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Over the years, Liverpool have secured a number of big-money transfer moves for players such as Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Naby Keita among others for significant amounts of money.

One transfer the club completed during that time that may not have grabbed as much attention as others is Joe Gomez, who joined the Merseyside club back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic for a reported fee of £3.5m

Since then, the 24-year-old, who has been described by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as “exceptional” and “sensational” in the past, has gone on to make 126 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, playing his part in Liverpool’s domestic and European trophy haul in recent years.

Despite this previous praise from Klopp, the fact that Gomez has only played a handful of minutes in the Premier League so far this season from two appearances off the substitutes bench says to us that he is not one of Liverpool’s first-choice centre-backs

In terms of his market value, in July 2015, shortly after joining the club, Transfermarkt had his market value listed as £2.25m, whereas it now stands at £27m, showing a massive increase and proving how much he has developed and progressed at Liverpool.

This also shows, in our view, how well Liverpool’s recruitment team worked to single him out and how much of a good deal it was from the club as a whole to secure him for such a relatively small amount.

Additionally, given how Gomez’s previous injuries have disrupted his time at the club on some occasions, we feel that his market value would be higher than it is at this point in time had he not suffered so many unfortunate injuries.

Moving forward, we feel that if Gomez can start playing regularly for the Reds in the Premier League and keep his fitness up, we feel his market value could potentially increase even further than it already has done given his age.

Also, give the age of Van Dijk (30) and Joel Matip (30) Gomez could well be seen by the coaching staff at Liverpool as a suitable long-term replacement for one of the older centre-backs for the future.

In other news: Lost possession every 3.5 touches: “Unbelievable” LFC gem enduring horror loan spell – opinion

Nuno Santo faces several dilemmas as Tottenham Hotspur begin their UEFA Europa Conference League group stage campaign with a trip to France to face Stade Rennes.

The Portuguese head coach must balance the need to bounce back from Saturday’s surprise defeat to Crystal Palace with the need to get off to a good start in a competition they are among the favourites to win, also knowing that they face local rivals Chelsea this weekend.

With plenty of his first-team squad on the treatment table or unavailable, Nuno’s options are threadbare as it is.

Here’s how we think Spurs could line up at Roazhon Park later this evening…

Nuno will be without Eric Dier, who has not travelled to France due to injury, or Davinson Sanchez and Cristian Romero, who are still stuck in Croatia following the international break, so it seems likely that young duo Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga will pair up, with the latter looking to make amends for this red card against the Eagles.

Either side of them could be further changes as Ben Davies and Matt Doherty come in for Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal, respectively. They’ll all be in front of backup goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, who takes the place of club captain Hugo Lloris.

Perhaps the biggest decision facing the Spurs boss is what to do with his midfield as his trio on Saturday struggled to have much of an influence whatsoever.

Tanguy Ndombele is yet to feature this season and could be called upon to offer something different – and much-needed – in the attack. It would be a massive call to make considering he wanted to leave during the summer transfer window, as per the Telegraph.

He could be joined by summer signing Bryan Gil in attacking midfield as the pair look to add creativity to Nuno’s lineup, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg playing slightly deeper in the engine room.

Without Heung-min Son, it’s likely we see Steven Bergwijn make a reappearance on the wing, having missed the trip to Selhurst Park, whilst Lucas Moura could be preferred on the other flank.

Harry Kane is expected to lead the line, particularly without the services of his lethal South Korean partner. Although, 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett may come off the bench at some stage.

In total, there could be as many as seven changes for the trip to Rennes.

Predicted Spurs XI (4-2-3-1): Gollini; Davies, Rodon, Tanganga, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Gil, Bergwijn, Moura; Kane.

AND in other news, Nuno handed Spurs boost as major Hotspur Way development emerges, fans will be buzzing…

Aston Villa are once again interested in signing Reading midfielder John Swift amid suggestions that contract talks have stalled between him and the Royals.

What’s the story?

The former England U21 international was the subject of intense speculation over the course of the summer transfer window back in 2020, with reports even going so far as to claim that Villa were ready to make a bid for him.

While a deal failed to materialise back then, Football League World now claim that Dean Smith’s side are one of a number of teams keeping tabs on Swift’s situation at Reading.

It’s claimed that with the midfielder entering the final year of his contract, the Championship club have yet to agree a new deal with him, and thus opening the door to a potential move away.

Could be another John McGinn

Swift has a track record of being someone who can offer a goal-scoring threat from midfield much like McGinn has proven himself to be over the past few seasons, managing an impressive 58 goal contributions in 171 games for the club – in fact, his start to the current campaign for Reading has actually been quite incredible, netting seven in eight matches in the Championship as well as chipping in with four assists too.

Speaking back in August after a 2-1 win over Preston, Royals manager, Veljko Paunovic, said: “Now he’s back, it is important we keep him healthy and motivated as he is now because that will help us a lot.

“He is super talented and he showed an urgency that he wanted to decide the game. The first couple of passes to Azeez and Joao were fantastic vision and execution of the final pass – something we’ve missed in the past. We missed those slick combinations through the middle when we progress forward so that’s something we have to keep up.”

While McGinn has hardly been a Frank Lampard-esque midfielder in terms of his sheer number of goals – he’s contributed to 33 goals in 115 matches for Villa – he does pop up with some big goals in big games, not least scoring against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City last season.

The £3.6m-rated Swift could offer Villa another midfielder with some of the same attacking instincts as McGinn in the engine room.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have another exciting academy starlet in this teenager…

Sheffield United are interested in a deal to bring Matty Longstaff to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing on Twitter that the Blades, along with Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Huddersfield Town, are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Newcastle United midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

Nixon continued by suggesting that Steve Bruce would be willing to sanction the temporary departure of the 21-year-old prior to the summer market’s closure at the beginning of next week, and that the Magpies are looking for the best cash offer for the loan signing of the former England under-20 international.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Newcastle. Want best cash offer towards Matty Longstaff wages. Sheff U Blackburn Blackpool Huddersfield among those interested.”

Longstaff could solve big Blades problem

Slavisa Jokanovic has seen his Sheffield United side get off to a disastrous start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, having lost three and drawn one of their opening four games of the season – results which have left the Blades 23rd in the table. Therefor, it is evident that the 53-year-old is in need of further additions over what remains of the summer transfer window.

One area of the pitch where the Serbian seem to be in rather desperate need for reinforcements is central midfield, with the Blades currently having only Sander Berge, John Fleck and Oliver Norwood as senior options in the middle of the park.

As such, despite the 21-year-old not exactly boasting a great deal of first team experience – having made just 20 professional appearances so far in his Newcastle career – a move for Longstaff would nevertheless seem advisable for Jokanovic this summer.

After bursting onto the Premier League scene back in 2019/20 by scoring the winner against Manchester United on his top-flight debut, the £4.5m-rated man went on to make another eight league appearances that season, scoring one further goal and creating one big chance for his teammates.

As a result of these impressive performances, with Martin Keown even going as far as to describe the youngster as “like a Paul Scholes,” interest was reported to be high in the midfielder the following summer, with Serie A club Udinese reported to have offered Longstaff a five-year contract.

While it is true that the midfielder’s progress slowed last term as Bruce afforded the £24k-per-week man just five Premier League appearances, his signing would nevertheless still be something of a coup for Sheffield United this summer, as well as one which should certainly help to solve Jokanovic’s problems in the middle of the park.

In other news: Blades dealt transfer blow over “unbelievable” £42k-p/w beast, Jokanovic will be gutted

Newcastle are interested in Schalke 04’s Ozan Kabak, according to Fabrizio Romano.Â

The lowdown

Kabak will be familiar to Newcastle supporters off the back of his loan spell at Liverpool in the latter half of last season.

In fact, the Turkish international played the full 90 minutes when the two sides drew 1-1 at Anfield at the end of April.

That was one of 13 Reds appearances for the 21-year-old, who returned to Germany after Liverpool declined to trigger their £18million option to buy.

He’s valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt, but it should be noted that Schake, who were relegated to the second tier at the end last season, currently face a mountain of debt.

The latest

Newcastle’s interest has yet to progress to an ‘official bid’, but the same can’t be said of Serie A outfit Torino.

They proposed a loan with an option to buy, and while they were rebuffed by Schalke, who prefer a permanent deal, talks between the two clubs are still ‘on’.

The verdict

Kabak performed well for Liverpool in very difficult circumstances, with the Reds hobbled by a succession of injuries. He would be an excellent buy for Newcastle, particularly if a cut-price deal is possible due to Schalke’s precarious financial situation.

This is a player who should still be regarded as one of the most exciting up-and-coming centre-halves in the European game given the praise he earned from Jurgen Klopp, who called him ‘an amazing talent’.

Indeed, the Magpies could really do with signing a centre-back in the remaining week of the transfer window. According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, that’s now top of their priority list.

In other news, Waugh offered this verdict on Bruce’s future.

Celtic could look to sign Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers on loan with an option to buy, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers profiled

Carter-Vickers has been linked with a move to Parkhead for some time now.

The 23-year-old, primarily a centre-back who can also play at right-back, has less than 12 months remaining on his Spurs contract. He’s had six separate loan spells away from Tottenham, one of which was with Luton Town, where then-team-mate Sonny Bradley described Carter-Vickers’ as ‘fantastic’.

The USA international has made just four appearances for Tottenham, and it seems as if he could be on the move yet again.

The Latest: Loan to buy?

The Daily Record’s live transfer blog on Monday (22:43) shared some interesting news on Celtic’s interest in Carter-Vickers.

They suggested that Carter-Vickers would want to leave on a permanent basis, if he does indeed depart north London this summer.

However, Celtic are thought to be exploring a loan with a possibility to buy for £5m, with The Daily Record believing that is a ‘live option’.

The Verdict: Could be Celtic’s biggest signing of the summer

It appears as if the Hoops are looking at a potential loan with an option to make it permanent next year.

However, should Celtic decide to sign Carter-Vickers this summer on a permanent basis instead, he seems likely to be the club’s most expensive addition of the window due to Spurs’ £5m valuation, surpassing a £4.86m deal for Kyogo Furuhashi.

It appears as if a deal for the American should be one to keep a close eye on, especially as Celtic are short of senior centre-back options following Kristoffer Ajer’s exit and Christopher Jullien’s injury and hence could look to push through a deal relatively quickly.

In other news: Wednesday medical – ‘Excellent’ Celtic ace now set to leave after recent development.

Former Leicester City defender Steve Howey has told The Transfer Tavern that he trusts his old side as they target Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi.

Berardi starred for Italy in the Euros, creating a goal in the six games he played and scoring in the penalty shootout against England in the final to help his country win the tournament.

The 27-year-old has since been linked with a move to Leicester, with Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport reporting earlier this summer that last season’s FA Cup winners had enquired about the player.

Speaking about Leicester’s interest in Berardi in an exclusive interview with TT, Howey said:

“Leicester have been excellent in the transfer market with the players that they’ve brought in.

“That is a club that does the due diligence and the homework on the players. And I think if they fancy him, then you’ve got to be a decent player. I’ve seen little bits of him in the Euros.”

Berardi is a player who would bring goals to this Leicester team with his dangerous left foot and ability to cut in from that right-hand side.

Last season, the Italy international scored an impressive 17 goals in 30 Serie A appearances as Sassuolo went on to finish in eighth.

Manchester City have recently been tipped to swoop for Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski should a move for Harry Kane fall through this summer, and the experienced Poland international could be an incredible addition to Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

In an exclusive interview with Football Transfer Tavern, former City defender Steve Howey has tipped Guardiola’s side to consider the 32-year-old as an alternative to Kane this summer, saying:

“I think he would cost less and he’d probably be asking for slightly less in wages as well. I mean, that’s a very good shout.

“They haven’t really got an out-and-out goalscorer like [Sergio] Aguero, that’s what he did. He was just born to score goals, but Lewandowski is born to score goals too.”

Would Lewandowski be a good alternative to Kane?

City were credited with an interest in the former Borussia Dortmund marksman earlier this summer, but it appears that their attention has switched to Kane, with various reports suggesting that City’s first bid for the England captain was rejected by Spurs.

Although Lewandowski does not have age on his side, he showed no signs of slowing down last season, contributing a remarkable 41 goals and seven assists in just 29 Bundesliga appearances and averaging an incredible 8.07 rating from WhoScored.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Considering that midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was City’s top scorer in the Premier League last season with 13 goals, you could argue that they lacked a clinical finisher such as Lewandowski up front, and he could prove to be the difference next season should City reach the latter stages of the Champions League once again.

Although he would be a short-term option, he would be significantly cheaper than Kane, with Transfermarkt currently valuing the Poland striker at £54m, and City could perhaps bring him in for the season before taking advantage of Erling Haaland’s release clause at Borussia Dortmund next summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

There is no doubting that Lewandowski is a “world-class” centre-forward – in the words of former Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes – while Guardiola is a big fan of his having worked with him at Bayern Munich, so a move for him this summer would make a lot of sense for City if a deal for Kane cannot be completed.

In other news… Txiki heading for Man City transfer disaster over “incredibly fit” 23 y/o

Reliable journalist Ashley Preece has provided an update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse links

Ward-Prowse was first linked with a move to the Midlands last month, a day after Villa agreed on a club-record fee with Norwich for Emiliano Buendia.

There have been various reports on the 26-year-old since, including Villa’s hopes to get the Saints captain in before the start of pre-season, along with the player seemingly being keen on quitting Southampton for Villa.

However, a deal is yet to materialise, and it seems as if this transfer rumour could soon be dead in the water.

The Latest: Preece’s update

Preece was answering numerous questions from Villa supporters in a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Friday evening.

One of those was on Ward-Prowse, to which the journalist claimed that the ‘ship has sailed’ on a potential move for the Southampton skipper – a damning three-word admission. Here is the full reply:

“You’re bang on; ship has sailed. However, it could be intriguing to see how the Danny Ings situation plays out; he’s rejected a new deal wanting to move and, if he does, how will JWP react to that? As it stands, there’s no deal there for Villa, though.”

The Verdict: Villa prioritising other areas?

Ward-Prowse is primarily a central midfielder, so perhaps Villa have now moved on to strengthening other parts of their squad. A number 10 is thought to be a priority at this moment in time, with Emile Smith Rowe a top target.

Dean Smith also has just three senior central defenders following Bjorn Engels’ departure, so that could also be another area of concern. Furthermore, Villa have only two senior goalkeepers in Emiliano Martinez and Jed Steer after Tom Heaton left the club, with Wayne Hennessey being linked with a move to the Midlands.

The ship seems to have sailed regarding Ward-Prowse according to Preece, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the end of their transfer business this summer.

In other news: Reliable reporter shares just how much Aston Villa offered for Kalvin Phillips, find out more here. 

Many Southampton fans have made it clear they do not want Fraser Forster to leave the club after he was linked with another loan move to Celtic.

Forster signed for the Saints in 2014 and has since gone on to make 138 appearances for the club, keeping 51 clean sheets along the way (Transfermarkt). His playing time has been significantly reduced more recently – over the last three seasons, he has made just nine Premier League appearances – and he spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan at Celtic.

It was from the Bhoys where £2.7m-valued Forster (Transfermarkt) was originally signed, and it seems that the Glasgow club would like to take him on a temporary basis once more according to journalist Alan Nixon – he even says that Celtic are in talks with the Saints over a possible loan move.

Forster appeared 13 times in all competitions for Southampton last term, so there is a chance that Ralph Hasenhuttl may want to use him regularly in the upcoming campaign. Also, as per WhoScored, he was the Saints’ best-performing goalkeeper in 2020/21, his 6.70 rating beating Alex McCarthy’s 6.49.

The news was relayed on Twitter by @SaintExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Forster news

“??”

Credit: @FtblBean

“Better be false.”

Credit: @newington13

“Noooo Desperately want to keep hold of Big Fraser”

Credit: @FrankLopezCoach

“What? He’s our best keeper who was excellent last year.”

Credit: @DomMooney1

“Better than McCarthy by far, not great news”

Credit: @BonePhill

“Very disappointing if that goes through, by far the better keeper!!! Not been treated well IMO!!!”

Credit: @paulbowring85

In other news, many Southampton fans want the club to sign this midfielder in the summer.