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Newcastle United are interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to a late-night report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown: In demand

The 23-year-old is under contract until 2026 in Portugal (Transfermarkt), but that hasn’t put off the suitors as numerous Premier League clubs attempt to lure the star to England.

Already heavily linked with a move to Wolves, Manchester United and Manchester City in recent weeks, Nunes looks certain to be hot property during this summer transfer window.

Now it appears as though Newcastle could be about to join the race to land the sought-after flourishing Portugal international…

The latest: Magpies interested

As per Foot Mercato (22:12, 14/06), translated by SW, both Newcastle and Everton have made ‘approaches’ to sign Nunes recently.

It’s claimed that Sporting have rejected an offer of €45million (£38.8million) for the eight-cap ace, although it isn’t specified which club made the bid.

The report also states that the Primeira Liga club will hold out for the €60million (£51.8million) release clause for the man described as being ‘too fast’ to defend against by former teammate Goncalo Santos.

The verdict: Statement signing

As all eyes turn to St James’ Park in expectation of lavish spending under new ownership group PIF, signing a player of Nunes’ ilk would be a superb piece of initial business as the club go through the gears in terms of their development.

Predominantly operating as a box-to-box midfielder, the industrious star scored four times and provided five assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, earning a 6.95 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.5 duels and making 36.5 accurate passes on average per game – proof of a well-oiled all-round game.

Albeit a hefty asking price, spending big on Nunes to lineup alongside January signing Bruno Guimaraes would be a significant statement of intent from the Magpies as Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth attempt to spearhead the evolution of Newcastle to the next level.

In other news: Newcastle still in the hunt to sign ‘superstar in the making’…read more here

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could lure Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford, according to sports journalist Pete O’Rourke. 

The lowdown

The new Red Devils manager has urged the club to ‘explore’ a deal for the Barcelona midfielder this summer.

A sale is regarded as ‘plausible’ to address the Blaugrana’s need for funds, although they may still demand €80m (£68.4m) for the 25-year-old. Also, the player himself insisted recently that he’s living his ‘dream’ at the Nou Camp and doesn’t intend to leave.

De Jong was part of Ten Hag’s Ajax side which won a league and cup double in 2018/19 and, of course, beat Real Madrid and Juventus to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League that year.

The latest

O’Rourke thinks that De Jong would be open to rekindling a partnership with Ten Hag which delivered ‘great success’ in Amsterdam, adding that while the Netherlands international may be content at Barcelona, the club could be forced to offload him.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I think obviously it would be a big factor in him going to Manchester United would be to work with Erik ten Hag again [sic]. They had great success at Ajax, so I am sure that would be in his thinking if he was to leave Barcelona this summer.

“De Jong has come out and said he is happy in Barcelona and would like to stay, but that might change due to Barcelona’s financial issues and their other transfer targets.”

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The verdict

De Jong, who was dubbed a ‘beast’ by Barcelona manager Xavi, would certainly be a blockbuster addition at Old Trafford.

He was named the Champions League midfielder of the season in 2019 and made the FIFPro World XI the same year whilst also scooping a Ballon D’Or nomination. It’s a sparkling list of individual accolades.

De Jong is a gifted technician, ranking in the top 8% among positional peers in the big five European leagues for pass completion, progressive passes and progressive carries in 2021/22 (via FBRef).

He occasionally pitches in with goals and assists too, having registered 30 direct involvements (13 goals, 17 assists) since joining Barcelona in 2019, and he could be a tremendous prospective addition to United’s midfield.

In other news, United have also been offered this midfielder too

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has now shared a potentially big transfer boost for manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte summer in full swing…

Having already confirmed the signing of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on a Bosman deal, it appears Conte’s first summer window at Spurs is well and truly underway.

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After the Italian’s crunch transfer summit with club director Fabio Paratici in Turin last week, the Lilywhites are showing absolutely no sign of stopping there (The Telegraph).

The Premier League giants are said to be casting their eye towards Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) and Gabriel Jesus (Man City) among other targets.

Another name in right-wing-back starlet Djed Spence is repeatedly being linked at the moment and Gold now has a very promising update concerning the defender.

The Latest: Gold shares very promising update…

According to the football.london journalist, Spence is now ‘definitely’ tempted by a move to Spurs.

He explained:

“The latest on Spurs and Djed Spence as I understand it. The young wing-back is definitely tempted by a move to work with Antonio Conte but Tottenham have some decent competition for his signature.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Conte…

Able to help solve a ‘looming problem’ at Spurs in their homegrown quota, Spence’s potential signing would come as a boost for the north Londoners in so many ways.

His age and quality are obvious pulls given his phenomenal season in the Championship and just how crucial he was under manager Steve Cooper.

The Middlesbrough loanee was a fixture in Forest’s promotion campaign, starting 41 second tier matches and featuring over the sixth-highest amount of minutes in Cooper’s squad.

As well as this, forward Keinan Davis was the only Forest regular to complete more successful take-ons than the 21-year-old over the past season (WhoScored).

Spence also delivered the second-most crosses per 90 on the road to promotion, leaving little wonder members of the media have branded him an ‘exciting player’ (Marc Williams, Basford United head of media).

In other news: Tottenham now hopeful of signing ‘technically brilliant’ star amid internal talks! Find out more here.

An interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Championship sensation and Bristol City playmaker Alex Scott.

The Lowdown: Conte and Paratici meeting held…

The Lilywhites were boosted by a number of updates last week, starting with a £150 million financial windfall which will be used to back manager Antonio Conte in the summer market (The Telegraph).

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In more great news for Spurs supporters, their beloved boss has elected to stay in north London for his first full Premier League season in charge of the club – meeting with transfer chief Fabio Paratici in Turin last Friday to discuss transfers (The Telegraph).

Football Insider, sharing news on who the pair could now target, have an interesting update concerning one of the English second tier’s brightest prospects.

The Latest: Tottenham considering ‘formal offer’ for Scott…

According to their information, the north Londoners are ‘compiling a dossier’ on Bristol City ace Scott before deciding to push ahead with a ‘formal offer’.

As Spurs consider a bid, it is believed their former manager David Pleat has been ‘actively involved’ in running checks over the attacker.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Dubbed ‘the Guernsey Grealish’ for his likeness and playing style, Scott has also been called ‘tremendous’ and an ‘elite’ level talent at Ashton Gate (Bristol World).

At just 18-years-old, the teenager has been a mainstay under Nigel Pearson, starting 35 second tier matches over 2021/2022 and drawing more fouls than any of his teammates on average (WhoScored).

You can see why he has been likened to Grealish, particularly with his ability to attract challenges and win free-kicks further up the field.

Homegrown also, potentially helping to balance Tottenham’s glaring issue in this regard, a move for Scott could well be promising.

In other news: ‘Not only Perisic’…Tottenham push for ‘genius’ signing after Conte call ‘in recent days’…find out more here.

Liverpool have been linked with Jude Bellingham for a while now and with the transfer window coming up the links have begun to reignite as the Reds set out to improve their midfield this summer.

Aurelien Tchouameni has been heavily linked with the side over the last month, with terms reportedly agreed with the Frenchman who has also attracted interest from Real Madrid too, so it is clear that the Merseyside club are putting themselves out there to sign fresh perspectives in the centre of the pitch.

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The transfer speculation has reignited after Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle told supporters in a Q&A that Bellingham is “a player that they really like”.

The 18-year-old who was hailed “scary” by England teammate Jack Grealish, has been catching the attention of the football world and the youngster has even been compared to former Liverpool captain and Premier League hall of famer Steven Gerrard.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jamie O’Hara claimed:

“He is the closest thing we have had since Steven Gerrard. I say that given the fact Steven Gerrard was unbelievable, but Bellingham is obviously not at that level yet.”

It is no wonder that the young midfielder is being compared to the former Reds midfielder when you consider his attributes on the pitch with both incredible defensive and offensive qualities that constantly trouble his opponents.

According to SofaScore, Bellingham has scored three goals and contributed eight assists, creating ten big chances, making 1.3 key passes, 1.3 interceptions and 1.6 tackles on average per game, as well as winning the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (51%) and successfully in the majority of his dribbles (57%) in the Bundesliga this season.

These statistics prove he commands the ball and is fearless in making his presence known on the pitch just like Gerrard was for Liverpool, and he would clearly be a huge coup for Klopp if he could convince the £101m youngster to leave Germany this summer.

With that being said, after selling Erling Haaland to Manchester City this summer already it would be highly unlikely that Dortmund would be willing to let go of another one of their most talented stars at the club right now, so unless Liverpool can come up with an offer the Bundesliga side can’t refuse it will be surprising to see the signing made this summer.

AND in other news: Liverpool handed perfect chance to sign “extraordinary” £60m brute, Klopp needs him

Sunderland finally escaped the third tier of English football as they beat Wycombe 2-0 at Wembley in the League One play-off final on Saturday.

The Black Cats led 1-0 at half-time as Elliot Embleton’s strike gave them the lead early on. He broke through the middle of the pitch after taking the ball from Alex Pritchard and unleashed a fierce strike from distance which beat David Stockdale, although the shot-stopper will be disappointed that he failed to prevent the ball from going into his net.

Wycombe turned up the pressure at the start of the second half and had a few half-chances to equalise as they pushed to level the match. However, Alex Neil’s team responded in the best possible way as Pritchard found Ross Stewart, and he duly found the net with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty box.

Whilst the former Norwich midfielder set up both goals and impressed throughout the game with neat touches and composed play, the real promotion hero was defender Bailey Wright.

Wright was Sunderland’s promotion hero

The £13k-per-week tank was a monster at the back for Sunderland as he repelled almost everything that Wycombe threw at him over the course of the 90 minutes. He had to contend with Sam Vokes, who scored 17 goals in League One this term, and then dealt with Adebayo Akinfenwa at the end of the match.

During the regular season, Vokes won 10.6 aerial battles per game at a success rate of 56%. His strength comes in the air and Gareth Ainsworth attempted to utilise that by playing long balls and crosses into the former Stoke man, but it was an unsuccessful tactic as Wright and Danny Batth dominated him.

The Welsh striker ended the match with six aerial duels won out of 17 and only six completed passes at a success rate of 35%. This shows that he was bullied out of the game by Sunderland’s centre-backs, which reduced Wycombe to very little in the way of attacking threat.

Wright’s defensive statistics show that he was a big reason why the veteran forward struggled today. As per SofaScore, the Australian won 11 of his 14 duels – including eight of his 11 in the air – and made a whopping six clearances as he protected Anthony Patterson’s goal. He also made two tackles and two interceptions as he cut out a number of opposition attacks.

Therefore, the experienced centre-back played a major role in Sunderland’s win and was the real hero on the day, as he nullified Wycombe’s main attacking threat and gave his forward team-mates a solid platform upon which to build their play.

AND in other news, Sunderland make “enquiry” to sign “combative” £225k-rated gem, Neil will love him…

Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos may be inclined to stay at Rangers if they win the Europa League, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEL showpiece in Seville on Wednesday night.

The Gers missed the chance to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Scottish Premiership – that will go to arch-rivals Celtic – but there is a also group-stage spot up for grabs for Wednesday’s victor.

Kent and Morelos are both approaching the final year of their contracts at Ibrox.

Morelos publicly admitted earlier in the season that he hoped that he would ‘soon’ be allowed to leave, while transfer insider Dean Jones claims that Kent has his eyes on a Premier League move.

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The latest

O’Rourke says Rangers may be able to match the ambition of Kent and Morelos if they qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

The two players could then be tempted to commit to the club ‘for the foreseeable future’.

He told GMS: “If you’re playing Champions League football, it’s going to help your chances of keeping hold of your best players, the likes of Morelos and Kent, who obviously would like to be playing at the highest level.

“So, if Rangers can go on and win it and they get in the Champions League, it’s only going to help their chances of keeping their best players at the club for the foreseeable future.”

The verdict

There’s no doubting that this pair are two of Rangers’ star players. According to Transfermarkt, they’re the two most valuable assets owned by the club at a combined £24.3million.

Morelos also tops the club’s earning charts on £33,000 per week, while Kent is in the upper echelons too on £18,000 (via Salary Sport). Taken together, the duo collect more than £2.65million per year.

And you’d have to say that reward is deserved given that Morelos is the club’s joint-top scorer with 16 goals, while Kent is second for assists (via BBC Sport). Between them, they have racked up 37 goal involvements this term.

They may have the chance to move to a stronger league than the SPFL, but will there realistically be another suitor who can offer them starting opportunities in the Champions League? That’s the key point.

In other news, Heart & Hand fumed over this UEL final update.

Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is ‘destined’ to move from Molineux to Barcelona this summer, according to journalist Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Neves linked with Wolves exit

The 25-year-old has proven to be a wonderful player for the Old Gold, producing moments of magic from midfield and maturing into a formidable player.

Unfortunately, Neves’ superb form this season has seen him linked with a summer move away, with numerous clubs keen on acquiring his signature.

Barcelona are arguably the front-runners to sign the Portuguese maestro, as Xavi looks to build a successful new era at the Catalan club.

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The Latest: Journalist drops Barcelona claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Holland claimed that Neves’ rumoured move to the La Liga giants feels inevitable. He stated:

“The history and the name Barcelona, that’s pulling power in itself. And you look at what Xavi is doing at the club, there’s always going to be the whole if he goes and works with Xavi, how good will he be?

“No disrespect to Wolves, but you’d rather live in Barcelona than Wolverhampton. I think that’s more or less destined to happen.”

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The Verdict: Matter of time

As great as it would be to see Neves remain at Wolves, there almost seems to be an acceptance that he will trade Molineux for Camp Nou this summer.

The lure of playing for such a special club could be too great to turn down, especially for Portuguese players, with past legends such as Luis Figo and Deco representing the Blaugrana.

The hope is that Neves will extend his stay at Wolves, but with European football looking unlikely for Bruno Lage’s team next season and elite clubs interested in the 25-year-old, it seems as if the Molineux faithful should be prepared for the midfielder’s exit.

In other news, Wolves are interested in signing an exciting wide player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Celtic are not far away from snatching the SPFL title away from their Old Firm rivals this season.

In Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge of the Hoops, the Parkhead club are currently six points clear of their Glasgow enemies with 35 games played.

This wouldn’t be the first time the Bhoys have taken something away from their neighbours.

Looking back to 2008, the Gers had reportedly agreed a fee of £2.5m with Premier League club Manchester City to sign striker Georgios Samaras.

However, it was the Hoops that ended up securing the Greece international’s signature in the January transfer window as he made the move to Celtic Park on loan before signing permanently in the following summer.

During his time with the Bhoys, the centre-forward made 243 appearances for Celtic across all competitions with his record for the club being celebrated by Neil Lennon who dubbed him “unplayable.”

In those appearances, the striker found the net 71 times in total and delivered 49 assists along the way, equalling 120 goal contributions.

To highlight how much of an attacking threat he was for the team, he managed to rack up 163 shots on target during his time in a Celtic shirt.

To further rub salt in Rangers’ wounds, in the 22 games he played against the Ibrox side, Samaras scored three goals and provided five assists.

In the 2014 summer transfer window, the striker called an end to his time in Scotland and made a move back to England, this time to West Bromwich Albion.

The attacker left Parkhead with four league titles, two Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup, making Celtic the only club he played for where he won silverware.

After spells in America, Spain and Turkey, the former Hoops star retired in 2018 with a total of 118 goals under his belt in 490 club appearances.

Taking into account what they got out of him on the pitch, as well as the bragging rights over their rivals, it’s safe to say that Celtic pulled a blinder by bringing Samaras to the club when they did.

With all of that in mind, it undeniable that the Bhoys had the last laugh over Rangers on this occasion.

In other news: “Celtic will..”: Insider drops big Lennoxtown transfer claim, it’s great news for Ange

Leeds United assistant manager Franz Schiemer could depart Elland Road and join the Austria national team, with a decision expected on Friday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Schiemer a key backroom member

Jesse Marsch has enjoyed an impressive coaching career to date, excelling at RB Salzburg, in particular, before taking the Leeds job earlier this year.

While the American was clearly the main influence at former clubs, Schiemer was a trusty deputy, implementing his own methods and playing his part in the team’s success.

The 36-year-old has now continued working alongside Marsch at Leeds, joining the Whites in March, but it appears as though his departure from the Premier League could now be close.

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The Latest: Austrian job beckoning?

According to Die Presse [via Sport Witness], Schiemer has held talks over becoming Austria’s new assistant manager, with as many as 20 candidates spoken to.

Austrian FA sporting director Peter Schottel is believed to have travelled to England to speak to the Leeds man personally, with the report stating a decision will be made before the weekend:

“The course for the Austrian national team will be set this afternoon at the Courtyard by Marriott Vienna Prater. The OFB holds its executive committee meeting there. The question to be clarified is: Who should head the national team as team boss in the future?”

Ralf Rangnick has since been confirmed as the manager, so we will surely find out in the coming hours who his coaching staff are, once this meeting concludes.

That means, if Schiemer is indeed their man, he could be signed on the dotted line before Leeds take on Manchester City on Saturday evening, a distraction the squad definitely don’t need.

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The Verdict: Potential big loss for Marsch

Schiemer has been a hugely effective member of Marsch’s backroom team for several years now, as mentioned, so this could be a big blow to the Leeds boss.

A manager is often only as good as those around him, as even the world’s best coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola attest to, so it is vital that Marsch’s assistant is sufficiently replaced if he leaves – Klopp even claimed this week his decision to stay at Liverpool was only possible because his right-hand man, Pepijn Lijnders, agreed to stay also.

If this move does happen in the coming days, it would be a huge shame not to have seen Schiemer have longer to make an impact, having been hailed as ‘very, very important’ by Marsch himself.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.