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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

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie believes the Hoops will make at least four new signings for the first XI in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead

Ange Postecoglou’s men may have sealed Scottish Premiership glory this season, regaining the title from rivals Rangers, but attention is immediately turning to 2022/23.

New signings will be required in order to take this Celtic side to the next level, allowing them to compete in the Champions League, rather than exit the competition in a meek fashion.

The money should be available to bring in new faces with a £40m+ windfall expected from qualification to Europe’s elite competition, so it promises to be an exciting summer window.

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The Latest: Four signings predicted

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, reacting to news of a deal being close for Mohanad Jeahze, claimed he thinks at least three more players will come in to the starting line-up, although he didn’t rule out the idea of even more signings being made:

“New players have to come in, that’s for sure. We have a pretty good squad at the moment but we saw how stretched it got when we were playing in Europe.

“It will be even harder in the Champions League next season as well so new players will have to come in.

“I think four players, around that number, hopefully more. Four players who can challenge for a starting spot or of that quality to start every week.

“We are getting that money so hopefully Ange gets a bit to spend. I’m sure he will because he has worked wonders with this squad.”

The Verdict: Sign them up, Ange

In Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota, Celtic have two loanees who immediately need to be signed permanently, given the impact they have made this season.

The pair made 52 league appearances between them, with the former a rock at the heart of the defence and the latter chipping in with nine goals and ten assists.

Away from Jeahze, Carter-Vickers and Jota, it is then vital that other new faces arrive at Parkhead, though, adding quality and freshness to the squad, ahead of what is hopefully another glorious campaign next time around.

In other news, Celtic are believed to be ‘desperate’ to sign one player this summer. Read more here.

Liverpool are preparing to make an offer for Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes in January, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Long-term vision

The Reds signed Arthur Melo from Juventus on a season-long loan over the summer to provide cover for the ongoing injury crisis, but now it seems like the club are thinking ahead with a view to the long term.

The 21-year-old Gomes has impressed for the Brazilian giants since nailing down a starting place in Dorival Junior’s side, and this has caught the eye of a potential Premier League suitor, with the Anfield outfit name-checked.

The Latest: Liverpool readying Gomes offer

According to journalist Julio Miguel Neto (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are ‘preparing’ a bid for Gomes, and are ‘interested’ in signing him during the upcoming window.

It’s reported that Jurgen Klopp has been watching his target ‘for some time’, and ‘wants him in the squad’ for the second half of the 2022/23 season.

The Verdict: Bellingham stop-gap?

Liverpool are already believed to be plotting a big-money move for Jude Bellingham next summer, but that doesn’t appear to have stopped them from wanting to splash the cash on other assets before then.

Gomes, dubbed a ‘midfield destroyer’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, currently averages 3.1 tackles per Brazilian Serie A game and has an 87.2% pass success rate (WhoScored), highlighting his ability to dictate a game in a similar manner to Reds star Fabinho.

Given his young age, it’s likely that Gomes wouldn’t be thrown straight into the starting XI, but similarly to Fabio Carvalho, provides an exciting, more youthful option for the boss to have at his disposal.

Sunderland could welcome back Ellis Simms and Dennis Cirkin for their next game against Preston, James Hunter reports.

The lowdown

Simms, who’s on loan at Sunderland from Everton, missed Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Watford because of a toe injury he sustained the first half of last week’s 3-0 win over Reading.

Manager Tony Mowbray had hoped that he would be ready to face the Hornets, but the trip came too soon.

Meanwhile, left-back Cirkin has missed the last two matches as a result of a hamstring injury.

The latest

Hunter, a Sunderland writer for The Chronicle, relayed the positive fitness update on Simms and Cirkin on his Twitter account on Monday.

He wrote: “Tony Mowbray hoping for a double injury boost after the international break.”

The verdict

After the high of Jewison Bennette’s late equaliser at Vicarage Road, this represents more great news for Sunderland.

Simms made his debut in the second game of the season against Bristol City and went on to complete 90 minutes in four of the next six matches, underlining his importance.

With three goals to his name, he’s the team’s joint-second highest scorer behind Ross Stewart (five).

Cirkin, meanwhile, had played all but 15 minutes for the Black Cats prior to his injury, and showcased some strong form.

He’s a specialist ball-winner, ranking fifth in the squad for tackles per game and third for interceptions whilst also placing second for clearances (via WhoScored).

Their returns will boost Sunderland’s chances of holding onto a play-off spot in the coming weeks and months.