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Nottingham Forest are now ‘edging closer’ to agreeing a deal with Wolves for midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, according to journalist Callum Castel and The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Forest’s pursuit

Amongst a number of Premier League clubs, the Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old this summer.

Steve Cooper is looking to bolster his squad’s options as they strive to remain in the English top-flight for next season, having just returned after a 23-year absence.

On Friday, The Athletic reported that Wolves had rejected Forest’s latest £35m bid for the England under-21 international, which consisted of a £25m payment upfront plus £10m in add-ons.

The Latest: Castel’s news

Castel has shared an update on Forest’s pursuit of Gibbs-White, indicating that a deal could still be done.

Taking to Twitter in crediting The Telegraph, the journalist claimed: “Nottingham Forest are edging closer to meeting Wolves’ £40m valuation of Morgan Gibbs-White, reports @TeleFootball”

The Verdict: Great signing

Whilst some supporters could have reservations about spending £40m on a player who has amassed just 47 Premier League appearances, 36 of which came as a substitute, Gibbs-White has time on his side to suggest that he could be a great long-term signing for Forest, if they snap him up.

In the Championship last term, the youngster averaged 2.5 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game for Sheffield United. As a result, he was the Blades’ highest-rated player on WhoScored, averaging a fantastic 7.14 rating, while also winning the club’s Player of the Season award.

Hailed as an ‘outstanding’ midfielder by former Barnsley head coach Poya Asbaghi, the 22-year-old appears to have the potential to go on and enjoy an illustrious career in the English top-flight.

Following the arrival of Jesse Lingard at the City Ground, adding further quality and depth to the attacking midfield position in the form of Gibbs-White could be a brilliant potential move from Forest.

Liverpool F.C. is just one of a handful of football clubs looking to sign England international Jude Bellingham, but is he worth the £115 million (€115 million) that Borussia Dortmund is looking to receive for the 19-year-old midfielder? Sports betting sites around the world are offering market odds for which club Jude Bellingham will join if he leaves the German club. Could it be Liverpool?

The Reds fans have, in recent years, nothing to worry about with the team’s recruitment. Even with quieter summers, they’ve made moves in the winter window that has driven the team on. Nonetheless, with an ageing midfield and options with poor injury records, they’ve been vocal about getting reinforcements in this area. Those checking Liverpool ticket prices want to see a team in full-flight, winning games regularly. Can they do that this season without signing someone like Bellingham?

Who is Jude Bellingham?

Jude Bellingham is a 19-year-old men’s professional football player who plays for his country and for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga (the top-tier of football in German). The already prolific midfielder was born in Stourbridge in England in June 2003, and he started his professional career at Birmingham City, scoring four goals in 41 appearances from 2019-2020, before moving to Germany and making his debut for Dortmund in September 2020.

He instantly made an impact, scoring the second goal in a five-nil win over third-tier MSV Duisburg, becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer in the DFB-Pokal (the German football cup). He’s extremely versatile and can play in several positions. He’s an intelligent player, looks comfortable on the ball, and can dribble really well. When you watch him play, you can see why all the big clubs are interested in signing him, but can Liverpool really get their man?

What can Liverpool do to sign Jude Bellingham?

Liverpool will no doubt have to pay over the odds to get their hands on Bellingham, and if his performances continue to improve, there’s a chance that price tag will inflate even more. However, only a handful of clubs in the world can afford to buy him. Before his move to Germany, his agent revealed that Liverpool had already approached him. He also hinted that Liverpool would be the club he is most likely to join if he returns to England.

What is the media saying?

The media outlets will no doubt spin their own tales and put out plenty of false flags from now until he officially makes his next move, so we’ll just have to go along for the ride and take the transfer rumours with a pinch of salt. Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, or any other mega-rich Champions League club could also potentially hijack the move.

We’ll just have to wait and see. Liverpool will need to ensure that he is a regular fixture in the starting line-up and that he’s guaranteed plenty of minutes on the field rather than being forced to sit on the bench and watch the action. The club will also need to guarantee Champions League football for the aspiring star.

What are the bookmakers saying?

If you’re to believe what the bookmakers are saying, he will stay at Dortmund. For example, many of the major betting sites currently have him priced at 1/20 in fractional odds (which is 1.05 in decimal odds and -2,000 in American/Moneyline odds) to stay at Dortmund. He’s currently 6/1 (7.00 or +600) to join Liverpool, 9/1 (10.00 or +900) to join Bayern Munich, and 11/1 (12.00 or +1,100) to join Real Madrid. Other big clubs that are also in the running to sign him are Man City, Man United, PSG, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

Photo from Pexels

A big Leeds United injury development on Luis Sinisterra has emerged ahead of the club’s clash with Southampton in the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

Whites reporter James Marshment has quoted Jesse Marsch as confirming that the winger could make his debut for the club today.

He tweeted:

“Marsch says Luis Sinisterra is ready to take place on bench at Southampton and could get some minutes. #LUFC boss hints club remains open to possible new transfers, saying: “We are always actively thinking” but admits “media attention here is 10 times what it is in other places.”

Dan James is also set to return to the squad after completing his three-match ban, which gives the head coach another option in the attacking areas.

Marsch will be delighted

The Leeds head coach may be delighted by this injury lift because the clash with the Saints will now be the first chance to see Sinisterra in competitive action for the club.

He missed out on the squad against Wolves due to injury and this led to Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson starting out wide for the Whites. The former picked up an assist – for Rodrigo’s goal – but the latter struggled at times in the match.

The USA international lost seven of his 11 duels and was dribbled past four times – compared to the one time it happened to Harrison – as he found his work off the ball difficult.

Along with that, he failed with all five of his crosses and was unable to complete a single dribble or provide a key pass in 85 minutes on the pitch. Although, he did put pressure on the defence to force an own goal in the second-half, with his late run to the back post offering a glimpse of what he could offer.

Sinisterra could come in and offer an exciting alternative to the American after joining the club in the summer. He enjoyed a superb 2021/22 campaign with Feyenoord as he scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 30 Eredivisie outings.

The 23-year-old created nine ‘big chances’ and produced 2.0 key passes per game, which shows that he has the quality and consistency to unlock the opposition on a regular basis.

Whereas, Aaronson failed to create a single chance against Wolves. This means that Sinisterra could offer something different off the bench to spark the game into life if Leeds are struggling to break Southampton down.

Therefore, Marsch may be delighted by the gem’s return to fitness and could look to call upon him today to be the difference-maker in the final third.

Tottenham Hotspur have an admiration for James Maddison but may have to wait to sign him…

What’s the word?

The English playmaker has been linked with a move to Spurs throughout the summer transfer window.

Journalist Dean Jones claimed that the north Londoners had “touched base” over potentially signing him and also suggested that the Leicester City star was keen to join them over Newcastle United.

But since then, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that talks were underway over a new deal, though that won’t stop the 25-year-old from leaving in the future, should the Lilywhites revisit their interest.

“I think that Maddison sees himself in the next year or two, playing regular European football,” claimed CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs to GIVEMESPORT.

“That might be Newcastle, so there’s an element of persuasion there of joining the project from the ground up and help us get there.

“But there’s a sort of vague admiration from Spurs. They’ve not done anything with it, but I think it’s that type of club, if they come in for Maddison in a future window that may make him wait.”

Future Erisken heir

Spurs have long lacked someone in the no.10 mould that is capable of not only providing goals and assists from midfield but also has an immense ability on set-pieces.

Indeed, since the departure of Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan back in January 2020, no one has really stepped up to fill his void.

Over his seven seasons in north London, the £11m Dane provided Spurs with 69 goals and 90 assists across 305 appearances, averaging one direct contribution every 151 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Dele Alli has since departed as his career hits the rocks, Tanguy Ndombele (one G/A every 272 minutes) has also moved on having joined Napoli on loan and Giovani Lo Celso (one G/A every 326 minutes) has left too.

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The trio really couldn’t fill the gap left behind by the 30-year-old, who Josh Wright dubbed a “wizard.”

But Maddison could well be that man, even if Tottenham have to wait until next summer.

The England international was impressive last campaign as he provided 18 goals and 12 assists across 53 appearances in all competitions – a rate of one contribution every 120 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

Those returns are instantly better than the aforementioned Spurs failures and not just that, his ability on free-kicks has been likened to one of the best to ever do it in David Beckham.

It’s why he has also been lauded as a “genius” and as a “special talent” in recent times.

At one stage this summer, it was believed that Maddison was available for £50m but if his form continues into this campaign, which looks to be the case after two goals and one assist in their opening three games, then the Liltwhites may have to pay up even more to seal his signature in the future.

Whether it be this week, in the winter, next summer or even beyond, the north Londoners must continue to keep tabs on the £110k-per-week maestro as he could well be the long-term Eriksen heir that they’ve been desperate for all this time.

Paratici shouldn’t give up on Maddison, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal “stunning” 8th signing as Spurs eye £17m “cannon” perfect for Conte…

Manchester City are back in action this afternoon with a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.

Their previous league outing saw them rescue a point against Newcastle United last weekend by securing a 3-3 draw after being 3-1 down to the Magpies.

The Citizens also picked up another 3-3 draw in their midweek charity game against Barcelona.

In terms of what Pep Guardiola’s starting XI to take on the Eagles could look like, one man who started against the Toon but we feel should be benched on this occasion is Kyle Walker.

The England international didn’t have a great time coming up against Allan Saint-Maximin last weekend as the right-back was dribbled past on two occasions, more than any other City defender was on the day.

He also lost possession of the ball 18 times, more than any other defender who played a part in last Sunday’s 3-3 thriller.

This display ultimately earned Walker a disappointing overall match rating of 6.1/10, making him the lowest-rated City player on the day according to SofaScore.

In the Manchester Evening News’ player ratings after the match at St. James’ Park, they said that the right-back “could not keep hold of Saint-Maximin and cut a frustrated figure.”

With that in mind, and the fact that Palace have the joint-highest number in the league for dribbles that have led to a shot on target (7), as well as the fourth-highest percentage for shots on target (39.4%) and the second-highest rate for expected goals (5.5), it may be better off for the home side to have Joao Cancelo in at right-back and Sergio Gomez on the left.

Also, with Cancelo getting the assist for City’s second goal in midweek after replacing Rico Lewis at right-back, perhaps his attacking prowess could make it an easier decision for Guardiola to take the Englishman out of the team.

Having previously been described as a “car crash” on the pitch by Roy Keane and struggled at Newcastle last week, the £110k-per-week Walker may be better off on the bench today, instead of running the risk of him being a defensive liability which could cause City to drop points again.

Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes could miss the next two matches with an injury that may have gone undetected for nearly a week, according to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope.

The Lowdown: Busy week

Eddie Howe’s side recently felt the brutality of England’s hectic playing schedule, having endured two Premier League games and a cup tie against Tranmere Rovers in the space of a week.

The Magpies began with an emphatic 3-3 draw against Manchester City, with strikes from Miguel Almiron, Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier initially putting the Toon two goals ahead.

Just three days later, the Tyneside outfit struggled past League Two side Tranmere in the Carabao Cup, before finishing the week off with a 1-1 draw against Wolves, in which Allan Saint-Maximin equalled the scoring with a sensational stoppage time volley.

The Latest: Bruno’s injury

Despite playing just five minutes during the midweek cup fixture, Guimaraes was absent from Newcastle’s squad for their Premier League game against Wolves, sparking huge injury concerns.

Hope then shared an update on the Brazilian’s fitness, revealing no one seemed to notice the issue until after Tranmere.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist said:

“Hearing Bruno Guimaraes likely to miss next two matches at least. Doesn’t sound too serious but knock possibly picked up in City game & not detected until post Tranmere.”

The manager has since confirmed himself that Bruno is ‘not far’ away but unlikely to feature at Anfield.

The Verdict: Big blow

Whilst the extent of the injury appears to be relatively minor, his absence from the Magpies squad for at least a game or two will come as a big blow for Howe.

During the side’s first three league matches, the 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes in each, demonstrating his importance to the manager.

Impressively for a defensive midfielder, the Brazil international has netted five goals in 20 Premier League appearances, while he also averaged 2.6 tackles per game last season – illustrating his ability to contribute offensively and defensively.

Having boasted a fantastic 7.25 match rating during the 2021/22 campaign, Guimaraes is clearly a crucial element in Newcastle’s team, so his absence against Liverpool will hurt.

Everton’s transfer business has come in for a lot of criticism in recent years, but it appears as if the Toffees struck gold when they signed Demarai Gray last summer.

The former Leicester City winger joined the Merseyside club in a £1.7m deal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and was one of the star performers at Goodison Park last season as Frank Lampard’s side narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship.

The 26-year-old made 34 appearances in the 2021/22 Premier League, contributing five goals and four assists, averaging an impressive 6.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Martin Keown was full of praise for Gray after an impressive goal against Leeds United, saying: “He puts it through the defender’s legs and spins on to his unfavoured left foot and really that’s inspirational.

“He’s just thought I’ll have a go here and unbelievably it’s squeezed in. Against the run of play I should mention as well – give him some freedom and it shows what he can do!”

This ranked him as the fourth-best performer at the club, and considering that two of those ranked higher than him have now departed (Richarlison and Lucas Digne), it seems likely that the ex-Leicester winger will have a big part to play again this season at Goodison Park.

The 26-year-old has started all six of Everton’s Premier League fixtures thus far, contributing one goal in the draw against Brentford, averaging a solid 6.61 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Now that Gray is an established top-flight player, his market value has significantly increased since his move from Leverkusen, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing him at €20m (£17.4m).

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This represents a 1,024% increase on the £1.7m that Everton paid for him only a year ago, which emphasises that they got him for a bargain fee in what is a refreshing change from some nightmarish business in recent seasons. Cenk Tosun, Davy Klassen and Yannick Bolasie are all prime examples of players who cost more than £20m but achieved very little at Goodison Park.

Although Everton fans will surely be hoping that Gray doesn’t leave any time soon, the Toffees look likely to make a big profit on the English winger should he depart Goodison Park, and the club deserves credit for bringing him in for so little.

When Liverpool brought an 18-year-old Joe Gomez to the club from Charlton Athletic in 2015, few batted an eyelid. A £3.5m price tag was all it cost, and the highly-rated starlet was theirs.

However, as the years have gone on and the Reds have altered their centre-back pairings, he has remained the one constant in that position during Jurgen Klopp’s Anfield reign.

Now 25 years old, the Englishman has featured 148 times for Liverpool  and has impressed with his lightning speed and defensive instincts.

He is still not the finished article, but he has been there throughout the club’s revival under the German and grown alongside it.

What has also grown is his market value, with Transfermarkt now rating him at £22.5m. This marks an astounding 542% increase in value since making the move to Anfield seven years ago and is yet another example of FSG’s fine work in the market.

With his many appearances during this period, he has a suitably impressive trophy cabinet to go with it. He is a Premier League champion, a Champions League winner, featured in both their FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs last season and has also lifted the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Community Shield.

He has won it all at Liverpool, and when the context of his price tag is taken into account, it makes his acquisition all the more intelligent.

Even despite their patchy form to start off this season, with his own defensive credentials called into question, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.06 whilst averaging 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game. That ranks him among the top three players at Anfield for each metric.

Klopp has also been quite vocal in his admiration for the defender, about whom he claimed in 2020: “He is a sensational footballer, which is good. He has outstanding speed, which helps us a lot to keep our last line high; he is a really good challenger; good in one-on-one situations; football-wise, I said already, good.

“The package is really nice. It was always clear in the moment he starts playing and can get rhythm again, everything will be fine – and that’s how it is.”

Liverpool have struck gold once again with Gomez, who has made his initial transfer outlay from 2015 look like chickenfeed considering what he has achieved since.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has reacted to an injury update on midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Kamara adds to injury woes

It has been a relatively slow start to the season for Villa, with a number of injuries not helping the cause in the Midlands.

Diego Carlos was the first player to suffer a serious injury, and he’s since been joined on the sidelines by Matty Cash, Kamara and Lucas Digne.

Gerrard admitted he was ‘worried’ by the knee injury Kamara picked up against Southampton prior to the international break, and his fears appear to have been realised.

The Latest: Two months out?

French outlet L’Equipe claimed on Thursday that Kamara is set to be sidelined for two months with a right knee problem.

Preece took to Twitter to relay the update, saying:

“A two-month injury, via L’Equipe, with Kamara’s World Cup hopes now appearing over. Aston Villa have flew Kamara to Dubai for further treatment. How’s your luck?”

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Villa have since confirmed that Kamara has suffered a knee ligament injury and has begun a rehabilitation programme.

The Verdict: Gutted

Losing Kamara for the next two months is a big blow for both Villa and the player himself, especially with the World Cup around the corner.

The 22-year-old had been an ever-present figure for Villa this season and appeared to be in Didier Deschamps’ plans after being called up to the France squad last week.

However, he looks set to miss all nine of Villa’s fixtures prior to the World Cup and potentially the tournament itself in what would be nightmare news.

Everton have had many talents rise through the ranks of their youth academy with Wayne Rooney, John Stones and Eric Dier all polishing their skills at the Merseyside club, and current manager Frank Lampard is a huge fan of developing youth talent.

The former Chelsea boss played his part in giving Reece James, Mason Mount, Armando Broja, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Guehi their Premier League debuts at Stamford Bridge, all of whom have gone on to be star players in their own rights.

Lampard’s eye for rising stars will have certainly excited the youth prospects at Goodison Park upon his arrival at the club at the beginning of this year, and will all be working hard in the hope of their golden opportunities to impress the Toffees boss.

One player who has the potential to catch Lampard’s eye is 19-year-old Luke Butterfield, an Everton U21s midfielder who signed a brand-new three-year contract to remain at Goodison Park just this week.

The talented youngster is currently recovering from a knee injury but has been a consistent and reliable contributor to the youth teams over his time at the club which has led to praise from the club’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell.

Thelwell hailed Butterfield  “very talented” when the player penned his new deal:

“Luke is a very talented young player and we are delighted he has signed this new contract.

“As well as having a lot of strong technical attributes, he has an excellent attitude and a real desire to learn.”

The Yorkshire-born talent has made 60 appearances at youth level for Everton, scoring three goals, mostly being deployed as a defensive midfielder showing glimpses of his talent in last season’s EFL trophy for the U21s.

Butterfield made two appearances in that competition, where he demonstrated a wide array of skills, showcasing his immense set of attributes. He completed a bullish three tackles and one clearance per game, while winning 69% of his duels and completing 50% of his dribbles, proving that he knows how to beat a man, as well as how to dispossess them.

With that being said, Lampard could unearth his next prodigy in Butterfield and if he continues to shine at youth level, the teenager will certainly add depth and a fresh perspective to the senior squad’s midfield options.