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Liverpool are interested in making a move for emerging Saint-Etienne centre-back Saidou Sow this summer, according to a new transfer report.

The Lowdown: Sow impresses in France

The 19-year-old is still very much a work in progress but he is already making a name for himself in France, following some impressive performances for his current club.

6 foot 1 Sow made 13 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, 11 of which were starts, and he averaged 2.2 aerial duel wins and tackles apiece per game.

The Guinean’s current Saint-Etienne deal doesn’t expire until 2025 but that hasn’t stopped Liverpool from expressing an interest.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on move

While all the attention this week is on the interest in Darwin Nunez, according to L’Equipe [via Sport Witness], Reds officials are also ‘watching’ Sow and have even sent scouts to watch him on international duty.

The youngster came up against Mohamed Salah’s Egypt in the game in which Liverpool ’emissaries’ were watching him, as the latter won 1-0.

It is claimed that his compatriot Naby Keita urged the club to have a look at him, ahead of a potential move.

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The Verdict: Gomez replacement?

Sow looks like a player with bags of potential and he could be a strong option to come in as a fourth-choice centre-back, especially if Joe Gomez leaves this summer.

Gomez has been strongly linked with a move to join Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa in search of more regular playing time ahead of this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The teenager would have to accept that he is behind Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip in the pecking order but he could still get chances to shine in domestic cups.

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Eventually, Sow could mature into more of a regular, with Van Dijk and Matip in their 30s now and Konate possibly needing a new partner one day.

In other news, James Pearce loves a piece of Liverpool transfer news. Read more here.

West Ham have regularly been linked with a move for Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic in recent years, and if he were to join David Moyes’ side this summer, he could be their very own Harry Kane.

It was reported earlier this week that the Serbian striker is set to leave Real Madrid following their Champions League success, and given their long-standing interest in him, West Ham could be the ones to take advantage.

While his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu hasn’t gone to plan, he has been behind one of the greatest strikers of this generation in Karim Benzema, and his previous form at Eintracht Frankfurt suggests that he could be a huge success in the Premier League.

Since joining Los Blancos from the Bundesliga side in 2019, Jovic has appeared just 51 times for Madrid, contributing three goals and five assists.

However, with regular game time, there seems no reason why the Serbia international couldn’t rediscover the form he showed at Frankfurt in the 2018/19 season when he managed 27 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

There is little doubt that the Hammers need a striker to compete with Michail Antonio next season and Jovic could be the goal-poacher that Moyes’ side have arguably lacked in recent seasons, with Jarrod Bowen finishing as the top scorer in the Premier League with just 12.

FBref suggests that Jovic, who reportedly earns £152k per week at Madrid, has a very similar style of play to Kane, and if he were to even come close to the England captain’s performances for Tottenham Hotspur in recent seasons, then the Hammers would have a very good player on their hands.

Kane contributed 37 goals and 11 assists for Spurs last season and while he is still a deadly finisher in the box, some of his best work came from deep, where he would pick up the ball and dictate the play, regularly assisting teammate Heung-Min Son.

The Real Madrid man scores extremely impressively in terms of shots, assists and goal-creating actions, which suggests that he is far more than just a goalscorer and would offer Jovic a very different option in Moyes’ side next season.

Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri labelled Jovic “dangerous” ahead of a game against Frankfurt in 2019, and if he can find his feet at West Ham after a difficult spell with Real Madrid, the 24-year-old could become as talismanic for the Hammers as Kane is for their London rivals.

And, in other news… In talks: West Ham now in “final stages” of £34m deal, he’s David Moyes’ dream signing

Richarlison has been linked with a move away from Everton for months following a disappointing season at Goodison Park, however, a new update has emerged on the Brazilian’s future.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports Italy journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Real Madrid are not interested in signing Richarlison this summer.

This comes as a big twist to the tale following widespread reports that the Spanish side were indeed hoping to sign him over the summer months.

Di Marzio now claims that after Los Blancos lost out on Kylian Mbappe, they currently have no plans to take on another winger this summer after sporting director José Angel Sanchez and owner Florentino Perez held a meeting to discuss the transfer window strategy moving forward.

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt the news that Real Madrid have cooled their interest in Richarlison will delight supporters as he has been crucial for the Toffees in one of their most difficult seasons to date and has become a fan favourite at the club.

Despite the relegation worries throughout the season, the 25-year-old stepped up when it really mattered for Everton, scoring six of his ten Premier League goals in his last ten appearances making him the top goal contributor for the Toffees in 2021/22.

The Brazilian’s goals and assists this season compared to the players around him has ultimately saved the club from a spell in the Championship next season, something that supporters will be massively grateful for and it would be hard for fans to see him go after delivering impressive performances when it mattered most.

Richarlison has been a big hit at Goodison Park since he arrived in 2018, and has been one of the very few transfers that have worked out for Farhad Moshiri, scoring 53 goals and delivering 14 assists in his 152 appearances, so losing him this summer would be a huge loss and it would take a lot of work to replace a consistent goal threat of his quality.

With that being said, Real Madrid are not the only club that have reported interest in signing the attacker ahead of next season with Manchester United already making an approach to sign him last month. Therefore, Frank Lampard will need to do everything to convince the star to stay on Merseyside next term.

AND in other news: Everton still face uncertainty over £18m-rated “rock” who Lampard can’t afford to lose

West Bromwich Albion suffered a disappointing first season back in the Championship following relegation from the Premier League, and Steve Bruce is on a mission to get the Baggies back where they belong.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Express & Star, the Baggies boss has made his intentions clear when it comes to the summer transfer window, and big changes are ahead at The Hawthorns.

Bruce revealed: “I think we all understand we weren’t good enough.

“We are in this position. We have to try and generate some income, we won’t be awash with money that is for sure.

“I have got to wheel and deal and beg, borrow and steal and if I have to sell one to make the squad bigger or better then I will do that.

“There is change in the air. There has to be. I think the time is right.”

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that supporters will want to see change this summer after the side fell from competing for an automatic promotion spot in the first half of the season to finishing tenth and the fact that Bruce is ready to address these problems and work on improving the squad this summer will excite supporters.

In terms of having what it takes to compete for promotion back into the Premier League next season, West Brom must score more goals as both Bournemouth and Fulham netted far more than the Baggies.

In fact, Marco Silva’s side scored over twice as many this term, and to compete next campaign Bruce must find a way for his team to finish more of their opportunities.

West Brom missed more chances than they scored this season with the fifth most chances missed in the Championship, scoring 52 times and missing 58 opportunities over the season, so the manager will need to identify ways to improve and find players that can be more clinical in front of goal.

With that being said, the club and the boss need to act fast and smart because they will need players to come into the team to make an instant impact and positively influence the team into a better position next season.

AND in other news: Forget Carroll: Bruce must do everything to sign “proven” £37k-p/w, West Brom need him

Sporting Lisbon will reportedly now ‘open talks’ with Everton to bring in Joao Virginia on loan again for next season.

The Lowdown: Lack of game-time

Virginia was sent out on loan to Sporting at the start of the campaign, but has only played in eight matches in total over all competitions.

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Now that the Goodison Park faithful have secured their safety in the Premier League, they will not be under as much pressure to sell England number one Jordan Pickford, so one would have to question whether Virginia would want to play second fiddle to the 28-year-old.

The Latest: Another loan?

As per Record (via Sport Witness), Sporting are now set to ‘open talks’ with the Merseyside club as early as next week to sign Virginia on loan once more.

There is a buyout clause of €5m (£4.2m) to sign him on a permanent deal, but the Portuguese outfit have deemed that price to be ‘excessive’.

The Verdict: Sell

Given his lack of game-time at Sporting this term, another loan for Virginia to the same club does not seem sensible from the Toffees’ point of view.

Having rarely featured for the senior team, they would surely want the goalkeeper to gain more experience in order to eventually challenge Pickford’s spot in net.

However, at 22 years of age, the 6 foot 3 colossus who David Unsworth once dubbed ‘unbelievable‘ surely needs to be moved on now, and the Blues should be looking to get as much money as possible from his sale.

In other news, find out what ‘significant breaking news’ from Sky Sports has now emerged involving EFC here!

West Bromwich Albion will release Romaine Sawyers once his contract expires in July, according to a report from the Express & Star. 

The lowdown: Surplus to requirements

Having previously been a mainstay under Slaven Bilic, the midfielder – who was a product of the Baggies’ youth system before undergoing multiple transfers – saw a dramatic reduction in game-time in the latter half of last season with Sam Allardyce in The Hawthorns hot seat.

The 30-year-old spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Stoke, where he directly contributed to seven goals in 29 outings.

Instead of returning to Albion, though, it appears that the St Kitts & Nevis international will be free to seek pastures new and find a home elsewhere…

The latest: West Brom won’t keep Sawyers

As per the Express & Star, West Brom manager Steve Bruce has chosen not to extend Sawyers’ stay with the Baggies.

It’s claimed that there was an option to add a further 12 months to the 30-cap midfielder’s contract, but the club have decided against triggering the clause.

The report added that The Hawthorns hierarchy would ‘rather spend the money needed’ in order to keep Sawyers at the club on adding fresh faces to the squad, with Reading’s John Swift cited as a potential target.

The verdict: Bruce missing a trick

While the Baggies academy graduate has failed to pull up any trees since returning to The Hawthorns in 2019, scoring just once and providing one assist in 64 appearances, Sawyers still remains an impressive Championship operator and therefore would’ve been of use to Bruce’s ranks without the requirement of a transfer fee.

During the recently completed season, the 30-year-old – who was once hailed as an ‘unbelievable technician’ by former West Brom academy coach Jimmy Shan – earned a 6.72 Sofascore rating whilst completing 32.1 accurate passes and 0.4 successful dribbles and winning 2.3 duels per game, having made 19 Championship starts.

Sawyers may no longer be a surefire starter at a Championship club with aspirations of promotion, but Bruce may yet live to regret not retaining his services for at least another 12 months.

In other news: Sawyers isn’t the only player who looks like he’ll be exiting West Brom this summer

Rangers chief Ross Wilson was active throughout the January transfer window as he brought in a host of players to bolster Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad.

The Gers signed James Sands, Amad Diallo and Aaron Ramsey on loan, whilst also sealing a permanent swoop for Mateusz Zukowski and a pre-contract deal with Hearts centre-back John Souttar.

One player who has struggled to perform on a consistent basis since arriving in Glasgow in January has been Ivorian, Diallo.

The 19-year-old winger joined on a temporary basis from Premier League giants Manchester United and made the perfect start to his career in Scotland as he scored on his Premiership debut against Ross County.

He then went on a run of six straight appearances for the club without registering a goal or assist and was an unused substitute on 13 occasions. Van Bronckhorst rarely used him between February and April and his lack of game time illustrates how poorly the majority of his time at the club has been.

Heading into May, Rangers fans – and the Dutch head coach – may have been looking forward to saying goodbye to him at the end of the season. However, a late burst of form from the attacker has shown that he does have the potential to explode in Glasgow.

In his last three appearances for the Gers, Diallo scored two goals, provided five key passes, and completed eight dribbles in the Premiership. He has been exciting to watch with his direct, forward-thinking, play in the front three and the supporters may now be rethinking their opinions on him.

His former Manchester United teammate Dan James previously lauded his “unbelievable feet” and claimed that he is “like Messi” in the way that players have to kick him to stop him, with the winger now showing why he is so highly-rated south of the border.

This burst of quality suggests that he has finally found his feet in Scotland and that is why van Bronckhorst must now swoop to bring him back for another spell at the club. Imagine how good he could be with a full pre-season and half-a-season of Premiership experience under his belt heading into 2022/23.

Therefore, the Gers coach can light up Ibrox next season by signing Diallo on another loan deal as the attacker has the potential to explode and become a huge player for the club if he can find consistency in his performances – as he has of late.

AND in other news, Teaser: Early Rangers UEL team news hint emerges that’ll excite supporters…

Aston Villa have held further talks with Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara ahead of a potential move to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the story?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that progress has been made in Villa’s pursuit of the 22-year-old who will leave the Ligue 1 outfit as a free agent this summer.

However, it is believed that Atletico Madrid are also interested in the Frenchman, who was watched by manager Steven Gerrard and members of his staff against Nantes last month.

With the 41-year-old set to take charge of his first summer transfer window as Villa boss, there’s no doubt that Gerrard will be eyeing an overhaul as the Englishman looks to recruit his own targets with Kamara now looking likely to be the first addition this window.

Supporters will be delighted

With the likes of Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba and Carney Chukwuemeka, Villa are already pretty stacked in central midfield.

However, none of those players were brought in by Gerrard, who will be keen to finally have the chance to purchase his own targets.

Granted, Ramsey has particularly impressed the Villa boss who backed the 20-year-old for an England call-up. Although Nakamba has missed a significant chunk of the season through injury which could spell the end of his tenure at Villa Park.

As for the others, the arrival of Kamara will certainly bring pressure to improve with the 22-year-old certainly a bright prospect.

In Ligue 1 this term, the defensive midfielder has averaged a whopping 82.4 touches per game whilst completing 63.2 passes a match at an impressive 91% accuracy.

Moreover, the Frenchman averages 1.4 interceptions, two tackles and 1.1 clearances a match, emphasising why there is serious interest in the 22-year-old.

To put those statistics into perspective, Luiz has averaged 54.8 touches a game in the Premier League this campaign whilst completing just over half of the passes of Kamara with 35.1 at an 86% accuracy.

Furthermore, from a defensive perspective, the 23-year-old provides one interception, 1.8 tackles and 0.6 clearances a match.

Claimed to be a “phenomenon” by former teammate Rolando, the £22.5m-rated midfielder is certainly an exciting prospect and, as a free agent too, it will undoubtedly be a transfer that Villa supporters will love.

AND in other news, Lange now plotting AVFC bid for “brilliant” £15m destroyer, could be bye-bye Sanson…

Arsenal have sent out scouts to watch Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in action, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The Frenchman still has three years remaining on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit, but he’s been the standout performer in what can only be described as a disappointing start to the season for Gerardo Seoane’s side.

Several Premier League clubs have picked up on the 23-year-old’s impressive displays, with the Gunners having expressed an interest in signing him over the summer.

No deal ever came to fruition before the deadline, but it appears that Edu has again stepped up his pursuit of the talent and is keen to bring him to the Emirates.

The Latest: Arsenal scout Diaby

According to 90min, Arsenal ‘representatives’ were ‘in attendance’ to watch Diaby during Bayer’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek.

It’s stated that the Gunners hold a ‘long-standing interest’ in the forward, and were ‘impressed’ by his performance under the European lights.

Officials from Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Newcastle United were also there to overlook him.

The Verdict: Get it done…

It’s common knowledge that Mikel Arteta has made it his priority to sign a new winger in January, and Diaby is the profile of player that would flourish under his guidance.

The Paris-born ace, dubbed ‘electric’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, netted an outstanding 17 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions last season (Transfermarkt), showing how prolific he can be in the final third.

Glasgow Rangers have endured a difficult start to the 2022/23 campaign domestically and in Europe under manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The Gers are currently second in the Premiership and have already been beaten 3-0 by their arch-rivals in the first Old Firm clash of the season.

They did enjoy a sublime start to their European campaign by qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, beating PSV 3-2 on aggregate in the play-off.

However, they have lost 4-0 to both Napoli and Ajax in their first two group matches and they now face a double-header against Liverpool, who made the final of the competition last term.

Van Bronckhorst was backed in the summer transfer window as Ross Wilson brought in a host of new signings to bolster the starting XI.

Among their fresh arrivals, Rangers signed two centre-backs to improve their options at the heart of the backline. They allowed Leon Balogun to depart on a free transfer and snapped up Ben Davies from Liverpool and John Souttar from Hearts on permanent deals.

After signing the latter, a Scotland international, it was reported that the club were in a “strong position” to sign Danilho Doekhi on a Bosman.

Instead of ending up at Ibrox, the defender secured a free transfer to Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin after his contract at Vitesse came to an end.

Rangers may now regret failing to snap the 24-year-old up as he is an impressive and young central defender who could have been an excellent addition to the squad.

Thomas Letsch, his former coach, previously heaped praise on him, saying:

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

The Union Berlin man has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.25 in the Bundesliga this season, making 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 57% of his duels. He also received a rating of 7.4 in his first Europa League appearance, making 6.0 tackles and interceptions combined and winning 80% of his battles.

This comes after he managed a rating of 7.03 in the Eredivisie for Vitesse last term across 29 appearances, which shows that he is capable of delivering consistently impressive displays.

Meanwhile, Davies has struggled with injuries and has only played once in the Premiership this term, recording a SofaScore rating of 6.90.

If the trend of this season continues and the Welshman is unable to get himself off and running, whilst Doekhi catches the eye in Germany, then Rangers may regret their actions over the summer.