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Wolves conclude their Premier League season with a trip to Liverpool this afternoon. The Reds can still win the league title if they beat Manchester City’s result against Aston Villa today.

What was on the whole an impressive first season under Bruno Lage for the West Midlands side, Wanderers have seen their campaign crash and burn over the final match weeks.

The Black Country outfit are winless in their last six matches, earning just two points, and it will be a tall task for them to leave Anfield with a result.

However, their chances will undoubtedly be bolstered with the inclusion of Daniel Podence in the starting lineup.

On the chalkboard

The £52k-per-week Portuguese winger has been out of action lately with a foot injury and made his first appearance since early April last weekend from the bench against Norwich City.

Goals have been at a major shortage under Lage this term with the Portuguese manager’s team scoring just 37 times in 37 matches, with only three sides scoring fewer.

This has particularly been the case of late with just four goals scored in Wolves’ last six matches.

By unleashing Podence, the West Midlands club can benefit from the 26-year-old’s attacking threat, with the winger scoring six goals and providing three assists in 30 appearances this term.

Labelled as a “mini Hazard” by teammate Pedro Neto, the Portuguese’s six goals make him the club’s joint-top scorer alongside Raul Jimenez, emphasising how little goal threat there has been from the Molineux outfit this season.

However, Podence’s inclusion will force Lage to make a decision as to who makes way for the 26-year-old with the likes of Jimenez, Neto and Hee-Chan Hwang given the nod last time out.

Although the former is Wolves’ top-scorer in the Premier League this season, he is without a goal in seven appearances whereas Neto is yet to score since returning from injury whilst Hwang has had some underwhelming performances of late.

Liverpool will undoubtedly boast the majority of possession which won’t necessarily be an issue for Wolves who pride themselves on their defending and will be able to remain compact at the back.

That also means that the visitors’ best chance of a goal will most likely come on the counter-attack where Podence can be a secret weapon for Lage and spoil the Reds’ party.

AND in other news, Wolves plotting bid for “special” £25m gem who “rules midfield”, Lage will love him…

Everton could land South Korean defender Kim Min-Jae from Fenerbahce this summer following recent reports.

What’s the word?

According to Turkish news outlet Ajansspor, Everton are interested in making a move for Kim Min-Jae ahead of the summer transfer window in order to improve their defence.

The South Korean player has a release clause of €23m (£19.5m) and this could tempt Lampard into making a move.

The report states that the defender wishes to continue his career in the Premier League, which will be a major boost to Everton and Lampard as they push forward to make a deal happen.

Lampard must bolster his backline

The Everton boss has a major rebuilding job on his hands this summer, with too many players wasting their talents this season and contributing little as the club were saved from relegation by the finest of margins.

With 66 goals conceded in 38 matches, it’s clear to see which area Lampard should be prioritising when it comes to incoming transfers.

Kim Min-Jae has featured in 39 matches this season, scoring once as his side finished second in the Turkish Super Lig, eight points behind winners Trabzonspor.

Defensively, his average of 3 interceptions per 90 and 2.17 blocks rank him in the 93rd and 88th percentile when compared to positional peers in the big five leagues. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’s been nicknamed “the monster”.

His temperament is also excellent, receiving no cautions during the previous year, which ranks him in the 99th percentile, with only Vitaliy Mykolenko from Everton receiving no bookings, and he only joined in January. With that in mind, the Toffees boss would surely love to have him in his team.

These are stats that could convince Lampard to make his move for the 25-year-old. He was referred to as “indispensable” earlier this season as his side were challenging for the title and this type of praise will surely only boost his confidence.

With the player seeking a move to England, there may be more interest in the coming weeks and Everton will need to act fast in order to secure his services, and at £19.5m, it’s a bargain.

AND in other news, Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “fantastic” 19y/o “huge talent”, Lampard needs him

Leeds United have firmed up their interest in Birmingham City midfielder George Hall, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Hall links

Hall, described as a ‘really exciting’ player who can ‘influence games’, was heavily linked with a move to Elland Road back in April.

The 17-year-old can play in midfield, on the wing or even as a centre-forward, and made two Championship appearances for the Blues last season.

The England Under-18 international was also attracting interest from Newcastle, but it looks as if Leeds chiefs are ready to land the highly-rated youngster following a move for RB Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

The Whites are now confident of landing the Salzburg defender, so it’s no surprise to see them already plotting their next move…

The Latest: Leeds update

The Daily Mail provided an update regarding Hall and Leeds on Tuesday afternoon.

They claimed that Leeds have firmed up their interest in Hall and are willing to make a seven-figure offer in order to bring the versatile player to Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Next U23 addition?

Leeds have regularly looked to add to their Under-23 ranks since promotion to the Premier League and have reaped the rewards with Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt two prime examples of players establishing themselves as first-team regulars.

It appears as if Hall could be the next talent to move to Thorp Arch and aim to break through into Jesse Marsch’s first-team plans, with Brighton another side name-checked with an interest in the Birmingham teenager.

Hall is clearly a youngster in demand, but it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises are willing to write a seven-figure cheque relatively soon, so this could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news – £34m release clause: Leeds now interested in move for ‘special talent’ who Marsch loves

Aston Villa look like they are about to announce their fourth summer signing as Steven Gerrard continues his early transfer business.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted: “Robin Olsen will join Aston Villa on a permanent deal, agreement done and set to be announced.”

Roma will receive €3.5m (£3m) for the goalkeeper and Villa look set to confirm yet another transfer, which will be their fourth in what has already been a very productive off-season for Gerrard and the club’s hierarchy.

Villa fans will be buzzing

The signing of Olsen on a permanent deal would follow already-completed moves for Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos.

Gerrard has built a solid spine to his new-look team, and he will be hoping that Olsen can challenge Emiliano Martinez for the number one spot next season.

The Swede joined Villa on loan from Serie A outfit AS Roma in January until the end of 2021/22 to provide cover for the Argentine, although he didn’t make his debut until the final match of the Premier League season, a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City which was marred by crowd trouble at the end.

While he may have conceded three goals on the day, the 32-year-old still pulled off two saves during a pulsating encounter at the Etihad Stadium, while he also boasts the vast experience of 58 caps for Sweden, being their first-choice ‘keeper at Euro 2020 and the 2018 World Cup.

Olsen played on loan at Everton in the 2020/21 season, where he kept three clean sheets in 11 appearances, and he appears a more than capable deputy for Martinez.

There is no doubt that Villa struggled defensively over the last few months, conceding 54 goals in the Premier League. This is something that Gerrard will be aiming to improve next season, and the signing of Carlos should bolster the heart of that shaky backline.

Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa underperformed in 2021/22, with WhoScored ratings of 6.74 and 6.43 putting them 10th and 17th respectively among the Villa squad, so Gerrard could certainly do with making his team harder to break down.

Supporters would surely be buzzing with yet another signing in Olsen and this could give them a taste of what is still to come over the next couple of months as the manager continues to rejuvenate the squad.

AND in other news, Gerrard must axe “frustrating” Aston Villa liability in deal for “unreal” £10m dynamo

Despite finishing in 17th place in the Premier League table, Leeds United were still a very capable attacking side at times this season.

In fact, the Whites racked up a total of 711 shot-creating actions throughout the campaign, which is more than a number of teams that finished above them in the table such as West Ham United, Wolves and Leicester City.

One figure that played a massive part in Leeds’ season in an attacking sense is Raphinha.

With 35 appearances under his belt as well as 11 goals and three assists, no other Leeds player managed to equal the number of shots at goal (85) or successful dribbles (59) the Brazilian made.

Now that their turbulent campaign has come to an end and Jesse Marsch has guided them to safety, the focus can turn to getting ready for the next campaign and making sure they aren’t involved in another relegation battle.

One figure that the Yorkshire club have been linked with that could benefit from having such a deadly attacking player next to him, such as Raphinha, is Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton-Diaz.

Last August, Tony Mowbray said that he hoped the centre-forward would be “hungry for goals” for his current club, which is exactly what he turned out to be by finishing the season as their top scorer.

Specifically, the 23-year-old found the net 22 times in 37 league appearances, leaving only Aleksandar Mitrovic (43) and Dominic Solanke (29) scoring on more occasions than the Chile international in the entire division.

This shows just how capable he is of putting away goalscoring chances, which is why having a player like the Leeds star, who delivered 90 crosses in total throughout the campaign, could be so beneficial for him and the team in general.

With a reported price tag of £20m, it would surely be an investment worth making for Victor Orta as the striker would then give Marsch the chance to form what could be a formidable attacking duo in his side that could fire them to the top half of the table.

The opportunity to play at a big club like Leeds and show what he’s capable of producing in the Premier League would undeniably be a tempting prospect for the player.

In other news: Big update emerges on mega-money summer deal, Leeds United supporters will be fuming

Aston Villa have now made Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a transfer priority, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

Villa haven’t wasted any time in preparing for Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge of the club.

Four new signings are already through the door at a cost of just under £50m, while Matt Targett has sealed a permanent move to Newcastle. [Transfermarkt]

Gerrard is on the hunt for more additions, though, and it looks as if Oxlade-Chamberlain is a real target over the coming months.

The Latest: Villa interest in Oxlade-Chamberlain

Football Insider shared a story on Saturday afternoon regarding Villa and Oxlade-Chamberlain. They claimed that Gerrard is a ‘huge’ admirer of the midfielder and has made him a top priority.

Liverpool are willing to cash in on the 28-year-old as he enters the final 12 months of his Anfield contract, with the Villa manager keen to use Oxlade-Chamberlain in an advanced midfield role.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been dubbed ‘unreal’ by journalist Joel Rabinowitz in the past during a reasonably prolific 2019/20 season, has lined out in a number of midfield and attacking roles throughout his career, so he would bring plenty of versatility to Villa Park.

He has been compared stylistically to Philippe Coutinho, although the Englishman has featured as an attacking midfielder on just 17 occasions throughout his career. Most of his displays have either come as a central midfielder or on the right, so it will be interesting to see how Oxlade-Chamberlain copes at Villa Park, should a move go through.

A transfer may not be too expensive due to the player’s contract situation at Anfield, and with Gerrard a ‘huge’ admirer of the 28-year-old, this appears to be one to watch closely.

In other news: Gerrard set to axe £18m-rated Villa pair next after Targett; ‘very important’ Smith star may go

According to a report by Spanish outlet AS (via SportWitness), Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to sell midfielder Giovani Lo Celso amid interest from both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.

The Lowdown: Successful loan

On deadline day in January, it was announced that the 26-year-old had joined Spanish side Villarreal on loan until the end of the season after it emerged that he would play no part in Antonio Conte’s plans.

After making the loan switch, the midfielder went on to impress, having made 16 appearances in the Spanish top-flight. As a result, the Argentina international was ranked as the La Liga outfit’s fourth most valuable player, having received an impressive 7.09 SofaScore rating.

Due to the success of the loan move, it has been reported that both Lo Celso and Villarreal want to make the deal permanent this summer.

The Latest: Atletico executives like that they see…

On June 15th, Estadio Deportivo reported that Tottenham had offered Lo Celso to Atlético Madrid a few weeks ago, whilst his loan-side Villarreal were also mentioned as having a desire to sign the Argentinian ahead of next season.

AS (via SportWitness) have now reported that Atletico are indeed keen on signing the midfielder, meaning they will battle Unai Emery’s side for his signature.

The Madrid club have long had their sights on the player and made attempts to sign him before he joined Spurs from Real Betis in 2020, and it is said that their executives behind the scenes are of the belief that he ‘fits perfectly’ into Diego Simeone’s plans.

With no future at the North London club, Lo Celso is looking for a move away this summer, and Tottenham are ready the sell the in-demand midfielder.

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The Verdict: Best option for both parties

According to FB Ref, when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Lo Celso ranks in the 95th percentile for tackles and in the 89th percentile for pressures.

Having seemingly regained this formed in Spain, the 26-year-old could be a strong option for Conte’s squad depth, but it seems he is simply not the mould of player the Italian wants in the centre of his team.

With Lo Celso’s £100,000 weekly salary, it seems that a move would suit all parties involved, especially with Yves Bissouma’s imminent arrival at Hotspur Way.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Steven Bergwijn exit is ‘a matter of when’

Burnley centre-back Nathan Collins is still a summer transfer target for Wolves ahead of next season, journalist Alan Nixon has claimed.

The Lowdown: Collins linked with Wolves move

The 21-year-old had an impressive season for the Clarets, proving to be one of the few bright sparks in a campaign that saw them relegated from the Premier League.

Collins looks likely to remain in the top flight and join another club this summer, considering his current level is arguably too good for the Championship, ranking as Burnley’s fourth-best player in top-flight action last season.

Wolves have been linked with a move for the defender and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

The Latest: Journalist provides fresh update

According to Nixon on his Patreon [via The Lancashire Telegraph], Wolves remains keen on bringing Collins to Molineux this summer.

It is claimed that Burnley are asking for a sizeable £40million for the Republic of Ireland international’s services, however, with Newcastle United and Leeds United also interested.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Great option for Wanderers

While Collins’ transfer fee is admittedly high, he is someone Wolves should definitely be looking at this summer if they can bring that number down a touch, as Bruno Lage looks to replace the departed Romain Saiss.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

Sean Dyche described the youngster as ‘excellent’ last season and he made an average of 4.3 clearances per game in the league, as well as winning 3.1 aerial duels per match. In Wolves’ current squad, only Saiss made more clearances per game and only Toti won more headers.

At 21, Collins would be a long-term acquisition who could potentially be Max Kilman’s long-term partner at the back, assuming the latter stays put at Wolves.

In other news, a Premier League side are keeping tabs on one Wolves player. Find out who it is here.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now shared some ‘whispers’ from Arsenal involving Raheem Sterling.

The Lowdown: Raphinha alternative?

It now seems unlikely that the Gunners will sign Raphinha, after reports of FC Barcelona, who are the Leeds United winger’s preferred destination, wanting to gazump Chelsea’s own £60m deal.

Thus, the north Londoners will have to look at alternative targets if they want to strengthen out wide, with Sterling a reported option at the start of the summer, although Chelsea are reportedly now also in talks for his signature.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘whispers’

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has now shared ‘whispers’ of Sterling possibly moving to the Emirates Stadium, although they ‘can’t compete’ with Chelsea in terms of his wages:

“There have been whispers of Arsenal going for Sterling but there is very little chance of them jumping in on that deal to revenge at Chelsea for bidding on Raphinha.

“The main issue, away from the level they’re at, is the wages. I’m told they just can’t compete at his pay level.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame for Mikel Arteta’s team to miss out on both Raphinha and Sterling, especially if they both end up at London rivals Chelsea.

The latter has shown that he can score and assist goals on a consistent basis for Manchester City, racking up 78 goals in the last five top flight seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, his massive £300,000-per-week salary could prove to be a stumbling block in terms of making the move to North London, and would break their current wage structure.

Given that Chelsea can offer him UEFA Champions League football as well, any deal for Sterling this summer seems highly unlikely.

West Bromwich Albion have already added two new players to their squad during the summer transfer window in the shape of Jed Wallace and John Swift.

Both have arrived on free transfers from fellow Championship clubs, with the former coming in from Millwall and the latter making his move from Reading.

Another player in the second tier who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns this summer is Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

A product of Huddersfield’s youth system, the 23-year-old has made 131 senior appearances for the Terriers across all competitions. In that time, the Englishman – who has an apparent release clause of £12m – has scored eight goals and provided ten assists along the way.

Last season saw the midfielder play more minutes in the Championship than any other outfield Huddersfield player, which highlights just how important he is to the Yorkshire club.

In his 43 league appearances, the midfielder won more tackles (59) than any of his team-mates. In fact, only two other players in the entire division won more tackles than O’Brien throughout the campaign.

His overall performances earned him a season rating of 7.09/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated outfield player at Huddersfield.

Despite being a different sort of player to O’Brien, former Baggies star Matheus Pereira has been included on a list of similar players to the 23-year-old according to Football Transfers.

Bearing in mind how important the Brazilian was during his time at The Hawthorns, where he scored 20 goals and delivered 26 assists in 77 appearances, the Huddersfield ace could well have a similar sort of impact for Albion, but more so in terms of his defensive capabilities rather than being deadly in front of goal.

Taking this into account, the prospect of seeing Steve Bruce get his own version of Pereira this summer would surely be an exciting one for West Brom fans and boost the club’s chances of getting close to promotion.

Having been described by Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff as a “massive” player for Huddersfield, O’Brien would surely be a very strong addition to Bruce’s ranks next to the two new players they have already brought in from Championship rivals in recent weeks.

AND in other news: Bruce drops “brutally honest” transfer update, it’s bad news for West Brom supporters