to the top flight, Orta very much hit the jackpot with a few of his deals, with the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt undoubtedly being fantastic acquisitions by the Spanish sporting director.

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However, the same cannot be said for some of the big-money signings completed in the same window, with the likes of Rodrigo, Helder Costa, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all already having varying levels of question marks hanging over their respective futures at Elland Road.

It was a similar case last summer, with both Kristoffer Klaesson and Jack Harrison – despite the former Manchester City winger enduring something of a below-par campaign this time out – looking to be solid longer-term investments, while the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James have both struggled following their big-money moves to LS11.

However, it is undoubtedly the latter of the aforementioned players who has been the biggest transfer disappointment, with the £30m signing from Manchester United very much failing to live up to his incredibly hefty price tag.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, James has struggled to find any real level of form for the Whites, scoring four goals, registering four assists and missing eight big chances, as well as completing an average of just 9.9 passes, ceding possession of the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 39% – per game.

These returns have seen the £16.2m-rated man who Darren Bent dubbed “headless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the 24-year-old as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering the fact that the £52k-per-week forward is now worth roughly 46% less than the £30m fee Orta paid for his services last summer, in addition to the fact that the Wales international has endured an incredibly torrid season at Elland Road, it is clear for all to see that the Spaniard had a nightmare when bringing James to the club.

AND in other news: Marsch must place trust in “unbelievable” Leeds sensation, he thrives “under pressure”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will reportedly not be ‘fulfilled’ at the club until he has made them Champions League winners, according to Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: New deal almost complete

The 51-year-old is said to have reached an agreement with the club’s hierarchy over a new contract which would keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 at the very least, but fans of the Sky Blues will have no doubt felt concerned by what the Spaniard had to say following their recent European exit.

After crashing out of the Champions League following a 6-5 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid last week, Guardiola admitted that he might not be the right man to help City get their hands on the trophy for the first time in their history, and the former Scotland manager has suggested that time is ticking in the club’s hunt for European glory.

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The Latest: Pep wants Champions League crown

Speaking to Football Insider about Guardiola’s ongoing pursuit of a Champions League triumph with City to add to the two he won at Barcelona, McLeish said:

“Guardiola’s been a phenomenon all over the world. But the one thing that will be eating away at him is this Champions League trophy. It’s escaped him over these last six or seven years.

“The loss against Real Madrid will have been devastating for the mentality at the club, but there’s no way the boardroom at City will be saying: ‘Pep’s got to go’.

“They’re rightly rewarding him with a new contract. I believe he won’t be fulfilled at the club unless he goes on and wins that first Champions League.

“How long can they keep this incredible team they have together?”

The Verdict: Best man for the job

Guardiola came to City back in 2016 and has since gone on to enjoy plenty of success with the club, having guided them to multiple Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs in that time.

They are currently in a title race with Liverpool, and if they continue to win all of their remaining matches between now and the end of the season, they will be crowned top-flight champions once again by the end of May.

The ex-Barcelona boss, who was once hailed as “inspiring” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, might be experiencing some self-doubt regarding what more he could achieve at the club in the future.

However, he has already transformed City into one of the best teams in the world during his six-year spell in charge and definitely has the potential to keep accomplishing great things with them in years to come, having already become the most successful manager in the club’s history.

In other news… Man City are said to have registered interest in this surprising new transfer target

Liverpool will not be panicking despite the fact that Roberto Firmino appears to have suffered a setback ahead of the clash with Tottenham, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Big concerns

The Brazilian has been ruled out of action ever since he sustained a foot injury during the Reds’ 3-2 FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City last month, but Jurgen Klopp had previously claimed that the 30-year-old was ready to come back into contention for the Merseyside derby against Everton in April.

However, the German boss has since revealed that Firmino will be out for longer than he initially thought, and Dinnery, who runs the popular Premier Injuries site, has suggested that it would be wise to not rush the forward back as he continues his recovery.

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The Latest: Reaction to treatment

When asked about why he thinks the 55-cap international has suffered a bigger reaction than normal, Dinnery told Football Insider’s Adam Williams: “Sometimes things can take longer than expected.

“He might have been expected to respond in a certain way and it hasn’t worked out like that.

“It is a science but not an exact science. Individuals respond to treatment in different ways.

“If you suffer a setback or reaction, you need to make sure you return pain-free.

“They aren’t just thinking about the next game. They have got the rest of the league campaign and possibly a Champions League final.

“It is better to take that additional recovery time than rush him back. They are well-stocked in those positions now anyway.”

The Verdict: UCL final return?

Firmino has been a key player for Liverpool ever since joining the club in a £25m move from Hoffenheim in 2015, going on to make an outstanding 171 goal contributions in just 323 outings during that time.

Whilst the £34.2m-rated talisman has been a huge miss in recent weeks, the Reds have got plenty of cover in that department in the form of Diogo Jota, with Sadio Mane also thriving in a centre-forward role of late.

Hailed as being an “unsung hero” by BBC pundit Noel Whelan, the club will be hoping that Firmino will be available for selection again in time for the Champions League final on May 28th, where the Anfield outfit will be looking to get their hands on another piece of silverware in the hunt to achieve that unprecedented quadruple.

In other news… the Reds are set to battle it out against some European giants to secure the signing of a new target this summer.