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Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Nathan Ake.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite Fabio Paratici reportedly being keen on a move for the Manchester City centre-back this summer, Chelsea have now reached a full agreement with the 27-year-old regarding a move to Stamford Bridge.

The transfer insider went on to state that Pep Guardiola’s side are aware of the situation surrounding the Netherlands international, however, City are now waiting to receive an official bid from Thomas Tuchel’s outfit that meets their asking price of around £45m for the defender.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Ake on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid. City want around £40/45m for Ake and plan is to replace him with a new centre back in case he leaves.”

Paratici will be livid

While it is true that Tottenham have recently confirmed the capture of Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan, with it being reported that Paratici remains interested in adding further players to Antonio Conte’s options at the back this summer, Romano’s claim that Ake has now agreed a move to Chelsea is sure to have left the sporting director livid.

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Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £26m-rated talent was in impressive form for City, helping Guardiola’s side keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 1.5 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 66% – per fixture.

The £100k-per-week defender – who is also comfortable in operating from left-back – also posed a threat going forwards, scoring two goals and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 55.1 passes, 1.0 long ball and taking 0.4 shots per game.

These returns saw the Dutchman who Bill DiFilippo dubbed “unreal” average an extremely respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as City’s 14th-best performer in their title-winning campaign last season.

As such, it is clear to see that Ake would have made a fantastic addition to Conte’s defensive arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season – leading us to believe that Paratici will be rueing what looks to be a huge opportunity missed to land the 27-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: Journo “hearing” £20m Spurs deal set to be “pushed through”, supporters surely buzzing

Everton are in desperate need to make some signings this summer, especially with news of Richarlison’s impending move to Tottenham Hotspur, and a new update has now emerged from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

Journalist and Goodison Park insider Alan Myers has given hope to the Toffees’ pursuit of a potential transfer target by making a claim on the chances of Emmanuel Dennis making a move to Merseyside this summer.

Myers responded to an Everton supporter’s question on Twitter about the chances of signing the Nigeria international this summer, saying: “Wouldn’t surprise me”.

It was reported by The Daily Mail this month that Everton are interested in signing the striker if Richarlison did exit the club.

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that supporters will be delighted that there is an opportunity for Everton to sign Dennis from Watford this summer, as he could be a worthy replacement in terms of adding goal contributions following Richarlison’s imminent departure.

Despite the Hornets falling back into the Championship at the end of last season, their Nigerian striker has been a consistent and reliable player who could be a great asset if he has an experienced, high-quality forward line around him next season.

Dennis scored 10 goals, delivered six assists and created seven big chances, along with making one key pass and 1.5 tackles and winning 6.2 duels per game over 33 Premier League appearances last term,  with his output very similar to Richarlison’s.

The Brazil international also scored 10 goals and created seven big chances during the campaign, along with making one key pass per game, but he delivered one assist fewer and made fewer tackles than the Watford star last season over 30 league appearances for the Toffees.

As a result, Frank Lampard could form a formidable strike partnership between Dennis and Dominic Calvert-Lewin next season to fill the hole that Richarlison will leave in the team, and it could really pay off considering that the Watford attacker has a similar output to the Brazilian, who coincidentally has also had a spell at Vicarage Road.

Moshiri must act swiftly to ensure that the Everton squad is not weakened further, as Lampard will be desperate to improve every area of the pitch to ensure that the team doesn’t fall into another Premier League relegation battle in 2022/23.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals major Everton transfer development, supporters will be gutted

Ross Wilson is turning his attention towards a new striker for Rangers as the Ibrox club aim to add some more fresh faces to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

What’s the news?

According to French news outlet Foot sur 7, the Light Blues are in pursuit of a Dutch centre-forward during the summer transfer window.

Alongside Lorient and Genoa, Rangers are chasing a deal for Thijs Dallinga, with the fee being set at €5m (£4.25m).

The club have been linked with numerous strikers already this summer, including Antonio Colak and Ross Stewart amongst others.

A fee of just over £4m might require Giovanni van Bronckhorst to offload a few players in order to secure the Dutchman’s signature.

It would be a huge coup

Rangers have already signed two players so far in the off-season, with John Souttar having arrived from Hearts on a pre-contract agreement and Zak Lovelace joining from Millwall in the next few weeks.

However, further additions will be required if the Light Blues want to reclaim the Premiership title from Celtic next season, especially in attack.

With the future of Alfredo Morelos uncertain, Kemar Roofe worryingly injury-prone and Fashion Sakala often being preferred in the wide positions rather than through the middle, another striker must be high on the list of priorities for Van Bronckhorst.

Dallinga could be a great coup for the Gers. The 21-year-old scored a remarkable 36 goals in 44 appearances for Excelsior last season, adding a further nine assists as the Rotterdam club gained promotion to the Eredivisie.

Rangers might just have the upper hand in a move for the player, as Van Bronckhorst and Dallinga both share Dutch nationality, so the striker might want to embark on the next stage of his development under his compatriot at Ibrox.

The 21-year-old was lauded as “unstoppable” during the 2021/22 season, which is unsurprising given his phenomenal goal return, and his future looks quite bright.

The thought of Champions League football must also be attractive to the youngster, and after such as extraordinary campaign, he could be ready to slot straight into the Rangers first team with ease, if he comes to Glasgow.

AND in other news, Rangers now closing in on 7-figure deal for “quality” 126-goal ace, he’s Van Bronckhorst’s dream

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Nick Pope in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the Magpies are set to make the giant shot-stopper their second signing of the month, after bringing Matt Targett in from Aston Villa.

He Tweeted: “NUFC close to completing a deal for Nick Pope. Fee for England international will be around £12m, with Burnley keeper set to battle with Martin Dubravka for number one spot next season…”

In the accompanying article, it is claimed that the England international has told the Clarets that he would like to move on following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has since added: “Newcastle understood to have agreed fee in principle with Burnley for Nick Pope. 30yo England int’l GK now set to undergo medical. Hope is deal will be completed by end of week.”

Forget Hugo Ekitike

Whilst talks are reportedly set to take place with the Stade Reims striker this week, it is time to forget about Ekitike for now and focus on how good of a signing Pope can be for the club.

The Burnley star is set to join to provide competition to Martin Dubravka and his statistics suggest that he can be a big upgrade on the current Toon number one when it comes to sweeping up.

Pope ranks in the 99th and 98th percentiles for defensive actions outside of his box and the average distance of those actions respectively per 90 over the last 365 days. This shows that he is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of successfully coming off his line to prevent danger.

Dubravka, meanwhile, ranks in the 11th percentile in both categories. He was reluctant to leave his penalty area too often in the 2021/22 campaign and his statistics look poor in comparison to the man who may end up replacing him at St. James’ Park.

When it comes to shot-stopping, there was not a great deal of difference between them as Pope saved 73.6% of the shots against him in comparison to the Slovakian’s save percentage of 67.9%.

These statistics suggest that the Englishman will be a sublime addition to the team as he will put real pressure on Dubravka and offer the head coach a different style of goalkeeper – with his ability to sweep up behind the backline – to utilise in games.

Therefore, Howe will be elated by the Burnley giant’s imminent arrival and will now be looking forward to working with him next season, assuming the deal goes through.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC swoop for “infectious” £50m “class act”, just imagine him & Trippier…

ExWHUemployee has provided a fresh claim regarding West Ham United and their former striker, Sebastian Haller…

What’s the word?

As per the club insider, the Hammers reportedly did not include a sell-on clause as part of the Ivory Coast international’s move to Ajax in January 2021, amid suggestions that the 27-year-old could be on his way to Borussia Dortmund as a replacement for new Manchester City arrival, Erling Haaland.

Asked on Twitter whether the east Londoners could take home a percentage of that potential €40m (£34.4m) fee, should he make the switch to Germany this summer, the respected source stated: “I don’t think we do [have a sell-on clause]”.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man had been a club-record capture for the London Stadium outfit in 2019, although failed to really catch fire in a claret and blue jersey, with the club eventually accepting a sizeable loss to allow him to head to Amsterdam.

Supporters frustrated

Having suffered the fury of seeing the £31.5m-rated gem disappoint in the Premier League only to become a world-beater in the Eredivisie, supporters would no doubt have been praying that one saving grace from the Haller saga could be the opportunity to generate funds from his future moves.

Alas, the lack of a sell-on clause has thwarted such hopes, with the Irons faithful only set to grow increasingly annoyed over a transfer that simply failed to work out.

Aside from that stunning overhead kick in the draw with Crystal Palace back in December 2020, the France-born ace largely underwhelmed in English football, scoring just 14 goals and providing only three assists in 54 games in all competitions.

With manager David Moyes often favouring the more makeshift presence of Michail Antonio in attack, the club decided to cash on their failing asset after just a year-and-a-half, with few shedding too many tears over his departure.

That decision has somewhat backfired, however, with the £64k-per-week monster having since been in prolific form in Holland, netting 47 goals and chipping in with 16 assists in just 65 games under new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

That tally includes a remarkable haul of 11 goals in last season’s Champions League – a record only bettered by Robert Lewandowski (13) and Karim Benzema (15) – breaking a competition record in the process after reaching ten goals in fewer games than any other player, while also becoming just the second player ever to score in all six group games.

Such form has unsurprisingly caught the attention of those at Dortmund, with it bizarre to think that the 6 foot 3 marksman has gone from playing understudy to Antonio to potentially being the man to fill a Haaland-shaped void in Germany, all in the space of just 18 months.

As for the Hammers, the club are still scratching around trying to secure a suitable centre-forward addition, albeit with reports suggesting that Moyes is not keen to break the bank for any new striker.

To see an ex-player performing so well, at a time when West Ham are in need of a new number nine, will no doubt be a major source of frustration to supporters.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Frank Lampard is working on his first full transfer window at Everton since joining the club on Deadline Day back in January, and the club has now been linked with another potential target.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese newspaper Record (14 June, p.g 13) Everton are one of the clubs interested in signing Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi.

As per the report, the Toffees join a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing the Nigerian player this summer with Fulham, Brighton and Crystal Palace named as potentially interested parties.

Lampard will love him

There is a desperate need for improvements in the squad following a difficult relegation battle for Everton, and with Sanusi’s experience on the left side of the back-line at Champions League level, Lampard would surely love to add him to the squad.

The dynamo who reportedly has a £43m release clause has been impressing for Porto over the last season during his 24 appearances in the Primeira Liga.

Sanusi who was dubbed “superb” by one journalist on Twitter, scored three goals, made 1.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and won 3.5 duels on average per game, as well as completing an impressive 88% accuracy in his own half from his position as left-back.

The 25-year-old was also a solid performer in Europe last term for his Portuguese club making six appearances but the side was unable to get out of their difficult group with quarter-finalists Atletico Madrid and finalists Liverpool.

Lampard will be looking for a new left-back to add depth to the position after Jonjoe Kenny left the club on a free transfer this week leaving only Vitaliy Mykolenko to hold the fort on the left side, so the club should be keen to make a signing to ensure the Toffees aren’t caught short next season.

Everton cannot afford to not add reinforcements to their team again this summer after they suffered the second worst injury record in the Premier League that ultimately contributed to their struggle with maintaining their top-flight status, so Farhad Moshiri signing Sanusi would be a great start for the Merseyside club.

AND in other news: Lampard “wants to land” the signing of “impressive” £4.5m-rated gem, Everton need him

Everton are in need of bolstering their squad this summer following a difficult Premier League season, and now they are reportedly interested in a new target ahead of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to French news outlet L’Equipe, Everton are interested in signing Stade Rennais left-back Adrien Truffert.

As per the report, the Toffees are following the player’s situation alongside West Ham United, Leicester City, Ajax and Hoffenheim this summer.

Baines 2.0

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard will be wanting to add quality and depth to his Merseyside based squad ahead of next season to ensure they don’t find themselves in another tough relegation battle and Truffert could be the perfect addition to make an instant impact in the team.

Lampard has a penchant for developing young players with Mason Mount, Reece James, Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja just four of the players the former Chelsea boss has brought into the spotlight, and the 20-year-old Frenchman could be his next youth project at Goodison Park.

By no means is Truffert inexperienced with 75 appearances in total and has been a standout player for Rennes, with high praise after his debut in 2020 from former coach Julien Stéphan who hailed the youngster “ultra decisive”.

This season the £10.8m-rated dynamo has shown his quality more than ever over his 30 appearances in Ligue 1, scoring three goals, delivering two assists and creating two big chances, as well as making 1 tackle and winning 2.7 duels on average per game, proving that he has the potential to be a threat in attacking play and offers defensive qualities too.

The young left-back could follow in the footsteps of Everton legend Leighton Baines who signed for the Toffees when he was just 22-years-old back in 2007, becoming one of the most promising left-sided defenders in the Premier League, earning 30 caps for the England national team thanks to his impressive impact at club level.

Truffert is currently in the France U21 team and will surely be hoping that he can one day break into the senior France team, something he could achieve by gaining more game-time and developing his craft with Everton just like Baines did for England.

With that being said, Lampard could unearth a great young prospect in the squad that can help him not only add depth on the left side of the squad but Truffert could also add another attacking threat in the side by emulating his success in forward play at Rennes.

AND in other news: Offer accepted: Everton closing in on 1st summer signing, Lampard will be ecstatic

Recent reports have claimed that West Ham could look to cash in on Tomas Soucek this summer but it would be a disastrous move by David Moyes and GSB to get rid of the Czech Republic international.

Football Insider claimed earlier this week that Tottenham Hotspur could look to sign the midfielder after a breakdown in the relationship between Soucek and Moyes.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has since offered his thoughts on the situation, telling GIVEMESPORT:

“I think West Ham would really regret losing someone like Tomas Soucek. He’s been a great player for West Ham under David Moyes.

“He’s a key player in that midfield alongside Declan Rice. He’s effective in both boxes, he can score goals from set-pieces as well.”

Although Soucek struggled to replicate his displays from the 2020/21 season in the last campaign, he still managed to contribute five goals and one assist in 35 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, averaging a solid 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances across the season.

The 27-year-old has formed an excellent partnership with Declan Rice in midfield since joining from Slavia Prague in a £15m deal in 2020, following a successful loan spell in the second half of that season.

The England international was full of praise for his teammate in 2020, saying:

“He’s brilliant to play with. He’s a player that we definitely needed with some legs to make the box and obviously get back as well.

“He’s added something to the team which is brilliant. He gives us an out all the time and when he pops up in the box we’ve not really had that over the years. It’s fantastic to play with him and of course, I don’t have to do all the running with Tomas.”

Therefore, in a summer where Rice’s West Ham future lies in the balance, it would surely be unwise for the Hammers to cash in on his midfield partner given the mutual respect between the two.

If Soucek can rediscover his form from the 2020/21 season when he notched 10 goals and featured in every single Premier League game, then Moyes will definitely be glad to have kept the midfielder at the London Stadium.

And, in other news… West Ham could solve striker woes with £8.4m swoop…

Jordan Cronin has shared Newcastle United’s priorities for the summer transfer window, as Eddie Howe looks to bring in fresh additions to build upon January’s success in the market.

The Lowdown: January business

Newcastle were the biggest spenders in Europe in January after the Tyneside club forked out £91m on Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett in order to plug gaps and strengthen the squad.

That winter trolley dash has since been viewed as a great success. Having stared relegation in the face up until Christmas, the Magpies finished the season in a respectable 11th place.

As a result, it is expected that Newcastle will continue to build upon their recent success in the transfer market with an equally busy summer window.

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The Latest: Newcastle’s transfer priorities

Cronin has since shared the Magpies’ ambitious reported plans for the summer transfer window.

In a Newcastle World transfer Q&A, he claimed: “I’m told Newcastle are prioritising signing a goalkeeper, central defender, full-back (there has still been no word on Matt Targett), winger and striker. They’re also open to strengthening all positions if the right player becomes available. All that is very ambiguous, I know! But it’s a clear indication of the club’s ambition this summer. Rule nothing out.”

The Verdict: Busy summer ahead

Given the number of positions that Newcastle’s recruitment team are seemingly targeting, it is expected that a number of departures will need to be made prior to securing any big-money deals. Indeed, Cronin has also named several players who could be set for the chop.

If the board are able to offload some of the deadwood quickly, it could be possible to see numerous incomings and outgoings this summer, as Howe looks to build a squad which is capable of European qualification.

Therefore, it is likely that this summer will provide a busy and exciting transfer window for Newcastle.

In other news: Journalists name-check potential summer departures from Newcastle

West Ham United have been named as one of the clubs believed to be interested in Leeds United winger Jack Harrison, as David Moyes plots new reinforcements this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers are said to be ‘taking an interest’ in the 25-year-old, with uncertainty over the future of a number of key players at Elland Road despite their final day survival.

It was the Englishman’s stoppage-time strike that rubberstamped the Yorkshire side’s safety from the drop, with that effort having been his eighth Premier League goal in an impressive campaign on a personal note.

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The £60k-per-week forward – who joined his current side in a £11m permanent deal last summer after spending the previous three seasons on loan at the club – is also being tracked by both Newcastle United and Everton, however, as per the report, while a potential departure for teammate Raphinha could ‘impact’ Leeds’ stance regarding a sale.

The next Sinclair?

Although there is likely to be competition for his signature, as noted above, the east Londoners will no doubt have confidence in their own pulling power, with their involvement in next season’s Europa Conference League a potential attractive prospect.

One man who knows all about competing in Europe for the Irons is club icon Trevor Sinclair, with the Englishman notably scoring in the 1999 Intertoto Cup final success, before featuring in the UEFA Cup the following season.

The versatile forward had joined from Queens Park Rangers in 1998 and would go on to spend five years at Upton Park, netting an impressive 37 league goals in that time – ensuring he is currently fifth on the Hammers’ scoring list in the Premier League era.

Capable of featuring at wing-back, but also on either flank in an attacking role, the one-time Manchester City man was a real handful for any defender, while he also had a penchant for the spectacular, notably netting a stunning overhead kick – no, not that one – for West Ham against Derby County on Boxing Day in 2001.

In Harrison, GSB could well have found the perfect heir, with the £13.5m-rated gem – who has previously been dubbed a “revelation” by former New York City FC teammate Frank Lampard – also having the ability to dazzle from his left-wing berth, as well as his proving himself a potent force in front of goal.

The Europa League semi-finalists saw that finishing prowess up close this season, as the former England U21 international bagged a breathtaking hat-trick in a 3-2 win for the visitors at the London Stadium back in January.

Moyes and co will no doubt be hoping to avoid being tormented once again in the 2022/23 campaign, with the ideal way to prevent a repeat performance being to snap him up themselves.

IN other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop