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West Bromwich Albion are eyeing a move for Derby County winger Tom Lawrence this summer, he could be available on a free transfer.

What’s the word?

According to a report from The Daily Mail, West Brom are leading the chase for Lawrence but face competition from several clubs including Scottish giants Rangers.

With his contract at The Rams expiring, he is set to leave for free with the club failing to persuade him to stay following their relegation to League One.

Baggies boss Steve Bruce is a known admirer of Lawrence, but he will have to fight off interest from elsewhere and offer him a lucrative deal if they want to complete the deal.

He’s a big Robinson upgrade

If he did make the move to the West Midlands, one player he would be competing with for a spot in the team is Callum Robinson, and he would certainly be an upgrade for Bruce.

Both wingers were directly involved in 16 goals in the Championship last season, but despite the similarities, this is more impressive from Lawrence who was playing for a side battling relegation.

Journalist Jake Barker also offered praise last season for his “inspirational” form.

The Welsh international was also captain for The Rams which shows the leadership qualities he has, and as Robinson doesn’t offer this as much, it would make him more valuable to the dressing room.

He’s a former youngster at Manchester United, having come through the academy during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final years at the club. This may be another reason why Bruce is a fan of his, considering their mutual affiliation to The Red Devils.

It’s not just in front of goal where the 28-year-old impresses though, his passing statistics stand out too. He has a pass success percentage of 83% which is significantly higher than Robinson on 69%.

This further proves his reliability in keeping hold of possession which could be a key asset in the final third for West Brom as the manager looks to improve their attacking fortunes.

Ultimately, it’s a no-brainer to sign a player with such experience at this level on a free transfer. He’s on a wage of £27k-per-week, but with no fee to pay Derby, that’s justifiable.

However, they need to move fast to avoid missing out, with other clubs likely to offer him a contract as well.

AND in other news: “We’re looking..“: Bruce drops big WBA transfer hint that’ll leave supporters elated…

Liverpool legends enjoyed incredible success on the pitch at Anfield, with endless honours to their names. Following retirement, the success didn’t come to a standstill for certain icons, with some enjoying management careers, whilst others opted for punditry.

The next batch of Liverpool legends will be hoping for the same glory as those before them. If history is anything to go by, once a former Liverpool legend calls it a day on the pitch, they are almost guaranteed success away from it. 

With that said, we decided to look into what 10 Liverpool legends have been up to since retirement.

10) Alan Kennedy

Making 359 appearances for the club, Alan Kennedy retired as a Liverpool legend, and has since taken up roles as a guest speaker and a pundit with Sky Sports. The former player never tried his hand at management, however, although remained in a role centred around football. 

9) Kevin Keegan

Famous for his rant at Manchester United when Newcastle United manager, Kevin Keegan enjoyed quite the spell as a player, too. After hanging up his boots, Keegan took charge of Manchester City, Newcastle, Fulham, and even England for a brief spell. 

8) Fernando Torres  

Hopefully Liverpool fans have now forgiven Fernando Torres for swapping red for blue in 2012 seeing as we’ve included him on this list. Since retiring in 2019, El Niño has seemingly spent most of his time in the gym, with an infamous image of the former striker looking ripped circulating not so long ago. Away from the gym, however, the Spaniard manages Atletico Madrid’s U19s.

7) Robbie Fowler

One of the best strikers to play for Liverpool, Robbie Fowler has since attempted to translate his know-how to those still playing, taking charge of Brisbane Roar and SC East Bengel with little success, whilst also trying his hand at punditry since hanging up his golden boots.

6) Graeme Souness  

Graeme Souness has had an array of roles since retiring. He’s tried his hand at management, taking charge of Rangers, Liverpool, Benfica, and Newcastle United, and enjoying a fair amount of success. Nowadays, however, he can be seen as a pundit on Sky Sports, famously becoming Paul Pogba’s biggest critic.

5) Jamie Carragher

Although not going into coaching following retirement in 2013, Jamie Carragher kept a role in football, joining Sky Sports as a pundit, where he is now a mainstay and one of the most popular on the show. If you told the Liverpool academy graduate that he’d have a well-functioning partnership with Gary Neville in retirement, then he would have laughed in your face during his playing days.

4) John Barnes

Since retirement, John Barnes has mainly worked in punditry, in between performances of the England rap, of course. He also tried his hand at management, but had little success at the likes of Celtic and Tranmere Rovers. Barnes has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

3) Ian Rush

The top goalscorer in Liverpool’s illustrious history, with 346 goals, Ian Rush turned to punditry following retirement, with just the one managerial stint with Chester City in 2004. The legendary forward has also released an autobiography in retirement, and remains a club ambassador. 

2) Steven Gerrard

The true definition of legend, Steven Gerrard is arguably the greatest player to play for Liverpool. Since retiring in 2016, the Premier League great has started writing the next chapter of his career in football as a manager, taking Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership in a decade, before moving on to Aston Villa, where he is set for his first full season in the next campaign.

1) Sir Kenny Dalglish

Given a knighthood in 2018, Sir Kenny Dalglish has enjoyed quite the retirement, in which he has also successfully tried his hand at management, taking charge of Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Celtic, and Newcastle United. As a manager, the Liverpool legend’s biggest achievement came at Blackburn, where he won the Premier League title.

Liverpool have been boosted if they wish to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer, with the Frenchman now keen on a move to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Rabiot set to leave Juve

The 27-year-old made 32 appearances in Serie A last season, proving to be a solid squad player who provided quality in the middle of the park for Juve.

Rabiot has never necessarily been an undisputed key man with the Turin giants, however, and with his current deal running out in 2023, he is expected to leave this summer before they can lose him for free.

While the Frenchman has mainly been linked with the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United, the Reds are name-checked in a key new update on his future.

The Latest: Liverpool emerges as possible suitor

According to The Telegraph, Rabiot is eyeing up a move to the Premier League, but only to one of the four teams who have qualified for the Champions League.

That is, of course, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham, all of whom are mentioned in the report when it comes to the Juve man’s next move. Manchester United and Arsenal are noted as backup options, having only qualified for the Europa League.

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The Verdict: Good player but seems unlikely

Rabiot is a classy footballer who has been described as ‘complete’ by none other than midfield legend Andrea Pirlo, and with Liverpool in need of a new midfielder this summer, there is some logic behind him moving to Anfield for a relatively low fee – the report prices him at just £15m.

He has won a ridiculous haul of trophies – 24 to be exact – and also has 29 France caps to his name.

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The France international is 27 now, however, and it feels more likely that Jurgen Klopp will look for a younger option such as Jude Bellingham or Nicolo Barella, either this summer or next.

Rabiot feels more likely to end up at somewhere like Spurs, with Antonio Conte expected to be very busy this summer, not to mention being able to promise him more chance of regular playing time.

Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho is reportedly close to agreeing to a new deal at Molineux, which will surely delight Bruno Lage.

What’s the word?

According to Express and Star journalist Liam Keen:

“Wolves are getting closer to signing Joao Moutinho to a new deal. Talks progressing well and remain positive.”

The 35-year-old’s contract with the Old Gold is currently set to expire at the end of this month but it seems likely that the Portuguese maestro will be extending his stay with the club, which can only be good news for Wolves considering his performances in recent seasons.

Wolves supporters will be buzzing

Since signing from Monaco in 2018, Moutinho has gone on to make 176 appearances for Wolves, in which he has contributed five goals and 23 assists.

Despite his age, the veteran midfielder was a consistent first-team regular in Lage’s side last season, making 39 appearances in all competitions, popping up with two goals and one assist.

This emphasises that Lage still sees him as an important member of the squad, and it is no surprise that Wolves are keen to offer him a new deal, especially if his Portuguese compatriot Ruben Neves completes his likely move away from Molineux.

Danny Murphy was full of praise for Moutinho after he scored in a win against Brentford last season, saying:

“I think he’s missed five games in three and a half years which is some going. That’s durability for you. He’s such an intelligent footballer.

“His goal, what a goal… 35 years of age, to be playing so consistently at that age in the Premier League week in week out, it says a lot about the way he looks after himself. His goal was beautiful, as was his performance.”

Given how important the former Porto man has been for Wolves since their promotion to the top flight, supporters will no doubt be delighted with this update from Keen and will be hoping that Moutinho’s new contract is confirmed as soon as possible.

And, in other news… Lage can sign the next Busquets with Wolves bid for “highly gifted” £18m-rated gem

Gianluca Di Marzio has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the latest?

In a recent article posted on his own website, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte being reported to have been plotting an offer for the 23-year-old for a number of months, it is Manchester United who have now made a concrete move for the Inter Milan centre-back.

In his piece, Di Marzio wrote: “Alessandro Bastoni is very popular in the Premier League: Antonio Conte’s Tottenham have already started contact both with Inter and with the player, without, however, formulating a precise offer yet. Not only that: in the last hours also Manchester United have been moving for the 23-year-old Nerazzurri central defender.”

Conte will be fuming

Considering just how perfect a fit Bastoni appears to be for the left centre-back role in Conte’s backline, in addition to the fact that Tottenham have been plotting a move for the Italy international for a considerable amount of time, Di Marzio’s claim that Manchester United have now made a move for the defender is sure to have left the 52-year-old Spurs coach fuming.

With the signing of a new left-footed central defender reported to be the Italian’s priority target ahead of the new Premier League season, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici has identified the 23-year-old as Tottenham’s first-choice option this summer.

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Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances in 2021/22, the £60m-rated talent was imperious in Simone Inzaghi’s three-man defence, helping the Nerazzurri keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

The £122k-per-week youngster also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing an average of 50.5 passes, 4.0 long balls, 0.4 dribbles and 0.5 key passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the 14-time capped international average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Inter’s second-best performing defender and eighth-best player overall in the league last time out.

As such, should Paratici end up missing out on a £54m deal for Batstoni to Manchester United this summer, it would undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to Conte – not only as this would mean Tottenham will need to turn their attention in the transfer market to an alternative target, but also as the 23-year-old would be lining up for a direct rival next season.

AND in other news: Paratici could unearth Salah 2.0 as Spurs now plot bid for “dangerous” £60m sensation

Crystal Palace are in the mix to pip Leeds United to the signing of midfielder Lewis O’Brien, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: O’Brien’s impressive campaign

O’Brien, described as ‘sensational’ by teammate Jonathan Hogg, was an ever-present figure for Huddersfield Town last season.

Primarily a central midfielder, the 23-year-old made 50 appearances in all competitions, turning out in seven different positions ranging from a defensive midfielder to a centre-forward.

O’Brien helped The Terriers to the Championship playoff final at Wembley, but Carlos Corberan’s side fell at the final hurdle. Now, it looks as if O’Brien could still make a move to the Premier League regardless.

The Latest: Palace in the mix

According to TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey, O’Brien is destined to leave Huddersfield this summer and reportedly has a releasee clause in the region of £12m.

Leeds remain the big admirers of the midfielder, however, Palace have been name-checked as another side in the mix to secure O’Brien’s signature.

The Verdict: Needed?

Palace look fairly short of midfield options heading into Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to see Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman eyeing possible additions in that area. The Eagles currently have five defensive and central midfielders on the books, two of which are out of contract at the end of June.

A replacement for Conor Gallagher may also be needed if the club can’t bring him back to Selhurst Park, so going after a player like O’Brien could be another wise move from a Championship club after deals for Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

In other news: Palace and Vieira eyeing ambitious move for rapid defender. 

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has revealed that the Magpies sent scouts to watch the forward in action against Huddersfield in the Championship play-off final last weekend.

He tweeted: “Diaby has been on Newcastle radar since January & is again on shortlist of wide targets (Brennan Johnson also watched, including at Wembley on Sunday). Schick staying & Hlozek arriving at Leverkusen might see movement on Diaby.”

It has been reported that the 21-year-old is valued at £20m but it remains to be seen whether or not that is still the case following Forest’s promotion to the Premier League.

Ryan Fraser upgrade

Dan Ashworth must now work hard to get a deal done for Johnson, as he would be a big upgrade on Scottish winger Ryan Fraser.

The Welshman’s former boss Michael Appleton once dubbed him “exciting”, and that is what he can be as a replacement for Fraser on the wing at Newcastle.

The former Lincoln manager went on to say about Johnson: “When you’re the opposition manager in League One or the Championship, hopefully soon the Premier League, he’s someone you’d take note of because he’ll always be one of the two or three teams that you’ll be aware of and be wary of.

“His development and the way it’s happened for him over the last couple of years suggests to me that he’s only going to end up going in one direction and that’s the Premier League.”

In the 2021/22 Championship, Johnson produced an astonishing 16 goals and 10 assists as he created a whopping 15 ‘big chances’ and averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10. The 21-year-old phenomenon has shown that he can regularly deliver at the top end of the pitch in the second tier, and at his young age, he may have the potential to make the step up to the top flight.

Meanwhile, Fraser managed just two goals and three assists in 27 Premier League outings for the Magpies this term. He failed to contribute in the final third on a consistent basis and this is why Johnson – if he can adapt to the top-flight – could be an exciting upgrade on him in the wide areas if Newcastle sign the Welsh youngster.

Whilst the Scotland international could still be a useful option for Eddie Howe to call upon off the bench, the Nottingham Forest dynamo’s statistics suggest that he has the scope to make a much larger impact on results with his ability to score and create goals.

AND in other news, “I’m told…”: Journalist drops “exciting” NUFC transfer claim that supporters will love…

Newcastle United could still recruit the best behind-the-scenes talent in football without having to worry about breaching Financial Fair Play rules, claims finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Non-playing staff

On Saturday 28 May, The Times reported that the non-playing staff at Newcastle will be handed a pay rise for the first time in several years.

The current FFP system in the Premier League permits clubs a £105m loss over a rolling three-year period, with salary costs counting towards that total.

However, the Premier League is expected to adopt UEFA’s new profit and sustainability system imminently. This limits clubs to spending 70 per cent of turnover on wages and transfers, but it ultimately means only player and manager wages will be counted towards the quota.

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The Latest: Plumley’s claim

Plumley believes that Newcastle can utilise the new system to pay elite non-playing staff big wages to gain an advantage, without breaching FFP rules.

Speaking with Football Insider, Plumley claimed:

“This is potentially one way to get around FFP.

“If you look at the makeup of the backroom staff, Liverpool are the gold standard. They look at data, sports science, and psychology. The list is endless.

“In a sport where the margins are so fine, it can really pay off if you can get an edge in this area. If you have the best minds and the finest talent in football, you can make gains behind the scenes.

“Of course, everything needs to be streamlined and the culture needs to be right, and the commercial team and the finance team can grow too.”

The Verdict: May have already started

Just last night Newcastle announced the appointment of highly rated Dan Ashworth as the club’s new sporting director.

The 51-year-old joined former club Brighton in 2018 with an impressive reputation after his spell with the FA, where he helped various England age groups triumph at three tournaments in 2017, and then proceeded to establish the south-coast side as a mainstay in the Premier League.

With such appointments already taking place, this will be a huge sign of things to come for Newcastle, who will be doing anything they can to make marginal gains in pursuit of European qualification.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims

Aston Villa are reportedly in the running to sign Burnley defender James Tarkowski this summer, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Mail, the Midlands side have been named as one of a handful of clubs who are interested in the 29-year-old, with the player set to be available on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract in June.

The Clarets had held firm on their asset in January to thwart any potential interest from Premier League rivals, although now appear set to lose the centre-back for nothing, with the Turf Moor outfit’s drop into the second tier likely to only heighten the £19.8m-rated man’s desire to depart.

Alongside interest from Steven Gerrard’s men, however, newly-promoted Fulham and Everton are also in the running for his signature, as per the report.

Instant upgrade

Not only would his arrival prove something of a coup owing to its bargain nature – particularly as he had been valued at roughly £50m just under two years ago – securing the services of the two-cap England international would also prove an instant fix to try and solve the club’s defensive woes.

Villa’s final day defeat at the Etihad saw the visitors ship three goals in the space of just five minutes to squander a 2-0 lead and hand their hosts the title, with those efforts also ensuring that Gerrard’s charges ended the campaign with 54 goals conceded – the tenth worst record in the division.

That is in fact a marginally worse record than that of Burnley, even though the Lancashire side suffered relegation, with it having largely been problems at the other end of the pitch that had culminated in relegation for Mike Jackson’s men.

Amid that difficult campaign, the £70k-per-week Tarkowski still boasted some impressive statistics, averaging 5.2 clearances per game, as well as 1.4 interceptions and 1.8 tackles, while also winning an impressive 68% of his total duels.

Compared to centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, he also ranks in the top 1% for blocks and aerial duels won, as well as in the top 3% for clearances made, while also proving himself more than just a defensive asset as he ranked in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and in the top 17% for progressive passes received.

A real solid presence at the back – having been labelled a “rock” by journalist Alex James – the former Brentford man is a defender first and foremost, with his arrival at Villa Park likely to allow the creative, attacking talent ahead of him to shine with less concern about having a leaky defence.

Current skipper Tyrone Mings has been the notable source of blame this season, with pundit Danny Mills suggesting that there is “a mistake in his game somewhere”, with the 29-year-old notably ranking in just the top 44% for aerial duels won among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in just the top 82% for tackles made.

Those statistics make pretty grim reading, with it clear that an upgrade is needed for Gerrard next season, with Tarkowski seemingly the man to do the job.

AND in other news: “Villa would…”: Gregg Evans drops huge transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic were crowned Premiership champions this month to cap off what has been a successful domestic campaign for the Hoops and Ange Postecoglou.

With 29 wins, six draws and just three defeats in the top flight, the Bhoys ended up scoring 92 goals along the way and only conceded 22 times.

However, one man who didn’t contribute much to their title-winning season is left-back Boli Bolingoli.

Celtic signed the defender from Rapid Vienna in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth a reported £3m.

The Belgian featured in a mere eight matchday squads for the Hoops across all competitions this season and only played in two games.

In 2020, the defender effectively threw his Celtic career under the bus when he broke the government’s guidelines during the pandemic by not quarantining after a trip to Spain, which led to him being charged by the SFA.

Having been called “arrogant” by newspaper columnist Bill Leckie for his actions, the 26-year-old has reportedly been training on his own in Belgium for the past number of weeks, which doesn’t say much for his chances of redemption at Parkhead.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic will be looking to move the full-back out of the club on a permanent basis this summer, which to us feels like the right decision for all parties.

To further highlight Bolingoli’s downfall, his market value was listed at £2.7m by Transfermarkt in February 2020, whereas it now stands at £1.35m, highlighting a drop of 50%.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Celtic’s deal for the Belgian has turned into a disappointing one up to now.

If Postecoglou can finally get the player out the door for good and his £15k-per-week wages off the club’s books, this would pave the way for them to bring in a suitable and hopefully reliable replacement.

With that in mind, reports have already emerged linking the Hoops with a summer swoop for Hammarby left-back Mohanad Jeahze.

Should the club secure his signature, it could well be the final nail in the coffin for Bolingoli’s chances of having any sort of a future in a Celtic shirt.

In other news – “Around that number..”: Big Lennoxtown transfer claim emerges, it’s great for Celtic