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With 17 goals scored in just seven Premier League games so far this season, Liverpool have found the back of the net more than any other top-flight team.

Despite this impressive record, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eyes on signing a new attacking star to add to their squad.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet El Nacional (via Liverpool Echo) that Liverpool are interested in making a move to sign Wolves winger Adama Traore, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £43k-per-week according to Spotrac.

Since joining the Midlands club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Championship club Middlesbrough for a fee of £18m, Traore has gone on to make a total of 140 appearances for the Old Gold across all competitions in which he has managed to score ten goals and provide 18 assists along the way.

Klopp is a big fan

Even though the Spaniard only managed to score two goals and provide two assists throughout their previous Premier League campaign, the fact that he ended the season as their joint-highest rated player with an overall performance rating of 7.11/10 according to WhoScored in 37 league appearances, suggest he’s a valuable player.

Indeed, he is one of the trickest individuals in the Premier League. So far this term, he’s recorded a truly mind-boggling seven dribbles per game. That’s more than anyone at Liverpool, including a certain Mohamed Salah.

In fact, no one across Europe’s top five leagues can amass dribbling stats quite like Traore’s. He tops the tree, usurping the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on his way to amassing 49 already this season.

In regards to a potential move to Anfield, we feel that if he were to join the Merseyside club, he probably wouldn’t be playing as regularly as he has been at Wolves given Salah’s current form. He has managed to score nine goals in nine appearances for them so far this season across all competitions.

However, with Salah’s contract set to run out in 2023, we feel that Traore, who was once described as “unplayable” by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, could be a suitable replacement for the Egyptian if he doesn’t sign a new deal at the club, especially if he manages to add more goals and assists to his game.

If the Reds see an opportunity to sign the 25-year-old, they should definitely do so to make sure they have enough attacking depth in their squad for the future. After hailing the dazzling winger in the past, it would clearly make Klopp very happy.

In other news: Klopp disaster: £200k-p/w LFC star’s value down by more than £20m since Anfield move – opinion

Arsenal are eyeing a transfer move for Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri as they plan for life after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

What’s the story?

The Gabon international has endured a difficult 12 months or so after lifting the FA Cup with the Gunners back in the summer of 2020, scoring just ten goals in the Premier League last season.

Now, according to La Colina de Nervion, Mikel Arteta’s side have identified En-Nesyri as a player who could come into replace Aubameyang once the current club captain leaves the Emirates.

The report adds that the Gunners could face competition from fellow Premier League side West Ham however.

Edu must sign him

While Arsenal themselves may see En-Nesyri as someone to replace Aubameyang, when you look at the stats, he’s arguably been better than another one of the Gunners’ star-studded strikers: Alexandre Lacazette.

The 24-year-old En-Nesyri bagged 24 goals in all competitions for Sevilla last season, including scoring a whopping six times in just eight games in the Champions League – a sure sign of how he rises to the big occasion.

In comparison, Lacazette managed just 16, and only netted three times in eight Europa League games.

Speaking about his qualities to This is Futbol, La Liga expert Euan McTear raved about the penalty-box instincts the striker has.

“He’s not someone that will move out wide and create a chance, he’s very much a centre-forward, if he’s moving out of the box to create something, it’s usually for his own good – a bit like Benzema, but he does that well and scores a lot of goals.”

Dubbed a “world-beater” at times by Sky Sports’ Spanish football commentator, Terry Gibson, he added: “When you look at his attributes, he’s as good in the air as anyone now. Not only is he tall, (but) he’s got that athletic ability to leap as well. He seems to really enjoy aerial challenges.

“He’s quick, he’s strong, great attitude, his finishing has improved, his first touch has improved, his movement has improved – all those things you expect players to improve on, he is doing.”

The £60m-rated star could be exactly the kind of striker Arteta needs at Arsenal, and Edu simply has to sign him.

Meanwhile, some Arsenal early team news has emerged before Norwich…

Sunderland are set to sanction the temporary departure of Anthony Patterson from the Stadium of Light.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Notts County are closing in on a move for the 21-year-old goalkeeper, who looks set to join the National League side on a season-long loan deal.

In his tweet, Nixon said: “Notts County. Signing keeper Patterson from Sunderland on loan.”

Good news for Sunderland

It is undeniable that Patterson is a goalkeeper who boasts plenty of potential, but with Lee Johnson signing Bayern Munich’s Ron-Thorben Hoffmann in the summer transfer window, as well as already having Lee Burge in his ranks, loaning out the 21-year-old would appear to be a smart move by the Black Cats.

Indeed, Patterson impressed over his two League One appearances so far this season, with the youngster keeping one clean sheet, conceding one goal and making four saves.

These returns saw the £600-per-week ‘keeper average a SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking the 21-year-old as the Black Cats’ eighth-best performer in the third tier of English football – albeit with a limited sample size of fixtures.

The player who Johnson himself dubbed an “excellent” talent also turned in impressive displays in each of his two appearances in the Carabao Cup, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.05 in the competition.

As such, it is clear that Patterson is a goalkeeper who has the ability to one day become the Mackems’ first choice in the position. However, with both Hoffmann and Burge ahead of the 21-year-old in the pecking order, a loan move to a club where he will more than likely receive ample game-time this season is certainly the most beneficial decision for his development as a player, and should duly be good news for the future of the club.

In other news: Johnson drops injury update on “outstanding” 20 y/o, Sunderland fans will be buzzing

West Bromwich Albion are working on a number of deals to bring new players to The Hawthorns in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, the 45-year-old Albion manager revealed that he and his team are still currently active in the summer market, with the Frenchman hoping to bring in at least one more signing prior to the transfer deadline at the end of the month.

The report goes on to state that Ismael is thought to be primarily targeting the signing of a new centre-forward, with Orlando City’s Daryl Dike and Manchester City’s Liam Delap reported to be on his shortlist, however, the Baggies boss claimed he will not be rushed into making any further additions to his side.

He said: “We are still observing the market. We have an idea. We have names on our list. We need to see all the aspects we need to make a transfer.

“The first thing, is it the right player? Does he have the right quality for us? Can we afford to pay for him? There are so many topics involved before we make the decision. But we have time at the minute. We are working on all fronts but there is no rush.”

The Frenchman continued: “I want to stay fair to the guys, they have worked really hard, all the players. I feel that the players want to be part of the process. As long as I have got that feeling, we can wait – we are in no rush.

“Unless there is an injury or something unexpected happens, but at the minute we need to find the right balance. For sure we are looking in [the] market, we are looking at what is going on and what we can afford.”

Fans will be buzzing

While two of Ismael’s current options at centre-forward, Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant, have already scored Championship goals this season, both players appear more suited to operating from the wider attacking positions, with Kenneth Zohore being the 45-year-old’s only real candidate as an out-and-out number nine.

As such, the fact that the Frenchman appears to be keen on bringing in a fresh face in this position before the transfer window closes is sure to have fans of the club buzzing.

And, considering how much promise both Dike and Delap appear to possess, the argument that the addition of either player being a very impressive signing for Albion this summer is easy to make.

Indeed, over Delap’s 20 Premier League 2 appearances for Manchester City’s U23 side last season, the £5k-per-week centre-forward scored 24 goals and registered five assists, with the 18-year-old playing a key role in his side winning the Premier League 2 title.

Meanwhile, Dike is a player Ismael already knows extremely well, with the 21-year-old having spent a spell on loan at Barnsley last term, where, over his 19 Championship appearances, the £7.2m-rated striker scored an impressive nine goals.

As such, if it is indeed either of these players that the 45-year-old brings to The Hawthorns this summer, Albion’s chances of securing an immediate return to the top flight of English football would appear to receive a rather significant boost, something that would go down extremely well with the West Brom faithful.

In other news: Lost possession 24x: £1.8m-rated West Brom lightweight badly let Ismael down vs Luton

Having suffered four defeats in their opening four fixtures of the Championship season, it is evident that Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest require a number of further additions in the summer transfer market if the Reds are to have any hope of mounting a successful campaign this year.

However, the recent re-signing of Manchester United midfielder James Garner on a season-long loan would certainly appear to be a step in the right direction for the Garibaldi. After scoring four goals and averaging two tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game, the 20-year-old ranked as Forest’s best performer in the league last term.

With a Carabao Cup fixture against Wolves tonight, a game which is unlikely to be a priority for Hughton this season, especially considering his side’s current league form, the 62-year-old has been presented with a perfect opportunity to blood the man who Fred dubbed an “incredible” player back into his side.

Indeed, despite completing a full pre-season with Manchester United, the £3.6m-rated Garner has not featured in a competitive fixture since Forest’s 2-1 defeat against Preston North End back in May.

As such, it would seem probable that Garner is lacking a considerable amount of match fitness, something which tonight’s clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers could help him to regain.

Furthermore, with the fixture being somewhat risk-free for the Garibaldi, it would not be damaging if the youngster didn’t perform to the best of his ability in the clash, with the building of his fitness being the primary goal of his potential appearance.

Considering the distinctly average performances of Jack Colback so far this season, with the 31-year-old averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.67 over his three Championship appearances this month, it would appear wise for Hughton to do all he can to get the £16k-per-week Garner up to speed as quickly as possible, particularly as the Reds face their arch-rivals Derby County in the Championship this weekend.

In other news: Forest dealt major transfer blow over “brilliant” £20k-p/w ace, Hughton will be gutted

Southampton have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig striker Alexander Sorloth recently, and the Norwegian could be a big upgrade in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s attack.

What’s the word?

Following Danny Ings’ shock move to Aston Villa earlier this month, it appears that Southampton are in a hurry to add a new striker to their squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday.

The Athletic have claimed that the 25-year-old Sorloth is one of the names they are considering as a replacement for the England international, with Hasenhuttl said to be a fan of the former Crystal Palace man.

Would Sorloth be an upgrade on Southampton’s current options?

Following Ings’ departure, Hasenhuttl is looking desperately low on goalscorers in his current squad, with Che Adams yet to hit double figures in the league since his arrival from Birmingham City.

Whilst Nathan Tella and Michael Obafemi have both impressed in attacking roles in pre-season, neither can be expected to fill the void left by Ings, who hit 34 goals in the previous two Premier League campaigns.

Sorloth has experience in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, where he managed just one goal and one assist in 24 appearances in the Eagles.

However, he enjoyed a sensational run of form when on loan with Trabonzspor in the 2019/20 season, managing 33 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances for the Turkish side, which earned him a move to RB Leipzig.

After one season with the Bundesliga side, in which he managed six goals and three assists in 37 appearances, it seems as if he could be on the move once again this summer, and he could be a big upgrade to the current options available to Hasenhuttl, provided he doesn’t replicate his previous form with Crystal Palace.

The £14.4m-rated forward won a lot of plaudits during his time in Turkey, with his Norway teammate Erling Haaland singing his praises in 2020, dubbing him the “King of the North” on Instagram.

At 6ft 4in, Sorloth would certainly give Hasenhuttl a very different option up front, and would free up the possibility of sending more crosses into the box and more long balls forward, which is something they struggled to do last season when deploying a partnership of Ings and Adams.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Whilst the 25-year-old might never be a prolific Premier League striker, he could help to increase the output of someone like Adams, so he could be well worth the money if Southampton do bring him to St Mary’s this summer.

And, in other news… Imagine him and JWP: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for Euro 2020 star

Harry Kane could now sensationally sign a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who delivered a fresh update on the 28-year-old’s future on the ‘Gold and Guest talk Tottenham’ podcast this week.

He said:

“I’m intrigued to see where this goes now for Kane and camp Kane as it were, the people around him.

“There are little bits of noises coming out of his camp not to entirely rule out a new contract for him, which would be an incredible U-turn and turnaround, and for me, the prospect of that is incredible because there are other elements to that.

“If you’re going to stay, why not get more money, that makes sense, and if you look at what Spurs are trying to do in the transfer market, you can kind of say something exciting is happening there.”

Incredible, indeed

Kane has been linked with an exit throughout the summer transfer window, with Manchester City widely touted as his preferred destination. As per Football Insider earlier this month, the England international was reportedly prepared to do “whatever it takes” to seal a move to the Etihad Stadium.

The Hotspur Way academy product requested to be sold before Euro 2020, according to Sky Sports, but City’s attempts thus far have been rejected as chairman Daniel Levy wants at least £150m to let his star striker leave.

It’s believed that Pep Guardiola’s side have the funds to sign Kane, on top of new arrival Jack Grealish, this month, so this saga is by no means over just yet.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

However, this latest bombshell is very intriguing as it’s the first sign of there being a possibility that the England talisman stays in N17, even potentially signing a new deal, which as Gold states, would be incredible news.

Kane is thought to currently earn around £200k-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – this puts him as their joint-top earner, alongside Tanguy Ndombele, as per Spotrac.

Money does not seem to be the driving factor behind his desire to join the Citizens but rather his ambition to add silverware to his glistening goalscoring career.

Nobody can hold that against him but perhaps he has been left excited by Spurs’ transfer business so far this summer, signing an exciting wonderkid in Byran Gil and adding that marquee centre-back in Cristian Romero.

Either way, this fresh development will surely leave Nuno and many around North London absolutely delighted. There does appear to be a massive chance that Kane remains a Spurs player, and that’s a huge boost for the club.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal Spurs a bargain in “phenomenal” £14m monster, Nuno would love him…

Lee Johnson has provided an update on the current state of Sunderland’s transfer business.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by Chronicle Live, the Black Cats manager revealed that he is confident of landing at least two new signings ahead of the club’s upcoming League One campaign, with kicks off against Wigan Athletic on August 7th.

The report goes on to mention the fact that Sunderland have been linked with two right-backs in recent weeks, Nottingham Forest’s Jordan Gabriel and Exeter City’s Josh Key, although there has been no breakthrough in discussions regarding either player as yet.

However, the 40-year-old nevertheless appears upbeat concerning the club’s transfer business, stating: “We’re working really hard behind the scenes and a lot of that is to put yourself in a position where you’ve got the options.”

“They [Key and Gabriel] are not our players and so I can’t talk about them, as you know. You have a list, sometimes five, ten, and you’ve got to make sure it’s a quality list and that it fits with what you’re trying to do.

“They’ve got to be affordable, available and fit the club’s philosophy. It’s not easy but to be fair, I do feel like we are getting there in a couple of positions. My hope is that in the next week to ten days, we’re able to bring a couple in.”

Music to the ears

With there having been something of an exodus at the Stadium of Light this summer – with eight first-team players leaving the club – while incoming business has been slow – so far Sunderland have signed just Alex Pritchard, Corry Evans and loanee Callum Doyle – the fact that Johnson seems confident the Black Cats will be bringing in a few more new faces ahead of next season is sure to be music to the ears of fans.

Indeed, it is easy to see why the likes of Key and Gabriel are attracting the interest of Sunderland, as, other than Luke O’Nien – a central midfielder who often filled in in the middle and on the right of defence last season – the 40-year-old does not have an out and out right-back in his first-team squad.

The Mackems are also short on the opposite side of the backline, with Denver Hume being the club’s only option as a natural left-back.

As such, should Johnson wish to take his side further than last season’s play-off semi-final defeat in their upcoming campaign, both left and right-back are positions in which the former Bristol City manager simply must strengthen over the coming weeks.

However, the 40-year-old will know more than most exactly what he needs to do in what remains of the transfer window, and, with the Black Cats boss appearing upbeat regarding the club’s potential incoming business, Sunderland fans will undoubtedly be breathing a sigh of relief.

In other news: Bye-bye Flanagan: Johnson must seal Sunderland swoop for 22y/o gem, fans would love it

Many West Ham United fans are eager for the club to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles after it was revealed that Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for the England international.

The Hammers enjoyed a successful campaign last time out as they finished sixth in the Premier League, which means they will be competing in the Europa League next term. However, they are yet to make a new signing during this transfer window, and they will surely not be able to deal with four competitions without strengthening their squad.

Maitland-Niles could well be a good target for the Hammers, who have reportedly been interested in him in recent months. According to Sky Sports, the Gunners are listening to offers for the £14.4m-valued 23-year-old (Transfermarkt), who spent the second half of 2020/21 on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

On Twitter, @WestHam_Central asked their followers whether they would like West Ham to sign the versatile ace, and the response was generally affirmative. The supporters took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Maitland-Niles

“We should be all over this”

Credit: @MattIngram28

“No brainer for me this. Would be Super versatile for a squad as thin as ours. Good player as well.”

Credit: @Lettuce25

“He’d be good imo”

Credit: @whu_cal

“Yes he’s perfect”

Credit: @HarryZippyAx

“Yes. Can play both full backs, CM and maybe winger. Incredibly useful in a season where we’re playing in 4 competitions”

Credit: @WHUInfo

“Decent, versatile, cheap and lots of potential. Yes please”

Credit: @westham_hub

In other news, West Ham are interested in this South American.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Magpies are are monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Manchester United and Steve Bruce would be interested in signing the defender on loan or permanently this summer.

The report claims that Newcastle have been priced out of deals to sign Kristoffer Ajer and Ozan Kabak from Celtic and Schalke 04 respectively, with the former said to be heading to newly-promoted Brentford. Attentions have now turned to alternative targets, with Tuanzebe one of the names on the club’s hitlist.

Bruce needs him

Mike Ashley must sanction a deal to prise Tuanzebe away from Old Trafford in the coming weeks, as he could be a superb addition to Bruce’s squad. 27-year-old Jamaal Lascelles is his youngest natural centre-back option and Paul Dummett’s WhoScored rating of 6.66 was the best of the bunch in that position, suggesting that it could be time for fresh blood at St James’ Park in the centre of the defence.

Therefore, Tuanzebe could be an ideal signing for Newcastle. He is in the early stages of his career at 23, which means that he could be a long-term centre-back option for the club instead of a short-term fix  if they are able to sign him on a permanent deal. The Englishman has also shown glimpses of his quality in the first team for Manchester United.

His performances for the Red Devils in the 2019/20 Europa League showed that he has the potential to be a good player in the Premier League. Tuanzebe averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.22 in three starts, winning 4.7 aerial battles per game.

The defender then continued to catch the eye in Europe last season. Back in October, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed the “tremendous” Tuanzebe as a leader after his performance against PSG in the Champions League up against French forward Kylian Mbappe.

The Red Devils boss said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have.

“Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

Therefore, the £38,000-per-week powerhouse could be a much-needed addition to Newcastle’s squad, and Bruce will be delighted if a deal can be done for him ahead of next season. He clearly impressed Solskjaer enough to earn high praise from him after playing against Mbappe, which bodes well for him playing week-in-week-out in the Premier League for Newcastle if they can bring him to Tyneside.

AND in other news, Newcastle handed boost over £15m “phenomenon”, Bruce will surely be buzzing…