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Everton could reignite their interest in one of Chelsea’s young starlets…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Kevin Thelwell has moved once again for Conor Gallagher.

Reportedly available for £35m, Phillips said the following to GIVEMESPORT on the Toffees’ interest: “It’s true that they have asked Chelsea for Broja and/or Conor Gallagher as part of the Gordon signing.

“They want both of those players and, for me, they would be big statement signings if they can get either of those.”

Would be a dream signing

With Everton having already brought in Amadou Onana in midfield, and still reportedly coveting Idrissa Gana Gueye, Lampard is clearly looking to sign a certain type of central midfielder.

However, the prospect of bringing in this “relentless” England international who has all the grit but the ability to push forward and grab goals would surely excite the 44-year-old who would hope to mould Gallagher in his image.

Last season, whilst on loan at Crystal Palace, the 22-year-old scored eight and assisted three from midfield in a season that made the rest of the Premier League stand up and take note.

It is also an explanation for why there are so many clubs vying for his signature, with the Eagles, Newcastle United and West Ham United all interested.

For LOSC Lille, Onana ranked in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles, whilst Gueye ranked in the top 8% for tackles and top 4% for pressures.

Lampard clearly wants energy with a defensive core, and who better to sit in front of them and shoulder more of the offensive burden than the Chelsea man?

Hoping he could be the creative spark in the Everton midfield, the fact that he ranks in the top 9% for dribbles completed is indicative of a man willing to drive with the ball at his feet from midfield to progress the team.

To have this bulldozing “monster” – in the words of sports editor Tom Dutton – driving at other teams’ midfields would be met with a raucous reception from Goodison Park, who thrive off a player committed to the cause. His 24.49 pressures per 90 further exacerbate this kinship they would surely form.

An English central midfield with an unparalleled work rate, Lampard himself scored an outstanding 177 Premier League goals during his career.

Gallagher would surely be his dream signing, as he would look to replicate his goalscoring feats with a man who has all the foundations to somewhat emulate the legendary Everton boss.

Arsenal’s interest in Wolves winger Pedro Neto ‘is real’, the reliable Steve Madeley has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Neto linked with move away

The Portuguese maestro is one of the most exciting players at Molineux, providing huge quality down the flanks when fully fit and firing, registering 23 goal involvements (11 goals and 12 assists) in total for Wanderers.

Unfortunately, Neto has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal in recent times, with Mikel Arteta perhaps seeing him as the final piece of the puzzle after their red-hot start to the season.

Bruno Lage’s side are already seriously lacking in attacking firepower, so to lose their up and coming superstar would be an enormous blow.

The Latest: Madeley confirms interest

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, The Athletic‘s Madeley confirmed that Arsenal want Neto but did add that they may not be able to sign him this summer:

“Arsenal’s interest in Pedro Neto is real and understandable. But it’s hard to see how they get him in this window.”

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The Verdict: Big loss if it happens…

Neto would be a huge loss for Wolves, with Premier League legend Alan Shearer describing him as a ‘huge talent’ and Lage surely desperate to keep hold of him.

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Goals are already coming at a premium for Wanderers, with only one scored in the league this season, so losing one of their biggest attacking threats is far from ideal.

Should Neto end up leaving this summer, it is essential that the funds are used to replace him immediately – if not, it is hard to see Wolves threatening the European places or even the top ten.

Following a rather unspectacular start to the campaign for Glasgow Rangers which included a nervy win away at Livingston and an uninspired Champions League defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, it appears Giovanni van Bronckhorst has settled things rather well.

Yesterday’s 4-0 victory over St Johnstone was the Ibrox side’s third win on the bounce and it allows the team to carry momentum into what is a crucial Champions League play-off tie against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst decided to make some changes to the team and freshen things up. Out went James Sands, Tom Lawrence, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent, who were replaced by Ben Davies, Ryan Jack, Rabbi Matondo and Scott Wright.

Man of the moment Malik Tillman opened the scoring in the 32nd minute following a slow start at Ibrox.

Antonio Colak netted his third goal in as many matches, ensuring he is a more than able replacement for Alfredo Morelos, with the Colombian still working hard on his match fitness. Two goals in the final ten minutes from Arfield and Lawrence made sure the Ibrox faithful went home happy.

Borna Barisic was the unsung hero

The Croatian is very much a player who thrives on confidence and despite the Dutchman signing Turkish left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, it’s clear that Barisic is still hungry for the starting spot.

His cross to set up Tillman’s crucial goal on Tuesday against USG is what the Ibrox crowd are used to seeing from Barisic, pushing up the pitch to constantly deliver teasing crosses into the box and he was excellent against St Johnstone.

The Croatian international earned a rating of 8.1 as per SofaScore, just behind Tavernier and Matondo as the club’s highest-rated player and he won 78% of his total duels during the encounter.

His proficiency at free kicks almost saw him score his first goal of the season, with a “great” effort sailing inches over the bar and this is another key strength in his all-around game.

The left-back also had 97 touches, made two key passes and his passing accuracy was an excellent 93% over the course of the match.

This is an opinion the Rangers Review also appeared to agree with, with the website affording the Croat a six in their own player ratings, as well as stating of the defender: “Linked up with Matondo well in patches and seemed to play with confidence, particularly after the break. Hit the top of the net with a dipping free-kick as Rangers chased a second.”

Ridvan may have been brought in as a potential long-term successor to Barisic, when the 29-year-old is in this form, it might be hard to displace him from the starting XI.

Sunderland have had a relatively quiet start to the summer transfer window since earning promotion back to the Championship.

They have signed Jack Clarke and Leon Dajaku on permanent deals following their loan spells at the Stadium of Light last term and the only fresh face to come through the door so far has been Daniel Ballard from Arsenal.

Kristjaan Speakman still has around six weeks left to complete business and the club have been linked with a number of players throughout the summer.

Last month, Football Insider claimed that the Black Cats are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign attacking midfielder Ravel Morrison ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He is currently a free agent after leaving Derby County and the club may now snap him up to bolster their midfield options, if they can beat off competition from the other sides eyeing him up.

Alex Neil’s own Paul Gascoigne

The head coach can now land his own version of Gascoigne by signing the £4.7k-per-week gem in the coming weeks.

Lee Clark compared him to the English icon back in 2014, saying: “He is the best footballer since Paul Gascoigne. If Paul Gascoigne had not done his knee he would have become the best player in the world.

“I played with Paul. I grew up with Paul. The only thing is that Ravel doesn’t know who Paul Gascoigne is! He has the pace of a wide-man. He has the balance but plays in the middle of the pitch because he can manoeuvre the ball.”

Whilst the attacking midfielder’s career has not quite reached the heights that Clark expected it to, Morrison did showcase his quality in the Championship last season.

The gem produced four goals and four assists – creating six ‘big chances’ in total – in 25 starts as Derby were relegated from the second tier.

He has also had his playstyle praised as Rio Ferdinand previously quoted Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder as saying: “Rav – unpredictable, maverick, humble, a natural, and frustrating.”

Morrison is an exciting midfielder who is capable of coming up with magic moments, like Gascoigne, as proven by these comments and his statistics last season.

Therefore, Neil can land his own version of the former Tottenham man by signing the 29-year-old and must push Speakman to secure a deal before the start of the campaign.

AND in other news, Big blow: Sunderland dealt pre-season injury setback that’ll leave Alex Neil gutted…

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has dropped a claim regarding Celtic’s reported transfer interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Joseph had this to say on the matter: “Michut has played six games in Ligue 1 and is very much seen as a hot prospect at PSG, but there’s been a falling out with the hierarchy and the new manager.

“Well, not a falling out, but he’s not seen in the first-team plans, so he’s looking to move and because of that he could go for quite cheap.

“One source had told us that Celtic were looking at coming with a £2m offer, but I believe it’s probably going to take £4m-£5m for him to move, so I think that’s still one to watch.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

After it emerged that the Bhoys were looking to secure a deal for the 19-year-old, Ange Postecoglou poured cold water on the subject by saying that the club were not in for the youngster.

However, taking into account what Joseph has now said on the matter and how highly he claims the player is rated at the French club, this should have a lot of Celtic fans excited over a potential move for the 19-year-old this summer.

Over five league appearances last season, the teenager completed 52 of the 55 passes he attempted, while also making three shot-creating actions.

From a defensive point of view, the Frenchman won two tackles and made two clearances, two blocks and 22 pressures.

This shows how well-rounded midfield a option he could be for Celtic should they end up securing a deal for him this summer.

Even though it has been confirmed by the Hoops on Tuesday afternoon that they have signed 31-year-old Aaron Mooy, securing a much younger midfielder such as Michut could be a great long-term investment for the club given his age and clear talent.

Also, having seen the likes of Ewan Henderson, Luca Connell and Kerr McInroy leave the club recently, there is certainly room for another young midfield prodigy to join the ranks at Parkhead and see if they have what it takes to break into the first team.

AND in other news – Celtic set to sign £5.9m dynamo, it could be bye-bye £20k-p/w outcast

Leeds United have registered their interest in Stoke City defender Josh Tymon, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Tymon profiled

Hailed as ‘quick’ by his manager Michael O’Neill, Tymon is primarily a left-back who can also play as a left-sided midfielder when required and has been with Stoke since 2017.

Formerly an England under-20 international, the 23-year-old has made 87 senior appearances for the Potters, contributing to eight goals.

Described as the ‘nutmeg king’ following 14 of them in the Championship last season, it looks as if Tymon could be on the move this summer, with a number of clubs interested in his services.

The Latest: Source shares Tymon update

Football Insider shared a story regarding Tymon on Wednesday afternoon after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that Leeds and Norwich City have both registered their interest in the full-back, joining Rangers in the race for his signature. The report adds that Stoke value Tymon at £6m and have been reluctant to sell.

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The Verdict: Needed?

It looks as if Jesse Marsch is going to give Junior Firpo another chance to impress at Elland Road next season, although the Spaniard is the only senior left-back available to the 48-year-old, so bringing in someone like Tymon could be a wise move.

The Whites have spent £95m so far this summer, although none of the six additions is a defender, even with Leeds conceding a whopping 79 goals in 38 league games last season.

Charles De Ketelaere appears to be the club’s final marquee target, although it looks as if an under-the-radar move for Tymon could be on the cards as well.

Tottenham Hotspur are battling Manchester United for the signature of Ajax winger Antony, according to The Independent’s chief football writer Miguel Delaney. 

The lowdown

United are interested in reuniting Antony with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, Delaney says.

He arrived in Amsterdam from native club Sao Paulo in the summer of 2020 for a fee of £14.2million. Under Ten Hag, Antony won the Eredivisie twice, as well as the 2020/21 Dutch Cup.

The 22-year-old, who has three years left on his contract, is now valued at £31.5million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Delaney writes that Ten Hag and United ‘face competition’ from Spurs for the Brazilian attacker.

Conte would appear to be at a disadvantage without the personal connection to the player but, significantly, the club are prepared to offer Steven Bergwijn to Ajax as part of the deal.

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The verdict

Even though Antony has a prior relationship with Ten Hag, Spurs’ willingness to include Bergwijn in the deal could swing it in their favour.

That’s because Ajax clearly possess a strong interest in the former PSV Einhoven man, having seen a £17million bid rejected earlier in the summer.

The hope for Spurs, of course, is that Antony would represent an upgrade off the back of his impressive 2021/22 campaign.

The nine-times-capped international was directly involved in 22 goals (scoring 12 and setting up ten) in 32 appearances in all competitions.

Adding the ‘elegant’ playmaker (in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig) to a squad that already includes Dejan Kulusevski would be a real statement. Conte would have an elite level of attacking depth at his disposal.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano reveals talks for a ‘star’ target.

As per London World and journalist Rahman Osman, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of former star playmaker Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici, after their summit in Italy, have already been very busy before the summer market has even opened.

Both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster have arrived at Hotspur Way on Bosman deals with the Lilywhites already sealing two signings ahead of Conte’s first full Premier League season in charge.

The north Londoners are reportedly eyeing another potential free agent swoop for ex-favourite Eriksen, but it won’t be easy, with the Brentford ace attracting plenty of interest.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘hot on his heels’…

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Sharing an update, London World explain that Tottenham are ‘hot on his heels’ amid the competition with Conte ‘looking to build a side that can compete both in Europe and the Champions League’.

As Paratici and co attempt to sign Eriksen, the report also explains that Brentford supporters ‘are really on the edge’ given their love for the 30-year-old and would love to have him for another season.

The Verdict: Time to pounce…

Finishing 2021/2022 as the Bees’ best-performing player by average match rating, Denmark’s international legend also managed the most key passes per 90 for them in the final third (WhoScored).

Described as ‘amazing’ by Conte himself, it’ clear the £158,000-per-week star still has what it takes to be a real asset for the Italian at Spurs.

On a possible Bosman deal, a move for Eriksen really feels like a low-risk one and no-brainer for Paratici.

In other news: ‘Better and better’ – Insider claims Tottenham could make announcement ‘in the coming days’…find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur could sign Gareth Bale 2.0 this off-season…

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, Antonio Conte is set to make Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Filip Kostic his first summer signing at Spurs as part of a £150m spending spree.

Both the Italian head coach and sporting director Fabio Paratici are said to be keen to invest in his consistency, whilst the Express recently claimed that the north Londoners had scouts in attendance as the Bundesliga outfit clinched the Europa League over Rangers last week.

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Meanwhile, the very reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london has seemingly confirmed their interest, as he revealed on his YouTube channel:

“I know certainly that they’ve got a lot of interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 29-year-old Filip Kostic – their left wing-back, so that’s one they’re going to look at, they’re going to try and sign.

“I think there’s a lot of interest in him, but we’ll see. I think there’s a growing confidence that he might be someone that they can bring in this summer.”

He could be available for just €15m (£12.5m).

Bale 2.0

Indeed, the Serbia international has been a mark of consistency over the years, delivering the goods for Frankfurt since 2018.

Kostic finished the season as Oliver Glasner’s highest-rated player in the German top flight, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.11, only further emphasising his ability to impact games week in, week out.

He bagged seven goals and provided 13 assists across the Bundesliga and Europa League, playing at left wing-back, and those returns far usurp all of Conte’s current wide options in defence combined.

Across the last three domestic campaigns, the 29-year-old has proved to be a major creative influence, averaging at least 2.4 key passes per game, on top of a minimum of 1.4 tackles per game.

Interestingly, Kostic has earned comparisons to Bale throughout his career. After all, the Welsh legend started his career in the very same role before transitioning into a lethal presence in the final third.

Dubbed a “mentality monster” by team-mate Kevin Trapp and described as having an “outstanding ability” by Glasner, the £18m-rated machine would evidently be a fantastic upgrade to Conte’s squad.

He is practically the perfect fit for what the Italian is trying to achieve in N17, and for just £12.5m, Paratici and co would be foolish to not pay it.

AND in other news, Kane eyeing new Spurs contract in big Conte boost…

Shamar Joseph’s brilliance in Brisbane or the thrilling England win in Trent Bridge? Which Test was better? Vote now!

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The AUS-WI 2024 Brisbane Test moves into the quarter-finals.England hold their nerve – Trent Bridge, 2005It was a Test of two halves.The first 11 sessions were about England’s march to a 2-1 lead in the fourth game of the Ashes. The 12th and final session, in which England were chasing a small(ish) target, was dragged into a great fight from the time Shane Warne took a wicket off his first ball. Had Australia won, they would have retained the Ashes with a game to spare.England were so dominant that they forced Australia to follow-on after being bowled out for 218 inside 50 overs. Andrew Flintoff’s 102 off 132 balls and Geraint Jones’ 85, had propelled England to 477. In the third innings, Australia rode on half-centuries from Justin Langer, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich to post 387 and set England a target of 129.It wasn’t a cakewalk for England, though.The fourth innings lasted only 31.5 overs, where Brett Lee and Warne led a courageous Australian fightback. There was a period of calm when England moved from 32 for 1 to 103 for 4. But when Lee dramatically dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Flintoff to leave England at 111 for 6, Australia sensed a comeback. In the next over after Flintoff’s dismissal, Warne – who had by then picked up three wickets – removed Jones. It was left to Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard to fight it out. Slowly, they picked off the runs even as Lee peppered Hoggard with a mixture of bouncers and yorkers. Giles hit the winning runs to the delight of a joyous England balcony.Shamar stuns Australia – Brisbane, 2024Carl Hooper and Brian Lara broke down. Even the most patriotic Australian fans cheered for the opposition. The world Test champions were stunned. It was all because one bowler with a broken toe who staged a siege at the Gabba.Australia hadn’t lost a Test to West Indies since 2003, or at home since 1997. They had never lost a pink-ball Test. That changed in Brisbane.They came into the second Test having decimated West Indies in Adelaide inside three days. At the Gabba, Australia replied to the visitors’ 311 with 289 for 9 declared. West Indies fought for 193 in their second innings, setting a 216-run target.But more importantly, Shamar Joseph had retired hurt after a Mitchell Starc yorker crushed his toe. Australia lost Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne early in the chase, but Steven Smith and Cameron Green took them to stumps, requiring 156 runs to win. Shamar hadn’t bowled at all on the third evening.On the fourth afternoon, Smith and Green looked comfortable. Then Shamar arrived. He conceded 19 runs off his first ten balls and then removed Green and Head. He kept bowling – removing Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Starc, and Pat Cummins in a fiery spell.All this while, Smith kept at it. But when Alzarri Joseph had Nathan Lyon with Australia still 25 adrift, the end was near. Fittingly, it was Shamar bowled Josh Hazlewood to seal a famous win, finishing with stunning figures of 7 for 68. It was a performance that single-handedly elevated Shamar to stardom.