Manchester City are reportedly looking at a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich and could make an offer for the player in the coming days.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news?

The Sky Blues and Pep Guardiola have already added to their treble-winning squad this summer by bringing in Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea in a deal worth a total of £30m.

However, Ilkay Gundogan, who played a key role in City’s success last season with two goals in the FA Cup final, has decided to join Barcelona on a free transfer after his contract expired at the Etihad.

Therefore, it looks as if Kovacic will fill the void left by Gundogan ahead of the 2023/24 season, but more new faces could arrive before the window shuts on September 1.

Fellow Croatia international, Josko Gvardiol, has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano even claiming on Wednesday that the RB Leipzig man had even completed the first part of a City medical.

However, speculation has since cooled on the defender, but it looks as if another Bundesliga star is of interest in Kimmich.

The Faithful MUFC relayed news from Spain regarding Kimmich in the last 48 hours, where City were mentioned. It is believed that City, along with rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, all want to sign the Germany international this summer, with Kimmich keen on leaving the Allianz Arena.

All three English clubs are expected to make offers by sending proposals in the coming days, with the report saying on City:

“Manchester City have shown a clear interest in Kimmich after losing the opportunity to sign Declan Rice, who eventually joined Arsenal. The need to strengthen their midfield has led the 'Citizens' to set their sights on the versatile German player, who excels both defensively and offensively.”

Who is Joshua Kimmich?

Kimmich is 28 years of age and has been with Bayern since 2015, with his current contract running until 2025. Capable of playing as a right-back, holding midfielder or central midfielder, the £300,000-a-week man has already worked under Guardiola.

He made 36 appearances under the City boss during his time at Bayern, with Guardiola hailing the player seven years ago. Since then, Kimmich has gone from strength to strength, making close to 350 Bayern appearances and winning a total of 20 honours in Munich. Jose Mourinho previously praised Kimmich for his versatility, describing him as a “phenomenal” player.

"I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10… he has the qualities to be anything!

"I think he’s phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal player."

Therefore, should Kimmich move to the Etihad, he would provide options in a number of areas, something which Guardiola could love, especially as right-back Kyle Walker is being linked with a move to Bayern Munich, and it looks as if a deal is one to watch.

Australia players have urged their CEO James Sutherland to play a key role in negotiations of the ongoing pay dispute even as the June 30 deadline looms

Daniel Brettig27-Jun-20171:28

We want the CEO of Cricket Australia to now be involved – Dyer

Australia’s players have implored Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland to intervene in the current pay dispute less than four days before the expiry of the existing MoU.Flanked by senior players at an annual golf day, the Australian Cricketers’ Association president Greg Dyer stated it was well past time for talks to involve the two most senior executives of the board and the players’ collective bargaining agent, a matter of days before the two parties “jump off a cliff together” into the unknown.Sutherland, chief executive of CA since 2001, is flying home from England after attending the ICC Annual Conference and Australia’s opening match of the Women’s World Cup in Taunton. As one of the early architects of the fixed revenue percentage model that has underpinned all MoUs since 1998, Sutherland may be well placed to bring an end to the dispute.To do so he would have find a middle ground between the players and the CA board and management, intent on breaking up the model and severely reducing the ACA’s influence.”James Sutherland has been strangely absent to date from these negotiations and we want him involved, we want him engaged,” Dyer said. “It’s beyond time that CA sent its most senior executive to the negotiating table and let’s get this sorted out, the two CEOs sitting down and having a sensible conversation about how this can be resolved.”I think it’s fair to say we still remain a long way apart. The fundamentals of the deal are nowhere near resolved. We see the retention of the revenue share model as being fundamental from our perspective and we have not been able to engage sensibly. The players have been very flexible, they’ve said we can look at alternative ways of addressing that revenue share model, but we’ve not had any response in return. We’ve twice sought mediation and called for the intervention of the CEO, and we’ve not had any reasonable response to any of those requests.”It’s the most important deal that CA will do in five years and arguably longer. I don’t personally understand why the most senior person in the organisation shouldn’t be involved in setting those parameters on behalf of the organisation. I don’t understand why he wouldn’t be involved. James Sutherland is in fact overseas right now, so we have to wait for his return and then maybe we can make some progress.”3:46

What exactly is the Cricket Australia-ACA pay dispute?

Shane Watson, meanwhile, questioned how Sutherland’s experience could be so absent from talks. Sutherland’s only major contribution has been to announce CA’s formal offer to the players in April followed by a a terse email to the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson in May, warning the players would be unemployed as of July 1 unless they agreed to the board’s terms.”Nothing’s irreparable, time heals most wounds, but it’s incredibly disappointing from a cricketer’s point of view, knowing CA’s really changed its dynamic over the last five years,” Watson said. “It’s become very corporatised, not just a governing body of the game of cricket, with all the board members and how it’s actually changed. Everyone believed at that moment in time it was a great thing for the game of cricket to bring the corporate side of business into cricket.”It’s moved in a very different way compared to what it was, with the CEO not being involved in the negotiations. James is a bit of an expert in negotiations with his previous experiences and this time he’s not even involved in this one, which just bewilders me how that happens, someone who knows the ins and outs of how things work in MoU negotiations has not actually been involved. Hopefully that’ll happen over the next few days and we might be able to come closer to a resolution.”One major implication for the post-June 30 landscape is that Australian players may seek opportunities to play in T20 tournaments in the West Indies, England, Bangladesh and South Africa, a competition in which ESPNcricinfo has reported recent ODI representatives have formally notified their interest in. All players require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their home board to take part, but Watson was in little doubt legal challenges would swiftly follow any CA moves to block them from seeking employment.

“Any sort of compromise in the form of tour-based or short-term contracts can only be made if there is progress at the negotiating table.” – ACA president Greg Dyer

“If CA knock back an NOC then that’s a significant restraint of trade as well,” Watson said. “In the end I’ve got a BBL contract and of course I’ve got to get an NOC signed, but for them to restrict my potential to be able to actually play and be employed somewhere else, I think there’d be some pretty serious legal issues there.”At the end, on July 1 if all the cricketers are unemployed then there’s opportunities to play in different parts of the world which I’m fortunate enough to be involved with at this point of time in my career, whether it’s the Caribbean league, the Bangladesh league, the South African league that’s coming up as well. So there’s plenty of opportunity, but hopefully it should not get to that. It should never have got to this stage where we are now with three days to go and it seems like we’re poles apart in the negotiations.”[A long dispute] would be a disaster. In the end everyone wants the best players playing all the time for Australia, anytime a tour comes up and especially in the lead-up to an Ashes series as well. The dream of any Australian cricketer is to play in that series. so if the lead-up doesn’t go to plan because the players aren’t able to play high quality cricket in the lead-up to it, then we certainly don’t want to give the English an upper hand in an Ashes series. The players certainly don’t want that and I’m sure Cricket Australia don’t want that. But where things are at it’s not looking great.”Other issues looming in the dispute include the status of players on multi-year state contracts – deals that CA have insisted they will continue to honour after July 1. However, the ACA argue that without a working MoU they will carry little weight. It appears highly unlikely that in an extended dispute any players would make themselves available to CA, whether under contract or not.”The players are very resilient,” Dyer said. “As we’ve gone further into this, and each time CA has effectively gone around the ACA and direct to players, which was specifically not what the players wanted, their resolve has strengthened. So their attitude to Australia A and other tours beyond that I don’t see them as being likely to change their views.”The foundation of those multi-year contracts is a revenue share arrangement. So to the extent that that revenue share arrangement is off the table, then those contracts are highly questionable.”Given how little time remains before the MoU expiry, some sort of compromise in the form of tour-based or short-term contracts would be required for Australia’s players to fulfil their commitments. However Dyer said the players would only be likely to submit to these sorts of deals – of the kind the women’s team are currently signed to for the WWC – in the event of progress at the negotiating table.”I think we’d have to see some progress before that would be a likely outcome, but that’s not impossible,” he said. “If we can make some progress, if the CEOs can get together and make some progress towards an outcome then tour contracts may well be a good short term resolution. But we’re still so far apart it’s difficult to imagine that’s where we’re going to end.”CA last week offered key concessions to the players in terms of adding domestic as well as international players to their proposed “profit sharing” arrangement, while also promising to increase the pay levels being offered to domestic male players. “It lacked detail, it lacked any sense of the method by which the thing was going to be calculated, it wasn’t sufficient,” Dyer said. “We still lack the financial detail to properly assess where the players are likely to end up, and so it wasn’t an offer which was capable of acceptance and CA knew that.”

Glasgow Rangers look in great shape ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Ibrox side defeated Hamburg in their latest pre-season friendly following a defeat to Newcastle United in Allan McGregor’s testimonial, however it is the arrivals at the club which have boosted morale.

Seven signings have been made by Michael Beale, with a few more to come before the transfer window slams shut, but the onus will now be moving on the players who don’t have a future at the Gers.

Who has left Rangers?

Antonio Colak is the only confirmed senior departure from the Light Blues this summer – aside from the raft of free-agent exits – however he won’t be the last. Scott Wright appears to also be on his way out of Rangers, while Glen Kamara might soon be closing in on a move to Leeds United for £4m.

Beale will be looking to raise some funds in order to bankroll future incomings and one player who could also leave the club, perhaps rather surprisingly, is Fashion Sakala.

The 4th Official claimed that an unnamed team from Saudi Arabia were looking to secure his signature for £4m this summer and Beale should jump at this offer considering the profit it would net the club.

Who does Michael Olunga play for?

During his spell at Rangers, Sakala has been a polarising figure. His "energy and enthusiasm" are arguably second to none – as previously hailed by pundit Alan Hutton – yet his lack of ruthlessness has dragged him down since arriving back in 2021.

Across two seasons, he has scored 24 goals – 12 per campaign – yet this could have been more as he missed 11 big chances during the 2022/23 league season and five the season before, indicating that Beale requires someone who has more composure in front of goal.

Michael Olunga could be the ideal player. The Kenyan currently plays for Al Duhail SC in Qatar and the Gers have been linked with a move for him in order to bolster their attacking options ahead of next term.

Danilo does appear to be Beale’s main target, yet the saga continues to drag on and Olunga may be an ideal alternative if a move for the Brazilian fails to materialise.

Lauded as “special” by his former boss Sabri Lamouchi in 2021, the striker has been in stunning form in front of goal over the previous few seasons.

83 goals have arrived across just 83 games for his current side, and he has scored a total of 161 club career goals, while adding another 21 in 48 matches for Kenya.

The 6 foot 2 machine has shone at the highest level for his country, scoring twice against Tanzania during the 2019 African Cup of Nations, and it’s evident that he could bring a ruthless streak to the Ibrox side which Sakala doesn’t quite have.

Across eight matches in the AFC Champions League, Asia’s equivalent to the Champions League, Olunga netted six times and took 3.9 shots per game, demonstrating his ability on the biggest stage.

In contrast, Sakala played just four matches in the Champions League and failed to score once, taking only 1.8 shots per game, certainly appearing to look out of depth against Europe’s elite last term.

There is no guarantee that the 29-year-old would be a success or even score goals at Rangers, yet his clinical nature suggests he could be worth taking a gamble on, and he could add some much-needed strength in depth to Beale’s squad.

Celtic being able to initiate a sensational deal to land Scott McTominay this summer would be 'tough to pull off', according to journalist Dean Jones.

What clubs are keen on Scott McTominay?

Last term, McTominay was used primarily as a rotational option by Erik Ten Hag for Manchester United, though he still managed to make 39 appearances in all competitions, registering three goals and one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Scotland international could be set to be axed at Old Trafford this summer alongside Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Fred as Dutch coach Ten Hag looks to 'streamline' his squad this season, according to The Independent.

Suitors have emerged for McTominay and Celtic have been named as a potential destination for the £60k-a-week ace, as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his squad ahead of their defence of the Scottish Premiership title.

CBS Sports via The Daily Mail report that McTominay is also on the radar of Brighton & Hove Albion and Jose Mourinho's Roma; however, Manchester United's Financial Fair Play restrictions may lead to them keeping hold of the 26-year-old for another year due to the fact they would be unlikely to afford a direct replacement for him.

talkSPORT understand that West Ham United are in the market for a central midfielder and could turn to McTominay as a potential alternative to Declan Rice, who is set for a money-spinning move to Arsenal and looks to have played his last game for the Hammers.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that McTominay would be a 'mind-blowing' signing for Celtic if they managed to convince him to swap the Premier League for the Scottish Premiership.

Jones stated: "If Celtic could land McTominay, it would be mind-blowing, to be honest. I think it would be one of the biggest deals of the summer.

"It would be huge for Celtic, but it would also be a big decision for McTominay to switch from the Premier League to the Scottish Premiership at this point.

"It would be an incredible get for Celtic if they can pull something like that off, but I think it'll be tough to pull off."

What other players could Celtic and Rodgers sign this window?

Celtic have been slow off the mark this window as boss Rodgers runs the rule over his squad in their pre-season training camp in Portugal; however, some arrivals will be expected in the next few weeks as the Irishman ramps up his market proactivity at the helm of the Scottish champions.

According to Ukrainian outlet Sport Novyny, Celtic are regarded as frontrunners to sign Brazilian winger Tete, who spent the second half of last term on loan at Leicester City. The report adds that he intends to leave his parent club Shakhtar Donetsk due to fears for his safety due to the region's ongoing conflict.

Gangwon midfielder Yang Hyun-jun has been extensively linked to Celtic this window and has stated that there has been "some progress" in the ongoing transfer saga that continues to unfold concerning his potential arrival in Glasgow, as relayed by Football Scotland.

Last month, The Scottish Sun claimed that Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney would be open to a blockbuster return to Celtic on a loan basis; however, both parties would need to come to a significant compromise over wages and any fee for the agreement.

West Ham United could make a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to ExWHUEmployee.

The club would make the move if the other reported moves from the Belgian don't materialise.

What is the latest Romeo Lavia transfer news?

It looks increasingly likely that Lavia is going to depart Southampton in the coming days.

In recent hours, reports have emerged stating that Liverpool have had an opening bid of £37m rejected by the Saints for Lavia, with the South Coast side holding out for a fee closer to £50m due to the buyback clause inserted into the deal as well as the 20% sell on clause.

The Merseyside outfit are not the only side interested in the 19-year-old, with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City all registering an interest in the player following a fine first season in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old midfielder made 29 league appearances for Southampton last season and scored one goal, earning many plaudits from those in the media, with The Athletic journalist Jacob Tanswell naming the midfielder as his Southampton Player of the Year, whilst describing Lavia by saying "If Romeo Lavia walked under a bucket of water, he would emerge without a splash on his clothes."

The midfielder is also highly thought of by fellow Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne, who stated in an interview last year: "He [Lavia] is very good. He's been training with us since the end of last year. If he continues his development, I think he'll be a top player."

Speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, ExWHUEmployee stated that due to the club's willingness to pay £50m for Palhinha, should none of the aforementioned clubs sign Lavia, the Hammers could swoop in: "The situation with Romeo Lavia at Southampton is interesting. Now Liverpool didn’t bid £50m for him because they saw that as too much, but £50m is what we were prepared to pay for Palhinha, so it shows that we would be prepared to pay that for a defensive midfielder. He’s been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City and Liverpool, so he’s got a whole host of top clubs in for him however if none of those moves materialise he’s definitely someone we like, but someone we haven’t moved for because we thought he would go elsewhere, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on."

Would Romeo Lavia be a good Declan Rice replacement?

Lavia, who has been hailed as a "monster", shares a number of similarities to the former West Ham captain that would make him an interesting replacement.

Both have very similar passing completion percentages at 86%, whilst also sharing a quality when it comes to tackling, however where Rice excels at interceptions, Lavia instead excels at blocks. The England international is also statistically a much bigger threat in the final third whilst also being a better progresser of the ball in all phases of the game. However, this data is skewed due to the situations both players found themselves in, with Lavia playing in a much more defensive and lower quality side compared to West Ham.

Diving into the more advanced stats, you can see the similarities between the two and why the Belgian could be the ideal replacement. @SawkurGod on Twitter posted a graph showcasing the best duel winners under the age of 24 in the Premier League last year and Lavia was the closest competitor to Rice in that category, with Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo joining them in the elite tier. This shows that the quality is there and a better situation would allow the 19-year-old to truly kick on and showcase his talents consistently

Mitchell Starc will miss Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh in August due to injury, while left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe has been axed despite bowling Australia to victory with a 12-wicket haul against India in Pune earlier this year. Ashton Agar has been included as the second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon, with Jon Holland overlooked after piling up 50 Sheffield Shield wickets at 20.78 last summer.Allrounder Hilton Cartwright has been named in the 13-man squad and has the chance to add to the one Test cap he earned during Australia’s home summer, while Usman Khawaja has been included after being overlooked for all four Tests in India. In the absence of Starc, Australia’s pace attack will be made up of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, although a fourth fast bowler is set to be added after Australia A’s tour of South Africa.

Australia’s 13-man squad

Steven Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Matt Renshaw
In: Hilton Cartwright, James Pattinson
Out: Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Jackson Bird

“Mitchell was due to go for follow up scans after the Champions Trophy, as part of his recovery plan,” David Beakley, Australia’s team physio, said. “These scans have indicated his previous stress fracture has still not fully healed to the extent we would like.”He will now undertake a period of rest from bowling with the aim to have him return for the one-day series in India in late September as he begins his build up to the Ashes.”The omission of O’Keefe is a rapid fall for the left-arm spinner, who claimed 6 for 35 in each innings in Pune in February, and finished the series as Australia’s equal leading wicket-taker despite his impact diminishing as the tour wore on. Then in April, O’Keefe was fined and suspended by New South Wales for what were described as “highly inappropriate comments” at a Cricket NSW function.”Whilst Steve O’Keefe bowled well in Pune,” national selector Trevor Hohns said, “he did not maintain this level in the remaining matches of the series and we believe the timing is right for Ashton to enter the set-up and test his allrounder ability.”Ashton has continued to impress us with his form and we believe his bowling is at a level where he deserves to be playing on the highest stage. He will work nicely in tandem with Nathan Lyon and also brings a great all-round package to the team.”Hilton averages nearly 60 [52.07] runs in first-class cricket and was the second highest run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 861 runs. He is a quality player who we believe has a big future for Australia and we are very keen to see him carry on his good form in the sub-continent.”Although the tour schedule had not been officially announced, Cricket Australia said in releasing the squad details that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on August 18 and play a two-day tour game in Fatullah from August 22. The two Tests are set for August 27 in Dhaka and September 4 in Chittagong.Australia were supposed to tour Bangladesh in 2015 but after advice from the Federal Government, Cricket Australia announced the tour had been postponed due to security concerns. Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of team performance, said CA was currently satisfied with the security arrangements for the trip.”The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Government have provided satisfactory levels of assurance and security for this tour to proceed at this stage, and we’re very grateful to them for this,” Howard said. “We will continue to work with them to finalise plans but also monitor advice from government agencies and our own security advisors about the security risk.”Our number one priority will always be the safety and security of our players and support staff when travelling to any country. Players selected for this tour will continue to receive regular security status updates prior to travelling.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Brazilian gem Andre, as Julen Lopetegui eyes midfield upgrades this summer.

The Spaniard bid farewell to Portuguese duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves early in the window, with the task to replace them being an ongoing search.

Could Wolves sign Andre?

One man that could fill the void left by the duo is Fluminense midfielder Andre, who has been linked to Wolves by news outlets in Brazil.

As reported by Bolavip, relayed by Sport Witness, the Old Gold are ‘in the fight’ to sign the 22-year-old, who is valued at £35m by his club.

The Midlands club aren’t the only Premier League representatives in the race to capture the talent, with Fulham and Liverpool also listed as interested parties.

How good is Andre?

Previously lauded as a “serious talent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Andre could be the perfect addition to the side at Molineux in the absence of departed captain Neves.

The Portuguese midfielder departed for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, in a deal worth £47m, after spending six memorable years in Wolverhampton.

Lopetegui could finally fill the gap left by the 26-year-old in capturing the Brazilian, who has similar attributes to the former Wolves sensation.

Once described as a “deep-lying orchestrator” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Neves was recognised for his strengths in distribution in central midfield at Molineux, an area that is equally praised in Andre’s approach to play.

As per FBref, the midfielder maintained an average pass completion rate of 93.2% in the Brazilian Serie A, securing almost perfect numbers compared to the Portuguese gem’s 82.1% in the Premier League last season.

Averaging 6.31 passes into the final third, the Fluminense whizz could replicate the level of performance on show at Molineux by Neves, who averaged 6.02 final third passes per 90 last term.

While the 22-year-old is a competent passer, the most prominent area to his game is his defensive approach, standing as a combative figure in the engine room.

Once tipped to become Brazil’s “next best defensive midfielder” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, the enforcing presence of Andre could make him an assured asset for Lopetegui to add to his team.

The praise is supported through his numbers, where he averaged 3.66 tackles and interceptions per 90 in Serie A and made an average of 7.09 ball recoveries in midfield per 90, via FBref.

Based on these figures, the young midfielder drew more fouls than he committed for Fluminense this year, highlighting the controlled nature of his game paired with the energy he exerts in the middle of the park.

A player eager to be involved in play, Andre averaged a huge 84.55 touches per 90 in the league last season, conveying the influence he could bring to Molineux at a time that calls for a midfield rebuild ahead of the new campaign.

In signing the Brazilian, Wolves could identify the perfect player to take the place of Neves, in a talent that displays strengths in abundance similar to that of the departed skipper.

Leeds United have hired Gretar Steinsson as their new technical director and his appointment could be 'influential' at Elland Road, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Gretar Steinsson?

Steinsson has recently taken up the post of technical director at Leeds United and has previously worked in various roles across spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, AZ Alkmaar and Fleetwood Town, as per Transfermarkt.

The former Iceland international is now charged with the task of utilising his expertise to help Leeds United recruit players this summer as they gear up for Sky Bet Championship this term.

Ethan Ampadu has become the first signing of the Daniel Farke era at Elland Road, having joined for £7 million from Chelsea plus add-ons, as per BBC Sport.

Wales international Ampadu has spoken of his desire to work with Farke in an interview cited by the Yorkshire Evening Post, stating: "When I spoke to him he told me his style of play, obviously I was aware of his style of play, and he told me what he thinks I can do. But he also told me some things he thinks that I can work on. As a player, you don't always get told that, but I like that. He sees me, he can see my potential and I thought he'd be good to work with. It's something that excited me."

Departures have been a common theme of the Whites' transfer dealings so far, with Rodrigo Moreno, Robin Koch, Tyler Roberts, Joel Robles, Brendan Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Adam Forshaw all leaving either on loan or permanently.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano thinks that Steinsson is set to play a pivotal role in Leeds United's recruitment looking forward.

Romano stated: “Yeah, I’m sure also because now they have Gretar Steinsson as new director, who will be one of the people who gets to be influential at the club joining after his experiences at Everton and Tottenham, so they will have someone else who’s going to help bring in new players.

“And yes, the idea is to sign more players. For sure, the Ampadu deal is done, it will include the sell-on clause for Chelsea."

Who else could Leeds United sign this summer?

Leeds United have been linked with several players as they aim to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt in 2023/24 following their relegation.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is being monitored by Leeds United as a potential recruit this summer.

Former Leeds United defender Sam Byram is on trial at Leeds United after leaving Norwich City upon the expiration of his contract last term and will bid to win a permanent deal at Elland Road, as per Football Insider.

Last week, Romano also revealed that Leeds United are keen on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut, stating on Twitter: "Excl: Leeds United are among several clubs interested in Edouard Michut from Paris Saint-Germain. Deal will depend on conditions decided by PSG in the coming days."

Uruguayan outlet Torcedores via TEAMTalk report that Leeds United have made contact with Palmeiras over full-back Joaquin Piquerez as Farke looks to bolster his backline this window.

West Ham United have seemingly made bringing in a central midfielder or two their top priority in the remainder of the transfer window after sanctioning Declan Rice's £100m-plus move to Arsenal.

The Europa Conference League winners have been slow off the mark so far in terms of incoming activity, but David Moyes looks set to replenish his squad in the coming weeks.

Who could replace Declan Rice?

It is no coincidence that West Ham have been linked with a number of central midfielders over the past month or so, including the likes of Joao Palhinha, James Ward-Prowse and Denis Zakaria.

United have made an approach for Ajax ace Edson Alvarez, according to The Athletic, while The Independent reports that the east London side are now ready to step up their interest in Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

West Ham have plenty of money to spend following Rice's exit – although that will not necessarily be a good thing when it comes to negotiating with other clubs – but it will take a fee in the region of £50m to prise McTominay away from Old Trafford.

What kind of player is Scott McTominay?

McTominay has spent six seasons as a first-team regular for Man United and featured 39 times in all competitions last season, albeit starting just 16 of those matches.

The Scotland international's stock has fallen somewhat, with last season the first time since 2019-20 he made fewer than 30 appearances in the Premier League.

However, McTominay still showed what he is capable of when called upon, especially in terms of the defensive aspects of the game. The 26-year-old averaged 3.12 clearances per 90 and won 2.84 aerials per 90, as per FBref, which ranks him among the top 1% and 2% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues respectively.

The 6 foot 4 brute also added goals to his game in the second half of the season, scoring six times in his final 11 outings for club and country, though all but one of those goals came for Scotland.

The Lancaster native was given more of a licence to get forward by Scotland boss Steve Clarke, which may also be the case under his compatriot, Moyes at the London Stadium.

Should the Irons also get a deal over the line for Alvarez, it could provide United with a dream central-midfield partnership. Alvarez himself thrives in the defensive side of the game, but he is also capable of keeping things ticking over.

Indeed, the Mexico international ranked ninth in the whole of Eredivisie last season for passes completed per 90 (74.5) and fifth for pass-completion percentage (88.7).

Assuming Moyes sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation favoured throughout last season, Alvarez and McTominay could sit in front of the back four, with the latter given a little more freedom to carry the ball forward.

For while McTominay's stock has fallen over the past season or so, it was less than three years ago he was being described as a "physical monster" by then-United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Should West Ham follow up their initial interest in McTominay, they will have the opportunity to unleash the 'monster' in what could be an exciting new-look midfield this coming season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui will eye 'something a little bit different' in the forward positions as he looks to recruit some quality ahead of this term commencing, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Which forward players have Wolverhampton Wanderers been linked with this window?

Wolves have been linked with a plethora of players this window as Lopetegui kicks his transfer proactivity into gear at Molineux with the start of the new Premier League campaign now on the horizon.

Last month, Marca reported that former Chelsea forward Joao Felix wouldn't close the door on a move to Premier League side outwith the elite clubs in the division. Wolves were cited as a potential destination alongside the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Football Insider claim that the Old Gold are 'closing in' on bringing Bristol City playmaker Alex Scott to Molineux and will submit a third bid for the Guerney-born man following two initial offers being rejected for his services, with the second offer believed to be in the region of £20 million.

The report states that Bournemouth are also keen on the 19-year-old, though Wolves have the 'upper hand' over the Cherries as they try to secure the services of the England Under-20 cap.

Lopetegui has already started to get to work on new additions this window and has completed the signings of experienced goalkeeper Tom King and Matt Doherty.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Lopetegui will aim to sign someone who can offer something 'different' in the final third.

Jones told FFC: "I reckon that Wolves might look to do something smart in terms of a forward signing and I think they might go dig into a league that offers better value. It might even be Portugal, to be honest, but somebody that's going to offer them something a little bit different and that could be another gem."

Who should Wolverhampton Wanderers look to recruit in the forward areas?

Even though it would be an extremely difficult deal to pull off, bringing someone like Atletico Madrid forward Felix to the club and utilising all available connections to make that happen would definitely offer Wolves some much-needed variety in the final third.

His time at Chelsea was short and uninspiring for sure; however, the 23-year-old has notched 56 goals and 24 assists in 184 club career matches and would be a statement signing at Molineux, as per FBRef.

Even in his disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge, Felix carried a clear goal threat and willingness to bypass his marker with regularity, recording 2.9 shots and 1.4 completed dribbles per match in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.

Nevertheless, it could be a more likely scenario for Felix to join Catalan giants Barcelona this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who stated on his YouTube channel quoted via METRO: "Now it’s really important to mention that Joao Felix, in a direct conversation I just had a few minutes ago, told me: ‘I want to go to Barcelona’. Joao Felix told me this very clear statement, he added that Barcelona is the biggest dream of his life since he was a kid and it’s his first choice on the market. These are the words from Joao Felix, he added at the end of the conversation that if this happens it would be a dream come true."

In the next few weeks, we will get a clearer picture of where Wolves' transfer priorities lie as Lopetegui streamlines his squad between now and the close of play in the market.