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Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has dropped an update on Elliot Embleton’s ongoing contract talks.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Sunderland Echo, the 40-year-old revealed that the club are locked in talks with the attacking midfielder’s representatives, as the 22-year-old’s current contract at the Stadium of Light is set to expire at the end of the season.

Speaking about the progress of the discussions, Johnson said: “It’s definitely in hand. We’re in contact with the representatives.

“From my point of view, I’m obviously keen to protect that player-coach relationship and continuing to help and aid him playing as well as I can. I really enjoy working with him, the likes of Embo, McGeady, Gooch, Pritch, Leon, it’s a real pleasure to watch these guys and the things they can do.

“He’s got to just concentrate on his football and his on-pitch stuff, and we’ll let Kristjaan and the agents deal with the other side. I’m pretty sure there’s an appetite to stay on his part, and our part there’s very obviously an appetite to keep him on a long-term deal.”

Fans will be buzzing

With Johnson clearly suggesting in his comments that Embleton seems keen to extend his stay at Sunderland, and taking into account how impressive the midfielder has been for the Black Cats so far this season, fans will undoubtedly be buzzing.

Indeed, over his eight League One appearances this term, the £4.3k-per-week ace has scored two goals, provided three assists and has created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking two shots and making 2.4 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Max Power dubbed a “nightmare” for defenders average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Sunderland’s third-best performer in the league.

As such, should Embleton indeed put pen to paper on a new deal at the club, it will undeniably come as a huge boost to Johnson, who will be certainly be hoping that no Championship suitors take too much interest in the forward prior to the January transfer window.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops fresh claim on “excellent” 21 y/o gem, it’s good news for Sunderland

Newcastle United’s summer business could be done with a source suggesting Hamza Choudhury now won’t arrive from Leicester City, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed.

The lowdown: Deal close

Edwards had tweeted earlier on Tuesday that Newcastle were ‘close’ to signing Choudhury on loan.

Choudhury was limited to just four Premier League starts for Leicester last season, making a further six substitute appearances.

The 23-year-old would have taken up one of two available slots for loan signings from within the Premier League.

Newcastle also pursued this deal back in January and apparently came within ‘a hair’s breath’ of getting it over the line.

The latest: Bombshell

‘Someone now appears to be briefing’ that the Choudhury deal is off, and that Newcastle’s ‘business is done’, stated Edwards in a late and worrying bombshell.

He then added that by ‘someone’ he means the Magpies themselves, saying ‘I predict trouble ahead’.

Steve Bruce apparently thought the loan was doable, while both Leicester and the player himself ‘thought this was happening’.

The verdict: Disaster

Choudhury would have been a reasonable but uninspiring signing. Even if he had come in, Newcastle would have been left short, with an upgrade at centre-half also needed.

But the fallout from the deal’s apparent collapse may far outweigh the limited impact Choudhury’s arrival would have had. Indeed, Edwards himself has already dubbed it ‘scandalous’, and it really does feel like Bruce is now fighting a losing battle.

The Toon are stuck in 17th place with just one point, and it’s hard to see their form improving if they don’t make any late additions.

In other news, Steve Howey has suggested Newcastle could get creative for this CB.

Manchester United have reportedly entered the race to sign RB Leipzig forward Dani Olmo as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to add further additions to his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

The technically gifted 23-year-old was the subject of intense interest from Barcelona late on in the summer transfer window, the club he left as a teenager back in 2014, but Leipzig couldn’t find a replacement in time, meaning they rejected the Blaugrana’s bid.

And now, according to Spanish outlet Marca, the Camp Nou outfit remain keen to secure their former academy graduates services over the next few months, but face competition from several of European football’s heavyweights.

Marca’s report states that: “Barcelona continues to want to incorporate the forward, either in the winter market or next summer. However, it is very difficult to know what is going to happen at this point. First of all, because other clubs such as Manchester United, Juventus or Bayern also have their sights set on the footballer.”

Murtough must sanction Manchester United swoop

Olmo made the brave decision to depart his boyhood club as a youngster in search of first-team opportunities and was soon rewarded for his decision, becoming the youngest foreign player to play for Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb having made his debut at 16 years and nine months old.

The Spain international’s bold choice has certainly benefitted his career, with the versatile attacker already clocking up 46 goals and 41 assists in 186 appearances at club level, as well as three goals and four assists in 16 outings for his senior national side.

A recent scouting report perfectly summed up Olmo’s ability and key attributes, saying: “Olmo is seen as one of the most talented players in Spain’s latest generation of midfield maestros. The Catalan’s specialities which make him stand out are his technical skills with the ball at his feet.

“His close control is mesmerising to watch, and almost impossible to play against as an opposition defender. Olmo couples that ability with his will to drive the ball at goal, be that in his own possession or with threaded through-balls,” showcasing why so many big teams are believed to be interested in securing his signature.

Former La Masia coach Denis Silva Puig is someone who knows the skills and potential of his ex-pupil better than most, and previously gave an insight into his natural qualities (as relayed by Bundesliga.com).

“He was a typical forward, a very good finisher. He scored goals in every age category. He understood space well, so he could find room to score. He’s a natural-born goalscorer.”

Combine him with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood and you could have an effervescent mouth-watering combination.

As the Red Devils gun for the Premier League title, this possible signing is certainly something to get excited about. It could just be the missing piece of the jigsaw.

Therefore, United’s football director must sanction a move for the £45m-rated gem, providing Solskjaer with one of the most promising young forwards around.

And, in other news…Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Man United update, fans will be absolutely delighted 

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a move for Spezia striker M’Bala Nzola, as reported by beIN Sports journalist Tancredi Palmeri.

The Lowdown: West Bromwich Albion eye promotion in 2021/22

Unbeaten in 2021/22 so far following two wins and a draw, the Baggies are building some momentum, in what is an important season for West Brom as they try and secure a return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Making inroads in the transfer market, Valerien Ismael’s men have acquired three individuals in the form off Matt Clarke, Alex Mowatt and Adam Reach [Transfermarkt].

Now, they could be set to add more depth to their forward line following recent developments.

The Latest: Baggies keen on Nzola

Speaking to his large Twitter audience, Italian reporter Palmeri signified that ‘Fulham and West Bromwich are looking’ into the Italian top flight and have ‘contacted’ Spezia over the Angola international.

A fee of around €7m (£6m) is said to be enough to secure his services this summer.

Clubs in Portugal and Turkey are also mooted to be attracted to his situation.

The Verdict: Nzola would be an astute signing

Perhaps in need of another goalscorer to spearhead their promotion push, Nzola would be a very promising addition to the West Brom ranks.

In 2020/21, he excelled for his current employers, registering 14 goal contributions in 25 encounters; 11 goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, he impressed with his ability to link the play efficiently up front, recording an 84.3% passing accuracy across the season [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘very important’ by Spezia president Stefano Chisoli, West Brom should look to finalise a deal for his signature due to his clinical finishing ability [Geordie Boot Boys].

In other news, a pundit has their say on the possibility of a USA international joining the club. Read all about it here.

Southampton have been dealt a blow in their hopes of keeping Jannik Vestergaard this summer, with reports claiming that the Danish centre-back remains an option for Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man could still be targeted by Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this summer if moves for other defensive options fall through.

Fortunately for Southampton, the North London club are in for Cristian Romero from Atalanta and also have the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Nikola Milenkovic on their shortlist, but Saints fans will undoubtedly still be worried that the 28-year-old could leave the south coast at the last minute.

Will Vestergaard leave?

Vestergaard has now entered the final year of his contract at St Mary’s, and with no new deal on the horizon, it has been no surprise to see several clubs across Europe being linked with him so far this summer.

He enjoyed an excellent 2020/21 season with Southampton, contributing three goals in 28 Premier League appearances and averaging a solid 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his efforts, which was enough to rank him as the third-best performer in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side. It also led to him being dubbed “outstanding” by former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood back in January.

He was also a key part of Denmark’s success in the European Championship this summer, as he helped Kasper Hjulmand’s side to the semi-finals before they were knocked out by England in extra time at Wembley, and his performances there will also surely have caught the eye of some top clubs.

Therefore, Saints fans would surely be gutted to see him leave, especially if he were to follow former captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Spurs, so they will be keeping a close eye on how potential Tottenham deals for Romero and Tomiyasu progress in the next few weeks.

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However, even if the Danish defender doesn’t sign for Tottenham this summer, Southampton should be concerned that he could potentially leave for a free next season. If he doesn’t show any willingness to sign a new deal, perhaps those on the St Mary’s board should consider cashing in on Vestergaard so the blow of his departure could at least be cushioned by the receipt of a transfer fee.

In other news… Semmens heading for Saints transfer disaster with £17m shocker, fans will be fuming

Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder has revealed when the next steps in Newcastle United’s move for Joe Willock could be completed. 

The lowdown

It emerged on Sunday night that Newcastle had agreed a fee in excess of £20m to sign the midfielder from Arsenal.

The 21-year-old spent the latter half of the 2020/21 season on loan at St James’ Park and equalled Alan Shearer’s club record of scoring in seven consecutive games at the end of the campaign.

Willock could prove to be one of the five most expensive signings in the Magpies’ history if the deal goes through – 2019 addition Joelinton currently leads the way on £39.6m.

The latest

Newcastle do still have a hurdle to overcome – agreeing personal terms with Willock. If he is indeed open to the move, he should travel to the northeast within the next 24 hours, according to Ryder.

A medical would then likely be pencilled in for the early part of the week. After that, the 21-year-old could sign on the dotted line and officially become Newcastle’s first signing of the summer.

The verdict

You’d hope that personal terms don’t prove to be a significant issue here. Willock truly came into his own on Tyneside a few months ago and his first team prospects appear far better than they are at Arsenal.

Some Newcastle fans would consider this transfer a minimum requirement, but it’s pretty exciting nonetheless. He brings unique qualities to Steve Bruce’s side, as evidenced by him matching Shearer’s long-standing record, and he should just keep getting better if he is playing regularly at the age of 21.

After an arduous summer of continued takeover delays and transfer inactivity, the Toon Army finally seem to have something to feel positive about.

In other news, check out this intriguing claim on the future of Allan Saint-Maximin. 

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a report suggesting that the Reds are still keen on re-signing Phillipe Coutinho this summer.

The Brazilian enjoyed a superb spell at Anfield between 2013 and 2018, scoring 54 goals and registering 45 assists in 201 appearances.

However, he opted to join Barcelona in January 2018  in a move which irritated many Reds supporters in terms of the way he went about pushing through the transfer.

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Since then, the 29-year-old has had a forgettable time of things, failing to impress at Barca and even being loaned out to Bayern Munich.

According to Mundo Deportivo [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool have ‘probed’ Barcelona about bringing Coutinho back to the club this summer.

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Liverpool fans don’t want Coutinho back

It isn’t an update which has gone down too well with some Reds fans, with these Kopites taking to Twitter to deride the latest links with the Brazilian.

“I highly doubt this happened. The little snake burnt his bridges”

Credit: @DarthMoaner

“No we haven’t lol”

Credit: @playmaker

“I’m happy with Elliott and Jones than us signing Coutinho”

Credit: @Ponnusudesh

“This comes around every few weeks, it’s not happening. Klopp doesn’t want Coutinho”

Credit: @EESX1LFC

“Absolutely no chance whatsoever, that ship has sailed”

Credit: @frankfrance12

“It’s not 1st April!!!”

Credit: @osprey23

In other news, one Liverpool player is close to completing a move elsewhere this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United could be about to ramp up their transfer plans in the near future…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, manager David Moyes has a meeting scheduled with the board this week to discuss likely transfers and targets.

It’s thought that the two parties will decide which central defensive and midfield options to make a bid for and this is duly expected to speed up their business significantly ahead of next month’s deadline.

Football Insider have previously reported that GSB would put money aside for a new centre-back, whilst there could also be a consideration for Mark Noble’s retirement next year.

Moyes to make moves?

Plenty of uncertainty has started to creep around the London Stadium in recent weeks and that’s largely because of their lack of activity in the transfer market up until now.

Euro 2020 has been and gone, and kick-off against Newcastle United on the opening day of the new season is less than a month away, but the Hammers have not brought in a single new player this summer.

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By comparison, Arsenal have already made two additions, whilst Manchester United have made a mega-money splash for Jadon Sancho.

Moyes certainly needs reinforcements right across the pitch if he’s to get the east Londoners contending at the top end of the table once again, especially as they are facing the prospects of a 50-plus game season thanks to their qualification to the Europa League.

Right now, the 58-year-old just does not have the strength in depth to remain competitive across all competitions. For example, an injury-prone Michail Antonio is still his only senior centre-forward, and first-choice midfield duo Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek only have Noble behind them in the pecking order.

Similarly, Fabian Balbuena will need to be replaced at the back.

Therefore, if Ex’s latest claim is to be believed, West Ham are likely to start making their move in the transfer market, and that should appease many of the anxious Irons faithful.

AND in other news, Moyes risks making West Ham disaster as transfer update on £75k-p/w “monster” emerges…

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has praised Burnley’s James Tarkowski for his conduct following his failed transfer to West Ham.

Last year, Tarkowski was the subject of three failed bids from West Ham, the last one said to be £31m, with £25m offered up front.

It meant he was forced to stay at Turf Moor, which easily could have resulted in him kicking up a fuss.

In the end, though, that did not happen, with Tarkowski going on to play close to 40 games for Burnley last season, and Palmer has since praised the 28-year-old central defender for getting on with things.

“To be fair to the kid, I like people like him,” the ex-Leeds United star exclusively told TT. “He’s just gone on about his football and done his job. He’s not kicked up a fuss.

“If he keeps doing what he’s been doing, the bid will increase and he will go.”

West Ham may very well go back in for Tarkowski, with The Telegraph reporting that the east London club are still keen on the Englishman.

The same outlet states that Wolves are also interested, however, so West Ham look like they will have some competition for the player’s signature.

Celtic have reignited their interest in Liverpool defender Ben Davies, according to The Daily Mail’s Stephen McGowan.

The Lowdown: January drama

The Hoops looked set to sign Davies on a pre-contract agreement from Preston North End during the winter window. Reports suggested that a deal was all but completed, but the Reds came in at the last minute and signed him from Preston in a deal worth £2m to solve their defensive shortages.

Described as a ‘left sider’ by Charlie Adam, the centre-back is still waiting to make his Liverpool debut, and it seems as if Celtic are planning to go back in for the 25-year-old this summer.

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The Latest: McGowan’s claim

According to McGowan in The Daily Mail, the Hoops are back in the hunt for the centre-back. He claimed in a story on Thursday evening that Celtic are in competition with a number of English clubs looking to tie up a season-long loan deal.

Liverpool would rather sell Davies, who is on £60,000-a-week, but it seems as if the Hoops are eyeing a temporary move for him.

The Verdict: Centre-back links keep coming

By our count, Davies is the fourth centre-back who has been linked with a move to Parkhead in the past few weeks. The Hoops have also been credited with an interest in Hadjuk Split’s Mario Vuskovic, Rubin Kazan’s Carl Starfelt and Tottenham’s Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Bringing in two of the four could well be handy, especially with Kristoffer Ajer looking for a move away this summer.

That would leave Ange Postecoglou with Stephen Welsh, the injured Christopher Jullien and new signing Osaze Urhoghide as centre-back options, so securing two of the four should leave him with more than enough options in that department for his first season in charge.

In other news: Celtic target, who made a number of Parkhead demands, secures cheaper move elsewhere, find out more here.