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Celtic are ready to sanction the departure of central defender Christopher Jullien, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: Injury woes

Signed for a reported £7million from Toulouse in 2019 (BBC), Jullien had been a superb servant to the Hoops since arriving in Glasgow.

The 29-year-old was a leading figure in the side that won a memorable domestic treble in 2019/20 before a wretched run of injuries curtailed his career at Celtic Park.

Despite returning to fitness recently, Jullien is some way behind Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt as Ange Postecoglou’s preferred centre-back partnership and as such a move away could now be imminent…

The latest: ‘Flown out’

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that the Frenchman is finalising a move to Schalke.

He stated: “Schalke are set to sign Christopher Jullien from Celtic. Done deal and medical ongoing right now – gonna be loan deal with buy option included. Contract to be signed later today, right after medical tests.”

The 6 foot 3 giant, who was once hailed by journalist Josh Bunting for an ‘outstanding’ display against Lazio in 2019 in which he won seven aerial duels, made three interceptions and 12 clearances (Sofascore) could seemingly be confirmed as a Schalke player within a matter of hours.

The verdict: Right time

Albeit Jullien certainly still has plenty to offer at the top level – Bunting wasn’t the only fan of his – as things stand Celtic cannot offer the regularity of action that the Frenchman desires and should instead be looking towards Lennoxtowan and academy graduates such as Stephen Welsh to take a step up in their development next season.

Still valued at £4.05million and in the final 12 months of a deal at Parkhead (Transfermarkt), the Hoops’ hierarchy will be hoping to recoup a decent chunk of their initial outlay by agreeing a loan-to-buy fee now rather than losing him for free next year.

Furthermore, a senior member of the Bhoys squad, Jullien’s seemingly imminent departure will free up an additional £20,000 per week from the wage bill (Salary Sport), an important factor given the ever-rising costs of attracting such high calibre players as Carter-Vickers and Jota this summer.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) have reportedly now made ‘contact’ over the possible signing of Armando Broja for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: More incomings?

It was reported on Friday evening that the St. James’ Park outfit have agreed a deal to sign Sven Botman, who is now expected to join from Lille once he agrees personal terms.

After already signing Matt Targett and Nick Pope, it seems as if they are not done there in terms of their summer business, with a striker next up on the agenda going by recent reports.

The Latest: Broja ‘contact’

Taking to Twitter, Magpies journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the North East club have now made ‘contact’ over the possibility of signing Broja from Chelsea, as they start to line up potential alternatives to Reims striker Hugo Ekitike:

“NUFC have had contact with Chelsea over Armando Broja as they start to line up alternatives to Hugo Ekitike. Ekitike deal not dead, but there’s real frustration at the way things have stalled completely this week…”

The Verdict: Good alternative

If the Tynesiders cannot get a deal for Ekitike over the line, then Broja would certainly be a good alternative.

Hailed as a ‘dangerous‘ player by Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl while on loan at them last season, and someone who has ‘incredible pace and strength‘ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the six-foot-three colossus has everything needed to be a top striker in the modern game.

At just 20 years of age, Broja managed to score a total of nine goals while on loan at the Saints last term, and so the Albania international no doubt has a bright future ahead of him.

Sky Sports and North East reporter Keith Downie has confirmed that Newcastle United are now ‘keen’ to sign Nick Pope this summer.

The Lowdown: Five signings?

The Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards recently revealed that the St. James’ Park outfit want to sign up to five new players this window, having already secured the permanent signing of left-back Matt Targett from Aston Villa.

They will now set their focus on other areas of the pitch, and given recent links to the likes of Alphonse Areola, it seems as if a new goalkeeper is being targeted to replace Martin Dubravka in net.

The Latest: Pope interest

Taking to Twitter, Downie has revealed that the Tyneside club are now ‘keen’ to sign Pope, who is ‘likely’ to leave Burnley:

“Newcastle keen on England goalkeeper Nick Pope, who is likely to leave Burnley following their relegation…”

The Verdict: Bargain?

Given the Clarets’ relegation from the Premier League, Pope could be available for a cut price. Despite their relegation however, the six-foot-six giant was hardly to blame, as fellow teammate Ashley Barnes hailed his ‘outstanding‘ performances towards the end of the season.

In fact, the England international was the second-best performing goalkeeper in the division after Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson (WhoScored), and will no doubt want a move back up to the Premier League in order to stay on Gareth Southgate’s plans ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Pope actually shares the same agent as three Magpies players, and so this could further help push a deal through.

In other news, find out which ‘deadly’ colossus NUFC now ‘like’ here!

It’s the news that all Liverpool fans have been waiting for, as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has given his much-anticipated thumbs up regarding the Reds’ move for Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

Writing on Twitter, the respected journalist gave the all-important “here we go” announcement to all but confirm the 22-year-old’s switch from Benfica to Anfield, with the suggestion that the Premier League outfit are set for a “meeting” on Sunday morning.

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After weeks of speculation, it would appear that Jurgen Klopp is now nailed on to get his man, as Romano revealed that: “Liverpool are now closing on Darwin Núñez deal, here we go! Meeting in the morning with verbal agreement in place between Liverpool & Benfica, just waiting to sign. €80m plus €20m add ons fee.

“Liverpool are preparing paperworks. Five year contract, already agreed.”

That deal would likely see the Uruguayan become the Merseysiders record signing, surpassing the £75m paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018, with the club seemingly having won the race for the striker’s signature ahead of bitter rivals, Manchester United.

Supporters will love it

That latest update will be music to the ears of the club’s supporters, with it now looking as if the £31k-per-week marksman will be a Liverpool player next term, adding further firepower to an already star-studded forward line.

Having seen long-time title rivals Manchester City move swiftly and decisively to secure the signing of Borussia Dortmund machine Erling Haaland, Klopp and co are set to hit back with their own statement, early addition, with Nunez potentially set to soften the blow of the impending departure of Sadio Mane.

Even with the Senegal international potentially heading for the exit door, the FA Cup winners still have the likes of Diogo Jota, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and January arrival Luis Diaz in tow, making them firm contenders to challenge for major honours again next term.

Throw Nunez into that mix and not only will the Champions League finalists have even further depth, but they will also have the out-and-out centre forward that some quarters have been crying out for in recent years, even though they have enjoyed success without one.

There may be concerns at spending such a hefty fee on a player who has largely enjoyed only one standout campaign in his senior career thus far, although his prolific form in that most recent season illustrates that the Anfield outfit will have a real talent on their hands.

The £49.5m-rated predator hit 34 goals in all competitions in what was a stellar 2021/22 campaign for the Portuguese side, notably netting twice against the Reds in the Champions League quarter-finals to catch the attention of what look set to be his future employers.

The one-time Almeria youngster showed in that two-legged clash that he can be a real handful for even a usually watertight defence – Klopp’s men having only shipped 26 goals in the league last term – with hopes that he can be the man to end City’s title dominance in the coming years.

Supporters will no doubt be praying that Nunez can be the difference-maker next term as Liverpool plot to usurp Pep Guardiola’s relentless side at the summit.

IN other news, Klopp now plotting Liverpool bid for “dangerous” £34m talent, just imagine him & Nunez

Everton have already been linked with a number of players this summer as Frank Lampard sets out to improve the squad following a disappointing Premier League season, and now a reliable source has revealed a new potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees have joined the race to sign Montpellier winger Stephy Mavididi.

The Italian journalist tweeted: “Stephy Mavididi could leave Montpellier this summer. Many clubs have approached his agents including West Ham, Brighton, Southampton, Everton and OM. Deal still at early stages but there are good chances for Mavididi to make his move in the coming weeks.”

Mavididi would be a huge coup for Everton

Everton are in desperate need of improvement after they narrowly avoided their first-ever Premier League relegation with a win in the penultimate game of the season, so supporters will be excited that the club is working to identify players who can add depth and quality to the squad.

Mavididi has been a consistent attacking threat for Montpellier in Ligue 1 this season, scoring eight goals, delivering three assists and creating four big chances for his team over his 30 league appearances.

For comparison, only Richarlison hit more than five league goals for Everton in 2021/22, so Mavididi could give Lampard’s side much greater potency judging by his goal return in the French top flight.

The former Arsenal loanee has received high praise from his idol Thierry Henry in recent months, with the Gunners legend saying of the 24-year-old on commentary for Amazon (via The Score): “What I’ve always liked about Stephy Mavididi is that he’s a hard-working player who closes (opponents) down.

“He’s always in the right place. What was missing was finishing — whether to give the ball or to score — but now he’s brought that to his game.”

With that in mind, the £20m-valued ace could be a great prospective addition to the squad at Goodison Park. As above, he is renowned as a hard-working forward who is capable of delivering plenty of goalscoring opportunities from centre-forward or out wide.

However, Farhad Moshiri will need to act fast if he does want to secure Mavididi’s signature this summer, as the 24-year-old has a number of clubs interested in making a move for him. If the Everton chief can pull it off, it has the makings of a real coup for the Toffees.

AND in other news – No-brainer: Moshiri must seal bargain Everton swoop for “very strong” £73k-p/w leader

Sunderland have reportedly now registered an ‘interest’ in signing Josh Murphy on a free transfer.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Murphy is out of contract at Cardiff City at the end of the month, meaning that he can leave as a free agent once it expires.

He spent the majority of last season on loan at fellow Championship side Preston North End, where he played 12 times in the division.

The Latest: ‘Interest’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Darren Witcoop of Reach PLC has revealed that the Stadium of Light outfit have now registered their ‘interest’ in signing Murphy, while they also remain interested in both Dion Sanderson and John Ruddy:

“Sunderland have registered their interest in signing winger Josh Murphy, who is available on a free. Alex Neil worked with Murphy at Norwich and is a big fan. Interest in Wolves defender Dion Sanderson and keeper John Ruddy as reported elsewhere remains.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Even though he can be signed for no transfer fee, Murphy is likely to demand a lot in wages to sign for the Black Cats.

He currently earns £25,000-per-week at Cardiff, more than any player on Wearside, and so they could have a problem in terms of trying not to break their wage structure.

The winger is not exactly the most prolific either, having managed just one goal and no assists in 14 games in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Murphy is a player that they should be avoiding as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

In other news, find out what big SAFC deal is now ‘moving closer’ here!

A huge Sunderland development has emerged on Anthony Patterson heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Black Cats are expected to hold talks with the shot-stopper as they want to secure his future at the club with a new contract.

The report claims that they want him to put pen to paper on a long-term extension and will hand him a pay rise as he is currently on ‘low wages’ with one year left on his deal.

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will surely be buzzing with this news as keeping hold of Patterson would be a huge boost heading into the 2022/23 Championship campaign.

He spent the first half of the season behind Hoffmann in the pecking order between the sticks and went out on loan to Notts County for a short spell as he looked to gain first-team experience.

The youngster then came back and grasped his opportunity with both hands as he nailed down his position as the number one in the final few months of 2021/22.

Patterson ended the League One season with 23 appearances under his belt and kept an impressive ten clean sheets as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88. He was able to turn in consistently solid displays in goal as he did not make a single error directly leading to a shot or goal.

Hoffmann, meanwhile, kept eight shutouts in 23 games and averaged a score of 6.82 – making one error directly leading to a goal. This shows that the youngster was able to improve the team by replacing the German as he averaged a higher rating and made fewer mistakes.

His final game of the campaign epitomised his spell in the team as he produced a mature, quality, performance in the play-off final against Wycombe.

As per SofaScore, he saved all three of the shots on his goal, completed one successful punch and two high claims from crosses as he earned a rating of 7.5.

At the age of 22, he has the potential to get better and better over the years and that is why pinning him down to a long-term contract would be a brilliant deal for the club. He has shown that he can excel in the third tier and he now looks set to get the chance to showcase his quality in the Championship next season.

Therefore, keeping him will be a big boost due to his scope for development and fans will be buzzing to see him putting pen to paper on a contract extension for that very reason.

AND in other news, “Will have a conversation..”: Major SAFC transfer update emerges that’ll excite Neil…

Sunderland winger Aiden McGeady has admitted that it is likely that he leaves the club this summer.

The Lowdown: McGeady’s Sunderland career

Since joining the North-East club in 2017, the Ireland international has amassed 149 appearances in a Sunderland shirt, scoring 36 goals and producing 34 assists over the five-year period.

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The 36-year-old was named on the bench for the Black Cats on Saturday as Alex Neil’s side defeated Wycombe 2-0 at Wembley to seal promotion to the Championship.

With his contract set to expire this summer, the play-off final may have been McGeady’s last chance of playing for the Tyne and Wear club.

The Latest: McGeady and Gooch to leave?

After Sunderland’s victory over Wycombe, McGeady spoke in an interview about his future as a footballer.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, he said: “I didn’t play but it was good to be a part of it. It is probably only me and Gooch who were here from the first play-off final. It was good to be a part of it.”

When asked if he would remain at Sunderland, McGeady added: “I honestly don’t know. I still want to play. I’m going to carry on playing. I just don’t know where it will be.

“I doubt it will be here but I have enjoyed my time here. If it has come to end then so be it.

“I have enjoyed it here massively. Hence why I’ve stayed for so long.”

This comes after Lynden Gooch also revealed he is open to leaving the club this summer.

The Verdict: Great servant

Having recently struggled with injuries, McGeady featured just 14 times in League One this season.

Despite this, the Irishman remains a great servant to the club.

At 36-years-old, McGeady still leads the Sunderland squad with the most key passes averaged per game (via WhoScored).

Thus, it is easy to see why former Republic of Ireland midfielder David Meyler has lauded his ex-teammate, having claimed that he is an “unbelievable” player, who remains technically “gifted”.

Therefore, his departure from Sunderland will come as a big loss to Neil’s squad.

In other news: Sunderland: Lynden Gooch makes claim over his future

Newcastle United journalist Scott Wilson has now revealed that the framework of a deal to sign Matt Targett permanently has already been agreed.

The Lowdown: Wants to stay

As shared by The Northern Echo, Targett has publicly admitted that he would like to stay at St. James’ Park once his loan spell from Aston Villa ends.

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He has ‘loved’ playing for the North East club, and is excited by their long-term project, perhaps no surprise after racking up nine league wins already in his short time at the club.

The Latest: Deal agreed

Taking to Twitter, Wilson has revealed that the framework of a deal to sign Targett has already been agreed, following his desire to remain on Tyneside:

“Matt Targett spells out his desire to join NUFC permanently this summer – with the framework of a deal already agreed with Aston Villa…”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given how well he is settled in at the Magpies, it is surely a no-brainer to sign Targett permanently.

Hailed as ‘top class‘ by Villa boss Steven Gerrard, he has not missed a single minute of football under Eddie Howe, except of course when they played his parent club (Transfermarkt).

Targett has instantly become a fan favourite with the Toon Army, so much so that 97.5% of supporters now want him to stay according to a poll from The Athletic, and would cost in the region of £15m.

In today’s market for a 26-year-old Englishman with Premier League experience, that would be considered a snip, and so the board must look to bring him in as soon as his loan deal expires.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘leading the race’ to sign here!

Everton are renowned for their disastrous transfer decisions since Farhad Moshiri arrived at the club, spending over £500m and still finding themselves neck deep into a relegation battle but nothing will haunt Goodison Park more than the decision not to sign one particular superstar.

What’s the latest?

Brain King, who was the Scandinavian-based scout for the Toffees, has revealed to The Times that he arranged a trial for Erling Haaland back in 2016 but his efforts to get the player to Everton were rejected.

King recalls: “We could have had him for a compensation fee of £60,000.

“But the consensus was he was so young and so big that once he got older and other players got bigger too, he’d lose his effectiveness.

The report further states that Everton had a second chance a few months later to seal a deal for the youngster who was just 15 at the time, but the new head of recruitment, Steve Walsh, was refused backing for the £3.4 million transfer.”

Moshiri will be haunted forever

The decision not to sign the now 21-year-old will surely haunt Moshiri and the powers at the club forever, as the star striker has gone on to be one of if not the most promising prospect in world football, recently signing for Manchester City in a deal worth a reported £375k-per-week.

The £135m-rated superstar who was hailed a “cyborg” by journalist Alex Truica was eventually snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in 2020, where he has made his name and earned a hugely impressive reputation with his attacking output for the Bundesliga side.

Haaland has scored 86 goals and contributed 23 assists for Dortmund in 89 appearances, with a goal contribution every 66 minutes which is an astonishing output that would’ve surely put Everton in a much better position than they would be in now had they taken the chance on the young ace.

In the Bundesliga this season, the Leeds born striker is the third top goal scorer, ranking fifth for pass completion into the box, shots on target and goal conversion in the entire league, again proving that the lack of effectiveness Everton were worried about was a huge howler by the club.

There is no doubt that supporters of the club will wonder what could have been had they have signed the Norway international all those years ago and where the club could have been now with Haaland deployed in their forward line.

However, for Moshiri it’s just another mistake on a long list of transfer decisions gone wrong.

AND in other news: Everton plotting bid for £9.9m-rated “monster”, he’s miles better than Holgate