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Liverpool have expressed an interest in Juventus’ Dejan Kulusevski but have been rebuffed by the Italian giants, according to Tuttojuve. 

The lowdown

Kulusevski’s £29.7million move to Turin was confirmed as recently as January 2020, though he did spend the remainder of that season on loan at Parma.

In his first full campaign with the Old Lady he made 47 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

The 21-year-old is predominantly a right winger but he’s also been used through the middle and on the left in his fledgling career.

Sweden national team manager Janne Anderson has described Kulusevski as ‘similar to [Arjen] Robben’ because of ‘his pace, his ball control and his finishing’.

Cristiano Ronaldo has also sung his praises, hailing him as an ‘excellent’ player with ‘great talent’ (90min).

He played no part in his country’s first two matches in the European Championships after a positive Covid-19 test but came up with two assists on Matchday Three as Sweden secured top spot in Group E.

The latest

The report from Turin says that not only Liverpool, but also Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, are keen on Kulusevski.

However, Juventus regard him as ‘non-transferable’, much like Italy international Federico Chiesa, who was linked with the Reds earlier in the week.

The verdict

Liverpool could certainly do with a versatile forward like Kulusevski. The likes of Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino are inadequate as back-ups and AFCON will leave the Reds without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for a portion of the winter.

However, given that the player still has four years left on his contract and is very much a rising star, it would probably take an astronomical fee before Juventus even considered a deal. This one feels like a no-go unless Michael Edwards can concoct some form of player-plus-cash deal to lower the price.

In other news, Liverpool joined the race for another coveted Serie A ace.

Celtic have had a wretched start to the season and it won’t get any easier when they face their next competitive fixture on Thursday evening.

The Hoops have already been dumped out of Europe’s premier competition but now Ange Postecoglou has a second bite of the cherry as they enter Europa League qualifying.

On the chalkboard

One of the biggest problems for Celtic in the early stages of this campaign, and indeed over the last 12 months, has been their defence.

They let in 16 more goals than Rangers in the league last term and conceded a whopping 19 times in the Europa League group stage.

Continental action hasn’t been kind to the Bhoys in recent years as they were completely embarrassed in this competition last season.

That came after another incredibly disappointing Champions League exit, that time at the hands of Hungarian opposition Ferencvaros.

Tonight, they’ve headed to the Czech Republic where they’ll face Jablonec in the first leg of the third round of qualifying, bolstered by the addition of Joe Hart who could make his debut.

One man who should be nowhere near the starting XI is Nir Bitton. Described as a “walking joke” by Bhoys Analytics, he continues to let his teammates down.

The Israeli was a liability at times last season and has begun the new campaign in abject form. He was shown a red card against Midtjylland a few weeks ago and was caught out against Hearts last weekend.

John Souttar beat Bitton to the ball in the air which led to the Edinburgh side’s winner late in the clash.

The solution

Carl Starfelt took to the field against Hearts to earn his debut but the Swede won’t have been left enthralled by Celtic’s ability to defend.

He looks a composed ball-playing centre-half but he must be paired with Stephen Welsh when the Hoops kick off on Thursday evening.

It was particularly strange that the 21-year-old wasn’t trusted at Tynecastle last weekend when he’d started both of their Champions League qualifying matches.

Welsh proved last season just how promising he is, establishing a fine partnership with Kristoffer Ajer at the back.

He is a young defender but looks wise beyond his years and hasn’t made a howler to the degree of Bitton just yet.

The Scot is far more reliable than their £14k-per-week disaster and simply has to play against Jablonec.

AND in other news, Celtic could sign their new Henrik Larsson in “outstanding” 24-cap “animal”…

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Leander Dendoncker thinks the squad could do ‘with some more experienced players’.

Dendoncker noted that ‘there were a lot of young players’ on the bench in Wolves’ final pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo and whilst that’s ‘good for them’, he does have concerns (via Birmingham Mail).

With the new season about to begin, the Belgian thinks Bruno Lage’s side might require ‘more depth’.

What business have Wolves done so far this summer?

The Midlands outfit have spent £23.67million up to this point, having shelled out £74.52million in last year’s transfer window.

They’ve struck a permanent deal for Rayan Ait-Nouri, replaced Rui Patricio with Jose Sa, snapped up 20-year-old Colombian centre-back Yerson Mosquera and brought in Francisco Trincao on loan from FC Barcelona.

They were expected to sell either Ruben Neves or Adama Traore to raise funds for further moves, but both players now look set to stay (via The Athletic).

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Dendoncker’s comments, and here’s what supporters made of them.

Wolves fans express concerns after Dendoncker’s call for depth

“Oh dear. Internal conflict”

Credit: @xGJHP

“Dendoncker speaks the truth. 3 experienced players still needed. One each on defense, midfield and forward.”

Credit: @JaredKelsey

“If its bad enough that even the players are calling it out then it really isn’t a great sign”

Credit: @Andyrewjw

“I always found The Donk to be the wise one who would give out advice and guidance to all those who seek it. The man is not wrong on this one”

Credit: @JBanks_cake

“When the players start saying it then it’s a massive sign that we need help quickly…”

Credit: @Sean77B

“So everyone can see it but Fosun?”

Credit: @RealJamesCroft

In other news, fans were buzzing over this transfer update.

Alan Nixon has provided an update on Sunderland’s pursuit of Dennis Cirkin. 

What’s the talk?

The Sun’s Alan Nixon has revealed when Sunderland are expected to finalise the signing of Dennis Cirkin from Tottenham. Nixon has claimed that the Black Cats will complete a deal for the young defender on today.

This comes after Football Insider reported earlier this week that Cirkin has agreed a four-year contract with Sunderland ahead of a permanent switch from the Premier League club.

Fans will be delighted

Supporters should be excited by the prospect of this signing. At the age of 19, Cirkin is not arriving at the Stadium of Light as a ready-made League One superstar, who is guaranteed to be the best right-back in the division. He is, however, coming in with the promise and the potential to develop into that type of player.

The full-back once earned high praise from Jose Mourinho, who claimed that he has a ‘lot of quality’ and admitted that he wanted to work with him on the training pitch. He said:

“OK, he’s 17, but he’s a kid with a lot of quality, and I look forward to bringing him to train with us and to help his development.”

This shows how highly he was thought of at Tottenham, suggesting that there is untapped potential in Cirkin. It will now be down to Lee Johnson to ensure that he can unlock that to maximise the quality he can provide.

AND in other news, Forget Pritchard: Sunderland dynamo with 85% pass accuracy stole the show for Johnson…

Sunderland have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Daniel Jebbison to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sunderland Echo, who claim that, despite the Black Cats attempting to sign the Sheffield United centre-forward for the majority of the summer transfer window, there seems to be no resolution in sight regarding a deal for the 18-year-old.

The report goes on to state that Burton Albion and Doncaster Rovers are also interested in the England U18 international, however, as a result of the loan fee the Blades are demanding in order to sanction the temporary departure of the striker, it appears unlikely that Jebbison will be making a move to any League One side this summer.

Louis-Dreyfus will be fuming

Considering just how close it appeared Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and his transfer team were to getting a deal over the line for Jebbison only a matter of weeks ago, with the centre-forward having been in attendance for the club’s pre-season friendly against Hull City, the fact that a move now looks to be increasingly unlikely is sure to have the Sunderland chairman fuming.

Despite the fact that the Black Cats recently secured the loan signing of Nathan Broadhead, the 18-year-old Blades striker would nevertheless still have been a fantastic addition for the Mackems to make before transfer deadline day.

Having scored the winner in United’s 1-0 victory over Everton last season – a goal that saw the £900k-rated man become the youngest-ever player to score on their first Premier League start – it was reported that Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United and Chelsea were all interested in a summer move for the £145-per-week hitman.

As such, it would be an extremely difficult argument to make that the player Micah Richards dubbed a “fantastic” talent would not have been a major coup for Sunderland.

However, it now appears as if Louis-Dreyfus will have to turn his attention elsewhere in the summer transfer window if he is still keen to bring in further attacking additions to Lee Johnson’s side before the end of the month.

In other news: Lost possession 20x: Sunderland’s sloppy £653k-rated ace cost Johnson dearly vs Burton

Former Everton star Michael Ball believes a move to sign Sander Berge could be a shrewd one for the Toffees.

The club have been linked with a potential swoop to sign the defensive midfielder after the Blades were relegated to the Championship.

Berge enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Premier League when Sheffield United finished ninth, impressing in his 14 appearances.

He has struggled with injuries, however, and missed a large chunk of the 2020/21 season as the Blades finished rock-bottom.

Since their return to the Championship, Berge has played twice, and Ball believes he was quite simply the best player on the pitch when they took on Birmingham City, even though they lost the game 1-0.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Ball made the claim that he is too good for the second-tier, saying: “It always seems to be the same clubs linked to the same players, I think Arsenal are interested in him again and also Everton but I watched his game last week and he was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.

“He probably is too good for the Championship.”

Berge has made a total of 34 appearances for the Blades and has also won 24 caps for Norway. He is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Noel Whelan has saluted Glasgow Rangers’ recent signing of Juninho Bacuna.

The Lowdown: Bacuna confirmed

On Thursday, the Ibrox club confirmed that they have signed the Curacao international from Huddersfield Town.

He only had one year left on his deal at the Terriers, so Steven Gerrard saw the chance to pounce on his signature.

The Latest: Whelan on Bacuna

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aberdeen striker Whelan has been lauding the Gers’ signing of Bacuna after being asked if he had seen him play much in the English Championship. He said:

“I have. He’s a very talented player.

“Likes to produce a few different hair colours as well but you don’t mind that if the player has got some ability. He definitely has got the ability and I think that’s been seen by Steven Gerrard.

“Very quick, good on the ball, technically wise. He has got an eye for a goal as well. One of these players I feel, in time to come – he’s not even in his best years of football – will probably produce for Rangers.

“I think no better than having a man like Steven Gerrard, a midfield superstar in that position over years and years and years, to give him that guidance. To progress him to the player that, potentially, he really could be.

“I mean, wow, we saw some brilliant stuff from him at Huddersfield during the time he was there. I guess it was just finding that consistency. Plus he was in a team that was getting weaker and weaker by the season.

“He was still a standout there. I think Steven Gerrard has done some really good business there. If he can get the best out of Bacuna, he’s got a really talented midfield player on his hands.”

The Verdict: Smart signing

As Whelan says, it was certainly smart from the Light Blues to bring Bacuna to Ibrox, as he will give Gerrard another handy option in his squad for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

The Curacao international has experience of playing at the highest level in the Premier League, and overall has shown that he has an eye for both a goal and an assist despite mainly operating in midfield. He scored 12 times and supplied a further nine assists in 107 games in total for Huddersfield over the last three seasons (Transfermarkt).

His added versatility is certainly a bonus for Gerrard, and at 24 years of age, Bacuna has not even hit his peak yet.

In other news, find out what Ryan Kent news has had one pundit talking

Crystal Palace are reportedly pushing to bring in Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah as Patrick Vieira eyes striking reinforcements, according to Sky Sports.

Playing his part last term, the 22-year-old managed to notch seven goal contributions in 29 appearances for the Gunners with six goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

In the last moments of the transfer window, he could now be set to swap north London for SE25 as the Eagles eye further attacking depth.

Crystal Palace are keen on the striker and have been embroiled in discussions over a fee, although no such breakthrough has come to light as of yet due to disparities in the clubs’ respective valuations of Nketiah [Sky Sports]. An unnamed German club are also mooted to be in the hunt for his services.

In light of this news, plenty of Crystal Palace diehards took to Twitter to discuss the links with the Arsenal marksman.

Crystal Palace fans react

Replying to multiple outlets on Twitter, here is what some Palace fans had to say about the “interesting” possibility of the Eagles signing Nketiah:

“Please get it done”

Credit: @joelcpfc_

“If I had to bet on which striker we’d end up with, I think it would be him…”

Credit: @e_crystalpalace”I have a feeling a double swoop for him (buy) and Reiss Nelson (loan)”Credit: @creasep”Really impressed with him in Arsenal’s pre-season, he’s improving a lot and I think he could do really well given game time”Credit: @CpfcDan_”he’s suit the system better too, Benteke can be a super sub lol”Credit: @cpfcbeast”Interesting”Credit: @JacobCPFC_In other news, Crystal Palace have been linked with another striker. Find out more here.

Carlton Palmer has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Daryl Dike would fit in well at Leeds.

According to TEAMtalk, the Yorkshire giants are plotting a loan move for the American striker, who enjoyed an impressive loan spell with their local rivals Barnsley in the second half of last season.

Dike’s nine goals in 19 Championship outings helped the Tykes qualify for the play-offs, although he was unable to add to his tally in their play-off games against Swansea as they failed to reach the richest game in football.

He’s since returned to the MLS with Orlando City but has been strongly linked with a return to England.

Patrick Bamford remains Leeds’ first-choice striker, but Marcelo Bielsa has little in reserve should he get injured, even though Rodrigo has previously played through the middle.

One of those chasing Dike’s services are West Brom, who are managed by Valerian Ismael, the American international’s manager during his time with Barnsley.

But Palmer told The Transfer Tavern that a switch to Elland Road would make sense:

“He scored nine goals in 19 games for Barnsley. I think the option is $20m, so you’re talking maybe £12m/£13m, so it’s not expensive in modern day football.

“And he’s the type of player that fits into that. Ismael plays a similar style to Bielsa. So, he would fit into that type of mould.”

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Massimo Luongo could return to Australia, with Perth Glory reportedly interested in making a move for him.

The Lowdown: Luongo impresses for Owls

The 28-year-old has been an impressive performer at times for the Owls, scoring three goals in 45 appearances. and boasting impressive averages of 2.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Championship last season.

Luongo has lacked consistency though and is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, meaning he is set to miss a chunk of Wednesday’s League One campaign.

The Latest: Midfielder linked with exit

According to The Sheffield Star, Darren Moore could actually lose his midfielder for good, with Perth eyeing up a permanent move for him.

The A-League side are thought to be keen on bringing Luongo back to his homeland, with over a month of the Australian transfer window still remaining.

Luongo’s current Owls deal expires next summer, leaving his future up in the air.

The Verdict: Big potential loss?

Luongo would be a big loss if he moved on this summer, even though his injury problems have held him back at times at Hillsborough.

The tenacity and energy he provides in midfield could be too good for some League One opponents – he has won 43 caps for Australia, which speaks volumes – and he is an ideal foil for the more attack-minded Barry Bannan.

The hope may be that Luongo stays put at Wednesday and ends up signing a new contract, but cashing in now is a more viable option than losing him for free next year.

In other news, some Sheff Wed fans have been hailing an Owls player’s brilliance on international duty. Read more here.