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Rangers saw one of their most important players leave Ibrox earlier in the current transfer window as Joe Aribo waved goodbye to club.

The midfielder moved to the English Premier League earlier this month in a deal worth up to a reported £10m, bringing an end to his three years with the Light Blues.

Another significant player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad who has been linked with an Ibrox exit this summer is Borna Barisic. In June, it was reported that the full-back had attracted interest from Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Should the 29-year-old find himself following in the footsteps of Aribo and leave Rangers this summer or in the near future, the club will need to ensure that they have a suitable replacement for the Croatian.

One man who has been linked with a move to Ibrox and who could fit this particular bill is Stoke City full-back Josh Tymon.

With 114 appearances to his name for the Potters across their senior and under-23 teams, the 23-year-old has scored four goals and delivered eight assists along the way.

Last season saw the Englishman make 44 Championship appearances for his current club and play more minutes than any other player in Michael O’Neill’s squad, highlighting just how important he is to them.

Tymon ended the campaign with more crosses delivered (201) than any of his team-mates and also posted the second-highest number of successful tackles (40) at the club. This highlights just how capable he is of getting up and down the pitch with and without the ball.

Bearing in mind how Barisic racked up the second-highest number of crosses (158) and the third-most tackles won (33) in Rangers’ squad for their previous Premiership campaign, it’s easy to see the similarities between the two players, and why the Stoke gem would be an ideal heir for the 29-year-old at Ibrox.

Hailed as an “outstanding” talent by his former Hull manager Steve Bruce in the past, Tymon would certainly be a useful addition to Van Bronckhorst’s side, especially if Barisic ends up leaving the club in the near future.

With a reported price tag of £6m, securing a deal for the Stoke full-back would be an investment worth making for the Gers this summer.

AND in other news – Deal close: Rangers set to land “dynamic” £1.6m-rated “beast”, it’s great news for Van Bronckhorst

Celtic have been heavily linked with a move for Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo recently and the Ghanaian could form a superb partnership with Jota in Ange Postecoglou’s side next season.

The Hoops have seemingly been tracking the 22-year-old forward for some time and could still make their move for him this summer, with Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson admitting that he wouldn’t stand in the youngster’s way should he wish to depart Ashton Gate.

Celtic have already brought in Benjamin Siegrist, Daizen Maeda, Alexandro Bernabei, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota on permanent deals this summer but Postecoglou is still arguably low on centre-forwards.

The 56-year-old manager has just Giorgos Giakoumakis and Albian Ajeti as natural options through the middle, and the latter really struggled for game time last season, so Postecoglou may still feel that another striker is needed.

It is no surprise that Celtic are looking at Semenyo considering his superb form last season in the Championship.

The 22-year-old contributed eight goals and 12 assists in 31 appearances in England’s second tier, averaging an impressive 6.97 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Although he has managed just 19 goals in his senior career thus far, last season was a breakthrough for the Ghana international, and he would arrive at Celtic Park in a confident mood if Postecoglou can secure his services this summer.

Semenyo’s assist numbers suggest that he is very good on the ball and can link the play up as a striker, so he could combine well with Celtic’s new permanent signing, Jota.

The Portuguese winger joined on a permanent deal after a hugely successful loan spell that saw him contribute 13 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the Bhoys.

The former Benfica man is capable of playing anywhere across a front three and emphasised his devastating ability on numerous occasions last season, with Postecoglou labelling Jota and Liel Abada’s attacking performance as “unbelievable” against Dundee United early last season.

Semenyo also earned a lot of praise from Pearson last season, with his manager saying:

“He is a real threat with his power and pace – he must be a nightmare to play against! His challenge now is to keep developing and adding elements to his game to make him even more effective.”

Therefore, it is clear to see what Semenyo would add to Celtic’s attack next season, and his ability in attack could see him form a nightmare combination with Jota under Postecoglou.

And, in other news… Celtic handed green light for “exceptional” new signing, supporters will be buzzing

Wolves have reportedly made contact with Paris Saint-Germain striker Mauro Icardi as they look to get their summer transfer business underway, and the Argentine forward could prove to be a huge hit at Molineux.

What’s the word?

The former Inter captain was reportedly offered to the Premier League club last month, with Jorge Mendes being asked to try and engineer a move.

Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport have now claimed (via Sport Witness) that the Old Gold are in contact with Icardi over a potential deal, with the prospective transfer seemingly getting closer.

The 29-year-old’s time at the Parc des Princes is seemingly over as they plan a rebuild with the imminent arrival of Christophe Galtier as manager; and considering the other attacking options available at PSG, it was perhaps always likely that Icardi would be moved on this summer.

Lage would love him

Since signing from Inter in 2020, the forward has gone on to make just 92 appearances for Les Parisiens, in which he has contributed a respectable 38 goals and 10 assists.

Although he has struggled for game-time in France, there is no doubting Icardi’s quality, with his 124 goals for Inter marking him out as one of the top strikers in European football not so long ago.

If he could rediscover that form at Molineux next season, he would undoubtedly be a huge success and could help to push Wolves up the table after a lack of goals arguably cost them a European place for next season.

Only the three relegated teams scored fewer top-flight goals than Bruno Lage’s team last season, so adding a clinical forward should be a priority for the 46-year-old this summer, as Raul Jimenez’s measly six goals were enough to see him finish as the Old Gold’s top scorer in the Premier League.

Icardi certainly has a lot of pedigree, with legendary Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini dubbing him “world-class” in his autobiography, and there is no doubt that he would add serious quality to Lage’s frontline next season.

If Wolves can take advantage of their connection with Mendes and bring Icardi to Molineux this summer, they will certainly look a lot stronger up front and could easily push themselves up the Premier League table as a result.

He seems like the type of predator who Lage would surely love to be able to call upon, given his team’s goalscoring woes over the last few months.

In other news… Lage plots Wolves bid for £16.2m-rated wizard, he’s like a “hot knife through butter”

Nottingham Forest have reportedly secured the services of Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

What’s the word?

That is according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who revealed news of the Manchester United goalkeeper’s switch to the City Ground for the upcoming season.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Romano stated: “Done deal, confirmed. Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson will join Nottingham Forest on a loan deal until June 2023. Here we go.

“No buy option included after further talks between clubs. Deal agreed – it will be signed once Dean Henderson returns.”

Here we go

As Romano states, there is no purchase option in the deal, but a deal has seemingly been agreed. It represents a risk at this stage in Henderson’s career, considering the competition for the number one spot at Forest after Brice Samba’s efforts between the sticks throughout their Championship promotion campaign. However, the potential departure of the 28-year-old may work in the Englishman’s favour.

Henderson made just three appearances for United’s first team in all competitions last season, with his most notable performance coming in the Champions League in a 1-1 draw against Young Boys. Even then, having acquired a save percentage of 75%, he was only given 68 minutes on the pitch before third-choice stopper Tom Heaton replaced him.

Forest may well be in for a real scrap in their bid to renew their Premier League status this season, and a goalkeeper who understands what it takes to perform at this level (49 top-flight appearances), and who will surely be hungry to prove a point to the Old Trafford hierarchy, may well help to keep the Tricky Trees in the top tier beyond next summer.

Whilst it’s a risk for Henderson, who will face a battle with Samba for the number one spot if the latter stays, it represents a serious statement of intent from Cooper’s side, who have bolstered their depth and elevated competition in the goalkeeping position, much to their manager’s delight.

In other news: Cooper now given green light for £9m-rated Forest swoop, he’s a Zinckernagel upgrade 

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien could reportedly be in line to remain at Parkhead next term, despite previous reports linking the Frenchman with a move away from the club.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the 29-year-old is keen to ‘stay and fight for his place’ under manager Ange Postecoglou, despite recent suggestions that he could be set for a return to Ligue 1, having been signed from Toulouse in a £7m deal in 2019.

The report does state, however, that the Old Firm side would be willing to ‘listen to offers’ for the 6 foot 5 colossus this summer, albeit with the Glasgow outfit yet to receive any ‘concrete bids’ to prise him from the club.

Should the centre-back not be sold in the current window, the Scottish champions face the prospect of losing him for nothing next year, with just 12 months remaining on his existing deal.

Supporters annoyed

Although it may be somewhat commendable that the £4.95m-rated man is keen to try and work his way back into the manager’s plans, there will no doubt be sections of support who are frustrated and annoyed by this latest news, with it seemingly having been the ideal time to cash in on the towering defender to raise funds for incomings.

The £20k-per-week giant made just a solitary, 16-minute appearance in all competitions last term, having been unable to unsettle the “immense” partnership of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers, as the duo have been dubbed by pundit Chris Sutton.

The pair were instrumental as the Hoops wrestled the title back from bitter rivals Rangers, with the latter man having since made his loan move permanent from Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur.

That recent signing has only served to rubberstamp Jullien’s continued slide down the pecking order, with the one-time Freiburg man having failed to regain his starting berth of late, despite having been available for selection for much of the second half of last term.

The former France U20 international had been out for over a year due to injury prior to his return to fitness at the start of 2022, with that lengthy absence curtailing what had been a bright start to life at the club under Neil Lennon.

Under new management, however, it would appear that he is not quite the right fit, with it perhaps best if he is moved on in the next few months, particularly with the club targeting other centre-back additions – including Manchester City starlet Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Supporters won’t want to see Jullien taking up space in the squad for another season, while for the player’s own sake he would perhaps be better served seeking out pastures new.

IN other news, Celtic’s next summer signing now a “matter of time”, Ange will be absolutely delighted

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements this summer following a tough relegation battle in the Premier League, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Everton have made an enquiry about Hull City youngster Keane Lewis-Potter.

As per the report, Frank Lampard has a long list of transfer targets he will be hoping to sign in order to avoid another relegation scrap next season, and the Toffees will need to compete with West Ham United, who are also suggested to be interested in Lewis-Potter this summer.

Lampard would love him

Lampard hasn’t had the easiest career as a manager so far after being sacked by Chelsea and taking on the difficult challenge of keeping Everton up last season, however, he has been successful at developing young players so he would love to sign Lewis-Potter.

The former Chelsea boss had a hand in the development of Reece James, Mason Mount, Tariq Lamptey and Armando Broja to name a few of the young players who are excelling after being given their start with Lampard, and Lewis-Potter could be added to the long list of his successful developments if he signs for Everton this summer.

The 21-year-old attacker was hailed a “special talent” and dubbed “quick” by Grant McCann, with the Hull City boss signing the praises of his player;

“The kid’s a special talent. Wherever we play him across that frontline, he’ll create and score goals. He can be anything he wants to be. He’s quick, he’s getting stronger. If you see him physically now compared to where he was this time last year, he’s head and shoulders above in terms of his physique. He’s got all the tools to be anything he wants.”

Last season Lewis-Potter scored 12 goals, delivered three assists and created seven big chances, as well as made an average of 1.1 key passes, 1.1 clearances and won 3.4 duels per game over 46 Championship appearances, proving that he is effective in both offensive and defensive play.

Not only is the £15m forward displaying his many talents, but he also offers diversity in his positioning and can comfortably cover the attacking midfield and left-wing, two areas that Everton may need to strengthen this summer, especially with speculation that Richarlison may leave Goodison Park this summer.

With that being said, the signing of Lewis-Potter would be a major coup and a great piece of business for Farhad Moshiri as the youngster can offer a diverse set of skills and is versatile in his positioning, something that would be highly valued in the current Everton squad ahead of next season.

AND in other news: Everton plot bid for “talented” £30m gem who has an “eye for goal”, Frank must act now

Chelsea are interested in signing impressive Wolves full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Ait-Nouri shines for Wolves

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of Wanderers’ best young players in recent years, producing a string of commanding performances last season.

Ait-Nouri started 20 matches in the Premier League in 2021/22, averaging a team-high 2.8 tackles per game and also providing attacking thrust from his left wing-back role, completing nearly two take-ons per match.

The Frenchman is now being linked with a move away from Molineux, however, which is a concern.

The Latest: Chelsea keen on move

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea are eyeing up Ait-Nouri as a potential summer target, seeing him as someone who could replace the likely outgoing Marcos Alonso.

The youngster does still have four years remaining on his current Wolves deal, however, so the Blues would likely have to submit a huge bid to prise him away.

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The Verdict: Would be a big blow

Given Ait-Nouri’s potential, the thought of Wolves losing him now is grim. At a point where Bruno Lage is looking to build a formidable side for the long-term, selling a promising 21 year-old would be hugely damaging.

The defender has impressed so much for Wanderers, producing performances far more mature than his tender years and being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his manager.

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It remains to be seen if Ait-Nouri’s head is turned by this potential interest from top four clubs – Manchester City are also mentioned in the report – but the hope is that he sees his future at Wolves, for the time being at least.

In other news, Wolves have been linked with a move for a defender. Find out who it is here.

A major update has emerged on Newcastle’s pursuit of Matt Targett heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are set to close a £12m deal for the English left-back following his loan spell at St. James’ Park last season.

The report claims that they have already held talks over a move and Dan Ashworth is now on the verge of his first deal as the club’s sporting director.

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

This update will surely leave the head coach buzzing as Targett will be a good addition to the team heading into next season.

The full-back was a solid player for the Magpies in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and the boss knows exactly what he is going to get from the former Southampton man.

Upon Targett’s arrival on loan in January, Howe said: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”

These comments from January back up why he will now be buzzing that the defender is set to return on a permanent basis. He is a proven top-flight performer and will be a reliable, consistent, option for the head coach at left-back.

In 2021/22, Targett averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 33 starts in the Premier League for Villa and Newcastle combined. This shows that he is capable of delivering superb displays on a regular basis at the top level.

Defensively, he made himself a rock at the back. The full-back averaged a whopping 3.8 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game in the top-flight. He has shown that he can cut out opposition attacks to win possession for his side multiple times throughout matches.

Targett can also offer some creativity going forwards. He created five ‘big chances’ in the Premier League last season and made 1.2 key passes per game, showing that he also has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Howe will now be buzzing with Ashworth’s work to close in on a deal for the left-back and will be looking forward to working with him again next term.

AND in other news, Ashworth “looking” at Newcastle deal for “clever” £75m gem, he can be Howe’s own Salah…

Everton could make a move for Manchester United midfielder James Garner this summer, while James Tarkowski is still top of the transfer wish-list. 

The lowdown

Garner spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Nottingham Forest, helping them win promotion to the Premier League.

The Englishman played the full 90 minutes last weekend at Wembley last weekend as Forest beat Huddersfield Town in the playoff final.

Steve Cooper’s side are thought to be keen to retain Garner for their first season back in the top flight, but new United manager Erik ten Hag will assess him before deciding whether to sanction a move (via The Athletic).

Garner, who was born in Merseyside, has two years to run on his United contract and is valued at £6.3million by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

The Blues are looking at a ‘potential loan deal’ for Garner ahead of the 2022/23 season (via The Daily Mirror).

They’re ‘confident’ of making free agent centre-back Tarkowski their first signing of the summer, but Garner might prove to be the second.

Any further business after that, journalist David Maddock says, will depend upon outgoings.

The verdict

Everton have done business with United as recently as January, negotiating a loan move for Donny van de Beek, and they may be about to re-open communication channels.

Intriguingly, Maddock notes that the Red Devils are interested in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, so it will be interesting to see if the two prospective deals become linked.

Everton would surely have been mightily impressed by Garner’s display in the promotion decider. He won all five of the ground duels he contested, completed 42 of his 48 passes (88%) and created three chances in an all-round display that earned him SofaScore’s man of the match award.

Former United boss Jose Mourinho told a ‘confidant’ that Garner is ‘a player’, The Times’ Henry Winter has marvelled at his ‘class’, while Liverpool Echo journalist Christopher Beesley believes he could offer Lampard a ‘new dimension’. That should get Everton fans excited.

In other news, Everton are in pole position to sign this CB, and it’s not Tarkowski.

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘preparing an offer’ to sign Lucas Paqueta this summer.

The Lowdown: Shades of Bruno

A deal to bring Paqueta to St. James’ Park would certainly draw comparisons to when Bruno Guimaraes arrived in the North East in the January transfer window.

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Paqueta is also a silky Brazilian midfielder who plays for Bruno’s old club Lyon in Ligue 1, and he is even thought to be a ‘good friend‘ of the now Toon fan favourite.

The Latest: Paqueta offer

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Rudy Galetti has revealed that the Tyneside outfit are now ‘preparing an offer’ for Paqueta, and talks over personal terms are ‘at a good stage’:

“#Newcastle are preparing an offer to #OL for Lucas #Paquetá. The English club would like to buy at least one top player and the Brazilian is among the favourites.  

“Personal terms under discussion, at a good stage: rapidly evolving situation.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given the instant impact that Bruno has had on Eddie Howe’s side, scoring five goals and making one assist in the Premier League and ranking as their third-best performer in the division (WhoScored), it is surely a no-brainer to link him up with his old teammate in Paqueta.

The 24-year-old has managed an impressive 11 goals and seven assists from midfield in all competitions this season (Transfermarkt), and the prospect of him playing in a midfield with fellow Brazilians Bruno and Joelinton is a truly mouth-watering concept for the Toon Army.

Nonetheless, signing Paqueta should encourage other top players to follow him to the Magpies, which would really help kickstart the long-term project.

In other news, find out who NUFC have now ‘watched’ ahead of a potential move here!