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Manchester United are plotting to initiate new contact with Ajax over their Brazilian winger Antony.

What’s the word?

That’s according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, who revealed on Twitter that, despite Frenkie de Jong still sitting atop their transfer list, Antony is also a priority.

He claims that the Dutch giants are demanding at least €80m (£69m) for his services.

Reports from the players’ camp suggest he wants the move, as he has insisted the club consider any “potential proposals” throughout the summer.

In his tweet, Romano said: “New contact will take place soon for Antony. Player’s camp wants Ajax to consider potential proposals already this summer, as reported last week. Ajax insist they want €80m. Manchester United focused on de Jong but Antony’s still one of the top names in the list.”

Imagine him & Sancho

With Jadon Sancho having struggled throughout his first year at Old Trafford, this coming season under Erik ten Hag could see the 22-year-old thrive in a new system.

Meanwhile, the potential introduction of another tricky attacker at United could spell danger for Premier League defences, as these two should run riot on opposite flanks.

Antony recorded 12 goal contributions last season in the Eredivisie, dressing his solid return up with a showmanship akin to Red Devils favourite Eric Cantona.

His progressive carries per 90 also rank him in the 98th percentile of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues, whilst also boasting 4.08 shots and 6.59 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes. These stats are indicative of a winger willing to run at defences and try the extraordinary.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has reportedly been keeping a keen eye on the £31.5m-rated ace, and had the following to say about him:

“He is certainly a player who would flourish in the Premier League. If Ten Hag is to have a huge overhaul at Old Trafford Antony is the sort of player the fans would love. I think Antony would be a great addition.”

The 22-year-old Brazilian also boasts a fine record in the Champions League, with six goal contributions in just seven games last term. His average SofaScore rating of 7.43 made him Ajax’s second-best performer in the competition, only behind Sebastien Haller.

Perhaps his signing would allow England international Sancho to recapture his better days at Dortmund, where he contributed to 20 goals in just 26 Bundesliga games in the season before last.

To reunite Antony with his former manager and create a fearsome duo with Jadon Sancho, both supplying the great Cristiano Ronaldo, should very much be an exciting prospect for the Old Trafford faithful.

AND in other news: “I see…”: Fabrizio Romano drops big Man Utd transfer claim, supporters will buzzing

Gianluigi Longari has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Raphinha.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following Arsenal’s first offer for the Leeds United winger, Fabio Paratici is now preparing his own bid for the Brazil international – believed to be around £50m plus £10m in add-ons.

The Sportitalia reporter also went on to state that, while Barcelona are thought to be the 25-year-old’s first choice destination, the LaLiga side are yet to reach an agreement with the Whites regarding a fee for the forward.

In his tweet, Longari said: “Raphinha situation: Also Tottenham want LUFC winger and ready to submit an offer (50m+10m).

“Arsenal just submitted a fresh bid as per David Ornstein. Barcelona always first choice but no agreement with LUFC. Raphinha hasn’t decided yet.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Raphinha has been for Leeds following his £17m move to Elland Road back in the summer of 2020, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be keen on a deal to bring the Brazilian to north London ahead of the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.

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Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the £40.5m-rated talent proved an immediate hit for the Whites, scoring six goals, registering nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 2.1 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £63k-per-week winger average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.14, not only ranking him as Leeds’ second-best outfielder in the league – behind only Kalvin Phillips – but also as the joint 30th-best player in the division as a whole.

Furthermore, despite Jesse Marsch’s side’s struggles in 2021/22, Raphinha still managed to catch the eye over his 35 top-flight outings last season, bagging 11 goals, providing three assists and creating 10 big chances, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics once again saw the former Stade Rennais star earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the Whites’ second-best outfielder in the league – this time behind only the imperious Liam Cooper – with the Brazilian playing a key role in Leeds’ securing their Premier League status heading into 22/23.

As such, it is undeniable that, should Paratici go on to land the 25-year-old this summer, Raphinha would make an exceptional addition to Antonio Conte’s current options in attack – something which leads us to believe that Longari’s latest update on Tottenham’s pursuit of the winger is sure to have left the Spurs faithful buzzing.

AND in other news: “People within his camp…”: Gold drops big Spurs transfer update supporters will love

Celtic centre-back Christopher Jullien looks increasingly likely to leave Parkhead this summer, reliable journalist Anthony Joseph has revealed.

The Lowdown: Jullien’s struggles at Celtic

The 29-year-old’s Hoops career has become a hugely frustrating one after he showed early promise, with serious injury problems curtailing his progress greatly.

Jullien was limited to just one solitary Scottish Cup appearance for Celtic last season, as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt forged a great understanding at centre-back in his absence.

The Frenchman’s current deal expires in 2023 and it looks highly likely that he will move on to pastures new this summer, with Carter-Vickers penning a permanent deal to confirm his place in the pecking order.

The Latest: Joseph shares latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sky Sports’ Joseph confirmed that there is interest in Jullien and that he will almost definitely leave if a good offer arrives:

“If a French club – and I know there’s some interest in France for him – were to put in a bid of maybe £3million or £4million, I think Celtic would listen to that, definitely.”

The Verdict: Time to move on

Now is the perfect time for Celtic to sell Jullien, with the defender still fetching a fee at this point in his contract, rather than losing him for nothing next year.

At 29, he still has plenty to offer after hopefully overcoming his fitness woes, and a return to his homeland could be ideal for him during the latter part of his career.

Jullien has undoubted quality, having once been called ‘excellent’ by Neil Lennon, but it is a natural time for his Celtic career to come to its conclusion.

There is a feeling that Ange Postecoglou has moved on without him since becoming manager and that he isn’t part of his future plans, and a move now would feel like a win win for both parties.

Nottingham Forest are eyeing up a swoop for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos as Steve Cooper looks to add to his attacking options ahead of the Premier League season.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Portuguese outlet Record, who claimed that Forest are keen on signing the Portuguese gem.

This was translated by journalist Jacque Talbot, who tweeted: “Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest are interested in Benfica’s 20-year-old forward Gonçalo Ramos. Club are open to selling for around €40million and Jorge Mendes is leading the negotiations.”

The Reds are duly set to battle it out with several European heavyweights in order to sign the £34m-valued (€40m) striker.

He’s a big upgrade on Taylor

With Forest approaching their first Premier League campaign in 23 years, Cooper will be looking to add some quality and depth to his playing squad to cope with the demands of top-flight football.

Ramos could well be a shrewd investment, and not only for immediate success – at 20 years of age, he is still a few years away from hitting his peak.

Having been dubbed “incredibly prolific” by football scout Jacek Kulig, his goalscoring figures are exceptional. He has notched nine goals in 15 appearances for Portugal under-19s, 14 goals in 18 matches for Portugal under-21s and 14 goals in 59 senior appearances for Benfica.

He could be a massive upgrade on Lyle Taylor, who at 32 looks set to be past his peak and was loaned out to Birmingham for the latter part of the 2021/22 campaign.

Although they had similar returns in terms of goals and assists last season, it’s Ramos who statistically comes out the better player. The 20-year-old took 3.02 shots per match last season compared to just 2.04 for Taylor, while also having more shots on target compared to the Forest striker (24 to 20).

The Benfica dynamo wasn’t afraid to shirk his defensive duties either, winning nine tackles compared to five for Taylor and making six interceptions (three for Taylor).

If Cooper manages to pull off this prospective signing, it will surely be hailed as a masterclass. It could well be an exciting time to be a Forest supporter, considering the calibre of player with whom they’re now being linked.

AND in other news, Forest eye swoop for “tremendous” £12.6m machine, he can be Cooper’s own Reece James

Former Australia international Harry Kewell is set to join Celtic as a first-team coach, according to reliable journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Ange working his magic

Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed a fantastic first year as Hoops manager, inspiring his side to Premiership glory and also winning the Scottish League Cup.

The 56-year-old has put together a strong backroom team which has worked together in great harmony, with everyone at the club seemingly pulling in the same direction.

A new coaching appointment now looks to be on the cards, and the man involved is a familiar name to football followers in the UK.

The Latest: Kewell set to come in

Taking to Twitter late on Friday night, Sky Sports reporter Joseph informed followers of Celtic’s planned transfer activity, while also touching upon a significant proposed addition to Postecoglou’s staff.

Among his numerous updates, the journalist tweeted:

“1st team coach: Harry Kewell incoming.”

The Verdict: Shrewd appointment

This could prove to be an excellent appointment by Celtic, with Postecoglou seeing his compatriot Kewell as someone who can bring fresh ideas to the table.

The 43-year-old has already managed Crawley Town, Notts County, Oldham Athletic and Barnet, with 38 wins from 121 matches in his coaching career, so he has plenty of experience which should stand him in good stead.

Furthermore, Celtic’s players could also learn from Kewell in terms of his ability on the training pitch, given his standing as arguably Australia’s greatest player of all time, having scored 17 goals for his country and won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. He also starred for the Leeds team which reached the semi-finals of that competition four years previously.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly on the verge of one signing. Find out who it is here.

Joe Donnohue has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United centre-back Charlie Cresswell.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Yorkshire Evening Post journalist revealed that the centre-back is set for talks with both Jesse Marsch and Victor Orta in the coming weeks, with the intention of deciding whether or not the 19-year-old will be a regular part of the 48-year-old’s starting XI next season.

Donnohue goes on to state that a loan move away from Elland Road appears the most likely outcome of these discussions, before claiming that the England U21 international needs to kick on with his development in first-team football if he is to eventually stake a claim as one of the Whites’ first-choice centre-backs.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Charlie Cresswell planning talks with Marsch & Orta in the coming weeks over his future. Six senior apps last season but needs to kick on. Loan likely. Whoever lands him for 2022/23 gets themselves a vocal, leads-by-example, rough-and-tumble centre-half.”

Marsch must act

Considering the sheer amount of potential Cresswell possesses, it would indeed appear an extremely wise move for Marsch to make a call as to whether the 19-year-old will be better off securing a temporary move away from the club this summer, in order for the defender to further his progression at senior level.

Indeed, up and coming right-back Cody Drameh is the perfect example of how much a loan spell can benefit a talented youngster, with the 20-year-old highly impressing during his temporary move to Cardiff City back in January, picking up both the Bluebirds’ Young Player of the Season and Player of the Season awards – despite only spending four months with the Championship side.

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And, with Cresswell arguably being one of Leeds’ brightest academy prospects, a similar move away from Elland Road could see the centre-back return to Leeds as a serious contender for a starting spot in Marsch’s side come the 2023/24 campaign.

Indeed, the teenager’s talent is not in doubt, with Joe Wainman even suggesting earlier this season that Cresswell should already be in Marsch’s thoughts when selecting his starting XI, stating of the centre-back after his performance in a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United last September:

“We had a debutant in the Premier League, Charlie Cresswell at centre-back, and he didn’t look out of place. These centre-backs who are not fit or are looking to come back into the side, they need to be worried, because that boy was unbelievable and I don’t think he should come out of the side. He’s a mainstay now, for me. I thought Cresswell was class, genuinely class.”

As such, it would indeed appear as if Marsch simply must make a decision on whether Cresswell will be a regular for Leeds next season, as, if the youngster is to go on to fulfil his undoubted potential, he must be playing football week in week out – be that at Elland Road or elsewhere.

AND in other news: Sky Sports reporter drops huge Leeds United transfer update that supporters will love

Sunderland are reportedly now ‘ready for any offers’ to sign Dan Neil this summer.

The Lowdown: Speakman praise

Neil has recently earned the praise of Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, who has dubbed him an ‘incredible’ and ‘top young player’ (The Northern Echo).

The 20-year-old played 46 times in total over all competitions this season, scoring four goals and making eight assists (Transfermarkt), as he helped the Stadium of Light outfit gain promotion up to the Championship.

The Latest: Ready for offers

Taking to Twitter, North East journalist Matty Jones has shared that the Wearside club are now ‘ready for any offers’ that may come their way for Neil:

“Scouts have been to watch Sunderland this season but it’s not certain whether they were there to watch Dan Neil in action.

“Nevertheless, the Black Cats are ready for any offers that might come their way.”

The Verdict: Keep!

If the Black Cats are to stay in the Championship, and even look to a potential Premier League push, then they need to be keeping hold of their key players, and Neil certainly fits into that category.

He has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes and through balls in League One this term, while his 82% pass completion rate is the joint-highest out of any of his teammates to have made five or more appearances (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Neil would not be an easy player to replace, and so Alex Neil’s side should be looking to keep hold of him this summer, regardless of any potential offers that may come in for the Englishman.

In other news, find out what behind-the-scenes SAFC ‘talks’ have now been going on here!

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Rasmus Kristensen.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following reports of Jesse Marsch’s interest in a move for the Red Bull Salzburg right-back this summer, Victor Orta has now prepared an opening offer for the 24-year-old.

The transfer insider goes on to state that negotiations between the Premier League side and Austrian champions are currently ongoing concerning a fee for the defender, while personal terms with the Denmark international are not thought to be an issue.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Leeds have an opening bid ready for Rasmus Kristensen. Talks ongoing with RB Salzburg, negotiations are concrete. Personal terms not an issue – Leeds want Kristensen after Aaronson deal completed with RB Salzburg.”

Supporters will love Romano’s claim

Considering how exciting a talent Kristensen evidently is, in addition to the fact that both Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas are both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines due to injury, Romano’s suggestion that Leeds have already made a move to sign the Salzburg right-back is sure to be an update the Elland Road faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 29 Austrian Bundesliga fixtures this season, the £13.5m-rated Dane proved just how much of an attacking threat he can be on the right of a backline, bagging seven goals, providing four assists and creating seven big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

The £14k-per-week full-back also returned impressive defensive metrics, helping Matthias Jaissle’s side keep 13 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per appearance.

These returns saw the 24-year-old average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as his club’s second-best player in the division but also as the fourth-best in the Bundesliga as a whole.

As such, should Orta manage to get a deal over the line for Kristensen in the coming weeks, it would very much appear as if the sporting director will have secured a considerable upgrade on Ayling – who scored two goals, registered two assists and averaged a SofaScore match rating of just 6.61 over 26 Premier League appearances this season – ahead of the Whites’ 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news: Leeds now plotting bid for “unbelievable” £15m target, he “could be the real deal”…

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino will be ‘dropped’ for the Reds’ Premier League clash against Wolves this afternoon, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Liverpool face huge day

Jurgen Klopp’s side go into the final day of the league season knowing they must beat Bruno Lage’s visitors in order to realistically have any chance of winning the title.

Liverpool will also be relying on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa doing them a huge favour, as they make the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face league leaders Manchester City.

Firmino started in Tuesday’s 2-1 win away to Southampton as Klopp rang the changes, but the 30-year-old could struggle to keep his place against Wolves.

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The Latest: Firmino backed to be dropped

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson claimed that the Brazilian would make way for others in the starting lineup for Liverpool today. The ex-Leeds goalkeeper stated:

“Firmino played against Southampton to give the others a rest. I think Salah, Mane and Diaz will come back in against Wolves.

“There is a squad for a reason. Yes, Firmino came in and did well and helped them get a massive three points but that is what was expected of him. That is what the manager wants and that is why he is part of the squad.

“It is a massive game at the weekend so I think Klopp will go full strength and Firmino is not part of Liverpool’s best XI anymore.

“We are in an era of football where you can put in a 10/10 performance on the weekend and be dropped a few days later. That is the way it is. Firmino will be part of the rotation.”

The Verdict: Firmino likely to be benched

Firmino has been a wonderful servant for Liverpool, scoring 98 goals in 325 appearances, leading the line in superb fashion for many years and being hailed as ‘world-class’ by Klopp.

The 30-year-old is no longer a guaranteed starter, though, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t make way for Sadio Mane this afternoon, with the Senegal star thriving in a new central role.

Firmino could still be a key figure from the substitutes’ bench, affecting the game in a positive manner in the second half if needed, but it feels as though he has made his last start of the season, especially with him not long back from a foot injury.

In other news, Liverpool are demanding £17million for one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Norwich City on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Tottenham Hostpur account shared images of Antonio Conte’s first-team squad in training ahead of this weekend’s trip to Norwich City, in which left-back Sergio Reguilon – who the Italian manager had tentatively ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury – features.

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Conte will be buzzing

With Spurs needing to get some kind of result at Carrow Road on Sunday in order to secure a top-four this season, should Reguilon be back in contention for the trip to Norwich, it would undoubtedly be a development that will have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, over his 25 Premier League outings this season, the £25.2m-rated left-back has been a solid option for the 52-year-old at left wing-back, having bagged two goals, registered three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

The £53k-per-week Spain international has also helped his side keep six clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.6 clearances and winning 4.6 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the 25-year-old average a decent SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Spurs’ 12th-best player in the English top flight.

As such, while it would appear unlikely that Reguilon will usurp Ryan Sessegnon from his starting berth against the Canaries, having the option of the Spaniard on the bench would undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Conte and his side – particularly considering the magnitude of the final day of the season clash against the bottom of the table side.

AND in other news: Bid made: Paratici in talks for “underrated” £51m signing, he’d be “unreal” for Spurs