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A major update has emerged on Clark Robertson’s transfer plans which could be good news for Portsmouth’s pursuit of the defender. 

What’s the talk?

According to The Daily Record, Rotherham centre-back Clark Robertson looks set to stay in England this summer despite interest from Aberdeen. The Scottish Premiership side attempted to bring him to the club, but the report claims that he wants to remain in England, with his contract at Rotherham expiring at the end of the month.

Portsmouth are said to have made an offer to the centre-back too, although it remains to be seen if they are the club Robertson wants to join. Danny Cowley has identified the defender as a target to bolster his squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Back in 2018, Rotherham boss Paul Warne labeled Robertson as a “strong” defender with a competitive edge. He told Rotherham’s official website: 

“He’s a really good kid and he really wants to learn. He played a lot of games last year and the couple before that and I think he’ll fit in a treat. He can step in and play out from the back, which the league we’re going into will allow a little bit more and he’ll bring us a bit of calmness.

“I’ve known him for quite a while and he’s a left-sider, which is pretty unique. He can play and he was a huge part of the Blackpool team last year. He’s a good, strong, competitive centre half which fits in with what we’re looking for here.”

Cowley would love him

Cowley would love Robertson at Portsmouth. He is an experienced performer at Championship and League One level and could slot in seamlessly at Fratton Park, as he already knows how to handle getting promoted out of the third tier having done so with Rotherham.

Robertson could be a low-risk addition to Cowley’s side as he would not be coming in from a lower English division or a foreign team, thus needing time to adapt to the nature of League One.

Portsmouth are set due to lose Tom Naylor at the end of the month. The centre-back has signed a contract with Wigan and will join the Latics officially upon the expiry of his Portsmouth deal on June 30th. Naylor will leave a giant hole to fill in Cowley’s side, as he started all 46 of the club’s League One matches and averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.99. This is where Robertson could come in to replace Naylor in the squad.

The £3.4k-per-week ace averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.86 when starting as a centre-back in the Championship for Rotherham last season. This suggests that he should be able to perform to a higher standard in League One as it is a lower standard of football in comparison to the Championship. Therefore, he could match – or even better – the performances of Naylor for Pompey in the 2020/21 campaign.

Cowley should love this update about the player wanting to stay in England as it increases his side’s chances of being able to sign an ideal replacement for the departing Naylor.

AND in other news, Portsmouth dealt major blow with “prolific” 10 G/A dynamo, Cowley will be devastated…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has provided an update regarding the future of Tottenham Hotspur full-back Sergio Reguilon. 

The lowdown: Spanish links

Recently reputable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed Barcelona were among a host of European clubs interested in the 25-year-old, whilst Real Madrid could also trigger a clause involved in the deal that saw the left wing-back move to N17 for £32million in 2020 (Sky Sports).

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Meanwhile, Spurs have recently been linked with a number of alternative left-back options including Genoa ace Andrea Cambiaso as Antonio Conte attempts to put his own stamp on the squad in north London.

Now O’Rourke has shed some light on the situation from a Spurs perspective…

The latest: Changes afoot…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist has stated that Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici will be in the market for reinforcements in the position.

He explained: “There’s a real possibility that Reguilon could return to Spain this summer. Real Madrid have a buy-back clause and there’s interest from Barcelona, so I think Conte will be in the market for a left wing-back to try and improve the squad.”

The verdict: Improvement needed

So far this season Reguilon has provided five direct goal contributions from 31 outings across all competitions from a combination of a favoured wing-back role and as a conventional left-back.

Hailed as ‘absolutely pivotal’ to Conte’s plans by pundit Noel Whelan and ‘quality’ following a Man of the Match display against Leeds United earlier this season, the Spanish full-back missed out as 21-year-old Ryan Sessegnon started the goalless draw with Brentford on Saturday.

As the Italian head coach attempts to build a squad capable of successfully operating in a preferred 3-5-2 formation, the end could well be nigh for the six-cap ace at Tottenham.

Despite links to Cambiaso and Besiktas starlet Ridvan Yilmaz, when using the Fbref comparison tool the closes match to the marauding wideman return as Chelsea ace Ben Chilwell, Borussia Monchengladbach defender Stefan Lainer and Villarreal’s Alfonso Pedraza – all of whom would represent a worthwhile replacement for Reguilon.

In other news: Tottenham officials dispatched to club as they allegedly eye ‘unbelievable’ £33m man for Conte! Find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers are interested in Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer according to Football League World.

The Lowdown: Gers plan for the future

With the Premiership title already wrapped up, the Gers can plan ahead for the future. As they prepare for a Champions League campaign next season, there are likely to be upgrades made to the playing squad.

In midfield, the likes of Glen Kamara are being linked with a move away (via The Daily Mail), while Ryan Jack is recovering from surgery (via Sky Sports). As such, a new midfielder could be on the radar.

The Latest: Gerrard eyes Hamer

It has therefore been reported that the 55-time Scottish champions are interested in signing Coventry’s Hamer.

They are one of a number of clubs said to be in pursuit, with Norwich, Brentford and even Premier League side Brighton also mentioned.

The Verdict: Plenty of talent

Hamer has enjoyed a good season with the Sky Blues this campaign, managing five goals and three assists in 43 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt). With 1.5 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game (WhoScored), he has proven to be a versatile midfielder and has even been compared to Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager Gary McAllister thanks to the quality of his deliveries (via The League Paper).

Currently valued at £1.8m (Transfermarkt) and with two years left on his contract, it could take a substantial bid for the Gers to prise him away from the Ricoh Arena. If they were able to capture him, though, they will be getting a player with plenty of ability – Ali Maxwell said on the EFL on Quest highlights show that Hamer is a ‘class act’ (via The Coventry Telegraph) – and who has plenty of years ahead of him at just 23 years of age.

In other news, this pundit believes Steven Gerrard will be delighted at transfer interest in one Rangers man.

Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho could still join Liverpool in the summer transfer window, with the midfielder desperate to work alongside Jurgen Klopp.

The Lowdown: Liverpool miss out on January move for Carvalho

The 19-year-old looked set to move to the Reds in the dying hours of deadline day but the transfer failed to be completed in time. That was due to the Football League not having deal sheets for a loan-back agreement to be sorted, causing frustration at the 11th hour.

However, it appears as though all hope is not lost regarding the possibility of Carvalho heading to Anfield.

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The Latest: Pearce makes positive Carvalho claim

According to journalist James Pearce on Twitter, a summer move is still on the cards, with the player himself very eager to work with Klopp.

The journalist tweeted: “Not the end of the world. Wouldn’t have arrived at #LFC until the summer anyway. Still a good chance he moves to #LFC in July. Player very keen on the chance to work with Klopp.”

Pearce subsequently added: “The two clubs could agree that the fee they belatedly agreed today will now be the compensation this summer when Carvalho is out of contract. That would mean a tribunal isn’t required. Either way the player wants to join LFC.”

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Reds

While it may initially have seemed a killer blow when the deal collapsed on Monday night, there does seem to be a genuine chance that Carvalho still becomes a Liverpool player, which is a huge positive.

The teenager looks like a player of immense potential, not only scoring seven goals in 15 Championship starts for Fulham this season but also registering three assists.

Carvalho has been compared to both Philippe Coutinho and Jude Bellingham in terms of his playing style, which speaks volumes about the impact he could make at Liverpool if the Reds can grant him his wish of working under Klopp.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a positive Reds update. Read more here.

According to a report by Eurosport, West Ham United and GSB are now likely to sound out Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud with an offer as his contract nears expiry.

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker hunt

After West Ham manager David Moyes failed to get his hands on a striker in January, much has been made of the Irons finally strengthening that position in the summer window.

Indeed, club insider Claret & Hugh believes that both a new forward and permanent deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard are at the very top of Moyes’ priority list.

The Latest: Giroud enters the fray…

The striker saga now appears well underway as Eurosport bring news of West Ham’s interest in Chelsea forward Giroud.

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Giroud is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer, meaning the Hammers could feasibly sign him on a free deal amid difficult financial circumstances caused by coronavirus.

As such, journalist Dean Jones, writing for the outlet, believes West Ham are now ‘likely’ to sound out the 107-cap international with an offer to swap Stamford Bridge for the London Stadium.

However, the club face stiff competition for Giroud in the form of Italian giants AC Milan – who are believed to already be looking into a possible agreement.

The Verdict: Ideal signing?

The 34-year-old’s haul both domestically and at international level is something to be praised.

Indeed, Giroud has netted 44 goals over his plethora of caps for France and holds a fairly solid goalscoring record in the Premier League with 90 goals in 255 appearances overall.

The towering 6 foot 3 forward has also attracted pretty lofty praise from Gary Lineker, with the pundit lavishing Giroud as ‘the most underrated striker in the game.’ (via Twitter).

However, if Moyes wants a long term solution, Giroud may not be the most credible option given his age – with reported striking targets such as Ivan Toney and Tammy Abraham arguably worth an investment which could pay off long into the future.

In other news: West Ham fans rave over this official club announcement, find out more here.

Fulham have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Kean Bryan to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Yorkshire Live, who relayed the comments of Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic regarding the centre-back’s future at Bramall Lane.

The 52-year-old revealed that the defender is yet to sign a new deal with the Blades, nor has he given any indication that he will be putting pen to paper on the club’s offer, with his previous deal in Sheffield having expired at the end of last month.

It has been reported that Fulham, along with a host of other clubs, are interested in a move for the 24-year-old in the summer transfer window, with the former England U20 international’s indecision over his future appearing to open to door on a potential switch.

Silva will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Bryan was towards the back end of last season, the fact that the defender appears very much available to sign on a free transfer this summer is sure to have left Marco Silva buzzing.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances for Sheffield United last term, the £1.8m-rated man helped his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of one interception, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 4.3 duels per game.

The £3k-per-week centre-back also helped out in an attacking capacity, scoring one goal and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.3 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the 24-year-old Chris Wilder dubbed a “talented” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as the Blades’ 10th-best player in the top flight of English football last season.

As such, it would very much appear as if Bryan would make a fantastic addition to Silva’s options in the heart of the Fulham defence in the Cottagers’ upcoming Championship campaign, especially when taking into account the fact he wouldn’t cost Shahid Khan a penny in transfer fees.

In other news: Silva plotting Fulham swoop for “dangerous” £3.06m-rated gem, fans should be buzzing

Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Gent full-back Milad Mohammadi, according to a journalist Nick Mashiter. 

What’s the story?

Mohammadi has been with the Belgian side since 2019, and has gone on to make 65 appearances in total for them over the years, and has also made a positive impact in their most recent campaign.

He made 41 appearances in the 2020/21 season, and chipped in with one goal and five assists for Gent, as they finished seventh in the Belgian top-flight.

It appears as though his strong showings haven’t gone unnoticed though, with Championship side Nottingham Forest being keen on reaching an agreement to land his signature ahead of the 2021/22 league campaign, which is set to get underway on Sunday 8th August against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.

It’s already been a summer of change at the City Ground for Forest boss Chris Hughton, with Yuri Ribeiro being among those to depart the club, as they prepare for the new Championship season.

The Athletic have also revealed that the Reds are open to offers for Gaetan Bong, which is likely to leave Hughton with a paper-thin amount of depth at full-back at this moment in time, which will be of slight concern to the City Ground faithful ahead of their season opener against Mark Robins’ side.

Journalist Nick Mashiter has revealed that Forest are rumoured to be keen on signing Mohammadi in the near future, but they also face competition from French side Stade Brest. The left-back has reportedly turned down offers from AEK and Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

He’d be an upgrade on Hughton’s current defensive option

It was a hugely frustrating season for Nottingham Forest last term, as they finished 17th in the second tier standings, and it’s clear to see that Hughton is keen to get new faces through the door in the near future.

Mohammadi is seemingly one of those that the club are believed to be targeting, and it’s a potential agreement that would make complete sense, especially given the fact that Forest aren’t exactly blessed with a considerable amount of depth in that area of their team.

With Gaetan Bong looking as though he’ll leave the club this summer, it only leaves Chris Hughton with Tyler Blackett as his only recognised senior option at left-back ahead of the new season. Blackett hasn’t exactly set the world alight at the City Ground either, with the former Manchester United youngster struggling to make a notable impact in his time with the club to date, having previously been on the books with fellow Championship side Reading.

Blackett was restricted to just 16 appearances in all competitions last term, and averaged just under one tackle per game, as well as an average of just 0.6 key passes per game, which doesn’t make for the best of reading for a left-back that is likely to be the only competition for Mohammadi, if he was to arrive this summer.

The 27-year-old is valued at £2.25million according to Transfermarkt, and Forest would certainly be making an upgrade on Blackett at left-back if they were to strike an agreement to sign Mohammadi, who is also an experienced international with Iran, having made over 40 appearances for his country over the years.

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to be linked to Florian Wirtz ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, Spurs have entered the race to sign the 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen sensation, who has also been intensely scouted by Premier League rivals Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

It’s thought that the 5 foot 9 attacking midfielder would command a fee in excess of €100m (£90m) as he’s under contract at the BayArena until 2026.

Transfermarkt currently value the four-cap German international at £58.5m, whilst some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, are also keen.

No.10 solution

Wirtz has emerged as a real star of the future over in Germany and he has certainly helped fill the void left behind at Leverkusen by Kai Havertz, who left for Chelsea over a year ago.

Whilst Bayer head coach Gerardo Seoane has found a solution from within, Nuno Santo is still looking for a man to step up and take aboard the creative burden of his inconsistent Spurs side.

Indeed, the north Londoners have not sufficiently replaced Christian Eriksen, who left the club in January 2020. Neither Tanguy Ndombele (18 goal contributions in 83 games) nor Giovani Lo Celso (13 contributions in 76 games) have regularly stepped up to the plate since their arrivals in summer 2019.

Similarly, Dele Alli’s fall from grace makes it hard to imagine that he is the man either, especially as the Lilywhites’ hierarchy now seem open to selling him in January, per The Athletic.

Spurs rank amongst the lowest in the Premier League for average number of shots per game (10.4, second-worst) and expected goals (9.48, third-worst), so that only goes to show how much they have struggled in the final third. Harry Kane is bereft of proper service – if the Danish playmaker were here, he’d be looking a whole lot better, that’s for sure.

Eriksen delivered a goal or assist every 151.6 minutes during his time in N17.

Wirtz could hold the keys to this problem.

The teenage wonderkid has already provided six goals and six assists in only 11 appearances across the Bundesliga and Europa League this term, which means that he’s well on course to usurp last season’s already impressive exploits of eight goals and eight assists, as per Transfermarkt.

His end product isn’t the only key attribute – for example, in just 30 minutes for Germany against Armenia, he created four key chances, whilst ESPN have noted that his passing is near-perfect in every match.

“Florian is one of the most impressive talents in Germany,” said Stefan Kuntz, the Germany U21 coach who handed Wirtz his debut.

Also dubbed a “special player” by teammate Julian Baumgartlinger and an “elite talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Wirtz could be exactly what Spurs need to resolve their problems in attack, so Fabio Paratici and co must look to complete a move for him at all costs.

He’s a player who, on the above evidence, would really excite the Lilywhites faithful.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal huge Winks upgrade in “dangerous” 27-cap gem, won’t cost ENIC a penny…

Manchester United remain interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez this summer, according to reports.

What’s the story?

The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to United and their fierce rivals Liverpool in recent weeks, with both Premier League giants desperate to strengthen their engine room options ahead of the upcoming campaign.

However, according to The Mirror, the Red Devils have move ahead in the race for Saul’s signature after his representatives jetted into the UK to talk with the Old Trafford outfit about a move.

The report states that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges are still keen to do a deal following the negotiations but will likely need to offload some fringe players before they can make a formal offer for the Spain international.

Paul Pogba’s future is also expected to have a significant say in how the situation plays out. If the World Cup winner departs, Saul is viewed as an ideal replacement for him, but he now looks set to stay at his boyhood club.

Solskjaer would love him

Saul has developed into one of football’s most complete midfielders after coming through the ranks with Atleti, scoring 43 goals and providing 19 assists in 337 appearances for the Rojiblancos, winning one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and two Europe League crowns in the process.

His outstanding performances saw the £36m-rated dynamo attract the attention of United as recently as 12 months ago when Pogba was once again linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

Former United defender and BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand lauded the Spaniard following the transfer talk, praising his ability on the ball and tactical awareness.

“I don’t want Pogba to go, but if he does go, I’d take Saul Niguez all day long. Not like-for-like but still a top player,” Ferdinand said.

“What a player. I’ve been harping on about Saul Niguez for a few years now. I think he’s a major player. He’s composed, calm, great left foot, lovely conductor, he can score goals, tactically he’s very aware.

“You can see (Diego) Simeone, he gets his teams really well set up, and he’s in the middle orchestrating and dictating things.”

Nevertheless, last season proved to be a tricky campaign for Saul. The emergence of Marcos Llorente limited him to just 22 league starts as Simeone’s men claimed the La Liga title.

His restricted contribution to the capital club’s success saw national team manager Luis Enrique leave the Atleti ace out of his 24-man squad for Euro 2020 in the summer, leading to the player become eager for a new challenge.

It remains to be seen whether United make a move for Saul this summer, but with only a year remaining on his current contract, he could be a real bargain for whoever takes an interest and Solskjaer would love to have such a quality and experienced player in his ranks as he looks to end United’s wait for a league title.

And, in other news…John Murtough plots Man Utd move for “technically savvy” £35m gem, he has “everything” 

BBC Sport journalist Adam Pope has delivered an update on why Leeds United’s pursuit of Lewis O’Brien didn’t come to fruition over the course of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Huddersfield Town chairman Phil Hodgkinson recently opened up about why he didn’t let the midfielder go this summer, explaining: “To be honest with you, it wasn’t anything to do with the valuation. The fourth offer we rejected was £13m.

“From my perspective, it’s about how much of that £13m is guaranteed, it’s about how much of it is add-ons and what those add-ons are made up of. It didn’t work for us as a football club, and my concern was the fact Leeds wouldn’t go up to a structure we wanted, which was a reasonable one. Even the player’s agent said so.

“We weren’t that far apart on the guaranteed amount and the structure of the add-ons, we weren’t that far apart, it was a million pounds in reality.”

Responding to a question from a fan on Twitter, Pope said: “It sounds like the structure of the deal rather than the valuation – how much up front/add ons etc – was the issue for Town.”

Bielsa will be gutted

As is the case with most modern transfers, not all of a transfer fee is paid up front, instead being divided up into instalments and potential bonuses.

What will have Marcelo Bielsa most gutted is Hodgkinson’s admission that the two clubs weren’t far apart in coming to terms on a deal, and he would have secured the midfielder he has seemingly been after all summer given what Alan Nixon said.

In even more gutting news, Yorkshire Live recently revealed that O’Brien is now actually in talks with the Terriers over extending his contract at the club, making it that much more difficult to sign him.

Huddersfield Town writer Steven Chicken has previously talked about the midfielder having the potential to be Premier League player, and he sounds like the kind of all-action star Bielsa would have loved at Elland Road.

He said: “O’Brien is a left-footed, tough-tackling central midfielder. Former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley often praised O’Brien as being ‘like having two players’, with the midfielder receiving particular praise from his manager and fans alike for his ability and willingness to rush back and win the ball with a clean sliding tackle whenever his side were caught on the counter-attack.

“He certainly has the potential to be (a Premier League player), if he’s not already.”

This latest update on the O’Brien saga is sure to leave Bielsa gutted.

Meanwhile, Leeds are battling Real Madrid for this starlet…