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Manchester United have Sofyan Amrabat on their wanted list this summer and are set to battle Barcelona to get a deal done, as reported by Calciomercato via Sport Witness.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat has once more been a regular first-team player for current club Fiorentina this season, managing 29 league appearances for the club with one assist. He's now played more games for the Italian side in the league than any other club over the course of his career too, with 83 outings to his name to date. It shows just how important the midfielder has become to the side since his move from Club Brugge in Belgium.

In fact, the 26-year-old has now become one of the most impressive players in his position for passing in the Big Five leagues. His 67.12 passes per 90 means that he is in the 89th percentile for that figure (or the top 11%). Even more impressive is that despite attempting so many passes, he actually ranks in the top five percent in his position for pass completion rate and the top eight percent for progressive passes.

His vision and ability to control the player and get the ball forward with his excellent passing range has now caught the eye of two big European sides. According to a report from Calciomercato via Sport Witness, both Manchester United and Barcelona are keen to sign the player after he said "goodbye" to his current team following their Europa Conference League final defeat.

However, the report adds that United may have the upper hand though because of their financial power compared to the Catalan outfit. Fiorentina have slapped a 40 million Euro (or £34m) price tag on his head and the Red Devils are more able to pay that fee compared to Barcelona.

Should Amrabat join Man United?

The midfielder could certainly help bolster the Premier League side's ranks in the centre of the field if he was to join. Erik Ten Hag would be getting a player that is not only a good passer of the ball as previously shown but can also get the ball forward himself, with a knack for dribbling and driving the play forward himself. His rate of 1.62 progressive carries per 90 mark him out as better than average in his position (67th percentile) for example and his 70.6% successful take on rate show that he is able to not only get the ball forward but beat his man too.

In addition, football journalist Josh Bunting has previously hailed the player as "outstanding," admitting that during the Europa Conference League Final the midfielder "ran the game."

Amrabat then is certainly talented and his ability to dictate the play could come in useful at Old Trafford if they did sign him.

West Ham United captain Declan Rice is unlikely to join Bayern Munich instead of top clubs in the Premier League, Simon Jordan has claimed.

What's the latest on Declan Rice?

The England international looks set to depart east London this summer, and Arsenal have made him their top target.

The 24-year-old has attracted interest from German champions Bayern Munich, as Thomas Tuchel is keen on the midfielder, but it remains to be seen whether Rice would elect to leave England and the Premier League.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Jordan slammed any talk of Rice joining Bayern, claiming that the £60k-per-week star would not turn down a move to some of England's top clubs to move to the Bundesliga.

"Declan Rice is not going to Bayern Munich," he stated.

"He's going to go to one of the big clubs in England to try and win the Premier League with an English club.

"He's got no reason to go to Bayern Munich, it's fantastic indexing and a great bit of leverage for other football clubs in England to get their act together to pay the price that West Ham may well want, but I'll be absolutely gobsmacked if an established England player, who is perceived to be one of the best players in his position, will be out of the Premier League playing in Germany, in a league that's particularly dominated by one football club."

Where should Rice go?

All signs are pointing towards a move to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. The Gunners are the only London side to have qualified for Europe this season, and should he wish to stay in the capital, they are arguably the best option for him.

Arsenal have made great progress this season, with their highest finish since 2016, and could challenge Manchester City at the top of the league again next year.

With Granit Xhaka set to depart, Rice could slot into the Arsenal midfield as a ready-made replacement, and he will be joining a team that looks ready to compete for major honours.

He has also been linked with Chelsea, but their nightmare season which saw them finish in the bottom half, as well as a lack of European football, makes Stamford Bridge a less appealing destination.

Although there may be some temptation to join a heavyweight like Bayern, if the midfielder's preference is indeed to stay in the Premier League, then a move to the Allianz Arena looks unlikely to materialise.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked to a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window, despite being forecast a treacherous financial battle.

Julen Lopetegui was hit with the news that the club were juggling issues of FFP in the build-up to the summer window, which will ultimately limit the Spaniard’s ability to spend considerably.

Wolves are in need of attacking options, ending the season as the league’s lowest scorers with just 31 goals in 38 goals, an area that must be strengthened this summer.

What’s the latest on James Ward-Prowse to Wolves?

The former Real Madrid could opt to add strike power to his side from areas beyond a traditional number nine, as Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has been linked with a move to Molineux.

As reported by SunSport, Wolves are 'keen' on the Englishman, who has also accumulated interest from West Ham, Newcastle and rivals Aston Villa.

A separate report from The Sun claims that the Saints want £40m for the 28-year-old who has three years left on his current contract, an ‘optimistic valuation’ from the side that will play in the Championship next season.

What could James Ward-Prowse bring to Wolves?

The Englishman has been a shining light for Southampton in an abysmal campaign that ended in relegation, scoring nine goals and assisting four and featuring in every fixture – as per FBref.

The £100k-per-week Saints captain could depart this summer as a result of their demotion and would be a perfect fit in Lopetegui’s side, who are to lose Joao Moutinho following the expiration of his contract.

The Portuguese midfielder has been described as a “legend” by members of the media and will be sorely missed at Wolves, however, Molineux may not need to prolong his mourning, as Ward-Prowse could ease the woes of his departure.

The two are very similar players positionally, and when comparing their numbers this season, the Englishman could arguably be a better fit for Lopetegui’s plans going forward at Molineux.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old maintains an average passing accuracy of 85% per game, with the Wolves veteran following closely behind with 84%.

Ward-Prowse could fit the Spaniard’s plans to bolster the attack and replace Moutinho simultaneously, with him creating nine big chances to the Portugal midfielder’s three, as well as averaging 2.0 key passes to his 1.2 per game.

While the Englishman is more of a threat in the final third than the Wolves man, the Portsmouth-born maestro isn’t afraid to do the dirty work required in the engine room, as told by his 1.7 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

Goals are primarily what Lopetegui needs to add to his side, and the Saints skipper can contribute, ranking in the top 13% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of non-penalty goals, averaging 0.19 per 90 – as per FBref.

Once lauded by former coach Nathan Jones as “world-class”, Ward-Prowse has made 343 Premier League appearances for Southampton, which has equipped him with experience that cannot be bought.

For Lopetegui, there will be hope that the midfielder’s price tag may drop considering the Saints’ relegation which could make him a strong target for Wolves to sign this summer as a strong successor to Moutinho.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, the Premier League champions are one of the clubs to whom the Netherlands international could potentially move this summer, should the Bianconeri receive a suitable fee for him.

After working his way through Ajax’s youth ranks, the centre-back went on to make 117 senior appearances for the Amsterdam giants across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists along the way.

In 2019, the defender joined Juventus for an initial fee of €75m (£67.8m), making him the most expensive defender in Italian top-flight history.

Since then, the player – who described himself as feeling “invincible” in the Eredivisie – has now made as many appearances for his current club as he did for Ajax.

The next Kompany

In terms of a potential move to the Etihad Stadium, the 22-year-old could become City’s new version of Vincent Kompany.

After 359 appearances and numerous domestic trophies, the Belgian left Manchester in 2019 as a club legend with a significant legacy to his name.

While these would certainly be big shoes to fill, De Ligt certainly has the defensive chops to be a solid addition to Pep Guardiola’s ranks.

During his time at Juventus, the Dutch centre-back has won 69 tackles, made 137 blocks, 87 interceptions and 371 clearances in Serie A.

Taking into account how Kompany was so impressive for City at the back and ended his spell in the Premier League with a tackle success rate of 75%, among hundreds of interceptions and clearances made, the Netherlands international could be an ideal long-term feature for Guardiola’s side given his young age and evident ability.

In February 2020, the late Mino Raiola described the £63m-rated defender as being like an “oil tanker” in terms of being hard to stop when he’s on form.

Even though City have the likes of John Stones, Nathan Ake, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias in their squad, if Guardiola feels the need to add some extra strength at centre-back for the future, securing a deal for De Ligt could be a great bit of prospective business from the Citizens.

In other news: Pep can land his own Ronaldo as City eye move for “spectacular” £45m-rated “diamond”

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alex Scott.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, following widespread reports that Spurs are keeping tabs on the Bristol City midfielder, the 18-year-old is indeed a player who Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are fond of, before suggesting that Tottenham could make a move for the England U19 international in the coming months.

Regarding Spurs’ interest in the playmaker, Gold said: “There’s a young midfielder from the Championship that I know they really like – Alex Scott, an 18-year-old who plays for Bristol City.

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“He primarily plays as a right midfielder but he can also play through the centre. He’s played 38 times last season, scored four and got two assists. At the moment, Bristol City’s valuation of him is higher than what Spurs want to pay, so there’s no movement right now, but keep an eye on that one because he’s a player they like.”

The next Grealish

Considering how exciting a prospect Scott quite clearly is, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the 18-year-old to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, over his 38 Championship appearances this season, the £10m talent enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough campaign for the Robins, scoring four goals, registering two assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

The versatile midfielder also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 0.9 clearances and winning 5.0 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Brian Tinnion dubbed “unbelievable” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Nigel Pearson’s joint seventh-best performer in the English second tier.

Furthermore, Scott’s performances have also seen him earn comparisons to the £100m Jack Grealish, with the 18-year-old being dubbed the “Guernsey Grealish” due to his ability to progress the ball from midfield into the final third.

As such, should Paratici manage to convince the Bristol City starlet of a switch to north London this summer and the youngster continues his exceptional rate of development in the professional game, the Italian sporting director could well have unearthed Spurs the next Grealish – something that will undoubtedly be an extremely exciting thought for everyone involved with Tottenham.

AND in other news: “Going to try and sign”: Gold drops big Spurs transfer claim that supporters will love

West Ham United are reportedly interested in a deal to bring Augsburg defender Reece Oxford back to the club, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per ExWHUemployee, the Hammers are huge admirers of the academy graduate and are tracking the 23-year-old’s progress in Germany, although doubts remain as to the player’s enthusiasm to return to the London Stadium.

Asked about the ‘possible chances’ of the Englishman making the switch back to England, the trusted insider stated: “Firstly I have been really impressed with Oxford, he’s done very well in Germany this season and has been receiving some very good reviews. There is definitely talk of him wanting to return to England, potentially with us. Whilst there are people at West Ham who still rate him very highly at this stage I don’t believe he would be prepared to return at this point.”

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The centre-back had previously made 17 senior appearances for the east London outfit before eventually joining his current side on a permanent deal in 2019, having also previously spent time on loan at both Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Supporters will be buzzing

That news will no doubt pique the interest of the club’s supporters, although it would appear that GSB and manager David Moyes will have to work their magic to try and tempt the youngster into a return to his old stomping ground.

A guarantee of regular game time will likely be high on the agenda for the £9m-rated gem, having admitted that he had originally departed the club due to a lack of minutes, revealing that there was “not a pathway” into the first-team by the end of his time at the club.

The £11k-per-week star had burst onto the scene at the age of just 16, becoming the Hammers’ youngest ever player after making his debut in a Europa League qualification clash in July 2015, before starting his first Premier League game just a month later away at Arsenal.

Despite that remarkable nod of faith by manager Slaven Bilic, Oxford went on to make just eight top-flight outings in total over the next few seasons, failing to make a single league appearance during the 2016/17 campaign.

Perhaps simply a case of too much too soon, the Edmonton born starlet was forced to reinvigorate his career away from England, although has since blossomed away from the limelight in the Bundesliga.

As he proved in the most recent campaign, his return to his former club would not be for solely sentimental reasons, with his form warranting a move to a side competing in Europe and challenging in the upper echelons of Europe’s toughest league.

In 30 league games this season, he has averaged a remarkable 5.6 clearances per game, as well as o.9 tackles and 2.4 interceptions, while also winning a solid 62% of his aerial duels and keeping nine clean sheets.

Typically deployed as part of a back three – although also comfortable as a defensive midfielder – the former England U20 international also ranks in the top 2% for interceptions made by centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area, with the 6 foot 4 giant a handful at both ends of the pitch.

With a new centre-back addition needed next season for Moyes and co, Oxford could well be the man to fill the void, with the club’s supporters set to be delighted to welcome back a familiar face who is beginning to realise his early promise.

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

A ‘rising star’ at Tottenham Hotspur has now looking for a new club after being told he has no future under Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs exodus awaits?

While much has been made of backing Conte in the summer transfer market, it is believed that just as many, if not more, players could be departing Hotspur Way in a major Premier League reshuffle.

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The obvious names linked with a move away are Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Steven Bergwijn among others as transfer chief Fabio Paratici is tasked to balance the books.

Paratici’s overhaul of the scouting department appears to spread all the way down to academy level as N17 could also see a plethora of top young talents depart, according to Football Insider.

The Latest: Spurs ‘rising star’ told he has no future…

As per a Lilywhites ‘source’, speaking to the outlet, promising winger and ‘rising star’ Jeremie Mukendi is now set to leave Spurs after being told he has no future at the club.

Indeed, the 21-year-old has been informed that there is no new deal in the pipeline with his current contract at the Premier League side set to expire next month.

Mukendi will now follow both Khalon Haysman and Dante Cassanova in exiting with the north Londoners having made their decision on the talents.

The Verdict: Interesting future ahead…

Playing 20 time for the club’s Under-18’s and five times for their Under-23’s, Mukendi was a schoolboy sprint champion and emerged through the academy with some promise as one Spurs ‘batch of rising stars’ (Football Insider).

The fact he’s been told he has no future under Conte or hope of breaking into the first team is perhaps testament to the amount of competition at the Hotspur Way academy.

Even wonderkids like Dane Scarlett, previously lauded as a ‘diamond’ by Jose Mourinho, has barely featured for Tottenham this season and it appears even the best breakthrough players will have to be very patient in this new era.

Mukendi’s departure could represent the real rise in standards at Spurs both in the first team and lower down the club.

In other news: Offer made: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing, find out more here.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, it would ‘change everything’ at Manchester United if the club were able to secure the signing of West Ham star Declan Rice this summer.

The Lowdown: United changes imminent

The Red Devils will now miss out on a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League next season following a number of disappointing results under both former manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer and his temporary replacement Ralf Rangnick.

With the arrival of new permanent boss Erik ten Hag imminent though, it appears that plenty of changes are expected to take place at Old Trafford as the Dutchman looks to build his own squad ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

In a report by ESPN, it’s claimed that a new central midfielder has been identified as a key area for improvement by the hierarchy, and after being consistently linked with Rice in recent weeks, United could well be tempted to make a move for the maestro.

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The Latest: Jones backs Rice move

Despite being wary of financial demands, Jones has admitted that he thinks the 23-year-old could be the perfect candidate to transform the club’s current problems. He told GiveMeSport:

“They’ve got to be careful about the budget because they don’t have hundreds of millions to just go and spend.

“Declan Rice, for me, is the one that would change everything. I think that he wants to move, he’s ambitious, he’s young, and he would be a leader.”

The Verdict: Standout performer

The 29-cap international is a huge fan favourite at the London Stadium and it’s no surprise to see why, considering he’s made 193 senior club appearances in all competitions so far, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Rice, who was once hailed as a “superb” player by Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, currently averages 2.1 tackles per Premier League game and has a pass success rate of 91.6%, via WhoScored, displaying both fighting spirit and an ability to control a game from the middle of the park.

The Kingston-born talent is clearly admired by David Moyes, who is said to have valued his star man at more than a staggering £150m, but whether this is a fee that United would be willing to pay or not, his services on the field are something that would definitely be seen as an upgrade, should ten Hag pursuit his highly sought-after transfer target.

In other news… a BBC Radio 5 Live pundit has dropped a huge transfer claim surrounding the future of one of United’s stars.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Juventus ‘will buy’ Moise Kean on a permanent deal from Everton in June.

The Lowdown: Goodison flop

It just has not worked out for Kean since his £29m move from Juve back in 2019, where he has managed a mere four goals in 39 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

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He has been shipped out on loan twice, first to PSG, and then back to his old club last summer, and so it seems as if he has no future at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Romano update

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Romano has now shared some recent comments from the Old Lady’s vice president Pavel Nedved on Kean:

“Moise Kean? We want him to score 25 goals per season, he has a huge potential.”

Romano added that Juventus ‘will buy’ Kean permanently in June.

The Verdict: Get rid

Whatever kind of fee that they can get for him, the Merseyside club just need to get rid of Kean now.

His loan spell at Juve has not been much better than his time in blue, with just six goals so far this season, and at 22 years of age, the Toffees could still demand a decent sum of money.

Nonetheless, with both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison still at the club, there is just no room for the Italian, and so it is best to get him off of the wage bill.

In other news, find out what ‘serious upgrade’ the Blues are now eyeing here!

According to a report from German outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in signing Hoffenheim midfielder Christoph Baumgartner. 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

Having arrived in Germany from Austria in 2017, the 22-year-old playmaker came through the youth ranks at the Bundesliga club before making a senior debut in 2019.

Since then the fully-fledged senior international has amassed 100 professional appearances, directly contributing to 36 goals in that time.

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Now it appears a move to the Premier League could beckon for the midfield starlet…

The latest: Rivals to do battle

As per SportBILD, translated by SW, Liverpool and Manchester United are both keen on signing Baumgartner.

The report states that Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp has personally been keeping a ‘close eye’ on the 19-cap star with a view to a move in the future.

It’s claimed that the interest in the man described as the ‘epitome of a mentality player’ by manager Sebastian Hoeneß is ‘huge’ and both Anfield and Old Trafford hierarchies have him ‘on their list’ ahead of the summer window.

The verdict: Make it happen

Despite the continued emergence of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and the seemingly imminent arrival of Fabio Carvalho, Klopp and newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward would be wise to add another midfielder before next term.

As the Reds prepare to compete in all 63 matches possible this term, the squad depth has been tested to its very limit and it’s not inconceivable that a similar workload could be imparted in the 2022/22 campaign.

Likened elsewhere to known previous Reds’ target Kai Havertz, this is a target that would make plenty of sense from a tactical perspective and Klopp looks to evolve the side once more.

So far this season, Baumgartner has scored six times and provided one assist in 29 appearances across all competitions and with the futures of James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Merseyside in doubt, Liverpool should snap up the versatile midfielder with a mooted €30million (£25.3million) release clause.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has dropped a ‘massive’ Liverpool transfer claim.