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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Christian Pulisic ahead of a potential move for the American this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Pulisic in and out at Chelsea

Darwin Nunez is coming in as a big-money attacking signing at Anfield, with the Uruguayan replacing the seemingly exit-bound Sadio Mane ahead of next season.

Another player with whom Liverpool have been linked recently is Pulisic, with the 23-year-old finding himself as a squad player rather than a key figure at Chelsea.

The USA international only started 13 games in the Premier League last season, and while his current deal doesn’t expire until 2024, the Blues might be open to selling him this summer.

The Latest: Liverpool backed to make Pulisic move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Klopp is a big admirer of Pulisic and suggested that a move to Anfield could come to fruition for the American playmaker.

The transfer insider stated:

“This is the move that was mooted before he went to Chelsea, everybody was expecting him to land at Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp. He is a big admirer of his, understands his game.

“I think personally, it would be a great move for Pulisic at this point, because he’s definitely frustrated with the way things are going at Chelsea.”

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

Pulisic is undoubtedly an excellent player who still has great potential – he has a respectable 44 goal contributions in 115 Chelsea appearances, while Pat Nevin has said that he can become ‘world-class’ – so there is clear logic in Liverpool possibly looking to sign him.

That being said, it is questionable as to whether or not the Reds need him after Nunez’s arrival, considering the scale of attacking talent at Klopp’s disposal.

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Pulisic could again be consigned to a squad role at Anfield, as is the case at Chelsea, and the wages he would likely demand (he is currently on £150,000 per week) would suggest that Liverpool are better off looking at a more economical squad option.

In other news, Liverpool have also been backed to sign a player in one area this summer. Read more here

Everton are in desperate need to freshen up their squad after a difficult relegation battle in the Premier League last season, and a new update has now emerged from a reliable source detailing the summer transfer plans at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland has given an insight as to what the club are targeting to improve and how they will go about reinvesting into the squad this summer.

In an article for The Athletic, he confirmed that the Toffees have now released Cenk Tosun, Fabian Delph and Gylfi Sigurdsson upon the expiry of their contracts, and Jonjoe Kenny has also joined the trio in leaving Goodison Park after refusing a new deal at the club.

Boyland added that Everton will look to reduce their costs wherever possible to improve Frank Lampard’s scope to reinvest and rebuild the squad, and any new signings will need to not only be more cost-effective but offer a regular contribution to the team.

Supporters will love it

Everton have earned a reputation for reckless spending and bad transfer decisions ever since Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club in 2016, so supporters will love hearing that the Toffees are finally going to start spending smarter and investing in players who can make a direct impact more often.

The club is already on the cusp of signing James Tarkowski on a free transfer this summer, so that will be a shrewd piece of business for Everton as they attempt to rebuild and improve their squad ahead of next season.

Lampard may need to replace Richarlison, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham in a deal rumoured to be worth £51m. Although losing the Brazilian would be a huge dent in the goal contributions that he offers to Everton, the money earned from the transfer would certainly give the Toffees manager something to work with in replacing him this summer.

Everton are also linked with a move for Conor Gallagher this summer, who has been touted to join Goodison Park on loan. Chelsea would likely be unwilling to sell the player as they see him as a future starter in their team, but again it would be a major coup for Moshiri to immediately improve the side ahead of next season.

Ultimately, if Everton can look to the free transfer market and acquire loan deals, along with selling players who are not up to scratch or looking to move on, they could be in good stead to have a decent transfer window and compete a bit better in the Premier League next season should they identify the right players.

AND in other news – “Interested…”: Insider drops big Everton transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

West Brom are reportedly interested in completing the signing of Luton Town right-back James Bree ahead of the start of next season.

The Lowdown: Bree excels for Luton

Luton enjoyed a memorable season in 2021/22, making it into the Championship playoffs against all odds, eventually losing to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.

Bree was a mainstay of the team throughout the season, starting 44 of the Hatters’ 46 league matches and chipping in with six assists along the way.

With West Brom looking at summer transfer options, the 24-year-old’s name has emerged as a target.

The Latest: West Brom linked with move

According to The Express & Star‘s Joseph Masi, the Baggies are ‘considering’ a move for Bree, seeing him as a contender to come in at right-back.

The report claims that he is ‘one of the best full-backs in the Championship’, having been called ‘very good’ by Steve Bruce when he managed him at Aston Villa.

The Verdict: Potential great exciting

Bree could be a fantastic summer signing for West Brom, ticking so many boxes when it comes to what they are after. He would provide competition for Darnell Furlong, while his aforementioned assist tally highlights his attacking ability.

The fact that the Englishman has already played under Bruce surely increases the chances of the Baggies making a move for him, too, with the manager clearly an admirer.

At 24, Bree is at an ideal age to come in and be a key man in West Brom’s 2022/23 promotion push, with his best years still also likely to be ahead of him.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key West Brom transfer claim. Read more here.

Everton are still waiting for defender Yerry Mina to decide his future as he prepares to enter into the final year of his contract at Goodison Park.

The Columbians former agent has recently spoken to Italian outlet L’Interista where he revealed that Mina has always wanted to play in Italy, and that there has been contact between the player and Inter Milan in the past.

However, he also said that this doesn’t mean the player won’t decide to renew his contract with Everton, and that he expects him to evaluate all the offers on the table and decide where he wants to play.

The £18m-rated defender struggled with injuries last season and missed 25 games, and his absence played a huge part in the club struggling to maintain their Premier League status.

If The Toffees are to avoid a relegation battle next season, then he will play a key part, so Frank Lampard needs to do all he can to persuade him to stay.

However, letting his contract run down is also a bad idea when Everton need to generate funds in order to be able to make new signings.

They can’t risk letting him go for free so making sure he commits his future with a new contract this summer is a must.

Mina moved to Merseyside from FC Barcelona back in 2018 for £27.2m and has made 91 appearances for the club, he’s a fans favourite and could lead the rebuild under Lampard and be guaranteed game time if he stayed.

If you look at his statistics for the 2020/21 Premier League season you can see just how good he can be. He showed composure with the ball ranking in the top 7% for touches in the defensive third and percentage of dribblers tackled.

In comparison to Everton’s two other main centre-backs Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey, he performs better in several areas. His pass completion percentage in 2020/21 was higher than both at an impressive 94%.

He’s been described as a “rock” by former Everton player Don Hutchinson.

We think he’s Everton’s best defender, and for a side who conceded the fifth most goals last season, keeping him at the club would be their most important signing this summer.

AND in other news: Everton eye £30m swoop for 21 y/o “special talent”, just imagine him and Gordon…

Manchester City have shown over the years that they are not shy when it comes to signing players from their fellow Premier League clubs.

While the Citizens have a number of players currently in their squad that have been brought in from other top flight sides such as Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling among others, they’ve also done the same throughout previous stages of their history.

One player, in particular, that fits that bill is Gareth Barry, who the Manchester club signed from Aston Villa back in 2009 in a deal worth £12m.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the midfielder made 175 appearances in total across all competitions, scoring eight goals, providing 18 assists and winning an FA Cup and Premier League title in the process.

After leaving the club in 2014, it seems as though now, eight years later, City could find themselves getting a new version of the midfielder this summer.

Earlier this month, the Citizens were linked with a move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who reportedly has a price tag of £60m.

Having worked his way through Leeds’ youth ranks, as Barry did at Villa, Phillips has made 234 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and delivering 13 assists along the way.

In terms of Phillips being City’s and Pep Guardiola’s modern version of Barry, the former City title winner was described in The Guardian as “a technically gifted player with an eye for a pass and an ability to anticipate danger”.

That is along the same lines of the praise that Andrea Pirlo gave the Leeds star by saying that he was a “rock” in midfield for England during their Euro 2020 campaign, whilst also showing his technical passing ability by setting up Sterling’s winning goal against Croatia.

Having made a total of 139 tackles across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Premier League seasons for Leeds, this highlights how much of a tough midfield opponent he can be and backs up what the former Juventus player and manager said about him.

The 26-year-old also found himself on the receiving end of praise for his international performances by former England manager Fabio Capello who called him a “phenomenal” player.

This shows that the England international has experience of playing with the likes of Sterling, Grealish, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker, which may make it easier for him to settle in at City if he does join them this summer.

In other news: Imagine him & Grealish: Pep can form deadly MCFC duo by signing “refreshing” £30m star

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Tottenham Hotspur and their transfer chief Fabio Paratici are now eyeing a ‘surprise move’ ahead of the summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for reshuffle?

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is apparently planning a real reshuffle behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way as he looks to ‘offload’ many players and bring in ‘at least’ six major signings (The Times).

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Outfield additions aren’t the only positions up for grabs either as the Premier League top-four chasers set their sights on a reserve goalkeeper and understudy to long-serving number one Hugo Lloris.

West Bromwich Albion keeper Sam Johnstone has long been tipped to make the move, but according to Crook, another target in Southampton keeper Fraser Forster has now come to light.

The Latest: Tottenham eye ‘surprise’ signing…

According to the talkSPORT journalist, Tottenham are now ‘ready to pounce’ for a ‘surprise’ signing in Forster as a twist emerges in Conte’s hunt for a back-up keeper.

Indeed, as Spurs and by extension Paratici search for a capable number two, the colossal 6 foot 7 shot stopper has now found his way on to their list of targets.

The Verdict: Right move?

While Forster (34) looks set to leave on a Bosman, gifting Tottenham a zero cost option who can also balance their homegrown quota, the often-linked Johnstone comes with a similar perks and is far younger (29).

Indeed, while the Saints keeper was actually called up to the England squad over Johnstone back in March, West Brom’s ace would come with a longer shelf life and proven ability in the top flight.

We believe signing Johnstone makes more sense from a long-term perspective, but that being said, landing Forster on a free deal also wouldn’t be bad business given his brilliant form over 2021/2022 in parts.

Pundit Paddy Kenny has raved over the ‘fantastic’ and ‘incredible’ keeper this season, perhaps backing why Spurs have now added them to the list of possible signings.

In other news: Offer imminent: Tottenham ready ‘sensational’ player move as club plan 50% discount, find out more here.

West Ham United opted against bolstering their offensive line in the January transfer window but it doesn’t look like David Moyes is ready to make the same mistake twice.

What’s the word? West Ham are interested in signing Emmanuel Dennis from Watford this summer according to the Mirror.The already-relegated striker is on the radar of the Irons with the club’s hierarchy believed to be weighing up a £20m bid for the attacker.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]That said, the Hammers may need to fork out up to £30m in order to get their man.Sign him upWest Ham haven’t got much wrong this season.They are on the cusp of qualifying for Europe again and enjoyed a miraculous run to the semi-finals of the Europa League.It’s hard to find fault with their football and their practices behind closed doors but not investing in a striker over the winter has arguably cost them dearly.Michail Antonio will run himself into the ground for Moyes but he has been the club’s sole centre forward for the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign.The Jamaica international’s efforts have to be applauded but such is his workload that performances have dwindled at times, scoring just twice in the top-flight since the turn of the year.That’s why signing Dennis would be a particularly good idea.He’s not exactly had the best service at Vicarage Road which makes his first season in the Premier League all the more impressive.Dubbed “superb” by one journalist, he has found the net on ten occasions while registering six assists in the process.Rather amusingly, he also ranks at the top of the tree when it comes to nutmegs in England’s premier division this campaign with a whopping 21.Clearly a nightmare for opposition defenders, the forward is also similar to a certain Jarrod Bowen.FB Ref’s detailed statistics reveal that the pair are ‘similar players’ and despite the duo operating in different positions, there are plenty of comparable attributes.For starters, they shoot with similar regularity. Throughout 2021/22, Dennis has registered 0.94 shots on target per 90 compared to Bowen’s 1.03, via FB Ref.When it comes to pass completion, they are both successful with 68%, while they also complete around five and a half passes under pressure per 90 minutes.Furthermore, their shot-creating actions per 90 are also pretty alike with the Nigerian registering 3.17 per 90 compared to the England hopeful’s 2.96.Finally, they both take the same number of touches per 90 at 38 and are successful with 41.5-44.5% of their dribbles.It took Bowen a while to finally get up to speed in the Premier League but since then he’s been a spectacular piece of business.GSB will have to hope that Dennis turns out the same way. Given his experience of England already, however, it would be a surprise if he didn’t settle in quickly.AND in other news, “I believe” – ExWHUemployee drops big West Ham transfer claim, supporters will love it…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte wants an upgrade to the right wing-back role and he’s demanded one name in particular, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the 52-year-old is pushing to sign defender Wilfried Singo from Torino this summer but the Serie A outfit are holding out for more money despite two approaches from sporting director Fabio Paratici, the latest of which was in the region of €25m (£21.5m).

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Torino president Urban Cairo is thought to have ruled out any potential sale this off-season but you’d imagine they would be tempted if a viable offer came in.

CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, currently value him at €30m (£25m).

Emerson upgrade

Capped twice by the Ivory Coast, Singo would be something of a major upgrade to Conte’s right wing-back position, where he has summer signing Emerson Royal and the injured Matt Doherty.

The 21-year-old has been in immense form for Il Toro this campaign, having registered three goals and four assists, via Transfermarkt. Such performances have seen him rated amongst Ivan Jurić’s top five performers in Serie A.

Emerson has only offered up two direct contributions all season, by comparison.

Singo has offered just as much defensively as he has done in the final third, also averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.2 dribbles per game, the second-highest in Torino’s squad for both metrics, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder CBS Sports journalist Matteo Bonetti dubbed him a “revelation” back in January 2021.

Conte was eager to sign Adama Traore for the very same role in January as he simply does not trust the Brazilian to execute the job expected of him and that’s easy to see why considering ex-Lilywhites defender Jonathan Woodgate dubbed him “horrendous”.

It’s Singo’s attacking exploits which make him more appealing, though. He accounts for 14.6% of Torino’s penalty box entries this season, and that also sees him sit amongst the top 12% of his positional peers across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, as per FBRef.

Evidently, he is solid enough at the back and can cause plenty of trouble in the opposition’s third, making him an obvious target for Conte, who is longing for someone in this mould.

The Torino wing-back is a far greater talent than Emerson, so the Spurs hierarchy needs to pay whatever they can to seal him this off-season.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops Pau Torres-Spurs transfer update…

A further update has now emerged regarding Leeds United winger Raphinha and a potential summer move to La Liga giants Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Barcelona links for Raphinha

The 25-year-old has been the Whites’ star performer in what is actually his first full season at Elland Road, having joined in October 2020.

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Described by Phil Hay as having an ‘incredible engine’, Raphinha leads the club’s charts when it comes to goals, assists and man of the match awards, as per WhoScored.

His displays in Yorkshire have attracted major interest from Barcelona, with reports towards the end of April suggesting that a move to Spain was ‘very close’.

The Latest: Raphinha to force Leeds exit

Spanish outlet Sport provided a fresh update regarding Barcelona and Raphinha on Saturday morning, claiming that the Brazilian’s ‘first goal’ is to do everything he can to help Leeds avoid the drop from the Premier League.

He is ‘tremendously grateful’ to the Whites, but when the summer transfer window opens, ‘he will force whatever is necessary’ for Leeds chiefs to accept a move to the Nou Camp.

The Verdict: Understandable if he goes

Leeds have failed to kick on following last season’s ninth-placed finish in the Premier League, although on a personal note, Raphinha certainly has improved from the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, you can understand why the talented winger would want to pursue a move to Barcelona and take the next step in his career.

Leeds know that relegation would result in a €25m (£21.3m) relegation release clause becoming active for Raphinha, so it is vital that Jesse Marsch’s team remain in the top flight as they look to secure the best deal possible for the 25-year-old.

In other news: Leeds and Orta now make first move to sign ‘undefendable’ star in blow to Everton

Manchester City are four games away from potentially lifting the Premier League title for the fourth time in the past five years.

One figure in Pep Guardiola’s squad that has played a massive part in getting the Citizens in this position is Kevin De Bruyne.

With 26 league appearances to his name, the Belgian has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in the process.

He’s also earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.53/10 from WhoScored, which not only makes him City’s highest-rated player but also the joint-second highest rated player in the league.

It’s undeniable that the midfielder is a crucial player for City, however, it seems as though the Manchester club may have their eye on bringing a new player to the Etihad Stadium that could be their next version of De Bruyne.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from L’Equipe (via Caught Offside) City are interested in signing RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku this summer.

After working his way through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system, the attacking midfielder joined the German club back in the 2019 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of €13m (£10.9m).

Since then, the Frenchman has gone on to make 132 appearances for the Bundesliga club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 24-year-old has scored 43 goals and delivered 47 assists along the way, showing how much of an attacking and creative threat he is.

Labelled as a player that “has no weaknesses” by former Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch, Nkunku has also been praised for his ability to combine “creative technical qualities with an explosive burst,” according to Scouted Football on Twitter.

To compare him with De Bruyne, with six more league appearances to his name than the 30-year-old, the Frenchman has 18 goals and 13 assists.

The Leipzig star also has a higher percentage of shots on target (47.2%) than the City dynamo (41.9%), showing just how clinical he is.

Even from a defensive point of view, the former PSG youngster has shown what a capable figure he is by racking up the same number of tackles as De Bruyne (11), but more interceptions and successful pressures.

Moving forward, with the German side reportedly looking for a fee of £52m to sell their midfield maestro, this should definitely be in City’s thinking for the upcoming summer transfer window in terms of their potential recruitment.

In other news: “Really keen..” – Romano drops behind scenes MCFC claim, it’s awful news for Guardiola