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Liverpool and Manchester City are both eyeing up a future move for Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Saka shines for Arsenal

The 20-year-old has already blossomed into arguably the first name on Arsenal’s team sheet these days, having made enormous strides in recent years.

Saka scored 11 goals and registered seven assists in the Premier League last season, also averaging 1.8 key passes per game, and has been valued at a whopping £58.5million by Transfermarkt.

While the England international may not be available this summer, Arsenal could find it hard to keep hold of him for years to come, with his contract currently ticking towards a conclusion in 2024.

The Latest: Liverpool and City keen on move

According to The Daily Mail, City have ‘stepped up their interest’ in Saka ahead of a future move but Liverpool are also mentioned in the conversation.

The Reds have ‘earmarked’ him as a target, as Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild his squad for the long term.

Saka actually shares an agent with Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo, who has 12 months remaining on his contract at Anfield.

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The Verdict: Next summer, perhaps?

While this summer looks like a no-go for Liverpool and Saka, a move for him this time next year could make more sense, at which point he would only have 12 months left on his current deal.

Mohamed Salah could also be on the verge of leaving Anfield then, judging by the current situation, and the Arsenal hero could be perfect to fill that void, such is his left-footed brilliance on the right-hand side with the Gunners.

He is also supremely versatile, racking up appearances in north London all the way up both flanks, at centre-midfield and even up front.

Saka is arguably one of England’s most exciting players and a leading figure for many years to come – Ray Parlour has called him a ‘revelation’ – and his style of play feels perfect for Liverpool, given his trickery out wide, goal threat and work ethic.

In other news, a journalist has bemoaned a Liverpool transfer rumour. Read more here.

Joao Moutinho is still looking at potential options away from Wolves as contract talks continue to stall, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Moutinho outstanding for Wolves

The 35-year-old has been a magnificent servant for Wanderers since joining from Monaco back in 2018, providing huge amounts of quality and experience.

Moutinho’s class in the middle of the park has been a joy to watch at times, with Danny Murphy describing the Portuguese as a ‘beautiful’ footballer.

The veteran’s current deal at Molineux expires this summer, however, and as of yet, he has not agreed an extension.

The Latest: Spiers gives key update

Writing for The Athletic, Spiers confirmed that Moutinho wants a two-year deal at Wolves but the club would rather he only stay on for another 12 months.

For that reason, he is assessing other options, should all parties fail to come to an agreement.

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The Verdict: One-year deal perfect

The idea of losing both Ruben Neves and Moutinho in the same transfer window doesn’t bear thinking about for Wolves, given their influence in midfield.

Ideally, Moutinho would agree to Wolves’ one-year offer, with two more years taking him to almost 38, at which point age really could have caught up with him.

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A couple more seasons feel like a risk, but a 12-month extension would be perfect, allowing Bruno Lage to continue using him as a key man before his legs really start to go.

In other news, a fresh Wolves transfer claim has emerged regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United reportedly now lead the chase to sign Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz and even submitted a bid for the player.

The Lowdown: Pope done

It has been widely reported that a deal to bring Nick Pope to St. James’ Park to Burnley is done, with an official announcement expected soon.

With Matt Targett brought in on a permanent deal from Aston Villa as well, the North East club can now start to move on to other targets further up the pitch, having significantly improved their rearguard with their first two moves of the summer.

The Latest: Ruiz chase

As per Corriere dello Sport, both the Tynesiders and Arsenal now lead the chase to sign Ruiz, while Manchester City and Manchester United are further behind with their interest in the Napoli star.

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, the Serie A side are only asking for €30m (£25.8m) to sell, with the report claiming Eddie Howe’s team had a much higher £42m bid rejected in the January transfer window.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given the interest in his signature from their Premier League rivals, who can also offer him European football, the Magpies simply need to get this deal done if Ruiz is seriously a target for Howe.

They could sign the midfield maestro for £16.2m less then they were willing to pay for him just a few months ago, and so he could turn out to be a real bargain.

Dubbed an ‘absolutely incredible‘ player by journalist Zach Lowy, Ruiz has consistently played at the highest level for Napoli over the last four seasons, playing in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League as well as Serie A (Transfermarkt).

The six-foot-two box-to-box star has notched up 22 goals and 15 assists from midfield in his time there (Transfermarkt), and so would offer the Toon another injection of end product from deep that could really help them push up the table next term.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Ismaila Sarr in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Speaking on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that the Watford winger is one of the players on the Tyneside club’s radar.

Dan Ashworth is looking to add a new wide man to Eddie Howe’s squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and has identified Sarr as a target.

Sheth has stated that Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby is the Magpies’ number one target, but the Hornets star is viewed as a cheaper alternative if they cannot afford a deal for the Frenchman.

Big Ryan Fraser upgrade

By snapping up the Senegal international this summer, Ashworth could land a big upgrade on Scottish winger Ryan Fraser for Howe.

In two seasons playing for the Magpies, the former Bournemouth man has not been able to showcase his quality on a consistent basis in the final third. Since arriving from the south coast, Fraser has only scored two goals and provided five assists in 45 Premier League matches.

Meanwhile, Sarr has produced 10 goals and eight assists over 50 outings in his two seasons for Watford in the English top flight, suffering relegations in both campaigns but nonetheless showing that he can score and set up goals at the top level.

This shows that he put up more impressive numbers than Fraser whilst playing in a worse team, given that the Newcastle winger finished in mid-table in both of his seasons on Tyneside.

Ben Foster previously praised the 24-year-old Vicarage Road wizard as a “freak” of a talent and hailed his ability on the ball, saying: “It’s scary, isn’t it, really? It’s almost like everything seems to just be off the cuff. Every single time he gets the ball, even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but it will end up being good either way.”

Also, the Watford attacker is four years younger than Fraser and has the potential to get even better as he gains more experience at the top level.

Therefore, he could be a big upgrade on the Scot at St James’ Park next season, and the gap between them may grow if he is able to fulfill his potential working under Howe.

It has been reported that Sarr is set to be available for a fee in the region of €35m (£30m), so Newcastle must now pounce on the dynamo to improve their options out wide.

AND in other news, Forget Ekitike: Newcastle now “close to” landing second summer signing, Howe will be elated…

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Brazilian striker Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa this summer, and the Flamengo marksman could the missing piece of the puzzle in Bruno Lage’s side next season.

What’s the word?

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones stated: “Gabigol is definitely on the agenda at Wolves but I’m slightly sceptical about him going there – I get the impression this might be leverage for other teams to come in.

“But he does want to come to the Premier League, he is affordable and Wolves are interested.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Given Wolves’ woes in front of goal last season, ‘Gabigol’ could be exactly what Lage needs in order to push the Old Gold up the table next term.

Only the relegated trio of Burnley, Watford and Norwich scored fewer goals than them in the top flight in 2021/22, which suggests that attacking reinforcements are a must this summer, as there is no guarantee that the defensive stability of last season will carry over into the next campaign.

Aside from disappointing loan spells with Benfica and Inter, the 25-year-old striker has enjoyed a fairly prolific career in his home country, hitting 100 goals in 153 appearances for Flamengo, along with 43 goals for Santos at the outset of his career.

He is also a regular for Brazil with 18 caps to his name, which suggests that he could adapt to the demands of the Premier League next season with Wolves, as he is far more developed now than he was during his time in Portugal and Italy.

Considering that Raul Jimenez was Wolves’ top scorer in the top flight last term with just six goals to his name, you could definitely argue that Lage needs a more clinical option up front. Barbosa could provide just that, with legendary Inter striker Adriano describing him as “decisive” in 2021, when transfer reports stated that Flamengo would likely demand at least £30m for his services.

Although Jones was uncertain about whether or not the Brazilian would make the move to Molineux, Wolves supporters will surely be delighted to hear that they are interested in signing the 25-year-old, given his obvious goalscoring pedigree.

In other news… Bid submitted: Wolves eyeing star who Guardiola dubbed “one of the best”, he’s Neves 2.0

Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a claim involving Wolverhampton Wanderers and Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa. 

The lowdown: European woes

Initially brought across the Atlantic by Inter Milan in 2017, Barbosa – known as Gabigol – was loaned to Benfica and then Santos, as he managed a meagre two goals during his time in Europe.

Since returning to his homeland on a permanent basis with a move to Flamengo though, the 25-year-old frontman has scored a sensational 102 goals and registered another 28 assists in 158 appearances for the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A side and has earned senior international recognition with Brazil.

That form has led to strong links with a return to Europe as the likes of West Ham, Arsenal, Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United all pay close attention to the flamboyant hitman…

The latest: Hat in the ring?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that Wolves could join the list of potential suitors for the 18-cap ace this summer as a Premier League swoop beckons.

He said: “Now, whether that ends up being Aston Villa or Newcastle or West Ham, I don’t know, but I do think that this might be the summer Gabigol finally lands, and whoever takes that punt, it might be worth it.

“Wolves as well, by the way, they might even come into the equation. Somebody is going to take a punt on him.”

The verdict: Marquee signing

Bruno Lage could certainly be on the lookout for an additional centre-forward firepower in the transfer window with Raul Jimenez struggling to recapture his best form after the head injury and Fabio Silva still adapting to life at the elite level.

Those issues, coupled with injuries to key attackers such as Pedro Neto, meant that scoring goals was a major issue at Molineux last term as the Old Gold ended the campaign as the lowest scorers outside of the Premier League relegation zone with just 38 strikes.

Already boasting a well-decorated career, Gabigol – who was described as having ‘everything’ a striker needs by Brazil legend Zico – scored 18 times and registered two assists in 35 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign.

In that time, the mercurial tattoo-laden Brazilian with an eye for the spectacular earned a 6.95 Sofascore rating comprising of 0.7 successful dribbles, 1.2 key passes and 2.4 shots per game in the South American nation’s top flight.

With 147 goals total in 298 career outings, signing the £23.4million valued maverick could be a worthwhile risk from Lage and Jeff Shi as the Wanderers attempt to address an alarming lack of goal threat.

Aston Villa have been heavily linked with signing Anderlecht defender Sergio Gomez in recent weeks and the Spaniard could form a superb partnership with Philippe Coutinho on Steven Gerrard’s left-hand side.

Reports have suggested that Villa are keen on signing the former Barcelona man after his superb performances in the Belgian Pro League last season.

The Villans will be in the market for a left-back after Matt Targett was allowed to join Newcastle United on a permanent deal, having spent the second half of last season on loan with Eddie Howe’s side.

While Lucas Digne has impressed since his January switch from Everton, Gerrard will no doubt be looking for such competition for the Frenchman at left-back, and Gomez could be the ideal man.

Last season saw the 21-year-old average an impressive 7.08 rating from WhoScored for his domestic performances, as he contributed a superb six goals and 11 assists for the Belgian side.

The young defender, who is also capable of playing in midfield, has spent much of his youth representing either Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund, so has a rich history and looks to have a huge amount of potential.

The “great talent” spent five years in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, so could form a natural connection with Coutinho in Villa’s side next season given his footballing education.

That spell in his career has clearly had a big influence on his style of play, as WhoScored suggests that his strengths include passing, playing key passes and holding on to the ball.

These attributes would surely compliment Coutinho well down the left-hand side, and the prospect of the two working together and creating chances next season is surely one that will excite Gerrard and Villa fans.

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Therefore, Johan Lange should definitely consider making Gomez Villa’s fifth signing of the summer, as he clearly has a huge amount of potential, and his style of play could work wonders alongside Coutinho under Gerrard’s management next season.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals “full agreement” reached, Aston Villa supporters surely gutted

John Wenham has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Sonny Perkins.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with Football Insider, the Tottenham Hotspur insider revealed that, despite the Whites being able to offer the 18-year-old a much clearer route to first-team football, Antonio Conte’s side hold a huge advantage over Leeds in the race for the forward’s signature this summer – in that Perkins is a lifelong Spurs supporter.

Wenham went on to state that the former West Ham United prospect’s parents were pushing him to join Tottenham prior to his move to the London Stadium, before claiming that the teenager would likely receive a great deal of game time in Spurs’ youth sides next season with Troy Parrott, Kion Etete and Dane Scarlett looking likely to be loaned out.

Regarding both Leeds and Tottenham’s reported interest in the striker, the insider said: “I wasn’t totally sure Tottenham are going to sign him, I know Leeds want him. Leeds can offer a better pathway, just look at how much Joe Gelhardt has played.

“But – I don’t know how widely known this is – Sonny is a season ticket holder at Tottenham, as is his Dad. They are lifelong Spurs supporters. I appreciate he was the jewel in West Ham’s crown but before he signed for them his parents were pushing him to sign for Tottenham.

“Personally, I would make that move all day long. Hopefully next season we will loan out Troy Parrott, Kion Etete and Dane Scarlett. Our youth teams have a lot of football to play next season, we are playing in the youth Champions League and we will need a youth striker if all of those players leave.

“I would be more than happy for Tottenham to make a move for Sonny, he’s a really good prospect.”

“£30m” blow

Considering the sheer amount of potential Perkins undoubtedly possesses, Wenham’s suggestion that the 18-year-old’s support of Tottenham could well see Conte’s side land the forward ahead of Leeds this summer is sure to come as a huge blow to Victor Orta and his transfer team at Elland Road.

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It is clear from his business in the transfer market that the director of football is keen to add exciting young players to Jesse Marsch’s squad as regularly as possible, having already brought the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Illan Meslier, Lewis Bate, Leo Fuhr Hjelde and Darko Gyabi – to name but a few – to Elland Road in recent years.

And, when looking at Perkins’ form during his time in the West Ham youth setup, it is clear to see that the £1.08m-rated talent would be yet another fantastic capture for the Spaniard – especially considering his availability on a free.

Indeed, over his started off as a central or attacking midfielder – scored nine goals and registered four assists for Kevin Keen’s side, while, over his 21 Premier League 2 fixtures last season, the 18-year-old bagged 12 goals and provided one assist for the U23s.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why Orta appears so keen to land the player who James Marshment backed to become a “£30m player” in the coming years, nor it is hard to see why missing out on Perkins to Tottenham would be a gutting outcome for all involved with the Whites.

AND in other news: Orta closing in on “top target” as Leeds 7th summer signing, he’s a “new wave” talent

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is ‘considering’ a move for Bayern Munich defender Chris Richards, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Richards profiled

Richards, a USA international, is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a right-back or left-back. The 22-year-old made the move to Bayern back in 2020 but has been limited to just ten senior appearances for the German giants and has spent time on loan with Hoffenheim.

The versatile defender has been hailed as an ‘athletic freak’ by former USA national team scout Thomas Rongen, and it looks as if he could become the third American to arrive in Yorkshire after Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams.

The Latest: Leeds interest

Jacobs took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to share some information on Leeds and Richards.

He revealed that Marsch is ‘still considering’ a move for Richards and described a potential transfer as ‘one to watch’.

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The Verdict: Firpo cover

Leeds are well-stocked at centre-back with four senior options, however, a move for Richards could well be just what the club need. He would provide a fifth option and would also be able to provide competition at left-back to Junior Firpo.

Marsch has travelled to Australia without a senior left-back following Firpo’s recent injury issue, which will keep him out for eight weeks, so adding a versatile defender like Richards could be a wise move in the long run.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard this summer, according to French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Trophy-laden career

Signed by Bayern following a successful spell at Stuttgart, Pavard has amassed 119 appearances for the Bundesliga champions, directly contributing to 16 goals in the process.

The 26-year-old France international has also added major honours such as the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, three German top flight titles and one German Cup to the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Nations League won with his nation.

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Now, as the Frenchman appears to seek pastures new amidst uncertainty over his role in Munich, Old Trafford has emerged as a potential landing spot…

The latest: On the radar

As per L’Equipe, transcribed by SW, Manchester United are among the clubs interested in signing the 45-cap star.

It’s claimed that Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are all also in contention for the capture of Pavard, but the Red Devils have also ‘indicated’ their admiration.

The report also states that the combative defender – who was heralded for an ‘exceptional’ ability to attack crosses by journalist Josh Bunting – is on the ‘recruitment list’ of Erik ten Hag and is valued at around €35million (£30million) by the German giants.

The verdict: Go all out

With major doubts remaining over the long-term future of Arron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot still unproven in the Premier League having failed to provide a goal or assist in 30 appearances last season, signing a top-class performer at the elite level would be a smart move from the Old Trafford hierarchy.

During the 2021/22 campaign, Pavard earned an impressive 7.11 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.7 duels and 2.0 clearances per game and completing 88 per cent of all attempted passes in the Bundesliga – showcasing strong defensive qualities as well as an ability to operate in a ball-playing system.

Equally adept as a central defender and as a right-back, the French ace shares similar stylistic traits with Danilo, Takehiro Tomiyasu and United’s own Dalot (Fbref), however, couples his abilities with a vast array of success and experience at the very elite level that makes him a no brainer signing for Director of Football John Murtough at the mooted asking price.