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Manchester City appear set to spend big this summer with key targets Harry Kane and Jack Grealish potentially costing more than a combined total of £200 million, so moving players on will have to be done and Dean Windass believes that Riyad Mahrez could be one of those to leave.

There have been reports suggesting that the Gunners may move for the Algerian winger who impressed for Man City last season, especially in the Champions League games against both PSG and Borussia Dortmund.

Mahrez made a name for himself during Leicester City’s title-winning campaign which saw him have a stunning season netting 12 goals and registering 11 assists, and he eventually got his move away to Man City where he has won eight pieces of silverware.

Arsenal are making a lot of positives moves this summer and it is needed as they struggled last campaign when they missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years so, adding someone like Mahrez could change their fortunes and he may be tempted to join the Gunners according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“Going to Arsenal would appeal to him but, I can’t see Pep letting him go as he scores a lot of goals from wide areas and even if Grealish goes to Man City, I can’t see him leaving.”

The Gunners are trying to turn themselves into serious challengers at the top end of the table once again with moves for both Ben White and Manuel Locatelli already looking like they could happen this summer.

The £120,000 per week winger would add world class quality to an Arsenal side who often relied on their young players last season so having someone of experience and quality would also only help develop players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over a transfer revelation involving Tino Livramento and Denzel Dumfries.

As per The Athletic, both Rafa Benitez and Marcel Brands found it difficult to agree over transfer targets, with the recruitment team suggesting that they should sign Denzel Dumfries and Tino Livramento.

However, Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option at right-back, so ended up not signing one at all.

Dumfries is pretty experienced at 25 years of age though, and the fact that Seamus Coleman is 33 suggests that they should have signed someone much younger.

Nonetheless, both Dumfries and Livramento would have offered the Goodison Park faithful much more of an attacking threat than the Republic of Ireland international, given that they have more recorded goals and assists, and have averaged more shots and key passes and a higher pass success rate so far this season (WhoScored).

Everton fans on transfer revelation

These supporters of the Merseyside club fumed as the transfer revelation was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it was ’embarrassing’:

“Absolute embarrassment of a manager.”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We’re in trouble”

Credit: @efc_alex18

“Rafa Benitez wanted to bring in a more experienced option, so decided not to bring in a right-back at all. Benitez out.”

Credit: @Owens_EFC

“Livramento…well that’s my day ruined”

Credit: @greenallefc

“We are a laughing stock”

Credit: @jamie_finegan

“Embarrassing, the FA Youth Cup game vs Chelsea was enough to show Livramento could make it at the top”

Credit: @jwilliam31

In other news, find out what transfer news has Blues gushing here!

As per Sky Sports, some transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving in-demand Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves.

The Lowdown: Pochettino eyed 2018 move for Neves…

Journalist Adrian Kajumba, writing for The Daily Mirror at the time, revealed that former Spurs boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino personally had Neves in his sights back in 2018.

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Indeed, the Argentine reportedly added Wolves’ star midfielder to his transfer wish list alongside other Portuguese internationals like Cedric Soares and Gelson Martins.

In the same year, reports suggested that the Molineux outfit would have demanded big money to let Neves leave, with Wolves apparently setting his valuation at ‘over £100 million’.

Now, as per Sky Sports, it appears that Tottenham have been eyeing him again this season as they aim to back manager Antonio Conte with fresh faces.

The Latest: Spurs in mix for Neves?

The big-name broadcaster, as written by their reporter Lyall Thomas, have claimed that Spurs ‘have also been interested in Neves this season’ alongside Manchester United.

This comes as Sky Sports also revealed that the 25-year-old is emerging as a top transfer target for north London rivals Arsenal.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Given the signing of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January, not to mention the presence of other dependable central midfielders like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp in their squad, a move for Neves shouldn’t be too hotly pursued by Spurs in the summer.

Tottenham arguably need a backup to star striker Harry Kane much more urgently, with The Athletic also stating that Conte’s major summer priority is a left-sided central defender.

Despite Neves being lauded as a ‘quality’ Premier League player by ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, the Lilywhites may have other priorities this summer, and we believe they should leave Pochettino’s one-time target alone.

In other news: Tottenham could strike imminent agreement to sign ‘magical’ £25m striker! Find out more here.

Wolves transfer target Donny van de Beek plans to leave Manchester United in January if he is not granted more chances in the coming weeks, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Van de Beek linked with Wolves move

The Dutchman joined United with a big reputation in September 2020, having starred for Ajax in 2018/19 as they nearly reached the Champions League final.

Van de Beek has had a torrid time of things at Old Trafford, however, starting just four Premier League matches in his entire spell there.

The 24-year-old has been linked with a January move to Wolves and now another key update has emerged regarding his future.

The Latest: Romano gives fresh update

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Romano confirmed that the Netherlands international is planning to leave United in January unless something drastically changes in terms of playing time:

‘The plan is still to leave Man Utd in January if he’s not gonna be involved in Solskjær team in the next weeks.”

The Verdict: Ideal for all parties

Van de Beek has shown that he is a quality footballer for Ajax – he scored 41 goals and registered 34 assists for the Eredivisie giants and been hailed as ‘perfect’ by Owen Hargreaves – it is sad to see him rotting at United and failing to reach his potential.

Wolves could offer him the perfect way out, with Bruno Lage perhaps promising him a key role and the Dutchman giving the Wanderers’ midfield an injection of attacking quality and end product.

If a deal could be struck it would be a big boost for Wolves in the second half of the season, as they look to secure a top-half finish.

In other news, a journalist has provided an update on Wolves’ pursuit of one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha.

What’s the word?

Newcastle are in the race to sign Lazio’s Albanian goalkeeper, Thomas Strakosha according to reports.

Citta Celeste, a Lazio-based source, claim that Strakosha likes life in Rome, but would also like to play in the Premier League, with this being a potential boost to the Magpies who are looking to bring him in.

It will not be completely straight forward though, as Strakosha has won his starting spot back from Pepe Reina, having started every league match since early December.

With that, Lazio’s sporting director Igli Tare and their president Claudio Lotito want to keep the £34k-per-week shot-stopper.

However, in what is an internal power struggle within the Serie A side, Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri would prefer to let Strakosha go and bring in Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga as his replacement.

One condition

Thomas Strakosha, the keeper who “has everything” according to Belgian shot-stopper Silvio Proto does have a condition that would need to be met though.

He would not accept being the twelfth man and would need to be entrusted between the sticks ahead of current Magpies number one, Martin Dubravka.

And, considering his impressive form since reclaiming his spot as Sarri’s number one, there is an argument to be made that the 27-year-old would be an upgrade on the Slovakia international.

Indeed, over his 11 outings in all competitions over the months of February, March and April, the £6.3m-rated shot-stopper has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 – form which much betters that of Dubravka’s, with the 33-year-old averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.63 over his 10 outings in the same period.

Furthermore, with Strakosha’s contract at the Stadio Olimpico set to expire at the end of the season, the player who was valued at a whopping £22.5m as recently as August 2020 could prove to be a very tidy pick-up for Newcastle on a free transfer – who would be able to tempt the Albanian over to the Premier League with handsome wages.

However, the Tyneside outfit’s biggest threat to sealing this deal is the interest from Serie A side Torino, as well as Lazio’s potential desire to keep the 6ft1 Albanian – who Proto also dubbed an “explosive” talent.

Either way, Newcastle simply must use Lazio’s indecisiveness to their advantage, as Strakosha very much appears to be a signing that would greatly improve Howe’s first-team squad this summer.

In other news: NUFC eye £25m bid for £140k-p/w ace who “makes things happen”, it could be bye-bye ASM

Craig Hope has now revealed a new potential appointment at Newcastle United after the takeover was announced on Thursday evening.

The Lowdown: Takeover done

The St. James’ Park faithful have now officially announced the takeover of the North East club by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium on their official website.

It means that Mike Ashley has now finally left, as a new board comes in with a new direction which will hopefully align more with where the fans expect the club to go.

The Latest: McParland considered

As per Hope, former scout and academy chief at Liverpool, Frank McParland, is now among a number of names being considered for a role within the new set-up at the Toon.

The Daily Mail journalist also confirmed that McParland ‘was on Tyneside last night’ as NUFC fans gathered in their masses to celebrate in front of St. James’ Park.

The Verdict: No brainer

With a new direction for the club mapped out, Newcastle should look no further than hiring McParland, either in a recruiting role or as a director.

He is a vastly experienced specialist in recruitment, and has worked previously with Watford, Brentford, Burnley and Rangers, as well as Liverpool (i).

McParland worked as a director of football at both Brentford and Watford, and he spent six years as sporting director at Burnley (i), showing that he is more than capable of fulfilling any kind of major role that the new owners wish.

Nonetheless, his experience and versatility should make him one of the top candidates.

In other news, find out what big arbitration update has emerged here!

Andriy Shevchenko has been linked with a move to Celtic following Ange Postecoglou’s tricky start to life at Parkhead, The Sun have reported.

The Lowdown: Shevchenko at Ukraine

Shevchenko’s only experience as a manager has come at international level with his native Ukraine. The 45-year-old took over after a stint as assistant back in 2016 and took charge of 52 matches, the last of which came in a 4-0 defeat to England in the European Championship quarter-finals in July.

It now seems that he wants to try his hand as a club manager, with Celtic Park namechecked as a possible destination.

The Latest: Nixon’s late-night claim

Alan Nixon of The Sun shared a story late on Saturday night regarding Shevchenko. He claimed that the Ukrainian wants to make the move to Britain as a manager, which has put Celtic on alert.

Nixon added that Shevchenko’s availability has placed him on wish lists and that he could be a surprise choice for Celtic if things don’t work out with Postecoglou.

The Verdict: Nicholson looking at alternative targets?

Michael Nicholson was installed as the club’s interim CEO following Dominic McKay’s abrupt Parkhead exit, so he could be the man looking at Shevchenko.

Time should be on Postecoglou’s side, though, due to a number of incomings and outgoings over the summer and having to deal with numerous injuries in recent weeks.

However, it appears as if the Hoops could be exploring possible contingency plans, so results may need to improve soon if the 56-year-old is not to be jettisoned.

In other news: News Celtic and Ange could do without emerges regarding Kyogo Furuhashi

Ex-Manchester City defender Steve Howey believes a loan move to the Championship would benefit Liam Delap.

The 18-year-old was in scintillating form for Manchester City’s EDS squad last season, as he scored scoresheet.

After his incredible form last season, Delap has been linked with a temporary move away from the Etihad with the likes of West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City two clubs mentioned as to where he could play his football next season.

With examples of players in the past going to play Championship football and then return to the first team at their parent club, Howey believes a loan move would benefit Delap.

Howey told The Transfer Tavern: “You look at Mason Mount, you look at Kane, all these players have gone out on loan and I had times where you’re playing week in, week out. For me the Championship is a ridiculously hard league, it’s just relentless, constant games, tough opponents. 

“We’ve just been speaking about Freddie Woodman who’s gone out and done that and now is a possibility. I think it would be a great idea for him to go out because you cannot really see him get much game time, whereas if he goes to a Championship club, Pep can watch him closely, monitor everything, speak to them pretty much all the time and see his development.

“It would do him the power of good, but that’s just my opinion, it just depends on the player.”

Whether Delap stays at the Etihad Stadium after the transfer window closes or heads out on loan, he will be hoping for plenty of minutes and another brilliant season in front of goal, telling Sky Sports: “As a footballer you just want to play as much as you can and that’ll be my target this season, just to play as much as I can.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers ended West Ham’s run of fantastic form this afternoon and also managed to keep a clean sheet at Molineux for the first time this season.

Securing the three points today has put Wolves in a fantastic position in the Premier League, elevating them above Manchester United and Brighton into sixth, two points clear of the aforementioned duo.

Bruno Lage’s team dominated in almost every area of the game, with 53% possession and more completed passes and more shots on target compared to David Moyes’ side. Raul Jimenez championed this dominance with a second half strike which finally burst West Ham’s bubble, notching his third goal of the season to decide the match in Wolves’ favour.

Lage will be delighted with the result and performance from his team today, in particular his decision to put his faith in Portuguese forward Daniel Podence, who made his first start since the win at Southampton nearly two months ago.

The £52k-p/w winger played an important part in the win today, with three key passes, two shots on target and an assist for Jimenez’s goal, fully justifying his manager’s decision to start the 26-year-old over Adama Traore.

Podence has been challenging both the Spain international and Barcelona loanee Trincao for a place in the line-up but has given those players a pushback after such a fine attacking display this afternoon.

SofaScore rated Podence at 7.0/10 today as he put on an attacking masterclass against an impressive West Ham side, showing how much of a threat he can be in the final third.

Lage spoke after the match about the 26-year-old and how his ability to find space in a tight game, saying: “We needed to find different spaces and we found it. The way Saiss and Max found the spaces to Podence or Hwang, and how Ruben and Joao control the game with the ball… We controlled everything”.

Wolves will be hoping to continue their winning ways to push for European football next season, and more performances like this one from Podence should give them every chance of embarking on a continental tour in 2022/23.

In other news: Wolves have been dealt a big transfer setback

Mention Shane Duffy’s name around Celtic supporters and you’re likely to provoke stories of terror and torment.

The centre-back signed for the Hoops on loan 12 months ago and he looked like a solid pick up initially.

He had experience in the top-flight of English football and was proven in one of the best leagues in European football.

However, he eventually left Parkhead early following an injury-hit and calamitous stay in Glasgow.

Duffy was nothing short of a liability at Celtic last season, miscommunicating with Christopher Jullien in the Scottish Cup final back in December and producing a number of errors.

A short cameo against Rangers back in January said it all. He replaced Nir Bitton following the Israeli’s red card but the Irishman was fortunate not to be sent off himself for a reckless challenge on Ryan Kent.

What made this move worse was the fee Celtic parted ways with for a season. The Bhoys paid a £2m loan fee and were happy to give him a whopping salary of £30k-per-week.

That’s a mind-boggling amount considering the performances he put in.

However, it serves as a reminder of why Ange Postecoglou cannot overpay for George Baldock this summer.

Another proven Premier League defender, Celtic would be happy to pay £5m in order to lure the full-back to Paradise.

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However, they’re looking to find alternatives in the market after it became apparent that Sheffield United want something closer to £8m in order to let him leave.

The Hoops are desperate to find a right-back with Anthony Ralston the only senior option they have at their disposal in that third of the pitch.

Though, with the defender putting in an abject display against Midtjylland in the Champions League on Tuesday, there is an even greater need to invest in a right-sided defender.

Baldock was previously described as “superb” for a piece of play he produced for Sheffield United but if their Duffy situation told them anything, it’s that they cannot overplay for players simply because they’ve starred in the Premier League.

He is a capable defender and adept in forward areas but they’d find much better value for money pursuing someone like Brandon Soppy or Aurelio Buta.

With a high fee being touted, this is a move that the Hoops need to forget about.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their new Christie by signing 44-goal gem with the “style of Robben”…