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BBC pundit Carlton Palmer has suggested that West Brom could now hold an advantage over Championship rivals Middlesbrough in the race to sign Leicester City ace Hamza Choudhury.

The Lowdown: Baggies facing competition

The Baggies had a disappointing end to the 2021/22 season after failing to secure a place in the top six, and so Steve Bruce is now looking for new reinforcements to bolster his squad as he hopes to make a serious push for promotion next term.

The Midlands outfit have been heavily linked with the 24-year-old Foxes midfielder in recent weeks, but it’s been reported that Boro have now also joined the race for his signature, creating stiff competition for the Hawthorns side.

The midfielder looks set to leave the top flight as his current contract at the King Power expires next summer, but where his next destination will be yet remains to be seen.

The Latest: Palmer’s ‘big’ Baggies boost

Speaking to Football League World, Palmer insisted that West Brom might have one ‘big’ advantage over their competitors when it comes to completing a move for Choudhury – location.

“I think, also, the fact that, you know, he’s gonna have to travel to Middlesbrough, he’s gonna have to stay up in Middlesbrough, and the fact that he’s playing at Leicester, he’ll be able to commute to West Brom daily for training and for matches and so forth.

“That’s a big difference.”

The Verdict: Perfect addition

Bruce will be wanting to complete his transfer business as early as he can so that he can have a full pre-season with his new players involved in the action, and Choudhury, who was once dubbed a “sensational” player by his manager Brendan Rodgers, would be a fantastic addition.

Even though the maestro only clocked up 287 minutes of Premier League football last season, he still managed to make a huge impact when on the pitch, averaging 1.7 clearances and 1.5 tackles per top-flight match, via WhoScored.

This combative presence is an attribute that the Baggies need to steady up that midfield area, and the Foxes starlet more than has the ability to control a game in the second tier after learning his trade in the top flight.

In other news… West Brom are reportedly interested in re-signing one of their former players.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Montpellier winger Stephy Mavididi recently and if he were to join David Moyes’ side this summer, it could be the end of Nikola Vlasic’s spell at the London Stadium.

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this month that West Ham, Brighton, Southampton and Everton have all “approached” the 24-year-old’s agent about a potential summer deal, with there a “good chance” that he could leave the Ligue 1 side in the coming weeks.

The former Arsenal man found his feet in France last season after a lacklustre spell at Juventus, contributing eight goals and three assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging a solid 6.71 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Mavididi has earned the praise of Premier League legend Thierry Henry in the past, as he said:

“What I’ve always liked about Stephy Mavididi is that he’s a hard-working player who closes (opponents) down.

“He’s always in the right place. What was missing was finishing — whether to give the ball or to score — but now he’s brought that to his game.”

Previous reports have suggested that the Englishman would be available for as little as £15m this summer and if Romano’s reports are true, then the Hammers could be serious about bringing him to the London Stadium.

However, wingers/attacking-midfielders is one area in which Moyes is not particularly short, with Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Said Benrahama all regulars in that position.

Therefore, if Mavididi were to join, we could see Vlasic leave with the forward being linked with the exit door after an uninspiring first season with the Hammers.

The Croatian was signed from CSKA Moscow last summer for big money but failed to impress, contributing just one goal and two assists in 31 appearances.

If Mavididi were to join then Vlasic could find first-team opportunities even harder to come by, and it would not be a surprise to see him moved on to make way for the Montpellier man, unless he can seriously improve his performances in the 2022/23 campaign.

And in other news… Moyes may already have his dream Rice heir at West Ham…

West Ham United are reportedly monitoring Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, ahead of a potential deal this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers have been named as one of the clubs who are ‘keeping tabs’ on the Frenchman’s situation, albeit with the Bundesliga outfit seemingly set to hold firm in their desire to keep the 22-year-old.

The report suggests that the German giants are ‘not entertaining offers’ for their young starlet – with the lack of a release clause aiding their cause – although there has been some indication that a bid of around £60m could be enough to tempt them into a sale.

That would prove to be a club-record offer for the east Londoners were they to pursue a deal, although they are also likely to face competition from Newcastle United, with the Magpies seemingly willing to break the bank with a £50m plus bid, as per the report.

Payet 2.0

That clamour for the five-cap international’s signature has undoubtedly been justified in recent seasons, with the former Paris Saint-Germain gem having registered 72 goal contributions in just 124 games in all competitions for his current club since making the switch from the Parc des Princes in 2019.

That impressive haul includes a sparkling tally of 17 goals and 14 assists in all competitions during the 2021/22 campaign, helping to fire Gerardo Seoane’s side to Champions League qualification with a solid third-place finish.

A Frenchman with a devastating ability to make the difference in the final third? Irons supporters can’t be blamed for beginning to dream of the next Dimitri Payet strolling through the door this summer at the London Stadium.

In his 18-month spell with the club, the set-piece specialist dazzled with his tricks, flicks and all-round class, pulling off the frankly unthinkable at times, including that rabona in a clash with Watford back in 2016.

The comparison between the two compatriots doesn’t simply lie in the country of their birth, however, with the duo sharing a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

That is seemingly a sure sign that the youngster would be a real success in English football, with the hope he can replicate Payet’s stunning, albeit brief, impact in a claret and blue jersey, in which he registered 29 goal contributions in just 48 Premier League games, before making a swift return to Marseille on a £25m deal in January 2017.

Although the former West Ham genius may no longer quite be at his peak at the age of 35, it is still telling that the one-time talisman has been outperformed by the younger man in recent times, Diaby netting more goals (13 to 12) and registering more assists (12 – 10) in the league in the 2021/22 season.

Dubbed an “important” player by Leverkusen sporting director Simone Rolfe, it is easy to see why the German outfit are so keen to hang on to him in the upcoming window, with the “lethal” speedster – as he has been described by one journalist – continuing to make an impact on a consistent basis.

If he can produce anywhere close to the mesmerising quality that was provided by Payet during his time with the Hammers, then both David Moyes and the club’s supporters are in for a real treat.

IN other news, “Another target…”: Ex drops big WHU summer transfer claim that supporters will love

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Moussa Dembele to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has now added the Olympique Lyonnais centre-forward to his list of transfer targets, with the Ligue 1 side expected to demand a figure of around €25m (£21m) in order to sanction the 25-year-old’s sale this summer.

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The report goes on to state that Manchester United and Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the former France U21 international ahead of a potential move of their own, while the striker himself is believed to be open to a move away from the Groupama Stadium.

“Perfect” for Conte

Considering just how impressive Dembele was in France this season, in addition to the fact that a backup for Harry Kane is reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the Frenchman to north London in the coming months.

Indeed, over his 30 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £15.3m-rated centre-forward was in blistering form for Lyon, scoring 21 goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £51k-per-week talent who Rich Fay dubbed both “perfect” and “deadly” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Peter Bosz’s seventh-best performer in the French top flight.

Furthermore, Dembele’s performances saw him earn a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from Jean-Pierre Papin, who stated of the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet:

“I really like this style of centre-forward. When you have a beast like Dembele in front, you have to play for him, which was not done enough during the first part of the season. He is good in the head, powerful, he has all the panoply of a modern striker and his chance to goal ratio is better than in previous seasons, he is more influential for his team.”

As such, considering his undoubted ability in front of goal and extremely reasonable asking price, it would indeed appear as if the striker would be the perfect addition to Conte’s current attacking options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to beat Arsenal and United to the signing of Dembele this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could unearth the next £100m talent as Spurs now eye “unbelievable” signing

Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have seemingly set their sights on a move for Napoli attacker Piotr Zielinski.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes midfield move…

According to reports, Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is keen to upgrade his options in central midfield this summer, with as many as eight players potentially leaving north London.

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The Times reported that Sergio Reguilón, Emerson Royal, Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele could all be offloaded over the summer, with Conte eyeing replacements for the latter pair.

Youri Tielemans of Leicester City and former Lilywhites star Christian Eriksen are reportedly on Paratici’s radar as the Italian chief aims to back Conte.

As per journalist Gianluigi Longari, the Premier League club now have Napoli playmaker Zielinski in their sights.

The Latest: Longari makes Zielinski claim…

The Sport Italia TV reporter, backing news from fellow Italian source Alfredo Pedulla, claimed that the Poland international is ‘really appreciated’ by Spurs’ manager as the club, and by proxy Paratici, eye a move.

He explained (via Twitter): “#Tottenham are interested in #Zielinski who’s really appreciated by Antonio #Conte since Inter times. #THFC”

The Verdict: Make a move?

Zielinski reportedly has a £94m release clause in his most recent Napoli contract, which he signed in August 2020.

However, recent claims indicate that Azzurri president Aurelio De Laurentiis may be willing to sell for much less, albeit not exactly on the cheap at a mooted £60m.

The fact that Conte is a big admirer of Zielinski may be an indicator of the Poland international’s ability, with comparisons even made to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden in past seasons. Meanwhile, Flamengo boss and former Poland national team head coach Paulo Sousa has called him a ‘beautiful footballer’.

All these garlands point towards a player with real quality, but at such a high price, Paratici will need to weigh up a move very carefully.

In other news: Tottenham readying talks to sign 23-year-old ‘machine’ after claim he’s ‘very keen’ to play in London! Find out more here.

Rangers and Ross Wilson will have to offer Calvin Bassey ‘vastly improved terms’ to keep him at the club, according to sports journalist Andrew Dickson. 

The lowdown

Bassey, who joined Rangers on a free transfer in the summer of 2020 after leaving Leicester City, still has two years to run on his existing deal.

But he’s attracting interest from elsewhere, with The Daily Record reporting that Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa sent scouts to watch him in action in the Scottish Cup final at the weekend.

Rangers are already set to lose one defensive option in Connor Goldson, whose contract expires in a week’s time according to Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Writing on Twitter, Dickson suggested that there wouldn’t be ‘a single Rangers fan’ who would countenance selling Bassey this summer, ‘even for silly money’.

That’s partly because losing both Bassey and Goldson in the same transfer window would simply be ‘too much’.

But Sporting Director Wilson needs to grant ‘a vastly improved deal’ to the 22-year-old to prompt him to ‘commit his future’.

The verdict

What kind of salary does Bassey deserve?

Well, Rangers’ top earner is thought to be Alfredo Morelos on £33,000 per week, with the seemingly exit-bound Goldson second on £27,000 and Kemar Roofe third on £26,000.

Bassey should arguably be amongst that top bracket in light of his contribution this season.

He started all of Rangers’ knockout games on their run to the Europa League final, earning a place in the Squad of the Season, and played all 240 minutes in the semifinal and final of the Scottish Cup, helping Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side prevail after extra time on both occasions.

Former Gers boss Alex McLeish hailed him as a ‘man mountain’, BBC Sport journalist Tom English has dubbed him ‘accomplished and effervescent’ and Rangers podcasters Four Lads Had A Dream say he’s a ‘massively important’ player.

In other news, this BBC journalist drops a major Rangers transfer prediction.

Manchester United have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.

The Lowdown: United talks with Timber

Erik ten Hag terminated his contract in Amsterdam six weeks early in order to make a head start at Old Trafford, and it looks as if Mitchell van der Gaag may not be the only man to follow him from the Johan Cruyff Arena.

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Timber has been linked with a move to the Red Devils, who have reportedly held talks with the centre-back’s representatives and are showing a serious interest.

The 20-year-old has been dubbed a player who ‘dominates’ on the ball by Ronald de Boer and was a regular in Ten Hag’s final season as Ajax manager, and it looks as if a reunion between the pair is firmly on the cards.

The Latest: Verbal agreement with Timber

Well-known account @mufcMBP, which is followed by respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, shared an update on the club’s pursuit of Timber.

They revealed on Twitter that United have ‘reached a verbal agreement’ with the defender and that a bid is now expected to follow.

The Verdict: Good news for United

Timber has been described as a ‘top talent’, as per the official UEFA Champions League Twitter channel, with that a competition in which United want to get back playing on a regular basis.

The Ajax youngster could well help Ten Hag to achieve a top-four finish in his first season in Manchester, with defensive reinforcements required at Old Trafford after conceding 56 times in 37 league games this term.

United have let in more goals than the likes of Burnley (who are currently 18th) and Brentford, whereas Ajax conceded just 19 goals in the Eredivisie this season, 15 fewer than the next-best defence in the Dutch top flight.

Timber played his part in a solid backline under Ten Hag in Amsterdam, and it looks as if he could be joining the new United manager in England over the coming months, which would surely be a shrewd move both in the short- and long-term.

In other news: Sky Sports reporter now drops major De Jong to Man Utd ‘update’ after info from ‘close sources’

Ahead of their Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, Nottingham Forest have been handed a double selection boost over Ryan Yates and Jack Colback.

What’s the latest?

As per Nottinghamshire Live, the pair will be available to feature in the Reds’ match against the Blades at Bramall Lane this weekend.

Speaking about the health of his squad going into the crucial play-off clash, and addressing the aforementioned duo to begin with, Cooper said:

“They are making progress. We’ll give them every chance to be available. They’re obviously desperate to play, as you can imagine. Everybody is desperate to play.

“Max [Lowe], Keinan [Davis] and Lewis [Grabban] are as they were, still injured. Scott [McKenna] is fine – he was fine to be on the bench last week. Djed [Spence] is the same. And Steve Cook will be available. He had some personal stuff going on and he cracked his head open at Bournemouth, so he didn’t play at Hull for a couple of reasons. But he’s back with us now and is looking good.”

Cooper will be buzzing

With Yates and Colback missing Forest’s last match against Hull City a week ago, the news that they could feature again will come as a big boost to Cooper’s promotion-chasing side.

The 24-year-old has been an integral part of the Forest spine, finding his goalscoring touch along the way with eight in 43 appearances, and his efforts have been crucial in getting the club to within touching distance of the automatic promotion places during the regular campaign.

It’s the same for Colback, who has found himself as a regular in the Reds’ line-up, having started 78% of Forest’s Championship games this season. Like Yates, he also features in the top 10 on Sofascore’s performance ranking among the City Ground squad this season, a sure sign of how integral they both are to the cause.

Having that familiarity and stability in the Forest squad will be integral for Cooper’s team, and although the manager has cautiously claimed that “he will give them every chance” to prove their fitness, you would expect the pair to feature in what is such an important game if they can at all.

In other news – Imagine him & Johnson: Cooper must seal Forest swoop for “magic” 20-goal livewire