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West Ham United are in pole position to clinch the signing of free agent Jesse Lingard, according to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones. 

The lowdown

The 29-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United at the end of his contract. He memorably spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at the London Stadium, playing 16 games in which he scored nine goals and provided five assists.

It looks like he may become the Hammers’ third signing of the summer after centre-back Nayef Aguerd joined from Rennes and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made his loan move permanent.

Even though the Irons won’t have to fork out a transfer fee, it’s still fair to say Lingard won’t come cheap, with Football Insider claiming that he has asked for a wage of £150,000 per week.

The latest

The Daily Mail reported that Lingard is ‘ready’ to sign for West Ham and snub his other suitors, a list which also includes Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

The midfielder ‘enjoyed’ his previous stint at the London Stadium and will be hoping to pick up where he left off if he does return to the Stratford venue.

The verdict

It would actually have been best for all parties had Lingard signed for West Ham last summer.

Manchester United would actually have banked a transfer fee for a player who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, rather than losing him for nothing this year, while the Hammers would have got their hands on a player who, as mentioned early, previously thrived in David Moyes’ side.

The 29-year-old ultimately spent much of the 2021/22 season watching on from the sidelines – indeed, he only played 355 top-flight minutes between August and May.

He bagged just two goals, one of which was ironically a late winner away to West Ham in September 2021. Fatefully, that went a long way towards the Red Devils pipping the Irons for sixth place in the final standings, consigning Moyes’ team to the Europa Conference League next season.

BBC Sport’s Shamon Hafez called it a ‘stunning’ goal, so the Hammers will be relieved to have Lingard back on their side if they can strike a deal for their former loanee.

A French journalist has dropped a big Glasgow Rangers transfer claim that will surely have left Giovanni van Bronckhorst buzzing as he looks to improve his squad further.

What’s the news?

Marc Mechenoua has tweeted about the Ibrox side’s interest in Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo, saying: “Rabbi Matondo is close to signing with Glasgow Rangers for a sum close to €2m. In Ligue 1, Lorient and Troyes have made offers for the player.”

This is yet more good news for Rangers as they continue to make some headway into the summer transfer market, and a deal for Matondo would be a shrewd move.

Van Bronckhorst will be buzzing

It’s no secret that the Dutchman has been looking to strengthen the attacking options available to him at Ibrox, with a right-winger being a key priority in this window.

The former Manchester City academy prospect joined Schalke for a €9m fee in 2019 but has struggled to ascertain himself into a key member of the German side during his stay, spending time on loan at Stoke and Cercle Brugge.

His form at the Belgian side last season saw Rangers linked with the winger, and it’s easy to see why. The 21-year-old scored 10 goals in 27 appearances, as well as adding a further two assists – and if there were any weaknesses in the Ibrox side last season, it was a lack of goals from either wing.

Having been linked with Rangers since the end of last season, it appears they have beaten off competition from Celtic, who were also seemingly interested in Matondo.

With Van Bronckhorst trying out numerous players on the right-wing last season to no great success, a player of Matondo’s talent should hopefully be able to slot into the position with ease and hit the ground running.

With the World Cup looming on the horizon for the youngster, regular game time at a club the stature of Rangers will do his international chances no harm at all as he aims to add to his 11 caps for Wales.

AND in other news: David Ornstein drops big transfer update that’ll have Rangers supporters gutted

A major update on the future of Carney Chukwuemeka has emerged after he reportedly rejected Aston Villa’s latest contract offer…

What’s the word?

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has dropped the latest news on the situation, he said on Twitter:

“Carney Chukwuemeka has rejected #AVFC contract extension and no sign of agreement. He can seal [a] pre-contract with another club in January and leave for around £400,000 next summer, which many would explore in his situation. Clubs expected to bid before that.”

Villa boss Steven Gerrard left the 18-year-old out of their pre-season tour of Australia last week and it’s believed that the Midlands outfit have slapped a £20m price tag on his head, though they are yet to receive any offers of this calibre.

Football Insider believed the Bodymoor Heath gem is asking for wages of around £100k-per-week, which would make him the club’s second-highest earner behind Danny Ings (£120k-per-week) and ahead of the likes of John McGinn (£25k-per-week) and Tyrone Mings (£80k-per-week).

Frustrating news

Premier League rivals Leeds United and Manchester United, as well as LaLiga giants FC Barcelona are said to be keen on signing the Villa youngster, and the latter side are free to speak to him from January onwards.

Losing one of their more promising youngsters to emerge from the academy would be a gutting and frustrating blow to the manager and the Villa Park faithful as Chukwuemeka has bags of potential.

Soon after his arrival in the Midlands, Gerrard waxed lyrical about the 18-year-old midfielder and stated that he would like him to stay.

“Hopefully he is going to be a big player for Aston Villa,” he told reporters (via the Express and Star). “We want him to stay here long-term. We believe this is the best place for Carney. I hope that situation progresses in a positive way.”

Elsewhere, former Villans striker Paul Merson believes the teen will become “an absolute star,” so it’s no wonder there are so many big teams interested in his signature, despite his hefty wage demands.

Villa will not be able to compete with the likes of United and Barcelona, particularly as both teams regularly compete in Europe, something that hasn’t happened at Villa Park since 2010.

Therefore, this update from the ever-reliable McGrath will surely leave many supporters reeling as it appears as if they will soon lose out on one of their best young talents.

AND in other news, Ashley Preece delivers Keinan Davis update…

Southampton got through their previous Premier League campaign with 43 goals scored across their 38 matches.

This left only six other clubs, including the three relegated teams, to have found the net on fewer occasions than the Saints.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has already made a move to try and make his team a deadlier attacking side by securing a deal for Sekou Mara. After scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 36 appearances for Bordeaux, the 19-year-old joined Southampton on a four-year deal on Monday.

Should Hasenhuttl want to add another striker to his ranks before the transfer window closes, one man who has been linked with a move to St Mary’s recently and who would give the Austrian the chance to form a deadly attacking duo alongside Mara is Liam Delap.

In the 2019 summer transfer window, Manchester City signed the 19-year-old from Derby County’s youth ranks. Since then, the striker has made 60 appearances for the Citizens across their senior and youth teams, scoring 46 goals and providing 16 assists along the way.

Hailed as an “exceptional” striker by City boss Pep Guardiola, it’s easy to see why the Saints are reportedly looking to make a £23m bid for the teenager, even after apparently having an initial bid rejected by the Premier League champions.

Should the Manchester club allow the youngster to make a permanent move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer, or even allow him to leave on loan, this could be an excellent piece of business from the south coast club in what has already been a rather productive summer transfer window.

In terms of linking up and creating a partnership with Mara, a duo of two 19-year-old strikers aiming to make names for themselves in England’s top flight could be just what the Saints need to make the team a force to be reckoned with at the top of the pitch.

It would also help to freshen up the team even further after already seeing some new faces join the squad this summer.

Southampton should use the remaining weeks of the current summer transfer window to see what it would take to persuade Man City to let the striker move to St Mary’s, as his clear attacking talent and knack for goalscoring could be vital for Hasenhuttl’s side.

AND in other news – “Saints want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update that supporters will love

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Nicolo Barella…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian outfit Il Messaggero, who claim that Spurs – and in particular manager Antonio Conte – are huge fans of the Italy international, as well as his Inter Milan teammate Milan Skriniar.

The 25-year-old midfielder played a big part under the Lilywhites boss during their time at the San Siro, where I Nerazzurri clinched their first Serie A title in over a decade back in 2021.

It remains to be seen how much Barella would cost the north Londoners, though CIES Football Observatory value him at a whopping €120m (£102m), so Tottenham may well need to shatter their club-record fee to secure his signature.

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Shades of De Bruyne

The Inter star may not be an out-and-out no.10 but he could be the solution in Spurs’ hunt for a new playmaking midfielder. FBref liken his statistical profile to Kevin De Bruyne, so Conte could land his own version of the illustrious Belgian.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe, Barella ranks inside the top 2% for expected assists (0.24 per 90) and shot-creating actions (4.07), as well as the top 4% for touches in the opposition’s box (3.17 per 90), via FBref.

Last season, he ranked as Inter’s fifth best performer in the Serie A, slightly behind new Lilywhites signing Ivan Perisic.

Barella, lauded as “warrior full of determination” by the legendary Arrigo Sacchi and “extraordinary” by his former Cagliari coach Rolando Maran, has primarily played as a no.8 but can also play deeper as a no.6 as well as further forward in the hole, making him a perfect fit for Conte.

The Spurs boss would be able to change system pretty easily with a player like this in his ranks and with the north Londoners in the Champions League this season, rotation will be key as they’ll be playing two games a week.

None of Conte’s current options are as creative as the 5 foot 8 dynamo, with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp more defensively minded, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur box-to-box types.

On the above evidence, Barella could be something of a De Bruyne for Spurs, so sporting director Fabio Paratici must firm up their interest with a formal offer in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Paratici begins talks for “simply amazing” £13m-rated Spurs target, he’s Conte’s dream…

Nottingham Forest transfer target Keinan Davis is ‘open’ to a move away from Aston Villa this summer, according to reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Davis enjoys Forest loan spell

The 24-year-old spent part of last season on loan at the City Ground, joining in the January transfer window and helping the Reds seal promotion to the Premier League.

Davis scored five goals in 15 Championship starts for Forest, and having returned to Villa this summer, he has been linked with a move back to Steve Cooper’s side.

A fresh update has now given Forest hope that a deal could be agreed before the start of the season.

The Latest: Striker ‘open’ to move

Writing in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that Davis could be interested in leaving Villa this summer, with his situation currently up in the air:

“Yes, every chance of him staying as things stand. Villa yet to receive an offer. Villa/Keinan still open to transfer, though. Situation quite relaxed.”

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The Verdict: Sign him up, Reds

Davis showed last season what he is capable of, and while he wouldn’t necessarily be a considered a guaranteed starter, he could provide the squad depth needed in the Premier League.

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The Englishman has been described as ‘absolutely unplayable’ by Jack Grealish in the past and Cooper could feel he can get the best out of him moving forward.

The fact that Davis’ current Villa deal doesn’t expire until 2024 means Forest could have to splash out a hefty sum if they want him permanently, so another loan move could even make the most sense.

Tottenham Hotspur are loosely in the race to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Skriniar and Conte

Having joined the Italian giants in 2017, the Slovakia international played 81 times under manager Antonio Conte during his two-year spell at the club.

The pair went on to win the Serie A title for the 2020/21 season, with Skriniar contributing to Inter’s league win with 32 appearances.

More recently, the 27-year-old made 35 appearances in the Italian top-flight last season, amassing three goals throughout the campaign.

The Latest: Jacobs’ news

With the centre-back’s contract set to expire in less than 11 months-time, Jacobs has shared news concerning the player’s future.

Taking to LastWordOnSpurs (via The Spurs Express), the reliable journalist revealed that Tottenham are loosely in the race for Skriniar.

This follows reports from May which linked the defender with a move to the North London club.

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The Verdict: Great signing if they can get it done

Looking at Skriniar’s underlying numbers, it is easy to see why Conte would be interested in a reunion with the defender at Hotspur Way.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 27-year-old ranks in the 96th percentile for non-penalty expected goals, pass completion and progressive passes received, displaying the traits of a forward-thinking defender who puts his side on the front foot.

Previously hailed as an ‘incredible defender’ by former teammate Adam Zilak due to his ability to ‘combine physicality and footballing intelligence’, the arrival of Skriniar at Tottenham would be welcomed by Conte, with the Italian on the lookout for a long-term addition to slot in on the left-hand side of his back three.

Therefore, if Spurs are able to drive down his £58.5m market value with a lower transfer offer, given the short period left on his Inter contract, this could be a great signing for the Lilywhites.

Everton are one of several clubs who have reported interest in a hot European prospect…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Goncalo Ramos could be set to follow Darwin Nunez and move to the Premier League.

Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have held talks with the forward over a move, whilst Crystal Palace, Leeds United, West Ham United and the Toffees are all monitoring the situation.

With four years still left on his contract, Benfica will reportedly demand around £30m for the striker’s services.

 Imagine him and Dele Alli

Having struggled for playtime due to the dire circumstances last season, the new slate of the fresh season could allow Dele Alli to be thrust into the limelight to try and recapture some of his old form.

As something of a second striker, he could form a fierce partnership with the creative yet “incredibly prolific” Ramos, if the two were to feature together, with Frank Lampard eyeing another forward here.

Dele was lauded for his match-winning performance against Crystal Palace, having come on at halftime to help overturn a 2-0 deficit and retain Everton’s top-flight status.

Perhaps given a string of games could now see him find some consistency, and playing off the Portuguese star who averaged 0.8 key passes per game could see both players score an insane amount of goals this season.

Having already recorded two assists this season in Liga NOS, perhaps the Portugal U21 machine could continue this form as he deputises for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

two assists outline him as a work in progress but at just 21 years old, he really does have an illustrious career ahead of him.

With money seemingly tight at Goodison Park, this foray could prove to be their last in the summer window, as they secure added depth for a position of real importance for Lampard’s side.

Alli will be hoping to recapture his form from the 2017/18 season, where he scored nine and assisted 11 in a season that defied all expectations.

The introduction of a creative finisher, similar to how Harry Kane was for him at Spurs, could help him find his feet once more, and in turn, Ramos would be a huge success.

West Ham United have submitted a bid for Polish centre-back Jakub Kiwior, who currently plays for Italian side Spezia.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Sky Sports international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, who tweeted: “€12m bid from West Ham for AC Spezia talent Kiwior.”

It’s no secret that David Moyes urgently needs defensive reinforcements due to injuries, but a move for Kiwior has somewhat come out of the blue.

There is interest from AC Milan too, however, it appears that the Rossoneri are only looking at a potential deal for January or next summer.

A fee of £10m for a player who has already made 22 Serie A appearances could turn into a bargain.

Moyes needs another defender

West Ham signed Nayef Aguerd in the summer for a fee of £30m and he was expected to ease the problems in the heart of the defence for Moyes.

A serious ankle injury in a pre-season clash against Rangers firmly put those plans on the back burner and has spurned the manager back into the transfer market for another defender.

With a move for Thilo Kehrer reportedly heating up, the Polish defender could be next on the list.

A move for Kiwior could be a shrewd one, especially with the aforementioned fee quoted. The 22-year-old made his Poland debut in the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the Nations League in June and a move to the Premier League could give him a chance at a World Cup spot.

Compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, Kiwior ranks in the top 4% for blocks (2.38 per 90), 6% for clearances (2.57) and top 11% for pressures (23.92) over the last 365 days, proving that he should be able to ease into life in England without any problems.

Although Kiwior won’t be signed to immediately displace Zouma, the Polish international stats in comparison to the Frenchman’s are like night and day, with the 27-year-old ranking in the fourth percentile for pressures (4.83 per 90) and 54th percentile for blocks (1.74).

While Moyes needs reinforcements to adjust straight away, Kiwior has the attributes and talent that could make him a mainstay at the heart of the West Ham defence for the next few seasons.

The defender has been dubbed “strong” by Ryan Hubbard and the next logical step for him to make is a move to the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur director Fabio Paratici is ‘still in talks’ to sign Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Zaniolo move…

The Premier League side have reportedly been eyeing a move for Zaniolo over these last few weeks with reports claiming that negotiations have been held.

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, having been backed with six major signings already, is apparently keeping his eye on more potential incomings behind-the-scenes.

Paratici is tasked with negotiating these deals and ensuring the Lilywhites can strengthen Conte’s options as much as possible before the September 1 deadline.

The Latest: Lilywhites ‘still in talks’ for Zaniolo…

According to reports, there has been an update on the club’s now long-drawn-out pursuit of Zaniolo.

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Despite reports suggesting Jose Mourinho had blocked the move, 90min claim Paratici is ‘still in talks’ to sign the Italy international despite Mourinho’s hard stance.

While the Serie A side ‘remain open’ to selling Zaniolo, chances of a loan-with-obligation are fading and Roma want a straight cash deal of €50 million (£42m).

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

Paying £42m outright for Zaniolo could be seen as a gamble but one which may hugely pay off going by the player’s potential.

His injury record is a cause for concern, but last season, the 23-year-old finished the Italian top flight campaign as one of Roma’s brightest attacking threats – completing more successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Zaniolo’s age indicates there is also room for improvement and he could be a signing not just for now, but for the future as well, with members of the Italian media having even called him a ‘beast’ of a player.

Roma’s firm stance will certainly make things interesting as we enter the last few weeks of this transfer window.