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Stoke City want to sign Manchester City starlet Liam Delap on loan this summer, according to The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon.

The Lowdown: Southampton’s offer

Last week The Athletic reported that Man City had rejected a £16m bid from Southampton for the 19-year-old striker.

Saints are long-term admirers of the England U19 international, who signed a new three-year deal at the Etihad last year.

He has made two appearances in the Premier League for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Latest: Sheldon’s news

Sheldon has shared an update on the speculation surrounding Delap’s rumoured City departure.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Stoke City want to sign Manchester City forward Liam Delap on loan. No option to buy.

“They are one of several clubs interested in the 19-year-old.

“MCFC do not want to sell & have already turned down a £16m bid from Southampton.”

The Verdict: Limited minutes at City

The Blues striker will be weighing up his options ahead of the new Premier League season.

With minutes limited in Guardiola’s star-studded XI, Delap is not expected to receive a lot of game time in the English top-flight during this year’s campaign.

As a result, a loan move away for the season could be hugely beneficial for the 19-year-old, who has been hailed by the City boss for having ‘special qualities’.

Liam’s father, Rory, played for Stoke between 2007 and 2013, where he was a key member of the side who achieved promotion to the Premier League (via The Athletic).

With the familiarity of Stoke, a loan switch to the Championship outfit could be the easiest transition to make in securing regular minutes playing first-team football.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Milan Skriniar to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite Simone Inzaghi’s desire to keep the centre-back at Inter Milan next season, the Serie A side would nevertheless be willing to part with the 27-year-old for a figure in the region of €65m (£55m) in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that Paris Saint-Germain and Spurs are two of the most interested parties in the Slovakia international, while Tottenham’s sporting director, Fabio Paratici, is known to have been in Italy this week in order to discuss potential deals for both incoming and outgoing transfers.

“Unreal”

Considering just how impressive Skriniar has been for Inter in recent seasons, in addition to the fact that Antonio Conte already shares a relationship with the defender, the argument that the 27-year-old would represent a fantastic addition to the 52-year-old’s current options at the back is an easy one to make.

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Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances under the Italian’s management back in 2020/21, the £58.5m-rated defender was in imperious form for the Nerazzurri, helping his side keep 12 clean sheets and bagging three goals, in addition to making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

These returns saw the centre-back who journalist David Amoyal dubbed a “beast” and Andy Castell labelled “unreal” average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Inter’s seventh-best player in the club’s title-winning campaign that season.

As such, while it is true that Paratici has already secured the arrival of Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan this summer, it would nevertheless appear an extremely wise move for the Spurs sporting director to also make a £55m move for Skriniar ahead of 2022/23 – as the 54-cap international undoubtedly possesses the ability to become the rock upon which Conte builds his Tottenham defence for many a year to come.

AND in other news: Conte could land “unreal” £42.5m signing as Spurs plot fresh bid for “one of the best”

Leeds United have been offered the chance to bring Layvin Kurzawa to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Media Foot Marseille (via Sport Witness), who claim that, with Paris Saint-Germain making the left-back surplus to requirements at Le Parc des Princes, the 29-year-old’s representatives have now contacted both Leeds and Everton regarding a potential move in the summer transfer window.

In a further post on Twitter, James Marshment claimed that Victor Orta could seal the former France international on a “discounted deal” – with PSG reported to be demanding a figure in the region of £6m in order to part with the defender.

This news comes following Jesse Marsch’s confirmation on Wednesday morning that, with Junior Firpo looking to be ruled out for the start of the 2022/23 campaign due to injury, Leeds will be looking to sign a new left-back over the remainder of the summer window.

“Crazy”

While it is true that Kurzawa has fallen down the PSG pecking order in recent years – failing to make a single appearance in Ligue 1 last season – should the full-back indeed be available for as little as £6m this summer, the 29-year-old’s signing could still represent something of a real coup for Leeds.

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Indeed, following his £22.5m move to Paris back in August 2015, the £4.5m-rated left-back was in electric form over his 19 Ligue 1 outings in his debut campaign, scoring four goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

The £89k-per-week defender also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Les Parisiens keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 3.3 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances, 43.4 passes and winning 7.2 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per fixture.

These returns saw the 13-cap international who dubbed himself “crazy” average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.49, ranking him as the fourth-best player in the whole of the French top-flight that season.

As such, should Marsch trust himself to be the manager to help Kurzawa refind this breathtaking level of form, a £6m move for the left-back could very easily prove to be one of the bargains of the summer – leading us to believe that the Frenchman is well worth taking a punt on for Orta this summer.

AND in other news: Adam Pope relays behind-scenes Leeds transfer development, supporters will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur could look to add another signing even after the arrival of Djed Spence…

What’s the word?

The Premier League side have been locked in negotiations with Championship outfit Middlesbrough over a deal for the 21-year-old right-back and remain hopeful of getting it done before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, as per the Evening Standard.

And according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, their summer transfer business may not be complete.

“I think now they’ve got [Clement] Lenglet, that’s the defensive side of things tied up.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s another transfer down the line, they’ve got money to spend because of what ENIC put in at the beginning of the window,” he told GIVEMESPORT.

“He’s filled most positions he wanted. He wanted a forward to compete with and put pressure on Kane, he got that in Richarlison, he wanted a tough nut in midfield in Bissouma, he got a wing-back in [Ivan] Perisic and is going for another in [Djed] Spence.

“But it wouldn’t surprise me if they go for one more player.”

Spurs’ strength in depth

The Lilywhites have had quite a remarkable transfer window, signing no fewer than five new players as they look to bolster Antonio Conte’s squad for the new season, in which the side will be competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2020.

It is, therefore, quite important to add bodies to the team as it will allow the Italian head coach to rotate his squad with so many midweek matches on the horizon and he can do so without risking a drop-off in quality.

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Backup options like Harry Winks and Lucas Moura have been instantly usurped by Yves Bissouma and Richarlison, whilst Clement Lenglet fills a massive gap as Conte’s only left-footed centre-back.

Meanwhile, Fraser Forster has come in on a free transfer to play second fiddle to Hugo Lloris, with Conte also trusting his former star Ivan Perisic to do a job in the big time at 33 years of age.

Spence would be another much-needed addition, both in terms of positional need and squad depth, as he could solve the long-standing issue on the right-flank, a role that the Spurs boss has wanted to fix since he arrived in N17.

It remains to be seen exactly who that additional signing could be, though perhaps a new no.10 is amongst the priorities, having failed to sign one since the departure of Christian Eriksen in January 2020.

The likes of Jesse Lingard, Anthony Gordon, Memphis Depay and Lucas Paqueta have all been linked in recent weeks, so that suggests further reinforcements in the final third could well be on the agenda.

Either way, Conte will surely be delighted with the business that sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy have conducted, and he will be elated to seal Spence and potentially one more addition, too.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops Kyle Walker-Peters update…

Barcelona have a ‘serious interest’ in Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Chukwuemeka at Villa

Chukwuemeka, who can play as a central or attacking midfielder, has progressed into the first team after joining Villa’s academy back in 2016, and he has been labelled as ‘outstanding’ by Paul Merson for the quality of his performances.

The 18-year-old made 16, and he provided an assist in a 2-0 win over Norwich City.

However, Chukwuemeka is now into the final 12 months of his current deal, and it looks as if he could be on the move.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano, who broke the news regarding the Midlanders’ move for left-back Ludwig Augustinsson over the weekend, took to Twitter on Monday evening to share some more Villa-related transfer news.

He revealed that Barcelona have a ‘serious interest’ in Chukwuemeka, with the Catalan giants viewing the teenager as a player with ‘huge potential’. The transfer expert added that Chukwuemeka would be available for ‘FIFA training compensation’ in January, which means that he could leave Villa Park for a meagre amount well below his £5.4m Transfermarkt valuation.

The Verdict: Time to act

Providing that Villa keep hold of the youngster this summer, they will have a four-month window in which they will be able to tie Chukwuemeka down to a new long-term deal ahead of the January transfer window.

He appears to be a star of the future after progressing through the ranks for both club and country, so Villa may need to guarantee him regular game-time over the coming years in order for him to stay.

Steven Gerrard is thought to be ‘desperate’ to have Chukwuemeka at Villa Park for his first full season in charge, and hopefully the 18-year-old will be around for much longer despite the interest from Barcelona, who would be able to offer him Champions League football.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Clement Lenglet’s proposed move to Tottenham is now just a ‘matter of time’ from being completed.

The Lowdown: Lenglet agrees terms with Spurs

The 27-year-old, who currently plays his football for Barcelona, has been heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou in recent weeks after it was claimed that Xavi had told the defender that he wasn’t part of his plans moving forward.

Sky Sports reported last week that the Lilywhites had opened talks with the Frenchman over a potential loan switch to the Premier League, and after just days of negotiations, it was later announced that the player had agreed personal terms to join Conte in the capital.

The Latest: Romano’s Lenglet update

Taking to Twitter, Romano insisted that Lenglet’s move to Tottenham is now imminent, with both parties in the process of ironing out the last few details. He wrote:

“Clement Lenglet to Tottenham, just matter of time and then… here we go soon. Agreement’s being finalised between Barcelona and Tottenham on loan deal, working on details.

“Lenglet agreed personal terms with Spurs last week, matter of final steps between clubs.”

The Verdict: Experience at the back

Despite only making seven starts in La Liga last season, Lenglet showed just how comfortable he is playing out from the back, averaging an outstanding 91% pass success rate, via WhoScored, an attribute that Conte likes to have in his starting XI.

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The 15-cap international will also already be very familiar with Champions League football, having made 44 appearances in the competition for both Barcelona and Sevilla, so could bring some much-needed European experience to that defensive backline.

Lenglet will soon follow in the footsteps of Perisic, Forster, Bissouma and Richarlison to become Paratici’s fifth signing of the summer as Conte continues to build his new-look squad ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has been reacting to the signing of Richarlison, which was confirmed by the club on Friday morning.

The Lowdown: Spurs unveil Richarlison

The Brazilian’s Everton exit always seemed inevitable, with the Toffees only just narrowly managing to escape Premier League relegation last season.

There were several top-flight clubs interested in securing the forward’s services, predominantly Chelsea and Arsenal, but it was the Lilywhites who ended up beating their London rivals to win the race for his signature after it was officially announced on Friday that the 25-year-old had put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Spurs.

The Latest: Gold reacts

Taking to Twitter, Gold shared his excitement about Richarlison’s move and is looking forward to seeing what other transfer business Spurs complete this window.

Quoting a tweet directly from the club unveiling the former Goodison Park man, the reporter wrote:

“That’s number four done, it’s July 1 and there’s more to come. What has happened to Tottenham Hotspur?”

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The Verdict: A fresh creative outlet

Richarlison now becomes Tottenham’s fourth summer signing, following in the footsteps of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma as Antonio Conte continues to create his new-look squad ahead of next season.

The striker was the standout performer in a struggling Everton side under Frank Lampard, muserting 16 goal contributions in 33 appearances across all competitions last term, as per Transfermarkt, highlighting how prolific he can be in the final third.

Spurs do have plenty of attacking prowess in Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, but Richarlison has the versatility to play either on the flank or down the middle, so his arrival will create a fresh new outlet for the Italian up top, who will need all the numbers he can get with the extra fixtures once the Champions League campaign begins.

Aston Villa could make a move for Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams, according to Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Williams profiled

The youngster is primarily a left-back who can also line out at right-back and is entering the final two years of his contract at Old Trafford.

Described as ‘great in the air’ by his former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the past, the 21-year-old has made 50 senior appearances for United but spent last season on loan with Norwich City.

The Englishman, who is known for his speed, made 29 appearances for the Canaries, and it looks as if he could be on the move again this summer.

The Latest: Villa linked with Williams

Birmingham Live reporter John Townley, who focuses mainly on Villa, shared a story on Monday morning looking at Steven Gerrard’s left-back ranks.

With Ashley Young still yet to sign a new deal in the Midlands, Townley said that the club could be interested in a move for Williams. The 21-year-old is worth just £10m and is seemingly available to leave Manchester United this summer, with Townley saying that the defender’s versatility could be of use to Gerrard.

The Verdict: Cheaper option

As Townley mentions, Williams would be a cheaper option than fellow Villa targets Calvin Bassey and Aaron Hickey, with Rangers and Bologna looking for £25m and £18m respectively.

Williams has also been compared to Hickey by Football Transfers and would provide an option at right-back, another area where Villa are short, with Matty Cash the only senior option available to Gerrard last season.

He already has plenty of Premier League experience and is still in the early stages of his career, so a move to the Midlands could be a shrewd one to provide competition to Lucas Digne.

Everton are looking for ways to improve their squad and must take advantage of the summer transfer window ahead of next season, and now a new potential transfer target has come to light.

What’s the latest?

According to De Telegraaf (via Sport Witness), Everton are ‘concretely’ interested in signing AZ Alkmaar’s Owen Wijndal this summer.

As per the report, Napoli and Sevilla are also named as interested in the player this summer, however, Ajax are suggested to be the first choice for Wijndal’s agent.

Better than Mykolenko

Everton desperately needs reinforcements in their squad after struggling in a relegation battle that saw them fight to remain in the Premier League until the penultimate game of the campaign.

Frank Lampard could secure a major coup by adding a high-quality left-back like Wijndal into the team next season, especially when you consider his effectiveness and output in the Eredivisie.

The £10.8m-rated dynamo scored one goal, contributed ten assists and created nine big chances, making 1.5 key passes, 1.4 tackles and 1.2 clearances, winning the majority of his duels combined (51%) and proving successful in the majority of his dribble attempts (63%), proving that he is better than Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Mykolenko managed to equal Wijndal’s goal tally but did not provide any assists, making just 0.7 key passes and completing no dribbles, so the Dutchman could add more depth in terms of an attacking threat coming from the back-line throughout 2022/23.

The 22-year-old who was dubbed “dangerous” by Ajax Analytics, has deployed his attacking prowess combined with his defensive attributes to lead his side to a fifth-place finish in the Dutch top-flight and having a game-changing player who can be link-up player would be huge for Everton next term.

With that being said, signing Wijndal this summer would be a huge signing for Everton as he is clearly a very impactful player at both ends of the pitch and Lampard will need players who can hit the ground instantly to ensure they are not in a similar situation as 2021/22.

AND in other news: Contact made: Everton swoop in for “different” £20m star, he can be Lampard’s Iniesta

West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has dropped an update regarding the club’s reported interest in Christian Eriksen…

What’s the word?

According to the trusted source, the Hammers are believed to be keen on a deal for the Danish midfielder, following reports that suggested the east Londoners have ‘made contact’ with the 30-year-old’s representatives.

Asked on Twitter if the club do in fact want to sign the playmaker, he stated: “We do but so does half the Premier League! Including Man United, Spurs and Brentford who has affiliations with”.

As alluded to above, David Moyes and co will face stiff competition for his signature, with both Manchester United and his former club Tottenham Hotspur believed to be in the running, while a return to Brentford – where he spent the last six months – is not out of the question.

Supporters buzzing

That clamour for the £18m-rated gem is unsurprising considering that he is available on a free transfer this summer, having only signed a temporary deal with the Bees upon joining the club in January, with Thomas Frank’s side offering a return to elite-level football just a matter of months after he suffered a cardiac arrest while on international duty at Euro 2020.

The use of an ICD implant as part of his recovery saw him unable to feature for former club Inter Milan due to Serie A regulations, with that eventually sparking his return to the Premier League, where he has since rubber-stamped just what a talent he is.

In just 11 outings for the west London outfit, the creative midfielder chipped in with one goal and four assists, notably netting in the club’s shock 4-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in early April.

Such form served as a reminder as to the quality he had showcased in his previous spell in English football, the 6 foot menace having registered 69 goals and a further 90 assists in 305 games in all competitions while at Spurs, proving an integral cog in Mauricio Pochettino’s impressive machine that reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Having departed the Lilywhites in January 2020, Eriksen went on to claim the Scudetto under Antonio Conte during the 2020/21 campaign, with it no surprise that the Italian is seemingly keen on a reunion this summer.

As for the Hammers, however, such a deal would add undeniable quality to an area of the pitch in need of both depth and competition, with Moyes’ side currently crying out for midfield recruits following the retirement of long-serving skipper, Mark Noble.

Although they face a battle to get an agreement secured – amid the hefty rival interest – just knowing that the club is in the conversation will be of great delight to supporters, with the Hammers seemingly able to set their sights on more high-profile targets following their impressive rise in recent years.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham