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A teasing claim has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to replace Calvin Bassey in the summer transfer window…  

What’s the talk?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed that the Light Blues may bring in two new signings to replace the outgoing Nigeria international, who looks set to sign for Ajax this week.

The Sunday Mail [17 July, page 63] quote him as saying: “We’ve done really well so far in getting new players in the positions where positions left so I’m really happy with that. We might lose Calvin so we have to move on and be ready for possible players coming in.

“If Calvin is going, he was a left-back and a left central defender, so we will look at the qualities of the player and the dynamic to see if we move for one player or two.

“For Calvin it’s a nice move and for the club as well business wise it’s what you want to do.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will be buzzing with this claim from the Dutch head coach as it suggests that Rangers could bring in a specialist left-back and a centre-back to improve the quality and depth of the squad.

Whilst Bassey enjoyed an excellent campaign and was a key player for the Gers, the former Leicester man swapped between both positions throughout the season instead of nailing one down.

Bringing in two players for those roles instead of having one versatile one should lead to more consistency in the back four, as they would not have a player moving around the defence and trying to forge multiple partnerships at once.

Rangers appear to have found the specialist centre-back they want in Ben Davies, who is on the verge of moving to the club from Liverpool for a fee in the region of £4m including add-ons.

The Gers have been linked with a swoop for Stoke left-back Josh Tymon this month and he could be the other replacement for Bassey, with him and Davies both coming in to improve the team.

In the Championship last term, the Potters full-back created a whopping 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 44 outings. This shows that he can be an attacking threat to supplement the forward players, whilst the signing from Liverpool can be solely used as a centre-back to create a solid backline.

This is why fans will be buzzing with the suggestion that two players could come in to replace Bassey’s roles within the team.

AND in other news, Wilson can land Rangers’ own Jude Bellingham with move for “special” £42k-p/w starlet…

Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shed some light on Arsenal’s reported interest in Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane. 

The lowdown: Arsenal interested in Sane

A recent report from German outlet Bild (via Mundo Deportivo) claimed that the Gunners are keen on bringing the former Manchester City star back to the Premier League.

The 26-year-old signed for Bayern in 2020 and is believed to be valued at €70m (£59m) by the Bundesliga champions.

With speculation continuing to suggest that Sane could be on the move this summer, one well-informed transfer specialist has provided an update on the current state of play…

The latest: Romano shares Sane latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano has claimed that, despite the frequent interest, the 45-cap Germany ace is going nowhere as things stand.

He said: “I think he’s a player to watch in August maybe because, at the moment, Bayern are keeping him. I think they will not sign a new striker. Sane, but also [Serge] Gnabry extending the contract, [Kingsley] Coman, these players will stay at Bayern.

“Lot of links for this boy but, at the moment, he’s waiting to understand if Bayern will sign a centre striker or not, and there are no negotiations for Sane.”

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Valued at £54m and under contract in Germany until 2025 (Transfermarkt), there is certainly no need to panic from Bayern’s perspective, although the departure of Robert Lewandowski could yet force them into the market for a striker.

Predominantly operating as a left winger, having witnessed the arrival of positional rival Sadio Mane from Liverpool, Sane – who was hailed as a ‘scary talent’ and a ‘mesmerising’ player by sports broadcaster Daniel Garb in 2019 – may feel that his place as a regular in Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI is under threat.

Last season, Sane Sofascore rating whilst successfully completing 1.9 dribbles, completing 1.6 key passes and taking 2.8 shots per game.

Boasting supreme versatility and elite attacking attributes (WhoScored), if a transfer does indeed become a possibility this summer, then the ever-ready Edu and the Arsenal hierarchy should immediately jump at the opportunity to add a high-quality operator to Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their attempts to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that the Black Cats are still chasing two more signings ahead of the deadline at the end of August.

However, they appear to be struggling – along with the rest of the Championship – to get deals over the line for a myriad of reasons.

In response to a fan asking for an update on the club, he tweeted:

“Keeper and striker search goes on … not easy for anybody this summer … Lack of available talent … lack of funds … loads chasing the same players … hard times”

Supporters will be frustrated

This claim will surely leave supporters frustrated as the second-tier season kicks off next weekend and the Black Cats are yet to significantly add to their team from the 2021/22 campaign.

Alex Neil’s side won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs after failing to finish in the top two in League One and have added Daniel Ballard and Aji Alose to their squad, whilst signing Leon Dajaku and Jack Clarke on permanent deals after their loans.

They are making a step up to a league of higher quality and their business, thus far, has not improved a significant portion of the team to help them bridge the gap.

They have also lost Callum Doyle and Nathan Broadhead after they returned to their parent clubs, with the former signing for Coventry on loan from Manchester City. The latter, meanwhile, remains at Everton and is reportedly wanted by Sunderland for a second spell at the Stadium of Light.

In his time on Wearside last season, the Welshman caught the eye with an impressive 10 goals in 15 League One starts. He proved that he has the quality to make a big impact in the final third at that level, suggesting that he could be a useful player in the Championship.

Supporters will, therefore, be frustrated with the difficult time Sunderland are having in the market as not having Broadhead in the squad clearly weakens their attacking options and they are yet to bring him back or replace him with another player.

Hopefully, Kristjaan Speakman can work his magic in the final month and a bit of the window to give Neil the tools he needs to oversee a successful campaign.

AND in other news, Decision incoming: SAFC could land Broadhead 2.0 in deal for £2.4k-p/w “goal machine”…

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira can land his own Ivan Toney by completing a €15m (£12.6m) swoop for Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque this summer.

According to Football Insider, the Eagles are among three Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Frenchman after he impressed playing in Ligue 1 last season.

He currently has two years left on his contract at Strasbourg but is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League. He’s also shone in pre-season and scored both goals in his club’s 2-2 draw with Brentford recently.

If you look at his statistics he performs very similarly to the Bees’ star striker Ivan Toney in many areas, if Palace signed him and he replicated the Englishman’s form, then it would be a worthy investment.

In one of his recent columns for Caught Offside, journalist Fabrizio Romano said that Brentford have placed an asking price of £40-£45m on Toney, so it could be a bargain for Palace to get someone just as good for a fraction of the cost.

He’s also currently on a wage of just £14k-per-week so his salary wouldn’t break the bank.

Ajorque scored 12 goals and assisted eight in 36 league games for Strasbourg last season with Toney scoring the same amount in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old Frenchman had more shots on target per 90 minutes so is arguably the better striker. Of course, the top flight in England poses a different and harder challenge, but it’s one Ajorque will relish.

It’s not just scoring where the similarities in the players end, they both create well too, with Toney tallying ten goal-creating actions compared to Ajorque’s nine.

He’s been described as a “complete player” by his manager Julien Stephan and it’s hard to disagree. He’s proved that he can reach the levels of a good quality Premier League striker, so it’s not a surprise that several clubs are interested.

Newcastle United and Leicester City are the two other sides monitoring the situation, but the Magpies are also interested in reuniting with Toney.

We may see a battle for Ajorque’s signature, and with the exciting project on offer in the North East, Palace need to move quickly to make sure they don’t miss out on him.

With the club ready to axe striker Christian Benteke, they should put all their focus on signing the Frenchman.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 3-word Crystal Palace transfer update that’ll leave supporters gutted…

Arsenal’s young winger Marquinhos may not be as big a name as Gabriel Jesus or Oleksandr Zinchenko but the new summer signing could well make an instant impact in Mikel Arteta’s squad this season.

There is something of an expectation that the 19-year-old gem will go straight into the U23 squad for the upcoming campaign.

Although that’s not the belief of teammate and first-team star Granit Xhaka, who has tipped the former Sao Paulo starlet to breakthrough in a similar vein to his fellow countryman, Gabriel Martinelli.

Speaking in last weekend’s matchday programme for their final pre-season clash against Sevilla – a game in which the Gunners came out on top – the Swiss midfielder said:

“He reminds me of Gabi Martinelli when he first came, everyone was saying ‘yeah he will go to the under-23s first’ and stuff like this, but how Gabi adapted at this level was unbelievable, and I have the same feeling with Marquinhos as well.

“For his age he is very developed physically, very fast, good left foot. Of course, he needs to adapt to this level first, this country as well, but I see a big future for this guy.”

Marquinhos has earned two substitute appearances in pre-season, playing 23 minutes against FC Nürnberg and 17 minutes against Premier League rivals Chelsea, so it’s evident that Arteta was taking a keen look on him before the start of the new campaign, which gets underway on Friday night as Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace.

The teenager was part of Sao Paulo’s first-team set-up and they were desperate to keep hold of him – according to GOAL, they had offered him a new deal worth 13 times what he was currently earning.

He was even trusted to start a Copa Libertadores last-16 clash against Racing Club, where he bagged his first goal for the Tricolour Paulista. The Brazilian sensation also contributed to their other two goals in the 3-1 victory.

“Talking about Marquinhos, he made his debut a week ago and tonight he was the protagonist,” his then-manager Hernan Crespo said after the Racing win.

Meanwhile, the young dynamo has been likened to Douglas Costa, who was once a star for Shaktar Donetsk, where he earned a lucrative move to Bayern Munich.

“He made a huge impression at Sao Paulo last season. He reminds me of Douglas Costa, versatile, mobile and can operate across the front line,” claimed South American football expert Tim Vickery to Sky Sports.

Should Arteta trust him to be involved in the coming weeks and months, then he could well unearth the Gunners’ next Martinelli as on the above evidence, the north Londoners have an exciting talent with bags of potential – Xhaka certainly thinks so.

Arsenal’s involvement in the Europa League will also open up a likely avenue for minutes, even if it’s from the bench.

No one expected the Brazilian to break through in the way he did, so Marquinhos’ potential impact this season cannot be understated just yet.

AND in other news, Edu could seal a “special” 6th Arsenal signing in £50m “genius”, he “wants to join”…

Celtic have a track record when it comes to signing players from Premier League clubs during previous transfer windows.

One player in England’s top division that has recently been mentioned with a move to Parkhead this summer is Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.

However, Sky Sports journalist, Anthony Joseph, recently took to Twitter to play down these rumours, suggesting he wasn’t a player that would be arriving in Glasgow.

With that in mind, another midfield option that has been touted with a move to Celtic Park that should take the club’s attention away from Barkley is Edouard Michut.

Having made 17 appearances for the French club, the 19-year-old already has eight senior games under his belt, showing just how highly they rate him there.

In those eight appearances, the midfielder has managed to provide one assist, which came during PSG’s 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyon last season.

Hailed by football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, as a “highly technical and creative playmaker”, as well as a “fantastic product” of PSG’s youth academy, Michut could be a better option for Celtic to sign ahead of Barkley given his young age and the potential he has to grow and develop into a top player.

The young Frenchman could reportedly be signed by Celtic for a fee of £5m which could make him a cheaper option than the £10.8m-rated Chelsea midfielder should the west London club look to sell him this summer.

The fact the Englishman currently picks up a weekly wage of £100k-per-week, means any deal materialising is incredibly difficult to envisage.

In comparison, Michut reportedly only earns £730-per-week at his current club, which would surely make a potential move for him a better financial option for the Hoops.

In addition to that, with players such as Tom Rogic, Luca Connell, Ewan Henderson, Kerr McInroy, Ismaila Soro and Nir Bitton all making moves away from Paradise this summer, life could well be pretty easy for the PSG prodigy when it comes to working his way into Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Therefore, if an opportunity to strike a deal with the French giants to sign their young midfielder arises before the summer transfer window closes, the Hoops should spring into action and secure his signature, putting to bed the idea of signing Barkley at the same time.

Leeds United have tabled a €5m (£4.2m) bid for FC Zurich forward Wilfried Gnonto and are in further contact with the player’s representatives.

The Lowdown: Gnonto interest

The Whites appear to be admirers of the 18-year-old, with Fabrizio Romano stating that the club have been following Gnonto for a ‘long time’.

Reports have claimed that Leeds chiefs want to get a deal finalised by August 25, with an agreement on personal terms believed to be getting closer.

The Latest: €5m offer

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport shared what they know about Gnonto and Leeds in a story on Monday afternoon.

They claim that Leeds have made a €5m offer which will be examined by Wednesday, with the Whites also intensifying contact with the forward’s agent.

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The Verdict: Gathering pace

It seems as if a move to Elland Road for Gnonto is gathering real pace, and his potential arrival appears to be what is needed for Jesse Marsch following injury scares for Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt.

The striker already has plenty of first-team experience for Zurich and four senior caps for Italy, so you’d expect that he’d go straight into the senior setup at Leeds despite being just 18 years of age.

Roberto Mancini has hailed the forward as ‘technical and fast’, and Gnonto would be able to play anywhere in attack or even in a deeper attacking midfield role, and a possible £4.2m deal could be a bargain considering the player’s £9m Transfermarkt valuation.

Manchester United are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Sommer at Monchengladbach

Sommer, labelled as ‘superb’ by journalist Josh Bunting, has been with Monchengladbach since 2014 but is set to be out of contract next summer.

The 33-year-old has made a whopping 326 appearances for the Bundesliga side, keeping 86 clean sheets. He’s begun the current campaign as first choice and has captained the club in the opening two Bundesliga fixtures, but it looks as if a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards.

The Latest: United keen

According to Romano, United are ‘interested’ in signing Sommer before the deadline.

The transfer expert states that there is interest from other Premier League clubs, while Monchengladbach have offered the Switzerland international a new deal.

The Verdict: Busy few weeks

David de Gea had an afternoon to forget last time out against Brentford, so it seems as if Erik ten Hag wants some serious competition for the Spaniard.

Sommer, who is in ‘excellent shape’ according to Adi Hutter, could be a smart signing due to his experience at the highest level for both club and country, with Hutter also claiming he’s ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga’.

However, United also appear to need multiple outfield additions before September 1, so a new goalkeeper may not be top of the agenda at this moment in time in what should be a frantic few weeks.

Edu could be edging closer to bringing in Arsenal’s sixth summer signing as Mikel Arteta continues to revamp his squad.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Ben Jacobs, who was talking to GIVEMESPORT about the Gunners’ interest in Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino.

The CBS reporter said: “Yeah, I mean, Pino and the sort of Arsenal interest is growing, I think that is fair to say.

“And it’s definitely one to watch between now and when the window shuts. And one of the reasons for that is because there is a need at the Villarreal end to sell.”

Spanish outlet AS recently claimed that Arsenal had made a €40m (£34m) offer for Pino, who reportedly has a release clause of €80m (£67.5m). Due to the La Liga side’s financial situation, the Gunners could well land him for a cut-price fee.

Arteta could seal an incredible signing

At just 19 years of age, Pino has excellent potential, and he continued his rise to stardom following on from his breakthrough season in 2020/21. He scored seven goals in all competitions last term as the La Liga side reached the Champions League semi-finals and finished seventh domestically.

in La Liga alone last season, Pino ranked in the top 2% for shots on target, top 14% for goals, and top 9% for non-penalty expected goals among positional peers, proving that he can offer a massive threat at such a young age.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him “incredible” and his performances to date have certainly been just that. The teenager has four international caps for Spain already, even scoring in a 5-0 win against Iceland in March which rubberstamped his credentials on the highest stage.

With Nicolas Pepe looking likely to move on from Arsenal, the space and funds appear to be available for Arteta to secure a deal for Pino as soon as he can.

Following their excellent start to the Premier League season, coupled with the Spaniard’s shrewd investments in the transfer market, this summer has got supporters firmly believing that the club could be on the road to great things.

Adding a young talent like Pino to the squad for far less than his release clause would be the icing on the cake for Arteta this summer, so Edu needs to act now in order to seize upon what looks a very advantageous situation for Arsenal.

Aston Villa have already made five signings this summer and with less than a week left to finish up transfer business at Villa Park, a reliable source has revealed the position Steven Gerrard is keen to strengthen.

What’s the latest?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Villa boss is looking at ways he can strengthen his midfield in the remaining days of the transfer window.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“We know a new No.8 has been on Gerrard’s mind and, as we head towards the final days of this transfer window, I think a new midfielder is going to be on the agenda.”

It’s the perfect move

After the first three fixtures in the Premier League it should have given Gerrard a good indication on where the problems lie in his current starting line up at Villa Park, and adding a new midfielder could solve many of the problems the team are currently facing.

Villa have lost two and won one of their first three fixtures and there are many key areas of concern with the side conceding twice as many as they’ve scored so far, scoring just three goals.

Despite the glaringly obvious far from ideal defence issues with newly-signed Diego Carlos suffering from a serious injury, there are also concerns in terms of personnel in the centre of the pitch.

With Carney Chukwuemeka making a move to Chelsea, Morgan Sanson’s future in doubt and Douglas Luiz contract talks still unresolved, the Villains are setting themselves up to get caught short, so a new number eight could be the perfect move for Gerrard.

Gerrard told BirminghamLive last month that he was keen to add depth in the centre of the pitch and his interest in doing so clearly hasn’t cooled:

“It’s still an area we’re looking to strengthen and we want to challenge the lads that have done well for us in the last six months since we’ve been here.”

“We want to make it really difficult for people to have guaranteed places. We want to challenge every area of the team to make us stronger.”

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if the Villa boss has a midfielder lined up to sign over the coming days in the transfer window, as it could definitely put the manager’s mind at rest over the outgoings and potential future outgoings ahead of next summer.